Abstract:
A utility machine having an actuator and a portable control device. The portable control device exchanges data with the actuator over a wireless data transmission arrangement and is equipped with an input arrangement and an output arrangement. The actuator can be influenced by the input arrangement of the control device. A sensor for measuring an operating parameter of the utility machine influenced by the actuator generates a measured value that can be transmitted over the wireless data transmission arrangement to the control device. The output arrangement can be operated to display an information that depends on the measured value of the sensor. Thereby the operator can carry on an interactive dialog with the utility machine over the control device.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention is directed to a utility machine with at least one actuator and a portable control device that is arranged to exchange data over a wireless data transmission arrangement with the actuator and is equipped with an input arrangement and an output arrangement where the actuator can be influenced by the input arrangement of the control device.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    EP 1 004 230 A describes a portable control device for an agricultural vehicle. The portable control device that can be held in one hand permits an operator to stand at a distance from the vehicle control at least one function of the vehicle or an operating implement connected to it. Thereby processes that are normally controlled from the operator&#39;s cab of the vehicle, but are difficult to follow visually, such as the adjustment of a hydraulic power lift, can be performed more easily. In normal operation the control device can be coupled to a docking station in the operator&#39;s cab of the vehicle. It may also be equipped with a display arrangement. The data displayed are not specified in any further detail. A remote control arrangement would also be desirable for electrically controlled cleaning sieves on a combine.  
           [0003]    GB 2 263 376 A describes a vehicle monitoring system that permits the transmission of operating parameters of a vehicle over a wireless telephone connection to a central monitoring station.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a utility machine having a control device that simplifies the diagnosis of the condition of the utility machine for the operator and a possible recognition of defects.  
           [0005]    The portable control device is equipped with an input arrangement and an output arrangement and can be carried along by an operator when he performs a walk around the utility machine for purposes of maintenance or diagnosis and inspects the machine. The control device communicates over a bi-directional, wireless connection with at least one actuator of the utility machine. For this purpose a radio or an infrared transmission may be provided. The operator can affect one or more operating parameters of the utility machine by inputs into the input arrangement of the control device for purposes of control. Within the scope of the present invention the term utility machine should be understood to cover not only a particularly agricultural vehicle, such as, for example, a self-propelled harvesting machine, but also implements connected to the vehicle, for example, attached or coupled implements. It is proposed that the output arrangement that operates, for example, optically or acoustically be arranged to reproduce information that is a function of the measured value of a sensor, which detects an operating parameter that can be affected by the actuator, and whose measured values or data derived there from are transmitted to the control device over the bidirectional data transmission arrangement. Thereby the operator can carry on an interactive dialog with the utility machine over the control device.  
           [0006]    In this way the operator is given the possibility of moving into the vicinity of the actuator or the element of the utility machine affected by it and to change an operating parameter of the utility machine that is in operation by an input into the control device and to have a measured result of the change in the operating parameter provided as an output on the output arrangement of the control device. Thereby from this location an optical and/or acoustic control of the utility machine by the operator becomes possible and in addition the output of the measured result of the sensor, or information derived there from, becomes possible.  
           [0007]    The output arrangement can provide measured values of the sensor and preferably associated allowable upper and/or lower limit values as output which have been stored in memory. Thereby the operator can easily recognize whether the utility machine is capable of operating successfully or that maintenance or repair operations are required.  
           [0008]    It is also possible to categorize the measured values in various classes, such as “in order” or “faulty” and a display of the class associated with each particular measured value of the sensor, in order to simplify the judgment of the measured values further for the operator.  
           [0009]    In a more advanced embodiment the output arrangement provides suggestions for action. It can, for example, call the operator&#39;s attention to the need for the replacement of a defective component if the measured values of the sensor point to a defect in the particular component. For this purpose a form of data bank may be provided in which possible measured values and the associated information are stored in memory. The actual measured values are then compared with the possible measurement values and for those values with the best fit the associated information is displayed.  
           [0010]    Preferably a test run of the actuator can be performed with the input arrangement of the control device. In this test run the actuator runs through differing pre-programmed positions, so that the utility machine operates in several operating parameters. Appropriately the control device provides an instruction to the operator which test run is being performed at a given time.  
           [0011]    In a preferred embodiment the test programs that can be called up at a given time can be a function of the physical position of the control device. An appropriate position detection arrangement can be used to determine at which location of the utility machine the control device is located at that time. From at least two available test runs a corresponding software selects only that one test run that can be followed well optically or acoustically by the operator from the position of the control device at that time. Only these test runs can be selected by means of the input arrangement. For this purpose corresponding menus or menu points may be provided that can be activated and deactivated as a function of the position.  
           [0012]    After the conclusion of the test run the output arrangement provides an advice as to the result of the test run to the operator. Information as to the result is derived from the collected measurement values of the sensor or the sensors that, as a rule, includes several classes which is provided as an output. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a semi-schematic side view of an agricultural combine.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the on-board computer system of the combine.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of the control device of the combine.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 illustrates a self-propelled agricultural combine  10 . Although the invention is disclosed on an axially aligned rotary combine, it can also be applied to conventional combines and other combines, as well as, to any other type of utility or agricultural machine.  
         [0017]    The combine  10  includes a support structure  12  having wheels  14 . A harvesting platform  16  extends forward from the combine  10  and conducts harvested crop to a feeder house  18 . The feeder house  18  contains a conveyor arrangement in order to conduct the harvested crop to the threshing, separating and cleaning assemblies of the combine  10 . The feeder house  18  conducts the harvested crop to an inlet beater  20  extending in the transverse direction which conducts the crop through an inlet transition section  22  to an axial threshing and separating assembly  24 . Grain and chaff are conducted by the axial threshing and separating assembly  24  to a cleaning assembly  26 . The cleaning assembly  26  directs the cleaned grain to an elevator which lifts the clean grain to a grain tank  28 . Chaff is blown out the rear of the combine  10  by a cleaning fan  30 . Harvested crop material that is neither grain nor chaff is conducted by the axial threshing and separating assembly  24  to an outlet beater  32  arranged in the transverse direction which conveys this material out of the rear of the combine  10 . Cleaned grain stored temporarily in the grain tank  28  can be discharged by the actuation of a discharge auger  36  controlled by the operator in an operator&#39;s cab  34 .  
         [0018]    An on-board computer  44  is located at the rear of the operator&#39;s cab  34 . It is used for the adjustment of the various actuators of the combine  10 .  
         [0019]    A first actuator is used for the adjustment of an adjustable drive  23  of the threshing and separating assembly  24 . An internal combustion engine, that is used as the main engine of the combine  10 , also drives the adjustable drive  23 . The adjustable drive  23  is a belt drive that is driven by a variable diameter belt drive pulley, not shown, and a variable diameter belt driven pulley and is drivingly coupled to the rear side of the threshing and separating assembly  24 . A belt extends between the driving belt pulley and the driven belt pulley. Hydraulic cylinders control the diameters of the belt pulleys. A first hydraulic cylinder is coupled to the driven belt pulley and moves the end faces of the belt drive pulley inward or outward, in order to control the effective diameter of the belt drive pulley relative to the belt. By changing the effective diameter of the belt pulleys the effective velocity of the driven belt pulley is changed. The hydraulic cylinder is supplied over a hydraulic line with pressurized hydraulic fluid from a valve assembly  35 . The valve assembly  35  is controlled electrically by the on-board computer  44 . Thereby the hydraulic cylinders operate as actuators for the adjustment of the rotational speed of the threshing and separating assembly  24 . The rotor is driven by the belt drive pulleys with variable diameter at a constant, selected rotor velocity.  
         [0020]    A second actuator is an electric motor  29  that drives the cleaning fan  30 . The rotational speed of the electric motor  29  is controlled by the on-board computer  44 .  
         [0021]    The on-board computer  44  is connected with a first sensor  38  in the form of a rotational speed sensor, that detects the rotational speed of the rotor of the threshing and separating assembly  24 . A second sensor  40  that is also connected with the on-board computer  44  is arranged ahead of the air outlet of the cleaning fan  30  and detects the velocity of the air issuing from the cleaning fan  30 .  
         [0022]    Furthermore the on-board computer  44  is connected with a data transmission arrangement  46 , that is arranged for the transmission and reception of data. As shown in FIG. 2, the on-board computer  44  is connected over a bus  48  with the first sensor  38 , the second sensor  40 , the electric motor  29  of the cleaning fan  30 , the valve assembly  35  of the variable drive  23  of the threshing and separating assembly  24  and the data transmission arrangement  46 .  
         [0023]    A control device  42  is shown in greater detail in FIG. 3. The control device  42  is provided with a control arrangement  54  that is connected over a bus  60  with a display arrangement  50  used as output arrangement, a keyboard  52  used as input arrangement and a bi-directional data transmission arrangement  56 . The aforementioned components of the control device are arranged in a housing  58  along with an appropriate power supply.  
         [0024]    In normal operation of the combine  10  the control device  42  can be fastened in the operator&#39;s cab  34  to a corresponding docking station and used for the input and display of operating parameters of the combine  10 , as shown in FIG. 1. In normal operation when the control device  42  is docked in the operator&#39;s station  34  it is connected to the bus  48 , as is indicated by the dashed lines in FIG. 2. When the control device is connected to the bus  48 , there is the possibility of charging memory elements of the power supply of the control device  42  from the on-board network of the combine  10 .  
         [0025]    By corresponding inputs into the keyboard  56  the operating values selected from determined input possibilities of the actuators can be provided as input. Thereby corresponding data is transmitted by the control arrangement  54  of the control device  42  to the on-board computer  44 . A manual change of previously provided operating values by means of the keyboard  54  is also conceivable. The display arrangement  50  is used for the display of the selected operating values and/or the operating values that can be selected and of measured values of the sensors or information derived there from. The data displayed or data on which these are based are transmitted by the on-board computer  44  to the control arrangement  54 . It should be noted that it is conceivable that the functions of the on-board computer  44  can be transferred to the control arrangement  54  of the control device  42 . In that case the on-board computer  44  could be eliminated and the control arrangement  54  would interact directly with the actuators and sensors, if necessary, over the data transmission arrangement  46  and  56 .  
         [0026]    In order to scrutinize the performance of the combine after the end of the operation or upon a maintenance operation the control device  42  can be separated from the docking station arranged in the operator&#39;s cab  34 . The on-board computer  44  is connected with the control arrangement  54  of the control device  42  over the data transmission arrangements  46  and  56  that communicate with each other by means of electromagnetic radio frequency or (infra-red) light wave radiation. The control device  42  makes it possible for the operator to walk around the combine  10  and to inspect the individual operating elements of the combine  10 —if necessary, after opening access doors—and to control the actuators associated with the operating element by means of the keyboard  52 . In addition the display arrangement  50  displays the measurement values of sensors that are associated with the operating elements. Thereby the portable, removable control device  42  makes possible a change of an operating parameter controlled by the operator and a simultaneous output of the measured values of the sensors  38  and  40  on the display arrangement  50  and an optical and acoustic control of the operating elements by the operator.  
         [0027]    If the operator is located, for example, in the vicinity of the cleaning fan  30 , he can bring about a test run of the cleaning fan  30  by an input into the keyboard  52 . The control arrangement  54  induces the on-board computer  44  to have the electric motor  29  run through a certain range of rotational speeds. The sensor  40  detects the air flow velocity of the air flow issuing from the cleaning fan. In connection with information stored in the on-board computer  44  regarding the immediate target rotational speed of the electric motor  29 , during the entire test run a data collection is accumulated step by step, in which the rotational speeds of the electric motor  29  and the air flow velocities are stored in memory. Simultaneously the operator controls the cleaning fan optically and acoustically. After the end of the test run a comparison of the data collected with data stored in memory is performed. If the data collected corresponds to target values stored in memory the display arrangements shows that the test run was performed with a positive result, otherwise repair recommendations are displayed.  
         [0028]    Analogously the operator, who is now located in the vicinity of the threshing and separating assembly  24 , can bring about a test run of the threshing and separating assembly  24  over the keyboard  52 . Then the on-board computer  44  induces, over the adjustable drive  23 , the rotor of the threshing and separating assembly  24  to be driven successively at various rotational speeds. The target rotational speeds are gradually stored in memory along with the measured values of the sensor  38  that detects the actual rotational speed of the rotor of the threshing and separating assembly  24 . Simultaneously the operator controls the threshing and separating assembly optically and acoustically. Following this a comparison of the measured data with data stored in memory is performed. If no obvious differences are found so that it can be concluded that the adjustable drive  23  operates properly the display arrangement indicates a successful conclusion of the test run; otherwise repair recommendations can be displayed.  
         [0029]    In order to simplify the work of the operator, the control device is equipped with a position detecting arrangement  62 . The latter may be a GPS receiver. Arrangement  62  permits the control arrangement  54  to determine the location of the control device  42  relative to the combine  10  and the position of the combine itself which is provided with two GPS receivers  64  and  66 . Position data are transmitted over the data transmission arrangement  46  and  56  to the control device  42 . A menu shown on the display arrangement  50  offers at any one time only test runs that can be well observed from the physical location at which the control device  42  is located. In case that the operator nevertheless desires a certain test run, although he is not located at an appropriate position, an input of the desired test run can be initiated equally well by a corresponding input of the desired test run that circumvents the limitation on the selection.  
         [0030]    Having described the illustrated embodiment, it will become apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.