Patent ID: 8073599

Claim:
A control system for a harvester having drive wheels coupled for being driven by a variable speed transmission and having a harvesting unit for removing crop material from a field, an upstream conveyor for receiving the removed crop material directly from the harvesting unit, and an air duct system mounted for receiving crop material directly from said upstream conveyor and for propelling the removed crop material away from the upstream conveyor, a harvested material processor coupled for receiving crop material from the air duct system, the air duct system having a maximum material conveying capacity and the harvested material processor having a maximum processing capacity dependent upon crop material mass and moisture content, the control system including a conveyed material sensor arrangement mounted for sensing the flow and moisture content of the material in said air duct system and providing a material flow signal indicative of the speed of the material within the air duct system and a material moisture content signal indicative of the moisture of the material in the air duct system, an electronic controller coupled for receiving said material flow and material moisture content signals, and being coupled to said variable speed transmission, with the electronic controller being responsive to said material speed and moisture content signals to provide advanced mass flow information for anticipation of conditions the crop material processor will be encountering and being responsive to at least one of the material flow signal and advanced mass flow information for controlling forward ground speed of the harvester, to cause at least one of the air duct system and material processor to operate generally at or below the maximum material conveying capacity of the air duct system or the maximum processing capacity of the processor.