CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 USC 119 of German Application No. DE 102018123480.5, filed on Sep. 24, 2018, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to an agricultural work system and to a method for the optimization of operating parameters using an agricultural work system. An agricultural work system of this kind has at least one agricultural work machine, for example, also a fleet of agricultural work machines, which is coupled in each instance to at least one work unit for carrying out or supporting agricultural work. Such an agricultural work machine may be any agricultural work machine that serves to execute an agricultural work order, for example, soil tillage, such as plows, cultivators, harrows or the like. Such agricultural work machines include tractor units, particularly tractors, but also, in principle, harvesting machines, particularly forage harvesters, combine harvesters or the like. Precedence is given herein to the agricultural work machine configured as tractor, for example. By work units is meant not only installed work units such as inclined conveyors, threshers, choppers or the like, but also mounted implements such as plows, cultivators, harrows or the like.

In agricultural work machines, it is known to detect and evaluate different operating parameters in order to optimize work processes, particularly in a harvesting process. The expression “operating parameter” as used herein is to be understood in a broad sense. It encompasses all of the parameters relevant for the operation of the agricultural work machine and, in particular, for a work order, in particular machine parameters such as, for example, rotational speed or driving speed, work parameters such as, for example, employed work units or the agricultural work order to be carried out and/or environment parameters such as, for example, the quality of the soil or weather. As used herein, an operating parameter also means a corresponding parameter value. The detection of corresponding operating parameters is carried out at least partially in an automated manner by means of a driver assistance system of the agricultural work machine, particularly by means of sensors or input devices for operator input.

In the known agricultural work system (DE 10 2008 061 252 A1) upon which the invention is based, a plurality of operating parameters is detected by means of the driver assistance system of an agricultural work machine, for example, a combine harvester, and is further processed based on predetermined rules (context processing rules) to form a context profile. A context profile of this kind is a quantity of data which characterize a determined situation or determined environmental condition or boundary constraint. The data are, for example, those pertaining to the identity, geographical position and operating state of the agricultural work machine. For example, the data can say that the agricultural work machine is a combine harvester which is located at a determined position at a determined point in time and which drives at a determined speed. Depending on a context profile determined in such a way, machine parameters of the agricultural work machine can then be optimized with respect to a determined agricultural work order which is to be carried out by the work machine. An optimization of this kind is carried out automatically by the driver assistance system, i.e., without the input of the operator. However, owing to the varied applications of an agricultural work machine, particularly a tractor, in connection with a large number of different mounted implements combined with largely unknown environmental conditions, a satisfactory result of the optimization cannot always be achieved with the known agricultural work system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention addresses the problem of configuring and further developing the known agricultural work system in such a way that an improved optimization of machine parameters is made possible for the broadest possible spectrum of applications.

The above-stated problem is solved in an agricultural work system having at least one agricultural work machine in the form of a tractor, the agricultural work machine having a driver assistance system for detecting, processing and outputting data relating to an agricultural work order, and at least one work unit coupled to the agricultural work machine for carrying out or supporting agricultural work. The driver assistance system is configured to detect a plurality of operating parameters and to allow the operator to rank the detected operating parameters or operating parameter sets with a plurality of different detected operating parameters, in that individual ranked operating parameters or sets of operating parameters or all of the ranked operating parameters or sets of operating parameters are retrievably filed in a data pool. The operating parameters or sets of operating parameters are submitted based on ranking to an algorithm for generating optimized operating parameters or sets of operating parameters for the adjustment of the agricultural work machine and/or of the at least one work unit.

The agricultural work system as proposed herein has, in particular, a tractor as the agricultural work machine. In principle, the solution as proposed herein is also applicable to any other agricultural work machine, for example, a combine harvester or forage harvester. The agricultural work machine has a driver assistance system, meaning in the present instance and preferably a system which assists the operator in the operation of same while carrying out an agricultural work order and during operation on the road or agricultural operations yard. The assistance can relate to driving and/or steering the agricultural work machine or to the evaluation and/or output of operating parameters and corresponding parameter values and particularly also to the open loop control and closed loop control of the agricultural work machine or individual work units, particularly a mounted implement, depending on operating parameters.

A key fundamental consideration is, first of all, that better optimization results can be achieved by including the operator in an optimization process because it is possible for the operator to evaluate the results of a running optimization routine quickly and simply and, in particular, to decide immediately whether or not there has been an improvement compared with the state prior to running the optimization routine. That is, as proposed herein, after running an optimization routine in which one or more operating parameters, particularly machine parameters, and the corresponding parameter values have been changed, operator feedback in the form of a ranking of the optimization results on the part of the operator is compulsorily demanded by the system.

After ranking has been carried out by the operator, the respective changed operating parameter or set of operating parameters obtained in the course of running the optimization routine is saved in a data pool. In particular, a set of operating parameters of this kind also contains a quantity of corresponding parameter values or data which identify a determined situation or determined environmental conditions or boundary constraints, for example, data which relate to identity (kind and/or type), geographical position and operating state of the agricultural work machine.

Further, it is key that the operating parameters or sets of operating parameters filed in the data pool are associated based on the ranking with an algorithm which serves to generate optimized operating parameters or sets of operating parameters. “Based on ranking” means that the respective operating parameter or set of operating parameters and the corresponding parameter values are submitted to the algorithm depending upon the ranking, that is, depending upon the suitability level of the parameter or set of parameters and corresponding parameter values for a determined application (for a determined context) as determined by the operator. For example, only those operating parameters or sets of operating parameters which have been considered by the operator beforehand during the ranking to be suitable for the basic application are submitted to the algorithm. An operating parameter or set of operating parameters is ranked by the operator as “suitable”, for example, when this parameter or set of parameters and corresponding parameter values have led to improved results when carrying out the basic agricultural work order.

The work results can be assessed based on criteria such as the quality of the working process, the efficiency of the working process and the work output. The algorithm for generating optimized operating parameters or sets of operating parameters preferably makes it possible to process the data in the data pool in such a way that optimal machine parameters and corresponding values can also be derived for novel, unfamiliar combinations of work machine and work unit, particularly tractor and mounted implement. For example, it is conceivable that a set of parameters previously ranked by the operator for a particular tractor type when plowing under determined environmental conditions is filed in the data pool and the algorithm provides the same or similar set of parameters for a different tractor type when plowing or the same tractor type when cultivating under comparable environmental conditions as optimized parameter set. In the simplest case, however, the algorithm can also consist merely in distinguishing operating parameters or sets of operating parameters ranked as suitable from operating parameters or sets of operating parameters ranked as unsuitable and providing only the operating parameters or sets of operating parameters ranked as suitable to the driver assistance system for retrieval. However, this is only conceivable in case both the operating parameters or sets of operating parameters ranked as suitable and the operating parameters or sets of operating parameters ranked as unsuitable are filed in the same data pool. However, it is also conceivable in principle to file only the operating parameters or sets of operating parameters ranked as suitable in the data pool from the start (crowdsourced truth data pool) and to reject the operating parameters or sets of operating parameters ranked as unsuitable.

Accordingly, with the agricultural work system as proposed herein it is possible to determine a plurality of operating parameters in a context-based manner, for example, by sensors and/or by the operator himself/herself, including in particular not only machine parameters but also data having to do with identity (kind and/or type), geographical position and operating state of the agricultural work machine, including particularly environment parameters. Further, it is then possible to adapt at least one operating parameter, in particular machine parameter, with respect to at least one of the criteria including quality, efficiency and output, by means of the driver assistance system in the course of an optimization routine. The results, i.e., the respective adapted operating parameter or a set of parameters with the respective adapted operating parameter, is then ranked by the operator and the results of the ranking are conveyed to the driver assistance system. The driver assistance system than submits individual operating parameters or sets of operating parameters, for example, only those ranked as suitable, or basically all of the operating parameters or sets of operating parameters, i.e., also those ranked as unsuitable, to the data pool which can then also be accessed by the algorithm for generating optimized operating parameters or sets of operating parameters for adjusting the agricultural work machine and/or a work unit. The data generated by the algorithm can then also be filed in the data pool. In this connection, reference is made to so-called “data mining” which means an automated or partially automated evaluation of large quantities of data for determining hitherto unrevealed relationships.

A detection of data, in particular of the plurality of operating parameters or sets of operating parameters, can be carried out via sensors or by input on the part of the operator. It is also conceivable to provide such data via an internal data source, for example, an internal storage of the agricultural work machine or an internal storage of the work unit or mounted implement, or via an external data source (GPS satellite, weather station, Internet, farm-based computer or the like). In particular, a detectable operating parameter is also the kind and/or the type of working unit, in particular mounted implement. A detection of this operating parameter, i.e., the detection, for example, of the mounted implement, can also be carried out in an automated manner, in particular via RFID, Bluetooth, one or more cameras, M2X communication, ISOBUS, TIM or the like.

The driver assistance system can also be configured for natural language recognition and/or output of data.

A computer can be provided for applying the algorithm, and a data storage is provided for storing the ranked operating parameters or sets of operating parameters in the data pool. The data storage or a separate data storage can also be provided for storing the operating parameters or sets of operating parameters generated by applying the algorithm. The computer and/or the respective data storage can be part of the agricultural work machine. In a particularly preferred manner, the computer and/or the respective data storage are part of an external computer network (cloud) of the agricultural work system. The application of the algorithm and/or the storage of the above-mentioned data are accordingly carried out in a cloud-based manner in particular.

An exchange of data can also be carried out with further agricultural work machines and/or work units. In particular, a plurality of agricultural work machines can also be used to detect operating parameters as described earlier and to file ranked operating parameters retrievably in the data pool. Moreover, the operating parameters or sets of operating parameters generated by the algorithm can also be made available to other agricultural work machines and/or work units, particularly also other, for example, similar, combinations of agricultural work machine and work unit or mounted implement. In particular, this can be carried out by means of telemetry with bidirectional communications and/or via an off-line optimization on the farm-based computer and subsequent transmission to the respective agricultural work machine and/or by installing a new software update. In particular, optimized adjustment recommendations can be provided for a determined region.

In one embodiment, one or more machine parameters of the agricultural work machine and/or of the respective work unit, work parameters and/or environment parameters are detected as operating parameters. The respective machine parameter is selected from the group comprising driving speed, fuel consumption, delivered drive output, delivered drive torque, rotational speed of the driveshaft, engine lugging, shifting speed, parameters of the shifting characteristic, parameters of the slip control, parameters of the draught control, parameters of the full-load control, the air pressure and/or tire type of the front and/or rear pair of tires, the weight of a front and/or rear ballast device, parameters of the front and/or rear lift mechanism, the top link position, parameters of the traction cylinder, parameters of the hydraulic valve setting, the hollow disk position, the pull point, the pressing pressure, the support pressure, parameters of the conditioner column and/or parameters of the steering system and adjustment changes of the respective machine parameters; and/or the respective work parameter is selected from the group comprising an agricultural work order, the kind and/or type of agricultural work machine, the kind and/or type of the respective work unit, in particular mounted implement, the mechanical, hydraulic and/or electrical connection of the respective work unit to the agricultural work machine, the ISOBUS machine settings, the power requirement of the respective work unit, the working depth and/or working width of the respective work unit, the land use and/or the area capacity; and/or the respective environment parameter is selected from the group comprising the ground profile of the field and/or the current driving path, the size of the field, the current weather data, the GPS position data, the current crop, the current population variety, the current crop character of the field and/or of the current driving path, the current soil character of the field and/or of the current driving path, and/or the history of the field and/or of the current driving path, in particular the previous crop or a previous crop, population variety, crop character and/or soil character.

The sets of parameters to be ranked are combinations of one or more machine parameters, and/or one or more work parameters, particularly one or more work and/or one or more environment parameters.

The algorithm generates the optimized operating parameters or sets of operating parameters for determined combinations of operating parameters, preferably for determined combinations of an agricultural work machine, a work unit and one or more environment parameters.

In a preferred configuration, the driver assistance system allows the operator to select an optimization routine by which one or more operating parameters can be changed according to a predetermined rule. The operating parameter or set of operating parameters obtained through this change is then that which is ranked by the operator, for example, as suitable or unsuitable for the specific application or the specific context. In particular, the optimization routine can optimize the quality of the working process, the efficiency of the working process or the work output. Correspondingly, the operator preferably has the choice between an optimization routine for optimizing the quality of the working process, an optimization routine for optimizing the efficiency of the working process and/or an optimization routine for optimizing the work output. After a corresponding optimization routine has been selected, it can also be provided that one or more suggestions for at least one operating parameter to be changed are presented to the operator by the driver assistance system. In particular, the operator then has the option of accepting or declining a suggestion.

Further, the driver assistance system can also be configured to carry out an assessment of the reasonableness of data entered by the operator. For example, a set of operating parameters which contains the work parameter “plow work order” in a particular situation, for example, immediately after turning around, could have been unintentionally ranked by the operator as suitable even though plowing would not be sensible in this situation. The driver assistance system can then interpret the data entered by the driver as erroneous input and correspondingly prevent the ranked set of parameters from being filed in the data pool.

The invention also relates to a method for the optimization of operating parameters using an agricultural work system, in particular an agricultural work system as proposed herein with at least one agricultural work machine, in particular a tractor, and with at least one work unit for carrying out or supporting agricultural work. The agricultural work machine has a driver assistance system for detecting, processing and outputting data relating to an agricultural work order. As proposed herein, a plurality of operating parameters is detected by the driver assistance system, and the detected operating parameters or operating parameter sets with a plurality of different detected operating parameters are permitted to be ranked by the operator. Further, individual ranked operating parameters or sets of operating parameters or all of the ranked operating parameters or sets of operating parameters are retrievably filed in a data pool, and the operating parameters or sets of operating parameters are submitted, based on ranking, to an algorithm for generating optimized operating parameters or sets of operating parameters for the adjustment of the agricultural work machine and/or of at least one work unit.

