Monitoring of operating modes for harvesters
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsDaniel J. Corbett, Bryan E. Dugas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and control system are disclosed for monitoring operating modes of a harvester. A harvester may include one or more harvesting devices driven by one or more hydraulic circuits. A lower pressure limit and a current operating pressure may be determined for a hydraulic circuit of a harvesting device. The determined pressure limit and operating pressure may be compared, and a current operating mode for the harvester identified accordingly. The operating mode may include at least one of a waiting mode, a transport mode, a maneuvering mode, and a harvesting mode.
Claims20
A method for monitoring operating modes of a harvester, the harvester including a first hydraulic circuit for driving a first harvesting device, the method comprising:
- determining a first lower pressure limit for the first hydraulic circuit;
- interfacing one or more controllers with a pressure sensor operably coupled to the first hydraulic circuit to determine a first current hydraulic pressure for the first hydraulic circuit;
- comparing, via the one or more controllers, the first current hydraulic pressure to the first lower pressure limit;
- and
- identifying, via the one or more controllers, a current operating mode for the harvester, based upon, at least in part, the comparing of the first current hydraulic pressure to the first lower pressure limit;
- wherein the current operating mode includes one of a waiting mode, a transport mode, a maneuvering mode, and a harvesting mode.
A control system for monitoring operating modes of a sugarcane harvester, the sugarcane harvester including a base cutter hydraulic circuit for driving a base cutter and a chopper drum hydraulic circuit for rotating one or more chopper drums, the control system comprising:
- at least one pressure sensor in communication with one or more of the base cutter and chopper drum hydraulic circuits;
- and
- one or more controllers configured to:
- determine one of a base cutter circuit lower pressure limit for the base cutter hydraulic circuit and a chopper drum circuit lower pressure limit for the chopper drum circuit;
- interface with the at least one pressure sensor to determine one of a current base cutter hydraulic pressure for the base cutter hydraulic circuit and a current chopper drum hydraulic pressure for the chopper drum hydraulic circuit, respectively;
- compare the one of the current base cutter and chopper drum hydraulic pressures, respectively, to the one of the base cutter circuit and chopper drum circuit lower pressure limits;
- and
- identify a current operating mode for the sugarcane harvester, based upon, at least in part, the comparing of the one of the current base cutter and chopper drum hydraulic pressures to the one of the base cutter circuit and chopper drum circuit lower pressure limits;
- wherein the current operating mode includes one of a waiting mode, a transport mode, a maneuvering mode, and a harvesting mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.