Threshing control system

Abstract

A threshing control system and a method for controlling a threshing system (24) of an agricultural harvester (10) are provided. The method comprises using a camera (80, 81) to capture images of a crop flow, processing the captured images and controlling operational settings of the threshing system (24). The images are captured downstream of the threshing system (24), preferably somewhere between a threshing rotor (40) or a threshing drum and a stubble spreader (74). The purpose of the image processing is to detect ears of grain in the captured images and to derive at least one physical property of the detected ears of grain from these images. The operational settings of the threshing system (24) are controlled based on the derived at least one physical property.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for controlling a threshing system of an agricultural harvester. Background Art

[0002] Agricultural harvesters such as combine harvesters or "combines" perform multiple harvesting functions such as picking, threshing, separating and cleaning with a single harvesting unit. Combine harvesters include a header for harvesting crops from the field and a feeder housing that delivers the crops to a threshing and separation system. The threshing system includes one or more rotors or drums that may extend axially (front to back) or laterally within the body of the combine harvester and are partially or completely surrounded by perforated concave plates. The crop material is threshed and separated by the rotation of the rotors within the concave plates. Coarser non-grain crop materials (such as stems and leaves) are delivered to the rear of the combine harvester by a chopper assembly or device and discharged back to the field using a spreader system. The separated grains are discharged through the concave plates along with some finer non-grain crop materials (such as chaff, dust, straw and other crop residues) and fall onto the grain pan, where they are delivered to the screen of the cleaning system. Alternatively, the grains and finer non-grain crop materials may also fall directly onto the cleaning system itself.

[0003] The cleaning fan blows air through the screen of the cleaning system, expelling chaff and other debris to the rear of the combine harvester while the grain falls through the screen. Non-grain crop material such as straw from the threshing section is processed by the stubble system, which can process the non-grain material with a stubble chopper and direct it to the rear of the combine harvester. The cleaned grain is conveyed from the cleaning system to the grain box on the combine harvester. When the grain box is full, the combine harvester approaches the vehicle to which the grain is to be unloaded, such as a semi-trailer, straight truck, etc.; the unloading system on the combine harvester is activated to transfer the grain to the vehicle.

[0004] A key objective in the operation of all combine harvester systems is to recover as much grain as possible from the crop being harvested in the field. For example, the screen apertures and fan speeds of the cleaning system are constantly adjusted to ensure that as much grain as possible is delivered to the grain bin while all chaff and other light non-grain material is thrown back into the field. Impact sensors are located at the rear end of the screen to detect the amount of grain loss and are used as input to a control system designed to optimize the operating settings of the cleaning system. Similar impact sensors are often used immediately downstream of the threshing system to detect the amount of grain loss. However, the larger amounts of large bales of non-grain crop material leaving the threshing system make the reliability of such impact sensors far less than when used after the cleaning system.

[0005] In United States patent application US6119442A, an instrument and control system is disclosed which monitors the processing conditions of crop material and automatically adjusts the settings of a combine harvester in response to the monitored conditions. The described system uses a plurality of image sensors, one of which is located near the outlet end of a thresher system. The image device is used to distinguish loose grains in the image and quantify their presence based on the loss of grain from the threshed portion. The presence of excessive amounts of loose grains in the crop stream at that time may lead to the conclusion that the threshing action was sufficient to separate the grains from other crop material, but the grains did not pass through the concave plate orifices or grille holes, which is usually due to excessive plant material covering too many of the orifices, i.e., the thresher is overloaded. In order to avoid further loss of grain in the threshing system, the control system is programmed to reduce the ground speed of the combine harvester, thereby reducing the load on the threshing system.

[0006] Although such a grain monitoring system as described in 1999, immediately behind an image-based threshing system, may be useful in theory, it has not yet been put into practice. One of the main practical problems is that it is difficult for the impact sensor discussed above to identify small grains in the presence of a large number of larger bales of non-grain crop material. In addition, although the system can provide some information about how the grain is able to pass through the threshing concave, it does not provide any useful information about the threshing quality itself.

[0007] It is an object of the present invention to address one or more disadvantages associated with the prior art. Summary of the invention

[0008] According to one aspect of the invention, a method for controlling a threshing system of an agricultural harvester such as a combine harvester is provided. The method comprises using a camera to capture images of a crop flow, processing the captured images and controlling operational settings of the threshing system. The images are captured downstream of the threshing system, preferably somewhere between a threshing rotor or threshing drum and a stubble spreader. The purpose of the image processing is to detect ears of grain in the captured images and to derive at least one physical property of the detected ears of grain from these images. The operational settings of the threshing system are controlled based on the derived at least one physical property.

[0009] By looking at the derivable physical properties of the ear (also called cob, pod or ear, depending on the crop type), the harvester control system obtains direct information about the effectiveness of the threshing operation. Useful physical properties that can be derived from the captured images are, for example, an indication of whether the detected ear is threshed, unthreshed or partially unthreshed. Image processing algorithms can calculate the number of grains still attached to the ear, or calculate the ratio of its unthreshed / threshed part relative to the entire part of the ear (in terms of length or surface area). If the proportion of the surface still covered with grains in the captured image of the detected ear of grain to the entire surface is less than 10%, between 10-90%, and greater than 90%, respectively, the state of the detected ear of grain can be determined as threshed, partially unthreshed or unthreshed. The number of unthreshed or partially unthreshed ears can be counted, for example, per image, per group of images (e.g., 10 or 100 images) or according to a predetermined time span. Instead of the number, the percentage of unthreshed and / or partially threshed ears can be determined.

[0010] As observed by the inventors, the large number of unthreshed or partially unthreshed ears found in the captured images, which can be detected using the method according to the invention, is sufficient evidence that the threshing process is not robust enough. It has been found that a highly reliable estimate of these ear quantities can be made, especially when harvesting large grain crops such as corn, sunflowers, soybeans and other legumes.

[0011] Another physical characteristic of the ear that can be derived from the captured image is the size characteristics of the detected ear, such as its shape, length or width. When the threshing system is too strong, it not only separates the grain from the ear, but also may damage the grain and the ear. In addition to this, more powerful threshing leads to higher power consumption and more wear on the machine.

[0012] Broken ears are generally different from unbroken ears in shape, length and / or width. According to an embodiment of the present invention, over-threshing can be detected by analyzing this size feature of the detected ears. Then the operating settings of the threshing system can be controlled according to the length distribution of the detected ears, for example. The length or length distribution of the detected ears can be compared with the known common length or length distribution of the specific crop or crop variety being harvested. As an option, the ear length or length distribution can be compared with a predetermined user-defined value or data obtained from different parts of the previous harvest or the same farmland. Ear width can be processed in a similar manner. By analyzing the length and width of the detected ears, better results can be obtained. For example, the detected shape of the detected ear can be considered by categorizing each detected ear into one of a plurality of different predetermined shape categories. The measured distribution of ear counts in different categories can then be used to estimate the amount of broken ears or percentage.

[0013] The operational settings that can be adjusted according to the detected derived physical characteristics of the ears are, for example, the gap between the outer radius of the threshing rotor or threshing drum and the inner surface of the opposite threshing concave, the concave holes of the threshing concave, the rotational speed of the threshing rotor or threshing drum, the orientation of the rotor blades in the rotor cage above the rotor, the orientation of the threshing elements on the rotor or the configuration of the elements of the rotor concave. By such adjustments, the threshing process can be adjusted to increase or decrease the threshing intensity to prevent grain loss and breakage while reducing the energy consumption of the harvester.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, a threshing system for an agricultural harvester is provided. The threshing system includes at least one threshing rotor or threshing drum, a threshing machine camera and a controller. The at least one threshing rotor or threshing drum is cooperatively arranged in parallel with the relative threshing concave plates. The threshing machine camera is arranged downstream of the at least one threshing rotor or threshing drum for capturing images of crop flow. The controller is operably connected to the threshing machine camera and is configured to receive the captured images from the threshing machine camera to process the images to detect ears of grain therein and derive at least one physical property of the detected ears of grain therefrom. The controller is also configured to control the operational settings of the threshing system based on the derived at least one physical property.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, an agricultural harvester having such a threshing system is provided. The agricultural harvester may be a combine harvester, further comprising: a stubble chopper for chopping crop residue received from the threshing system; and a chopper camera for monitoring the chopped crop residue leaving the stubble chopper. The chopper camera and the threshing camera may share a common housing, which is mounted so that the crop residue from the threshing system and bypassing the stubble chopper flows through the field of view of the threshing camera. Such a dual field of view camera has the advantage that it can be installed without much additional effort. In many combine harvesters, the user can choose to operate the harvester in a chopping mode or a non-chopping mode. Typically, when operating in the non-chopping mode, a separate route is provided for the crop residue to bypass the chopper. By mounting the common housing in a position between the corresponding crop flow paths for different operating modes, only one camera housing needs to be installed, and the monitoring and control system of the harvester can easily switch between the two modes.

[0016] Alternatively, the thresher camera is movably mounted so that it can operate in either a shredder mode or a thresher mode, wherein the shredder mode is used to monitor chopped crop residues leaving the stubble shredder, while in the thresher mode, the crop residues from the threshing system and bypassing the stubble shredder flow through the field of view of the thresher camera. In such an embodiment, only one camera housing needs to be installed, and costs can be reduced because only one camera is required instead of two cameras. The movement of the camera between its shredder mode and thresher mode positions and / or orientations can, for example, involve rotational and / or sliding movement of the camera and its housing, or separation from a first mounting position and then reattachment to a second mounting position. Optionally, a camera actuator is provided, which is configured to move the thresher camera between the shredder mode and thresher mode positions and / or orientations.

[0017] In other agricultural harvesters, the crop residue stream follows the same path in both chopping and non-chopping modes. In the non-chopping mode, one or more counter knives are retracted and the crop residue moves through the chopper without being chopped. In such harvesters, the same camera can be used to monitor chopping quality in chopping mode and threshing quality in non-chopping mode. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] Figure 1 A combine harvester in which the present invention may be advantageously used is schematically shown;

[0020] Figure 2 A threshing control system according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0021] Figure 3 shows an example of an image that may be captured by a camera of a threshing control system;

[0022] Figure 4 Schematically illustrates an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5a and 5b schematically shows a partial cross section of a chopper and spreader assembly with a camera for use with the present invention; and

[0024] Figure 6a and 6b A partial cross section of a chopper and spreader assembly with various cameras for use with the present invention is schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Figure 1An agricultural harvester is shown in the form of a combine harvester 10 that includes a chassis 12, ground engaging wheels 14, 16, a header 18, a feeder housing 20, an operator cab 22, a threshing separation system or assembly 24, a cleaning system 26, a grain bin 28, and an unloading tube or conveyor 30. The unloading conveyor 30 is illustrated as an unloading auger, but may also be configured as a belt conveyor, a chain elevator, or the like.

[0026] The front wheels 14 are large floating wheels and the rear wheels 16 are smaller steerable wheels. Power is selectively applied to the front wheels 14 by a power source in the form of a diesel engine 32 and a transmission (not shown). Although the combine harvester 10 is shown as including wheels, the combine harvester may include tracks as in a full-track or half-track vehicle.

[0027] The header 18 is mounted on the front of the combine harvester 10 and includes a cutter bar 34 for cutting crops from the field during forward movement of the combine harvester 10. A rotatable reel 36 feeds the crops to the header 18, and a dual auger 38 feeds the cut crops laterally inward from each side toward the feeder housing 20. The feeder housing 20 conveys the cut crops to the threshing separation system 24 and can be selectively moved vertically using a suitable actuator, such as a hydraulic cylinder (not shown).

[0028] The threshing and separation system 24 is of the axial flow type and generally includes a rotor 40 which is at least partially surrounded by and rotatable within a corresponding perforated concave plate 42. The cut crop is threshed and separated by the rotation of the rotor 40 within the concave plate 42, and larger components such as straw, leaves, etc. are discharged from the rear of the combine harvester 10. Smaller components of crop material including grain and non-grain crop material, including particles lighter than grain, such as husks, dust and straw, are discharged through the perforations of the concave plate 42. Note that although the embodiment shown here uses a threshing rotor 40, the present invention is equally applicable to so-called conventional combines using a transversely mounted threshing drum, or hybrid combines using a threshing drum and rotor combination.

[0029] The grain that has been separated by the threshing separation system 24 falls onto the grain pan 44 and is conveyed to the cleaning system 26. The cleaning system 26 may include an optional pre-cleaning screen 46, an upper screen 48 (also referred to as a chaff screen), a lower screen 50 (also referred to as a cleaning screen), and a cleaning fan 52. The grain on the screens 46, 48, 50 is subjected to the cleaning action of the fan (which provides airflow through the screens) to remove chaff and other impurities (such as dust) from the grain by causing such airborne materials to be discharged from the straw cover 54 of the combine harvester 10. The grain pan 44 and the pre-cleaning screen 46 swing in the front-to-back direction to convey the grain and finer non-grain crop materials to the upper surface of the upper screen 48. The upper screen 48 and the lower screen 50 are arranged vertically relative to each other and also swing in the front-to-back direction to spread the grain over the entire screens 48, 50, while allowing the clean grain to pass through the holes of the screens 48, 50 under the action of gravity.

[0030] The clean grain falls into a clean grain auger 56 disposed transversely below and in front of the lower screen 50. The clean grain auger 56 receives clean grain from each screen 48, 50 and the bottom pan 58 of the cleaning system 26. The clean grain auger 56 conveys the clean grain laterally to a grain elevator 60 disposed generally vertically for conveyance to the grain bin 28. The residue from the cleaning system 26 falls into the residue auger trough 62. The residue is conveyed to the upstream end of the cleaning system 26 by the residue auger 64 and the return auger 66 for repeated cleaning actions. A transverse auger 68 at the bottom of the grain bin 28 conveys the clean grain in the grain bin 28 to the unloading auger 30 for discharge from the combine harvester 10.

[0031] The crop residue handling system 70 is integrated into the rear of the combine harvester 10. More specifically, in the depicted example, the chopper assembly 72 of the crop residue handling system 70 is mounted to the straw hood 54 of the combine harvester 10 and is located above a vertically oriented straw chaff spreader 74. Note that the crop residue handling system can be located at different locations within the combine harvester, but is positioned so that it can receive material other than grain (MOG) after the grain has been removed by the threshing separation system. The residue spreader 74 can receive two streams of crop residue: one stream from the straw chopper 72 and the other stream from the cleaning system 26. The residue spreader 74 discharges non-grain crop material or residue across the harvesting width behind the combine harvester 10. A door is positioned above the chopper 72 that can be moved to transfer the residue to the chopper 72 and then to the spreader 74, or to transfer the residue across the chopper 72 to the spreader 74 without chopping.

[0032] Figure 2A threshing control system 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown. The control system includes a controller 110, which is coupled to a camera 80 for receiving an image of a crop flow from the camera. The image is taken downstream of the threshing system 24. The threshing system 24 shown here has a single threshing rotor 40, and is partially surrounded by and rotatable within a corresponding semicircular perforated concave plate 42. In addition, the rotor 40 can be covered with a semicircular rotor cover (not shown), which can include rotor blades for guiding the crop material to spiral up along its path (from left to right) through the small gap between the threshing rotor 40 and the threshing concave plate 42. It should be noted that although a single threshing rotor 40 is shown, the combine harvester 10 can use multiple rotors 40, and the present invention is equally applicable to so-called traditional combine harvesters using a transversely mounted threshing drum, or hybrid combine harvesters using a threshing drum and rotor combination.

[0033] The camera 80 is mounted downstream of the rotor 40, preferably somewhere between the threshing rotor 40 and the stubble spreader 74 so that it can have a good view of the crop material after it passes the threshing rotor 40. Figure 5a and 5b As explained in more detail, the position and / or orientation of camera 80 may be adjusted via actuator 85 .

[0034] The threshing intensity depends on many different aspects, such as the size of the gap between the rotor 40 and the concave plate 42, the geometry of the threshing elements on the rotor surface, the geometry of the concave plate grid, the rotational speed of the rotor 40, and the geometry and orientation of the rotor blades attached to the inside of the rotor cover (if any). Most of these operating parameters of the threshing system are adjustable during harvesting, although Figure 2 Only two actuators 120 for jointly adjusting the gap between the rotor 40 and the concave plate 42 are shown, but additional actuators can be provided for adjusting, for example, the rotor blades and the concave plate grid. The drive mechanism of the rotor 40 can include a transmission for adjusting the speed. All these adjustments are controlled by the controller 110, which can be part of a larger combine harvester control system. In addition, the threshing intensity can be adjusted in different ways. Depending on the situation defined by a plurality of input signals, the controller 110 can, for example, decide to adjust the gap between the rotor 40 and the concave plate 42, the rotor speed, or both.

[0035] As observed by the inventors, the large number of unthreshed or partially unthreshed ears found in the captured images is evidence of an insufficiently robust threshing process. It has been found that these quantities can be estimated with high reliability, especially when harvesting large grain crops such as corn, sunflowers, soybeans and other legumes. Figure 3An example of an image that may be captured by the camera 80 of the threshing control system 200 is shown. The image is captured by the camera while corn is being harvested. One advantage of corn is that the cobs and kernels are relatively large and can be well distinguished from the stalks and other crop material in the crop residue stream from the rotor.

[0036] As can be seen from the right side of the image, the image shows an unthreshed corncob. Using a precisely adjusted classical image recognition algorithm, unthreshed ears can be detected and distinguished from completely or partially unthreshed ears. In addition, the number of corn kernels still attached to the corncob can also be counted. Optionally, the number of attached corn kernels is related to the detected corncob length. Such information can be used to distinguish different categories of partially unthreshed ears, for example. Alternatively, a threshing score is assigned to each detected ear, which is between 0 and 1, with 0 points representing complete threshing and 1 point representing completely unthreshed. Using a well-trained machine learning algorithm, even better results can be obtained. The number of unthreshed or partially unthreshed ears can be counted, for example, per image, per group of images (e.g., 10 or 100 images) or according to a predetermined time span. The percentage of unthreshed and / or partially threshed ears can be determined instead of the quantity.

[0037] Based on, for example, the number or percentage of (partially) unthreshed ears, the controller may decide that the amount of grain lost is too high and a more aggressive threshing action is required. This may be done, for example, by reducing the gap between the threshing rotor 40 and the concave plate 42. Other inputs may also be considered when deciding whether more aggressive threshing is required, such as user preferences, crop type, and power consumption.

[0038] Another physical characteristic of the ear of grain that can be derived from the captured image is the length or diameter of the detected ear of grain. When the threshing system 24 is too strong, it not only separates the grain from the ear, but also may damage the grain and the ear. In addition, the stronger the threshing action, the higher the power consumption and the more machine wear. Therefore, it is desirable to reduce the threshing intensity when possible. According to an embodiment of the present invention, over-threshing can be detected by analyzing the length of the detected ear of grain. Then the operating settings of the threshing system 24 can be controlled according to, for example, the length distribution of the detected ear of grain. The length or length distribution of the detected ear of grain can be compared with the known common length or length distribution of the specific crop or crop variety being harvested. Alternatively, the ear of grain length or length distribution can be compared with a predetermined user-defined value or data obtained from a previous harvest or different parts of the same farmland. The diameter measurement value of the detected ear of grain can be used as an input item for adjusting the concave hole (i.e., the diameter of the perforation in the threshing concave 42) to ensure that the threshed or unthreshed ear of grain will not enter the cleaning process below the threshing concave 42.

[0039] Another relevant physical property of the detected ears that can be derived from the captured image is the color of the ears. Not all different types of ears break equally easily. For example, the cobs of corn varieties with white cobs tend to break more easily than corn varieties with red cobs. Therefore, the control system can be configured to take the color of the ears into account when deciding how to react to a certain amount of detected broken cobs. Green bean pods may indicate that the pods have not been threshed. Even though the actual pods may not be detected in the captured image, the detected pod color can serve as an indication that the threshing intensity needs to be increased.

[0040] It is noteworthy that the broken ear of grain and unthreshed ear may appear at the same time. The controller 110 can use multiple input items and complex algorithms to decide whether to increase or reduce the threshing intensity. The threshing intensity can be adjusted in a variety of different ways, and all ways have slightly different effects on the threshing process. For example, the threshing intensity can be increased by increasing the rotating speed of the threshing rotor 40 or the threshing drum, by reducing the concave plate gap or by adjusting the configuration and / or orientation of the adjustable grid in the threshing element on the rotor blade, the threshing rotor 40 or the threshing concave plate 42. The ground speed of the harvester 10 also affects the threshing process and the threshing intensity by determining the amount of crops fed through the threshing system within a given time span. When the threshing intensity needs to be adjusted, the controller 110 will not only be based on the derived physical properties of the detected ear of grain, but also based on the information from other control systems of the harvester 10, to determine the most suitable way to perform the adjustment. In some cases, it may be preferred to adjust the threshing system 24 while maintaining the threshing intensity at approximately the same level. For example, the concave plate hole can be partially closed to avoid the broken ear from entering the cleaning system. While partially closing the concave holes will generally increase threshing intensity, this can be compensated for by slightly increasing the gap between the rotor 40 and the concave plates 42 .

[0041] Fig. 6 schematically shows a part of an exemplary combine harvester 10 according to the present invention. Shown in the figure is a chopper assembly 72 with multiple rotating fling knives 75 and a row of fixed reverse knives 73. When harvesting large grain crops, such as corn, sunflowers, soybeans and other beans, crop residues are not always chopped before they are thrown back into the field. For example, harvesting corn is usually not done this way. When the chopper 72 is not used, the crop residues from the threshing system 24 either fall directly into the field behind the combine harvester 10, or are spread in a wider area by a spreader 74. The combine harvester 10 can be switched to the non-chopping mode by simply retracting the reverse knives 73. Then, the crop residues will move through the chopper assembly 72 without being chopped, and the camera 80 can be used to control the threshing process according to the present invention.

[0042] Figure 5a and 5bA partial cross section of a different chopper 72 and spreader 74 assembly with a camera 80 for use with the present invention is schematically shown. Figure 5a , the combine harvester 10 is in a chopping mode and a stream of crop residue (indicated by the box arrows) moves through the chopper 72 toward the spreader 74. In the chopper assembly 72, a plurality of rotating flail knives 75 and a row of fixed reverse knives 73 work together to chop the crop residue into small pieces and project them into the spreader 74, which spreads the chopped crop residue on the field. A camera 80 can be used to monitor the chopping process. For example, information about the length and color of the crop material leaving the chopper 72 can be used as an input to a control algorithm that adjusts the chopper speed and knife bar position to obtain better chopping quality and / or lower power consumption.

[0043] In many combine harvesters 10, for example Figure 5a and 5b In the illustrated combine, when operating in a non-chopping mode, the crop residue is directed along a different route to bypass the chopper 72. Figure 5b In FIG. 1 , this bypass of the chopper 72 is indicated by the box arrows representing the crop residue flow in the non-chopping mode. Figure 5a A camera 80 for monitoring the chopping process is provided to observe the crop residue flowing from the threshing system 24 through the chopper assembly 72 to the spreader 74. Figure 5b As shown, such rotation is achieved manually by a user or by an actuator 85. In alternative configurations, the camera 80 may have to be detached and reattached in a new position and / or orientation in order to switch between suitable positions to monitor chopping or threshing quality.

[0044] Figure 6a and 6b A partial cross section of a chopper 72 and spreader 74 assembly with different cameras 81 for use with the present invention is schematically shown. The camera 81 is implemented as a single housing that includes two separate imaging devices, namely a chopper camera 81a and a thresher camera 81b. The cameras are mounted in such a way that the chopper camera 81a has a good view of the chopped crop residue ejected by the spreader 72, while the thresher camera 81b has a good view of the crop residue passing through the chopper assembly 72 and directly from the thresher system 24. Therefore, no mechanical adjustment is required to switch between chopping and non-chopping modes.

[0045] exist Figure 46, the cameras 80, 81 are mounted downstream of the chopper 72. One advantage of mounting the cameras 80, 81 so far downstream of the threshing rotor 40 is that the mass density of the crop material there is likely to be lower than when it leaves the small gap between the rotor 40 and the concave plate, which will make it easier for the image recognition software to accurately and reliably detect all ears and all relevant physical characteristics of those ears.

[0046] It should be noted, however, that with the camera 80 in this position, it will be difficult to detect any unthreshed ears when the combine harvester 10 is in the chopping mode. If the chopper 72 is not typically used for the crops and crop varieties for which the present invention is expected to be most useful, this may not be considered a major problem. However, without departing from the scope of the present invention, reference may be made to the camera 80 for further information. Figure 4 The system described in and 5 can be easily adapted to operate in the chopping mode by moving the camera to a position upstream of the chopper 72. For example, the camera can be placed near the chopper inlet, near the end of the threshing rotor 40, or near the straw beater behind the rotor 40 to move the crop material forward in the direction of the chopper 72.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a threshing system (24) of an agricultural harvester (10), the method comprising: Using cameras (80, 81) to capture images of crop flow downstream of the threshing system (24); Processing the captured image to detect ears of grain therein and deriving at least one physical characteristic of the detected ears of grain therefrom, wherein the at least one physical characteristic of the detected ears of grain is a size characteristic or a color of the detected ears of grain; and controlling an operational setting of a threshing system (24) based on the derived at least one physical characteristic, The agricultural harvester (10) includes a stubble chopper (72) for chopping crop residues received from the threshing system (24); and the first camera (80) is movably mounted so that it can operate in a chopper mode or a thresher mode, wherein the chopper mode is used to monitor chopped crop residues leaving the stubble chopper (72) and in the thresher mode, the crop residue flow from the threshing system (24) and bypassing the stubble chopper (72) passes through the field of view of the first camera (80).

2. A method for controlling a threshing system (24) of an agricultural harvester (10) according to claim 1, wherein the derived physical characteristic is the threshed, partially unthreshed or unthreshed state of the detected ears of grain.

3. A method for controlling a threshing system (24) of an agricultural harvester (10) according to claim 2, wherein if the proportion of the surface still covered with grains in the captured image of the detected ear of grain is less than 10%, between 10% and 90%, or greater than 90% of the entire surface, the state of the detected ear of grain is determined as threshed, partially unthreshed, or unthreshed, respectively.

4. A method for controlling a threshing system (24) of an agricultural harvester (10) according to claim 3, wherein the operating settings of the threshing system (24) are controlled based on the determined percentage of unthreshed and / or partially threshed ears of grain.

5. A method for controlling a threshing system (24) of an agricultural harvester (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the size characteristics of the detected ears of grain are the shape, length and / or width of the detected ears of grain.

6. A method for controlling a threshing system (24) of an agricultural harvester (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the operational settings of the threshing system (24) are controlled based on the distribution of size characteristics of the detected ears of grain.

7. A method for controlling a threshing system (24) of an agricultural harvester (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the controlled operating settings are the concave gap between the outer radius of the threshing rotor (40) or the threshing drum and the inner surface of the opposite threshing concave (42), the concave hole of the threshing concave (42), the rotational speed of the threshing rotor (40) or the threshing drum, and / or the configuration of the rotor blades in the rotor cage above the threshing rotor (40) or the threshing drum.

8. An agricultural harvester (10), comprising a threshing system (24), the threshing system (24) comprising: at least one threshing rotor (40) or threshing drum, which is cooperatively arranged in parallel with the opposing threshing concave plates (42); A camera (80, 81) located downstream of the at least one threshing rotor (40) or threshing drum for capturing images of the crop flow; a controller (110) operably coupled to the cameras (80, 81) and configured to receive captured images from the cameras (80, 81), processing the image to detect ears of grain therein and deriving therefrom at least one physical characteristic of the detected ears of grain, wherein the at least one physical characteristic of the detected ears of grain is a size characteristic or a color of the detected ears of grain, controlling an operational setting of a threshing system (24) based on the derived at least one physical characteristic, The agricultural harvester (10) also includes a stubble chopper (72) for chopping crop residues received from the threshing system (24); wherein the first camera (80) is movably mounted so that it can operate in a chopper mode or a thresher mode, wherein the chopper mode is used to monitor the chopped crop residues leaving the stubble chopper (72), and in the thresher mode, the crop residue flow from the threshing system (24) and bypassing the stubble chopper (72) passes through the field of view of the first camera (80).

9. The agricultural harvester (10) according to claim 8, wherein the threshing system (24) further comprises a mechanical actuator (120) operably connected to the controller (110) and configured to adjust the gap between the outer radius of the threshing rotor (40) or the threshing drum and the inner surface of the opposing threshing concave plate (42).

10. The agricultural harvester (10) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the threshing system (24) further includes a speed regulator, which is operably connected to the controller (110) and configured to adjust the rotational speed of the threshing rotor (40) or the threshing drum.

11. An agricultural harvester (10) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the second camera (81) is implemented as a single housing, which includes two separate imaging devices, namely a chopper camera (81a) and a thresher camera (81b), the chopper camera is used to monitor the chopped crop residue leaving the stubble chopper (72), and the single housing is installed so that the crop residue flow from the threshing system (24) and bypassing the stubble chopper (72) passes through the field of view of the thresher camera (81b).

12. The agricultural harvester (10) of claim 8 or 9, further comprising a camera actuator (85) configured to move the first camera (80) between a chopper mode position and / or orientation and a thresher mode position and / or orientation.

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