Optical detection of crop processing components of a harvesting vehicle

Abstract

An agricultural harvesting vehicle has a system for monitoring and controlling crop processing components, comprising an optical sensor and a control device. The optical sensor is used to capture an image of the crop processing component or element coupled to or contained within the actuator and to generate a signal that identifies the image of the crop processing component or element. The control device includes a processor and memory in which a condition monitoring and control algorithm is stored.The processor is operational, able to execute the condition monitoring and control algorithm to receive the signal that characterizes the image of the crop processing component or element from the optical sensor, to analyze the image of the crop processing component or element to obtain a value, and to determine the state of the crop processing component based on the value.

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to an agricultural harvesting vehicle, in particular the optical detection of one or more harvesting crop processing components. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] Agricultural harvesters harvest grain in a field and process the crop to separate the kernels from crop residue. Generally, harvesters have components for processing the crop, such as threshing, separating, cleaning, chopping, etc. These processing components can be moved by actuators to interact with and process the crop. SUMMARY

[0003] According to a disclosure, an agricultural harvesting vehicle comprises a frame, a ground engagement device, a harvesting header, a crop processing system, and a system for monitoring and controlling the condition of crop processing components. The frame has a first end and a second end spaced apart from the first end along a central longitudinal axis of the frame. The ground engagement device is coupled to the frame and is designed to move the frame in a direction of travel during a work operation. The harvesting header is designed to collect crops and convey them to an inclined conveyor coupled between the harvesting header and the frame. The crop processing system comprises a crop processing component and an actuator. The crop processing component is designed to engage with the crops.The actuator is coupled to the crop processing component and designed to move the component to engage with the crop. The system for monitoring and controlling the condition of the crop processing component includes an optical sensor and a control device. The optical sensor is designed to capture an image of the crop processing component or of an element coupled to or contained within the actuator and to generate a signal that identifies the image of the component or element. The control device includes a processor and memory containing a condition monitoring and control algorithm.The processor is operational, able to execute the condition monitoring and control algorithm to receive the signal that characterizes the image of the crop processing component or element from the optical sensor, to analyze the image of the crop processing component or element to obtain a value, and to determine the state of the crop processing component based on the value.

[0004] In one aspect of the disclosure, determining the state of the crop processing component involves determining whether an abnormal state exists in the crop processing component.

[0005] In one aspect of the disclosure, the processor is capable of executing the condition monitoring and control algorithm to send a warning signal to an output device when the processor detects that the abnormal condition exists in the crop processing component.

[0006] In one aspect of the disclosure, determining the state of the crop processing component involves identifying a position of the crop processing component based on its value.

[0007] In one aspect of the disclosure, the processor is capable of executing the state monitoring and control algorithm to compare the position of the crop processing component derived from the value with a target position set by an output device and to instruct the actuator to move the crop processing component from the position to the target position if the position of the crop processing component is not the target position.

[0008] In one aspect of the disclosure, the agricultural harvesting vehicle includes a position sensor designed to detect the position of the element coupled to or encompassed by the actuator and to generate a signal indicating a detected position of the element that correlates with an estimated position of the crop processing component. The processor is capable of executing the condition monitoring and control algorithm to determine the estimated position of the crop processing component based on the signal indicating the detected position of the element and to calibrate the estimated position of the crop processing component based on the value to reproduce the position of the crop processing component.

[0009] In one aspect of the disclosure, the processor executes the state monitoring and control algorithm to receive a signal indicating a first detected position of the element, represented by a first electrical value from the position sensor; to receive a signal indicating the image of the crop processing component or element at a first position of the crop processing component from the optical sensor; to analyze the image of the crop processing component or element at the first position of the crop processing component to obtain a first value corresponding to the first position; and to record a first sample including the first value corresponding to the first position and the first electrical value.

[0010] In one aspect of the disclosure, the processor executes the state monitoring and control algorithm to trigger the actuator to move the crop processing component to a second position, receive a signal indicating a second detected position of the element represented by a second electrical value from the position sensor, receive a signal indicating the image of the crop processing component or element at the second position from the optical sensor, analyze the image of the crop processing component or element at the second position to obtain a second value corresponding to the second position, record a second sample containing the second value corresponding to the second position and the second electrical value, and establish a correlation between the value corresponding to the position of the crop processing component.and to generate an electrical value from the position sensor based on the first sample and the second sample.

[0011] In one aspect of the disclosure, the crop processing component comprises slats of a main sieve or slats of a chaff sieve, and the position of the crop processing component reflects the opening defined by the slats of the main sieve or the slats of the chaff sieve.

[0012] In one aspect of the disclosure, the crop processing component includes a picking plate of the header, slats of a main sieve, slats of a chaff sieve, separator shovels, a threshing concave, a shaking trough, a chopping rotor of a chopper, or a knife bank of the chopper.

[0013] In one aspect of the disclosure, the agricultural harvester includes a machine condition monitoring system designed to monitor the condition of the agricultural harvester and generate a signal indicating its condition. The memory contains an initiation algorithm. The processor is designed to execute the initiation algorithm to receive the signal indicating the condition of the agricultural harvester and, based on this signal, to determine whether to execute the condition monitoring and control algorithm.

[0014] In one aspect of the disclosure, the machine condition monitoring system includes a machine condition monitor or a timer designed to record the time since the last execution of the condition monitoring and control algorithm.

[0015] In one aspect of the revelation, the processor determines whether the state monitoring and control algorithm should be executed based on whether the time is greater than a threshold.

[0016] In one aspect of the disclosure, the state of the agricultural harvesting vehicle includes at least one of the presence of a mass flow of the harvested crop, a position of the agricultural harvesting vehicle relative to a field boundary position, an operating state of the agricultural harvesting vehicle, or the position of the agricultural harvesting vehicle inside or outside the coverage map.

[0017] In one aspect of the disclosure, the operating state includes a non-harvest state, a transport state, or an unloading state.

[0018] In one aspect of the disclosure, the machine condition monitor comprises at least one mass flow sensor designed to detect the mass flow of the crop, a speed sensor, a vehicle position sensor, or a receiver designed to receive a signal from another agricultural harvesting vehicle or operating station.

[0019] According to a disclosure, a method for monitoring and controlling a crop processing component of an agricultural harvesting vehicle includes capturing an image of the crop processing component and generating a signal that characterizes the image of the crop processing component by an optical sensor, receiving the signal that characterizes the image of the crop processing component from the optical sensor by a control device, analyzing the image of the crop processing component by the control device to obtain a value, and determining the state of the crop processing component based on the value.

[0020] In one aspect of the disclosure, determining the state of the crop processing component involves determining whether an abnormal state exists in the crop processing component.

[0021] In one aspect of the disclosure, determining the state of the crop processing component involves identifying a position of the crop processing component based on the value, wherein the crop processing component is moved by an actuator to engage with the crop.

[0022] In one aspect of the disclosure, the method also includes comparing the position of the crop processing component derived from the value with a target position set by an output device and instructing the actuator to move the crop processing component from the position to the target position if the position of the crop processing component is not the target position.

[0023] According to a disclosure, an agricultural harvesting vehicle comprises a frame, a ground engagement device, a harvesting head, a component, and a system for monitoring and controlling the condition of crop processing components. The frame has a first end and a second end spaced apart from the first end along a central longitudinal axis of the frame. The ground engagement device is coupled to the frame and is designed to move the frame in a direction of travel during a work operation. The harvesting head is designed to collect crops and convey them to an inclined conveyor coupled between the harvesting head and the frame. The component is designed to engage with the crops. The system for monitoring and controlling the component comprises an optical sensor and a control device.The optical sensor is designed to capture an image of the component and generate a signal that identifies the component's state. The control device includes a processor and memory containing a condition monitoring and control algorithm. The processor is capable of executing the condition monitoring and control algorithm to receive the signal identifying the component's state from the optical sensor, analyze the image to obtain a value, and determine the component's state based on that value.

[0024] In one aspect of the disclosure, determining the state of the component involves determining whether an abnormal condition exists in the component.

[0025] In one aspect of the disclosure, the processor is capable of executing the condition monitoring and control algorithm to send a warning signal to an output device when the processor detects that the abnormal condition exists on the component.

[0026] Further features and aspects become apparent when considering the detailed description, the claims and the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The detailed description of the drawings refers to the enclosed figures. Fig. Figure 1 is a side view of an agricultural harvesting vehicle. Fig. 2A is a cross-sectional view along section line 2. Fig. 2B is a cross-sectional view along section line 2 with a threshing basket actuator extending to enlarge the game. Fig. 3A is an enlarged, simplified and perspective side view of the blades in normal position. Fig. 3B is an enlarged, simplified and perspective side view of the blades in a forward position. Fig. 4A is a simplified perspective top view of a chaff sieve or a sieve with an opening defined by lamellae. Fig. 4B is another simplified perspective top view of the chaff sieve or the main sieve with an opening defined by the slats, which is smaller than the one in Fig. The opening shown in 4A is the one. Fig. 5A is an enlarged, simplified side view of a shredder with a knife bank in a first position. Fig. 5B is another enlarged, simplified side view of the shredder, with the knife bank in a second position. Fig. Figure 6A is a simplified block diagram of a system for monitoring and controlling the condition of crop processing components, which performs automatic calibration. Fig. 6B is a simplified block diagram of the system for monitoring the condition and control of crop processing components, which monitors for an abnormal condition and warns an operator. Fig. Figure 6C is a block diagram of the system for monitoring and controlling the condition of crop processing components, showing various harvesting components and corresponding optical sensors. Fig. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing a procedure for calibration and for detecting an abnormal condition. Fig. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing a procedure for detecting an abnormal condition.

[0028] To identify matching elements, the same reference symbols are used throughout the figures. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The present disclosure comprises a system for monitoring and controlling the condition of crop processing components of an agricultural harvesting vehicle. This system can monitor the condition of the crop processing component and control the component, or another component, in response to its condition. The system may include an optical sensor and a control device. The optical sensor captures images of the crop processing component or of the elements designed to move the crop processing component (i.e., the actuator or the linkage coupled between the actuator and the crop processing component) so that the control device can analyze the images and determine the condition of the crop processing component.In one implementation, the condition of the crop processing component can include its position. The crop processing component condition monitoring and control system can perform automatic crop adjustment and / or automatic crop calibration. In another implementation, the condition of the crop processing component can include a normal state and an abnormal state. An abnormal state can include wear (e.g., missing material in the crop processing component and unexpected shape, etc.), damage, blockage (the crop cannot pass through the crop processing component or move relative to it), and material buildup (the buildup obstructs the crop flow or the effective engagement / interaction between the crop flow and the crop processing component), etc.If the crop processing component condition monitoring and control system detects an abnormal condition in a crop processing component, a control device within the system sends a warning signal to an output device to alert the operator. The crop processing component may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: picking plates, main sieve slats, chaff sieve slats, blades over an axial rotor, a threshing concave(s), main sieve slats, chaff sieve slats, a shaker trough (return floor), a chopper knife bank, or a chopper rotor.

[0030] If the condition of the crop processing component includes its position, the control device of the crop processing component condition monitoring and control system can identify the component's position using images captured by the optical sensor. If the component's current position is not the target position, the control device can instruct an actuator coupled to the component to move it to a target position, determined by an operator-operated input device. If the component's condition (position) still cannot be moved to the target position, the control device can also send a warning signal to an output device to alert the operator.Furthermore, the system for condition monitoring and control of crop processing components can calibrate the measurement of a position sensor. The position sensor can generally be coupled to the actuator. It can be directly coupled to the actuator (e.g., by being built in) or indirectly via a linkage or connection between the actuator and the crop processing component. In other words, the position sensor can be coupled to an element that may include or be coupled to the actuator. By sensing the element's position via the position sensor, the control device can determine the position of the crop processing component, even while the component is processing the crop.The control device can use the images from the optical sensor to determine the position of the crop processing component and to correlate the position of the crop processing component with the electrical parameters (voltage, current, etc.) of the position sensor signal for automatic calibration. The crop processing component may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: picking plates, blades above an axial rotor, one or more threshing baskets, slats of a main sieve, slats of a chaff sieve, a knife bank of a chopper, or a chopping rotor of the chopper.

[0031] Currently, some calibrations on an agricultural harvester require operator intervention. For example, when calibrating the chaff screen / main screen position, the operator must close the slats and then open them to a specific position / calibration position (e.g., a 5 mm opening). The agricultural harvester may include a position sensor coupled to the actuator that drives the slats. This sensor sends a signal, indicating the actuator's position as a voltage or current value, to the control device to calculate the slat opening. The calibration is intended to ensure that the slat opening is determined by the control device and that the value displayed on a display device represents the actual opening value.The opening is defined here by a gap between two adjacent rows of slats, which can be changed depending on the angles of the slats. A display connected to a control device instructs the operator to fully close the chaff screen. The operator may need to leave the cab, climb down the side of the agricultural vehicle, open an inspection window or cover of the agricultural vehicle for observation, and use a side switch or manual adjustment to fully close the slats (i.e., 0 mm opening). The operator then returns to the cab, and the display instructs the operator to open the chaff screen to the specific position.The operator returns to the inspection window or access port, uses the switch at the rear of the agricultural harvester to open the slats to the specified position (e.g., a 5 mm opening), and a ruler, for example, 5 mm thick, to verify that the slats are indeed in the specified position. The operator then returns to the cab and confirms via an input device (e.g., the display, which is a touchscreen) that the slats are in the specified position. A memory device connected to the control device stores the voltage (or current) value corresponding to the specific slat position (e.g., a 5 mm opening). In response to the confirmation, the control device can operate actuators to fully open and close the slats, thus identifying the movable range of motion.The memory coupled to the control device can store the voltage (or current) values ​​corresponding to the fully open and fully closed positions of the slats. Using the above settings and the signals from the position sensor, the control device can interpolate and calculate the slat opening (e.g., the actual opening of the slats) within the movable range of the slats. The condition monitoring and control system for crop processing components described in this disclosure simplifies the calibration process and minimizes operator intervention.

[0032] With reference to Fig. 1 is an agricultural harvesting vehicle 20 designed to move forward across a field to harvest crops. The agricultural harvesting vehicle 20 processes the crop, separates the grains from crop residues (e.g., straw, stalks, cobs, leaves, chaff), stores the separated grains, and spreads the crop residues back onto the field.

[0033] In general, the agricultural harvesting vehicle 20 can comprise a frame 22, an operator platform 24, a ground engagement device 26, an inclined conveyor 28, and a harvesting header 29. The frame 22 has a first end 222 and a second end 224, which is spaced apart from the first end 222 along a central longitudinal axis L of the frame 22. The operator platform 24 (cabin) is attached to the frame 22 and enables the user / operator to control the agricultural harvesting vehicle 20. The operator platform 24 can include an input device 242 and an output device 244. The operator can use the input device 242, e.g., the steering wheel, touchscreen, or joystick, to control the agricultural harvesting vehicle 20. Some input devices 242 can be used to move or adjust one or more crop processing components (CPCs), which are described later. The operator can use the output device 244, e.g.A display device (or a touchscreen) or a loudspeaker is used to monitor or understand the status of the agricultural harvesting vehicle 20 and the crop processing component(s) CPC. In another embodiment, where the agricultural harvesting vehicle 20 is autonomous or remotely controlled by a workstation, the operator station 24 can be omitted. The ground engagement device 26 is coupled to the frame 22 and is designed to support the frame 22 relative to the ground and to move the frame 22 in a direction of travel V during operation. The agricultural harvesting vehicle 20 can be driven hydraulically, mechanically, and / or electrically in the direction of travel V. The ground engagement device 26 can consist of wheels, tracks, or a combination thereof.

[0034] The header 29 is located at the front end of the agricultural harvesting vehicle 20. The header 29 is designed to cut, collect, and transport the crop to the rear, towards the inclined conveyor 28. The header 29 includes, among other components, a belt cutter, a corn header, and a belt pickup. The belt pickup uses rubber belts to collect the cut crop. The inclined conveyor 28 is pivotally coupled to the frame 22 and designed for attachment to the header 29. The inclined conveyor 28 conveys the crop picked up from the header 29 via an uphill conveyor (not shown) into the body of the harvesting vehicle 20 for further processing, such as threshing and separating. In some implementations, for example, when the header 29 is a corn header, the header 29 comprises several row units 292.The row units 292 harvest corn from individual crop rows and convey the harvested corn to a screw conveyor (not shown), which transports it into the inclined conveyor 28. Each row unit 292 can include picking plates 294 (stripper plates) with a left picking plate and a right picking plate. The left picking plate and the right picking plate have internal edges that are spaced apart to form a throat that collects the stalks of an aligned row as the row unit moves along the crop row. The harvester header 29 also includes a picking plate actuator 296, which is designed to move one of the picking plates relative to the other picking plate of the same row unit 292 to change the width or size of the throat.A position sensor 298 that detects the position of the picking plate actuator 296 or of a linkage coupled between the picking plate actuator 296 and the picking plates 294 (collectively referred to as the picking plate element) and generates a signal that indicates a detected position of the picking plate element in correlation with the position of the picking plates 294.

[0035] Referring to Fig. 1. The agricultural harvesting vehicle 20 can also include a threshing and separating section 30 downstream of the inclined conveyor 28, a cleaning section 40, a clean grain elevator 50, a grain tank 52, an unloader 54, an unloading drum 56, a chopper 60, and a spreader 68. The threshing and separating section 30 threshes the crop and further separates the grain from the crop residues. The threshing and separating section 30 can include a feed accelerator 31 that directs the crop to an axial rotor 32. The axial rotor 32 is shown here for illustration purposes. In another implementation, the threshing and separating section 30 can include two or more axial rotors 32 or lateral rotor(s) (not shown) for threshing and / or separating. The axial rotor 32 comprises a feeding area 322, a threshing area 324 and a separating area 326. The feeding area 322 is located at the front end of the axial rotor 32.The threshing section 324 and the separating section 326 are arranged longitudinally downstream of the feeding section 322. At least one or more threshing concaves 34 are arranged below and spaced apart from the axial rotor 32. In this example, a first threshing concave 342 is arranged below the threshing section 324 and a second threshing concave 344 (separating grate) is arranged below the separating section 326. The threshing and separating section 30 can contain one or more actuators 36 for moving the threshing concave(s) 34. In the example shown... Fig. 2A, Fig. 2B, Fig. In the example shown in Figure 6C, a threshing concave actuator 362 is designed to move the first threshing concave 342, wherein a position sensor 364 detects the position of the threshing concave actuator 362 or of a linkage coupled between the threshing concave actuator 362 and the first threshing concave 342 (collectively referred to as the first threshing concave element) and generates a signal that indicates a detected position of the first threshing concave element, which correlates with the position of the first threshing concave 342. The position sensor 364 can be connected to the threshing concave actuator 362.Similarly, a threshing concave actuator 366 is designed to move the second threshing concave 344, wherein a position sensor 368 detects the position of the threshing concave actuator 366 or of a linkage coupled between the threshing concave actuator 366 and the second threshing concave 344 (collectively referred to as the second threshing concave element) and generates a signal that indicates a detected position of the second threshing concave element that correlates with the position of the second threshing concave 344. The position sensor 368 can be connected to the threshing concave actuator 366. Since the first threshing concave 342, the second threshing concave 344, the threshing concave actuator 362, and the threshing concave actuator 366 are designed as a similar structure with respect to movement, the [unclear] can be [unclear] Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B, the threshing basket 34 shown, may be the first threshing basket 342 or the second threshing basket 344; the one in Fig. 2A, Fig. Actuator 36 shown in 2B can be either the threshing basket actuator 362 or the threshing basket actuator 366; the one in Fig. 2A, Fig. The sensor shown in Figure 2B can be position sensor 364 or position sensor 368. Adjusting the clearance between the concave(s) 34 and the axial rotor 32 can achieve good threshing or separation results, depending on the condition of the crop. For example, a larger concave clearance may be suitable for dry and light threshing conditions, while a smaller concave clearance may be suitable for normal or heavier conditions. In a conventional or hybrid harvester (not shown), threshing is performed by a rotor drum with concaves, while separation is performed by shakers or rotors with grates. Similar features of the movable concaves can also be applied to the conventional or hybrid harvester.

[0036] With reference to Fig. 1, Fig. 3A, Fig. In 3B, the threshing and separating section 30 can comprise a blade system 38 with multiple blades 382 arranged above the upper section of the axial rotor 32. These blades are designed to engage with and guide the crop flow driven by the axial rotor 32. Unlike a rotor cover, where multiple blades (not shown) are attached to or project from an inner curved surface of the rotor cover facing the axial rotor 32, the blades 382 of the blade system 38 are adjustable so that the distance between any two adjacent blades can be changed. In this implementation, the blade system 38 is a separating blade system arranged according to the separating section 326; however, in another implementation, the blade system 38 can be arranged according to the threshing section 324 (not shown) or both the threshing section 324 and the separating section 326.The buckets 382 can be connected to one or more links coupled to a bucket actuator 384. The bucket actuator 384 is designed to move the link(s) to further move the buckets 382. The movable buckets 382 can be positioned to increase or decrease the speed at which the crop material is conveyed through the separation zone 326. A position sensor 386 is coupled to the bucket actuator 384. The position sensor 386 detects the position of the bucket actuator 384 or of the link(s) / connection coupled between the bucket actuator 384 and the buckets 382 (collectively referred to as a bucket system element) and generates a signal indicating a detected position of the bucket system element that correlates with the position of the buckets 382. Different positions of the 382 blades can lead to different results in grain separation.For example, the shovels 382 can be moved from a standard position (. Fig. 3A) into a forward position ( Fig. 3B) are moved. In the advanced position, the crop spends less time in the separation zone, which may reduce separation efficiency. However, the advanced position could result in a greater length of processed straw, which may be desirable. The decision regarding the position of the 328 buckets depends on the type of crop, the condition of the crop, the mass flow, and other factors.

[0037] Referring to Fig. 1. The cleaning section 40 can comprise at least one chaff screen 42 and one main screen 44 to separate grain from chaff (corn husks or other plant material) or other small parts of the harvested material. The chaff screen 42 and the main screen 44 are pivotable longitudinally. As in Fig. 4A and Fig. As shown in Figure 4B, the chaff screen 42 can comprise several lamellae 422 arranged laterally across the width of the chaff screen 42. A chaff screen actuator 424 is coupled to the lamellae 422 of the chaff screen 42 and is used to move the lamellae 422 (i.e., to tilt the rows of lamellae 422) to determine the chaff screen opening, which is defined by the gap between any two adjacent rows of lamellae 422. It should be noted that the “row” described here is a lateral group of lamellae, all lying on the same axis of rotation. A position sensor 426 can detect a position of the straw screen actuator 424 or of a linkage coupled between the straw screen actuator 424 and the slats 422 (collectively referred to as a straw screen element) and generate a signal that indicates a detected position of the straw screen element which correlates with the position of the slats 422 and / or the straw screen opening.Similarly, the main screen 44 can contain several lamellae 442 arranged laterally across the width of the main screen 44. A main screen actuator 444 is coupled to the lamellae 442 of the main screen 44 and is used to move the lamellae 442 (i.e., to tilt the rows of lamellae 442) to determine the extent of the main screen opening, which is defined by the gap between any two adjacent rows of lamellae 442. A position sensor 446 can detect the position of the main screen actuator 444 or of a linkage coupled between the main screen actuator 444 and the lamellae 442 (collectively referred to as the main screen element) and generate a signal indicating a detected position of the main screen element that correlates with the position of the lamellae 442 and / or the main screen opening. The chaff sieve opening of the chaff sieve 42 is usually designed to be larger than the main sieve opening of the main sieve 44 and cleans the harvested material before the main sieve 44.Since in . Fig. 4A, Fig. 4B only shows the movement of the lamellae 422 of the chaff sieve 42 or the lamellae 442 of the main sieve 44, the in Fig. 4A, Fig. The slats shown in 4B are either slats 422 or slats 442, which are shown in Fig. 4A, Fig. The actuator shown in 4B can be the chaff screen actuator 424 or the main screen actuator 444, which is located in Fig. 4A, Fig. The position sensor shown in 4B can be position sensor 426 or position sensor 446. The cleaning section 40 can also include a blower 46, as shown in Fig. 1 shown, which creates one or more airways that transport a large proportion of the chaff and small / lighter particles to the rear of the agricultural harvesting vehicle 20 and separate the chaff and small / lighter particles from the grain.

[0038] With reference to Fig. 6C, the cleaning section 40 can also include at least one shaking trough 41 (return floor) designed for transferring the harvested material. An actuator 412 is coupled to the shaking trough 41. Generally, the shaking trough 41 is located below the axial rotor 32 and above the chaff screen 42 and transfers the harvested material to the chaff screen 42 and / or the main screen 44 for processing. Occasionally, an abnormal condition, such as an accumulation of material, may occur in the shaking trough 41.

[0039] With reference to Fig. The clean grain elevator 50 conveys clean grain into the grain tank 52. The rotating unloader 54 can unload clean grain from the grain tank 52 into a grain wagon, a grain truck, or to another location. The unloading drum 56 discharges crop residues that are taken from the threshing and separating section 30 and do not enter the cleaning section 40 (e.g., straw, stalks, cobs, leaves). The chopper 60 chops the crop residues from the threshing and separating section 30 via the unloading drum 56 to the chaff screen 60. The spreader 68 is located behind the chopper 60 and can return the chopped residues from the chopper 60 to the field.

[0040] With reference to Fig. 1, Fig. 5A, Fig. The chipper 60 can include a chopping rotor 62 and a knife bank 64. The chopping rotor 62 is supported by the frame or an external housing and comprises a multitude of pendulum-mounted knife blades 622 designed to chop the crop as the chopping rotor 62 rotates. The knife bank 64 contains a multitude of stationary knife blades 642 and is adjustable to move towards and away from the chopping rotor 62. The chipper 60 can also include a knife bank actuator 644, which moves the knife bank 64 towards and away from the chopping rotor 62. A position sensor 646 is coupled to the knife bank actuator 644.The position sensor 646 detects the position of the knife bank actuator 644 or of a linkage coupled between the knife bank actuator 644 and the knife bank 64 (collectively referred to as the knife bank element) and generates a signal that indicates a detected position of the knife bank element which correlates with the position of the knife bank 64 and / or the distance between the knife bank 64 and the chopping rotor 62.

[0041] Optional, with reference to Fig. In 6C, a chopping rotor actuator 624 can be coupled to the chopping rotor 62 and is designed to move the chopping rotor 62 towards or away from the knife bank 64. A position sensor 626 is connected to the chopping rotor actuator 624. The position sensor 626 detects the position of the chopping rotor actuator 624 and generates a signal that indicates a detected position of the chopping rotor actuator 624, which correlates with the position of the chopping rotor 62.

[0042] The crop processing component CPC described here can comprise at least one of the threshing concave 34 (e.g., the first threshing concave 342 and the second threshing concave 344), the paddles 382 above the axial rotor 32, the lamellae 422 of the chaff sieve 42, the lamellae 442 of the main sieve 44, the knife bank 64 of the chopper 60, or the chopping rotor 62 of the chopper 60, which are arranged in Fig. The disclosure is described in detail in Section 6C, but is not limited thereto. The present disclosure comprises a system for monitoring and controlling the condition of crop processing components (SMC), which can monitor the condition of the crop processing component (CPC) (position, normal or abnormal condition) and control the crop processing component (CPC) and other components for adjustment, calibration, or warning purposes.

[0043] Fig. Figure 6A shows a simplified structure of the system for monitoring and controlling the condition of crop processing components (SMC) for performing automatic calibration. The system for monitoring and controlling the condition of crop processing components (SMC) comprises at least one optical sensor 70, e.g., a camera, and a control device 80. The optical sensor 70 is designed to capture the image(s) of the crop processing component (CPC) or of the elements designed to move the crop processing component (i.e., the actuator or the linkage coupled between the actuator and the crop processing component). The number and positions of the optical sensors 70 are shown in Figure 6A. Fig. 6C is shown. The optical sensor 70 then generates a signal via an image processing unit 79, which identifies the image of the crop processing component CPC. The control device 80 can include a control system 82 (or a processor 82) and a memory 83 (shown in Fig. 6C). The system for monitoring and controlling the condition of crop processing components (SMC) may also include or interact with a position detection system 84, a machine condition monitoring system 85, a self-triggering calibration system 86, and one or more actuators 88 (drivers). The number and possible locations of the position detection system 84 and the actuator 88 are described later in Fig. Figure 6C shows the numbers and positions of the crop processing component CPC, the optical sensor(s) 70, the sensor system 84, the actuator 88 and other elements for demonstration purposes.

[0044] It should be noted that, as in Fig. Figure 6A shows that the machine condition monitoring system 85 and the self-triggering calibration system 86 provide inputs to the control system 82 (processor 82) so that the control system 82 (processor 82) can determine whether to begin calibrating the crop processing component CPC. The machine condition monitoring system 85 is designed to monitor the condition of the agricultural harvester 20 and generate a signal indicating its condition. The machine condition monitoring system 85 may include a machine condition monitor with one or more sensors or receive signals from other control devices or sensor systems. When the agricultural harvester 20 is processing the crop, the processor 82 normally avoids calibration.It may happen that the optical sensor 70 does not clearly capture the image on the crop processing component (CPC) because the crop is currently passing through the CPC. Furthermore, the processor 82 cannot perform the calibration if the image quality captured by the optical sensor 70 is poor (dusty, covered with material, etc.). The machine condition monitoring system 85 may include a mass flow sensor attached to the inclined conveyor 28 or another component of the agricultural harvesting vehicle 20 to ensure that the control system 82 (processor 82), via the initiation algorithm 832, determines that the calibration is not performed when the mass flow 852 is passing through the crop processing component (CPC).The machine condition monitor of the machine condition monitoring system 85 can include a vehicle position sensor or other receiver to receive signals for the control system 82 (processor 82) of the control device 80 in order to determine the position or surroundings of the agricultural harvesting vehicle 20 and to identify the machine (agricultural harvesting vehicle 20) inside or outside the field boundary 854. The vehicle position sensor includes the GNSS receiver or an optical sensor (camera) that captures images from the surroundings of the agricultural harvesting vehicle 20.When the agricultural harvester 20 approaches the edge of the headland and intends to turn around, the control system 82 can determine, by executing the initiation algorithm 832, that the crop has not passed through the crop processing component (CPC) for a certain period of time, and therefore determine to execute the condition monitoring and control algorithm 834 to calibrate the crop processing component (CPC). The machine condition monitoring system 85 can also include a transmitter to communicate with a workstation or another agricultural harvester and transmit the signals based on the communication to the control system 82 (processor 82) to determine, by executing the initiation algorithm 832, whether the agricultural harvester 20 is operating inside or outside the coverage map 856. The coverage map 856 can include areas that have already been harvested.If the agricultural harvester 20 is operating within the coverage map 856, this means that the agricultural harvester 20 is operating in an area that has already been harvested by the agricultural harvester 20 or another agricultural harvester (not shown). The control system 82 can therefore determine that the crop is not passing through the crop processing component CPC for a certain period of time and determine that the condition monitoring and control algorithm 834 is executed to calibrate the crop processing component CPC. The machine condition monitor of the machine condition monitoring system 85 can contain various sensors that transmit signals to the control system 82 (processor) to determine, by executing the initiation algorithm 832, whether the machine's operating state is the non-harvesting, transport, or unloading state 858 or not.The various sensors (machine condition sensors) can include, among others, mass flow sensors, speed sensor(s), strain or torque sensor(s) on the drive train, and pressure sensors on the hydraulic component, e.g., on the lifting cylinder. The various sensors can also include several other position sensors. For example, the position of the unloader 54 would indicate the unloading state, or the position of the covers of the grain tank 52 would indicate a non-harvesting or transport state. The self-triggering calibration system 86 can include various logic circuits, timers, etc. In some implementations, the machine condition monitoring system 85 and the self-triggering calibration system 86 are integrated. The timer can record the time since the last execution of the condition monitoring and control algorithm.The control system 82 can determine, by executing the initiation algorithm 832, whether a calibration should be performed based on the last calibration time, the fixed interval (e.g., whether the time is greater than a previously defined threshold) and other trigger conditions.

[0045] Fig. Figure 6B is another simplified block diagram of the crop processing component monitoring and control system (SMC) for crop processing, which monitors for abnormal conditions and warns the operator. The optical sensor 70, the image processing unit 79, the control system 82 (or processor 82), and the machine condition monitoring system 85 are described in Figure 6B. Fig. 6A explains this in more detail. Based on the inputs from the machine condition monitoring system 85, the control system 82 can determine whether the right time has come to monitor the crop processing component CPC. The control system 82 can determine, by executing the initiation algorithm 832, that the crop has not passed through the crop processing component CPC for a certain period of time (or the farm harvester 20 is approaching the edge of the headland, the farm harvester 20 is operating within the coverage map 856, or the machine's operating state is the non-harvesting, transport, or unloading state) in order to determine that the condition monitoring and control algorithm 834 is executed to monitor the crop processing component CPC.As soon as the control system 82 detects that an abnormal condition exists at the crop processing component CPC, the control system 82 (processor 82) executes the condition monitoring and control algorithm 834 to send a warning signal to an output device 244.

[0046] It should be noted that the elements for calibration and the elements for detecting and reporting an abnormal condition do not have to be mutually exclusive. Instead, they can both receive information from the optical sensor 70 and process the image through the image processing unit 79, the control system 82, etc. Fig. 6C are the components of the system for monitoring and controlling the condition of crop processing components SMC for the crop processing component.

[0047] With reference to Fig. 6A-6C as well as on Fig.2A-5B, the optical sensor 70 comprises an optical sensor 69 that captures the image of the picking plates 294, an optical sensor 71 that captures the image of the first threshing concave 342, an optical sensor 72 that captures the image of the second threshing concave 344, an optical sensor 73 that captures the image of the paddles 382, ​​an optical sensor 74 that captures the image of the lamellae 422 of the chaff sieve 42, an optical sensor 75 that captures the image of the lamellae 442 of the main sieve 44, an optical sensor 76 that captures the image of the chopping rotor 62, an optical sensor 77 that captures the image of the cutter bar 64, and an optical sensor 78 that captures the image of the shaker trough 41. The optical sensor 70 then generates one or more signals from the crop processing component CPC (e.g.,Picking plates 294, first threshing concave 342, second threshing concave 344, buckets 382, ​​shaker trough 41, lamellae 422, lamellae 442, chopping rotor 62, knife bank 64) to the control device 80. The actuator(s) 88 can comprise at least one of the aforementioned actuators, such as the picking plate actuator 296, the threshing concave actuator 362, the threshing concave actuator 366, the bucket actuator 384, the chaff screen actuator 424, the main screen actuator 444, the chopping rotor actuator 624, and the knife bank actuator 644, each of which moves the corresponding crop processing component CPC to different positions. The position detection system 84 can include at least one of the aforementioned position sensors, such as... B. the position sensors 364, 368, 386, 426, 446, 626, 646.

[0048] The control device 80 is connected to the input device 242, the optical sensor 70, the position detection system 84, a machine condition monitoring system 85, a self-triggering calibration system 86, and outputs such as actuator(s) 88 and the output device 244. The control device 80 is capable of receiving instructions from the input device 242, receiving image signals from the optical sensor 70, receiving signals indicating a detected position of the actuator 88 from the position detection system 84, and transmitting a signal to the outputs such as the output device 244 and the actuator 88. Although the control device is generally described here as a single unit, it may include several units that are coupled together to exchange and / or transmit information.Furthermore, it is understood that the control device 80 may be located on the agricultural harvesting vehicle 20 or may be located away from the agricultural harvesting vehicle 20.

[0049] The control device 80 can alternatively also be referred to as a computing device, computer, control unit, control module, module, etc. The control device 80 comprises the processor 82, the memory 83, and all software, hardware, algorithms, connections, sensors, etc., required to manage and control the operation of the optical sensor 70, the position detection system 84, and the outputs such as the actuator 88 and the output device 244. Thus, a procedure can be embodied as a program or algorithm that is executable on the control device 80. It is understood that the control device 80 can comprise any device capable of analyzing data from various sensors, comparing data, making decisions, and performing the necessary tasks.

[0050] As used herein, “control device 80” shall be understood as the term is understood by a person skilled in the art and refers to a computing component with processing, storage, and communication capabilities used to execute instructions (i.e., those stored in memory or received via the communication capabilities) to control or communicate with one or more other components. In certain embodiments, the control device 80 may be configured to receive input signals in various formats (e.g., hydraulic signals, voltage signals, current signals, CAN messages, optical signals, radio signals) and to output command or communication signals in various formats (e.g., hydraulic signals, voltage signals, current signals, CAN messages, optical signals, radio signals).For example, the position sensor 426 is coupled to the actuator 424, which can move the lamellae 422 of the chaff sieve 42, and the control device 80 can receive signals indicating a detected actuator position, represented by an electrical value from the position sensor 426. This electrical value can be a voltage value corresponding to the detected position of the actuator 424, which correlates with the position of the lamellae 422.

[0051] The control device 80 can communicate with other components of the agricultural harvesting vehicle 20, such as hydraulic components, electrical components, and operator inputs in an operator station of an associated work vehicle. The control device 80 can be electrically coupled to these other components via a wiring harness, allowing messages, commands, and electrical power to be transmitted between the control device 80 and the other components. Although the control device 80 is referred to in the singular, in alternative embodiments the configuration and functionality described herein can be distributed among several devices using techniques known to a person skilled in the art.

[0052] The control device 80 can be configured as one or more digital computers or host machines, each with one or more processors, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), optical drives, magnetic drives, etc., a high-speed clock, an analog / digital circuit arrangement (A / D circuit arrangement), a digital / analog circuit arrangement (D / A circuit arrangement), and any required input / output circuit arrangements (I / O circuit arrangements), I / O devices and communication interfaces, as well as signal conditioning and buffer electronics.

[0053] Computer-readable memory can include any non-volatile / tangible medium involved in providing data or computer-readable instructions. Memory can be either non-volatile or volatile. Non-volatile media can include, for example, optical or magnetic disks and other persistent storage. Volatile media can include dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), which can form main memory. Other examples of memory include floppy disks, flexible disks or hard disks, magnetic tapes or other magnetic media, CD-ROMs, DVDs, and / or other optical media, as well as other possible storage devices such as flash memory.

[0054] The control device 80 comprises the tangible, non-volatile memory 83, in which computer-executable instructions, including the initiation algorithm 832 and the condition monitoring and control algorithm 834, are recorded. The processor 82 of the control device 80 is designed to execute the initiation algorithm 832 and the condition monitoring and control algorithm 834. The initiation algorithm implements a method for determining whether the condition monitoring and control algorithm 834 should be executed based on the inputs from the machine condition monitoring system 85, the self-triggering calibration system 86, etc.The processor 82 is designed to execute the initiation algorithm 832 to receive the signal indicating the state of the agricultural harvesting vehicle 20 and, based on this signal, to determine whether the state monitoring and control algorithm should be executed. The state monitoring and control algorithm 834 implements a method for monitoring and controlling the crop processing component CPC and the output device 244, as described in detail below.

[0055] The processor 82 is capable of executing the condition monitoring and control algorithm 834 to receive the signal that identifies the image of the crop processing component CPC from the optical sensor 70, to analyze the image of the crop processing component CPC to obtain a value, and to determine the state of the crop processing component CPC based on this value. The state of the crop processing component CPC can be its position, an abnormal state, or a normal state.

[0056] When the processor 82 executes the condition monitoring and control algorithm 834 to identify the position of the crop processing component CPC based on the value, the position of the crop processing component CPC can be used in an implementation to move the crop processing component CPC precisely. Consider, for example, the slats 422 of the chaff screen 42. When the operator uses the input device (e.g., a touchscreen) to set a target position for the slats 422, reflecting a 16 mm opening, the optical sensor 74 captures an image of the slats 422 and generates a signal that identifies the image of the slats 422. The processor 82 executes the condition monitoring and control algorithm 834 to receive the signal that characterizes the image of the slats 422, to analyze the image of the slats 422 to obtain a value, and to determine the position of the slats 422 based on that value.Such a determination based on the image of the lamellae 422 can serve as a baseline value. Subsequently, the processor 82 executes the condition monitoring and control algorithm 834 to compare the position of the lamellae 422, derived from this value, with a target position (here, a 16 mm opening). If the position of the lamellae 422 does not correspond to the target position, the processor 82 instructs the actuator 424 to move the lamellae 422 from their current position to the target position. This is a closed-loop control process that automatically adjusts the position of the lamellae 422 to the target position. However, if the lamellae 422 cannot reach the target position, the opening of the lamellae 422 (chaff screen opening) may be blocked, or another component of the chaff screen 42 may be damaged, causing such an abnormal condition of the chaff screen 42.The processor 82 then executes the condition monitoring and control algorithm 834 to activate the output device 244 and warn the operator. Similarly, other CPC processing components, such as the first threshing concave 342, the second threshing concave 344, the paddles 382, ​​the lamellae 442, the chopping rotor 62, and the knife bank 64, can be moved to their target positions by a similar control process. If the other CPC processing component(s) cannot reach their target positions, it may be that the CPC processing component(s) is / are in an abnormal condition. In this case, the processor 82 executes the condition monitoring and control algorithm 834 to activate the output device 244 and warn the operator. This closed-loop adjustment and warning can be part of the calibration process or an independent process.The latter can also be applied to a crop processing system (not shown) without installing a position sensor coupled to an actuator that moves the crop processing component CPC. If an abnormal condition (e.g., material accumulation, excessive material wear, component damage) is detected, the processor 82 executes the condition monitoring and control algorithm 834 to activate the output device 244 and warn the operator.

[0057] When the processor 82 executes the condition monitoring and control algorithm 834 to determine the position of the crop processing component (CPC) based on the value, the position of the crop processing component determined based on the value can be used to calibrate the measurement of a position sensor. The position sensor is designed to detect a position of the actuator or of a linkage coupled between the actuator and the crop processing component (collectively referred to as an element) and to generate a signal that indicates a detected position of the element, which correlates with the position of the crop processing component (CPC). The processor 82 is capable of executing the condition monitoring and control algorithm 834 to determine an estimated position of the crop processing component (CPC) based on the signal that indicates the detected position of the element.and to calibrate the estimated position of the crop processing component CPC to reproduce the position of the crop processing component CPC. In this implementation, the processor 82 can collect two (position) samples for calibration. With respect to the first sample, the processor 82 executes the condition monitoring and control algorithm 834 to receive a signal indicating a first detected position of the element, represented by a first electrical value from the position sensor; to receive a signal indicating the image of the crop processing component CPC (or the element) at a first position of the crop processing component CPC from the optical sensor 70; to analyze the image of the crop processing component (or the element) to obtain a first value corresponding to the first position; and to take a first sample that represents the first value corresponding to the first position.and contains the first electrical value, to record in memory 83. Then the processor 82 executes the state monitoring and control algorithm 834 to trigger the actuator to move the crop processing component CPC to a second position, to receive a signal indicating a second detected position of the element, represented by a second electrical value from the position sensor, to receive a signal indicating the image of the crop processing component CPC (or the element) at the second position from the optical sensor 70, to analyze the image of the crop processing component CPC at the second position, to obtain a second value corresponding to the second position, to record a second sample containing the second value corresponding to the second position and the second electrical value, and to establish a correlation between the value,which corresponds to the position of the crop processing component, and to generate an electrical value from the position sensor based on the first and second samples. The processor 82 can collect further samples. The correlations can be embodied in a dynamic model, a lookup table, etc. The correlations can be stored in a memory 83, which the processor 82 accesses at runtime. They can also be stored and used in other ways. After calibration, the measurement of the position sensor of the position sensor system can also be used to accurately calculate the position of the crop processing component even when the crop processing component is processing the crop and the optical sensor 70 cannot capture the image.

[0058] Take, for example, the lamellae 422 of the chaff sieve 42. With respect to the first sample, the processor 82 executes the state monitoring and control algorithm 834 to receive a signal indicating a first detected position of the actuator 424 (or a connection coupled between the actuator 424 and the lamellae 422), represented by a first electrical value (e.g., 0.8 volts) from the position sensor 426; to receive a signal indicating the image of the lamellae 422 in a first position (e.g., 10 mm) from the optical sensor 74; to analyze the image of the lamellae 422 to obtain a first value corresponding to the first position; and to record a first sample that includes the first value corresponding to the first position (10 mm) and the first electrical value (0.8 volts).8 volts) is contained in memory 83. With regard to the second sample, the processor 82 then executes the condition monitoring and control algorithm 834 to trigger the actuator 424 to move the slats 422 to a second position (for example, 15 mm), to receive a signal indicating a second detected position of the actuator 424 (or the connection), represented by a second electrical value (1.2 volts) from the position sensor 426, to receive a signal indicating the image of the slats 422 in the second position from the optical sensor 74, to analyze the image of the slats 422 in the second position to obtain a second value corresponding to the second position, to record a second sample containing the second value corresponding to the second position (15 mm) and the second electrical value (1.2 volts), to establish a correlation between the value corresponding to the position of the slats 422,and the voltage from the position sensor based on the first sample and the second sample. The correlations can be embodied in a dynamic model, a lookup table, etc. Any two positions of the lamellae 422 with two corresponding electrical values ​​can form such a dynamic model for automatic calibration. Later, when the lamellae 422 clean the crop and the position sensor 426 detects the position of the actuator 424 (or the linkage) and transmits a third electrical value, which in this example is 1.0 volt, the processor 82 can determine, based on the correlation established by the two samples, that the opening is approximately 10 mm. Likewise, the processor 82 can perform similar functions for other processing components, such as the picking plates 294, the first threshing concave 342, the second threshing concave 344, the paddles 382, ​​the lamellae 442, the chopping rotor 62, and the knife bank 64.Capture at least two samples, each containing the position of the crop processing component and the corresponding electrical value, to create a dynamic model or lookup table for automatic calibration.

[0059] As discussed, the processor 82 is operational for executing the condition monitoring and control algorithm 834 to determine the state of the crop processing component (CPC). The state of the crop processing component (CPC) can be either abnormal or normal. In one implementation, the control device 80 analyzes the image of the current crop processing component (CPC), for example, by object-based image analysis, in which different areas of the crop processing component (CPC) are assigned a corresponding value (classification), and compares these with images of the crop processing component (CPC) in its normal state. The control device 80 then determines whether an abnormal state exists in the crop processing component.The abnormal condition includes, but is not limited to, blockages, material accumulations, wear or damage to the picking plates, the first threshing concave 342, the second threshing concave 344, the buckets 382, ​​the shaker trough 41, the lamellae 422, the lamellae 442, the chopping rotor 62, the knife bank 64 or other crop processing components.

[0060] The present disclosure comprises a method for calibration and for detecting an abnormal condition. S1: Start. S2: Machine condition monitoring. As discussed, machine condition monitoring includes, without limitation, at least one of the following: monitoring of mass flow, determining whether the agricultural harvesting vehicle is inside, outside or near the field boundary, determining whether the agricultural harvesting vehicle is outside or inside the coverage map, and determining whether the operating state of the machine is the non-harvesting, transport or unloading state. S3: Entering the last calibration time, the fixed interval, and the self-reset conditions into the control device. A self-reset condition, for example, defines the next calibration time based on the fixed interval and the last calibration. S4: Determine whether the calibration interlocks are satisfied by executing the initiation algorithm. If they are satisfied, proceed to S5. If they are not satisfied, proceed to S1. The calibration interlocks are programmed in the initiation algorithm 832 and are designed to determine whether calibration should be performed. For example, if one of the self-trigger conditions is satisfied (e.g., the time is greater than the threshold defined by the last calibration time and the fixed interval), calibration cannot be started because the machine condition monitoring input indicates that now is not a suitable time for calibration. Likewise, calibration cannot be started if the machine condition monitoring input indicates that now is a suitable time for calibration, but the self-trigger condition is not satisfied (e.g.,(if the calibration was performed very recently). If the self-trigger condition(s) is / are met and the machine is in proper working order, i.e., the calibration interlocks are fulfilled, the calibration is initiated. S5: Initialize calibration. S6: Capture images of a crop processing component. S7: Analyze images of the crop processing component to obtain an initial value that corresponds to an initial position (current position) of the crop processing component. S8: Detect the position of an actuator or linkage (collectively referred to as the element) used to move the crop processing component in order to obtain an initial electrical value corresponding to an initial detected position. S9: Record the first sample with the first value corresponding to the first position of the crop processing component and the first electrical value corresponding to the first recorded position. S10: Instruct the actuator to move the crop processing component to a new position. The control device can automatically control the actuator. Alternatively, the operator can use the input device to instruct the actuator to assume the new (target) position. S11: Take pictures of the crop processing component in a second position. S12: Analyze images of the crop processing component to obtain a second value corresponding to the second position of the crop processing component. S13: Detect the position of the element (actuator or linkage) to obtain a second electrical value corresponding to a second detected position. S14: Record samples including the second value corresponding to the second position of the crop processing component and the second electrical value corresponding to the second recorded position. S15: Determine if the target position has been reached (if the second position is the target position). If yes, proceed to S16-1. If no, proceed to S16-2. S16-1: Determine whether the sample size is equal to or greater than the required number. If yes, proceed to S17-1. If no, proceed to S10. S16-2: If the crop processing component is not moved into the target position, does the number of attempts made by the actuator reach the limit? If yes, proceed to S17-2. If no, proceed to S10. S17-1: Generate correlation between the value corresponding to the position of the crop processing component and the electrical value of the position sensor based on the samples. S17-2: Trigger diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) and output device as instructed by the control device to warn the operator. S18: End.

[0061] The present disclosure includes a further method for detecting an abnormal condition. M1: Location of an agricultural harvesting vehicle (machine) received. M2: Take pictures of a crop processing component. M3: Last acquisition time received from a memory. M4: Process data about the location of the agricultural harvesting vehicle, the image of the crop processing component, and the last time of recording. M5: Monitor machine status. M6: Determine whether the capture condition is met or whether the time since the last capture meets a threshold. If yes, proceed to M7. If no, proceed to M4. Note that the capture condition is based on monitoring the machine condition and is the appropriate condition for capture. For example, there is no mass flow of the harvested crop, the agricultural harvesting vehicle is near or within the field boundary, the operating condition of the harvesting vehicle is a non-harvesting, transport, or unloading condition, and / or the agricultural harvesting vehicle is inside or outside the coverage map. M7: Start the acquisition mechanism (analyze the image). M8: Determine if an abnormal condition exists in the crop processing component. If yes, proceed to M9. If no, proceed to M3 to store the current time, which will be the last recording time, and / or to M4 for data processing after a specified time interval. M9: Warning operator.

[0062] Without limiting the scope, interpretation, or application of the claims below in any way, a technical effect of one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein is to enable the automatic adjustment of a crop processing component to a target position, with or without a position sensor that detects an actuator moving the crop processing component to engage with the crop. Another technical effect of one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein is the self-calibration of a position sensor that detects an actuator to obtain information about the position of the crop processing component. A further technical effect of one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein is to provide a means of checking for an abnormal condition of the crop processing component.

[0063] As used here, "e.g." is used to provide non-exhaustive examples and has the same meaning as alternative illustrative phrases such as "including," "including but not limited to," and "including without limitation." Enumerations with items separated by conjunctions (e.g., "and") and further preceded by the phrase "one or more of" or "at least one of" indicate, unless otherwise restricted or modified, configurations or arrangements that may include individual items in the enumeration or any combination thereof. For example, "at least one of A, B, and C" or "one or more of A, B, and C" indicates the possibilities of only A, only B, only C, or a combination of two or more of A, B, and C (e.g., A and B; B and C; A and C; or A, B, and C).

[0064] To the average person skilled in the art, it is obvious that terms such as "above," "below," "upwards," "downwards," "upper," "lower," etc., are used descriptively for the figures and do not represent any limitations on the scope of protection of the disclosure as defined by the pending claims. Furthermore, the teachings can be described here with respect to functional and / or logical block components and / or various processing steps. It is understood that such block components can be formed from any number of hardware, software, and / or firmware components designed to perform the specified functions.

[0065] Terms relating to a degree, such as "general", "essentially" or "approximately", refer, according to the understanding of the person skilled in the art, to reasonable ranges outside a specified value or orientation, e.g. general tolerances or positional relationships associated with the manufacture, assembly and use of the described embodiments.

[0066] For the purposes of this disclosure, the term "coupled" means the connection of two elements, directly or indirectly. These connections may be fixed or movable. Such a connection may be achieved by joining the two elements, or the two elements and any additional intermediate elements, in one piece, or by fastening the two elements, or the two elements and any additional intermediate elements, to one another. These connections may be permanent or, alternatively, removable or detachable.

[0067] Although the foregoing describes examples of embodiments of the present disclosure, these descriptions are not to be construed as limitations. Rather, other variations and modifications may be made without deviating from the scope of protection and essence of the present disclosure, as defined in the pending claims.

Claims

[1] Agricultural harvesting vehicle (20), comprising: a frame (22) with a first end (222) and a second end (224) which is spaced apart from the first end (222) along a central longitudinal axis (L) of the frame (22); a ground engagement device (26) coupled to the frame (22) and designed to move the frame (22) in one direction of travel during operation; a harvesting header (29) designed to collect crops and convey the crops to an inclined conveyor (28) coupled between the harvesting header (29) and the frame (22); a crop processing system, including: a crop processing component (CPC) designed to interact with the crop; and an actuator (88, 296, 142, 36, 384, 424, 444, 624, 644) coupled to the crop processing component (CPC) and designed to move the crop processing component (CPC) to engage with the crop; and a system for monitoring and controlling the condition of crop processing components, including: an optical sensor (70) designed to capture an image of the crop processing component (CPC) or element coupled to or encompassed by the actuator (88, 296, 142, 36, 384, 412, 424, 444, 624, 644) and to generate a signal identifying the image of the crop processing component (CPC) or element; and a control device (80) with a processor (82) and a memory (83) in which a state monitoring and control algorithm (834) is stored, wherein the processor (82) is capable of executing the state monitoring and control algorithm (834) in order to: to receive the signal that identifies the image of the crop processing component (CPC) or element from the optical sensor (70); to analyze the image of the crop processing component (CPC) or element to obtain a value; and to determine the state of the crop processing component (CPC) based on the value. [2] Agricultural harvesting vehicle (20) according to claim 1, wherein determining the state of the crop processing component (CPC) includes determining whether an abnormal state exists on the crop processing component (CPC). [3] Agricultural harvesting vehicle (20) according to claim 2, wherein the processor (82) is capable of executing the condition monitoring and control algorithm (834) to send a warning signal to an output device when the processor (82) determines that the abnormal condition exists at the crop processing component (CPC). [4] Agricultural harvesting vehicle (20) according to claim 1, wherein determining the state of the crop processing component (CPC) comprises identifying a position of the crop processing component (CPC) based on the value. [5] Agricultural harvesting vehicle (20) according to claim 4, wherein the processor (82) is capable of executing the condition monitoring and control algorithm (834) to: to compare the position of the crop processing component (CPC) derived from the value with a target position set by an output device; and to instruct the actuator (88, 296, 142, 36, 384, 412, 424, 444, 624, 644) to move the crop processing component (CPC) from its position to the target position if the position of the crop processing component (CPC) is not the target position. [6] Agricultural harvesting vehicle (20) according to claim 4, further comprising a position sensor (298, 364, 368, 386, 426, 446, 626, 640) designed to detect a position of the element coupled to or contained in the actuator (88, 296, 142, 36, 384, 424, 444, 624, 644) and to generate a signal indicating a detected position of the element which correlates with an estimated position of the crop processing component (CPC); and wherein the processor (82) is operational to execute the condition monitoring and control algorithm (834) to determine the estimated position of the crop processing component (CPC) based on the signal that identifies the detected position of the element, and to calibrate the estimated position of the crop processing component (CPC) based on the value to reproduce the position of the crop processing component (CPC). [7] Agricultural harvesting vehicle (20) according to claim 6, wherein the processor (82) executes the condition monitoring and control algorithm (834) to: to receive a signal that indicates a first detected position of the element, represented by a first electrical value from the position sensor (298, 364, 368, 386, 426, 446, 626, 640); to receive a signal from the optical sensor (70) that identifies the image of the crop processing component (CPC) or of the element in a first position of the crop processing component (CPC); to analyze the image of the crop processing component (CPC) or the element in the first position of the crop processing component (CPC) to obtain an initial value corresponding to the first position; and to record an initial sample that includes the first value corresponding to the first position and the first electrical value. [8] Agricultural harvesting vehicle (20) according to claim 7, wherein the processor (82) executes the condition monitoring and control algorithm (834) to: to trigger the actuator (88, 296, 142, 36, 384, 424, 444, 624, 644) to move the crop processing component (CPC) to a second position; to receive a signal that indicates a second detected position of the element, represented by a second electrical value from the position sensor (298, 364, 368, 386, 426, 446, 626, 640); to receive a signal from the optical sensor (70) that identifies the image of the crop processing component (CPC) or the element in the second position of the crop processing component (CPC); to analyze the image of the crop processing component (CPC) or element in the second position to obtain a second value corresponding to the second position; to record a second sample containing the second value corresponding to the second position and the second electrical value; and to generate a correlation between the value corresponding to the position of the crop processing component (CPC) and an electrical value from the position sensor (298, 364, 368, 386, 426, 446, 626, 640) based on the first sample and the second sample. [9] Agricultural harvesting vehicle (20) according to claim 4, wherein the crop processing component (CPC) comprises slats (442) of a main sieve (44) or slats (422) of a chaff sieve (42) and the position of the crop processing component (CPC) represents the opening defined by the slats (442) of the main sieve (44) or slats (422) of the chaff sieve (42). [10] Agricultural harvesting vehicle (20) according to claim 1, wherein the crop processing component (CPC) comprises a picking plate (294) of the harvesting header (29), lamellae (442) of a main sieve (44), lamellae (422) of a chaff sieve (42), separating vanes (382), a threshing concave (34), a shaking trough (41), a chopping rotor (62) of a chopper (60) or a knife bank (64) of the chopper (60). [11] Agricultural harvesting vehicle (20) according to claim 1, further comprising a machine condition monitoring system (85) designed to monitor the condition of the agricultural harvesting vehicle (20) and to generate a signal indicating the condition of the agricultural harvesting vehicle (20); wherein the memory (83) contains an initiation algorithm stored therein; and wherein the processor (82) is designed to execute the initiation algorithm in order to: to receive the signal indicating the status of the agricultural harvesting vehicle (20); and to determine whether the condition monitoring and control algorithm (834) should be executed based on the signal indicating the condition of the agricultural harvesting vehicle (20). [12] Agricultural harvesting vehicle (20) according to claim 11, wherein the machine condition monitoring system (85) comprises a machine condition monitor or a timer designed to record a time after a last execution of the condition monitoring and control algorithm. [13] Agricultural harvesting vehicle (20) according to claim 12, wherein the processor (82) determines whether the condition monitoring and control algorithm (834) should be executed based on whether the time is greater than a threshold. [14] Agricultural harvesting vehicle (20) according to claim 11, wherein the state of the agricultural harvesting vehicle (20) comprises at least one of the presence of a mass flow of the harvested crop, a position of the agricultural harvesting vehicle (20) relative to a field boundary position, an operating state of the agricultural harvesting vehicle (20) or the position of the agricultural harvesting vehicle (20) inside or outside the coverage map. [15] Agricultural harvesting vehicle (20), comprising: a frame (22) with a first end (222) and a second end (224) which is spaced apart from the first end (222) along a central longitudinal axis (L) of the frame (22); a ground engagement device (26) coupled to the frame (22) and designed to move the frame (22) in one direction of travel during operation; a harvesting header (29) designed to collect crops and convey the crops to an inclined conveyor (28) coupled between the harvesting header (29) and the frame (22); a component (CPC) designed to interact with the harvested crop; and a system for condition monitoring and control of components including: an optical sensor (70) designed to capture an image of the component (CPC) and to generate a signal that identifies the image of the component (CPC); and a control device (80) with a processor (82) and a memory (83) in which a state monitoring and control algorithm (834) is stored, wherein the processor (82) is capable of executing the state monitoring and control algorithm (834) in order to: to receive the signal that identifies the component image (CPC) from the optical sensor (70); to analyze the component image (CPC) to obtain a value; and to determine the state of the component (CPC) based on the value.

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