System for vehicle-specific integration and parameterization of steering systems in mobile work machines

Abstract

Steering system for agricultural, construction and forestry machinery, including: - an armrest attached to the left side of a driver's seat with a control unit for inputting steering commands, - an electronic control unit which is connected to the operating unit and converts steering commands into control variables for a steering actuator or for an interface to an existing steering control system of the machine, characterized in that - the electronic control unit can be connected to a mobile device via a wireless communication interface, on which a software application in the form of an app is executed, via which vehicle-specific parameterization of the steering device is carried out, whereby a characteristic curve for the steering characteristics of the respective carrier vehicle is generated as part of a guided parameterization process, - different steering ratios and steering sensitivities can be derived from this characteristic curve and saved as driving profiles, which can be selected via controls on the control unit, and - the control unit can be swivelled relative to the armrest between an operating position and a lowered position, whereby in the lowered position the steering device is deactivated and the armrest remains as a support.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to the steering of self-propelled agricultural, construction, and forestry machinery. In modern machines, control elements such as joysticks or small steering wheels are now sometimes mounted in the left armrest. These solutions are usually permanently integrated into the machine's control system and operate in closed control loops with steering angle, steering column position, and speed sensors. The sensor technology is complex, and the systems are vehicle-specific, making them untransferable to other machines and rendering retrofitting and modifications either very costly or impossible.

[0002] Conventional steering wheels require the coordinated use of large muscle groups and multiple joints of the shoulder, arm, and torso for steering movements, making them labor-intensive, tiring, and physically demanding in the long run. Therefore, it makes sense to retrofit alternative steering concepts to existing machines, creating the need for a systemically universal steering device. The necessary hardware integration should be minimal, compatible with all common steering systems, and not restrict any existing vehicle functionality. The control logic should be easily configurable by the user to adapt it to the specific target vehicle.

[0003] The invention proposes a steering device consisting of the following components: • Steering wheel: A compact, continuously rotating steering wheel, which can be designed as a rotatably mounted cylinder or as a disc. A rotary encoder detects the speed and direction of rotation and transmits this information to the control unit. • Electronic control unit: The control unit converts the signal generated by the rotary encoder into a control signal for an electro-hydraulic steering valve or existing steering actuators. It can be a compact unit with an integrated wireless interface or consist of a main control unit and a wireless gateway. Analog interfaces and digital bus systems (e.g., CAN, ISOBus) enable the control of various valves or control units. • Mobile App: An app that communicates wirelessly (Bluetooth or WLAN) with the control unit guides the user through the vehicle-specific parameterization during initial setup. The app allows users to save different user and driver profiles with adjustable gear ratios and control sensitivities; it also provides diagnostic functions. • Control unit with foldable armrest module: The control wheel, preset buttons, and status LEDs are integrated into a control unit located in front of a padded forearm support on the armrest. The unit is attached via a hinge and a gas spring and can be folded down for entry and exit; in the lowered position, the power supply to the control unit is interrupted. When folded back up, a limit switch detects the upper position and restores the power supply.

[0004] In a practical embodiment, the steering wheel is designed as an endlessly rotating cylinder connected to the control unit via a precision encoder. The steering wheel housing features several preset buttons for selecting saved user and driving profiles, as well as status LEDs indicating the current operating state. The control unit is mounted to the padded armrest via a joint with a gas spring. Lowering the unit interrupts the power supply and puts the system into a safe state; a limit switch restores the power supply when the unit is folded back up. The electronic control unit communicates wirelessly with the mobile app and controls an electro-hydraulic steering valve via analog or digital interfaces. Drivers can use the app to adjust the steering wheel ratio, save profiles, and access diagnostic information.

[0005] The described steering system offers several advantages: • Due to the endless rotation of the steering wheel, its position is irrelevant, meaning that a corresponding target steering angle does not necessarily need to be set. No vehicle-specific sensors are required to detect the steering angle. • The invention also does without a steering column position sensor, since with a conventional steering input via the steering wheel, a pure control system does not work against this input, but allows it to take place in parallel. • Parameterization and user management are done via an intuitive app, so the system can be quickly adapted to different vehicles and drivers. • The control unit is space-saving and ergonomically designed; the foldable module preserves the forearm support, while the steering controls can be deactivated when needed. Getting on and off the vehicle remains unrestricted. The folded-down control unit also means that the invention, through automatic disconnection of the power supply, rests in a safe state should it not be in use for a period of time, e.g., during road travel.

Claims

[1] Steering device for agricultural, construction and forestry machinery, comprising: - an armrest attached to the left side of a driver's seat with a control unit for inputting steering commands, - an electronic control unit which is connected to the operating unit and converts steering commands into control variables for a steering actuator or for an interface to an existing steering control system of the machine, characterized by , that - the electronic control unit can be connected to a mobile device via a wireless communication interface, on which a software application in the form of an app is executed, via which vehicle-specific parameterization of the steering device is carried out, whereby a characteristic curve for the steering characteristics of the respective carrier vehicle is generated as part of a guided parameterization process, - different steering ratios and steering sensitivities can be derived from this characteristic curve and saved as driving profiles, which can be selected via controls on the control unit, and - the control unit can be swivelled relative to the armrest between an operating position and a lowered position, whereby in the lowered position the steering device is deactivated and the armrest remains as a support. [2] Steering device for agricultural, construction and forestry machinery, comprising: - an armrest that can be attached to a driver's seat with an integrated control unit for inputting steering commands, - an electronic control unit with interfaces for controlling different steering actuators or existing steering controls of machines, characterized by , that - the electronic control unit can be connected via a wireless communication interface to a mobile device on which a software application in the form of an app is executed, via which the steering device can be parameterized in a vehicle-specific manner, regardless of the respective machine type, - that, as part of the parameterization, a characteristic curve is generated to represent the steering behavior of the respective carrier vehicle, from which different steering ratios and steering sensitivities can be derived, - that the control unit is integrated into a foldable armrest module, which allows integration into different vehicle cabins and deactivates the steering system in the lowered position, and - that the control unit can be connected to different steering architectures of machines via electrical signal and / or communication interfaces. [3] Steering device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by, that the control unit is mounted on the armrest via a joint and a gas pressure cylinder and can be pivoted downwards from an operating position to a lowered position. [4] Steering device according to claim 3, characterized by , that when swiveling downwards, an over-center mechanism is effective, by which the control unit is held in the lowered position. [5] Steering device according to one of claims 3 or 4, characterized by , that when the control unit is swung back, the gas pressure cylinder automatically supports or returns it to the operating position. [6] Steering device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized by that a limit switch is provided, - which interrupts the power supply to the steering system when the lowered position is reached and - releases the power supply again upon reaching the operating position. [7] Steering device according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized by , that the armrest remains functional as a forearm support even when the control unit is lowered. [8] Steering device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the electronic control unit can be connected via a wireless communication interface to a mobile device on which a software application in the form of an app is executed, via which vehicle-specific parameterization of the steering device is carried out, [9] Steering device according to claim 8, characterized by that the parameterization is carried out through a guided process, in the course of which a vehicle-specific characteristic curve for the steering characteristics is generated. [10] Steering device according to claim 9, characterized by , that the vehicle-specific characteristic curve is determined using user-guided steering tests or predefined test procedures, the results of which are entered by the user in the app. [11] Steering device according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized by , that several different steering ratios and steering sensitivities can be derived and stored from the vehicle-specific characteristic curve. [12] Steering device according to claim 11, characterized by , that the stored steering ratios and steering sensitivities are stored as driving profiles and can be selected via controls on the control unit. [13] Steering device according to any one of claims 8 to 12, characterized by , that diagnostic functions of the steering system can be accessed via the software application in the form of an app running on the mobile device. [14] Steering device according to claim 13, characterized by , that actuator data, sensor data, software-internal parameters, variables and operating states can be displayed or read out as part of the diagnosis. [15] Steering device according to any one of claims 8 to 14, characterized by, that the vehicle-specific parameterization is independent of the specific design of the control unit. [16] Steering device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the electronic control unit has an integrated Bluetooth and / or WLAN interface. [17] Steering device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the control unit can communicate with an existing steering control or steering actuator of the machine via analog signal interfaces and / or digital communication interfaces, in particular bus systems such as CAN, ISOBus, Ethernet or comparable interfaces.