AGRICULTURAL WORK MACHINE

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an agricultural working machine according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] The known prior art (DE 10 2008 057 461 A1), from which the invention is based, relates to an agricultural working machine according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0003] The agricultural machinery in question can be any agricultural machine that is specifically used to carry out an agricultural task, such as soil cultivation or harvesting. This includes, for example, tractors, but also self-propelled harvesting machines such as combine harvesters, forage harvesters, or the like.

[0004] These machines have one or more working units for carrying out or supporting agricultural work. For a harvester, these include, for example, the intake mechanism, the threshing or chopping unit, the unloading device, as well as the drive system and the steering mechanism. An agricultural machine can also be equipped with working components in the form of attachments that are mounted to the carrier vehicle. For a harvester, these include, for example, headers such as cutter bars or mowers, corn headers, or the like. For a tractor, attachments can include, for example, a mower, a tedder, a rake, a baler, or a tillage implement such as a plow, a cultivator, a harrow, or the like.

[0005] The well-known agricultural machine features a driver assistance system with a computing device and a display unit. The display unit comprises a display control unit and a user display. Display data is transmitted from the computing device to the display control unit. This display data includes safety-critical user information for display in a predetermined region of the user display. Such safety-critical user information includes, for example, driving speed, alarms, and technical information about the agricultural machine.

[0006] In a display routine, the display control unit determines image data from the display data, which is then displayed on the user display.

[0007] Generally speaking, at certain times a portion of the image data in a predetermined region contains security-critical user information, and it must be ensured that this information is actually displayed to the user. For example, it may happen that information is intended to be displayed to the user, but another window or other information is overlaid on it, so that the security-critical user information is not visible. Furthermore, information may also be lost due to software errors or similar issues.

[0008] It is a challenge to ensure that security-critical user information is actually displayed on the user's screen.

[0009] The invention is based on the problem of designing and further developing the known agricultural machinery in such a way that further optimization is achieved with regard to the aforementioned challenge.

[0010] The above problem is solved by the features of the characterizing part of claim 1.

[0011] Particularly preferred embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0012] The fundamental principle is that the display control unit, during the display routine, derives an initial control value from a portion of the image data. This value represents what is actually displayed, or intended to be displayed, on the user display. This initial control value can then be monitored by the processing unit to ensure that the display control unit is functioning correctly and as desired.

[0013] Specifically, it is proposed that the display control unit determines a first control value from the image data in the display routine, that the display control unit transmits the first control value to the computing device, that the computing device determines a second control value in a control routine based on the safety-critical user information, that the computing device compares the first control value and the second control value in the control routine and thus determines whether the safety-critical information is represented in the image data, and that the computing device executes an emergency routine if the safety-critical information is not represented in the image data.

[0014] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to a drawing that merely illustrates exemplary embodiments. The drawing shows Fig. 1 a schematic side view of an agricultural machine according to the invention.

[0015] Fig. 1 Figure 1 shows an agricultural machine 1. Here, and preferably, the machine 1 is a tractor, which is used, for example, as a towing vehicle. The proposed solution is also applicable to all other agricultural machines mentioned in the introductory section, in particular to self-propelled harvesters. Almost all subsequent descriptions refer to an agricultural machine 1 designed as a tractor. These descriptions apply accordingly to all other types of agricultural machines.

[0016] The agricultural machine 1 has at least one working unit 2 for carrying out or supporting agricultural work. The respective working unit 2 can be an attachment 3, i.e., a working unit 2 that can be attached to the agricultural machine 1 itself, i.e., the carrier vehicle, or a working unit 2 that is an integral part of the agricultural machine 1. The agricultural machine 1 has an engine 4, which is also considered one of the working units 2 in this context.

[0017] Furthermore, the agricultural machine 1 has a driver assistance system 5, which has a memory 6 for storing data and a computing device 7 for processing the data stored in the memory 6.

[0018] The driver assistance system 5 further comprises a display unit 8 with a display control unit 9 and a user display 10, wherein the computing device 7 transmits display data, including safety-critical user information, to the display control unit 9 for display in a predetermined region 11 of the user display 10. In a display routine, the display control unit 9 derives image data from the display data, wherein the display unit 8 displays the image data on the user display 10 and wherein the display unit 8 displays a portion of the image data in the predetermined region 11.

[0019] The driver assistance system 5 is, in general terms, the interface between the agricultural machine 1 and a user. The driver assistance system 5 can perform various automation functions and provide extensive assistance to the user.

[0020] Here, and preferably, the display control unit 9 takes over the actual physical control of the user display 10. At the very least, it determines the image data. The term "image data" here refers to data from which it can be clearly determined which images are to be displayed on the user display 10. Display data, on the other hand, refers more generally to data that is transmitted from the computing device 7 to the display control unit 9 for display. For example, the display data may contain several windows that are to be displayed, thus forming different layers. The image data then already specifies which window is the topmost window and which information is therefore displayed at the top. The windows located behind it, or their information or parts thereof, would then not be displayed, even though they are contained in the display data.

[0021] Here, and preferably, the computing device 7 has several logical subunits, in particular threads or processes, which transmit display data to the display control unit 9, and the display control unit 9 links the display data together in the display routine, in particular superimposing it on each other.

[0022] The aim here is to ensure that at least the security-critical user information is actually displayed in the designated region 11. In addition to the previously mentioned issue of the display being obscured, for example by other windows, this will also allow software errors in the display control unit 9 to be detected.

[0023] Here, and preferably, the predetermined region 11 only covers a portion of the user display 10.

[0024] It is essential that the display control unit 9 determines a first control value from the part of the image data in the display routine, that the display control unit 9 transmits the first control value to the computing device 7, that the computing device 7 determines a second control value in a control routine based on the safety-critical user information, that the computing device 7 compares the first control value and the second control value in the control routine and thus determines whether the safety-critical information is represented in the image data, and that the computing device 7 executes an emergency routine if the safety-critical information is not represented in the image data.

[0025] The first and second control values ​​are, in general terms, values ​​that represent which images are displayed by the user display 10. The complete display does not necessarily have to be deducible from the control values. For example, the control values ​​could be hash values ​​of the image data. The control values ​​can be identical, but they can also be comparable in other ways.

[0026] It is essential that the first and second control values ​​are determined at least partially independently of each other, so that the computing device 7 can determine whether the safety-critical user information is actually displayed on the user display 10. Here, and preferably, the display control unit 9 determines pixel color values ​​and / or pixel opacity values ​​and / or pixel brightness values ​​for the user display 10 in the display routine and only then derives the first control value from these values.

[0027] Preferably, after determining the first control value, the display control unit 9 then controls the user display 10 based on the image data for the actual physical display of precisely this image data. The first control value thus represents the images that the display control unit 9 will display. Apart from actual hardware errors in the control of the user display 10, which would usually be noticed by the user in other ways, most errors can then be detected.

[0028] The emergency routine could, for example, be a reset of the display control unit 9. It could also more generally include providing other information to the user or an emergency stop of the agricultural machinery 1.

[0029] In the embodiment shown in the figures, which is preferred in this respect, it is further provided that the computing device 7 is designed separately from the display control unit 9 in terms of software and hardware, preferably that the display unit 8 has a housing 12, that the user display 10 is part of the housing 12, that the computing device 7 is arranged at a distance from the housing 12, and that the display control unit 9 is arranged in or on the housing 12.

[0030] The computing device 7 and the display control unit 9 are connected here, preferably via software, but do not form a logical unit in terms of software. Nor are they formed by a single hardware component, preferably. Here, preferably, the computing device 7 and the display control unit 9 are connected via a CAN bus connection.

[0031] Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the computing device 7 is a main control unit of the agricultural machinery 1, preferably that the computing device 7 has an engine control unit for setting and / or determining operating parameters of an engine 4 of the agricultural machinery 1 and / or a route control unit for a route of the agricultural machinery 1 and / or a working unit control unit for setting and / or determining operating parameters of a working unit 2 of the agricultural machinery 1.

[0032] The operating parameters can be parameters such as rotational speed, torque, and other physical parameters of the motor 4 of the agricultural machinery 1.

[0033] Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the first and second control values ​​represent states of pixels of the predetermined region 11, preferably that the first control value is a cyclic redundancy value and / or is determined by the display control unit 9 from position values ​​and / or opacity and / or brightness and / or color values, in particular RGB values, of pixels of the predetermined region 11, and further preferably that the second control value is stored in the memory 6. Methods for calculating cyclic redundancy values ​​are well known.

[0034] While the first control value, as mentioned above, is determined here and preferably directly from the images to be displayed, the second control value of the computing device 7 can already be known. For example, a change in speed or direction of travel of the agricultural machine 1 can always be displayed with the same image, so that the computing device 7 already knows from the display data which image should be shown on the user display 10 in which region. It then only needs to check, based on the first control value, whether this image is actually part of the image data in the predetermined region 11 and is displayed there accordingly.

[0035] Furthermore, and preferably, it is provided here that the computing device 7 triggers a reset of the display control unit 9, in particular of a frame buffer of the display control unit 9, in the emergency routine, and / or that the display control unit 9 transmits the first control value at least every 1000 ms, preferably every 400 ms, further preferably every 200 ms, and / or that the display control unit 9 transmits the first control value at most every 10 ms, preferably at most every 50 ms, further preferably at most every 100 ms, and / or that the safety-critical information includes a direction of travel and / or a driving speed and / or a temperature information, in particular an engine temperature, and / or an alarm indication and / or an oil level indication. Reference symbol list

[0036] 1 Agricultural machine 2 Working unit 3 Attachment 4 Engine 5 Driver assistance system 6 Memory 7 Rake 8 Display unit 9 Display control unit 10 User display 11 Predefined region 12 Housing

Claims

1. An agricultural working machine, in particular a self-propelled harvesting machine or towing vehicle, wherein a driver assistance system (5) is provided, which has a memory (6) for storing data, a computer device (7) for processing the data stored in the memory (6) and a notification unit (8), wherein the notification unit (8) has a display control unit (9) and a user display (10), wherein the computer device (7) is configured to communicate notification data comprising user information which is critical to safety for display in a prespecified region (11) of the user display (10) to the display control unit (9), wherein the display control unit (9) is configured to determine, in a notification routine, image data from the notification data, wherein the notification unit (8) is configured to display the image data on the user display (10) and wherein the notification unit (8) is configured to display a portion of the image data in the prespecified region (11), characterized in that the display control unit (9) is configured to determine, in the notification routine, a first check value from the portion of the image data, in that the display control unit (9) is configured to communicate the first check value to the computer device (7), in that the computer device (7) is configured to determine, in a check routine, a second check value on the basis of the user information which is critical to safety, in that the computer device (7) is configured to compare, in the check routine, the first check value and the second check value and thus to determine whether the information which is critical to safety is represented in the image data and in that the computer device (7) is configured to execute an emergency routine if the information which is critical to safety is not represented in the image data.

2. The agricultural working machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the computer device (7) is configured separately from the display control unit (9) in respect of software and hardware technology, preferably in that the notification unit (8) has a housing (12), in that the user display (10) is part of the housing (12), in that the computer device (7) is disposed at a distance from the housing (12), and in that the display control unit (9) is disposed in or on the housing (12).

3. The agricultural working machine according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the computer device (7) is a main controller of the agricultural working machine (1), preferably in that the computer device (7) has an engine controller for setting and / or determining operating parameters of an engine (4) of the agricultural working machine (1) and / or a travel route regulator of a travel route of the agricultural working machine (1) and / or a working assembly controller for setting and / or determining operating parameters of a working assembly (2) of the agricultural working machine (1).

4. The agricultural working machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first check value and second check value represent states of pixels of the prespecified region (11), preferably in that the first check value is a cyclic redundancy value and / or is determined by the first display control unit (9) from position values and / or opacity values and / or brightness values and / or colour values, in particular RGB values, of pixels of the prespecified region (11), more preferably in that the second check value is stored in the memory (6).

5. The agricultural working machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the computer device (7) is configured to initiate, in the emergency routine, a reset of the display control unit (9), in particular of a frame buffer of the display control unit (9), and / or in that the display control unit (9) is configured to communicate the first check value at least every 1000 ms, preferably every 400 ms, more preferably every 200 ms, and / or in that the display control unit (9) is configured to communicate the first check value at most every 10 ms, preferably at most every 50 ms, more preferably at most every 100 ms, and / or in that the information which is critical to safety comprises a direction of travel and / or a speed of travel and / or temperature information, in particular an engine temperature, and / or an alarm indication and / or an oil level indication.