System and method for controlling the operation of a work machine

Abstract

To provide a system for controlling an operation of a work machine cooperating with a work vehicle.SOLUTION: A system of the present invention includes: a sensor (60) configured so as to detect the posture of a vehicle; an ECU (22) for the vehicle configured so as to communicate with the sensor (60) and a work machine (40); and an ECU (42) for the work machine configured so as to control execution of a work function of the work machine. The sensor is configured so as to transmit a detected posture (62) of the vehicle to the ECU for the vehicle. The ECU for the vehicle is configured so as to transmit a signal (24) to the ECU for the work machine when the detected posture is out of a range of a target parameter corresponding to the posture of the vehicle. The signal is configured so as to notify the ECU for the work machine of the detected posture, and / or correct the operation of the work function executed by the work machine.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to the fields of work vehicles and work implements. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a system for controlling the operation of a work implement in cooperation with a work vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] A work vehicle, such as a tractor, is typically operated together with one or more work implements, such as agricultural implements, to perform and / or carry out agricultural work. Thus, the work vehicle can be improved and / or customized with the work implement to perform and / or carry out the intended form of agricultural work, such as soil tillage, seeding, fertilizing, irrigation, harvesting and / or haymaking.

[0003] In such a combination of a work vehicle and a work implement, it is common in many cases for work vehicles and work implements of different manufacturing companies to be combined with each other. Thus, it has already been published and established that the connection and compatibility of work vehicles and work implements of different manufacturing companies are possible. Thus, the international standard ISO11783 (ISOBUS) based on the control area network (CAN) has already been developed as a communication protocol for the agricultural industry and published by the International Agricultural Electronics Foundation (AEF). Specifically, ISO11783 defines a communication protocol for exchanging information regarding the operation of the work vehicle and / or the work implement between the work vehicle and the work implement.

[0004] In addition, many modern work vehicles and work implements typically also include a TIM (tractor implement management) system. The TIM system is an ISOBUS-based solution for agricultural technology systems among manufacturing companies that enables an implement to control specific operations and / or functions of the implement and vice versa. More specifically, the TIM system enables two-way communication between the work vehicle and the implement so that the work vehicle and the implement can automatically perform agricultural operations without much input from the user.

[0005] In a combination of a work vehicle and an implement, when the work vehicle and the implement automatically perform agricultural operations without much input from the user, the implement may execute its work function even if the work vehicle and / or the implement is in a position inappropriate for executing a specific work function of the agricultural operation. In this case, a judgment by a user or the like is usually required to determine whether the work vehicle and / or the implement is in a position appropriate for executing the work function. However, requiring additional judgment from the user in an automatic system would result in increased costs and / or expose the user to unsafe situations for performing agricultural operations.

[0006] It is desirable to provide an improved system for controlling the operation of an implement configured to perform a work function in cooperation with a vehicle, which can improve the operation of the implement and / or the execution of the work function by the implement by taking into account the posture of the vehicle. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a system for controlling the operation of an implement configured to perform a work function in cooperation with a vehicle, the system including: a sensor included in the vehicle and configured to detect the posture of the vehicle; a vehicle electronic control unit configured to communicate with the sensor and the implement; An electronic control unit for a working machine configured to communicate with a vehicle and control the execution of a working function of the working machine, The sensor is configured to transmit the detected posture of the vehicle to the electronic control unit for the vehicle, The electronic control unit for the vehicle is configured to transmit a signal to the electronic control unit for the working machine when the detected posture of the vehicle is outside the range of the target parameters corresponding to the posture of the vehicle, The signal is configured for either or both of notifying the electronic control unit for the working machine of the detected posture of the vehicle and modifying the operation of the working function executed by the working machine.

[0008] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the electronic control unit for the vehicle is configured such that an operator can select a parameter corresponding to the posture of the vehicle.

[0009] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the electronic control unit for the vehicle is configured such that an operator can select a vehicle function to be considered for the parameter corresponding to the posture of the vehicle.

[0010] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, it includes a calculation unit configured to perform processing related to the detected posture of the vehicle, The signal transmitted from the electronic control unit for the vehicle to the electronic control unit for the working machine is configured to be an error code corresponding to the processing related to the detected posture by the calculation unit.

[0011] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the error code is configured to include a value within a range of values defined as those of the manufacturing company according to the international standard ISO11783.

[0012] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the sensor is configured to identify one or more of the pitch angle of the vehicle, the roll angle of the vehicle, and the yaw angle of the vehicle.

[0013] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the parameter corresponding to the attitude of the vehicle corresponds to one or more of the pitch angle of the vehicle, the roll angle of the vehicle, and the yaw angle of the vehicle.

[0014] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the vehicle electronic control unit is configured to transmit a measurement value corresponding to one or more of the flow of the auxiliary valve of the vehicle or the state of the auxiliary valve, the RPM of the front power take-off of the vehicle, the RPM of the rear power take-off of the vehicle, the RPM of the engine of the vehicle, the position of the front hitch of the vehicle, the position of the rear hitch of the vehicle, and the speed of the vehicle.

[0015] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the work implement electronic control unit is configured to generate data based on the transmission of a signal from the vehicle electronic control unit.

[0016] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the vehicle electronic control unit is configured to detect the attitude of the work implement based on the detected attitude of the vehicle.

[0017] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the vehicle electronic control unit is configured to allow an operator to select a parameter corresponding to the attitude of either or both of the vehicle and the work implement.

[0018] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for controlling the operation of a work implement configured to perform a work function in cooperation with a vehicle, the method including: selecting a parameter corresponding to the attitude of the vehicle; detecting the attitude of the vehicle by a sensor included in the vehicle; transmitting the detected attitude of the vehicle to a vehicle electronic control unit; when the detected attitude of the vehicle is outside the range of the parameter corresponding to the attitude of the vehicle, transmitting a signal from the vehicle electronic control unit to a work implement electronic control unit, the signal being configured for either or both of notifying the work implement electronic control unit of the detected attitude of the vehicle and modifying the operation of the work function performed by the work implement.

[0019] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, it includes a step of performing processing related to the detected posture of the vehicle by a calculation unit. The step of transmitting a signal from the vehicle electronic control unit to the work implement electronic control unit includes that the signal is configured to be an error code corresponding to the processing related to the detected posture by the calculation unit.

[0020] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, that the signal is configured in the form of an error code includes that the error code is configured to include values within a range of values defined as the manufacturer's own by the international standard ISO11783.

[0021] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the step of detecting the posture of the vehicle by a sensor includes identifying one or more of the pitch angle of the vehicle, the roll angle of the vehicle, and the yaw angle of the vehicle.

[0022] The step of selecting a parameter corresponding to the posture of the vehicle includes that the parameter corresponds to one or more of the pitch angle of the vehicle, the roll angle of the vehicle, and the yaw angle of the vehicle.

[0023] As described herein and according to the aspects shown herein, the system and method for controlling the operation of a work implement automatically detect the posture of a vehicle and control the operation of the work implement corresponding to the detected posture of the vehicle, thereby improving the operation of the work implement and / or the execution of the work function by the work implement without the need for additional judgment and / or guidance by a user or the like.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] Aspects of the embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Like numbers shall reflect like elements.

[0025]

Figure 1

[0026]

Figure 2

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0027] Next, an embodiment of a system for controlling the operation of a work machine according to an aspect of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Like numbers shall represent like and / or functionally similar members. This system is exclusively indicated by reference numeral 10. Although system 10 will be described with reference to specific examples, it should be understood that those examples can be modified and changed without exceeding the general scope defined by the claims. Specifically, the individual features regarding the various embodiments illustrated and / or described herein may be combined in additional embodiments. As a result, the foregoing description and drawings should be considered in the sense of being illustrative rather than limiting. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, but show exemplary aspects and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The exemplary aspects shown are merely intended to be illustrative.

[0028] The term "exemplary" is used in the sense of "example" rather than "ideal form". Aspects of the present disclosure are adaptable to various modifications and alternative forms, and specific examples thereof are shown as examples in the drawings and will be described in detail. However, it should be understood that there is no intention to limit the aspects of the present disclosure to the specific embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention of this disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0029] Furthermore, the words used in this specification are mainly selected for the purpose of reading and teaching, and are not selected to define the subject matter of the invention or to delimit the scope of the invention. Therefore, the content of the present disclosure is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure described in the claims, but is intended to be illustrative.

[0030] The singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents herein unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term "or" is generally used herein in its inclusive sense (i.e., "and / or") unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0031] Throughout the specification including the claims, the terms "comprising", "including", and "having" are to be understood as being synonymous with "comprising at least one", "including at least one", and "having at least one", respectively, unless otherwise indicated. Further, any range recited in the specification including the claims is to be understood to include its end points unless otherwise indicated. Specific values of recited elements are to be understood to be within the accepted manufacturing or industry tolerances known to those of ordinary skill in the art, and any use of the terms "substantially", "about", and "generally" are to be understood to mean within such accepted tolerances.

[0032] The terms "first", "second", etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, portions, and / or parameters, but these elements, components, regions, layers, portions, and / or parameters should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or portion from another. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer, or portion described herein may refer to a second element, component, region, layer, or portion without departing from the teachings of the subject matter of the present invention.

[0033] As will be apparent from the following description, unless otherwise specified, throughout the description, descriptions using terms such as "process", "compute", "calculate", "specify", "display", "estimate", "determine", etc. refer to the operation and process of a computer system or a similar electronic computing device that processes and transforms data represented as physical (electrical) quantities in the memory or register of the computer system or other such information storage device, transmission device, or display device.

[0034] Some aspects of the present disclosure include the process steps and instructions described herein. The process steps and instructions of the present disclosure can be embodied in software, firmware, and / or hardware, and when embodied in software, can be downloaded to exist on different platforms used by various operating systems and can be operated from different platforms. It should be noted that this is possible.

[0035] The present disclosure also relates to a control device (each referred to herein as an "electronic control unit") for controlling the operation of the system 10 described herein. The control device can be specifically configured for a required purpose, or the control device may comprise a general-purpose computer selectively actuated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in a computer. Such a computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium of any kind including, but not limited to, floppy disks, optical disks, CD-ROMs, magneto-optical disks, any type of disk including read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), magnetic or optical cards, reduced instruction set computer (RISC), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions and each coupled to a computer system bus. Further, the computers referred to herein may include a single processor or an architecture that employs a multi-processor design for increased computing power.

[0036] The computers presented herein are not inherently related to a particular computer or other device. Also, various general-purpose systems may be used with programs in the manner presented herein, or it may prove convenient to construct more specialized devices for performing the required method steps. The required structure for those various systems will be apparent from the aspects disclosed herein. Further, the present disclosure is not described in relation to a particular programming language. It will be rightly recognized that various programming languages can be used to implement the teachings of the present disclosure as described herein, and that the specific language references below are described for the best mode of the present disclosure for disclosure of usability.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a system (hereinafter referred to as the "system" in this specification) 10 for controlling the operation of a work machine is disclosed. The system 10 is intended to be described and / or implemented as a method. Referring to FIG. 1, the system 10 includes a vehicle 20, one or more implements (also referred to as "work machines" in this specification) 40, and one or more sensors 60. To control the operation of the implement 40, the system 10 can be configured to be incorporated into software and / or hardware that can be included in the vehicle 20, the implement 40, and / or the sensor 60.

[0038] In the disclosed embodiments, the vehicle 20 is an agricultural vehicle and / or a work vehicle. Specifically, in the disclosed embodiments, the vehicle 20 is a tractor configured to perform agricultural operations. Also, the vehicle 20 is configured for use in combination with the implement 40. Additionally or alternatively, the vehicle 20 is intended to be configurable for use with a plurality of implements 40. Here, the plurality of implements 40 shall be referred to as "implement 40" unless a reference to the plurality of implements 40 is required. In the disclosed embodiments, the implement 40 is an agricultural machine and / or a work machine. Specifically, in the disclosed embodiments, the implement 40 is configured to perform a work function and / or agricultural operations. Thus, the implement 40 may be a baler, a plow, a tiller, a seeder, a sprayer, a windrower, etc. Additionally, the implement 40 is intended to be configurable for use in front of, behind, to the side of, above, and / or below the vehicle 20. The terms "front", "rear", "side", "above", and "below" are intended to be understood with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle 20.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 1, there is a physical connection part 80 between the vehicle 20 and the implement 40. Additionally, the vehicle 20, the implement 40, and the sensor 60 are configured to communicate. It is intended that the vehicle 20, the implement 40, and the sensor 60 communicate by means of a wired connection, a wireless connection, or any other information transmission method compatible with the system 10. Additionally, the vehicle 20 and the implement 40 can be communicatively connected, for example, by the international standard ISO 11783, which is called ISOBUS and is based on the Controller Area Network (CAN). Further, the vehicle 20 and the implement 40 can each include a TIM system. It is intended that the TIM system as referred to herein be understood as an agricultural technology system based on ISOBUS that enables compatibility and two-way communication between the vehicle 20 and the implement 40, which may be products of different manufacturing companies. In the disclosed embodiments, some operations of the vehicle 20 can be specified by the implement 40. Additionally or alternatively, some operations of the implement 40 can be specified by the vehicle 20. Thus, the TIM system is configured to facilitate two-way communication. Considering the TIM system, the vehicle 20 can be understood as a "resource provider" and / or can be referred to as a "resource provider" herein, and the implement 40 can be understood as a "resource manager" and / or can be referred to as a "resource manager" herein. Further, the vehicle 20 can be understood as the owner of the TIM function, whereby it can be called a "TIM server" herein. Also, the implement 40 can be understood as a generator of TIM commands, whereby it can be called a "TIM client" herein. In the disclosed embodiments, the sensor 60 is configured to acquire information exchanged in the two-way communication between the vehicle 20 and the implement 40. In this way, the system 10 can improve the operation of the implement 40 and / or improve the execution of the working functions of the implement 40 upon completion of the agricultural operation using the TIM system.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, vehicle 20 is configured to cooperate with implement 40. For this purpose, vehicle 20 is configured to communicate with implement 40. In the disclosed embodiment, vehicle 20 includes one or more vehicle electronic control units (ECUs) (also understood herein as "vehicle electronic control system" and / or "first electronic control unit" and / or so called), 22. Vehicle ECU 22 is configured to communicate with implement 40. In particular, vehicle ECU 22 is configured to communicate with an implement electronic control unit (ECU) 42 included in implement 40 (further described below). For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 2, vehicle 20 is configured to transmit measurement value 23 to implement 40. In particular, vehicle ECU 22 is configured to transmit measurement value 23 to implement ECU 42. Vehicle ECU 22 is intended to transmit measurement value 23 to implement ECU 42 continuously and immediately. In the disclosed embodiment, measurement value 23 may correspond to one or more of a plurality of TIM functions configured to control various aspects of vehicle 20. In the disclosed embodiment, the TIM functions include one or more of auxiliary valve control, front power take-off (PTO) control, rear PTO control, front hitch control, rear hitch control, vehicle speed control, and vehicle automatic guidance control. Thus, measurement value 23 may include the flow and / or state of the auxiliary valve of vehicle 20, the revolutions per minute (RPM) of the front PTO of vehicle 20, the RPM of the rear PTO of vehicle 20, the RPM of the engine of vehicle 20, the position of the front hitch of vehicle 20, the position of the rear hitch of vehicle 20, the speed of vehicle 20, the curvature of the automatic guidance of vehicle 20, etc. Additionally or alternatively, vehicle 20 is configured to transmit a first signal 24 to implement 40. In particular, as shown in FIG. 2, vehicle ECU 22 is configured to transmit first signal 24 to implement ECU 42. First signal 24 is related to and / or depends on the information acquired and transmitted by sensor 60. Additionally, first signal 24 corresponds to the attitude of vehicle 20 and / or implement 40 (further described below).As used herein, the term "posture" is intended to be understood as the angular position, angular posture, and / or angular orientation of an object (vehicle 20 and / or implement 40) in the space occupied by the object. The posture of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40 may also be transmitted continuously and immediately as part of the measured value 23 and / or the first signal 24. By transmitting the measured value 23 and / or the first signal 24 from the vehicle ECU 22 to the implement ECU 42, the implement 40 can be automatically updated with information corresponding to the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40. The implement ECU 42 is intended to be able to improve the identification by the implement ECU 42 when receiving the first signal 24 by combining and / or processing both the measured value 23 and the first signal 24. Additionally, it is intended that the measured value 23 and / or the first signal 24 may be transmitted from the vehicle ECU 22 to the implement ECU 42 before and / or during the execution of the working function by the implement 40. In this way, the operation of the implement 40 and / or the execution of the working function by the implement 40 can be immediately improved by the transmission of the measured value 23 and / or the first signal 24.

[0041] The vehicle ECU 22 is also configured to control the operation of the vehicle 20. In the disclosed embodiment, the vehicle ECU 22 may be configured to control the movement on the surface of the vehicle 20. It is contemplated that the surface on which the vehicle 20 operates and / or moves may be an inclined surface. For this purpose, the vehicle 20 includes a sensor 60. Additionally or alternatively, the vehicle 20 may include a plurality of sensors 60. Here, the plurality of sensors 60 shall be referred to as "sensor 60" in this specification unless a reference to the plurality of sensors 60 is required. In the disclosed embodiment, the sensor 60 may be mounted on and / or within the vehicle 20. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor 60 may be included as part of the vehicle ECU 42. The sensor 60 is configured to detect the attitude of the vehicle 20. Additionally or alternatively, based on the attitude of the vehicle 20, the attitude of the implement 40 may be detected. It is contemplated that the attitude of the implement 40 may be detected by applying an algorithm by either or both of the vehicle ECU 22 and the implement ECU 42. The algorithm may identify and / or estimate the attitude of the implement 40, and the attitude of the implement 40 may be different from the attitude of the vehicle 20.

[0042] In the disclosed embodiments, the posture of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40 corresponds to one or more of the pitch angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, the roll angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, and the yaw angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40. Thus, in the disclosed embodiments, the detected posture 62 of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40 is based on the specification of one or more of the pitch angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, the roll angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, and the yaw angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40. For this purpose, the sensor 60 is intended to be an inertial measurement unit (IMU), an inclinometer, and / or any device compatible with the system 10 capable of specifying the pitch angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, the roll angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, and the yaw angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40. The sensor 60 is also configured to communicate with the vehicle 20. In particular, the sensor 60 is configured to communicate with the vehicle ECU 22. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor 60 may be configured to communicate with the implement ECU 42. In this way, as shown in FIG. 2, when the sensor 60 detects the detected posture 62 of the vehicle 20, it transmits the detected posture 62 of the vehicle 60 to the vehicle ECU 22. Additionally, it is intended that the detected posture 62 of the implement 40 may be specified based on the detected posture of the vehicle 20. The algorithm applied by either or both of the vehicle ECU 22 and the implement ECU 42 may incorporate values corresponding to the detected posture 62 of the vehicle 20 for specifying the detected posture 62 of the implement 40. It is intended that the detected posture 62 of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40 may be specified before and / or during the execution of the work function by the implement 40. Thus, the operation of the implement 40 and / or the execution of the work function by the implement 40 can be immediately improved based on the detected posture 62 of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the implement 40 is configured to function in combination with the vehicle 20. For this purpose, the implement 40 is configured to communicate with the vehicle 20. In the disclosed embodiment, the implement 40 includes one or more implement ECUs (also understood herein as "implement electronic control system" and / or "second electronic control unit" and / or so called as such) 42. The implement ECU 42 is configured to communicate with the vehicle 20. In particular, the implement ECU 42 is configured to communicate with the vehicle ECU 22. In this way, as shown in FIG. 2, the implement ECU 42 may be configured to receive the measured values 23 and / or the first signal 24 that the vehicle ECU 22 transmits to the implement ECU 42. Additionally or alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2, the implement ECU 42 may be configured to transmit a second signal 44 to the vehicle ECU 22. The second signal 44 may be configured to modify and / or control the operation of the vehicle 20. Additionally or alternatively, the second signal 44 may be configured to function as a prompt and / or command sent to the vehicle ECU 22 such that the vehicle ECU 22 modifies and / or controls the operation of the vehicle 20. In this way, the second signal 44 may be configured to prompt and / or command the vehicle 20 and / or the vehicle ECU 42 to modify one or more of the attitude of the vehicle 20 and / or the TIM function. The implement ECU 42 is also configured to control the execution of one or more work functions performed by the implement 40. As used herein, the term "work function" is intended to be understood as agricultural work activities such as baling, plowing, tilling, sowing, spraying, harvesting, etc.

[0044] In the disclosed embodiments, system 10 may include target parameters corresponding to the posture of vehicle 20 and / or implement 40 (hereinafter referred to as "parameters"). The parameters are parameters that are optimal for and / or necessary for the efficient execution of the working functions by implement 40. For the operation of system 10, one or more TIM functions may be selected for consideration and / or control based on one or more selected parameters. In the disclosed embodiments, an operator of system 10 may select one or more of the TIM functions and one or more of the parameters. For this purpose, system 10 may include a user interface (not shown) that the operator uses to select appropriate TIM functions and parameters. The user interface may be configured to communicate with and / or control vehicle ECU 22. The user interface is intended to be a screen and / or monitor of a computing device within vehicle 20, a remote computing device, a smartphone, a remote control device, etc. Additionally or alternatively, vehicle ECU 22 may be configured to select one or more TIM functions and one or more parameters. Additionally or alternatively, implement ECU 42 may be configured to select one or more TIM functions and one or more parameters. However, for the purpose of describing system 10, the selection of one or more of the TIM functions and parameters is represented herein as being selected by the operator and / or vehicle ECU 22. Additionally, for the purpose of describing system 10, the selection of one or more TIM functions and one or more parameters is represented herein as being selected by the operator of the user interface and / or the operator of vehicle ECU 22.

[0045] The parameters selected by the operator are intended to correspond to one or more of the pitch angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, the roll angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, and the yaw angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40. Additionally, the parameters selected by the operator are intended to correspond to one or more of the pitch angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, the roll angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, and the yaw angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40 that are optimal for and / or necessary for the efficient execution of the working function by the implement 40. The vehicle ECU 22 is configured to transmit a first signal 24 to the implement ECU 42 when the detected posture 62 of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40 is outside the range of the parameters set by the operator and / or when it is outside the range. Additionally or alternatively, the parameters selected by the operator may include one or more of the threshold pitch angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, the threshold roll angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, and the threshold yaw angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40. Accordingly, the vehicle ECU 22 is configured to transmit a first signal 24 to the implement ECU 42 when the detected posture 62 of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40 exceeds one or more of the threshold pitch angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, the threshold roll angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, and the threshold yaw angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, which are included in the parameters selected by the operator, and / or when it exceeds. For this purpose, the vehicle ECU 22 may include a calculation and / or diagnostic unit (hereinafter referred to as the "calculation unit") 26. The calculation unit 26 is configured to calculate and / or identify whether the detected posture 62 of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40 exceeds one or more of the threshold pitch angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, the threshold roll angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, and the threshold yaw angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, which are included in the parameters selected by the operator.The first signal 24 is intended to vary depending on whether any of the pitch angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, the roll angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, and / or the yaw angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40 is outside the range of parameters selected by the operator. Thus, the calculation unit 26 may also be configured to calculate and / or identify which of the threshold pitch angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, the threshold roll angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, and / or the threshold yaw angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, which are included in the parameters selected by the operator, has been exceeded. Additionally, the calculation unit 26 may also be configured to identify the type of the first signal 24 sent from the vehicle ECU 22 to the implement ECU 42.

[0046] In the disclosed embodiment, the first signal 24 is configured for one or more of notifying the implement ECU 42 of the detected posture 62 of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, temporarily stopping the work function executed by the implement 40, and modifying the operation of the work function executed by the implement 40. Therefore, when receiving the first signal 24, the implement ECU 42 may be configured to process data corresponding to the detected posture 62 of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, temporarily stop the work function of the implement 40, and / or modify the operation of the work function of the implement 40. Additionally or alternatively, when receiving the first signal 24, the implement ECU 42 may be configured to process data corresponding to the detected posture 62 of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40 in combination with data corresponding to the measured value 23 received from the vehicle ECU 22. By processing data corresponding to the detected posture 62 of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40 in combination with data corresponding to the measured value 23, the implement ECU 42 can consider the detected posture 62 of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40 in view of the measured value 23. By considering the posture of the detected vehicle 20 and / or implement 40 in view of the measured value 23, the implement ECU 42 can better determine whether to temporarily stop the work function of the implement 40 and / or whether to modify the operation of the work function of the implement 40. For example, when receiving the first signal 24, the implement ECU 42 may or may not specify that it is necessary to temporarily stop the work function of the implement 40 and / or modify the operation of the work function of the implement 40 in view of one or more values of the measured value 23.

[0047] Additionally or alternatively, the implement ECU 42 may send a second signal 44 to the vehicle ECU 22 in response to receiving the measured values 23 and / or the first signal 24. For this purpose, the second signal 44 may be configured to prompt and / or command the vehicle 20 and / or the vehicle ECU 22 to modify one or more of the attitude of the vehicle 20 and / or the TIM function. For example, upon receiving the first signal 24, the implement ECU 42 may or may not identify that one or more modifications to the attitude of the vehicle 20 and / or the TIM function are necessary in view of one or more of the measured values 23. In this way, the second signal 44 may be configured to optimize these states of the vehicle 20 by modifying one or more of the attitude of the vehicle 20 and / or the TIM function for efficient execution of the working function by the implement 40. Additionally or alternatively, the second signal 44 may be configured to optimize the selected TIM function for efficient execution of the working function by the implement 40 by modifying the TIM function selected by the operator. It is intended that the optimization of the TIM function may depend on and / or be related to the detected attitude 62 of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40 and the measured values 23. In this way, the measured values 23 and / or the first signal 24 are configured to notify the implement ECU 42 of the detected attitude 62 of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, to temporarily stop the working function executed by the implement 40, and / or to modify the operation of the working function executed by the implement 40. Additionally or alternatively, in this way, the measured values 23 and / or the first signal 24 may be configured to modify one or more states of the vehicle 20 such as one or more of the TIM functions. By selecting the configuration of the implement ECU 42, it is intended that the operator may select whether the implement ECU 42 is configured to respond to the measured values 23 and / or the first signal 24 transmitted by the vehicle ECU 22, or whether the implement 42 is configured to make an identification based on the measured values 23 and / or the first signal 24 transmitted by the vehicle ECU 22.

[0048] In the disclosed embodiment, the first signal 24 may be configured to be in the form of an error code. As used herein, the term "error code" may be understood to include a numerical value, alphanumeric data, a phrase including one or more grammatically concatenated words, etc., to identify that the device or system is malfunctioning and to facilitate identification of the cause of the malfunction of the device or system and / or to facilitate identification of a solution to the malfunction of the device or system. By making the first signal 24 in the form of an error code, the implement ECU 42 and / or the implement 40 can take more appropriate and efficient countermeasures. Additionally, by making the first signal 24 in the form of an error code, not only can the operator of the system 10 and / or the manufacturing company of the vehicle 20 and the implement 40 fully comply with the ISOBUS standard, but also the system 10 can be configured according to the specific requirements of the operator and / or the manufacturing company (further described below). The error code may correspond to the calculation and / or identification by the calculation unit 26. Thus, the error code may indicate which of the threshold pitch angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, the threshold roll angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, and / or the threshold yaw angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, which are included in the parameters selected by the operator, has been exceeded, as identified by the calculation unit 26 of the vehicle ECU 22. Additionally, the error code may indicate one or more TIM functions selected by the operator. In this way, the error code may indicate a TIM function that may be affected and / or controlled by the detected posture 62 of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40 that exceeds one or more parameters selected by the operator. Additionally or alternatively, the error code may indicate a solution to the posture of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40 that exceeds the threshold pitch angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, the threshold roll angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, and / or the threshold yaw angle of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40, which are included in the parameters set by the vehicle ECU 22.Additionally or alternatively, the operator may be able to select whether the first signal 24 sent by the vehicle ECU 22 is configured only in the form of an error code, or whether the first signal 24 sent by the vehicle ECU 22 is configured to temporarily stop the working function of the implement 40 and / or correct the operation of the working function executed by the implement 40 in a closed loop (i.e., whether the implement ECU 42 is configured to respond or whether the implement ECU 42 is configured to identify).

[0049] In the disclosed embodiment, the error code may be configured to include values within a range of values defined by the manufacturing company's own requirements and / or specialized for the manufacturing company's own requirements according to the ISOBUS standard. Specifically, the error code may include values within the range from 16↓16↓ to 1D↓16↓. This range is defined as the manufacturing company's own according to the International Agricultural Electronics Foundation (AEF) International Guidelines, ISOBUS Automation Principles, Guideline Number 023. By configuring the error code to include values within the range of values defined by the manufacturing company's own, the operator of the system 10 and / or the manufacturing companies of the vehicle 20 and the implement 40 can not only fully comply with the ISOBUS standard, but also configure the system 10 to meet the specific requirements of the operator and / or the manufacturing company. Alternatively, the error code may be configured to include values independent of the values specified by the manufacturing company of either or both of the vehicle 20 and the implement 40.

[0050] System 10 is intended to be configured to store data corresponding to the surface on which the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40 moves. In particular, system 10 may be configured to generate a map of the surface on which the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40 moves. For this purpose, the implement ECU 42 is configured to generate and store data corresponding to the detected posture 62 of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40. The implement ECU 42 may then generate a map of the surface based on the generated and stored data corresponding to the detected posture 62 of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40. By generating a map of the surface, either or both of the implement ECU 42 and the vehicle ECU 22 can anticipate slopes and / or postures of the vehicle 20 and / or the implement 40 that are unsuitable and / or suboptimal for the efficient execution of the working function by the implement 40.

[0051] In a first operation example of system 10, as shown in FIG. 1, the implement 40 may be a baler, and the working function performed by the implement 40 may be the discharge of bales 90 of material collected along a window. The operator selects one or more TIM functions for consideration and selects one or more parameters corresponding to the posture of the vehicle 20. These may include, in the first operation example, auxiliary valve control (for bale gate management) and the threshold pitch angle of the vehicle 20. In the disclosed embodiment, the threshold pitch angle of the vehicle 20 may be in the range of 10 degrees to 20 degrees, but preferably may be 15 degrees. Additionally or alternatively, in a second operation example of system 10, the implement 40 may be a seeder (not shown), and the working function performed by the implement 40 may be seeding into the soil. In the second operation example, the selected TIM function may be rear hitch control, and the selected one or more parameters corresponding to the posture of the vehicle 20 may be the threshold pitch angle of the vehicle 20. The threshold pitch angle may be in the range of 1 degree to 10 degrees, but preferably may be 3 degrees.

[0052] When the implement 40 executes a working function, the sensor 60 detects the pitch angle of the vehicle 20. When detecting the pitch angle of the vehicle 20, the sensor 60 transmits the pitch angle of the vehicle 20 (detected posture 62) to the vehicle ECU 22. The calculation unit 26 of the vehicle ECU 22 calculates and / or determines whether the pitch angle of the vehicle 20 (detected posture 62) detected by the sensor 60 exceeds the threshold pitch angle of the vehicle 20 included in the parameters selected by the operator. When it is determined that the pitch angle of the vehicle 20 (detected posture 62) detected by the sensor 60 exceeds the threshold pitch angle of the vehicle 20 included in the parameters selected by the operator, the vehicle ECU 22 transmits a first signal 24 to the implement ECU 42. In this example, the first signal 24 is an error code including values corresponding to the selected TIM function and / or the selected parameters, that is, the auxiliary valve control and / or the pitch angle of the vehicle 20. Additionally or alternatively, when it is determined that the pitch angle of the vehicle 20 (detected posture 62) exceeds the threshold pitch angle of the vehicle 20 included in the parameters selected by the operator, before the vehicle ECU 22 transmits the first signal 24 to the implement ECU 42, the calculation unit 26 of the vehicle ECU 22 may calculate and / or determine a solution corresponding to the detected posture 62 of the vehicle 20. In response to the first signal 24 transmitted by the vehicle ECU 22 to the implement ECU 42, the implement ECU 42 takes into account the detected posture 62 of the vehicle 20, temporarily stops the working function of the implement 40, modifies the operation of the working function of the implement 40, and / or sends a second signal 44 to the vehicle ECU 22. For example, when receiving the first signal 24, the implement may adjust the auxiliary valve control to manage the bail gate so that there is no inconvenience in the bail being released on slopes or the like. Additionally or alternatively, the implement ECU 42 may determine whether to take into account the detected posture 62 of the vehicle 20, temporarily stop the working function of the implement 40, modify the operation of the working function of the implement 40, and / or send a second signal 44 to the vehicle ECU 22 in view of the measured value 23. In this example, the second signal 44 may include an instruction for adjusting the rear hitch control.When the pitch angle of the vehicle 20 (detected posture 62) detected by the sensor 60 does not exceed the threshold pitch angle of the vehicle 20 included in the parameters set by the vehicle ECU 22, the vehicle ECU 22 does not transmit the first signal 24 (in the form of a specific error code) to the implement ECU 42, and the implement 40 may start and / or resume the execution of the work function without further modifying the execution of the work function based on the detected posture 62 of the vehicle 20. In this way, the system 10 is configured to automatically detect the posture of the vehicle 20 and control the operation of the implement 40 corresponding to the detected posture 62 of the vehicle 20, thereby improving the operation of the implement 40 and / or the execution of the work function by the implement 40 without the need for additional judgment and / or guidance by the user or the like.

[0053] Although the present disclosure has been described in connection with specific embodiments herein, it should be understood that those embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present disclosure.

[0054] It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as illustrative only, which do not represent the true scope of the present disclosure as shown by the following claims.

[0055] Furthermore, all of the shape configurations of the disclosed system may be replaced, alone or in combination, by a method and / or an apparatus, and vice versa.

Claims

1. A system (10) for controlling the operation of a work implement (40) configured to perform a work function in cooperation with a vehicle (20), comprising: a sensor (60) included in the vehicle (20) and configured to detect the attitude of the vehicle; a vehicle electronic control unit (22) configured to communicate with the sensor (60) and the work implement (40); a work implement electronic control unit (42) configured to communicate with the vehicle (20) and control the execution of the work function of the work implement (40); the sensor (60) is configured to transmit the detected attitude (62) of the vehicle (20) to the vehicle electronic control unit (22); the vehicle electronic control unit is configured to transmit a signal (24) to the work implement electronic control unit (42) only when the detected attitude of the vehicle is outside the range of target parameters corresponding to the attitude of the vehicle; the signal is configured to notify the work implement electronic control unit of the detected attitude of the vehicle and to pause and / or correct the operation of the work function performed by the work implement (40), the work function including mowing, plowing, tilling, seeding, spraying, or harvesting.

2. The system (10) according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle electronic control unit (22) is configured to allow an operator to select parameters corresponding to the attitude of the vehicle (20).

3. The system (10) according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle electronic control unit (22) is configured to allow an operator to select a function of the vehicle (20) to be considered for parameters corresponding to the attitude of the vehicle, the function being a tractor implement management function and including one or more of auxiliary valve control, front power take-off control, rear power take-off control, front hitch control, rear hitch control, vehicle speed control, and vehicle automatic guidance control.

4. The system (10) according to claim 1, further comprising a calculation unit (26) configured to process the detected attitude (62) of the vehicle (20), wherein the signal (24) transmitted from the vehicle electronic control unit (22) to the work implement electronic control unit (42) is configured to be an error code corresponding to the processing of the detected attitude by the calculation unit.

5. The system (10) according to claim 4, wherein The system is configured such that the error code includes values within a range of values defined as the manufacturer's own by the international standard ISO 11783.

6. The system (10) according to claim 1, wherein the sensor (60) is configured to identify one or more of the pitch angle of the vehicle (20), the roll angle of the vehicle, and the yaw angle of the vehicle.

7. The system (10) according to claim 1, wherein the parameter corresponding to the attitude of the vehicle (20) corresponds to one or more of the pitch angle of the vehicle, the roll angle of the vehicle, and the yaw angle of the vehicle.

8. The system (10) according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle electronic control unit (22) transmits measurement values (23) corresponding to one or more of the flow of the auxiliary valve of the vehicle (20) or the state of the auxiliary valve, the RPM of the front power take-off of the vehicle, the RPM of the rear power take-off of the vehicle, the RPM of the engine of the vehicle, the position of the front hitch of the vehicle, the position of the rear hitch of the vehicle, and the speed of the vehicle.

9. The system (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the vehicle electronic control unit (22) is configured to detect the attitude of the work implement (40) based on the detected attitude (62) of the vehicle (20).

10. The system (10) according to claim 9, wherein the vehicle electronic control unit (22) is configured to allow an operator to select a parameter corresponding to the attitude of either or both of the vehicle (20) and the work implement (40).

11. A method for controlling the operation of a work implement (40) configured to perform a work function in cooperation with a vehicle (20), comprising the steps of selecting a parameter corresponding to the attitude of the vehicle (20), detecting the attitude of the vehicle by a sensor (60) included in the vehicle (20), and transmitting the detected attitude (62) of the vehicle to a vehicle electronic control unit (22). A step of transmitting a signal (24) from an electronic control unit (22) for a vehicle to an electronic control unit (42) for a working machine only when a detected posture (62) of the vehicle (20) is outside a range of parameters corresponding to the posture of the vehicle, the signal being configured to notify the electronic control unit (42) for the working machine of the detected posture (62) of the vehicle (20) and to temporarily stop and / or correct an operation of a working function executed by the working machine (40), the working function including a process including mowing, plowing, tilling, seeding, spraying, or harvesting.

12. The method according to claim 11, including a step of performing processing related to the detected posture (62) of the vehicle (20) by a calculation unit (26), wherein the step of transmitting the signal (24) from the electronic control unit (22) for the vehicle to the electronic control unit (42) for the working machine includes that the signal is configured to be an error code corresponding to the processing related to the detected posture by the calculation unit.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the configuration that the signal (24) is in the form of an error code includes that the error code is configured to include a value within a range of values defined as the manufacturer's own by the international standard ISO 11783.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of detecting the posture of the vehicle (20) by the sensor (60) includes specifying one or more of the pitch angle of the vehicle, the roll angle of the vehicle, and the yaw angle of the vehicle.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the step of selecting a parameter corresponding to the posture of the vehicle (20) includes that the parameter corresponds to one or more of the pitch angle of the vehicle, the roll angle of the vehicle, and the yaw angle of the vehicle.

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