Operator Adjustable Bin Level Measurement for Harvesters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional harvester combines experience grain measurement inaccuracies and spillage due to bin level sensors incorrectly determining the grain level, especially on uneven terrain, leading to inefficient harvesting and potential grain loss.
Innovation Solution
An operator-adjustable bin level measurement system that shifts and truncates the operating range of the bin level sensor based on factors like terrain, speed, and grain type, providing a more accurate representation of the grain level to the operator to prevent spillage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the bin level sensor operates over its full operating range, then the measurement coverage is maximized, but measurement accuracy deteriorates due to incorrect determination of grain level especially on uneven terrain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the bin level sensor's operating range adjustable rather than fixed. The controller dynamically shifts and truncates the operating range based on operator input and operating conditions (terrain, speed, grain type), allowing the system to adapt to different situations while maintaining measurement accuracy within the active range.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of the sensor's operating range by introducing shift values and truncation points. The controller modifies the lower and upper thresholds of the operating range based on operating conditions, effectively changing the parameter boundaries to optimize both accuracy and adaptability for specific harvesting scenarios.
2Reliability
If the bin level sensor provides unadjusted readings, then the system complexity is minimized, but grain spillage increases due to inaccurate bin fullness indication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring the bin level sensor readings and comparing them against the shifted and truncated operating range. The controller provides feedback to the operator about the actual bin fullness status, enabling timely decisions to prevent grain spillage while managing system complexity through software-based processing rather than additional hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary between the bin level sensor and the operator. It processes the raw sensor data, applies the operating range shifts and truncations, and presents the corrected information to the operator, thereby improving reliability without requiring direct modification of the sensor itself.
3Measurement precision
If the operating range is shifted and truncated, then measurement accuracy is improved, but the usable range is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by making the operating range dynamic rather than static. The controller adjusts the shifted and truncated range based on real-time operating conditions such as terrain, combine speed, and grain type, ensuring that the reduced but accurate range is optimized for current conditions rather than being permanently limited.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operating range parameters (lower and upper thresholds) based on operating conditions. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the system maintains a reduced but highly accurate usable range that is appropriate for specific harvesting scenarios, rather than maintaining a large but inaccurate fixed range.
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment includes a combine having a feeder housing for receiving harvested crop, a separating system for threshing the harvested crop to separate grain from residue, a grain bin for storing the separated grain, a bin level sensor for detecting grain in the grain bin; and a controller that controls the combine. The controller is configured to generate a usable operating range by discarding a selected range of values from an operating range of the bin level sensor, generate a shifted operating range by shifting the usable operating range by a shift value, receive a first value indicating a level of grain in the grain bin, generate a second value by shifting the first value by the shift value, and present the second value to an operator of the combine.