Agricultural Machine Interface for Weighting Harvest Quality Criteria
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agricultural machines, such as combine harvesters, face challenges in simplifying the specification of work process strategies due to competing quality criteria that cannot be met simultaneously, leading to complex user input and lack of direct editing of essential quality parameters.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a weighting variable system within the graphical user interface allows users to visually and interactively assign weights to competing quality criteria, enabling a balanced consideration of these criteria through a drag-and-drop operation, thereby simplifying the specification of work process strategies and eliminating the need for warning notifications when conflicting criteria are set.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If users specify multiple quality criteria through natural language input, then the work process strategy can be comprehensively defined, but the input process becomes complex and time-consuming when competing criteria are detected
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the work process strategy specification into distinct quality criteria that can be independently selected and weighted. Each quality criterion (e.g., grain quality, throughput, fuel consumption) is treated as a separate controllable parameter, allowing users to focus on only the relevant criteria for their current needs rather than specifying all possible parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter representation from binary (specified/not specified) to weighted prioritization. By introducing weighting variables that allow users to assign different importance levels to competing quality criteria, the system transforms conflicting specifications into a unified optimized strategy without requiring additional input steps or warning notifications.
2Measurement precision
If users are allowed to directly edit quality parameters, then precise control over work process strategy is achieved, but the interface complexity increases and user burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces weighting variables as an intermediary mechanism between user intent and work process strategy execution. Instead of requiring users to directly edit complex quality parameters and understand their interrelationships, users simply adjust weights that automatically translate into optimized parameter settings through the control system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically resolving conflicts between competing quality criteria through the weighting mechanism. The control system independently calculates the optimal work process strategy based on the assigned weights, eliminating the need for users to manually coordinate multiple parameters or interpret complex interdependencies.
3Loss of information
If warning notifications are displayed for competing quality criteria, then users are informed of potential conflicts, but the specification process is interrupted and becomes less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the potentially harmful effect of competing quality criteria into a beneficial feature by using the weighting mechanism. Instead of treating conflicting criteria as errors requiring user correction, the system accepts the competition between criteria and uses the weighting variables to automatically resolve them, transforming what was previously a problem into an optimized decision-making tool.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an agricultural work machine for carrying out an agricultural work process, with several working elements (1-5) and with a driver assistance system (10) for controlling the working elements (1-5) according to at least one user-defined work process strategy (A) aimed at fulfilling at least one quality criterion (Q), wherein the driver assistance system (10) comprises a memory (11) for storing data and a computing device (12) for processing the data stored in the memory (11), wherein the driver assistance system (10) has a graphical user interface (14) via which at least part of the work process strategy (A) can be specified by the user.It is proposed that competing quality criteria (Q) are weighted according to a weighting variable (G) and incorporated into the work process strategy (A), and that the weighting variable (G) is visualized via a virtual control element (16-19) of the graphical user interface (14) and can be specified by the user.