Hydraulic Circuit Auto-Assignment for Towable Implement Calibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Equipment operators face challenges in efficiently configuring and calibrating hydraulic circuits for agricultural implements attached to tractors, as manual setup is time-consuming and prone to errors, leading to undesirable performance or damage.
Innovation Solution
An automated system that detects and assigns control of hydraulic circuits to operational units, confirms and corrects circuit directionality, and calibrates the systems, using a hydraulic circuit assignment control unit with a processor, memory, and communication circuit to communicate with the implement's network, ensuring accurate and efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual configuration and calibration of hydraulic circuits is performed, then operators can set up implement operations, but setup time is excessive and errors occur leading to undesirable performance or damage
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automatic SVC configuration detection, circuit directionality confirmation, and operation calibration without requiring manual operator intervention. The control unit autonomously identifies hydraulic circuit connections, determines flow directionality, and calibrates operation parameters, eliminating the time-consuming and error-prone manual setup process while ensuring accurate configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary automatic detection and calibration of hydraulic circuit configurations before actual implement operations begin. By pre-identifying circuit connections and pre-calibrating operation parameters, the system eliminates the need for time-consuming manual setup and prevents configuration errors before they can affect operational performance.
2Ease of operation
If manual SVC configuration detection and calibration is performed, then operators can assign control to operational units, but the process is time-consuming and prone to errors
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit automatically performs SVC configuration detection, circuit directionality confirmation, and operation calibration without requiring manual operator intervention. The system self-identifies hydraulic circuit connections, determines flow directionality, and calibrates operation parameters autonomously, making the configuration process as easy as connecting the implement while eliminating time-consuming manual setup steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual mechanical configuration procedures with an automated electronic control system. Instead of operators physically tracing hydraulic lines and manually adjusting parameters, the control unit uses electronic detection and communication through the implement network to automatically identify circuits and calibrate operations, significantly reducing setup time and eliminating human error.
3Productivity
If automatic detection and assignment system is implemented, then setup time is reduced and accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit serves multiple functions: it detects SVC configurations, confirms circuit directionality, calibrates operation parameters, and assigns control to operational units. By consolidating these previously separate manual tasks into a single automated control system, the patent reduces overall system complexity while improving productivity, as the control unit leverages existing electronic control infrastructure and communication networks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the implement network and sensor data to automatically detect circuit configurations and calibrate operations. The control unit receives information about hydraulic circuit connections and operational parameters, processes this data to determine proper configurations, and adjusts system settings accordingly, enabling automatic detection and assignment without requiring complex manual procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods provide automatic assignment of control of a plurality of hydraulic circuits of an associated work vehicle to a plurality of operation systems of an implement. A hydraulic circuit assignment control unit includes a processor, a memory device, logic stored in the memory device, and a communication circuit operatively coupled with the processor. The processor executes the logic to associate an activation of a first hydraulic circuit of the plurality of hydraulic circuits of the associated work vehicle with a physical exercise of an operation system of the plurality of operation systems of the associated implement, and generates pairing assignment data representative of the association of the activated first hydraulic circuit with the physical exercise of the operation system of the implement. The logic generates directionality confirmation and calibration data that is communicated to the plurality of operation systems with the pairing assignment data.