Receiving Vehicle Fill-Level Display for Harvester Fleet Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
In forage harvesting operations, it is challenging for receiving vehicle drivers to determine the fill level of other receiving vehicles and their locations, leading to inefficiencies such as wasted fuel and time, as they often lack real-time information on the fill status and positioning of receiving vehicles relative to harvesters.
Innovation Solution
A system where mobile devices on receiving vehicles run a mobile application that displays the overall fill level of each receiving vehicle on a geographic map, using image processing from cameras on harvesters to detect fill levels and communicate this information across the network, allowing drivers to optimize their positioning and timing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If receiving vehicle drivers manually monitor and communicate fill levels, then basic coordination is possible, but information accuracy and real-time awareness deteriorate leading to wasted fuel and time
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automatic feedback by using detectors on the harvester to continuously monitor receiving vehicle fill levels and automatically transmit this information to mobile devices carried by receiving vehicle drivers. This eliminates manual monitoring and ensures accurate, real-time information is always available to drivers, resolving the contradiction between information accuracy and operational time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical communication methods with an automated electronic information system. Detectors, processors, and wireless transmitters automatically capture, process, and communicate fill level data, substituting the manual monitoring and communication process with an automated technological system that provides continuous real-time information without consuming operational time.
2Productivity
If receiving vehicles operate without real-time fill level data, then operational simplicity is maintained, but positioning efficiency and fuel consumption deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by providing receiving vehicle drivers with advance knowledge of which vehicles are nearly full and which have capacity, along with their current positions relative to the harvester. This allows drivers to proactively position their vehicles for optimal material transfer opportunities, improving harvesting efficiency and reducing unnecessary movement and fuel consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated feedback system continuously provides drivers with real-time information about receiving vehicle fill levels and positions, enabling them to make informed positioning decisions that maximize harvesting efficiency while minimizing fuel consumption from unnecessary travel and waiting.
3Productivity
If multiple receiving vehicles operate simultaneously, then material transfer continuity is improved, but coordination complexity and information management deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by automatically managing coordination among multiple receiving vehicles through electronic communication. Each driver receives personalized information about their vehicle's status and position, and the system automatically manages the complexity of coordinating multiple vehicles without requiring complex manual coordination procedures, thus maintaining high material transfer rates while simplifying information management.
Data Source
AI summary
A detector detects an overall fill level of a receiving vehicle. A mobile device on the receiving vehicle includes a mobile application that receives and displays the overall fill level of the receiving vehicle. The overall fill level can be overlaid on a geographic map that shows locations of multiple receiving vehicles, in which case an overall fill level indicator for each receiving vehicle is displayed on the geographic map as well.