METHOD FOR OBSERVING WORKING PROCESSES OF AN AGRICULTURAL MACHINE, DIGITAL VIDEO SYSTEM AND AGRICULTURAL MACHINE

Abstract

A method for observing the crop processing and/or handling working processes of an agricultural machine is provided. The method utilizes a digital video system with a plurality of digital image acquisition units, with at least one display unit and with at least one network coupling element preferably designed as a switch, via which the image acquisition units are connected to the display unit. The image acquisition units record image data for images of, in particular, a video stream, and at least one of the images, in particular of the video stream, is reproduced at least partially in one of in particular a plurality of configurable shapes comprising one or multiple image reproduction regions on the display unit that is in particular designed as a touchscreen of an EDP unit that is preferably designed as a Panel PC (8).

Claims

1. A method for observing the crop processing and/or handling working processes of an agricultural machine, the method comprising the steps of: recording, via at least one of a plurality of image acquisition units of digital video system, image data for images; reproducing at least one of the images at least partially in at least one configurable shape comprising one or more image reproduction regions of a display unit of the digital video system.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the images of one of the at least one of the plurality of image acquisition units are in each case at least partially reproduced simultaneously in multiple image reproduction regions of a shape.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the images of the at least one of the plurality of image acquisition unit can be zoomed within the respective image reproduction region of a shape.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the images or image segments selected within the respective image reproduction region are stored in a memory unit.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the images are of a video stream of a said image acquisition unit, are temporarily stored in a buffer memory, and are reproduced in a slowed down manner in at least one image reproduction region.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein slowed down video streams are reproduced in at least two image reproduction regions.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the images of one or multiple image reproduction regions and/or image acquisition units are transmitted wirelessly by means of a communication unit connected.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the images of one or multiple image reproduction regions of a shape, are stored a medium which is connected to the system via a hardware interface, wherein respective sequential clips of a preferably adjustable length are created.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in a configuration step for an image reproduction region one of up to at least 24 image acquisition units is selected, said units being connected to one another via multiple switches connected in series.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, depending on a deviation from normal operation detected by a machine controller, on the activation of machine functions, and/or on changes to machine settings made via an operating terminal, a corresponding screen signal is displayed overlaying the previous image reproduction regions and/or reproducing at least one associated machine element in an image reproduction region.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in an event of a deviation from normal operation, activation of machine functions, and/or changes to machine settings, an automated changeover from one or multiple video streams to a shape configured for this purpose takes place.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least several of the images are provided with a timestamp, or the time at reception of a respective image at various components of the system is recorded, in order to mark the associated image reproduction region in the event of an excessive time delay.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a pop-up dialogue representing the active image reproduction region at a reduced size is first opened for the configuration of one of the image reproduction regions.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shapes comprise at least one image reproduction regions.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the shapes are automatically switched.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein predefined shapes are used, depending on the signals transmitted from a machine controller for the operating states of road travel, field work and reversing.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, by means of a web page of the digital video system preferably hosted on an EDP unit, a shape is made available for a remote user terminal device.

18. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the images of at least one image acquisition unit are displayed as a web video stream via a remote connection.

19. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system is not designed for machine control.

20. A digital video system for observing crop processing and/or handling working processes of an agricultural machine, the system comprising: a plurality of digital image acquisition units, at least one display unit, and a network coupling element, via which the image acquisition units are connected to the display unit, wherein the system is designed to carry out the method as claimed in claim 1.

21. The digital video system as claimed in claim 20, further including a plurality of switches as network coupling elements, wherein at least one image acquisition unit is connected to at least one display unit in the form of an EDP unit via the switches that are connected in series.

22. The digital video system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the switch that is directly connected to at least one display unit in the form of an EDP unit is connected to an interface for a CAN bus and/or a communication unit.

23. An agricultural working machine including a digital video system as claimed in claim 20.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] Reference is now made more particularly to the drawings, which illustrate the best presently known mode of carrying out the invention and wherein similar reference characters indicate the same parts throughout the views.

[0045] FIG. 1 shows an object according to the invention in the form of a drawn harvesting machine.

[0046] FIG. 2 shows components of the object according to the invention of FIG. 1.

[0047] FIG. 3 shows a further object according to the invention.

[0048] FIG. 4 shows nine variations of shapes.

[0049] FIG. 5 shows program levels of a computer program that enables the method according to the invention.

[0050] FIG. 6 shows a further shape.

[0051] FIG. 7 shows an associated configuration view for the shape of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0052] Individual technical features of the exemplary embodiments described below can also be used in combination with exemplary embodiments described above as well as the features of the independent claims and any further claims related to objects of the invention. To the extent it may be helpful, elements with the same functional effect are given identical reference signs.

[0053] An apparatus according to the invention is designed according to FIG. 1 as a harvesting machine 2 drawn by a tractor 1 and designed as a potato harvester. An EDP unit belonging to the harvesting machine 2 according to the invention is arranged with a display unit 3 designed as a touchscreen in a driver's cab 5 of the tractor 1. This is connected to a switch on the harvesting machine side via an Ethernet cable, not shown. The image data recorded by digital image acquisition units 4 which, in the present case, are assigned schematically to individual handling stages for the harvested material, are reproduced on the display unit 3.

[0054] The image acquisition units 4 are digital cameras which generally in systems according to the invention transmit the data over Ethernet cables 6 to a switch 7 that is designed as an Ethernet switch. From there, the data are then transmitted to an EDP unit designed as a Panel PC 8, again preferably via Ethernet cable 6. A further Panel PC 8 can optionally be connected, on whose display unit a range of configurable shapes can also be displayed. In an associated configuration program of a main Panel PC (master) it is then possible to select which of the cameras are displayed on this PC and which on the subsidiary, optional Panel PC (the slave, connected via a data line in the form of a dashed Ethernet cable 6).

[0055] An interface for machine control in the form of a CAN to Ethernet gateway 9 is also present. Access to WLAN and to a machine control unit 12 connected via a CAN bus line 11 is provided through this. It is also, for example, possible to access a corresponding bus system in parallel via an ISO bus line 13 (shown dashed). In this case, the gateway 9 also comprises a corresponding ISO bus interface.

[0056] Whereas according to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2 the digital image acquisition units 4 are only connected to one Ethernet switch 7, which in the case of a drawn harvesting machine 2 is preferably arranged on the harvesting machine side, the variant embodiment according to FIG. 3 comprises a total of four switches 7, of which the upper one in the figure is assigned to the tractor 1, while the switches 7 that are directly connected to the digital image acquisition units 4 are arranged on the side of the harvesting machine 2. A dashed line 14 indicates the separation of the tractor 1 and the harvesting machine 2, illustrated as boxes in the figure.

[0057] The optical image acquisition units 4 arranged in FIG. 4 at the right-hand switch 7 on the harvesting machine side are thus then connected via a total of four switches 7 to a master Panel PC 8 on the left in the figure and to a further Panel PC (slave) 8 located adjacently on the right in the figure. An ISO bus interface 15 is also present in this exemplary embodiment. Machine signals or control signals are received via this, and they, depending on the type of the signal, lead to automatic activation of a shape attracting the attention of the machine driver, via which a video stream of an optical image acquisition unit 4 assigned to the control signals is displayed on the display unit. The same applies for a CAN to Ethernet gateway 10. This is placed in the settings of the program running on the EDP unit.

[0058] A router that can be connected via the gateway 10 provides a WLAN connection 16 to a remote and mobile user terminal device 17, on which shapes can also be configured or retrieved by a web server running on the master Panel PC. A diagnostic interface 18 and one or multiple further devices 20 that convey control signals can additionally be connected to the tractor-side Ethernet switch 7.

[0059] In a configuration program segment, i.e. the settings of a software program running on the master Panel PC 8, the nine shapes represented in FIG. 4 can, for example, be configured. Between one and eight image reproduction regions 19 can thus be furnished with video streams of the optical image processing units 4.

[0060] In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5, levels of an associated computer program are illustrated for the illustrated exemplary embodiment. A working view 21 for the respective shapes is located in the upper left, from where individual image reproduction regions 19 can be edited according to box 22. An input facility on the touchscreen is assigned, moreover, to the working view 21, via which the operating personnel reach a settings level 23 from where a shape management 24, a camera management 25, a sequence management 26, a web server management 27 and user settings 28 can be reached.

[0061] The shapes are configured in the shape management 24. Settings, if present, of the image acquisition units 4, for example the color configuration, com-pression or resolution, can be made in the camera management 25. The sequence management 26 allows the saving of individual image reproduction segments 19, or the management of the individual video streams. A web page repre-sentation of individual shapes is correspondingly configured in the web server management 27; an access management can, in particular, be configured here, with which third parties can only log on to the web server of the EDP unit with a password from a user terminal device that is preferably mobile, or is at least remote from the harvesting machine. Finally, the user profile can be stored or opened in the user management 28. It is also possible to set whether the system always starts up with the most recently used user profile, or with a standard configuration.

[0062] According to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 6, a shape is designed for the reproduction of five video streams on the basis of the five image reproduction regions 19. The associated configuration interface of the shape can be opened directly by means of a correspondingly assigned icon 29. Here, according to FIG. 7, individual image reproduction regions 19 are again first formed, and, while these are reduced in size, they correspond otherwise to those of FIG. 6. The top-most image reproduction region 19, for example, shows the video stream of the upper left image reproduction region in FIG. 6 at a reduced size, the image reproduction region 19 located in FIG. 7 below the image reproduction region in the second row shows the second video stream in the upper row from the left according to FIG. 6, and so on. The occupancy of the image reproduction regions 4 with the optical image acquisition units 4 that are available is made by the finger-operated field 31. Tapping this field, or the further fields 31, displays a drop-down list where the cameras known to the system can then be selected. The regions of the touchscreen located on the lower left in FIG. 7 are a button for returning to the previous dialogue (button 32), a help button 33, and an information button 34.