Control unit

0001The present invention relates to a control unit and a method for an agricultural work machine for displaying areas of a field to be processed.

0002In order to make it easier for farmers to work on fields to be worked on, there are on-board computers for agricultural machines which offer assistance, for example via a display. Thus, it is known to divide a field to be processed into parallel strips and to provide the driver with a driving aid. The creation of the parallel stripes is largely automatic and allows little influence by the user.

0003However, many applications require very special assistance, which can not be achieved with the usual on-board computers.

0004It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a control unit and a method for an agricultural work machine, which allows a more flexible interaction.

0005This object is achieved by the control unit according to claim 1 and the method according to claim 6. Advantageous developments of the invention are covered in the subclaims.

0006The inventive agricultural machine control unit comprises an input device and a display device that can display at least one field to be worked on, the input device and the display device being integrated in a touch-sensitive screen, and the control unit is designed and / or configured in such a way at least one area of ​​the field to be processed can be marked by touch and a property can be assigned to this area, wherein the area can be displayed in the display device. In this way, various areas on a field to be edited can be marked and assigned to it certain properties, such as that the marked area should be used as a headland or the like.

0007According to the invention, the control unit is characterized in that the control unit can create a headland in an area of ​​the field boundary when the area is marked. This procedure can be provided by the control unit as a standard when marking a portion of the field boundary, but can also be specified by the operator, which greatly facilitates the creation of Vorgewenden.

0008In a development of this embodiment, the control unit can also determine the headland in dependence on technical features of the agricultural machine and the headland can be displayed in the display device. With this embodiment, it is possible to take into account, for example, the working width of the working machine when creating the headland and to modify the display accordingly on the display device.

0009It may also be foreseen that the control unit may produce guidelines that are approximately parallel and that the guidelines will run from one side marked as headland to another side of the field marked as headland. With this embodiment of the invention not only the marked part can be assigned a property but at the same time the other relevant guidelines are created.

0010In a further embodiment, the control unit is characterized in that the width of the headland can depend on a working width of the agricultural work machine. Thus, the marked area on the display device can also be displayed according to the working width of the working machine.

0011According to one embodiment, a plurality of agricultural functions may be stored in an internal memory of the control unit and / or technical features of the agricultural machine may be stored in the internal memory and / or geographic information may be stored in the internal memory and the data stored in the internal memory can be used to map the property to the selected area. For example, you can define standards for specific subareas of a field, whereby certain properties are assigned by default to selected areas in these subareas. On the other hand, this embodiment can provide the operator with a wide variety of functions.

0012Using, for example, one of the above control units, a method for creating specific areas for a field to be worked on can be realized, wherein a property is assigned to that area based on a marking of a certain area of ​​the field by means of a touch-sensitive screen and the area is located in a the touch-sensitive screen integrated display device is displayed. This method allows a very flexible assignment of certain properties to individual areas of a field.

0013According to the invention, a headland is created when a region at a field boundary of the field is marked. With this embodiment, the headland can be created flexibly and with very little effort for the operator.

0014It can also be provided that the headland is also created depending on technical characteristics of the agricultural machine. For example, the turning circle and / or the working width of the working machine can be taken into account when creating the headland.

0015Furthermore, in one embodiment it is provided that, after the headland has been created, approximately parallel guidelines are created which extend from one side marked as a headland to another side of the field marked as headland and where the guidelines are displayed by the display device. The operator can create not only the headland but also the other guidelines for editing the field with very little effort.

0016In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the width of the headland depends on the working width of the agricultural machine. With this embodiment, the preparation of the headland can be done so that later corrections, for example by the driver, are no longer necessary.

0017It can also be provided that the field boundary of the field comprises at least three sides and based on the marking of a first page as a headland a second, the first page opposite side is marked as a headland. It is no longer necessary that all pages are marked as a headland by the control unit and it is also sufficient if the operator marks only one side as a headland, so that the corresponding opposite side is automatically marked as a headland.

0018In a further embodiment, the method is characterized in that the property is assigned to the marked area as a function of information stored in an internal memory of the control unit about a plurality of agricultural functions and / or technical features of the agricultural machine and / or geographical information. The operator is thus provided with a large selection of parameters and properties of marked areas derived therefrom.<dl id="dl0001"><dt>Fig. 1 ac</dt><dd>Schematic representation of an embodiment of the method.</dd><dt>Fig. 2a + b</dt><dd>Schematic representations of further embodiments of the method.</dd></dl>

0019<figref idref="f0001 f0002">Fig. 1a-c</figref> shows a schematic representation of a control unit 100 and an on-board computer 100 for an agricultural machine, which is suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention. The control unit 100 comprises an input device 102 and a display device 101. It may further comprise components not shown, such as an internal memory or processing devices such as processors. These are known for on-board computers or control units for agricultural machines.

0020It is provided that the field 110 to be processed by the operator is displayed in the display device. In this case, a very detailed representation can also take place with reference to the entire environment and, for example, roads can be recorded. In principle, however, the display of the field 110 should comprise at least the field boundaries.

0021The input device and the display device are jointly designed as a touch-sensitive screen (touchscreen), so that it is possible to interact substantially with the entire surface shown. Alternatively, it is at least provided that the display device 101 is touch-sensitive. The input device 102 may additionally also comprise buttons or switches.

0022This in <figref idref="f0001 f0002">Fig. 1</figref> A unprocessed field 110 shown in FIG. 1 can be marked by the operator by touching the display device 101 at specific points 111 and 111 'according to the method according to the invention. The areas 111 and 111 'are in principle arbitrary. Likewise, two areas do not necessarily have to be marked, more areas or just one area can be marked. Preferably, the mark is displayed on the display 101. By interaction with the input device 102, the marked region 111 and 111 'can be selected, for example, by pressing the key 121 (FIG.<figref idref="f0001">Fig. 1 b)</figref> to be assigned a specific property. This property can either be stored as standard in a memory of the control unit or can be entered specifically by the operator.

0023In the in <figref idref="f0002">Fig. 1c</figref> In the embodiment shown, the interaction with the input device, for example via the button 121, causes the in <figref idref="f0001">Fig. 1b</figref> marked areas 111 and 111 'in <figref idref="f0002">Fig. 1c</figref> as headland areas 112 and 112 'are shown. They have thus been assigned by marking and interaction with the input device, a specific property, which is displayed together with the marked area on the display device 101. It can be provided that the display of the marked areas 112 and 112 'is not arbitrary but based, for example, on certain technical features of the agricultural machine. Thus, especially in the case of Vorgewenden 112 and 112 ', the extent of the range of the working width of the agricultural machine but also depend on the required turning circle.

0024For setting heads it is not necessary that two opposite sides of the box 110, as in <figref idref="f0001">Fig. 1b</figref> shown, marked. Likewise, two adjacent sides of the field boundary of the field 110 may be marked as headland areas. Furthermore, it is provided that, for example, not every pixel of the displayed field 110 must be marked at the corresponding field boundary, but, as in FIG<figref idref="f0001">Fig. 1b</figref> Rather, a line, for example, a finger drawn line near the field boundary to be used as a headland (for example, area 111) is sufficient for the control unit to associate the property of a headland with the entire side. This is achieved, for example, by interacting with the input device 102 via the key 121 to inform the control unit that the marked area corresponds to a headland, the headland having to extend along the marked side of the field 110 along the entire side of the field 110th

0025<figref idref="f0003">Fig. 2a</figref> shows a further embodiment of the invention, in which in the display device 101 by the user a punctiform or circular area 241 is marked. Here, by appropriate interaction with the input device 102, for example via buttons 222 other than those in<figref idref="f0001">Fig. 1b</figref> represented, a specific property assigned to this area and are marked according to the area 242 on the display device.

0026Here, for example, the user can be provided with information to the control unit that no processing of the field is possible or necessary in this area. Likewise, this may be a user-defined known obstacle that must be taken into account when creating, for example, a path plan for editing the field. Also in the creation of the area 242, certain parameters specific to the work machine may be taken into account by the control unit 100. Thus, for example, the size of the area 242 marked with the property may depend not only on the size of the marked area 241 but also on the path required by the working machine to avoid this area. Here further economic considerations can be incorporated with the aid of parameters, for example, with which effort a very complete processing of the field is possible despite the obstacle. Thus, the area 242 of the control unit 100 on the one hand be set as small as possible in order to process the field almost completely and on the other hand just so large that the machine is due to technical conditions in a position to avoid the obstacle.

0027The marking of a circle or point is not meant to be limiting. Any geometric shape can be marked on the display device. Likewise it can be provided that the control unit 100 does not exclude this area from the processing by interaction with the input device but marks the area located within the marking 241 as being specially processed or assigns other properties to this area.

0028<figref idref="f0003">Fig. 2b</figref> shows an embodiment that is alternative to the embodiment as shown in <figref idref="f0001 f0002">Fig. 1a-c</figref> described can be used. According to<figref idref="f0003">Fig. 2b</figref> For determining a first headland 252, the user marks an area 251 by touching the display 101. As in<figref idref="f0001 f0002">Fig. 1a-c</figref> described, the mark 251 is created according to a headland 252 of the control unit 100, for example, taking into account certain technical data of the working machine. In addition, when interacting with the input device 102, for example via the button 223, another headland 252 'is marked on the opposite side of the field 110.

0029However, according to the invention, the further headland 252 'does not have to be created on the exactly opposite side of the field with respect to the first headland 252. Here, for example by interaction with the input device 102, it can be determined by the user that the second headland 252 'should be determined by the control unit 100 so that the entire field can be processed with as few trips as possible.

0030<figref idref="f0004">Fig. 2c</figref> shows a further embodiment in which the user in the display device 101, two areas 251 and 251 'have been marked, which have been marked via a corresponding input from the control unit 100 as areas to be used as headland 252 and 252'. In this case, the preparation of the headland areas 252 and 252 'also according to the embodiment according to<figref idref="f0003">Fig. 2b</figref> respectively. In the in<figref idref="f0004">Fig. 2c</figref> In the illustrated embodiment, by interacting with the input device 102, for example via the button 224, the user may instruct the control unit to create guidelines 253 that are substantially parallel to one another and from one headland area 252 to the other headland area 252 '. Thus, it is possible for the user of the work machine, the Wegplan for editing the field by marking the headland areas on the display device 101 and optionally by marking obstacles or special points to be processed, as in <figref idref="f0003">Fig. 2a</figref> described, and by creating the guideline 253 possible.

0031Since the headland areas 252 and 252 'can in principle be arbitrarily set in the method according to the invention and obstacles or special areas can be marked at basically arbitrary positions, the control unit 100 allows an individualized creation of route plans for processing a field by the necessary guidelines 253, as in <figref idref="f0004">Fig. 2c</figref> can be based on the individual inputs of the user.