JPH06195538A - Data gathering device for agricultural machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate misinput on operation keys and improve the reliability of data by automatically sending the discrimination code set for the machine to a control terminal device side when a header is inputted. CONSTITUTION:An electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory(E<2>PROM) 12 is connected to a CPU 7 through a memory interface. In this nonvolatile memory 12, the discrimination code (machine number, etc.) of the agricultural machine is recorded. The data gathering device 20 is mounted on a communication interface unit and the power-ON switch is turned ON, so that a communication between the data gathering device 20 and a controller 1 is started. A control program on a ROM card 28 confirms whether or not the kind and type of the actual agricultural machine are matched first. If there is abnormality in the communication, an error message is displayed and when not, it is confirmed whether or not there is a machine number as the discrimination code. Once the machine number is set, a header input screen appears again and the header is inputted with input keys.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a data collecting device for collecting sensor information of agricultural machinery such as tractors and combine harvesters in order to grasp the working status of such machinery.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the rationalization of agricultural management and the high performance of agricultural machinery, various work data such as mileage per field or day, work area, fuel consumption, etc. are collected and used. It is becoming more and more important to weigh and compare the above items and use them for future work plans. The method that has been conventionally used to collect these data is to read the values of the fuel gauge and rangefinder attached to the agricultural machine at the start and end of the work and calculate the difference. The accuracy of the obtained data was low, and the data collection work and the data arrangement after the collection were troublesome.

Therefore, the applicant mounts the management terminal on an agricultural machine, connects the controller on the machine side and the management terminal with an optical communication line, and connects various data being worked to the management terminal. −
We have previously proposed a system that stores the data in a drive-type memory and analyzes the work efficiency with an analysis device such as a personal computer after the work is completed.

[0004]

By the way, in the case of the above apparatus, the operator must press the various operation keys of the management terminal to input the header before starting the data collection work. That is, the work data is the work data in the card type memory.
Although it is recorded in the data file, the data file is divided into a header section as an index and a data recording section for storing actual work data, and the header section, for example, the work date, model code, etc. -Headers such as code, model code, machine number, etc. must be entered each time the operator starts work.

However, even a large-scale farmer may have a plurality of kitchens of the same model and the same model, and in such a case, it is troublesome for the worker to set the machine identification code every time. Not only that, but mistakes are also likely to occur.
Especially when recording work data, etc., it is important not only to measure the efficiency of the machine but also to always know exactly which machine was used to obtain maintenance information. .

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is proposed in view of the above-mentioned problems, and there is no input error of an operation key, and data collection capable of improving the reliability of data. For the purpose of obtaining the device, the following technical measures were taken for this purpose. That is, in the data collection device mounted on the agricultural machine and configured to transmit the data on the machine side to the management terminal device via the communication line, the identification of the agricultural machine in the controller on the machine side is performed. Agricultural machine characterized by being provided with a storage means for storing a code, and at the time of inputting a header, an identification code set in the machine is automatically transmitted to the management terminal side. This is the structure of the data collection device.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a data collection device. In the figure, reference numeral 1 is a control device for an agricultural machine (for example, a tractor), and is responsible for overall control of a traveling unit and each operating part. Various sensors 2 ... Operation switches 3 ...
And signals from the setters 4 ... Are input interface 6
Is input to the CPU 7 via the output interface 9, and the CPU 7 outputs the motor based on the input signal via the output interface 9.
An output signal is output to the actuator 10 such as a solenoid or a valve. Necessary input information and output information are displayed on display devices 11 such as meters and lamps. An electrically rewritable non-volatile memory (E ² PROM) 12 is connected to the CPU 7 via a memory interface.
The identification code (machine number, etc.) of the agricultural machine is recorded in the non-volatile memory 12 as described later.

The vehicle speed sensor 2A and the fuel flow rate sensor 2B among the sensors generate a sensor pulse according to the instantaneous value of the vehicle speed or the fuel flow rate, and the sensor pulse count number n ₁ within a fixed period T, n ₂ ... Is transmitted to the CPU 7 by a communication pulse (see FIG. 2).
reference). Other sensors include a lower link sensor, a lift arm angle sensor, and a horizontal sensor in the case of a tractor, and a cutting width sensor in the case of a combine.
Since the detection signals of these sensors are DC currents, the detection signals are converted by the A / D converter 13 and then input to the CPU 7.

Reference numeral 20 in FIG. 1 denotes a data collection device (management terminal device), which is used by being communicably connected to the control device 1. The data collecting device 20 includes a CPU 21 and an operating unit 2.
2, a main body 20a having a display unit 23, a RAM 25, a Chinese character ROM 26, etc., and a ROM card 28 and a RAM card 29 as a storage medium that is selectively attached to the main body. The ROM card 28 stores a control program for each model and model of the agricultural machine. The RAM card 29 can store data for each predetermined item. FIG. 9 shows an example of data items.

The data collecting device 20 is shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, for example.
It has the appearance as shown in. Box-shaped main body 20a
Power ON / OFF switches 31 and 32, various operation switches 33, an input key 34 for inputting kana and numbers, and a display unit 23 using a liquid crystal display are provided on the front of the computer, and a ROM card is provided on one side. Insert ports 36 and 37 for the card 28 and the RAM card 29 and a printer connector 38 are provided. Among the operation switches 33 are a work start switch 33a which is pushed when starting data collection, a work stop switch 33b which is pushed when work is temporarily stopped, and a work end switch 33c which is pushed when work is finished. , A screen change switch 33d that is pressed when switching screens, and a maintenance information switch 33e that is pressed when confirming maintenance information.

Communication between the control device 1 and the data collection device 20 is performed via the communication interfaces 40 and 41. The example shown in the figure is a method by optical communication, in which an optical interface 41 is provided on the bottom surface of the mounting groove 43 of the main body of the data collecting device and the communication interface of the control device. The unit 44 (see FIG. 6) is also provided with a similar optical interface. When the data collecting device main body 20a is attached to the communication interface 44, both optical interfaces come to face each other and information between both devices becomes possible. When the optical communication is performed as described above, the data collection device 20 can be easily attached to and detached from the agricultural machine, and it is possible to perform good communication because it is not easily affected by vibration.

When the agricultural machine is a tractor, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, when the communication interface unit 44 is attached to the center pillar 46 in the cabin 45, the operator sits in the cockpit. Data collection device 20 as it is
It is convenient because you can perform the operation of. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 50 is a printer and 51 is a card reader.
Reference numeral 52 is a personal computer and 53 is a printer.

A method of operating the data collection device 20 will be described below. (See FIG. 8) The data collection device 20 is mounted on the communication interface unit 44 and the power ON switch 3 is attached.
When 1 is pressed (power ON), communication between the data collection device 20 and the control device 1 is started. If communication is good,
First, it is confirmed whether the control program of the ROM card 28 matches the actual model and model of the agricultural machine. This confirmation operation is performed by transmitting a command for confirmation of connection from the data collection device 20 to the control device 1. If there is an error in communication, an error message is displayed. If there is no error, the presence or absence of the machine number as an identification code is confirmed. When the machine number (tractor-NO1.NO2 ...) Is a serial number and is not set in advance, the operator sets it using the management terminal device 20. When the machine number is set, the screen returns to the header input screen, and the input key 34 is used to input the header.
The header items mentioned here are work date, model code (set T for tractor, set H for combine), and model code (set as TA, HA ...). Since the machine number is already recorded in the non-volatile memory 12 on the machine side, the machine number is obtained from the machine side by communication. Further, the code of the worker who performs the work and the field number are input. These are the cases according to the data items in FIG. 9, which are appropriately set by the user and are convenient for identification.

When the header input work is completed, these are written in the RAM card 29 and the work is started. Collection and recording of work data is started by pressing the work start switch 33a. The obtained data, for example, the traveled distance, the fuel consumption amount, the work area, etc. are temporarily stored in the RAM 25.
At this time, when the work interruption switch 33b or the screen changeover switch is pushed, the processing based on those switches is performed.
Specifically, when the agricultural machine is temporarily stopped by a meal or the like, pressing the work interruption switch 33b allows the work data up to that time to be retained. When resuming the work, the interruption switch 33b is pressed again. When the work end switch 33c is pressed, the data written in the RAM 25 is transferred to the RAM card 29 and stored as it is.

Next, the improvement of the data collecting device will be described with reference to FIGS. Flow shown in FIG.
The chart describes a system that manages the accumulation of operating hours. For example, when the work is performed without attaching the data collection device 20 which is a management terminal device to the agricultural machine, if the working time is not corrected, the maintenance information becomes inaccurate, and the filter, oil, etc. The replacement time may be incorrect.

Therefore, the improved device is the data collecting device 2
Even if 0 is forgotten to be attached to this machine, the correct operating time can be obtained by correcting the time in between. To explain this flow chart, first, a header is input. The field N is included in the header items mentioned here.
O. Worker No. Machine NO. It corresponds to the index such as. Further, as shown in FIG. 11, a maintenance file and a work data file for each machine are set in the RAM card 29. A serial number is attached to the machine maintenance file for each agricultural machine owned. The cumulative operating time and the usage time of each part are recorded in each file of the machines NO1, NO2 .... Operation
When the computer inputs the header, the file of the corresponding machine number is called, and then the connection confirmation with this machine is performed.

If there is an abnormality in the connection status, an error message is displayed on the display section, and if there is no abnormality, the operating time T _{1 of} this machine is displayed.
Is received by communication. And R on the side of the data collecting device 20
The operating time T of the relevant machine accumulated in the AM card 29
₂ compared with, T _1> if the T ₂ RAM mosquitoes - to modify the de 29 side of the running time. That is, when it is considered that the work is performed without connecting the control device 1 on the machine side to the main body 20a of the data collecting device 20, the operating time T ₁ recorded in the storage device on the machine side is Long, this means that the machine is up and running correctly.

In this case, the working time T ₂ in the RAM card 29 is corrected to T ₁ and the work is started. The method of collecting and recording data from the start of work to the end of work is as described above. When the work start switch 33a is pressed, work data is taken in, and when the work end switch 33c is pressed, work data in the meantime is pressed. The data is accumulated in the RAM 25, and the result of the arithmetic processing is transferred and recorded in a predetermined data file of the RAM card 29.

[0019]

As described above, the present invention is a data collecting device which is mounted on an agricultural machine and is configured to transmit the data on the machine side to a management terminal via a communication line.
A storage means for storing the identification code of the agricultural machine is provided in the control device of this machine, and when the header is input, the identification code set in the machine is automatically transmitted to the management terminal side. Since it is configured as described above, it is possible to reliably transfer the code of the machine to the management terminal side without accidentally inputting the identification code such as the machine number at the time of header input operation at the start of work. Therefore, the operating status of each machine can be accurately grasped, which can be useful for later work data analysis.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system block diagram.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a detection method of a sensor.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the data collection device.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a data collection device.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the data collection device.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a management system.

FIG. 7 is a view showing a mounted state of the data collecting device.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of data items.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the improved device.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the contents of an SRAM card.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Control device 2 Sensor 3 Operation switch 4 Setting device 20 Data collection device 21 CPU 22 Operation part 23 Display part 25 RAM 26 ROM 28 ROM card 29 RAM card 33a Work start switch 33b Work interruption switch 33c Work end Switch 33d Screen change switch 33e Maintenance information switch

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Seiichi Arima No. 1 Yakura, Tobe Town, Iyo-gun, Ehime Prefecture

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A data collection device mounted on an agricultural machine and configured to transmit data on the machine side to a management terminal device via a communication line, wherein the agricultural machine is installed in the control device on the machine side. A storage means for storing the identification code of the machine is provided, and when the header is input, the identification code set in the machine is automatically transmitted to the management terminal side. Data collection device for agricultural machinery.