Method and apparatus for reaping level control

Claim 1

An apparatus for controlling a height of a reaper of a combine, comprising: a noncontact distance sensor operated in a fixed cycle to measure the height of a reaper, comparison means to compare the height measurement data provided by said sensor with a predetermined target value and to determine the height measurement data to be invalid data when the height measurement data exceeds the predetermined target value and to be valid data when the height measurement data is below the predetermined value, counter means to count a number of invalid data recognized by said comparison means continuously, said counter means being incremented upon recognition of the invalid data and decremented upon recognition of the valid data, alarm means connected to said counter means for providing an alarm upon said counter means exceeding a predetermined count, memory means to store a predetermined number of said valid data sequentially, said memory means being arranged to replace the oldest valid data with the latest valid data upon said predetermined memory being exceeded, first means connected to said memory means for calculating an average of all the valid data stored therein, second means connected to said first means for determining differential amounts between said average and said predetermined target value, third means connected to said second means for generating a pulse signal having a duty ratio corresponding to said differential amounts, fourth means connected to said third means for classifying said differential amounts among a maximum range, an intermediate range, and a minimum range and for varying an ON timing of said pulse signal in response to such classification, and actuator means to vertically move said reaper in response to the ON timing of said pulse signal, whereby overshoot of the target value is minimized.

Claim 2

An apparatus for controlling a height of a reaper of a combine, comprising: a noncontact distance sensor operated in a fixed cycle to measure the height of a reaper, comparison means to compare the height measurement data provided by said sensor with a predetermined target value and to determine the height measurement data to be invalid data when the height measurement data exceeds the predetermined target value and to be valid data when the height measurement data is below the predetermined value, counter means to count a number of invalid data recognized by said comparison means continuously, said counter means being incremented upon recognition of the invalid data and decremented upon recognition of the valid data, alarm means connected to said counter means for providing an alarm upon said counter means exceeding a predetermined count, memory means to store a predetermined number of said valid data sequentially, said memory means being arranged to replace the oldest valid data with the latest valid data upon said predetermined memory being exceeded, first means connected to said memory means for calculating an average of all the valid data stored therein, second means connected to said first means for determining differential amounts between said average and said predetermined target value, third means connected to said second means for generating a pulse signal having a duty ratio corresponding to said differential amounts, fourth means connected to said third means for classifying said differential amounts among a maximum range, an intermediate range, and a minimum range and for varying an ON timing of said pulse signal in response to such classification, and actuator means to vertically move said reaper in response to the ON timing of said pulse signal, whereby overshoot of the target value is minimized.

Claim 3

A method of controlling a height of a reaper of a combine with respect to a desired target height therefor, said method comprising the steps of: (a) measuring the height of the reaper above ground in a fixed cycle, (b) disregarding a height measurement data as invalid and incrementing an invalid data counter when the height measurement data exceeds a predetermined permissible range, accepting the height measurement data as valid and decrementing the invalid data counter when the height measurement data is within the predetermined permissible range, said invalid data counter being further decremented to 0 upon measurement of a series of valid height measurement data, and providing a malfunction alarm while said invalid data counter exceeds a predetermined count, (c) storing the valid height measurement data in a measurement data memory area adapted to store a plurality of measurement data, the valid height measurement data replacing the oldest height measurement data when the measurement data memory area is full, (d) deriving an average of all the height measurement data stored in the measurement data memory area, (e) determining any differential amounts between a predetermined target height and said average, and a direction of the differential amounts, up or down, and selecting a maximum range, a minimum range and an intermediate range of said differential amounts to control an ON time of a pulse signal, (f) generating a train of pulses having a duty ratio corresponding to said differential amounts and the direction thereof to form said pulse signal, and providing said pulse signal an ON time of 0 ms when said differential time amounts are in a maximum range, a continuous ON time when said differential amounts are in a minimum range, and varied ON times corresponding to varying differential amounts classified stepwise in an intermediate range, (g) supplying said pulse signal to an actuator adapted for vertically moving the reaper, and continuously repeating the steps (a) through (g), whereby the height of the reaper follows the desired target height.

Claim 4

A method of controlling a height of a reaper of a combine with respect to a desired target height therefor, said method comprising the steps of: (a) measuring the height of the reaper above ground in a fixed cycle, (b) disregarding a height measurement data as invalid and incrementing an invalid data counter when the height measurement data exceeds a predetermined permissible range, accepting the height measurement data as valid and decrementing the invalid data counter when the height measurement data is within the predetermined permissible range, said invalid data counter being further decremented to 0 upon measurement of a series of valid height measurement data, and providing a malfunction alarm while said invalid data counter exceeds a predetermined count, (c) storing the valid height measurement data in a measurement data memory area adapted to store a plurality of measurement data, the valid height measurement data replacing the oldest height measurement data when the measurement data memory area is full, (d) deriving an average of all the height measurement data stored in the measurement data memory area, (e) determining any differential amounts between a predetermined target height and said average, and a direction of the differential amounts, up or down, and selecting a maximum range, a minimum range and an intermediate range of said differential amounts to control an ON time of a pulse signal, (f) generating a train of pulses having a duty ratio corresponding to said differential amounts and the direction thereof to form said pulse signal, and providing said pulse signal an ON time of 0 ms when said differential time amounts are in a maximum range, a continuous ON time when said differential amounts are in a minimum range, and varied ON times corresponding to varying differential amounts classified stepwise in an intermediate range, (g) supplying said pulse signal to an actuator adapted for vertically moving the reaper, and continuously repeating the steps (a) through (g), whereby the height of the reaper follows the desired target height.