Patents by Inventor Werner Fitzner

Werner Fitzner has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8406964
    Abstract: A driver assistance system for an agricultural working machine, in particular a combine harvester has a large number of working mechanisms, an arithmetic logic unit, and at least one display unit, in which the arithmetic logic unit may process information generated by machine-internal sensor systems, external information, and information that is storable in the arithmetic logic unit, and in which the driver assistance system overcomes—with consideration for at least a selection of the available information—critical functions of the agricultural working machine in that efficiency parameters of the agricultural working machine are optimized via interactive, natural-language communication between the operator of the agricultural working machine and the driver assistance system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Joachim Baumgarten, Werner Fitzner, Sebastian Neu
  • Patent number: 8340862
    Abstract: A display unit is provided in an agricultural working vehicle to display at least one operating parameter of the working vehicle, so that it is possible to change the operating parameter as a function of one or more setting parameters of the working vehicle. The display unit is designed to display a change in the operating parameter resulting from a change made to at least one of the setting parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Joachim Baumgarten, Werner Fitzner, Sebastian Neu
  • Patent number: 8254351
    Abstract: A communication network contains several nodes, which are equipped with transmitter/receiver units for wireless communication, including nodes referred to as mobile nodes that are installed on mobile machines. So that decentralized decisions can be made regarding the use of the mobile machines at the sites where the machines are located, a memory for storing the operating parameter profiles of several of the mobile machines is assigned to each node; every node is designed to transmit profiles stored in its assigned memory via its transmitter/receiver unit, and to update the profile of a particular mobile machine stored in its assigned memory based on a profile of this mobile machine that is received from another node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Werner Fitzner, Heinz-Hermann Wippersteg, Thilo Steckel
  • Patent number: 8213964
    Abstract: A communication system for mobile and stationary devices has at least one transmitter/receiver unit provided for the mobile and stationary devices and covering a defined transmission/reception range, and is formed so that at least partial overlap of the transmission/reception ranges of the mobile and/or stationary devices results in accidental communication between the mobile and/or stationary devices, and this accidental communication changes to a targeted communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Werner Fitzner, Heinz-Hermann Wippersteg, Thilo Steckel
  • Patent number: 7873617
    Abstract: A device for coordinating a machine fleet includes a memory for storing a large number of data records, an interface for communicating with several users who are capable of making changes to the data records, in the case of which each data record represents a given portion of the working capacity of a machine in the machine fleet, and the changes relate to the assignment of the portion of the working capacity represented by the data record to the users making the change, and an administration unit designed to allow a change to be made to a data record by a user requesting the change if the data record is not assigned to any other user and an urgency of the change indicated by the requesting user reaches a threshold specified for the particular portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbsfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Heinz-Hermann Wippersteg, Thilo Steckel, Werner Fitzner, Norbert Diekhans, Kai Oetzel
  • Publication number: 20100217474
    Abstract: A driver assistance system for an agricultural working machine, in particular a combine harvester has a large number of working mechanisms, an arithmetic logic unit, and at least one display unit, in which the arithmetic logic unit may process information generated by machine-internal sensor systems, external information, and information that is storable in the arithmetic logic unit, and in which the driver assistance system overcomes—with consideration for at least a selection of the available information—critical functions of the agricultural working machine in that efficiency parameters of the agricultural working machine are optimized via interactive, natural-language communication between the operator of the agricultural working machine and the driver assistance system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Inventors: Joachim Baumgarten, Werner Fitzner, Sebastian Neu
  • Publication number: 20100217481
    Abstract: A display unit is provided in an agricultural working vehicle to display at least one operating parameter of the working vehicle, so that it is possible to change the operating parameter as a function of one or more setting parameters of the working vehicle. The display unit is designed to display a change in the operating parameter resulting from a change made to at least one of the setting parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Inventors: Joachim Baumgarten, Werner Fitzner, Sebastian Neu
  • Patent number: 7713115
    Abstract: The process and device for controlling at least one operating condition parameter (54) of working parts (45) of a combine harvester (1) has at least one sensing device (36, 40) for monitoring a crop tailings stream (31) and for generating a grain tailings signal (X) and a tailings flow rate signal (Y) for control of the operating condition parameters (54), such as blower speed, upper sieve mesh, lower sieve mesh, so that changes in the crop harvesting conditions can be reacted to rapidly and efficiently. The device includes an evaluating and display unit (39), which includes a controller (53) for automatically controlling operating condition parameters or for displaying control information produced by control algorithms (56 to 58), so that the operating condition parameters can be optimized according to the grain tailings signal (X) and tailings flow rate signal (Y).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Willi Behnke, Joachim Baumgarten, Werner Fitzner
  • Patent number: 7670218
    Abstract: The process and device for controlling at least one operating condition parameter (54) of working parts (45) of a combine harvester (1) has at least one sensing device (36, 40) for monitoring a crop tailings stream (31) and for generating a grain tailings signal (X) and a tailings flow rate signal (Y) for control of the operating condition parameters (54), such as blower speed, upper sieve mesh, lower sieve mesh, so that changes in the crop harvesting conditions can be reacted to rapidly and efficiently. The device includes an evaluating and display unit (39), which includes a controller (53) for automatically controlling operating condition parameters or for displaying control information produced by control algorithms (56 to 58), so that the operating condition parameters can be optimized according to the grain tailings signal (X) and tailings flow rate signal (Y).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntermaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Willi Behnke, Joachim Baumgarten, Werner Fitzner
  • Patent number: 7630809
    Abstract: In a method for controlling a harvesting machine various units of the harvesting machine are adjusted and/or monitored in a plurality of separate control processes based on certain received control commands, using a process coordination unit, an operating mode of a first control process is determined with consideration for a current operating mode of a second control process, and corresponding control unit and a harvesting machine with a control unit of this type are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Willi Behnke, Christoph Bussmann, Joachim Baumgarten, Andreas Wilken, Werner Fitzner
  • Patent number: 7610125
    Abstract: In a method and a device for carrying out the method to optimize operating parameters of an agricultural working machine, an optimization program map being assigned to each adjustable operating parameter in a memory unit, optimization program map A being subdivided into sub-program maps, and the task of optimizing the sub-program maps being transmitted to individual agricultural working machines; in this manner, by dividing up the work to be carried out, the time required to find the optimum operating parameters of an agricultural working machine can be reduced considerably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Werner Fitzner, Heinz-Hermann Wippersteg, Willi Behnke
  • Patent number: 7555283
    Abstract: A communication system for mobile and stationary devices has at least one transmitter/receiver unit provided for the mobile and stationary devices and covering a defined transmission/reception range, and is formed so that at least partial overlap of the transmission/reception ranges of the mobile and/or stationary devices results in accidental communication between the mobile and/or stationary devices, and this accidental communication changes to a targeted communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Werner Fitzner, Heinz-Hermann Wippersteg, Thilo Steckel
  • Publication number: 20080242335
    Abstract: A communication system for mobile and stationary devices has at least one transmitter/receiver unit provided for the mobile and stationary devices and covering a defined transmission/reception range, and is formed so that at least partial overlap of the transmission/reception ranges of the mobile and/or stationary devices results in accidental communication between the mobile and/or stationary devices, and this accidental communication changes to a targeted communication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventors: Werner Fitzner, Heinz-Hermann Wippersteg, Thilo Steckel
  • Patent number: 7415340
    Abstract: A method of operating working machines with a changeable nominal value of at least one specific parameter of a working machine has the steps of forming by the changed nominal value an actual value of the specific parameter of the corresponding working machine; and deriving from the change of the respective actual value of a plurality of working machines a pronounced user behavior; and a device provided for performing the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Claas Selbsfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventor: Werner Fitzner
  • Publication number: 20080098035
    Abstract: A device for coordinating a machine fleet includes a memory for storing a large number of data records, an interface for communicating with several users who are capable of making changes to the data records, in the case of which each data record represents a given portion of the working capacity of a machine in the machine fleet, and the changes relate to the assignment of the portion of the working capacity represented by the data record to the users making the change, and an administration unit designed to allow a change to be made to a data record by a user requesting the change if the data record is not assigned to any other user and an urgency of the change indicated by the requesting user reaches a threshold specified for the particular portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Inventors: Heinz-Hermann Wippersteg, Thilo Steckel, Werner Fitzner, Norbert Diekhans, Kai Oetzel
  • Publication number: 20070298744
    Abstract: A communication network contains several nodes, which are equipped with transmitter/receiver units for wireless communication, including nodes referred to as mobile nodes that are installed on mobile machines. So that decentralized decisions can be made regarding the use of the mobile machines at the sites where the machines are located, a memory for storing the operating parameter profiles of several of the mobile machines is assigned to each node; every node is designed to transmit profiles stored in its assigned memory via its transmitter/receiver unit, and to update the profile of a particular mobile machine stored in its assigned memory based on a profile of this mobile machine that is received from another node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Inventors: Werner Fitzner, Heinz-Hermann Wippersteg, Thilo Steckel
  • Patent number: 7266415
    Abstract: A method for operation of a working machine with at least one adjustable operating parameter of at least one working unit of the working machine, includes associating the working machine with a control generator coupled to a control editor for changing the at least one operating parameter; providing controls in the control generator, and changing the controls by the control editor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventor: Werner Fitzner
  • Publication number: 20070149265
    Abstract: The process and device for controlling at least one operating condition parameter (54) of working parts (45) of a combine harvester (1) has at least one sensing device (36, 40) for monitoring a crop tailings stream (31) and for generating a grain tailings signal (X) and a tailings flow rate signal (Y) for control of the operating condition parameters (54), such as blower speed, upper sieve mesh, lower sieve mesh, so that changes in the crop harvesting conditions can be reacted to rapidly and efficiently. The device includes an evaluating and display unit (39), which includes a controller (53) for automatically controlling operating condition parameters or for displaying control information produced by control algorithms (56 to 58), so that the operating condition parameters can be optimized according to the grain tailings signal (X) and tailings flow rate signal (Y).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Inventors: Willi Behnke, Joachim Baumgarten, Werner Fitzner
  • Publication number: 20070005209
    Abstract: In a method and a device for carrying out the method to optimize operating parameters of an agricultural working machine, an optimization program map being assigned to each adjustable operating parameter in a memory unit, optimization program map A being subdivided into sub-program maps, and the task of optimizing the sub-program maps being transmitted to individual agricultural working machines; in this manner, by dividing up the work to be carried out, the time required to find the optimum operating parameters of an agricultural working machine can be reduced considerably.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2006
    Publication date: January 4, 2007
    Inventors: Werner Fitzner, Heinz-Hermann Wippersteg, Willi Behnke
  • Publication number: 20060272307
    Abstract: In a method for controlling a harvesting machine various units of the harvesting machine are adjusted and/or monitored in a plurality of separate control processes based on certain received control commands, using a process coordination unit, an operating mode of a first control process is determined with consideration for a current operating mode of a second control process, and corresponding control unit and a harvesting machine with a control unit of this type are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2006
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Inventors: Willi Behnke, Christoph Bussmann, Joachim Baumgarten, Andreas Wilken, Werner Fitzner