Patents by Inventor Willi Behnke

Willi Behnke 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: 7630808
    Abstract: In a method for computing a target setting value—which is adapted to a harvesting process—for a control parameter of a working unit of a harvesting machine, operating-result curves are plotted for a plurality of different operating-result parameters as a function of the related control parameter, a target setting value of the control parameter is subsequently computed based on a combination of the plotted operating-result curves, and a method and a corresponding control unit for controlling a working unit of a harvesting machine, and a harvesting machine with a control unit of this type are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Willi Behnke, Joachim Baumgarten, Sebastian Neu
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20090233661
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for ascertaining the quantity of the tailings (39), output into a tailing augur (46) of a combine (1) and composed of grains (35) and non-grain components, in which the quantity of the tailings (39) is displayed by means of generating grain stream signals (X) and crop stream signals (Y, Z), and the quantity of the tailings (39) is detected in a cleaning system (18), assigned to the combine (1), or in a portion of the cleaning system (18), so that the quantity of the crop harvested (39) is relatively precisely ascertained and conclusively displayed in a simple way.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Inventors: Willi Behnke, Joachim Baumgarten
  • Publication number: 20090125197
    Abstract: A method for estimating a portion of undesired particles in crop material includes taking a photograph of the crop material; identifying images of at least one type of undesired particle in the photograph that was taken; measuring the surface area covered by the image of every particle shown in the photograph; and determining the portion of undesired particles as a proportion of the surface area of the images, and may be used, in particular, in a harvesting machine on the crop material picked up in an on-going harvesting operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Inventor: Willi Behnke
  • Patent number: 7489130
    Abstract: A metal detection device for a working unit with at least one driven working element for conveying crop material has windings for generating electrical detection signals when metal objects are present in the region of the working unit, and the detection signals generated by the windings are detected in a time window, thereby enabling a more accurate identification of the metal object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Willi Behnke, Markus Brune
  • Publication number: 20080228361
    Abstract: In a method for computing a target setting value—which is adapted to a harvesting process—for a control parameter of a working unit of a harvesting machine, operating-result curves are plotted for a plurality of different operating-result parameters as a function of the related control parameter, a target setting value of the control parameter is subsequently computed based on a combination of the plotted operating-result curves, and a method and a corresponding control unit for controlling a working unit of a harvesting machine, and a harvesting machine with a control unit of this type are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2008
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Inventors: Willi Behnke, Joachim Baumgarten, Sebastien Neu
  • Patent number: 7362233
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for ascertaining the quantity of the tailings (39), output into a tailing augur (46) of a combine (1) and composed of grains (35) and non-grain components, in which the quantity of the tailings (39) is displayed by means of generating grain stream signals (X) and crop stream signals (Y, Z), and the quantity of the tailings (39) is detected in a cleaning system (18), assigned to the combine (1), or in a portion of the cleaning system (18), so that the quantity of the crop harvested (39) is relatively precisely ascertained and conclusively displayed in a simple way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Willi Behnke, Joachim Baumgarten
  • Patent number: 7343262
    Abstract: A method of operating a self-propelled harvesting machine includes continuously separating a crop-material flow into a useful-material flow and a remaining-material flow, in a separating step of the machine, capturing at least a portion of the useful-material flow from the separating step in a measurement channel, weighing the useful material contained in the measurement chamber and determining a density based on a weight that was measured, and optimizing operational patrameters of the separating step based on the weight that was determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Joachim Baumgarten, Dirk Speckamp, Willi Behnke
  • Publication number: 20070161422
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for ascertaining the quantity of the tailings (39), output into a tailing augur (46) of a combine (1) and composed of grains (35) and non-grain components, in which the quantity of the tailings (39) is displayed by means of generating grain stream signals (X) and crop stream signals (Y, Z), and the quantity of the tailings (39) is detected in a cleaning system (18), assigned to the combine (1), or in a portion of the cleaning system (18), so that the quantity of the crop harvested (39) is relatively precisely ascertained and conclusively displayed in a simple way.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Publication date: July 12, 2007
    Inventors: Willi Behnke, Joachim Baumgarten
  • 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: 20070089389
    Abstract: A method of operating a self-propelled harvesting machine includes continuously separating a crop-material flow into a useful-material flow and a remaining-material flow, in a separating step of the machine, capturing at least a portion of the useful-material flow from the separating step in a measurement channel, weighing the useful material contained in the measurement chamber and determining a density based on a weight that was measured, and optimizing operational patrameters of the separating step based on the weight that was determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2006
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Inventors: Joachim Baumgarten, Dirk Speckamp, Willi Behnke
  • Publication number: 20070062288
    Abstract: In a method and a device for the detection of at least one structure-borne acoustic vibration in a component of an agricultural harvesting machine, a timer is used to determine a transit-time difference of a structure-borne acoustic vibration that is received by at least a first structure-borne sound sensor and at least a second structure-borne sound sensor and, based on the transit-time difference, a source of the structure-borne acoustic vibration is determined, thereby enabling the location of the pulses triggering the structure-borne acoustic vibration to be identified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2006
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Inventors: Willi Behnke, Markus Brune
  • Publication number: 20070056258
    Abstract: A method of adjusting at least one working unit of a harvesting machine includes taking pictures or picture series of a crop-material flow at a position downstream from a particular working unit in a crop-material conveyance path at various setting states with certain control parameter setting values of the working unit, storing the pictures or picture series such that they are assigned to control parameter setting values belonging to a particular setting state, with which a picture or a picture series is selected based on an analysis of the crop-material flow depicted in the picture or picture series, and adjusting the particular working unit using the control parameter setting values assigned to the selected picture or the selected picture series; and a harvesting machine carries out the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Publication date: March 15, 2007
    Inventor: Willi Behnke
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20060271243
    Abstract: In a method for computing a target setting value—which is adapted to a harvesting process—for a control parameter of a working unit of a harvesting machine, operating-result curves are plotted for a plurality of different operating-result parameters as a function of the related control parameter, a target setting value of the control parameter is subsequently computed based on a combination of the plotted operating-result curves, and a method and a corresponding control unit for controlling a working unit of a harvesting machine, and a harvesting machine with a control unit of this type are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2006
    Publication date: November 30, 2006
    Inventors: Willi Behnke, Joachim Baumgarten, Sebastian Neu
  • Publication number: 20060174600
    Abstract: A metal detection device for a working unit with at least one driven working element for conveying crop material has windings for generating electrical detection signals when metal objects are present in the region of the working unit, and the detection signals generated by the windings are detected in a time window, thereby enabling a more accurate identification of the metal object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2006
    Publication date: August 10, 2006
    Inventors: Willi Behnke, Markus Brune
  • Patent number: 7064540
    Abstract: A conveyor has a metal detecting device for detecting metal parts in a conveying product, a magnet arrangement for producing a measuring magnetic field through which the conveying product is movable, a sensor device for registration a change of the measuring magnetic field, a signal evaluating device for evaluating a signal outputted by the sensor device in case of a magnetic field change, to recognize a metal part in the conveying product, and an interference sensor device which in case of a registration of an interference event, which leads to a magnetic field change caused not by metal parts in the conveying product and registered by the sensing device, outputs a faulty triggering warning signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Brune, Willi Behnke
  • Patent number: 7001267
    Abstract: For controlling a threshing mechanism of a combine harvester parameters of the threshing mechanism are adjusted with respect to a nominal crop throughput determined for corresponding harvesting conditions to an optimal value, the changing automatically and the adjustment includes automatically determining a deviation of an actual crop throughput from the nominal crop throughput, and adjusting at least one threshing mechanism parameter for adaptation to the actual crop throughput; also a combine harvester with the control device for performing the method is proposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Willi Behnke, Martin Dammann
  • Publication number: 20050143153
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for ascertaining the quantity of the tailings (39), output into a tailing augur (46) of a combine (1) and composed of grains (35) and non-grain components, in which the quantity of the tailings (39) is displayed by means of generating grain stream signals (X) and crop stream signals (Y, Z), and the quantity of the tailings (39) is detected in a cleaning system (18), assigned to the combine (1), or in a portion of the cleaning system (18), so that the quantity of the crop harvested (39) is relatively precisely ascertained and conclusively displayed in a simple way.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2004
    Publication date: June 30, 2005
    Inventors: Willi Behnke, Joachim Baumgarten