Propulsion subsystem 166 can include mechanisms that provide power to propel agricultural machine 102. Therefore, propulsion subsystem 166 can include a motor or engine, a transmission (where the motor or engine is not a direct drive motor), ground-engaging elements such as wheel or tracks, gears, etc. The speed of propulsion of agricultural machine 102 can be varied by controlling a throttle or other input that varies the speed of operation of propulsion subsystem 166, or the gear ratio in a transmission, or other mechanisms that are used to vary the speed of agricultural machine 102.

Steering subsystem 168 can include mechanisms that are used to steer agricultural machine 102. Such mechanisms can include steerable wheels, wheels or tracks or other ground-engaging elements that are controlled in a skid steer fashion, or other steerable mechanisms.

Path planning subsystem 170 can be used to identify a path or route for agricultural machine 102 through a field. Path planning subsystem 170 can generate the path or route based on a wide variety of input information, such as soil conditions, yield, other field or operating conditions, or a wide variety of other inputs. Path planning subsystem 170 can generate an output that is used to manually or semi-automatically or automatically control steering subsystem 168 to navigate agricultural machine 102 through the path or route.

Material handling subsystem 172 can include a wide variety of different mechanisms that handle different material in agricultural machine 102. For instance, in an example where agricultural machine 102 is a harvester, the material handling subsystem can include a cutter, feeder house, augers, elevators, fans, and a wide variety of other material handling mechanisms. The material handling mechanisms move the material into, through, and out of agricultural machine 102.

Logistics subsystem 174 illustratively receives inputs and generates an output indicative of desired logistics. The logistics may include such things as which field agricultural machine 102 is to harvest, the order the fields are to be harvested, the number of pieces of equipment that are to be assigned to a particular field (such as the number of harvesters, the number of grain carts, etc.), the location where a semi-truck or other vehicle that may be used to transport harvested material to another location should be parked in the field or adjacent the field, the time when the various pieces of equipment are to arrive at the field and to change position in the field, etc. The logistics subsystem 174 can receive a wide variety of different inputs and generate outputs indicating logistical information that can be used by operator 103 or operator(s) 105 or user(s) 120 in performing operations, in order to optimize the operation in terms of logistical criteria (such as cost per unit of material harvested, speed of harvest, fuel efficiency, etc.

FIGS. 2A and 2B (collectively referred to herein as FIG. 2) show a flow diagram illustrating one example of the operation of agricultural system 100 in using variable time horizon prediction engine 144 to control the operation of agricultural system 100 under different conditions or using different settings or other parameter values, over a variety of different selectable time horizons.

It is first assumed that trigger detector 149 detects a trigger indicating that variable time horizon prediction engine 144 is to run and that control system 146 is to generate control signals based upon the output of variable time horizon prediction engine 144. Detecting the trigger is indicated by block 180 in the flow diagram of FIG. 2. The trigger may be an operator or user input 182. The trigger may be that a performance threshold has been met in the operation of agricultural machine 102, as indicated by block 184. There may be a wide variety of other triggers 186 as well.

Operator identification/authentication system 140 may identify operator 103 as well as agricultural machine 102, if that has not already been done. Identifying the operator 103 and/or agricultural machine 102 is indicated by block 188 in the flow diagram of FIG. 2. The operator and/or machine may be identified based on an operator input 190, based upon automated detection 192 (such as biometric detection), or in other ways 194.

Current operation model 150 then receives current machine operating parameters, as indicated by block 196. The current machine operating parameters may include sensor inputs 198 from machine operation sensors 138, aggregations 200 (such as where the values of machine operation sensors 138 are averaged, or aggregated in other ways), and derivations or other processed values 202 that include values derived from the sensor inputs from machine operation sensors 138 or other inputs or values obtained by processing those or other inputs in other ways. The current machine operation parameters can be detected in other ways as well, as indicated by block 204.

Current operation model 150 then accesses data store 124 to obtain operator or user profile information, as indicated by block 206. The profile information may include optimization criteria that are preferred by operator 103, as indicated by block 208. For instance, when variable time horizon prediction engine 144 generates an output to optimize the performance of agricultural machine 102 or agricultural system 100, the optimization is made according to certain optimization criteria. Those criteria may include performance criteria, such as efficiency, in which case the operation is optimized for efficiency. The optimization criteria may include performance criteria, such as speed, in which case the operation is optimized for speed. The optimization criteria may include performance criteria, such as loss, in which case the operation is optimized to reduce loss (e.g., grain loss). Optimization criteria may include various other performance criteria which are to be optimized, for example, but not by limitation, cost, profit, fuel usage, time to complete, as well as various other performance criteria. The optimization criteria may define a performance criteria which is to be optimized. For example, the performance criteria to be optimized may be fuel efficiency. The optimization criteria may also define how the optimization is to be achieved, for example, the optimization criteria may define a range of values or a threshold value and thus optimizing may include generating a value for a select performance criteria within the range of values or with respect to the threshold value. In other examples, the optimization criteria may define that optimization comprises achieving the maximum possible value (or a value as close to the maximum possible value as possible) for a select performance criteria, in which case, the operation is configured to achieve the maximum possible value (or a value as close to the maximum possible value as possible) for a given performance criteria (e.g., the maximum possible fuel efficiency). In some cases, the optimization criteria may define achieving the maximum possible value for a given performance criteria while maintaining one or more other performance criteria within a range of values or with respect to a given threshold. For example, the optimization criteria may define that the performance criteria fuel efficiency is to be maximized to the greatest extent while maintaining the performance criteria harvester speed at or below/above a select speed or within a range of speeds. In other examples, the optimization criteria may define a range of values or a threshold value for a plurality of performance criteria and the operation of the machine is configured based thereon. In some examples, the optimization criteria may establish a priority (or hierarchy) of each performance criteria. For example, it may not be possible to operate the machine such that each performance criteria satisfies a threshold value or is within a select range of values. Thus, each performance metric may be given priority such that machine will be configured to optimize one or more performance criteria over one or more other criteria. In other examples, where not all of the performance criteria can be within a select range or cannot satisfy a select threshold, the machine may be configured to place one or more preferred performance criteria within a range of values or meeting a select threshold value while achieving the best possible value for each other performance criteria. These are merely some examples. Operator 103 may have preferences indicated in his or her profile information that identify the optimization criteria that this particular operator 103 prefers. Therefore, the optimization criteria may be arranged in data store 124 on a per-operator basis 210. In addition, operator 103 may at times operate different agricultural machines, other than agricultural machine 102. For instance, an agricultural system 100 may have multiple different harvesters, tractors, and other equipment, and it may be that operator 103 operates different pieces of equipment at different times. Therefore, operator 103 may have preferred optimization criteria when operating a harvester, but different preferred optimization criteria when operating a sprayer. Thus, the optimization criteria in data store 124 may be arranged of a per-machine basis 212. Similarly, even if operator 103 is operating the same agricultural machine 102, operator 103 may have different preferred optimization criteria depending on the operation being performed. For instance, operator 103 may have a first set of preferred optimization criteria when harvesting corn, and a second set of preferred optimization criteria when harvesting wheat. Thus, the optimization criteria stored in data store 124 may be arranged on a per-operation basis as well, as indicated by block 214. The optimization criteria or other operator or user profile information may be arranged in other ways, and the profile information may include other information as well, as indicated by block 216.

Control system 146 may then control operator interface subsystem 164 to generate an interface that provides operator 103 with access to variable time horizon prediction engine 144. One example of an interface is described below with respect to FIG. 3. The interface may allow operator 103 to adjust the optimization criteria, or other input values that variable time horizon prediction engine 144 will use in generating a predictive output. Generating an interface providing access to variable time horizon prediction engine 144 is indicated by block 218 in the flow diagram of FIG. 2.

Operator 103 may configure the variable time horizon prediction engine 144 through the generated interface. Detecting user configuration inputs is indicated by block 220 in the flow diagram of FIG. 2. The user interface may display the optimization criteria that are going to be used by variable time horizon prediction engine 144 in the absence of any user changes. Thus, when variable time horizon prediction engine 144 obtains the operator preferences from data store 124, those preferences may be prepopulated into the interface that is generated and presented to operator 103. In addition, operator 103 may select other optimization criteria or other values through the interface as well. Selecting and prepopulating optimization criteria through the interface is indicated by block 222 in the flow diagram of FIG. 2.

Operator 103 may also select a time horizon for which variable time horizon prediction engine 144 is to be run. Selecting the time horizon as one of the user configuration inputs is indicated by block 224 in the flow diagram of FIG. 2. In some examples, it may be that the operator 103 selects more than one time horizon for which variable time horizon prediction engine 144 is to be run. In some examples, it may be that the variable time horizon prediction engine 144 is set to run one or more of the time horizons by default unless the operator provides specific selection of one or more time horizons. For instance, the variable time horizon prediction engine 144 may, by default, run for a current operation time horizon, a current season time horizon, and a subsequent season(s) time horizon, unless otherwise specified by operator selection. The operator or user may provide a wide variety of other configuration inputs that are detected by variable time horizon prediction engine 144 as well, as indicated by block 226.

Variable time horizon prediction engine 144 then runs one or more of the models 150-156 based upon the configuration inputs received from operator 103 through the interface and/or from data store 124 and/or from other sources. Running the variable time horizon prediction engine 144 based upon the configuration inputs is indicated by block 228 in the flow diagram of FIG. 2.

The particular model 150-156 (or combination of models) then generates an output indicative of the predicted or estimated performance of the agricultural system 100 according to the selected time horizon(s), The output from one or more of models 150-156 is provided to control system 146. Control system 146 controls operator interface subsystem 164 to generate an interface showing the model prediction or estimation output based upon the current configuration of the models 150-156 in variable time horizon prediction engine 144. Generating an interface showing the model output is indicated by block 230 in the flow diagram of FIG. 2.

The interface can include the results of running the variable time horizon prediction engine 144 and one or more of the different time horizon models 150-156. Displaying the results or otherwise outputting the results on an interface is indicated by block 232 in the flow diagram of FIG. 2.

The interface can also display the particular time horizon that was selected (such as the current operation, the current season, next season, etc.). Showing the selected time horizon is indicated by block 234 in the flow diagram of FIG. 2. The interface may also show the current optimization criteria which were used in running the model(s). Displaying the current optimization criteria is indicated by block 236 in the flow diagram of FIG. 2.

The interface can also show the time horizon-specific parameters that can be modified along with modification actuators that can be actuated by the operator or user to modify the time horizon-specific parameters so that the model can be rerun on the modified values to show the operator how the operation of agricultural machine 102 and/or agricultural system 100 would change when using the modified values of the time horizon-specific parameters. Showing the time horizon-specific parameters that can be modified, along with modification actuators, on the display is indicated by block 238 in the flow diagram of FIG. 2. The interface can include a wide variety of other information as well, as indicated by block 240.

The operator interface system 164 then detects user inputs on the interface and provides them back to other components in agricultural machine 102, as needed. Detecting user inputs through the interface is indicated by block 242 in the flow diagram of FIG. 2.

For instance, the operator 103 can select a different time horizon, as indicated by block 244. The new time horizon can then be provided back to variable time horizon prediction engine 144 so that the time horizon model 150-156 corresponding to the newly selected time horizon can be run.

The user inputs may be a change or modification to the optimization criteria upon which the time horizon model was run. Also, where multiple optimization criteria are arranged hierarchically, the input may include reordering the hierarchy of optimization criteria so that the time horizon model may be rerun based upon the modified optimization criteria or the modified hierarchy of optimization criteria. Detecting modification of the optimization criteria or a hierarchy in which they are arranged is indicated by block 246 in the flow diagram of FIG. 2.

The detected user inputs can be user modifications of the time horizon-specific parameter values using the modification actuators discussed above. Detecting modifications to the time horizon-specific parameters values is indicated by block 248 in the flow diagram of FIG. 2. A wide variety of other user inputs can be detected, as indicated by block 250.

If the variable time horizon prediction engine 144 determines that it needs to rerun one or more of the time horizon models 150-156, based upon the user inputs, then the variable time horizon prediction engine 144 reruns the model. Determining whether the model is to be rerun is indicated by block 252. If so, processing reverts to block 228 in FIG. 2 where the variable time horizon prediction engine 144 is run based upon the new or modified configuration inputs from the operator or user.

The output of variable time horizon prediction engine 144 can be output to control system 146 which generates a control command commanding modification of a controllable subsystem 148. Generating a control command is indicated by block 254 in the flow diagram of FIG. 2. The command can be to command a controllable subsystem 148 to modify operation during the selected time horizon, as indicated by block 256. The command can be to modify operation during another time horizon, as indicated by block 258. The command can be made to agricultural machine 102 or any of the other machines 104, or to multiple machines at the same time, as indicated by block 260. The command can be to modify other computing system 106, such as a logistics computing system or another system, as indicated by block 262. The command can be output to modify operations in other ways as well, as indicated by block 264. Once the control command is generated, control signal application logic 160 applies the control command to a controllable subsystem, as indicated by block 266. Again, the control command can be applied to the current machine during a current operation, as indicated by block 268 or to other machines or other systems as indicated by blocks 270 and 272, respectively. Until the operation is complete, as determined at block 274, operation reverts to block 180 where the system may wait for another trigger to run the variable time horizon prediction engine 144.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an illustration of one example of a user interface display 280 that can be generated to show an indication of the output of variable time horizon prediction engine 144. In the example shown in FIG. 3, display 280 includes a result display section 282 that displays the results of running the current operation model 150 thus showing a current operation relative to optimization criteria. The results section 282 may also show the results of running one of the time horizon models 150-156 in variable time horizon prediction engine 144, based upon user configuration inputs. The results display 282 may show examples of control commands or control adjustments that may be made to further optimize the operation of agricultural system 100. The results may be ranked in terms of modifications that are easiest to make. For instance, it is easier to increase the speed of a fleet of harvesters then to upgrade the fleet of harvesters to a newer model of harvesters. The results may be displayed to show control commands that have the highest positive impact on the performance of the agricultural system 100 according to the optimization criteria. The results may be ranked by the cost of the control commands. The results may be displayed to show all of this information, such as which control commands are the easiest to implement, which control commands have the highest positive impact, which controls have the lowest costs, etc. The results can be generated to display a wide variety of other information as well. The display section 282 can display the selected time horizon 284, the optimization criteria 286, and the time horizon-specific parameter values 288 that were used in generating the results. Display 280 may also include an operator/machine/operation identifier section 290 that may identify the operator 103, the particular agricultural machine 102, and the operation being performed. Display 280 may also include a time horizon selector or actuator 292. The time horizon selector or actuator 292 may include a user actuatable mechanism that allows the user to select one or more of the different time horizons for which to obtain results.

Display 280 can also display optimization criteria selector/actuator 294 which allows the operator to select optimization criteria for running the variable time horizon prediction engine 144. The optimization criteria selector/actuator 294 may also allow the operator to arrange the optimization criteria hierarchically so that variable time horizon prediction engine 144 can generate an output that optimizes the agricultural system 100 according to the highest priority optimization criteria in the hierarchy and then according to the second highest prioritization criteria, and so forth, for each of the optimization criteria listed in the hierarchy.

Display 280 can also include time horizon-specific parameter modification actuators 296. For each selectable time horizon, there may be specific parameters that can be used in running the variable time horizon prediction engine 144. For instance, the particular parameters that may be varied when the current operation time horizon is selected may be different than the parameters that can be varied when the current season time horizon is selected. The parameters may be different still when the future season time horizon is selected. Therefore, time horizon-specific parameter modification actuators 296 can be displayed so that the operator can modify the parameter values for the particular parameters that can be used with the selected time horizon that is selected using time horizon selector/actuator 292. If the user then goes back and selects a different time horizon, the time horizon-specific parameter modification actuators 296 may change to allow the operator to modify the values of the parameters specific to the newly selected time horizon.

Display 280 can also include a proposed control command display section 298. For instance, once variable time horizon prediction engine 144 generates an output indicating how the agricultural system 100 can be controlled in order to further optimize its operation, control signal engine 158 can identify the particular control signals that need to be generated to carry out the optimized operation. The control signals may control the operation of agricultural machine 102. The control signals may control the operation of other machines 104 or of other computing systems 106. The control signals may control the operation of a logistics computing system, or any of a wide variety of other systems. Proposed control command 298 shows a control command which, if carried out, would cause the control signals to be generated and applied against the controllable subsystems.

Display 280 may also include a send command actuator 300 that can be actuated by the operator or user to implement the proposed control command 298. For instance, assume there are two harvesters (harvesters A and B) operating. Assume further that the proposed control command for a current operation time horizon may be “increase the speed of both harvesters A and B by 1 mile per hour”. In that case, the operator or user may actuate the SEND command actuator 300 and a control command will then be sent to harvesters A and B to increase their speed by 1 mile per hour.

The control command may be an automated control command in which case the speed of those two harvesters is automatically increased by 1 mile per hour, or it may be a communication command in which case the control command may be displayed to the operator of harvester A and to the operator of harvester B indicating that they are to increase the travel speed of their corresponding harvesters by 1 mile per hour.

If the proposed control command is a command for a logistics subsystem, the control command may command the logistics subsystem to upgrade a harvester and add a grain cart to the fleet of machines in agricultural system 100 for the following harvesting season. If the proposed control command is for a subsequent operation during the current season, the proposed control command may be to schedule an additional application of commodity to the field, or the proposed control command may specify a certain type of commodity that is to be applied during a spraying operation, etc.

FIG. 4 is a partial pictorial, partial schematic, illustration of a self-propelled agricultural harvesting machine 102, in an example where machine 102 is a combine harvester (or combine). It can be seen in FIG. 4 that combine 102 illustratively includes an operator compartment 301, which can have a variety of different operator interface mechanisms, for controlling combine 102. Combine 102 can include a set of front end equipment that can include header 302, and a cutter generally indicated at 304. Combine 102 can also include a feeder house 306, a feed accelerator 308, and a thresher generally indicated at 310. Header 302 is pivotally coupled to a frame 303 of combine 102 along pivot axis 305. One or more actuators 307 drive movement of header 302 about axis 305 in the direction generally indicated by arrow 309. Thus, the vertical position of header 302 above ground 311 over which it is traveling can be controlled by actuating actuator 307. While not shown in FIG. 4, it may be that the tilt (or roll) angle of header 302 or portions of header 302 can be controlled by a separate actuator. Tilt, or roll, refers to the orientation of header 302 about the front-to-back longitudinal axis of combine 102.

Thresher 310 illustratively includes a threshing rotor 312 and a set of concaves 314. Further, combine 102 can include a separator 316 that includes a separator rotor. Combine 102 can include a cleaning subsystem (or cleaning shoe) 318 that, itself, can include a cleaning fan 320, chaffer 322 and sieve 324. The material handling subsystem in combine 102 can include (in addition to a feeder house 306 and feed accelerator 308) discharge beater 326, tailings elevator 328, clean grain elevator 330 (that moves clean grain into clean grain tank 332) as well as unloading auger 334 and spout 336. Combine 102 can further include a residue subsystem 338 that can include chopper 340 and spreader 342. Combine 102 can also have a propulsion subsystem that includes an engine that drives ground engaging wheels 344 or tracks, etc. It will be noted that combine 102 may also have more than one of any of the subsystems mentioned above (such as left and right cleaning shoes, separators, etc.).

In operation, and by way of overview, combine 102 illustratively moves through a field in the direction indicated by arrow 346. As combine 102 moves, header 302 engages the crop to be harvested and gathers it toward cutter 304. The operator illustratively sets a height setting for header 302 (and possibly a tilt or roll angle setting) and a control system controls actuator 307 (and possibly a tilt or roll actuator—not shown) to maintain header 302 at the set height above ground 311 (and at the desired roll angle). The control system responds to header error (e.g., the difference between the set height and measured height of header 304 above ground 311 and possibly roll angle error) with a responsiveness that is determined based on a set sensitivity level. If the sensitivity level is set high, the control system responds to, smaller header position errors, and attempts to reduce them more quickly than if the sensitivity is set lower.

After the crop is cut by cutter 304, it is moved through a conveyor in feeder house 306 toward feed accelerator 308, which accelerates the crop into thresher 310. The crop is threshed by rotor 312 rotating the crop against concaves 314. The threshed crop is moved by a separator rotor in separator 316 where some of the residue is moved by discharge beater 326 toward the residue subsystem 338. Residue can be chopped by residue chopper 340 and spread on the field by spreader 342. In other configurations, the residue is simply chopped and dropped in a windrow, instead of being chopped and spread.

Grain falls to cleaning shoe (or cleaning subsystem) 318. Chaffer 322 separates some of the larger material from the grain, and sieve 324 separates some of the finer material from the clean grain. Clean grain falls to an auger in clean grain elevator 330, which moves the clean grain upward and deposits it in clean grain tank 332. Residue can be removed from the cleaning shoe 318 by airflow generated by cleaning fan 320. Cleaning fan 320 directs air along an airflow path upwardly through the sieves and chaffers and the airflow carries residue can also be rearwardly in combine 102 toward the residue handling subsystem 338.

Tailings can be moved by tailings elevator 328 back to thresher 110 where the tailings can be re-threshed. Alternatively, the tailings can also be passed to a separate re-threshing mechanism (also using a tailings elevator or another transport mechanism) where the tailings can be re-threshed as well.

FIG. 4 also shows that, in one example, combine 102 can include sensors 138 which may include ground speed sensor 347, one or more separator loss sensors 348, a clean grain camera 350, and one or more cleaning shoe loss sensors 352. Ground speed sensor 346 illustratively senses the travel speed of combine 102 over the ground. This can be done by sensing the speed of rotation of the wheels, the drive shaft, the axel, or other components. The travel speed can also be sensed by a positioning system, such as a global positioning system (GPS), a dead reckoning system, a LORAN system, or a wide variety of other systems or sensors that provide an indication of travel speed.

Cleaning shoe loss sensors 352 illustratively provide an output signal indicative of the quantity of grain loss by both the right and left sides of the cleaning shoe 318. In one example, sensors 352 are impact sensors which count grain strikes per unit of time (or per unit of distance traveled) to provide an indication of the cleaning shoe grain loss. The impact sensors for the right and left sides of the cleaning shoe can provide individual signals, or a combined or aggregated signal. It will be noted that sensors 352 can comprise only a single sensor as well, instead of separate sensors for each shoe.

Separator loss sensor 348 provides a signal indicative of grain loss in the left and right separators. The sensors associated with the left and right separators can provide separate grain loss signals or a combined or aggregate signal. This can be done using a wide variety of different types of sensors as well. It will be noted that separator loss sensors 148 may also comprise only a single sensor, instead of separate left and right sensors.

It will also be appreciated that sensors 138 may include other sensor and measurement mechanisms (in addition to or instead of the sensors already described) which can include other sensors on combine 102 as well. For instance, they can include a header height sensor that senses a height of header 302 above ground 311. The sensors can include stability sensors that sense oscillation or bouncing motion (and amplitude) of combine 102. They can include a residue setting sensor that is configured to sense whether machine 102 is configured to chop the residue, drop a windrow, etc. The sensors can include cleaning shoe fan speed sensors that can be configured proximate fan 320 to sense the speed of the fan. The sensors can include a threshing clearance sensor that senses clearance between the rotor 312 and concaves 314. The sensors can include a threshing rotor speed sensor that senses a rotor speed of rotor 312. The sensors can include a chaffer clearance sensor that senses the size of openings in chaffer 322. The sensors can include a sieve clearance sensor that senses the size of openings in sieve 324. The sensors can include a material other than grain (MOG) moisture sensor that can be configured to sense the moisture level of the material other than grain that is passing through combine 102. The sensors can include machine setting sensors that are configured to sense the various configurable settings on combine 102. The sensors can also include a machine orientation sensor that can be any of a wide variety of different types of sensors that sense the orientation of combine 102. Crop property sensors can sense a variety of different types of crop properties, such as crop type, crop size (e.g., stalk width), crop moisture, and other crop properties. The sensors can also be configured to sense characteristics of the crop as they are being processed by combine 102. For instance, the sensors can sense grain feed rate (e.g., mass flow rate), as the grain travels through clean grain elevator 330, or provide other output signals indicative of other sensed variables. Environment sensors can sense soil moisture, soil compaction, weather (which may be sensed or downloaded), temperature, standing water, and other properties of the soil, crop, machine or environment. Some additional examples of the types of sensors that can be used are described elsewhere.

It will also be noted that the elements of previous FIGS., or portions of them, can be disposed on a wide variety of different devices. Some of those devices include servers, desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, or other mobile devices, such as palm top computers, cell phones, smart phones, multimedia players, personal digital assistants, etc.

The present description thus describes a system in which a variable time horizon prediction engine can be easily accessed by an operator or user, and a time horizon can be selected. The variable time horizon prediction engine takes inputs that may include parameter values indicative of parameters of an operation on a selected time horizon and goals or optimization criteria. The goals or optimization criteria may be operator-specific or user-specific default values or automatically generated values. The variable time horizon prediction engine then generates an output that can be used to identify a control command. The control command may be a command that can be made to control a controllable subsystem or an agricultural system to improve the performance of the agricultural system or different components within the agricultural system by more closely optimizing the operation of the agricultural system based upon the optimization criteria. An interface is generated that allows an operator or user to select a time horizon for optimization and to modify time horizon-specific parameter values to determine whether value modifications will result in improved performance in the selected time horizon.

The present discussion has mentioned processors and servers. In one example, the processors and servers include computer processors with associated memory and timing circuitry, not separately shown. The processors and servers are functional parts of the systems or devices to which they belong and are activated by, and facilitate the functionality of, the other components or items in those systems.

Also, a number of user interface displays have been discussed. The interface displays can take a wide variety of different forms and can have a wide variety of different user actuatable input mechanisms disposed thereon. For instance, the user actuatable input mechanisms can be text boxes, check boxes, icons, links, drop-down menus, search boxes, etc. The mechanisms can also be actuated in a wide variety of different ways. For instance, the mechanisms can be actuated using a point and click device (such as a track ball or mouse). The mechanisms can be actuated using hardware buttons, switches, a joystick or keyboard, thumb switches or thumb pads, etc. The mechanisms can also be actuated using a virtual keyboard or other virtual actuators. In addition, where the screen on which they are displayed is a touch sensitive screen, the mechanisms can be actuated using touch gestures. Also, where the device that displays them has speech recognition components, the mechanisms can be actuated using speech commands.

A number of data stores have also been discussed. It will be noted the data store can each be broken into multiple data stores. All can be local to the systems accessing them, all can be remote, or some can be local while others are remote. All of these configurations are contemplated herein.

Also, the figures show a number of blocks with functionality ascribed to each block. It will be noted that fewer blocks can be used so the functionality is performed by fewer components. Also, more blocks can be used with the functionality distributed among more components.

It will be noted that the above discussion has described a variety of different systems, components and/or logic. It will be appreciated that such systems, components and/or logic can be comprised of hardware items (such as processors and associated memory, or other processing components, some of which are described below) that perform the functions associated with those systems, components and/or logic. In addition, the systems, components and/or logic can be comprised of software that is loaded into a memory and is subsequently executed by a processor or server, or other computing component, as described below. The systems, components and/or logic can also be comprised of different combinations of hardware, software, firmware, etc., some examples of which are described below. These are only some examples of different structures that can be used to form the systems, components and/or logic described above. Other structures can be used as well.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of agricultural system 100, shown in FIG. 1, except that system 100 communicates with elements in a remote server architecture 500. In an example, remote server architecture 500 can provide computation, software, data access, and storage services that do not require end-user knowledge of the physical location or configuration of the system that delivers the services. In various examples, remote servers can deliver the services over a wide area network, such as the internet, using appropriate protocols. For instance, remote servers can deliver applications over a wide area network and the applications can be accessed through a web browser or any other computing component. Software or components shown in FIG. 1 as well as the corresponding data, can be stored on servers at a remote location. The computing resources in a remote server environment can be consolidated at a remote data center location or dispersed. Remote server infrastructures can deliver services through shared data centers, even though the data centers appear as a single point of access for the user. Thus, the components and functions described herein can be provided from a remote server at a remote location using a remote server architecture. Alternatively, the components and functions can be provided from a conventional server, or they can be installed on client devices directly, or in other ways.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, some items are similar to those shown in FIG. 1 and they are similarly numbered. FIG. 5 specifically shows that variable time horizon prediction engine 144, and data store 124, and other computing systems 106 can be located at a remote server location 502. Therefore, agricultural machine 102, and other machines 104 access those systems through remote server location 502.

FIG. 5 also depicts another example of a remote server architecture. FIG. 5 shows that it is also contemplated that some elements of FIG. 1 are disposed at remote server location 502 while others are not. By way of example, data store 124 can be disposed at a location separate from location 502 and accessed through the remote server at location 502. Regardless of where the items are located, the items can be accessed directly by agricultural machine 102, through a network (either a wide area network or a local area network), or hosted at a remote site by a service, or provided as a service, or accessed by a connection service that resides in a remote location. Also, the data can be stored in substantially any location and intermittently accessed by, or forwarded to, interested parties. For instance, physical carriers can be used instead of, or in addition to, electromagnetic wave carriers. In such an example, where cell coverage is poor or nonexistent, another mobile machine (such as a fuel truck) can have an automated information collection system. As the agricultural machine comes close to the fuel truck for fueling, the system automatically collects the information from the agricultural machine using any type of ad-hoc wireless connection. The collected information can then be forwarded to the main network as the fuel truck reaches a location where there is cellular coverage (or other wireless coverage). For instance, the fuel truck may enter a covered location when traveling to fuel other machines or when at a main fuel storage location. All of these architectures are contemplated herein. Further, the information can be stored on the agricultural machine until the agricultural machine enters a covered location. The agricultural machine, itself, can then send the information to the main network.

It will also be noted that the elements of FIG. 1, or portions of those elements, can be disposed on a wide variety of different devices. Some of those devices include servers, desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, or other mobile devices, such as palm top computers, cell phones, smart phones, multimedia players, personal digital assistants, etc.

FIG. 6 is a simplified block diagram of one example of a handheld or mobile computing device that can be used as a user's or client's hand held device 16, in which the present system (or parts of it) can be deployed. For instance, a mobile device can be deployed in the operator compartment of agricultural machine 102 for use in generating, processing, or displaying the time horizon data. FIGS. 7-8 are examples of handheld or mobile devices.

FIG. 6 provides a general block diagram of the components of a client device 16 that can run some components shown in FIG. 1, that interacts with them, or both. In the device 16, a communications link 13 is provided that allows the handheld device to communicate with other computing devices and in some examples provides a channel for receiving information automatically, such as by scanning. Examples of communications link 13 include allowing communication though one or more communication protocols, such as wireless services used to provide cellular access to a network, as well as protocols that provide local wireless connections to networks.

In other examples, applications can be received on a removable Secure Digital (SD) card that is connected to an interface 15. Interface 15 and communication links 13 communicate with a processor 17 (which can also embody processors or servers from other FIGS.) along a bus 19 that is also connected to memory 21 and input/output (I/O) components 23, as well as clock 25 and location system 27.

I/O components 23, in one example, are provided to facilitate input and output operations. I/O components 23 for various examples of the device 16 can include input components such as buttons, touch sensors, optical sensors, microphones, touch screens, proximity sensors, accelerometers, orientation sensors and output components such as a display device, a speaker, and or a printer port. Other I/O components 23 can be used as well.

Clock 25 illustratively comprises a real time clock component that outputs a time and date. Clock 25 can also, illustratively, provide timing functions for processor 17.

Location system 27 illustratively includes a component that outputs a current geographical location of device 16. This can include, for instance, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, a LORAN system, a dead reckoning system, a cellular triangulation system, or other positioning system. System 27 can also include, for example, mapping software or navigation software that generates desired maps, navigation routes and other geographic functions.

Memory 21 stores operating system 29, network settings 31, applications 33, application configuration settings 35, data store 37, communication drivers 39, and communication configuration settings 41. Memory 21 can include all types of tangible volatile and non-volatile computer-readable memory devices. Memory 21 can also include computer storage media (described below). Memory