IP Library Granted Patent US 12676770
Granted Patent B2
US 12676770 · App. 18/439,836 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Method for identifying a technical device function

Inventors: Bernd Baum (Dannstadt-Schauernheim, DE); Martin Schmidt (Mannheim, DE); Stephane Biziorek (Gray, FR)
Assignee: Deere & Company
H04L12/40A01B76/00H04L2012/40273
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12676770
App. No.
18/439,836
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for identifying a technical function of an agricultural attachment connected to a connection interface of a vehicle, the connection interface including multiple vehicle connections and the agricultural attachment including multiple device connections, includes optically acquiring a connection configuration formed by a first of the multiple device connections being connected to a first of the multiple vehicle connections, assigning a predefined technical function of the first of the multiple device connections to the first of the multiple vehicle connections, and identifying the predefined technical function at the first of the multiple vehicle connections depending on configuration information regarding the assigned predefined technical function.

Claims (31)

1 . A method for identifying a technical function of an agricultural attachment connected to a connection interface of a vehicle, the connection interface including multiple vehicle connections and the agricultural attachment including multiple device connections, comprising:

selecting via a data processing unit, included in a mobile device, the vehicle via a vehicle-specific identifier representing the selected vehicle;

selecting via the data processing unit the agricultural attachment via a device-specific identifier representing the selected agricultural attachment;

generating via the data processing unit vehicle profile data depending on an optical acquisition via a camera, included in the mobile device, of the multiple vehicle connections of the vehicle in an unconnected state with respect to the agricultural attachment;

assigning via the data processing unit the vehicle profile data to the vehicle-specific identifier, the vehicle profile data representing at least one connection feature of a first of the multiple vehicle connections;

generating via the data processing unit device profile data depending on an optical acquisition via the camera of the multiple device connections of the agricultural attachment in an unconnected state with respect to the vehicle;

assigning via the data processing unit the device profile data to the device-specific identifier, the device profile data represent at least one connection feature of a first of the multiple device connections;

optically acquiring via the camera a plurality of images from different angles of a connection configuration formed by the first of the multiple device connections being connected to the first of the multiple vehicle connections;

signaling by one or more of optically or acoustically via the data processing unit a successful identification of the connection configuration;

assigning via the data processing unit a predefined technical function of the first of the multiple device connections to the first of the multiple vehicle connections after the optical acquisition via the camera of the connection configuration;

receiving via the data processing unit confirmation of the assigned predefined technical function;

identifying via the data processing unit the predefined technical function at the first of the multiple vehicle connections depending on configuration information regarding the assigned predefined technical function; and

transferring via the data processing unit the configuration information from the mobile device to the vehicle.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one connection feature includes an optical marking of the multiple device connections.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first of the multiple vehicle connections includes an energy connection configured for energy output to the first of the multiple device connections, which is configured for energy intake from the first of the multiple vehicle connections.

4 . A system for identifying a technical function of an agricultural attachment connected to a connection interface of a vehicle, the connection interface including multiple vehicle connections and the agricultural attachment including multiple device connections, comprising:

a camera, included in a mobile device, configured to optically acquire the multiple vehicle connections of the vehicle in an unconnected state with respect to the agricultural attachment, optically acquire the multiple device connections of the agricultural attachment in an unconnected state with respect to the vehicle, and optically acquire a plurality of images from different angles of a connection configuration formed by a first of the multiple device connections being connected to a first of the multiple vehicle connections; and

a data processing unit, included in the mobile device, configured to

select the vehicle via a vehicle-specific identifier representing the selected vehicle,

select the agricultural attachment via a device-specific identifier representing the selected agricultural attachment,

generate vehicle profile data depending on the optical acquisition via the camera of the multiple vehicle connections of the vehicle in an unconnected state with respect to the agricultural attachment,

assign the vehicle profile data to the vehicle-specific identifier, the vehicle profile data representing at least one connection feature of the first of the multiple vehicle connections,

generate device profile data depending on the optical acquisition via the camera of the multiple device connections of the agricultural attachment in an unconnected state with respect to the vehicle,

assign the device profile data to the device-specific identifier, the device profile data representing at least one connection feature of the first of the multiple device connections,

signal by one or more of optically or acoustically a successful identification of the connection configuration,

assign a predefined technical function of the first of the multiple device connections to the first of the multiple vehicle connections after the optical acquisition via the camera of the connection configuration,

receive confirmation of the assigned predefined technical function,

identify the predefined technical function at the first of the multiple vehicle connections depending on configuration information regarding the assigned predefined technical function, and

transfer the configuration information from the mobile device to the vehicle.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one connection feature includes an optical marking of the multiple device connections.

6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the first of the multiple vehicle connections includes an energy connection configured for energy output to the first of the multiple device connections, which is configured for energy intake from the first of the multiple vehicle connections.