Agricultural work vehicle and control method

1. A working vehicle ( 2 ) for use in agriculture, having a vehicle front and a vehicle rear and being configured for mounting a laterally protruding implement on at least one of the vehicle front and vehicle rear, the working vehicle comprising:

an electronically controllable drive motor ( 4 ),

an electronically controllable brake system ( 6 ),

a sensor arrangement ( 8 ) for measuring rotational movements or rotational oscillations about at least one reference axis ( 40 , 44 , 48 ) of the working vehicle ( 2 ), and

an electronic control device ( 10 ) for evaluating sensor data of the sensor arrangement ( 8 ) and for activating a drive motor ( 4 ) or a brake system ( 6 ) of the work vehicle,

wherein the sensor arrangement ( 8 ) comprises

at least one sensor ( 38 a , 38 b ) for measuring the rotational movements or the rotational oscillations about a transverse axis ( 40 ) of the working vehicle ( 2 ),

at least one sensor ( 42 a , 42 b ) for measuring rotational movements or rotational oscillations about a longitudinal axis ( 44 ) of the working vehicle ( 2 ), and

at least one sensor ( 46 a , 46 b ) for measuring rotational movements or rotational oscillations about a vertical axis ( 48 ) of the working vehicle ( 2 ),

wherein an electronic data storage ( 50 ) is assigned to the electronic control device ( 10 ) and stores threshold values (ω N_max , ω R_max , ω G_max ) for the rotational movements or rotational oscillations about the transverse, longitudinal, and vertical axes ( 40 , 44 , 48 ),

wherein the electronic control device ( 10 ) is programmed to determine, from the measured values of rotational movements or rotational oscillations detected by the sensors, characteristic values (ω N , ω R , ω G ) of the rotational movements or rotational oscillations about the transverse, longitudinal, and vertical axes ( 40 , 44 , 48 ), respectively,

wherein, as a function of at least one of the characteristic values (ω N , ω R , ω G ) and the assigned threshold value (ω N_max , ω R_max , ω G_max ), the electronic control device is programmed to decide whether a reduction in travel speed (V F ) is required and that upon an affirmative decision, the electronic control device is programmed to activate the drive motor ( 4 ) or the brake system ( 6 ) such that the travel speed (V F ) is reduced until the characteristic value (ω N , ω R , ω G ) reaches or falls below the relevant threshold value (ω N_max , ω R_max , ω G_max ) by activating the drive motor to reduce the travel speed by reducing a torque output from the drive motor or reducing a rotational speed of the drive motor.

2. The working vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electronic control device ( 10 ) is configured to automatically determine the threshold values (ω N_max , ω R_max , ω G_max ) using the measured values, to automatically perform an identification of a fitted implement, and to store the threshold values and the identification in the electronic data storage ( 50 ).

3. The working vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an input device ( 52 ) for a manual input of an identifier of a fitted implement, a nature of a terrain to be traveled and the threshold values (ω N_max , ω R_max , ω G_max ) for storing the identifier, the nature of the terrain, and the threshold values in the electronic data storage ( 50 ).

4. The working vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sensor arrangement ( 48 ) is a component of an electronic stability control module ( 36 ) for measuring the rotational movements or rotational oscillations of the working vehicle ( 2 ).

5. The working vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electronic control device ( 10 ) is integrated in a speed control system ( 54 ).

6. The working vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the travel speed is reduced as a continuous reduction of the travel speed (V F ) or as a stepwise reduction of the travel speed until the characteristic value (ω N , ω R , ω G ) of the rotational movement or of the rotational oscillation has reached or fallen below the assigned threshold value (ω N_max , ω R_max , ω G_max ).

7. The working vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the characteristic value of a respective measured rotational oscillation is determined as an oscillation amplitude or as an RMS value of the measured rotational oscillation, and wherein the predetermined threshold value is a threshold oscillation amplitude or an RMS threshold value.

8. A method for controlling a working vehicle ( 2 ) for use in agriculture, having a vehicle front and a vehicle rear and being configured for mounting a laterally protruding implement on at least one of the vehicle front and vehicle rear, the working vehicle having an electronically controllable drive motor ( 4 ), an electronically controllable brake system ( 6 ), a sensor arrangement ( 8 ) for detecting rotational movements or rotational oscillations about at least one of three reference axes ( 40 , 44 , 48 ) of the working vehicle ( 2 ), and an electronic control device ( 10 ) for evaluating sensor data of the sensor arrangement ( 8 ) and for activating a drive motor ( 4 ) or a brake system ( 6 ), wherein the rotational movements or the rotational oscillations are measured by a sensor of the sensor arrangement, the method comprising the following steps:

determining a characteristic value (ω N , ω R , ω G ) for each of the measured rotational movements or rotational oscillations,

comparing each characteristic value (ω N , ω R , ω G ) with a respective predetermined threshold value (ω N_max , ω R_max , ω G_max ), and

upon determining that the characteristic value (ω N , ω R , ω G ) exceeds the threshold value (ω N_max , ω R_max , ω G_max ), reducing a travel speed (V F ) of the working vehicle ( 2 ) until the characteristic value (ω N , ω R , ω G ) has reached or fallen below the threshold value (ω N_max , ω R_max , ω G_max );

wherein the step of reducing the travel speed is performed as a continuous reduction of the travel speed (V F ) or as a stepwise reduction of the travel speed until the characteristic value (ω N , ω R , ω G ) of the rotational movement or of the rotational oscillation has reached or fallen below the assigned threshold value (ω N_max , ω R_max , ω G_max ).

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the characteristic value of a respective measured rotational movement is determined as rotational velocity (ω N , ω R , ω G ) or as a rotational acceleration of the measured rotational movement, and wherein the compared predetermined threshold value is a threshold rotational velocity (ω N_max , ω R_max , ω G_max ) or a threshold rotational acceleration.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the characteristic value of a respective measured rotational oscillation is determined as an oscillation amplitude or as an RMS value of the measured rotational oscillation, and wherein the predetermined threshold value is a threshold oscillation amplitude or an RMS threshold value.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising the steps of:

low-pass filtering the sensor signals for the measured rotational movement the measured rotational oscillation, and

evaluating the low-passed filtered sensor signals in the electronic control device ( 10 ).

12. The method as claimed claim 8 , wherein the step of reducing the travel speed is performed as a continuous reduction of the travel speed (V F ) until the characteristic value (ω N , ω R , ω G ) of the rotational movement or of the rotational oscillation has reached or fallen below the assigned threshold value (ω N_max , ω R_max , ω G_max ).

13. The method as claimed claim 8 , wherein the step of reducing the travel speed is performed as a stepwise reduction of the travel speed (V F ) until the characteristic value (ω N , ω R , ω G ) of the rotational movement or of the rotational oscillation has reached or fallen below the assigned threshold value (ω N_max , ω R_max , ω G_max ).

14. The method as claimed in one of claims 8 , wherein the step of reducing the travel speed is performed by activating the brake system ( 6 ) including actuating service brakes of at least one brake circuit of the brake system ( 6 ).

15. A method for controlling a working vehicle ( 2 ) for use in agriculture, having a vehicle front and a vehicle rear and being configured for mounting a laterally protruding implement on at least one of the vehicle front and vehicle rear, the working vehicle having an electronically controllable drive motor ( 4 ), an electronically controllable brake system ( 6 ), a sensor arrangement ( 8 ) for detecting rotational movements or rotational oscillations about at least one of three reference axes ( 40 , 44 , 48 ) of the working vehicle ( 2 ), and an electronic control device ( 10 ) for evaluating sensor data of the sensor arrangement ( 8 ) and for activating a drive motor ( 4 ) or a brake system ( 6 ), wherein the rotational movements or the rotational oscillations are measured by a sensor of the sensor arrangement, the method comprising the following steps:

determining a characteristic value (ω N , ω R , ω G ) for each of the measured rotational movements or rotational oscillations,

comparing each characteristic value (ω N , ω R , ω G ) with a respective predetermined threshold value (ω N_max , ω R_max , ω G_max ), and

upon determining that the characteristic value (ω N , ω R , ω G ) exceeds the threshold value (ω N_max , ω R_max , ω G_max ), reducing a travel speed (V F ) of the working vehicle ( 2 ) until the characteristic value (ω N , ω R , ω G ) has reached or fallen below the threshold value (ω N_max , ω R_max , ω G_max );

wherein the step of reducing the travel speed is performed by reducing a torque output from the drive motor ( 4 ) or by reducing a rotational speed of the drive motor ( 4 ).

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the characteristic value of a respective measured rotational movement is determined as rotational velocity (ω N , ω R , ω G ) or as a rotational acceleration of the measured rotational movement, and wherein the compared predetermined threshold value is a threshold rotational velocity (ω N_max , ω R_max , ω G_max ) or a threshold rotational acceleration.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the characteristic value of a respective measured rotational oscillation is determined as an oscillation amplitude or as an RMS value of the measured rotational oscillation, and wherein the predetermined threshold value is a threshold oscillation amplitude or an RMS threshold value.

18. The method as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising the steps of:

low-pass filtering the sensor signals for the measured rotational movement the measured rotational oscillation, and

evaluating the low-passed filtered sensor signals in the electronic control device ( 10 ).

19. The method as claimed claim 15 , wherein the step of reducing the travel speed is performed as a continuous reduction of the travel speed (V F ) until the characteristic value (ω N , ω R , ω G ) of the rotational movement or of the rotational oscillation has reached or fallen below the assigned threshold value (ω N_max , ω R_max , ω G_max ).

20. The method as claimed claim 15 , wherein the step of reducing the travel speed is performed as a stepwise reduction of the travel speed (V F ) until the characteristic value (ω N , ω R , ω G ) of the rotational movement or of the rotational oscillation has reached or fallen below the assigned threshold value (ω N_max , ω R_max , ω G_max ).