Managing landbases and machine operations performed thereon

Abstract

A system for timber management on a land base includes a first timber management machine; a computing device for use in the first timber management machine, a touch screen display operatively connected to the computing device for use by an operator of the first timber management machine, a geoposition determining device operatively connected to the computing device for determining position of the first timber management machine, a software application executing on the computing device, wherein the software application provides for displaying a map and a plurality of data layers on the map, wherein the map is configured to show timber bundles laid down, a current location of the first timber management machine as determined by the geoposition determining device, and a current location of a second timber management machine.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for timber management on a land base, comprising:
 a first timber management machine;   a computing device for use in the first timber management machine;   a touch screen display operatively connected to the computing device for use by an operator of the first timber management machine;   a geoposition determining device operatively connected to the computing device for determining position of the first timber management machine;   a software application executing on the computing device, wherein the software application provides for displaying a map and a plurality of data layers on the map, wherein the map is configured to show timber bundles laid down, a current location of the first timber management machine as determined by the geoposition determining device, and a current location of a second timber management machine.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the software application is further configured to generate land management alerts and display the land management alerts on the touch screen display. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  further comprising an interface operatively connected to the computing device for operatively connecting one or more sensors associated with machine operations of the first timber management machine to the computing device. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  further comprising a wireless transceiver operatively connected to the computing device and wherein the software application communicates the current location of the first timber management machine and occurrence of the machine operations from the first timber management machine to the second timber management machine. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first timber management machine is a skidder. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first timber management machine is a feller buncher. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the map includes a skidder data layer for skidder data, a feller buncher data layer for feller buncher data, and a loader data layer for loader data. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a wireless transceiver operatively connected to the computing device and wherein the computing device is configured to receive data from forestry equipment and display the data on the map. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of data layers further include corridor guidance line. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the plurality of data layers further include trees harvested. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the plurality of data layers further include timber bundles picked up. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the plurality of data layers further include tonnage yield monitoring. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the generating land management alerts comprises providing an alert when a land boundary is crossed. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the software application further provides an onscreen distance measurement tool. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the software application further provides for communication of data with a mill.