Industrial vehicle control based upon zones

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11301738-B2
Application number	US-202016786264-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2020
Priority date	Jun 24, 2016
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

A control system for an industrial vehicle includes a badge communicator and an information linking device. The badge communicator has a transceiver for short range communication with electronic badges that are within in a fixed short range of the badge communicator, defining a first zone. The information linking device is programmed to execute program code. The program code extracts a current state of an operating parameter read from an industrial vehicle network bus, generates a second zone within the first zone that is defined based upon the extracted industrial vehicle operating parameter, detects a presence of an electronic badge within the first zone, determines whether the electronic badge is within the second zone, performs a first action if the detected electronic badge is not within the second zone, and performs a second action if the electronic badge is within the second zone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for controlling an industrial vehicle comprising:
a badge communicator on an industrial vehicle that communicates with electronic badges that are in range of the badge communicator; and
a controller on the industrial vehicle that is coupled to memory, wherein the controller executes program code stored in the memory to:
receive, from a remote server via a transceiver on the industrial vehicle, predetermined criteria that characterize a modification to at least one of a size and a shape of an awareness zone based upon a current state of the industrial vehicle, where the awareness zone is a virtual zone different from but contained within a maximum detection zone determined by a maximum physical limit to a range of the badge communicator;
receive from the badge communicator, an indication that the badge communicator has detected the presence of an electronic badge within the maximum detection zone;
receive from the badge communicator, a measured distance to the electronic badge; and
determine whether the detected electronic badge is within the awareness zone based upon the measured distance, an evaluation of the current state of the industrial vehicle, and the predetermined criteria; and
automatically send an electronic command to at least one vehicle component responsive to the detected electronic badge being within the currently established awareness zone.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined criteria is industrial vehicle speed such that the size of the awareness zone changes based upon industrial vehicle speed.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is further programmed such that the size of the awareness zone is increased as the speed of the industrial vehicle is increased, and the size of the awareness zone decreases as the speed of the industrial vehicle decreases.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is integrated into an information linking device on the industrial vehicle, the information linking device communicably coupled to the transceiver that wirelessly communicates with the remote server; and
the information linking device further executes program code to send a command to the badge communicator to increase the size of the awareness zone based upon detecting an increase in the travel speed of the industrial vehicle, and to send a command to the badge communicator to decrease the size of the awareness zone based upon detecting a decrease in the travel speed of the industrial vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the predetermined criteria defines a speed threshold such that the awareness zone has a first size when the industrial vehicle is being operated below the speed threshold, and the awareness zones has a second size larger than the first size when the industrial vehicle is being operated above the speed threshold.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the predetermined criteria causes the size and/or shape of the awareness zone to continuously vary based upon vehicle speed.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the badge communicator further includes multiple antennae, such that the badge communicator identifies both the presence and direction of the detected electronic badge; and
the awareness zone is virtually defined so as to have a shape that is not a circular radius.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the badge communicator further includes multiple antennae, such that the badge communicator identifies both the presence and distance of the detected electronic badge; and
the awareness zone is virtually defined as an area within, but not extending to the limits of the maximum detection zone.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the badge communicator further includes multiple antennae, such that the badge communicator identifies presence, distance, and direction of the detected electronic badge; and
the awareness zone is virtually defined as an area within, but not extending to the limits of the maximum detection zone.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined criteria is the industrial vehicle forward travel direction such that at least one of the size and shape of the awareness zone changes depending upon whether the forward travel direction of the industrial vehicle is power unit first or whether the forward travel direction of the industrial vehicle is load handling feature first.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the size of the awareness zone is greater in the forward travel direction of the industrial vehicle and relatively smaller behind the industrial vehicle when the industrial vehicle is traveling.

12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined criteria is industrial vehicle load such that at least one of the size and shape of the awareness zone changes depending upon at least one of load height and load weight.

13. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined criteria includes pre-programmed variables for predicted operator reaction time, travel speed, and vehicle stopping distance based upon a current load weight such that at least one of the size and shape of the awareness zone is dynamically generated.

14. The system according to claim 1 further comprising an action zone contained within the awareness zone such that:
when the electronic badge is detected in the detection zone, but not in the awareness zone or the action zone, the electronic badge encounter is logged by the controller, but no modification of the industrial vehicle is taken;
when the electronic badge is detected in the awareness zone but not in the action zone, the controller sends an electronic signal to an output device to initiate an output message to an industrial vehicle operator; and
when the electronic badge is detected in the action zone, the controller implements control automation to perform at least one action to stop the industrial vehicle or reduce the speed of the industrial vehicle.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising defining a zone boarder within an operating environment such that the action zone automation is overridden if the detected electronic badge is determined to be in the action zone and the zone boarder is determined to be between the industrial vehicle and the detected electronic badge.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic command to at least one vehicle component comprises modifying a setpoint of at least one of a traction controller and a hydraulic controller;
wherein, if the industrial vehicle is being operated above the modified setpoint, the industrial vehicle is automatically controlled to an operational state within the modified setpoint.

17. A process for controlling an industrial vehicle comprising:
communicating by a badge communicator on an industrial vehicle, with electronic badges that are in range of the badge communicator, the electronic badges not associated with the industrial vehicle operator; and
executing, by a controller on the industrial vehicle that is coupled to memory, program code stored in the memory for:
receiving from a remote server, predetermined criteria that characterize modification to at least one of a size and a shape of an awareness zone based upon a current state of the industrial vehicle, where the awareness zone is a virtual zone different from but contained within a maximum detection zone determined by a maximum physical limit to a range of the badge communicator;
receiving, from the badge communicator, an indication that the badge communicator has detected the presence of an electronic badge wit

Assignees

• Crown Equip Corp

Inventors

• Manci Lewis H
• Buchmann Juergen
• Simon Andreas
• Theos Sebastian

Classifications

• G05D1/6987

  by centralised control off-board any of the vehicles · CPC title

• G05D1/242

  Means based on the reflection of waves generated by the vehicle (using passive navigation aids external to the vehicle G05D1/244; using signals provided by artificial sources external to the vehicle G05D1/247) · CPC title

• G06V20/59

  inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions · CPC title

• F16P3/147 Primary

  using electro-magnetic technology, e.g. tags or radar · CPC title

• G07C9/28

  the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence · CPC title