Adaptive acceleration for materials handling vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11827503-B2
Application number	US-202117249798-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2021
Priority date	Mar 18, 2020
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

Operating a materials handling vehicle includes monitoring, by a controller, a first vehicle drive parameter during a first manual operation of the vehicle by an operator; monitoring, by the controller, the first vehicle drive parameter during a second manual operation of the vehicle by the operator; receiving, by the controller after the first manual operation of the vehicle and the second manual operation of the vehicle, a request to implement a semi-automated driving operation; calculating, by the controller, a first weighted average based on the monitored first vehicle drive parameter during the first manual operation of the vehicle and the monitored first vehicle parameter during the second manual operation of the vehicle; and based at least in part on the calculated first weighted average, controlling, by the controller, implementation of the semi-automated driving operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating a materials handling vehicle comprising:
monitoring, by a controller, a first vehicle drive parameter during a first manual operation of the vehicle by an operator;
monitoring, by the controller, the first vehicle drive parameter during a second manual operation of the vehicle by the operator;
receiving, by the controller after the first manual operation of the vehicle and the second manual operation of the vehicle, a request to implement a semi-automated driving operation;
calculating, by the controller, a first weighted average based on the first vehicle drive parameter monitored during the first manual operation of the vehicle and the first vehicle drive parameter monitored during the second manual operation of the vehicle; and
based at least in part on the calculated first weighted average, controlling, by the controller, implementation of the semi-automated driving operation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the first weighted average comprises:
calculating a first component of the first weighted average by applying a first weight value to a first processed value related to the first vehicle parameter monitored during the first manual operation of the vehicle;
calculating a second component of the first weighted average by applying a second weight value to a second processed value related to the first vehicle parameter monitored during the second manual operation of the vehicle; and
calculating the first weighted average based on the calculated first and second components.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first weight value is different than the second weight value.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second weight value is larger than the first weight value.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the second manual operation of the vehicle occurs closer in time, than the first manual operation, to receiving the request to implement the semi-automated driving operation.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first vehicle drive parameter monitored during the first and second manual operations of the vehicle corresponds to a first direction of travel of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6 , comprising:
concurrently monitoring with the first vehicle drive parameter, by the controller, a second vehicle drive parameter corresponding to a second direction different from the first direction of travel during the first manual operation and the second manual operation of the vehicle by the operator.

8. The method of claim 7 , comprising:
calculating, by the controller, a second weighted average based on the second vehicle drive parameter monitored during the first manual operation of the vehicle and the second vehicle drive parameter monitored during the second manual operation of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first vehicle drive parameter comprises acceleration in the first direction and the second vehicle drive parameter comprises acceleration in the second direction.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first and second directions are substantially orthogonal to each other.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
modifying the calculated first weighted average based on the calculated second weighted average when the calculated second weighted average falls outside of a predefined mid-range.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
based on the modified first weighted average, controlling, by the controller, implementation of the semi-automated driving operation.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling implementation of the semi-automated driving operation comprises limiting a maximum acceleration of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein a semi-automated driving operation of the vehicle occurs between the first and second manual operations.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the first weighted average comprises:
calculating a first component of the first weighted average by applying a first weight value to a first averaged value related to the first vehicle parameter monitored during the first manual operation of the vehicle;
calculating a second component of the first weighted average by applying a second weight value to a second averaged value related to the first vehicle parameter monitored during the second manual operation of the vehicle; and
calculating the first weighted average based on the calculated first and second components.

16. A system for operating a materials handling vehicle comprising:
a memory storing executable instructions; and
a processor in communication with the memory, wherein execution of the executable instructions by the processor causes the processor to:
monitor a first vehicle drive parameter during a first manual operation of the vehicle by an operator;
monitor the first vehicle drive parameter during a second manual operation of the vehicle by the operator;
receive, after the first manual operation of the vehicle and the second manual operation of the vehicle, a request to implement a semi-automated driving operation;
calculate a first weighted average based on the first vehicle drive parameter monitored during the first manual operation of the vehicle and the first vehicle drive parameter monitored during the second manual operation of the vehicle; and
control implementation of the semi-automated driving operation based at least in part on the calculated first weighted average.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein calculating the first weighted average comprises:
calculating a first component of the first weighted average by applying a first weight value to a first processed value related to the first vehicle drive parameter monitored during the first manual operation of the vehicle;
calculating a second component of the first weighted average by applying a second weight value to a second processed value related to the first vehicle drive parameter monitored during the second manual operation of the vehicle; and
calculating the first weighted average based on the calculated first and second components.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the first weight value is different than the second weight value.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the second weight value is larger than the first weight value.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the second manual operation of the vehicle occurs closer in time, than the first manual operation, to receiving the request to implement the semi-automated driving operation.

21. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first vehicle drive parameter monitored during the first and second manual operations of the vehicle corresponds to a first direction of travel of the vehicle.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein execution of the executable instructions by the processor causes the processor to:
concurrently monitor with the first vehicle drive parameter a second vehicle drive parameter corresponding to a second direction different from the first direction of travel during the first manual operation and the second manual operation of the vehicle by the operator.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein execution of the executable instructions by the processor causes the processor to:
calculate a second weighted average based on the second vehicle drive parameter monitored during the first manual operation of the vehicle and the second vehicle drive parameter monitored during the monitored second manual operation of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Crown Equip Corp

Inventors

• Theos Sebastian
• Nachtigal Johannes
• Simon Andreas

Classifications

• B66F9/24 Primary

  Electrical devices or systems · CPC title

• B66F9/127

  Working platforms · CPC title

• B66F9/18

  Load gripping or retaining means · CPC title

• G05D1/0066 Primary

  for limitation of acceleration or stress · CPC title

• G05D1/0088

  characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00) · CPC title