Refuse vehicle with spatial awareness

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12459730-B2
Application number	US-202318107733-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2023
Priority date	Apr 17, 2020
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

A refuse vehicle comprising a chassis, a body assembly coupled to the chassis, the body assembly defining a refuse compartment, one or more sensors coupled to the body and configured to provide data relating to the presence of an obstacle within an area near the refuse vehicle, a controller configured to receive the data from the one or more sensors, determine, using an obstacle detector and the data, the presence of an obstacle within the area and initiate a control action, wherein the control action includes at least one of controlling the movement of the refuse vehicle, controlling the movement of a lift assembly attached to the body assembly, or generating an alert.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A refuse vehicle, comprising:
a chassis; a body coupled to the chassis, the body defining a refuse compartment; a lift assembly coupled to at least one of the chassis or the body, the lift assembly comprising:
an attachment interface configured to engage with a refuse container; and
a positioning assembly coupled to the attachment interface to facilitate positioning of the attachment interface;
one or more sensors coupled to the body and configured to provide data relating to the presence of an obstacle proximate the refuse vehicle; a controller configured to:
receive the data from the one or more sensors;
determine, using the data, the presence of the obstacle proximate the refuse vehicle; and
generate, a trajectory for the lift assembly, the trajectory comprising a first segment between the refuse vehicle and the refuse container and a second segment between the refuse container and the refuse compartment; and
initiate a control action when the obstacle is detected within the second segment of the trajectory, wherein the control action comprises at least one of controlling the movement of the refuse vehicle, controlling the movement of the lift assembly, or generating an alert.

2 . The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the obstacle is not detected within the first segment.

3 . The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the second segment is not visible to an operator of the refuse vehicle.

4 . The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the obstacle is not positioned between the attachment interface and the refuse container.

5 . The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
control the lift assembly to move along the first segment and engage the attachment interface with a refuse container; initiate, after the attachment interface is engaged with the refuse container, the control action, wherein the control action comprises moving the refuse vehicle until the obstacle is no longer detected; and control, after the control action, the lift assembly to move along the second segment.

6 . The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
control the lift assembly to traverse the trajectory; and initiate the control action prior to the lift assembly traversing the second segment.

7 . The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , the controller further configured to:
determine, based on the data, a speed and a direction of travel of the obstacle; and initiate the control action based on at least one of the presence, the speed, or the direction of travel of the obstacle.

8 . The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the data further relates to the operation of the lift assembly.

9 . The refuse vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the trajectory is determined based on at least one of a known range of motion of the lift assembly or the data.

10 . The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
control the lift assembly to traverse the trajectory; and initiate the control action after the lift assembly engages with the refuse container.

11 . The refuse vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to initiate the control action prior to the lift assembly encountering the obstacle.

12 . The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to associate a risk with the obstacle, the risk based on a determination regarding at least one of the presence, position, speed, or direction of travel of the obstacle.

13 . The refuse vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the control action is based on the risk associated with the obstacle.

14 . A control system for a refuse vehicle comprising:
processing circuitry configured to:
determine a trajectory of a lift assembly coupled to a chassis of the refuse vehicle, wherein the trajectory comprises a first segment between the refuse vehicle and a refuse container and a second segment between the refuse container and a refuse compartment coupled to the chassis;
detect, using one or more sensors coupled to the chassis, an obstacle within the second segment; and
initiate a control action including at least one of controlling the movement of the refuse vehicle, controlling the movement of the lift assembly, or generating an alert.

15 . The control system of claim 14 , wherein the second segment is not visible to an operator of the refuse vehicle.

16 . The control system of claim 14 , wherein the processing circuity is further configured to determine the trajectory based on data from the one or more sensors.

17 . The control system of claim 14 , wherein the processing circuity is further configured to:
control the lift assembly to move along the first segment and engage the lift assembly with the refuse container; initiate, after the lift assembly is engaged with the refuse container, the control action, wherein the control action comprises moving the refuse vehicle until the obstacle is no longer detected; and control, after the control action, the lift assembly to move along the second segment.

18 . The control system of claim 14 , wherein the control action is initiated after the lift assembly traverses the first segment.

19 . A method for controlling a refuse vehicle, the method comprising:
detecting, using one or more sensors coupled to a chassis of the refuse vehicle, an obstacle within a trajectory of a lift assembly coupled to the chassis of the refuse vehicle, wherein the trajectory comprises a first segment between the refuse vehicle and a refuse container and a second segment between the refuse container and a refuse compartment coupled to the chassis; and initiating, when the obstacle is detected in the second segment of the trajectory, a control action comprising at least one of controlling the movement of the refuse vehicle, controlling the movement of the lift assembly, or generating an alert.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
controlling one or more actuators to move the lift assembly along the first segment and engage with the refuse container; initiating, after the refuse container is engaged, the control action; and controlling, after the control action, the one or more actuators to move the lift assembly along the second segment.

Assignees

• Oshkosh Corp

Inventors

• Koga Jeffrey
• Davis Emily
• Kappers Jerrod
• Schad Vince
• Messina Robert S
• Yakes Christopher K
• Rocholl Joshua D
• Hoover Vincent
• Weckwerth Clinton T
• Klein Zachary L
• Beck John
• Chan Brendan
• Wachter Skylar A
• Matsumoto Dale

Classifications

• B60Q1/525

  automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data · CPC title

• B60W2554/4043

  Lateral speed · CPC title

• B65F2003/0279

  the discharging means mounted at the front of the vehicle · CPC title

• B65F2210/168

  Sensing means · CPC title

• B60W2520/06

  Direction of travel · CPC title