Method and system for monitoring logistics facilities

• US 10,055,647 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2015
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jungheinrich AG
• Original Assignee: Jungheinrich AG
• Inventors: Beckhaus, Kai, Preisker, Manuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Sosanya, Obafemi
• Application Number:
  US14/958,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20160165190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/13 Satellite images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/17 taken from planes or by drones
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for monitoring processes and/or operating states in logistics facilities, in particular in roofed logistics facilities, comprising: providing a system which comprises at least one unmanned aerial vehicle (20), having at least one sensor, and comprises at least one data processing machine and at least one output device, detecting a current state of at least one characteristic in the logistics facility by means of the at least one sensor of the at least one aerial vehicle and transmitting the data representing the current state to the data processing machine, processing the data representing the current state by the data processing machine, wherein at least one processing result is obtained, and transmitting the at least one processing result to the output device, outputting the processing result by the output device, wherein the processing of the data transmitted by the at least one sensor comprises comparing the detected current state with a predetermined target state.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring processes and/or operating states in a roofed logistics facility, comprising:

providing a system, the system comprising;

at least one unmanned aerial vehicle having at least one sensor, the sensor capable of providing three-dimensional information;

at least one data processing machine;

at least one output device;

detecting a current state of at least one characteristic in the roofed logistics facility by means of the three-dimensional information provided by the at least one sensor of the at least one aerial vehicle and transmitting the data representing the current state to the data processing machine, wherein the current state includes a position of an object in a high-bay racking of the roofed logistics facility;

processing the data representing the current state by the data processing machine, at least one processing result being obtained, and transmitting the at least one processing result to the output device;

outputting the processing result by the output device;

wherein the processing of the data transmitted by the at least one sensor comprises comparing the detected current state with a predetermined target state, wherein the predetermined target state includes a permitted position of the object, wherein the permitted position is determined based on the three-dimensional information indicating i) the position of the object relative to the high-bay racking and ii) an additional position of an additional object relative to the high-bay racking.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, if a difference is determined between the current state and the predetermined target state, the comparison of the current state with the predetermined target state further comprises evaluating the difference, and the processing result comprises information on the result of the evaluation.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the output device outputs the processing result to a management system, which runs predefined processes on the basis of the processing result.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the output device optically displays the processing result to a user and/or optionally notifies said user by means of an acoustic signal if the processing result satisfies a predetermined condition.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detection of the current state comprises recording three-dimensional information by the at least one sensor.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one aerial vehicle flies autonomously.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic includes a characteristic from:

a clear object identifier, an object position, an object condition, a person'"'"'s authorization, a person'"'"'s equipment.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining that the detected current state requires increased monitoring.

8. A system for monitoring processes and/or operating states a roofed logistics facility, comprising:

at least one unmanned aerial vehicle which comprises at least one sensor, the sensor capable of providing three-dimensional data, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is designed to detect a current state of at least one characteristic in the roofed logistics facility by means of the three-dimensional data provided by the at least one sensor, wherein the current state includes a position of an object in a high-bay racking of the roofed logistics facility;

at least one data processing machine which is or can be coupled for communication with the at least one sensor of the aerial vehicle in order to receive data representing the current state from the at least one sensor, and is also designed to process the data representing the current state, at least one processing result being obtained;

at least one output device which is or can be coupled for communication with the data processing machine in order to receive the processing result and is also designed to output the processing result;

wherein the data processing machine comprises a memory and/or operatively communicates with a memory device, in which data representing a predetermined target state are stored, wherein the predetermined target state includes a permitted position of the object, wherein the permitted position is determined based on the three-dimensional data indicating i) the position of the object relative to the high-bay racking and ii) an additional position of an additional object relative to the high-bay racking, and

wherein the data processing machine is also designed to compare the detected current state with the at least one predetermined target state when processing the three-dimensional data received from the at least one sensor.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the system further comprises a management system and/or communicates with an external management system which is designed to receive the processing result output by the output device and to run predefined processes on the basis of the processing result.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the output device comprises means for optically displaying the processing result and/or means for acoustically notifying a user if the processing result satisfies a predetermined condition.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a photonic mixer device camera, a laser scanner and/or an ultrasonic apparatus.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein the at least one aerial vehicle is designed to fly autonomously.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein the data processing machine is provided in the at least one aerial vehicle.

14. The system according to claim 8, wherein the data processing machine is formed separately from the at least one aerial vehicle and is wirelessly connected to the sensor of the at least one aerial vehicle for data transmission.

16. The system according to claim 8, wherein the data processing machine is also designed to determine that the detected current state requires increased monitoring.