SYSTEM FOR MANAGING OPERATION OF INDUSTRIAL VEHICLES

• US 20090265059A1
• Filed: 04/15/2009
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Raymond Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Raymond Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: McCabe, Paul P., Medwin, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 9,650,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/0755 Position control; Position detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/24 Electrical devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

An industrial vehicle has a controller connected to a plurality of sensors for accumulating information related to operation of the vehicle. The controller employs that information in governing further vehicle operation to reduce the likelihood of damage to the vehicle or a load being transported. The information also is analyzed to determine how efficiently the industrial vehicle and its operator are performing in relation to performance benchmarks for the vehicle and in comparison to other industrial vehicles. Performance of the industrial vehicle can be limited to conserve battery power and restrict recharging the battery to off-peak hours of an electrical utility. When the sensors detect a malfunction of the industrial vehicle, a fault code is produced. A service technician can use that fault code to automatically access service manuals stored in the computer system of the vehicle and obtain information for diagnosing and correcting the malfunction.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an industrial vehicle comprising:

electronically reading an indicator on a load being transported by the industrial vehicle;

determining, in response to the indicator, whether the load requires delicate handling; and

in response to the determining, restricting operation of the industrial vehicle to provide delicate handling of the load.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein electronically reading an indicator on a load comprises employing a load sensor selected from the group consisting of a radio frequency identification tag reader, a bar code reader, and a device that utilizes a communication protocol defined by IEEE standard 1902.1.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the indicator uniquely identifies the load;

and the determining comprises employing the indicator to obtain data from a database that indicates whether that particular load requires delicate handling.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the indicator designates that the load requires delicate handling.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein restricting operation comprises limiting at least one of travel speed and rate of travel acceleration of the industrial vehicle.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein restricting operation comprises limiting speed at which the load is raised and lowered.

7. A method for controlling an industrial vehicle at a facility, said method comprising:

detecting when a load is being transported by the industrial vehicle;

in a control system onboard the industrial vehicle, counting how many loads have been transported by the industrial vehicle, thereby compiling load data;

the control system responding to a given event by wirelessly transmitting the load data via a communication system to a computer system; and

the computer system transforming the load data into performance data denoting operational efficiency of the industrial vehicle.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising measuring an amount of time that each load is being transported;

and compiling each amount of time into the load data.

9. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the given event is an end of a predefined period of time.

10. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the given event is a message received by the control system from the computer system.

11. The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising measuring a weight of each load being transported;

and compiling the weight into the load data.

12. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein transforming the load data compares the load data to data from other industrial vehicles at the facility.

13. A method for controlling an industrial vehicle at a facility, said method comprising:

defining a first area at the facility;

detecting a location of the industrial vehicle;

determining from the location when the industrial vehicle is within the first area; and

altering operation of a device on the industrial vehicle in response to the industrial vehicle being within the first area.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein detecting a location of the industrial vehicle employs a global positioning satellite system.

15. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein detecting a location of the industrial vehicle employs signals from a wireless communication system within the facility.

16. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein altering operation of a device comprises disabling operation of the industrial vehicle.

17. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein altering operation of a device comprises issuing an alert to an operator of the industrial vehicle.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 further comprising:

defining a second area at the facility;

determining from the location when the industrial vehicle is within the second area; and

varying operation of the industrial vehicle when within the second area.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein varying operation comprises disabling operation of the industrial vehicle.

20. The method as recited in claim 19 further comprising, in response to a command, re-enabling operation of a previously disabled industrial vehicle.

21. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein the command must be issued by someone other than an operator of the previously disabled industrial vehicle.

22. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein varying operation comprises limiting a travel speed of the industrial vehicle.

23. A method for controlling an industrial vehicle that is powered by a battery that is recharged as necessary by electricity from a utility company, wherein the utility company charges a first rate for electricity delivered during a first period of a day and charges a higher second rate for electricity delivered during a second period of the day, said method comprising:

restricting operation of the industrial vehicle during a restricted operation time period to prolong battery life; and

enabling unrestricted operation of the industrial vehicle during an unrestricted operation time period.

24. The method as recited in claim 23 wherein restricting operation comprises limiting at least one of travel speed and rate of travel acceleration of the industrial vehicle.

25. The method as recited in claim 23 wherein restricting operation comprises limiting speed at which a load is raised.

26. A method for operating an industrial vehicle at a facility, said method comprising:

storing, in a database implemented by a computer system, service information for servicing the industrial vehicle;

upon occurrence of an operating problem, the industrial vehicle generating a fault code designating the operating problem; and

the industrial vehicle utilizing the fault code to access database and obtain the service information associated with the operating problem.

27. The method as recited in claim 26 further comprising displaying, on a display device attached to the industrial vehicle, the service information associated with the operating problem.

28. The method as recited in claim 26 wherein the service information describes a process for diagnosing a cause of the operating problem.

29. The method as recited in claim 26 wherein the service information describes a process for identifying a component of the industrial vehicle which caused the operating problem.

30. The method as recited in claim 29 wherein the service information describes a process for replacing a component of the industrial vehicle which caused the operating problem.

31. The method as recited in claim 26 wherein the computer system is onboard the industrial vehicle.