FLEET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20120232961A1
• Filed: 05/25/2012
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
• Inventors: Wellman, Timothy A., Winner, Dean E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,202,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.38
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/55 Remote control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/589 Wireless data transfers
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/592 Data transfer involving external databases
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/55 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/589 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/592 External database involved
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/80 Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/85 Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/15 Fork lift trucks, Industrial trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/07581 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/24 Electrical devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0282 generated in a local control room
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0291 Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 : Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 : Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 : communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 : Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 : Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/185 : by embedding added-value information into content, e.g. geo-tagging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 : for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Materials handling vehicles are integrated with enterprise computing systems by providing a transceiver on a vehicle, where the transceiver is configured for wireless data communication across a wireless computing environment. More particularly, integration is implemented by configuring a processor on the materials handling vehicle to: communicate with the transceiver for wireless communication to a corresponding server computer, to communicate with at least one electronics component of the materials handling vehicle across a vehicle network bus and to receive logon information to identify an operator logging onto the materials handling vehicle. Integration also comprises configuring the processor to implement at least one customization function on the materials handling vehicle based upon the received logon information by: wirelessly communicating information between the server computer and the materials handling vehicle via the transceiver and interacting with at least one component of the materials handling vehicle across the materials handling vehicle network bus.

Claims

1. A method of integrating materials handling vehicles with enterprise computing systems comprising:

providing a transceiver on a materials handling vehicle, the transceiver configured for wireless data communication across a wireless computing environment;

configuring a processor on the materials handling vehicle to communicate with the transceiver for wireless communication across the wireless computing environment to a corresponding server computer;

configuring the processor to communicate with at least one electronics component of the materials handling vehicle across a vehicle network bus;

configuring the processor to receive logon information to identify an operator logging onto the materials handling vehicle; and

configuring the processor to implement at least one customization function on the materials handling vehicle based upon the received logon information by;

wirelessly communicating information between the server computer and the materials handling vehicle via the transceiver; and

interacting with at least one component of the materials handling vehicle across the materials handling vehicle network bus.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

wirelessly communicating information between the server computer and the materials handling vehicle via the transceiver comprises receiving operator customization information from the server computer; and

interacting with at least one component of the materials handling vehicle across the materials handling vehicle network bus comprises communicating the customization information across the materials handling vehicle network bus of the materials handling vehicle to customize at least one networked component of the materials handling vehicle according to operator defined preferences.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining customized settings selected by an operator for at least one of a specific materials handling vehicle or a specific type of materials handling vehicle for a fleet having a plurality of materials handling vehicles; and

storing the obtained customized settings at the server computer;

wherein;

configuring the processor to implement at least one customization function on the materials handling vehicle based upon the received logon information comprises implementing operator customization;

wirelessly communicating information between the server computer and the materials handling vehicle via the transceiver comprises;

identifying the operator logged onto the materials handling vehicle;

identifying at least one of the specific materials handling vehicle or the materials handling vehicle type that the operator is logged into; and

obtaining the operator'"'"'s preferences for the associated materials handling vehicle that the operator is logged into from the computer server; and

interacting with at least one component of the materials handling vehicle across the materials handling vehicle network bus comprises communicating across the materials handling vehicle network bus to configure the materials handling vehicle for operation according to the operator'"'"'s preferences received from the server computer.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

configuring the processor to implement at least one customization function on the materials handling vehicle based upon the received logon information comprises implementing performance tuning of the materials handling vehicle;

wirelessly communicating information between the server computer and the materials handling vehicle via the transceiver comprises receiving a performance rating from the server computer for the operator logged onto the corresponding materials handling vehicle; and

interacting with at least one component of the materials handling vehicle across the materials handling vehicle network bus comprises communicating instructions from the processor to at least one vehicle component across the materials handling vehicle network bus to selectively limit, disable or configure the performance of at least one feature based upon the performance rating associated with that operator.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the performance rating is based upon an assessment of the operator'"'"'s skill in operating the materials handling vehicle.

6. A method of implementing a reconfigurable wireless communications system between a materials handling vehicle and a corresponding server comprising:

providing a transceiver on a materials handling vehicle, the transceiver configured for wireless data communication across a wireless computing environment;

configuring a processor on the materials handling vehicle to communicate with the transceiver for wireless communication across the wireless computing environment to a corresponding server computer;

providing identification information from the processor on the materials handling vehicle to the server computer identifying at least one of a vehicle or an operator;

receiving customization parameters from the applications server based upon the provided identification information; and

reconfiguring at least one feature of the materials handling vehicle according to the retrieved customization parameters.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

requiring an operator provide an operator identification to log onto a materials handling vehicle; and

verifying that the provided operator identification identifies the operator as being authorized to operate the material handling vehicle;

wherein;

providing identification information from the processor on the materials handling vehicle to the applications server identifying at least one of a vehicle or an operator comprises providing the operator information of the logged on operator;

receiving customization parameters from the applications server based upon the provided identification information comprises receiving operator customization parameters associated uniquely with the operator identification; and

reconfiguring at least one feature of the materials handling vehicle according to the retrieved customization parameters comprises reconfiguring at least one feature of the materials handling vehicle according to the retrieved operator customization parameters.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein:

at least one customization parameter comprises a language parameter, further comprising;

displaying operator messages on the materials handling vehicle in an operator selected language from a plurality of language options.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein:

reconfiguring at least one feature of the materials handling vehicle according to the retrieved operator customization parameters comprises;

performing at least one of updating current operator messages in a new language format selected by the operator from a plurality of language options by downloading the new language messages from the applications server or updating new operator messages in a language format identified by the operator.

10. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

automatically adjusting at least one of a seat position, vehicle control macros, and vehicle performance characteristics based upon the operator identification.

11. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

rating each operator of the materials handling vehicle by at least one of training, skill or experience;

wherein;

reconfiguring at least one feature of the materials handling vehicle according to the retrieved operator customization parameters comprises;

identifying a select rating associated with an operator identification used to log onto the materials handling vehicle; and

adjusting at least one performance characteristic of the materials handling vehicle based upon the select rating.

12. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

coupling said processor for communication with a plurality of electronic components using a plurality of wires;

wherein;

reconfiguring at least one feature of the materials handling vehicle according to the retrieved customization parameters comprises configuring the processor to communicate with the plurality of electronic components based upon parameters that assign specific functions to each of the plurality of wires that couple the processor to the plurality of electronic components.

13. The method according to claim 6, wherein reconfiguring at least one feature of the materials handling vehicle according to the retrieved operator customization parameters comprises:

setting a parameter to disable or limit the functionality of the materials handling vehicle if the server computer determines that servicing is required for the materials handling vehicle.