Fleet management system

• US 8,239,252 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2011
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
• Inventors: Wellman, Timothy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Masud, Rokib
• Application Number:
  US13/274,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20120046982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/2, 701/35, 701/70, 701/71, 705/7, 705/11, 705/34
• US Class Current: 705/11
• 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

A method of implementing an automated diagnostic checklist for materials handling vehicles comprises detecting, by a processor on a materials handling vehicle, an error in operation of the materials handling vehicle and initiating an automated diagnostic check of a component of the materials handling vehicle in response to detecting the error. The method also comprises obtaining error event information by the processor, from across a vehicle controller area network (CAN) bus, where the obtained error event information is related to at least one condition of the materials handling vehicle and wirelessly transmitting the obtained error event information to a server having software thereon for specifically monitoring materials handling vehicles. The error in operation of the materials handling vehicle is repaired in response to receiving the wirelessly transmitted error event information obtained automatically from the CAN bus.

Claims

1. A method of implementing an automated diagnostic checklist for materials handling vehicles comprising:

detecting, by a processor on a materials handling vehicle, an error in operation of the materials handling vehicle;

obtaining error event information by the processor, from across a vehicle controller area network (CAN) bus, where the obtained error event information is related to at least one condition of the materials handling vehicle; and

wirelessly transmitting the obtained error event information to a server having software thereon for specifically monitoring materials handling vehicles;

wherein the error in operation of the materials handling vehicle is repaired in response to receiving the wirelessly transmitted error event information obtained automatically from the CAN bus by;

invoking an automated diagnostic inspection checklist on a display of the materials handling vehicle by a technician to identify the cause of the error, where the checklist is implemented based upon;

interactively communicating with at least one component of the materials handling vehicle across the CAN bus to obtain event codes derived locally at the materials handling vehicle, and

obtaining service information that is presented on the display of the materials handling vehicle to the technician making the repair.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting an error comprises:

reading at least one error code from the controller area network bus.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

wirelessly communicating with at least one remote server to obtain service information where the received service information is related to and in response to the obtained error event information; and

taking a predetermined action in response to the received service information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

receiving service information from the server comprises;

receiving from the server, a software update for a component of the materials handling vehicle associated with the event information; and

taking a predetermined action comprises;

automatically performing by the processor, a software update on the materials handling vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting the obtained event information to a third-party computer system; and

receiving a message from the third-party computer system indicating that a service technician has been notified of the error.

6. The method according to claim 5 further comprising:

wirelessly receiving a software fix from the third-party computer system at the materials handling vehicle; and

automatically performing by the processor, a software update on the materials handling vehicle.

7. A system to implement an automated diagnostic checklist for materials handling vehicles comprising:

a processor on a materials handling vehicle coupled to memory, a wireless interface, a display and a controller area network (CAN) bus of the vehicle, where the processor executes instructions stored in the memory to;

identify an error in operation of the materials handling vehicle;

obtain error event information from across the CAN bus, where the obtained error event information is related to at least one condition of the materials handling vehicle; and

wirelessly transmit the obtained error event information to a server having software thereon for specifically monitoring materials handling vehicles;

wherein the error in operation of the materials handling vehicle is repaired in response to receiving the wirelessly transmitted error event information obtained automatically from the CAN bus by the processor executing instructions stored in the memory to;

invoke an automated diagnostic inspection checklist on a display of the materials handling vehicle by a technician to identify the cause of the error, where the checklist is implemented based upon;

interactively communicating with at least one component of the materials handling vehicle across the CAN bus to obtain event codes derived locally at the materials handling vehicle, and

obtaining service information that is presented on the display of the materials handling vehicle to the technician making the repair.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor detects an error by reading at least one error code from the controller area network bus.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

wirelessly communicate with at least one remote server to obtain service information, where the received service information is related to and in response to the obtained error event information; and

take a predetermined action in response to the received service information.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the processor receives service information from the server by receiving from the server, a software update for a component of the materials handling vehicle associated with the event information; and

the processor takes a predetermined action by automatically performing a software update on the materials handling vehicle.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein the server is further configured to:

transmit the obtained event information to a third-party computer system; and

receive a message from the third-party computer system indicating that a service technician has been notified of the error.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

wirelessly receive a software fix from the third-party computer system at the materials handling vehicle; and

automatically perform a software update on the materials handling vehicle.

13. A method for maintaining a materials handling vehicle, the method comprising:

storing a predetermined condition for actual usage of a component of the materials handling vehicle;

monitoring a controller area network (CAN) bus of the materials handling vehicle for component-usage data generated by the component of the materials handling vehicle;

receiving the component-usage data via the CAN bus;

detecting, by a processor on a materials handling vehicle, error event information across the CAN bus of the materials handling vehicle;

determining an actual usage of the component of the materials handling vehicle based upon the received component-usage data;

comparing, using a processor, the determined actual usage with the stored predetermined condition;

taking a predetermined action when the determined actual usage satisfies the predetermined condition; and

wirelessly transmitting the obtained error event information to a server having software thereon for specifically monitoring materials handling vehicles;

wherein the error in operation of the materials handling vehicle is repaired in response to receiving the wirelessly transmitted error event information obtained automatically from the CAN bus by;

invoking an automated diagnostic inspection checklist at the materials handling vehicle by a technician to identify the cause of the error, where the checklist is implemented based upon;

interactively communicating with at least one component of the materials handling vehicle across the CAN bus to obtain event codes derived locally at the materials handling vehicle, and

obtaining service information that is presented on the display of the materials handling vehicle to the technician making the repair.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

taking a predetermined action further comprises sending a message to a power enable module of the materials handling vehicle, wherein the message instructs the power enable module to lock-out the materials handling vehicle by removing power from at least a portion of the materials handling vehicle.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein:

taking a predetermined action further comprises sending a message via the CAN bus to the component of the materials handling vehicle, wherein the message disables at least a portion of the component.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein:

taking a predetermined action comprises;

communicating the actual usage data to a server computer;

receiving from the server computer, a performance rating associated with an operator logged into the materials handling vehicle at the time the usage data is obtained; and

communicating performance tuning parameters over the CAN bus to dynamically alter the performance of the materials handling vehicle where the tuning parameters are customized to the operator.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein invoking an automated diagnostic inspection checklist further comprises:

performing, independent of operator interaction, the automated diagnostic checklist on the component that sent the error by;

submitting a query across the CAN bus to the component of the materials handling vehicle to obtain information associated with whether the component is functioning properly; and

verifying whether the component is functioning properly using the information obtained as a result of the query; and

taking a secondary predetermined action if the verification indicates that the component is not functioning properly.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

scheduling maintenance for the materials handling vehicle using the determined actual usage.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

scheduling maintenance further comprises scheduling maintenance for the materials handling vehicle using enterprise-wide business flow data.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein:

scheduling maintenance further comprises scheduling maintenance for the materials handling vehicle using materials handling vehicle usage patterns.