Liftgate controller

• US 8,798,871 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RS Drawings, LLC
• Original Assignee: RS Drawings, LLC
• Inventors: Lugash, Casey, Bark, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kiswanto, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US12/406,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20090240402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,966 Days
• Field of Search: 701/49, 701/29.1, 701/31.4, 701/33.4, 701/34.4, 701/29.2
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/4471 General means for controlling movements of the loading platform, e.g. hydraulic systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24058 Remote testing, monitoring independent from normal control by pc
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2641 Fork lift, material handling vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A controller for a lift, includes a communication module configured to wirelessly transmit data relating to the personnel operating and operating conditions of a lift to a remotely located station. The remote station wirelessly sends satisfaction or non-satisfaction messages to the lift controller in response to received input data or sensed conditions relating to the operation of the lift. The lift controller includes circuitry for obtaining and/or storing the sensed conditions and received input data, where the communication module then transmits this information to a remote station using a wireless network either public or private depending on the desired application. In accordance with one implementation, the sensed conditions can include a lift state, a motion of the lift, a load applied to the lift, a lift temperature, a hydraulic fluid pressure, a wait time for recharging a hydraulic pump, an operator safety condition and a number of cycles of operation of the lift. The operator safety conditions may include, for example, whether the operator is using both hands for inputting a command into the lift controller, whether the vehicle is properly parked, whether the operator is off a deck of the lift, and whether the operator is clear of a projected motion pay of the lift.

Claims

1. A control system for a lift gate system, the control system comprising:

a field subsystem disposed on a vehicle having the lift gate system, the field subsystem having a controller and a communication module, wherein the presence of the field subsystem on a vehicle is indicative of the presence of a lift gate system on that vehicle;

a customer remotely located station in wireless communication with the communication module of the field subsystem; and

a manufacturer remotely located station in wireless communication with the communication module of the field subsystem;

wherein said communication module is configured to wirelessly communicate only data relating to operation of the lift gate system to both the customer and the manufacturer remotely located stations, the data relating to the operation of the lift gate system further comprising at least one input and at least one sensed condition relating to operation of the lift gate system, the at least one sensed condition relating to operation of the lift gate comprising at least one of;

a lift state;

a motion of the lift;

a load applied to the lift;

a lift temperature;

a hydraulic fluid pressure;

a delay time for pump activation;

an operator safety condition; and

a number of cycles of operation of the lift, wherein the operator safety condition comprises at least one of;

whether the operator of the lift is using both hands for inputting a command to the controller;

whether the vehicle is properly parked;

whether the operator is off a deck of the lift;

whether the operator is clear of a projected motion path of the lift;

whether a lift platform is down; and

whether a projected path of motion of the lift platform is clear,

the customer or manufacturer remotely located station being configured to wirelessly communicate a condition or input data satisfaction or non-satisfaction notification to the field subsystem in response to received operation data.

2. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the communication module and the customer remotely located station are configured to operate on a secure wireless network.

3. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the communication module and the customer remotely located station are configured to operate on a WiFi network.

4. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the communication module and the customer remotely located station are configured to operate on a wireless network said wireless network comprising at least one of Bluetooth, Radio Frequency and Infrared.

5. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the condition or input data non-satisfaction notification comprises a warning/error message sent wirelessly to a lift operator via the communication module.

6. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication of the condition or input data non-satisfaction notification subsystems comprises a warning/error message sent wirelessly from the controller to the customer and manufacturer remotely located stations.

7. The control system according to claim 1, further comprising a geographic positioning sensor (GPS) device disposed on the vehicle having the lift gate system and providing GPS conditions to the controller.

8. The control system according to claim 7, wherein the condition or input data non-satisfaction notification comprises a warning/error message based on sensed GPS conditions.

9. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to restrict movement of the lift based on one or more of the sensed safety conditions.

10. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the control system further comprises memory for storing the sensed conditions, said stored sensed conditions being retained in said memory until said customer remotely located station authorizes removal of the same from the memory.

11. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the control system further comprises a communication jack for wired connection of the controller to the customer remote station or a customer.

12. A method for controlling the operation of one or more lift gates disposed on one or more vehicles in a fleet, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing at least one operating condition relating to the operation of the lift gate system, said sensing at least one operating condition of the lift gate, further comprises sensing at least one of;

a lift state;

a motion of the lift;

a load applied to the lift;

a lift temperature;

a hydraulic fluid pressure;

a wait time for recharging a hydraulic pump;

an operator safety condition; and

a maintenance condition, wherein the sensing of an operator safety condition comprises sensing at least one of whether the operator is using both hands for inputting a command to the lift controller, whether the vehicle is properly parked, whether the operator is off a deck of the lift, and whether the operator is clear of a projected motion of the lift

wirelessly transmitting from a lift controller the sensed at least one operating condition to a customer located remote station and a manufacturer located remote station; and

wirelessly transmitting from the manufacturer located remote station to the lift controller a satisfaction or a non-satisfaction indication based on the sensed at least one operating condition.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said steps of wirelessly transmitting are performed over a wireless network.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein sensing of a lift state further comprises sensing whether the lift is fully extended, partially extended or in a completely stowed position.

15. The method according to claim 12 wherein the sensing further comprises receiving input data from an operator via the lift controller, wherein the step of wirelessly transmitting from the lift controller to the customer located remote station includes the wireless transmission of said received input data, and wherein said step of wirelessly transmitting from the manufacturer located remote station a satisfaction or non-satisfaction indication to the lift controller is further based on the received input data.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the sensing of a maintenance condition comprises verifying authenticity of components of the lift system.

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

wirelessly transmitting, to the lift controller from the customer located remote station, commands to change the operation of the lift in response to the sensed at least one condition.

18. A method for controlling the operation of one or more lift gates disposed on one or more vehicles in a fleet, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing an operator safety condition relating to the operation of the lift gate system, the sensed operator safety condition comprising at least one of whether the operator is using both hands for inputting a command to the lift controller, whether the vehicle is properly parked, whether the operator is off a deck of the lift, and whether the operator is clear of a projected motion of the lift;

wirelessly transmitting from a lift controller the sensed operator safety condition to a customer located remote station and a manufacturer located remote station; and

wirelessly transmitting from the manufacturer located remote station to the lift controller a satisfaction or a non-satisfaction indication based on the sensed operator safety condition.

19. A method for controlling the operation of one or more lift gates disposed on one or more vehicles in a fleet, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing at least one operating condition relating to the operation of the lift gate system, said at least one operating condition of the lift gate comprising at least one of;

a lift state;

a motion of the lift;

a load applied to the lift;

a lift temperature;

a hydraulic fluid pressure;

a wait time for recharging a hydraulic pump;

an operator safety condition; and

a maintenance condition;

the maintenance condition including a verification of authenticity of components of the lift gate system;

wirelessly transmitting from a lift controller the sensed at least one operating condition to a customer located remote station and a manufacturer located remote station; and

wirelessly transmitting from the manufacturer located remote station to the lift controller a satisfaction or a non-satisfaction indication based on the sensed at least one operating condition.