Dynamic industrial vehicle measure

• US 10,068,394 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2017
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
• Inventors: Swift, Philip W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kan, Yuri
• Application Number:
  US15/449,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20170178427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 701 342, 701 93, 701 41, 701468, 701 294, 701122, 701 22, 705 4, 705 739, 348148, 340901, 340447, 2807661
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/24 Electrical devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications

Abstract

A task to be performed using an industrial vehicle is defined and segmented into segments including a start segment and an end segment. The performance of the industrial vehicle while the industrial vehicle performs the segments is measured, and a target score for the task based on an extrinsic factor that is in effect at least one time during performance of the task is defined. The measured performance of the industrial vehicle during the segments is aggregated to create a task performance score, which is evaluated to the target score to create a task evaluation.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented process of evaluating the performance of an industrial vehicle, comprising:

receiving into memory, information designating a task to be performed using an industrial vehicle, the task including segments, and having metrics associated therewith;

measuring performance of the industrial vehicle during execution of the segments of the task based upon the metrics associated with the task, by;

extracting vehicle operational data that is generated on the industrial vehicle in response to the industrial vehicle executing the segments of the task, the extracted vehicle operational data being responsive to at least one metric;

receiving into memory, information identifying an extrinsic factor, the extrinsic factor being in effect at least one time during performance of the task, and being capable of impacting a performance capability of the industrial vehicle in performing the task;

computing a target score for the task based on the extrinsic factor;

generating a task performance score based upon the measured performance of the industrial vehicle in performing the task; and

evaluating the task performance score against the target score for the task to create a task evaluation, the task evaluation indicative of industrial vehicle performance.

2. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein receiving into memory, information designating a task comprises a select one of:

defining a pick operation wherein the industrial vehicle must maneuver from a start location to a bin location and retrieve a load; and

defining a put-away operation wherein the industrial vehicle must maneuver a load from a start location to an end location to place a load.

3. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein:

extracting vehicle operational data that is generated on the industrial vehicle in response to the industrial vehicle executing the segments of the task, comprises identifying vehicle actions required to perform each segment of the task, and identifying particular vehicle data that characterizes vehicle performance corresponding to each vehicle action; and

extracting vehicle operational data comprises extracting the identified particular vehicle data.

4. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein measuring performance of the industrial vehicle further comprises:

extracting information communicated across a vehicle network bus of the industrial vehicle that has been correlated to at least one metric associated with the task, such that;

information is extracted by performing at least one of;

monitoring the vehicle network bus of the industrial vehicle for communications from components attached to the vehicle network bus and extracting information correlated to at least one metric from communications that are determined to be relevant to the industrial vehicle executing the task; and

querying components attached to the vehicle network bus for information correlated to at least one metric and which is determined to be relevant to the industrial vehicle executing the task.

5. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein receiving into memory, information identifying an extrinsic factor further comprises at least one of:

receiving the extrinsic factor from a central server that has information about an environment in which the task is being performed;

performing a select one of monitoring a vehicle network bus of the industrial vehicle for communications from a component attached to the vehicle network bus that detects the extrinsic factor, and querying a component of the industrial vehicle across the vehicle network bus from a device mounted on the industrial vehicle; and

receiving the extrinsic factor from an operator logon device that includes information about an operator logged on to the industrial vehicle.

6. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein computing a target score for the task based on an extrinsic factor comprises:

computing an ideal performance of the task; and

adjusting the ideal performance based upon the extrinsic factor that is in effect at least one time during the performance of the task.

7. The computer-implemented process of claim 6, wherein computing an ideal performance of the task comprises a select one of:

computing the ideal performance based upon a hypothetical new industrial vehicle using a brand new battery that performs the task; and

computing the ideal performance based upon the current state of the actual industrial vehicle.

8. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein computing a target score for the task based on an extrinsic factor further comprises at least one of:

computing a target score for the task based on an operating state of the industrial vehicle;

computing a target score for the task based on an environment in which the vehicle is performing the task; and

computing a target score for the task based on an operator identification.

9. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein computing a target score for the task based on an extrinsic factor further comprises:

computing a target score for the task based on more than one extrinsic factor, where the extrinsic factor is any combination of an operating state of the industrial vehicle, an environment in which the vehicle is performing the task, and an operator identification.

10. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein:

computing a target score for the task based on an extrinsic factor further comprises;

defining a first target for the task based on the extrinsic factor;

defining a second target for the task based on the extrinsic factor;

computing a first target score for the task based on the extrinsic factor; and

computing a second target score for the task based on the extrinsic factor; and

evaluating the task performance score against the target score for the task further comprises;

evaluating the task performance score against the first target score for the task to create a first evaluation for the task; and

evaluating the task performance score against the second target score for the task to create a second evaluation for the task.

11. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein:

computing a target score for the task based on an extrinsic factor further comprises creating a scale with multiple thresholds for the target score; and

evaluating the task performance score against the target score for the task further comprises determining a range of the scale in which the performance falls as the task evaluation.

12. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein computing a target score for the task based on an extrinsic factor further comprises modifying the target score after the target score has been computed.

13. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein:

computing a target score for the task based on an extrinsic factor further comprises computing a target score for the task by factoring out any extrinsic factors that are out of an operator'"'"'s control; and

evaluating the task performance score against the target score for the task to create a task evaluation further comprises at least one of;

evaluating the task performance score against the target score to determine an operator'"'"'s performance as the task evaluation; and

evaluating the task performance score against the target score to determine a group of operators'"'"' performance as the task evaluation.

14. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein:

evaluating the task performance score against the target score for the task further comprises evaluating the task performance score against the target score for the task on the fly using a processor on the industrial vehicle.

15. The computer-implemented process of claim 1 further comprising:

defining a segment target for each segment based on an extrinsic factor that is in effect at least one time during performance of the segment; and

evaluating a segment performance against the segment target score to create a segment evaluation.

16. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein measuring performance of the industrial vehicle during the segments further comprises:

receiving the performance measurement of the industrial vehicle during the segments on a server; and

evaluating the task performance score against the target score for the task to create a task evaluation occurs on the server.

17. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein evaluating the task performance score against the target score for the task to create a task evaluation occurs while the task is being completed.

18. The computer-implemented process of claim 1 further comprising:

defining the task to be performed by defining a group of tasks to be performed using the industrial vehicle;

segmenting each task in the group of tasks by segmenting the group of tasks into groups of segments, each group of segments including a start segment and an end segment;

computing a target score for the task based on an extrinsic factor further comprises computing a target score for each task of the group of tasks;

aggregating the measured performance of the industrial vehicle to create a task performance score further comprises aggregating the measured performance of the industrial vehicle to create a task performance score for each task in the group of tasks;

evaluating the task performance score against the target score for the task to create a task evaluation further comprises evaluating the task performance scores against the corresponding target score for the task to create a group of task evaluations; and

combining the group of task evaluations into a single task evaluation, wherein the end segment of one task of the group of tasks is a beginning segment of another task of the group of tasks.

19. The computer-implemented process of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing the task evaluation against a similar task evaluation stored in a database, wherein the database is a remote database that includes similar task evaluations from independent entities; and

providing recommendations, based on the comparing, for improvements that can be made to the environment in which the task is being performed.

20. The computer-implemented process of claim 1 further comprising:

providing feedback to an operator based on the task evaluation.

21. A computer-implemented process of evaluating the performance of an industrial vehicle, comprising:

receiving into memory, information designating a task to be performed using an industrial vehicle, where the task has metrics associated therewith;

measuring performance of the industrial vehicle during execution of the task based upon the metrics associated with the task to create a task performance score, by;

extracting vehicle operational data that is generated on the industrial vehicle in response to the industrial vehicle executing the task, wherein the extracted vehicle operational data is responsive to at least one metric;

receiving into memory, information identifying an extrinsic factor that is in effect at least one time during performance of the task, the extrinsic factor designating a factor not related to the performance capability of the industrial vehicle;

computing a target score for the task based on the extrinsic factor that is in effect at least one time during performance of the task;

evaluating the task performance score against the target score for the task to create a task evaluation;

receiving the performance measurement of the industrial vehicle during the task on a server; and

evaluating the task performance score against the target score for the task to create a task evaluation occurs on the server.

22. The computer-implemented process of claim 21, wherein:

defining a task to be performed using an industrial vehicle further comprises defining a group of tasks to be performed using the industrial vehicle;

computing a target score for the task based on an extrinsic factor further includes computing a target score for each task of the group of tasks; and

evaluating the task performance score against the target score for the task to create a task evaluation further includes evaluating the task performance scores to the corresponding target score for the task to create a group of task evaluations;

further comprising;

combining the group of task evaluations into a single task evaluation.

23. The computer-implemented process of claim 21 further comprising:

segmenting the task;

wherein;

collecting vehicle data generated by the industrial vehicle during performance of the task comprises;

collecting vehicle data representing the industrial vehicle performance for each segment of the task;

computing a task performance score using at least a portion of the vehicle data collected during performance of the task, comprises;

aggregating the collected vehicle data collected for each segment of the task.