Integrated touch screen display with multi-mode functionality

• US 10,077,177 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2014
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Raymond Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Raymond Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Lynn, Brian Christopher, Rogers, Nathaniel Wayne, Smiley, Gregory W
• Primary Examiner(s): Riegelman, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US14/575,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20150175397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 187223
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 17/003 for fork-lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/0759 Details of operating station, e.g. seats, levers, operator platforms, cabin suspension
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/24 Electrical devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Systems and methods include an integrated display having a graphical user interface that combines aspects of a telematic system with a vehicle control system. The integrated display combines a touch screen and a manual input keypad. Using both the touch screen'"'"'s graphical user interface and the keypad, the integrated display can operate in multiple operation modes, including a touch mode where the operator controls the graphical user interface functions by touching predefined areas or tiles on the screen, and a keypad mode, where the operator controls the graphical user interface functions by touching keys on the manual input keypad. The integrated display can be controlled in a mixed mode operation, where the operator can control the graphical user interface functions using both the touch screen (touch mode) and the manual input keypad (keypad mode) to complete data entry processes, for example, and the integrated display can automatically transition between modes.

Claims

1. A material handling vehicle comprising:

a tractor unit;

a vertically movable platform mounted relative to the tractor unit, the platform being vertically movable between an upper position and a lower position;

an integrated display system, the integrated display system including a display screen, the display screen to simultaneously display a plurality of live tiles;

a manual input keypad, with both the display screen and the manual input keypad operable to control the integrated display system;

wherein the display screen is operable by a user'"'"'s touch; and

wherein the integrated display system is operable in a mixed input mode, where in the mixed mode, the integrated display system automatically accepts input from the display screen immediately after input from the manual input keypad, and the integrated display system automatically accepts input from the manual input keypad immediately after input from the display screen, and an appearance of a highlighted cursor state on the display screen depends on toggling between input from the manual input keypad and input from the display screen.

2. The material handling vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of live tiles displays live material handling vehicle data.

3. The material handling vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of live tiles can be touched, and the display screen will display a menu associated with the plurality of live tiles and the live material handling vehicle data.

4. The material handling vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the touch display screen displays at least one of telematics information, warehouse management information, and vehicle information on one screen.

5. The material handling vehicle according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of live tiles displays a live battery status.

6. The material handling vehicle according to claim 5, wherein when one of the plurality of live tiles is touched, the display screen will display a battery menu.

7. The material handling vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of live tiles are user configurable.

8. The material handling vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the display screen is customizable to simultaneously display more than one live tile.

9. An integrated display system, the system comprising:

a display screen, the display screen to simultaneously display telematics information and vehicle information on one screen, the one screen comprising a grid of live tiles;

wherein the integrated display displays a graphical user interface, the integrated display including a touch display screen, and a manual input keypad, with both the touch display screen and the manual input keypad operable to control the graphical user interface;

wherein the integrated display system is operable in a mixed input mode, where in the mixed mode, the integrated display system automatically accepts input from the touch display screen immediately after input from the manual input keypad, and the integrated display system automatically accepts input from the manual input keypad immediately after input from the touch display screen, and an appearance of a highlighted cursor state on the touch display screen depends on toggling between input from the manual input keypad and input from the touch display screen.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the integrated display system is operably coupled to a material handling vehicle, the material handling vehicle including a tractor unit;

and

a vertically movable platform mounted relative to the tractor unit, the platform being vertically movable between an upper position and a lower position.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein a material handling vehicle operator to interact with the material handling vehicle uses the touch display screen only, the manual input keypad only, or a combination of both the touch display screen and the manual input keypad.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the manual input keypad is a five way menu configuration with up, down, left, right and Enter functionality.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the Enter functionality following a touch of the touch display screen enters a text string.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the Enter functionality following a touch of an arrow key on the touch display screen enters a character.

15. The integrated display system of claim 9, wherein the display screen simultaneously displays telematics information, warehouse management information, and vehicle information on one screen.

16. A material handling vehicle comprising:

a tractor unit;

a vertically movable platform mounted relative to the tractor unit, the platform being vertically movable between an upper position and a lower position;

an integrated display system, the integrated display system including a touch display screen, the touch display screen to simultaneously display a plurality of live tiles, the plurality of live tiles to display live material handling vehicle data;

the touch display screen further displays at least one of telematics information and vehicle information on the touch display screen;

a manual input keypad, with both the touch display screen and the manual input keypad operable to control the integrated display system;

wherein a material handling vehicle operator to interact with the material handling vehicle uses the touch display screen only, the manual input keypad only, or a combination of both the touch display screen and the manual input keypad; and

wherein an appearance of a highlighted cursor state on the touch display screen depends on toggling between input from the manual input keypad and input from the touch display screen.

17. The material handling vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the integrated display system displays a graphical user interface, with both the touch display screen and the manual input keypad operable to control the graphical user interface.

18. The material handling vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the integrated display system is operable in a mixed input mode, where in the mixed mode, the integrated display system automatically accepts input from the touch display screen immediately after input from the manual input keypad, and the integrated display system automatically accepts input from the manual input keypad immediately after input from the touch display screen.

19. The material handling vehicle of claim 16, wherein the touch display screen further displays warehouse management information on the touch display screen.