AUTOMATIC TRANSPORT LOADING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20080189005A1
• Filed: 04/10/2008
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jervis B Webb Company (Daifuku Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Jervis B Webb Company (Daifuku Company Limited)
• Inventors: Simon, Christopher James, Chilson, Gerald Edward, Marino, Mark, Stevenson, Mark Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,075,243 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/28
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2036 Electric differentials, e.g. for supporting steering vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/38 with automatic control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/42 Fork lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/063 Automatically guided
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/0755 Position control; Position detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/085 Multiple forks, i.e. more than one pair mounted on a single mast or with more than one mast
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/142 Movements of forks either individually or relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/146 Side shift, i.e. both forks move together sideways relative to fork support
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A method and system for automatically loading and unloading a transport is disclosed. A first guidance system is used to travel near the transport and a second guidance system is used to travel on the transport.

Claims

1. A method for loading a transport with an automatic guided vehicle (AGV) comprising:

engaging a load with the AGV;

guiding the AGV with a first guidance system to a first position;

guiding the AGV from said first position to an intended load position using combined data from said first guidance system and a second guidance system;

depositing said load onto the transport at said intended load position; and

guiding said AGV with combined data from said first and second guidance systems from said intended load position to a second position.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said second guidance system comprises at least one distance measuring sensor.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the transport includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall and wherein said at least one distance measuring sensor determines the distance of the AGV to each sidewall.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said AGV uses the distance from each sidewall to determine the skew of the transport.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the transport includes a threshold and wherein the AGV determines the distance of the AGV to each sidewall at the threshold of the transport.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein data received from determining the distance of the AGV to each sidewall adjusts said primary guidance system to compensate for the skew of the transport.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said primary guidance system guides the AGV to said intended load position.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said secondary guidance system updates said primary guidance system as the AGV moves to said intended load position.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein said primary guidance system is an inertial guidance system.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein said primary guidance system is one of a laser guidance system or an optical guidance system.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said primary guidance system and said secondary guidance system each use said same distance measuring sensor.

12. The method of claim 2 wherein said at least one distance measuring sensor is a moving beam laser.

13. The method of claim 2 wherein said at least one distance measuring sensor is an optical system.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said first position is approximately at an end of the transport.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said second position is similar to said first position.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the transport includes sidewalls and wherein the AGV maintains a specified distance from one of the sidewalls as the AGV moves from said first position to said intended load position.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the AGV rescans the transport at regular intervals.

18. A method for loading a transport having sides and a threshold with an automatic guided vehicle (AGV) comprising:

engaging a load with the AGV;

guiding the AGV with a guidance system to a position near the threshold of the transport;

sensing the location of at least one side of the transport;

guiding the AGV past the threshold of the transport using said guidance system and wherein said guidance system uses the location of the at least one side of the transport to guide the AGV from said first position to an intended load position;

depositing said load onto the transport at said intended load position; and

guiding the AGV with said guidance system from said intended load position to a second position.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said guidance system is one of a laser system or an optical system.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein said guidance system includes an inertial guidance system and a distance measuring sensor for sensing the location of the at last one side of the transport and wherein said location of the at least one side of the transport side allows the AGV to determine the skew of the transport.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein said step of guiding the AGV to a position near the threshold uses an inertial guidance system and wherein said step of sensing the location of the side of the transport is performed with one of a laser scanner or an optical system.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said step of guiding the AGV past the threshold to an intended load position from the first position is performed with the inertial guidance system.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said step of guiding the AGV past the threshold to an intended load position includes the step of updating the inertial guidance system with the location of the sidewall.

24. A method for loading a transport having at least one side and a threshold with an automatic guided vehicle (AGV) comprising:

engaging a load with the AGV;

guiding the AGV with a first guidance system to a first position near the threshold of the transport;

determining at the first position the location of at least side of the transport using a second guidance system;

guiding the AGV from said first position with said second guidance system to an intended load position on the transport;

depositing said load onto the transport at said intended load position; and

guiding the AGV with said second guidance system from said intended position to a second position.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said step of guiding the AGV from the first position further includes the step of maintaining a distance from at least one side.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein said step of guiding the AGV from the first position further includes the step of maintaining a travel path between two sides of the transport.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein said first guidance system assists said second guidance system in guiding the AGV from said first position to said intended load position.