Granted Patent B2

US 12,221,330 · App. 17/248,997 · Granted Feb 11, 2025

Inventors: Sebastian Theos (Vaterstetten, DE); Andreas Simon (Munich, DE); Juergen Buchmann (Pliening, DE); René Konzack (Isen, DE); Christian Molnar (Schwindegg, DE); Alfonso Costas (Munich, DE)

Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation

B66F9/0755B60Q1/32B60W30/18009B62D15/021B66F9/07581G01S7/4815G01S17/931G05D1/0038G05D1/005G05D1/223G05D1/2235G06V20/58B60W2554/4041B60W2554/4049

Abstract

Claims (28)

1. A system comprising:

a materials handling vehicle comprising one or more sensing devices for determining a first distance from a left side of the vehicle to a first boundary object and a second distance from a right side of the vehicle to a second boundary object and a controller coupled to the one or more sensing devices;

a light source device coupled to the controller, the light source device being controlled by the controller to designate a first area to the left side of the vehicle as either a limited operation area or a non-limited operation area and to designate a second area to the right side of the vehicle as either a limited operation area or a non-limited operation area, the limited operation area corresponding to an area where the first or the second distance is less than a predetermined distance and the non-limited operation area corresponding to an area where the first or the second distance is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance;

wherein, when one of the first or the second distance is less than the predetermined distance, the light source device designates the corresponding first or second area as a limited operation area in a first manner that can be observed by a person in the vicinity of the vehicle, and when concurrently the other of the first or the second distance is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance, the light source device designates the corresponding first or second area as a non-limited operation area in a second manner that can be observed by a person in the vicinity of the vehicle.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the light source device designates the first or the second area as either a limited operation area or a non-limited operation area with one or more light sources.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more light sources illuminate at least a portion of a floor within the first area and illuminate at least a portion of the floor within the second area.

4. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the vehicle comprises a load handling assembly and a power unit including an operator station, and wherein the one or more light sources illuminate at least a portion of a floor between: the load handling assembly and the first boundary object, the load handling assembly and the second boundary object, the power unit and the first boundary object, and the power unit and the second boundary object.

5. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more light sources are located on the vehicle.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the light source device will only be actuated when the vehicle is located in an aisle.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first and/or the second boundary object is a wall or storage structure.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined distance comprises a first predetermined distance, and when the other of the first or the second distance is greater than or equal to the first predetermined distance but less than a second predetermined distance, the light source device designates the corresponding first or second area in a third manner with a third indicia that can be observed by an operator, the third manner being different than the first and the second manner, and the light source device further designates the corresponding first or second area in the second manner using a second indicia different from the third indicia since the other of the first or the second distance is greater than or equal to the first predetermined distance, wherein the light source generates the second indicia and third indicia concurrently.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a sensing system that detects that an operator has exited an operator station of the vehicle and whether the operator exited the operator station from a first exit on the left side of the vehicle or from a second exit on the right side of the vehicle; wherein if the left or the right side of the vehicle to which the operator exited the operator station is designated as a limited operation area, the controller modifies at least one function of the vehicle.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one function of the vehicle that is modified comprises at least one of traction control, operation of a lift carriage of a load handling assembly of the vehicle or remote control operation of the vehicle.

11. A method for controlling a light source device forming part of a system, the system further comprising a materials handling vehicle, wherein the materials handling vehicle comprises one or more sensing devices, the method comprising:

sensing via the one or more sensing devices a first distance from a left side of the vehicle to a first boundary object and a second distance from a right side of the vehicle to a second boundary object;

controlling the light source device to designate a first area to the left side of the vehicle as either a limited operation area or a non-limited operation area and to designate a second area to the right side of the vehicle as either a limited operation area or a non-limited operation area, the limited operation area corresponding to an area where the first or the second distance is less than a predetermined distance and the non-limited operation area corresponding to an area where the first or the second distance is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance;

designating via the light source device, when one of the first or the second distance is less than the predetermined distance, the corresponding first or second area as a limited operation area in a first manner that can be observed by a person in the vicinity of the vehicle; and

designating via the light source device, when concurrently the other of the first or the second distance is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance, the corresponding first or second area as a non-limited operation area in a second manner that can be observed by a person in the vicinity of the vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the light source device comprises one or more light sources.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising illuminating via the one or more light sources at least a portion of a floor within the first area and illuminating at least a portion of the floor within the second area.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the vehicle further comprises a load handling assembly and a power unit including an operator station, and wherein the one or more light sources illuminate at least a portion of a floor between: the load handling assembly and the first boundary object, the load handling assembly and the second boundary object, the power unit and the first boundary object, and the power unit and the second boundary object.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the one or more light sources are located on the vehicle.

16. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the light source device will only be actuated when the vehicle is located in an aisle.

17. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the first and/or the second boundary object is a wall or storage structure.

18. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the predetermined distance comprises a first predetermined distance, and when the other of the first or the second distance is greater than or equal to the first predetermined distance but less than a second predetermined distance, the light source device designates the corresponding first or second area in a third manner with a third indicia that can be observed by an operator, the third manner being different than the first and the second manner, and the light source device further designates the corresponding first or second area in the second manner using a second indicia different from the third indicia since the other of the first or the second distance is greater than or equal to the first predetermined distance, wherein the light source generates the second indicia and third indicia concurrently.

19. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the system further comprises a sensing system that detects that an operator has exited an operator station of the vehicle and whether the operator exited the operator station from a first exit on the left side of the vehicle or from a second exit on the right side of the vehicle; wherein if the left or right side of the vehicle to which the operator exited the operator station is designated as a limited operation area, a controller modifies at least one function of the vehicle.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the at least one function of the vehicle that is modified comprises at least one of traction control, operation of a lift carriage of a load handling assembly of the vehicle or remote control operation of the vehicle.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the at least one function that has been modified is returned to its initial state when the operator returns to the operator station.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (248)