U.S. patent application number 13/936606 was filed with the patent office on 2013-12-19 for industrial vehicle operator authentication using a removable storage device.
The applicant listed for this patent is The Raymond Corporation. Invention is credited to Joseph L. Callea, Timothy E. Donahue, Ryan A. Magill, Michael J. Mallery, Stephen L. Page.
Application Number | 20130338886 13/936606 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49756645 |
Filed Date | 2013-12-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130338886 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Callea; Joseph L. ; et
al. |
December 19, 2013 |
Industrial Vehicle Operator Authentication Using A Removable
Storage Device
Abstract
Operation of the industrial vehicle is managed by devices
onboard the vehicle. One such management device includes a portable
memory device issued to a person authorized to operate the vehicle.
The vehicle control system, by reading data from the portable
memory device, determines whether the person is permitted to
operate that particular industrial vehicle and if so enables that
operation. The portable memory device also can be used to transfer
operating data between the control system onboard the vehicle and a
remote computer.
Inventors: |
Callea; Joseph L.; (Norwich,
NY) ; Mallery; Michael J.; (Apalachin, NY) ;
Magill; Ryan A.; (Binghamton, NY) ; Page; Stephen
L.; (Greene, NY) ; Donahue; Timothy E.;
(Binghamton, NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
The Raymond Corporation |
Greene |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
49756645 |
Appl. No.: |
13/936606 |
Filed: |
July 8, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13524610 |
Jun 15, 2012 |
|
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|
13936606 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
701/50 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07C 5/008 20130101;
G07C 5/0808 20130101; G06F 17/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
701/50 |
International
Class: |
G06F 17/00 20060101
G06F017/00 |
Claims
1. A method for restricting operation of an industrial vehicle to
an authorized person, said method comprising: issuing a portable
storage device to the person, wherein the portable storage device
stores data that is electronically readable and that authorizes the
person to operate the industrial vehicle, wherein the data
identifies a plurality of industrial vehicle types that the person
is authorized to operate; inserting the portable storage device
into a port of a control system on the industrial vehicle; the
control system reading the data from the portable storage device;
and the control system enabling operation of the industrial vehicle
in response to the industrial vehicle corresponding to one of the
plurality of authorized industrial vehicle types.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the portable storage
device is a USB flash drive.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein issuing a portable
storage device to the person comprises issuing a portable storage
device containing data that uniquely identify the person.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein issuing a portable
storage device to the person comprises issuing a portable storage
device containing an employee number assigned to the person.
5. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein enabling operation of
the industrial vehicle comprises comparing the data to a list of
identifiers of persons who are authorized to operate the industrial
vehicle.
6. (canceled)
7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein enabling operation of
the industrial vehicle comprises determining whether the industrial
vehicle is of a type that is identified in the data read from the
portable storage device.
8. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising storing data
in the portable storage device defining operating parameters for
the industrial vehicle while the person in operating that
industrial vehicle.
9. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising, the control
system reading the operating parameters from the portable storage
device, and limiting operation of the industrial vehicle in
response to the operating parameters.
10. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising storing
data in the portable storage device defining an operation level for
the person; the control system, reading the operation level from
the portable storage device; and defining operating parameters for
functions on the industrial vehicle in response to the operation
level.
11. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the control
system storing data in the portable storage device pertaining to
performance characteristics of the industrial vehicle.
12. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising
transferring the performance characteristics from the portable
storage device into the industrial vehicle.
13. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising gathering
operating data regarding performance of the industrial vehicle; and
storing the operating data in the portable storage device.
14. A method for restricting operation of an industrial vehicle to
an authorized person, said method comprising: storing data in a
portable storage device that is electronically readable, wherein
the data uniquely identify the person and define an operating
parameter for the industrial vehicle; issuing the portable storage
device to the person; inserting the portable storage device into a
port of a control system on the industrial vehicle; the control
system reading the data from the portable storage device; the
control system making a determination, in response to the data read
from the portable storage device, that the person is authorized to
operate the industrial vehicle; and the control system, in response
to the determination, enabling operation of the industrial vehicle,
and wherein while the person is operating the vehicle, a vehicle
function is operated in a limited manner in response to the
operating parameter read from the portable storage device.
15. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein the data contains an
employee number assigned to the person.
16. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein making the
determination comprises comparing the data to a list of identifiers
of persons who are authorized to operate the industrial
vehicle.
17. (canceled)
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a divisional of co-pending U.S.
application Ser. No. 13/524,610 filed on Jun. 15, 2012, the entire
contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
STATEMENT CONCERNING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR
DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] 1. Field of the Invention
[0004] The present invention relates to industrial vehicles, such
as lift trucks; and more particularly monitoring and managing the
operation of the industrial vehicles.
[0005] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0006] Material handling vehicles are powered vehicles commonly
used in a facility, such as warehouse, a factory or a store, to
transport materials and finished goods. A human operator either
sits on a seat or stands on a platform of the vehicle and
manipulates controls which govern movement through the facility and
operation of a load carrier on which items being transported are
placed. Examples of material handling vehicles include, but are not
limited to, fork lift trucks, order pickers, stand-up
counterbalanced lift trucks, sit-down counterbalanced lift trucks,
lift trucks and tow tractors.
[0007] Another type of industrial vehicle, known as an autonomously
guided vehicle (AGV), is a form of mobile robot that transports
goods and materials from one place to another in a constrained
environment, such as a factory or a warehouse. Some AGV's followed
a wire buried in the floor and thus were limited to traveling along
a fixed path defined by that wire. More sophisticated guidance
technology developed so that the vehicle was not confined to a
fixed path.
[0008] In warehousing operations, material quantities and inventory
turnover rates are increasing rapidly. Therefore, to maintain
competitiveness, it is important to have accurate information about
inventory, and to ensure that each piece of equipment, and each
employee is productive. For a warehouse to compete on the global
level, continually improving operator productivity is vital to
reducing costs. To meet these ends, facility management systems are
frequently employed to control inventory, ensure proper maintenance
of equipment, and to monitor operator efficiency. In these facility
management systems, a centralized computer system is used to
monitor inventory flow, maintenance status of fleets of industrial
vehicles, and operator performance parameters.
[0009] To gather data for the monitoring functions, sensors
connected by a wiring harness to a data collection computer are
frequently added to a material handling vehicle after manufacture.
Running the wiring harness throughout the vehicle is time consuming
and expensive because of the number of connection points. It is
desirable to provide an alternative technique that enables
communication between the sensors and either the standard
controller already onboard the material handling vehicle or a new
dedicated data collection computer. Other techniques to simplify
retrofitting sensors and control systems to material handling
vehicles also are desired.
[0010] It is advantageous that the performance data regarding the
material handling vehicles and their operators be transferred to
central computer system in the facility. This permits the
performance information to be analyzed and compared with similar
data from other vehicles and operators. Such analysis is used to
determine when a particular vehicle requires maintenance and
whether a greater or lesser number of vehicles is required for
optimal operating efficiency of the warehouse or factory.
[0011] Previously, each material handling vehicle included a
wireless transceiver for exchanging data and commands with the
facility management system. That system had a local area
communication network connected to a plurality of wireless
transceivers located throughout the facility. The network
transceivers were located so that no matter where a material
handling vehicle traveled, it always was within communication range
of a network transceiver. Such a local area communication network
was relatively expensive and sometimes too costly for small
facilities or those with only a few vehicles.
[0012] Only persons who have received training are allowed to
operate the material handling vehicles. Further the operation of
different types of such vehicles requires separate training.
Therefore, only those persons trained to operate a particular type
of material handling vehicle are permitted to do so. Although a
person may have received basic training for a material handling
vehicle, his or her operation may be limited until a level of
experience has been acquired. For example, until a person has
operated a vehicle for a specified number of hours the speed at
which his/her vehicle may travel or certain other function may be
limited. It is desirable to provide a mechanism that prevents
unauthorized persons from operating these vehicles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] An industrial vehicle transports products and materials in a
facility, such as a factory, a warehouse or a store. The vehicle
has a controller which receives control signals from operator input
devices and, in response, directs operation of various components,
such as those that propel the industrial vehicle and that raise and
lower the items being transported. Sensors gather data about the
operation of those components and other functions of the vehicle. A
communication network conveys data and commands among the operator
input devices, the controller, the sensors, and other vehicle
components.
[0014] Operation of the industrial vehicle is managed by devices
onboard the vehicle and also by equipment located in the facility
in which the vehicle operates.
[0015] One such management device is a portable storage device,
such as a USB flash drive, for example, that is issued to a person
who is authorized to operate the industrial vehicle. The portable
storage device can be plugged into a port on the industrial
vehicle, which thereby enables the control system to electronically
read data from the portable storage device. The data indicates that
the person is authorized to operate the industrial vehicle. For
example, the data may comprise a unique identifier assigned to the
person, such as an employee number, or may identify types of
industrial vehicles that the person is permitted to operate. The
controller on the vehicle inspects that data read from the portable
storage device and determines whether the person is authorized to
operate that particular vehicle. If so, the controller enables
vehicle operation. The data stored in the portable storage device
may also indicate that the person is restricted from operating
designated functions on the vehicle or that certain functions may
be operated but in a limited manner. The industrial vehicle also
may be permitted to store performance data in the portable storage
device.
[0016] Another management device comprises an apparatus for
transmitting data, such as the sensor data, through a power line
that carries electricity for powering components on the industrial
vehicle. An electrical choke, such as a ferrite bead, for example,
has a conductor passing there through, wherein the conductor
connects a first component to the power line. A first communication
circuit is provided for least one of sending and receiving message
signals and has a transmission wire for carrying the message
signals. The transmission wire passes through the electrical choke
and is electrically coupled to the conductor at a point between the
first electrical choke and the first component.
[0017] In one aspect of this management device the transmission
wire passes through the first electrical choke in a first direction
going from the first communication circuit to the conductor. The
conductor then passes through the first electrical choke in a
second direction going from the first component to the power line,
wherein the second direction is opposite to the first
direction.
[0018] A first communication circuit is connected to a first
component and is operatively connected for at least one of sending
and receiving a data signal through the power line. A wire bead of
magnetically permeable material has a conductor that passing there
through in a first direction from the power line to a second
component. A second communication circuit is provided for at least
one of sending and receiving the data signal and has a transmission
wire for carrying the data signal. The transmission wire passes
through the wire bead in a second direction from the second
communication circuit to the second component, wherein the first
direction is opposite to the second direction. The transmission
wire is connected to the conductor adjacent the second
component.
[0019] A further management device includes an apparatus for
acquiring performance data from the industrial vehicle. That
apparatus has a data acquisition module with a network port which
is adapted to connect to a communication network on some industrial
vehicles to receive data, and has a device for wirelessly
transmitting the data. Nevertheless, the data acquisition module is
incompatible for connection via the network port to the
communication network on certain industrial vehicles. In that
instance, the apparatus includes an interface module which has an
input adapted to receive a signal from a component on the
industrial vehicle. The interface module derives data from the
signal, and has a network interface for connection to the network
port to convey the data to the data acquisition module. The
interface module translates the signal from the vehicle component
into a format for transmission to the network port of the data
acquisition module.
[0020] The interface module may have a plurality of inputs for
receiving signals from a plurality of components on the industrial
vehicle. In that embodiment, the interface module has a storage
device containing an input mapping table that designates a
relationship between each of the plurality of inputs and each of
the plurality of components. The table is used during input signal
processing to send data, derived from the input signals, to the
data acquisition module in a format that enables the data
acquisition module to identify the vehicle component to which the
data relates.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an industrial vehicle that
incorporates an apparatus according to the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the control system of the
industrial vehicle;
[0023] FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary vehicle fleet management system
in which industrial vehicles communicate via a network with a
central computer in a warehouse that is linked to a remote database
to which other computers have access;
[0024] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the battery status monitor that
is mounted on a battery of an industrial vehicle;
[0025] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of another control system of the
industrial vehicle to which data acquisition and communication
equipment has been retrofitted;
[0026] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the circuitry for an interface
module of the data acquisition and communication equipment in FIG.
5;
[0027] FIG. 7 depicts a signal input mapping table stored in the
interface module; and
[0028] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of software executed by the interface
module.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0029] The present invention relates to the operation of an
industrial vehicle. Although the invention is being described in
the context of a stand-up, counterbalanced lift truck used at a
warehouse, the inventive concepts are applicable to other types of
industrial vehicles and their use in a variety of other facilities,
such as factories, freight transfer stations and stores, for
example.
[0030] With initial reference to FIG. 1, an industrial vehicle 10,
specifically a lift truck, includes an operator compartment 11 with
an opening for entry and exit by the operator. Associated with the
operator compartment 11 are a key-operated run switch 13, a deadman
switch 12, control handle 14, and steering wheel 16 that
collectively serve as operator controls 17. A information
pertaining to the vehicle operation is presented to the operator in
a display 15. The industrial vehicle 10 has a load carrier 18, such
as a pair of forks, that is raised and lowered on a mast 19. As
will be described in further detail, a communication system on the
industrial vehicle is able to exchange data and commands via an
antenna 69 and a wireless signal with an external warehousing
system.
[0031] With reference to FIG. 2, the industrial vehicle 10 is
powered by a multiple cell battery 37 that is electrically coupled
to the vehicle by a cable 38 that has two conductors 79 and 80. One
end of the cable 38 is attached to the battery terminals and the
other end has a battery connector 36 that mates with a power
connector 34 on the industrial vehicle 10. The battery connector 36
enables the battery 37 to be removed from the vehicle and plugged
into recharging equipment, as will be described. The positive
conductor 79 (B+) of the battery cable 38 is connected to a bank of
fuses or circuit breakers in a power distributor 39 through which
electricity is supplied to other components via a set of
conductors, collectively referred to as the power line 52 of the
vehicle. The negative conductor 80 (B-) of the battery cable 38 is
connected to another negative conductor 50 that extends throughout
the industrial vehicle 10 and is connected to the various
electrical components.
[0032] The industrial vehicle 10 has a control system 20 built
around a vehicle controller 21 which is a microcomputer based
device that includes a memory device 24, analog to digital
converters, and input/output circuits. A communication network 26
links the vehicle controller 21 to other components for different
functions performed by the industrial vehicle 10. The communication
network 26 may be any of several types of well-known networks for
exchanging commands and data among components of a machine, such as
for example, the Controller Area Network (CAN) serial bus that
employs the communication protocol defined by ISO-11898 promulgated
by the International Organization for Standardization in Geneva,
Switzerland. As will be elaborated upon, the vehicle controller 21
also is coupled to a power line communication circuit 62 for
exchanging data through the vehicle power line with other
components.
[0033] The operator display 15 is coupled to the communication
network 26 to receive information from the vehicle controller 21
and present that information to the vehicle operator. The operator
display 15 indicates vehicle operating parameters, such as for
example, the speed of travel, battery charge level, hours of
operation, time of day, the temperatures of selected components,
and the like. Other kinds of information such as when vehicle
maintenance needs to be performed and alert annunciations also are
presented on the operator display 15 to notify the operator of
conditions requiring attention.
[0034] The operator controls 17 are connected by interface circuits
to the communication network 26 to send input control signals to
the vehicle controller 21 to govern operation of vehicle functions,
such as forward and backward travel, steering, braking, and raising
and lowering the load carrier 18. The vehicle controller 21
responds to some of those input control signals by sending
messages, containing operating commands, via the communication
network 26 to a lift motor control 23 and a propulsion drive system
25. The propulsion drive system 25, which comprises a traction
motor control 27 and a steer motor control 29, provides a motive
force for moving the industrial vehicle 10 in a designated travel
direction, while the lift motor control 23 drives load carrier 18
along a mast 19 to raise or lower a load 35, such goods being
warehoused.
[0035] The traction motor control 27 drives one or more traction
motors 43 which is connected to a propulsion wheel 45 to provide
motive force to the industrial vehicle. The speed and rotational
direction of the traction motor 43 and the associated propulsion
wheel are designated by the operator via the operator control
handle 14, and are monitored and controlled through feedback
signals derived from a rotation sensor 44. The rotation sensor 44
can be an encoder coupled to the traction motor 43 and the signal
therefrom is used to measure the acceleration, speed and distance
that the vehicle travels in the facility. The propulsion wheel 45
also is connected to a friction brake 22 through the traction motor
43, to provide both service and parking brake functions for the
industrial vehicle 10.
[0036] The steer motor control 29 is connected to drive a steer
motor 47 and associated steerable wheel 49 in a direction selected
by the operator by rotating the steering wheel 16, described above.
The direction of rotation of the steerable wheel 49 determines the
direction that the industrial vehicle 10 turns during travel
through the facility.
[0037] The lift motor control 23 sends command signals to control a
lift motor 51 which is connected to a hydraulic circuit 53 that
forms a lift assembly for raising and lowering the load carrier 18
along the mast 19. In some applications, the mast 19 can be a
telescoping structure, in which case the hydraulic circuit also
raises and lowers the mast. As shown here, a height sensor 59
provides a signal to the vehicle controller 21 indicating the
height of the load carrier on the mast 19. Similarly, a weight
sensor 57 is provided on the load carrier 18. A load presence
sensor 58, such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag
reader or a bar code reader, for example, is mounted on the mast to
identify the goods being transported.
[0038] The signals from the weight sensor 57, load presence sensor
58, and height sensor 59 are applied to a sensor communication
circuit 55 that sends the sensor data through the power line 52 of
the industrial vehicle. The sensor communication circuit 55 enables
messages containing data and commands to be exchanged
bidirectionally with the vehicle controller 21 and is a
conventional device for transmitting and receiving digital signals
through conductors that carry electrical power to devices.
Periodically the sensor communication circuit 55 reads the signals
from the weight sensor 57 and height sensor 59. When the load
presence sensor 58 detects information from a load 35, such as data
read from an RFID tag, that data are sent to the sensor
communication circuit 55. The sensor communication circuit 55
places the acquired data in a message frame that is defined by a
protocol for communication through the vehicle power line 52. That
message frame is addressed to the vehicle controller 21. Then the
sensor communication circuit 55 uses the message frame to modulate
an oscillating carrier signal which is sent through the vehicle
power line 52. In another technique, the digital data are
transmitted serially as pulses of a high frequency signal.
Alternatively, each of the sensors 57-59 may have its own internal
communication circuit for exchanging data via the vehicle power
line 52.
[0039] Referring still to FIG. 2, the vehicle control system 20
includes a first group of sensors 61 that have internal
communication circuits for exchanging data via the vehicle power
line 52. For example, these may be impact sensors mounted at
various locations to detect when the industrial vehicle impacts
another object. Because these sensors use the power line 52 for
communication, they can be installed easily after the industrial
vehicle has been manufactured because only a power line connection
is needed and not a connection to the communication network 26 or
other signal lines. This can significantly reduce the wiring work
required to add the sensors throughout the vehicle.
[0040] Another second group of sensors 63, that are installed by
the manufacturer, interface directly with the vehicle controller 21
for the transfer of data and do not use the power line
communication technique.
[0041] A battery status monitor 64 is mounted on the battery 37 and
gathers and stores data regarding the battery's performance while
the battery is powering the industrial vehicle 10 and while the
battery is being recharged at a charging station. The battery
status monitor 64 may be built into the battery or may be removably
attached thereto. With reference to FIG. 4, the battery status
monitor (BSM) 64 comprises a microcomputer 70 that includes a
digital processor, input/output circuits, and analog to digital
converters. The microcomputer 70 is connected to a memory device 71
that stores a software program, which is executed by the
microcomputer to govern the operation of the battery status monitor
64. In addition, data that is used or produced by that software
program are stored within the memory device 71. For example, the
memory device 71 has a data table containing manufacturer
specification data related to the battery 37, such as a unique
serial number, weight, the battery's nominal voltage, and its rated
capacity in terms of ampere hours or kilowatt-hours.
[0042] The battery status monitor 64 has several sensors located on
the battery 37. A voltage sensor 72 measures the voltage across the
positive and negative terminals 77 and 78, respectively, of the
battery. Alternatively, voltage may be detected in each individual
cell of the battery 37. A current sensor 73 detects a level of
electric current flowing in either direction through one conductor
of the battery cable 38 and thus the senses the current used to
power the industrial vehicle 10, as well as the current that
recharges the battery. A temperature sensor 74 measures the
internal temperature of the battery 37 and a fluid level sensor 75
detects the battery's electrolyte level. Periodically, the
microcomputer 70 in the BSM 64 reads the signals produced by the
battery sensors 72-75 and stores the measurement data in another
data table within memory 71. Each time the battery is recharged,
the microcomputer 70 increments a count of those events that is
stored in the memory device 71.
[0043] Periodically the microcomputer 70 reads the previously
stored data from the memory device 71 and sends that data to a BSM
communication circuit 76. The BSM communication circuit 76 enables
the microcomputer 70 to exchange messages bidirectionally with the
vehicle controller 21 via the power line 52 of the industrial
vehicle 10 in the same manner as described preciously in respect of
the sensor communication circuit 55.
[0044] Referring again to FIG. 2, the messages sent through the
power line 52 by the BSM communication circuit 76 and the sensor
communication circuit 55 are received by a power line communication
circuit 62 that is electrically attached to the B+ conductor of the
vehicle power connector 34 that mates with the battery cable
connector 36. The sensor data received from those other
communication circuits 55 and 76, are forwarded to an input/output
port 28 of the vehicle controller 21 for storage in a memory device
24, from which the sensor data are subsequently read and processed
in a conventional manner by the control software executed by the
vehicle controller. In addition to receiving message from other
communication devices, the power line communication circuit 62 is
able to transmit messages containing data and commands that are
addressed to those other communication devices. Such messages are
transmitted through the power line 52 using the same power line
communication protocol as described previously.
[0045] A problem encountered when sending messages through the
power line 52 (e.g., the positive B+ conductors) of an industrial
vehicle is that many electrical components provide a shunt path to
the negative (B-) conductor, which path undesirably attenuates the
communication signal. Such components include the battery,
electronic circuit power supplies, power amplifier capacitor banks,
and electric motors. Those components tend to act as a short
circuit to the communication signal, so a large portion of that
signal is drained through the components and does not travel
throughout the electrical system to other components that are
intended to receive the communication signal.
[0046] The signal losses due to vehicle components providing a
shunt path can be mitigated by isolating those components from the
section of the power line 52 through which the communication
messages need to travel. Such isolation is achieved by placing an
electrical choke in series with components that need to be
isolated. As shown in FIG. 2, electrical chokes, in the form of
wire beads 83, 84 and 85, are placed in the connections of the lift
motor control 23, traction motor control 27, and steer motor
control 29 to the power distributor 39. These wire beads 83-85
reduce the amount of attenuation of the communication signals
caused by the motor controls. Other types of electrical chokes may
be used to implement the present invention.
[0047] A wire bead, also called a ferrite bead, is a passive device
that suppresses high frequency signals in a wire which passes
through the device. In this application, each wire bead is
cylindrical tube made a high magnetically permeable material, such
as iron oxide, that is compressed under extreme pressure. An
alternating electrical current flowing in the wire produces a
surrounding magnetic field. The wire bead increases the magnetic
flux density for a given field strength and therefore increases the
inductance of the wire to alternating current signals. Thus the
wire bead does not affect the flow of direct current from the
battery to components of the control system 20.
[0048] The use of a wire bead to isolate the battery 37 is more
complicated, because the battery status monitor (BSM) 64 is
connected directly to the battery terminals in order to measure the
battery voltage as accurately as possible. This makes it
undesirable to put the ferrite bead on just the battery cable
38(across both the positive and negative conductors 79 and 80), as
doing so will attenuate the message signals from the BSM
communication circuit 76.
[0049] The solution is shown in FIG. 4, in which a message
transmission wire 82 from the battery status monitor 64 passes
through a wire bead 86 in a first direction (e.g., into the first
end 87 of the wire bead and out the second end 88) going from the
BSM communication circuit 76 to the battery 37. The positive (B+)
conductor 79 of the battery cable 38 passes through the wire bead
86 in an opposite second direction (e.g., into the second end 88
and out the first end 87) going from the battery 37 to the battery
connector 36. With respect to the transmission of BSM message
signals, the message transmission wire 82 and the battery's
positive conductor 79 can be thought of as a single signal
conductor 40 that passes from the battery status monitor 64 through
the wire bead 86 and then loops back through the wire bead again
before reaching the battery connector 36.
[0050] When the BSM communication circuit 76 transmits a message,
the first time that the signal conductor 40 passes through the wire
bead 86 in the first direction, the message's high frequency data
signal induces magnetic flux in the wire bead. Thus the wire bead
86 presents a high impedance, which essentially blocks the data
signal from reaching the battery 37 and its low impedance path to
ground. The second time the signal conductor 40 passes through the
wire bead 86 in the second direction, the previously generated
magnetic flux in the wire bead 86 induces the high frequency data
signal into the positive conductor 79 of the battery cable, sending
the BSM message toward the battery connector 36.
[0051] The same effect occurs with respect to message signals
traveling from the vehicle controller 21 to the battery status
monitor (BSM) 64. This effect, therefore, enhances power line
communication.
[0052] Returning to FIG. 2, the control system 20 further includes
a USB port 90 connected to the communication network 26 in order to
communicate with the vehicle controller 21. The USB port 90 enables
a data storage device, specifically a flash drive 92, to be
removably connected to the vehicle control system 20. That device
connection enables vehicle controller 21 to read data from and
store data to the flash drive 92. As used herein with respect to
the flash drive 92, "removably" means that the flash drive can be
disconnected from the USB port 90, by a user merely pulling the
drive from the port by hand without dismantling any part of the
control system 20 or of the industrial vehicle and without using
any tool.
[0053] A unique function of the USB flash drive 92 is that of a key
that enables operation of the industrial vehicle 10. Previous
vehicles required a key to operate a switch that activated the
industrial vehicle. In the present system, each person who is
authorized to operate an industrial vehicle is issued a USB flash
drive in which is stored a unique identifier of that person, such
as an employee number. The data stored in the USB flash drive 92
may also identify different types of industrial vehicles 10 that
the person is authorized to operate. When operation of a particular
vehicle is desired, the person plugs his/her USB flash drive 92
into the USB port 90 on the vehicle. The port detects the
connection to a flash drive and sends a message informing the
vehicle controller 21 of that event. In response, the vehicle
controller 21 reads the person identifier and, if provided, the
list of authorized industrial vehicle types from the USB flash
drive 92. If one of the authorized industrial vehicle types
corresponds to the type of the present industrial vehicle, then
operation of that vehicle is enabled. Alternatively, the vehicle
controller 21 may compare the person identifier read from the flash
drive to a list of authorized persons stored in the memory device
24 of the vehicle controller. If a match is found then operation of
the present industrial vehicle is enabled.
[0054] The flash drive 92 may contain other information about the
particular person to whom the flash drive is issued. For example,
operation of an industrial vehicle by a relatively inexperienced
operator may be limited until that person acquires a certain level
of experience, e.g., has operated that type of vehicle for a
predefined number of hours. In this instance, the information the
flash drive designates an operation level for the person as being
an inexperienced operator. Upon reading that indication at vehicle
start-up, the vehicle controller 21 restricts or limits the
operating parameters for certain vehicle functions, such as
limiting the travel speed to a rate that is less than the maximum
possible speed, limiting the vehicle acceleration rate to less than
a maximum possible magnitude, and limiting an acceleration rate of
the load carrier 18 on the mast 19 to less than a maximum possible
magnitude. As used herein such limiting allows the person to drive
the vehicle and raise and lower the load carrier, just that the
operations are restricted as compared to other persons operating
the same industrial vehicle. For example, with an inexperienced
person in control, the industrial vehicle is able to travel around
the warehouse, however, the maximum speed allowed by the vehicle
controller 21 is set to a threshold that is less than the maximum
speed at which the vehicle can otherwise travel.
[0055] The vehicle controller 21 also is capable of storing data
into the flash drive 92. For example, the vehicle controller 21
measures the time that the particular person is operating the
industrial vehicle and adds that time to a cumulative amount of
operating time for that type of industrial vehicle stored in the
flash drive 92. This process enables the experience level of the
particular person to be determined from that cumulative amount of
operating time.
[0056] The flash drive 92 also can be used to store other kinds of
information and performance data regarding each industrial vehicle
10 operated by the person to whom the flash drive was issued. Each
industrial vehicle 10 has a unique identifier, such as its
manufacturer's serial number, which is transferred into the flash
drive 92 along with the vehicle operational data produced by the
control system 20. Such operational data includes the number of
hours in operation, battery state of charge, fault codes generated,
aggregate time that the lift motor was active, and speed and
acceleration of the vehicle and of the load carrier 18.
[0057] Occasionally the a vehicle operator plugs his/her USB flash
drive 92 into a port on the computer of the warehouse management
system and transfer the stored operational data into that computer.
Commerically available software, such as the iWarehouse.RTM.
program from The Raymond Corporation of Greene, N.Y., U.S.A., is
executed by the warehouse management system computer to analyze the
transferred data to evaluate the performance of each vehicle
operated by the person and of that person.
[0058] With continuing reference to FIG. 2, the vehicle control
system 20 also has a service port 94 that enables external
equipment to exchange messages over the communication network 26
with various components on the industrial vehicle 10. For example,
maintenance technicians are able to connect a laptop computer (not
shown) to the control system to read conventional fault codes
generated by the vehicle controller 21 which indicate particular
problems that the vehicle encountered, as is conventional practice.
The laptop computer also can read other types of vehicle data that
is stored in the memory device 24 of the vehicle controller 21.
[0059] The communication network port 65 also enables an
aftermarket data acquisition device 66 to be connected to the
vehicle communication network 26. Through that connection the data
acquisition device 66 acquires the performance data which is stored
in the memory device 24 of the vehicle controller 21. Specifically
the data acquisition device can send the vehicle controller 21
messages requesting such data and then receive other messages
carrying that requested data from the vehicle controller.
[0060] The data acquisition device 66 has a controller 67 which
performs the function of acquiring the data from the vehicle
controller 21 and has a wireless transceiver 68 that has an antenna
69 for bidirectional exchange of data and commands with a
communication system in the warehouse or factory in which the
industrial vehicle 10 operates. Preferably the transceiver 68 uses
radio frequencies, although optical, ultrasonic or other wireless
communication technology can be employed and any one of several
standard communication protocols, such as Wi-Fi, can be used to
exchange messages and data. Each industrial vehicle 10 has a unique
identifier, such as its serial number, that enables messages to be
communicated specifically to that vehicle. The unique identifier
usually is included in every message sent to and from the
industrial vehicle 10, however some messages are broadcast to all
the industrial vehicles in the warehouse by using a broadcast
identifier to which all vehicles respond.
[0061] Referring now to FIG. 3, a warehouse 100, in which one or
more industrial vehicles 10 operate, includes a communication
system 102 that links the vehicles to a warehouse computer 104. The
communication system 102 comprises a plurality of wireless
transceivers 106, for example radio frequency devices, distributed
throughout the warehouse 100, such as in the shipping dock and
goods storage areas. The wireless transceivers 106 are connected
via a conventional local area network 105 or a TCP/IP
communications link to the warehouse computer 104. Alternatively
the wireless transceivers 106 can be coupled wirelessly, such as
through a Wi-Fi link, to the warehouse computer 104. The warehouse
100 has one or more battery charging stations 101 where the
batteries 37 are removed from the industrial vehicles 10 and
recharged by equipment 103. The charging equipment 103 also is
connected to the local area network 105 for exchanging data with
the warehouse computer 104. The warehouse communication system 102
enables the performance data from the fleet of industrial vehicles
10 to be automatically transferred at regular intervals to the
warehouse computer 104, instead of manually using the USB flash
drives 92 as previously described. Tthe USB flash drives 92, when
used, are plugged into a port 107 on the warehouse computer
104.
[0062] The warehouse computer 104 is connected to the Internet 108,
thereby enabling communication with a computer system 114 at the
headquarters of the warehouse company. That connection allows the
headquarters computer system 114 to receive data regarding the
operation of the fleet of industrial vehicle at all the warehouses
in the company. Both warehouse computer 104 and the headquarters
computer system 114 execute software for storing, analyzing and
reporting the operating information for the industrial
vehicles.
[0063] The connection of the warehouse computer 104 to the Internet
108, or other external communication network, permits the warehouse
computer to access a vehicle specific data that stores vehicle
specific data provided by the vehicle manufacturer. The vehicle
specific data is transferred into the vehicle specific data from a
manufacturer computer 112. The data gathered from the industrial
vehicles at the warehouses also is uploaded and stored in the
database 110. Selected data can also be accessed by, for example,
warehouse management personnel or vehicle dealers, who can connect
to the database 110 through the Internet 108. The various computers
can analyze and compare the data gathered from all the industrial
vehicles at a given warehouse, at all the facilities of the
warehouse company, or all the vehicles made by the same
manufacturer.
[0064] The data acquisition device 66 in FIG. 2 is custom designed
for use with a particular industrial vehicle 10. The controller 67
of the data acquisition device 66 is specifically configured to
communicate over the vehicle communication network 26 with the
vehicle controller 21 and other components. Thus, a manufacturer of
an aftermarket data acquisition device has to be privy to details
of the operation of the particular vehicle's control system 20 and
the communication protocol used on the vehicle communication
network 26. Such intimate knowledge of the details for a particular
industrial vehicle are not always available to other manufacturers
of aftermarket equipment. In other situations, even if the data
acquisition device is specifically designed for operation with a
particular brand of industrial vehicle, vehicles produced by
different manufacturers may operate in the same warehouse and it is
therefore desirable that data from all those vehicles be
communicated to the warehouse computer 104 via the warehouse
communication system 102. As a consequence, it is desirable to be
able to retrofit a data acquisition device 66 that was developed
for one particular brand of industrial vehicles onto similar
vehicles from other manufacturers.
[0065] The adaptation of a particular data acquisition device 66
for use on other types of industrial vehicles is shown in FIG. 5.
The second control system 200 for this industrial vehicle is
generally similar to the first control system 20 in FIG. 2 that was
previously described. The components of control system 200 that are
identical to those in the first control system 20 have been
assigned the same reference numerals. It should be understood,
however, that the format of the data produced by the vehicle
controller 21 and the protocol used on the communication network 26
of the second control system 200 are not compatible with the data
acquisition device 66. Although the data acquisition device 66 has
an input for a communication network, that input was designed for
connection to a different vehicle network. Nevertheless, the data
acquisition device 66 is designed to formulate data packets for
transmission as messages to the warehouse communication system 102
(FIG. 3) in which the particular industrial vehicle operates.
[0066] Because of that vehicle interface incompatibility, the data
acquisition device 66 is coupled to the vehicle control system 200
by an interface module 202. The interface module is connected by a
communication link 204 to the existing vehicle network port on the
data acquisition device 66. Thus data is sent from the interface
module 202 to the data acquisition device 66 in messages using the
same protocol as though the data acquisition device is connected to
the vehicle communication network 26 in the first control system
20.
[0067] The interface module 202 has a plurality of sensor inputs
that are connected by a plurality of wires 205 to the output signal
conductors of various sensors and devices in the control system
200. For example, an input wire is connected to the output of the
height sensor 59 that is connected to the mast 19 of the industrial
vehicle to provide a signal indicating the height of the load
carrier 18. This signal provides an input to the interface module
202 that indicates when the load carrier is raised, as occurs when
carrying a load. Alternatively, if the control system 200 does not
have a height sensor, a simple switch can be added that indicates
when the load carrier 18 is not at the fully lowered position.
Another one of the wires 205 is connected to the output of the
weight sensor 57 which thereby provides a signal indicating the
weight of a load 35 when present on the carrier 18. A further
signal wire 205 is connected to the output of the rotation sensor
44 to receive a signal indicating when the traction motor 43 is
operating and thus when the vehicle is traveling. Alternatively, a
hall effect sensor or other device could be placed near one of the
power conductors extending between the traction motor control 27
and the traction motor 43 to sense when current is flowing through
that conductor and thus when the motor is operating. In the second
control system 200, the operator controls 17 include a key-operated
run switch 13 that is used to turn on the industrial vehicle, and a
deadman switch 12 which must be depressed by the foot of the
operator in order to operate vehicle functions. Thus when a
key-operated run switch 13 is in the ON position and the industrial
vehicle 10 is running, but no one is in the operator compartment 11
(FIG. 1), the deadman switch 12 supplies a signal indicative of
that event. Additional wires 205 extend from the deadman switch 12
and the key-operated run switch 13 to inputs of the interface
module 202.
[0068] With additional reference to FIG. 6, the input wires 205
lead to terminals of an input circuit 216 in the interface module
202. The input circuit 216 is connected by a communication bus 206
to a microcomputer 210 which executes a software program that
governs the data transfer function performed by the interface
module. A memory device 212, also connected to the communication
bus 206, stores the software program and data processed by that
program. A network interface circuit 214 connects the internal
communication bus 206 to the communication link 204 that leads to
the data acquisition device 66.
[0069] Different industrial vehicles, with which the interface
module 202 may be used, can have different devices that provide
input signals to the module. The input terminals for the input
circuit 216 are not predefined to receive signals from specific
sensors or for specific vehicle functions. That is, each input can
be connected by the user to any of the appropriate components on
the industrial vehicle. The interface module 202 contains a table
within memory device 212 that provides a map associating each input
terminal to a particular vehicle function being monitored. That
input mapping table 220 is defined during the initial configuration
of the interface module 202 upon installation. At that time, a
technician plugs a laptop or other portable computer into the
programming (PGM.) port 215 and initiates a configuration routine
of the software stored within the interface module. The
configuration routine enables the technician to assign each of the
inputs 218 of the input circuit 216 to a particular function being
monitored. The results of that configuration are stored in the
input mapping table 220, an example of which is shown in FIG. 7.
The first input terminal (INPUT1) is assigned to receive the signal
from the rotation sensor 44 on the fraction motor 43, which
indicates when that motor is operating and the vehicle is
travelling. The second input terminal (INPUT2) is assigned for the
wire that extends the height sensor 59 on the mast 19 the signal on
which indicates when the load carrier 18 has been lifted from the
bottom most position. The third input terminal (INPUT3) of the
interface module is designated to receive the signal from the key
operated run switch 13 of the control system 200 in FIG. 5. The
fourth input terminal (INPUT4) on the exemplary configuration table
is connected to the wire from the deadman switch 12 and the fifth
input terminal (INPUTS) is assigned for the load weight sensor
signal. Additional inputs may be used for other signals derived
from the vehicle control system 200 with there being total of N
input terminals on the exemplary interface module 202.
[0070] Whenever the industrial vehicle is running, power is applied
to the interface module which thereby executes a software program
stored in the memory device 212. That program periodically inspects
the signal at each of input terminal and updates corresponding
operational data regarding the performance of the industrial
vehicle. For example, the parameters being monitored may include a
key hour meter indicating the aggregate amount of time that the key
operated run switch 13 is closed and the industrial vehicle is
running. A lift hour meter indicates the aggregate amount of time
that the load carrier 18 is raised above the bottom most position.
A travel hour meter accumulates the total amount of time that the
traction motor 42 is active and thus the vehicle is traveling.
Finally, in the exemplary system a deadman hour meter tracks the
amount of time that the deadman switch 12 is closed as occurs when
an operator steps on the pedal of that switch. By subtracting the
amount of time indicated by the deadman hour meter from the amount
of time indicated by the key hour meter, the amount of time that
the operator is out of the operator compartment while the
industrial vehicle is running can be calculated.
[0071] With reference to FIG. 8, the various hour meters are
updated by a software program 230 that is executed continuously or
at predefined intervals whenever the industrial vehicle 10 is
operating. Although the operation of the software program 230 will
be described in the context of hour meters, other operating
parameters, such as the cumulative load weight that has been
transported, also can be processed by the interface module. When
the industrial vehicle initially starts operating, the software
program commences execution at step 232 where one of the hour
meters is selected. The program includes a table of the different
hour meters and execution of the program 230, in a looping manner,
sequentially processes the data for each hour meter. After a
particular hour meter has been selected, the program execution
advances to step 234 where the input mapping table 220, depicted in
FIG. 7, is inspected to determine which of the inputs 218 receives
the sensor signal for the selected parameter. Next, at step 236, a
determination is made whether the signal at the associated input is
active. For example, if the parameter is rotation of the traction
motor 43 indicating that the vehicle is travelling, a determination
is made whether a true logic level signal is being applied to
INPUT1. If that is the case, the program execution branches to step
238 where a timer for the particular parameter, i.e., the travel
hour meter, is incremented by one. Each timer is in fact a counter
that is incremented each time the looping through the software
program selects the associated parameter. Because such looping
occurs at regular intervals, each increment of the counter
corresponds to a time interval at which the selected parameter was
active. For example, count of the timer for the travel hour meter
indicates the number of such time intervals during which the
vehicle travelling. i.e., being propelled on the warehouse floor.
after incrementing the travel hour meter counter, the program
advances to step 240. If, however, at step 236, the input
associated with the selected parameter was not found to be active,
the program execution directly advances to step 240 without
incrementing the associated timer, as the designated parameter was
inactive during the recent time interval. It should be understood
that the software program is executed frequently enough so that
incrementing the various parameter timers accurately indicates the
amount of time that the parameters are active.
[0072] When the program execution reaches step 240, a determination
is made whether the accumulated parameter data should be
transmitted to the data acquisition device 66. That data
transmission occurs either a particular time of day as indicated by
a real time clock within the interface module 202, the expiration
of a given time period such as once every hour, or upon the
interface module 202 receiving a request for data from the data
acquisition device 66 via the communication link 204. If it is not
time to transmit the data, the program execution returns from step
240 to step 232 at which another hour meter is selected and the
program execution loops again through steps 232-240 for that new
parameter. In this manner, the looping through steps 232-240
sequentially gathers data about the different selected operating
parameters of the industrial vehicle.
[0073] When it is time to transmit the data, the program execution
advances to step 242, at which the timer count for each hour meters
is converted into a time period value. That conversion involves
multiplying the respective timer count by the interval between
instances at which the program processed the signal input for that
hour meter. The resultant time periods are then stored temporarily
in the memory device 212 of the interface module 202. Then at step
244, all of the timer counts are reset to zero to start
accumulating the running times for another reporting period. The
microcomputer 210 at step 246 then formulates a message that
contains the hour meter time period and that message is sent via
the communication link 204 to the data acquisition device 66 at
step 248. In this manner, the data acquisition device 66 receives
the parameter data from the interface module 202 in the same manner
as the data acquisition device 66 in FIG. 2 receives messages from
the vehicle controller 21 via the internal vehicle communication
network 26. Thus, the identical type of data acquisition device 66
can be used with vehicles for which it was designed to connect to
the network port 65 and with vehicles of other manufacturers that
have an incompatible communication network 26. Furthermore, the
unique manner in which the signal inputs for the input circuit 216
are dynamically configured allows the interface module 202 to be
used with a wide variety of different types of industrial vehicles
and receive signals for various operating parameters on those
vehicles.
[0074] The foregoing description was primarily directed to a
certain embodiments of the industrial vehicle. Although some
attention was given to various alternatives, it is anticipated that
one skilled in the art will likely realize additional alternatives
that are now apparent from the disclosure of these embodiments.
Accordingly, the scope of the coverage should be determined from
the following claims and not limited by the above disclosure.
* * * * *