Modify vehicle parameters based on vehicle position information

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a material handling vehicle, comprising: a power unit, including: a steering wheel and a steering device for generating a steering control signal; a load handling assembly coupled to the power unit; a controller located on the power unit for receiving the steering control signal; and a sensing device located on the power unit and coupled to the controller. The sensing device monitors an area in front of and beside the vehicle. Based on the sensing device data, the controller can modify at least one of the following vehicle parameters: a maximum allowable steering angle or a ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present embodiment is directed to a materials handling vehicle having a positioning assist system that provides assistance to an operator driving the vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Known material handling vehicles include a power unit, a mast assembly, and a platform assembly including a fork carriage assembly coupled to the mast assembly to enable vertical movement of the vehicle relative to the power unit. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a material handling vehicle, comprising: a power unit including a steering wheel and a steering device for generating a steering control signal; a load handling assembly coupled to the power unit; a controller located on the power unit for receiving the steering control signal; and a sensing device on the power unit coupled to the controller. The sensing device can monitor the area in front of and beside the vehicle. The controller can use data from the sensing device to identify at least one of position information of the vehicle relative to a wall or a shelf or object information indicating that one or more objects are in front of or to the side of the vehicle. Based on the sensing device data, the controller can modify at least one of the following vehicle parameters: the maximum allowable steering angle or the ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device.

[0004] When the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within a predefined distance from a wall or a shelf, the controller may modify at least one of a maximum allowable steering angle or a ratio of a steering wheel to a steering device.

[0005] When the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within a predefined distance from a wall or a shelf, the controller may modify the ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device from a larger ratio to a smaller ratio.

[0006] When the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within a predefined distance from a wall or a shelf and the object information indicates that the object is in front of or to the side of the vehicle, the controller may modify at least one of a maximum allowable steering angle or a ratio of a steering wheel to a steering device.

[0007] When the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within a predefined distance from a wall or a shelf and the object information indicates that the object is in front of or to the side of the vehicle, the controller may reduce the maximum steering angle from a first maximum allowable steering angle to a second maximum allowable steering angle, wherein the second maximum steering angle is less than the first maximum steering angle.

[0008] The material handling vehicle may further include a light source device coupled to the controller. When the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within a predefined distance from a wall or a shelf located adjacent to a side of the vehicle, the light source device may be controlled by the controller to designate an area between the vehicle and the wall or the shelf as a restricted operating area. The light source device may designate the area as a restricted operating area in a manner that is observable by a person near the vehicle.

[0009] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a material handling vehicle is provided. The material handling vehicle may include: a power unit including: a steering wheel and a steering device for generating a steering control signal; a load handling assembly coupled to the power unit; a controller located on the power unit for receiving the steering control signal; and a sensing device located on the power unit and coupled to the controller. The method may include: monitoring the area in front of and beside the vehicle via the sensing device; using data from the sensing device by the controller to identify at least one of position information of the vehicle relative to a wall or a shelf or object information indicating that one or more objects are in front of or to the side of the vehicle; and modifying at least one of the following vehicle parameters by the controller based on the sensing device data: a maximum allowable steering angle or a ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device.

[0010] When the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within a predefined distance from a wall or a shelf, the controller may modify at least one of a maximum allowable steering angle or a ratio of a steering wheel to a steering device.

[0011] When the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within a predefined distance from a wall or a shelf, the controller may modify the ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device from a larger ratio to a smaller ratio.

[0012] When the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within a predefined distance from a wall or a shelf and the object information indicates that the object is in front of or to the side of the vehicle, the controller may modify at least one of a maximum allowable steering angle or a ratio of a steering wheel to a steering device.

[0013] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a material handling vehicle, comprising: a power unit, including: a steering wheel and a steering device for generating a steering control signal; a load handling assembly coupled to the power unit; a controller located on the power unit, for receiving the steering control signal; and a sensing device, located on the power unit and coupled to the controller. The sensing device can monitor the area in front of and beside the vehicle. The controller can use data from the sensing device to identify at least one of the position information of the vehicle relative to at least one wall or shelf near where the vehicle is located or object information indicating that one or more objects are in front of or to the side of the vehicle. Based on the sensing device data, the controller can modify at least one of the following vehicle parameters: the load handling assembly lifting height, the maximum steering angle, or the ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device.

[0014] When the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within an aisle between a first wall or shelf and a second wall or shelf, the controller may modify at least one of a load handling assembly lift height, a maximum allowable steering angle, or a steering wheel to steering device ratio.

[0015] When the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within an aisle between a first wall or shelf and a second wall or shelf and the object information indicates that the object is in front of or to the side of the power unit, the controller may modify at least one of the load handling assembly lift height, the maximum allowable steering angle, or the ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device.

[0016] When the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within an aisle between a first wall or shelf and a second wall or shelf and the object information indicates that the object is in front of or to the side of the power unit, the controller may reduce the maximum steering angle from a first maximum allowable steering angle to a second maximum allowable steering angle, wherein the second maximum steering angle is less than the first maximum steering angle.

[0017] The load handling assembly may include a lift frame. A lift height of the lift frame may define a load handling assembly lift height. When the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within an aisle having a first aisle width, the controller may modify a maximum lift height of the lift frame.

[0018] The load handling assembly may include a lifting frame. The lifting height of the lifting frame may define the load handling assembly lifting height. When the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned in an aisle between the first wall or shelf and the second wall or shelf, the controller may modify the lifting height of the lifting frame so that the lifting frame moves to an intermediate height position.

[0019] The material handling vehicle may further include a light source device coupled to the controller. When the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within a predefined distance from a wall or a shelf located adjacent to a side of the vehicle, the light source device may be controlled by the controller to designate an area between the vehicle and the wall or the shelf as a restricted operating area. The light source device may designate the area as a restricted operating area in a manner that is observable by a person near the vehicle.

[0020] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a material handling vehicle is provided. The material handling vehicle may include: a power unit including: a steering wheel and a steering device for generating a steering control signal; a load handling assembly coupled to the power unit; a controller located on the power unit for receiving the steering control signal; and a sensing device located on the power unit and coupled to the controller. The method may include: monitoring the area in front of and beside the vehicle by the sensing device; using data from the sensing device by the controller to identify at least one of the position information of the vehicle relative to at least one wall or shelf near where the vehicle is located or object information indicating that one or more objects are in front of or to the side of the vehicle; and modifying at least one of the following vehicle parameters by the controller based on the sensing device data: the load handling assembly lifting height, the maximum steering angle, or the ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device.

[0021] When the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within an aisle between a first wall or shelf and a second wall or shelf, the controller may modify at least one of a load handling assembly lift height, a maximum allowable steering angle, or a steering wheel to steering device ratio.

[0022] The load handling assembly may include a lift frame. A lift height of the lift frame may define a load handling assembly lift height. When the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within an aisle having a first aisle width, the controller may modify a maximum lift height of the lift frame.

[0023] The load handling assembly may include a lifting frame. The lifting height of the lifting frame may define the load handling assembly lifting height. When the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned in an aisle between the first wall or shelf and the second wall or shelf, the controller may modify the lifting height of the lifting frame so that the lifting frame moves to an intermediate height position.

[0024] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a material handling vehicle is provided, comprising: a power unit, including a left side, a right side and an operator station; a load handling assembly coupled to the power unit and including a lifting frame; a controller located on the power unit; and a sensing device located on the power unit and coupled to the controller. The sensing device can monitor the area in front of and beside the power unit, wherein the controller can use data from the sensing device to identify the position information of the power unit relative to a wall or a shelf near where the power unit is located. A sensing system can be provided to detect that an operator has left the operator station of the vehicle and whether the operator has left the operator station from a first exit on the left side of the power unit or from a second exit on the right side of the power unit. When the position information indicates that one of the first side or the second side of the power unit is positioned within a predefined distance from the wall or the shelf and the operator has left the operator station from one of the first exit or the second exit of one side, the controller can modify at least one of the following vehicle parameters: vehicle traction control, operation of the lifting frame, or remote control operation of the vehicle.

[0025] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a material handling vehicle is provided. The material handling vehicle may include: a power unit including a left side, a right side and an operator station; a load handling assembly coupled to the power unit and including a lifting frame; a controller located on the power unit; and a sensing device located on the power unit and coupled to the controller. The method may include: monitoring the area in front of and beside the power unit by the sensing device; identifying the position information of the power unit relative to a wall or a shelf near where the power unit is located by the controller using data from the sensing device; detecting by the sensing system that the operator has left the operator station of the vehicle and whether the operator has left the operator station from a first exit on the left side of the power unit or from a second exit on the right side of the power unit; and when (i) the position information indicates that one of the first side or the second side of the power unit is positioned within a predefined distance from the wall or the shelf, and (ii) the sensing system detects that the operator has left the operator station from one of the first exit or the second exit on one side, modifying by the controller at least one of the following vehicle parameters: vehicle traction control, operation of the lifting frame, or remote control operation of the vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 and Figure 2 are side and top views, respectively, of a materials handling vehicle according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0027] Figure 2A is a side view of another material handling vehicle according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0028] Figure 3is a schematic diagram of several components of a material handling vehicle capable of remote wireless operation according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0029] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a material handling vehicle according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0030] Figure 4A is a flow chart of an example method for designating an area around a material handling vehicle as a restricted operating or non-restricted operating area according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0031] Figure 4B is a flow chart of an example method for detecting that an operator has exited a material handling vehicle according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0032] Figure 4C is a perspective view of another material handling vehicle according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0033] Figure 4D is a schematic diagram of a material handling vehicle generating the second and third markings;

[0034] Figure 4E is a schematic diagram of a material handling vehicle illustrating operation of the vehicle according to one or more embodiments described herein;

[0035] Figure 4F is a side view of a materials handling vehicle according to another embodiment described herein;

[0036] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a material handling vehicle according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0037] Figure 5A is a flow chart of an example method for determining position information of a material handling vehicle according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0038] Figures 6A-6E is a schematic diagram of an operator gradually driving a material handling vehicle into an aisle according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0039] Fig. 6F and 6G depicts a flow chart of an example method for assisting an operator in properly positioning a material handling vehicle in an aisle according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0040] Figure 7 is a side view of another material handling vehicle according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0041] Figure 8 is a perspective view of a cart according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein; and

[0042] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a detection system according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The following text sets forth a broad description of many different embodiments of the present disclosure. This description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment, because it is impractical, if not impossible, to describe every possible embodiment, and it should be understood that any feature, characteristic, part, composition, ingredient, product, step, or method described herein may be deleted, combined, or substituted in whole or in part for any other feature, characteristic, part, composition, ingredient, product, step, or method described herein. It should be understood that a variety of combinations of the described and illustrated embodiments are contemplated, and a particular focus on one embodiment does not exclude its inclusion in a combination of other described embodiments. Many alternative embodiments may also be implemented using current technology or technology developed after the date of this patent application, which will still fall within the scope of the claims. All publications and patents cited herein are incorporated herein by reference.

[0044] Low Level Pick Trucks

[0045] Referring now to the drawings, in particular Figure 1 and 2, a material handling vehicle 10, illustrated as a low level order picking truck, includes a load handling assembly 12 coupled to and extending from a power unit 14. The vehicle 10 forms part of a system 8, which will be described more fully below. The load handling assembly 12 includes a pair of forks 16, each fork 16 having a load supporting wheel assembly 18. In addition to or in lieu of the illustrated arrangement of the forks 16, the load handling assembly 12 may include other load handling features, such as a load backrest, a scissor lift fork, an outrigger, or a separate height adjustable fork, to name just a few examples. Further, the load handling assembly 12 may include load handling features, such as a mast, a load platform, a collection cage, or other support structures carried by the forks 16 or otherwise provided for handling a load supported and carried by the vehicle 10. Although the present disclosure is made with reference to the illustrated vehicle 10, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the vehicle 10 may include a variety of other industrial vehicles, such as dump trucks, reach trucks, etc., and unless otherwise noted, the following description with reference to the various figures should not be limited to a picking truck. In addition, the vehicle 10 may be implemented in other forms, styles, and features, including a vehicle 10 that includes a load handling assembly in the form of a hook, a clamp, a trailer, such as a tractor, etc.

[0046] The illustrated power unit 14 includes a step-through operator station 20 that separates a first end section (opposite the forks 16) from a second end section (proximate the forks 16) of the power unit 14. The operator station 20 includes a platform 21 on which an operator may stand to steer the vehicle 10 and / or provides a location where the operator may operate various included features of the vehicle 10. The operator manually controls the travel functions of the vehicle 10 using operator controls 24 provided in the operator station 20.

[0047] The power unit 14 also includes at least one steerable wheel 108. The truck 10 includes a steer-by-wire system for achieving angular movement of the steerable wheel 108. The steer-by-wire system 80 includes a control handle 90 that forms part of the operator controls 24, a steering motor 114, and the steerable wheel 108, see Figure 1 and Figure 3 The term "control handle" is intended to cover Figure 1 and Figure 2 The control handle 90 shown in and similar control handles including a steering tiller and a steering wheel. The control handle 90 may be rotatable by an operator by approximately + / - 60 degrees from a center position, wherein the center position corresponds to the steering wheel 108 being in a straight-ahead position. Figure 3The control handle position sensor 100A shown in the figure senses the angular position of the control handle 90 and may include a potentiometer. In the illustrated embodiment, the operator can rotate the control handle 90 within an angular range of approximately + / - 60 degrees to control the movement of the steering wheel 108, which in the illustrated embodiment may be able to rotate approximately + / - 90 degrees from a center position. When the operator rotates the control handle 90, the control handle position sensor 100A senses the rotation, i.e., the magnitude and direction, and generates a steering control signal corresponding to the desired angular position of the steering wheel 108 to the controller 103, see Figure 3 , which may be communicatively coupled to a steering controller 112. The controller 103 generates a corresponding steering activation signal to the steering controller 112 coupled to the steering motor 114, so that the steering motor 114 moves the steering wheel 108 to a desired angular position. The control handle 90 and the control handle position sensor 100A define a steering device.

[0048] A presence sensor 22 may be provided (see Figure 2 ) to detect the presence of an operator on the vehicle 10. For example, the presence sensor 22 may be located on, above, or below the platform 21, or otherwise provided around the operator station 20. Figure 2 In the exemplary vehicle 10 of FIG. 1 , the presence sensors 22 are shown in dashed lines, indicating that they are located below the platform 21. In this arrangement, the presence sensors 22 may include load sensors, switches, etc. Alternatively, the presence sensors 22 may be implemented above the platform 21, such as by using ultrasound, capacitance, or other suitable sensing technology. The use of the presence sensors 22 will be described in more detail herein.

[0049] Figure 1 and Figure 2 The vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes first and second exits 26A, 26B from which an operator may exit the operator station 20. The first exit 26A is located on the left side LS of the vehicle 10, and the second exit 26B is located on the right side RS of the vehicle 10, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 as shown in .

[0050] according to Figure 2 In one embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the vehicle 10 may include a pole extending vertically from the power unit 14 and including an antenna 30 provided to receive control signals from a corresponding wireless remote control device 32. The pole may include a light 33 on the top, such as Figure 1 and 2 As shown in Figure 2A In another embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the antenna may be located within other vehicle components so that control signals from the remote control device 32 are received elsewhere in the vehicle 10 , as will be discussed below.

[0051] The remote control device 32 can be manually operated by an operator, for example, by pressing a button or other control device, to cause the remote control device 32 to transmit at least a first type of signal specifying a travel request to the vehicle 10 that is paired with the remote control device 32. A travel request is a command requesting the vehicle 10 to travel, as will be described in greater detail herein. Figure 1 and 2 Although shown as a finger-mounted structure, a variety of embodiments of the remote control device 32 may be implemented, including, for example, a glove structure, a lanyard or belt-mounted structure, etc. Additional details related to the remote control device 32 will be discussed in detail below.

[0052] The vehicle 10 also includes one or more non-contact obstacle sensors 40 provided around the vehicle 10, such as toward a first end section of the power unit 14, such as Figure 1 and 2 . Obstacle sensor 40 is operable to define at least one detection zone. For example, when vehicle 10 is traveling in response to a wirelessly received travel request from remote control device 32, at least one detection zone may define an area at least partially ahead of the forward travel direction of vehicle 10, as also described in more detail herein.

[0053] The obstacle sensor 40 may include any suitable proximity detection technology, such as an ultrasonic sensor, an image capture device, an infrared sensor, a laser scanner sensor, etc., which is capable of detecting the presence of an object / obstacle or capable of generating a signal that can be analyzed to detect the presence of an object / obstacle within a predefined detection zone(s). Figure 1 and 2 In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the vehicle 10 includes a first obstacle detector 42 and a pair of second obstacle detectors 44A and 44B mounted to the power unit 14. The first obstacle detector 42 is disposed along a vertical axis V of the vehicle 10 defining a vertical direction. A The second obstacle detectors 44A and 44B are spaced apart from each other, that is, the second obstacle detectors 44A and 44B are located below the first obstacle detector 42 (closer to the ground than the first obstacle detector 42), see Figure 1 The second obstacle detectors 44A and 44B are located along a horizontal axis H of the vehicle 10 defining a horizontal direction. A spaced apart from each other, see Figure 2 .

[0054] The first obstacle detector 42 may include a sweeping or scanning laser sensor capable of detecting objects in, for example, first, second and third zones Z1, Z2, Z3 (also referred to herein as scanning zones or detection zones), which may include planar zones, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 The second zone Z2 may include a "stop zone" where the vehicle 10 stops if the vehicle 10 is traveling under the control of the remote control device 32 and an object is detected in the stop zone, and the first and third zones Z1 and Z3 may include left and right "turn bumper zones" where the vehicle 10 may be turned to try to avoid contact with an object when it is traveling under the control of the remote control device 32 and an object is detected in the turn bumper zone. Note that the first obstacle detector 42 may be capable of detecting objects in more or fewer zones than the three zones Z1, Z2, Z3 shown.

[0055] The second obstacle detectors 44A and 44B may include point laser sensors that are capable of detecting obstacles between one or more of the zones Z1, Z2, Z3 of the first obstacle detector 42 and the vehicle 10 (i.e., below one or more of the zones Z1, Z2, Z3, such as Figure 1 ) and / or objects passing through zones Z1, Z2, Z3, and preferably can detect at least objects below the second zone Z2. Therefore, the second obstacle detectors 44A and 44B can detect objects located in the non-detection zone DZ of the first obstacle detector 42, see Figure 1 , that is, the non-detection zone DZ is defined as an area below the zones Z1, Z2, Z3 and is therefore not sensed by the first obstacle detector 42. Therefore, the first obstacle detector 42 is used to detect objects outside the non-detection zone DZ along the travel path of the power unit 14, while the second obstacle detectors 44A and 44B are used to sense objects along the travel path of the power unit 14 in the non-detection zone DZ directly in front of the vehicle 10, such as Figure 1 as shown in .

[0056] Additional sensor configurations and / or detection zones may be used.

[0057] Control System

[0058] refer to Figure 3, a block diagram illustrates a control arrangement for integrating remote control commands with the vehicle 10. A receiver 102, which may be, for example, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio transceiver, is provided for receiving commands issued by the remote control device 32. The receiver 102 passes the received control signal to a controller 103, which implements an appropriate response to the received command and may therefore also be referred to herein as a master controller. In this regard, the controller 103 is implemented in hardware and may also execute software (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.). In addition, an embodiment may take the form of a computer program product implemented in one or more computer-readable media having a computer-readable program code implemented thereon. For example, the vehicle 10 may include a memory storing a computer program product, which, when implemented by a processor of the controller 103, implements steering correction as more fully described herein.

[0059] Therefore, controller 103 can define at least in part a data processing system suitable for storing and / or executing program code and can include at least one processor that is directly or indirectly coupled to memory element by system bus or other suitable connection.Memory element can include the local memory adopted during the actual execution of program code, the memory integrated into microcontroller or application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), programmable gate array or other reconfigurable processing equipment etc.

[0060] The response implemented by the controller 103 in response to commands received wirelessly (e.g., via a wireless transmitter 178 of a remote control device 32 (discussed below)) and sent to the receiver 102 on the vehicle 10 may include one or more actions or no actions, depending on the logic being implemented. Positive actions may include controlling, adjusting, or otherwise affecting one or more components of the vehicle 10. The controller 103 may also receive information from other inputs 104 (e.g., from sources such as presence sensors 22, obstacle sensors 40, switches, load sensors, encoders, and other devices / features available to the vehicle 10) to determine appropriate actions in response to commands received from the remote control device 32. The sensors 22, 40, etc. may be connected to the controller 103 via the inputs 104 or via a suitable truck network, such as a control area network (CAN) bus 110.

[0061] In an exemplary arrangement, the remote control device 32 is operable to wirelessly transmit a control signal to a receiver 102 on the vehicle 10, the control signal representing a first type of signal such as a travel command. The travel command is also referred to herein as a "travel signal", "travel request" or "advance signal". The travel request is used to initiate a request to the vehicle 10 to travel, for example, as long as the travel signal is received by the receiver 102 and / or a predetermined amount is sent by the remote control device 32, for example, to make the vehicle 10 move forward or jog a limited travel distance or a limited time in a first direction. For example, the first direction can be first defined by the vehicle 10 moving in the power unit 14, that is, the direction in which the fork 16 is backward. However, other travel directions can be defined alternatively. Moreover, the vehicle 10 can be controlled to travel in a generally straight direction or along a previously determined heading. Accordingly, the limited travel distance can be specified by an approximate travel distance, travel time or other measurement.

[0062] Thus, the first type of signal received by the receiver 102 is transmitted to the controller 103. If the controller 103 determines that the travel signal is a valid travel signal and the current vehicle conditions are appropriate, the controller 103 sends a signal to the appropriate control configuration of the vehicle 10 to proceed and then stop the vehicle 10. Stopping the vehicle 10 may be achieved, for example, by either allowing the vehicle 10 to coast to a stop or by initiating a braking operation to brake the vehicle 10 to a stop.

[0063] As an example, the controller 103 may be communicatively coupled to a traction control system, shown as a traction motor controller 106 of the vehicle 10. The traction motor controller 106 is coupled to a traction motor 107 that drives at least one steered wheel 108 of the vehicle 10. The controller 103 may communicate with the traction motor controller 106 to accelerate, decelerate, adjust, and / or otherwise limit the speed of the vehicle 10 in response to receiving a travel request from the remote control device 32. As described above, the controller 103 may also be communicatively coupled to a steering controller 112 that is coupled to a steering motor 114 that steers at least one steered wheel 108 of the vehicle 10. In this regard, in response to receiving a travel request from the remote control device 32, the vehicle 10 may be controlled by the controller 103 to travel a desired path or maintain a desired heading.

[0064] As yet another illustrative example, the controller 103 may be communicatively coupled to a brake controller 116 that controls vehicle brakes 117 to slow, stop, or otherwise control the speed of the vehicle 10 in response to receiving a travel request from the remote control device 32. Still further, where applicable, the controller 103 may be communicatively coupled to other vehicle features, such as a main contactor 118 and / or other outputs 119 associated with the vehicle 10, to implement desired actions in response to implementing a remote travel function.

[0065] According to various embodiments, the controller 103 may communicate with the receiver 102 and with the traction motor controller 106 to operate the vehicle 10 under remote control in response to receiving a travel command from the associated remote control device 32. Moreover, if the vehicle 10 is traveling under remote control in response to the travel request and an obstacle is detected in one or more of the detection zones Z1, Z2, Z3, the controller 103 may be configured to perform various actions. In this regard, when a travel signal is received by the controller 103 from the remote control device 32, the controller 103 may consider any number of factors to determine whether the received travel signal should be acted upon to initiate and / or maintain movement of the vehicle 10.

[0066] Accordingly, if the vehicle 10 moves in response to a command received by the remote control device 32, the controller 103 can dynamically modify, control, adjust, or otherwise affect the remote control operation, such as by stopping the vehicle 10, changing the steering angle of the vehicle 10, or taking other actions. Thus, specific vehicle features, the state / condition of one or more vehicle features, the vehicle environment, etc. can affect the manner in which the controller 103 responds to a travel request from the remote control device 32.

[0067] The controller 103 may refuse to confirm the received travel request based on (one or more) predetermined conditions, such as those related to the environment or (one or more) operating factors. For example, the controller 103 may ignore an otherwise valid travel request based on information obtained from one or more of the sensors 22, 40. As an illustration, according to various embodiments, when determining whether to respond to a travel command from the remote control device 32, the controller 103 may optionally consider factors such as whether the operator is on the vehicle 10. As described above, the vehicle 10 may include at least one presence sensor 22 for detecting whether the operator is on the vehicle 10. In this regard, the controller 103 may also be configured to respond to a travel request to operate the vehicle 10 under remote control when (one or more) presence sensors 22 specify that there is no operator on the vehicle 10. Therefore, in this embodiment, the vehicle 10 cannot be operated in response to a wireless command from the remote control device 32 unless the operator physically leaves the vehicle 10. Similarly, if the obstacle sensor 40 detects that an object, including the operator, is close to and / or approaching the vehicle 10, the controller 103 may refuse to confirm the travel request from the remote control device 32. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, the operator must be within a limited range of vehicle 10, e.g., close enough to vehicle 10 to be within wireless communication range (which may be limited to set a maximum distance for the operator from vehicle 10). Other arrangements may alternatively be implemented.

[0068] Any other number of reasonable conditions, factors, parameters, or other considerations may also / alternatively be implemented by controller 103 to interpret and take action in response to signals received from transmitter 178 .

[0069] After confirming the travel request, the controller 103 interacts with the traction motor controller 106, for example, directly or indirectly (e.g., via a bus such as the CAN bus 110, if used) to propel the vehicle 10. Depending on the particular implementation, the controller 103 may interact with the traction motor controller 106 and optionally with the steering controller 112 to propel the vehicle 10 as long as the travel control signal is received. Alternatively, the controller 103 may interact with the traction motor controller 106 and optionally with the steering controller 112 to advance the vehicle 10 for a period of time or a predetermined distance in response to the detection and maintained activation of the travel control on the remote control device 32. Further, the controller 103 may be configured to "time out" and stop the travel of the vehicle 10 based on a predetermined event (such as exceeding a predetermined period of time or travel distance), regardless of whether the maintained activation of the corresponding control on the remote control device 32 is detected.

[0070] The remote control device 32 may also be operable to transmit a second type of signal (such as a "stop signal" indicating that the vehicle 10 should brake and / or otherwise come to a standstill). The second type of signal may also be implicit, for example, after a "drive" command is implemented, for example, after the vehicle 10 has traveled a predetermined distance, traveled for a predetermined time, etc., under remote control in response to a drive command. If the controller 103 determines that the wirelessly received signal is a stop signal, the controller 103 sends a signal to the traction motor controller 106, the brake controller 116, and / or other truck components to bring the vehicle 10 to a standstill. As an alternative to a stop signal, the second type of signal may include a "coast signal" or a "controlled deceleration signal" that specifies that the vehicle 10 should coast and eventually decelerate to a standstill.

[0071] The time required to bring the vehicle 10 to a complete stop can vary, depending on, for example, the intended application, environmental conditions, capabilities of the particular vehicle 10, loads on the vehicle 10, and other similar factors. For example, after completing a suitable jogging move, it may be desirable to allow the vehicle 10 to "coast" some distance before coming to a stop, so that the vehicle 10 stops slowly. This can be achieved by utilizing regenerative braking to decelerate the vehicle 10 to stop. Alternatively, a braking operation can be applied after a predetermined delay time to allow the vehicle 10 to additionally travel a predetermined range after the stop operation is initiated. For example, if an object is detected in the driving path of the vehicle 10 or if an immediate stop is desired after a successful jogging operation, it may also be desirable to stop the vehicle 10 relatively quickly. For example, the controller 103 may apply a predetermined torque to the braking operation. In this case, the controller 103 may instruct the brake controller 116 to apply the brake 117 to stop the vehicle 10.

[0072] The pairing system 34 can utilize, for example, a short-range system to wirelessly communicate with a compatible short-range system on the wireless remote control device 32. Using the pairing system 34, the vehicle 10 and the wireless remote control device 32 can be "paired" so that the vehicle 10 will only transmit and receive messages from its paired wireless remote control device 32. The pairing system 34 includes components that physically implement the communication method (e.g., Bluetooth, NFC, BLE, Wi-Fi, etc.) used to send messages, and includes components that programmatically exchange information in an agreed-upon protocol to establish and maintain pairing. Therefore, the pairing system 34 includes a device that can execute programmable instructions to implement a predetermined algorithm and protocol to complete the pairing operation.

[0073] Reference now Figure 1 , 2 and 4, Figure 4 A slightly different embodiment of a vehicle 10 is schematically illustrated, which may generally include Figure 1 , 2The system 8 according to the embodiment further includes a light source device 200 for illuminating the left side LS or the right side RS of the vehicle 10 (see Figure 2 and Figure 4 ) is designated as a restricted operating area and / or an area on the left side LS or right side RS of the vehicle 10 is designated as an unrestricted operating area. As used herein, the phrase "restricted operating area" may correspond to an area where the distance D1 or D2 between the left side or right side LS, RS of the vehicle 10 and an adjacent boundary object 202 (such as a wall, a pillar, or a storage structure such as a rack, shelf, or pallet) where the vehicle 10 is located is less than a predetermined distance, and the phrase "unrestricted operating area" may correspond to an area where the distance D1 or D2 is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance. The distance D1 may be referred to as a first distance, the distance D2 may be referred to as a second distance, the area on the left side LS of the vehicle may be referred to as a first area, and the area on the right side RS of the vehicle may be referred to as a second area. The “predetermined distance” may be set to such a value that when the distance D1 or D2 is less than the predetermined distance, the area corresponding to the distance D1 or D2 may be an area that is insufficient to accommodate the operator or person while maintaining a minimum gap distance (the gap distance may be defined by the vehicle owner or vehicle manufacturer) between the operator or person and the boundary object 202, and when the distance D1 or D2 is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance, the area corresponding to the distance D1 or D2 may be an area that is sufficient to accommodate the operator or person and maintain the minimum gap distance between the operator or person and the boundary object 202. The distances D1 and D2 are between the vehicle 10 and the object 202, for example, between the power unit 14 of the vehicle 10 and the object 202, or between the load handling assembly 12 and the object 202, at a distance perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L of the vehicle 10. A The transverse direction L D Measured on, such as Figure 4 As described above, the controller 103 can receive information from the obstacle sensor 40. The controller 103 can also be coupled to the light source device 200 to control the operation of the device 200. The distances D1 and D2 can be determined by the controller 103, for example, using sensor information or data obtained from one or more sensing devices coupled to the controller 103 (such as (one or more) obstacle sensors 40 or other suitable sensors including the first obstacle detector 42), or by using the position data of the vehicle 10 related to the known position data of the object 202. As described above, the first obstacle detector 42 may include a scanning laser sensor that can sense or measure distances in the X and Y directions, and thus can measure the distances D1 and D2 between the vehicle 10 and the (one or more) objects 202.

[0074] The light source device 200 may include a light controller 1202 and one or more light sources 204 coupled to the light controller 1202, wherein the one or more light sources 204 may be located on the vehicle 10 and may include a visible laser, a light bar, a projector, etc., wherein the light source 204 may project a visible mark on the floor adjacent to the vehicle 10 on the left side LS and / or the right side RS, and may also optionally project a visible mark in front of and / or behind the vehicle 10. For exemplary locations of the light sources 204, see Figure 4C The light controller 1202 may be coupled to the controller 103, and the controller 103 controls the operation of the one or more light sources 204 via the light controller 1202. It is contemplated that, in addition to Figure 4C In addition to the light source locations shown in , in some embodiments, the light sources 204 can be incorporated into the structure of the vehicle 10 so that they are flush with the body lines of the vehicle 10. In some embodiments, the light sources 204 can be coupled to the power unit 14, fork 16, skirt, etc. and positioned so that they are not knocked out of alignment when an object contacts the light sources 204. When the distance D1 or D2 between the vehicle 10 and the object 202 is less than a predetermined distance, the controller 103 activates or controls one or more light sources 204 via the light controller 1202 so that the one or more light sources 204 designate the area between the vehicle 10 and the object 202 as a restricted operating area in a manner that can be observed by an operator or a person near the vehicle, for example, by illuminating at least a portion of the floor adjacent to the vehicle 10 corresponding to the restricted operating area with a visible marker. When the distance D1 or D2 between the vehicle 10 and the object 202 is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance, the controller 103 controls the one or more light sources 204 via the light controller 1202 so that they do not designate the area between the vehicle 10 and the object 202 as a restricted operating area, wherein the controller 103 can activate or control the one or more light sources 204 via the light controller 1202 so that they designate the area between the vehicle 10 and the object 202 as a non-restricted operating area, optionally in a manner observable to an operator or a person near the vehicle 10, for example, by illuminating at least a portion of a floor adjacent to the vehicle 10 corresponding to the non-restricted operating area with a visible marking that is distinguishable from a marking used to designate a restricted operating area.

[0075] When both the distances D1 and D2 are simultaneously greater than or equal to a predetermined distance, the controller 103 may activate the one or more light sources 204 so that they simultaneously designate the first and second areas on the opposite sides of the vehicle 10 as non-restricted operating areas. In addition, when both the distances D1 and D2 are simultaneously less than a predetermined distance, the controller 103 may activate the one or more light sources 204 so that they simultaneously designate the first and second areas on the opposite sides of the vehicle 10 as restricted operating areas. In addition, when one of the distances D1 or D2 is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance, and the other of the distances D1 or D2 is simultaneously less than a predetermined distance, the controller 103 may activate the one or more light sources 204 via the light controller 1202 so that the one or more light sources 204 simultaneously designate one of the first and second areas as a restricted operating area and the other of the first and second areas as a non-restricted operating area.

[0076] According to an embodiment, the one or more light sources 204 may use a first marker 206 (see Figure 4 ), such as a first light pattern having a first light color to designate a restricted operating area, and using a second marking 208 that is distinguishable from the first marking 206 (see Figure 4 ), such as a second light pattern having a second light color different from the first light color to designate an unrestricted operating area. As another optional feature, the one or more light sources 204 may use a third indicia 209 distinguishable from the first indicia 206 and the second indicia 208, such as a third light pattern having a third light color to designate that the vehicle 10 is approaching a restricted operating area. When the distance between the vehicle 10 and the object 202 is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance, i.e., a first predetermined distance D A , but less than the second predetermined distance D B When the controller 103 causes the third mark 209 to be illuminated by one or more light sources 204, see Figure 4D Thus, when the distance between the vehicle 10 and the object 202 is greater than the first predetermined distance but less than the second predetermined distance, the second and third indicia may be illuminated simultaneously. A separate light source 205 coupled to the light controller 1202 may be provided for generating the third indicia 209 .

[0077] One or more light sources 204 and a separate light source 205 may be located anywhere on the vehicle 10 , such as on the power unit 14 , and are preferably located where they can illuminate at least a portion of the floor between the load handling assembly 12 and the object 202 and between the power unit / operator station 14 / 20 and the object 202 .

[0078] In an embodiment, if it is determined that the vehicle 10 is in the aisle 210, the controller 103 will only activate the one or more light sources 204 and the individual light sources 205 to illuminate the applicable indicia. In such an embodiment, the light sources 204 and the individual light sources 205 will not be activated when the vehicle 10 is in a location other than the aisle 210. The determination that the vehicle 10 is in the aisle 210 may be made, for example, by the controller 103 using sensor data from the obstacle sensor(s) 40, by a warehouse management system (WMS) in communication with the vehicle 10, and / or using location data of the vehicle 10, etc.

[0079] This embodiment provides suggestions to the operator or others near the vehicle 10 about where they may not want to go (restricted operating areas), and where they may want to go (non-restricted operating areas). When the device 200 is located on the vehicle 10, the device 200 moves with the vehicle 10, which has the advantage that there will be no restricted operating areas when the vehicle 10 is not nearby. In other words, an area may only become a restricted operating area when the vehicle 10 is present and located near an object 202 (e.g., a wall or a shelf).

[0080] Reference now Figure 4A , an exemplary method 230 is shown to illustrate designating an area around a vehicle 10 as a restricted operating area or a non-restricted operating area. At step 232, the vehicle 10 is located in the aisle 210 and the distance D1 from the vehicle 10 to the first shelf adjacent to the left side LS of the vehicle 10 is less than a predetermined distance, i.e., the first predetermined distance, and at the same time, the distance D2 from the vehicle 10 to the second shelf adjacent to the right side RS of the vehicle 10 is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance, i.e., the first predetermined distance. At step 234, the device 200 activated by the controller 103 illuminates at least a portion of the floor between the left side LS of the vehicle 10 and the first shelf with a first marker 206 to designate the area as a restricted operating area. For example, the controller 103 can control the device 200 so that the device 200 generates a first marker 206 including a first light pattern and a first light color (see Figure 4 ). At optional step 236 (optional steps are indicated by dashed boxes in the figure), the device 200 activated by the controller 103 simultaneously illuminates the right side RS of the vehicle 10 and at least a portion of the floor between the second rack with the second marking 208 to designate the area as a non-restricted operating area. For example, the controller 103 may control the device 200 so that the device 200 generates a second marking 208 including a second light pattern and a second light color (see Figure 4). At step 238, once the distance D1 from the vehicle 10 to the first rack is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance, the device 200, in response to being controlled by the controller 103, removes the first mark 206 and may optionally illuminate at least a portion of the floor between the left side LS of the vehicle 10 and the first rack with a second mark 208 to designate the area as a non-restricted operating area. As another optional step 240, as the vehicle 10 approaches, the distance D1 or D2 from the vehicle 10 to the first or second rack will soon be less than the first predetermined distance D A and is currently only less than the second predetermined distance D B position, the device 200 illuminates at least a portion of the floor between the corresponding left side LS or right side RS of the vehicle 10 and the corresponding first or second rack with a third mark 209 to indicate that the vehicle 10 is approaching a position where the area between the vehicle 10 and the rack will become a restricted operating area.

[0081] Reference again Figure 4 , the system 8 may also include a sensing system 250 that detects when an operator leaves the operator station 20 of the vehicle 10. The sensing system 250 is also capable of distinguishing whether the operator leaves the vehicle from the first exit 26A or the second exit 26B. The sensing system 250 may include, for example, first and second photoelectric sensors, such as light curtain sensors 252A, 252B, one located at the first exit 26A and the other located at the second exit 26B. The light curtain sensors 252A, 252B are capable of detecting an operator passing through each exit 26A, 26B, thereby distinguishing which exit 26A, 26B the operator leaves the vehicle 10 from. The sensing system 250 may also include an operator presence sensor 22 (see Figure 2 ), where data from the operator presence sensor 22 can additionally be used to determine that the operator has left the vehicle 10, and used in combination with data from the light curtain sensors 252A, 252B to determine which exit 26A, 26B the operator left the vehicle 10 through.

[0082] According to an embodiment, if the vehicle 10 is positioned within a predefined distance from an object 202 (e.g., a wall or a shelf) located adjacent to the side of the vehicle 10 from which the operator exits the vehicle 10, as determined by the sensing system 250, then at least one function of the vehicle 10 may be modified by the controller 103, e.g., disabled, limited, or activated. The predefined distance is the distance in the lateral direction L between the vehicle 10 and the object 202. DThe predefined distance may be the same, similar, or different than the predetermined distance discussed above. This embodiment may be used with the light source(s) 204 so that when exiting the vehicle, the operator will know whether they are stepping into a restricted operating area or a non-restricted operating area, i.e., based on the first or second marker 206 or 208 illuminated on the floor adjacent to the vehicle 10. Thus, when the vehicle is positioned within the predefined distance from the object 202, the light source(s) 204 may designate an area of ​​the left side LS or right side RS of the vehicle 10 as a restricted operating area, wherein the predefined distance may be the same as the predetermined distance discussed above.

[0083] The vehicle function(s) modified by the controller 103 may be, for example, traction control / driving movement of the vehicle, for example, the maximum allowable speed of the vehicle 10 may be limited or traction control of the vehicle 10 may be disabled, the functionality of load handling components, such as lifting and / or lowering, may be limited or disabled, remote control functionality of the vehicle 10 via the remote control device 32 may be disabled, a vehicle reminder system may be activated, for example to initiate an alarm, etc.

[0084] As described above, data from the operator presence sensor 22 may additionally be used to determine that the operator has exited the vehicle 10. In this regard, the system 250 is additionally capable of detecting a situation where, for example, the operator has moved one foot out of the vehicle 10 but the other foot is still within the vehicle 10, i.e., one of the light curtain sensors 252A or 252B detects a passage (e.g., the operator's foot / leg passing through), but the operator presence sensor 22 still detects the operator's presence on the platform 21. In this case, the vehicle's (one or more) above-described functions may or may not be disabled by the controller 103, and / or the vehicle 10 may issue an alarm or other warning to cause the operator to move their foot / leg back into the operator station 20. Alternative measures may also be taken, such as, for example, stopping the vehicle 10 until the operator places their foot / leg back into the operator station 20.

[0085] Reference now Figure 4B , an exemplary method 270 is provided to illustrate detecting that an operator has left the vehicle 10. At step 272, the system 250 detects that the operator has left the vehicle 10. At step 274, which may be performed simultaneously with step 272, the system 250 detects from which exit 26A, 26B the operator left. At step 276, assuming in this example that the operator leaves the vehicle 10 to the side where a boundary object of the vehicle 10 is located within a predefined distance from the vehicle 10, at least one function of the vehicle 10 is modified by the controller 103, such as being restricted, disabled, or activated. When the operator performs one or more actions, such as, for example, moving back onto the vehicle 10, moving out of the area between the boundary object and the vehicle 10, initiating a manual input, such as located on the vehicle 10 or the touch screen TS (see Figure 4C ) or the like, or by shutting down and then restarting the vehicle 10, the controller 103 may return at least one function of the vehicle 10 to its previous state.

[0086] This embodiment may also be used with vehicles that include only a single exit. That is, if a single exit vehicle is positioned within a predefined distance from a boundary object (e.g., a wall or a shelf) located adjacent to the side of the vehicle having the exit, at least one function of the vehicle 10 may be disabled as described herein.

[0087] This embodiment can also be used with a vehicle that includes two exits, but only one of which will include a light curtain sensor. For example, this configuration can be used when driving in an aisle where the vehicle will always be closer to one side of the aisle than the other, such as a situation where the vehicle always drives along the left or right side of the aisle. In this case, only the exit of the aisle corresponding to the side along which the vehicle drives can include a light curtain sensor.

[0088] Now turn to Figure 5 According to an embodiment, the system 8 further includes at least one sensing device 300, which may be the obstacle sensor(s) 40 and / or other sensing device(s) discussed herein. The sensing device 300 monitors the areas in front of and beside the left and right sides LS, RS of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the sensing device 300 monitors a first area A1 adjacent to the left side LS of the vehicle 10, a second area A2 in front of the vehicle 10, and a third area A3 adjacent to the right side RS of the vehicle 10. Figure 5 The areas A1, A2, and A3 in FIG. 1 are shown as exemplary locations. The controller 103 uses the data from the sensing device 300 to identify the position information of the vehicle 10 relative to one or more boundary objects 202 in the vicinity of the vehicle 10. Figure 5 In the embodiment shown in , the position of the vehicle 10 relative to the first rack 202A adjacent to the left side LS of the vehicle 10 is determined by the controller 103, and the position of the vehicle 10 relative to the second rack 202B adjacent to the right side RS of the vehicle 10 is determined by the controller 103. The position information may include a lateral distance from the vehicle 10 to the first rack 202A and / or to the second rack 202B.

[0089] The controller 103 may use the position information to determine whether the vehicle 10 is located in the aisle 210. For example, if the distance D1 between the vehicle 10 and the first rack 202A plus the distance D2 between the vehicle 10 and the second rack 202B plus the width of the vehicle 10 is equal to or within a predefined range of the known width of the aisle 210, then it may be determined that the vehicle 10 is located in the aisle 210 (if the distances D1 and D2 are measured from the longitudinal axis L of the vehicle 10). AIf the width of the vehicle 10 is measured from the left and right sides LS, RS of the vehicle 10, the width of the vehicle 10 would not be considered in the equation).

[0090] The controller 103 may also use the position information to determine whether the vehicle 10 is located in a desired position within the aisle 210. For example, if the distances from the vehicle 10 to the first and second racks 202A, 202B are equal or within a predetermined tolerance, then it may be determined that the vehicle 10 is located in the center of the aisle 210. Alternatively, if the distance from the vehicle 10 to one of the first rack 202A or the second rack 202B is equal to or within a predetermined tolerance to a predefined hugging distance (discussed below), and optionally, if it is determined by the controller 103 that an operator is not on the vehicle 10 (e.g., via information from the sensing system 250), then it may be determined that the vehicle 10 is in hugging mode (described below), or in the correct position to begin hugging mode.

[0091] The controller 103 may use the position information of the vehicle 10 relative to the boundary object(s) to modify at least one vehicle parameter. Exemplary vehicle parameters that may be modified in this manner include: a maximum allowable driving speed (e.g., based on the position information, the maximum allowable driving speed may be reduced from a normal maximum allowable driving speed to a reduced maximum allowable driving speed or increased from a reduced maximum allowable driving speed to a normal maximum allowable driving speed); a maximum allowable steering angle (e.g., based on the position information, the maximum allowable steering angle may be reduced from a normal maximum allowable steering angle to a reduced maximum allowable steering angle or increased from a reduced maximum allowable steering angle to a normal maximum allowable steering angle); a steered-wheel-to-steering-device ratio; ratio); one or more vehicle lights (e.g., based on the location information, one or more lights on the vehicle 10 can be turned on or off); a lifting function of a load handling assembly (e.g., based on the location information, (one or more) lifting / lowering functions of the load handling assembly 12 can be adjusted, such as a lifting / lowering speed or a maximum lifting height, and / or the load handling assembly 12 can be automatically raised or lowered to a desired height); a mark for indicating that the vehicle is located in a specific area (e.g., based on the location information, a first, second or third mark 206, 208, 209 can be turned on or off); and / or, based on the location information, a reminder can be given to indicate the presence of the vehicle 10 in the aisle 210, such as an auditory reminder, a visual reminder, a reminder on a display screen (e.g., a touch screen TS), etc.

[0092] As described above, the controller 103 receives the steering control signal from the control handle position sensor 100A, which in the illustrated embodiment senses the angular position of the control handle 90 within an angular range of approximately + / -60 degrees. Since the current steering control signal corresponds to the current position of the control handle 90 within an angular range of approximately + / -60 degrees, and the steering wheel 108 is capable of rotating within an angular range of + / -90 degrees, the controller 103 converts the current control handle position as indicated by the steering control signal into a corresponding desired angular position of the steering wheel 108 by multiplying the current control handle position by a ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device, such as 90 / 60 or 1.5 / 1.0, e.g., an angular position of the control handle 90 of +60 degrees equals a desired angular position of the steering wheel 108 of +90 degrees. For example, if the angular position of the control handle 90 is +60 degrees, the controller 103 multiplies +60 degrees by the ratio of 1.5 / 1.0 to determine that the desired angular position of the steering wheel 108 is equal to +90 degrees and generates a corresponding steering activation signal to the steering controller 112.

[0093] The ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device can be equal to 60 / 60 or 1.0 / 1.0. For example, if the angular position of the control handle 90 is +60 degrees, the controller 103 can multiply +60 degrees by the ratio of 1.0 / 1.0 to determine that the desired angular position of the steering wheel 108 is equal to +60 degrees.

[0094] When the position information indicates that the vehicle 10 is located within a predefined distance from an object 202, such as a wall or a shelf located adjacent to a side of the vehicle 10, the controller 103 may modify at least one of the maximum allowable steering angle of the steering wheel 108 or the ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device. The controller 103 may modify at least one of the maximum allowable steering angle of the steering wheel 108 or the ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device regardless of whether the vehicle is manually controlled or remotely controlled by an operator. It is also contemplated that the controller 103 may only modify at least one of the maximum allowable steering angle of the steering wheel 108 or the ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device when, for example, as determined by the sensing system 250, it is determined that the operator is not in the operator station 20, or when the operator remotely controls the vehicle 10 using a remote control device 32 paired with the vehicle 10.

[0095] As described above, the predefined distance is the lateral direction L between the vehicle 10 and the object 202 DMeasured on. The predefined distance may be the same, similar, or different than the predetermined distance discussed above (defined as when the distance D1 or D2 is less than the predetermined distance, the area corresponding to the distance D1 or D2 may be an area that is insufficient to accommodate an operator or person while also maintaining a minimum gap distance between the operator or person and the boundary object 202). For example, when the position information indicates that the vehicle 10 is within a predefined distance from a wall or a shelf, the controller 103 may reduce the maximum allowable steering angle of the steering wheel 108 from a first maximum allowable steering angle to a second maximum allowable steering angle, wherein the second maximum allowable steering angle is less than the first maximum allowable steering angle. Figure 4E , the vehicle 10 is shown as being at a predefined distance D from the object 202. PD , so that the maximum allowable steering angle of the steering wheel 108 is reduced to a smaller value, thereby reducing the possibility that the forks 16 on the vehicle 10 or the load carried by the forks 16 may swing into the wall or the rack during a sharp turn. It is also expected that when the vehicle 10 is within a predefined distance D of the object 202, PD When the steering wheel 108 is turned on, the ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device can be changed from a larger ratio (1.5 / 1.0) to a smaller ratio (1.0 / 1.0) to make the steering of the steering wheel 108 less sensitive.

[0096] In yet another example, the controller 103 may modify at least one of the maximum allowable steering angle of the steering wheel 108 or the ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device when the position information sensed by the sensing device 300 indicates that the vehicle 10 is located within a predefined distance from the object 202 (such as a wall or a shelf located adjacent to one side of the vehicle 10), and the object information sensed by the sensing device 300 also indicates that another object is in front of or to the side of the vehicle 10, that is, within the sensing range of the sensing device 300. For example, when the position information indicates that the vehicle 10 is positioned within a predefined distance from a wall or a shelf, and the object information indicates that another object is in front of or to the side of the vehicle, the controller 103 may reduce the maximum allowable steering angle from a first maximum allowable steering angle to a second maximum allowable steering angle, wherein the second maximum allowable steering angle is less than the first maximum allowable steering angle. Figure 4E , the vehicle 10 is shown as being at a predefined distance D from the object 202. PD In addition, an object 203, such as the box shown in dashed lines, is located in front of the vehicle 10, so that the maximum allowable steering angle of the steering wheel 108 is reduced to a smaller value, thereby reducing the possibility that the fork 16 or the load carried by the fork 16 may swing into the wall or the shelf during a sharp turn. It is also expected that when the vehicle 10 is within a predefined distance D of the object 202, PDWhen another object 203 is sensed to be in front of or to the side of the vehicle 10 , the ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device may be changed from a larger ratio to a smaller ratio to make the steering of the steering wheel 108 less sensitive.

[0097] exist Figure 4F , another material handling vehicle 200A is illustrated that includes a picking truck having a mast assembly 1230. The mast assembly 1230 forms a portion of a load handling assembly 218 that is coupled to and extends from the power unit 14. The load handling assembly 218 also includes a fork frame assembly 224 that is coupled to the mast assembly 1230 for movement relative to and with the mast assembly 1230. The fork frame assembly 224 includes a fork frame 226 (also referred to herein as a "lift frame") and a pair of forks 216 coupled to the fork frame 226. The mast assembly 1230 includes one or more mast sections. Figure 4F The exemplary mast assembly 1230 shown in FIG. 1 is a two-stage mast assembly including first and second mast sections or weldments 1232 and 1234. The fork frame 226 is attached to and moves relative to the second mast section or weldment 1234 and is lifted relative to the second mast section 1234 via a main lift ram / cylinder assembly (not shown) mounted to the second section 1234. The second section or weldment 1234 moves relative to the first fixed mast section or weldment 1232, wherein the first mast section 1232 is mounted to the power unit 14. One or more hydraulic auxiliary lift ram / cylinder assemblies (not shown) are fixed to the power unit 14 or the first mast section 1232 at the bottom of their cylinders, and the rams are fixed to the second mast section 1234. As the rams of the auxiliary assemblies extend, the rams move the second mast section 1234 together with the fork frame assembly 224 relative to the first mast section 1232.

[0098] In yet another example, when the position information indicates that the vehicle 10 is located in an aisle, the controller 103 may modify at least one of the load handling assembly lifting height, the maximum allowable steering angle of the steering wheel 108, or the ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device. The lifting height of the lifting frame may define the load handling assembly lifting height. For example, once the sensing device 300 senses and the controller 103 determines that the vehicle 10 is located in an aisle, the controller 103 may reduce the maximum lifting height to which the fork frame 226 and the fork 216 can be raised, that is, the maximum lifting height of the lifting frame. In a further embodiment, the controller 103 may only reduce the maximum lifting height to which the fork frame 226 and the fork 216 can be raised when the sensing device 300 senses and the controller 103 determines that the vehicle 10 is located in an aisle having a specified or predefined aisle width (also referred to herein as the "first aisle width") or a width equal to or less than the predefined or first aisle width. Note that some ice storages have low ceilings and narrow aisles. Thus, when the controller 103 determines that the vehicle 200A is passing through a narrow aisle having a specified or first aisle width, the controller 103 will limit the height to which the fork frame 226 and the fork 216 can be lifted to a lower maximum lift height to avoid contacting the ceiling. In another example, when the position information indicates that the vehicle 10 is located in the aisle, the controller 103 may reduce the maximum allowable steering angle of the steering wheel 108 from the first maximum allowable steering angle to the second maximum allowable steering angle, wherein the second maximum allowable steering angle is less than the first maximum allowable steering angle. It is further contemplated that the controller 103 may modify the maximum allowable steering angle of the steering wheel 108 to a reduced value while the sensing device 300 first senses that the vehicle 10 is located in the aisle and may also modify (i.e., return) the maximum allowable steering angle of the steering wheel 108 to its higher value once the sensing device 300 senses that the vehicle 10 is no longer located in the aisle. It is also contemplated that when the controller 103 determines that the vehicle 10 is located in an aisle, the ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device may be changed from a larger ratio (1.5 / 1.0) to a smaller ratio (1.0 / 1.0) to make the steering of the steering wheel 108 less sensitive.

[0099] In yet another example, when the position information indicates that the vehicle 10 is positioned in an aisle and the object information sensed by the sensing device 300 indicates that another object is in front of or to the side of the vehicle 10, the controller 103 may modify at least one of the load handling assembly lift height, the maximum allowable steering angle of the steering wheel 108, or the ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device. For example, once the sensing device 300 senses and the controller 103 determines that the vehicle 10 is positioned in an aisle and another object is in front of or to the side of the vehicle 200A, the controller 103 may reduce the maximum height to which the fork frame 226 and the fork 216 may be raised. In addition, when the position information indicates that the vehicle 10 is positioned in an aisle and the object information indicates that another object is in front of or to the side of the vehicle, the controller 103 may reduce the maximum allowable steering angle from a first maximum allowable steering angle to a second maximum allowable steering angle, wherein the second maximum allowable steering angle is less than the first maximum allowable steering angle. It is also contemplated that when the vehicle enters an aisle and an object is detected in front of or to the side of the vehicle 10 , the ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device may be changed from a larger ratio to a smaller ratio to make the steering of the steering wheel 108 less sensitive.

[0100] In another example, when the position information indicates that the vehicle 10 is located in an aisle, the controller 103 can modify the load handling assembly lifting height by moving the lifting frame 226 to an intermediate height. Therefore, when the controller 103 determines that the vehicle has entered the aisle, the controller 103 will automatically raise the lifting frame 226 to the intermediate height so that the operator does not have to bend down to place the item on the fork 216 located at a lower position, that is, close to the surface on which the vehicle is traveling, when picking the item. The intermediate height can depend on the environment in which the vehicle 10 is operating. For example, the intermediate height can depend on the aisle in which the vehicle 10 is currently operating and / or the operator currently operating the vehicle 10. When the vehicle 10 is operating in an aisle in which the items to be placed on the fork 216 are large, it may be advantageous to preconfigure the intermediate height to a lower position than when the vehicle 10 is operating in an aisle in which the items to be placed on the fork 216 are small. Similarly, when the vehicle 10 is operated by a short operator, it may be advantageous to preconfigure the intermediate height to a lower position than when the vehicle 10 is operated by a tall operator.

[0101] Furthermore, in the case where the controller 103 uses the location information to modify multiple vehicle parameters, one or more vehicle parameters may be selected to be modified only as the case may be. For example, the controller 103 may modify one or more vehicle parameters only when it is determined that the operator is not present in the operator station 20, such as determined by the sensing system 250. As another example, the controller 103 may modify one or more vehicle parameters only when the operator remotely controls the vehicle 10 using the remote control device 32 paired with the vehicle 10.

[0102] Reference now Figure 5A , an exemplary method 330 is shown to illustrate determining the position information of the vehicle 10. At step 332, the controller 103 uses the position information from the sensing device 300 to determine that the vehicle 10 is located within the aisle 210. According to this step 332, the position information is used to determine that the distance D1 from the vehicle 10 to the first shelf 202A on the first side of the vehicle 10, plus the distance D2 from the vehicle 10 to the second shelf 202B located on the second side of the vehicle 10, plus the width of the vehicle 10 (assuming that the distances D1 and D2 are measured from the left and right edges of the vehicle 10 to the respective shelves 202A, 202B) is equal to or within a predefined range of the known width of the aisle 210.

[0103] At step 334, when the distance D1 from the vehicle 10 to the first shelf 202A is equal to or within a predetermined tolerance of the distance D2 from the vehicle 10 to the second shelf 202B, the controller 103 determines that the vehicle 10 is located at the center of the aisle 210 using the position information from the sensing device 300. Then at step 336, the vehicle 10 is moved within the aisle 210 by the operator, for example, using the operator controls 24 or the remote control device 32. In its new location in the aisle 210, at step 338, the vehicle 10 is determined by the controller 103 to be located at a predefined hugging distance (the hugging distance is explained in more detail below) from one of the first or second shelves 202A or 202B or within a predetermined tolerance of the predefined hugging distance. At step 340, the controller 103 determines that the operator has left the operator station 20, for example, using information from the sensing system 250. Based on the vehicle 10 being at a predefined hugging distance from one of the first or second racks 202A or 202B or within a predetermined tolerance range of the predefined hugging distance, and based on the operator having left the vehicle 10, the vehicle 10 is determined by the controller 103 to be in or preparing to enter the hugging mode at step 342. Note that while the predefined hugging distance can be set so that the vehicle 10 remains in the center of the aisle 210 when the vehicle 10 hugs the object, the present exemplary embodiment assumes that the predefined hugging distance is set so that the vehicle 10 will be closer to one of the first or second racks 202A or 202B than the other.

[0104] According to another embodiment, the system 8 may further include a positioning assistance system 350, such as Figure 5 and Figures 6A-6E. A positioning assistance system 350 that may be incorporated into the controller 103 provides assistance to an operator driving the vehicle 10, such as by using the operator controls 24 to position the vehicle 10 within the aisle 210. The positioning assistance system 350 receives information from the sensing device 300 to determine distances D1 and D2 from the vehicle 10 to one or more boundary objects (e.g., the first and second racks 202A and 202B located on the respective left and right sides LS, RS of the vehicle 10), and also determines a heading of the vehicle 10 relative to the (one or more) boundary objects, wherein the heading is defined as the angle at which the truck is oriented relative to at least one of the (one or more) boundary objects within the aisle 210.

[0105] The assistance provided by the positioning assistance system 350 may include at least one of (one or more) auditory, tactile, or visual prompts to indicate the spacing from the vehicle 10 to at least one boundary object, for example, the distance from the vehicle 10 to the boundary object, such as the lateral distance, and / or at least one of the heading of the vehicle 10 relative to the boundary object. In this regard, the positioning assistance system 350 includes a prompt device 352 for implementing auditory, tactile, and / or visual prompts. For example, an auditory, tactile, and / or visual prompt may be activated to indicate: the vehicle is located at a distance equal to or greater than the expected distance from the boundary object; the vehicle is located at the correct heading relative to the boundary object; the vehicle is not located at a distance equal to or greater than the expected distance from the boundary object; and / or the vehicle is not located at the correct heading relative to the boundary object. The prompts for indicating different information may be distinguishable from each other so that the meaning of the prompts is conveyed to the operator.

[0106] Figures 6A-6E The vehicle 10 is depicted gradually entering the aisle 210 while the operator O P Manual driving, operator O P exist Figures 6A-6E Example locations on vehicle 10 are shown in FIG. Figures 6A-6E Shown in the operator O P The exemplary position of the vehicle 10 during one particular iteration of driving the vehicle 10 into the corridor 210. It should be appreciated that in practice, the operator may take any number of different paths into the corridor, with the positioning assistance system 350 responding appropriately based on the position of the vehicle 10.

[0107] exist Fig. 6A , the distance D1 from the vehicle 10 to the first rack 202A (as described above, the distances D1 and D2 are the distances between the vehicle 10 and the racks 202A, 202B along the lateral direction L DThe measured distance D1 is less than the expected distance, that is, the distance D1 from the vehicle 10 to the first rack 202A is not equal to or greater than the expected distance. In this case, the positioning assistance system 350 can issue an auditory, tactile and / or visual first prompt 360 in a first manner so that the operator O P The vehicle 10 is turned away from the first rack 202A. If the first prompt 360 is a visual prompt, it can be displayed by the prompt device 352 on the floor in front of the vehicle 10 and on the right side RS. As an example, the first prompt 360 is displayed on the Fig. 6A 360, indicating that the vehicle 10 must turn right, but any suitable prompt 360 may be used. As another example, the first prompt 360 may be displayed on a display device located on the vehicle 10 (e.g., as a message or as a Figure 4C Note that the terms first, second, third, etc., as used herein with respect to the various prompts described, are not meant to be limited to the purposes described, i.e., ... Figures 6A-6E The various prompts described follow by the operator O P The specific exemplary progress of the vehicle 10 driven into the corridor 210. Therefore, the action associated with the "first prompt" described herein can be the same as the action associated with the "first prompt" described herein by the operator O. P Another in-progress second, third, etc. prompt of driving vehicle 10 entering aisle 210 is associated.

[0108] Go to Figure 6B , operator O P The vehicle 10 has been turned away from the first rack 202A and toward the second rack 202B. Figure 6B , the vehicle 10 is no longer in a position where the distance D1 from the vehicle 10 to the first rack 202A is less than the desired distance, so that the first prompt 360 has been turned off (another prompt distinguishable from the first prompt 360 may be at least briefly or intermittently activated by the positioning assistance system 350 to indicate that the distance D1 from the vehicle 10 to the first rack 202A is greater than or equal to the desired distance). However, in Figure 6B , the vehicle 10 is not at the correct heading relative to the second rack 202B. The correct heading of the vehicle 10 may be defined as the heading of the vehicle 10 relative to a boundary object (such as one or both of the racks 202A, 202B within a predefined range), for example, where the longitudinal axis L of the vehicle 10 is A The positioning assistance system 350 may generate an audible, tactile and / or visual second prompt 362 in a second manner so that the operator O PThe vehicle 10 is turned away from the second rack 202B to reduce the angle of the vehicle 10 relative to the second rack 202B. If the second prompt 362 is a visual prompt, it can be displayed on the floor in front of the vehicle 10 and on its left side LS by the prompt device 352. As an example, the second prompt 362 is displayed on the Figure 6B 362, indicating that the vehicle 10 must turn to the left, but any suitable prompt 362 may be used. As another example, the second prompt 362 may be displayed on the display device (e.g., as a message or as an arrow pointing to the left on the touch screen TS). Note that in a typical aisle 210, the first and second shelves 202A, 202B are typically parallel, so that it can be determined that the vehicle 10 is at a correct or incorrect heading relative to either of the shelves 202A, 202B.

[0109] Now turn to Figure 6C , operator O P The vehicle 10 has been turned away from the second rack 202B and toward the first rack 202A, thereby changing the heading of the vehicle 10. Figure 6C , the vehicle 10 is no longer in an inappropriate heading position relative to the second rack 202B, so that the second prompt 362 has been turned off (another prompt distinguishable from the second prompt 362 can be activated by the positioning assistance system 350 at least briefly or intermittently to indicate that the vehicle 10 is no longer in an inappropriate heading position relative to the second rack 202B). However, in Figure 6C In this case, the positioning assistance system 350 may issue a third audible, tactile and / or visual prompt 364 in a third manner so that the operator O P The vehicle 10 is turned away from the second rack 202B. If the third prompt 364 is a visual prompt, it can be displayed on the floor in front of the vehicle 10 and on its left side LS by the prompt device 352. As an example, the third prompt 364 is displayed on the floor in front of the vehicle 10 and on its left side LS. Figure 6C 364, indicating that the vehicle 10 must turn to the left, but any suitable prompt 364 may be used. As another example, the third prompt 364 may be displayed on a display device (e.g., as a message or as an arrow pointing to the left on a touch screen TS).

[0110] Reference now Fig.6D , operator O P The vehicle 10 has been turned away from the second rack 202B and toward the first rack 202A. Fig.6D, the vehicle 10 is no longer in a position where the distance D2 from the vehicle 10 to the second rack 202B is less than the desired distance, so that the third prompt 364 has been turned off (another prompt distinguishable from the third prompt 364 can be activated by the positioning assistance system 350 at least briefly or intermittently to indicate that the distance D1 from the vehicle 10 to the second rack 202B is greater than or equal to the desired distance). However, in Fig.6D In this case, the positioning assistance system 350 may issue a fourth audible, tactile and / or visual prompt 366 in a fourth manner so that the operator O P The vehicle 10 is turned away from the first rack 202A to reduce the angle of the vehicle 10 relative to the first rack 202A. If the fourth prompt 366 is a visual prompt, it can be displayed by the prompt device 352 on the floor in front of the vehicle 10 and on the right side RS. As an example, the fourth prompt 366 is Fig.6D 366, indicating that the vehicle 10 must turn right, but any suitable prompt 366 may be used. As another example, the fourth prompt 366 may be displayed on the display device (e.g., as a message or as an arrow pointing to the right on the touch screen TS).

[0111] Final Reference Fig. 6E , the vehicle 10 is generally positioned in the center of the aisle 210, at a distance equal to or greater than the desired distance from the first and second racks 202A, 202B, and has a straight heading relative to the first and second racks 202A, 202B, i.e. Fig. 6E The longitudinal axis L of the vehicle 10 A The first and second shelves 202A and 202B are substantially parallel to the plane P defined by the edges of the first and second shelves 202A and 202B. In this case, the positioning assistance system 350 can at least temporarily or intermittently provide the operator O with a fifth manner. P The fifth audible, tactile and / or visual prompt 368 is issued, and the vehicle 10 is located at a distance equal to or greater than the desired distance from the first and second racks 202A, 202B, and the vehicle 10 is oriented at the correct heading. As an example, the fifth prompt 368 is Fig. 6E 202A, 202B, and the vehicle 10 is oriented at the correct heading. Note that the positioning assistance system 350 may provide the operator with a prompt 368 that indicates that the vehicle 10 is located at a position equal to or greater than the desired distance from the shelves 202A, 202B and that ... PA separate audible, tactile, and / or visual cue is issued that the vehicle 10 is located at a distance equal to or greater than the desired distance from the first and second racks 202A, 202B and that the vehicle 10 is oriented at the correct heading.

[0112] One or more of the prompts 360, 362, 364, 366, 368 may be distinguishable from one or more of the other prompts. For example, if the prompts 360, 362, 364, 366, 368 are visual prompts, they may be different colors or shapes, have different lighting patterns (flashing, changing intensity, size), etc.

[0113] Only when the vehicle 10 is located at a distance D1 and D2 equal to or greater than the desired distance from the two shelves 202A, 202B, and the vehicle 10 is oriented in the correct heading, the vehicle 10 can be remotely controlled by the operator using the remote control device 32, that is, the vehicle 10 cannot be remotely controlled by the operator using the remote control device 32 unless the vehicle 10 is located at a distance D1 and D2 equal to or greater than the desired distance from the two shelves 202A, 202B, and the vehicle 10 is oriented in the correct heading. As described above, the positioning assistance system 350 can issue an auditory, tactile and / or visual fifth prompt 368 to indicate such positioning of the vehicle 10. When remotely controlled, the vehicle may be able to operate in an embrace mode, in which the vehicle 10 moves along the aisle 210 and embraces one of the first or second shelves 202A or 202B, wherein when hugging the shelves 202A or 202B, the vehicle 10 maintains a predefined hugging distance with the hugged shelves 202A or 202B.

[0114] refer to Fig. 6F and 6G , an exemplary method 370 is shown to illustrate assisting an operator in properly positioning the vehicle 10 in the aisle 210. Note that the following and Fig. 6F and 6G The order of the steps shown in may be a different order, and / or the steps may repeat themselves based on the position of the vehicle 10 as the vehicle 10 enters the aisle 210 and / or as the vehicle 10 is driven within the aisle 210 .

[0115] At step 372, operator O P The vehicle 10 is being driven into the aisle 210, for example, using the operator controls 24 on the vehicle 10. At step 374, it is determined that the vehicle 10 is within the desired distance from the first rack 202A, and the first prompt 360 is issued by the positioning assistance system 350. At step 376, the operator O PThe first prompt 360 is responded to by steering the vehicle 10 away from the first rack 202A, and once the vehicle 10 is outside the desired distance from the first rack 202A, the first prompt 360 is turned off.

[0116] At step 378, it is determined that the vehicle 10 is not at the correct heading relative to the second rack 202B, and the second prompt 362 is issued by the positioning assistance system 350. At step 380, the operator O P The second prompt 362 is responded to by steering the vehicle 10 relative to the boundary object, e.g., away from the second rack 202B in the illustrated embodiment, and the second prompt 362 is closed once the vehicle 10 is within the range defining the correct heading of the vehicle 10 relative to the second rack 202B.

[0117] At step 382, ​​it is determined that the vehicle 10 is within the desired distance from the second rack 202B, and the third prompt 364 is issued by the positioning assistance system 350. At step 384, the operator O P The third prompt 364 is responded to by steering the vehicle 10 away from the second rack 202B, and once the vehicle 10 is outside the desired distance from the second rack 202B, the third prompt 364 is turned off.

[0118] After turning away from the second rack 202B, at step 386, it is determined that the vehicle 10 is not at the correct heading relative to the first rack 202A, and the positioning assistance system 350 issues a fourth prompt 366. At step 388, the operator O P The fourth prompt 366 is responded to by steering the vehicle 10 away from the first rack 202A, and once the vehicle 10 is within the range defining the correct heading of the vehicle 10 relative to the first rack 202A, the fourth prompt 366 is turned off.

[0119] At step 390, it is determined that the vehicle 10 is located at a position equal to or greater than the desired distance from the two racks 202A, 202B, and that the vehicle 10 is oriented at the correct heading relative to the first and second racks 202A, 202B. If these two criteria are met, a fifth prompt 368 is issued by the positioning assistance system 350, indicating that the vehicle 10 is at the operator O P A location that can be remotely operated using the remote control device 32.

[0120] Reference now Figure 7 , a material handling vehicle 10 according to an embodiment may be equipped with a load handling assembly 12 having shorter forks 16 than a conventional material handling vehicle of the same type. T Fork 16′ in Figure 7 is shown in dashed / dotted lines and has a length L according to an embodimentSF Fork 16 in Figure 8 Shown in solid line. Figure 7 An exemplary conventional fork 16 ′ of the type of vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 1 has a length L of about 2400 mm to about 2880 mm. T , and the exemplary fork 16 according to the embodiment has a length L of about 1000 mm to about 2150 mm SF .

[0121] Figure 8 , a cart 500 for use with a material handling vehicle according to another embodiment is shown. The cart 500 may include a removable or permanent portion of the load handling assembly 12 and includes one or more shelves or layers 502A, 502B, 502C (the cart 500 includes three layers in the illustrated embodiment, but any number of layers may be used), wherein each layer 502A-502C supports items picked by an operator. Each layer 502A-502C may include side walls 504 on the left and right sides of the cart 500 and a rear wall 506 at the rear of the cart, the side walls 504 and rear wall 506 preventing the picked items from falling out of the cart 500 and also from extending outwardly from the sides or back of the cart 500. The width W of the cart 500 is C It may be equal to or smaller than the width of the vehicle 10 .

[0122] The cart 500 also includes rollers 508 that enable the picked-up items to roll toward the rear wall 506 of the cart 500 when the items are picked up and placed on the cart 500 by an operator.

[0123] Each feature of the cart 500, namely the side walls 504 and rear wall 506, the width W C and roller 508, including Figure 7 The shorter forks 16 described in the fork 16 allow the material handling vehicle 10 to navigate and turn in narrow aisles 210 while preventing the forks 16, the cart 500, and / or the picked-up items from contacting the walls or shelves in the aisle 210. Specifically, because the forks 16 are shorter, during turning maneuvers, the forks 16 do not swing outward to the opposite side of the turn as conventional forks do. The side walls 504 and rear wall 506 of the cart 500 help prevent the picked-up items on the cart 500 from extending outward from the sides and back of the cart 500, thereby avoiding contact with the walls or shelves in the aisle 210. The width W of the cart 500 is CBeing no wider than the vehicle 10 prevents the sides of the cart 500 from extending outwardly beyond the sides of the vehicle 10, thereby preventing the cart 500 from contacting a wall or shelf. The rollers 508 allow the operator to load the cart 500 with picked items from the rear of the cart 500, allowing the operator to walk behind the vehicle 10 while remotely controlling the vehicle 10 using the remote control device 32, rather than walking beside the vehicle 10 where space in the narrow aisle 210 may be limited.

[0124] Reference now Fig. 9 , a detection system 600 is provided for monitoring a designated area, such as an aisle 210 of a warehouse or other facility. The detection system 600 can be configured to prevent or block a second material handling vehicle 10B from entering a designated area where a first material handling vehicle 10A is already present. In this regard, the detection system 600 can be configured to provide a warning, such as a warning sound or flashing light, to alert the operator of the second vehicle 10B not to enter the area. Alternatively, the detection system 600 can be configured to prevent the second vehicle 10B from moving into the designated area, such as using a travel override command sent from the detection system 600 or from a warehouse management system WMS to the second vehicle 10B (the detection system 600 will communicate with the warehouse management system WMS).

[0125] The detection system 600 may be mounted near a designated area, such as on top of a shelf, or on a wall or ceiling of a facility. Alternatively, the detection system 600 may be incorporated into the vehicles 10A, 10B themselves. For example, the vehicles 10A and 10B may know each other's locations through direct communication between the vehicles 10A, 10B or through communication with a warehouse management system WMS.

[0126] This embodiment may be particularly beneficial in facilities where space is limited, such as facilities with narrow aisles (e.g., where two vehicles would not fit side by side in the aisle), and where vehicles are remotely controlled, for example via a wireless remote control device 32 such as disclosed herein.

[0127] The various features, aspects, and embodiments described herein may be used in any combination (or combinations) with each other or alone.

[0128] Having thus described the embodiments in detail, it will be apparent that modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A material handling vehicle comprising: Power unit, including: Steering wheels, and A steering device for generating a steering control signal; a load handling assembly coupled to the power unit; a controller, located on the power unit, and configured to receive a steering control signal; and A sensing device located on the power unit and coupled to a controller, the sensing device monitoring an area in front of and beside the vehicle, wherein the controller uses data from the sensing device to identify at least one of position information of the vehicle relative to a wall or a shelf or object information indicating that one or more objects are in front of or to the side of the vehicle, wherein, based on the sensing device data, the controller modifies at least one of the following vehicle parameters: a maximum allowable steering angle or a ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device.

2. The material handling vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller modifies at least one of a maximum allowable steering angle or a ratio of a steering wheel to a steering device when the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within a predefined distance from a wall or a rack.

3. A material handling vehicle as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein when the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within a predefined distance from a wall or a shelf, the controller modifies the ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device from a larger ratio to a smaller ratio.

4. The material handling vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller modifies at least one of a maximum allowable steering angle or a ratio of a steering wheel to a steering device when the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within a predefined distance from a wall or a rack and the object information indicates that the object is in front of or to the side of the vehicle.

5. The material handling vehicle of claim 4 , wherein when the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within a predefined distance from a wall or a rack and the object information indicates that the object is in front of or to the side of the vehicle, the controller reduces the maximum steering angle from a first maximum allowable steering angle to a second maximum steering angle, wherein the second maximum steering angle is less than the first maximum steering angle.

6. The material handling vehicle as described in any one of claims 1-5 further includes a light source device coupled to the controller, and when the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within a predefined distance from a wall or a shelf positioned adjacent to one side of the vehicle, the light source device is controlled by the controller to designate an area between the vehicle and the wall or the shelf as a restricted operating area, wherein the light source device designates the area as a restricted operating area in a manner that can be observed by people near the vehicle.

7. A method for controlling a material handling vehicle, wherein the material handling vehicle comprises: Power unit, including: Steering wheels, and A steering device for generating a steering control signal; a load handling assembly coupled to the power unit; a controller, located on the power unit, and configured to receive a steering control signal; and a sensing device located on the power unit and coupled to the controller; The method comprises: Monitoring the area in front of and beside the vehicle via sensing equipment; identifying, by the controller, at least one of position information of the vehicle relative to a wall or a shelf or object information indicating that one or more objects are in front of or to the side of the vehicle using data from the sensing device; and At least one of the following vehicle parameters is modified by the controller based on the sensing device data: The maximum permissible steering angle or ratio of the steered wheels to the steering device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the controller modifies at least one of a maximum allowable steering angle or a ratio of a steering wheel to a steering device when the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within a predefined distance from a wall or a shelf.

9. The method of claim 7 or 8, wherein the controller modifies the ratio of the steering wheel to the steering device from a larger ratio to a smaller ratio when the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within a predefined distance from a wall or a shelf.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the controller modifies at least one of a maximum allowable steering angle or a ratio of a steering wheel to a steering device when the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within a predefined distance from a wall or a shelf and the object information indicates that the object is in front of or to the side of the vehicle.

11. A material handling vehicle comprising: Power unit, including: Steering wheels, and A steering device for generating a steering control signal; a load handling assembly coupled to the power unit; a controller, located on the power unit, and configured to receive a steering control signal; and A sensing device located on the power unit and coupled to a controller, the sensing device monitoring an area in front of and beside the vehicle, wherein data from the sensing device is used by the controller to identify at least one of position information of the vehicle relative to at least one wall or shelf near where the vehicle is located or object information indicating that one or more objects are in front of or to the side of the vehicle, wherein based on the sensing device data, the controller modifies at least one of the following vehicle parameters: load handling assembly lift height, maximum steering angle, or steering wheel to steering device ratio.

12. The material handling vehicle of claim 11, wherein the controller modifies at least one of a load handling assembly lift height, a maximum allowable steering angle, or a steering wheel to steering device ratio when the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within an aisle between a first wall or shelf and a second wall or shelf.

13. The material handling vehicle of claim 11, wherein the controller modifies at least one of a load handling assembly lift height, a maximum allowable steering angle, or a steering wheel to steering device ratio when the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within an aisle between a first wall or shelf and a second wall or shelf and the object information indicates that the object is in front of or to the side of the power unit.

14. A material handling vehicle as described in claim 11 or 13, wherein when the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned in an aisle between a first wall or shelf and a second wall or shelf and the object information indicates that the object is in front of or to the side of the power unit, the controller reduces the maximum steering angle from a first maximum allowable steering angle to a second maximum steering angle, wherein the second maximum steering angle is less than the first maximum steering angle.

15. The material handling vehicle of any one of claims 11-14, wherein the load handling assembly includes a lift frame, and a lift height of the lift frame defines a load handling assembly lift height, and the controller modifies a maximum lift height of the lift frame when the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned in an aisle having a first aisle width.

16. A material handling vehicle as described in any one of claims 11-14, wherein the load handling assembly includes a lifting frame, and the lifting height of the lifting frame defines the lifting height of the load handling assembly, and when the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned in an aisle between a first wall or shelf and a second wall or shelf, the controller modifies the lifting height of the lifting frame so that the lifting frame moves to an intermediate height position.

17. A material handling vehicle as described in any one of claims 11-16, further comprising a light source device coupled to the controller, and when the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within a predefined distance from a wall or a shelf positioned adjacent to one side of the vehicle, the light source device is controlled by the controller to designate an area between the vehicle and the wall or the shelf as a restricted operating area, wherein the light source device designates the area as a restricted operating area in a manner that can be observed by people near the vehicle.

18. A method for controlling a materials handling vehicle, wherein the materials handling vehicle comprises: Power unit, including: Steering wheels, and A steering device for generating a steering control signal; a load handling assembly coupled to the power unit; a controller, located on the power unit, and configured to receive a steering control signal; and a sensing device located on the power unit and coupled to the controller; The method comprises: The area in front of and beside the vehicle is monitored by sensing equipment; identifying, by the controller, at least one of position information of the vehicle relative to at least one wall or shelf in the vicinity of where the vehicle is located or object information indicating that one or more objects are in front of or to the side of the vehicle using data from the sensing device; and At least one of the following vehicle parameters is modified by the controller based on the sensing device data: Load handling component lifting height, maximum steering angle or steering wheel to steering equipment ratio.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the controller modifies at least one of a load handling assembly lift height, a maximum allowable steering angle, or a steering wheel to steering device ratio when the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within an aisle between a first wall or shelf and a second wall or shelf.

20. The method of claim 18 or 19, wherein the load handling assembly includes a lift frame and a lift height of the lift frame defines a load handling assembly lift height, and the controller modifies a maximum lift height of the lift frame when the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned within an aisle having a first aisle width.

21. A method as claimed in claim 18 or 19, wherein the load handling assembly includes a lifting frame, and the lifting height of the lifting frame defines the lifting height of the load handling assembly, and when the position information indicates that the vehicle is positioned in an aisle between a first wall or shelf and a second wall or shelf, the controller modifies the lifting height of the lifting frame so that the lifting frame moves to an intermediate height position.

22. A material handling vehicle comprising: Power unit, including left side, right side and operator station; a load handling assembly coupled to the power unit and including a lifting frame; A controller, located on the power unit; a sensing device located on the power unit and coupled to the controller, the sensing device monitoring an area in front of and beside the power unit, wherein the controller uses data from the sensing device to identify position information of the power unit relative to a wall or shelf in the vicinity of where the power unit is located; A sensing system detects that an operator has left an operator station of the vehicle and whether the operator has left the operator station from a first exit on the left side of the power unit or from a second exit on the right side of the power unit; wherein when the position information indicates that one of the first side or the second side of the power unit is positioned within a predefined distance from a wall or a shelf and the operator has left the operator station from one of the first exit or the second exit on one side, the controller modifies at least one of the following vehicle parameters: vehicle traction control, operation of the lifting frame, or remote control operation of the vehicle.

23. A method for controlling a materials handling vehicle, wherein the materials handling vehicle comprises: Power unit, including left side, right side and operator station; a load handling assembly coupled to the power unit and including a lifting frame; A controller, located on the power unit; as well as a sensing device located on the power unit and coupled to the controller; The method comprises: The area in front of and beside the power unit is monitored by sensing equipment; identifying, by the controller, position information of the power unit relative to a wall or shelf near where the power unit is located using data from the sensing device; detecting, by a sensing system, that an operator has left an operator station of the vehicle and whether the operator has left the operator station from a first exit on a left side of the power unit or from a second exit on a right side of the power unit; and At least one of the following vehicle parameters is modified by the controller: vehicle traction control, operation of the lifting frame, or remote control operation of the vehicle when (i) the position information indicates that one of the first side or the second side of the power unit is positioned within a predefined distance from a wall or a shelf, and (ii) the sensing system detects that the operator has left the operator station from one of the first exit or the second exit on one side.

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