System and method for projecting from a material transport vehicle

Abstract

A projection system for a material handling vehicle may include a real-time location system (RTLS) tag, a projector, and a control unit. The RTLS system may detect a location of the material handling vehicle. The projector may be coupled to a motorized projector mount configured to project a projection image onto a surface. The control unit may receive system information including a location and speed of the material handling vehicle, a set of rules dedicated to the facility for operation of the material handling vehicle, and a location of one or more other assets in the facility. The control unit may use the received system information to determine whether or not a projection image is required, and if so, select the projection image based on the received system information. The control unit may also determine a position at which the projection image is projected, and move the motorized mount to move the projector to a position corresponding to the determined position of the projection image.

Description

Cross-reference to related applications

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 552,931, filed on February 13, 2024, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Background Art

[0002] Material handling vehicles can be found in warehouses, factories, shipping yards, and generally anywhere they transport pallets, large packages, or large quantities of goods from one location to another. A material handling vehicle typically includes a mast with one or more load-supporting members or forks for lifting and lowering packages or pallets. Material handling vehicles can also be designed to include one or more sensors and / or cameras to assist with loading packages or pallets. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In some aspects, the present disclosure may provide a projection system for a material handling vehicle. The projection system may include a positioning system, a projector, and a control unit. The positioning system may be configured to detect the location of the material handling vehicle using a location tag. The projector may be coupled to a projector mount. The projector may generate a projected image on a surface. The control unit may be configured to receive system information. The system information may include: the location of the material handling vehicle, the speed of the material handling vehicle, and a set of rules specific to the facilities in which the material handling vehicle operates. The control unit may be further configured to use the received system information to determine whether a projected image is required. If a projected image is required, a projected image may be selected from a plurality of projected images based on the received system information. The projected image may be projected onto the surface.

[0004] In some aspects, the present disclosure may provide a method for projecting an image from a material handling vehicle. The method may include receiving system information. The system information may include a location of the material handling vehicle, a speed of the material handling vehicle, and a set of rules specific to a facility in which the material handling vehicle operates. The system information may be used to determine whether a projected image is desired. If a projected image is desired, the projected image may be selected from a plurality of projected images based on the received system information. The projected image may be projected onto a surface using a projector coupled to a projector mount on the material handling vehicle.

[0005] In some aspects, the present disclosure may provide a projection system for a material handling vehicle. The projection system may include a positioning tag, a projector, and a control unit. The position tag may be configured to transmit the location of the material handling vehicle to the positioning system. The projector may be coupled to a projector mount, and the projector may be configured to project a projection image onto a surface. The control unit may be configured to receive system information and determine whether a projection image is required based on the received system information. If a projection image is required, the projection image may be selected from a plurality of projection images based on the received system information. The projection image may be projected onto a surface used by the material handling vehicle.

[0006] These and other advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description and accompanying drawings. Only some preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below. In order to assess the full scope of the present invention, the claims should be reviewed, as these preferred embodiments are not intended to be the only embodiments within the scope of the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The present invention will be better understood, and features, aspects and advantages other than those set forth above will become apparent, when consideration is given to the following detailed description, which makes reference to the following drawings.

[0008] Figure 1 and Figure 2 An example of projected lighting on a warehouse floor according to the prior art is shown.

[0009] Figure 3 A vehicle projecting a crosswalk according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0010] Figure 4 A projection system is shown that uses vehicle position information to project rights-of-way for vehicles operating in close proximity to each other, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 5 A projection system for providing turn-by-turn directions to an operator is shown in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 6 An exemplary configuration of a projection system on a vehicle according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0013] Figure 7 An example of a motorized mount that can be used to change the relative position between a projected image and a vehicle is shown, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 8A high-level flow chart illustrating an example of system operation according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Before explaining any embodiment of the present invention in detail, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the construction details and component arrangements set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings in this application. The present invention can be applied to other embodiments and can be put into practice or executed in various ways. Moreover, it should be understood that the wording and terminology used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered restrictive. In this article, the use of "including", "comprising" or "having" and its variants is meant to cover the items listed thereafter and their equivalents and additional items. Unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "install", "connect", "support" and "couple" and their variants are widely used and cover direct and indirect installation, connection, support and coupling. Further, "connect" and "couple" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.

[0016] Also as used herein, unless otherwise specified or limited, directional terms are presented only with respect to the specific embodiments and viewing angles being described. For example, references to features or directions such as "horizontal," "vertical," "front," "rear," "left," and "right" are generally made with reference to a specific figure or example and do not necessarily indicate an absolute orientation or direction. However, relative directional terms with respect to a particular embodiment may generally apply to alternative orientations of that embodiment. For example, "front" and "rear" directions or features (or "right" and "left" directions or features, etc.) may generally be understood to indicate relatively opposite directions or features.

[0017] The reference numerals in the following description have been organized to assist the reader in quickly identifying the drawing in which various components are first shown. Specifically, the drawing in which an element first appears is indicated by the leftmost digit(s) in the corresponding reference numeral. For example, an element identified by a "100" series reference numeral will likely first appear in Figure 1 Elements identified by "200" series reference numerals will likely appear first in Figure 2 In, etc.

[0018] It should also be appreciated that material handling vehicles are designed in a variety of categories and configurations to perform a variety of tasks. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to any particular material handling vehicle and may also be provided with various other types of material handling vehicle categories and configurations (including, for example, lift trucks, forklifts, reach trucks, SWING trucks, and similar vehicles). The present invention relates to a material handling vehicle that is used to transport a pallet, a large package, or a cargo load from one location to another, and is commonly found in warehouses, factories, shipyards, and generally anywhere that pallets, large packages, or cargo loads may need to be transported from one location to another. The various systems and methods disclosed herein are applicable to any of the following: operator-controlled material handling vehicles, pedestrian-controlled material handling vehicles, remote-controlled material handling vehicles, and autonomously controlled material handling vehicles. Further, the present disclosure is not limited to material handling vehicle applications. Instead, the present disclosure can be provided for use with other types of vehicles, such as automobiles, buses, trains, tractor trailers, agricultural vehicles, factory vehicles, and the like.

[0019] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the following examples. It should be noted that the following examples are presented herein for illustration and description purposes only. They are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the precise forms disclosed.

[0020] It should be noted that for certain types of vehicles, there are training requirements imposed by various government agencies, laws, regulations and ordinances. For example, OSHA stipulates that employers have the obligation to train and supervise operators of various types of material handling vehicles. Recertification is also required every three years. In some instances, operators should be provided with refresher training on relevant topics when needed. In all instances, the operator maintains control of the material handling vehicle during the performance of any action. Further, the warehouse manager maintains control of the fleet of material handling vehicles within the warehouse environment. The training of operators and the supervision to be provided by the warehouse manager require appropriate operating practices, including that the operator maintains control of the material handling vehicle, pays attention to the operating environment, and always looks in the direction of travel.

[0021] Projection systems can provide systems and methods for indicating the location of material handling vehicles. Vehicle-mounted projection systems can indicate the location of a vehicle to other vehicles and pedestrians in the vicinity of the vehicle. Conventional vehicle-mounted projection systems project a single image or dot on the floor at a fixed distance from the vehicle. Additionally, these systems do not utilize information from the vehicle, such as the vehicle's speed or the vehicle's location within the warehouse or facility. Therefore, the projected image or dot may be projected behind the vehicle (away from the direction of travel), which may be confusing to an observer. For example, Figure 1 A forklift is shown projecting lighting onto the floor. In other known configurations, a static projection system may be used. A static projection system may include a projector mounted within the warehouse rather than on a vehicle. For example, Figure 2An example of a ceiling mounted projector is shown that projects illumination onto the floor. Furthermore, existing methods do not consider other vehicles or pedestrians close to the target vehicle.

[0022] Reference Figure 3 , examples of the disclosed technology may provide a vehicle mounted projection system 300 that may address each of the above items and others. Some configurations of the disclosed vehicle mounted projection system may include a projector 310 that may be used to project boundary projection images 304 of "slow" or "stop" zones based on the location of the vehicle obtained by a positioning system using location tags. In some examples, the positioning system may be a real-time positioning system (RTLS) that uses RTLS tags to detect the location of the vehicle. These boundary projections 304 may provide awareness to the operator of the vehicle as the operator of the vehicle approaches the zone, which may signal the operator of the vehicle to slow down or stop the material handling vehicle 306. In another example, the vehicle mounted projection system 300 may be used with an autonomous vehicle. As Figure 3 As shown in , a vehicle-mounted projection system 300 can project a crosswalk sign 302 or other image onto a surface 312 (e.g., a floor 314 and / or a wall), which can notify surrounding pedestrians that the vehicle 306 is aware of their presence and that the vehicle 306 is yielding to allow pedestrians to cross. In this example, the projection system can be used to demonstrate the movement or non-movement of the material handling vehicle 306, and does not eliminate or exclude the use of any sensors 308 on the autonomous vehicle for object detection. In some examples, the sensors 308 may include one or more LiDAR sensors, cameras, ultrasonic sensors, cameras, infrared (IR) sensors, etc. Projecting the projected image onto a surface that is a floor can be particularly advantageous because the attention of operators performing order picking operations may be drawn to lower pallets and goods. Therefore, the projection onto the floor emanating from the material handling vehicle will improve the efficiency of the operator's work.

[0023] In some embodiments, two passenger vehicles 402, 406 having the disclosed vehicle-mounted projection system 300 may operate in close proximity to each other (e.g., in the same warehouse). Figure 4As shown in FIG, based on the rules of a facility 410 or warehouse, the projection system of a first passenger vehicle 402 can project a yellow yield sign 404, and the projection system of a second passenger vehicle 406 can project a green pass sign 408. For example, when an interaction with another vehicle and / or a pedestrian is detected, the rules of the facility 410 can require the operator of the passenger vehicle to stop, look both ways, honk the vehicle's horn, etc. In some examples, a stop sign can also be projected. Pass signs can be advantageous because they can help avoid unnecessary congestion in a busy facility where several assets or vehicles are in operation.

[0024] In another example, the vehicle-mounted projection system 300 can provide turn-by-turn instruction projections 502, 504 to operators of passenger vehicles 506, 508, such as Figure 5 . These instruction projections can assist the operator in navigating to various destinations, such as a pickup area, a receiving area, a storage location, a shipping bay, etc. In some examples, the destination can be set manually by the operator. In other examples, the vehicle-mounted projection system can automatically receive or determine the destination based on facility rules, a connected warehouse management system (WMS), or other determining factors. Projections associated with turn-by-turn instructions can include the placement of a pallet (e.g., a location marked "Put the pallet here"). In another example, the vehicle-mounted projection system 300 can project training instructions. For example, the projected image can project words associated with reinforcing a desired behavior, such as "look both ways" or "lower the forks before driving."

[0025] Figure 6 An example of a general configuration of a vehicle mounted projection system 300 is shown. The vehicle mounted projection system 300 may include a position sensing device (eg, an RTLS tag) 602, a projector 604 attached to a projector mount 606, a control unit 608, and a projected image 610.

[0026] The vehicle mounted projection system 300 may be dynamic and may allow the projected image 610 (eg, stop sign 610) to change based on the conditions of the target vehicle. Figure 7As shown in FIG, the projection position associated with projected image 610 may not remain at a fixed distance from material handling vehicle 306 and may be moved using motorized projector mount 606 based on, for example, the vehicle's speed and position. In some examples, motorized projector mount 606 may be manually moved by the vehicle operator using one or more controllers. In other examples, control unit 608 of vehicle-mounted projection system 300 may automatically determine and move motorized projector mount 606 to the appropriate position based on what information will be projected in projected image 610. By using system information to determine the projection position, improved efficiency can be achieved. For example, a material handling vehicle that is turning may use a projection position facing the direction of the turn so that the operator's field of view is aligned with the projection position of projected image 610. In some examples, projector mount 606 may be a motorized projector mount. Vehicle-mounted projection system 300 can transmit information to both the operator and other assets that may be operating near target material handling vehicle 306. Motorized projector mount 606 can be advantageous in providing a dynamic projected image 610. Furthermore, motorized mount 606 can change the position of projected image 610 on a surface. Motorized mount 606 can further be used to move projector 604 to a location that facilitates cleaning of the projector. Furthermore, motorized mount 606 can provide illumination for operators in obscure locations within a facility or on the vehicle itself.

[0027] Figure 8An exemplary control method 800 for a vehicle-mounted projection system 300 is shown. The control method can utilize system information about a material handling vehicle 306, such as the vehicle's location, vehicle speed, WMS information, and any environmental information, to determine what should be projected onto a surface. In some examples, a projection image can be selected from a plurality of projection images (such as an image library). The control method 800 can also use the system information to calculate how far from the material handling vehicle 306 the projection image 610 should appear. The WMS information can include the aisle and bay locations of the vehicle or vehicle operator's next destination. For example, the aisle and bay locations can specify locations, sections, or areas within a warehouse. The environmental information can include a mapping of various WMS pickup locations, such as coordinates corresponding to physical locations throughout the warehouse. The environmental information can also include specific travel rules based on the vehicle's location. For example, travel rules may change when the vehicle is traveling in an area defined as a pedestrian zone, a lift restriction zone, a speed restriction zone, etc. Other system information provided to the control system can include the location of other assets surrounding the target vehicle (e.g., other material handling vehicles, vehicles, pedestrians, operators of other vehicles, etc.). Furthermore, the environmental information can provide the control method 800 with specific facility rules regarding the right-of-way for vehicles and pedestrians. In some examples, the environmental information can include a mapping of the WMS pickup location to a physical x,y location in the warehouse. By including the location information in the system information of other assets surrounding the target vehicle, the projected image can be adjusted based on the surrounding assets. For example, adjusting the projected image can allow a second, approaching material handling vehicle to see the projected image earlier. The projected image can, for example, be projected in a direction toward the approaching second material handling vehicle. The asset information can also include location information of operators or pedestrians, such as through carried location tags. The projected image can then be tailored to the operator and / or pedestrian and, for example, follow their current movement path. The WMS information received by the control unit 608 can then be included in the system information, and the projected image can thus be adapted in various ways to the next movement of the material handling vehicle, for example, in an order pickup operation.

[0028] Although various spatial and directional terms such as top, bottom, lower, middle, lateral, horizontal, vertical, front, etc. may be used to describe examples of the present disclosure, it is understood that such terms are used only with respect to the orientations shown in the accompanying drawings. The orientation may be reversed, rotated, or otherwise changed so that upper becomes lower and vice versa, horizontal becomes vertical, etc.

[0029] The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable those skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0030] It is expressly contemplated that any of the processes or steps described herein may be combined, eliminated, or reordered. In other embodiments, instructions may reside in a computer-readable medium, wherein those instructions are executed by a processor to perform one or more of the processes or steps described herein. Thus, it is expressly contemplated that any of the processes or steps described herein may be implemented as hardware, firmware, software, including program instructions executed on a computer, or any combination thereof. Therefore, this description is intended to be given by way of example only and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any other way.

Claims

1. A projection system for a material handling vehicle, the projection system comprising: a positioning system configured to detect the location of the material handling vehicle using a location tag; a projector coupled to the projector mount, the projector configured to project a projection image onto a surface; a control unit configured to receive system information, wherein the system information includes: a location of the material handling vehicle, a speed of the material handling vehicle, and a set of rules specific to a facility for operation of the material handling vehicle, and wherein the control unit is further configured to: using the received system information to determine whether the projected image is needed; If the projection image is required, selecting the projection image from a plurality of projection images based on the received system information; and The projected image is projected onto the surface.

2. The projection system according to claim 1, wherein: The projector mount is a motorized projector mount.

3. The projection system according to claim 1, wherein: The surface is a floor in the facility.

4. The projection system according to claim 1, wherein: The system information also includes the location of one or more other assets operating in the facility.

5. The projection system according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit is further configured to determine a projection position for projecting the projection image.

6. The projection system according to claim 5, wherein: The control unit is further configured to move the projector mount to move the projector to a position corresponding to the determined projected image position.

7. The projection system according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit is further configured to receive warehouse management system (WMS) information including a plurality of bay and aisle locations within the facility.

8. The projection system according to claim 1, wherein: The projected image includes at least one of a stop sign, a yield sign, a pass sign, a plurality of turn-by-turn instructions, and a crosswalk symbol.

9. A method for projecting an image from a material handling vehicle, the method comprising: receiving system information, wherein the system information includes: a location of the material handling vehicle, a speed of the material handling vehicle, and a set of rules specific to a facility for operation of the material handling vehicle; using the system information to determine whether an image needs to be projected; If the projection image is required, selecting the projection image from a plurality of projection images based on the system information; and The projected image is projected onto a surface using a projector coupled to a projector mount on the material handling vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: adjusting the distance of the projected image from the material handling vehicle to the projector mount, Wherein the projector mount is a motorized projector mount.

11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The surface is a floor.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving the location of one or more other assets operating in the facility.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining a projection location for projecting the projection image.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising moving the projector mount to move the projector to a position corresponding to the determined projected image position.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving warehouse management system (WMS) information, wherein the warehouse management system (WMS) information includes a plurality of bay and aisle locations within the facility.

16. A projection system for a material handling vehicle, the projection system comprising: a location tag configured to transmit a location signal of the material handling vehicle to a positioning system; a projector coupled to the projector mount, the projector configured to project a projection image onto a surface; A control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to: Receive system information; determining whether the projection image is needed based on the received system information; If a projection image is required, selecting the projection image based on the received system information; as well as The projected image is projected onto the surface.

17. The projection system according to claim 16, wherein: The system information includes the location of the material handling vehicle, the speed of the material handling vehicle, and a set of rules specific to the facility for the material handling vehicle to operate.

18. The projection system according to claim 16, wherein: The projector mount is a motorized projector mount.

19. The projection system according to claim 16, wherein: The location tag is a Real Time Location System (RTLS) tag.

20. The system according to claim 16, wherein: The projected image includes at least one of a stop sign, a yield sign, a pass sign, a plurality of turn-by-turn instructions, and a crosswalk symbol.

Images