Alert System
The alert system for loading vehicles uses alarms and operational restrictions to enhance operator awareness and deter dangerous behaviors by ensuring alarms persist and restrictions are lifted only when corrective actions are taken.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024026748
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-02-26
- Publication Date
- 2025-02-12
- Estimated Expiration
- 2044-02-26
AI Technical Summary
Existing alert systems for loading vehicles, such as forklifts, may not sufficiently deter operators from dangerous driving behaviors despite alarms, as they can become accustomed to warnings and fail to effectively prevent hazardous operations.
An alert system that includes a vehicle control unit, alarm device, and information processing device to detect specific hazardous events, output alarms, and restrict vehicle operations, such as limiting speed or lift speed, until the operator corrects their behavior.
Enhances operator awareness of hazardous events by combining alarms with operational restrictions, effectively deterring dangerous driving and loading behaviors by ensuring alarms persist and restrictions are lifted only when the operator takes corrective actions.
Smart Images

Figure 0007628763000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present application relates to an alert system that is applied to a cargo handling vehicle and notifies an operator of the cargo handling vehicle of the occurrence of a dangerous event. [Background technology]
[0002] An operation management system is sometimes adopted as an option to manage the operation status of cargo handling vehicles such as forklifts (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4).
[0003] For example, in such a system, an on-board device including a data logger is mounted on a loading vehicle, acquires vehicle information of the loading vehicle (e.g., vehicle acceleration, speed, load of luggage, etc.) and transmits this to a network server as an operating status. The on-board device also detects dangerous events (e.g., sudden acceleration, sharp turns, etc.) based on the vehicle information. When the on-board device detects a dangerous event, it also transmits this to the network server, and further transmits video of the surroundings of the loading vehicle before and after the occurrence of the dangerous event captured by a camera to the network server.
[0004] By accessing the network server from their own terminals, managers can check operating status and videos, including the occurrence of dangerous events, and use this information to take measures to appropriately prevent operators from driving unsafely.
[0005] The systems of Patent Documents 1 and 2 also function as alert systems, and the on-board device outputs a warning by sound or light when a dangerous event occurs, in order to inform the operator of the occurrence of the dangerous event and to cause the operator to change his or her driving behavior. The system of Patent Document 2 further calculates the degree of danger and changes the output of the warning according to the degree of danger.
[0006] Such sound and light warnings alone may not be enough to deter dangerous behavior, as operators may become accustomed to the warnings and ignore them without modifying their driving habits. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-3512 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2006-1888353 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2020-191828 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2020-1172464 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0008] The present application provides an alert system that makes an operator of a cargo handling vehicle more aware of a specific dangerous event when it occurs. [Means for solving the problem]
[0009] The alert system of the present application is A vehicle control unit that controls a traveling device and a loading device of the loading vehicle; An alarm device that is mounted on the loading vehicle and outputs an alarm by sound and / or light; an information processing device mounted on the loading vehicle and connected to the vehicle control unit and the alarm device; The information processing device includes: an event detection unit that distinguishably detects a plurality of defined dangerous events related to a behavior or a loading state of the loading vehicle based on vehicle information related to the loading vehicle from the vehicle control unit; an alarm control unit that activates the alarm device when the event detection unit detects any of the hazardous events, and causes the alarm device to output an alarm; a restriction command unit that transmits a restriction command to the vehicle control unit to restrict the operation of the loading vehicle when the event detection unit detects a specific dangerous event among the dangerous events, The vehicle control unit includes: When the restriction command is received from the information processing device, the travelling operation of the travelling device and / or the loading operation of the loading device are restricted.
[0010] For example, the specified risk event includes a first specified risk event and a second specified risk event different from the first specified risk event, The vehicle control unit includes: When the event detection unit detects the first specific hazardous event, only one of the traveling operation and the loading and unloading operation is restricted, When the event detection unit detects the second specified hazardous event, both the traveling operation and the loading and unloading operation may be restricted.
[0011] For example, the travel operation may be restricted by setting the maximum travel speed of the cargo handling vehicle to a value that is lower than the maximum travel speed before the restriction and is not zero.
[0012] For example, the loading device is provided with forks for supporting luggage, The loading / unloading operation may be limited by setting the maximum lift speed of the forks to a non-zero value that is lower than the maximum lift speed before the limit.
[0013] For example, when the vehicle control unit detects that an operating unit for steering the loading vehicle is operated in a predetermined manner while the driving operation and / or the loading operation is restricted, the vehicle control unit may release the restriction.
[0014] For example, after detecting the dangerous event, the alarm control unit may continue to output an alarm by sound and / or light until it detects, based on the vehicle information, that an operating unit for operating the loading vehicle has been operated in a predetermined manner.
[0015] In one example, the information processing device is a processing unit including the event detection unit; and an additional processing unit including the warning control unit and the restriction command unit.
[0016] In this example, the processing unit includes a first event detection unit as the event detection unit, the additional processing unit further includes a second event detection unit as the event detection unit; The second event detection unit may detect a dangerous event that is not detected by the first event detection unit.
[0017] The cargo handling vehicle is typically a forklift, but may be a cargo handling vehicle other than a forklift. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary alert system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of an exemplary loading vehicle (forklift) to which the alert system of FIG. 1 is applied. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a table illustrating examples of dangerous events and the warning modes and vehicle restriction modes set for each dangerous event. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of another exemplary alert system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0019] Exemplary embodiments of the present application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the components shown are not necessarily to scale or proportion, but are merely representative of their function or operation, and it should be understood that the same reference numerals are used throughout the figures to represent the same or similar components.
[0020] [First embodiment] 1 shows an example of an alert system. This alert system is also an operation management system for managing the operation status of a cargo handling vehicle as described in the Background Art section.
[0021] The alert system includes a cargo handling vehicle 1, an in-vehicle device 2, a network server 6, and an administrator terminal 7.
[0022] The loading vehicle 1 is equipped with a vehicle control unit (vehicle controller) 10, a traveling device 11 for driving the loading vehicle 1, a loading device 12 for carrying out loading and unloading, and a group of sensors 13 for acquiring vehicle information of the loading vehicle 1.
[0023] 2, in this embodiment, the cargo handling vehicle 1 is a forklift. The cargo handling vehicle 1 includes a vehicle body 16 having an operation unit 14 and a driver's seat 15. The operation unit 14 includes a steering wheel, an accelerator, a brake, a shift lever, a cargo handling lever (lift lever, etc.), and the like.
[0024] The loading device 12 is provided in front of the vehicle body 16. The loading device 12 includes forks 17 for supporting cargo, and a mast assembly 18 for raising and lowering the forks 17. The loading device 12 may further include a tilt device for tilting the forks 17, a reach device for moving the forks 17 and the mast assembly 18 back and forth relative to the vehicle body 16, and the like.
[0025] A vehicle control unit 10 in FIG. 1 is provided inside a vehicle body 16, and a traveling device 11 is made up of drive wheels provided on the vehicle body 16 and a drive system that drives and steers the drive wheels.
[0026] The sensor group 13 is provided at various locations on the cargo handling vehicle 1 for controlling the cargo handling vehicle 1, and is composed of a plurality of sensors connected to the vehicle control unit 10. The sensors constituting the sensor group 13 include, for example, a speed sensor that detects the traveling speed of the cargo handling vehicle 1, an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the cargo handling vehicle 1, a steering angle sensor that detects the steering angle (turning angle) of the traveling wheels of the cargo handling vehicle 1, a turning speed detection sensor that detects the turning speed, a load sensor that measures the weight of the load supported by the cargo handling device 12 (its forks 17), a lifting height sensor that detects the lifting height of the forks 17, and operation sensors (limit switches, etc.) that detect the operation of each member of the operation unit 14 (operation of the steering wheel, tilting of the shift lever or cargo handling lever, on / off of the accelerator or brake, etc.).
[0027] When an operator sits in the driver's seat 15 and operates the operating unit 14, some of the sensors in the sensor group 13 detect the operation, and the vehicle control unit 10 responds by controlling the running gear 11 and / or the loading equipment 12, thereby causing the loading vehicle 1 to run and / or handle cargo.
[0028] Information from each sensor constituting the sensor group 13 reflects the behavior and loading state of the loading vehicle 1. Therefore, the information from the sensor group 13 is vehicle information relating to the loading vehicle 1.
[0029] The cargo handling vehicle 1 is not limited to an engine-powered forklift as shown in Fig. 2, and may be a battery-powered forklift. The cargo handling vehicle 1 may be a cargo handling vehicle other than a forklift.
[0030] The on-board device 2 is mounted on an existing cargo handling vehicle 1. The on-board device 2 records the operating status of the cargo handling vehicle 1, detects dangerous events, takes videos, transmits the operating status to a network server 6, outputs alarms, and transmits commands to restrict the operation of the cargo handling vehicle 1, as described below.
[0031] 1 also functions as an operation management system. The network server 6 stores information such as operation status and video transmitted from the vehicle-mounted device 2 via the network N.
[0032] The administrator terminal 7 is a terminal operated by an administrator, and may be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, or a PC. The administrator can operate the administrator terminal 7 to access the network server 6 via the network N and check information such as the operating status and videos stored in the network server 6. The network server 6 and the administrator terminal 7 may be the same as those used conventionally, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted here.
[0033] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle-mounted device 2 includes an imaging device 3, an alarm device 4, and an information processing device 5.
[0034] The imaging device 3 captures a video of the cargo handling vehicle 1 and its surroundings. In this embodiment, the imaging device 3 is composed of two cameras, a front camera 30 and a rear camera 31. The front camera 30 and the rear camera 31 may each be, for example, a semi-spherical camera with a 360° field of view. As shown in FIG. 2, the front camera 30 is attached to the top of the mast device 18 and captures a video of the front side of the cargo handling vehicle 1. The rear camera 31 is attached to the head guard of the vehicle body 16 and captures the rear side of the cargo handling vehicle 1. This makes it possible to capture a video of the cargo handling vehicle 1 and its entire circumference. The number of cameras in the imaging device 3 may be one or three or more, and it is not necessary to be a semi-spherical camera, and the mounting position is naturally not limited to that shown in FIG. 2.
[0035] The alarm device 4 is configured to output an alarm by sound and / or light. In this embodiment, the alarm device 4 includes a buzzer 40 that outputs sound and a lamp 41 that outputs light. For example, the buzzer 40 may be integrated with the lamp 41, and the alarm device 4 in this embodiment is a two-color stacked light with a buzzer, and can output an alarm in the form of any one or a combination of two or more of sound, yellow light, and red light. The alarm device 4 is used to output an alarm to an operator. Therefore, the alarm device 4 is preferably disposed in a position on the vehicle body 16 that does not interfere with the operation of the operator and is easy to see, such as a side part forward of the driver's seat 15 as shown in FIG. 2. The alarm device 4 may be something other than a two-color stacked light.
[0036] The information processing device 5 is connected to the vehicle control unit 10 and receives the above-mentioned vehicle information from the vehicle control unit 10. The information processing device 5 is connected to the imaging device 3 and receives video data acquired by the imaging device 3. The information processing device 5 is connected to the alarm device 4 and controls the alarm device 4.
[0037] The information processing device 5 includes an event detection unit 50. The event detection unit 50 distinguishably detects a plurality of dangerous events defined regarding the behavior or loading state of the loading vehicle 1 based on the vehicle information received from the vehicle control unit 10. The event detection unit 50 determines whether or not a defined dangerous event has occurred using the vehicle information and a preset threshold value as necessary.
[0038] The information processing device 5 further includes an alarm control unit 51. When the event detection unit 50 detects any of the dangerous events, the alarm control unit 51 activates the alarm device 4 and causes the alarm device 4 to output an alarm in the form of sound and / or light. As described later, the alarm control unit 51 causes the alarm device 4 to output an alarm in a preset manner for each dangerous event.
[0039] In this example, the alarm control unit 51 continues to output an alarm after the hazardous event detection unit 50 detects any of the hazardous events, until it detects, based on the vehicle information from the vehicle control unit 10, that the operation unit 14 has been operated in a predetermined manner. That is, the condition for stopping the alarm is that the operation unit 14 is operated in a predetermined manner. The operation in the predetermined manner is, for example, turning off the accelerator, placing the shift lever in neutral, placing the loading lever in neutral, and / or operating a button on the operation unit 14.
[0040] Alternatively, the alarm control unit 51 may output an alarm only while the dangerous event is occurring, or may output an alarm only for a certain period of time (for example, several tens of seconds) from the moment the dangerous event occurs.
[0041] The information processing device 5 further includes a restriction command unit 52. When the event detection unit 50 detects a predetermined hazardous event (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a "specific hazardous event") among the hazardous events, the restriction command unit 52 uses this as a trigger to transmit a restriction command to the vehicle control unit 10 of the cargo handling vehicle 1 to restrict the operation of the cargo handling vehicle 1. As described later, the contents of the vehicle restrictions for each specific hazardous event are set in advance.
[0042] When the vehicle control unit 10 receives the restriction command from the restriction command unit 52, it restricts the operation of the loading vehicle 1 in accordance with the contents of the restriction command. Specifically, the vehicle control unit 10 restricts the traveling operation of the traveling device 11 and / or the loading operation of the loading device 12.
[0043] The limit on the traveling operation is a limit on the traveling speed and acceleration of the cargo handling vehicle 1. For example, the limit on the traveling speed is to limit the maximum traveling speed to a value that is lower than before the limit and is not zero. Also, the limit on the acceleration is to set the acceleration of the cargo handling vehicle 1 in response to the accelerator operation lower than before the limit.
[0044] The restriction on the loading operation is, for example, a restriction on the lift operation of the fork 17 of the loading device 12. Specifically, the restriction is to limit the maximum lift speed (lifting speed) to a non-zero value that is lower than before the restriction. For example, in addition to or instead of the restriction on the lift operation, there may be other restrictions, such as a restriction on the reach operation (e.g., the reach speed).
[0045] The vehicle control unit 10 is configured to release the above-mentioned restriction in response to the operator operating the operation unit 14 in a predetermined manner during such a restriction. That is, operating the operation unit 14 in a predetermined manner is a condition for releasing the restriction. For example, when some of the sensors in the sensor group 13 detect that the operator has turned off the accelerator and / or put the shift lever in neutral during a restriction on a driving operation, the vehicle control unit 10 may release the restriction on the driving operation in response to this. For example, when some of the sensors in the sensor group 13 detect that the operator has put a loading lever (e.g., a lift lever) in neutral during a restriction on a loading operation, the vehicle control unit 10 may release the restriction on the loading operation in response to this.
[0046] The information processing device 5 further includes a recording processing unit 53. The recording processing unit 53 links, for example, vehicle information, time information regarding operation time, date, time, operator identification information, and the like to one another, records this as operation status in the storage medium 55, and transmits it to the network server 6 via the network N.
[0047] In addition, when any of the dangerous events occurs and is detected by the event detection unit 50, the recording processing unit 53 links the occurrence information of this dangerous event to time information and the operator's identification information, records it in the storage medium 55, and also transmits it to the network server 6 via the network N.
[0048] The information processing device 5 is equipped with a reader (not shown), and the reader reads an ID card (not shown) held by the operator of the cargo handling vehicle 1, so that the record processing unit 53 can record the vehicle information and the occurrence information of dangerous events in association with the operator. This makes it possible to manage the operating status for each operator.
[0049] The recording processing unit 53 is triggered by the detection of any of the dangerous events by the event detection unit 50, and transmits video captured by the imaging device 3 for a certain period of time before and after the occurrence of the dangerous event to the network server 6 via the network N. Such a recording processing unit 53 may be substantially the same as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, etc., and therefore will not be described in detail.
[0050] The information processing device 5 further includes a notification sending unit 54. The information processing device 5 has an email sending function, and the notification sending unit 54 may wirelessly send an email including a notification notifying the occurrence of a dangerous event to the administrator terminal 7 (its email address) via the network N, without going through the network server 6, when triggered by the event detection unit 50 detecting any of the dangerous events. For example, in a configuration in which the network server 6 notifies the administrator terminal 7 after receiving a notification of the occurrence of a dangerous event from the information processing device 5, it takes time for the administrator terminal 7 to receive the notification. By not going through the network server 6 as described above, this time can be shortened.
[0051] The information processing device 5 further includes a storage medium 55. Information acquired from the vehicle control unit 10, the imaging device 3, the network server 6, the administrator terminal 7, etc. is recorded and saved in the storage medium 55. The storage medium 55 stores programs for realizing each function of the information processing device 5. The storage medium 55 may be composed of a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory.
[0052] The information processing device 5 further includes a communication device 56. As described above, the communication device 56 is used for wireless communication between the information processing device 5 and the network server 6 and the administrator terminal 7 via the network N.
[0053] The above-mentioned units 50 to 54 of the information processing device 5 are functional units that are realized by one or more processors of the information processing device 5 executing a program stored in the storage medium 55.
[0054] Fig. 3 shows an example of detectable dangerous events according to the present embodiment, and the warning modes and vehicle restriction modes set for each. In Fig. 3, "◯" means that the corresponding warning / restriction is performed, and "-" means that the corresponding warning / restriction is not performed. Please note that the dangerous events in Fig. 3 and the corresponding warning modes and vehicle restriction modes are merely examples.
[0055] The occurrence of dangerous events related to the driving behavior of the loading vehicle 1, such as "speeding," "sharp turns," "sudden deceleration (sudden braking)," "sudden acceleration," and "collision with objects," is determined by the event detection unit 50 based on a comparison of values related to driving, such as driving speed, turning speed, acceleration, and turning angle, contained in the vehicle information with preset thresholds, as in Patent Document 1 and others.
[0056] In addition, the occurrence of a dangerous event related to the loading state of the loading vehicle 1, such as "overload" or "load collapse", is determined based on the information related to loading contained in the vehicle information. For example, when the load of the cargo on the fork 17 measured by the load sensor exceeds a preset threshold, the event detection unit 50 determines that "overload" has occurred.
[0057] "Cargo collapse" refers to cargo falling from the forks 17. The event detection unit 50 determines that a "cargo collapse" has occurred when the cargo handling-related information included in the vehicle information indicates that the load of cargo on the forks 17 has decreased even though the forks 17 have not been raised or lowered.
[0058] "Lift-up traveling (with / without load)", "lift-down traveling (with / without load)", "lift-up, traveling, turning (with load)", and "lift-down, traveling, turning (with load)" are dangerous events related to traveling behavior and loading / unloading behavior (double operation). "Lift-up traveling (with / without load)" / "lift-down traveling (with / without load)" means that the operator is traveling the loading vehicle 1 while raising / lowering the fork 17 regardless of whether there is a load on the fork 17. "Lift-up, traveling, turning (with load)" / "Lift-down, traveling, turning (with load)" means that the operator is traveling and turning the loading vehicle 1 while raising / lowering the fork 17 with a load on the fork 17. The occurrence of these dangerous events is a double operation of the traveling device 11 and the loading device 12, and is therefore determined by the event detection unit 50 based on the information related to traveling and the information related to loading and unloading included in the vehicle information.
[0059] It should be noted that the hazardous events in Fig. 3 are merely examples, and that the warning and vehicle restriction aspects for each hazardous event described below are also merely examples.
[0060] The alarm control unit 51 operates the alarm device 4 to output an alarm in response to the event detection unit 50 detecting any of the dangerous events. As shown in Fig. 3, an alarm mode (a combination of sound, yellow light, and red light) is assigned to each dangerous event, and when a dangerous event is detected, the alarm control unit 51 causes the alarm device 4 to output an alarm in the mode assigned to the detected dangerous event.
[0061] Different alarm modes are assigned and set in advance according to the danger level of the dangerous event by the system provider or administrator, etc. As shown in Fig. 3, in this embodiment, a yellow light is assigned to a dangerous event with a low danger level, a combination of sounding an alarm and lighting a red light is assigned to a dangerous event with a medium danger level, and a combination of sounding an alarm, lighting a yellow light, and lighting a red light is assigned to a dangerous event with a high danger level.
[0062] By outputting the alarm, the operator can be notified of the occurrence of a dangerous event. Furthermore, by varying the manner of the alarm, the operator can be notified of the danger level of the dangerous event that has occurred.
[0063] Furthermore, this alert system is configured to, in addition to outputting the above-mentioned alarm, impose vehicle restrictions (driving restrictions and / or loading restrictions) on the loading vehicle 1 when certain specific hazardous events occur that have a high hazard level.
[0064] Different vehicle restriction modes are assigned and set in advance by the system provider or administrator, etc., according to the risk level of the risk event. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, it is set so that neither driving restriction nor loading restriction is applied for risk event A, which is considered to have a low risk level. It is set so that driving restriction is applied but loading restriction is not applied for risk event B, which is considered to have a medium risk level (an example of the "first specified risk event" of the present invention). Furthermore, it is set so that both driving restriction and loading restriction are applied for risk event C, which is considered to have a high risk level (an example of the "second specified risk event" of the present invention).
[0065] Therefore, even if the event detection unit 50 detects any of the risky events A with a low risk level, the restriction command unit 52 does not transmit a restriction command to the vehicle control unit 10. In other words, no vehicle restriction is imposed.
[0066] When the event detection unit 50 detects any of the dangerous events B, this triggers the restriction command unit 52 to send a restriction command to the vehicle control unit 10 indicating that a driving restriction will be imposed but no loading restriction will be imposed. Then, upon receiving the restriction command, the vehicle control unit 10 restricts the driving operation. That is, when a dangerous event B with a medium danger level occurs, a driving restriction is imposed in addition to an alarm. In this specific example, the restriction is to limit the maximum driving speed to a value that is lower than before the restriction and is not zero.
[0067] When the event detection unit 50 detects any of the dangerous events C, this triggers the restriction command unit 52 to send a restriction command to the vehicle control unit 10 indicating that both the traveling restriction and the loading and unloading restriction will be performed. Then, upon receiving the restriction command, the vehicle control unit 10 restricts both the traveling operation and the loading and unloading operation. In other words, when a dangerous event C with a high danger level occurs, both the traveling restriction and the loading and unloading restriction are imposed in addition to issuing an alarm. In this specific example, the restriction on the traveling operation is as described above, and the restriction on the loading and unloading operation is to limit the maximum lift speed to a value lower than before the restriction and not to zero.
[0068] In this way, the alert system only outputs an alarm when a risky event A, which is a risky act with a low risk level, occurs. When specific risky events B and C occur, the alert system not only issues an alarm, but also imposes vehicle restrictions (driving restrictions and / or loading restrictions) in conjunction with the alarm.
[0069] There is a possibility that operators will become accustomed to warnings alone and will not change their dangerous driving. When specific dangerous events B and C, which have a medium or high danger level, occur, vehicle restrictions are imposed. By feeling this vehicle restriction, operators will become more aware of the occurrence of dangerous events. As a result, it is expected that this will have the effect of promoting the deterrence of dangerous driving. In particular, when a dangerous event C, which has a high danger level (second specific dangerous event), occurs, both driving restrictions and loading restrictions are imposed, making the operator even more aware of the situation.
[0070] As described above, the warning and vehicle restriction (restriction on driving and / or loading / unloading operations) continue until the operator operates the operation unit 14 in a predetermined manner. This configuration in which the warning is not stopped and the vehicle restriction is not lifted unless the operator performs a predetermined operation also contributes to making the operator more aware of his / her own dangerous driving.
[0071] This example limits the maximum travel speed and maximum lift speed to non-zero values, without disabling travel and loading operations, in order to ensure that the operator can continue working when a specific hazardous event occurs, while still making the operator more aware of his or her unsafe driving.
[0072] In the above specific example, a vehicle restriction mode that restricts loading but does not restrict driving is not set, but it goes without saying that such a vehicle restriction mode may be set depending on the content and danger level of the dangerous event.
[0073] The information processing device 5 is preferably configured to define and add detectable dangerous events, and to assign warning modes and vehicle restriction modes to the additional dangerous events. As an example, the information processing device 5 receives update information (update programs) from an external device, such as the device of the alert system provider or the administrator's administrator terminal 7, and rewrites the program stored in the storage medium 55, so that the event detection unit 50 can additionally detect newly defined dangerous events, and the alarm control unit 51 and the restriction command unit 52 can output an alarm and transmit a restriction command in the mode assigned to the event. This allows detectable dangerous events to be added later in response to the administrator's (customer's) request, resulting in a system that can accommodate many customers.
[0074] [Second embodiment] The second embodiment is shown in Fig. 4. Description of the same configuration as the first embodiment will be omitted. In the alert system of Fig. 4, the information processing device 5 is composed of two units, a processing unit 5A and an additional processing unit 5B. The processing unit 5A, the imaging device 3, the network server 6, and the administrator terminal 7 constitute an operation management system. By adding on the additional processing unit 5B and the alarm device 4 to this operation management system, the operation management system also functions as an alert system.
[0075] The processing unit 5A includes an event detection unit 50A (first event detection unit), a recording processing unit 53, a notification transmission unit 54, a storage medium 55, a communication device 56, etc., and is connected to the vehicle control unit 10 and the imaging device 3, and is further connected to the additional processing unit 5B. The processing unit 5A in this embodiment is specifically a data logger unit.
[0076] The additional processing unit 5B includes an event detection unit 50B (second event detection unit), an alarm control unit 51, a restriction command unit 52, a storage medium 55, etc., and is connected to the vehicle control unit 10, the processing unit 5A, and the alarm device 4. The additional processing unit 5B in this embodiment is specifically a control box.
[0077] Vehicle information is transmitted from the vehicle control unit 10 to the processing unit 5A and the additional processing unit 5B, and dangerous events are detected by the event detection unit 50A and the event detection unit 50B. For example, among the dangerous events in Fig. 3, some of the dangerous events are detected by the event detection unit 50A, and the remaining dangerous events are detected by the event detection unit 50B. It is preferable that the event detection unit 50B of the additional processing unit 5B is configured to be able to detect dangerous events that are not detected by the event detection unit 50A of the existing processing unit 5A. This is because it becomes possible to additionally detect new dangerous events.
[0078] In this embodiment, when the event detection unit 50A detects a dangerous event, the recording processing unit 53 and the notification transmission unit 54 perform the same operations as in the first embodiment. Then, as an alarm system, when the event detection unit 50A detects a dangerous event, it transmits a notice to that effect to the additional processing unit 5B. In the additional processing unit 5B, the alarm control unit 51 activates the alarm device 4 and outputs an alarm in the alarm mode set for the detected dangerous event. Also, when the detected dangerous event is a specific dangerous event, the restriction command unit 52 also sends a restriction command to the vehicle control unit 10 to have the vehicle control unit 10 implement the vehicle restriction (travel restriction and / or loading restriction) set for the specific dangerous event.
[0079] When the event detection unit 50B detects a dangerous event, the alarm control unit 51 and the restriction command unit 52 perform the same operations as in the first embodiment. As an operation management system, when the event detection unit 50B detects a dangerous event, it transmits a notification to the processing unit 5A. In the processing unit 5A, the recording processing unit 53 transmits occurrence information of the dangerous event and videos captured by the imaging device 3 before and after the occurrence of the dangerous event to the network server 6. In addition, the notification sending unit 54 transmits an email including a notification of the occurrence of the dangerous event to the administrator terminal 7 without going through the network server 6.
[0080] The second embodiment can be expected to have the same effects as the first embodiment. Furthermore, the second embodiment is advantageous in that the operation management system can also function as an alert system by adding on the additional processing unit 5B and the alarm device 4 to the operation management system.
[0081] Both the first and second embodiments are merely examples. The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]
[0082] 1. Loading vehicles 10 Vehicle control unit 11 Running gear 12 Cargo handling equipment 14 Control section 17. Fork 2 Onboard equipment 3. Imaging device 4 Alarm device 5. Information processing equipment 50 Event detection unit 50A First Event Detection Unit 50B Second event detection unit 51 Alarm control section 52 Restrictions Command 5A Processing Unit 5B Additional Processing Unit 6 Network Server
Claims
1. 1. An alert system, comprising: A vehicle control unit that controls a traveling device and a loading device of the loading vehicle; An alarm device mounted on the loading vehicle and outputting an alarm by sound and / or light; an information processing device mounted on the loading vehicle and connected to the vehicle control unit and the alarm device; The information processing device includes: an event detection unit that distinguishably detects a plurality of defined dangerous events related to a behavior or a loading state of the loading vehicle based on vehicle information related to the loading vehicle from the vehicle control unit; an alarm control unit that activates the alarm device when the event detection unit detects any of the hazardous events, and causes the alarm device to output an alarm; a restriction command unit that transmits a restriction command to the vehicle control unit to restrict the operation of the loading vehicle when the event detection unit detects a specific dangerous event among the dangerous events, The vehicle control unit includes: In an alert system that restricts a traveling operation of the traveling device and / or a loading operation of the loading device when the restriction command is received from the information processing device, The specified risk events include a first specified risk event and a second specified risk event different from the first specified risk event, The vehicle control unit includes: When the event detection unit detects the first specific hazardous event, only one of the traveling operation and the loading and unloading operation is restricted, When the event detection unit detects the second specific hazardous event, both the traveling operation and the loading and unloading operation are restricted. Alert system.
2. 1. An alert system, comprising: A vehicle control unit that controls a traveling device and a loading device of the loading vehicle; An alarm device mounted on the loading vehicle and outputting an alarm by sound and / or light; an information processing device mounted on the loading vehicle and connected to the vehicle control unit and the alarm device; The information processing device includes: an event detection unit that distinguishably detects a plurality of defined dangerous events related to a behavior or a loading state of the loading vehicle based on vehicle information related to the loading vehicle from the vehicle control unit; an alarm control unit that activates the alarm device when the event detection unit detects any of the hazardous events, and causes the alarm device to output an alarm; a restriction command unit that transmits a restriction command to the vehicle control unit to restrict the operation of the loading vehicle when the event detection unit detects a specific dangerous event among the dangerous events, The vehicle control unit includes: In an alert system that restricts a traveling operation of the traveling device and / or a loading operation of the loading device when the restriction command is received from the information processing device, The vehicle control unit includes: When it is detected that an operation unit for steering the loading vehicle is operated in a predetermined manner during the restriction on the traveling operation and / or the loading operation, the restriction is released. Alert system.
3. 1. An alert system, comprising: A vehicle control unit that controls a traveling device and a loading device of the loading vehicle; An alarm device mounted on the loading vehicle and outputting an alarm by sound and / or light; an information processing device mounted on the loading vehicle and connected to the vehicle control unit and the alarm device; The information processing device includes: an event detection unit that distinguishably detects a plurality of defined dangerous events related to a behavior or a loading state of the loading vehicle based on vehicle information related to the loading vehicle from the vehicle control unit; an alarm control unit that activates the alarm device when the event detection unit detects any of the hazardous events, and causes the alarm device to output an alarm; a restriction command unit that transmits a restriction command to the vehicle control unit to restrict the operation of the loading vehicle when the event detection unit detects a specific dangerous event among the dangerous events, The vehicle control unit includes: In an alert system that restricts a traveling operation of the traveling device and / or a loading operation of the loading device when the restriction command is received from the information processing device, The alarm control unit is After the detection of the dangerous event, a warning is continued by sound and / or light until it is detected based on the vehicle information that an operation unit for operating the loading vehicle has been operated in a predetermined manner. Alert system.
4. The limitation of the traveling operation is to set the maximum traveling speed of the loading vehicle to a value that is lower than the maximum traveling speed before the limitation and is not zero. An alert system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
5. The loading device is provided with forks for supporting luggage, The restriction of the loading operation is to set the maximum lift speed of the fork to a value lower than the maximum lift speed before the restriction and not to zero. An alert system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
6. The information processing device includes: a processing unit including the event detection unit; An additional processing unit including the warning control unit and the restriction command unit. An alert system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
7. the processing unit includes a first event detection unit as the event detection unit, the additional processing unit further includes a second event detection unit as the event detection unit; The second event detection unit detects the dangerous event that is not detected by the first event detection unit. The alert system of claim 6.
8. The loading vehicle is a forklift. An alert system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
Citation Information
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Cited By
cargo handling vehicle
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