Material Handling Fleet Mesh Networking for Missing Vehicle Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Material handling vehicles often operate in environments where communication is difficult, leading to challenges in locating and managing them, resulting in reduced efficiency and effectiveness, as well as missed updates and maintenance due to being out of range or 'missing' within management systems.

Innovation Solution

A management system for a fleet of material handling vehicles that includes telematics controllers for inter-vehicle communication, embedded computing devices for monitoring and data transmission, and mobile devices for identification and software updates, forming a mesh network to facilitate remote monitoring and maintenance, even when vehicles are out of range or 'missing'.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If material handling vehicles are equipped with expensive wireless equipment for remote communication, then communication reliability is improved, but device cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoiddevice cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the communication function into two parts: vehicles equipped with wireless communication capabilities act as relays, while other vehicles communicate through these relay nodes. This segmentation allows the fleet to achieve comprehensive communication coverage without every vehicle needing expensive wireless equipment, resolving the contradiction between communication reliability and device cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If material handling vehicles operate outside line of sight or range of monitors, then operational flexibility is improved, but vehicle locatability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational flexibilityVSAvoidvehicle locatability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces intermediary vehicles with wireless communication capabilities as mediators. When a monitor cannot directly communicate with a vehicle, the monitor communicates through the intermediary vehicle, which relays commands and data. This intermediary approach maintains vehicle locatability and control even when vehicles operate outside direct line of sight, resolving the contradiction between operational flexibility and vehicle locatability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If material handling vehicles are monitored remotely via central server, then management efficiency is improved, but communication coverage deteriorates when vehicles are out of range

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanagement efficiencyVSAvoidcommunication coverage

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system transitions from a single-dimension centralized communication model to a multi-dimensional mesh network where vehicles can communicate directly with each other and with monitors through multiple possible paths. This dimensional change in communication architecture ensures that management efficiency is maintained even when vehicles are out of direct range of the central server, as data can be transmitted through alternative vehicle-to-vehicle paths.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP3637738B1Systems and methods for a material handling vehicle network

Publication Date: 2023.05.03 RAYMOND LTD

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AI summary

One or more material handling vehicles of a fleet can be equipped with telematics controllers and configured for wireless communication. In different arrangements, the material handling vehicles of the fleet can communicate with each other and with a management system, in order to effect management of the fleet and of particular material handling vehicles belonging thereto.