Forklift Remote Operation Delay Detection for Responsive Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wireless communication delays in industrial vehicle remote operation systems can lead to reduced responsiveness and operability due to varying communication environments.

Innovation Solution

An industrial vehicle remote operation system that includes a vehicle communication unit and a remote operation device with a signal generation unit, delay time calculation unit, communication delay determination unit, and handling control unit, which calculates and manages communication delays by comparing reception and generation periods of remote operation signals to determine and handle delays effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If wireless communication is performed between remote operation device and industrial vehicle, then remote operation capability is achieved, but communication delay causes reduced responsiveness

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveremote operation capabilityVSAvoidcommunication delay
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by continuously monitoring communication status and calculating delay times before they significantly impact operation. The delay time calculation unit continuously computes delay based on signal generation and reception timestamps, allowing the system to proactively adjust operations before delays cause responsiveness issues.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where the delay time calculation unit continuously measures communication delay by comparing signal generation timestamps from the remote device with reception timestamps at the industrial vehicle. This feedback loop enables real-time adjustment of operation timing to compensate for detected delays, maintaining responsive control despite wireless communication constraints.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If communication delay determination is performed, then accuracy in detecting delay is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication delay detection accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system achieves self-service by utilizing existing communication signals (remote operation signals) to carry timing information. The delay calculation leverages timestamps embedded in the operational signals themselves, eliminating the need for separate dedicated measurement signals or additional hardware, thus improving measurement precision without proportionally increasing system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The communication signals serve multiple functions: they control industrial vehicle operations and simultaneously provide timing data for delay calculation. The same signal transmission infrastructure used for operational control is also used for measuring communication delay, making the system multi-functional and avoiding additional complexity from dedicated measurement channels.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Measurement precision

If multiple remote operation signals are used for delay calculation, then determination accuracy is improved, but data processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedelay determination accuracyVSAvoiddata processing load
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial action by using a selective number of communication signals for delay calculation rather than processing all possible data. The delay time calculation unit computes delay based on representative signal pairs, achieving sufficient accuracy without the excessive data processing burden of analyzing every single communication signal, thus balancing precision with computational efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3706426B1Industrial vehicle remote operation system, industrial vehicle, industrial vehicle remote operation program, and industrial vehicle remote operation method
Publication Date: 2023.05.03 TOYOTA INDUSTRIES CORP
  • EP3706426B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3706426B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3706426B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

An industrial vehicle remote operation system includes a forklift truck which includes a vehicle communication unit, and a remote operation device which includes a remote communication unit configured to perform wireless communication with the vehicle communication unit and is used for remotely operating the forklift truck. A vehicle wireless CPU of the forklift truck calculates an accumulated delay time corresponding to a difference between a reception period required to receive a plurality of remote operation signals and a generation period required for generating the plurality of remote operation signals, and performs a communication delay determination for determining whether or not a communication delay has been caused based on the accumulated delay time.