Vehicle Alignment Control for Safe Luggage Transfer

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for transferring luggage between vehicles lack safety considerations, which can lead to inefficiencies and potential hazards in physical distribution processes.

Innovation Solution

A control apparatus communicably connected to first and second vehicles, capable of identifying the transfer destination, reading targeted relative relationships, and controlling the second vehicle based on these relationships to safely convey luggage using a conveyer when the actual and targeted relative conditions match within an allowable range.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If luggage is transferred between vehicles without safety verification, then transfer efficiency is improved, but safety is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveluggage transfer efficiencyVSAvoidtransfer safety

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control apparatus performs preliminary verification of the relative relationship between vehicles before initiating luggage transfer. It reads the targeted relative relationship in advance, controls the second vehicle to achieve the correct position, and only then proceeds with conveyance, ensuring safety conditions are met before the transfer operation begins

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The control apparatus continuously monitors the actual relative relationship between vehicles during the transfer process and compares it with the targeted relationship. Based on this feedback, it adjusts the positioning and controls the conveyer operation, ensuring that safety conditions are maintained throughout the transfer process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If the relative position between vehicles is not precisely controlled, then operational simplicity is maintained, but transfer accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational simplicityVSAvoidtransfer accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The control apparatus automatically manages the complex positioning and coordination tasks. It independently reads the targeted relative relationship, controls the second vehicle's positioning, monitors actual position, and operates the conveyer system without requiring manual intervention, thereby maintaining operational simplicity while achieving high transfer accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS12049163B2Control apparatus, vehicle, non-transitory computer readable medium, and control method

Publication Date: 2024.07.30 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

A control apparatus is a control apparatus that is communicably connected to a first vehicle and a second vehicle, the control apparatus including a controller configured to: identify the first vehicle as a transfer destination for a luggage item stored in the second vehicle; read a targeted relative relationship between the second vehicle and the first vehicle; control the second vehicle based on the targeted relative relationship; and when a difference between the targeted relative relationship and an actual relative relationship is within an allowable range, convey the luggage item from the second vehicle to the first vehicle using a conveyer of the first vehicle or the second vehicle.