Industrial Vehicle Controller Energy Optimization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing industrial vehicle monitoring systems are prone to failure due to numerous connection points and provide limited, inaccurate data, leading to inefficiencies and safety hazards, particularly in environments requiring specialized vehicles and fragile load handling.

Innovation Solution

An industrial vehicle equipped with a computerized controller that receives data from sensors and communicates wirelessly with a central computer system, enabling real-time monitoring and control of operating parameters, including load handling, location, and energy usage, with features like speed limitation for fragile loads and restricted area access.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If wiring harnesses and sensors are added to the industrial vehicle after manufacture, then data gathering capability is improved, but system reliability deteriorates due to numerous connection points and susceptibility to failure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata gathering capabilityVSAvoidsystem reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by integrating sensors and wiring harnesses into the industrial vehicle during the manufacturing process rather than as post-manufacture additions. This ensures proper integration, reduces connection points, and improves system reliability while maintaining data gathering capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the sensor integration process with the vehicle manufacturing process itself, combining multiple functions (vehicle assembly, sensor installation, wiring integration) into a single coordinated process. This eliminates the need for separate post-manufacture modifications and reduces potential failure points.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If post-manufacture sensors are added to the industrial vehicle, then monitoring capability is improved, but measurement accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemonitoring capabilityVSAvoidmeasurement accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by installing sensors during the manufacturing process when proper positioning and calibration can be ensured. This preliminary integration allows for accurate sensor placement and calibration before the vehicle enters service, improving measurement accuracy while maintaining monitoring capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of repair

If service technicians access multiple service manuals for different vehicle models and options, then maintenance capability is improved, but time consumption deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemaintenance capabilityVSAvoidtime consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of repairVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies universality by creating a centralized database system that serves multiple vehicle models, options, and maintenance functions through a single interface. This multi-functional system allows service technicians to access all necessary information regardless of vehicle configuration, improving maintenance capability while eliminating the need to search through multiple separate manuals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the physical library of service manuals with an electronic database system accessible via computer. This substitution eliminates the mechanical process of physically searching through multiple books and manuals, replacing it with rapid electronic information retrieval, thereby reducing time consumption while maintaining comprehensive maintenance capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS9650233B2Method for operating an industrial vehicle to manage energy costs

Publication Date: 2017.05.16 RAYMOND LTD

AI summary

An industrial vehicle has a controller connected to a plurality of sensors for accumulating information related to operation of the vehicle. The controller employs that information in governing further vehicle operation to reduce the likelihood of damage to the vehicle or a load being transported. The information also is analyzed to determine how efficiently the industrial vehicle and its operator are performing in relation to performance benchmarks for the vehicle and in comparison to other industrial vehicles. Performance of the industrial vehicle can be limited to conserve battery power and restrict recharging the battery to off-peak hours of an electrical utility. When the sensors detect a malfunction of the industrial vehicle, a fault code is produced. A service technician can use that fault code to automatically access service manuals stored in the computer system of the vehicle and obtain information for diagnosing and correcting the malfunction.