Industrial Vehicle Travel Mode Switching for Object Avoidance Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Industrial vehicles with steerable wheels face efficiency loss due to mismatched detection results from object detectors and travel modes, leading to unnecessary speed limits and alerts, which can be disabling in certain travel conditions.

Innovation Solution

An industrial vehicle with an object detector and a controller that switches between travel modes, maintaining object avoidance control by adjusting speed limits and alerts based on detection results, especially when transitioning from a first mode where the vehicle can detect objects to a second mode where it cannot.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If vehicle speed limit and alert are disabled for certain travel modes to suppress work efficiency decrease, then work efficiency is improved, but safety control is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvework efficiencyVSAvoidsafety control
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the speed limit and alert control adaptive to travel modes. The controller dynamically adjusts whether to apply speed limits and alerts based on the detected travel mode, enabling the system to be both efficient (by disabling controls when unnecessary) and safe (by maintaining controls when needed). This resolves the contradiction by making the safety control flexible rather than fixed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of control activation status based on travel mode detection. By detecting whether the industrial vehicle is in a travel mode where the detection range overlaps with the travel direction, the system changes the parameter of speed limit and alert activation, thereby optimizing both work efficiency and safety control for different operating conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If object avoidance control is continuously applied across all travel modes, then safety is improved, but work efficiency is worsened due to unnecessary speed limits and alerts

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidwork efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the application of object avoidance control based on travel mode detection. Rather than continuously applying control, the system activates speed limits and alerts only when the travel mode indicates potential overlap between detection range and travel direction, thereby maintaining safety while improving work efficiency by eliminating unnecessary controls.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the activation parameter of object avoidance control based on detected travel mode characteristics. By comparing the detection range with the travel direction for each travel mode, the system adjusts the parameter of control activation, applying safety measures only when necessary and thereby resolving the contradiction between safety and work efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If travel mode transitions occur while object avoidance control is active, then adaptability is improved, but control stability is worsened due to sudden disabling of speed limit and alert

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetravel mode adaptabilityVSAvoidcontrol stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by implementing smooth transitions in control activation during travel mode changes. The controller detects travel mode transitions and dynamically adjusts the activation status of speed limit and alert controls accordingly, maintaining control stability while adapting to different travel modes. This prevents sudden disabling of controls and ensures stable operation during mode transitions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Adaptability or versatility

If all wheels are steerable with multiple travel modes, then versatility is improved, but detection result accuracy is worsened due to mismatch between detection range and travel direction

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetravel mode versatilityVSAvoiddetection result accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the interpretation parameter of detection results based on detected travel mode. By detecting the current travel mode and comparing it with the detection range orientation, the system adjusts how detection results are interpreted and applied to speed limit and alert controls, thereby maintaining detection accuracy across different travel modes and directions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4368563B1Industrial vehicle
Publication Date: 2025.11.19 TOYOTA INDUSTRIES CORP
  • EP4368563B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4368563B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP4368563B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6

AI summary

An industrial vehicle (10) includes an industrial vehicle (10) including an object detector (61), a switching member (71, 86, 87. 88, 89) configured to perform switching between a first travel mode in which the industrial vehicle (10) travels in a direction toward a detection range of the object detector (61) and a second travel mode in which the industrial vehicle (10) does not travel in the direction toward the detection range of the object detector (61), and a controller (51) configured to perform an object avoidance control according to a detection result of the object detector (61). The controller (51) performs the object avoidance control according to the detection result of the object detector (61) when the first travel mode is set. The controller (51) performs a control so as to maintain the object avoidance control when the first travel mode is switched to the second travel mode while the industrial vehicle (10) is travelling in the first travel mode.