# US 12,180,047 B2 · Industrial vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,180,047 B2 - Document ID: US12180047B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/781,443 - Filed: 2020-11-12 - Published: 2022-12-29 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2019-12-03 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki - Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki - Inventors: Takehiro Kubotani; Taku Mizuki; Tomoya Igarashi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12180047B2 ## CPC - B66F 17/003: {for fork-lift trucks} - B60W 30/0953: {the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters} - B66F 9/063: {Automatically guided} - B66F 9/0755: {Position control; Position detectors} - B66F 9/07572: {Propulsion arrangements} - B66F 9/24: Electrical devices or systems - G05D 1/0223: {involving speed control of the vehicle (vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00)} - G05D 1/0238: {using obstacle or wall sensors (G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93)} - G05D 1/65: Following a desired speed profile - G06T 7/593: from stereo images - G08G 1/16: Anti-collision systems (road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08) - G08G 1/165: {for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees} - G08G 1/166: {for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes} - B60W 2300/121: Fork lift trucks, Clarks - B60W 2530/10: Weight - B60W 2540/18: Steering angle - B60W 2554/4029: Pedestrians - B60W 2720/10: Longitudinal speed - B66F: HOISTING, LIFTING, HAULING OR PUSHING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. DEVICES WHICH APPLY A LIFTING OR PUSHING FORCE DIRECTLY TO THE SURFACE OF A LOAD ({invalid lifting devices A61G7/10; } mounting artificial islands on piles or like supports E02B17/00; scaffolding combined with lifting devices E04G1/22; lifting devices for sliding forms E04G11/24; lifting of buildings E04G23/06; shores or struts E04G25/00; lifts or other hoisting devices on ladders E06C7/12; props for mining E21D15/00) - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) ## Abstract A forklift truck includes a main controller, a driving motor, a drive controller, and an object detector. The drive controller controls the driving motor. The object detector detects the position of an object being present in the backward direction of the forklift truck. The main controller derives an expected trajectory of the forklift truck. The main controller imposes a speed limit on the forklift truck by setting a vehicle speed upper limit when the object detected by the object detector is located within the expected trajectory and the forklift truck is traveling in the direction of approaching the object. The main controller gives commands to the drive controller to prevent the vehicle speed of the forklift truck from exceeding the vehicle speed upper limit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An industrial vehicle comprising: a motor; a drive controller configured to control the motor; and a main controller configured to transmit a command to the drive controller, the drive controller configured to control the motor in response to the command of the main controller to cause the industrial vehicle to travel, wherein, the industrial vehicle further includes: a sensor configured to detect a position of an object being present in a traveling direction of the industrial vehicle; and the main controller is further configured to: derive an expected trajectory as a trajectory on which the industrial vehicle is expected to pass based on an operation state of a steering wheel, an accelerator, and a direction lever of the industrial vehicle; and impose a speed limit on the industrial vehicle by setting a vehicle speed upper limit when the object detected by the sensor is positioned within the expected trajectory and the industrial vehicle is traveling in a direction approaching the object, and transmit the command to the drive controller so that the vehicle speed of the industrial vehicle does not exceed the vehicle speed upper limit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein an automatic deceleration area is set within an object detectable range of the sensor, and when the object is present within the automatic deceleration area and within the expected trajectory, the main controller is further configured to sets the vehicle speed upper limit at a lower value, as compared with a value of the vehicle speed upper limit when the object is present within the automatic deceleration area and outside the expected trajectory. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The industrial vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the sensor includes a determiner configured to determine whether the object is a person or an obstacle other than the person, and when the object is determined as a person, the main controller is further configured to sets the vehicle speed upper limit at a lower value, as compared with a case where the object is determined as an obstacle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a travel start limitation area is set within the object detectable range of the sensor, and the main controller is further configured to sets the vehicle speed upper limit at zero when the industrial vehicle stops and the object is present within the travel start limitation area and within the expected trajectory. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the main controller is configured to extends a dimension of the expected trajectory in the traveling direction as the vehicle speed increases. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the main controller is further configured to derives the expected trajectory from a steering angle of the industrial vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, comprising a cargo handling apparatus on which a cargo is loaded. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The industrial vehicle according to claim 7, comprising a weight sensor configured to detect a weight of the cargo loaded on the cargo handling apparatus, wherein the main controller is further configured to lowers the vehicle speed upper limit as the weight of the cargo increases. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The industrial vehicle according to claim 7, comprising a lifting height sensor configured to detect a lifting height of the cargo handling apparatus, wherein the main controller is further configured to lowers the vehicle speed upper limit as the lifting height of the cargo handling apparatus increases. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the vehicle turns toward a right direction, the main controller is configured to extend the right edge of the predicted trajectory in the right direction so as to increase a width and an area of the predicted trajectory, and wherein when the vehicle turns toward a left direction, the main controller is configured to extend the left edge of the predicted trajectory in the left direction so as to increase the width and the area of the predicted trajectory. ### Claim 11 An industrial vehicle comprising: a motor; a drive controller configured to control the motor; and a main controller configured to transmit a command to the drive controller, the drive controller configured to control the motor in response to the command of the main controller to cause the industrial vehicle to travel, wherein, the industrial vehicle further includes: a sensor configured to detect a position of an object being present in a traveling direction of the industrial vehicle; at least one memory configured to store computer program code; and at least one processor configured to access said at least one memory and operate as instructed by said computer program code, said computer program code including: expected trajectory derivation code configured to cause said at least one processor to derive an expected trajectory as a trajectory on which the industrial vehicle is expected to pass based on an operation state of a steering wheel, an accelerator, and a direction lever of the industrial vehicle; and vehicle speed upper limit setting code configured to cause said at least one processor to impose a speed limit on the industrial vehicle by setting a vehicle speed upper limit when the object detected by the sensor is positioned within the expected trajectory and the industrial vehicle is traveling in a direction approaching the object, and the main controller transmits the command to the drive controller so that the vehicle speed of the industrial vehicle does not exceed the vehicle speed upper limit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The industrial vehicle according to claim 11, wherein when the vehicle turns toward a right direction, the one or more processors are configured to extend the right edge of the predicted trajectory in the right direction so as to increase a width and an area of the predicted trajectory, and wherein when the vehicle turns toward a left direction, the one or more processors are configured to extend the left edge of the predicted trajectory in the left direction so as to increase the width and the area of the predicted trajectory.