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US 12,741,855 B2Granted
Systems and methods for controlling autonomous vehicle operation based on monitoring of a loading dock
AssigneeSymbotic LLC
InventorsPeter Anderson-Sprecher, Krupal Patel, Andrew Kooiman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates, in general, to systems and methods for controlling autonomous forklifts, and specifically, controlling autonomous forklifts based on monitoring of a loading dock. The present invention utilizes monitoring of a loading dock for human personnel and obstacles in order to safely maneuver an autonomous forklift during loading and unloading operations into and out of a trailer.
Claims16
A system for monitoring a loading dock, comprising:
- an autonomous vehicle communicatively coupled to a controller;
- a detector communicatively coupled to the controller, the detector located proximate to the loading dock, and the detector having an armed state and a disarmed state;
- a sensing field generated by the detector in the armed state;
- and
- a database communicatively coupled to the controller,
- wherein the controller is configured to:
- determine if the autonomous vehicle is permitted to operate at the loading dock by querying the database upon sensing arrival of the autonomous vehicle at the loading dock,
- command the detector to switch to the disarmed state from the armed state if the autonomous vehicle is permitted to operate at the loading dock,
- command the autonomous vehicle to traverse the sensing field such that the autonomous vehicle enters the loading dock, and
- command the detector to switch to the armed state from the disarmed state upon determining that the autonomous vehicle has fully traversed the sensing field.
7 more elements
A system for monitoring a loading dock, comprising:
- an autonomous vehicle communicatively coupled to a controller;
- a light curtain communicatively coupled to the controller, the light curtain located proximate to the loading dock, and the light curtain having an armed state and a disarmed state;
- a sensing field generated by the light curtain in the armed state;
- and
- a database communicatively coupled to the controller,
- wherein the controller is configured to:
- determine if the autonomous vehicle is permitted to operate at the loading dock by querying the database upon sensing arrival of the autonomous vehicle at the loading dock,
- command the light curtain to switch to the disarmed state from the armed state if the autonomous vehicle is permitted to operate at the loading dock,
- command the autonomous vehicle to traverse the sensing field such that the autonomous vehicle enters the loading dock, and
- command the light curtain to switch to the armed state from the disarmed state upon determining that the autonomous vehicle has fully traversed the sensing field.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.