# US 2021/0276842 A1 · Warehouse inspection system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0276842 A1 - Document ID: US20210276842A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/190,568 - Filed: 2021-03-03 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-04 - Assignees: Jungheinrich Aktiengesellschaft - Applicants: Jungheinrich Aktiengesellschaft - Inventors: Hannes Bistry; Ralf Wetegrove; Maximilian Richter - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210276842A1 ## CPC - B66F 9/063: {Automatically guided} - G01S 17/931: of land vehicles - B66F 9/0755: {Position control; Position detectors} - B66F 9/127: {Working platforms} - B66F 9/149: {Whole unit including fork support rotates} - G01B 11/002: {for measuring two or more coordinates} - G01S 17/42: Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46) - G01S 17/88: Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications - G01S 17/89: for mapping or imaging - G05D 1/0225: {involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay (parking aids B62D15/027)} - G05D 1/024: {in combination with a laser (lasers per se H01S)} - G05D 1/247: using signals provided by artificial sources external to the vehicle, e.g. navigation beacons - G05D 1/661: Docking at a base station (delivering or retrieving payloads G05D1/667) - 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) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract System for inspecting a warehouse 50 comprising: a laser scanner 52 attachable to an industrial truck 1 and adapted to scan in a plane E substantially perpendicular to the industrial truck's main direction of travel G in order to scan an environment of a warehouse on at least one side, preferably both sides, of the industrial truck and to generate scan data based thereon, a computing unit 60 adapted to receive the scan data and data on the absolute position and/or relative position change of the industrial truck, or data from which one or more of these variables can be derived, the computing unit 60 being further adapted to construct three-dimensional data of the environment on the basis of the scan data and data on the absolute position and/or relative position change of the industrial truck. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for inspecting a warehouse (50) comprising: a laser scanner (52) attachable to an industrial truck (1) and adapted to scan in a plane (E) substantially perpendicular to the industrial truck's main direction of travel (G) in order to scan an environment of a warehouse on at least one side, preferably both sides, of the industrial truck and to generate scan data based thereon, a computing unit (60) that is adapted to receive the scan data and data on the absolute position and/or relative position change of the industrial truck, or data from which one or more of these variables can be derived, wherein the computing unit (60) is further adapted to construct three-dimensional data of the environment based on the scan data and data on the absolute position and/or relative position change of the industrial truck. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) System according to claim 1, wherein the computing unit (60) is adapted to receive odometry data of the industrial truck (70), data on the absolute position and/or relative position change of the industrial truck being derived from the odometry data of the industrial truck (70). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1, 2) System according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the laser scanner (52) has scanning directions that include the two horizontal directions (H1 and H2) and the vertical upward direction (V1). ### Claim 4 System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the computing unit (60) is further adapted to detect individual storage elements from the constructed three-dimensional data of the environment. ### Claim 5 System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the computing unit (60) is further adapted to receive data from a warehouse management system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4, 5) System according to claim 4 and claim 5, wherein the computing unit (60) is further adapted to check a storage condition based on a comparison of the three-dimensional data of the individual detected storage elements with corresponding data from the warehouse management system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4, 5, 6) System according to one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the computing unit (60) is further adapted to check a storage condition based on a comparison of the three-dimensional data of the individual detected storage elements with predefined reference data. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6, 7) System according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the computing unit (60) is further adapted to document the storage condition and/or output instructions based on the storage condition. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) Industrial truck (1) comprising a system (50) according to one of claims 1-8. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) Industrial truck (1) according to claim 9, wherein the industrial truck is a track-guided industrial truck. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9, 10) Industrial truck according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the industrial truck comprises a mast, the laser scanner being fixed to an attachment of the industrial truck that is directly or indirectly movably connected to the mast, the height of the laser scanner being adjustable in relation to the driving surface with a work function of the industrial truck. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8, 9, 10) Industrial truck (1) according to one of claims 8-10, wherein the industrial truck is preferably a high-bay stacker comprising an operator's station (12) with an overhead guard (22) and/or a load carrying apparatus (36) that can be moved laterally back and forth, transverse to the truck's straight-ahead direction of travel (2), the laser scanner (60) preferably being fixedly attached to the overhead guard (22) or to the load carrying apparatus (36). ### Claim 13 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) A method for inspecting a warehouse by means of a system (50) according to one of claims 1-8, wherein the system (50) can be assigned to an industrial truck (1) according to one of claims 9-12, comprising: Scanning the environment and generating scan data; Capturing data on the absolute position and/or relative position change of the industrial truck, or data from which one or more of these variables can be derived; Constructing three-dimensional data of the environment based on the scan data and odometry data of the industrial truck (70). ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) Method according to claim 13, further comprising: Capture of odometry data of the industrial truck (70), data on the absolute position and/or relative position change of the industrial truck being derived from the odometry data of the industrial truck (70). ### Claim 15 (depends on 13, 14) Method according to claim 13 or claim 14, further comprising: Automatic activation of the system when a reference point is detected. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13, 14, 15) Method according to one of claims 13-15, further comprising detection of the current spatial position of the laser scanner (52), for example based on externally input data or reference points detected by the laser scanner, the method further including the construction of three-dimensional data of the environment based on the spatial position of the laser scanner. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13, 14, 15) Method according to one of claims 13-15, wherein the method further comprises: Detection of individual storage elements from the constructed three-dimensional data of the environment. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13, 14, 15, 16) Method according to one of claims 13-16, further comprising: Reception of data from a warehouse management system. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) Method according to claim 17, further comprising: Inspection of a storage condition based on a comparison of the three-dimensional data of the individual detected storage elements with corresponding data from the warehouse management system. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16, 17, 18) Method according to one of claims 16 to 18, further comprising: Inspection of a storage condition based on a comparison of the three-dimensional data of the individual detected storage elements with predefined reference data. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19, 20) Method according to claim 19 or claim 20, further comprising: Detection of damage or irregularities of the storage condition. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19, 20, 21) Method according to one of claims 19-21, further comprising: Output of instructions based on the storage condition and, where necessary, re-establishing a proper storage condition. ### Claim 23 (depends on 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22) Method according to one of claims 13-22, wherein the method is carried out during a deposit or retrieval operation.