SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF REMOTELY CONTROLLING A MATERIALS HANDLING VEHICLE

• Main Authors: WELLMAN, Timothy A, JENSEN, Eric, POLLACK, Jay G, CRABILL, Monty, ZEILINGER, Todd A, KRAIMER, James V, DYKEMA, Kurt, DUCKWORTH, Paul
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 03.10.2018
• Subjects: CONTROLLING; HAULING; HOISTING; HOISTING, LIFTING, HAULING OR PUSHING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR, e.g. DEVICES WHICH APPLY A LIFTING OR PUSHING FORCEDIRECTLY TO THE SURFACE OF A LOAD; LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS; LIFTING; MOTOR VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; REGULATING; SIGNALLING; SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES; TRAILERS; TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILARSIGNALS; TRANSPORTING

A supplemental remote control system for a materials handling vehicle comprises: a wireless remote control device comprising: a wireless transmitter; and a travel control communicably coupled to said wireless transmitter, wherein actuation of said travel control causes the wireless transmitter to wirelessly transmit a remote travel request as a first type signal requesting the vehicle to advance in a first direction. The system further comprises a receiver for receiving transmissions from said wireless transmitter at the vehicle; and a controller that is communicably coupled to said receiver and to a traction control system of the vehicle, the controller being responsive to receipt of said first type signal by the receiver. An operator presence sensor and at least one sensor configured to detect the presence of an object located proximate to the vehicle are provided. The controller communicates with a brake control system associated with the vehicle to stop or slow down the vehicle if the vehicle is moving under wireless remote control in response to receipt of said first type signal and at least one sensor indicates the detection of an object proximate to the vehicle. The output of the at least one sensor is overridden while an operator is driving the vehicle on an operator platform, such that the controller does not slow down or stop the vehicle if an object is detected proximate to the vehicle while the operator is driving the vehicle on the operator platform.