US 12,228,950 B2
Systems and methods for using human-operated material-transport vehicles with fleet-management systems
Ryan Christopher Gariepy, Kitchener (CA); Matthew Allen Rendall, Waterloo (CA); Simon Drexler, Puslinch (CA); Roydyn Clayton, Seattle, WA (US); and Shahab Kaynama, Mountain View, CA (US)
Assigned to ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Mayfield Heights, OH (US)
Filed by Clearpath Robotics Inc., Kitchener (CA)
Filed on Feb. 13, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/440,223.
Application 18/440,223 is a continuation of application No. 17/325,298, filed on May 20, 2021, granted, now 11,960,300.
Application 17/325,298 is a continuation of application No. 16/778,090, filed on Jan. 31, 2020, granted, now 11,054,840, issued on Jul. 6, 2021.
Application 16/778,090 is a continuation of application No. 15/877,299, filed on Jan. 22, 2018, granted, now 10,585,440, issued on Mar. 10, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/449,264, filed on Jan. 23, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2024/0184300 A1, Jun. 6, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G05D 1/693 (2024.01); B66F 9/075 (2006.01); G05B 19/418 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2024.01); G05D 1/223 (2024.01); G05D 1/247 (2024.01)
CPC G05D 1/693 (2024.01) [B66F 9/07581 (2013.01); G05B 19/41895 (2013.01); G05D 1/024 (2013.01); G05D 1/0289 (2013.01); G05D 1/0297 (2013.01); G05D 1/223 (2024.01); G05D 1/247 (2024.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of using a human-operated material-transport vehicle with a fleet-management system, comprising:
operating a driver-support system, the driver-support system comprising a processor, the processor operable to:
receive a mission definition from the fleet-management system, wherein the mission definition comprises one or more tasks to be conducted by the human-operated material-transport vehicle;
plan a trajectory based on the mission definition;
display the trajectory via a human-vehicle interface to assist the operator of the human-operated material-transport vehicle to conduct the one or more tasks, the human-vehicle interface being located remotely from the human-operated material-transport vehicle;
monitor and collect, using at least one of the human-vehicle interface or at least one sensor mounted to the human-operated material-transport vehicle, a vehicle-mission information associated with an operation of the human-operated material-transport vehicle by the operator within an industrial facility associated with the fleet-management system; and
transmit the vehicle-mission information to the fleet-management system during the operation by the operator of the human-operated material-transport vehicle; and
during the operation by the operator of the human-operated material-transport vehicle for completing the one or more tasks:
operate the fleet-management system to:
monitor, based on the received vehicle-mission information, a task status of each task of the one or more tasks being conducted by the human-operated material-transport vehicle; and
in response to detecting a change in a task status of at least one task, generate and transmit an updated mission definition to the human-operated material-transport vehicle based on the change in the task status; and
operate the driver-support system to:
in response to receiving the updated mission definition, update the trajectory based on the updated mission definition; and
display the updated trajectory via the human-vehicle interface.