Tracking and lighting systems and methods for a vehicle

{
  "publication_number": "US10433386B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Tracking and lighting systems and methods for a vehicle",
  "abstract": "Systems and methods for illuminating and tracking a work area (21) is provided. Systems can include at least one lamp (14) to couple to an object, the at least one lamp (14, 24) to illuminate the work area (21), and a height module (50), the height module (50) in communication with the at least one lamp (14, 24) to provide an indication of a height of the work area. Methods can include the steps of determining a height data of the movable portion of the vehicle to be illuminated; communicating the determined height data of the movable portion to a stationary lamp (14, 24), the lamp including a microprocessor and plurality of light sources (20), each light source (20) controllable to illuminate an area at a predetermined height; and illuminating at least one of the plurality of light sources to correspond to the determined height data to illuminate the movable portion.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A method of illuminating a movable portion of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: using a height module, determining a height data of the movable portion of the vehicle to be illuminated; communicating the determined height data of the movable portion from the height module to a stationary lamp coupled to a part of the vehicle other than the movable portion through a wireless connection, the stationary lamp including a microprocessor and a plurality of light sources, each light source controllable to illuminate an area at a predetermined height; and illuminating at least one of the plurality of light sources to correspond to the determined height data to illuminate the movable portion.",
    "2. The method of claim 1, further including sensing an increase or decrease of the height of the movable portion.",
    "3. The method of claim 2, further including sensing the increase or decrease of the height of the movable portion using an altitude sensor.",
    "4. The method of claim 1, further including determining a height bin corresponding to the determined height using the microprocessor, the height bin being a range of height values, the height values being the difference in height between an averaged height and a calculated height.",
    "5. The method of claim 4, wherein the height bin changes with a change in the determined height.",
    "6. The method of claim 4, further including determining the height bin corresponding to a user input height from an override remote control.",
    "7. The method of claim 2, further including placing the microprocessor in a sleep mode when no increase or decrease is sensed.",
    "8. The method of claim 7, further including waking the microprocessor from a sleep mode when the increase or decrease is sensed.",
    "9. The method of claim 1, further including determining the height of the movable portion using a time-of-flight calculation.",
    "10. A lighting system, the lighting system comprising: a lamp to illuminate a work area, the lamp including a lamp controller a lamp wireless module, and a plurality of light sources, each light source being independently controllable by the lamp controller; and a height module to determine height data of the work area, the height module including a height module controller, a height module wireless module, a height module sensor to determine height data, and a height module sensor to determine movement of the height module, the height module to wirelessly communicate the height data to the lamp.",
    "11. The system of claim 10, wherein the lamp further includes an ambient light sensor.",
    "12. The system of claim 10, wherein one of the lamp and the height module further includes an ambient light sensor, the lamp controller to control each of the plurality of light sources based on data from the ambient light sensor.",
    "13. The system of claim 12, wherein when a predetermined ambient light is sensed, the lamp controller to turn on a predetermined number of the plurality of light sources and to turn off the remainder of the plurality of light sources.",
    "14. The system of claim 12, wherein the lamp includes a housing and an arcuate lens.",
    "15. The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of light sources comprises three or more light sources, each light source positioned at a different angle of inclination.",
    "16. A method of illuminating a movable portion of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: determining a height data of the movable portion of the vehicle to be illuminated; communicating the determined height data of the movable portion to a stationary lamp coupled to a part of the vehicle other than the movable portion, the stationary lamp including three or more light sources, each light source positioned at a different angle of inclination and controllable to illuminate an area at a predetermined height; and illuminating at least one of the three or more light sources to correspond to the determined height data to illuminate the movable portion.",
    "17. The method of claim 16, further including sensing an increase or decrease of the height of the movable portion.",
    "18. The method of claim 17, further including sensing the increase or decrease of the height of the movable portion using an altitude sensor.",
    "19. The method of claim 16, further including determining the height of the movable portion using a time-of-flight calculation.",
    "20. The method of claim 16, wherein the vehicle is a forklift, and the movable portion of the forklift is a forklift carriage."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to area lighting. More particularly, the invention relates to systems and methods for illuminating a work area using lighting systems.\n\nLifts, elevators, conveyors, and material handling vehicles, such as forklifts, front-end loaders, excavators, and back hoes, are used to transport a material from point A to point B. Throughout the operation of this equipment, the material, for example a pallet or unearthed land, changes position as a portion of the material handling vehicle, for example the forks or the shovel, changes position. In some situations, an operator of the equipment or material handling vehicle may not have a desired view of the material or of the work area. For example, in a dark environment, headlights of a front-end loader may light a path only directly in front of the vehicle; however the shovel and material itself do not have an illumination system, nor is the material illuminated as the material changes position. In an alternative situation, a material handling vehicle may be an automated vehicle, with no human control. It may be desirable for a supervisor to observe the operation of the automated vehicle.\n\nTherefore, what is needed are improved systems and methods that illuminate a desired work area.\n\nThe present invention provides illumination and tracking systems and methods for a work area. The invention provides systems and methods that can illuminate a work area, such as for equipment or a vehicle as the work area changes or has changed position.",
  "cpc": [
    "B60Q 1/24",
    "B60Q 1/0023",
    "B60Q 2800/20",
    "B60Q 2900/30",
    "B66F 9/07504",
    "B66F 9/0755",
    "F21S 9/02",
    "F21V 21/14",
    "F21V 5/04",
    "F21Y 2115/00",
    "H05B 33/0854",
    "H05B 37/0218",
    "H05B 37/0227",
    "H05B 37/0272",
    "H05B 45/10",
    "H05B 47/11",
    "H05B 47/115",
    "H05B 47/195"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B60Q 1/00",
    "B60Q 1/24",
    "B66F 9/06",
    "B66F 9/075",
    "F21S 9/02",
    "F21V 21/14",
    "F21V 5/04",
    "F21Y 115/00",
    "H05B 37/02",
    "H05B 44/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "J W SPEAKER CORP"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "QUINLAN CHARISSA",
    "KAY BRADLEY WILLIAM"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2017-07-07",
  "publication_date": "2019-10-01",
  "grant_date": "2019-10-01",
  "priority_date": "2015-01-09",
  "application_number": "US-201715643990-A",
  "family_id": "55272661",
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}