LOADING AND UNLOADING A LOADING SPACE BY A LOADING TRUCK

Abstract

A method of loading and/or unloading a loading space is provided having a loading vehicle that drives into the loading space at least once to place down and/or to collect at least one load object, wherein an access zone of the loading space is safeguarded by at least one first sensor and the loading vehicle is safeguarded by at least one second sensor, In this respect, on driving into the loading space, the loading vehicle first drives to a first position that is so close to the safeguarded access zone that no person fits between the loading vehicle and the safeguarded access zone and the safeguarding of the access zone is then adapted by the first sensor such that a drive-through corridor for the loading vehicle is created.

Claims

1. A method of loading and/or unloading a loading space having a loading vehicle that drives into the loading space at least once to place down and/or to collect at least one load object, wherein an access zone of the loading space is safeguarded by at least one first sensor and the loading vehicle is safeguarded by at least one second sensor, wherein, on driving into the loading space, the loading vehicle first drives to a first position that is so close to the safeguarded access zone that no person fits between the loading vehicle and the safeguarded access zone and the safeguarding of the access zone is then adapted by the first sensor such that a drive-through corridor for the loading vehicle is created.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the loading space is a loading space of a transport vehicle.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first sensor recognizes the presence of an object in the access zone and/or the second sensor recognizes the presence of an object in front of the loading vehicle.

4. The method in accordance with claim 3, wherein a safety response of the loading vehicle is initiated on recognition of the presence of an object.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the loading space is a semi-trailer or a trailer of a commercial vehicle or truck and/or the access zone is arranged at a loading dock.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the loading vehicle drives through the drive-through corridor into a second position that is located so close to the safeguarded access zone that no person fits between the loading vehicle and the safeguarded access zone and the drive-through corridor is then closed and the safeguarding of the access zone by the first sensor is thus again fully activated.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the loading vehicle first drives to the second position on driving out of the loading space and the safeguarding of the access zone by the first sensor is then adapted such that a drive-through corridor is created for the loading vehicle.

8. The method in accordance with claim 7, wherein the loading vehicle drives through the drive-through corridor to the first position and the drive-through corridor is then closed and the safeguarding of the access zone by the first sensor is thus fully activated again.

9. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein a lateral position of the drive-through corridor is adapted to a lateral position of the loading vehicle.

10. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the safeguarding of the loading vehicle by the second sensor is inactive during the movement in the loading space.

11. The method in accordance with claim 10, wherein the safeguarding of the loading vehicle by the second sensor is inactive on the driving into the loading pace at the earliest from the first position onward and being switched active again on the driving out of the loading space at the latest up to the second position.

12. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the loading vehicle recognized when it moves in a safety related zone in front of the access zone and then at the latest switches the safeguarding by the second sensor active.

13. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cross-section of the drive-through corridor corresponds to the cross-section of the loading vehicle at least except for a buffer zone smaller than a person.

14. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein a stationary safeguarding system of the access zone having the first sensor and a mobile safeguarding systems of the loading vehicle having the second sensor are in a communication connection with one another.

15. The method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the stationary safeguarding system of the access and the mobile safeguarding systems of the loading vehicle are in a communication connection with one another so that the loading vehicle requests an opening and closing of the drive-through corridor and/or to communicate the presence of an object in the access zone to the loading vehicle.

16. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first sensor monitors an upright protected field to safeguard the access zone and/or the second sensor monitors a protected field in the direction of travel to safeguard the loading vehicle.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the upright protected field is a vertical protected field.

18. The method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the protected field in the direction of travel is a horizontal protected field.

19. The method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the protected field of the second sensor is successively shortened on an approach to the access zone.

20. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the first sensor and/or the second sensor is one of the following: a single layer or multilayer laser scanner, a LiDAR sensor, a 3D camera, a time of flight camera, a radar, or a radio location system.

21. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the loading vehicle is safely localized, at least in the first position and/or in the second position.

22. A safeguarding systems for the loading and/or unloading of a loading space by a loading vehicle, wherein the safeguarding system has a stationary sensor system for safeguarding an access zone of the loading space and a mobile sensor system for safeguarding the loading vehicle, wherein the safeguarding system is configured to create a drive-through corridor for the loading vehicle in the stationary sensor system when the loading vehicle has driven to a first position on the driving into the loading space, with said first position being so close to the safeguarded access zone that no person fits between the loading space and the safeguarded access zone.

Description

[0032] The invention will be explained in more detail in the following also with respect to further features and advantages by way of example with reference to embodiments and to the enclosed drawing. The Figures of the drawing show in:

[0033] FIG. 1 a schematic overview representation of a safeguarding system with a stationary safeguarding for an access zone and with a mobile safeguarding of a loading vehicle;

[0034] FIG. 2 a schematic plan view of a loading zone with possible dangers to persons by a loading vehicle;

[0035] FIG. 3 a schematic plan view of a loading zone on an approach of a loading vehicle driving in to a safeguarded access zone;

[0036] FIG. 4 a schematic plane view of the loading zone in which the loading vehicle driving in has reached a first position close to the safeguarded access zone;

[0037] FIG. 5 a schematic plan view of the loading zone in which the loading vehicle driving in is located in a drive-through corridor through the safeguarded access zone;

[0038] FIG. 6 a schematic plan view of the loading zone after the loading vehicle driving in has driven to a second position closely behind the safeguarded access zone and the drive-through corridor has been closed again;

[0039] FIG. 7 a schematic plan view of the loading zone in which the loading vehicle has reached the second position close to the safeguarded access zone again on driving out of the loading space;

[0040] FIG. 8 a schematic plan view of the loading zone in which the loading vehicle driving out is located in the drive-through corridor through the safeguarded access zone; and

[0041] FIG. 9 a schematic plan view of the loading zone in which the loading vehicle driving out has driven to the first position again outside and close to the safeguarded access zone and the drive-through corridor has been closed again.

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a schematic overview representation of a safeguarding system for a loading/unloading procedure having a stationary safeguarding system 10 of an access zone 12 and a mobile safeguarding system 14 of a loading vehicle 16. The loading vehicle 16 is preferably an autonomous vehicle such as an AGV (automated guided vehicle) or an AMR (autonomous mobile robot) and is able to pick up and place down load objects and so to convey them from one location to another location.

[0043] The stationary safeguarding system 10 has at least one sensor, preferably a safe sensor 18a-b, with two respective sensors 18a-b being used by way of example at both sides of the access zone 12 in the Figures. The mobile safeguarding system 14 likewise has at least one sensor, preferably a safe sensor 20, with only one sensor 20 being provided by way of example in the Figures, but with at least one further sensor being able to be added for a redundant, a rear, and/or a side monitoring. The sensors 18a-b and 20 work in accordance with an electrosensitive sensor principle, preferably in accordance with an optical sensor principle as with a light grid, a laser scanner, a LiDAR sensor, a camera, or a 3D camera, in particular a time of flight camera, but also in accordance with non-optical sensor principles as with a radar or a radio location system, in particular an ultrabroadband system, as is described in EP 3 859 382 A1 described in the introduction. The sensors 18a-b and 20 can be selected as desired from the named and from further electrosensitive sensors, with some sensors not being equally suitable for both safeguarding systems 10, 14, for example a light grid only for the stationary safeguarding system 10. The invention will be described in the following by way of example with laser scanners. The object recognition is here based on a protected field concept; this is also by way of example since it is only a matter of detecting objects in the access zone 12 or in the respective travel path of the loading vehicle 16 in a safe manner.

[0044] A respective control and evaluation unit 22, 24 is provided in the stationary safeguarding system 10 and in the mobile safeguarding system 14. The control and evaluation unit functionality with the method subsequently described can practically be distributed as desired over the two control and evaluation units 22 24 and also over at least one external control and evaluation unit of a superior system. However, at least the respective object detection or protected field evaluation preferably takes place close to or in the associated sensor 18a-b, 20. Any desired processing units can be considered as the hardware of the control and evaluation unit 22, 24; for instance, digital processing modules such as a microprocessor or a CPU (central processing unit), an FPGA (field programmable gate array), a DSP (digital signal processor), an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), an AI processor, an NPU (neural processing unit), a GPU (graphics processing unit), or the like. An external processing unit can be a computer of any desired kind, including notebooks, smartphones, tablets, a (safety) controller, equally a local network, an edge device, or a cloud. Safety related parts of the control and evaluation are preferably carried out on safe hardware or reach a required safety level by other measures such as redundancy or tests.

[0045] A respective communication interface 26, 28 is furthermore provided in the stationary safeguarding system 10 and in the mobile safeguarding system 14. The stationary safeguarding system 10 and the mobile safeguarding system 14 are hereby preferably wirelessly connected to one another to exchange data, information, and control signals. The communication connections can be implemented over any desired protocol such as Bluetooth, wireless LAN, WiFi, 3G/4G/5G, and in principle any other protocol.

[0046] The stationary safeguarding system 10 implements the safety function of access safeguarding. It is therefore recognized if an object is present in the access zones 12 and in particular if a person attempts to run through it. There is the possibility here of keeping certain parts of the safeguarded access zone 12 free to thus provide a drive-through corridor in which the safety function is bridged or muted. It can be implemented by switching over to a protected field having a free zone.

[0047] The mobile safeguarding system 14 implements the safety function of collision avoidance of the loading vehicle 16. Safety distances are thereby observed and objects or persons do not come into direct contact or at most come into a non-consequential contact with the loading vehicle 16 at a minimal, safe speed of the loading vehicle 16.

[0048] If an unauthorized object is detected in the access zone 12 or in front of the loading vehicle 16, this triggers a safety response of the loading vehicle 16 to avoid dangers to persons. The mobile safeguarding system 14 reacts to an object in front of the loading vehicle 16 in a safety related manner as part of its own collision avoidance. A safety related situation due to an object in the access zone 12 is reported to the mobile safeguarding system 14 by the stationary safeguarding system 10 over the communication interfaces 26, 28. As the respective safety response, the loading vehicle 16 is stopped, it carries out an evasion movement or reduces its speed such that a collision with a person becomes extremely unlikely and can at least not seriously endanger his health. The safety response can differ depending on whether it has been triggered by the collision avoidance or the access safeguarding.

[0049] A safe localization system of the loading vehicle 16 is preferably additionally implemented by the mobile safeguarding system 14 and/or a further sensor system, not shown. A map can be additionally stored in the control and evaluation unit 24 for this purpose. It is also possible to attach optical or physical markers in the environment of the loading/unloading zone. Using the localization system, the loading vehicle 16 in particular recognizes that it is in a safety related zone and no longer, for example, in a blocked logistics zone inaccessible to persons so that the mobile safeguarding system 14 has to be switched active. Relevant positions, still to be described, can moreover be recognized during the loading/unloading. Some few positions that can, for example, be safe points of interest in accordance with DE 10 2019 128 782 A1 named in the introduction are sufficient for the implementation of the method in accordance with the invention.

[0050] FIG. 1 shows a stationary safeguarding system 10 in a 1:1 association with a mobile safeguarding system 14. This is an exemplary simplification. One or more stationary safeguarding systems 10 having one or more mobile safeguarding systems 14 can work together or corresponding connections can be established or released depending on the location and the task of the loading vehicle 16.

[0051] FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan view of a loading zone or of a loading/unloading zone. The loading zone comprises a loading dock 30 and a loading space 32 of which only the front part is shown. The loading dock 30 forms a safety related zone (confined zone) because persons may dwell here. To avoid possible risks to the persons, the loading vehicle 16 therefore has to activate its mobile safeguarding system 14 that is here shown in simplified form and as representative only by a laser scanner as the sensor 20. FIG. 2 shows some possible dangers due to a person 34a on the loading dock, a person 34b in the loading space 32, or a laterally located person 34c-d whose arm could in particular be crushed. The mobile safeguarding system 14 is admittedly able to recognize all these persons 34a-d in good time and to initiate a corresponding safety response. The problem is that due to the tightly packed and unknown load objects a decision can above all practically not be made within the loading space 32 as to whether a person 34b is there. The loading vehicle 16 has to initiate its safety response as a precaution and is thus as good as not available. On the other hand, the mobile safeguarding system 14 cannot be simply deactivated because then the safety in the shown positions and in further positions of persons 34a-d would not be ensured.

[0052] The method in accordance with the invention of loading or unloading the loading space 32 will now be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 to 9. All the described steps of the particularly preferred overall concept do not necessarily have to be carried out here. The loading space 32 is by way of example the trailer of a truck.

[0053] The invention can, however, also be used for a different loading space 32 having a different ante-zone than the loading dock 30.

[0054] FIG. 3 shows a schematic plan view of the loading zone with a loading dock 30 and a loading space 32 on an approach of a loading vehicle 16 driving in. The loading space 32 is closed at all sides, with the exception of the access zone 12, via which the loading space 32 can be driven to from the loading dock 30. The stationary safeguarding system 10 monitors the access zone 12 so that no object and no person moves into the loading space 32 unnoticed. Only two oppositely disposed laser scanners are shown as sensors 18a-b of the stationary safeguarding system 10 in a simplified and representative form here; the mobile safeguarding system 14 of the laser loading vehicle 16 is still represented by the sensor 20 that monitors a protected field 36 in the direction of travel.

[0055] At the start of a loading/unloading procedure, the trailer having the loading space 32 is docked at the loading dock and the operator of the truck or a member of the logistics staff opens the trailer and thus makes the loading space 32 accessible via the access zone 12. A manual check that no person is in the loading space 32 follows by a visual check or by calling and the like. The stationary safeguarding system 10 is then switched active via a button, for example. Such a manual release procedure or (re-)start procedure for the putting into operation is typical for technical safety applications. After the activation, the stationary safeguarding system ensures that no access takes place and the loading space 32 remains free of persons.

[0056] When the loading vehicle 16 approaches the loading dock 30, it preferably recognizes by means of its localization system that it is now in a safety related zone and it thereupon activates its mobile safeguarding system 14 or the protected field 36. Alternatively, the protected field 36 can always be active during the travel of the loading vehicle 16, with the exception of the still to be explained movements in the loading space 32. The loading vehicle 16 or its mobile safeguarding system 14 builds up a communication connection with the stationary safeguarding system 10. It queries whether the access safeguarding is ready for operation, i.e. if no access has previously taken place and accordingly no person can be present in the loading space 32. The protected field 36 can, as indicated by the arrow 38, be successively shortened during the approach of the loading vehicle 16 to the safeguarded access zone 12. A monitoring into the loading space 32 is not necessary since the stationary safeguarding system 10 prevents access so that a protected field 36 projecting into the loading space 32 cannot anyway detect any person, but a false triggering of the safety response by an object in the loading space 32 is still very much possible.

[0057] FIG. 4 shows a schematic plan view of the loading zone in which the loading vehicle 16 driving in has reached a first position close to the safeguarded access zone 12. In the first position, the distance d between the loading vehicle 16 and the safeguarded access zone 12 is no longer sufficient for a person 34, indicated hatched, would fit therebetween. The distance d is, for example, 20 cm or even less, but even with a somewhat larger distance d such as 30 cm, 50 cm, or 70 cm, a person will not be able to push between the loading vehicle 16 and the safeguarded access zone 12 without being noticed by the stationary safeguarding system 10. The loading vehicle 16 in particular recognizes the reaching of the first position by a safe localization system.

[0058] In the first position, the mobile safeguarding system 14 prompts the release of a drive-through corridor at the stationary safeguarding system. A corresponding section of the safeguarded access zone 12 should therefore be muted or a switch to a protected field configuration should be made that releases the drive in corridor. Where necessary, because the drive-through corridor cannot be configured fast enough, the loading vehicle 16 stops temporarily. The mobile safeguarding system 14 is preferably switched to inactive from now on since anyway a person cannot be in front of the loading vehicle 16 and thus behind the safeguarded access zone 12 in the loading space 32.

[0059] FIG. 5 shows a schematic plan view of the loading zone in which the loading vehicle 16 driving in is located in the released or muted drive-through corridor 40 of the safeguarded access zone 12. Laterally, i.e. in a dimension transversely to the direction of travel, the location of the drive-through corridor 40 is either dynamically adapted to the lateral position of the loading vehicle 16 or the loading vehicle 16 is driven to a first position with a fixed lateral position so that the lateral position of a fixed drive-through corridor 40 matches the lateral position of the loading vehicle 16. The direction of travel in the Figures is from left to right by way of example on the driving in; accordingly, the lateral position corresponds to the vertical location in the representation. An exchange of signals preferably takes place during the driving through between the mobile safeguarding system 14 and the stationary safeguarding system 10 to keep the drive-through corridor 40 open.

[0060] FIG. 6 shows a schematic plan view of the loading zone after the loading vehicle 16 driving in has driven to a second position close behind the safeguarded access zone 12. In the second position, analogously to the first position, there is now too little room between the loading vehicle 16, now its rear end, and the safeguarded access zone 12 for a person 34 to fit in. The drive-through corridor 40 is now closed again once the mobile safeguarding system 14 has determined the arrival at the second position and has reported to the stationary safeguarding system 10 that the muting is no longer required. The safeguarded access zone 12 is thus no longer penetrable. The loading vehicle 16 can now move freely in the loading space 32 with a still inactive mobile safeguarding system 14 and can move load objects there, can in particular place down its taken along load there or can pick up a new load.

[0061] FIG. 7 shows a schematic plan view of the loading zone in which the loading vehicle 16 would again want to depart from the loading zone 32 after completing the work and has again reached the second position close to the safeguarded access zone 12 on driving out of the loading space 32. Since it is the return journey, it is again the front end of the loading vehicle 16 that is decisive. In another respect, the loading vehicle 16 can also drive in reverse instead of turning in the loading space 32; the rear end of the loading vehicle 16 is then still decisive and the mobile safeguarding system 14 has to safeguard the reverse driving, which is not further distinguished here.

[0062] Analogously to the driving in to the first position, the mobile safeguarding system 14 requires the release of the drive-through corridor 40 from the stationary safeguarding system 10 at the second position on the driving out and the loading vehicle 16 is stopped where necessary until an acknowledgment of the configuration of the drive-through corridor 40 has taken place. The mobile safeguarding system 14 now at the latest switches its collision protection or the protected field 36 active again since a person may be present in front of the safeguarded access zone 12. The activation can also already take place a little earlier depending on the speed at which the loading vehicle 16 moves. If, for example, it anyway first stops according to plan at the second position to configure the drive-through corridor 40, an earlier activation is unnecessary.

[0063] FIG. 8 shows a schematic plan view of the loading zone in which the loading vehicle 16 driving out is located in the drive-through corridor 40 through the safeguarded access zone 12. An exchange of signals again preferably takes place between the mobile safeguarding system 14 and the stationary safeguarding system 10 during the driving through to keep the drive-through corridor 40 open during the driving through.

[0064] FIG. 9 shows a schematic plan view of the loading zone in which the vehicle 16 driving out has reached the first position outside the loading space 32 and close to the safeguarded access zone 12 after the driving through. The mobile safeguarding system 14 signals to the stationary safeguarding system 10 that the access zone 12 can be closed again. As soon as this has been done, the stationary safeguarding system 10 again safeguards on its own that no persons move into the loading space 32 unnoticed. The loading vehicle 16 can continue to move on the loading dock 30 under the sole responsibility of its mobile safeguarding system 14 and can, for example, collect the next load object or can place down a load object taken along from the loading space 32 at a location provided for this purpose, for example at the margin of the loading dock 30 or in a logistics hall.

[0065] As long as the drive-through corridor 40 is open, and this applies on the driving out as already before on the driving in, the loading vehicle 16 physically prevents an unnoticed penetration of a person, who would inevitably be noticed by the non-muted portion of the safeguarded access zone 12, due to the dimensions of the drive-through corridor 40 adapted to the loading vehicle 16 and due to the first position and second position disposed close to the safeguarded access zone 12.

[0066] If the stationary safeguarding system 10 recognizes an object in the safeguarded access zone 12 at any point in time, the loading vehicle 16 may no longer drive into the loading space 32 until the stationary safeguarding system 10 has again been released, which as a rule requires a manual check of the loading space 32. Under certain circumstances, the stationary safeguarding system 10 can still differentiate a direction of movement and can nevertheless tolerate an object partially moving in, but then moving out again. An object only moving out indicates that the initial release was defective; that may therefore not occur and a general appraisal should take place here as required. If the loading vehicle 16 is already in the loading space 32 when the safeguarded access zone is infringed, the loading vehicle 16 has to stop or has to depart from the loading space 32 at a very slow safe speed or with an active collision avoidance function.