EP3495316B1 - Vehicle comprising a device to assist the handling of a load and corresponding method - Google Patents

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to load handling devices, vehicles and methods.

PRIOR ART

Load handling vehicles are known from the state of the art. These vehicles usually include a rolling chassis and a load handling system, such as a telescopic arm fitted with forks which allow a load to be picked up, moved or deposited.

In particular in the field of building construction or renovation, the load is intended to be picked up, moved or placed in a given place, for example high up on the roof or on a floor through a window of the building.

However, it is observed that load handling using vehicles known from the state of the art is tedious for the operator and a source of errors, with also a risk of the vehicle tipping over.

We also know of documents EP2543622 , which discloses the preamble of claim 1, and US20130345857 crane-type machines which are equipped at the end of the crane arm with a system for attaching a load which then finds itself suspended above the ground. The end of the crane arm is also equipped with a camera directed towards the load so that the image acquired by the camera corresponds to a view of the ground in the environment of the load. Load handling with such a machine can however be difficult and disturbing for the operator who is piloting the gear.

The object of the present invention is to overcome all or part of the problems set out above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To this end, the subject of the invention is a handling vehicle according to claim 1.

It will be noted that the systems known from the documents EP2543622 And US20130345857 have the disadvantage of presenting the operator of the machine with a different image of the field of vision that he has while piloting the machine, that is to say different from the field of vision that he has when looking at through the front windscreen, this field of vision corresponding to the environment in front of it, when it controls the positioning of the load. This difference between the image from the camera directed towards the ground, which is presented to him, and his real field of vision, at the front of the machine, in fact risks disturbing the operator in his manipulations, and in particular risk of causing errors in the coordination of movements.

In addition, positioning the camera above the load by directing it towards this load provides an image of the environment which can only be used when the load is already in the pick-up or drop-off area. desired and that consequently the movement of the machine itself is not necessary.

Thanks to the orientation of the image acquisition device, for example a camera, towards the front of the vehicle, the image provided by the image acquisition device corresponds substantially to the field of vision of the operator present in the passenger compartment which steers the vehicle by looking through the front windscreen, which promotes the reliability of the steering of the vehicle by the operator and in particular enables the operator to handle the load with reduced risk of error.

The front environment is thus defined by reference to the front windscreen, that is to say the environment viewed by the operator located inside the passenger compartment who, when driving the vehicle, is looking straight ahead of him through the front windshield.

Such a design of the vehicle allows the operator to place his vehicle, if necessary, at an adequate distance from the zone at which he wishes to place or grasp the load. In particular, the operator can easily and reliably decide to move (advance) the vehicle to allow the handling system to reach a given location which, in the previous position of the vehicle, was not reachable.

The position of said support system is preferably defined with respect to a reference point of the vehicle whose position is independent of the position of the arm.

The assistance device thus enables the operator to be able to identify whether or not the load support system of the vehicle can reach a given zone of the environment of the vehicle in order to handle a load in said zone.

The term “handling a load” means the seizure, movement and/or setting down of the load. The load can be an object or a person. The object can be unitary, such as a pallet, or non-unitary, for example granules, such as gravel.

Advantageously, this capacity information is available to the operator with the aid of a dynamic display on the screen which allows him to be informed in real time of the possibility of reaching or not reaching a given zone in a secure manner. Thus, the operator can, when he is too far from the area to be reached to be able to handle the load in said area, approach the vehicle until the assistance device indicates handling capacity information in said zone which is compatible with the load that the operator wishes to handle, that is to say information which allows the operator, who knows the weight of the load to be handled, to know that he can handle the load in the desired area in a safe manner.

As mentioned above, such a design of the vehicle allows the operator to place his vehicle, if necessary, at an adequate distance from the area at which he wishes to place or grasp the load.

According to a particular aspect, the capacity or not of carrying a load by the support system in a given load handling position depends, for a given location of the vehicle, for example defined by the position of its chassis, on the capacity of the vehicle to bring its load support system to said given handling position, in a secure manner, that is to say without risk of the vehicle tipping over. Thus, said capacity or not to carry a load may depend on construction characteristics of the vehicle and on the weight of the load. This information can be stored in the form of charts.

The inability to handle a load in a given position may result from the desired load handling position which the load support system cannot reach due to the technical construction characteristics of the vehicle.

According to a particular aspect, the assistance device comprises a processing unit for performing said steps. The processing unit can comprise a processor (or microprocessor) or a microcontroller and stored computer instructions which are intended to be executed for the implementation of said steps.

According to a particular aspect, the screen can be integrated into the vehicle, for example in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, or be brought back into the vehicle or even be deported. According to one embodiment, the screen can be the screen of a mobile device, such as a smart phone, or even the screen of a remote control for controlling the vehicle allowing, for example, an operator to control the vehicle from the exterior of the vehicle.

According to a particular aspect, the image acquisition device is mounted on a part of the vehicle whose position is independent of the position of the arm and of the load support system.

The correspondence between what the operator sees and the image provided by the image acquisition device is further improved by positioning the image acquisition device, not on the arm equipped with the load support system , but on a part of the vehicle whose position does not depend on that of the arm (or of the support system).

Furthermore, the fact of positioning the image acquisition device outside the arm has the consequence that the very movement of the arm has no impact on the orientation of the acquired image and therefore does not disturb the operator handling the load.

According to a particular aspect, the image acquisition device is mounted on a part of the vehicle which is fixed relative to the front windshield of the vehicle.

• déterminer au moins une deuxième information dite de capacité, de préférence distincte de la première information de capacité, et
• superposer ladite deuxième information de capacité déterminée à une deuxième partie, distincte de la première partie, de la zone de l'image affichée correspondant à ladite zone de l'environnement du véhicule.

According to a particular aspect, the assistance device is configured for:

• determine at least one second so-called capacity information, preferably distinct from the first capacity information, and
• superimposing said second determined capacity cue on a second part, distinct from the first part, of the zone of the displayed image corresponding to said zone of the environment of the vehicle.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the telemetry device comprises a laser rangefinder or a time-of-flight camera, called TOF (for Time of Flight in English).

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the image contains several environmental zones, and the assistance device is configured to execute said steps of determining spatial coordinates, determining capacity information, and displaying for each of these areas.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said capacity information corresponds to maximum load values that can be carried by the load support system, for example 200 kg; 1000 kg and 2000 kg.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said capacity information also includes charging port incapacity information. This incapacity information is, as for the other capacity information, associated with at least a part of the zone of the environment of the vehicle.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the telemetry device being mounted movable, preferably rotationally, relative to the chassis of the vehicle, the assistance device is configured to control the movement of the telemetry device (directly or indirectly ), so as to determine the spatial coordinates of several areas of the environment of the vehicle covered by the field of the image acquisition device.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the telemetry device has an axis around which it is rotatably mounted, and the telemetry device is configured to rotate around its axis, preferably cyclically, autonomously or by being controlled by the assistance device, in order to determine the spatial coordinates of several areas of the environment of the vehicle covered by the field of the image acquisition device.

The telemetry device can turn autonomously in the sense that the telemetry device turns on itself as soon as it is powered up.

According to a particular aspect, said axis is a substantially vertical axis, called vertical axis, when the vehicle is on horizontal ground.

Said telemetry device can thus be rotated around its own axis, in order to scan an area wider than a segment. The telemetry device can thus perform a vertical scan, for example from top to bottom, and rotate cyclically around its vertical axis to cover several zones.

According to a particular aspect, the vehicle comprises a rotating turret around a substantially vertical axis on which the telemetry device is mounted, and the assistance device is configured to transmit control instructions to a control unit of the vehicle to control the rotation of the turret so as to determine, using the telemetry device, the spatial coordinates of several zones of the environment of the vehicle.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the assistance device comprising means for measuring or calculating the weight of the load to be handled, the assistance device is configured to determine information relating to the ability or not to carry said load in the area or part of said area of the vehicle environment based on the measured load weight, the determined spatial coordinates of said area of the vehicle environment and said data set.

• détecter un pointage d'une zone de l'image affichée à l'écran, à l'aide du dispositif de pointage ;
• transmettre des instructions de commande à une unité de pilotage du véhicule pour manutentionner une charge dans la zone réelle de l'environnement du véhicule correspondant à ladite zone de l'image pointée à l'écran.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said device comprising a device for pointing an area of the image displayed on the screen, for example a touch screen layer, the assistance device is configured to:

• detect a pointing of an area of the image displayed on the screen, using the pointing device;
• transmitting control instructions to a control unit of the vehicle to handle a load in the real zone of the environment of the vehicle corresponding to said zone of the image pointed to the screen.

• déplacement du véhicule en direction d'une zone donnée de l'environnement du véhicule ;
• acquisition par le dispositif d'acquisition d'images d'une image de ladite zone de l'environnement du véhicule en temps réel au cours du déplacement du véhicule,
• détermination par le dispositif de télémétrie des coordonnées spatiales de ladite zone en temps réel au cours du déplacement du véhicule,
• détermination et affichage de ladite au moins une première information de capacité de charge en temps réel au cours du déplacement du véhicule vers ladite zone de l'environnement du véhicule.

The invention also relates to a method for assisting the placement of a load using a vehicle as described above, characterized in that said method comprises the following steps:

• movement of the vehicle in the direction of a given area of the environment of the vehicle;
• acquisition by the image acquisition device of an image of said zone of the environment of the vehicle in real time during the movement of the vehicle,
• determination by the telemetry device of the spatial coordinates of said zone in real time during the movement of the vehicle,
• determining and displaying said at least one first piece of load capacity information in real time during the movement of the vehicle towards said zone of the environment of the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique d'un bâtiment sur lequel est schématisée par une bande en pointillés une partie du bâtiment correspondant à une zone de mesure par le dispositif de télémétrie, et d'un véhicule muni d'un dispositif d'assistance à la manutention de charge conforme à un mode de réalisation de l'invention ;
• la figure 1A est une vue d'un écran d'un dispositif d'assistance conformément à un mode de réalisation de l'invention sur lequel est affiché l'image du bâtiment de la figure 1 et, en superposition, des informations de capacité de manutention de charge associées à la zone du bâtiment définie par la bande de mesure ;

• la figure 2 est une vue schématique du dispositif d'assistance conformément à un mode de réalisation de l'invention ;
• la figure 3 est une vue d'un abaque dont les données sont utilisables par le dispositif d'assistance conformément à un mode de réalisation de l'invention, à l'état inactif des stabilisateurs du véhicule ;
• la figure 3A est une vue d'un autre abaque dont les données sont utilisables par le dispositif d'assistance conformément à un mode de réalisation de l'invention, lorsque le véhicule est sur stabilisateurs ;
• la figure 4 est une vue schématique de côté d'un véhicule comprenant un dispositif d'assistance conformément à un mode de réalisation de l'invention qui comprend une caméra et un télémètre, l'angle de vue de la caméra étant représenté ;
• la figure 4A est une vue schématique de côté du véhicule de la figure 4, l'angle de mesure du télémètre étant représenté ;
• la figure 5 est une vue d'un véhicule de manutention à tourelle conformément à un mode de réalisation de l'invention ;
• la figure 5A est une vue d'un écran d'un dispositif d'assistance selon un mode de réalisation de l'invention sur lequel est affiché une image d'une façade d'un bâtiment vue par une caméra du véhicule de la figure 5, des informations de capacité de manutention de charge étant associées à différentes zones ou portions juxtaposées de la façade du bâtiment.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description which follows, which is purely illustrative and not limiting and must be read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

• there figure 1 is a schematic view of a building on which is schematized by a dotted band a part of the building corresponding to a zone measured by the telemetry device, and of a vehicle equipped with a device for assistance in the handling of load according to one embodiment of the invention;
• there Figure 1A is a view of a screen of an assistance device according to an embodiment of the invention on which is displayed the image of the building of the figure 1 and, overlaid, load handling capability information associated with the area of the building defined by the strip of measure ;

• there figure 2 is a schematic view of the assistance device according to one embodiment of the invention;
• there picture 3 is a view of an abacus whose data can be used by the assistance device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, in the inactive state of the stabilizers of the vehicle;
• there Figure 3A is a view of another chart whose data can be used by the assistance device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, when the vehicle is on stabilizers;
• there figure 4 is a schematic side view of a vehicle comprising an assistance device according to one embodiment of the invention which comprises a camera and a rangefinder, the angle of view of the camera being shown;
• there figure 4A is a schematic side view of the vehicle from the figure 4 , the measurement angle of the rangefinder being represented;
• there figure 5 is a view of a turntable material handling vehicle in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;
• there figure 5A is a view of a screen of an assistance device according to one embodiment of the invention on which is displayed an image of a facade of a building seen by a camera of the vehicle of the figure 5 , load handling capacity information being associated with different juxtaposed zones or portions of the facade of the building.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The inventive concept is described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the inventive concept are shown. In the drawings, the size and relative sizes of the elements may be exaggerated for purposes of clarity. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the drawings. However, this concept of the invention can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments disclosed herein. Instead, these embodiments are offered so that this description is complete, and communicates the scope of the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art. The scope of the invention is therefore defined by the appended claims. The following embodiments are discussed, for simplicity, in connection with the terminology and structure of a load handling vehicle.

Reference throughout the specification to "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or feature described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearance of the phrase "in one embodiment" at various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Further, the particular functionalities, structures, or features may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

The invention relates to a handling vehicle 1 comprising a load handling assistance device. The load can be an object, unit type or not, or even a person.

According to the embodiment for example illustrated in figure 1 , said vehicle is a telescopic truck. Of course, the invention applies to other types of handling vehicles, such as lifting platforms.

Said vehicle 1 is configured to allow a load C11 to be handled. In particular, the vehicle comprises a load support system, such as forks intended to carry a load to be handled. The handling is described below more particularly in the direction of a load removal at a given location, but the invention also applies to handling in the direction of a load displacement or a load seizure. at a given place.

In the example shown in figure 1 , said vehicle 1 comprises a frame 100 provided movement means, for example wheels 19. Said vehicle can also be provided with stabilizers 19' as illustrated in figure 5 .

The vehicle comprises a load support system 110 and an arm 109, such as a telescopic arm, equipped with said load support system 110, preferably at the end of said arm. The load support system 110 can be a people lift, or a fork system.

In the example shown in figure 1 , the arm 109 is a telescopic arm and the load support system 110 comprises a fork system mounted at the free end of the telescopic arm.

In the example shown in figure 5 , the frame 100 is provided with a turret 101 which carries an arm 109' provided with a load support system 110' which comprises a nacelle. The turret 101 is rotatably mounted around an axis A1 orthogonal with respect to the support plane on the ground of the vehicle.

Said assistance device makes it possible to help the operator who is driving the vehicle, when the operator wishes to be able to handle a load using the load support system of the vehicle in a desired real area in the environment of the vehicle, by helping him to determine whether or not he can handle the load in this real zone, in a safe manner, for example without risk of the vehicle tipping over.

As shown in figure 1 , the device comprises a camera 13 which equips the vehicle. The camera 13 makes it possible to acquire an image 4 of an area 3 of the surrounding space, in particular in front of the vehicle 1. The rest of the description is carried out on the basis of an image acquired by the camera to explain how load capacity information is determined and associated with said image. Of course, the description applies to an acquisition of images in real time and to an association in real time with different areas or portions of areas of the image of the corresponding charge capacity information.

In the example described below, the image 4 is acquired by the camera 13, but the description naturally applies to any system making it possible to capture the image of the space which is in front of the vehicle.

The camera 13 is preferably located at the front of the vehicle. According to a particular aspect, the camera 13 is located on an open area, such as the front of the chassis, a rear-view mirror, or a front headlight of the vehicle or the roof of the passenger compartment.

The camera is oriented forwards, that is to say towards the field of vision visible to the operator through the front windshield from inside the vehicle cabin. In other words, the optical axis, or axis of the cone of vision, of the camera is directed towards the environment which is in front of the vehicle.

• contenue dans un plan orthogonal au plan d'appui au sol du véhicule et passant par le bras 109 et,
• parallèle audit plan d'appui au sol du véhicule.

According to the invention, the optical axis A13 of the camera 13 is oriented in a direction which forms with a so-called longitudinal direction, an angle less than 30°, preferably less than 15°. Said longitudinal direction is defined as being:

• contained in a plane orthogonal to the ground support plane of the vehicle and passing through the arm 109 and,
• parallel to said ground support plane of the vehicle.

According to a particular aspect, said orientation direction of the optical axis is substantially parallel to said longitudinal direction. Thus, the vision plane of the camera is substantially vertical and in front of the vehicle.

The field of vision of the camera substantially corresponds to the field of vision of the operator present in the passenger compartment who is looking ahead through the windshield.

According to a particular aspect, when the direction of this optical axis is broken down into a horizontal component and a vertical component in a vertical plane (or more generally orthogonal to the ground support plane of the vehicle) passing through said optical axis, the horizontal component (or parallel to the ground support plane of the vehicle) is greater than the vertical component. In other words, the optical axis of the camera is substantially horizontal.

Thus, the camera has a cone of vision whose axis is substantially parallel to the direction of vision through the front windshield for an operator located inside the passenger compartment in the driving position of the vehicle and who is looking straight. behind him.

According to a particular aspect, the camera 13 is located on a part of the vehicle chassis which is distinct from the load handling system, which in the example illustrated in the figures comprises the telescopic arm and the accessory support provided with forks. The position of the camera 13 does not depend on the position of the arm or the forks.

According to a preferred embodiment, the camera 13 is located on a part of the vehicle chassis which is fixed relative to the windshield.

The assistance device also comprises a display screen 7 to make it possible to give visual feedback to the operator on the ability or otherwise of the vehicle to handle a load at at least one given location of the environment in which the vehicle is located which corresponds to at least part of the acquired image displayed on the screen.

In particular, the display screen 7 allows the operator to view the image acquired by the camera 13 with, as detailed below, handling capacity information I41, I42, I43, I44 superimposed on parts P41, P42, P43, P44 of said image 4 displayed on screen 7 (see Figure 1A ) corresponding to real areas of the environment of the vehicle. As detailed below, these parts P41, P42, P43, P44 correspond to portions of the zone 301 of the building 300 measured using the telemetry device 12.

According to an embodiment illustrated in picture 2 , the device for the assistance handling the load comprises a processing unit 200, such as a processor or microcontroller, and a memory 201 which contains chart data (presented below).

The processing unit 200 is connected to the camera 13, to a telemetry device 12 (presented below) and to the display screen 7. It can be provided that the memory 201 which contains the data of the chart whether or not included in the processing unit 200.

The abacus AB1, an example of which is illustrated in picture 3 , provides information relating to maximum load values that the load support system 110 of the vehicle can carry in different positions defined in a marker attached to the vehicle. According to a particular aspect, these positions are in front of the vehicle. These positions in which the load carrier can carry different maximum load values are functions of construction characteristics of the vehicle, such as the length of the handling arm. According to a particular aspect, the maximum load associated with a given position of the load support system corresponds to a load beyond which the safe handling of the load is no longer ensured, for example because there is a risk of tipping over and/or damage to the vehicle.

According to this chart AB1, the vehicle, more particularly a given point of the vehicle, is taken as the center of a benchmark. This mark is for example the mark R10 whose center is taken at the base of the telescopic arm 110 as illustrated in figure 4 or at the figure 4A . This chart thus provides, in a reference frame centered on the vehicle and for the scanning zone that the telescopic arm of the vehicle can travel between its retracted position and its extended position and with a given angle of movement, values of the maximum load that can be handled by the vehicle at each of the points in this zone.

According to a particular aspect, the chart is in the form of a set of digital data recorded in the memory 201 and able to be interpreted by the processing unit 200. The chart can thus contain vehicle stability performance information (mass, position of the forks), that is to say the capacity of the vehicle to carry a mass at a height and /or a given distance and the maximum weight not to be exceeded at the end of the handling system so as not to risk tipping the vehicle.

The data set includes a discrete number of peak load values. The scan zone of the arm of the vehicle is thus broken down into several sub-zones, the number of which is equal to that of the number of defined maximum load values. As shown in picture 3 , the closer the sub-zone is to the vehicle reference point, the greater the value of the maximum load that can be handled in this zone.

The maximum load values are predefined values. The maximum values include, for example, the following values: 300 kg; 400kg; 600kg; 900kg; 1200kg; 1500kg; 2000kg; 2500kg;3000kg; 4000 kg. Of course other values, as well as intermediate values can be defined.

Advantageously, a color code is associated with each predefined maximum load value. Preferably, a color code is also associated with the unreachable state information.

As shown in Figure 3A , the memory 201 can also comprise an abacus AB1′, similar to the abacus AB1, but corresponding to a configuration in which the vehicle is on stabilizers.

The assistance device comprises a telemetry device 12 . In the rest of the description, said distance telemetry device 12 is a rangefinder, for example of the LIDAR type or a TOF camera, but of course the description applies to any other type of telemetry device. In the example illustrated in the figures, the distance telemetry device 12 is on board the vehicle. Advantageously, similarly to the camera 13, the telemetry device 12 is preferably located at the front of the vehicle. According to a particular aspect, the telemetry device 12 is located on an open area, such as the front of the chassis, a rear-view mirror, or a front headlight or the top of the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

According to one embodiment, the telemetry device 12 is arranged in an identical or similar manner to the camera 13 in order to be able to measure the spatial coordinates of the elements of the front environment whose image is acquired by the camera 13. Thus, the device 12 telemetry is directed towards the environment which is located in front of the vehicle and which is visible through the front windshield by an operator present in the passenger compartment. Advantageously, the telemetry device 12 is located next to the camera 13. In other words, the telemetry device 12 is oriented towards the front of the vehicle with an average emission axis which is substantially parallel to the optical axis of the camera. The telemetry device 12 thus makes it possible to measure the distance between the vehicle 1 and an element, such as a given real zone of a building, located in the measurement field, that is to say an element of the environment in which the vehicle is located.

The assistance device can thus, using the telemetry device 12, determine the spatial coordinates of a given real zone of the environment of the vehicle. Said spatial coordinates are determined in a frame attached to the vehicle. By marker attached to the vehicle is meant a marker associated with a point which is integral in movement with the vehicle, thus the marker R13 of the camera 13 and the marker R12 of the telemetry device 13 which are carried by the chassis of the vehicle are considered as markings attached to the vehicle. Preferably, this marker is attached to an element whose position or orientation is not impacted by the position of the arm.

According to one embodiment, the telemetry device 12 can be fixed relative to the chassis of the vehicle (as in the example of the figure 1 , 4 and 4A ) or mobile (as in the example corresponding to figures 5 and 5A ), for example rotating in order to scan an actual area of space around the vehicle, by rotation around a substantially vertical axis, called the vertical axis.

As explained above, the telemetry device 12 is for example a LIDAR (light detection and ranging) type rangefinder. Such a rangefinder comprises a laser which, thanks to its impact on an object, measures the distance from which it is removed.

As a variant, the telemetry device 12 can be a TOF (time of flight) type camera. Such a TOF camera makes it possible to measure in 3D the distance between the camera and each point in front of the camera corresponding to the field of vision.

It is possible to provide for the telemetry device to combine the use of LIDAR and TOF type telemetry solutions.

According to a particular aspect, the telemetry device can comprise several telemeters configured to scan a larger region or surface of space.

Advantageously, the processing unit 200 is configured to process the data measured by the telemetry device 12 to recreate in the form of clouds of points, of known coordinates, real areas of space around the vehicle, of which at least a part corresponds also to at least part of the image 4 acquired by the camera 13.

The processing unit 200 can then associate with each real zone situated in the measurement field of the telemetry device 12, positioning coordinates, in a given frame of reference. Said zone can be defined in space as a point or a multiplicity of points, a line, a surface or a volume.

Coordinates can be defined in a polar (2D) coordinate system allowing the angle and distance of a point in an area to be defined in front of the vehicle, or a spherical or cylindrical (3D) coordinate system. Spatial coordinates can also be defined in a Cartesian coordinate system (2D or 3D).

As in the example shown in figure 4 , the spatial coordinates of a zone of the environment of the vehicle determined using the telemetry device 12 are defined in the reference R12 of the telemetry device 12 mounted on the vehicle. The processing unit 200 performs a reference transfer of the spatial coordinates, defined in the reference R12 of the telemetry device 12, in the reference R13 of the camera 13. This reference transfer is carried out using the known positions of the camera 13 and telemetry device 12 mounted on the vehicle.

This marker transfer thus makes it possible, in the marker R13 of the camera 13, to associate with each pixel of the image 4 returned by the camera, the corresponding spatial coordinates determined using the telemetry device 12.

The position of the construction marker of the chart is known with respect to the position of the camera 13. Said construction marker is for example the marker R10. The processing unit 200 then performs another reference transfer between the reference R13 and the reference R10 to determine, taking into account the data of the chart, the parts of the image which correspond to real zones of the environment. of the vehicle which are or are not reachable by the load support system 110 of the vehicle, and, if possible, with what maximum load.

The processing unit 200 then associates with each part of the acquired image 4 for which spatial coordinates of the zone of the corresponding real environment have been determined, load handling capacity information.

As explained above, the capacity information corresponds to the load theoretical maximum that it is possible to handle in this real area of the environment with regard to the position and construction characteristics of the vehicle, such as arm length. This information can be displayed in the form of a color code, weight information, or distance information. The maximum theoretical load (or weight) corresponds to a safety criterion making it possible, for example, to prevent the vehicle from tipping over.

The or each part of the image displayed on the screen which corresponds to an area that cannot be reached by the vehicle, is provided with a specific indication, for example a red color.

According to one embodiment, the load handling capacity information which is obtained using the chart is determined as a function of a position parameter of the desired load handling zone relative to the vehicle. Said position parameter may comprise the spatial coordinates of said desired area or the distance between the vehicle and said desired area. Said position parameter can also comprise the angle formed by a straight line passing through a point of the vehicle and a point of said desired zone with the horizontal.

The assistance device thus enables the operator to intelligently reach a given real zone of the environment of the vehicle with a given load to be handled in this zone by allowing him to quickly and reliably identify the maximum load weight that he can deposit in said given area. The device can, if necessary, also indicate that no load can be deposited in a given zone, for example because said zone cannot be reached by the load support system. The zone may not be reachable due to the construction characteristics of the vehicle and/or the current position of the vehicle with respect to said zone.

According to one embodiment, the device does not include as input data the weight value of the actual load, carried by the vehicle for its removal or its movement, or to be seized by the vehicle. As explained above, the device assigns maximum charge values to the different parts of the image measured by the telemetry device 12. The operator knows the order of magnitude of the load to be handled. The operator thus knows whether or not he will be able to handle the load in a secure manner in the desired real zone, taking into account the maximum load value associated with said zone by the assistance device and his knowledge of the order size of the weight of the load to be handled.

According to a particular embodiment not illustrated, it is possible to provide that the information on whether or not load handling capacity is also determined according to the weight of the load to be handled when this parameter is known to the device by measurement, calculation or entry of given. The capacity information associated with a given part of the image corresponding to a real zone of the environment, can thus indicate whether, given the known weight of the load to be handled, the operator can handle said load in said zone real.

The assistance device as described above makes it possible, for a zone of space in the environment of the vehicle, preferably in front of the vehicle, to perform the steps described below. Of course, the steps described below can be applied to a plurality of distinct joined or disjoined zones.

In the example shown in figures 1 and 1A , we take the example of a building 300 in front of which the vehicle is located at a given time. Provision may be made for the vehicle to be stationary or in motion. Advantageously, the load handling assistance steps are repeated at a given frequency to enable the operator to know in real time whether or not it is possible to handle a load in a given zone.

To the figure 1 , a vertical strip 301 has been schematized on the building 300 which corresponds to a zone in front of the vehicle in the measurement field of the telemetry device 12 of the vehicle. In this example the measurement field is vertical, but one can provide, as in the example illustrated in figures 5 and 5A , to obtain a measurement field that is not only vertical but also over an angular sector, defined around a vertical axis, obtained by rotation of the telemetry device, in particular when the vehicle comprises a turret 101 which carries the telemetry device, or when the telemetry device scans space, especially at high frequency, rotating around its vertical axis

Thus, the example described below for a zone corresponding to a vertical strip is also applicable to a zone corresponding to another measured surface.

Coming back to the figure 1 , the processing unit 200 of the assistance device calculates the spatial coordinates of the points of the measurement strip 301 according to the measurements from the telemetry device 12. The processing unit 200 of the assistance device applies reference transfer operations to the coordinates of the points of the measuring strip 301 to determine using the chart, for example the chart AB1, the maximum loads which can be handled by the vehicle at each of these points or determine the absence of a handleable load, if applicable.

The assistance device then superimposes on the pixels of the image 4 which correspond to the points of the measurement strip 301 at least one piece of information corresponding to the load handling capacity or not determined using the chart. Advantageously, this information is a color code, for example green for a maximum load of 2000 kg, yellow for a maximum load of 1000 kg, orange for a maximum load of 200 kg and red for an unreachable zone.

We thus obtain, as illustrated in Figure 1A , an image 4 of the building 300 displayed on the screen 7. This image 4 presents an area 401, corresponding to the measurement strip 301 illustrated on figure 1 , on which is superimposed a band 410 which is composed from bottom to top of a first part P41 of green color I41, of a second part P42 of yellow color I42, of a third part P43 of orange color I43, and of a fourth part P44 red color I44. Of course, it is also possible to use shades of color as a color code associated with the capacity information.

As recalled above, the load handling capacity information in a given zone is defined as a function of parameters relating to the risk of the vehicle tipping over and/or to the possibility or not of physically reaching the given zone.

Provision can be made for the determination of the capacitance information associated with an area of the environment to also be carried out as a function of geometric characteristics of the area, for example as a function of the presence of an opening such as a window of a building.

According to a particular embodiment, said assistance device also makes it possible to control the vehicle, in particular the handling system of the vehicle, to automatically bring the load support system into the desired handling zone. To this end, the assistance device comprises a device for pointing to an area of the image displayed on the screen, such as a tactile layer of the screen.

Pointing detection can be performed by the processing unit. Provision can be made for the processing unit to also be configured to transmit control instructions to a control unit of the vehicle which communicates with the processing unit. Provision can be made for the processing unit and the control unit to be distinct or at least to comprise common parts.

Once the operator has identified, thanks to the capacity information displayed on the screen, the area in which he can handle his load, the operator touches or presses the area of the image corresponding to the desired handling area . Said assistance device then detects the pointing of an area of the screen using said interface and transmits control instructions to the vehicle control unit to control the handling system in order to handle the load in the actual area corresponding to said area pointed to the screen. For this purpose, the known coordinates of the zone pointed at are transferred to the vehicle reference to define the movements necessary to reach the real zone corresponding to the zone pointed at on the screen.

In the case of a vehicle with a telescopic arm, the control of the vehicle handling system comprises the control of lifting and extension of the telescopic arm to bring the handling accessory formed by the load support system into the actual area corresponding to the pointed area. Furthermore, in the case of a vehicle with a turret, the control of the arm is combined with the control of the rotation of the turret.

The functions of the assistance device, and in particular of the processing unit, as well as the functions of the vehicle control unit, can be implemented in the form of a computer program or via hardware components (e. g. networks of programmable gates).

These computer programs, or computer instructions, may be contained in program storage devices, such as computer-readable digital data storage media, or executable programs. Programs or instructions can also be executed from program storage devices.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings. Consequently, it should be understood that, when the features mentioned in the appended claims are followed by reference signs, these signs are included solely for the purpose of improving the intelligibility of the claims and are in no way limiting the scope of the claims. claims.

Further, the term "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps. Furthermore, features or steps that have been described with reference to one of the embodiments set forth above may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiments set forth above.

Claims (14)

1. A handling vehicle (1) which comprises an arm (109) and a load support system (110), such as a fork system or a nacelle, said vehicle comprising an assistance device including:

   - an image acquisition device (13), such as a camera;

   - a telemetry device (12);
   said device comprising:

   a memory (201) in which a data set (AB1), such as an abacus, is stored;

   said data set (AB1) comprising data relative to the ability or inability to carry a load using the load support system (110) in different positions of said support system (110); and

   - a display screen (7);

   said assistance device being configured to, for at least one zone (301) of the environment of the vehicle, carry out the following steps:

   - acquiring, using the image acquisition device (13), an image (4) whereof at least one zone (401) corresponds to said zone (301) of the environment of the vehicle (1);

   - determining, using the telemetry device (12), spatial coordinates of said zone (301) of the environment of the vehicle (1);

   - determining at least one first information item (141), called capacity information, relative to the ability or inability to carry a load using the load support system (110) in said or part of said at least one zone (301) of the environment of the vehicle, as a function of the determined spatial coordinates of said zone (301) of the environment of the vehicle and said data set (AB1),

   - displaying, on the screen (7), at least the zone (401) of the acquired image (4) which corresponds to said zone (301) of the environment of the vehicle and superimpose said at least one first determined capacity information item (I41) on the zone (401) of the image or on a first part (P41) of the zone (401) of the image corresponding to said zone (301) of the environment of the vehicle,

   the vehicle comprising a passenger compartment equipped with a front windshield, the optical axis (A13) of the image acquisition device (13) is oriented toward the environment situated in front of the vehicle and visible through the front windshield by an operator present in the passenger compartment,

   characterized in that the optical axis (A13) of the image acquisition device (13) is oriented along a direction which forms, with a so-called longitudinal direction, an angle smaller than 30°, preferably smaller than 15°, said longitudinal direction being defined as being:

   - contained in a plane orthogonal to the ground plane of the vehicle and passing through the arm (109), and

   - parallel to said ground plane of the vehicle.
2. The vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the image acquisition device (13) is mounted on a part of the vehicle whose position is independent of the position of the arm (109) and the load support system (110).
3. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the image acquisition device (13) is mounted on a part of the vehicle which is stationary relative to the front windshield of the vehicle.
4. The vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the assistance device is configured to:

   - determine at least one second so-called capacity information item (I42), preferably distinct from the first capacity information item (141), and

   - superimpose said determined second capacity information item (I42) on a second part (P42), distinct from the first part (P41), of the zone (401) of the displayed image corresponding to said zone (301) of the environment of the vehicle.
5. The vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the telemetry device (12) comprises a laser telemeter or a time-of-flight camera.
6. The vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the image (4) comprises several environment zones,
   and in that the assistance device is configured to execute said steps of determining spatial coordinates, determining capacity information, and displaying for each of these zones.
7. The vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the capacity information items (141, I42, I43, I44) correspond to maximum load values able to be carried by the load support system, for example 200 kg, 1000 kg and 2000 kg.
8. The vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said capacity information items also comprise a load carrying incapacity information item.
9. The vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the telemetry device being mounted to be movable, preferably in rotation, relative to the chassis of the vehicle, the assistance device is configured to control the movement of the telemetry device so as to determine the spatial coordinates of several zones of the environment of the vehicle covered by the field of the image acquisition device.
10. The vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, the telemetry device having an axis about which it is mounted movably in rotation,
    the telemetry device is configured to rotate about its axis, preferably cyclically, autonomously or by being controlled by the assistance device, so as to determine the spatial coordinates of several zones of the environment of the vehicle covered by the field of the image acquisition device.
11. The vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vehicle comprises a rotary turret (101) rotating about a substantially vertical axis (A1) on which the telemetry device (12) is mounted,
    and in that the assistance device is configured to transmit control instructions to a control unit of the vehicle to control the rotation of the turret (101) so as to determine, using the telemetry device (12), the spatial coordinates of several zones of the environment of the vehicle.
12. The vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the assistance device comprising means for measuring or calculating the weight of the load to be handled, the assistance device is configured to determine an information item relative to the ability or inability to carry said load in the zone or part of said zone (301) of the environment of the vehicle as a function of the measured weight of the load, determined spatial coordinates of said zone (301) of the environment of the vehicle and said data set (AB1).
13. The vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, said device comprising a pointing device for a zone of the image displayed on the screen, for example a tactile layer of the screen, said assistance device is configured to:

    - detect pointing of a zone of the image (4) displayed on the screen (7), using the pointing device;

    - transmit control instructions to a control unit of the vehicle to handle a load in the actual zone of the environment of the vehicle corresponding to said zone of the image (4) pointed at on the screen (7).
14. A method for assisting in the placement of a load using a vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that said method comprises the following steps:

    - moving the vehicle toward a given zone (301) of the environment of the vehicle;

    - acquiring, via the image acquisition device (13), an image of said zone of the environment of the vehicle in real time during the movement of the vehicle,

    - determining, via the telemetry device, spatial coordinates of said zone (301) in real time during the movement of the vehicle,

    - determining and displaying said at least one first load capacity information item (141) in real time during the movement of the vehicle toward said zone (301) of the environment of the vehicle.

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