BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to electronic systems for collecting information related to the operation of industrial vehicles, and in particular to the integration and manipulation of such information with geo-features.

Wireless strategies are being deployed by business operations, including distributors, retail stores, manufacturers, etc., to improve the efficiency and accuracy of business operations. Wireless strategies may also be deployed by such business operations to avoid the insidious effects of constantly increasing labor and logistics costs.

In a typical wireless implementation, workers are linked to a management system executing on a corresponding computer enterprise via mobile wireless transceivers. The wireless transceivers are used as interfaces to the management system to direct workers in their tasks, e.g., by instructing workers where and/or how to pick, pack, put away, move, stage, process or otherwise manipulate the items within a facility. The wireless transceiver may also be used in conjunction with a suitable input device to scan, sense or otherwise read tags, labels or other identifiers to track the movement of designated items within the facility.

BRIEF SUMMARY

According to aspects of the present disclosure, a machine-executable process in an industrial vehicle environment is provided. The process comprises electronically receiving by a processor on an industrial vehicle, geo-feature information about a geo-feature that is located in an area upon which the industrial vehicle travels. The process also comprises detecting that the industrial vehicle has encountered the geo-feature. Moreover, the process comprises generating by the processor, an output message in response to detecting that the industrial vehicle has encountered the geo-feature. Here, the output message comprises a select one of a first message where a current operating state of the industrial vehicle is within a designated acceptable range of an expected operating state, and a second message different from the first message, where the current operating state is outside the designated acceptable range of the expected operating state. The process yet further comprises conveying the output message on the industrial vehicle.

According to further aspects of the present disclosure, a machine-executable process in an industrial vehicle environment is provided. The process comprises detecting that an industrial vehicle has encountered a geo-feature designated as an aisle restriction zone. The process also comprises performing, upon detecting that the industrial vehicle has encountered the geo-feature a set of operations. The set of operations comprise extracting from a warehouse management system computer, task information indicating whether the industrial vehicle is assigned a task to maneuver a load in an aisle associated with the aisle restriction zone. The set of operations also comprises generating a command that controls the industrial vehicle. The command comprises a select one of a first command that restricts the industrial vehicle from entering the aisle where the industrial vehicle is not assigned a task to maneuver a load in the aisle, and a second command that enables the industrial vehicle to enter the aisle where the industrial vehicle is assigned a task to maneuver a load in the aisle.

According to still further aspects of the present disclosure, a machine-executable process in an industrial vehicle environment is provided. The process comprises obtaining geo-feature information about geo-features that are located in an area upon which an industrial vehicle travels. The process also comprises outputting to a display on the industrial vehicle, a view that represents the area upon which the industrial vehicle is traveling. Moreover, the process comprises visually indicating on the display, a location of detected geo-features within the view of the display. The process still further comprises detecting that the industrial vehicle has encountered a select geo-feature. Yet further, the process comprises performing, upon detecting that the industrial vehicle has encountered the select geo-feature, a corresponding action on the industrial vehicle, where the corresponding action is determined based upon the identity of the select geo-feature.

