Group for localizing a moving target in a warehouse with automatic guided vehicles
First Claim
1. A localisation or estimation group of the position of a moving target, such as a person or a manual guided vehicle, in a warehouse or in an area to be monitored with at least one automatic guided vehicle of said localisation group, said group being equipped with a unit for controlling the movement of the automatic guided vehicle itself, said group including at least one moving target as well as at least two first nodes for emitting and receiving signals, said first nodes being provided with respective antennas, a second node or marker positioned on said moving target, said marker including at least one antenna suitable for receiving/emitting signals in response to signals coming from the at least two first nodes for emitting and receiving signals, wherein said at least two first nodes for emitting and receiving signals are located on said at least one automatic guided vehicle,said automatic guided vehicle comprising a unit for controlling the movement of said automatic guided vehicle itself, as well as at least two first nodes for emitting and receiving signals, said at least two first nodes being provided with respective antennas,wherein said first nodes for emitting and receiving signals are at least four and are positioned in proximity to a corner of the outline of the automatic guided vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a localization or position estimation group for a moving target, such as a person or a manual guided vehicle, in a warehouse or in an area to be monitored with at least one automatic guided vehicle, equipped with a unit for controlling the movement of the automatic guided vehicle itself, and at least one moving target.
8 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A localisation or estimation group of the position of a moving target, such as a person or a manual guided vehicle, in a warehouse or in an area to be monitored with at least one automatic guided vehicle of said localisation group, said group being equipped with a unit for controlling the movement of the automatic guided vehicle itself, said group including at least one moving target as well as at least two first nodes for emitting and receiving signals, said first nodes being provided with respective antennas, a second node or marker positioned on said moving target, said marker including at least one antenna suitable for receiving/emitting signals in response to signals coming from the at least two first nodes for emitting and receiving signals, wherein said at least two first nodes for emitting and receiving signals are located on said at least one automatic guided vehicle,
said automatic guided vehicle comprising a unit for controlling the movement of said automatic guided vehicle itself, as well as at least two first nodes for emitting and receiving signals, said at least two first nodes being provided with respective antennas, wherein said first nodes for emitting and receiving signals are at least four and are positioned in proximity to a corner of the outline of the automatic guided vehicle.
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16. A localisation method of a moving target via a localisation or estimation group of the position of a moving target, such as a person or a manual guided vehicle, in a warehouse or in an area to be monitored with at least one automatic guided vehicle of said localisation group, said group being equipped with a unit for controlling the movement of the automatic guided vehicle itself, said group including at least one moving target as well as at least two first nodes for emitting and receiving signals, said first nodes being provided with respective antennas, a second node or marker positioned on said moving target, said marker including at least one antenna suitable for receiving/emitting signals in response to signals coming from the at least two first nodes for emitting and receiving signals, said at least two first nodes for emitting and receiving signals being located on said at least one automatic guided vehicle, comprising the following steps:
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acquiring the signals or measures of the distance of said at least two first nodes from said at least one moving target; and processing the signals of the distance to obtain the position estimate of said at least one moving target, wherein said processing step of the signals of the distance includes the following steps; assigning to one node the role of master node and to at least another node the role of slave node; setting all the nodes to the sleeping state; activating the master node; sending signals from said master node to the node network of said warehouse until it receives a response from the marker of a moving target; once said master node has received a response from a moving target, setting said master node to the sleeping state and activating at least one slave node; sending signals from said slave node to the node network of said warehouse until it receives a response from the marker of said moving target that had responded to said master node; setting said slave node to the sleeping state; repeating the procedure for all the remaining slave nodes and storing all the signals of the responses received from the master node and from all the slave nodes; and processing said stored signals to obtain the position estimate of said at least one moving target. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A localisation method of a moving target via a localisation or estimation group of the position of a moving target, such as a person or a manual guided vehicle, in a warehouse or in an area to be monitored with at least one automatic guided vehicle of said localisation group, said group being equipped with a unit for controlling the movement of the automatic guided vehicle itself, said group including at least one moving target as well as at least two first nodes for emitting and receiving signals, said first nodes being provided with respective antennas, a second node or marker positioned on said moving target, said marker including at least one antenna suitable for receiving/emitting signals in response to signals coming from the at least two first nodes for emitting and receiving signals, said at least two first nodes for emitting and receiving signals being located on said at least one automatic guided vehicle, comprising the following steps:
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acquiring the signals or measures of the distance of said at least two first nodes from said at least one moving target; and processing the signals of the distance to obtain the position estimate of said at least one moving target, and further comprising a step of identification of the targets present within a working range of a master node, said identification step being carried out before said steps that provide for acquiring, computing and processing.
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19. A localisation method of a moving target via a localisation or estimation group of the position of a moving target, such as a person or a manual guided vehicle, in a warehouse or in an area to be monitored with at least one automatic guided vehicle of said localisation group, said group being equipped with a unit for controlling the movement of the automatic guided vehicle itself, said group including at least one moving target as well as at least two first nodes for emitting and receiving signals, said first nodes being provided with respective antennas, a second node or marker positioned on said moving target, said marker including at least one antenna suitable for receiving/emitting signals in response to signals coming from the at least two first nodes for emitting and receiving signals, said at least two first nodes for emitting and receiving signals being located on said at least one automatic guided vehicle, comprising the following steps:
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acquiring the signals or measures of the distance of said at least two first nodes from said at least one moving target; and processing the signals of the distance to obtain the position estimate of said at least one moving target, wherein said signal processing for obtaining the position estimate of said at least one target is carried out by intersecting circumferences with their centre at the position of said at least two nodes, said circumferences being ideally traced by the signals emitted by each node.
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Specification