METHOD FOR ESTIMATING VOLUME

• US 20140071430A1
• Filed: 04/15/2011
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tamtron Oy (Aito Capital Oy)
• Original Assignee: Ins-Europe Co.
• Inventors: Hansen, Torben Winther, Larsen, Knud-Erik
• Granted Patent: US 9,170,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/4.01
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/0755 Position control; Position detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/00 Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/026 by measuring distance between sensor and object G01B11/0608 takes precedence

Abstract

A cargo handling vehicle comprising a mast and a lifting device movable along said mast. The cargo handling vehicle comprises a range sensor located on said cargo handling vehicle at a position suitable for measuring the distance to the top of a piece of cargo. The cargo handling vehicle also comprises means for calculating a calculated height of said piece of cargo with respect based on said distance to the top of the piece of cargo, and means for calculating the estimated volume of said piece of cargo based on said known length and width and said calculated height. The cargo handling vehicle is used in a method for calculating the estimated volume of said piece of cargo.

Claims

1. A method for estimating a volume of a piece of cargo having a known width and length and a top of an unknown height, said method comprising the steps of

providing a range sensor on a cargo handling vehicle having a lifting device,

placing said piece of cargo on a surface, said surface having a predetermined measuring distance from said range sensor,

directing the range sensor towards the top of said piece of cargo,

measuring the distance to the top of said piece of cargo using the range sensor,

calculating a calculated height of said piece of cargo with respect based on said distance,

calculating the estimated volume of said piece of cargo based on said known length and width and said calculated height.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said distance to the top of the cargo is measured automatically when said distance has remained constant within a predetermined interval for a predetermined period of time.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein automatic measurement is automatically initiated when the lifting device passes a predetermined threshold in the downward direction.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said distance measurement to said top of said piece of cargo is preceded by a measurement of said predetermined measuring distance to the surface in order to obtain a distance reference value for said calculation of the calculated height of said piece of cargo.

5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of providing an inclination sensor on a mast along which the lifting device is movable, obtaining from said sensor an inclination value for said mast, and using said inclination value in the calculation of the height of said cargo if the inclination has changed after said distance reference value was measured.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein said estimated volume is multiplied with a predetermined density factor to obtain an estimated weight of said piece of cargo.

7. A method according to claim 1, comprising the step of providing means for determining actual weight of said piece of cargo on said cargo handling vehicle.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the larger of said estimated weight of said piece of cargo and said actual weight is determined.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein a laser range sensor is used as said range sensor.

10. A cargo handling vehicle comprising a lifting device, wherein said cargo handling vehicle comprises

a range sensor located on said cargo handling vehicle at a position suitable for measuring the distance to the top of a piece of cargo,

means for calculating a calculated height of said piece of cargo with respect based on said distance to the top of the piece of cargo, and

means for calculating the estimated volume of said piece of cargo based on said known length and width and said calculated height.

11. A cargo handling vehicle according to claim 10, comprising means for detecting when said distance to the top of the piece of cargo has remained constant within a predetermined interval for a predetermined period of time and means for automatically performing said measurement upon expiry of said time period.

12. A cargo handling vehicle according to claim 11, further comprising means for detecting the lifting device passing a predetermined threshold in the downward direction and means for automatically initiating said measurement upon such passage.

13. A cargo handling vehicle according to claim 10 comprising means for a measurement of a predetermined measuring distance to the surface in order to obtain a distance reference value for said calculation of the calculated height of said piece of cargo.

14. A cargo handling vehicle according to claim 10, further comprising a mast along which the lifting device is movable and an inclination sensor on said mast for obtaining an inclination value for said mast, and means for calculation of the height of said cargo using said inclination value if the inclination has changed after said distance reference value was measured.

15. A cargo handling vehicle according to claim 10, comprising means for storing a predetermined density factor and means for multiplying said estimated volume with said predetermined density factor to obtain an estimated weight of said piece of cargo.

16. A cargo handling vehicle according to claim 10, comprising means for determining actual weight of said piece of cargo on said cargo handling vehicle.

17. A cargo handling vehicle according to claim 16, comprising means for determining the larger of said estimated weight of said piece of cargo and said actual weight.

18. A cargo handling vehicle according to claim 10, wherein said range sensor is arranged on said mast.

19. A cargo handling vehicle according to claim 10, wherein said range sensor is a laser range sensor.