FRESNEL LENS OPTICAL ALIGNMENT SYSTEM
First Claim
1. An optical alignment system that aligns a first vehicle with a second vehicle, comprising:
- a horizontal array of Fresnel lenses including a first plurality of Fresnel lenses disposed on one side of a vertical line and a second plurality of Fresnel lenses disposed on the opposite side of the vertical line; and
one Fresnel lens of the first plurality and one Fresnel lens of the second plurality are spaced equidistant from the vertical line and form a first pair, and the Fresnel lenses of the first pair are arranged so that light paths therefrom converge along the vertical line at a first distance behind the horizontal array of lights.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical alignment system is provided that simplifies the alignment of two vehicles, for example during a docking procedure, and provides visual cues indicating range to prevent accidental collision. The optical alignment system includes a horizontal array of Fresnel lenses including a first plurality of Fresnel lenses disposed on one side of a vertical axis and a second plurality of Fresnel lenses disposed on the opposite side of the vertical axis. One Fresnel lens of the first plurality and one Fresnel lens of the second plurality are spaced equidistant from the vertical axis and form a first pair, and the Fresnel lenses of the first pair are arranged so that light paths therefrom converge along the vertical axis at a first distance behind the horizontal array of lights.
6 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An optical alignment system that aligns a first vehicle with a second vehicle, comprising:
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a horizontal array of Fresnel lenses including a first plurality of Fresnel lenses disposed on one side of a vertical line and a second plurality of Fresnel lenses disposed on the opposite side of the vertical line; and one Fresnel lens of the first plurality and one Fresnel lens of the second plurality are spaced equidistant from the vertical line and form a first pair, and the Fresnel lenses of the first pair are arranged so that light paths therefrom converge along the vertical line at a first distance behind the horizontal array of lights. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An optical alignment system for aligning a first vehicle with a second vehicle, comprising:
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a horizontal array of Fresnel lenses mounted on the second vehicle so as to be visible to the first vehicle; the horizontal array including a first plurality of Fresnel lenses disposed on one side of a vertical axis and a second plurality of Fresnel lenses disposed on the opposite side of the vertical axis; one Fresnel lens of the first plurality and one Fresnel lens of the second plurality form a first pair; one Fresnel lens of the first plurality and one Fresnel lens of the second plurality form a second pair; one Fresnel lens of the first plurality and one Fresnel lens of the second plurality form a third pair; and at least one of the following; a) each Fresnel lens of the first plurality and each Fresnel lens of the second plurality emit coded light that is human or machine readable; b) the first pair of Fresnel lenses, the second pair of Fresnel lenses, and the third pair of Fresnel lenses are arranged so that light paths from each pair converge at respective convergence locations along a common axis, the convergence locations are at different distances behind the horizontal array. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification