×

Robot vision and optical location systems

  • US 4,939,439 A
  • Filed: 09/01/1988
  • Issued: 07/03/1990
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1985
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
Patent Images

1. An object location system for generating a three-dimensional map of the visible surfaces of objects disposed within a predefined field of view comprising:

  • projection means situated at a first known location for projecting a beam of radiation into the field of view and periodically scanning said beam over the entire field of view;

    encoding means for continuously encoding said beam of radiation with information indicative of its instantaneous direction of projection;

    detection means situated at a second known location spaced apart from said first known location for monitoring the field of view to detect radiation from said beam scattered or reflected from surfaces of the objects in said field and producing detection signals indicative of the directions from which said scattered or reflected radiation is received by said detection means;

    decoding means connected to said detection means and responsive to the encoding carried on the projected beam direction;

    map storage means comprising an array of memory elements representing a map of the field of view having one more dimension than that of said detection means; and

    map generating means responsive to successive detected signals and decoded signals to store information in respective memory array elements to model the location in said field of view of detected points on the surfaces of the objects located therein.

View all claims
  • 0 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×