Position detecting system

• US 5,717,484 A
• Filed: 03/17/1995
• Issued: 02/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Moneual Incorporated (Hong-Seok Park, MBA)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamaguchi, Takayuki, Kawagoe, Nobukazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Buczinski, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US08/405,781
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 356/3.01, 356/3.1, 356/3.09, 356/3.12, 250/214 B
• US Class Current: 356/3.12
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0231 using optical position detecting means position-fixing by using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. optical position detecting means G01S5/16
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165

Abstract

A first light receiving portion and a second light receiving portion are provided on the upper surface of a moving body having driving wheels at an interval of a prescribed distance in a plane. The first light receiving portion and the second light receiving portion rotate around the axis in the vertical direction. On the other hand, a first light emitting portion and a second light emitting portion are provided on the side face of a station serving as a reference station at an interval of a prescribed distance in a plane. The first and second light receiving portions carry out sampling while rotating, so that the quantity of light reception is changed according to the directivities of the first and second light receiving portions. When the peaks of the directivities of the first and second light receiving portions match the direction of the first light emitting portion or the second light emitting portion, the quantity of light reception is maximized. Based on a rotational angle at which the quantity of light reception is maximized, the relative positions and the relative directions of the first and second light receiving portions with respect to the first and second light emitting portions are calculated.

Claims

1. A position detecting system for detecting a relative position between a first object and a second object under fluorescent light, comprising:

a light emitter provided on said first object, said light emitter providing emission during one cycle of the fluorescent light, stopping emission, and maintaining a non-emitting condition during at least one following cycle of the fluorescent light;

a light receiver provided on said second object, said light receiver receiving light from said light emitter in a cycle which is related to the fluorescent light cycle such that the fluorescent light cycle is an integer multiple of the light receiving cycle; and

a calculator calculating the relative position based on output of said light receiver, wherein the effect of the fluorescent light is removed by operation of said light emitter and said light receiver.

2. A position detecting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said calculator calculates a distance and a relative angle between said first object and said second object as the relative position.

3. A position detecting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein

emission of said light emitter is synchronized with the fluorescent light.

4. A position detecting system as claimed in claim 3, wherein

a lag of synchronism between emission of said light emitter and the fluorescent light is corrected after a lapse of a predetermined time.

5. A position detecting system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising

a light receiver detecting the fluorescent light cycle.

6. A position detecting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said first object is a moving body which moves on a floor.

7. A position detecting system as claimed in claim 6, wherein

said second object is a station at rest.

8. A position detecting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second object is a moving body which moves on a floor.

9. A position detecting system as claimed in claim 8, wherein

said first object is a station at rest.

10. A detecting system operating under cyclic fluorescent light, comprising:

a light emitter which emits light during even multiple cycles of the fluorescent light; and

a light receiver which receives light from said light emitter during a half cycle of a light emitting cycle, wherein

the effect of the fluorescent light is removed by operation of said light emitter and said light receiver.

11. A detecting system operating under fluorescent light, comprising:

a light emitter providing emission during one cycle of the fluorescent light, stopping emission, and maintaining a non-emitting condition during at least one following cycle of the fluorescent light; and

a light receiver receiving light from said light emitter in a cycle which is related to the fluorescent light cycle such at the fluorescent light cycle is an integer multiple of the light receiving cycle;

wherein the effect of the fluorescent light is removed by operation of said light emitter and said light receiver.

12. A detecting system as claimed in claimed in claim 11, wherein

emission of said light emitter is synchronized with the fluorescent light.

13. A detecting system as claimed in claim 11, wherein

a lag of synchronism between emission of said light emitter and the fluorescent light is corrected after a lapse of a predetermined time.

14. A detecting system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising

a light receiver detecting the fluorescent light cycle.

15. A position detecting system for detecting a relative position between a first object and a second object under cyclic fluorescent light, comprising:

a light emitter provided on the first object to emit light in a cyclic manner, the light emitter emitting light for a predetermined period during each light emitting cycle of the light emitter, wherein the light emitting cycle is a multiple of a cycle of the fluorescent light;

a light receiver provided on the second object, the light receiver receiving light from the light emitter in a light receiving cycle which is related to the light emitting cycle in a manner such that the light emitting cycle is an integer multiple of the light receiving cycle; and

a calculator calculating the relative position of the first and second objects based on an output of the light receiver, wherein the effect of the fluorescent light is removed by operation of the light emitter and the light receiver.

16. A position detecting system as claimed in claim 15, wherein

said predetermined period is as long as one fluorescent light cycle period.

17. A position detecting system as claimed in claim 15, wherein

said predetermined period is shorter than one fluorescent light cycle period.

18. A position detecting system as claimed in claim 17, wherein

said calculator calculates a distance and a relative angle between said first object and said second object as the relative position.

19. A position detecting system as claimed in claim 17, wherein a lag of synchronism between the emission of light from said light emitter and the cycles of the fluorescent light is corrected after a lapse of a predetermined time.

20. A position detecting system as claimed in claim 17, further comprising

a light receiver detecting the fluorescent light cycle.

21. A position detecting system as claimed in claim 17, wherein

said first object is a moving body which moves on a floor.

22. A position detecting system as claimed in claim 21, wherein

said second object is a station at rest.

23. A position detecting system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said second object is a moving body which moves on a floor.

24. A position detecting system as claimed in claim 23, wherein

said first object is a station at rest.

25. A detecting system operating under cyclic fluorescent light, comprising:

a light emitter emitting light for a predetermined time which is equal to or less than one cycle of the fluorescent light, and maintaining a non-emitting condition during a predetermined time period which is equal to or greater than one cycle of the fluorescent light; and

a light receiver receiving light from the light emitter in a cycle which is related to the light emitting cycle in a manner such that the light emitting cycle is an integer multiple of the light receiving cycle, wherein the effect of the fluorescent light is removed by operation of the light emitter and the light receiver.

26. A detecting system as claimed in claim 25, wherein

a lag of synchronism between the emission of light from said light emitter and the cycles of the fluorescent light is corrected after a lapse of a predetermined time.

27. A detecting system as claimed in claim 25, further comprising

a light receiver detecting the fluorescent light cycle.