Sensor unit system

• US 8,768,609 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Maynard, Kurt, Cameron, John
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US13/017,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20110191025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 701/301, 701/50, 701/412, 701/431, 701/469, 701/470, 701/500, 340/685, 702/152, 702/150, 702/153
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/46 Position indicators for suspended loads or for crane elements
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 15/04 for preventing collisions, e.g. between cranes or trolleys operating on the same track
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 15/045 electrical

Abstract

A sensor unit system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the sensor unit comprises a sensor unit comprising a first global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver which is configured for determining a position of the sensor unit in three dimensions. The sensor unit system further comprises a display unit comprising a second GNSS receiver. The display unit is communicatively coupled with the sensor unit via a wireless Personal Area Network (PAN) connection. The display unit and the sensor unit are physically separate entities.

Claims

1. A sensor unit system, said sensor unit system comprising:

a sensor unit disposed upon a load line of a lifting device and comprising a first global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver configured for determining a position of said sensor unit in three dimensions; and

a display unit comprising a second GNSS receiver, said display unit configured for communicatively coupling with said sensor unit via a wireless Personal Area Network (PAN) connection and receiving from said sensor unit information about a load position and a load orientation of a load coupled with said load line, wherein said display unit and said sensor unit are physically separate entities.

2. The sensor unit system of claim 1 wherein said sensor unit further comprises an additional GNSS receiver, said additional GNSS receiver configured to determine an angular orientation of said sensor unit.

3. The sensor unit system of claim 1 wherein said sensor unit comprises a wireless radio transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with said display unit via said PAN connection which is selected from the group consisting of an IEEE 802.11 compliant connection, an IEEE 802.15.4 compliant connection, and a Bluetooth®

compliant connection.

4. The sensor unit system of claim 1 further comprising a load monitor configured to monitor a load coupled with said lifting device.

5. The sensor unit system of claim 4 wherein said load monitor is selected from the group consisting of a camera, a plurality of cameras, an ultrasonic sensor, a laser scanner, a bar code scanner, a radio frequency identification device transceiver, and an inertial sensor.

6. The sensor unit system of claim 1 wherein said sensor unit further comprises at least one lifting device sensor unit selected from the group consisting of a collision monitor configured to monitor collision related hazards in a vicinity of said lifting device, an avoidance action initiator configured to initiate at least one hazard avoidance action in response to a monitored occurrence of said collision related hazard, and a lift plan generator configured to generate a lift plan for lifting a load to a destination associated with said load.

7. The sensor unit system of claim 1 wherein said display unit comprises a first wireless radio transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with said sensor unit via said PAN connection and a second wireless radio transceiver configured to communicate with another communication network using a second wireless connection.

8. The sensor unit system of claim 7 wherein said second wireless radio transceiver is configured to communicate with another communication network using a second wireless connection selected from the group consisting of a WiFi connection, a WiMAX connection, a WWAN connection, an IEEE 802.11 compliant connection, a cellular telephone connection, a two-way radio connection, a satellite-based cellular connection, and a mesh networking connection.

9. The sensor unit system of claim 7 wherein said display unit is configured to store and forward a message for a second display unit and to convey said message using said second wireless radio transceiver.

10. The sensor unit system of claim 7 wherein said display unit is configured to receive a geographically independent correction via said second wireless radio transceiver.

11. The sensor unit system of claim 7 wherein said display unit is configured to receive a geographically dependent correction via said second wireless radio transceiver.

12. The sensor unit system of claim 1 wherein said display unit is communicatively coupled with a GNSS antenna via a second wireless PAN connection.

13. A method for communicatively coupling a sensor unit system, said method comprising:

receiving data from a first global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver of a display unit, wherein said first GNSS receiver is configured for determining a position of said display unit in three dimensions; and

receiving data from a second GNSS receiver of a sensor unit disposed upon a load line of a lifting device and via a wireless radio transceiver using a wireless Personal Area Network (PAN) connection wherein the data comprises a load position and a load orientation of a load coupled with said load line, wherein said second GNSS receiver is configured for determining a position of said sensor unit in three dimensions, and wherein said display unit and said sensor unit are physically separated from one another.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

receiving data by said display unit from a third GNSS receiver, said third GNSS receiver disposed as a portion of said sensor unit; and

using said display unit to determine an angular orientation of said sensor unit based upon said data from second GNSS receiver and said data from said third GNSS receiver.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said sensor unit further comprises a wireless radio transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with said display unit via said wireless PAN connection, said method further comprising:

using a wireless PAN communication connection which is selected from the group consisting of an IEEE 802.11 compliant connection, an IEEE 802.15.4 compliant connection, and a Bluetooth®

compliant connection.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein said sensor unit further comprising a load monitor configured to monitor a load coupled with said lifting device, said method further comprising:

receiving data from said load monitor by said display unit via said wireless PAN connection.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said load monitor is selected from the group consisting of a camera, a plurality of cameras, an ultrasonic sensor, a laser scanner, a bar code scanner, a radio frequency identification device transceiver, and an inertial sensor.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein said sensor unit further comprises at least one lifting device sensor unit selected from the group consisting of a collision monitor configured to monitor collision related hazards in a vicinity of said lifting device, an avoidance action initiator configured to initiate at least one hazard avoidance action in response to a monitored occurrence of said collision related hazard, and a lift plan generator configured to generate a lift plan for lifting a load to a destination associated with said load, said method further comprising:

receiving data by said display unit from said lifting device sensor unit via said wireless PAN connection.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

using a first wireless radio transceiver of said display unit to wirelessly communicate with said sensor unit via said wireless PAN connection and a second wireless radio transceiver of said display unit to communicate with another communication network using a second wireless connection.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said second wireless radio transceiver is configured to wirelessly communicate with another communication network using a second wireless connection selected from the group consisting of a WiFi connection, a WiMAX connection, a WWAN connection, an IEEE 802.11 compliant connection, a cellular telephone connection, a two-way radio connection, a satellite-based cellular connection, and a mesh networking connection.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

using said display unit to store and forward a message for a second display unit and to convey said message using said second wireless radio transceiver.

22. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

using said display unit to receive a geographically independent correction via said second wireless radio transceiver.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

using said display unit to receive a geographically dependent correction via said second wireless radio transceiver.

24. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

receiving data by said display unit from a GNSS antenna communicatively coupled with said display unit via a second wireless PAN connection.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer executable code for directing a processor to execute method for communicatively coupling a sensor unit system, said method comprising:

receiving data from a first global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver of a display unit which is configured for determining a position of said display unit in three dimensions; and

receiving data from a second GNSS receiver of a sensor unit disposed upon a load line of a lifting device and via a wireless radio transceiver using a wireless Personal Area Network (PAN) connection wherein the data comprises a load position and a load orientation of a load coupled with said load line, wherein said sensor unit comprises a second GNSS receiver configured for determining a position of said sensor unit in three dimensions, and wherein said display unit and said sensor unit are physically separated from one another.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein said method further comprises:

receiving data by said display unit from a third GNSS receiver, said third GNSS receiver disposed as a portion of said sensor unit; and

using said display unit to determine an angular orientation of said sensor unit based upon said data from second GNSS receiver and said data from said third GNSS receiver.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein said sensor unit further comprises a wireless radio transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with said display unit via said wireless PAN connection, said method further comprising:

using a wireless PAN communication connection which is selected from the group consisting of an IEEE 802.11 compliant connection, an IEEE 802.15.4 compliant connection, and a Bluetooth®

compliant connection.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein said sensor unit further comprises a load monitor configured to monitor a load coupled with said lifting device, said method further comprising:

receiving data from said load monitor by said display unit via said wireless PAN connection.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 28 wherein said load monitor is selected from the group consisting of a camera, a plurality of cameras, an ultrasonic sensor, a laser scanner, a bar code scanner, a radio frequency identification device transceiver, and an inertial sensor.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein said sensor unit further comprises at least one lifting device sensor unit selected from the group consisting of a collision monitor configured to monitor collision related hazards in a vicinity of said lifting device, an avoidance action initiator configured to initiate at least one hazard avoidance action in response to a monitored occurrence of said collision related hazard, and a lift plan generator configured to generate a lift plan for lifting a load to a destination associated with said load, said method further comprising:

receiving data by said display unit from said lifting device sensor unit via said wireless PAN connection.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein said method further comprises:

using a first wireless radio transceiver of said display unit to wirelessly communicate with said sensor unit via said wireless PAN connection and a second wireless radio transceiver of said display unit to communicate with another communication network using a second wireless connection.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31 wherein said second wireless radio transceiver is configured to wirelessly communicate with another communication network using a second wireless connection selected from the group consisting of a WiFi connection, a WiMAX connection, a WWAN connection, an IEEE 802.11 compliant connection, a cellular telephone connection, a two-way radio connection, a satellite-based cellular connection, and a mesh networking connection.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31 wherein said method further comprises:

using said display unit to store and forward a message for a second display unit and to convey said message using said second wireless radio transceiver.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31 wherein said method further comprises:

using said display unit to receive a geographically independent correction via said second wireless radio transceiver.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31 wherein said method further comprises:

using said display unit to receive a geographically dependent correction via said second wireless radio transceiver.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein said method further comprises:

receiving data by said display unit from a GNSS antenna communicatively coupled with said display unit via a second wireless PAN connection.