Ground location of work truck

• US 8,831,878 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2011
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Systec Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Systec Conveyors, Inc.
• Inventors: Harris, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOTT, ADAM R
• Application Number:
  US13/231,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20120065880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 701/258, 701/259, 701/254, 701/28, 701/408, 701/514, 701/519, 701/523, 348/113, 348/116, 348/118, 348/119, 348/120, 348/164, 382/103, 382/104, 382/106, 382/153, 700/213, 700/214
• US Class Current: 701/454
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation

Abstract

A vehicle tracking system tracks the position of at least one vehicle and displays the tracked position. The system includes a plurality of beacons, at least one provided on each vehicle, configured to emit a corresponding identifying signal. A camera is configured to generate image data including region data based on a region in which the vehicles may be located, and beacon data based on the identifying signals corresponding to the beacons located in the region. A controller is configured to process the beacon data to generate position data based on a corresponding position of the beacons located in the region and to generate identification data, which corresponds to each of the identifying signals emitted by the beacons located in the region. Also, the controller outputs at least one of the image data, the position data, and the identification data to the monitor.

Claims

1. A vehicle tracking system for tracking a position of at least one vehicle and outputting the position to a monitor, the vehicle tracking system comprising:

a plurality of beacons, each of said beacons configured to emit a corresponding identifying signal and at least one of said beacons provided on each of the vehicles;

a camera configured to generate digital image data including (i) region data representative of a region in which the vehicles may be located and (ii) beacon data based on said identifying signals corresponding to said beacons located in said region; and

a controller including virtual zone data based on a plurality of virtual zones in a field of view of said camera, said controller configured

(i) to process said beacon data to generate position data representative of a corresponding position of said beacons located in said region,

(ii) to process said beacon data to generate identification data corresponding to each of said identifying signals emitted by said beacons located in said region,

(iii) to generate active zone data in response to said position data indicating that at least one of the beacons is positioned in a virtual zone, and

(iv) to output said image data and said active zone data, and at least one of said position data and said identification data to the monitor.

2. The vehicle tracking system of claim 1, wherein:

said controller is further configured to output said virtual zone data to said monitor, and

virtual zones corresponding to said active zone data are displayed on the monitor differently than virtual zones that do not correspond to said active zone data.

3. The vehicle tracking system of claim 1, wherein each of said beacons emits an identifying signal of a different wavelength of light.

4. The vehicle tracking system of claim 3, wherein each of said beacons emits an identifying signal of visible light.

5. The vehicle tracking system of claim 1, wherein said camera is a video camera that is fixedly positioned relative to said region.

6. The vehicle tracking system of claim 5, wherein said video camera is positioned to have an unobstructed line of sight to each of said beacons located in said region.

7. The vehicle tracking system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to discriminate against artifact beacon data when processing said beacon data.

8. The vehicle tracking system of claim 1, wherein said active zone data is output on said monitor as a closed shape encompassing a portion of the field of view of the camera.

9. A vehicle tracking system for tracking a plurality of vehicles within a region, each of the vehicles being associated with a corresponding load, the vehicle tracking system comprising:

a plurality of beacons, each of said beacons configured to emit a corresponding identifying signal and at least one of said beacons provided on each of the vehicles;

a plurality of detectors, each of said detectors provided on a corresponding one of the vehicles, and each of said detectors configured to detect the load associated with the vehicle and to emit a corresponding load identifying signal based on the load;

a camera configured to generate image data of a portion of the region within a field of view of the camera and beacon position data representative of a corresponding position of said beacons located in said portion of the region; and

a controller including virtual zone data based on a plurality of virtual zones in the field of view of said camera and desired virtual zone data identifying a corresponding desired virtual zone of each load, said controller configured

(i) to receive said load identifying signals,

(ii) to generate load position data by associating each of said load identifying signals with said beacon position data,

(iii) to generate mismatched virtual zone data in response to said load position data indicating that at least one of the loads is positioned in a virtual zone other than said corresponding desired virtual zone, and

(iv) to output said image data and said mismatched virtual zone data to a monitor,

wherein said mismatched virtual zone data is shown as a visual indicator on said monitor.

10. The vehicle tracking system of claim 9, wherein said controller is further configured:

to generate matching virtual zone data in response to said load position data indicating that at least one of the loads is positioned in said corresponding desired virtual zone; and

to output said matched virtual zone data to said monitor with said matching virtual zone data shown differently on said monitor than said mismatched virtual zone data.

11. The vehicle tracking system of claim 9, wherein:

each of the loads includes an identification tag,

said detector detects load information from said identification tag, and

said detector generates said load identifying signal based on said detected load information.

12. The vehicle tracking system of claim 11, wherein said identification tag is a radio frequency identification tag.

13. The vehicle tracking system of claim 11, wherein:

said identification tag is a visual identifier, and

said detector optically scans said visual identifier to detect said load information.

14. The vehicle tracking system of claim 13, wherein said visual identifier is one of a quick response code, a one dimensional bar code, and a two dimensional bar code.

15. The vehicle tracking system of claim 10, wherein:

said matched virtual zone data are displayed on the monitor in a first color, and

said mismatched virtual zone data are displayed on the monitor in a second color.