Self calibration for crane geometry

• US 9,121,939 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Cameron, John F., Delplace, Jean-Charles, Talbot, Nicholas C., Legendre, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): EVANS, GARRETT F
• Application Number:
  US13/835,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20140278078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/46 Position indicators for suspended loads or for crane elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/53 Determining attitude

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for calibrating a crane for crane geometry. A Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver antenna is disposed on a point along a boom assembly of the crane, the crane configured to pivot about a pivot point. A working arm of the crane is rotated about the pivot point to at least three different positions. Three locations are determined in a geo-referenced coordinate system of the at least three different positions. A location of the pivot point is determined based on the three locations.

Claims

1. A method for calibrating a crane for crane geometry, said method comprising:

disposing a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver antenna on a point along a boom assembly of said crane configured to pivot about a pivot point;

rotating a working arm of said crane about said pivot point to at least three different positions;

determining three locations in a geo-referenced coordinate system of said at least three different positions; and

determining a location of said pivot point based on said three locations.

2. The method as recited claim 1, wherein said point along said boom assembly for said GNSS receiver antenna is selected from the group of points consisting of:

on a counterweight of a working arm of said crane, a cab of said crane, a working arm of said crane, a boom of said crane, and a trolley of said crane.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said disposing said GNSS receiver antenna comprises:

disposing a plurality of GNSS receiver antennas and said determining said location of said pivot point is further based on said plurality of GNSS receiver antennas.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein said plurality of GNSS receiver antennas are connected to a single GNSS receiver in a master slave relationship.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein said plurality of GNSS receiver antennas are each connected to a separate GNSS receiver.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said crane remains stationary for a period of time at each of said three different positions such that a GNSS receiver may receive multiple data points from said GNSS receiver antenna for each of said three different positions.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said determining said three locations and determining said pivot point employs a method of least squares.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said determining said three locations and determining said pivot point employs a Kalman filter.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said point along said crane for said GNSS receiver antenna is along a principal axis of said crane.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said point along said crane for said GNSS receiver antenna is offset from a principal axis of said crane and wherein said determining said three locations and determining said pivot point accounts for said offset.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said offset is accounted for by pointing said working arm of said crane in a reference direction, then point said GNSS receiver antenna in said reference direction and measuring a difference in position of said GNSS receiver antenna.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said GNSS receiver antenna is connected to a GNSS receiver coupled with said crane.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said GNSS receiver antenna is remotely connected to a GNSS receiver that is not coupled with said crane.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, said method further comprising:

determining a second location of said pivot point after said mobile crane has changed an elevation, wherein said second location is determined based on a second set of three locations of said GNSS receiver antenna.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said crane is a mobile crane, said method further comprising:

determining a second location of said pivot point after said mobile crane has moved a position, wherein said second location is determined based on a second set of three locations of said GNSS receiver antenna.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said determining said location of said pivot point is determined in a two dimensional frame of reference.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said determining said location of said pivot point is determined in a three dimensional frame of reference.

18. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said crane is selected from the group of cranes consisting of:

a tower crane, a luffing crane, a level luffing crane, a fixed crane, a mobile crane, a self-erecting crane, a crawler crane, and a telescopic crane.

19. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining a current working arm pointing angle relative to a reference direction for a particular directional orientation of said working arm based on both a determined current location of said GNSS receiver antenna for said particular directional orientation and said location of said pivot point.

20. A method for calibrating a crane for crane geometry, said method comprising:

disposing a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver antenna on a cab of said crane, said crane configured to pivot about a pivot point;

rotating a working arm of said crane about said pivot point to at least three different positions;

determining three locations in a geo-referenced coordinate system of said at least three different positions; and

determining a location of said pivot point based on said three locations.

21. A non-transitory computer-usable storage medium having instructions embodied therein that when executed cause a computer system to perform a method for calibrating a crane for crane geometry, said method comprising:

receiving data from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver antenna for at least three different positions, wherein said GNSS receiver antenna positioned on a point along a boom assembly of said crane configured to pivot about a pivot point;

determining three locations in a geo-referenced coordinate system of said at least three different positions; and

determining a location of said pivot point based on said three locations.

22. The non-transitory computer-usable storage medium as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

determining a current working arm pointing angle relative to a reference direction for a particular directional orientation of a working arm of said crane based on both a determined current location of said GNSS receiver antenna for said particular directional orientation and said location of the pivot point.

23. A crane apparatus comprising:

a crane comprising;

a boom assembly; and

a working arm;

a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver antenna disposed on a point along said boom assembly of said crane configured to pivot about a pivot point; and

a processor for;

receiving data from said GNSS receiver antenna for at least three different positions of said GNSS receiver antenna;

determining three locations in a geo-referenced coordinate system of said at least three different positions; and

determining a location of said pivot point based on said three locations.

24. The crane apparatus as recited in claim 23 wherein said processor is located in a position selected from the group of positions consisting of:

a position associated with said crane, and a position remote to said crane.

25. The crane apparatus as recited in claim 23 wherein said processor is further for:

determining a current working arm pointing angle relative to a reference direction for a particular directional orientation of said working arm based on both a determined current location of said GNSS receiver antenna for said particular directional orientation and said location of the pivot point.

26. A method for calibrating a crane for crane geometry, said method comprising:

disposing a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver antenna on a point along a boom assembly of said crane configured to pivot about a pivot point;

receiving an approximate location of said pivot point;

rotating a working arm of said crane about said pivot point to at least two different positions;

determining two locations in a geo-referenced coordinate system of said at least two different positions; and

determining a location of said pivot point based on said two locations and said approximate location of said pivot point.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, further comprising:

determining a current working arm pointing angle relative to a reference direction for a particular directional orientation of said working arm based on both a determined current location of said GNSS receiver antenna for said particular directional orientation and said location of the pivot point.

28. A non-transitory computer-usable storage medium having instructions embodied therein that when executed cause a computer system to perform a method for calibrating a crane for crane geometry, said method comprising:

receiving data from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver antenna on a point along a boom assembly of said crane configured to pivot about a pivot point;

receiving an approximate location of said pivot point;

rotating a working arm of said crane about said pivot point to at least two different positions;

determining two locations in a geo-referenced coordinate system of said at least two different positions; and

determining a location of said pivot point based on said two locations and said approximate location of said pivot point.

29. The non-transitory computer-usable storage medium as recited in claim 28, further comprising:

determining a current working arm pointing angle relative to a reference direction for a particular directional orientation of said working arm based on both a determined current location of said GNSS receiver antenna for said particular directional orientation and said location of the pivot point.