Apparatus and method for reliably determining the position of an object

• US 10,508,936 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2015
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pepperl + Fuchs GmbH
• Original Assignee: Pepperl + Fuchs GmbH
• Inventors: Kirsch, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John R
• Application Number:
  US15/744,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20180209823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 11/00 Trolleys or crabs, e.g. operating above runways runways, tracks or trackways therefor B66C7/00; winch mechanisms B66D
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/16 Applications of indicating, registering, or weighing devices in crane hooks B66C1/40; in safety gear B66C15/00; weighing-apparatus G01G; remote indicating in general G08
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/46 Position indicators for suspended loads or for crane elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/34746 Linear encoders
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/34792 with only digital scales or both digital and incremental scales

Abstract

For providing a reliable determination of the position of an object (1) regarding a relative movement between the object (1) and a path (2) an apparatus is provided comprising: a detector (3) attached to or integrated in the object (1), at least one marker (4) being located along the path (2), wherein the at least one marker (4) is detected by the detector (3) within its spatial detection range (5) for determining the position of the object (1) relative to the marker (4), characterized by generating means for providing a definable signal or signal sequence or graphic representation (7, 8) or graphic representation sequence, wherein said signal or signal sequence or graphic representation (7, 8) or graphic representation sequence is detected by the detector (3) within its spatial detection range (5), and by evaluating means (6) for verifying a coincidence or relationship of the provided signal or signal sequence or graphic representation (7, 8) or graphic representation sequence with corresponding data detected by the detector (3). Further, a corresponding method is claimed.

Claims

1. Apparatus for reliably determining the position of an object (1) regarding a relative movement between the object (1) and a path (2), the apparatus comprising:

a detector (3) attached to or integrated in the object (1),

at least one marker (4) located along the path (2),

generating means for providing a definable graphic representation (7, 8) or graphic representation sequence, and

evaluating means (6) for verifying a coincidence or relationship of the provided graphic representation (7, 8) or graphic representation sequence with corresponding data detected by the detector (3) for verifying whether a software within the detector (3) is correctly functioning, is frozen or hung, or has a time shift or delay,

wherein;

the at least one marker (4) is detected by the detector (3) within its spatial detection range (5) for determining the position of the object (1) relative to the marker (4),

said graphic representation (7, 8) or graphic representation sequence is detected by the detector (3) within its spatial detection range (5);

the generating means comprise at least one light source (9, 10) emitting at least one definable light color or light color spectrum for illuminating a correspondingly colored graphic representation (7, 8) or graphic representation sequence provided by the generating means, such that dependent on the at least one illuminating light color or light color spectrum, the graphic representation (7, 8) or a part of the graphic representation is either;

visible by the detector (3) with at least one of a predefined intensity or color, or not visible by the detector (3); and

the colored graphic representation (7, 8) or graphic representation sequence and the at least one marker (4) are identical and are realized by a data matrix code or data matrix codes.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the generating means comprise a control unit (11) for defining an illumination sequence of the at least one light source (9, 10) for providing a change of visibility of the graphic representation (7, 8) or of a part of the graphic representation by the detector (3).

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the generating means comprise a control unit (11) for defining the at least one light colour or light colour spectrum of the at least one light source (9, 10).

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the evaluating means (6) are designed for providing a control signal, an indication or an activity depending on the result of the verifying process.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control signal is an optical, acoustical or electronic control signal.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector (3) is a camera.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object (1) is a vehicle.

8. Method for reliably determining the position of an object (1) regarding a relative movement between the object (1) and a path (2), particularly performed by an apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

a detector (3) is attached to or integrated in the object (1),

at least one marker (4) is located along the path (2),

the at least one marker (4) is detected by the detector (3) within its spatial detection range (5) for determining the position of the object (1) relative to the marker (4),

a definable graphic representation (7, 8) or graphic representation sequence is provided by generating means,

said graphic representation (7, 8) or graphic representation sequence is detected by the detector (3) within its spatial detection range (5),

a coincidence or relationship of the provided graphic representation (7, 8) or graphic representation sequence with corresponding data detected by the detector (3) is verified by evaluating means for verifying whether a software within the detector (3) is correctly functioning, is frozen or hung, or has a time shift or delay,

the generating means comprise at least one light source (9, 10) emitting at least one definable light color or light color spectrum for illuminating a correspondingly colored graphic representation (7, 8) or graphic representation sequence provided by the generating means, such that dependent on the at least one illuminating light color or light color spectrum the graphic representation (7, 8) or a part of the graphic representation is either;

visible by the detector (3) with at least one of a predefined intensity or color, or not visible by the detector (3), and

the colored graphic representation (7, 8) or graphic representation sequence and the at least one marker (4) are identical and are realized by a data matrix code or data matrix codes.