Automated lumber unit trucking system

• US 5,604,715 A
• Filed: 09/19/1995
• Issued: 02/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bethlehem Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: James A. Aman, William R. Haller
• Inventors: Aman, James A., Haller, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pihulic, Daniel T.
• Application Number:
  US08/530,465
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 367/6, 367/128, 367/907, 367/118, 209/517, 414/279, 901/46, 364/516, 342/357, 342/457
• US Class Current: 367/118
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 17/003 for fork-lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/0755 Position control; Position detectors

Abstract

On Fork Lift 100, Load Cell Assemblies 40a and 40b are affixed to Fork Arms 32a and 32b and as such are capable of determining the weight of any object lifted by Fork Arm Lift Assembly 30. Continuous weight information is transmitted from Assemblies 40a and 40b to Fork Lift Computer 52 via wires and IR Transmitter 44 and Receiver 48. Changes in weight information are interpreted as load engagement and disengagement by Computer 52, which then responds by receiving the current relative vertical height of Fork Arm Lift Assembly 30 from Ultrasonic Distance Measuring Unit 56. The Computer 52 then transmits, via Telescoping Antenna 70, an uniquely encoded signal with both weight and height information to Stationary Elevated Locating Modules such as 74a and 74b, which have been strategically placed throughout the operating range of Fork Lift 100. This signal is then transmitted to Unit Tracking Computer System 80 by Locating Modules such as 74a and 74b. Using conventional tracking technology, the Computer System 80 determines the current x-y coordinates of transmitting Fork Lift 100 and communicates this information along with the transmitted z coordinate and weight to the Office Computer System 84. Computer System 84 is capable of storing this information is a database of like information for the purposes of tracking the exact three dimensional location and weight of the objects which are being moved by vehicles such as Fork Lift 100.

Claims

1. An automated omni-directional object tacking system operable within a prescribed arm comprising:

means for engaging/disengaging said object;

means for transporting said engaged object from an initial engaged position to a final disengaged position; and

means responsive to said transporting means for determining said initial and final positions of said object.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said engaging/disengaging means further comprises:

means for determining the times of said engagement and disengagement of said object; and

means responsive to said times determining means for determining the z coordinate of said object.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said transporting means further comprises:

means for continuously transmitting an omni-directional signal;

means for receiving from said engaging/disengaging means said z coordinate of said object; and

means for including said z coordinate with said omni-directional signal at said times of engagement and disengagement.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said transporting means further comprises means for including said determined times of engagement and disengagement with said omni-directional signal at said times of engagement and disengagement.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said means for determining said initial and final positions of said object further comprises:

means for continuously receiving said omni-directional signal from said transporting means;

means for continuously determining from said omni-directional signal the current x-y coordinates of said object;

means for detecting said determined times of engagement and disengagement and said z coordinate information which was included with said omni-directional signal; and

means for determining said initial and final positions of said object based upon said current x-y and z coordinates and said detected times engagement and disengagement.

6. The invention of claim 4 wherein said transporting means further comprises:

means for receiving remotely transmitted x-y coordinate information pertaining to said object; and

means for including said x-y coordinates of said object with said omni-directional signal at said times of engagement and disengagement.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein said means for determining said initial and final positions of said object further comprises:

means for continuously receiving said omni-directional signal from said transporting means;

means for detecting said determined times of engagement and disengagement and said x-y and z coordinate information which was included with said omni-directional signal; and

means for determining said initial and final positions of said object based upon said current x-y and z coordinate information and said detected times of engagement and disengagement.

8. An automated object identification system operable within a prescribed area containing a group of one or more objects comprising;

means for determining the initial position of any of said objects within said group of objects; and

means responsive to said initial position determining means for identifying said any object based upon said initial position.

9. The invention of claim 8 wherein said initial position determining means comprises:

means for engaging said any object;

means responsive to said engaging means for determining the initial x-y coordinates of said any object; and

means responsive to said engaging means for determining the initial z coordinate relative to said x-y coordinates of said any object.

10. The invention of claim 8 wherein said identifying means comprises:

means for comparing said initial position of said any object to a set of all last known positions of said objects within said group of objects; and

means for determining said identity of said any object from said comparison.

11. The invention of claim 9 wherein said means for determining the initial x-y coordinates of said any objects further comprises:

means for continuously transmitting an omni-directional signal; and

means for continuously determining from said omni-directional signal the current x-y coordinates of said object.

12. The invention of claim 9 wherein said means for determining the initial x-y coordinates of said any objects further comprises means for receiving remotely transmitted x-y coordinates.

13. An automated omni-directional object tracking system for tracking said object during the time said object is being transported by a transporting vehicle comprising:

means for determining the time of engagement/disengagement of said object by said transporting vehicle; and

means responsive to said time of engagement/disengagement determining means for determining the coordinates of said object during the time said object is being transported by said transporting vehicle.

14. The invention of claim 13 wherein said means for determining said coordinates of said object comprises:

means for continuously transmitting an omni-directional signal; and

means for continuously determining from said omni-directional signal the current x-y coordinates of said object.

15. The invention of claim 13 wherein said means for determining said coordinates of said object further comprises means for receiving remotely transmitted x-y coordinates.

16. An automated omni-directional object tracking system operable within a prescribed area, said object being first engaged and then disengaged by a transporting means, comprising:

means for receiving remotely transmitted x-y coordinate information;

means for determining the z coordinate of said engaged or disengaged object with respect to said transporting means; and

means responsive to said received x-y coordinate information and said z coordinate information for determining the absolute x-y-z coordinates of said object.

17. The invention of claim 16 wherein said means for receiving remotely transmitted x-y coordinate information further comprises means for receiving information from the Global Satellite Positioning System.

18. The invention of claim 16 wherein said object tracking system further comprises:

means responsive to absolute x-y-z coordinate determining means for transmitting said coordinate information to a remote computer system;

means for receiving into remote computer system multiple transmitted signals containing said coordinate information pertaining to multiple objects being simultaneously transported by multiple transporting vehicles; and

means for individually identifying and tracking said multiple objects in a computer database responsive to said transmitted coordinate information.

19. A method for automatically and omni-directionally tracking an object within a prescribed area comprising the steps of:

engaging said object;

determining said initial position of said engaged object;

transporting said engaged object from an initial engaged position to a final disengaged position;

disengaging said object; and

determining said final position of said disengaged object.

20. The invention of claim 19 wherein said steps of engaging and disengaging said object further comprise the steps of:

determining the times of said engagement and disengagement of said object; and

determining at said times of engagement and disengagement the z coordinate of said object.

21. The invention of claim 20 wherein said step of transporting said engaged object further comprises the steps of:

continuously transmitting an omni-directional signal;

receiving said z coordinate of said object; and

including said z coordinate with said omni-directional signal at said times of engagement and disengagement.

22. The invention of claim 21 wherein said step of transporting said engaged object further comprises the step of including said determined times of engagement and disengagement with said omni-directional signal at said times of engagement and disengagement.

23. The invention of claim 22 wherein said steps of determining said initial and final positions of said object further comprise the steps of:

continuously receiving said omni-directional signal from said transporting means;

continuously determining from said omni-directional signal the current x-y coordinates of said object;

detecting said determined times of engagement and disengagement and said z coordinate information which was included with said omni-directional signal; and

determining said initial and final positions of said object based upon said current x-y and z coordinates and said detected times of engagement and disengagement.

24. The invention of claim 22 wherein said step of transporting said object further comprises the steps of:

receiving remotely transmitted x-y coordinate information pertaining to said object; and

including said x-y coordinates of said object with said omni-directional signal at said times of engagement and disengagement.

25. The invention of claim 24 wherein said steps of determining said initial and final positions of said object further comprise the steps of:

continuously receiving said omni-directional signal from said transporting means;

detecting said determined times of engagement and disengagement and said x-y and z coordinate information which was included with said omni-directional signal; and

determining said initial and final positions of said object based upon said current x-y and z coordinate information and said detected times of engagement and disengagement.

26. A method of automatically identifying an object within a prescribed area containing a group of one or more objects comprising the steps of;

determining the initial position of any of said objects within said group of objects; and

identifying said any object based upon said initial position.

27. The invention of claim 26 wherein said step of determining said initial position further comprises the steps of:

engaging said any object;

determining the initial x-y coordinates of said any object; and

determining the initial z coordinate relative to said x-y coordinates of said any object.

28. The invention claim 26 wherein said step of identifying said any object further comprises the steps of:

comparing said initial position of said any object to a set of all last known positions of said objects within said group of objects; and

determining said identity of said any object from said comparison.

29. The invention of claim 27 wherein said step for determining the initial x-y coordinates of said any objects further comprises the steps of:

continuously transmitting an omni-directional signal; and

continuously determining from said omni-directional signal the current x-y coordinates of said object.

30. The invention of claim 27 wherein said step for determining the initial x-y coordinates of said any objects further comprises the step of receiving remotely transmitted x-y coordinates.

31. A method for automatically and omni-directionally tracking an object during the time said object is being transported by a transporting vehicle comprising the steps of;

determining the time of engagement/disengagement of said object by said transporting vehicle; and

responsive to said time of engagement/disengagement, determining the coordinates of said object during the time said object is being transported by said transporting vehicle.

32. The invention of claim 31 wherein said step of determining said coordinates of said object further comprises the steps of:

continuously transmitting an omni-directional signal; and

continuously determining from said omni-directional signal the current x-y coordinates of said object.

33. The invention of claim 31 wherein said step of determining said coordinates of said object further comprises the step of receiving remotely transmitted x-y coordinates.

34. A method for automatically and omni-directionally tracking an object within a prescribed, where said object is first engaged and then disengaged by a transporting means comprising the steps of:

receiving remotely transmitted x-y coordinate information;

determining the z coordinate of said engaged or disengaged object with respect to said transporting means; and

determining the absolute x-y-z coordinates of said object, responsive to said received x-y coordinate information and said z coordinate information.

35. The invention of claim 34 wherein said step of receiving remotely transmitted x-y coordinate information further comprises the step of receiving information from the Global Satellite Positioning System.

36. The invention of claim 34 wherein said method for automatically and omni-directionally racking an object within a prescribed further comprises:

transmitting said coordinate information to a remote computer system;

receiving into remote computer system multiple transmitted signals containing said coordinate information pertaining to multiple objects being simultaneously transported by multiple transporting vehicles; and

individually identifying and tracking said multiple objects in a computer database responsive to said transmitted coordinate information.