Patent · US Expired

Optically based position location system for an autonomous guided vehicle

US5812267A · kind A · utility

193Cited by
10References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 10, 1996
Grant dateSep 22, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 10, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01S5/16
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optically based position location system, comprises multiple reflectors ositioned at known locations in an environment; a vehicle for traveling along a path in the environment; a first sensor for generating and detecting a collimated and polarized first light signal reflected from one of the reflectors, and for generating a first output signal in response to detecting the first light signal; a second sensor for generating and detecting a collimated and polarized second light signal reflected from the reflector reflecting the first light signal, and for generating a second output signal in response to detecting the second light signal; and a data processor which uses the first and second output signals for determining the distance between a reference coordinate on the vehicle and the reflector.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.