초록 ▼

A target member mounted on a stationary object, such as a pallet, includes at least three reflector elements. An identifying means, such as a high intensity light source, and an imaging sensor are carried by another, movable object, such as a forklift truck. The reflector elements are so configured

A target member mounted on a stationary object, such as a pallet, includes at least three reflector elements. An identifying means, such as a high intensity light source, and an imaging sensor are carried by another, movable object, such as a forklift truck. The reflector elements are so configured as to form images of the identifying means with said images defining a plane oriented other than normal to align from the identifying means to that plane, the images also defining a circle that does not include the identifying means. The target member may be in the form of a vertically oriented planar support member on which are mounted a pair of convex mirrors and a concave mirror. The images of the identifying means in the mirrors are detected by an imaging sensor, such as a television camera, and the directions of each of the images at the camera are used to determine all six degrees of positional information of the sensor with respect to the target. That information may be used to guide the forklift truck into position relative to a pallet. The target support member may also include retroreflector elements to aid in locating a pallet, and a bar code to distinguish one pallet from another.

대표청구항 ▼

A target member for use in a positioning system comprising: a support member; and at least three reflector elements mounted on said support member, each of said reflector elements being so configured as to form an image of an identifying means located within a predetermined field of view with respec

A target member for use in a positioning system comprising: a support member; and at least three reflector elements mounted on said support member, each of said reflector elements being so configured as to form an image of an identifying means located within a predetermined field of view with respect to said support member, said images defining a plane oriented other than normal to a line from the identifying means to said plane, said images also defining a circle that does not include the identifying means.