초록 ▼

An alignment system for coupling a component to a vehicle includes at least one sensor target coupled to the component, and a controller assembly configured to transmit a signal towards the sensor target and receive a reflected signal from the sensor target, wherein the controller assembly is config

An alignment system for coupling a component to a vehicle includes at least one sensor target coupled to the component, and a controller assembly configured to transmit a signal towards the sensor target and receive a reflected signal from the sensor target, wherein the controller assembly is configured to output an orientation dataset for the component relative to the vehicle using the reflected signal. The system also includes a processing device communicatively coupled to the controller assembly, wherein the processing device is programmed to translate the orientation dataset and cause a set of component positioning signals based on the orientation dataset to be displayed at a user interface.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An alignment system for coupling a component to a vehicle, the component including at least one component attachment device, said alignment system comprising: at least one sensor target coupled to the component at a first predetermined distance from the at least one component attachment device;a

1. An alignment system for coupling a component to a vehicle, the component including at least one component attachment device, said alignment system comprising: at least one sensor target coupled to the component at a first predetermined distance from the at least one component attachment device;a plurality of position detectors, each of said plurality of position detectors coupled to a predetermined location of a corresponding component retention assembly of a plurality of component retention assemblies on the vehicle, said plurality of position detectors configured to indicate a position of the at least one component attachment device relative to the at least one corresponding component retention assembly on the vehicle;a controller assembly at a first location on the vehicle configured to transmit a signal from the first location towards said at least one sensor target at a second location and receive positional information of said at least one sensor target relative to the plurality of component retention assemblies based on the predetermined location of said plurality of position detectors coupled to said plurality of component retention assemblies on the vehicle at a third location; wherein the positional information is associated with a reflected signal received at said plurality of position detectors at the third location from said at least one sensor target at the second location, said controller assembly comprising a transmitter configured to transmit an orientation dataset indicative of a position of the component attachment device relative to the plurality of component retention assemblies on the vehicle based on a position of said at least one sensor target with respect to a position of said plurality of position detectors and a position of the at least one component attachment device; anda processing device communicatively coupled to said controller assembly, said processing device programmed to translate the orientation dataset transmitted by the transmitter and cause a set of component positioning signals based on the orientation dataset to be displayed at a user interface. 2. An alignment system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said orientation dataset comprises at least one of a roll, a pitch, a yaw of the component relative to the vehicle and a position of the component relative to the vehicle. 3. An alignment system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an RFID tag coupled to the component, wherein said RFID tag identifies a classification for the component. 4. An alignment system in accordance with claim 3, wherein said controller assembly is configured to determine the classification of the component based on information provided by said RFID tag. 5. An alignment system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said controller assembly is positioned upon said vehicle. 6. An alignment system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said set of component positioning signals further comprises at least one of a visual representation of the component position relative to the vehicle and a set of instructions for coupling said component to said vehicle. 7. An alignment system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said controller assembly is configured to transmit data wirelessly to said user interface. 8. An alignment system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the signal is one of an optical signal, a radio frequency signal and an acoustic signal. 9. An alignment system for coupling a component to a vehicle, the component including at least one component attachment device, said alignment system comprising: at least one sensor target coupled to the component at a first predetermined distance from the at least one component attachment device;a plurality of position detectors, each of said plurality of position detectors coupled to a predetermined location of a corresponding component retention assembly of a plurality of component retention assemblies on the vehicle, said plurality of position detectors configured to indicate a position of the at least one component attachment device relative to the plurality of component retention assemblies on the vehicle;a controller assembly at a first location on the vehicle configured to transmit a signal from the first location towards said at least one sensor target at a second location and receive positional information of said at least one sensor target relative to the plurality of component retention assemblies based on the predetermined location of said plurality of position detectors coupled to said plurality of component retention assemblies on the vehicle at a plurality of different locations remote from the first and second locations, wherein the positional information is associated with a reflected signal received at said plurality of position detectors at the plurality of different locations sent from said at least one sensor target at the second location, said controller assembly comprising a processor programmed to: compare the received positional information to a known set of alignment points;determine a component repositioning sequence using the comparison; andtransmit, using a transmitter, an orientation dataset to a processing device communicatively coupled to said processor. 10. An alignment system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said processor is further programmed to output the orientation dataset indicating a position movement that will enable alignment of said at least one sensor target associated with the component with the plurality of corresponding attachment points. 11. An alignment system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said processing device programmed to translate the orientation dataset and cause a set of component positioning signals based on the orientation dataset to be displayed at a user interface. 12. An alignment system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said user interface is at least one of a plurality of positioning lights and a video display unit. 13. An alignment system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said orientation dataset comprises at least one of a roll, a pitch, a yaw of the component relative to the vehicle, and a position of the component relative to the vehicle. 14. An alignment system in accordance with claim 10, further comprising an RFID tag coupled to the component, wherein said RFID tag identifies a classification for the component. 15. An alignment system in accordance with claim 14, wherein said controller assembly is configured to determine the classification of component based on information provided in said RFID tag. 16. An alignment system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said controller assembly is positioned upon said vehicle. 17. An alignment system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said set of component positioning signals further comprises at least one of a visual representation of the component position relative to the vehicle and a set of instructions for coupling said component to said vehicle. 18. An alignment system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said controller assembly is configured to transmit data wirelessly to said user interface. 19. An alignment system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the signal is one of a light signal, a radio frequency signal and an acoustic signal. 20. A method for coupling a component to a vehicle, the component including at least one component attachment device, said method comprising: transmitting a signal from a first location towards at least one sensor target at a second location, the at least one sensor target coupled to the component at a first predetermined distance from the at least one component attachment device;detecting, by a plurality of position detectors, a reflected signal sent from the at least one sensor target at the second location, each of the plurality of position detectors coupled to a predetermined location of a corresponding component retention assembly of a plurality of component retention assemblies on the vehicle at a third location, the reflected signal indicative of a position of the at least one sensor target relative to the plurality of component retention assemblies based on a position of the at least one sensor target relative to a position of the plurality of position detectors and a position of the at least one component attachment device;receiving a positional dataset from the plurality of position detectors for the component relative to the plurality of component retention assemblies;comparing the received positional dataset to a known set of alignment points;determining a component repositioning sequence using the comparison; andtransmitting, using a transmitter, an orientation dataset to a processing device. 21. A method in accordance with claim 20, further comprising: outputting the orientation dataset indicating a position movement that will enable alignment of the component with the plurality of component retention assemblies;translating the orientation dataset into a user-readable output; andpositioning the component in accordance with the user-readable output.