Positioning system using radio frequency signals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015051828-A1
Application number	US-201414523985-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 27, 2014
Priority date	Sep 19, 2012
Publication date	Feb 19, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

A positioning system and method for determining a position of a machine are disclosed. The system may have an optical sensing device configured to generate determined shape data associated with a portion of the worksite at the position of the machine. The system may have a first signal device configured to transmit a radio frequency signal and receive a response signal. The system may have a second signal configured to receive the transmitted radio frequency signal and transmit the response signal. The system may have a controller in communication with the optical sensing device and at least one of the first and second signal devices. The controller may be configured to determine an approximate position based on the radio frequency signal and the response signal, identify a reference shape data corresponding to the determined shape data, and determine the position based on the approximate position and the reference shape data.

First claim

1 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . A system for determining a position of a machine in a worksite, comprising:
an optical sensing device configured to generate determined shape data associated with a portion of the worksite at the position of the machine; a first signal device configured to transmit a radio frequency electromagnetic signal and receive a response signal; a second signal device configured to receive the transmitted radio frequency electromagnetic signal and transmit a second radio frequency electromagnetic signal as the response signal in response to receiving the radio frequency electromagnetic signal; and a controller in communication with the optical sensing device and at least one of the first and second signal devices, having a map of the worksite and a set of reference shape data associated with the worksite, the controller configured to:
determine an approximate position of the machine on the map based on the radio frequency electromagnetic signal and the response signal,
match the determined shape data to a reference shape data from a subset of reference shape data associated with the approximate position, and
determine the position of the machine corresponding to the location of the matching reference shape data.

22 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the optical sensing device is a LIDAR unit configured to emit laser emission and detect the laser emission that is reflected by a portion of the worksite.

23 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the first signal device is an RFID tag device and the radio frequency electromagnetic signal includes unique identification information associated with the RFID tag device, and the second signal device is an RFID reader device and the response signal includes unique identification information associated with the RFID reader device.

24 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the first signal device is located at a fixed location within the worksite, and the second signal device is located on the machine and is in communication with the controller.

25 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the second signal device is located at a fixed location within the worksite, and the first signal device is located on the machine and is in communication with the controller.

26 . The system of claim 21 , wherein determining the approximate position of the machine comprises calculating a distance based on an elapsed time between the transmission of the radio frequency electromagnetic signal and the reception of the response signal by the first signal device.

27 . A method for determining a position of a machine at a worksite, performed by one or more computing processors, comprising:
generating determined shape data associated with a portion of the worksite from an optical sensing unit; transmitting a radio frequency electromagnetic signal from a first signal device; receiving the radio frequency electromagnetic signal and transmitting a second radio frequency electromagnetic signal by a second signal device as a response signal in response to receiving the radio frequency electromagnetic signal; determining, by the one or more computing processors, an approximate position of the machine on a map of the worksite based on the response signal and an elapsed time associated with the radio frequency electromagnetic signal and the response signal; matching the determined shape to a reference shape data from a subset of reference shape data associated with the approximate position; and determining, by the one or more computing processors, the position of the machine corresponding to the location of the matching reference shape.

28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the determined shape data is generated by a LIDAR unit configured to emit laser emission and detect the laser emission that is reflected off of a portion of the worksite.

29 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the radio frequency electromagnetic signal is transmitted by an RFID tag device located at a fixed location within the worksite, and the response signal is transmitted by an RFID reader device, located on the machine, in response to the radio frequency electromagnetic signal.

30 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the first signal device is located at a fixed location within the worksite, and the second signal device is located on the machine and is in communication with the one or more computing processors.

31 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the second signal device is located at a fixed location within the worksite, and the first signal device is located on the machine and is in communication with the one or more computing processors.

32 . The system of claim 21 , wherein determining the approximate position of the machine comprises calculating a distance based on an elapsed time between the transmission of the radio frequency electromagnetic signal and the reception of the response signal by the first signal device.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Smith David William
• Yates Richard Kent

Classifications

• G01S5/02585

  at least one of the measurements being a non-radio measurement · CPC title

• G01S13/865

  Combination of radar systems with lidar systems · CPC title

• G01S17/88 Primary

  Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title

• G01S7/4808

  Evaluating distance, position or velocity data · CPC title

• G01S17/06

  Systems determining position data of a target · CPC title