Industrial Vehicle Positioning via Visual Indicia Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional industrial vehicle positioning systems relying on radio frequency signals are costly to install and maintain, and can be impractical due to direct line of sight requirements and signal interference.
Innovation Solution
An industrial vehicle positioning system using machine-readable visual cues, such as barcodes or text, where imaging subsystems acquire images of indicia positioned in front and behind the vehicle, and an image-analysis subsystem determines the vehicle's location by correlating these images with a location matrix.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If RF-based positioning systems are used, then location accuracy is improved, but installation and maintenance cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive RF transmitters and receivers with inexpensive visual indicia (barcodes or text labels) that can be printed and applied to facility surfaces. The imaging subsystems on vehicles capture images of these indicia, and the image-analysis subsystem processes them to determine location. This substitution of expensive electronic components with cheap visual markers dramatically reduces installation and maintenance costs while maintaining location tracking capability.
2Measurement precision
If RF-based positioning systems are used, then location determination capability is improved, but system reliability deteriorates due to signal interference and line of sight requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes RF electromagnetic signal-based positioning with an optical/image-based system. Instead of relying on radio waves that are susceptible to interference and line-of-sight requirements, the system uses visual indicia (barcodes or text) that can be captured by imaging subsystems. Image processing is more robust to environmental interference than RF signals, eliminating the reliability issues associated with radio transmission in industrial facilities.
3Ease of manufacture
If visual indicia-based positioning is used, then installation cost is reduced, but measurement complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The visual indicia (barcodes or text labels) are self-contained markers that encode location information directly on the facility surfaces. The imaging subsystems on vehicles automatically capture images of these indicia, and the image-analysis subsystem automatically processes the images to extract location designations. This self-service approach eliminates the need for complex external measurement infrastructure while the automated image processing handles the measurement complexity, keeping the system simple to install but robust in operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for cost-effective installation and maintenance, providing accurate location determination of industrial vehicles within facilities without the limitations of radio frequency signals, enabling efficient navigation and fleet management.
Implementation Method 1
a first imaging subsystem for acquiring a first indicia image... a second imaging subsystem for acquiring a second indicia image
Data Source
AI summary
An industrial vehicle positioning system and method are presented. The system includes a first imaging subsystem for acquiring a first indicia image and a second imaging subsystem for acquiring a second indicia image. An image analysis subsystem is configured for analyzing the first indicia image to acquire a first location designation, and for analyzing the second indicia image to acquire a second location designation. A processor is configured for determining the location of the industrial vehicle based upon the first location designation and the second location designation.