System and method of determining relative position
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorMichael Subrt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system is configured to determine the displacement of a moveable member relative to a reference member. A set of sensors is fixed relative to one of the reference member and moveable member. An array of encoded words is provided. The encoded words define each position of the moveable member along a first direction. Each encoded word includes a plurality of indicia and each indicia is a multi-level logic unit configured as one of at least two states. The position of the encoded words relative to the set of sensors defines a position of the movable member along a second direction.
Claims20
A system for determining displacement of a movable member relative to a reference member, comprising:
- the movable member configured for movement relative to the reference member along a range of positions in a first direction and in a second direction;
- a set of sensors fixed relative to one of the reference member and the movable member;
- and
- an array of encoded words on another of the reference member and the movable member, the encoded words defining the positions of the movable member along the first direction and a position of the encoded words relative to the set of sensors defining a position of the movable member along the second direction, each encoded word including a plurality of indicia, each indicia being a multi-level logic unit configured as one of at least two states.
A method of determining displacement of a movable member relative to a reference member, the movable member being configured for movement relative to the reference member along a range of positions in a first direction and in a second direction, comprising:
- providing a set of sensors;
- providing an array of encoded words on one of the reference member and the movable member, the encoded words defining the positions of the movable member along the first direction, each encoded word including a plurality of indicia, each indicia being a multi-level logic unit configured as one of at least two states;
- moving the movable member relative to the reference member;
- sensing the indicia of an encoded word aligned with at least some of the sensors;
- determining the displacement of the movable member along the first direction based upon the sensed indicia of the encoded word aligned with at least some of the sensors;
- and
- determining the displacement of the movable member along the second direction based upon positioning of the sensed indicia of the encoded word aligned with at least some of the sensors.
A system for determining displacement of a movable member relative to a reference member, the movable member being configured for movement relative to the reference member along a range of positions in a first direction and a second direction, the system including a set of sensors and an array of encoded words, the encoded words defining the positions of the movable member along the first direction, each encoded word including a plurality of indicia, each indicia being a multi-level logic unit configured as one of at least two states, and an array of second indicia on the movable member, the system comprising:
- a controller configured to:
- sense the indicia of an encoded word aligned with at least some of the sensors;
- determine the displacement of the movable member along the first direction based upon the sensed indicia of the encoded word aligned with at least some of the sensors;
- determine the displacement of the movable member along the second direction based upon the position of the sensed indicia of the encoded word aligned with at least some of the sensors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.