Determining a crane tilt angle
AssigneeTrimble Inc.
InventorsCurt A. Conquest, John F. Cameron, Douglas Mayfield
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a method for determining a tilt angle of a crane, a portion of the crane is rotated about a pivot point. A Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver antenna is disposed on the portion of said crane. At least three locations of the GNSS receiver antenna are determined by a GNSS receiver in a geo-referenced coordinate system during the rotating. A tilt angle of the crane based on the at least three locations of said GNSS receiver antenna is determined by a processor.
Claims28
A method for determining a tilt angle of a crane, said method comprising:
- rotating a portion of said crane about a pivot point, wherein a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver antenna is disposed on said portion of said crane;
- determining, by a GNSS receiver, at least three locations of said GNSS receiver antenna in a geo-referenced coordinate system during said rotating;
- and
- determining, by a processor, a tilt angle of said crane based on said at least three locations of said GNSS receiver antenna.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions embodied therein that when executed cause a computer system to perform a method for determining a tilt angle of a crane, said method comprising:
- accessing data from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver antenna at three positions of a rotatable portion of a crane as said rotatable portion of said crane rotates about a pivot point;
- determining three locations of said GNSS receiver antenna in a geo-referenced coordinate system for said three positions of said rotatable portion of said crane;
- and
- determining a tilt angle of said crane based on said three locations of said GNSS receiver antenna.
A crane system comprising:
- a crane, wherein a portion of said crane is configured to rotate about a pivot point;
- a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver comprising a GNSS antenna, said GNSS antenna disposed on said portion of said crane;
- and
- a processor for:
- receiving data from said GNSS receiver antenna while said GNSS receiver antenna is located at three positions as said portion of said crane rotates about a pivot point;
- determining three locations of said GNSS receiver antenna in a geo-referenced coordinate system of said three positions for said three positions of said portion of said crane;
- and
- determining a tilt angle of said crane based on said three locations of said GNSS receiver antenna.
A method for determining levelness of a crane, said method comprising:
- rotating a portion of said crane at least one-half way about a pivot point, wherein a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver antenna is disposed on said portion of said crane;
- determining, by a GNSS receiver, at least a first location and a second location of said GNSS receiver antenna in a geo-referenced coordinate system during said rotating;
- determining, by a processor, a height differential between said first location and said second location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.