The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 25, 1998
Filed:
Nov. 17, 1995
Wesley Crucius, Brookfield, WI (US);
Randall M Schneider, Pewaukee, WI (US);
HK Systems, Inc., New Berlin, WI (US);
Abstract
A storage and retrieval machine comprises a base, a carriage, and a control system. The control system is used to control the movement of the carriage in the vertical direction and/or the movement of the base in the horizontal direction. The control system includes at least one encoder and at least one optical distance meter. The encoder provides relative position information during a middle portion of the SRM trajectory, i.e., during the implementation of a feedback control scheme. The optical distance meter provides absolute position information to the control system at an endpoint of the SRM trajectory, i.e., to verify that the SRM has in fact reached its destination. If the control system controls both the movement of the carriage and the movement of the base, then two encoders and two optical distance meters are used.