Patent ID: 12221325

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example embodiments are not intended to limit the invention since the invention may be embodied in different forms. Rather, the example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the sizes of components may be exaggerated for clarity.

In this application, when an element is referred to as being “on,” “attached to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element, the element may be directly on, directly attached to, directly connected to, or directly coupled to the other element or may be on, attached to, connected to, or coupled to any intervening elements that may be present. However, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly attached to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements present. In this application, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

In this application, the terms first, second, etc. are used to describe various elements and components. However, these terms are only used to distinguish one element and/or component from another element and/or component. Thus, a first element or component, as discussed below, could be termed a second element or component.

In this application, terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” are used to spatially describe one element or feature's relationship to another element or feature as illustrated in the figures. However, in this application, it is understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the structure. For example, if the structure in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the term “below” is meant to encompass both an orientation of above and below. The structure may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

Example Embodiments are illustrated by way of ideal schematic views. However, example embodiments are not intended to be limited by the ideal schematic views since example embodiments may be modified in accordance with manufacturing technologies and/or tolerances.

The subject matter of example embodiments, as disclosed herein, is described with specificity to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed subject matter might also be embodied in other ways, to include different features or combinations of features similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other technologies. Generally, example embodiments relate to device usable for calculating a crane capacity and a method using the device.

FIG.3is a view of a hand-held device500in accordance with example embodiments. InFIG.3, the device500is illustrated as including a microprocessor510, a memory chip520, an antenna540, a transmitter550, and a user interface560. In example embodiments the memory chip520may include data for various types of cranes and the microprocessor510may be configured to utilize this data to compute a crane capacity at a determined distance. The user interface560may be used by an operator to enter data into the device500and receive data from the device500.

Table 1, is a nonlimiting example embodiment of data which may be stored in the memory chip520. In this nonlimiting example embodiment, the first column indicates a type of crane produced by a manufacturer and columns2,3, and4store coefficients of a second order polynomial usable for calculating a crane capacity given a distance in feet. The equation may, for example, take on the form Crane Capacity (lbf)=C1+C2X+C3X2, where X is a distance (in feet) from a load to a crane mast.

TABLE 1Crane TypeC1C2(X)C3(X2)Stellar-114201−91519Stellar-210941−531.428.1791

For example, if an operator is using a Stellar-1 crane in the field and has determined that a distance from the crane mast to a load is 16 feet, the user may enter the type of crane and distance into the device500via the interface560. The microprocessor510may use this data to look up the proper coefficients stored in the memory chip520and the microprocessor may calculate the crane capacity at 16 feet as 14201−915*16+19*162=4425 lbf. As another example, if an operator is using a Stellar-2 type crane in the field and has determined that a distance from the crane mast to a load is 25 feet the device500may calculate the crane capacity at 25 feet as 10941−531.42*25+8.1791*252=2767 lbf.

In one nonlimiting example of the device500, the device500is configured to determine a distance from a load to a crane mast205. Example embodiments anticipates several ways of doing this. In one nonlimiting example embodiment, the device500generates a signal, for example, a radio wave, or laser light, which is transmitted to a receiver600arranged on a crane mast205. In this example embodiment, the device500includes a reference clock530which is activated when the device500generates the signal and which records how long it takes a signal, for example, a reflected signal, from the receiver600to reach the device500. From this amount of time, a resulting distance may be accurately measured. The device500may, thereafter, use this distance information to calculate crane capacity. Thus, in this example embodiment, an operator may simply walk to a location of a load, enter the type of crane into the device500via the user interface, prompt the device500to determine a distance from the device500to the crane mast205by prompting the device500to send a signal to a receiver600on the crane mast205, receive a signal from the receiver600(for example, a reflected signal), determine a distance from the device500to the receiver600utilizing the time it took for the device500to receive the signal form the receiver600, and thereafter using this measurement to calculate the crane capacity.

It is understood there are many ways to calculate a crane capacity and the above example is for purposes of illustration only. For example, rather than using polynomials to approximate a load capacity, more sophisticated mechanics equations may be used. However, what is particularly novel about the inventor's system is the ability of an operator to walk a device500to a location and use the device to calculate the capacity of the crane at that location without having to take a physical measurement or un-stow a crane.

In example embodiments, the receiver600may include circuitry enabling it to generate a signal when provoked by a signal generated by the device500. By way of nonlimiting example only, the receiver600may resemble a passive or active receiver tag which generates a signal upon receipt of the transmission by the transmitter550. A passive receiver, for example, may be a receiver600which is energized by the transmission by the transmitter550similar to that of a passive RFID tag whereas an active receiver has a power source, for example, a battery, to power the receiver600. In example embodiments, the receiver600may have an antenna610for receiving a signal from the device500and a transmitter620for sending a return signal to the device500. The signal generated by the transmitter620may include time information reflecting a time the signal sent by the transmitter620is sent to the device500and the device500may use this information to determine how long it took for the signal to reach the device500from the transmitter620.

The receiver600may include a memory630which may record the type of crane the receiver600is associated with. The memory630may include information such as the type of crane the receiver600is associated with and the receiver600may transmit this information to the device500in response to receiving the signal from the device500. In this latter embodiment, transmitting the crane information may include transmitting information usable by the device500to calculate crane capacity. For example, rather than storing the previously described coefficients in the memory of the handheld device500, the coefficients may be stored in the memory630of the receiver600which may transmit the coefficients to the handheld device500when the receiver600receives the signal from the handheld device500. The memory630, of course may store additional information or alternative information regarding the crane which may help the handheld device500determine the crane capacity. This may save the user from having to input a type of crane into the handheld device500.

In example embodiments it has been shown the receiver600may be attached to a crane mast205, however, this is not intended to limit the invention. For example, the receiver600may be attached to a wall of the utility vehicle100near the crane mast205.

Example embodiments of the invention have been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology that has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations of example embodiments are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.