Patent ID: 7030354

Claim:
An automatic controlling system for performing automatic control of a boarding bridge so as to match a position of the boarding bridge with an airplane, said automatic controlling system comprising: first and second reflectors; first and second optical input/output units; and an actuator, wherein said first and second reflectors are placed at a same height with respect to each other, wherein said first and second optical input/output units are placed at a same height with respect to each other on a connector of the boarding bridge connected to a door inlet of the airplane, wherein said first and second optical input/output units include a first light irradiator which irradiates light toward said first and second reflectors, a second light irradiator which irradiates light toward said first and second reflectors, a first optical sensor operable to detect first and second reflection waves of the light reflected from said first and second reflectors, and a second optical sensor operable to detect said first and second reflection waves of the light reflected from said first and second reflectors, wherein said actuator moves the boarding bridge such that positions of the boarding bridge and the airplane are matched with each other, based on a detection result of the reflection waves of the light detected by said first and second optical sensors, and wherein said automatic controlling system is unaware of a detailed position of a door of the airplane prior to starting the automatic control of the boarding bridge.