US 11,745,987 B2
Detection of locking devices
Ralf Gerdhenrichs, Erlangen (DE); Thomas Dobler, Hatzenbuehl (DE); and Alexander Willhoeft, Nuremberg (DE)
Assigned to SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, Munich (DE)
Appl. No. 16/333,100
Filed by Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Munich (DE)
PCT Filed Aug. 8, 2017, PCT No. PCT/EP2017/070068
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 13, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/050365, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 22, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 16188778 (EP), filed on Sep. 14, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2019/0367335 A1, Dec. 5, 2019
Int. Cl. B66C 13/16 (2006.01); B66C 13/48 (2006.01); G05B 19/042 (2006.01); B66C 19/00 (2006.01)
CPC B66C 13/16 (2013.01) [B66C 13/48 (2013.01); G05B 19/0428 (2013.01); B66C 19/007 (2013.01); G05B 2219/24097 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for detecting a locking device on a movable object, the locking device at least one of (i) locking a plurality of movable objects to one another and (ii) locking on an object carrier, and the locking device being arranged in a locking region of the movable object, the method comprising:
moving the movable object via a loading device, the locking region being sensed in a sensing region of at least one camera;
evaluating, by an image processing unit, a signal of a camera to detect locking devices in a locking region of the movable object;
outputting, by the image processing unit, an error message if presence of the locking device is identified based on failure to remove the locking device from the movable object; and
evaluating, by the image processing unit, the signal of the camera to check correct positioning of the movable object.