The invention relates to a device for facilitating the parking of means of transport to a precise location, by having a signal source for an emission of a signal and a support struc- ture for fixing the signal source on the carrying body, and the signal source being connect- ed to an electrical conductor for connection to an electrical power source.

Manoeuvring with different means of transport, such as trucks and passenger vehicles, forklift trucks, in particular in confined spaces, poor visibility or limited areas of vision, often causes difficulties and, in extreme cases, even accidents or injury. There have been several solutions to overcome such problems.

The patent application HU P 08 00218 discloses a solution in which sensors are mount- ed on a console protruding from the first part of the car, preferably on the first bumper, which are capable of sensing bodies at larger distances, and suitable to call the driver's at- tention by operating various signalling means. The document US 2007/0080584 presents a parking sensor and a backup camera, which is place and operated differently than regular. While document US 2009/0174535 relates to a device with a specially designed parking sensor, which is also active for a parking vehicle, and when a moving vehicle approaches the vehicle fitted with the device too close, it transmits an alarm signal and thus attempts to protect the parking vehicle from a collision with the moving vehicle.

However, the drawback of known solutions is that they are essentially used to measure the distance between the vehicle equipped with a device and a standing body, as well as to indicate the distance change. However, it does not make it easier to solve the problem that the vehicle can be parked to the desired position in tight spaces, to the exact position. As for small-sized garages or storage corridors with narrow shelves, the setting of means of transport must often be of centimetres of accuracy, e.g. a car or cars or the forklift truck to the position in which the user can leave the car without damage to the door of the vehicle, or the forklift truck can move the item to be moved to the appropriate shelf.

A further disadvantage of known solutions is that they must be mounted on the given means of transport and thus can only help manoeuvre of one transport vehicle. Also, the deficiencies of known constructions are that their installation and configura- tion often require special expertise, which makes the use and maintenance and repairs con- siderably more expensive.

The object of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of known manoeu- vring devices and to create a variant that provides via small costs and simple fitting, to easily and securely park a set of different types of shapes and sizes easily and securely into a given position.

The basic idea behind the construction of the device according to the invention was that for parking a means of transport to a desired position visible or well perceptible and sufficiently precise optical signals could be used, which the person controlling the means of transport or, where applicable, artificial intelligence or a sensor can easily detect and inter- pret such signals, and which, in the case of visual perception, also clearly shows where and into which position the particular means of transport should arrive in order to pick up the desired position.

According to the foregoing, the following recognition has led to the design of the pre- sent invention: if we use a specific source unit of a given wavelength range as a signalling source, which we associate with a device for setting a novel radius diffused by the source unit either visible or not visible, but well noticeable radius direction and, where appropri- ate, use specific optical elements to achieve a precise image or a precisely focused percep- tible signal pattern from the beam or other light beam, then a visible or perceivable refer- ence signal may be projected or transmitted to the area to which the driver of the means of transport, or the artificial intelligence controlling the movement of the means of transport can easily adapt and the means of transport can be aligned to the projected or beamed sig nal, thus the task can be solved.

According to the object, the device being subject of the invention facilitates the parking of means of transport with a signal source suitable for the emission of receivable signals and a support structure for securing the signal source on the carrying body, and the signal source is connected to a current conducting part suitable for connection to an electric pow- er source, and which device is designed in a way that the signal source has a source unit capable of emitting a guiding signal comprising one or more guiding points in the range of 270 to 950 nm, and the support structure is provided with an adjustment component for changing the position of the emitted guiding signal.

An additional feature of the device subject of the invention may be to complemented with a radiation path influencing component wherein the radiation path influencing com- ponent shall have at least one optical lens and / or at least one optical mirror and / or a masking member having at least one transfer extraction.

It may be advantageous for the device if the radiation path influencing component is connected to the support structure and / or the adjustment component.

In another version of the invention, the adjustment component has a connecting and a coupling part, wherein the adjustment component is attached to the support structure by means of the connecting part and the source unit of the signal source is mounted to the coupling part of the adjustment component. Furthermore, the source unit of the signal source is composed of at least two, high-performance point sources spaced apart, and the adjustment component has several holding pegs, which can be bent independently from each other, and at least a portion of the pegs are provided with a coupling element, at least a portion of the point sources are connected to a different coupling part of a different hold- ing peg, so that at least a portion of the point sources are fixed to the support structure in a way capable to radiate in a direction independent of the other.

At another version of the device, the source unit of the signal source is composed of at least two, high-beam point sources spaced apart, and the adjustment component has several holding pegs, which can be moved independently from each other, and where at least be- tween at least the portion of the holding pegs and the support structure a moving compo- nent is inserted, and where at least a portion of the holding pegs are provided with a cou- pling element, at least a portion of the point sources are connected to a different coupling part of a different holding peg, so that at least a portion of the point sources are fixed to the support structure in a way capable to radiate in a direction independent of the other by us- ing the associated moving component. In another version of the invention, the adjustment component has a connecting and a coupling part, wherein the adjustment component is attached to the support structure by means of the connecting part and the source unit of the signal source is mounted to the support structure in a displacement-free manner, and the radiation path influencing compo- nent is mounted to the coupling part of the adjustment component. Furthermore, the adjustment component has one or more holding pegs, which can be bent independently from each other, and at least a portion of the holding pegs are provided with a coupling element, and the radiation path influencing component is fixed to the coupling parts of one or more holding pegs. Optionally, the adjustment component has one or more holding pegs, the radiation path influencing component is fixed to the coupling parts of one or more holding pegs, where at least between the portion of the holding pegs and the support structure a moving component is inserted, so that the radiation path influencing component is fixed to the support structure in a way capable to adjust the direction and/or strength of the radiance of the source unit of the signal source, via the help of the moving component.

In another version of the invention, the adjustment component has a connecting and a coupling part, wherein the adjustment component is attached to the support structure by means of the connecting part and the radiation path influencing component is mounted to the support structure in a displacement-free manner, and the source unit of the signal source is mounted to the coupling part of the adjustment component.

It may be advantageous for the device for the source unit having a light source suitable for projecting light beams in the visible light range and / or the source unit having a UV source suitable for emitting ultraviolet rays within a range of 270 to 450 nm wavelength or the source unit having an IR source suitable for emitting infrared rays within a range of 730 to 950 nm wavelength.

The device according to the invention has several advantageous features. Most im- portant of these is that it is possible to transmit a reference guiding signal to a given area due to the non-conventional signal source and the cooperating adjustment component, by aligning to which any means of transport may be quickly moved to a desired position with- in that area. An additional benefit is that in confined spaces where spatial orientation is cumbersome or unresponsive, e.g. in the case of small garages with poor lighting, with the reference guiding signal parking the means of transport, e.g. a car is much easier to be carried out without damage to the vehicle and it can be left in a more comfortable and safe manner after stopping the vehicle even in the case of a narrow parking space.

It is also to be appreciated as a benefit that the device according to the invention can form a stand-alone unit and can thus be mounted on an independent location from the means of transport and thus the beamed or radiated signal may be used by any suitable means of transport.

Another advantage is that the setup of the device itself is simple, it does not require any expertise, but can be used to create a very powerful manoeuvring signal.

It is also beneficial that the device can be installed in a location that is further away from the means of transport, so that the means of transport itself cannot damage the device. This is not the case with average parking sensors and backup cameras. In the event of bad manoeuvring, the sensors, signal sources can be damaged and thus the device becomes unusable.

An important further advantage is that the device according to the invention can be as- sembled from simple parts and has minimal probability of failure. In the event of a bulb blow-out, its replacement does not require any qualification, so it will be possible to be re- commissioned within short time with low cost and labour costs.

As an important advantage it can be appreciated that the device can be used with auto- matic conveyors in order to position the conveyor robot in a given position. In the case of a permanent way transport vehicle, even a single radiated point is sufficient to stop the means of transport at the desired position. Thus, in small warehouses with automatic freight settling or freight transport, minimal paths can be established to the loading equip- ment as a roadway and thus increase the useful area used for warehousing. This can reduce the specific investment cost. In such cases, when positioning automated equipment, it is not necessary for the source unit to provide a visible light range signal, a possible source may be UV or even IR beam sources. The device according to the invention will now be described in more detail with refer ence to the construction plans and drawings of the invention. On the drawings the follow- ing are being displayed:

Figure 1 depicts a side view of a possible variant of the device according to the inven tion partly in section, in a position of use;

Figure 1 depicts the side view of a possible variant of the invention partly in section;

Figure 3 depicts the side view of another possible variant of the invention partly in section;

Figure 4 depicts the side view of another possible variant of the invention partly in section;

Figure 1 shows a variant of the device according to the invention that is well suited for vehicle storage in small spaces for the vehicle to be parked in an undamaged way and to achieve the best space utilization. It can be observed that here the means of transport 4 is a car, while the carrying body 1 may be a wall surface partitioning the internal storage space of the means of transport 4 or a piece of a properly secured frame structure of the garage door.

The device according to the present embodiment comprises the support structure 10, the signal source 20 and the adjustment component 30. One of the tasks of the support struc ture 10 is to store the 2 electrical sources of power providing source in the hidden interior of the device, in which case it comprises a battery and a control unit 60 which controls the operation of the signal source 20. Another task of the support structure 10 is to allow the device to be fixed to the carrying body 1.

The signal source 20 has a "SU" source unit, which includes light source 21 for emitting light beams within the visible range. The light source 21 includes, in the particular embod iment, three point sources 21a, point sources 21b and point sources 2lc. The point sources 1a, 21b, and 21c of the light sources, in the particular embodiment are high-brightness laser diodes that are separated by spacing "T" by inserting the adjustment component 30 into the support structure 10. The adjustment component 30 consists of a connecting part 31 and holding peg 33a, holding peg 33b and holding peg 33c for positioning and maintaining the direction of the point sources 21a, 2lb and 2lc. Each of the holding pegs 33a, 33b, and 33c have a cou- pling part 32, which is preferably located at the holding peg 33a, 33b, and 33c, opposite to the support structure 10. These coupling parts 32 allow point source 21a to be attached to the holding peg 33a, point source 2lb to be attached to the holding peg 33b, and point source 2lc to be attached to the holding peg 33c.

The connecting part 31 serves to secure the adjustment component 30, more specifical- ly, the end of holding peg 33a, holding peg 33b and holding peg 33c closer to the support structure 10 to the support structure 10.

The holding peg 33a, holding peg 33b and holding peg 33c are here such bendable tubes, whereby the direction of point source 21a, point source 2 lb and point source 2lc can be precisely adjusted manually and which direction is maintained by the holding peg 33 a, holding peg 33b and holding peg 33 c. In this way, a guiding signal 3 can be created, leading clearly visible to some area and consisting of guiding point 3 a, guiding point 3b and guiding point 3c, which might serve as a reference "shape" allowing accurate orienta tion of the means of transport 4. In our case, the guiding signal 3 is symbolized by a straight section defined by the guiding point 3a, guiding point 3b and guiding point 3c.

The point source 21a, point source 2 lb and point source 2lc, compromising the light source 21 all dispose over current conducting part 22, by the assistance of which the point source 21a, point source 21b and point source 21c can be connected to the electrical power source 2. Preferably, the current conducting part 22 is positioned in the respective portion of the holding peg 33a, holding peg 33b and holding peg 33c of the adjustment component 30, in the proximity of the connecting part 31.

The device shown in Figure 1 is used as follows. First, the support structure 10 of the device must be reinforced on the carrying body 1. Subsequently, when the control unit 60 is switched on, the point source 21a, point source 21b and point source 2lc, constituting the light source 21 of the signal source 20, receive electricity from the electrical power source 2 through the current conducting part 22, thus the depiction of guiding point 3a, guiding point 3b and guiding point 3c, as the guiding signal 3 appears somewhere in the area as a projected image.

Then, first, by the means of transport 4 one has to position itself within that area, here in the car storage, as it is optimal according to the user's opinion. Subsequently, by manual movement of the holding peg 33a, holding peg 33b and holding peg 33c of the adjustment component 30, the guiding point 3a, guiding point 3b and guiding point 3c can create a well-defined, identifiable guiding signal 3 of the means of transport 4, which represents the desired position of the means of transport 4. Noting the position of the guiding signal 3 on the cover of the means of transport 4 means later on that this optimal arrangement can be repeatedly created. Finally, by switching off the control unit 60, the "SU" source unit of the signal source 20 can be disconnected from power source 2, thereby terminating the set-up of the device.

On the next occasions, when the means of transport 4 is to be placed in the designated area, in this case in the car storage, then at the switching on of the control unit 60 the electric power source 2 supplies the point source 2 la, point source 2 lb and point source 2lc of the "SU" source unit 21, which project the guiding signal 3 to the area. The task of the person moving the means of transport 4 is to manoeuvre with the means of transport 4 so that the guiding point 3 a, guiding point 3b and guiding point 3 c, forming the guiding signal 3, are precisely aligned with the corresponding points of the means of transport 4's cover. When this is done, the respective means of transport 4 in the desired position.

It should be noted here that in cases where the means of transport 4 is a permanent way vehicle, e.g. a means of transport on rails, a single point source 21a may also designate the optimal positioning location since the rail already defines the direction of the longitudinal axis of the means of transport 4 so that the precise position has to be recorded and sig nalled by a single guiding point 3a of the guiding signal 3. This can be done by a single point source 21 a.

Referring now to Fig. 2, there a device is shown that can be utilised for large areas, e.g. for parking garages, vehicle depots, warehouses, or high ceiling areas. In this case, several devices may be located in a given space. In this version of the device there is also a support structure 10, but in the support struc- ture 10 connected to the carrying body 1, in addition to the control unit 60, a transmission subassembly 61 and a data storage subassembly 62 are also located. Here, the electric power supply 2 is provided by the utility network. Thus, the control unit 60 is connected to the utility network via an electrical conductor as electric power source 2.

This variant also includes the adjustment component 30, the connector part 31 of which, however, is located within the support structure 10. The connecting part 31 is also in this variant connected to point source 21a attached to the holding peg 33a, point source 2 lb attached to the holding peg 33b, and point source 2lc attached to the holding peg 33c. However, one moving component 40 is inserted between the connecting part 31 and the holding pegs 33a, 33b and 33c each. The point sources 2la, 21b and 21c are attached by means of the coupling parts 32 to the holding pegs 33a, 33b, and 33c. However, in the giv en case, the signal source 20 has such "SU" source units in which the point sources 21a, 21b and 21c comprise an infrared "IR" source suitable for emitting infrared rays within the wavelength range 730-950 nm.

In order to make the orientation of the guiding signal 3 easier, the "SU" source unit also has a light source 21 emitting light next to the "IR" IR source. In this case, the light sources 21 preferably assist only the accurate targeting of infrared rays emitted by the "IR" IR source.

Alternatively, the variant may be imagined in a way where point sources 21a, 21b and 21c and their pairs of holding pegs 33a, 33b and 33c are shaped each from a single piece.

The task of the moving component 40 is to adjust each point source 21a, 21b and 21c according to the instructions received from the control unit 60, without any manual ad justment, in order to create the guiding signal 3 from the desired guiding point 3a, 3b and 3c.

Of course, the point sources 21a, 21b and 21c are also in this case spaced apart by a distance "T". It is also to be understood that due to the connection to the electric power source 2, the point sources 21a, 21b and 21c also dispose over the current conducting part 22. In a particular version of the device, the transmission subassembly 61 of the control unit 60 is associated with the switching subassembly 70, which is wirelessly connected to the control unit 60 via the information transmission channel 71.

The operation of the device illustrated in Fig. 2 is as follows. Assuming that a single device is responsible for the precise positioning of several means of transport 4, the device must be programmed prior to operation. To do this, each means of transport 4 must be po- sitioned into the desired position.

Subsequently, the control unit 60 shall be switched on by a command sent from the switching subassembly 70 and communicated via the information transmission channel 71 to the transmission unit 61 of the control unit 60. At this time, the "IR" IR sources of the "SU" source units of the signal source 20 and the point sources 21a, 21b, and 21c with light source 21 turn on, and the guiding points 3a, 3b, 3c are projected into the area in a yet un- bounded fashion.

Now with the help of the switching subassembly 70, instructions must be sent to the control unit 60 through the information transmission channel 71 and the transmission sub- assembly 61, which are interpreted by the control unit 60 and by which the movable com- ponent 40 associated with point source 2 la, the movable component 40 associated with point source 2 lb and the movable component 40 associated with point source 21 a may be actuated.

Via the instructions sent to each of the moving components 40 and the guiding points 3a, 3b and 3c projected by the point sources 21a, 21b and 21c pins, the guiding points can be arranged as a guiding signal 3 for determining the position of a particular means of transport 4.

When this is done, the information may be saved with a further instruction to the data storage subassembly 62 of the control unit 60. The information for the particular means of transport 4 includes the identification of the means of transport 4, which the means of transport 4 itself is provided, and the position and shape of the respective guiding signal 3 of the light source 21. Thus, this guiding signal 3 may be "retrieved" from the data storage subassembly 62 of the control unit 60 by issuing the identifier of the means of transport 4 to the transmission subassembly 61 of the control unit 60 and can be projected into the area to which the means of transport 4 is to be positioned.

The same adjustment procedure must be repeated for all means of transport 4 that are "controlled" by the same device. If the guiding signals 3 of the means of transport 4 have been stored respectively, the device is ready for operation.

When a given means of transport 4 arrives into the given area and passes within the range of the transmission subassembly 61 of the control unit 60 of the respective device, the transmission subassembly 61 receives the signal transmitted to the control unit 60 after emitting an identifying signal incorporated in the means of transport 4. The control unit 60 interprets the signal and searches within the data storage subassembly 62 for the guiding signal information 3 for the means of transport 4 having the respective signal.

The moving component 40, which is associated with this guiding signal information 3, transmits the moving component 40 settings to the respective moving component 40, which, in ton, position the point sources 2la, 2lb and 21c in the correct position. The guiding point 3a, radiated by the point source 21a, guiding point 3b, radiated by the point source 21b and the guiding point 3 c, radiated by the point source 2lc, appear as the guid- ing signal 3 in the given area where the respective means of transport 4 is to be located. Subsequently, the means of transport 4 may be positioned directly into the right position according to the guiding signal 3.

It should be noted here that if the means of transport 4 is equipped with an IR sensor, after the first positioning, the light sources 21 can be removed from the "SU" source units. However, this is only the case if the means of transport 4 itself moves on a permanent way and that the means of transport 4 must be stopped at a certain point of that given permanent way, at a given point. In the absence of the light source 21 emitting visible light, the IR sensor equipped on the means of transport 4 takes over the role of the driver of the means of transport 4. And when the rays of the "IR" IR source, forming point sources 21a of the "SU" source unit, reach the IR sensor mounted on the means of transport 4, the means of transport 4 must be stopped automatically. Obviously upon arrival of another means of transport 4, the previous process is repeated except that the guiding signal 3 will be displayed in a different location and optionally cor- responding to the shape and size of the respective means of transport 4.

From the foregoing, it is also contemplated that in this version of the device according to the invention, the control unit 60 must be capable of performing more complicated tasks. Thus, the control unit 60 is preferably a programmable microcomputer or a target device.

Referring now to Figure 3, a device can be observed that has a radiation path influenc- ing component. The radiation path influencing component 50 includes here an optical lens 51, an optical mirror 52, and a masking member 53, which is provided with a transfer ex- traction 53 a. However, it should be noted that, depending on the particular design, there may be only one or only a partial combination of the optical lens 51, optical mirror 52 and masking member 53, or more than one piece of one of the structural units.

The task of the structural elements of the radiation path influencing component 50 is to bring the light beams emitted within the visible range radiated by the signal source 21 compromising the "SU" source unit into the desired position and shape. Thus, e.g. in this case, the signal source 21 may be a single diffused luminaire whose beams are transfonned by the optical lens or lenses 51 of the radiation path influencing component 50 to a parallel beam and optionally project them by the optical mirror 52 onto the masking member 53, through which transfer extraction 53a the given beam portion passes through which defines the guiding signal 3 at the area where the means of transport 4 must be stopped.

In the particular embodiment, the support structure 10 is also attached to the carrying structure 1. Here, the light source 21 forming the signal source 20 is also correctly con- nected to the supporting structure 10, while the adjustment component 30 carries the radia- tion path influencing component 50. Of course, the light source 21 also has the current conducting part 22, whereby the light source 21 can receive electrical current from the cor- responding source.

The connector part 31 of the adjustment component 30, which is attached to the support structure 10, is provided with the movable part 40 connected to the holding peg 33a. On the holding peg 33 a, the radiation path influencing component 50 can be found, which is mounted onto the holding peg 33a by the insertion of the connecting part 32.

In this embodiment, the movable component 40 moves the radiation path influencing component 50 or part of it, so that it can position the guiding signal 3 into the desired posi- tion.

FIG. 4 shows a variant of the device in which both the signal source 20 and the holding peg 33a of the adjustment component 30 are correctly secured on the support structure 10 attached to the carrying body 1. The "SU" source unit of the signal source is, in this embodiment, a "UV" UV source suitable for the emission of ultraviolet rays within the wave length range 270 to 450 nm.

The holding peg 33a is connected to the support structure 10 by means of the connecting part 31 , while the coupling part 32 of the holding peg 33a carries the radiation path influencing component 50. The radiation path influencing component 50 consists here of the masking member 53 on which the transfer extraction 53a is formed.

The position of the masking member 53 may be suitably adjusted by manually adjusting the holding peg 33a. At this time, the ultraviolet rays emitted by the "UV" UV source pass through the transfer extraction 53a of the masking member 53 to form the desired guiding signals 3 at the defined location, which is a suitable device for a guiding signal 3, not visible to the naked eye. It can be detected via UV glasses or UV detectors.

It should be noted here, for example, the solution described in FIG. 4 can also be used in cases where a means of transport 4 on a permanent way is to be stopped exactly at a specified location. For this purpose, the guiding signal 3 that can be easily detected with the appropriate UV detector can be used if, for example, a warehouse handling robot forms the means of transport 4.

At that time, the sensor of the means of transport 4 receives the guiding signal 3, which can have only one focussed guide point and brakes down the means of transport 4 on the permanent way when the guiding signal 3 reaches a specific location on the means of transport 4 or its UV sensor. With respect to the variants described in Figures 3 and 4, it is also to be noted that cer tain structural elements of the radiation path influencing component 50 may be attached to the different holding pegs 33a, 33b and 33c of the adjustment component 30. In this case, the radiation path influencing component 50 can shape the light rays from the light source 21 or the "UV" UV source and their paths in an even more versatile way.

It is also self-evident that the adjustment component 30 may include a different number of holding pegs, from one holding peg 33a to more holding pegs 33a, 33b, 33c and so the number of guiding points 3a, 3b and 3 c may be different, but, apart from permanent way means of transport 4, in which case a single point determination is deemed appropriate; two or three holding pegs, and thus the two or guiding signals may be the appropriate tar- get, i.e. suitable for the exact position setup.

According to the embodiments shown, it can be seen that the device according to the invention can be implemented by means of a plurality of "SU" source units capable of emitting radiant rays of varying wavelength, even with considerably different structural design. Of course, it is also conceivable that the radiation path influencing component, unlike the embodiments described in the figures, is not connected to the adjustment com- ponent, but to the support structure. In any case, it is essential that one or more "SU" source units’ project or radiate a suitable signal from a visible range of light beams or other well-perceived radiation to the desired location, which signal shall be adjusted via an ap- propriate device into the correct position.

The device according to the invention can be used well in any location where the characteristics, size and shape of the location require that a transport vehicle or a moving object be placed exactly at a specific location or parked at a specific location or to be temporary at a given location, and this desirable situation shall be effectively and reliably marked by simple means at a favourable investment cost. List of reference marks

carrying body

electric power source guiding signal 3 a guiding point

3b guiding point

3 c guiding point means of transport 0 support structure 0 signal source 21 light source

21a point source

21b point source

21c point source

22 current conducting part 0 adjustment component 31 connecting part

32 coupling part

33a holding peg

33b holding peg

33c holding peg 0 moving component 0 radiation path influencing component 51 optical lenses

52 optical mirror

53 masking member

53a transfer extraction

60 control unit 61 transmission subassembly

62 data storage subassembly

70 switching subassembly 71 information transmission channel

"SU” source unit "IR" IR source

"T" space

'UV" UV source