Mobile body and position detection device

• US 10,261,511 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2014
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Masaki, Ryoso, Maki, Shuichi, Shirane, Kazuto, Naka, Takuya, Matsumoto, Kohsei
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, Truc M
• Application Number:
  US14/778,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20160062357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,869 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/00 Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages B25J1/00 takes precedence; programme-controlled manipulators B25J9/00 ; vehicle aspects B60, B62, e.g. remote-controlled steering for motor vehicles B62D1/24; control of position of vehicles G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1694 characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A mobile apparatus includes a position detection device, and an autonomous mobile body. The position detection device includes input means for inputting route data, a distance sensor, map data, position identification means, and relative route calculation means for calculating a relative position and a relative angle to a position of the target point from the position data and the route data of the mobile body. The autonomous mobile body includes a controller that controls an autonomous travel of the autonomous mobile body itself by using the relative position and the relative angle received from the position detection device as control signals.

Claims

1. A mobile apparatus comprising:

a position detection device; and

an autonomous mobile body, wherein

the position detection device comprises

a keyboard or mouse configured to input route data including a target point of the mobile body and passing points leading to the target point,

a distance sensor that measures a distance from the mobile body to an object existing in an ambient environment,

map data on the ambient environment in which the mobile body travels,

a processor configured to;

i) identify position data of the mobile body by comparing measurement data for each sampling time from the distance sensor and the map data on the ambient environment, and ii) calculate a relative position and a relative angle to an absolute position and the absolute angle of the target point from the position data and the route data of the mobile body, and

the autonomous mobile body comprises

a controller that controls an autonomous travel of the autonomous mobile body itself by using the relative position and the relative angle received from the position detection device as control signals, wherein

the processor is also configured to calculate an absolute position and an absolute angle of the mobile body based on absolute map coordinates on the map data,

a display device that displays a position of the mobile body based on the calculation result of the processor,

a user sets in advance the absolute angle of the mobile body via at least one of a keyboard and a mouse.

2. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the autonomous mobile body is an automated guided vehicle (AGV).

3. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the autonomous mobile body is a forklift.