Control, apparatus for autonomously navigating utility vehicle
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling operation of an autonomously navigating utility vehicle adapted to run about a working area, defined by a boundary wire which generates magnetic field therearound when supplied with electric current, to perform working autonomously, and having a magnetic sensor that produces an output indicating intensity of magnetic field generated by the boundary wire and a position determining unit that determines a position of the vehicle with respect to the working area based on the output of the magnetic sensor, comprising:
- a magnetic field generator that generates coded data signals and supplies the electric current in the generated coded data signals to the boundary wire, each of the coded data signals comprising a continuance data sequence including a plurality of pulse signals, including a reference signal determined to be inherent to the working area and an additional signal for controlling operation of the utility vehicle, the additional signal being different from the reference signal and added to the reference signal,wherein a signal length of each of the coded data signals changes according to a signal length of the additional signal,wherein the position determining unit detects the coded data signals from the output of the magnetic sensor and determines the position of the vehicle with respect to the working area based on comparison between a rate of concordance of the coded detected data signals and the reference signal and a threshold value, andwherein the magnetic field generator generates the coded data signals so as to set a time interval between the coded data signals randomly.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In an apparatus for controlling operation of an autonomously navigating utility vehicle adapted to run about a working area defined by a boundary wire which generates magnetic field therearound when supplied with electric current and having a magnetic sensor that produces an output indicating intensity of magnetic field generated by the boundary wire and a position determining unit that determine a position of the vehicle with respect to the working area based on the output of the magnetic sensor, a coded data signal determined to be inherent to the working area is generated and supplied to the electric current, and the position determining unit detects the data signal and determines the position of the vehicle based on a rate of concordance of the detected data signal and a reference signal.
12 Citations
16 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling operation of an autonomously navigating utility vehicle adapted to run about a working area, defined by a boundary wire which generates magnetic field therearound when supplied with electric current, to perform working autonomously, and having a magnetic sensor that produces an output indicating intensity of magnetic field generated by the boundary wire and a position determining unit that determines a position of the vehicle with respect to the working area based on the output of the magnetic sensor, comprising:
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a magnetic field generator that generates coded data signals and supplies the electric current in the generated coded data signals to the boundary wire, each of the coded data signals comprising a continuance data sequence including a plurality of pulse signals, including a reference signal determined to be inherent to the working area and an additional signal for controlling operation of the utility vehicle, the additional signal being different from the reference signal and added to the reference signal, wherein a signal length of each of the coded data signals changes according to a signal length of the additional signal, wherein the position determining unit detects the coded data signals from the output of the magnetic sensor and determines the position of the vehicle with respect to the working area based on comparison between a rate of concordance of the coded detected data signals and the reference signal and a threshold value, and wherein the magnetic field generator generates the coded data signals so as to set a time interval between the coded data signals randomly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for controlling operation of an autonomously navigating utility vehicle adapted to run about a working area, defined by a boundary wire which generates magnetic field therearound when supplied with electric current, to perform working autonomously and having a magnetic sensor that produces an output indicating intensity of magnetic field generated by the boundary wire, comprising steps of:
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determining a position of the vehicle with respect to the working area based on the output of the magnetic sensor, and generating coded data signals and supplying the electric current in the generated coded data signals to the boundary wire, each of the coded data signals comprising a continuance data sequence including a plurality of pulse signals, including a reference signal and an additional signal for controlling operation of the utility vehicle, and being determined to be inherent to the working area, the additional signal being different from the reference signal and added to the reference signal, wherein a signal length of each of the coded data signals changes according to a signal length of the additional signal, wherein the step of position determining detects the coded data signals from the output of the magnetic sensor and determines the position of the vehicle with respect to the working area based on comparison between a rate of concordance of the detected coded data signals and the reference signal and a threshold value, and wherein the step of magnetic field generating generates the coded data signals so as to set a time interval between the coded data signals randomly. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification