Travel control device and method for vehicles

• US 20070293996A1
• Filed: 12/08/2006
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Sudou, Tsugio, Nishijima, Akiharu, Kuromoto, Kazunori, Takeda, Koji, Tojima, Masanori, Mori, Masaki, Ozaki, Tomonori
• Granted Patent: US 7,742,853 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room

Abstract

A restricted area (60) is created based on positional information of a manned vehicle (20) traveling one of outward/return lanes (51, 52), and a detour course (72) is created based on information of the restricted area (60). Information on the detour course (72) is provided to the unmanned vehicles (10, 11) and the manned vehicle (20). Based on the positional information of the unmanned vehicles (10, 11) which proceed towards each other from the opposite directions with the restricted area (60) therebetween, the unmanned vehicle (11) on the lane (52) which is the opposite side of the restricted area (60) is blocked at a block position (61B) and at the same time a travel permission command for permitting traveling the detour course (72) is issued to the unmanned vehicle (10) traveling the lane (51) on the restricted area side so that the unmanned vehicle (10) travels the detour course (72).

Claims

1. A travel control device for vehicles, which causes unmanned vehicles, which are provided with travel control means for causing the vehicle to travel along an instructed traveling course in accordance with data on the instructed traveling course, to travel toward each other from opposite directions on a traveling road having adjacent outward/return lanes, the travel control device comprising:

restricted area creating means for creating a restricted area that surrounds one of the vehicles on either one of the outward/return lanes, on the basis of positional information of the vehicle;

detour course creating means for creating, on the basis of the restricted area, a detour course which avoids the restricted area, passes the opposite lane, and returns to the original lane of the vehicle;

detour course instruction means for providing each of the vehicles with information on the detour course; and

travel permission command outputting means for providing a travel permission command for permitting the unmanned vehicle, which travels a lane on a restricted area side while blocking the vehicle on a lane which is the opposite side of the restricted area, to travel the detour course, on the basis of the positional information of the vehicles traveling toward each other from the opposite directions with the restricted area therebetween,

wherein the travel control means of the unmanned vehicle provided with the travel permission command performs control so as to cause the vehicle to travel along the detour course in accordance with data of the instructed detour course.

2. The travel control device for vehicles according to claim 1, further comprising inputting means for inputting the positional information of a vehicle present in the restricted area, wherein the restricted area creating means creates the restricted area on the basis of the inputted positional information of the vehicle.

3. The travel control device for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein

the detour course creating means, the detour course instruction means, and the travel permission command outputting means are provided in a monitor station for monitoring travel of the vehicles;

the monitor station and each of the vehicles are provided with transmitting/receiving means for mutually transmitting and receiving information between the monitor station and the vehicles;

the information on the detour course is transmitted from the monitor station to each of the vehicles; and

the travel permission command is transmitted from the monitor station to the unmanned vehicle traveling the lane on the restricted area side.

4. The travel control device for vehicles according to claim 2, wherein

the inputting means is provided in a manned or unmanned vehicle present in the restricted area;

the detour course creating means, the detour course instruction means, and the travel permission command outputting means are provided in a monitor station for monitoring travel of the vehicles;

the monitor station and each of the vehicles are provided with transmitting/receiving means for mutually transmitting and receiving information between the monitor station and the vehicle;

information on the restricted area is transmitted to the monitor station from the manned or unmanned vehicle present in the restricted area;

the information on the detour course is transmitted from the monitor station to each of the vehicles; and

the travel permission command is transmitted from the monitor station to an unmanned vehicle traveling the lane on the restricted area side.

5. The travel control device for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the restricted area is an area in which a vehicle performs a work, an area in which a vehicle travels at low speed, or an area in which a disabled vehicle exists.

6. The travel control device for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle present in the restricted area is a manned vehicle, and, under the condition that an authorization command for authorizing traveling the detour course is received from the manned vehicle, the travel permission command is provided to an unmanned vehicle traveling the lane on the restricted area side.

7. A travel control method for a vehicle, which causes unmanned vehicles, which are provided with travel control means for causing the vehicle to travel along an instructed traveling course in accordance with data on the instructed traveling course, to travel toward each other from opposite directions on a traveling road having adjacent outward/return lanes, the travel control method comprising the steps of:

creating a restricted area that surrounds one of the vehicles on either one of the outward/return lanes, on the basis of positional information of the vehicle;

creating, on the basis of the restricted area, a detour course which avoids the restricted area, passes the opposite lane, and returns to the original lane of the vehicle; and

performing control so as to cause the vehicle to travel along an instructed detour course in accordance with data on the detour course, by informing each of the vehicles of the information on the detour course.