CONTROL APPARATUS FOR UNMANNED AUTONOMOUS OPERATING VEHICLE

• US 20130211648A1
• Filed: 02/07/2013
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yamamura, Makoto, Kawakami, Toshiaki, Kobayashi, Hiroshi, Kimata, Ryuichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,972,092 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0265 using buried wires

Abstract

In an apparatus for controlling an unmanned autonomous operating vehicle having an electric motor supplied with power from a battery for operating an operating machine, and magnetic sensors for detecting intensity of a magnetic field of an area wire and controlled to run about in an operating area defined by the area wire through wheels driven by the prime movers to perform an operation using the operating machine and to return to a charging device installed on the area wire so as to charge the battery, there is provided with a turn-back portion formed by bending the area wire at an appropriate position and again bending the area wire to return in a same direction with a predetermined space so as to divide the operating area into a plurality of parts and vehicle running is controlled to be prohibited from going across the turn-back portion.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling an unmanned autonomous operating vehicle having an electric motor supplied with power from a battery for operating an operating machine, prime movers for driving wheels, and magnetic sensors for detecting intensity of a magnetic field of an area wire, the vehicle being controlled to run about in an operating area defined by the area wire through wheels driven by the prime movers to perform an operation using the operating machine and to return to a charging device installed on the area wire so as to charge the battery,

wherein the improvement comprises:

a turn-back portion formed by bending the area wire at an appropriate position and again bending the area wire to return in a same direction with a predetermined space so as to divide the operating area into a plurality of zones; and

a running controller adapted to control the vehicle to be prohibited from going across the turn-back portion.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the improvement further comprises:

a charging device detecting area set to be used for detecting a position of the charging device,

and the running controller controls the vehicle to turn about when the vehicle is determined to have reached the charging device detecting area and subsequently run toward the area wire to be guided to the charging device when the vehicle detects the intensity of the magnetic field of the area wire to return to the charging device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the running controller changes an entering direction of the vehicle to the charging device whenever the vehicle is returned to the charging device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined space is determined based on the intensity of the magnetic field of the area wire.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the prime movers comprises electric motors to be supplied with power from the battery.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operating machine comprises a lawn mower.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle has a charging terminal at its front to be connectable with the charging device installed on the area wire.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the charging device is disposed with a coil radiating a magnetic field that forms the charging device detecting area around the charging device.

9. A method for controlling an unmanned autonomous operating vehicle having an electric motor supplied with power from a battery for operating an operating machine, prime movers for driving wheels, and magnetic sensors for detecting intensity of a magnetic field of an area wire, the vehicle being controlled to run about in an operating area defined by the area wire through wheels driven by the prime movers to perform an operation using the operating machine and to return to a charging device installed on the area wire so as to charge the battery,

wherein the improvement comprises the step of:

controlling the vehicle to be prohibited from going across a turn-back portion formed by bending the area wire at an appropriate position and again bending the area wire to return in a same direction with a predetermined space so as to divide the operating area into a plurality of zones.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of running controlling controls the vehicle to turn about when the vehicle is determined to have reached the charging device detecting area a charging device detecting area set to be used for detecting a position of the charging device, and subsequently run toward the area wire to be guided to the charging device when the vehicle detects the intensity of the magnetic field of the area wire to return to the charging device.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of running controlling changes an entering direction of the vehicle to the charging device whenever the vehicle is returned to the charging device.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined space is determined based on the intensity of the magnetic field of the area wire.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the prime movers comprise electric motors to be supplied with power from the battery.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the operating machine comprises a lawn mower.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein the vehicle has a charging terminal at its front to be connectable with the charging device installed on the area wire.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein the charging device is disposed with a coil radiating a magnetic field that forms the charging device detecting area around the charging device.