DRIVING SYSTEM OF UNMANNED VEHICLE AND DRIVING PATH GENERATION METHOD

• US 20130325208A1
• Filed: 11/22/2011
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Osagawa, Kenta, Ozaki, Tomonori, Takeda, Koji, Hiranaka, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 9,037,338 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/205 Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles E02F3/8866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0217 in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/12 Target-seeking control

Abstract

Based on initial position information on an instructed fixed switch-back point and position information on a loading point, a relative positional relationship between the loading point and the switch-back point is generated. If the position of the loading point moves, then based on position information on the position- moved loading point, information on a direction of an unmanned vehicle at the loading point and information on a relative positional relationship, a new switch-back point is set at a position where the relative positional relationship can be maintained. When the initial position of the switch-back point is instructed, then on the basis of the initial position information on the switch-back point, a driving path leading to the loading point via the instructed switch-back point is generated and, when the position of the loading point moves, a driving path leading to the position-moved loading point via the new switch-back point is generated.

Claims

1. A driving system of an unmanned vehicle, which generates a driving path for the unmanned vehicle and causes to travel the unmanned vehicle along the generated driving path to a target point, the system comprising:

stopover point instructing means which instructs initial position information of a stopover point, which is on a driving path and just before a target point, as a moving point which moves in position according to a position movement of the target point;

relative positional relationship information generating means which generates information on a relative positional relationship between the target point and the stopover point on the basis of the initial position information on the stopover point instructed by the stopover point instructing means and position information on the target point;

stopover point setting means which, when the position of the target point moves, sets a new stopover point at a position where the relative positional relationship can be maintained on the basis of position information on the position- moved target point, information on a direction of the unmanned vehicle at the position-moved target point, and the relative positional relationship information;

driving path generating means which, when the initial position of the stopover point is instructed by the stopover point instructing means, generates a driving path leading to the target point via the instructed stopover point on the basis of the initial position information on the stopover point and, when the position of the target point moves , generates a driving path leading to the position- moved target point via the new stopover point set by the stopover point setting means; and

driving control means which causes the unmanned vehicle to travel along the driving path to the target point via the stopover point on the basis of the information on the generated driving path.

3. The driving system of an unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the unmanned vehicle is a dump truck, the stopover point is a switch-back point, and the target point is a loading point where a loader as a working vehicle performs a loading operation onto a dump truck.

4. The driving system of an unmanned vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the driving path is a path leading from an entry point of the loading site to the loading point in an area of a loading site via the switch-back point in the area of the loading site.

5. The driving system of an unmanned vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the driving path includes a path just before the entry point of a loading site, and the switch-back point is instructed and set at a point outside the area of the loading site and just before the entry point.

6. The driving system of an unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the stopover point instructing means is provided in the working vehicle existing at the target point.

7. The driving system of an unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the stopover point instructing means is provided in a supervising device capable of communicating with the unmanned vehicle and a working vehicle existing at the target point by means of communication means.

14. The driving system of an unmanned vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the stopover point instructing means is provided in the working vehicle existing at the target point.

16. The driving system of an unmanned vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the stopover point instructing means is provided in the working vehicle existing at the target point.

18. The driving system of an unmanned vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the stopover point instructing means is provided in the working vehicle existing at the target point.

2. A driving system of an unmanned vehicle, which generates a driving path for the unmanned vehicle and causes the unmanned vehicle to travel along the generated driving path to a target point, the system comprising:

stopover point instructing means which instructs position information of a stopover point, which is on a driving path and just before a target point, as a fixed point which does not move in position;

driving path generating means which, when a fixed position of the stopover point is instructed by the stopover point instructing means, generates a driving path leading to the target point via the instructed stopover point on the basis of the fixed position information on the stopover point, position information on the target point, and information on a direction of the unmanned vehicle at the target point and, when the position of the target point moves, generates a driving path leading to the position-moved target point via the stopover point on the basis of the position information on the position- moved target point, the information on the direction of the unmanned vehicle at the position-moved target point, and the fixed position information on the stopover point; and

driving control means which causes the unmanned vehicle to travel along the driving path to the target point via the stopover point on the basis of the information on the generated driving path.

10. The driving system of an unmanned vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the unmanned vehicle is a dump truck, the stopover point is a switch-back point, and the target point is a loading point where a loader as a working vehicle performs a loading operation onto a dump truck.

11. The driving system of an unmanned vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the driving path is a path leading from an entry point of the loading site to the loading point in an area of a loading site via the switch-back point in the area of the loading site.

12. The driving system of an unmanned vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the driving path includes a path just before the entry point of a loading site, and the switch-back point is instructed and set at a point outside the area of the loading site and just before the entry point.

13. The driving system of an unmanned vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the stopover point instructing means is provided in the working vehicle existing at the target point.

15. The driving system of an unmanned vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the stopover point instructing means is provided in the working vehicle existing at the target point.

17. The driving system of an unmanned vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the stopover point instructing means is provided in the working vehicle existing at the target point.

19. The driving system of an unmanned vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the stopover point instructing means is provided in the working vehicle existing at the target point.

20. The driving system of an unmanned vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the stopover point instructing means is provided in a supervising device capable of communicating with the unmanned vehicle and a working vehicle existing at the target point by means of communication means.

8. A driving path generation method for an unmanned vehicle, which generates a driving path leading to a target point of the unmanned vehicle, comprising:

instructing initial position information of a stopover point, which is on a driving path and just before a target point, as a moving point which moves in position according to a position movement of the target point;

when the initial position of the stopover point is instructed, generating a driving path leading to the target point via the instructed stopover point on the basis of the initial position information on the stopover point, and generating information on a relative positional relationship between the target point and the stopover point on the basis of the initial position information on the instructed stopover point and position information on the target point; and

when the position of the target point moves, setting a new stopover point at a position where the relative positional relationship can be maintained on the basis of position information on the position-moved target point, information on a direction of the unmanned vehicle at the position-moved target point, and the relative positional relationship information, and generating a driving path leading to the position- moved target point via the newly set stopover point.

9. A driving path generation method for an unmanned vehicle, which creates generates a driving path leading to a target point of the unmanned vehicle, comprising:

instructing position information of a stopover point, which is on a driving path and just before a target point, as a fixed point which does not move in position;

when a fixed position of the stopover point is instructed, generating a driving path leading to the target point via the instructed stopover point on the basis of the fixed position information on the stopover point, position information on the target point, and information on a direction of the unmanned vehicle at the target point; and

when the position of the target point moves, generating a driving path leading to the position-moved target point via the stopover point on the basis of the position information on the position-moved target point, the information on the direction of the unmanned vehicle at the position-moved target point, and the fixed position information on the stopover point.