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 a coded data signal determined to be inherent to the working area and supplies the electric current in the generated coded data signal to the boundary wire;
wherein the position determining unit detects the data signal from the output of the magnetic sensor and determines the position of the vehicle with respect to the working area based on a rate of concordance of the detected data signal and a reference signal.
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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.
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Citations
20 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 a coded data signal determined to be inherent to the working area and supplies the electric current in the generated coded data signal to the boundary wire; wherein the position determining unit detects the data signal from the output of the magnetic sensor and determines the position of the vehicle with respect to the working area based on a rate of concordance of the detected data signal and a reference signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. 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 a coded data signal determine to be inherent to the working area and supplies the electric current in the generated coded data signal to the boundary wire; wherein the step of position determining detects the data signal from the output of the magnetic sensor and determines the position of the vehicle with respect to the working area based on a rate of concordance of the detected data signal and a reference signal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification