AUTONOMOUS TRAVEL VEHICLE AND REPRODUCTION TRAVEL METHOD

• US 20170168492A1
• Filed: 02/06/2015
• Published: 06/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Original Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Inventors: SHITAMOTO, Hideo
• Granted Patent: US 9,846,434 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0221 involving a learning process
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0223 involving speed control of the vehicle vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/04 using counting means or digital clocks

Abstract

An autonomous travel vehicle includes a traveler, a storage, an elapsed autonomous travel time counter, and a reproduction travel command calculator. The traveler travels according to a travel control command. The storage stores travel route data in which subgoal points and arrival times are associated with each other. In a reproduction travel mode, the elapsed autonomous travel time counter counts the elapsed autonomous travel time while adjusting progress of the elapsed autonomous travel time. In the reproduction travel mode, the reproduction travel command calculator calculates a reproduction travel control command at the elapsed autonomous travel time as the travel control command based on a subgoal point stored in the travel route data in association with an arrival time immediately after an arrival time corresponding to the elapsed autonomous travel time.

Claims

1-9. -9. (canceled)

10. An autonomous travel vehicle comprising:

a traveler that travels in accordance with a travel control command;

a storage that stores travel route data, a plurality of subgoal points on a planned travel route and arrival times when the autonomous travel vehicle reaches each of the plurality of subgoal points respectively being stored in the storage in association with each other in the travel route data;

an elapsed autonomous travel time counter that counts an elapsed autonomous travel time that is an elapsed time from a start of a reproduction travel mode, while adjusting progress of the elapsed autonomous travel time based on a predetermined condition, when executing the reproduction travel mode in which the autonomous travel vehicle autonomously travels along the travel route based on the travel route data; and

a reproduction travel command calculator that calculates a reproduction travel control command at the elapsed autonomous travel time as the travel control command when the reproduction travel mode is executed, based on a subgoal point in the travel route data in association with a target arrival time, which is an arrival time immediately after an arrival time corresponding to the elapsed autonomous travel time.

11. The autonomous travel vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the reproduction travel command calculator calculates the reproduction travel control command when the elapsed autonomous travel time reaches the arrival time in the travel route data.

12. The autonomous travel vehicle according to claim 10, further comprising:

a detector that detects a position of an obstacle that may hinder traveling of the traveler; and

a reproduction travel speed adjuster that adjusts a reproduction traveling speed of the traveler based on the position of the obstacle when the reproduction travel mode is executed;

wherein

the elapsed autonomous travel time counter adjusts the progress of the elapsed autonomous travel time based on the reproduction traveling speed adjusted by the reproduction travel speed adjuster.

13. The autonomous travel vehicle according to claim 12, wherein when the reproduction travel speed adjuster sets the reproduction traveling speed to zero, the elapsed autonomous travel time counter stops counting the elapsed autonomous travel time.

14. The autonomous travel vehicle according to claim 12, wherein when the reproduction travel speed adjuster decreases the reproduction traveling speed, the elapsed autonomous travel time counter makes the progress of the elapsed autonomous travel time slower than a progress of real time.

15. The autonomous travel vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the travel route data includes data on the speed of the traveler at each of the plurality of subgoal points in association with each of the plurality of subgoal points.

16. The autonomous travel vehicle according to claim 10, further comprising:

an elapsed teaching time counter that counts an elapsed teaching time when the manual operation teaching mode is executed in which the travel route data is taught by an operation by an operator, the elapsed teaching time being a time from start of the manual operation teaching mode; and

a taught data generator that generates the travel route data including a taught subgoal point on the travel route passed by the operation by the operator and a taught elapsed time, when the taught subgoal point is obtained, stored in association with each other, when the manual operation teaching mode is executed.

17. The autonomous travel vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the taught data generator stores a taught speed in association with the taught subgoal point in the travel route data, the taught speed being a speed of the traveler at the taught subgoal point.

18. A reproduction travel method of an autonomous travel vehicle including a traveler that travels in accordance with a travel control command, and a storage that stores travel route data, a plurality of subgoal points on a planned travel route and arrival times when the autonomous travel vehicle reaches each of the subgoal points respectively being stored in the storage in association with each other in the travel route data, the reproduction travel method comprising the steps of:

counting an elapsed autonomous travel time that is an elapsed time from a start of a reproduction travel mode, while adjusting progress of the elapsed autonomous travel time based on a predetermined condition;

calculating a reproduction travel control command at the elapsed autonomous travel time as the travel control command, based on a subgoal point stored in the travel route data in association with a target arrival time, which is an arrival time immediately after an arrival time corresponding to the elapsed autonomous travel time; and

controlling the traveler based on the reproduction travel control command as the travel control command.