Radio-controlled vehicle with RF noise elimination feature and with ultrasonic anti-collision means insensitive to mechanical shocks

• US 4,023,178 A
• Filed: 07/23/1975
• Issued: 05/10/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Tokyo Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Suyama, Hisao
• Primary Examiner(s): Curtis, Marshall M.
• Application Number:
  US05/598,469
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 343/225, 340/33, 340/38 S
• US Class Current: 180/169
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/14 Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction aerial arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00; combinations of different interacting aerial units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q21/29; aerials or aerial systems providing at least two radiation patterns H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 367/909 Collision avoidance

Abstract

A radio-controlled vehicle having a steering motor, a drive motor, a drive mechanism, and a direction sensor for receiving an RF signal from a remote station to actuate the drive motor and to control the steering motor to direct the vehicle to the station. Also, an ultra-sonic anti-collision circuit for preventing the vehicle from colliding with any obstacle lying in the way of its travel. The direction sensor includes an integrating circuit to remove noise components from the direction control signal to thereby provide precise control to the drive mechanism. The ultra-sonic anti-collision circuit includes circuits for preventing malfunction of the anti-collision circuit due to mechanical shocks and/or vibrations of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A radio-controlled vehicle having a radio frequency receiver for receiving a radio frequency signal transmitted from a transmitter positioned remote from the receiver to control an electric steering motor and a drive motor carried on the vehicle, characterized in that said receiver comprises:

a non-directional and a directional antenna, a mixer for mixing signals received by said non-directional antenna and said directional antenna, respectively, said antennae being carried on said vehicle, a detection circuit having an output terminal connected to an output of said mixer, an integrator circuit having an input terminal connected to an output of said detection circuit, at least a pair of flip-flop circuits having input terminals coupled to an output of said integrator circuit, whereby a direction control signal from said integrator circuit is applied to said flip-flop circuits, and means for supplying an output signal of said flip-flop circuits to said steering motor to control the same.

2. A remote-controlled vehicle having a receiver for receiving a remote-control signal from a transmitter, and characterized by:

a sending ultra-sonic vibrator mounted on said vehicle, means for supplying said vibrator with a gated oscillator signal, an oscillator gated by pulse signals having a constant period, and a pulse generator for generating said pulse signals;

a receiving ultra-sonic vibrator mounted on said vehicle for receiving echo ultra-sonic energy which is transmitted by the sending ultra-sonic vibrator and reflected by an obstacle;

a detection circuit which detects both the echo output of said receiving ultra-sonic vibrator and also a noise component due to shocks exerted on said receiving ultra-sonic vibrator to produce a detected signal;

gate means, responsive to the detected signal, for discriminating between the pulse signal and noise components to produce an output signal; and

a memory-retaining means actuated by the output signal of said gate means.

3. A vehicle as set forth in claim 2, wherein said gate means comprises:

a first gate having a signal input connected to the output of said detection circuit, a gate input connected to the output of said pulse generator, and an output;

a flip-flop circuit having a set input connected to said output of said first gate, and an output;

a monostable multivibrator having an input connected to said output of said flip-flop, and an output; and

a second gate having a signal input connected to said output of said first gate, a gate input connected to the output of said monostable multivibrator; and

an output connected to said memory retaining means.