System for monitoring the course and for controlling the braking of a freely movable vehicle, particularly an inductively steered vehicle, and vehicle with such a system
First Claim
1. In a circuit arrangement for initiating an emergency braking operation of a vehicle traveling along a guideline which extends at the center of a path defined by obstacles on at least one side, which vehicle comprises a steerable driven wheel, means defining a maximum steering angle for said driven wheel, travel drive means for driving said driven wheel, braking means arranged to effect an emergency braking of said vehicle within a predetermined maximum emergency stopping distance in response to the delivery of an emergency braking signal to said braking means, and a sensor which has first and second sensor output terminals and is operable to deliver at said first sensor output terminal an angular misalignment signal representing the angle between the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and said guideline and to deliver at said second sensor output terminal an actual departure signal representing the actual lateral departure of a predetermined point of the longitudinal center line of the vehicle from said guideline,the improvement residing in that said circuit arrangement comprisesa processor having a first input terminal adapted to be connected to said first sensor output terminal, a second input terminal adapted to be connected to said second sensor output terminal, a third input terminal, and a constant-defining circuit defining a constant which depends on the contour of said vehicle in plan view and on said maximum emergency stopping distance,a maximum departure signal generator connected to said third input terminal and operable to deliver to said third input terminal a maximum departure signal representing a maximum lateral departure of a predetermined point on said longitudinal center line from said guideline in dependence on said maximum steering angle and the width of said path of travelsaid processor being operable to compute a maximum permissible lateral departure of said predetermined point of said longitudinal center line from said guideline in dependence on said actual lateral departure signal, said maximum departure signal, said angular misalignment signal, and said constant, and to deliver to said braking means said emergency signal when said maximum permissible lateral departure exceeds said actual lateral departure by less than a predetermined value.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for monitoring the course and braking means of a vehicle are provided, which is freely movable and particularly inductively steered. The vehicles comprise drive means and at least one steerable driven wheel, braking means, and a sensor for scanning a guideline. The system comprises an arrangement (25, 27), in which an emergency braking operation for stopping the vehicle within an emergency stopping distance is generated in dependence on a signal which corresponds to the angle between the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and the guideline, and another signal, which corresponds to the lateral departure of the longitudinal center line of the vehicle adjacent to the sensor from the guideline. The emergency stopping distance is shorter than the distance which the vehicle would travel to collide with an obstacle. Limiting values for a maximum or changing steering angle, the contour of the vehicle, the speed of travel and the braking distance under maximum load. The arrangement with its input and output terminals constitutes a self-contained module. A vehicle comprising such an arrangement is also provided.
79 Citations
22 Claims
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1. In a circuit arrangement for initiating an emergency braking operation of a vehicle traveling along a guideline which extends at the center of a path defined by obstacles on at least one side, which vehicle comprises a steerable driven wheel, means defining a maximum steering angle for said driven wheel, travel drive means for driving said driven wheel, braking means arranged to effect an emergency braking of said vehicle within a predetermined maximum emergency stopping distance in response to the delivery of an emergency braking signal to said braking means, and a sensor which has first and second sensor output terminals and is operable to deliver at said first sensor output terminal an angular misalignment signal representing the angle between the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and said guideline and to deliver at said second sensor output terminal an actual departure signal representing the actual lateral departure of a predetermined point of the longitudinal center line of the vehicle from said guideline,
the improvement residing in that said circuit arrangement comprises a processor having a first input terminal adapted to be connected to said first sensor output terminal, a second input terminal adapted to be connected to said second sensor output terminal, a third input terminal, and a constant-defining circuit defining a constant which depends on the contour of said vehicle in plan view and on said maximum emergency stopping distance, a maximum departure signal generator connected to said third input terminal and operable to deliver to said third input terminal a maximum departure signal representing a maximum lateral departure of a predetermined point on said longitudinal center line from said guideline in dependence on said maximum steering angle and the width of said path of travel said processor being operable to compute a maximum permissible lateral departure of said predetermined point of said longitudinal center line from said guideline in dependence on said actual lateral departure signal, said maximum departure signal, said angular misalignment signal, and said constant, and to deliver to said braking means said emergency signal when said maximum permissible lateral departure exceeds said actual lateral departure by less than a predetermined value.
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18. In a vehicle travelling along a guideline which extends at the center of a path defined by obstacles on at least one side, which vehicle comprises a steerable driven wheel, means defining a maximum steering angle for said driven wheel, travel drive means for driving said driven wheel, braking means arranged to effect an emergency braking of said vehicle within a predetermined maximum emergency stopping distance in response to the delivery of an emergency braking signal to said braking means, a sensor which has first and second sensor output terminals and is operable to deliver at said first sensor output terminal an angular misalignment signal representing the angle between the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and said guideline and to deliver at said second sensor output terminal an actual departure signal representing the actual lateral departure of a predetermined point of the longitudinal center line of the vehicle from said guideline, and a circuit arrangement for initiating an emergency braking operation of said braking means in dependence on said angular misalignment signal and said actual angular departure signal,
the improvement residing in that said circuit arrangement comprises a processor having a first input terminal adapted to be connected to said first sensor output terminal, a second input terminal adapted to be connected to said second sensor output terminal, a third input terminal, and a constant-defining circuit defining a constant which depends on the contour of said vehicle in plan view and on said maximum emergency stopping distance a maximum departure signal generator connected to said third input terminal and operable to deliver to said third input terminal a maximum departure signal representing a maximum lateral departure of a pedetermined point on said longitudinal center line from said guideline in dependence on said maximum steering angle and the width of said path of travel, said processor being operable to compute a maximum permissible lateral departure of said predetermined point of said longitudinal center line from said guideline in dependence on said actual lateral departure signal, said maximum departure signal, said angular misalignment signal and said constant, and connected to said braking means and adapted to deliver to said braking means said emergency braking signal when said maximum permissible lateral departure exceeds said actual lateral departure by less than a predetermined value.
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22. In a module for use in a vehicle travelling along a guideline which extends at the center of a path defined by obstacles on at least one side, which vehicle comprises a steerable driven wheel, means defining a maximum steering angle for said driven wheel, travel drive means for driving said driven wheel, braking means arranged to effect an emergency braking of said vehicle within a predetermined maximum emergency stopping distance in response to the delivery of an emergency braking signal to said braking means, which module comprises a sensor which has first and second sensor output terminals and is operable to deliver at said first sensor output terminal an angular misalignment signal representing the angle between the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and said guideline and to deliver at said second sensor output terminal an actual departure signal representing the actual lateral departure of a predetermined point of the longitudinal center line of the vehicle from said guideline and a circuit arrangement for initiating an emergency braking operation of said braking means in dependence on said angular misalignment signal and said actual angular departure signal,
the improvement residing in that said circuit arrangement comprises a processor having a first input terminal adapted to be connected to said first sensor output terminal, a second input terminal adapted to be connected to said second sensor output terminal, a third input terminal, and a constant-defining circuit defining a constant which depends on the contour of said vehicle in plan view and on said maximum emergency stopping distance, a maximum departure signal generator connected to said third input terminal and operable to deliver to said third input terminal a maximum departure signal representing a maximum lateral departure of a predetermined point on said longitudinal center line from said guideline in dependence on said maximum steering angle and the width of said path of travel, said processor being operable to compute a maximum permissible lateral departure of said predetermined point of said longitudinal center line from said guideline in dependence on said actual lateral departure signal, said maximum departure signal, said angular misalignment signal, and said constant, and to deliver to said braking means said emergency braking signal when said maximum permissible lateral departure exceeds said actual lateral departure by less than a predetermined value.
Specification