Apparatus for guiding a vehicle
First Claim
1. In an apparatus for guiding a land vehicle as it moves along a nominally straight path, said apparatus comprising detector means for producing a deviation signal in response to deviation of a heading of said vehicle from a reference direction, said detector means comprising compass means for providing said reference direction, heading responsive means for responding to a change of said heading relative to said reference direction, and adjustment means for adjusting said heading responsive means relative to said vehicle and setting said heading steering means for controlling steering of said vehicle;
- and control means for controlling said steering means in response to said deviation signal;
the improvement comprising;
said detector means further comprising means for providing said deviation signal as a progressive function of said heading deviation from said reference direction; and
said steering means and said control means comprising means for providing progressive functions of said deviation signal, steering said vehicle back toward said path, and correcting said heading deviation of said vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to apparatus for guiding a vehicle as it moves, of the kind comprising a detector (12) sensing deviation of the heading of the vehicle relative to a pre-determined direction and producing an electrical deviation signal, a hydraulic piston and cylinder device (16) steering the vehicle wheels (2) and control means (15) responsive to the deviation signal.
The technical problem is to provide apparatus of this kind whose operation is progressive and avoids systematic hunting.
In accordance with the invention, the detector produces a deviation signal which is proportional to the deviation of the vehicle heading from the pre-set direction, and the servo-valve provides progressive control as a function of the deviation signal.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. In an apparatus for guiding a land vehicle as it moves along a nominally straight path, said apparatus comprising detector means for producing a deviation signal in response to deviation of a heading of said vehicle from a reference direction, said detector means comprising compass means for providing said reference direction, heading responsive means for responding to a change of said heading relative to said reference direction, and adjustment means for adjusting said heading responsive means relative to said vehicle and setting said heading steering means for controlling steering of said vehicle;
- and control means for controlling said steering means in response to said deviation signal;
the improvement comprising;said detector means further comprising means for providing said deviation signal as a progressive function of said heading deviation from said reference direction; and said steering means and said control means comprising means for providing progressive functions of said deviation signal, steering said vehicle back toward said path, and correcting said heading deviation of said vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
- and control means for controlling said steering means in response to said deviation signal;
Specification