Process for changing a running direction of an electromagnetically guided driverless vehicle
First Claim
1. A process for changing a running direction of an electromagnetically guided driverless vehicle, which is guided along a guide path comprising two parallel wire conductors, said guide path having at least one branch at a turning point, said turning point being located at the center of intersection of said branch and the main way of said guide path, said process being for use with a vehicle which includes right and left drive wheels rotatably mounted on said vehicle, axes of said drive wheels being in alignment with each other, right and left drive motors for driving said right and left drive wheels, respectively, right and left route sensors mounted on said vehicle for sensing magnetic fields induced by said wire conductors, said route sensors being disposed forwardly of said drive wheels and being disposed substantially in registry with said wire conductors, respectively, one output of said route sensors being used as a steering signal and as an on-route signal, and means responsive to said steering and on-route signals for controlling the direction and speed of rotation of each of said drive motors,said process comprising the steps of:
- deenergizing said right and left drive motors to stop said vehicle at the turning point in such a manner that the axes of said drive wheels are generally in registry with said turning point;
subsequently driving said right and left drive motors to rotate said right and left drive wheels at the same speed in opposite directions, respectively, so that said vehicle moves angularly in the turning direction about a vertical axis passing through the middle point between said drive wheels;
subsequently detecting a first turn-off of said on-route signal;
subsequently detecting a first turn-on of said on-route signal;
subsequently detecting a second turn-off of said on-route signal;
subsequently detecting a second turn-on of said on-route signal; and
subsequently deenergizing said right and left drive motors to stop the angular movement of said vehicle, so that said vehicle can move along the guide path in the new direction.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A process for changing a running direction of an electromagnetically guided driverless vehicle is provided which process is applicable to the vehicles of both a single conduction wire guided type and a two conduction, wires guided type. The vehicle has right and left drive wheels and independent drive motors for the respective wheels. The drive motor is controlled by a motor speed control drive to which steering signals from a route sensors are supplied. The route sensor also delivers an on-route signal to a steering control device which produces a speed setting signal, a steering signal on-off command, and a forward/reverse command for the right/left drive wheels to supply them to the motor speed control device. The process for changing the running direction of the vehicle is characterized in the method of driving the right and left wheels independently with each other forward and reverse according to the turning direction. The vehicle turns round from an old route to a new route at a turning point, thus making a turning radius smaller than that of a conventional curve turning.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A process for changing a running direction of an electromagnetically guided driverless vehicle, which is guided along a guide path comprising two parallel wire conductors, said guide path having at least one branch at a turning point, said turning point being located at the center of intersection of said branch and the main way of said guide path, said process being for use with a vehicle which includes right and left drive wheels rotatably mounted on said vehicle, axes of said drive wheels being in alignment with each other, right and left drive motors for driving said right and left drive wheels, respectively, right and left route sensors mounted on said vehicle for sensing magnetic fields induced by said wire conductors, said route sensors being disposed forwardly of said drive wheels and being disposed substantially in registry with said wire conductors, respectively, one output of said route sensors being used as a steering signal and as an on-route signal, and means responsive to said steering and on-route signals for controlling the direction and speed of rotation of each of said drive motors,
said process comprising the steps of: -
deenergizing said right and left drive motors to stop said vehicle at the turning point in such a manner that the axes of said drive wheels are generally in registry with said turning point; subsequently driving said right and left drive motors to rotate said right and left drive wheels at the same speed in opposite directions, respectively, so that said vehicle moves angularly in the turning direction about a vertical axis passing through the middle point between said drive wheels; subsequently detecting a first turn-off of said on-route signal; subsequently detecting a first turn-on of said on-route signal; subsequently detecting a second turn-off of said on-route signal; subsequently detecting a second turn-on of said on-route signal; and subsequently deenergizing said right and left drive motors to stop the angular movement of said vehicle, so that said vehicle can move along the guide path in the new direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A process for changing a running direction of an electromagnetically guided driverless vehicle, which is guided along a guide path comprising a single wire conductor, said guide path having at least one branch at a turning point, said turning point being located at the point of intersection of the wire conductor corresponding to said branch and the wire conductor corresponding to the main way of said guide path, said process being for use with a vehicle which includes right and left drive wheels rotatably mounted on said vehicle, axes of said drive wheels being in alignment with each other, right and left drive motors for driving said right and left drive wheels, respectively, a route sensor mounted on said vehicle for sensing magnetic field induced by said wire conductor, said route sensor being disposed forwardly of said drive wheels and being disposed substantially in registry with said wire conductor, an output of said route sensor being used as a steering signal and as an on-route signal, and means responsive to said steering and on-route signals for controlling the direction and speed of rotation of each of said drive motors,
said process comprising the steps of: -
deenergizing said right and left drive motors to stop said vehicle at the turning point in such a manner that the axes of said drive wheels are generally in registry with said turning point; subsequently driving said right and left drive motors to rotate said right and left drive wheels at the same speed in opposite directions, respectively, so that said vehicle moves angularly in the turning direction about a vertical axis passing through the middle point between said drive wheels; subsequently detecting a turn-off of said on-route signal; subsequently detecting a turn-on of said on-route signal; and subsequently deenergizing said right and left drive motors to stop the angular movement of said vehicle, so that said vehicle can move along the guide path in the new direction. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A system for changing a running direction of an electromagnetically guided driverless vehicle, which is guided along a guide path comprising two parallel wire conductors, said guide path having at least one branch at a turning point, said turning point being located at the center of intersection of said branch and the main way of said guide path, said system being for use with a said vehicle of the type having aligned right and left drive wheels rotatably mounted on vehicle axes and driven by right and left drive motors, there being right and left route sensors for sensing magnetic fields induced by said wire conductors and being mounted on said vehicle forwardly of said drive wheels and being disposed substantially in registry with said wire conductors, respectively, one of outputs of said route sensors being used as a steering signal and as an on-route signal, said vehicle further having control means responsive to said steering an on-route signals for controlling the direction and speed of rotation of each of said drive motors, and means for generating a turning signal immediately before said vehicle arrives at the turning point,
said system comprising: -
(a) means responsive to said turning signal for commanding said control means to deenergize said right and left drive motors to stop said vehicle at the turning point in such a manner that the axes of said drive wheels are generally in registry with said turning point; (b) means for commanding said control means upon completion of said deenergization of the right and left drive motors to drive said right and left drive motors to rotate said right and left drive wheels at the same speed in opposite directions so that said vehicle moves angularly in the turning direction about a vertical axis passing through the middle point between said drive wheels; and (c) means responsive to a second direction of turn-on of said on-route signal for commanding said control means to deenergize said right and left drive motors to stop the angular movement of said vehicle, whereby said vehicle can move along the guide path in the new direction. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A system for changing a running direction of an electromagnetically guided driverless vehicle, which is guided along a guide path comprising a single wire conductor, said guide path having at least one branch at a turning point, said turning point being located at the intersection of the wire conductor corresponding to said branch and the wire conductor corresponding to the main way of said guide path, said vehicle comprising,
right and left drive wheels rotatably mounted on said vehicle, axes of said drive wheels being in alignment with each other, right and left drive motors for driving said right and left drive wheels, respectively, a route sensor mounted on said vehicle for sensing magnetic field induced by said wire conductor, said route sensor being disposed forwardly of said drive wheels and being disposed substantially in registry with said wire conductor, an output of said route sensor being used as a steering signal and as an on-route signal, control means responsive to said steering and on-route signals for controlling the direction and speed of rotation of each of said drive motors, and means for generating a turning signal immediately before said vehicle arrives at the turning point, said system comprising: -
(a) means responsive to said turning signal for commanding said control means to deenergize said right and left drive motors to stop said vehicle at the turning point in such a manner that the axes of said drive wheels are generally in registry with said turning point; (b) means for commanding said control means upon completion of said deenergization of the right and left drive motors to drive said right and left drive motors to rotate said right and left drive wheels at the same speed in opposite directions so that said vehicle moves angularly in the turning direction about a vertical axis passing through the middle point between said drive wheels; and (c) means responsive to a first detection of turn-on of said on-route signal for commanding said control means to deenergize said right and left drive motors to stop the angular movement of said vehicle, whereby said vehicle can move along the guide path in the new direction. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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Specification