Automated guided vehicle system
First Claim
1. In an automated guided vehicle system (AGVS) wherein a vehicle is steered along a path defined by a signal-carrying wire and having a steering wheel for steering the vehicle, the improvement comprising a first and second set of sensor means on said vehicle and responsive to effects dependent upon the signal-carrying wire and independent of the signal-carrying wire respectively, for detecting the direction in which said vehicle is being steered and providing separate output signals, each representing said direction, means for selecting said output signals from different ones of said first and second sets of sensor means to guide said vehicle principally in response to different ones of said output signals in different portions of said path, and means for controlling the steering of said vehicle in response to said output signals which have been selected to provide automated guidance thereof.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An Automated Guided Vehicle System (AGVS) in which vehicles follow a guidepath defined by wires carrying electrical signals with selected routing between stations along the path. The vehicle has on-board a plurality of sensors operative independently or dependently of the wire for obtaining a plurality of guidance signals. The guidepath has digitally coded patterns which are read by sensors on-board the vehicle and converted into digital signals used by an on-board microcomputer for controlling the guidance modality including the selection of guidance signals from the sensors, and routing for accurate and reliable travel between the selected stations along the guidepath despite interruptions or abnormalities in the guidepath or the need for the vehicles to execute special maneuvers independent of the guidewire.
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Citations
25 Claims
- 1. In an automated guided vehicle system (AGVS) wherein a vehicle is steered along a path defined by a signal-carrying wire and having a steering wheel for steering the vehicle, the improvement comprising a first and second set of sensor means on said vehicle and responsive to effects dependent upon the signal-carrying wire and independent of the signal-carrying wire respectively, for detecting the direction in which said vehicle is being steered and providing separate output signals, each representing said direction, means for selecting said output signals from different ones of said first and second sets of sensor means to guide said vehicle principally in response to different ones of said output signals in different portions of said path, and means for controlling the steering of said vehicle in response to said output signals which have been selected to provide automated guidance thereof.
- 19. In an automated guided vehicle system (AGVS), having an electric signal carrying wire defining a path along which vehicles are automatically steered and sensor means for deriving, when inductively coupled to said wire, first control signals which vary in accordance with the deviations of said vehicle from said wire, the improvement comprising a plurality of stations along said path each having said wire displaced transversely of said path in opposite directions to define a pattern representing by a plurality of bits of a digital code, further sensor means for producing second control signals dependent upon the direction of travel of said vehicle and independent of said wire, means operative upon detection of said pattern for guiding said vehicle with said second control signals while said vehicle travels over said pattern, and means for reading said pattern for deriving digital signals therefrom to select different modes of operation of said vehicle.
Specification