Automatic running work vehicle
First Claim
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1. A controller for controlling a work vehicle to automatically travel along a zig-zag path covering a work area, comprising:
- orientation sensing means for producing directional signals indicating the direction of travel of a work vehicle;
distance measuring means for producing distance signals indicating the distance travelled by said vehicle;
area outer periphery learning means, connected to receive said directional and distance signals, for calculating data indicating the position of the outer periphery of a work area in response to the distance and directional signals produced while the vehicle is manually controlled to travel a peripheral path along the outer periphery of the work area by a human operator, said learning means calculating position-indicating data each time said vehicle travels a predetermined distance along said outer peripheral path;
automatic path determining means for producing, in response to the data calculated by said learning means, running data indicating a zig-zag path covering the entire portion of said work area within said peripheral path, said zig-zag path including a sequence of respective path segments; and
running control means for automatically controlling said vehicle to travel along said zig-zag path in response to said running data, said running control means controlling said vehicle to turn from a present path segment over which said vehicle is travelling onto the next path segment in said sequence when said distance signal indicates the vehicle has completely traversed the present path segment.
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Abstract
An automatic running work vehicle having a device for teaching the outer periphery of the entire area of a work site and automatically producing from the result a running course covering the interior thereof. The vehicle is adapted to automatically run the course under steering control.
48 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A controller for controlling a work vehicle to automatically travel along a zig-zag path covering a work area, comprising:
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orientation sensing means for producing directional signals indicating the direction of travel of a work vehicle; distance measuring means for producing distance signals indicating the distance travelled by said vehicle; area outer periphery learning means, connected to receive said directional and distance signals, for calculating data indicating the position of the outer periphery of a work area in response to the distance and directional signals produced while the vehicle is manually controlled to travel a peripheral path along the outer periphery of the work area by a human operator, said learning means calculating position-indicating data each time said vehicle travels a predetermined distance along said outer peripheral path; automatic path determining means for producing, in response to the data calculated by said learning means, running data indicating a zig-zag path covering the entire portion of said work area within said peripheral path, said zig-zag path including a sequence of respective path segments; and running control means for automatically controlling said vehicle to travel along said zig-zag path in response to said running data, said running control means controlling said vehicle to turn from a present path segment over which said vehicle is travelling onto the next path segment in said sequence when said distance signal indicates the vehicle has completely traversed the present path segment.
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2. A method for automatically traversing a work area with a work vehicle comprising the steps of:
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(1) sensing the instantaneous orientation of a work vehicle and the distance traveled by the vehicle; (2) manually controlling the work vehicle to travel along a peripheral path delimiting the boundary of a work area; (3) producing, at plural distance intervals along said peripheral path, indicia of the position of said work vehicle in response to said orientation and distance sensed by said sensing step (1); (4) deriving, from said data produced by said producing step (3), indicia of a sequence of respective segments of an interior path covering substantially the entire portion of said work area within said peripheral path; and (5) automatically controlling said work vehicle to travel along said segments of said interior path in sequence and for controlling said vehicle to turn from segment to segment in response to the distance sensed by said sensing step (1). - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for automatically controlling a work vehicle to traverse a work area comprising:
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means for sensing the instantaneous orientation of a work vehicle and the distance travelled by the vehicle; and processing means for; (1) producing, at plural distance intervals along a peripheral path delimiting the boundary of a work area while said vehicle is manually controlled to travel along said peripheral path, indicia of the position of said peripheral path in response to said orientation and distance sensed by said sensing means, (2) deriving, from said peripheral path position indicia, indicia of a sequence of respective segments of an interior path covering the entire portion of said work area within said peripheral path, and (3) automatically controlling said work vehicle to travel along said segments of said interior path in sequence and for controlling said vehicle to turn from segment to segment in response to the distance sensed by said sensing means. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification