Unmanned vehicle guidance system

• US 4,864,207 A
• Filed: 03/22/1989
• Issued: 09/05/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yamauchi, Fumio, Miura, Tokuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dobeck, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US07/326,422
• Time in Patent Office: 167 Days
• Field of Search: 318/587, 180/168, 180/169, 180/170
• US Class Current: 318/587
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0263 using magnetic strips
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2201/0216 Vehicle for transporting goods in a warehouse, factory or similar

Abstract

An unmanned vehicle guidance system has a guide lane pattern and sensors. The guide lane pattern is formed by placing or burying an object to be detected in a lattice manner on or in a floor surface. The sensors are loaded on an unmanned vehicle and detect the object to be detected.

Claims

1. An unmanned vehicle guidance system comprising:

a plurality of tiles having the same square shapes and being aligned side-by-side on or in a floor surface so as to form a lattice-like guide lane pattern, each of said plurality of tiles having an L-shaped object to be detected, said object having a width corresponding to that of the guide lane pattern, and a remaining portion of the tiles being filled with a material not to be detected; and

sensor means, loaded on an unmanned vehicle, for detecting said L-shaped object to be detected but not said material.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said L-shaped object to be detected is a magnetic member.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said sensor means comprises two detecting coils mounted on right- and left-side portions of said unmanned vehicle with respect to a travel direction thereof, means for calculating a sum of outputs from said detecting coils, and means for comparing a value of the sum with a predetermined reference value and detecting an intersection point of said lattice-like guide lane pattern in accordance with the comparison result.

4. A system according to claim 1 wherein said L-shaped object to be detected comprises a ferrite member and said sensor means comprises magnetic coil means.

5. An unmanned vehicle guidance system comprising:

a plurality of tiles having the same square shapes and being aligned side-by-side on or in a floor surface so as to form a lattice-like guide lane pattern, each of said plurality of tiles having a central portion to which is attached a cross-like object to be detected, said object having a width corresponding to that of the guide lane pattern so as to form part of said lattice-like guide lane pattern, and a remaining portion of the tiles being filled with a material not to be detected; and

sensor means, loaded on an unmanned vehicle, for detecting said cross-like object to be detected but not said material.

6. A guidance system for an unmanned vehicle comprising:

a floor on which guide lanes having a predetermined width are arranged to form a lattice-like guide lane pattern;

sensor means mounted on said unmanned vehicle for detecting said guide lanes, said sensor means including first and second detecting coils which are spaced a distance greater than the predetermined width of said guide line and produce respective outputs in response to said guide lane;

an exciting coil disposed between said first and second detecting coils;

means for calculating the sum of the outputs from said first and second detecting coils; and

means for comparing the sum to a predetermined reference value to determine an intersection point of said guide lanes;

said unmanned vehicle being guided such that the portion of the vehicle equidistant between said first and second detecting coils travels along the center of said guide lane.

8. The guidance system of claim 6 wherein the sensor means further includes oscillator means for supplying an exciting current to the exciting coil, buffer means connected to the output of the first and second detecting coils, rectifier means connected between the buffer means and the calculating means, and means connected to the rectifier means for calculating the difference between the coil outputs.

7. A guidance system for an unmanned vehicle comprising:

a plurality of tiles, each said tile comprising a base member made of a vinyl resin and, adhered thereto, a magnetic member which comprises a ferrite powder having magnetic (Fe₃ O₄) as a major constituent and a particle size in the range from about 0.1 to about 500 microns and a resin or a cement, the ferrite powder comprising about 60 percent by weight of the magnetic member and being solidified by the resin or cement, said plurality of tiles being aligned to form a lattice-like guide lane pattern of the magnetic members; and

sensor means mounted on an unmanned vehicle for detecting a guide lane.

9. A guidance system for an unmanned vehicle comprising:

a plurality of tiles, each tile including an L-shaped ferrite member, a base member attached to the ferrite member, and a surface layer member disposed on upper surfaces of the ferrite member and the base member, said plurality of tiles being aligned to form a lattice-like guide lane pattern of the ferrite members of said tiles; and

sensor means mounted on an unmanned vehicle for detecting a guide lane.

10. A guidance system for an unmanned vehicle comprising:

a plurality of tiles, each tile including a cross-like ferrite member, a base member attached to the ferrite member; and

a surface layer member disposed on upper surfaces of the ferrite member and the base member, said plurality of tiles being aligned to form a lattice-like guide lane pattern of the ferrite members of said tiles; and

sensor means mounted on an unmanned vehicle for detecting a guide lane.

11. A guidance system for an unmanned vehicle comprising:

a plurality of tiles, each tile including a ferrite member configured as a hollow square, a base member attached to the ferrite member and a surface layer member disposed on upper surfaces of the ferrite member and the base member, said plurality of tiles being aligned to form a lattice-like guide lane pattern on the ferrite members of said tiles; and

sensor means mounted on the unmanned vehicle for detecting a guide lane.