Process and installation for the automatic control of a utility vehicle
First Claim
1. A method for the automatic control of a utility vehicle over an area having a stationary guide structure where the vehicle is operationally associated with said structure in at least an intermittent manner to effect guidance, characterized by including the steps of:
- said vehicle laying down a detectable track on the surface of said area to identify its path or movement;
detecting the distance of said vehicle relative to said track; and
exerting closed-loop feedback control over the vehicle and utilizing the distance data as one input to the closed-loop feedback control;
said method being further characterized in that the distance to the guide structures is obtained by determining the distance between the guide structure and the vehicle in at least two fixed vehicle axes;
utilizing the distance along one of said axes as an input to the closed loop feedback control; and
utilizing the distance along the other one of said axes as a control variable for selectively driving and steering the vehicle.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and an apparatus for automatically steering a vehicle intermittently associated with a stationary guide structure. A sensor detects the distance between the vehicle and the guide structure to provide an actual value signal, which is compared with a reference signal to effect feedback control over vehicle movement. The referenece signal is adjustably controlled periodically when required, e.g., when the vehicle has completed a circuit within the area of interest.
69 Citations
41 Claims
-
1. A method for the automatic control of a utility vehicle over an area having a stationary guide structure where the vehicle is operationally associated with said structure in at least an intermittent manner to effect guidance, characterized by including the steps of:
-
said vehicle laying down a detectable track on the surface of said area to identify its path or movement; detecting the distance of said vehicle relative to said track; and
exerting closed-loop feedback control over the vehicle and utilizing the distance data as one input to the closed-loop feedback control;said method being further characterized in that the distance to the guide structures is obtained by determining the distance between the guide structure and the vehicle in at least two fixed vehicle axes;
utilizing the distance along one of said axes as an input to the closed loop feedback control; and
utilizing the distance along the other one of said axes as a control variable for selectively driving and steering the vehicle.
-
-
2. A method for the automatic control of a utility vehicle over an area having a stationary guide structure and where the vehicle is operationally associated with said structure in at least an intermittent manner to effect vehicle guidance, characterized by comprising the steps of:
-
operating the vehicle to lay down a track of at least an intermittent nature upon said area; utilizing the distance of the vehicle from said track to exert closed-loop feedback control upon the vehicle; and intermittently utilizing the distance of the vehicle from an additional guide structure to intermittently exert closed-loop guidance control upon the vehicle; said method being further characterized in that the distance to the additional guide structures is obtained by determining the distance between the additional guide structure and the vehicle in at least two fixed vehicles axes;
utilizing the distance along one of said as an input to the closed loop guidance control;and utilizing the distance along the other one of said axes as a control variable for selectively driving and steering the vehicle.
-
-
3. A method for the automatic control of a utility vehicle over an area having a stationary guide structure and where the vehicle is operationally associated with said structure at least intermittently to effect guidance of the vehicle, characterized by including the steps of:
-
maintaining the distance between the vehicle and the guide structure by means of closed-loop feedback control; and obtaining a nominal distance value for use as a command value by the closed-loop feedback control and varying said value according to detection of the guide structure; said method being further characterized by including detecting when the vehicle moves upon an area it has already traversed to alter its path and moving the vehicle further away from the guide structure by varying the nominal distance value whereby the vehicle traverses a substantially spiral-shaped path. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A method for the atuomactic control of a utility vehicle over an area having a stationary guide structure where the vehicle is operationally associated with said structure in at least an intermittent manner to effect guidance, characterized by including the steps of:
-
said vehicle laying down a detectable track on the surfade of said area to identify its path of movement; detecting the distance of said vehicle relative to said track; and
exerting closed-loop feedback control over the vehicle and utilizing the distance data as one input to the closed-loop feedback control;said method being further characterized by including detecting when the vehicle moves upon an area it has already traversed to alter its path.
-
-
9. A method for the automatic control of a utility vehicle over an area having a stationary guide structure and where the vehicle is operationally associated with said structure at least intermittently to effect guidance of the vehicle, characterized by including the steps of:
-
maintaining the distance between the vehicle and the guide structure by means of closed-loop feedback control; and obtaining a nominl distance value for use as a command value by closed-loop feedback control and varying said value according to detection of the guide structure to periodically increase the distance between the vehicle and the guide structure whereby the vehicle traverses a substantially spiral-shaped path; said method being further characterized in that the distance to the guide structure is obtained by determining the distance between the guide structure and the vehicle in at least two fixed vehicle axes;
utilizing the distance along one of said axes as an input to the closed loop feedback control;and utilizing the distance along the other one of said axes as a control variable for selectively driving and steering the vehicle; and being still further characterized by including detecting when the vehicle moves upon an area it has already traversed to alter its path.
-
-
10. A method for the automatic control of a utility vehicle over an area having a stationary guide structure and where the vehicle is operationally associated with said structure at least intermittently to effect guidance of the vehicle, characterized by including the steps of:
-
maintaining the distance between the vehicle and the guide structure by means of closed-loop feedback control; and obtaining a nominal distance value for use as a command value by the closed-loop feedback control and varying said value according to detection of the guide structure to periodically increase the distance between the vehicle and the guide structure whereby the vehicle traverses a substantially spiral-shaped path; said method further including the step of detecting the actual path traveled by the vehicle and storing at least portions of such data utilizing previously stored portions of a closed vehicle path to calculate and store a vehicle path having an altered nominal spacing value for controlling vehicle travel and recognizing a free-standing obstacle whenever portions of the path actually travelled by the vehicle differ from the calculated portions.
-
-
11. A method for the automatic control of a utility vehicle over an area having a stationary guide structure and where the vehicle is operationally associated with said structure at least intermittently to effect guidance of the vehicle, characterized by including the steps of:
-
maintaining the distance between the vehicle and the guide structure by means of closed-loop feedback control; and obtaining a nominal distance value for use as a command value by the closed-loop feedback control and varying said value according to detection of the guide structure to periodically increase the distance between the vehicle and the guide structure whereby the vehicle traverses a substantially spiral-shaped path; said method further including the step of recording a traveled vehicle path and determining intersections and overlaps of path portions to determine the presence of narrow passages in the area being traversed by the vehicle.
-
- 12. Apparatus for the automatic control of a utility vehicle over a surface having at least one stationary guide structure along the perimeter of said surface wherein an effective link is established between the vehicle and the guide structure, said vehicle having control elements including steering and drive elements to control vehicle movement by selective actuation of said steering and drive elements in accordance with the guide structure characterized in that a closed-loop control means is provided for controlling the steering and drive elements of the vehicle, distance-measuring means for at least intermittently generating a signal representing the actual distance between the vehicle and the guide structure and controllable nominal distance means for providing a signal representing the nominal distance between the vehicle and the guide structure and feedback means responsive to said the actual distance and the nominal distance signals for operating said closed loop control means, said controllable nominal distance means periodically altering said nominal distance signal to periodically increase the distance between the vehicle and the guide structure.
-
20. A method for automatically controlling a utility vehicle when moving over an area, said area comprising a region with a feature distinct from features of the remainder of said area, comprising the steps of:
-
monitoring by electrically supplied sensor means a distance between said vehicle and said distinct feature from said vehicle and at a first predetermined direction with respect to said vehicle and generating on said vehicle a first signal in dependency from said distance monitored as a controlled variable signal, thereby providing electric supply energy for said monitoring exclusively on said vehicle; generating on said vehicle a second signal as a command variable signal; generating a difference signal from said first and said second signals as a system deviation signal; acting on drive means and direction control means of said vehicle with said difference signal so as to keep said difference signal minimal; varying a distance at which said vehicle travels with respect to said feature by varying said second signal according to a desired predetermined path of said vehicle on said area. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
-
34. A method for automatically controlling a utility vehicle when moving over an area so that said vehicle finally has moved over at least a substantial part of said area, comprising the steps of:
-
guiding said vehicle first along one of a closed minimal area loop and a closed maximum area loop on said area; causing said vehicle to lay down a detectable trace on said area; detecting a trace previously laid down on said area by said vehicle; controlling said vehicle automatically to follow said last-mentioned trace shifted by a predetermined distance with respect to one predetermined lateral side of said vehicle, once said trace is detected from said vehicle, so that said vehicle travels on said area along a substantially spiral-like path from said minimum area closed loop outwardly and from said maximum area closed loop inwardly.
-
-
35. A utility vehicle with an apparatus for its automatic control when moving over an area with a feature provided in a part thereof, distinct from features provided in the remaining parts thereof, comprising:
-
electric supply means on said vehicle for generating electrical signals; drive means and steering means for said vehicle; at least one sensor means for measuring a distance between said vehicle and said distinct feature, said sensor means measuring said distance at a first fixed angle with respect to said vehicle and generating a first signal, exclusively from the electric signals generated by said electric supply means; a controllable signal generator unit generating a second signal; a difference unit, having difference inputs of which said first and second signals are led and generating a difference output signal, said difference output signal acting on at least one of said drive means and said steering means so as to provide automatic feedback control over distance measured to be at least substantially equal to a preset distance commanded by said second signal; a control unit for controlling the path of said vehicle with respect to said distinct feature, generating a control signal, said control signal being led to a control input of said controllable signal generator unit to vary said second signal and thus said automatic feedback controlled distance between said vehicle and said distinct feature. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
-
-
41. A utility vehicle with an apparatus for its automatic control when moving over an area comprising:
-
drive means for moving said vehicle; steering means for steering the vehicle as it moves; trace generating means to lay down a detectable trace on said area as the vehicle moves on said area; detecting means arranged on said vehicle and substantially shifted to one of its lateral sides for detecting a border of said last-mentioned trace, said detecting means generating a control signal for operating at least one of said drive means and a steering means so that said vehicle follows said border laterally shifted with respect to said one of its lateral sides.
-
Specification