Steering control system for moving vehicle
First Claim
1. A steering control system for a moving vehicle wherein the position of the moving vehicle is detected by scanning a light beam generated at the moving vehicle in the circumferential direction around the moving vehicle and receiving light beams reflected by retroreflective means disposed at at least three reference points, the steering control system for the moving vehicle comprising:
- azimuth detecting means for detecting the azimuth of each retroreflective means as viewed from the moving vehicle on the basis of incident light reflected by the retroreflective means during each scan,means for calculating a predicted azimuth of each retroreflective means to be detected in the next scan on the basis of the azimuths previously detected in the azimuth detecting means,means for setting a reference point discrimination direction for each direction at which the light beam scan has proceeded by a predetermined angle beyond the predicted azimuth of each retroreflective means, andazimuth discriminating means for judging that the incident light with a directional angle nearest the predicted azimuth of the incident lights detected between the preceding reference point discrimination direction and the current reference point discrimination direction is light reflected from the reflecting means disposed at the expected reference point.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A position detecting system of a moving vehicle wherein a light beam scanned around the vehicle to be reflected by reference retroreflective means is received on the vehicle, the azimuth of each retroreflective means to be detected in the next scan is predicted, the azimuth of a particular incident light which forms the smallest angle with the predicted azimuth and is detected between two reference point discrimination azimuths preset at both sides of the predicted azimuth is judges to be that of an expected reflecting means and utilized for the position detection of the moving vehicle. When the expected retroreflective means is missed in a turning course, a previously known included angle which is formed by two straight lines connecting a turn center to said missing retroreflective means and another retroreflective means disposed just before, respectively, is added to the azimuth of the another retroreflective means in the next scan, and the resultant sum angle is used as the azimuth for the missing retroreflective means.
75 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A steering control system for a moving vehicle wherein the position of the moving vehicle is detected by scanning a light beam generated at the moving vehicle in the circumferential direction around the moving vehicle and receiving light beams reflected by retroreflective means disposed at at least three reference points, the steering control system for the moving vehicle comprising:
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azimuth detecting means for detecting the azimuth of each retroreflective means as viewed from the moving vehicle on the basis of incident light reflected by the retroreflective means during each scan, means for calculating a predicted azimuth of each retroreflective means to be detected in the next scan on the basis of the azimuths previously detected in the azimuth detecting means, means for setting a reference point discrimination direction for each direction at which the light beam scan has proceeded by a predetermined angle beyond the predicted azimuth of each retroreflective means, and azimuth discriminating means for judging that the incident light with a directional angle nearest the predicted azimuth of the incident lights detected between the preceding reference point discrimination direction and the current reference point discrimination direction is light reflected from the reflecting means disposed at the expected reference point. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A steering control system for a moving vehicle wherein a light beam generated at the moving vehicle is scanned in the circumferential direction around the moving vehicle, light beams reflected by retroreflective means disposed at at least three reference point are received to determine the azimuths of the retroreflective means as viewed from the moving vehicle, and based on the result of the determination, the moving vehicle is caused to travel in a traveling course consisting of straight courses and turning courses contiguous thereto, the steering control system comprising:
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azimuth detecting means for detecting the azimuth of each retroreflective means as viewed from the moving vehicle on the basis of light reflected by the retroreflective means, first azimuth calculating means for calculating, on the basis of the azimuths previously detected in said azimuth detecting means, a predicted azimuth in which each retroreflective means is to be detected in the next scan, reference point discriminating means for detecting, on the basis of whether or not an incident light comes from the predicted azimuth, the light reflected by the expected retroreflective means from among the received incident lights, included angle calculating means for calculating included angles between mutually adjoining two straight lines of the straight lines connected each turn center in a preset traveling course and the respective retroreflective means, and second azimuth calculating means for adding, when a particular expected retroreflective means has not been detected at the predicted azimuth thereof in a turning course, the included angle formed by two straight lines connecting the turn center to the particular retroreflective means which has not been detected and another retroreflective means disposed immediately before in the scan direction to the azimuth of said another retroreflective means, thereby to calculate the azimuth of the undetected particular retroreflective means to be detected in the next scan. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification