×

Self-propelled vehicle

  • US 5,213,176 A
  • Filed: 12/07/1990
  • Issued: 05/25/1993
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1989
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A self-propelled vehicle comprising:

  • at least three wheels for driving the vehicle, each wheel including at least one shaft extending in a tangential direction of an outer circumferential surface of the wheel, and roller means rotatable mounted for rotation about the at least one shaft so that the wheel is movable at least in a rotational direction of the wheel and a rotational direction of the roller means;

    means for mounting the at least three wheels with respect to a chassis of the vehicle in directions so that the rotary axes of the wheels are in a nonparallel relationship, the chassis having a major rectangular shape with a pair of sides and a minor sides, the major axis being longer than the minor sides, one of the wheels being mounted at the center point of one of the major sides and the two remaining wheels being mounted at opposite ends of the other one of the major sides, andmotor means for driving respective ones of the at least three wheels, and control means for controlling the motor means, the control means including means for detecting a lateral deviation of the vehicle with respect to the travelling direction of the vehicle and an angular deviation of the travelling direction with respect to a guidance target, means for evaluating a predetermined determinant in accordance with the travelling direction of the vehicle together with a desired travelling speed, means for estimating circumferential speeds of the at least three wheels in accordance with the results of evaluating the determinant, and rotational speed means for controlling the rotational speed of the motor means for the at least three wheels in accordance therewith.

View all claims
  • 1 Assignment
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×