Apparatus for controlling movement of vehicle

• US 5,299,130 A
• Filed: 09/25/1991
• Issued: 03/29/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Toyoichi Ono
• Inventors: Ono, Toyoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARK, COLLIN
• Application Number:
  US07/623,659
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424.02, 364/443, 364/449, 364/569, 180/167, 180/169, 342/356, 342/357, 342/381, 342/384, 342/387, 342/388, 342/389, 342/390, 342/391, 342/392, 342/450, 342/451, 342/457, 342/463
• US Class Current: 701/25
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0247 Determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/08 Position of single direction-finder fixed by determining direction of a plurality of spaced sources of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0282 generated in a local control room

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling the movement of a vehicle such as a damp truck or the like so as to allow the movement of the vehicle to be correctly induced is disclosed. With the apparatus constructed to the present invention, a first electric wave (m₁), a second electric wave (m₂) and a third electric wave (m₃) are transmitted in synchronization with each other from predetermined locations on the ground different from each other. Then, the electric wave (m₁), the electric wave (m₂) and the electric wave (m₃) are received by two antennas mounted on the vehicle (20), whereby the position where the vehicle (20) is presently located and the attitude angle assumed by the vehicle (20) are detected based on the difference between the time the electric wave (m₁) reaches the vehicle (20) and the time when the electric wave (m₂) reaches the vehicle (20) as well as the difference between the time when the electric wave (m₁) reaches the vehicle (20) and the time when the electric wave (m₃) reaches the vehicle (20).

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling the movement of a vehicle, wherein said apparatus includes electric wave transmitting means for transmitting a first electric wave, a second electric wave and a third electric waves in synchronization with each other from predetermined positions on the ground different from each other and an unit mounted on said vehicle and wherein said unit mounted on the vehicle comprises;

a first antenna and a second antenna arranged on the vehicle in parallel with each other with a predetermined distance kept therebetween,

first time difference detecting means for detecting the difference between the time when said first electric wave reaches said first antenna and the time when said second electric wave reaches said first antenna as well as the difference between the time when said first electric wave reaches said first antenna and said third electric wave reaches said first antenna, in response to said first electric wave, said second electric wave and said third electric wave each of which is received by said first antenna,

position detecting means for detecting the position where the vehicle is presently located, based on said time differences detected by said first time difference detecting means,

second time difference detecting means for detecting the difference between the time when said first electric wave reaches said first antenna and the time when said first electric wave reaches said second antenna, in response to said first electric wave received by said first antenna and said second antenna,

attitude angle detecting means for detecting the attitude angle with which the vehicle is moving, based on said time difference detected by said second time difference detecting means

storing means for allowing target courses for the vehicle to be stored therein,

calculating means for calculating a steering angle command for allowing the vehicle to move along one of said target courses, based on the position where the vehicle is presently located, the attitude angle with which the vehicle is moving and the target courses, and

steering control means for controlling a steering angle to be assumed by the vehicle to a certain magnitude in conformity with said steering angle command.

2. An apparatus for controlling the movement of a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the first antenna and the second antenna is arranged on the front part of the vehicle and the other one is arranged on the rear part of the vehicle.

3. An apparatus for controlling the movement of a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first time difference detecting means detects the difference between the time when the first electric wave reaches the first antenna and the time when the second electric wave reaches the first antenna, based on the difference between the phase of the first electric wave received by the first antenna and the phase of the second electric wave received by the first antenna and moreover detects the difference between the time when the first electric wave reaches the first antenna and the time when the third electric wave reaches the first antenna, based on the difference between the phase of the first electric wave received by the first antenna and the phase of the third electric wave received by the first antenna.

4. An apparatus for controlling the movement of a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second time difference detecting means detects the difference between the time when the first electric wave reaches the first antenna and the time when the first electric wave reaches the second antenna, based on the difference between the phase of the first electric wave received by the first antenna and the phase of the electric wave received by the second antenna.

5. An apparatus for controlling the movement of a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said storing means serves to allow coordinates representing a plurality of locations on each of the target courses to be stored therein as a target course to be assumed by the vehicle.

6. An apparatus for controlling the movement of a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said storing means serves to allow a vehicle speed command indicating a speed to be assumed by the vehicle on each of the target courses to be stored therein as a content to be stored therein and moreover the unit mounted on the vehicle is added with means for adjusting the speed with which the vehicle is moving to a speed in conformity with said vehicle speed command.

7. An apparatus for controlling the movement of a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said storing means serves to allow a work command indicating a work to be conducted by the vehicle on one of the target courses to be stored therein as a content to be stored therein and moreover the unit mounted on the vehicle is added with means for allowing the vehicle to conduct a work in conformity with said work command.