Downward compatible AGV system and methods
First Claim
1. A system for non-guidewire navigation and guidance of an automated guided vehicle across a floor, the system comprising:
- a plurality of reference points disposed in said floor;
a wireless receiver disposed on said vehicle which receives a wireless control signal, said wireless control signal including a predetermined destination and being sent from an off-vehicle controller;
a processor which selects and calculates a guidepath from a plurality of possible guidepaths based upon a current vehicle position which comprises an origin for and bearing of the selected guidepath, and based upon said predetermined destination;
a plurality of reference point sensors disposed on said vehicle which generate position information by detecting said plurality of reference points, said position information being used by a vehicle navigation and guidance system to constrain said vehicle to said selected guidepath such that the path actually traversed by said vehicle comprises said predetermined destination.
10 Assignments
0 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
An automated guided vehicle (AGV) control system which is downward compatible with existing guidewire systems providing both guidewire navigation and communication and autonomous navigation and guidance and wireless communication between a central controller and each vehicle. FIGS. 90, 91, 92, 93, and 94 provide a map showing relative orientation of the schematic circuits seen in FIGS. 90A-B, 91A-B, 92A-B, 93A-B, and 94A-B, respectively over paths marked by update markers which may be spaced well apart, such as fifty feet. Redundant measurement capability using inputs from linear travel encoders from the vehicle'"'"'s drive wheels, position measurements from the update markers, and bearing measurements from a novel angular rate sensing apparatus, in combination with the use of a Kalman filter, allows correction for navigation and guidance errors caused by such factors as angular rate sensor drift, wear, temperature changes, aging, and early miscalibration during vehicle operation. The control system employs high frequency two-way data transmission and reception capability over the guidewires and via wireless communications. The same data rates and message formats are used in both guidewire and wireless communications systems. Substantially the same communications electronics are used for the central controller and each vehicle. Novel navigation and guidance algorithms are used to select and calculate a non-linear path to each next vehicle waypoint when the vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode. The non-linear path originates with an initial direction equal to the heading of the vehicle as it enters the path and a waypoint heading defined as part of the message received from the central control system which plans and controls travel of each vehicle in the system.
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Citations
49 Claims
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1. A system for non-guidewire navigation and guidance of an automated guided vehicle across a floor, the system comprising:
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a plurality of reference points disposed in said floor; a wireless receiver disposed on said vehicle which receives a wireless control signal, said wireless control signal including a predetermined destination and being sent from an off-vehicle controller; a processor which selects and calculates a guidepath from a plurality of possible guidepaths based upon a current vehicle position which comprises an origin for and bearing of the selected guidepath, and based upon said predetermined destination; a plurality of reference point sensors disposed on said vehicle which generate position information by detecting said plurality of reference points, said position information being used by a vehicle navigation and guidance system to constrain said vehicle to said selected guidepath such that the path actually traversed by said vehicle comprises said predetermined destination. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of causing an automated guided vehicle to reach a predetermined destination comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a floor comprising a pathway marked by at least one floor disposed reference point for non-guidewire navigation and guidance of said vehicle, said pathway comprising said predetermined destination; (b) sending a wireless control signal from a central control system, said wireless control signal including information pertaining to a location of said predetermined destination; (c) receiving and utilizing said wireless control signal at said automated guided vehicle; (d) optionally obtaining floor related, vehicle-generated coordinate signals through vehicle detection of information from said floor disposed reference point; (e) communicating said vehicle-generated coordinate signals and said control signal to a vehicle-borne navigation and guidance system; and (f) calculating, in said navigation and guidance system, a guide path comprising exit target coordinates and an exit bearing for said vehicle from said pathway along which said vehicle is to be navigated and guided. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for controlling movement of an automated guided vehicle which operates in a self-contained guidance mode whereby said vehicle operates up to a given speed and moves from one path segment to another path segment, comprising the following steps:
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(a) providing a floor comprising a pathway, said pathway comprising a vehicle target destination; (b) sending from a non-vehicle source a move command comprising said vehicle target destination for said vehicle; (c) receiving said move command by said automated guided vehicle; (d) decoding said move command related to said vehicle target destination of said vehicle; (e) transferring said decoded move command to an on-board vehicle controller; and (f) calculating, in said on-board vehicle controller, a guide path for said vehicle to cause said vehicle to move toward said vehicle target destination. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An automated guided vehicle system for autonomous navigation of an automated guided vehicle along a pathway on a floor to a predetermined destination, the system comprising:
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a plurality of widely-spaced, floor-disposed reference points which mark said pathway for non-guidewire navigation and guidance of said vehicle; a guide path comprising exit target coordinates for said vehicle from said pathway along which said vehicle is to be navigated and guided, said guide path enabling said vehicle to navigate said pathway; a vehicle controller having a vehicle controller transceiver, said vehicle controller transceiver sending a wireless control signal to said vehicle which includes information pertaining to a location of said predetermined destination; and said vehicle, said vehicle further including a vehicle transceiver which receives said wireless control signal from said vehicle controller, said vehicle transceiver in conjunction with said vehicle controller transceiver forming a wireless communication link, a navigation and guidance system which utilizes said wireless control signal from said vehicle controller transceiver, said navigation and guidance system including an encoder which measures distance traveled by said vehicle, a gyro which measures bearing of vehicle travel, a reference point sensor system including a plurality of sensors which generates position information by detecting said floor disposed reference points, and a processor which processes said position information from said reference point sensor system and information from said encoder and said gyro to enable said automatic guided vehicle to follow said guide path autonomously. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method of causing an automated guided vehicle to reach a predetermined destination comprising the steps of:
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(a) disposing a plurality of reference points in a floor for non-guidewire navigation and guidance of said vehicle, said reference points marking a pathway, said pathway extending from a vehicle origin to said predetermined destination; (b) determining a guide path comprising exit target coordinates and an exit bearing for said vehicle from said pathway along which said vehicle is to be navigated and guided; (c) sending a wireless control signal from an off-vehicle controller, said wireless control signal including information pertaining to a location of said predetermined destination; (d) receiving and utilizing said wireless control signal at said automated guided vehicle; and (e) autonomously traversing said guide path, said traversing step including the step of constraining said vehicle to said guide path such that the path actually traversed by said vehicle is substantially the same as said guide path, said constraining step including the steps of (1) generating information pertaining to a linear distance traveled by said vehicle and communicating said linear distance information to a vehicle-borne navigation and guidance system, (2) generating information pertaining to bearing of said vehicle and communicating said bearing information to said vehicle-borne navigation and guidance system, and (3) generating floor-related position information by detecting said floor disposed reference points, and communicating said floor-related position information to said vehicle-borne navigation and guidance system. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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Specification