Automated guided vehicle having ground track sensor
First Claim
1. An automated guided vehicle navigation and steering control system, comprising:
- a primary navigation system which senses a heading or a rate-of-change of heading of an automated guided vehicle;
a ground track sensor which continuously senses relative movement of the automated guided vehicle with respect to a surface being traversed by the vehicle in order to determine an actual velocity vector of the vehicle; and
a navigation and control computer which is responsive to said primary navigation system and said ground track sensor for determining an actuated path of movement of the automated guided vehicle and for comparing said actual paths of movement with an intended path of movement in order to control movement of the vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automated guided vehicle includes a body, at least one driver wheel for propelling the body along a surface, at least one steered wheel for directing the body with respect to the surface and a body-based inertial navigation system. The inertial navigation system senses actual movement of the body in at least three degrees of freedom. Such sensing is accomplished notwithstanding the presence of side slippage of the vehicle. This can be embodied in an automated guided vehicle having a ground track sensor which continuously senses relative movement of the vehicle with respect to the surface being traversed in order to determine an actual velocity vector of the vehicle. The ground track sensor may physically contact the surface in order to sense the relative movement or may be a non-contact sensor. The disclosed navigation system is especially useful with tugger automated guided vehicles.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. An automated guided vehicle navigation and steering control system, comprising:
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a primary navigation system which senses a heading or a rate-of-change of heading of an automated guided vehicle; a ground track sensor which continuously senses relative movement of the automated guided vehicle with respect to a surface being traversed by the vehicle in order to determine an actual velocity vector of the vehicle; and a navigation and control computer which is responsive to said primary navigation system and said ground track sensor for determining an actuated path of movement of the automated guided vehicle and for comparing said actual paths of movement with an intended path of movement in order to control movement of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An automated guided vehicle, comprising:
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a body, at least one driver wheel for propelling said body along a surface, and at least one steered wheel for directing said body with respect to the surface; a primary navigation system which senses a heading or a rate-of-change of heading of the body; a distance measuring device which measures distanced travelled by said body in a longitudinal direction; a ground track sensor which is independent of said wheels and which continuously monitors movement of said body with respect to the surface at least in a lateral direction; and a navigation and control computer which is responsive to said primary navigation system, to said distance measuring device and to said ground track sensor for determining an actual path of movement of said body and for controlling said steering wheel in order to direct said body along an ideal path of movement. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An automated guided vehicle comprising:
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a body, at least one driver wheel for propelling said body along a floor, at least one steered wheel for directing said body with resect to the floor, and a steered wheel monitoring system which monitors steering angle of said at least one steered wheel; an inertial navigation sensor which senses rate-of-change of heading of said body; a ground track sensor which monitors a ground velocity vector with respect to said body independent of said wheels; and a navigation and control computer which is responsive to said inertial navigation sensor and to said steered wheel monitoring system and said ground track sensor for determining an actual path of movement of said body and for controlling said steering wheel in order to direct said body along an ideal path of movement. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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29. An automated guided vehicle comprising:
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a body, at least one driver wheel for propelling said body along a floor, and at least one steered wheel for directing said body with respect to the floor; and a body-based inertial navigation system which senses actual movement of said body in at least three degrees of freedom irrespective of side slippage of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification