Automatic vehicle

• US 5,947,225 A
• Filed: 04/12/1996
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Moneual Incorporated (Hong-Seok Park, MBA)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Kawakami, Yuichi, Kawagoe, Nobukazu
• Primary Examiner(s): CULBRETH, ERIC D
• Application Number:
  US08/631,014
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 180/274, 180/280, 180/271, 180/167, 180/169, 180/168
• US Class Current: 180/271
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0238 using obstacle or wall sensors G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00

Abstract

A vehicle has a sensor for detecting a first distance to a first object and a second distance to a second object located on the other side of the first object. The vehicle travels along a path between the first object and the second object based on the detected first and second distances.

A vehicle has a sensor for detecting a distance to an object and a working unit which is movably connected with a main body. The working unit is moved based on the detected distance to the object.

Claims

1. A vehicle which travels along a path, comprising:

a contact sensor which detects a distance to an object by contacting the object; and

a traveling unit which moves the vehicle along the path based on the detected distance and makes the vehicle execute a predetermined movement when distance detection by the contact sensor is impossible, wherein said traveling unit moves the vehicle in a wireless fashion.

2. A vehicle which travels along a path, comprising:

a contact sensor which detects a distance to an object by contacting the object; and

a traveling unit which moves the vehicle along the path based on the detected distance and moves the vehicle straight when the distance detection by the contact sensor is impossible.

3. A vehicle which travels along a path, comprising:

a contact sensor which detects a distance to an object by contacting the object;

a traveling unit which moves the vehicle along the path based on the detected distance and makes the vehicle execute a predetermined movement when the distance detection by the contact sensor is impossible;

a non-contact sensor which detects a distance to the object without contacting the object; and

wherein the traveling unit moves the vehicle along the path based on the distance detected by the noncontact sensor when the distance detection by the contact sensor is impossible.

4. A vehicle which travels along a path, comprising:

a main body including a traveling unit for advancing said main body along the path;

a working unit which is movably connected with said main body;

a sensor which detects a distance to an object, the detected distance relating to a distance between the object and a location on the vehicle that is in front of said working unit with respect to the path; and

a controller which controls said working unit to move the working unit relative to said main body based on the detected distance while said traveling unit advances said main body along the path.

5. The vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the working unit is moved along the object based on the detected distance to the object.

6. The vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the sensor is a contact sensor which contacts with the object for detecting the distance to the object.

7. The vehicle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the contact sensor comprises at least two contact sensor elements located at a side surface of the main body.

8. The vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the working unit is moved in order that a side end of the working unit substantially contacts with the object.

9. A vehicle which travels along a path, comprising:

a main body;

a sensor which detects a distance to an object; and

a working unit which is movably connected with the main body, the working unit being moved based on the detected distance to the object;

wherein the working unit is moved based on the distance to the object detected before a predetermined time.

10. A vehicle which travels along a path, comprising:

a main body including a traveling unit for advancing said main body along the path;

a working unit which is movably connected with said main body;

a sensor which detects a protrusion of an object, the detected protrusion relating to a protrusion at a position in front of said working unit with respect to the path; and

a controller which controls said traveling unit and said working unit to move said working unit relative to said main body based on the detected protrusion and to advance said main body along the path.

11. A vehicle which travels along a path, comprising:

a sensor which detects a distance to an object existing at a side of the vehicle with respect to the path; and

a traveling unit which moves the vehicle based on the detected distance and stops moving the vehicle based on the detected distance when the detected distance changes more than a predetermined value.

12. The vehicle as claimed in claim 11, wherein the traveling unit moves the vehicle straight when the detected distance changes with more than a predetermined value.

13. The vehicle as claimed in claim 11, wherein the traveling unit resumes moving the vehicle based on the detected distance when the detected distance changes less than a predetermined value range.

14. A vehicle which travels along a path, comprising:

a contact sensor which detects an object by contacting the object and thus detects a distance to the object, said contact sensor being able to detect an object within a predetermined distance; and

a traveling unit which moves the vehicle based on the detected distance in order that the object always exists within the predetermined distance from the contact sensor.

15. A vehicle which travels along a path, comprising:

a contact sensor which detects a distance to an object by contacting the object;

a non-contact sensor which detects a distance to the object without contacting the object; and

a traveling unit which moves the vehicle based on at least one of the distance detected by the contact or non-contact sensors.

16. A vehicle which travels along a path, comprising:

a main body;

a sensor which detects a distance to an object and outputs a plurality of data relating to the distance periodically;

a working unit which is movably connected with the main body; and

a controller which inputs the plurality of the data periodically outputted from said sensor, and controls said working unit to move relative to the main body based on the plurality of the data while the vehicle advances along the path.

17. The vehicle as claimed in claim 16, wherein said sensor includes a plurality of sensor elements.