Apparatus and method for fleet control when unmanned and manned vehicles travel together

• US 6,038,502 A
• Filed: 08/19/1998
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Sudo, Tsugio
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/125,488
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/24, 701/25, 701/117, 701/118, 701/300, 701/301, 701/200, 244/158 R, 244/159, 244/161, 244/162, 180/167-168, 180/169, 180/170
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9319 Controlling the accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0289 with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for fleet control when manned and unmanned vehicles travel together, and prevents mutual interference when manned vehicles simultaneously travel with unmanned vehicles on the same traveling course. To this end, in the apparatus, the unmanned vehicle includes an unmanned vehicle position detecting device, an unmanned vehicle transmitter/receiver, and an unmanned vehicle controller. The manned vehicle includes a manned vehicle position detecting device, a manned vehicle transmitter/receiver, a manned vehicle controller), and an alarm device. The manned vehicle controller compares unmanned vehicle position data and manned vehicle position data, and outputs an alarm signal for avoiding the unmanned vehicle when the unmanned vehicle travels ahead of the manned vehicle and the distance up to the unmanned vehicle is shorter than a predetermined value.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling unmanned and manned vehicles traveling together on a same traveling course comprising:

an unmanned vehicle position detector for detecting a position of said unmanned vehicle;

an unmanned vehicle transmitter/receiver for transmitting and receiving data to and from a manned vehicle;

an unmanned vehicle controller for transmitting the detected position of the unmanned vehicle by said unmanned vehicle transmitter/receiver;

a manned vehicle position detector for detecting a position of said manned vehicle;

a manned vehicle transmitter/receiver for transmitting and receiving data to and from said unmanned vehicle;

a manned vehicle controller for inputting the detected position of the manned vehicle; and

an alarm device for providing an alarm to an operator of said manned vehicle;

wherein said manned vehicle controller compares the unmanned vehicle position with the manned vehicle position and, when said unmanned vehicle travels ahead of said manned vehicle, outputs an alarm signal to said alarm device for avoiding said unmanned vehicle based on a distance between said manned vehicle and said unmanned vehicle.

2. An apparatus for controlling unmanned and manned vehicles traveling together in accordance with claim 1, wherein said alarm device provides said alarm to the operator by using at least one of an indicator lamp, a prompting message display on a character display device, a graphic display and an audible alarm.

3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said manned vehicle controller outputs said alarm signal to said alarm device when the distance between said manned vehicle and said unmanned vehicle is shorter than a predetermined value.

4. An apparatus for controlling unmanned and manned vehicles traveling together on a same traveling course comprising:

a manned vehicle position detector for detecting a position of the manned vehicle;

a manned vehicle transmitter/receiver for transmitting and receiving data to and from said manned vehicle;

a manned vehicle controller for transmitting the detected manned vehicle position;

an unmanned vehicle position detector for detecting a position of said unmanned vehicle;

an unmanned vehicle transmitter/receiver for transmitting and receiving data to and from said manned vehicle;

an unmanned vehicle controller for inputting the detected unmanned vehicle position; and

a speed controller for conducting speed control of said unmanned vehicle;

wherein said unmanned vehicle controller compares the manned vehicle position with the unmanned vehicle position, and, when said unmanned vehicle travels ahead of said manned vehicle, outputs an executive instruction to said speed controller based on a distance between said unmanned vehicle and said manned vehicle.

5. An apparatus for controlling unmanned and manned vehicles traveling together in accordance with claim 4, wherein said speed controller conducts speed control of said unmanned vehicle by conducting at least one of engine fuel injection quantity control, transmission control, and brake control.

6. An apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein said unmanned vehicle controller outputs said executive instruction to said speed controller the distance between said unmanned vehicle and said manned vehicle is shorter than a predetermined value.

7. An apparatus for controlling unmanned and manned vehicles traveling together on a same traveling course comprising:

a monitoring station;

a manned vehicle position detector for detecting a position of said manned vehicle;

a manned vehicle transmitter/receiver for transmitting and receiving data and instructions to and from said monitoring station;

a manned vehicle controller for transmitting the detected position of the manned vehicle and for receiving alarm instructions from said monitoring station by means of said manned vehicle transmitter/receiver;

an alarm device for providing an alarm to an operator based on the alarm instruction received by said manned vehicle controller;

an unmanned vehicle position detector for detecting a position of an unmanned vehicle;

an unmanned vehicle transmitter/receiver for transmitting and receiving data instructions to and from said monitoring station;

an unmanned vehicle controller for transmitting the detected position of the unmanned vehicle and for outputting a speed control instruction; and

a speed controller for conducting speed control of said unmanned vehicle;

wherein said monitoring station includes a monitoring station transmitter/receiver for transmitting and receiving data and instructions to and from said manned and unmanned vehicles, and a monitor controller, said monitor controller for comparing the position of said manned vehicle and the position of said unmanned vehicle and, when said unmanned vehicle travels ahead of said manned vehicle, for transmitting an alarm instruction to avoid said unmanned vehicle to said manned vehicle based on a distance between said manned vehicle and said unmanned vehicle.

8. An apparatus for controlling unmanned and manned vehicles traveling together in accordance with claim 7, wherein said unmanned vehicle controller outputs said speed control instruction based on a deceleration instruction from said monitoring station.

9. An apparatus for controlling unmanned and manned vehicles traveling together in accordance with claim 7, wherein said speed controller conducts speed control by conducting at least one of engine fuel injection quantity control, transmission control, and brake control.

10. An apparatus for controlling unmanned and manned vehicles traveling together in accordance with claim 7, wherein said monitor controller further transmits a speed control instruction to said unmanned vehicle when said manned vehicle travels ahead of said unmanned vehicle and the distance between both vehicles is shorter than a predetermined value.

11. An apparatus for controlling unmanned and manned vehicles traveling together in accordance with claim 7, wherein said monitor controller further provides an alarm instruction to said manned vehicle to avoid said unmanned vehicle when said manned vehicle travels ahead of said unmanned vehicle and the distance between both vehicles is shorter than a predetermined value.

12. An apparatus for controlling unmanned and manned vehicles traveling together in accordance with claim 7, wherein said monitor controller includes a display for graphically displaying the position of the traveling course and the position of the unmanned vehicle and manned vehicle.

13. An apparatus in accordance with claim 7, wherein said monitor controller transmits said alarm instruction to said manned vehicle when the distance between said manned vehicle and said unmanned vehicle is shorter than a predetermined value.

14. A method for controlling manned and unmanned vehicles traveling together on the same traveling course comprising the steps of:

comparing the position of said unmanned vehicle with the position of said manned vehicle;

providing an alarm for avoiding said unmanned vehicle to an operator of said manned vehicle when said unmanned vehicle travels ahead of said manned vehicle based on a distance between said manned vehicle and said unmanned vehicle.

15. A method for controlling manned and unmanned vehicles traveling together on the same traveling course in accordance with claim 14, further comprising the step of conducting speed control of said unmanned vehicle when said manned vehicle travels ahead of said unmanned vehicle.

16. A method for controlling manned and unmanned vehicles traveling together on the same traveling course in accordance with claim 15, wherein said step of conducting speed control is conducted by at least one of engine fuel injection quantity control, transmission control, and brake control.

17. A method for controlling manned and unmanned vehicles traveling together on the same traveling course in accordance with claim 14, further comprising the step of providing an alarm for avoiding said unmanned vehicle to the operator of said manned vehicle when said manned vehicle travels ahead of said unmanned vehicle.

18. A method for controlling manned and unmanned vehicles in accordance with claim 14, wherein said step of providing an alarm includes providing an alarm when the distance between said manned vehicle and said unmanned vehicle is shorter than a predetermined value.