Teaching method and apparatus of unmanned vehicle traveling course

• US 6,195,610 B1
• Filed: 07/20/1998
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Kaneko, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rovnak, John Edmund
• Application Number:
  US09/117,296
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/22, 701/23, 701/25, 701/26, 701/41, 701/50, 701/70, 701/116, 701/200, 701/201, 701/202, 701/206, 701/207, 701/208, 701/210, 701/217, 701/220, 701/221, 701/223, 701/300, 701/301, 434/118, 434/305, 434/373
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/048 a model being viewed and manoeuvred from a remote point G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence

Abstract

A teaching method includes dividing an automatic traveling course (96) into a plurality of zones before teaching, conducting teaching for each zone of a plurality of zones at the time of teaching so as to generate position coordinate data for each zone as course data for each zone, and combining course data for respective zones and store the same after teaching. An apparatus includes a teaching zone designating function section (41) for designating a zone inside an automatic traveling course (96) divided into a plurality of zones, a position coordinate data function section (42) of an unmanned vehicle (3), zone-specific traveling course data memory means (43), a teaching course data writing function section (44) for writing the position coordinate, a teaching data edit instruction function section (45) for outputting an instruction after the completion of teaching route, and a total traveling course data edit function section (46) for combining and editing the traveling course data. Thereby the change of teaching of the course can be made within a short time.

Claims

1. A method of teaching a traveling course to an unmanned vehicle for automatic operation comprising the steps of:

dividing a traveling course to be taught into a plurality of zones, each zone comprising a portion of said traveling course;

operating the vehicle with human assistance along a portion of the traveling course corresponding to one of said plurality of zones to generate course position data corresponding to said zone;

storing said generated course position data;

repeating said operating and storing steps to generate course position data for each of said plurality of zones; and

combining said stored course position data for each of said zones to obtain course position data for said traveling course.

2. A method of teaching a traveling course to an unmanned vehicle in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of:

automatically operating said unmanned vehicle along said traveling course based on said stored course position data for said traveling course.

3. A method of teaching a traveling course to an unmanned vehicle in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

selecting a zone to be updated from said plurality of zones;

operating the vehicle with human assistance along a portion of the traveling course corresponding to said zone to be updated to generate updated course position data; and

combining said updated course position data with said stored course position data to generate course position data for said traveling course which includes updated course position data for said zone to be updated.

4. A method of teaching a traveling course to an unmanned vehicle in accordance with claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

selecting a teaching start mode prior to the step of operating the vehicle with human assistance along said portion of the course corresponding to said zone to be updated; and

selecting a teaching end mode after said step of operating the vehicle with human assistance along said portion of the course corresponding to said zone to be updated.

5. A method of teaching a traveling course to an unmanned vehicle in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of:

inputting a operation item to be conducted by said unmanned vehicle;

wherein a portion of the traveling course corresponding to at least one of said plurality of zones includes a final point, and wherein said operation item to be conducted by said unmanned vehicle is inputted at said final point and is stored with said course position data.

6. A method of teaching a traveling course to an unmanned vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein a portion of the traveling course corresponding to each of said plurality of zones includes a predetermined starting point and a predetermined final point, and wherein said combining step combines said generated course position data for said teaching zone with said course position data corresponding to other ones of said plurality of zones based on said starting and final points.

7. An apparatus for teaching a traveling course to an unmanned vehicle comprising:

a memory device for memorizing course data corresponding to a traveling course to be taught as said unmanned vehicle is operated with human assistance for teaching, said traveling course being divided into a plurality of zones, each zone of said plurality of zones comprising a portion of said traveling course;

an input device for inputting operator commands including a command to designate a teaching zone, said teaching zone being one of said plurality of zones;

a vehicle operating device for operating the vehicle with human assistance along a portion of the traveling course corresponding to said teaching zone to generate course position data corresponding to said teaching zone; and

a combining device for combining said generated course position data corresponding to said teaching zone with course position data corresponding to other ones of said plurality of zones memorized in said memory device.

8. An apparatus for teaching a traveling course to an unmanned vehicle in accordance with claim 7, further comprising:

means for conducting unmanned operation of said unmanned vehicle along said traveling course based on memorized course data.

9. An apparatus for teaching a traveling course to an unmanned vehicle in accordance with claim 7, wherein a portion of the traveling course corresponding to at least one of said plurality of zones includes a final point, and wherein said input device for inputting operator commands includes a command to designate a operation item to be conducted by said unmanned vehicle which is inputted at said final point and is stored with said course position data.

10. An apparatus for teaching a traveling course to an unmanned vehicle in accordance with claim 7, wherein a portion of the traveling course corresponding to each of said plurality of zones includes a starting point and a final point, and wherein said combining device combines said generated course position data for said teaching zone with said course position data corresponding to other ones of said plurality of zones based on said starting and final points.

11. An apparatus for teaching a traveling course to an unmanned vehicle in accordance with claim 7, further comprising:

a processing device for computing position coordinates corresponding to said course data during said teaching.

12. A apparatus for teaching a traveling course to an unmanned vehicle comprising:

a direction change detector;

a distance traveled detector;

a controller responsive to said direction change detector and said distance traveled detector for controlling the operation of said unmanned vehicle in an automatic mode based on a traveling course stored in a memory, said traveling course being divided into a plurality of zones, each zone comprising a portion of said traveling course;

a steering control device responsive to said controller for controlling steering of said vehicle;

an accelerator control device responsive to said controller for controlling acceleration of said vehicle;

a brake control device responsive to said controller for controlling braking of said vehicle;

a panel for selecting modes;

manual steering, accelerator, and brake controls for operating the vehicle with human assistance in a teaching mode, said teaching mode for generating course position data corresponding to one zone of said plurality of zones by operating the vehicle with human assistance along a portion of the traveling course corresponding to said zone;

a combining device for combining said generated course position data corresponding to said zone with course position data in said memory to obtain course position data for said traveling course.

13. A apparatus for teaching a traveling course to an unmanned vehicle in accordance with claim 12, further comprising:

a position correcting device, responsive to said direction change detector, said distance traveled detector and a position reference device for correcting a position of a vehicle.

14. A apparatus for teaching a traveling course to an unmanned vehicle in accordance with claim 12, wherein said panel includes a graphics display and input keys.

15. A apparatus for teaching a traveling course to an unmanned vehicle in accordance with claim 12, wherein a portion of the traveling course corresponding to at least one of said plurality of zones includes a final point, and wherein said panel may be used to select a mode to designate a operation item to be conducted by said unmanned vehicle which is inputted at said final point and is stored with said course position data.