Navigating method and device for an autonomous vehicle

• US 6,459,966 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2001
• Issued: 10/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kanazawa Institute Of Technology
• Original Assignee: Kanazawa Institute Of Technology
• Inventors: Kihara, Yusuke, Nakano, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Donnelly, Arthur D.
• Application Number:
  US09/819,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20010027360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/24, 701/25, 701/26, 701/200, 701/202, 701/207, 701/210, 701/216, 180/167, 180/168
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0261 using magnetic plots

Abstract

The present invention relates to navigation of an autonomous vehicle capable of autonomously tracking a route toward a destination. The present invention provides a system comprising the steps of forming a route for an autonomous vehicle with a plurality of information storing elements placed at specific locations in line along a passageway, each beacon storing its own location information on the route, mounting an information retrieving section on the autonomous vehicle so that as the vehicle travels, the information retrieving section comes in sufficient proximity to the information storing elements in sequence, transmitting radio waves between the information retrieving section and information storing element, supplying, through the transmission of the radio wave, electricity from the vehicle to the information storing element to activate it, retrieving, by the information retrieving section, location information from the information storing element that indicates the vehicle'"'"'s present position, and controlling a moving direction of the vehicle based on this vehicle'"'"'s position information.

Claims

1. A navigating method for an autonomous vehicle, comprising the steps of:

providing a route for the vehicle, formed with a plurality of information storing elements in line along passageways on which the vehicle travels, each of said information storing elements storing in advance its own location information on the route,

mounting an information retrieving section on the vehicle so that as the vehicle travels, said information retrieving section will come sufficiently close to said plurality of information storing elements in sequence;

transmitting radio waves between said information retrieving section and an information storing element;

supplying, through transmission of the radio wave, electricity from the vehicle to said information storing element placed along the route to activate said information storing element;

retrieving, by said information retrieving section of the vehicle, the location information stored in said information storing element that indicates the present position of the vehicle; and

controlling a moving direction of the vehicle based on said position information to guide the vehicle along the route to a destination.

2. A navigating method for navigating an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a beacon line formed with a plurality of route beacons placed in line along passageways, each beacon comprising;

a memory storing its own location information on the route of a vehicle;

an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves;

a power circuit for converting a radio wave received by said antenna and supplying it as electricity; and

a transmitting/receiving circuit, including said antenna, for receiving a radio wave, retrieving, powered by said power circuit, said beacon location information from said memory and transmitting said beacon location information by said antenna in the form of radio wave, said beacons being placed at specific locations corresponding to their respective location information,

on said vehicle having driving wheels and steering means for controlling its moving direction, mounting;

a transmitting/receiving circuit, including an antenna for transmitting transmitting/receiving radio waves, for transmitting a radio wave toward said route beacon and for receiving a radio wave containing the location information thereof, thus obtaining the present position information of the vehicle therefrom; and

a power source for operating said transmitting/receiving circuit, said driving wheels and said steering means for controlling a moving direction of the vehicle,

providing the vehicle further with a computer, in which information indicating locations of said route beacons to a destination is stored in advance, for executing computation, including comparing said retrieved vehicle'"'"'s position information with said information indicating locations of the route beacons;

controlling said steering means to control the moving direction based on a computation result;

supplying, through transmission of the radio wave from said transmitting/receiving circuit of the vehicle, electricity from said vehicle to said beacons in sequence as the vehicle travels autonomously, thereby retrieving the stored location information from the memory of said route beacon;

transmitting a radio wave containing said location information to the transmitting/receiving circuit of the vehicle in sequence;

receiving, by said transmitting/receiving circuit of the vehicle, said radio wave containing the location information and obtaining the vehicle'"'"'s present position information therefrom;

executing computation, by said computer, including comparing the vehicle'"'"'s present position information with said information indicating the locations of the route beacons; and

controlling a moving direction of the vehicle based on said computation result to track the line of said route beacons, thereby guiding the autonomous vehicle along the route to the destination.

3. A navigating method for an autonomous vehicle recited in claim 2, wherein the vehicle has a single mobile transmitting/receiving circuit, including an antenna for receiving a radio wave from a route beacon, and

said antenna is rotated to the right and left in the moving direction of the vehicle, thereby detecting said radio wave from said route beacon.

4. A navigating method for an autonomous vehicle recited in claim 2, wherein there are two lines, each formed with the beacons, placed in parallel with each other,

said vehicle has a single mobile transmitting/receiving circuit, including an antenna for receiving a radio wave from a route beacon, and

based on a phase of said single transmitting/receiving circuit in which said radio wave from a route beacon is received, the vehicle'"'"'s present position and its moving direction are detected.

5. A navigating method for navigating an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a beacon line formed with a plurality of route beacons placed in line along passageways, each beacon comprising;

a memory storing its own location information on the route of a vehicle;

an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves;

a power circuit for converting a radio wave received by said antenna and supplying it as electricity; and

a transmitting/receiving circuit, including said antenna, for receiving a radio wave, retrieving, powered by said power circuit, said beacon location information from said memory and transmitting said beacon location information by said antenna in the form of radio wave, said beacons being placed at specific locations corresponding to their respective location information,

on said vehicle having driving wheels and steering means for controlling its moving direction, mounting;

a transmitting/receiving circuit, including an antenna for transmitting transmitting/receiving radio waves, for transmitting a radio wave toward said route beacon and for receiving a radio wave containing the location information thereof, thus obtaining the present position information of the vehicle therefrom; and

a power source for operating said transmitting/receiving circuit, said driving wheels and said steering means for controlling a moving direction of the vehicle,

providing the vehicle further with a computer, in which information indicating locations of said route beacons to a destination is stored in advance, for executing computation, including comparing said retrieved vehicle'"'"'s position information with said information indicating locations of the route beacons;

controlling said steering means to control the moving direction based on a computation result;

supplying, through transmission of the radio wave from said transmitting/receiving circuit of the vehicle, electricity from said vehicle to said beacons in sequence as the vehicle travels autonomously, thereby retrieving the stored location information from the memory of said route beacon;

transmitting a radio wave containing said location information to the transmitting/receiving circuit of the vehicle in sequence;

receiving, by said transmitting/receiving circuit of the vehicle, said radio wave containing the location information and obtaining the vehicle'"'"'s present position information therefrom;

executing computation, by said computer, including comparing the vehicle'"'"'s present position information with said information indicating the locations of the route beacons; and

controlling a moving direction of the vehicle based on said computation result to track the line of said route beacons, thereby guiding the autonomous vehicle along the route to the destination,

wherein there are a plurality of transmitting/receiving circuits, each circuit including an antenna for receiving a radio wave from a route beacon, and

based on phases of respective said transmitting/receiving circuits, in which said radio wave from a route beacon is received, said vehicle'"'"'s present position and its moving direction are detected.

6. A navigating method for an autonomous vehicle recited in claim 5, wherein there is a single line formed with route beacons, the vehicle has two transmitting/receiving circuits, each circuit including an antenna for receiving a radio wave from a route beacon, and, based on phases of said two transmitting/receiving circuits, in which said radio wave from each route beacon is received, said vehicle'"'"'s present position and its moving direction are detected.

7. A navigating method for an autonomous vehicle recited in claim 5, wherein different oscillation frequencies are assigned to said plurality of transmitting/receiving circuits respectively, each circuit including an antenna for receiving a radio wave from a route beacon, so that radio wave interference between said plurality of transmitting/receiving circuits is prevented.

8. A navigating method for an autonomous vehicle recited in claim 5, wherein said plurality of transmitting/receiving circuits are operated on a time-share basis to prohibit a simultaneous operation of said transmitting/receiving circuits, so that radio wave interference between said plurality of transmitting/receiving circuits is prevented.

9. A navigating device for an autonomous vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of route beacons, each beacon having;

a memory storing its own location information in reference to a route of the vehicle;

an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves;

a power circuit for converting said radio wave received by said antenna and supplying it as electricity; and

a transmitting/receiving circuit, including an antenna, for receiving a radio wave, retrieving, powered by said power circuit, said beacon location information from said memory, and transmitting said beacon location information by said antenna in the form of radio wave;

a route beacon line formed with said route beacons placed at specific locations corresponding to their respective location information;

a vehicle having driving wheels and steering means for controlling its moving direction;

a mobile transmitting/receiving circuit, including a radio wave transmitting/receiving antenna, for transmitting and receiving radio waves toward and from said route beacons and retrieving said beacon location information so as to obtain vehicle'"'"'s present position information therefrom;

a power source for operating said mobile transmitting/receiving circuit, said driving wheels and said steering means; and

a computer, in which information indicating locations of the beacons to a destination is stored, for executing computation, including comparing said obtained vehicle'"'"'s position information with said information indicating locations of the route beacons, thereby controlling a moving direction of said steering means, said navigating device for the autonomous vehicle wherein said mobile transmitting/receiving circuit and said power source are mounted thereon.

10. A navigating device for an autonomous vehicle recited in claim 9, wherein there is a single mobile transmitting/receiving circuit on which an antenna is supported in such a manner that it rotates to the right and left in the moving direction of the vehicle.

11. A navigating device for an autonomous vehicle recited in claim 9, wherein there are two beacon lines placed in parallel with each other, each line formed with said route beacons, and there is a single mobile transmitting/receiving circuit.

12. A navigating device for an autonomous vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of route beacons, each beacon having;

a memory storing its own location information in reference to a route of the vehicle;

an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves;

a power circuit for converting said radio wave received by said antenna and supplying it as electricity; and

a transmitting/receiving circuit, including an antenna, for receiving a radio wave, retrieving, powered by said power circuit, said beacon location information from said memory, and transmitting said beacon location information by said antenna in the form of radio wave;

a route beacon line formed with said route beacons placed at specific locations corresponding to their respective location information;

a vehicle having driving wheels and steering means for controlling its moving direction;

a mobile transmitting/receiving circuit, including a radio wave transmitting/receiving antenna, for transmitting and receiving radio waves toward and from said route beacons and retrieving said beacon location information so as to obtain vehicle'"'"'s present position information therefrom;

a power source for operating said mobile transmitting/receiving circuit, said driving wheels and said steering means; and

a computer, in which information indicating locations of the beacons to a destination is stored, for executing computation, including comparing said obtained vehicle'"'"'s position information with said information indicating locations of the route beacons, thereby controlling a moving direction of said steering means, said navigating device for the autonomous vehicle wherein said mobile transmitting/receiving circuit and said power source are mounted thereon,

wherein there are a plurality of mobile transmitting/receiving circuits.

13. A navigating device for an autonomous vehicle recited in claim 12, wherein there is a single beacon line formed with said route beacons;

and there are two mobile transmitting/receiving circuits.

14. A navigating device recited in claim 12, wherein different oscillation frequencies are assigned to said plurality of mobile transmitting/receiving circuits respectively.

15. A navigating device recited in claim 12, wherein said plurality of transmitting/receiving circuits are operated on a time-share basis to prohibit a simultaneous operation of said transmitting/receiving circuits.

16. An autonomous vehicle having a navigating device comprising:

a mobile transmitting/receiving circuit for transmitting a radio wave toward a plurality of route beacons, each route beacon comprising;

a memory storing location information indicating its own location on a passageway;

an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves;

a power circuit for converting the radio wave received by said antenna into electricity and supplying it as electricity; and

a transmitting/receiving circuit for receiving a radio wave and retrieving, powered by said power circuit, said location information from said memory and transmitting it by said antenna in the form of radio wave, said mobile transmitting/receiving circuit for receiving said radio wave from said route beacon and obtaining the vehicle'"'"'s present position information therefrom;

a power source required for operating said mobile transmitting/receiving circuit, driving wheels and steering means of the vehicle for controlling a moving direction of the vehicle; and

a computer, in which information indicating locations of said route beacons on the passageway to a destination is stored, for executing computation, including comparing said vehicle'"'"'s present position information with said information indicating locations of the route beacons, thereby controlling said steering means.

17. An autonomous vehicle provided with a navigating device recited in claim 16, wherein

said navigating device is provided with a single mobile transmitting/receiving circuit, and an antenna of said mobile transmitting/receiving circuit is supported in such a manner that said antenna rotates to the right and left in the moving direction of the vehicle.

18. An autonomous vehicle having a navigating device comprising:

a mobile transmitting/receiving circuit for transmitting a radio wave toward a plurality of route beacons, each route beacon comprising;

a memory storing location information indicating its own location on a passageway;

an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves;

a power circuit for converting the radio wave received by said antenna into electricity and supplying it as electricity; and

a transmitting/receiving circuit for receiving a radio wave and retrieving, powered by said power circuit, said location information from said memory and transmitting it by said antenna in the form of radio wave, said mobile transmitting/receiving circuit for receiving said radio wave from said route beacon and obtaining the vehicle'"'"'s present position information therefrom;

a power source required for operating said mobile transmitting/receiving circuit, driving wheels and steering means of the vehicle for controlling a moving direction of the vehicle; and

a computer, in which information indicating locations of said route beacons on the passageway to a destination is stored, for executing computation, including comparing said vehicle'"'"'s present position information with said information indicating locations of the route beacons, thereby controlling said steering means,

wherein said navigating device is provided with a plurality of said mobile transmitting/receiving circuits.

19. An autonomous vehicle provided with a navigating device recited in claim 18, wherein different oscillation frequencies are assigned to said plurality of mobile transmitting/receiving circuits respectively.

20. An autonomous vehicle provided with a navigating device recited in claim 18, wherein said plurality of transmitting/receiving circuits are operated on a time-share basis to prohibit a simultaneous operation of said transmitting/receiving circuits.