Vehicle guidance-maintaining horizontal laser

• US 6,598,692 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2001
• Issued: 07/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toro Company (Toro)
• Original Assignee: Self-Guided Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Angott, Paul G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FREEDMAN, LAURA
• Application Number:
  US09/981,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20030070852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 180/167, 180/168, 180/169, 356/141.1, 356/141.4, 356/4.08, 701/23, 701/28, 172/4.5
• US Class Current: 180/168
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S

Abstract

The guidance assembly includes a diode device (30, 130, 230) for emitting a vertical line of laser light (32). The assembly is characterized by an alignment mechanism for maintaining the vertical line of laser light (32) in parallel alignment with gravity to compensate for misalignment of the upright axis of the carriage (12) from vertical to maintain the vertical line of laser light (32) aligned with gravity as the carriage (12) moves over an uneven plot. In the first and second embodiments of FIGS. 2 through 5, the alignment mechanism includes a rotary motor (38 and 138), for rotating the diode device (30, 130) for rotating the vertical line (32) relative to the upright axis of the carriage (12). The third embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 implements the generic concept of maintaining the vertical line of light (32) aligned with gravity by an alignment mechanism including a leveling device (238) for maintaining the platform (28) perpendicular to vertical gravity and to move the vertical line (32) relative to the upright axis of the carriage (12).

Claims

1. A utility vehicle guidance sub-assembly comprising;

a carriage for moving over a plot and having a vertical axis defining an upright carriage axis,

a diode device for emitting a vertical line of laser light,

a beam director for directing the vertical line of light in a horizontal beam and rotating the horizontal beam about a beam director axis to move the horizontal beam between circumferentially spaced locating stations,

said assembly characterized by an alignment mechanism for maintaining the vertical line of laser light in parallel alignment with gravity to compensate for misalignment of said upright axis of said carriage from vertical to maintain the vertical line of laser light aligned with gravity as said carriage moves over an uneven plot.

2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 including an inclinometer for determining deviation from parallel between said upright axis and vertical and a processor for receiving an attitude signal from said inclinometer for controlling said alignment mechanism to maintain said line of light vertically oriented.

3. An assembly as set forth in claim 2 including a plurality of locating stations for reflecting the horizontal beam back from the locating stations, a detector for detecting a reflected beam from said locating stations to generate a signal, said processor being responsive to said signal for locating said carriage from the reflected beam and guiding said carriage over the plot in response to continuous locating of said carriage.

4. An assembly as set forth in claim 2 including a support platform supported on said carriage, said beam director being rotatably supported on said platform.

5. An assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said alignment mechanism includes a rotary device for rotating said diode device for rotating the vertical line relative to the upright axis to compensate for misalignment of the upright axis from vertical to maintain the vertical line in line with gravity as the carriage moves over an uneven plot.

6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said diode device is supported by said beam director and said rotary device is supported on said beam director.

7. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said diode device is supported by said platform and said rotary device is supported on said platform.

8. An assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said alignment mechanism includes a leveling device for maintaining said platform perpendicular to vertical gravity and to move the vertical line relative to the upright axis to compensate for misalignment of the upright axis from vertical to maintain the vertical line in line with gravity as the carriage moves over an uneven plot.

9. An assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said leveling device includes three linkages extending from said carriage and attached to said platform in a triangular pattern, at least two of said linkages being extendable for maintaining said platform level relative to gravity as the carriage moves over an uneven plot.

10. An assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said leveling device includes a gimbal extending from said carriage and attached to said platform for maintaining said platform level relative to gravity as the carriage moves over an uneven plot.

11. An assembly as set forth in claim 2 including a plurality of locating stations for reflecting the horizontal beam back from the locating stations, a detector for detecting a reflected beam from said locating stations to generate a signal, said processor being responsive to said signal for locating said carriage from the reflected beam and guiding said carriage over the plot in response to continuous locating of said carriage, a mirror supported by said beam director for rotation therewith and reflecting the reflected beam to said detector.

12. An assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said beam director includes a first lens for forming said horizontal beam of laser light.

13. An assembly as set forth in claim 12 including a second lens for directing the reflected beam to said detector.

14. An assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein said second lens is supported by said beam director.

15. An assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein said second lens is supported by said platform.

16. An assembly as set forth in claim 2 including a main motor for rotating said beam director relative to said platform.

17. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 including a plurality beam directors for directing a plurality of vertical lines of light in the horizontal beam and rotating the horizontal beam about a beam director axis to move the horizontal beam between circumferentially spaced locating stations.

18. A laser guidance sub-assembly for a land vehicle having an upright axis comprising;

a diode device for emitting a vertical line of laser light,

a beam director for directing the vertical line of light in a horizontal beam and rotating the horizontal beam about a beam director axis to move the horizontal beam between circumferentially spaced locating stations,

said assembly characterized by an alignment mechanism for maintaining the vertical line of light in parallel alignment with gravity to compensate for misalignment of said upright axis of the vehicle from vertical to maintain the vertical line of laser light aligned with gravity as said vehicle moves over an uneven plot.

19. A method of guiding a carriage having an upright axis over a plot comprising the steps of;

emitting a vertical line of laser light defining a beam extending in the generally horizontal direction and generally radially from an upright axis,

rotating the horizontal beam about the upright axis to move the horizontal beam between circumferentially spaced locating stations, and reflecting the horizontal beam in a reflected beam back from locating stations, detecting the reflected beam from the locating stations, locating the carriage from the reflected beam, and guiding the carriage over the plot in response to continuous locating of the carriage,

said method characterized by moving the vertical line of light relative to the upright axis to compensate for misalignment of the upright axis from vertical in response to movement of the carriage over non-horizontal terrain.

20. A method as set forth in claim 19 including determining deviation from parallel between the upright axis and vertical and maintaining the line of light vertically oriented regardless of the deviation from vertical of the upright axis.

21. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the moving the vertical line is further defined as rotating said vertical line of light relative to the upright axis.

22. An assembly as set forth in claim 20 further defined as maintaining the rotation of the horizontal beam about an axis aligned with gravity regardless of the orientation of the upright axis.