Vehicle interference prevention device
First Claim
1. A vehicle interference prevention system including an unmanned vehicle comprising vehicle position-measuring means for measuring a position of its own vehicle and traveling over a travel route based on predetermined instruction data, a first manned vehicle having position-measuring means for measuring a position of its own vehicle, and a second manned vehicle traveling over the travel route guided by the first manned vehicle;
- wherein the unmanned vehicle and the first manned vehicle each comprises communication means for transmitting and receiving predetermined information among themselves;
the first manned vehicle transmits to the unmanned vehicle via the communication means a mode which is either a guiding mode wherein the second manned vehicle is guided, or a non-guiding mode wherein the second manned vehicle is not guided; and
transmits to the unmanned vehicle via the communication means position information indicating the vehicle position determined by the position-measuring means; and
the unmanned vehicle, in the event that the mode received via the communication means is the non-guiding mode, is controlled, on the basis of the position information from the first manned vehicle, in such a way as to avoid entering an area of a given range that includes a current position of the first manned vehicle;
whereas in the case of the guiding mode, it is controlled, on the basis of the position information from the first manned vehicle, in such a way as to avoid entering the current position of the first manned vehicle and an area of a given range lying to a rear of the first manned vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
There is provided a vehicle interference prevention device that, by computing a range of possible locations of a vehicle taking into consideration the time at which the location of the vehicle is measured, can safely predict the location of the vehicle, even with minimal frequency of radio contact, and prevent interference among unmanned vehicles or manned vehicles over the entirety of large work site. An unmanned vehicle uses the latest position data for a manned vehicle acquired (received) via an inter-vehicle communication device to determine a position (position at a certain point in time) as the basis for computing a circle having this position as its center and having a radius equal to the distance traveled at maximum speed from this point to a predetermined future point in time, and designates the area within this circle on a prearranged travel route as a range of possible locations for the manned vehicle. The unmanned vehicle then decides whether its own vehicle position interferes with this circle.
59 Citations
7 Claims
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1. A vehicle interference prevention system including an unmanned vehicle comprising vehicle position-measuring means for measuring a position of its own vehicle and traveling over a travel route based on predetermined instruction data, a first manned vehicle having position-measuring means for measuring a position of its own vehicle, and a second manned vehicle traveling over the travel route guided by the first manned vehicle;
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wherein the unmanned vehicle and the first manned vehicle each comprises communication means for transmitting and receiving predetermined information among themselves;
the first manned vehicle transmits to the unmanned vehicle via the communication means a mode which is either a guiding mode wherein the second manned vehicle is guided, or a non-guiding mode wherein the second manned vehicle is not guided; and
transmits to the unmanned vehicle via the communication means position information indicating the vehicle position determined by the position-measuring means; and
the unmanned vehicle, in the event that the mode received via the communication means is the non-guiding mode, is controlled, on the basis of the position information from the first manned vehicle, in such a way as to avoid entering an area of a given range that includes a current position of the first manned vehicle;
whereas in the case of the guiding mode, it is controlled, on the basis of the position information from the first manned vehicle, in such a way as to avoid entering the current position of the first manned vehicle and an area of a given range lying to a rear of the first manned vehicle.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
the monitoring station further comprises means for transmitting to the unmanned vehicle via the transmitting/receiving means instruction data designating as a permissible travel range over which travel is permitted an area on the travel route such that the most recent position of the unmanned vehicle, based on the position information measured by the vehicle position-measuring means and received via the transmitting/receiving means, does not interfere with a predicted range of motion for the first manned vehicle, as calculated on the basis of the most recent position information for the first manned vehicle received via the transmitting/receiving means.
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3. The vehicle interference prevention device according to claim 2, wherein
the transmitting means, in the event that the first manned vehicle is currently in the guiding mode, includes in the permissible travel range a predicted range for the second manned vehicle that is obtained on the basis of the position information for the second manned vehicle, the position information for the second manned vehicle being obtained on the basis of the position information for the first manned vehicle, and transmits to the unmanned vehicle instruction data designating an area of this range as a new permissible travel range. -
4. The vehicle interference prevention device according to claim 1, wherein the unmanned vehicle comprises:
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measuring means for measuring the position of its own vehicle;
decision means for deciding, on the basis of the position information from the first manned vehicle received from the communication means and position information indicating the position of its own vehicle as measured by the measuring means, whether its own vehicle poses interference with the first manned vehicle or with an area of a predetermined range extending from the position of the first manned vehicle; and
control means that, in the event that the decision means decides that interference is present, halts or decelerates its own vehicle.
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5. A vehicle interference prevention device for preventing interference among vehicles where a plurality of vehicles are traveling over a travel route, wherein each of the plurality of vehicles comprises:
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measuring means for measuring a position of its own vehicle;
communication means for exchanging with other vehicles, in a wireless communications format, position information indicating the position of its own vehicle, as measured by the measuring means;
estimating means for determining an existence possibility area of the other vehicle by using position information for the other vehicle received via the communication means, time information indicating a reception time at which the position information is received and an upper limit speed of the other vehicle, and estimating a likelihood of interferences between its own vehicle and the other vehicle on the basis of the determined existence possibility area and the position information for its own vehicle;
control means for performing an avoiding control routine of its own vehicle in the event that interference is predicted by the estimating means, so as to avoid interference with the other vehicle; and
processing means that, during power-on of its own vehicle, notifies the other vehicle that its own vehicle has started up, and in the event that no response to the notification is received by its own communication means, makes a determination that the communication means of the other vehicle is not functioning normally, and places its own vehicle in standby mode at its current position.
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6. A vehicle interference prevention device for preventing interference among vehicles where a plurality of vehicles are traveling over a travel route, wherein each of the plurality of vehicles comprises:
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measuring means for measuring a position of its own vehicle;
communication means for exchanging with other vehicles, in a wireless communications format, position information indicating the position of its own vehicle, as measured by the measuring means, the communication means including means for transmitting and receiving to and from the other vehicle, in a wireless communications format, position information indicating a vehicle position, as measured by its own measuring means, and time information indicating a time of measurement of the vehicle position or time information indicating a time of transmission of the position information;
estimating means for determining an existence possibility area of the other vehicle by using position information for the other vehicle received via the communication means, time information indicating a reception time at which the position information is received and an upper limit speed of the other vehicle, and estimating a likelihood of interferences between its own vehicle and the other vehicle on the basis of the determined existence possibility area and the position information for its own vehicle, the estimating means including means for estimating the likelihood of interference between its own vehicle and the other vehicle on the basis of the position information for the other vehicle received via the transmitting/receiving means, the time information for either the measurement time or the transmission time, and the position information for its own vehicle;
control means for performing an avoiding control routine of its own vehicle in the event that interference is predicted by the estimating means, so as to avoid interference with the other vehicle; and
processing means that, during power-on of its own vehicle, notifies the other vehicle that its own vehicle has started up, and in the event that no response to the notification is received by its own communication means, makes a determination that the communication means of the other vehicle is not functioning normally, and places its own vehicle in standby mode at its current position.
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7. A vehicle interference prevention device for preventing interference among vehicles where a plurality of vehicles are traveling over a travel route, wherein each of the plurality of vehicles comprises:
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measuring means for measuring a position of its own vehicle;
communication means for exchanging with other vehicles, in a wireless communications format, position information indicating the position of its own vehicle, as measured by the measuring means;
estimating means for determining an existence possibility area of the other vehicle by using position information for the other vehicle received via the communication means, time information indicating a reception time at which the position information is received and an upper limit speed of the other vehicle, and estimating a likelihood of interferences between its own vehicle and the other vehicle on the basis of the determined existence possibility area and the position information for its own vehicle, the estimating means comprises;
first estimating means for estimating, on the basis of the position information and the time information for other vehicle received via the communication means, a future position of the other vehicle at a point in time coming a predetermined time interval after the reception time, or a range of movement of the other vehicle;
second estimating means for estimating from its current position on the basis of position information for its own vehicle a future position of its own vehicle at a point in time coming a predetermined time interval later, or a range of movement of its own vehicle; and
decision means for deciding if the future position or range of movement of the other vehicle estimated by the first estimating means overlaps the current position or future position of its own vehicle estimated by the second estimating means;
control means for performing an avoiding control routine of its own vehicle in the event that interference is predicted by the estimating means, so as to avoid interference with the other vehicle; and
processing means that, during power-on of its own vehicle, notifies the other vehicle that its own vehicle has started up, and in the event that no response to the notification is received by its own communication means, makes a determination that the communication means of the other vehicle is not functioning normally, and places its own vehicle in standby mode at its current position.
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Specification