Control apparatus for autonomous operating vehicle
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling an autonomous operating vehicle having a prime mover, a driven wheel connected to the prime mover and an operating machine, the vehicle autonomously traveling in a travel-scheduled area to perform operation using the operating machine by driving the prime mover, comprising:
- a geomagnetic sensor having x-axis, y-axis and z-axis outputs, mounted on the vehicle and responsive to a magnet embedded in the travel-scheduled area;
an angular velocity sensor adapted to detect an angular velocity generated about z-axis that goes through a center of gravity of the vehicle and is perpendicular to a travel direction of the vehicle;
a wheel speed sensor adapted to produce an output indicative of a wheel speed of the driven wheel of the vehicle;
a map information storage adapted to define the travel-scheduled area and store map information including an embedded position of the magnet indicated with an x-y coordinate position;
an absolute direction and position detector adapted to detect an absolute direction based on the output of the geomagnetic sensor, detect an approach direction to the magnet by comparing the output of the geomagnetic sensor with a pre-stored output pattern, and detect a position of the vehicle in the travel-scheduled area based on the detected approach direction and the map information;
a direction and distance calculator adapted to calculate a traveling direction based on the output of the angular velocity sensor and a traveled distance based on the output of the wheel speed sensor; and
an operation controller adapted to control the operation performed through the operating machine in the travel-scheduled area in accordance with a preset operation program based on the detected absolute direction, the detected position of the vehicle in the travel-scheduled area, the calculated traveling direction and the calculated traveled distance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In an apparatus for controlling an autonomous operating vehicle having a prime mover and operating machine, it is configured to have a geomagnetic sensor responsive to magnets embedded in the area, detect angular velocity generated about z-axis in center of gravity of the vehicle, detect a wheel speed of the driven wheel, store map information including magnet embedded positions, detect a primary reference direction, detect a vehicle position relative to the magnet, and detect a vehicle position in the area, calculate a traveling direction and traveled distance of the vehicle, and control the operation performed through the operating machine in the area in accordance with a preset operation program based on the detected direction, the detected position of the vehicle in the area, the calculated traveling direction and the calculated traveled distance.
9 Citations
27 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling an autonomous operating vehicle having a prime mover, a driven wheel connected to the prime mover and an operating machine, the vehicle autonomously traveling in a travel-scheduled area to perform operation using the operating machine by driving the prime mover, comprising:
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a geomagnetic sensor having x-axis, y-axis and z-axis outputs, mounted on the vehicle and responsive to a magnet embedded in the travel-scheduled area; an angular velocity sensor adapted to detect an angular velocity generated about z-axis that goes through a center of gravity of the vehicle and is perpendicular to a travel direction of the vehicle; a wheel speed sensor adapted to produce an output indicative of a wheel speed of the driven wheel of the vehicle; a map information storage adapted to define the travel-scheduled area and store map information including an embedded position of the magnet indicated with an x-y coordinate position; an absolute direction and position detector adapted to detect an absolute direction based on the output of the geomagnetic sensor, detect an approach direction to the magnet by comparing the output of the geomagnetic sensor with a pre-stored output pattern, and detect a position of the vehicle in the travel-scheduled area based on the detected approach direction and the map information; a direction and distance calculator adapted to calculate a traveling direction based on the output of the angular velocity sensor and a traveled distance based on the output of the wheel speed sensor; and an operation controller adapted to control the operation performed through the operating machine in the travel-scheduled area in accordance with a preset operation program based on the detected absolute direction, the detected position of the vehicle in the travel-scheduled area, the calculated traveling direction and the calculated traveled distance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for controlling an autonomous operating vehicle having a prime mover, a driven wheel connected to the prime mover and an operating machine, the vehicle autonomously traveling in a travel-scheduled area to perform operation using the operating machine by driving the prime mover, the apparatus comprising:
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a geomagnetic sensor having x-axis, y-axis and z-axis outputs, mounted on the vehicle and responsive to a magnet embedded in the travel-scheduled area; an angular velocity sensor for detecting an angular velocity generated about z-axis that goes through a center of gravity of the vehicle and is perpendicular to a travel direction of the vehicle; a wheel speed sensor for producing an output indicative of a wheel speed of the driven wheel of the vehicle; and a map information storage for defining the travel-scheduled area and storing map information including an embedded position of the magnet indicated with an x-y coordinate position; at least one processor configured to; detect an absolute direction based on the output of the geomagnetic sensor; detect an approach direction to the magnet by comparing the output of the geomagnetic sensor with a pre-stored output pattern; detect a position of the vehicle in the travel-scheduled area based on the detected approach direction and the map information; calculate a traveling direction based on the output of the angular velocity sensor and a traveled distance based on the output of the wheel speed sensor; and control the operation performed through the operating machine in the travel-scheduled area in accordance with a preset operation program based on the detected absolute direction, the detected position of the vehicle in the travel-scheduled area, the calculated traveling direction and the calculated traveled distance. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for controlling an autonomous operating vehicle having a prime mover, a driven wheel connected to the prime mover and an operating machine, the vehicle autonomously traveling in a travel-scheduled area to perform operation using the operating machine by driving the prime mover, and further having a geomagnetic sensor having x-axis, y-axis and z-axis outputs, mounted on the vehicle and responsive to a magnet embedded in the travel-scheduled area, the method comprising:
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obtaining a sensor output indicative of an angular velocity generated about z-axis that goes through a center of gravity of the vehicle and is perpendicular to a travel direction of the vehicle; obtaining a sensor output indicative of a wheel speed of the driven wheel of the vehicle; defining the travel-scheduled area and storing map information including an embedded position of the magnet indicated with an x-y coordinate position; detecting an absolute direction based on the output of the geomagnetic sensor, an approach direction to the magnet by comparing the output of the geomagnetic sensor with a pre-stored output pattern, and a position of the vehicle in the travel-scheduled area based on the detected approach direction and the map information; calculating, by a processor, a traveling direction based on the sensor output indicative of the angular velocity and a traveled distance based on the sensor output indicative of the wheel speed; and controlling, by the processor, the operation performed through the operating machine in the travel-scheduled area in accordance with a preset operation program based on the detected absolute direction, the detected position of the vehicle in the travel-scheduled area, the calculated traveling direction and the calculated traveled distance. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification