Drive system for unmanned vehicle and method of drive control of the same

• US 8,843,311 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2011
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Takeda, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Application Number:
  US13/634,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20130211712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 701/24, 701/50, 701/25, 701/410, 701/411, 701/468, 701/412
• US Class Current: 701/468
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/024 with laterally or vertically adjustable wheels or tracks for vehicles in general B60B35/10; B62D55/084
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2045 Guiding machines along a predetermined path for graders E02F3/841; machines for construction of roads E01C19/004
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/205 Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles E02F3/8866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications

Abstract

In giving a travel command to an unmanned vehicle in both-side loading, or in setting a position of a loading point in both-side loading, whether a working machine of a loading machine is positioned on left-loading point side or right-loading point side is discriminated in correlation between an orientation or a position of the working machine when the travel command is instructed and a direction or a position of the boundary line. In setting the position of the loading point in both-side loading, whether the working machine of the loading machine is positioned on left-loading point side or right-loading point side is discriminated in correlation between the orientation or the position of the working machine when position setting of loading point is instructed and the direction or the position of the boundary line.

Claims

1. An unmanned vehicle drive system for causing an unmanned vehicle to travel to a left loading point or a right loading point along a travel route in accordance with a travel command, the left loading point or the right loading point being set in correspondence with whether the direction of approach of the unmanned vehicle to a loading point where a working machine of a loading machine performs loading onto the unmanned vehicle is leftward or rightward with respect to the loading machine, comprising:

boundary line generation means for, on the basis of information about the direction of approach to the left or right loading point of the unmanned vehicle, generating a boundary line for discriminating whether the working machine of the loading machine has been positioned on the side of the left loading point or positioned on the side of the right loading point;

detection means for detecting the orientation or position of the working machine of the loading machine;

discrimination means for, in correlation between the orientation or position of the working machine that has been detected by the detection means and the direction or position of the boundary line, discriminating whether the working machine of the loading machine has been positioned on the side of the left loading point or positioned on the side of the right loading point;

travel command instruction means for instructing a travel command; and

travel control means for, when a travel command is instructed by the travel command instruction means, giving a travel command to the unmanned vehicle which is to perform loading at the loading point on the side which has been determined through the discrimination means.

4. The drive system for unmanned vehicle of claim 1, wherein the travel command is a travel command for causing the unmanned vehicle to approach to the loading point or for causing the unmanned vehicle to withdraw from the loading point.

2. An unmanned vehicle drive system for causing an unmanned vehicle to travel to a left loading point or a right loading point along a travel route in accordance with a travel command, the left loading point or the right loading point being set in correspondence with whether the direction of approach of the unmanned vehicle to a loading point where a working machine of a loading machine in a loading site performs loading onto the unmanned vehicle is leftward or rightward with respect to the loading machine, comprising:

boundary line generation means for, on the basis of information about the features of the loading site, generating a boundary line for discriminating whether the working machine of the loading machine has been positioned on the side of the left loading point or positioned on the side of the right loading point;

detection means for detecting the orientation or position of the working machine of the loading machine;

discrimination means for, in correlation between the orientation or position of the working machine that has been detected by the detection means and the direction or position of the boundary line, discriminating whether the working machine of the loading machine has been positioned on the side of the left loading point or positioned on the side of the right loading point;

travel command instruction means for instructing a travel command; and

travel control means for, when a travel command is instructed by the travel command instruction means, giving a travel command to the unmanned vehicle which is to perform loading at the loading point on the side which has been determined through the discrimination means.

10. The drive system for unmanned vehicle of claim 2, wherein the travel command is a travel command for causing the unmanned vehicle to approach to the loading point or for causing the unmanned vehicle to withdraw from the loading point.

3. A drive control method for an unmanned vehicle drive system for causing an unmanned vehicle to travel to a left loading point or a right loading point along a travel route in accordance with a travel command, the left loading point or the right loading point being set in correspondence with whether the direction of approach of the unmanned vehicle to a loading point where a working machine of a loading machine performs loading onto the unmanned vehicle is leftward or rightward with respect to the loading machine, characterized by comprising:

a boundary line generation step of generating a boundary line for discriminating whether the working machine of the loading machine has been positioned on the side of the left loading point or positioned on the side of the right loading point;

a travel command instruction step of instructing a travel command;

a discrimination step of, in correlation between the orientation or position of the working machine when the travel command is instructed and the direction or position of the boundary line, discriminating whether the working machine of the loading machine has been positioned on the side of the left loading point or positioned on the side of the right loading point; and

a travel control step of giving a travel command to the unmanned vehicle which is to perform loading at the loading point on the side which has been determined.

11. The drive control method for unmanned vehicle drive system of claim 3, wherein the travel command is a travel command for causing the unmanned vehicle to approach to the loading point or for causing the unmanned vehicle to withdraw from the loading point.

5. An unmanned vehicle drive system for causing an unmanned vehicle to travel to a left loading point or a right loading point along a travel route in accordance with a travel command, the left loading point or the right loading point being set in correspondence with whether the direction of approach of the unmanned vehicle to a loading point where a working machine of a loading machine performs loading onto the unmanned vehicle is leftward or rightward with respect to the loading machine, comprising:

boundary line generation means for, on the basis of information about the direction of approach to the left or right loading point of the unmanned vehicle, generating a boundary line for discriminating whether the working machine of the loading machine has been positioned on the side of the left loading point or positioned on the side of the right loading point;

detection means for detecting the orientation or position of the working machine of the loading machine;

discrimination means for, in correlation between the orientation or position of the working machine that has been detected by the detection means and the direction or position of the boundary line, discriminating whether the working machine of the loading machine has been positioned on the side of the left loading point or positioned on the side of the right loading point;

loading point position setting instruction means for defining the position of the loading point to instruct position setting of the loading point; and

travel command generation means for, when the loading point position setting instruction means instructs position setting of the loading point, setting the position of the loading point on the side which has been determined through the discrimination means, as the defined position, and generate a travel route to the loading point.

7. The unmanned vehicle drive system of claim 5, wherein, every time the position of the loading point is altered, the boundary line is re-generated.

6. An unmanned vehicle drive system for causing an unmanned vehicle to travel to a left loading point or a right loading point along a travel route in accordance with a travel command, the left loading point or the right loading point being set in correspondence with whether the direction of approach of the unmanned vehicle to a loading point where a working machine of a loading machine in a loading site performs loading onto the unmanned vehicle is leftward or rightward with respect to the loading machine, comprising:

boundary line generation means for generating, on the basis of information about the features of the loading site, a boundary line for discriminating whether the working machine of the loading machine has been positioned on the side of the left loading point or positioned on the side of the right loading point;

detection means for detecting the orientation or position of the working machine of the loading machine;

discrimination means for, in correlation between the orientation or position of the working machine that has been detected by the detection means and the direction or position of the boundary line, discriminating whether the working machine of the loading machine has been positioned on the side of the left loading point or positioned on the side of the right loading point;

loading point position setting instruction means for defining the position of the loading point to instruct position setting of the loading point; and

travel command generation means for, when the loading point position setting instruction means instructs position setting of the loading point, setting the position of the loading point on the side which has been determined through the discrimination means, as the defined position, and generate a travel route to the loading point.

12. The unmanned vehicle drive system of claim 6, wherein, every time the position of the loading point is altered, the boundary line is re-generated.

8. A drive control method for unmanned vehicle drive system for causing an unmanned vehicle to travel to a left loading point or a right loading point along a travel route in accordance with a travel command, the left loading point or the right loading point being set in correspondence with whether the direction of approach of the unmanned vehicle to a loading point where a working machine of a loading machine performs loading onto the unmanned vehicle is leftward or rightward with respect to the loading machine, comprising:

a boundary line generation step of generating a boundary line for discriminating whether the working machine of the loading machine has been positioned on the side of the left loading point or positioned on the side of the right loading point;

a loading point position setting instruction step of defining the position of the loading point to instruct position setting of the loading point;

a discrimination step of, in correlation between the orientation or position of the working machine when position setting of the loading point is instructed and the direction or position of the boundary line, discriminating whether the working machine of the loading machine has been positioned on the side of the left loading point or positioned on the side of the right loading point; and

a travel command generation step of setting the position of the loading point on the side which has been determined, as the defined position, and generating a travel route to the set loading point.

9. The drive control method for unmanned vehicle drive system of claim 8, wherein, every time the loading point is altered, the boundary line is re-generated.