Vehicular driving system and driving method thereof

• US 8,965,622 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2011
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Ozaki, Tomonori, Takeda, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US13/574,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20120296495A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2
• US Class Current: 701/24
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS

Abstract

In a vehicular driving system and a driving method thereof in which a vehicle is driven toward a loading point, a waiting point is set on a driving path. The vehicle drives from an entry point of a loading site to the waiting point along the driving path, and stands by at the waiting point until permission is given by a loader. When there is an order to change the loading point when the vehicle is at the waiting point or driving to the waiting point, a partial driving path is created, and the vehicle drives from the waiting point to the new loading point along the partial driving path. When there is no order to change the loading point when the vehicle is at the waiting point or driving to the waiting point, the vehicle drives from the waiting point to the original loading point along the driving path.

Claims

1. A vehicular driving system for creating a driving path for vehicles along which a vehicle is to drive from an entry point of a loading site to a loading point where a loader exists, and for making the vehicle drive along the created driving path, wherein the system comprises:

driving path creating means for creating a driving path from the entry point of the loading site to a loading point by way of a waiting point located in a neighborhood of the loading point based on position information on the loading point and position information on the entry point;

first driving control means for making the vehicle drive from the entry point to the waiting point along the driving path created by the driving path creating means based on information on the driving path;

waiting means for making the vehicle stand by at the waiting point until a permission is given by the loader;

partial driving path creating means for creating, when the loading point has moved inside the same loading site and there is an order to change the position of the loading point from the loader to a supervising device and/or to the vehicle while the vehicle is standing by at the waiting point or driving between the entry point and the waiting point, a partial driving path from the waiting point to the position changed loading point based on position information on the position changed loading point and position information on the waiting point on the driving path before the loading point has moved; and

second driving control means for making, when there is no order to change the position of the loading point from the loader to the supervising device and/or to the vehicle while the vehicle is standing by at the waiting point and driving between the entry point and the waiting point, the vehicle drive from the waiting point to the loading point along the driving path created by the driving path creating means based on the information on the driving path, and

for making, when there is the order to change the position of the loading point while the vehicle is standing by at the waiting point or driving between the entry point and the waiting point, the vehicle drive from the waiting point to the position changed loading point along the partial driving path created by the partial driving path creating means based on the information on the partial driving path.

2. The vehicular driving system according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicular driving system is applied to a case where a plurality of vehicles drive along the driving path one after another,

the partial driving path creating means creates the partial driving path from the waiting point to the position changed loading point when there is the order to change the position of the loading point from the loader to the supervising device and/or to the vehicle,

the driving path creating means creates a driving path from the entry point to the position changed loading point by way of a waiting point located at a position different from the position of the waiting point located on the partial driving path,

a preceding vehicle is made to drive from the waiting point to the position changed loading point along the partial driving path created by the partial driving path creating means based on information on the partial driving path, and

a following vehicle is made to drive from the entry point to the waiting point located at a position different from the position of the waiting point located on the partial driving path along the driving path created by the driving path creating means based on information on the driving path.

3. The vehicular driving system according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle is an unmanned vehicle and the loader is a manned vehicle,

the vehicular driving system further comprises a supervising device,

the vehicle, the supervising device and the loader are respectively provided with communication means for performing transmission/reception between the supervising device and the vehicle and between the supervising device and the loader,

the loader transmits an order to change position to the supervising device,

the supervising device creates a driving path and a partial driving path in accordance with the order to change position transmitted from the loader,

the supervising device transmits information on the driving path and the partial driving path to the vehicle, and

the vehicle drives based on the information on the driving path and the partial driving path transmitted from the supervising device, and stands by at the waiting point until the permission is given by the loader.

6. The vehicular driving system according to claim 2, wherein

the vehicle is an unmanned vehicle and the loader is a manned vehicle,

the vehicular driving system further comprises a supervising device,

the vehicle, the supervising device and the loader are respectively provided with communication means for performing transmission/reception between the supervising device and the vehicle and between the supervising device and the loader,

the loader transmits an order to change position to the supervising device,

the supervising device creates a driving path and a partial driving path in accordance with the order to change position transmitted from the loader,

the supervising device transmits information on the driving path and the partial driving path to the vehicle, and

the vehicle drives based on the information on the driving path and the partial driving path transmitted from the supervising device, and stands by at the waiting point until the permission is given by the loader.

4. A vehicular driving method for creating a driving path for vehicles along which a vehicle is to drive from an entry point of a loading site to a loading point where a loader exists, and for making the vehicle drive along the created driving path, said method comprising:

creating a driving path from the entry point of the loading site to the loading point by way of a waiting point located in a neighborhood of the loading point based on position information on the loading point and position information on the entry point;

making the vehicle drive from the entry point to the waiting point along the driving path based on information on the created driving path;

making the vehicle stand by at the waiting point until a permission is given by the loader;

creating, when the loading point has moved inside the same loading site and there is an order to change the position of the loading point from the loader to a supervising device and/or to the vehicle while the vehicle is standing by at the waiting point or driving between the entry point and the waiting point, a partial driving path from the waiting point to the position changed loading point based on position information on the position changed loading point and position information on the waiting point on the driving path before the loading point has moved; and

making, when there is no order to change the position of the loading point from the loader to the supervising device and/or to the vehicle while the vehicle is standing by at the waiting point and driving between the entry point and the waiting point, the vehicle drive from the waiting point to the loading point along the driving path created by the driving path creating means based on the information on the driving path, and

making, when there is the order to change the position of the loading point while the vehicle is standing by at the waiting point or driving between the entry point and the waiting point, the vehicle drive from the waiting point to the position changed loading point along the partial driving path created by the partial driving path creating means based on information on the partial driving path.

5. The vehicular driving method according to claim 4, further comprising:

applying the vehicular driving method to a case where a plurality of vehicles drive along the driving path one after another; and

when there is the order to change the position of the loading point from the loader to the supervising device and/or to the vehicle,

creating, by the partial driving path creating means, the partial driving path from the waiting point to the position changed loading point,

creating, by the driving path creating means, a driving path from the entry point to the position changed loading point by way of a waiting point located at a position different from the position of the waiting point located on the partial driving path,

making a preceding vehicle drive from the waiting point to the position changed loading point along the partial driving path created by the partial driving path creating means based on information on the partial driving path, and

making a following vehicle drive from the entry point to the waiting point located at a position different from the position of the waiting point located on the partial driving path along the driving path created by the driving path creating means based on information on the driving path.