Control apparatus for unmanned autonomous operating vehicle

• US 8,972,092 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2013
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yamamura, Makoto, Kawakami, Toshiaki, Kobayashi, Hiroshi, Kimata, Ryuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US13/761,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20130211648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23- 26, 701/50, 701408-411, 701416-417, 701/423, 701/424, 701/466, 701/494, 701/514, 701/518, 701/519, 701/521, 701/523, 701/527, 701300-302, 318/567, 31856811-56813, 31856816-56818, 31856822-56823, 318/580, 56/1, 56/102.R, 56/102.D, 56/102.F, 56/102.A, 56/102.J, 563/14, 35613904-13908, 180167-169, 180/274, 180/280, 700/245, 700/250, 700/253, 700/258, 901/1, 901/46, 901/47, 342/357.65, 172/26
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0265 using buried wires

Abstract

In an apparatus for controlling an unmanned autonomous operating vehicle having an electric motor supplied with power from a battery for operating an operating machine, and magnetic sensors for detecting intensity of a magnetic field of an area wire and controlled to run about in an operating area defined by the area wire through wheels driven by the prime movers to perform an operation using the operating machine and to return to a charging device installed on the area wire so as to charge the battery, there is provided with a turn-back portion formed by bending the area wire at an appropriate position and again bending the area wire to return in a same direction with a predetermined space so as to divide the operating area into a plurality of parts and vehicle running is controlled to be prohibited from going across the turn-back portion.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling an unmanned autonomous operating vehicle having an electric motor supplied with power from a battery for operating an operating machine, prime movers for driving wheels, and magnetic sensors for detecting intensity of a magnetic field of an area wire, the vehicle being controlled in a first mode to run about in an operating area defined by the area wire through wheels driven by the prime movers to perform an operation using the operating machine and in a second mode to return to a charging device installed on the area wire so as to charge the battery,

wherein the apparatus comprises:

a turn-back portion formed by bending the area wire at an appropriate position and again bending the area wire to return in a same direction with a predetermined space, the turn-back portion dividing the operating area into a plurality of zones; and

a running controller adapted to control the vehicle in the first mode to run about in each of the plurality of zones, and, while controlling the vehicle to run about in any one of the plurality of zones, prohibiting the vehicle from going across the turn-back portion and entering another one of the plurality of zones.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a charging device detecting area set to be used for detecting a position of the charging device,

wherein the running controller controls the vehicle in the second mode to turn about when the vehicle is determined to have reached the charging device detecting area and subsequently run toward the area wire to be guided to the charging device when the vehicle detects the intensity of the magnetic field of the area wire to return to the charging device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the charging device is disposed with a coil radiating a magnetic field that forms the charging device detecting area around the charging device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the running controller changes an entering direction of the vehicle to the charging device whenever the vehicle is returned to the charging device.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined space is determined based on the intensity of the magnetic field of the area wire and so as to prevent the magnetic field at two close points of the area wire from becoming undetectable by the magnetic sensors of the vehicle.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the prime movers comprises electric motors to be supplied with power from the battery.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operating machine comprises a lawn mower.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle has a charging terminal at its front to be connectable with the charging device installed on the area wire.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the charging device is installed on the area wire in a first of the plurality of zones, and, when the vehicle is in a different one of the plurality of zones, the running controller is adapted to control the vehicle in the second mode to return to the charging device, at least in part by traveling from the different one of the plurality of zones to the first of the plurality of zones, by going across the turn-back portion.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the turn-back portion is spaced from an opposing portion of the area wire, going across the turn-back portion includes passing through the space between the turn-back portion and the opposing portion of the area wire, and the running controller is adapted to control the vehicle in a third mode to travel between zones by going across the turn-back portion by traveling along the space between the turn-back portion and the opposing portion of the area wire.

11. A method for controlling an unmanned autonomous operating vehicle having an electric motor supplied with power from a battery for operating an operating machine, prime movers for driving wheels, and magnetic sensors for detecting intensity of a magnetic field of an area wire, the vehicle being controlled in a first mode to run about in an operating area defined by the area wire through wheels driven by the prime movers to perform an operation using the operating machine and in a second mode to return to a charging device installed on the area wire so as to charge the battery,

the method comprising the step of:

providing a turn-back portion formed by bending the area wire at an appropriate position and again bending the area wire to return in a same direction with a predetermined space, the turn-back portion dividing the operating area into a plurality of zones; and

controlling the vehicle in the first mode to run about in each of the plurality of zones, and, while controlling the vehicle to run about in any one of the plurality of zones, prohibiting the vehicle from going across the turn-back portion and entering another one of the plurality of zones.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

controlling the vehicle in the second mode to turn about when the vehicle is determined to have reached a charging device detecting area set to be used for detecting a position of the charging device, and subsequently run toward the area wire to be guided to the charging device when the vehicle detects the intensity of the magnetic field of the area wire to return to the charging device.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the charging device is disposed with a coil radiating a magnetic field that forms the charging device detecting area around the charging device.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of controlling the vehicle to change an entering direction of the vehicle to the charging device whenever the vehicle is returned to the charging device.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein step of providing the turn-back portion comprises setting the predetermined space based on the intensity of the magnetic field of the area wire and so as to prevent the magnetic field at two close points of the area wire from becoming undetectable by the magnetic sensors of the vehicle.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the prime movers comprise electric motors to be supplied with power from the battery.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the operating machine comprises a lawn mower.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein the vehicle has a charging terminal at its front to be connectable with the charging device installed on the area wire.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein the charging device is installed on the area wire in a first of the plurality of zones, and the method further comprises:

when the vehicle is in a different one of the plurality of zones, controlling the vehicle in the second mode to return to the charging device at least in part by traveling from the different one of the plurality of zones to the first of the plurality of zones by going across the turn-back portion.

20. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of providing the turn-back portion includes forming the turn-back portion so that the turn-back portion is spaced from an opposing portion of the area wire, going across the turn-back portion includes passing through the space between the turn-back portion and the opposing portion of the area wire, and the method further comprises:

controlling the vehicle in a third mode to travel between zones by going across the turn-back portion by traveling along the space between the turn-back portion and the opposing portion of the area wire.