Arrangement of area wire for unmanned autonomous operating vehicle and control apparatus of the same
First Claim
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 apparatus comprising:
- a circular charging device detecting area set to be used for detecting a position of a charging device installed on the area wire, a center of the charging device detecting area being at the charging device;
a turn-back portion including a pair of bending wire portions facing each other, the pair of bending wire portions being formed by bending the area wire at a first position on an opposite side of the charging device across an operating area defined by the area wire toward the charging device detecting area and again bending the area wire at a second position within the charging device detecting area toward the first position, the pair of bending wire portions being separated from each other by a predetermined distance, an area between the pair of bending wire portions being outside the operating area so that the operating area is divided into two zones through the pair of bending wire portions; and
a controller adapted to control the vehicle in an operating mode to run about in the operating area through the wheels driven by the prime movers to perform an operation using the operating machine while determining whether the vehicle is inside the operating area based on signals from the magnetic sensors to allow the vehicle to go across the area between the pair of bending wire portions based on a comparison of a time period that the vehicle is determined to be outside the operating area with a threshold value, and to control the vehicle in a return 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 is to be returned to the charging device so as to charge the battery.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In an arrangement of an area wire for 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 the area wire and controlled to run about in an operating area defined by the area wire 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 are provided with a charging device detecting area set to be used for detecting a position of the charging device, and a turn-back portion formed by bending the area wire at an appropriate position toward the charging device detecting area and again bending the area wire to return in a same direction with a predetermined space, whereby the operating area is divided into a plurality of zones.
-
Citations
10 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 apparatus comprising: -
a circular charging device detecting area set to be used for detecting a position of a charging device installed on the area wire, a center of the charging device detecting area being at the charging device; a turn-back portion including a pair of bending wire portions facing each other, the pair of bending wire portions being formed by bending the area wire at a first position on an opposite side of the charging device across an operating area defined by the area wire toward the charging device detecting area and again bending the area wire at a second position within the charging device detecting area toward the first position, the pair of bending wire portions being separated from each other by a predetermined distance, an area between the pair of bending wire portions being outside the operating area so that the operating area is divided into two zones through the pair of bending wire portions; and a controller adapted to control the vehicle in an operating mode to run about in the operating area through the wheels driven by the prime movers to perform an operation using the operating machine while determining whether the vehicle is inside the operating area based on signals from the magnetic sensors to allow the vehicle to go across the area between the pair of bending wire portions based on a comparison of a time period that the vehicle is determined to be outside the operating area with a threshold value, and to control the vehicle in a return 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 is to be returned to the charging device so as to charge the battery. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
Specification
-
- Resources
-
Current AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
-
Original AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
-
InventorsYamamura, Makoto, Kawakami, Toshiaki, Habuka, Nobuyuki
-
Primary Examiner(s)Mawari, Redhwan K
-
Assistant Examiner(s)Torchinsky, Edward
-
Application NumberUS13/761,591Publication NumberTime in Patent Office1,363 DaysField of SearchNoneUS Class Current1/1CPC Class CodesG05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixe...G05D 1/0265 using buried wires
