Mobile vehicle

• US 9,995,827 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2016
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Matsuyama, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Walters, John D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Triggs, James J
• Application Number:
  US15/258,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20170090033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/38 with automatic control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0092 with motorization
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes

Abstract

A mobile vehicle comprising: an electric undercarriage including a wheel that can travel; and a distance detection unit and a protruding structure which are mounted on the electric undercarriage, wherein the distance detection unit is configured to emit light horizontally in a range of a predetermined center angle around the electric undercarriage and to be capable of detecting a distance to an object present within the range of the predetermined center angle, the protruding structure includes one or more of an antenna, a warning light, an imaging device, and a lift mechanism unit, and the protruding structure is placed on the electric undercarriage at a position outside the range of the predetermined center angle, whose mobile vehicle can reliably recognize an obstacle without creating a blind spot in a traveling direction.

Claims

1. A mobile vehicle comprising:

an electric undercarriage including a wheel that travels; and

a distance detection unit and a protruding structure which are mounted on the electric undercarriage, wherein

the distance detection unit is configured to emit light horizontally in a range of a predetermined center angle around the electric undercarriage and detect a distance to an object present within the range of the predetermined center angle,

the protruding structure includes an antenna, a warning light, an imaging device, and a lift mechanism unit, and

the protruding structure is placed on the electric undercarriage at a position outside the range of the predetermined center angle.

2. The mobile vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined center angle ranges from 180°

to 330°

from front to left and right sides of the electric undercarriage.

3. The mobile vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the distance detection unit employs LIDAR that emits laser to at least a two-dimensional space in a predetermined distance measurement region to detect distances at a plurality of measured points within the range of the predetermined center angle.

4. The mobile vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

the antenna and the lift mechanism unit as the protruding structure, wherein

the antenna includes a GPS antenna,

the GPS antenna being mounted on the lift mechanism unit so as to be raised or lowered.

5. The mobile vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

the imaging device as the protruding structure, wherein

the imaging device includes a surveillance camera,

the surveillance camera being mounted on the lift mechanism unit so as to be raised or lowered.

6. The mobile vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

the imaging device as the protruding structure, wherein

the imaging device includes a small camera,

the small camera being mounted at a rear end of the electric undercarriage.

7. The mobile vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

the antenna as the protruding structure, wherein

the antenna includes a communication antenna.

8. The mobile vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the mobile vehicle is an autonomous mobile vehicle.