DYNAMIC OBJECT AVOIDANCE WITH AUTOMATED GUIDED VEHICLE

• US 20050021195A1
• Filed: 07/21/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dematic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rapistan Systems Advertising Corporation (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Werner, Matthew L., Koff, Garry A., Zeitler, David W.
• Application Number:
  US10/710,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021195A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0257 using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0261 using magnetic plots
• 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 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2201/0216 Vehicle for transporting goods in a warehouse, factory or similar

Abstract

A method and apparatus for guiding an automated-guided vehicle includes providing a guide path defined with respect to a physical path and controlling a vehicle to generally follow the guide path. The presence of an obstacle at the guide path is detected, such as with a laser scanner, radar detector, or the like. The vehicle is controlled around the obstacle and back to the guide path. This may be accomplished by generating an offset to the guide path at the detected obstacle.

Claims

1. A method of guiding an automated guided vehicle, comprising:

providing a guide path defined with respect to a physical path;

controlling a vehicle to generally follow said guide path;

detecting the presence of an obstacle at said guide path; and

controlling the vehicle around the obstacle and back to said guide path.

2. The method of guiding of claim 1 wherein said detecting included providing a sensor on the vehicle and detecting an obstacle with said sensor.

3. The method of guiding of claim 2 wherein said sensor comprises a scanning laser.

4. The method of guiding of claim 1 including defining a limited control area, controlling the vehicle around the obstacle when the presence of the obstacle is detected in said limited control area and stopping the vehicle when the presence of the obstacle is detected outside of said limited control area.

5. The method of guiding of claim 1 including detecting that an obstacle has been avoided and controlling the vehicle back to said guide path in response to the obstacle having been avoided.

6. The method of guiding of claim 1 wherein said vehicle is navigated by dead-reckoning navigation and wherein said guide path is a virtual guide path defined in a memory of a computer.

7. The method of guiding of claim 6 wherein said dead-reckoning navigation comprises gyroscope-based navigation.

8. The method of claim 6 including updating at least one of position and orientation of the vehicle are updated to correct for drift in said dead-reckoning navigation.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said updating is performed by a high frequency location system.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said high frequency location system comprises a plurality of stationary high frequency electromagnetic energy emitting and detecting beacons positioned at known locations and at least one mobile electromagnetic energy beacon positioned onboard the vehicle, said mobile beacon communicating with said plurality of stationary beacons using high frequency radio electromagnetic energy.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said updating comprises positioning a plurality of spaced apart magnets along said guide path at known locations and detecting said magnets with a magnetic detector of said vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11 including positioning said plurality of magnets both on said guide path and off of said guide path, wherein said magnetic detector should detect a magnet when the vehicle is traveling on the guide path and when the vehicle is avoiding an obstacle.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said magnets are arranged in diagonal patterns with respect to the guide path.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said detecting the presence of an obstacle includes detecting unobstructed passage space adjacent the obstacle.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said controlling the vehicle around the obstacle includes determining an offset to the guide path and controlling the vehicle along said offset.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said controlling the vehicle around the obstacle includes determining an offset to the guide path and controlling the vehicle along said offset.