ARRANGEMENT OF AREA WIRE FOR UNMANNED AUTONOMOUS OPERATING VEHICLE AND CONTROL APPARATUS OF THE SAME

• US 20130211647A1
• Filed: 02/07/2013
• Published: 08/15/2013
• 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, Habuka, Nobuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,483,053 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• 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 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.

Claims

1. 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, prime movers for driving wheels, and magnetic sensors for detecting intensity of a magnetic field of the area wire, the vehicle being 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,

wherein the improvement comprises:

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.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined space is determined based on the intensity of the magnetic field of the area wire.

3. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is controlled to turn about upon reaching the charging device detecting area and subsequently run toward the area wire to be guided to the charging device while detecting the intensity of the magnetic field of the area wire to return to the charging device.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein an entering direction of the vehicle to the charging device is changed whenever the vehicle is to be returned to the charging device while detecting the intensity of the magnetic field of the area wire to return to the charging device.

5. 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 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,

wherein the improvement comprises:

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

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; and

a returning controller adapted to control the vehicle 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.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the returning controller controls the vehicle to again turn about and subsequently run toward the area wire to be guided to the charging device when the vehicle is determined to have passed through the charging device detecting area after turning about.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the returning controller changes an entering direction of the vehicle to the charging device whenever the vehicle is to be returned to the charging device.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the returning controller decreases a running speed of the vehicle when the vehicle is determined to have reached the charging device detecting area to return to the charging device.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the returning controller controls the vehicle to go across the turn-back portion when the vehicle is controlled to run about through the wheels driven by the prime movers in the operating area, while being controlled to perform the operation by using the operating machine driven by the motor.

10. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined space is determined based on the intensity of the magnetic field of the area wire.

11. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the prime movers comprise electric motors to be supplied with power from the battery.

12. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the operating machine comprises a lawn mower.

13. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the vehicle has a charging terminal at its front to be connectable with the charging device installed on the area wire.

14. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the charging device is disposed with a coil radiating a magnetic field that forms a charging device detecting area around the charging device.