CONTROL APPARATUS FOR AUTONOMOUSLY NAVIGATING UTILITY VEHICLE

• US 20160282867A1
• Filed: 03/24/2016
• Published: 09/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yamamura, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 9,939,812 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0265 using buried wires
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling operation of an autonomously navigating utility vehicle equipped with a prime mover to travel about a working area delineated by a boundary line, there are provided with a map generating unit that that generates a working area map comprised of an array of a plurality of cells, a memory unit that counts and memorizes a number of times the vehicle passes over each of the cells based on the detected vehicle position; a target cell setting unit that selects one of the cells based on the memorized counted number and sets the selected one as a target cell; and a travel controlling unit that controls operation of the prime mover to make the vehicle travel about the working area until the vehicle has reached the boundary line, and make the vehicle turn toward the target cell and then travel straight forward when the vehicle has reached the boundary line.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling operation of an autonomously navigating utility vehicle equipped with a prime mover to travel about a working area delineated by a boundary line in order to perform work autonomously, comprising:

a map generating unit that that generates a working area map of the working area comprised of an array of a plurality of cells;

a position detector that detects a first position of the vehicle in the working area map and a second position of the vehicle with respect to the boundary line of the working area;

a memory unit that counts and memorizes a number of times the vehicle passes over each of the cells based on the first position of the vehicle detected by the position detector;

a target cell setting unit that selects one of the cells based on the counted number memorized in the memory unit and sets the selected one as a target cell; and

a travel controlling unit that discriminates whether the vehicle has reached the boundary line based on the second position of the vehicle detected by the position detector, and controls operation of the prime mover to make the vehicle travel about the working area until the vehicle is discriminated to have reached the boundary line and make the vehicle turn toward the target cell set by the target cell setting unit and then travel straight forward when the vehicle is discriminated to have reached the boundary line.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the target cell setting unit calculates an average value of the counted number by dividing a sum of the counted numbers of the cells by a total number of cells and as the target cell, sets one of the cells whose counted number memorized in the memory unit is smaller than the average value by a predetermined value or more.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the target cell setting unit sets as the target cell one of the cells whose counted number memorized in the memory unit is equal to or smaller than the predetermined value.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the target cell setting unit sets the target cell by selecting one other than a cell among the cells having the boundary line present between itself and the vehicle when the vehicle is discriminated by the travel controlling unit to have reached the boundary line.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the working area is delineated by the boundary line comprising a boundary wire laid thereat;

and

the position detector detects the second position by detecting a magnetic field strength generated by electric current passing through the boundary wire.

6. A method for controlling operation of an autonomously navigating utility vehicle equipped with a prime mover to travel about a working area delineated by a boundary line in order to perform work autonomously, comprising the steps of:

generating a working area map of the working area comprised of an array of a plurality of cells;

detecting a first position of the vehicle in the working area map and a second position of the vehicle with respect to the boundary line of the working area AR;

counting and memorizing a number of times the vehicle passes over each of the cells based on the first position of the vehicle detected by the step of position detecting;

selecting one of the cells based on the counted number memorized in the step of memorizing and sets the selected one as a target cell; and

controlling operation of the prime mover to make the vehicle travel about the working area AR until the vehicle is discriminated to have reached the boundary line based on the second position of the vehicle detected by the steep of position detecting, and make the vehicle turn toward the target cell set by the step of target cell setting and then travel straight forward when the vehicle is discriminated to have reached the boundary line.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of target cell setting calculates an average value of the counted number by dividing a sum of the counted numbers of the cells by a total number of cells and as the target cell, sets one of the cells whose counted number memorized in the step of memorizing is smaller than the average value by a predetermined value or more.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of target cell setting sets as the target cell one of the cells whose counted number memorized in the step of memorizing is equal to or smaller than the predetermined value.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of target cell setting sets the target cell by selecting one other than a cell among the cells having the boundary line present between itself and the vehicle when the vehicle is discriminated by the step of travel controlling to have reached the boundary line.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the working area is delineated by the boundary line comprising a boundary wire laid thereat;

and

the step of position detecting detects the second position by detecting a magnetic field strength generated by electric current passing through the boundary wire.