CONTROL APPARATUS FOR AUTONOMOUSLY NAVIGATING UTILITY VEHICLE

• US 20160282868A1
• 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, Kawakami, Toshiaki
• Granted Patent: US 10,139,821 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 wire laid thereat and divided into a first area and a second area connected by a third area that is narrower than the first and second areas, there are provided with a first travel controlling unit that controls operation of the prime mover to make the vehicle travel along the boundary wire based on a detected magnetic field, a third area identifying unit that identifies a location of the third area in the working area based on a detected position of the vehicle when the vehicle is controlled to travel by the first travel controlling unit, and a second travel controlling unit that controls operation of the prime mover to make the vehicle travel forward toward an entrance of the third area whose location is identified by the third area identifying unit based on the position of the vehicle detected from the output of the position sensor.

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 wire laid thereat, the working area being divided into at least a first area and a second area connected by a third area that is narrower than the first and second areas, comprising:

a magnetic sensor installed on the vehicle to produce an output indicating a magnetic field generated by electric current passing through the boundary wire;

a position sensor that produces an output indicating a position of the vehicle;

a first travel controlling unit that controls operation of the prime mover to make the vehicle travel along the boundary wire based on the magnetic field detected from the output of the magnetic sensor;

a third area identifying unit that identifies a location of the third area in the working area based on the position of the vehicle detected from the output of the position sensor when the vehicle is controlled to travel by the first travel controlling unit; and

a second travel controlling unit that controls operation of the prime mover to make the vehicle travel forward toward an entrance of the third area whose location is identified by the third area identifying unit based on the position of the vehicle detected from the output of the position sensor.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further including:

a map generating unit that generates a map of the working area by determining the position of the vehicle on a map comprised of an array of multiple cells detected from the output of the position sensor when the vehicle is controlled to travel by the first travel controlling unit; and

the third area identifying unit memorizes position data of one or ones of the cells of the map over which the vehicle passes and identifies the location of the third area based on the memorized position data of the one or ones of the cells within a predetermined range of the travel of the vehicle.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second travel controlling unit controls operation of the prime mover to make the vehicle travel along the boundary wire from the entrance to an exit of the third area whose location is identified by the third area identifying unit based on the position of the vehicle detected from the output of the position sensor and the magnetic field detected from the output of the magnetic sensor.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further including:

a target position setting unit that sets a target position of the vehicle in the second area; and

the second travel controlling unit controls operation of the prime mover to make the vehicle travel forward from the exit of the third area to the target position set by the target position setting unit based on the position of the vehicle detected from the output of the position sensor.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second travel controlling unit sets a target position at a center point of a cell among the one or ones of the cells adjacent to the first area, but is farthest from the second area.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the map generating unit generates the map of the working area by memorizing position data of each of the cells over which the vehicle passes when the vehicle is controlled to travel by the first travel controlling unit.

7. 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 wire laid thereat, the working area being divided into at least a first area and a second area connected by a third area that is narrower than the first and second areas, comprising the steps of:

detecting a magnetic field generated by electric current passing through the boundary wire;

detecting a position of the vehicle;

controlling operation of the prime mover make the vehicle travel along the boundary wire based on the detected magnetic field;

identifying a location of the third area in the working area based on the detected position of the vehicle when the vehicle is controlled to travel along the boundary wire; and

controlling operation of the prime mover to make the vehicle travel forward toward an entrance of the third area whose location is identified by the step of third area identifying based on the detected position of the vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 7, further including the step of:

generating a map of the working area by determining the detected position of the vehicle on a map comprised of an array of multiple cells when the vehicle is controlled to travel along the boundary wire, and

the step of third area identifying memorizes position data of one or ones of the cells of the map over which the vehicle passes and identifies the location of the third area based on the memorized position data of the one or ones of the cells within a predetermined range of the travel of the vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of controlling controls operation of the prime mover to make the vehicle travel along the boundary wire from the entrance to an exit of the third area whose location is identified by the step of third area identifying based on the detected position of the vehicle and the detected magnetic field.

10. The method according to claim 9, further including the step of:

setting a target position of the vehicle in the second area; and

the step of controlling controls operation of the prime mover to make the vehicle travel forward from the exit of the third area to the target position set by the step of target position setting based on the detected position of the vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of controlling sets a target position, at a center point of a cell among the one or ones of the cells adjacent to the first area, but is farthest from the second area.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of map generating generates the map of the working area by memorizing position data of each of the cells over which the vehicle passes when the vehicle is controlled to travel along the boundary wire.