Teaching-playback type automatically running vehicle

• US 4,626,993 A
• Filed: 12/01/1982
• Issued: 12/02/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Inventors: Okuyama, Shigeaki, Fuziwara, Osami
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/445,755
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• Field of Search: 318/580, 318/568, 318/576, 318/575, 318/578, 318/579, 180/169, 180/167, 180/168, 324/207, 324/208, 324/234, 364/424, 364/513
• US Class Current: 701/25
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0221 involving a learning process
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0261 using magnetic plots

Abstract

Apparatus and method for controlling an automatically running vehicle over a predetermined course which has guidelines intermittently placed therein. Vehicle commands used to negotiate the course under manual control are stored in a memory. The vehicle has sensors which detect the presence and location of the guidelines as the vehicle passes by. The vehicle travels the course under control of the stored vehicle commands until guidelines are detected indicating the vehicle is off course. Then, vehicle control is switched so that the vehicle returns on course, over the guidelines. When the guidelines are no longer detected, vehicle control is returned to the memorized vehicle commands in such a fashion as to synchronize the actual vehicle position with the memorized data.

Claims

1. An apparatus for automatically running a vehicle over a predetermined course which has at least one guidelines therein, said vehicle having a front and a rear, comprising:

means for storing data which control said vehicle over said predetermined course, said data including a steering signal and a traveling distance signal corresponding to said steering signal, said data being arranged in data blocks with each block corresponding to a distance between successive guidelines;

means for manually controlling said vehicle over said predetermined course to cause said storing means to store data about said course;

means for detecting the presence and location of said guidelines, said detecting means including first and second groups of sensors transversely mounted on said vehicle front and rear respectively, said second group of sensors including a middle sensor mounted substantially in the middle of said vehicle rear for detecting when the middle of the vehicle is adjacent a guidelines;

means for measuring distance traveled by said vehicle;

first control means for controlling said vehicle in accordance with said stored data and said distance traveled;

second control means for controlling said vehicle in accordance with said guidelines location when one of said sensors detects a guidelines; and

control switch means for switching vehicle control from said first control means to said second control means when one of said guidelines is detected, and switching vehicle control from said second control means to said first control means when one of said guidelines is no longer detected, to cause said vehicle to be controlled in accordance with a data block which reflects actual vehicle position with respect to said successive guidelines.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said storing means includes:

steering data memory means for storing said data blocks, each block including at least one address corresponding to one steering signal and one traveling distance signal; and

steering data selecting means for selecting an address which reflects an actual position of said vehicle with respect to said guidelines.

3. Apparatus for controlling the travel of an automatically running vehicle over a predetermined course which has at least one guideline therein, said vehicle having a front and a rear, comprising:

means for storing vehicle commands which control said vehicle over said predetermined course;

means for detecting the presence and location of said guideline, said detecting means including first and second groups of sensors transversely mounted on said vehicle front and rear respectively;

means for controlling said vehicle in accordance with said stored vehicle commands when said guideline is not detected;

means for controlling said vehicle in accordance with said guideline location when said guideline is detected by one of said sensors; and

means for switching vehicle control from said guide rod location to said stored commands so that said vehicle is controlled by stored commands corresponding to actual vehicle position on said course.

4. A method for controlling the travel of an automatically running vehicle over a predetermined course which has at least one guideline therein, said vehicle having a front and a rear, comprising:

storing vehicle commands which control said vehicle over said predetermined course;

detecting the presence and location of said guideline with first and second groups of sensors transversely mounted on said vehicle front and rear respectively;

controlling said vehicle in accordance with said stored vehicle commands when said guideline is not detected; and

controlling said vehicle in accordance with said guideline location when said guideline is detected by one of said sensors, vehicle control switching from said guideline location to said stored commands so that said vehicle is controlled by stored commands corresponding to actual vehicle position on said course.