Self-propelling vehicle

• US 6,834,220 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2002
• Issued: 12/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BAIL GmbH
• Original Assignee: BAIL GmbH
• Inventors: Bail, Gunther
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US10/130,405
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/25, 701/26, 701/200, 701/24, 701/217, 180/167, 180/168, 180/169, 299/1.05, 318/580, 318/587, 702/94
• US Class Current: 701/25
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/08 Systems for determining direction or position line
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0221 involving a learning process
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

The invention relates to a self-propelling vehicle which first, and possibly with the aid of a driver, drives along a selected route from a starting point to a destination, whereby the vehicle receives position signals from a positioning system and stores said signals in a data memory. The vehicle first receives an associated current position signal from the positioning system and at a point of departure when the vehicle subsequently and automatically drives along exactly the same selected route. Said signal is compared to the position of the starting point. If the positions do not match, the evaluation device calculates the direction towards and the distance to the starting point, whereupon the vehicle drives along this route. The direction and the distance to the next stored position are subsequently calculated using successively received current position data. The vehicle drives along the corresponding route. The vehicle can drive along a predetermined route inside a building when a local positioning system is used.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a self-propelling vehicle comprising

a positioning system for transmitting position signals and a self-propelling vehicle containing position signal receiving means, position signal evaluating means, data memory storage means, and vehicle control means,

characterized by the following steps:

a) storing in the data memory the position data of a selected route from a starting point to a destination;

b) causing said vehicle to follow said selected route automatically in that

b1) at a point of departure it receives a current position signal from the positioning system and compares said signal with the stored position of said starting point and, if said position data do not match, calculates direction and distance to said starting point therefrom and causes the vehicle to travel from said current position of departure to the starting point, and

b2) then receives current position data in successive order and calculates direction and distance to the next stored position and causes the vehicle to drive along the selected route.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that in step a) the position data of the selected route are directly programmed.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that in step a)

a1) said vehicle is driven along a selected route from a starting point to a destination and

a2) said position signal receiving means receives position signals from the positioning system at time intervals and stores said signals in the data memory.

4. The controlling system according to claim 1, characterized in that said positioning system is a satellite navigation system such as GPS.

5. The controlling system according to claim 1, characterized in that said receiving means receives position signals from a stationary reference transmitter and determines its corrected exact position data therefrom.

6. The controlling system according to claim 1, characterized in that said positioning system is a local positioning system.

7. The controlling system according to claim 6, characterized in that said vehicle drives along said route within a building.

8. The controlling system according to claim 1, characterized in that said vehicle detects an obstacle along said route with the help of sensors.

9. The controlling system according to claim 8, characterized in that said vehicle stops upon detection of an obstacle.

10. The controlling system according to claim 8, characterized in that said vehicle bypasses an obstacle in its way along a pre-programmed path.