Guided control device for unmanned vehicle

• US 8,280,573 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd., Sumco Techxiv Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Sudou, Tsugio, Nishijima, Akiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Elchanti, Hussein
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US11/890,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20090299562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,884 Days
• Field of Search: 701/93, 701/2, 701 23- 26, 701116-123, 701/408, 701/466, 701/517, 180/170, 340/438, 340/988, 340/989, 340/995.25, 340/995.28, 340/996, 342/70
• US Class Current: 701/25
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS

Abstract

Guiding speed is increased while an unmanned vehicle is prevented from straying from a travel passage width, to improve the work efficiency. Target speed of the unmanned vehicle increases as a distance between a current position of the unmanned vehicle and a guidable borderline increases, and the target speed of the unmanned vehicle decreases as the distance between the current position of the unmanned vehicle and a guidable borderline decreases. The unmanned vehicle travels, along a travel path having adjacent inbound/outbound lanes, in a direction opposite to a direction of a vehicle on an oncoming lane. If it is determined that the vehicle traveling along the oncoming lane is approaching the unmanned vehicle, then the target speed of the unmanned vehicle is reduced, whereby the unmanned vehicle is caused to travel at a low guiding speed.

Claims

1. A guided travel control device for an unmanned vehicle, said guided travel control device comprising:

a remote control tower for guiding and causing the unmanned vehicle to travel along a target travel course, said target travel course being line-shaped and said vehicle traveling at a vehicle speed according to a target speed with a guidance error in a width direction of the vehicle occurring according to the vehicle speed, the target travel course being set between right and left travelable borderlines which are predetermined so that the borderlines show boundaries of a travel passage width in the width direction of the unmanned vehicle, the travel passage width being a width in which the unmanned vehicle is capable of traveling to right side or left side with respect to a traveling direction of the unmanned vehicle

target speed setting means for setting the target speed of the unmanned vehicle such that when the unmanned vehicle is guided and caused to travel along the target travel course, the target speed increases as a distance in the width direction of the unmanned vehicle between a current target point on the target travel course and the right or left travelable borderline increases, and the target speed decreases as a distance in the width direction of the unmanned vehicle between a current point of the unmanned vehicle and the right or left travelable borderline decreases; and

guided travel control means for guiding and causing the unmanned vehicle to travel along the target travel course so that the set target speed can be obtained.

2. The guided travel control device for an unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the unmanned vehicle travels along a travel path having adjacent inbound/outbound lanes while facing a vehicle traveling along an oncoming lane,

the guided travel control device further comprises determination means for determining whether the vehicle traveling along the oncoming lane approaches the unmanned vehicle, and

the guided travel control means reduces the target speed of the unmanned vehicle when the vehicle traveling along the oncoming lane approaches the unmanned vehicle.

3. A guided travel control device for an unmanned vehicle, said guided travel control device comprising:

a remote control tower for guiding and causing the unmanned vehicle to travel along a target travel course, said target travel course being line-shaped and said vehicle traveling at a vehicle speed according to a target speed with a guidance error in a width direction of the vehicle occurring according to the vehicle speed,

wherein the guided travel control device has a

guidable width setting means in said control tower for setting a guidable width to be a width narrower than a travel passage width and to be a width in which the unmanned vehicle is able to be guided and caused to travel when the unmanned vehicle is subjected to a guided travel control, the travel passage width being a width in which the unmanned vehicle is capable of traveling to right side or left side with respect to a traveling direction of the unmanned vehicle, the guidable width setting means setting the guidable width such that, when the unmanned vehicle is guided and caused to travel along the target travel course, the guidable width increases as a distance in the width direction of the unmanned vehicle between a current point of the unmanned vehicle and a right or left travelable borderline increases, the travelable borderline being predetermined so that the borderlines show boundaries of the travel passage width in the width direction of the unmanned vehicle, and the guidable width decreases as a distance in the width direction of the unmanned vehicle between the current point of the unmanned vehicle and the right or left travelable borderline decreases,

target speed setting means for setting the target speed of the unmanned vehicle such that the target speed of the unmanned vehicle increases as the guidable width increases, and the target speed of the unmanned vehicle decreases as the guidable width decreases; and

guided travel control means for guiding and causing the unmanned vehicle to travel along the target travel course so that the set target speed can be obtained.

4. The guided travel control device for an unmanned vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the target speed setting means sets the target speed of the unmanned vehicle such that the target speed of the unmanned vehicle increases as a distance between the current point of the unmanned vehicle and a right or left guidable borderline increases, and the target speed of the unmanned vehicle decreases as the distance between the current point of the unmanned vehicle and the right or left guidable borderline decreases, the right or left guidable borderline being a right or left boundary of the guidable width.

5. The guided travel control device for an unmanned vehicle according to claim 4, wherein

the unmanned vehicle travels along a travel path having adjacent inbound/outbound lanes while facing a vehicle traveling along an oncoming lane,

the guided travel control device further comprises determination means for determining whether the vehicle traveling along the oncoming lane approaches the unmanned vehicle, and

the guided travel control means reduces the target speed of the unmanned vehicle when the vehicle traveling along the oncoming lane approaches the unmanned vehicle.

6. The guided travel control device for an unmanned vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the unmanned vehicle travels along a travel path having adjacent inbound/outbound lanes while facing a vehicle traveling along an oncoming lane,

the guided travel control device further comprises determination means for determining whether the vehicle traveling along the oncoming lane approaches the unmanned vehicle, and

the guided travel control means reduces the target speed of the unmanned vehicle when the vehicle traveling along the oncoming lane approaches the unmanned vehicle.