Control apparatus for autonomously navigating utility vehicle

• US 9,740,204 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2016
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• 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, Shimamura, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Torchinsky, Edward
• Application Number:
  US15/080,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20160282870A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0265 using buried wires
• 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 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

In an apparatus for controlling operation of an autonomously navigating utility vehicle to travel about a working area, there are provided a cell memorizing unit identifying a series of cells on which the vehicle has traveled in the work mode, assigning cell numbers successively to the series of cells, and memorizing the series of cells in association with the assigned cell numbers, the series of cells starting from the charging device to the current cell of the vehicle, a cell selecting unit selecting a return locus cell from among the series of cells in the return mode, the return locus cell being adjacent to the current cell, a cell number of the return locus cell being smaller than a cell number of the current cell, and a travel controlling unit controlling the vehicle to travel on the return locus cell to return to the charging device.

Claims

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

a position detector that is configured to detect a position of the vehicle; and

an electronic control unit having a CPU and memory;

wherein the CPU is configured to function as;

a map generating unit that is configured to generate a map of the working area that is divided into an array of a plurality of cells;

a mode switching unit that is configured to switch operating mode between work mode for making the vehicle autonomously travel and perform work in the working area and return mode for making the vehicle return to a charging device located at the working area in order to charge the battery;

a cell memorizing unit that is configured to identify a series of cells on which the vehicle has traveled in the work mode from among the plurality of cells based on the position of the vehicle detected by the position detector, assign cell numbers successively to the series of cells, and memorize the series of cells in association with the assigned cell numbers, the series of cells starting from a starting cell at or around a location of the charging device to a current cell at which the position of the vehicle is detected by the position detector;

a cell selecting unit that is configured to successively select a cell for a return locus along which the vehicle is to move from the current cell from among the series of cells memorized by the cell memorizing unit, when the operating mode is switched from the work mode to the return mode by the mode switching unit, the cell for the return locus being adjacent to the current cell, a cell number of the cell for the return locus being smaller than a cell number of the current cell; and

a travel controlling unit that is configured to control operation of the prime mover to make the vehicle travel along the cell for the return locus successively selected by the cell selecting unit to return to the charging device such that the cell number of the cell for the return locus decreases as the vehicle moves.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the vehicle travels on one of the series of cells that has already been assigned a cell number, the cell memorizing unit deletes the cell numbers that are larger than the cell number of the one of the series of cells that has already been assigned the cell number, and resumes assigning cell numbers starting from the cell number of the one of the series of cells that has already been assigned the cell number.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the series of cells memorized by the cell memorizing unit includes a plurality of cells adjacent to the current cell, the cell selecting unit selects a cell whose cell number is smallest among the plurality of cells adjacent to the current cell as the cell for the return locus.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position detector comprises an angular velocity sensor that is installed on the vehicle and produces an output indicating an angular velocity occurring at the vehicle, and wheel speed sensors installed on the vehicle and produce output indicating a travel distance of the vehicle.

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

detecting a position of the vehicle;

generating, at an Electronic Control Unit (ECU), a map of the working area that is divided into an array of a plurality of cells;

switching, at the ECU, operating mode between work mode for making the vehicle autonomously travel and perform work in the working area and return mode for making the vehicle return to a charging device located at the working area in order to charge the battery;

identifying, at the ECU, a series of cells on which the vehicle has traveled in the work mode from among the plurality of cells based on the position of the vehicle detected in the step of detecting, the series of cells starting from a starting cell at or around a location of the charging device to a current cell at which the position of the vehicle is detected in the step of detecting;

assigning, at the ECU, cell numbers successively to the series of cells;

memorizing, at the ECU, the series of cells in association with the assigned cell numbers;

successively selecting, at the ECU, a cell for a return locus along which the vehicle is to move to return from the current cell from among the series of cells memorized in the step of memorizing, when the operating mode is switched from the work mode to the return mode in the step of switching, the cell for the return locus being adjacent to the current cell, a cell number of the cell for the return locus being smaller than a cell number of the current cell; and

controlling, at the ECU, operation of the prime mover to make the vehicle travel along the cell for the return locus selected in the step of selecting to return to the charging device such that the cell number of the cell for the return locus decreases as the vehicle moves.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, when the vehicle travels on one of the series of cells that has already been assigned a cell number, the step of memorizing includes deleting the cell numbers that are larger than the cell number of the one of the series of cells that has already been assigned the cell number, and the step of assigning includes resuming assigning cell numbers starting from the cell number of the one of the series of cells that has already been assigned the cell number.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein, when the series of cells memorized in the step of memorizing includes a plurality of cells adjacent to the current cell, the step of selecting includes selecting a cell whose cell number is smallest among the plurality of cells adjacent to the current cell as the cell for the return locus.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of detecting comprises the steps of detecting an angular velocity occurring at the vehicle, and detecting a travel distance of the vehicle.