EP0252219A2 — Method of guiding an unmanned vehicle

Claim 1

Independent Claim 182 words

A method of guiding an unmanned vehicle comprising the steps of; placing a ground mark comprising first, second and third line segments in such a manner that they extend in the transverse direction relative to a passage of said unmanned vehicle, said first and second line segments being in parallel with one another and said third line segment being located between the first and second line segments and extending in the non- parallel relation relative to them, mounting line segment detecting means on the unmanned vehicle, measuring amount of movement of the vehicle from the time when the first line segment is detected by said line segment detecting means to the time when the second line segment is detected as well as amount of movement of the vehicle from the time when the second line segment is detected to the time when the third line segment is detected, obtaining a relative positional relation between the ground mark and the vehicle with reference to each of said measured distances, and carrying out guiding of the vehicle in accordance with said relative positional relation.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 182 words

A method of guiding an unmanned vehicle comprising the steps of; placing a ground mark comprising first, second and third line segments in such a manner that they extend in the transverse direction relative to a passage of said unmanned vehicle, said first and second line segments being in parallel with one another and said third line segment being located between the first and second line segments and extending in the non- parallel relation relative to them, mounting line segment detecting means on the unmanned vehicle, measuring amount of movement of the vehicle from the time when the first line segment is detected by said line segment detecting means to the time when the second line segment is detected as well as amount of movement of the vehicle from the time when the second line segment is detected to the time when the third line segment is detected, obtaining a relative positional relation between the ground mark and the vehicle with reference to each of said measured distances, and carrying out guiding of the vehicle in accordance with said relative positional relation.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 51 words

2 . A method of guiding an unmanhcd vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the amounts of movement is measured with reference to time required for movement of the vehicle by each of the distances in the case where a moving speed of the vehicle is kept constant.

Claim 4

Independent Claim 197 words

A method of guiding an unmanned vehicle comprising the steps of; placing at least a ground mark comprising first and second line segments in such a manner that they extend in the transverse direction relative to a moving passage of said unattended vehicle, said first and second line segments extending in the non- parallel relation, mounting two line segment detecting means on the vehicle with a predetermined distance kept between the adjacent ones in the direction of width of the vehicle, measuring as first distance a distance of movement of the vehicle from the time when either of said line segment detecting means detects either of the line segments to the time when other line segment detecting means detects the same line segment, measuring as second distance a distance of movement of the vehicle from the time when either one of said line segment detecting means detects the first line segment to the time when it detects the second line segment, obtaining a relative positional relation between the ground mark and the vehicle with reference to said first and second distances, and carrying out guiding of movement of the vehicle in accordance with said relative positional relation.

Claim 5

Independent Claim 197 words

A method of guiding an unmanned vehicle comprising the steps of; placing at least a ground mark comprising first and second line segments in such a manner that they extend in the transverse direction relative to a moving passage of said unattended vehicle, said first and second line segments extending in the non- parallel relation, mounting two line segment detecting means on the vehicle with a predetermined distance kept between the adjacent ones in the direction of width of the vehicle, measuring as first distance a distance of movement of the vehicle from the time when either of said line segment detecting means detects either of the line segments to the time when other line segment detecting means detects the same line segment, measuring as second distance a distance of movement of the vehicle from the time when either one of said line segment detecting means detects the first line segment to the time when it detects the second line segment, obtaining a relative positional relation between the ground mark and the vehicle with reference to said first and second distances, and carrying out guiding of movement of the vehicle in accordance with said relative positional relation.

Claim 6

Independent Claim 157 words

A method of guiding an unmanned vehicle comprising the steps of; placing at least a ground mark comprising first, second, third and fourth line segments in such a manner they extent in the transverse direction relative to a moving passage of said unattended vehicle, said first and second line segments being in parallel with one another And at least one of siad third and fourth line segments being located between the first and second line segments and extending in the non- parallel relation relative to them, mounting a single line segment detecting means on the unattended vehicle, measuring each amount of movement of the vehicle between successive time points at which said line segment detecting means successively detects each of the line segments, obtaining a relative positional relation between the ground mark and the vehicle with reference to each of thus measured amount, and carrying out guiding of the vehicle in accordance with said relative positional relation.

Claim 7

Independent Claim 157 words

A method of guiding an unmanned vehicle comprising the steps of; placing at least a ground mark comprising first, second, third and fourth line segments in such a manner they extent in the transverse direction relative to a moving passage of said unattended vehicle, said first and second line segments being in parallel with one another And at least one of siad third and fourth line segments being located between the first and second line segments and extending in the non- parallel relation relative to them, mounting a single line segment detecting means on the unattended vehicle, measuring each amount of movement of the vehicle between successive time points at which said line segment detecting means successively detects each of the line segments, obtaining a relative positional relation between the ground mark and the vehicle with reference to each of thus measured amount, and carrying out guiding of the vehicle in accordance with said relative positional relation.

Claim 8

Independent Claim 36 words

A method of guiding an unmanned vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 1, 3 and 4, wherein said line segment detecting means is-accommodated within the hollow space in one of wheels for the vehicle.

Claim 9

Independent Claim 164 words

A method of guiding an unmanned wheel wherein a passage of said vehicle is taught in the form of a series of ground points on said passage, movement of the vehicle is guided along the passage with reference to the position of each of said taught ground points and a current position of the vehicle estimated on the vehicle side, and the estimated current position of the vehicle is corrected with reference to its true position which is obtained by detecting on the vehicle side each of a plurality of ground marks placed at plural predetermined positions on the passage, further comprising the step of; Placing said ground marks at said plural predetermined positions within a moving area of the vehicle, selecting among the ground marks some ground marks to be placed on a required passage, interpolating the position of each of ground points between the adjacent ground marks thus selected, and teaching said required passage with the use of thus interpolated ground points.

Claim 10

Independent Claim 164 words

A method of guiding an unmanned wheel wherein a passage of said vehicle is taught in the form of a series of ground points on said passage, movement of the vehicle is guided along the passage with reference to the position of each of said taught ground points and a current position of the vehicle estimated on the vehicle side, and the estimated current position of the vehicle is corrected with reference to its true position which is obtained by detecting on the vehicle side each of a plurality of ground marks placed at plural predetermined positions on the passage, further comprising the step of; Placing said ground marks at said plural predetermined positions within a moving area of the vehicle, selecting among the ground marks some ground marks to be placed on a required passage, interpolating the position of each of ground points between the adjacent ground marks thus selected, and teaching said required passage with the use of thus interpolated ground points.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 18 words

A method of guiding an unmanned vehicle ns claimed in claim 6, wherein the marks have certain directionality.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 67 words

A method of guiding an unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein interpolation is selectively effected in the form of linear interpolation or arch interpolation and in the case where among the selected ground marks the adjacent two ground marks have same directionality linear interpolation is effected therebetween, while in the case where the adjacent two ground marks have different directionality, arch interpolation is effected therebetween.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 184 words

A method of.guiding an unmanned vehicle wherein a passage of said vehicle is taught in the form of a series of ground points on said passage and the vehicle is guided along the passage with reference to the position of each of said taught ground points and the current position of the vehicle estimated on the vehicle side, comprising the steps of; placing a plurality of ground marks at plural suitable positions within a moving area of the vehicle, determining a moving passage of the vehicle by guiding the vehicle by manual operation so as to allow it to move across said ground marks and then detecting the ground marks on the vehicle side, estimating and teaching on the vehicle side the position of each of ground points on said determined passage and the position of each of the ground marks, and correcting the position of the ground marks estimated on the vehicle side with reference to the thus taught position of the same during actual guiding of movement of the vehicle in accordance with the position of each of the taught ground points.

Claim 14

Independent Claim 184 words

A method of.guiding an unmanned vehicle wherein a passage of said vehicle is taught in the form of a series of ground points on said passage and the vehicle is guided along the passage with reference to the position of each of said taught ground points and the current position of the vehicle estimated on the vehicle side, comprising the steps of; placing a plurality of ground marks at plural suitable positions within a moving area of the vehicle, determining a moving passage of the vehicle by guiding the vehicle by manual operation so as to allow it to move across said ground marks and then detecting the ground marks on the vehicle side, estimating and teaching on the vehicle side the position of each of ground points on said determined passage and the position of each of the ground marks, and correcting the position of the ground marks estimated on the vehicle side with reference to the thus taught position of the same during actual guiding of movement of the vehicle in accordance with the position of each of the taught ground points.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 40 words

A method of guiding an unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 5 or 8, wherein the position of the ground marks estimated on the vehicle side is obtained with reference to the direction and amount of movement of the vehicle.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 205 words

ll. A method of guiding an unmanned vehicle wherein a plurality of ground marks having plural linear line segments arranged in a predetermined geometrical relation are placed on a passage of said vehicle, each of successive time points at which the vehicle moves across each of said line segments is detected in response to output from line segment detecting means mounted on the vehicle, a relative positional relation between the ground marks and the vehicle is obtained from amount of movement of the vehicle at the successive time points at which the vehicle moves across the ground marks, and guiding of the vehicle is effected in accordance with the aforesaid positional relation, comprising the steps of; measuring amount of movement of the vehicle at each of the successive time points at which said line segment detecting means moves toward and away from the line segments by making a comparison between detection output from the line segment detecting means and a predetermined threshold, and obtaining amount of movement of the vehicle at each of the successive time points at which the line segment detecting means moves past the center position of the line segments by obtaining an average value among amount of movement of the vehicle.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 205 words

ll. A method of guiding an unmanned vehicle wherein a plurality of ground marks having plural linear line segments arranged in a predetermined geometrical relation are placed on a passage of said vehicle, each of successive time points at which the vehicle moves across each of said line segments is detected in response to output from line segment detecting means mounted on the vehicle, a relative positional relation between the ground marks and the vehicle is obtained from amount of movement of the vehicle at the successive time points at which the vehicle moves across the ground marks, and guiding of the vehicle is effected in accordance with the aforesaid positional relation, comprising the steps of; measuring amount of movement of the vehicle at each of the successive time points at which said line segment detecting means moves toward and away from the line segments by making a comparison between detection output from the line segment detecting means and a predetermined threshold, and obtaining amount of movement of the vehicle at each of the successive time points at which the line segment detecting means moves past the center position of the line segments by obtaining an average value among amount of movement of the vehicle.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 130 words

A method of guiding an unmanned vehicle wherein a moving passage of said unattended vehicle is taught in the form of a series of ground points on said passage and the vehicle is guided along the passage with reference to the position of each of said taught ground points and the position of the vehicle estimated on the vehicle side, comprising the steps of; obtaining a distance between the position of the current target ground points among said series of ground points and the current position of the vehicle estimated on the vehicle side, and setting another ground point located next to the current target ground point as a new target ground point when said distance becomes shorter than a predetermined distance or it increases as the vehicle goes on.

Claim 19

Independent Claim 130 words

A method of guiding an unmanned vehicle wherein a moving passage of said unattended vehicle is taught in the form of a series of ground points on said passage and the vehicle is guided along the passage with reference to the position of each of said taught ground points and the position of the vehicle estimated on the vehicle side, comprising the steps of; obtaining a distance between the position of the current target ground points among said series of ground points and the current position of the vehicle estimated on the vehicle side, and setting another ground point located next to the current target ground point as a new target ground point when said distance becomes shorter than a predetermined distance or it increases as the vehicle goes on.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 46 words

A method of guiding an unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 11, wherein a distance between the adjacent ground points is determined in the range of 1/50 to 4 times of the minimum turning radius with which the vehicle does not slide in the lateral direction.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 50 words

A method of guiding an unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 11, wherein teaching is effected with respect to said series of ground points in such a manner that a radius of a circle as defined by the adjacent three ground points is determined larger than the minimum turning radius.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 37 words

A method of guiding movement of an unattended vehicle as claimed in claim 11, wherein said predetermined distance is a distance which is considered as a fact that the vehicle has reached the current target ground point.

Claim 23

Independent Claim 159 words

A method of guiding an unmanned vehicle wherein a passage of said vehicle is taught in the form of a series of ground points on said passage and movement of the vehicle is guided along the passage with reference to the position of each of said taught ground points and current position of the vehicle estimated on the vehicle side in the case where the rear wheel as seen in the direction of movement of the viehicle serves as steering wheel, comprising the steps of; obtaining a steering angle when said steering wheel is oriented toward the current target ground point among said series of ground points supposing that an imaginary steering wheel is located at the position located forwardly of a non-steering wheel by a length of the wheel base of said vehicle, and setting a value of steering angle of which sign is reversed as a steering command value of the steering wheel on the unattanded vehicle.

Claim 24

Independent Claim 159 words

A method of guiding an unmanned vehicle wherein a passage of said vehicle is taught in the form of a series of ground points on said passage and movement of the vehicle is guided along the passage with reference to the position of each of said taught ground points and current position of the vehicle estimated on the vehicle side in the case where the rear wheel as seen in the direction of movement of the viehicle serves as steering wheel, comprising the steps of; obtaining a steering angle when said steering wheel is oriented toward the current target ground point among said series of ground points supposing that an imaginary steering wheel is located at the position located forwardly of a non-steering wheel by a length of the wheel base of said vehicle, and setting a value of steering angle of which sign is reversed as a steering command value of the steering wheel on the unattanded vehicle.

Method of guiding an unmanned vehicle

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