US3881568A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Unattended travelling vehicle system
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1972-11-30
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Granted: 1975-05-06
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Expires: 1992-11-30
Abstract
Abstract In an unattended traveling vehicle which travels along a predetermined traveling path without an operator, an optical device provided at the underside of the vehicle has a light source and a light detector to receive the reflected light from a guide band arranged on a traveling surface of the path. The light detector has a width substantially the same as that of the vehicle, and therefore detects a quantity proportional to shift of the vehicle from the guide band. Thereby, the traveling direction of the vehicle is corrected, and simultaneously various signals can be applied to the vehicle by providing the band with various configurations.
Inventors
- 👤 Shimon Ando
- 👤 Koji Kurokawa
- 👤 Shizuo Suzuki
- 👤 Isamu Komatsu
- 👤 Toshitaka Suzuki
- 👤 Shigeyoshi Kawano
- 👤 Masayoshi Sunada
- 👤 Kengi Natsuno
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 13:44
CPC Classifications
G; G05; G05D; G05D1/00; G05D1/02; G05D1/021; G05D1/0231; G05D1/0244; B; B62; B62D; B62D1/00; B62D1/24; B62D1/28; G05D1/0234
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
202 words
An unattended traveling vehicle system comprising: a vehicle having carrying means to carry an object thereon, wheels provided at the underside of said carrying means in order to cause said carrying means to travel on a traveling path surface, steering means to guide said wheels to respective steering angles in fixed increments to either side of a center direction in response to the magnitude of an applied steering signal of proper sense, and driving means for driving at least one of said wheels; guide means arranged on said traveling path surface to guide said vehicle and having a different reflection factor from said path surface; light optical means mounted on said vehicle consisting of means to direct light on said path surFace including said guide means and plural detector elements to receive reflected light from said guide means to generate individual guide signals, said light receiving detector elements being juxtaposed at the underside of said carrying means substantially over the width of said carrying means; and control means for producing a steering signal of proper sense having a magnitude varying in fixed increments representing a required steering angle in accordance with the respective guide signals generated by said light receiving detector elements.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
202 words
An unattended traveling vehicle system comprising: a vehicle having carrying means to carry an object thereon, wheels provided at the underside of said carrying means in order to cause said carrying means to travel on a traveling path surface, steering means to guide said wheels to respective steering angles in fixed increments to either side of a center direction in response to the magnitude of an applied steering signal of proper sense, and driving means for driving at least one of said wheels; guide means arranged on said traveling path surface to guide said vehicle and having a different reflection factor from said path surface; light optical means mounted on said vehicle consisting of means to direct light on said path surFace including said guide means and plural detector elements to receive reflected light from said guide means to generate individual guide signals, said light receiving detector elements being juxtaposed at the underside of said carrying means substantially over the width of said carrying means; and control means for producing a steering signal of proper sense having a magnitude varying in fixed increments representing a required steering angle in accordance with the respective guide signals generated by said light receiving detector elements.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
An unattended traveling vehicle system as defined in claim 1 wherein said guide means is provided with various changes in configuration along said traveling path, and said control means includes discriminator means for performing various operations by the logical detection of said guide signals which said light receiving detector elements generate at said guide means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
83 words
An unattended traveling vehicle system as defined in claim 1 wherein said vehicle is provided with a pair of driven wheels at one end of said carrying means and a pair of steerable wheels at the other end thereof, said steering means including a variable speed steering motor responsive to the magnitude and sense of said steering signal to rotate in fixed increments in either direction to respective steering angles and a steering gear arrangement connecting said steering motor to said steerable wheels.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
An unattended traveling vehicle system as defined in claim 3 wherein said means to direct light on said path surface comprises an elongated light source disposed substantially over the width of said carrying means at the underside thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
An unattended traveling vehicle system as defined in claim 4 wherein said light receiving detector elements are disposed on said carrying means adjacent said light source and are provided with shield means for preventing direct illumination of said elements from said light source.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
59 words
An unattended traveling vehicle system as defined in claim 4 wherein said control means includes discriminator means for generating selective control signals in response to receipt of respective combinations of said guide signals and motor control means for generating said steering signal of proper sense and having a magnitude variable in fixed increments in response to said control signals.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
An unattended traveling vehicle system as defined in claim 6 wherein said control means further includes sequence control means responsive to one selected control signal from said discriminator means for controlling the direction of steering operation by controlling the sense of said steering signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
59 words
An unattended traveling vehicle system as defined in claim 7 wherein said sequence control means includes a counter connected to said discriminator means to receive said one selected control signal and a sequence controller responsive to the output of said counter for controlling said discriminator means to generate a control signal providing for a steering signal of proper sense.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
53 words
An unattended traveling vehicle system as defined in claim 1 wherein said control means includes discriminator means for generating selective control signals in response to receipt of respective combinations of said guide signals and motor control means for generating said steering signal of variable magnitude and sense in response to said control signals.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-05-05 | 1978-11-04 | 1979-05-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-05-05 | 1982-11-04 | 1983-05-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-05-05 | 1986-11-04 | 1987-05-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |