US5127486A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System for sensing arrival of an automatic guided vehicle at a wire
Assignee: HK Systems Inc
•
Filing: 1990-11-23
•
Granted: 1992-07-07
•
Expires: 2010-11-23
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for detecting an automatic guided vehicle's longitudinal position and to enable positioning of the vehicle at a load pickup/delivery terminal or other place. In one arrangement a mat having a passive short-circuited loop of wire embedded in it is positioned on the floor. On the vehicle an oscillator and a transmitting antenna provide a primary magnetic field that excites the loop in the mat, inducing current in the loop. The loop current produces a secondary magnetic field. Magnetic receiving antennas on the vehicle detect the secondary magnetic field that is caused by portions of the loop that cross the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Onboard electronic apparatus ascertains and can control the longitudinal position of the vehicle relative to the mat. The same on-board apparatus enables the vehicle to detect a directly energized (connected to a power source) guidewire in the floor that lies across the vehicle's path between terminals and at terminals. The vehicle can also navigate between terminals by dead reckoning.
Inventors
- 👤 James V. Yardley
- 👤 Gary L. Whatcott
- 👤 John A. M. Petersen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 21:05
CPC Classifications
B; B62; B62D; B62D1/00; B62D1/24; B62D1/28; G; G05; G05D; G05D1/00; G05D1/02; G05D1/021; G05D1/0259; G05D1/0265; G05D1/0261; G05D1/0268; G05D1/027; G05D1/0272; G05D1/0274
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
152 words
Apparatus for use with an automatic guided vehicle propelled contiguously along a surface on surface engaging means, comprising: transmitting means on the vehicle for providing a time-varying primary magnetic field; passive loop means at said surface for receiving said time-varying primary magnetic field and carrying an electric current induced thereby in said loop means, which produces a secondary magnetic field having a predetermined pattern; receiving means disposed on said vehicle for sensing said secondary magnetic field and providing time varying signals in response thereto; said vehicle having a longitudinal axis of substantially forward and reverse travel and said receiving means being oriented on the vehicle so as to receive said secondary magnetic field when a portion of said loop means extends laterally across said longitudinal axis of said vehicle at said receiving means; signal processing means for receiving said signals and processing them to provide information as to said vehicle's longitudinal position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
152 words
Apparatus for use with an automatic guided vehicle propelled contiguously along a surface on surface engaging means, comprising: transmitting means on the vehicle for providing a time-varying primary magnetic field; passive loop means at said surface for receiving said time-varying primary magnetic field and carrying an electric current induced thereby in said loop means, which produces a secondary magnetic field having a predetermined pattern; receiving means disposed on said vehicle for sensing said secondary magnetic field and providing time varying signals in response thereto; said vehicle having a longitudinal axis of substantially forward and reverse travel and said receiving means being oriented on the vehicle so as to receive said secondary magnetic field when a portion of said loop means extends laterally across said longitudinal axis of said vehicle at said receiving means; signal processing means for receiving said signals and processing them to provide information as to said vehicle's longitudinal position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus as in claim 1 and wherein said passive loop means at said surface comprises at least one closed loop of electrically conductive wire.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
143 words
Apparatus as in claim 1 and wherein said receiving means comprises a set of magnetic detectors including: a first magnetic detector positioned at a first predetermined longitudinal position on the vehicle for detecting magnetic field at said first position; a second magnetic detector positioned at a second longitudinal position on the vehicle to the rear of said first detector, for detecting a magnetic field at said second position; a third magnetic detector positioned at a third longitudinal position on the vehicle to the rear of said second detector, for detecting a magnetic field at said third position; each of said three detectors providing front signals, middle signals, and rear signals, respectively; and wherein said signal processing means comprises logic means for processing said three detectors' signals to ascertain the longitudinal position of said vehicle relative to said axis-crossing portion of said loop means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus as in claim 3 and wherein said magnetic detectors comprise coils of wire on magnetic core material.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
215 words
Apparatus as in claim 3 and further comprising: a second set of front, middle, and rear magnetic detectors on said vehicle, each detector for sensing a magnetic field and providing a signal; said two front magnetic detectors being connected such that each output signal from the two front magnetic detectors reinforces the other output signal from the two front magnetic detectors when both output signals from the two front magnetic detectors result from the same-phase magnetic field excitation, and said two middle detectors are connected such that each output signal from the two middle detectors reinforces the other output signal for the two middle magnetic detectors when both output signals from the two middle detectors result from the same-phase magnetic field excitation, and said two rear detectors are connected such that each output signal from the two rear detectors reinforces the other output signal from the two rear detectors when both output signals from the two rear detectors result from the same-phase magnetic field excitation; whereby three summed signals are provided; and, said logic means for processing the signals comprising means for logically combining said three summed signals to detect the longitudinal position of said vehicle at a predetermined area on the surface when at least one of said two sets of detectors produces signals.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus as in claim 1 and wherein said passive loop means for receiving said primary magnetic field and producing a secondary magnetic field comprises two loop configurations of electrical current conductor disposed side-by-side.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as in claim 1 and further comprising terminal-positioning apparatus comprising: means for receiving said information provided by said signal-processing means and means for controlling movement of said vehicle in response to said received information.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
104 words
Apparatus as in claim 7 and wherein said surface has a plurality of such loop means, each at a different respective loop location, and said apparatus further comprises: main guidance equipment disposed on the vehicle for guiding the vehicle even when the vehicle is not at a loop location; said main guidance equipment comprising navigation and guidance means for recognizing when the vehicle is at a loop location and for providing an arrival signal thereupon; means for receiving said arrival signal and means for transferring control of said vehicle from said main guidance equipment to said loop guidance apparatus when at a loop location.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as in claim 8 wherein the receiving means comprise means for sensing said secondary magnetic field essentially symmetrically disposed about a middle detection means whereby said vehicle is operatively bidirectionally guided over the loop.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the receiving means comprise means for automatically calibrating a bias setting whereby an undesired offset in the receiving means caused by energy that is directly magnetically coupled to the receiving means from the transmitter means is nulled.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
189 words
Apparatus for use with an automatic guided vehicle propelled contiguously along a surface on surface-engaging means, comprising: transmitting means on the vehicle for providing a time-varying primary magnetic field; passive loop means at said surface for receiving said time-varying primary magnetic field and carrying an electric current induced thereby in said loop means, which produces a secondary magnetic field having a predetermined pattern; receiving means disposed on said vehicle for sensing said secondary magnetic field and providing time varying signals in response thereto; said vehicle having a longitudinal axis generally common to forward and reverse travel and said receiving means being oriented on the vehicle so as to receive said secondary magnetic field when a portion of said loop means extends laterally across said longitudinal axis of said vehicle at said receiving means; signal processing means for receiving said signals and processing them to provide information as to said vehicle's longitudinal position at a predetermined area on the surface; said transmitting means on the vehicle comprises: oscillator means for providing an alternating electrical signal; and transmitting means connected with said oscillator means for providing said time-varying primary magnetic field.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
189 words
Apparatus for use with an automatic guided vehicle propelled contiguously along a surface on surface-engaging means, comprising: transmitting means on the vehicle for providing a time-varying primary magnetic field; passive loop means at said surface for receiving said time-varying primary magnetic field and carrying an electric current induced thereby in said loop means, which produces a secondary magnetic field having a predetermined pattern; receiving means disposed on said vehicle for sensing said secondary magnetic field and providing time varying signals in response thereto; said vehicle having a longitudinal axis generally common to forward and reverse travel and said receiving means being oriented on the vehicle so as to receive said secondary magnetic field when a portion of said loop means extends laterally across said longitudinal axis of said vehicle at said receiving means; signal processing means for receiving said signals and processing them to provide information as to said vehicle's longitudinal position at a predetermined area on the surface; said transmitting means on the vehicle comprises: oscillator means for providing an alternating electrical signal; and transmitting means connected with said oscillator means for providing said time-varying primary magnetic field.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
77 words
Apparatus as in claim 11 and wherein said transmitting means comprises means for providing said primary magnetic field as an alternating field at a predetermined frequency, and said secondary magnetic field comprises a field also alternating at the predetermined frequency, and wherein at least one of said receiving means and said signal processing means comprises a bandpass filter having a pass band for passing signals of said predetermined frequency and rejecting other frequencies outside the pass band.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus as in claim 11 and wherein said transmitting means comprises one magnetic core encircled by at least one current-conductive coil.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
100 words
Apparatus as in claim 11 and wherein: said transmitting means comprise magnetic core means, comprising two spaced apart transmitter magnet means each of which are encircled by at least one current-conductive coil for producing portions of said primary magnetic field; said two magnetic core means being laterally spaced apart on said vehicle; and, said passive loop means includes two loop portions that are similarly laterally spaced apart so that each loop portion is magnetically coupled simultaneously with a respective one of said two spaced-apart transmitter magnets; whereby both transmitter magnet means are able to induce current into said loop means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US1799576A
Cited
US2246385A
Cited
US3009525A
Cited
US3033305A
Cited
US3147817A
Cited
US3198279A
Cited
US3187260A
Cited
US3431996A
Cited
US3628624A
Cited
US3556244A
Cited
US3544788A
Cited
US3617769A
Cited
US3734229A
Cited
US3683378A
Cited
US3693028A
Cited
US3773136A
Cited
US3757887A
Cited
US3849636A
Cited
US4010409A
Cited
DE2428583A1
Cited
US4023753A
Cited
US4007382A
Cited
US4083008A
Cited
US4088939A
Cited
US4020487A
Cited
US4043418A
Cited
US4215759A
Cited
FR2336726A1
Cited
US4097808A
Cited
US4127182A
Cited
DE2722222A1
Cited
FR2375579A2
Cited
DE2801045A1
Cited
DE2833897A1
Cited
US4222008A
Cited
US4253541A
Cited
US4322670A
Cited
US4307329A
Cited
SU650538A2
Cited
US4258813A
Cited
US4247896A
Cited
US4333024A
Cited
DE2947116A1
Cited
WO1980002013A1
Cited
US4284160A
Cited
DE2920181A1
Cited
US4361202A
Cited
US4284941A
Cited
US4310789A
Cited
US4260990A
Cited
JPS56118602A
Cited
EP0050101A1
Cited
US4454583A
Cited
DE3136355A1
Cited
EP0077985A2
Cited
US4472716A
Cited
EP0108812A1
Cited
FR2526181A1
Cited
US4556864A
Cited
JPS59135514A
Cited
US4535294A
Cited
EP0124260A2
Cited
GB2143395A
Cited
US4727492A
Cited
US4593238A
Cited
US4593239A
Cited
US4700302A
Cited
GB2158965A
Cited
US4630216A
Cited
US4658928A
Cited
JPS61112215A
Cited
US4800978A
Cited
US4751516A
Cited
GB2169725A
Cited
GB8501012D0
Cited
US4847769A
Cited
EP0193985A1
Cited
US4777601A
Cited
US4902948A
Cited
US4791570A
Cited
US4613973A
Cited
EP0206443A2
Cited
US4613804A
Cited
US4711316A
Cited
US4731867A
Cited
US4847774A
Cited
US5000279A
Cited
US4742283A
Cited
US4939651A
Cited
US4811229A
Cited
US4908557A
Cited
US4939650A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-07-07 | 1996-01-06 | 1996-07-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-07-07 | 2000-01-06 | 2000-07-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-07-07 | 2004-01-06 | 2004-07-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |