← Back to Patent Explorer
US5218542A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Control system for unmanned carrier vehicle

Assignee: Shinko Electric Co Ltd
•
Filing: 1991-04-01
•
Granted: 1993-06-08
•
Expires: 2011-04-01
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A control system for an unmanned carrier vehicle, capable of automatically and independently traveling along a guiding line laid on a floor, provides a steering angle control unit and/or a velocity control unit. Herein, when the unmanned carrier vehicle is deviated from the guiding line, its deviation is detected. By performing a time-differentiation on the deviation, a deviation direction of the unmanned carrier vehicle is computed. In addition, a steering angle of a steering wheel of the unmanned carrier vehicle is detected by a sensor provided at a wheel of the unmanned carrier vehicle. Based on a result of a fuzzy inference to be performed on the deviation, deviation direction and steering angle, the steering angle control unit controls the steering angle of the unmanned carrier vehicle. Similarly, the velocity control unit controls a traveling velocity of the unmanned carrier vehicle. Incidentally, the fuzzy inference is performed in accordance with the predetermined fuzzy control regulation.

Inventors

  • 👤 Shinichiro Endo
  • 👤 Junpei Kanazawa
  • 👤 Takami Egawa
  • 👤 Masaaki Toda

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-03 00:31
CPC Classifications
G; G05; G05D; G05D1/00; G05D1/02; G05D1/021; G05D1/0212; G05D1/0223; G05D1/0221; G05D1/0259; G05D1/0263; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S706/00; Y10S706/90

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 135 words
In a steering angle control unit for an unmanned carrier vehicle capable of automatically traveling along a guiding line laid on a floor by itself, said steering angle control unit comprising: detection means for detecting a deviation of said unmanned carrier vehicle to be deviated from said guiding line, thereby outputting a deviation signal; computation means for performing a time-differentiation on said deviation signal to thereby compute a deviation direction of said unmanned carrier vehicle; steering angle detecting means for detecting a steering angle of a wheel of said unmanned carrier vehicle; and control means for performing a fuzzy inference on said deviation, said deviation direction and said steering angle at a current timing, thereby controlling said steering angle of the wheel of said unmanned carrier vehicle based on a result of the fuzzy inference.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 135 words
In a steering angle control unit for an unmanned carrier vehicle capable of automatically traveling along a guiding line laid on a floor by itself, said steering angle control unit comprising: detection means for detecting a deviation of said unmanned carrier vehicle to be deviated from said guiding line, thereby outputting a deviation signal; computation means for performing a time-differentiation on said deviation signal to thereby compute a deviation direction of said unmanned carrier vehicle; steering angle detecting means for detecting a steering angle of a wheel of said unmanned carrier vehicle; and control means for performing a fuzzy inference on said deviation, said deviation direction and said steering angle at a current timing, thereby controlling said steering angle of the wheel of said unmanned carrier vehicle based on a result of the fuzzy inference.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 130 words
In a velocity control unit for an unmanned carrier vehicle capable of automatically traveling along a guiding line laid on a floor by itself, said velocity control unit comprising: control signal generating means for generating a first control signal which value is proportional to a positional deviation of said unmanned carrier vehicle to be deviated from said guiding line, and also generating a second control signal which is obtained by performing a time-differentiation on said positional deviation; and control means, responsive to said first and second control signals, for performing a fuzzy inference on a fuzzy set defined by a plurality of membership functions in accordance with a predetermined fuzzy control regulation, thereby controlling a traveling velocity of said unmanned carrier vehicle based on a result of the fuzzy inference.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 130 words
In a velocity control unit for an unmanned carrier vehicle capable of automatically traveling along a guiding line laid on a floor by itself, said velocity control unit comprising: control signal generating means for generating a first control signal which value is proportional to a positional deviation of said unmanned carrier vehicle to be deviated from said guiding line, and also generating a second control signal which is obtained by performing a time-differentiation on said positional deviation; and control means, responsive to said first and second control signals, for performing a fuzzy inference on a fuzzy set defined by a plurality of membership functions in accordance with a predetermined fuzzy control regulation, thereby controlling a traveling velocity of said unmanned carrier vehicle based on a result of the fuzzy inference.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 130 words
In a velocity control unit for an unmanned carrier vehicle capable of automatically traveling along a guiding line laid on a floor by itself, said velocity control unit comprising: control signal generating means for generating a first control signal which value is proportional to a steering angle by which said unmanned carrier vehicle is steered along the guiding line, and also generating a second control signal which is obtained by performing a time-differentiation on the steering angle; and control means, responsive to said first and second control signals, for performing a fuzzy inference on a fuzzy set defined by a plurality of membership functions in accordance with a predetermined fuzzy control regulation, thereby controlling a traveling velocity of said unmanned carrier vehicle based on a result of the fuzzy inference.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 130 words
In a velocity control unit for an unmanned carrier vehicle capable of automatically traveling along a guiding line laid on a floor by itself, said velocity control unit comprising: control signal generating means for generating a first control signal which value is proportional to a steering angle by which said unmanned carrier vehicle is steered along the guiding line, and also generating a second control signal which is obtained by performing a time-differentiation on the steering angle; and control means, responsive to said first and second control signals, for performing a fuzzy inference on a fuzzy set defined by a plurality of membership functions in accordance with a predetermined fuzzy control regulation, thereby controlling a traveling velocity of said unmanned carrier vehicle based on a result of the fuzzy inference.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 141 words
In a control unit for an unmanned carrier vehicle capable of automatically traveling along a guiding line laid on a floor by itself, said control unit comprising: detection means for detecting a deviation of said unmanned carrier vehicle to be deviated from said guiding line, thereby outputting a deviation signal; computation means for performing a time-differentiation on said deviation signal to thereby compute a deviation direction of said unmanned carrier vehicle; steering angle detecting means for detecting a steering angle of a wheel of said unmanned carrier vehicle; traveling velocity detecting means for detecting a traveling velocity of said unmanned carrier vehicle; and control means for performing a fuzzy inference on said deviation, said deviation direction and said steering angle at a current timing, thereby controlling said steering angle and said traveling velocity based on a result of the fuzzy inference.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 141 words
In a control unit for an unmanned carrier vehicle capable of automatically traveling along a guiding line laid on a floor by itself, said control unit comprising: detection means for detecting a deviation of said unmanned carrier vehicle to be deviated from said guiding line, thereby outputting a deviation signal; computation means for performing a time-differentiation on said deviation signal to thereby compute a deviation direction of said unmanned carrier vehicle; steering angle detecting means for detecting a steering angle of a wheel of said unmanned carrier vehicle; traveling velocity detecting means for detecting a traveling velocity of said unmanned carrier vehicle; and control means for performing a fuzzy inference on said deviation, said deviation direction and said steering angle at a current timing, thereby controlling said steering angle and said traveling velocity based on a result of the fuzzy inference.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

DE2752167A1 Cited
DE3032541A1 Cited
US4930084A Cited
DE3820589A1 Cited
US4958288A Cited
US5036936A Cited
US5087969A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1996-06-07 1996-12-07 1997-06-08 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2000-06-07 2000-12-07 2001-06-08 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2004-06-07 2004-12-07 2005-06-08 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag