Automated guided vehicles
AssigneeRobocoaster Limited
InventorGino Daniel De-Gol
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to automated guided vehicles, hereinafter referred to as AGVs, and specifically to AGVs used for entertainment purposes. More specifically, the present invention relates to a safety system for a passenger carrying AGV used for entertainment purposes. The present invention acts to prevent a passenger carrying automated guided vehicle from deviating from its intended path.
Claims25
A safety system for a passenger carrying automated guided vehicle used for entertainment purposes, the automated guided vehicle further being operable to follow a path defined by a radio signal broadcasting guidance wire embedded in a floor over which the automated guided vehicle is intended to travel, the automated guided vehicle further being operable to execute one or more dynamic movement operations vehicle following said path, wherein the safety system includes a sensor operable to detect the radio signal broadcast by the wire and a controller, wherein the controller has a first output which is generated when the sensor is able to detect the radio signal and a second output which is generated instead of the first output when the sensor is unable to detect the radio signal broadcast by the wire, wherein further the second output causes the automated guided vehicle to stop.
A safety system as claimed in claim I wherein the sensor of the safety system comprises a ring antenna.
A method for disabling the operation of a passenger carrying automated guided vehicle in the event that it deviates from an intended travel path comprising the steps of:
- providing a passenger carrying automated guided vehicle having a safety sensor and a safety controller, the safety sensor and safety controller being separate to guidance sensors and movement controllers of the vehicle, the automated guided vehicle further being operable to execute one or more dynamic movement operations while following the intended travel path including, but not limited to lateral translation movements, spins, helical spins, slides in or contrary to the direction of movement of the vehicle, periods of rapid acceleration and deceleration, and combinations of the foregoing;
- providing a radio signal broadcasting guidance wire embedded in a surface over which the passenger carrying automated guided vehicle is intended to travel;
- operating the passenger carrying automated guided vehicle so that it follows a path defined by the radio signal broadcasting wire;
- and
- causing the safety controller to stop the vehicle in the event that the safety sensor is no longer able to detect the radio signal broadcast by the wire.
A safety system for a passenger carrying automated guided vehicle used for entertainment purposes, the automated guided vehicle being operable to follow a path over a floor which the automated guided vehicle is intended to travel, the automated guided vehicle further being operable to execute one or more dynamic movement operations while following said path including, but not limited to lateral translation movements, spins, helical spins, slides in or contrary to the direction of movement of the vehicle, periods of rapid acceleration and deceleration, and combinations of the foregoing, wherein the safety system includes a peripheral sensor comprising an antenna which extends around the periphery of the vehicle and which is operable to detect a radio signal broadcasting limit defining wire embedded in a floor over which the automated guided vehicle is intended to travel, the peripheral sensor being operable to stop the operation of the vehicle in the event that the a radio signal from the embedded limit defining wire is detected.
A method disabling the operation of a passenger carrying automated guided vehicle in the event that an edge of the vehicle deviates a predetermined distance from an intended travel path of the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a passenger carrying automated guided vehicle having a safety sensor and a safety controller, the safety sensor and safety controller being separate to guidance sensors and movement controllers of the vehicle, the automated guided vehicle further being operable to execute one or more dynamic movement operations while following said path including, but not limited to lateral translation movements, spins, helical spins, slides in or contrary to the direction of movement of the vehicle, periods of rapid acceleration and deceleration, and combinations of the forgoing, the safety sensor being a peripheral sensor comprising an antenna which extends around the periphery of the vehicle and which is operable to detect a radio signal broadcasting limit defining wire embedded in a floor over which the automated guided vehicle is intended to travel;
- providing a radio signal broadcasting limit defining wire embedded in a surface over which the passenger carrying automated guided vehicle is intended to travel;
- operating the passenger carrying automated guided vehicle so that it follows an intended travel path;
- and
- causing the safety controller to stop the vehicle in the event that the peripheral sensor detects a radio signal broadcast by the limit defining wire.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.