# US 2024/0201707 A1 · Traveling vehicle and traveling vehicle system

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- Number: US 2024/0201707 A1
- Document ID: US20240201707A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/286,488
- Filed: 2022-03-15
- Published: 2024-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2021-05-07
- Assignees: Murata Machinery, Ltd.
- Applicants: Murata Machinery, Ltd.
- Inventors: Yuji SHIMIZU; Seiji YAMAGAMI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240201707A1

## CPC

- G05D 1/69: Coordinated control of the position or course of two or more vehicles
- G05D 1/693: for avoiding collisions between vehicles
- G05D 1/2446: {the passive navigation aids having encoded information, e.g. QR codes or ground control points}
- G05D 1/247: using signals provided by artificial sources external to the vehicle, e.g. navigation beacons
- G06V 10/60: relating to illumination properties, e.g. using a reflectance or lighting model
- G06V 20/58: Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
- G06V 30/224: of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks
- G05D 2105/20: for transportation
- G05D 2105/28: of freight
- G05D 2107/70: Industrial sites, e.g. warehouses or factories
- G05D 2109/10: Land vehicles
- G05D 2111/10: Optical signals
- G05D 2111/17: {Coherent light, e.g. laser signals}
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING

## Abstract

A traveling vehicle operable to travel along a predetermined travel path, and includes an indicator with switchable lighting states, an imager to capture an image of a preceding traveling vehicle located in front of a subject traveling vehicle to include the indicator provided to the preceding traveling vehicle in the captured image, and a controller to control traveling of the subject traveling vehicle based on a determination result of the lighting states of the indicator included in the captured image. The indicator includes a first indicator to notify a state of the subject traveling vehicle, and a second indicator to include both images of the indicator in a lit state and the indicator in an unlit state in the captured image.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-7. (canceled)

### Claim 8

A traveling vehicle to travel along a predetermined travel path, the traveling vehicle comprising:
an indicator with switchable lighting states configured to be switchable;
an imager to capture an image of a preceding traveling vehicle located in front of a subject traveling vehicle to include the indicator provided to the preceding traveling vehicle in the captured image; and
a controller to control traveling of the subject traveling vehicle based on a determination result of the lighting states of the indicator included in the captured image;
wherein
the indicator includes:
a first indicator to notify a state of the subject traveling vehicle; and
a second indicator to include both the indicator in a lit state and the indicator in an unlit state in the captured image.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The traveling vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the controller is configured or programmed to determine the lighting states of the indicator based on a luminance value of a portion corresponding to the indicator in the lit state and a luminance value of a portion corresponding to the indicator in the unlit state in the captured image.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The traveling vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the controller is configured or programmed to provide a plurality of measurement points in a portion corresponding to one indicator in the captured image, and based on a plurality of luminance values detected at the plurality of measurement points, calculate a luminance value of the portion corresponding to the one indicator.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The traveling vehicle according to claim 8, wherein
a plurality of the first indicators are provided; and
only one second indicator is provided and has lighting states switchable by the controller to be the lighting states opposite to the lighting states of one of the first indicators that has been preset.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The traveling vehicle according to claim 8, wherein
a plurality of the first indicators are provided; and
the second indicator is provided in a same number as a number of the first indicators and corresponding to the first indicators, respectively, and has lighting states switchable by the controller to be the lighting states opposite to the lighting states of corresponding one of the first indicators.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The traveling vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the second indicator includes a pair of the indicators to be in the lit state and the unlit state at least when an image is captured by the imager.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

A traveling vehicle system comprising:
a plurality of the traveling vehicles according to claim 8;
a track for the traveling vehicles to travel along in a predetermined direction; and
a traveling vehicle controller to assign a transportation command to the traveling vehicles.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The traveling vehicle according to claim 9, wherein
a plurality of the first indicators are provided; and
only one second indicator is provided and has lighting states switchable by the controller to be the lighting states opposite to the lighting states of one of the first indicators that has been preset.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The traveling vehicle according to claim 10, wherein
a plurality of the first indicators are provided; and
only one second indicator is provided and has lighting states switchable by the controller to be the lighting states opposite to the lighting states of one of the first indicators that has been preset.

### Claim 17 (depends on 9)

The traveling vehicle according to claim 9, wherein
a plurality of the first indicators are provided; and
the second indicator is provided in a same number as a number of the first indicators and corresponding to the first indicators, respectively, and has lighting states switchable by the controller to be the lighting states opposite to the lighting states of a corresponding one of the first indicators.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The traveling vehicle according to claim 10, wherein
a plurality of the first indicators are provided; and
the second indicator is provided in a same number as a number of the first indicators and corresponding to the first indicators, respectively, and has lighting states switchable by the controller to be the lighting states opposite to the lighting states of a corresponding one of the first indicators.

### Claim 19 (depends on 9)

The traveling vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the second indicator includes a pair of the indicators to be in the lit state and the unlit state at least when an image is captured by the imager.

### Claim 20 (depends on 10)

The traveling vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the second indicator includes a pair of the indicators to be in the lit state and the unlit state at least when an image is captured by the imager.

### Claim 21 (depends on 9)

A traveling vehicle system comprising:
a plurality of the traveling vehicles according to claim 9;
a track for the traveling vehicles to travel along in a predetermined direction; and
a traveling vehicle controller to assign a transportation command to the traveling vehicles.

### Claim 22 (depends on 10)

A traveling vehicle system comprising:
a plurality of the traveling vehicles according to claim 10;
a track for the traveling vehicles to travel along in a predetermined direction; and
a traveling vehicle controller to assign a transportation command to the traveling vehicles.

### Claim 23 (depends on 11)

A traveling vehicle system comprising:
a plurality of the traveling vehicles according to claim 11;
a track for the traveling vehicles to travel along in a predetermined direction; and
a traveling vehicle controller to assign a transportation command to the traveling vehicles.

### Claim 24 (depends on 12)

A traveling vehicle system comprising:
a plurality of the traveling vehicles according to claim 12;
a track for the traveling vehicles to travel along in a predetermined direction; and
a traveling vehicle controller to assign a transportation command to the traveling vehicles.

### Claim 25 (depends on 13)

A traveling vehicle system comprising:
a plurality of the traveling vehicles according to claim 13;
a track for the traveling vehicles to travel along in a predetermined direction; and
a traveling vehicle controller to assign a transportation command to the traveling vehicles.