US 9,176,502 B2Granted

Automatic guided vehicle and method for drive control of the same

AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.

InventorsHideaki Furuno, Yoshiharu Tomioka, Yutaka Yoshida

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Abstract

An automatic guided vehicle and a method for drive control enable setting the vehicle alongside a conveyor with high accuracy in stopping at a task address. An automatic guided vehicle includes photoelectric sensors which detect the presence of an article by projecting light to a reflecting plate arranged on a conveyor and receiving signal light reflected from the reflecting plate and are arranged in one at each of the front and rear portions of the automatic guided vehicle, and a unit for detecting the distance between the vehicle and the conveyor. When both the photoelectric sensors arranged at the front and read portions of the side surface of the vehicle, a steering vehicle is steered toward the conveyor, and the automatic guided vehicle is driven toward the conveyor until the distance between the vehicle and the conveyor becomes within a predetermined distance.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An automatic guided vehicle that approaches an object by performing route data driving when the vehicle is distant from the object, the route data driving being driving on a preset route based on preset route data, and then switches to sensor driving, the sensor driving being based on a sensor thereof, the vehicle comprising:

a control section that includes a creep drive control section to perform creep driving, which is route data driving at a creep velocity, and a sensor drive control section to perform the sensor driving,
wherein the creep drive control section:
decelerates the automatic guided vehicle to the creep velocity when the vehicle approaches a predetermined target address of creep drive control,
determines whether points of a pair of predetermined points on the vehicle have approached predetermined start points of sensor drive control or not, and
switches the route data driving over to the sensor driving by using the sensor drive control section when the creep drive control section determines that the pair of predetermined points on the vehicle have matched the pair of predetermined start points of sensor drive control, and
wherein the sensor drive control section:
makes the automatic guided vehicle further approach the object by using a photoelectric sensor pair after switching the route data driving over to the sensor driving, and
makes the automatic guided vehicle further approach the object by using a distance measure sensor pair after determining a light from the object by the photoelectric sensor pair.

5 more elements

A method for drive control of an automatic guided vehicle that has a distance measure sensor pair and a photoelectric sensor pair, the method comprising:

when the vehicle is distant from an object, performing route data driving that is driving on a preset route based on preset route data;
and
when the vehicle approaches the object, starting sensor driving that is based on a sensor thereof, to make the vehicle further approach the object,
wherein the automatic guided vehicle:
decelerates the automatic guided vehicle to a creep velocity when the vehicle approaches a predetermined target address of creep drive control,
determines whether or not
a pair of predetermined points on the vehicle have matched a pair of predetermined start points of sensor driving, and
switches the route data driving over to the sensor driving when the pair of predetermined points on the vehicle have matched the pair of predetermined start points of sensor driving,
further approach the object by using the photoelectric sensor pair after switching the route data driving over to the sensor driving, and
further approach the object by using the distance measure sensor pair after detecting a light from the object by the photoelectric sensor pair.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/223,544Filed 1 Sep 2011
Priority: JP 2010-1978653 Sep 2010
Published: US 2012/0059545 A18 Mar 2012
Granted: 3 Nov 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G05D 1/0234
Using optical position detecting means: using optical markers or beacons
G05D 1/0282
Using a RF signal: generated in a local control room
G05D 1/0225
With means for defining a desired trajectory: involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay
G05D 1/024
Using obstacle or wall sensors: in combination with a laser