JPS60256812A - Drive control equipment for traveling truck - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To lead smoothly a traveling truck to a guide path by calculating the sloping angle of the truck to the guide line at an early stage where the truck starts to move to the guide path. CONSTITUTION:A light reflecting tape is provided on the surface of a drive path for formation of a guide path for a traveling truck. At the same time, a steering control means is provided for automatic drive of the truck along the reflecting tape. Thus the truck is driven automatically between stations. For the steering control means, a detection part containing a light emitter 5 and an optical sensor 6 for steering control is set at the front and rear ends of the truck respectively. In addition, a drive controller H containing a host controller 7, an image processing controller 8 and a digital servo controller 9 is set to the truck. The encoders (e) attached to both motors M are connected to the controller 9. The sloping angle of the truck body is calculated by the controller 8 to the reflecting tape. Then the steering control is performed so that said sloping angle of the truck is set at zero.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is applicable to, for example, automatically traveling a moving vehicle such as a transport vehicle used to automatically transport various tools, workpieces, etc. to a desired station in a factory. Regarding the control equipment for the vehicle, in detail, based on the detection information of the steering control sensor that detects the amount of lateral deviation of the vehicle body with respect to the taxiway, the vehicle is automatically caused to travel along the taxiway. The present invention relates to travel control equipment for a moving vehicle, which is equipped with a control means for steering operation.

[Prior art]

For example, a moving vehicle may enter a taxiway from a location laterally off the taxiway, such as when it is manually driven to a predetermined location and then reenters the taxiway. To make the moving vehicle enter the taxiway, for example, as shown in FIG. Steering control is then performed based on information detected by the steering control sensor. Incidentally, instead of the above-mentioned straight running, the vehicle may enter the taxiway by turning.

By the way, in order to control the steering direction when the vehicle starts approaching the taxiway (4), conventionally, the steering operation is simply performed so that the amount of lateral deviation detected by the steering control sensor becomes zero.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

As mentioned above, if a simple steering operation is performed, for example in FIG. 7, although it is possible to smoothly enter the taxiway (4) by steering the moving vehicle (5) to the left, Since the steering control sensor detects that the vehicle is deviated to the left (downward in the drawing) with respect to the taxiway (4), the steering will not be performed to the right. As a result of entering the taxiway (4) while repeating such a maneuver, the moving vehicle (
4) has the disadvantage of making it difficult to smoothly enter taxiway (4).
There was room for improvement.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to enable moving vehicles to smoothly enter a taxiway.

[Means to solve the problem]

The characteristic configuration of the travel control equipment for a moving vehicle according to the present invention includes means for detecting the start of the approach of the moving vehicle to the curved taxiway;
1. When the vehicle travels for a set time or a set distance from the time of detection, the vehicle calculates the detection information of the steering control sensor and the running of the vehicle body, and performs a steering operation so as to reduce the inclination angle to zero. The present invention is provided with a steering control means for starting an approach, and its effects are as follows.

[For production]

That is, at the beginning of the moving vehicle entering the taxiway, the inclination angle of the vehicle body with respect to the taxiway is calculated and determined.
Steering control is performed so that the angle of inclination becomes zero.

〔effect〕

Therefore, when starting to approach the taxiway, the vehicle is operated in the same manner as the taxi so that it runs along the length of the taxiway, allowing the vehicle to enter the taxiway smoothly. As a result, we have achieved a travel control facility that allows a mobile vehicle to more effectively travel automatically while suppressing disadvantages such as vibrations caused by steering operations.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a moving vehicle (8) equipped with a loading platform 11) that can be driven up and down is provided, and a loading station is provided. A plurality of ST's (ST) are disposed on the lateral side of the travel path of the moving vehicle, so that the moving vehicle (4) can carry out the work of transporting each load while traveling between stations. O The mobile vehicle (5) includes a pair of left and right propulsion wheels (
2) can be driven independently by a pair of electric motors, and a pair of left and right caster-type idle wheels (3) are provided at the front and rear ends of the vehicle body. The structure is such that the speed of the @Kiryo electric motor (Incorporated) is changed so as to make a difference in the rotational speed of the vehicle, thereby steering the vehicle.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, a light reflective tape (4) for forming a guideway for moving vehicles is provided on the running road side, and the interior of the moving vehicle is automatically run along the reflective tape (4). Means for steering control is provided to allow the vehicle (5) to move automatically between stations. and,
To constitute the steering control means, a detection section consisting of a light emitting device (5) and a steering control sensor f6+ configured as an image sensor is provided at each of the front and rear ends of the mobile vehicle (6), and the host controller +71, image processing control +-low 1
(8) A travel control device (6) equipped with a digital servo controller (9) is provided on the moving vehicle side, and encoders j+J attached to both electric motors are connected to the digital servo controller (9). At the same time, the servo amplifier signal for both electric motors is connected to the digital servo controller (9) via the servo amplifier driver (11), and the light reflective tape (4) is connected to the image processing controller (8). ), while calculating and determining the amount of lateral deviation of the vehicle body with respect to ), the speeds of both electric motors are operated in order to make the amount of lateral deviation of the m1 period zero.

It should be noted that the two detectors are selectively used: the one on the front side when the vehicle is traveling forward, and the one on the rear side when the vehicle is traveling backwards.

Also, a mark (m) indicating the stop position of the moving vehicle (5) with respect to the station (ST) is marked with a reflective tape (4).
In addition, various information such as destination data can be transmitted from the ground side to the mobile vehicle side, and various information such as station arrival data can be transmitted from the mobile vehicles Q2i and 631 to the mobile vehicle side and the station side. At the same time, the optical communication device on the moving vehicle side is connected to the host controller (7), and the optical communication device on the stationary side is connected to the central control device tv on the ground side. ff
) The mobile vehicle (5) is moved to a desired station (S) based on various information such as input information and information stored in advance.
This allows the T) to run automatically.

More specifically, the image processing controller (9) transmits selection information of the detection section to be used to the image processing controller +81, and furthermore, the digital servo controller (9) transmits information on whether or not it is running. Each controller f7+, such as transmitting to the host controller (7)
The traveling control of the mobile vehicle (5) is controlled while information is exchanged between 118+ and +91.
However, each station (ST) must have a command information input unit for the central controller (■), and a host controller (
A command information input unit for 7) is provided in the mobile vehicle (5).

Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the steering control means for starting the approach used when the moving vehicle (4) approaches from the lateral side of the luminous radiation tape (4) will be described. As the steering control optical sensor (6) detects the light reflective tape (4), the image processing controller 1 (8j) sends the line detection signal to the digital servo controller (9).
The digital servo controller (9) transmits travel amount (mileage) data to the host controller (7), and the image processing controller (8) transmits vehicle body lateral deviation data to the host controller (7). introduce. Then, while traveling a set distance from the time when the light-reflecting tape is detected, the vehicle body inclination angle (φl) with respect to the light-reflecting tape (4) is set based on the detection information of the optical sensor (6) and the travel distance information. For example, the calculation is determined every 5 m), and the steering operation (steering control) is performed to make the inclination angle (φl) zero.

To explain the calculation and determination described above, as shown in FIG. 3, the reference position (
The distance between the center of the sensor) and the lateral outer edge of the light-reflecting tape, the amount of deviation from the center of the tab (DI), (Di),
Detected for each set vehicle travel distance (Sl), and based on those results, the following formula is used: calculate. Incidentally, FIG. 2 shows a 70-chart of the control operation at the start of approach.゛Incidentally, to explain the operation based on the detection information of the optical sensor (6) during normal running, the image processing controller (8) detects the edge of the tape in the width direction of the captured image in advance. The amount of lateral deviation of the vehicle body with respect to the light reflecting tape (4) is calculated and determined based on the tape center.

[Another example]

Next, another example will be described.

In order to make the mobile vehicle (6) run automatically, the specific means of each part, such as making the signal exchange between the mobile vehicle (5) and the central control unit (V) be performed by guided radio system, are determined according to the intended use. Various changes can be made depending on the location etc.

Furthermore, when configuring the mobile vehicle body, the specific configuration for steering and the attached devices provided for work can be changed in various ways depending on the purpose of use.

Further, as the steering control sensor (6), an optical sensor such as a CCD camera is generally used, but other types of sensors may also be used.

That is, when the guideway is configured using towpath wires, various changes can be made in accordance with the configuration of the guideway, such as using an electromagnetic induction sensor.

In the above embodiment, the section where approach start control is performed, and
Although the timing for calculating the inclination angle is set based on the travel distance, it may also be set based on time.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings illustrate an embodiment of the traveling control equipment for a mobile vehicle according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a concrete configuration 1 of traveling control, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the control operation at the start of approach, and FIG. 4 is a side view of the moving vehicle, FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of the same vehicle, and FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view showing the running mode at the start of approach. FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view showing a running form at the start of approach in the case of the conventional configuration. (4)...Moving vehicle taxiway, (6)...
Steering control sensor, (6)...Moving vehicle, (φ
1)...Inclination angle. Agent Patent Attorney Osamu Kitamura

Claims (1)

[Claims] The vehicle (4) is caused to travel along the guideway (4) based on the detection information of the steering control sensor (6) that detects the amount of lateral deviation of the vehicle body with respect to the guideway (4). A travel control facility for a moving vehicle, which is provided with a control means for automatically steering the vehicle, the vehicle being guided by the taxiway (4) of the moving vehicle (5).
a means for detecting the start of an approach to a vehicle; and a means for detecting the start of an approach to a vehicle; Steering control for starting approach that calculates and determines the inclination angle (φ1) of the vehicle body with respect to the road (4) every set short time or set short travel distance, and performs steering operation to make the tilt angle (φl) zero Travel control equipment for mobile vehicles, which is equipped with means;