JPS63225809A - Operation controller for unattended vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable unattended vehicles to pass each other in an arbitrary position without a queuing time by controlling a running steering device based on the detection signal of a passage detecting means so that the vehicle is returned from a side-step route to the original running route. CONSTITUTION:If unattended vehicles approach each other in an arbitrary position on a running route, an approach detecting means (transmitter-receiver for proximity) 13 provided in one vehicle detects approach of the other vehicle running in the opposite direction, and a return running control means (microcomputer) 15 controls a running steering device 19 based on the detection signal of the approach detecting means 13 so that the vehicle enters into the side-step route deviated from the running route. When a passage detecting means (transmitter-receiver for passage) 14 detects passage of the vehicle running in the opposite direction on the turn out route, a return running control means (microcomputer) 15 controls the running steering device 19 based on the detection signal of the passage detecting means 14 so that the vehicle is returned from the turn out route to the original running route. Thus, vehicles pass each other in an arbitrary position without the queuing time and equipments for passing each other are unnecessary on the ground.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Object of the Invention (Field of Industrial Application) This invention relates to an operation and control device for an unmanned vehicle.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, an unmanned vehicle operation control method has been adopted in which a plurality of unmanned vehicles are caused to travel along the same predetermined travel route. In this operation control method, in order to prevent unmanned vehicles from passing each other, places where vehicles cross each other as shown in FIG. 8 are provided at appropriate locations along the same travel route. That is, the avoidance guide line L2 is laid as a branch from the main guide line L1 for forming the driving route, and the main guide line L1 and the avoidance guide line L2 are laid close to each other before the branch point (on the left side in FIG. 8). Loop coils 1a, 1b and reed switches 2a, 2b are buried in the positions, respectively.

In the event of a mismatch, the control station 3 installed on the ground side
By applying a current to the loop coil 1a in response to a control signal from the control signal, a stop signal is sent to the unmanned vehicle 4 that has been traveling, causing the vehicle 4 to decelerate and stop at the branch point of the guide line as shown in FIG. The control station 3 detects the stoppage of the unmanned vehicle 4 at this predetermined position based on the signal from the reed switch 2a. On the other hand, the control station 3 controls the unmanned vehicle 5 that is traveling from the opposite direction.
is guided to the side of the avoidance guide line L2, and as described above, the unmanned vehicle 5 is decelerated by the loop coil 1b and the reed switch 2b to stop at a predetermined position on the avoidance guide line 11AL2. After guiding one unmanned vehicle 5 to the avoidance route in this way, the controller m83 allows the other unmanned vehicle 4 to pass, and then returns the unmanned vehicle 5 to the original main guidance [111 (traveling route)]. Ta.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In such conventional operation control methods for unmanned vehicles, it is only possible to cross each other at a predetermined place, and furthermore, an unmanned vehicle that reaches the wrong place first is It was necessary to wait for the arrival of the other unmanned vehicle, which was an obstacle to swift operation control. Also, loop coils 1a and 1b are installed on the ground side.

Equipment such as reed switches 2a, 2b and tiIJ control station 3 was required.

The purpose of this invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and to provide an operation control device for unmanned vehicles that can cross paths at arbitrary positions without waiting time, and eliminate the need for equipment for crossing paths on the ground side. It's about doing.

Structure of the Invention (Means for Solving Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an unmanned vehicle that travels along a predetermined travel route along which other unmanned vehicles also travel. approach detection means for detecting approach;
an avoidance travel control means for controlling a travel steering device to deviate from the travel route and enter an avoidance route based on a detection signal from the approach detection means; a passage detection means for detecting passage of the oncoming vehicle on the avoidance route; The gist of the present invention is an operation control device for an unmanned vehicle, comprising a return travel control means for controlling a travel steering device to return from an avoidance route to an original travel route based on a detection signal from a passage detection means.

(Function) With the above configuration, when unmanned vehicles approach each other at arbitrary positions on the travel route, the approach detection means provided in the vehicles detects the approach of an oncoming vehicle, and the avoidance travel control means responds to the detection signal of the approach detection means. Based on this, the travel steering system is controlled to deviate from the travel route and enter the avoidance route. When the passage detection means detects the passing of an oncoming vehicle on the avoidance route, the return travel IIJil1 means controls the travel steering device to return from the avoidance route to the original travel route based on the detection signal of the passage detection means.

(Example) An example embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in Figure 1, there is a 391 yen on the road surface! L3 is buried, and a driving route for an unmanned vehicle is formed by this guide line L3, and a plurality of unmanned vehicles 11 and 12 are arranged in this driving route. The unmanned vehicles 11 and 12 are configured to travel along the same travel route. The unmanned vehicle 11.12 has an approach transmitter/receiver 13 as an approach detection means on its front part.
are respectively arranged, and when two unmanned vehicles 11 and 12 face each other and approach within a predetermined distance, the approaching transmitter receiver 13 of one of them receives the transmitting signal from the other approaching transmitter receiver 13. It is designed to detect its approach.

Furthermore, each unmanned vehicle 11.12 is provided with a passing transmitter/receiver 14 as a passage detection means on the right side with respect to the direction of travel, and as shown in FIG.
are arranged in parallel in a facing state, the transmission signal from one of the passing transmitting/receiving devices 14 is transmitted to the other passing transmitting/receiving device 14.
receives the signal, and detects that the two unmanned vehicles 11 and 12 are lined up. This passing transmitter/receiver 14
, and the approach transmitter/receiver 13 is not only a device for transmitting and receiving radio waves or sound waves, but also a light emitting and light receiving device, or a device for transmitting reflected waves or reflected light from an oncoming vehicle in response to emitted radio waves, sound waves, or light. It may be a sensor that detects the approach or parallelism of an oncoming vehicle by receiving the signal.

Next, the electrical configuration of the unmanned vehicle operation control device configured as described above will be explained based on FIG. 2.

A microcomputer 15 serving as an avoidance travel control means and a return travel control means includes a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as CPU) 16, a program memory 17 consisting of a read-only memory (ROM), and a read/write function for temporarily storing the calculation results of the CPU 16. It consists of a working memory 18 consisting of a replaceable memory (RAM). And C.P.
U16 operates according to a control program stored in the program memory 17.

The CPU 16 includes the approaching and passing transmitter/receiver 13.
14 is connected, and CPLJ16 is the approach transmitter receiver 13
A signal indicating the approach of an oncoming vehicle is received from the transmitter, and a signal indicating the parallel arrangement of vehicles is received from the passing transmitter/receiver 14. C.P.
When U16 receives a signal indicating the approach of an oncoming vehicle, it changes from the normal driving mode to a mode for passing each other.

Moreover, when the CPtJ 16 receives a signal indicating that vehicles are arranged side by side, it determines whether a vehicle is passing.

The CPtJ 16 controls the travel steering device 19 to perform starting, braking, and steering, and to perform travel steering of the vehicle. That is, when performing guided travel using the guide line L3 (normal travel mode), the CPU 16 uses the same guide line L3.
In addition to running and steering along guide line L3, it is also possible to perform trackless autonomous travel without being guided along guide line L3.

Further, a priority order is determined in advance for each unmanned vehicle 11, 12, and in this embodiment, the unmanned vehicle 11 is the priority vehicle.

The operation of the operation control device for the unmanned vehicle 11, 12 configured as described above will be explained.

Now, when the unmanned vehicles 11 and 12 are moving toward each other along the guide line L3 and the distance between them becomes less than the predetermined distance,
CPtJ16 of both vehicles 11 and 12 is the approach transmitter receiver 1
3 detects the approach of an oncoming vehicle by receiving a signal from the approach transmission receiver 13 of the oncoming vehicle, cancels the normal driving mode and sets a mode for passing each other. With this mode setting, the CPU of the priority unmanned vehicle 11
16 stops the vehicle. Also, C of the other unmanned vehicle 12
The PU 16 moves from traveling along the guide line L3 to trackless autonomous travel, deviates from the travel route as shown in FIG. 3, travels to the avoidance route 20 shown by the broken line in FIG. 3, and stops at a position off the travel route. .

Then, the CPU 16 of the priority unmanned vehicle 11 determines that there is no oncoming vehicle 12 ahead based on the signal from the approach transmitter/receiver 13, and starts the vehicle from its previously stopped state. Then, as shown in Figure 4, the priority unmanned vehicle 1
1 moves forward to a position where the two unmanned vehicles 11 and 12 are in parallel, each CPU 16 determines its passing based on the signal from the passing transmitter/receiver 14. Upon this passing detection, the CPU 16 of the priority unmanned vehicle 11 cancels the mode for passing each other and returns to the normal driving mode. Also, the other unmanned vehicle 1
As shown in FIG. 5, the CPU 16 of No. 2 returns the vehicle to the original traveling route along an avoidance route 21 indicated by a broken line in the figure, and then returns to the normal traveling mode.

In this way, in this embodiment, when an oncoming vehicle is detected, one of the unmanned vehicles 12 deviates from the normal travel route in trackless autonomous driving and enters the avoidance route, detects the passage of the other unmanned vehicle 11, and returns to its original position after passing. Since the vehicle returns to the travel route, it is possible to cross the vehicle at any position on the travel route, instead of being able to cross the vehicle only at a predetermined location as in the past. Therefore,
The unmanned vehicle that arrives at the wrong place first does not have to wait for the other unmanned vehicle to arrive, allowing quick operation control. Moreover, since all the equipment for performing this control is mounted on the vehicle side, it is possible to eliminate the need for equipment such as loop coils, reed switches, and control stations on the ground side for mismatching.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, both unmanned vehicles 11 and 12 deviate from the traveling route in opposite directions, and as shown in FIG. It may be possible to perform a return run. In this case, both unmanned vehicles 11 and 12 can cross each other in continuous travel without stopping at all.

Further, in the above embodiment, the driving route is formed using the guide line L3, but there are other ways to form the driving route by detecting a white line drawn on the road surface with an optical detector. Of course, the present invention may also be applied to operation control of various types of unmanned vehicles such as trackless systems or the like.

Effects of the Invention As detailed above, according to the present invention, it is possible to cross each other at any position without any waiting time, and it also has the excellent effect of eliminating the need for equipment for crossing on the ground side. do.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an operation control device for an unmanned vehicle embodying the present invention, Fig. 2 is an electric block circuit diagram showing its electrical configuration, and Figs. Figures 6 and 7 are diagrams for explaining the operation status, and Figures 6 and 7 are diagrams showing another example of an operation control device for an unmanned vehicle, and Figures 8 and 9 are diagrams showing the operation of a conventional unmanned vehicle! FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an i control method. In the figure, 11 is an unmanned vehicle, 12 is an unmanned vehicle, 13 is an approach transmitter/receiver as an approach detection means, 14 is a passing transmitter/receiver as a passage detector, 15 is an avoidance travel control means and a return travel control means 16 is a central processing unit, 17 is a program memory, 18 is a working memory, 19 is a travel steering device, and L3 is an M conductor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In an unmanned vehicle that travels along a predetermined travel route along which other unmanned vehicles also travel, approach detection means for detecting the approach of an oncoming vehicle; and detection by the approach detection means. an avoidance travel control means that controls a travel steering device to deviate from the travel route and enter an avoidance route based on a signal; a passage detection means that detects passage of the oncoming vehicle on the avoidance route; and a detection signal of the passage detection means. A return travel control device for controlling a travel steering device to return from an avoidance route to an original travel route based on the following.