JP2682910B2 - Position detection device for work vehicle guidance - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention projects a beam of guiding light in the lateral direction of a work vehicle from the lateral sides of a plurality of parallel working strokes, and at the set speed in the front-back direction of the working stroke. Beam light projection means for scanning is provided, and the work vehicle has a light receiving means for detecting a light receiving position of the light beam which changes in the vertical direction as the work vehicle is displaced in the lateral direction, and detection of the light receiving means. The present invention relates to a position detection device for guiding a work vehicle, which is provided with position detection means for detecting the position of the work vehicle with respect to the installation position of the light beam projection means based on information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A procedure for detecting a position of a beam light projection means of a work vehicle with respect to an installation position is disclosed by the applicant in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 53113/1990. With reference to FIG. 5, the horizontal wall 1 along the longitudinal direction of the passage is provided with 2
The light beam for guiding the book is projected in the lateral direction of the work vehicle V,
Further, a projection device 2 as a beam light projecting means for scanning along the front-back direction of the work vehicle V is provided, and light receivers S1 and S2 as light receiving means for receiving the light beam are provided at the upper part of the work vehicle V. A pair is provided. The projection device 2 synchronously scans the reference beam light projected in the direction parallel to the floor surface and the comparison beam light projected slightly upward from the reference beam light. Further, the reference beam light is rotated around the axis along the vertical direction, and the reference beam light is rotated around the axis along the direction forming a set angle with the vertical direction.
That is, the larger the distance between the work vehicle V and the lateral wall 1 on which the projection device 2 is installed, the larger the vertical distance between the reference beam light and the comparison beam light becomes. Light receiver S1,
Each of S2 is formed such that its light receiving surface is vertically elongated. That is, the larger the distance between the work vehicle V and the lateral wall 1 on which the projection device 2 is installed, the larger the vertical light receiving interval between the reference beam light and the comparative beam light. The procedure for obtaining the position is as follows.
First, from the distance between the light receiving positions of the two light beams, the light receiver S
Distances W1 and W2 of the work vehicle 1 and S2 with respect to the installation position P in the lateral width direction of the work vehicle V are obtained. The angle α formed by the light receivers S1 and S2 at the installation position P of the light beam projection means 2 is given by Equation 1, and one of the light receivers S at the installation position P is
The angle θ1 formed by 1 and the lateral wall 1 is the equation 2, and the installation position P
Angle θ2 formed between the other photodetector S2 and the lateral wall 1 in
(= Θ1 + α) can be obtained from each of Equations 3.

[0003]

## EQU1 ## α = ω × t

[0004]

Tan θ1 = W1 / L

[0005]

## EQU3 ## tan (θ1 + α) = W2 / (LM)

[0006]

## EQU00004 ## (W1 / L + tan.alpha.) / (1-tan.alpha..times.W1 / L) = W2 (L-M)

Here, L is the distance of the light receiver S1 with respect to the installation position P in the front-rear direction of the work vehicle V, M is the distance between the light receivers S1 and S2 in the front-rear direction of the work vehicle V, and ω is the beam light. Is the scanning angular velocity, and t is the time difference from the reception of the beam light by one to the reception of the light beam by the other. Here, in order to specify the distance L, it is necessary to solve Equation 4. Equation 4 is obtained by substituting Equation 2 for Equation 3. Therefore, the position of the work vehicle with respect to the installation position of the projection device can be detected based on the distance L and the distances W1 and W2 between the horizontal wall 1 on which the projection device 2 is installed.

[0008]

In the above prior art, a pair of light receiving means is required to detect the position of the work vehicle with respect to the installation position of the projection device. Therefore, there is a drawback that the control configuration is relatively complicated. An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks and simplify the control configuration.

[0009]

To achieve this object, the position detecting device for guiding a work vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that the position detecting means causes the work vehicle to travel straight for a predetermined distance. The position of the work vehicle with respect to the installation position of the light beam projection means is detected based on the detection information of the light receiving means in each case.

[0010]

The procedure for detecting the position of the work vehicle with respect to the installation position of the work vehicle with one light receiver will be described with reference to FIG. By detecting the information of the light receiver before and after traveling the work vehicle in a straight state for a predetermined distance,
It can be handled as if there are virtually a pair of light receivers. That is, the prior art is applied to the detection information of the light receiver before and after the work vehicle travels straight for a predetermined distance. First, the inclination γ of the work vehicle V with respect to the work stroke is calculated based on the equation 5.

[0011]

(5) sin γ = (W2-W1) / R

Next, the distance M between both light receiving positions in the front-rear direction is calculated based on the equation (6).

[0013]

## EQU6 ## M = R × cos γ

Then, similarly to the prior art, the angle α formed by both light receiving positions is obtained by the equation 1, and the distance L is specified from the equation 4.
Therefore, the position of the work vehicle with respect to the installation position of the projection device can be detected.

[0015]

Since the position of the work vehicle with respect to the installation position of the projection device can be detected by one light receiver, the control configuration of the position detection device for guiding the work vehicle can be simplified.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a guidance system for a cleaning work vehicle will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a plurality of work strokes that are parallel to each other are provided in a passage of a building or the like along the longitudinal direction of the passage. A virtual straight line extending in the longitudinal direction of the passage passing through the center of the work vehicle V in the width direction in each work process is set as a travel route in each work process, and the work vehicle V is automatically driven along the travel route. Further, as the vehicle reaches the end of each work process, the work vehicle V is turned and moved to the next work process. Lateral wall 1 along the longitudinal direction of the passage
In addition, a projection device 2 is provided as a light beam projection means for projecting two guide light beams in the lateral direction of the work vehicle V and scanning the work vehicle V along the front-rear direction. A light receiver S1 as a light receiving means for receiving the light is provided on the upper portion of the work vehicle V. The projection device 2 synchronously scans the reference beam light projected in the direction parallel to the floor surface and the comparison beam light projected slightly upward from the reference beam light. Also, the reference beam light is around the axis along the vertical direction,
The comparison beam light is rotated and scanned around the axis along the direction that forms a set angle with the vertical direction. That is,
The larger the distance between the work vehicle V and the lateral wall 1 on which the projection device 2 is installed, the larger the vertical distance between the reference beam light and the comparison beam light becomes. The light receiver S1 is formed such that its light receiving surface is elongated in the vertical direction. That is, the larger the distance between the work vehicle V and the lateral wall 1 on which the projection device 2 is installed, the larger the vertical light receiving interval between the reference beam light and the comparative beam light. The light receiver S
1 is attached so as to be rotatable around the vertical axis, and its light-receiving surface is controlled so as to face the projection device 2.

Next, the installation position P of the projection device 2 of the work vehicle V is set.
A configuration for detecting the position of the work vehicle V and controlling the traveling of the work vehicle V will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, a control device H using a microcomputer is provided, and the control device H is connected with a light receiver S1 and an encoder S2 for detecting the traveling distance of the work vehicle V. Then, the control device H is configured to detect the position and operate the steering device 10 based on the preset information stored and various input information. That is, the position detecting means 100 is configured using the control device H.

Next, the operation of the control device H will be described with reference to the flow charts shown in FIGS.
First, the direction of the projection device 2 is detected, the light receiver S1 is directed in that direction, and the distance W1 with the lateral wall 1 on which the projection device 2 is installed is set.
Ask for. Next, the vehicle travels a predetermined distance R with the steering being in the neutral position. An angle α formed by both the light receiving positions before and after the vehicle is stopped once and the distance W2 is traveled by a predetermined distance R
Ask for. Then, the distance L is calculated. Next, the orientation (direction) of the work vehicle V is corrected to the orientation along the longitudinal direction of the work stroke by a spin turn or the like. After that, until the end of the work stroke is reached, the steering is controlled by parallel steering so that the work vehicle travels along the work stroke. The light receiver S1 is controlled so that its light receiving surface faces the projection device 2 based on the distance information with the lateral wall 1 and the traveling distance information. When the end of the work process is reached, the next work process is turned. The above operation is repeated until the work is completed. That is, when the work vehicle V is positioned at the work start position of each passage, or immediately after the end of one work stroke is reached and the work vehicle V is turned to the next work stroke, the direction correction is performed as described above, and then In the case where the azimuth of the work vehicle V is not changed, the vehicle is allowed to travel along the work stroke while being steered by the parallel steering based on the distance information to the lateral wall 1.

[Other Embodiments] In the above embodiments, the present invention is applied to the induction equipment for a cleaning work vehicle, but it can be applied to the induction equipment for various work vehicles such as lawnmower.

In the claims, reference numerals are provided for convenience of comparison with the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in the attached drawings.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control configuration.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a control operation;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of direction detection

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of a work area.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of conventional direction detection.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 beam light projecting means 100 position detecting means S1 light receiving means V work vehicle R predetermined distance

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) Reference JP-A-2-53113 (JP, A) JP-A-59-75176 (JP, A) JP-A-61-98414 (JP, A) JP-A-3- 175388 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A beam for projecting a light beam for guiding from a lateral side of a plurality of parallel work strokes in a lateral width direction of a work vehicle (V) and scanning the work stroke in the front-rear direction of the work stroke at a set speed. A light projecting means (2) is provided, and a light receiving means (for detecting the light receiving position of the light beam that changes in the vertical direction as the work vehicle (V) is displaced in the lateral direction is provided on the work vehicle (V). S1) and position detection means (100) for detecting the position of the work vehicle (V) with respect to the installation position of the light beam projection means (2) based on the detection information of the light receiving means (S1). A position detection device for guiding a work vehicle, wherein the position detection means (100) detects information by the light receiving means (S1) before and after the work vehicle (V) travels straight for a predetermined distance (R). Based on the beam light projection means 2) the position detecting device for a working vehicle induction is configured to detect the position of the work vehicle (V) for the installation position of the.