CN109674162B

CN109674162B - Self-driven luggage case and self-driving device

Info

Publication number: CN109674162B
Application number: CN201810810676.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 齐欧; 陈召强; 廉兴宇; 任国荣; 樊斌
Original assignee: Smart Technology (beijing) Co Ltd
Current assignee: Smart Technology (beijing) Co Ltd
Priority date: 2017-10-27
Filing date: 2018-07-20
Publication date: 2019-12-13
Anticipated expiration: 2038-07-20
Also published as: CN110764508B; CN110786609A; CN109674162A; CN107640016A; CN109602131B; CN209449955U; CN110764508A; CN110786609B; CN209594953U; CN109602131A

Abstract

the invention discloses a self-driven luggage case and a self-driving device, wherein the self-driven luggage case (self-driving device) comprises a case body (a body), an actuating wheel module, a first following sensing module and a central processing unit, the actuating wheel module is coupled to the box body and comprises a base and a wheel, the base is provided with a first axis and a second axis, the base is mounted to the case and rotatable about the first axis, the wheel is coupled to the base and rotatable about the second axis, the first following sensing module is arranged on the box body and used for sensing an object positioned in front of the box body, and the central processing unit controls the actuating wheel module to drive the box body to follow the object positioned in front of the box body according to the sensing result of the first following sensing module on the object.

Description

Self-driven luggage case and self-driving device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a self-propelled luggage case and a self-propelled device, and more particularly, to a self-propelled luggage case and a self-propelled device with an automatic following function.

Background

Existing luggage cases provide a storage space for a user to place personal luggage so that the user can carry the personal luggage when traveling outside or out of tolerance. However, conventional luggage cases do not have a power source configured to move the luggage case. Therefore, when the luggage box is moved, a user needs to move by hands, and besides the use is inconvenient, the structure configuration and the design of the conventional luggage box do not have an intelligent basis, so that the development trend of modern products is not met, and further use experience cannot be provided.

In addition, although some existing documents or products disclose the concept of the intelligent luggage, the driving wheels are designed to be fixed wheels, and the driving wheels are inconvenient to use due to small freedom of manipulation. Even if the concept of multidirectional driving wheels is mentioned, the concept of multidirectional driving wheels lacks rigorous research and structural implementation details and cannot become an epoch-spanning product.

Disclosure of Invention

Therefore, the present invention provides a self-propelled luggage case with an automatic following function and a self-propelled device thereof, so as to solve the above problems.

in order to solve the above problems, the present invention discloses a self-propelled luggage with an automatic following function, which comprises a luggage body, at least one driving wheel module, a first following sensing module and a central processing unit. The box body is provided with a front face, a back face, a top side, a bottom side, a first side and a second side, the top side is opposite to the bottom side, the first side is connected with the top side and the bottom side, the second side is connected with the top side and the bottom side and is opposite to the first side, the front face is opposite to the back face and is respectively connected with the top side, the bottom side, the first side and the second side, and a box body moving vector is defined in a direction from the second side to the first side and along the box body moving direction. The at least one actuating wheel module is coupled to the housing, each actuating wheel module including a base having a first axis and a second axis, the base being mounted to the bottom side of the housing and rotatable about the first axis relative to the housing, and a wheel coupled to the base and rotatable about the second axis relative to the base. The first following sensing module set up in the box first side and be used for the sensing to be located the box a preceding object of first side, central processing unit coupling is in first following sensing module with at least actuating wheel module, central processing unit basis first following sensing module is right the sensing result of object, control at least actuating wheel module drive the box is followed and is located the box the object before the first side to carry out a first mode of following.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first following sensing module includes a camera module for capturing an image of the object, wherein the central processing unit performs image processing on the image of the object to determine a relative orientation between the box and the object.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first following sensing module further includes a first sensor and a second sensor, the first sensor is used for sensing a first distance value of the object relative to the box, the second sensor is used for sensing a second distance value of the object relative to the box, and the central processing unit calculates the relative orientation of the box and the object according to the object image, the first distance value and the second distance value.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the self-propelled luggage further comprises a second following sensing module disposed at the back of the luggage body and configured to sense the object beside the back of the luggage body, wherein the central processing unit controls the at least one actuating wheel module to rotate around the first axis relative to the luggage body according to a sensing result of the second following sensing module on the object, so that the at least one actuating wheel module can drive the luggage body to follow the object beside the back of the luggage body along the following direction vector, so as to execute a second following mode.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the second following sensing module includes two cameras, and calculates the distance between the housing and the object using a binocular vision algorithm.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the self-propelled luggage further comprises a portable device communication module coupled to the cpu, the portable device communication module is configured to establish communication with a portable device, so that the portable device can set the value of the distance.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the central processing unit executes the second following mode and when the first following sensing module senses that there is an obstacle in front of the first side of the box, the central processing unit switches the second following mode to the first following mode to avoid the obstacle.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the central processing unit determines that the box body has bypassed the obstacle, the central processing unit further switches the first following mode back to the second following mode.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, after a predetermined time or a predetermined travel distance elapses, the cpu switches the first following mode back to the second following mode.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the cpu performs switching between the two following modes, the following direction vector is different from the box heading vector.

according to an embodiment of the present invention, a self-driving device with an automatic following function is further disclosed, which includes a main body, at least one driving wheel module, a second following sensing module and a central processing unit. The body is provided with a front face, a back face, a top side, a bottom side, a first side and a second side, wherein the top side is opposite to the bottom side, the first side is connected with the top side and the bottom side, the second side is connected with the top side and the bottom side and is opposite to the first side, the front face is opposite to the back face and is respectively connected with the top side, the bottom side, the first side and the second side, and a body trend vector is defined from the second side to the first side and along the direction of the body. The at least one actuating wheel module is coupled to the body, each actuating wheel module includes a base and a wheel, the base has a first axis and a second axis, the base is mounted to the bottom side of the body and is rotatable about the first axis relative to the body, and the wheel is coupled to the base and is rotatable about the second axis relative to the base. The second following sensing module is arranged on the back face of the body and used for sensing an object which is located beside the back face of the body, the central processing unit is coupled with the second following sensing module and the at least one driving wheel module, and the central processing unit controls the at least one driving wheel module to drive the body to follow the object which is located beside the back face of the body according to a sensing result of the second following sensing module on the object so as to execute a second following mode.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the central processing unit maintains the object in a predetermined area within a sensing range according to a sensing result of the object by the second following sensing module, and when the object exceeds the predetermined area, the at least one driving wheel module accelerates or decelerates to maintain the self-propelled luggage in the predetermined area.

according to an embodiment of the present invention, the central processing unit calculates a first displacement speed of the object according to the data provided by the second following sensing module, and when an obstruction occurs between the object and the second following sensing module, the central processing unit controls the at least one driving wheel module to travel at the first displacement speed.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the self-driving apparatus further includes a first following sensing module disposed on the first side of the box and configured to sense an object located in front of the first side of the box, wherein when the central processing unit executes the second following mode and when the first following sensing module senses that an obstacle is located in front of the first side of the box, the central processing unit switches the second following mode to a first following mode to avoid the obstacle; when the central processing unit judges that the box body bypasses the obstacle, the central processing unit switches the first following mode back to the second following mode.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a self-driving device with an automatic following function is further disclosed, which comprises a main body, at least one driving wheel module, a following sensing module and a central processing unit. The body is provided with a front face, a back face, a top side, a bottom side, a first side and a second side, wherein the top side is opposite to the bottom side, the first side is connected with the top side and the bottom side, the second side is connected with the top side and the bottom side and is opposite to the first side, the front face is opposite to the back face and is respectively connected with the top side, the bottom side, the first side and the second side, and a body trend vector is defined from the second side to the first side and along the direction of the body. The at least one actuating wheel module is coupled to the body, each actuating wheel module comprises a base and a wheel, the base is provided with a first axis and a second axis, the base is installed on the bottom side of the body and can rotate around the first axis relative to the body, the wheel is coupled to the base and can rotate around the second axis relative to the base, and the following sensing module is arranged at the back of the body and at an included angle of the first side and used for sensing an object beside the back of the body or an object in front of the first side. The central processing unit is coupled to the following sensing module and the at least one actuating wheel module, wherein the central processing unit controls the at least one actuating wheel module to drive the body to follow the object located in front of the first side of the body according to a sensing result of the following sensing module on the object so as to execute a first following mode, or drives the body to follow the object located in a side of the back of the body so as to execute a second following mode.

in summary, the self-propelled luggage and the self-propelled chassis of the present invention both have power sources (i.e. the actuating wheel modules) for generating the driving force following the user, so that the user does not need to move manually when moving the luggage or the self-propelled chassis, thereby providing convenience in use. In addition, the self-driven luggage case and the self-driven chassis are additionally provided with camera modules and/or distance sensors (namely a first sensor, a second sensor, a third sensor and a fourth sensor) for carrying out image processing and following distance control on user images, so that the self-driven luggage case and the self-driven chassis have an intelligent basis in structural configuration and design, meet the development trend of modern products and provide further use experience. The foregoing and other technical matters, features and effects of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

It should be noted that the design of the integrated motor for the actuating wheel according to the present invention, including the implementation details of the dual rotation axes, the wheel position detecting module, the motor and the slip ring structure, and the determination of the difference value of the input current of each wheel, is an innovative invention after numerous experiments and tests, and has the details rather than the simple conceptual stage, and thus has the capability of practical production.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic external view of a self-propelled luggage case according to a general embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a partially exploded schematic view of a general embodiment of the self-propelled luggage case of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is an external view of an actuator wheel module according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the actuator wheel module of the first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5A is an exploded view of a wheel in accordance with a general embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5B is an exploded view of a wheel according to another aspect of the present general embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional schematic view of an actuator wheel module according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a functional block diagram of the self-propelled luggage case according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a general embodiment of the present invention for a self-propelled luggage case to follow a user.

Figure 9A is a bottom schematic view of the first embodiment (two actuated wheels) of the present invention self-propelled luggage following a user.

FIG. 9B is a schematic diagram of the following direction vector, the first wheel direction vector and the second wheel direction vector of the first embodiment (two actuating wheels) of the present invention.

FIG. 9C is a signal diagram of the first current value and the second current value of the first embodiment (two actuating wheels) of the present invention.

figure 10A is a bottom schematic view of the first embodiment (four actuator wheel) self-propelled luggage case of the present invention following a user.

Fig. 10B is a schematic view of the following direction vector, the first wheel direction vector, the second wheel direction vector, the third wheel direction vector and the fourth wheel direction vector of the first embodiment (four actuating wheels) of the present invention.

Fig. 10C is a signal diagram of the first current value, the second current value, the third current value and the fourth current value of the first embodiment (four actuator wheels) of the present invention.

Figure 11A is a bottom view of the first embodiment (four actuator wheels) of the present invention self-propelled luggage case moving in a following direction vector.

FIG. 11B is a bottom view of the first embodiment (four actuator wheel) self-propelled luggage case moving in a following direction vector and in a sudden situation.

Fig. 11C is a bottom schematic view of the first embodiment (four actuator wheel) self-propelled luggage case of the present invention moving in a following direction vector and in another emergency situation.

FIG. 12A is a diagram illustrating a first current value, a second current value, a third current value and a fourth current value in the state shown in FIG. 11A.

FIG. 12B is a diagram illustrating the first current value, the second current value, the third current value and the fourth current value in the state shown in FIG. 11B.

FIG. 12C is a diagram illustrating the first current value, the second current value, the third current value and the fourth current value in the state shown in FIG. 11C.

Fig. 13 is an external view of an actuator wheel module according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a schematic view of a portion of the internal mechanism of an actuator wheel module according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 15 is an exploded view of the actuator wheel module of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an actuator wheel module according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 17 is a functional block diagram of a second embodiment of the self-propelled luggage case of the present invention.

Fig. 18 is a schematic top view of a general embodiment self-propelled luggage case of the present invention.

figure 19A is a schematic view of a self-propelled luggage case implementing a second follow mode in accordance with a general embodiment of the present invention.

fig. 19B is a schematic view of an image captured by the camera module shown in fig. 19A.

FIG. 20A is a schematic view of the self-propelled luggage case of the present general embodiment performing the second follow mode and in an emergency situation.

Fig. 20B is a schematic view of an image captured by the camera module shown in fig. 20A.

Fig. 20C is a schematic view of an image captured by the camera module shown in fig. 20A at another time point.

Fig. 21A to 21C are schematic diagrams illustrating the self-propelled luggage case performing a second following mode and an obstacle avoidance mode according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Wherein the reference numerals are as follows:

1000. 1001, 1002, 1003 self-driving luggage case

2000 case body

2001 front side

2002 Back side

2003 first side

2003' second side

3000. 3000' actuator wheel module

3001. 3005 first actuating wheel module

3001 ', 3001' first driven wheel module

3002. 3006 second actuator wheel module

3002 ', 3002' second driven wheel module

3003. 3007 third actuator wheel module

3004. 3008 fourth actuator wheel Module

4000 pull rod module

7000 first following sensing module

5000 camera module

6001 first sensor

6002 second sensor

8000 second following sensing module

8001 third sensor

8002 fourth sensor

1 wheel

10 first wheel cover

101 first bearing mount

102 first wheel cover through hole

11 second wheel cover

110 second bearing mount

111 second wheel cover perforation

12-step motor

120 motor rotor

122 first fixing part

123 second fixing part

124 stator accommodation space

125 rotor opening

121 motor stator

13 wheel body

130 rotor accommodation space

131 wheel body opening

132 rotor fixing long groove

14 first screw

15 second screw

16 first motor bearing

17 second motor bearing

18 fixed rod

180 first end portion

181 second end part

182 stator fixing part

2 base

20 ear

A1 first axis

A2 biaxial

3 slip ring module

30 slip ring holder

301 accommodating space for rotating member

302 fastener opening

303 fixing ear part

31 slip ring rotor

310 pole piece mounting hole

311 opening of rotating member

4 slip ring shell

40 slip ring upper shell

41 slip ring lower shell

410 slip ring accommodating space

411 lower housing opening

412 flange part

5 bearing seat

50 lug part

6-steering motor

7 Bar

8 wheel position detection module

80 magnetic element

81-position decoding module

90 nut

91 bearing part

D Central processing sheet

E wheel control unit

E0 rotating speed sensing unit

F accelerometer

g positioning module

H portable device communication module

I portable device

j battery module

k power supply scheme module

L inertia measuring unit

M touch stop switch

O obstacle

Distance T

U, U' user

UI, UI' user images

FOV field of view

IF1 first pane

IF2 second pane

IF3 third pane

X1 first axial direction

Second X2 axial direction

y1 box trend vector

Y2 follows the direction vector

Y3 direction of travel vector

Z1 first round vector

Z2 second round vector

Z3 third vector

z4 fourth vector

Alpha 1 first angular displacement

Second angular displacement of alpha 2

Theta box angular displacement

EC1 first current

EC2 second current

EC3 third Current

EC4 fourth Current

Detailed Description

Directional terms as referred to in the following embodiments, for example: up, down, left, right, front or rear, etc., are directions with reference to the attached drawings only. Accordingly, the directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the present invention discloses a self-propelled luggage case 1000, comprising a case 2000, an actuating wheel module 3000, a drawbar module 4000 and a first following sensor module 7000, wherein the case 2000 has a front 2001, a back 2002, a top 2004, a bottom 2005, a first side 2003 and a second side 2003 ', the actuating wheel module 3000 is installed on the bottom 2005, the top 2004 is opposite to the bottom 2005, the first side 2003 is connected with the top 2004 and the bottom 2005, the second side 2003 ' is connected with the top 2004 and the bottom 2005 and is opposite to the first side 2003, the front 2001 is opposite to the back 2002 and is connected with the top 2004, the bottom 2005, the first side 2003 and the second side 2003 ', respectively. The first follower sensing module 7000 is disposed on the first side 2003 of the case 2000 for sensing an object located in front of the first side 2003 of the case 2000.

In the embodiment, the first following sensing module 7000 includes a camera module 5000, a first sensor 6001 and a second sensor 6002, but the invention is not limited thereto, for example, the first following sensing module 7000 may also include only the camera module 5000, depending on the actual requirement. The camera module 5000 is configured to capture an image of an object, the first sensor 6001 is configured to sense a first distance of the object from the box 2000, and the second sensor 6002 is configured to sense a second distance of the object from the box 2000. As shown in fig. 7, the self-propelled luggage 1000 further includes a central processing unit D coupled to the camera module 5000, the first sensor 6001 and the second sensor 6002. In the present embodiment, the Central Processing Unit D may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), but the invention is not limited thereto, for example, the Central Processing Unit D may also be a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), depending on the actual requirement. In addition, the actuating wheel module 3000 is coupled to the box 2000, and the central processing unit D can control the actuating wheel module 3000 to drive the box 2000 to move on a ground according to the sensing result of the first following sensing module 7000. In the present embodiment, the self-propelled luggage 1000 includes four actuating wheel modules 3000, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and for example, the self-propelled luggage 1000 also includes only one actuating wheel module 3000, i.e., the self-propelled luggage 1000 includes an actuating wheel module 3000, and all such configurations are within the scope of the present invention.

It should be noted that the self-propelled luggage 1000 shown in fig. 1 and 2 is only an application embodiment of the actuation wheel module 3000 of the present invention, and the application of the actuation wheel module 3000 of the present invention is not limited thereto, for example, the actuation wheel module 3000 of the present invention may also be applied to a self-propelled chassis (or self-propelled device), that is, the self-propelled chassis (or self-propelled device) includes a disk body (body) and the actuation wheel module 3000 of the present invention, wherein the actuation wheel module 3000 is coupled to the disk body, and the detailed description and the operation principle of the actuation wheel module 3000 are as follows.

As shown in fig. 3 to 6, each actuating wheel module 3000 includes a wheel 1, a base 2 and a slip ring module 3, the base 2 has a first axis a1 and a second axis a2, the base 2 is coupled to the box 2000 and can rotate around the first axis a1 relative to the box 2000, and the wheel 1 is coupled to the base 2 and can rotate around the second axis a2 relative to the base 2. In addition, the base 2 has two ears 20, the second axis a2 passes through the two ears 20, and the wheel 1 is located between the two ears 20. Further, the wheel 1 includes a first wheel cover 10, a second wheel cover 11, a forward motor 12, a wheel body 13, a plurality of first screws 14, a plurality of second screws 15, a first motor bearing 16, a second motor bearing 17 and a fixing rod 18. The wheel body 13 is adapted to contact the ground, the forward motor 12 is disposed in the wheel body 13 and includes a motor rotor 120 and a motor stator 121, the fixing rod 18 has a first end portion 180, a second end portion 181 and a stator fixing portion 182, the fixing rod 18 is fixed to one of the two ear portions 20 through the first end portion 180, the fixing rod 18 is fixed to the other of the two ear portions 20 through the second end portion 181, the stator fixing portion 182 is disposed between the first end portion 180 and the second end portion 181, and the motor stator 121 is fixed to the fixing rod 18 through the stator fixing portion 182.

In addition, the first wheel cover 10 has a first bearing mounting portion 101, the second wheel cover 11 has a second bearing mounting portion 110, the first motor bearing 16 is disposed on the first bearing mounting portion 101, and the first end portion 180 of the fixing rod 18 is disposed through the first motor bearing 16, so that the first wheel cover 10 can rotate relative to the fixing rod 18 via the first motor bearing 16. The second motor bearing 17 is disposed at the second bearing mounting portion 110, and the second end portion 181 of the fixing rod 18 is disposed through the second motor bearing 17, so that the second wheel cover 11 can rotate relative to the fixing rod 18 through the second motor bearing 17. Further, the wheel body 13 has a rotor accommodating space 130, and the rotor accommodating space 130 extends along the axial direction of the wheel body 13 and forms a wheel body opening 131 at each of two opposite ends of the wheel body 13. The wheel body 13 further has a plurality of rotor fixing slots 132, the rotor fixing slots 132 are disposed on the wall surface of the rotor accommodating space 130 and extend to the opposite ends of the wheel body 13, the motor rotor 120 has a plurality of first fixing portions 122 and a plurality of second fixing portions 123, wherein the motor rotor 120 is installed in the rotor accommodating space 130 through the wheel body opening 131, and each first fixing portion 122 and each second fixing portion 123 are installed in one of the rotor fixing slots 132 to prevent the motor rotor 120 from rotating relative to the wheel body 13.

In addition, the motor rotor 120 has a stator accommodating space 124, and the stator accommodating space 124 extends in the axial direction of the motor rotor 120 and forms a rotor opening 125 at each of the opposite ends of the motor rotor 120. The self-propelled luggage 1000 further includes a wheel control unit E, and the wheel control unit E is coupled to the forward motor 12. In this embodiment, the wheel control unit E may be a circuit board, the circuit board is configured to cooperate with the central processing unit D to control the operation of the forward motor 12, for example, the circuit board (i.e., the wheel control unit E) may cooperate with the central processing unit D to generate a control signal to the motor stator 121 of the forward motor 12, and the motor stator 121, when receiving the control signal, drives the motor rotor 120 to rotate to drive the wheel body 13, so that the wheel body 13 can roll on the ground. In another embodiment, the wheel control unit E may be placed in the case 2000 instead of the wheels 1. In another embodiment, the wheel control unit E and the central processing unit D may be integrated into an integrated circuit chip SOC.

In addition, the motor stator 121 and the wheel control unit E are installed in the stator accommodating space 124 through the rotor opening 125. The first wheel cover 10 forms a plurality of first wheel cover through holes 102, the second wheel cover 11 forms a plurality of second wheel cover through holes 111, wherein each first screw 14 is locked to the corresponding first fixing portion 122 of the motor rotor 120 through the corresponding first wheel cover through hole 102 of the first wheel cover 10, so that the first wheel cover 10 is fixed to one side of the motor rotor 120, each second screw 15 is locked to the corresponding second fixing portion 123 of the motor rotor 120 through the corresponding second wheel cover through hole 111 of the second wheel cover 11, so that the second wheel cover 11 is fixed to the other side of the motor rotor 120, and the first wheel cover 10 and the second wheel cover 11 are respectively connected to the first end portion 180 and the second end portion 181 of the fixing rod 18 in a manner capable of rotating relative to the fixing rod 18, so that the motor rotor 120 and the wheel body 13 can rotate relative to the fixing rod 18. Thus, the motor stator 121 can be fixed to the base 2, and the motor rotor 120 can be fixed to the wheel 13 and can be rotatably sleeved on the motor stator 121.

As shown in fig. 3 to 6, the slip ring module 3 includes a slip ring fixing member 30 and a slip ring rotating member 31, the slip ring fixing member 30 is coupled to the central processing unit D, the slip ring rotating member 31 is electrically connected to the slip ring fixing member 30 in a rotatable manner, and the slip ring rotating member 31 is coupled to the motor stator 121. Further, the slip ring fixing member 30 has a rotating member accommodating space 301, the rotating member accommodating space 301 is formed with a fixing member opening 302 at one end of the slip ring fixing member 30, and a portion of the slip ring rotating member 31 is rotatably accommodated in the rotating member accommodating space 301 through the fixing member opening 302. In addition, the slip ring rotating member 31 has a rod mounting hole 310, and the self-propelled luggage case 1000 further includes a slip ring housing 4, a carrying seat 5 and a rod 7, the rod 7 is fixedly disposed on the base 2, the rod 7 is disposed through the rod mounting hole 310 on the slip ring rotating member 31, and the rod 7 is disposed through the carrying seat 5, wherein when the wheel 1 moves on the ground and rotates around the first axis a1 relative to the case 2000, the base 2, the rod 7 and the slip ring rotating member 31 can rotate around the first axis a1 simultaneously. The slip ring housing 4 is used for covering the slip ring module 3 to protect the slip ring module 3.

Further, the slip ring housing 4 includes a slip ring upper housing 40 and a slip ring lower housing 41, the slip ring lower housing 41 is fixedly disposed on the bearing seat 5, the slip ring lower housing 41 is formed with a slip ring accommodating space 410, the slip ring accommodating space 410 is formed with a lower housing opening 411 at one end of the slip ring lower housing 41, and the slip ring fixing member 30 is disposed in the slip ring accommodating space 410 through the lower housing opening 411. In the present embodiment, the slip ring fixing member 30 has a fixing ear 303, and the fixing ear 303 is fixedly connected to the bottom wall of the slip ring accommodating space 410, so that the slip ring fixing member 30 can be fixed in the slip ring accommodating space 410 of the slip ring lower housing 41. The slip ring upper housing 40 is disposed at the end of the slip ring lower housing 41 and closes the lower housing opening 411, wherein the bearing seat 2, the slip ring lower housing 41 and the slip ring upper housing 40 are all fixedly connected to the bottom side 2005 of the case 2000, and when the base 2, the rod 7 and the slip ring rotating member 31 rotate simultaneously around the first axis a1, the bearing seat 2, the slip ring lower housing 41 and the slip ring upper housing 40 do not rotate around the first axis with the base 2, the rod 7 and the slip ring rotating member 31.

As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the carrier 5 has two lug portions 50, the slip ring lower housing 41 has two flange portions 412, each lug portion 50 corresponds to one of the flange portions 412, and the lug portions 50 and the flange portions 412 together fix the carrier 5 and the slip ring lower housing 41 to the bottom side 2005 of the case 2000. In the present embodiment, each of the lug portions 50 and each of the flange portions 412 are formed with a fastening hole, and when assembled, a screw (not shown) may be fastened to the bottom side 2005 of the case 2000 after passing through the fastening hole of the lug portion 50 and the fastening hole of the flange portion 412. The above-mentioned structure for fixing the carrier base 5 and the slip ring lower case 41 to the bottom side 2005 of the case 2000 is only an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

As shown in fig. 4 and 6, the rod mounting hole 310 of the sliding ring rotator 31 is formed with a rotator opening 311 at one end of the sliding ring rotator 31, and the self-propelled luggage 1000 further includes a wheel position detecting module 8, the wheel position detecting module 8 is disposed in the sliding ring accommodating space 410 and includes a magnetic element 80 and an orientation decoding module 81, the magnetic element 80 is disposed at one end of the rod 7 and located in the rod mounting hole 310 of the sliding ring rotator 31, wherein when the rod 7 rotates around the first axis a1, the magnetic element 80 and the rod 7 can rotate simultaneously. The orientation decoding module 81 is fixedly disposed on the slip ring upper housing 40, and the orientation decoding module 81 senses the magnetic element 80 through the rotating element opening 311 of the slip ring rotating element 31 to detect a wheel direction of the wheel 1 relative to the case 2000 or relative to the first axis a 1.

As shown in fig. 1 and 7, the self-propelled luggage 1000 further includes a battery module J, a touch stop switch M, and a drawbar module 4000, wherein the drawbar module 4000 is mounted on the box 2000 and can extend or retract relative to the box 2000, the battery module J is coupled to the cpu D, the battery module D is configured to provide power to the actuator wheel module 3000, so that the actuator wheel module 3000 can drive the box 2000 to move on the ground, and the touch stop switch M is coupled to the cpu D. When the actuating wheel module 3000 drives the box 2000 to move on the ground, the user may trigger the touch stop switch M to stop the battery module J from providing power to the actuating wheel module 3000, that is, the central processing unit D may control the battery module J to stop providing power to the actuating wheel module 3000 when the touch stop switch M is triggered by the user, so that the self-propelled luggage 1000 may be manually stopped after losing the power source provided by the actuating wheel module 3000, in response to an emergency, for example, a child or a pet suddenly intrudes into the self-propelled luggage 1000 on a forward path. In the present embodiment, the touch-stop switch M is mounted on the lever module 4000, but the invention is not limited thereto, for example, the touch-stop switch M may be mounted on one side (e.g. the front 2001) of the case 2000, or the touch-stop switch M may be mounted on one side of the lever module 4000 and the case 2000, depending on the actual requirement. In addition, according to the motor structure, when the manual mode is switched, the actuating wheel can still be freely and manually controlled and operated in multiple directions according to the first axis and the second axis, and the situation that the motor is locked and cannot continue to rotate and move forwards is avoided.

As shown in fig. 7, the self-propelled luggage 1000 further includes a power scheme module K, a positioning module G, a portable device communication module H, an inertia measurement unit L, a rotation speed sensing unit E0 and an accelerometer F, wherein the power scheme module K is coupled to the cpu D and the battery module J, and the power scheme module K assists the cpu D in distributing the battery module J to the camera module 5000, the first sensor 6001, the second sensor 6002, the positioning module G and the portable device communication module H, wherein the portable device communication module H can be used to establish a connection with a portable device I, so that the portable device I and the self-propelled luggage 1000 can exchange data, such as setting of following distance, switching of following mode, etc., wherein the portable device communication module H can include an Ultra wide band Wireless communication module (Ultra wide band Wireless communication module, UWB), a Radio Frequency Identification module (RFID), a Bluetooth module (Bluetooth module), and a Wireless Fidelity module (Wi-Fi module). The positioning module G is used to Position the self-propelled luggage 1000, and the positioning module G may include a Global Positioning System (GPS), a Wireless Fidelity module (Wi-module), a Bluetooth module (Bluetooth module), and the like. The inertia measurement unit L is coupled to the central processing unit D and configured to sense a moving direction of the box 2000 when the ground moves, and the accelerometer F is coupled to the central processing unit D and configured to sense an acceleration of the box 2000 when the ground moves, so that the central processing unit D can obtain the moving direction and the magnitude of the inertial force of the box 2000 when the ground moves through the inertia measurement unit L and the accelerometer F.

As shown in fig. 8, since the direction from the second side 2003' of the box 2000 to the first side 2003 and along the box 2000 is defined as a box trend vector Y1 (or a body trend vector or a disk trend vector), since the self-propelled luggage 1000 of the present invention is configured with the first following sensing module 7000, wherein the first following sensing module 7000 can include the camera module 5000, the first sensor 6001 and the second sensor 6002, the central processing unit D of the self-propelled luggage 1000 of the present invention can determine a traveling direction vector Y3 of the user U according to the sensing result of the first following sensing module 7000 on the user U (i.e. the object), and according to a usage image captured by the user U by the camera module 5000, the first distance value sensed by the first sensor 6001 and the second distance value sensed by the second sensor 6002, and calculate a position vector of the box 2000 relative to the user U, the position vector of the case 2000 relative to the user U may be defined as a following direction vector Y2, wherein the case direction vector Y1, the following direction vector Y2 and the proceeding direction vector Y3 may be unit vectors respectively, i.e. the case direction vector Y1 represents the direction of the self-propelled luggage 1000 and has a magnitude of 1, the following direction vector Y2 represents the proceeding direction of the self-propelled luggage 1000 and has a magnitude of 1, and the proceeding direction vector Y3 represents the proceeding direction of the user U and has a magnitude of 1.

It should be noted that, in the present invention, a forward direction vector may also be determined by the cpu D without using the first following sensing module 7000, wherein the forward direction vector may be a designated direction of the box 2000 (or the tray), and may be any direction including a direction of the box 2000 (or the tray), including a box heading vector Y1, a following direction vector Y2, or a traveling direction vector Y3.

Further, since the actuator wheel module 3000 is rotatable about the first axis a1 relative to the box 2000, the central processing unit D can control the actuator wheel module 3000 to rotate such that the direction (or wheel direction) of the actuator wheel module 3000 is parallel to the following direction vector Y2. Thus, the self-propelled luggage 1000 of the present invention can be rotated around the first axis a1 relative to the luggage body 2000 by the mechanism of the actuating wheel module 3000, so that the following direction vector Y2 of the self-propelled luggage 1000 following the user U is the same as the luggage body heading vector Y1, or the following direction vector Y2 of the self-propelled luggage 1000 following the user U is different from the luggage body heading vector Y1, depending on the actual requirements.

as shown in fig. 9A, 9B and 9C, in the present embodiment, the self-propelled luggage 1000 includes two actuating wheel modules 3000, which are respectively labeled as a first actuating wheel module 3001 and a second actuating wheel module 3002, wherein the first actuating wheel module 3001 and the second actuating wheel module 3002 are both adjacent to the second side 2003', i.e., for the driving system of the self-propelled luggage 1000, the self-propelled luggage 1000 of the present invention together with the actuating wheel module 3000 is a rear wheel driving system. In addition, the self-propelled luggage 1000 further includes a first driven wheel module 3001 'and a second driven wheel module 3002', both of which 3001 'and 3002' are disposed on the bottom side 2005 of the case 2000 and adjacent to the first side 2003. It should be noted that in the present embodiment, the first actuating wheel module 3001 and the second actuating wheel module 3002 are used for driving the box body 2000 to move on the ground, and the first driven wheel module 3001 'and the second driven wheel module 3002' are not power configured, but only assist the first actuating wheel module 3001 and the second actuating wheel module 3002 to jointly support the box body 2000 on the ground, wherein the first actuating wheel module 3001, the second actuating wheel module 3002, and the first driven wheel module 3001 'and the second driven wheel module 3002' are all rotatable around the first axis a1 relative to the box body 2000.

in this embodiment, the cpu D determines the following direction vector Y2 according to the first distance value sensed by the first sensor 6001, the second distance value sensed by the second sensor 6002 and the object image captured by the camera module 5000 (i.e. the user image of the user U), but the invention is not limited thereto, for example, the cpu D may determine the following direction vector Y2 according to the object image captured by the camera module 5000 (i.e. the user image of the user U), depending on the actual requirement. As shown in fig. 7, 9A and 9B, the first actuator wheel module 3001 and the second actuator wheel module 3002 respectively include a wheel position detection module 8, and the wheel position detection module 8 is coupled to the central processing unit D. Further, as shown in fig. 4 and 6, the wheel position detecting module 8 includes a magnetic member 80 and an orientation decoding module 81, wherein the magnetic member 80 can rotate with the rod 7, the base 2 and the wheel 1, and the orientation decoding module 81 does not rotate with the rod 7, the base 2 and the wheel 1. Therefore, when the magnetic element 80 rotates along with the rod 7, the base 2 and the wheel 1, the orientation decoding module 81 and the magnetic element 80 rotate relatively, so that the orientation decoding module 81 can sense the angular displacement of the magnetic element 80 (or the wheel 1) relative to the orientation decoding module 81 (or the box 2000), thereby detecting (calculating) a first round-directional vector Z1 of the first actuating wheel module 3001 relative to the box 2000 and a second round-directional vector Z2 of the second actuating wheel module 3002 relative to the box 2000, wherein the first round-directional vector Z1 and the second round-directional vector Z2 are unit vectors respectively.

In summary, the orientation decoding module 81 can obtain a first angular displacement α 1 of the first actuator wheel module 3001 relative to the first wheel-direction vector Z1 and a second angular displacement α 2 of the second actuator wheel module 3002 relative to the second wheel-direction vector Z2, and the first following sensing module 7000 can obtain a box angular displacement θ of the box 2000 relative to the following direction vector Y2, so that a component of the first wheel-direction vector Z1 in the first axial direction X1 (i.e., the X axis) is cos α 1, and a component of the first wheel-direction vector Z1 in the second axial direction X2 (i.e., the Y axis) is sin α 1; the component of the second wheel-wise vector Z2 in the first axial direction X1 (i.e., the X-axis) is cos α 2, and the component of the second wheel-wise vector Z2 in the second axial direction X2 (i.e., the Y-axis) is sin α 2; the component of the following direction vector Y2 in the first axial direction X1 (i.e., the X-axis) is cos θ, and the component of the following direction vector Y2 in the second axial direction X2 (i.e., the Y-axis) is sin θ. Further, the cpu D of the self-propelled luggage 1000 can calculate the magnitude of the inertial force of the case 2000 in the following direction vector Y2 (i.e. the force magnitude ρ of the case 2000 in a known direction) through the inertial measurement unit L and the accelerometer F. In one embodiment, the force value ρ may be determined according to the weight of the loaded case. Therefore, to make the box 2000 travel along the following direction vector Y2, the driving force f1 required by the first actuator wheel module 3001 and the driving force f2 required by the second actuator wheel module 3002 satisfy the following formula:

f1*cosα1+f2*cosα2＝λ1*ρ*cosθ-----(1-1)

f1*sinα1+f2*sinα2＝λ1*ρ*sinθ----(1-2)

According to the formula (1-1) and the formula (1-2), the driving force f1 required by the first actuator module 3001 and the driving force f2 required by the second actuator module 3002 can be obtained, and then a first current EC1 required to be inputted to the first actuator module 3001 to obtain the driving force f1 and a second current EC2 required to be inputted to the second actuator module 3002 to obtain the driving force f2 can be obtained (as shown in fig. 9C), so that the box 2000 can travel along the following direction vector Y2, where λ 1 is an experimental constant.

As shown in fig. 10A, the self-propelled luggage 1001 includes a first actuator wheel module 3001, a second actuator wheel module 3002, a third actuator wheel module 3003, and a fourth actuator wheel module 3004, wherein the first actuator wheel module 3001 and the second actuator wheel module 3002 are adjacent to the first lateral side 2003, the third actuator wheel module 3003 and the fourth actuator wheel module 3004 are adjacent to the second lateral side 2003', the first actuator wheel module 3001, the second actuator wheel module 3002, the third actuator wheel module 3003, and the fourth actuator wheel module 3004 are configured to support and drive the luggage body 2000 to move on the ground, and the first actuator wheel module 3001, the second actuator wheel module 3002, the third actuator wheel module 3003, and the fourth actuator wheel module 3004 are all rotatable relative to the luggage body 2000 about the first axis a 1.

As shown in fig. 10B, for the first actuator wheel module 3001 and the second actuator wheel module 3002, a first angular displacement α 1 of the first actuator wheel module 3001 relative to the first wheel direction vector Z1 and a second angular displacement α 2 of the second actuator wheel module 3002 relative to the second wheel direction vector Z2 can be obtained by the orientation decoding module 81, and a case θ of the case 2000 relative to the following direction vector Y2 can be obtained by the first following sensing module 7000, so that a component of the first wheel direction vector Z1 in the first angular displacement axial direction X1 (i.e., X axis) is cos α 1, and a component of the first wheel direction vector Z1 in the second axial direction X2 (i.e., Y axis) is sin α 1; the component of the second wheel-wise vector Z2 in the first axial direction X1 (i.e., the X-axis) is cos α 2, and the component of the second wheel-wise vector Z2 in the second axial direction X2 (i.e., the Y-axis) is sin α 2; the component of the following direction vector Y2 in the first axial direction X1 (i.e., the X-axis) is cos θ, and the component of the following direction vector Y2 in the second axial direction X2 (i.e., the Y-axis) is sin θ. Further, the cpu D of the self-propelled luggage 1000 can calculate the magnitude of the inertial force of the case 2000 in the following direction vector Y2 (i.e. the force magnitude ρ of the case 2000 in a known direction) through the inertial measurement unit L and the accelerometer F. In one embodiment, the force value ρ may be determined according to the weight of the loaded case.

As shown in fig. 10B, for the third actuator wheel module 3003 and the fourth actuator wheel module 3004, a third angular displacement α 3 of the third actuator wheel module 3003 relative to the third axial vector Z3 and a fourth angular displacement α 4 of the fourth actuator wheel module 3004 relative to the fourth axial vector Z4 can be obtained by the orientation decoding module 81, and a box angular displacement θ of the box 2000 relative to the following axial vector Y2 can be obtained by the first following sensing module 7000, so that a component of the third axial vector Z3 in the first axial direction X1 (i.e., X axis) is cos α 3, and a component of the third axial vector Z3 in the second axial direction X2 (i.e., Y axis) is sin α 3; a component of the fourth axial vector Z4 in the first axial direction X1 (i.e., X axis) is cos α 4, and a component of the fourth axial vector Z4 in the second axial direction X2 (i.e., Y axis) is sin α 4; the component of the following direction vector Y2 in the first axial direction X1 (i.e., the X-axis) is cos θ, and the component of the following direction vector Y2 in the second axial direction X2 (i.e., the Y-axis) is sin θ. Further, the cpu D of the self-propelled luggage 1000 can calculate the magnitude of the inertial force of the case 2000 in the following direction vector Y2 (i.e. the force magnitude ρ of the case 2000 in a known direction) through the inertial measurement unit L and the accelerometer F. In one embodiment, the force value ρ may be determined according to the weight of the loaded case. Therefore, to make the box 2000 travel along the following direction vector Y2, the driving force f1 required by the first actuator wheel module 3001, the driving force f2 required by the second actuator wheel module 3002, the driving force f3 required by the third actuator wheel module 3003, and the driving force f4 required by the fourth actuator wheel module 3004 satisfy the following formula:

∑fi*cosαi＝λ2*ρ*cosθ-----(2-1)

∑fi*sinαi＝λ2*ρ*sinθ----(2-2)

According to the formula (2-1) and the formula (2-2), the driving force f1-f4 required by the actuator wheel module can be obtained, and further, the first current EC 1-EC 4 required by the actuator wheel module to obtain the driving force can be obtained, so that the box 2000 can move along the following direction vector Y2, wherein λ 2 is an empirical constant. In the implementation of the method, certain preset driving force values can be given to the actuating wheels according to calculation requirements, so that the calculation is convenient. As can be seen from fig. 10A to 10C, the actuating wheel module of the present invention has the following features: the more the actuator wheel module deviates from the following direction vector Y2, the smaller the input current; for example, since the second wheel direction vector Z2 of the second actuator wheel module 3002 in fig. 10A is offset from the following direction vector Y2 more than the other actuator wheel modules, the second current EC2 input to the second actuator wheel module 3002 is smaller.

In other words, one of the important points of the first embodiment of the present invention (fig. 3, 4, 6, 7, 9-12) is: the method for performing the overall forward motion based on the speed difference control of the two-axis rotatable wheel using the above-mentioned calculation method of the present invention when the self-propelled luggage 1001 encounters a rough condition or other factors causing a change in the wheel direction while traveling, without using a motor or other elements for controlling the direction of each wheel, comprises the steps of:

Step S100: the central processing unit D calculates a first difference value between the first round vector Z1 and the following direction vector Y2, a second difference value between the second round vector Z2 and the following direction vector Y2, a third difference value between the third round vector Z3 and the following direction vector Y2, and a fourth difference value between the fourth round vector Z4 and the following direction vector Y2;

step S102, the central processing unit D judges whether one of the first difference?, the second difference?, the third difference? and the fourth difference? is larger than a threshold?, if so, the step S104 is executed, if not, the step S106 is returned to;

Step S104: reducing a current corresponding to one of the first difference, the second difference, the third difference, and the fourth difference.

As shown in fig. 11A and 12A, when the self-propelled luggage 1001 is traveling on the ground, the central processing unit D supplies the first actuating wheel module 3001, the second actuating wheel module 3002, the third actuating wheel module 3003 and the fourth actuating wheel module 3004 with the first current EC1, the second current EC2, the third current EC3 and the fourth current EC4, which are equal in value, and then calculates a first difference between the first wheel-direction vector Z1 and the following-direction vector Y2, a second difference between the second wheel-direction vector Z2 and the following-direction vector Y2, a third difference between the third wheel-direction vector Z3 and the following-direction vector Y2 and a fourth difference between the fourth wheel-direction vector Z4 and the following-direction vector Y2. As shown in fig. 11B and 12B and fig. 11C and 12C, when the self-propelled luggage 1001 encounters a condition of uneven ground, such as the second actuator wheel module 3002 of the self-propelled luggage 1001, the second wheel-direction vector Z2 of the second actuator module 3002 is greatly changed, and the second difference between the second wheel-direction vector Z2 and the following direction vector Y2 is greater than the threshold, when the cpu D determines that the second difference is greater than the threshold, the cpu D decreases the second current EC2, so as to reduce the driving force f2 of the second actuator wheel module 3002, so that the first actuator wheel module 3001, the third actuator wheel module 3003 and the fourth actuator wheel module 3004 become the main power module, so as to perform direction correction on the second actuator module 3002 until the second actuator module 3002 returns to the cpu D to determine that the second difference is greater than the threshold. The threshold value is one form of the embodiment, and real-time calculation based on the formula (2-1) and the formula (2-2) is another form of the embodiment.

In any of the above forms, the central processing unit D is configured to calculate the first difference value between the following direction vector Y2 (or the forward direction vector) and the first wheel direction vector Z1, calculate the second difference value between the following direction vector Y2 (or the forward direction vector) and the second wheel direction vector Z2, calculate the third difference value between the following direction vector Y2 (or the forward direction vector) and the third wheel direction vector Z3, and calculate the fourth difference value between the following direction vector Y2 (or the forward direction vector) and the fourth wheel direction vector Z4, wherein the central processing unit D respectively provides the first current value EC1, the second current value EC2, the third current value EC3 and the fourth current value EC4 to the first actuating wheel module 3001, the second actuating wheel module 3002, the third actuating wheel module 3003 and the fourth actuating wheel module 3004, and the first difference value and the second difference value, The third difference is inversely proportional to the fourth difference. By using the integral advancing method based on speed difference control of the double-shaft rotating wheel, the actuating wheel module of the invention can enable the integral luggage case or chassis to advance towards a specific direction without using a steering motor to control the direction of the actuating wheel module, and is obviously different from the prior wheel speed control method using fixed wheels (namely fixed direction wheels) or non-double-shaft rotating wheels.

As shown in fig. 13 to 17, a second embodiment of the present invention discloses an actuating wheel module 3000 ', and the main difference between the actuating wheel module 3000 ' and the actuating wheel module 3000 of the first embodiment is that the actuating wheel module 3000 ' further includes a steering motor 6, the steering motor 6 is coupled to one end of the rod 7 and the base 2, wherein the steering motor 6 drives the base 2 to rotate around a first axis a1 relative to the box 2000 when receiving a steering signal. In other words, the actuator wheel module 3000 controls the actuator wheel module 3000 to drive the box 2000 to move along a specific direction (e.g. following direction vector Y2) by using the combination of the first current EC1 and the second current EC2 respectively provided to the first actuator wheel module 3001 and the second actuator wheel module 3002 and/or the combination of the third current EC3 and the fourth current EC4 respectively provided to the third actuator wheel module 3003 and the third actuator wheel module 3003, and the actuator wheel module 3000 ' uses the steering motor 6 to steer the wheel direction vector of each actuator wheel module 3000 ' to be in the same direction as the specific direction (e.g. following direction vector Y2) so that the actuator wheel module 3000 ' can drive the box 2000 to move along the specific direction (e.g. following direction vector Y2). In addition, the actuator wheel module 3000' further includes a nut 90 and a bearing 91, the bearing 91 is mounted on the rod 7, and the bearing 91 is used to assist the rod 7 to rotate relative to the bearing seat 5.

It should be noted that, in the present invention, a forward direction vector may also be determined by the cpu D without using the first following sensing module 7000, wherein the forward direction vector may be a designated direction of the box 2000 (or the tray), and may be any direction including a direction of the box 2000 (or the tray), including a box heading vector Y1, a following direction vector Y2, or a traveling direction vector Y3. Further, in the present embodiment, each of the wheel modules 3000' is provided with the steering motor 6, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the steering motor 6 can also be selectively disposed on a portion of the actuating wheel modules 3000 ', that is, in another embodiment, a portion of the actuating wheel modules 3000 ' is disposed with the steering motor 6, another portion of the actuating wheel modules 3000 ' is not disposed with the steering motor 6, and the actuating wheel modules 3000 ' have power sources, that is, the actuating wheel modules 3000 ' have the forward motor 12. Preferably, the actuator wheel module 3000 'with the steering motor 6 is disposed in a portion of the front wheels, while the actuator wheel module 3000' without the steering motor 6 is disposed in a portion of the rear wheels. In another embodiment, the number of forward motors 12 of the actuator wheel modules 3000' is greater than the number of steering motors 6.

in summary, the second embodiment directly controls the direction of the actuating wheel module using the steering motor, and is different from the first embodiment in that the overall advancing method based on the speed difference control of the dual-axis rotatable wheel can both well control the traveling direction of the trunk or the chassis. The two aforementioned embodiments can be mixed and used, for example, three of four wheels uses the actuator wheel module 3000 (with a forward motor and without a steering motor) in the first embodiment, and the other wheel uses the actuator wheel module 3000' (with a forward motor and a steering motor) in the second embodiment to directly control the direction of the actuator wheel module; or two of the four wheels uses the actuating wheel module 3000 (with forward motor and without steering motor), and the other two wheels uses the actuating wheel module 3000' to directly control the direction of the actuating wheel module using the steering motor, which can be combined by the person skilled in the art without limitation.

In another embodiment, the actuator wheel module 3000 ″ is provided with a steering motor and no forward motor, the actuator wheel module 3000 ″ can be used in combination with the actuator wheel module 3000 (provided with a forward motor and no steering motor) and the actuator wheel module 3000' (provided with a forward motor and a steering motor), for example, three of four wheels uses the actuator wheel module 3000 (provided with a forward motor and no steering motor) in the first embodiment, and the other wheel directly controls the direction of the actuator wheel module using the actuator wheel module 3000 "(provided with only a steering motor and no forward motor); or two of the four wheels use the actuating wheel module 3000, and the other two wheels use the actuating wheel module 3000' to directly control the direction of the actuating wheel module by using a steering motor; or two of the four wheels use the actuating wheel module 3000' (having a forward motor and a steering motor), and the other two wheels use the actuating wheel module 3000 "(having only a steering motor), which can be combined by the person skilled in the art without limitation. The above example can also be applied to a plurality of wheel sets of more than three wheels, and is not limited to four-wheel sets.

As shown in fig. 18, the self-propelled luggage 1001 includes a first follower sensing module 7000, the first follower sensing module 7000 is disposed at the first side 2003 of the luggage body 2000 and is used for sensing the object located in front of the first side 2003 of the luggage body 2000, wherein the central processing unit D controls the first actuator wheel module 3001, the second actuator wheel module 3002, the third actuator wheel module 3003 and the fourth actuator wheel module 3004 to rotate around the first axis a1 relative to the luggage body 2000 according to the sensing result of the first follower sensing module 7000 on the object, so that the first actuator wheel module 3001, the second actuator wheel module 3002, the third actuator wheel module 3003 and the fourth actuator wheel module 3004 can drive the luggage body 2000 to follow the object (user U) located in front of the first side 2003 of the luggage body 2000 along the following direction vector Y2 to execute a first following mode. Since the first actuating wheel module 3001, the second actuating wheel module 3002, the third actuating wheel module 3003 and the fourth actuating wheel module 3004 can rotate around the first axis a1 relative to the box 2000, when the cpu D executes the first following mode, the following direction vector Y2 is the same as the box strike vector Y1, or the following direction vector Y2 is different from the box strike vector Y1.

In this embodiment, the first following sensing module 7000 comprises a camera module 5000, a first sensor 6001 and a second sensor 6002, the camera module 5000 can be configured to capture an image of the object, the first sensor 6001 can be configured to sense the first distance value of the object relative to the box 2000, and the second sensor 6002 can be configured to sense the second distance value of the object relative to the box 2000, wherein the central processing unit performs image processing on the image of the object to determine the relative orientation between the box and the object, or the central processing unit D calculates the relative orientation between the box 2000 and the object according to the image of the object, the first distance value and the second distance value.

As shown in fig. 18, the self-propelled luggage 1001 further includes a second follower sensing module 8000, the second follower sensing module 8000 is disposed at the back side 2002 of the luggage 2000 and is configured to sense the object located beside the back side 2002 of the luggage 2000, wherein the central processing unit D controls the first actuator wheel module 3001, the second actuator wheel module 3002, the third actuator wheel module 3003 and the fourth actuator wheel module 3004 to rotate around the first axis a1 relative to the luggage 2000 according to the sensing result of the second follower sensing module 8000, so that the first actuator wheel module 3001, the second actuator wheel module 3002, the third actuator wheel module 3003 and the fourth actuator wheel module 3004 can drive the luggage 2000 to follow the object located beside the back side 2002 of the luggage 2000 along a following direction vector Y2 to execute a second following mode.

As shown in fig. 19A, in this embodiment, the second following sensing module 8000 may include a third sensor 8001 and a fourth sensor 8002, when the user U (i.e., the object) is beside the back side 2002 of the box 2000, the third sensor 8001 may be configured to sense a third distance value of the user U (i.e., the object) relative to the box 2000, and the fourth sensor 8002 may be configured to sense a fourth distance value of the user U (i.e., the object) relative to the box 2000, wherein the central processing unit calculates a distance T between the box 2000 and the user U (i.e., the object) according to the third distance value and/or the fourth distance value, and the central processing unit D may control the first actuating wheel module 3001, the second actuating wheel module 3002, the third actuating wheel module 3003, and the fourth actuating wheel module 3004 to maintain the distance between the user U (i.e., the object) and the box 3004 through the third sensor 8001 and the fourth sensor 8002 when the second following mode is executed Is the distance T. The third sensor 8001 and the fourth sensor 8002 may both be cameras, that is, the second following sensing module 8000 may include two cameras, and obtain a distance value of the sensing user U relative to the box 2000 through a binocular vision algorithm. It should be noted that, since the self-propelled luggage 1001 is equipped with the portable device communication module H, and the portable device communication module H is used to establish communication with the portable device I, the user U can set the value of the distance T according to the requirement through the portable device I.

In addition, the type of the second following sensing module 8000 of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, for example, as shown in fig. 19A and 19B, the second following sensing module 8000 may also be a camera module, the camera module (i.e., the second following sensing module 8000) may be used to capture a user image UI of the user U, the camera module 5000 has a field of view FOV, and the central processing unit D may execute the second following mode according to the relative position of the user image UI in the field of view FOV. For example, the central processing unit D may be divided into three panes according to the image captured by the camera module 5000, namely, a first pane IF1, a second pane IF2 and a third pane IF3, wherein the second pane IF2 is located between the first pane IF1 and the third pane IF3, and the central processing unit D may fall in the pane according to the user image UI captured by the camera module 5000 to control the first actuating wheel module 3001, the second actuating wheel module 3002, the third actuating wheel module 3003 and the fourth actuating wheel module 3004 to accelerate or decelerate the box 2000.

For example, when the user image UI captured by the camera module 5000 falls on the first pane IF1, the central processing unit D controls the first actuator wheel module 3001, the second actuator wheel module 3002, the third actuator wheel module 3003 and the fourth actuator wheel module 3004 to decelerate the box 2000, so that the user U can catch up with the self-propelled luggage 1001; when the user image UI captured by the camera module 5000 falls on the third pane IF3, the central processing unit D controls the first actuating wheel module 3001, the second actuating wheel module 3002, the third actuating wheel module 3003 and the fourth actuating wheel module 3004 to accelerate the box 2000, so that the self-propelled luggage 1001 can catch up with the user U; when the user image UI captured by the camera module 5000 falls on the second pane IF2, the central processing unit D controls the first actuating wheel module 3001, the second actuating wheel module 3002, the third actuating wheel module 3003 and the fourth actuating wheel module 3004 to maintain the original speed of the box 2000, so that the self-propelled luggage 1001 can move in parallel with the user U. In other words, the central processing unit D keeps the user in a predetermined area (in this case, the second pane IF2) within the sensing range according to the image captured by the second following sensing module 8000, and when the user exceeds the predetermined area, the actuator wheel module accelerates or decelerates to keep the box 2000 in the predetermined area. This ensures that the second following mode is performed without the case 2000 moving too far forward or too far backward, and with a proper side following distance. In addition, the width of the predetermined area can be set through the portable device.

As shown in fig. 20A, 20B and 20C, when the cpu D executes the second following mode and the other user U 'approaches from the rear faster than the user U, the cpu D can determine that the user U' has a faster traveling speed than the user U by using image processing, and can recognize that the user U is an active following object by the speed difference. Therefore, when the user U ' catches up with the user U, the user image UI of the user U and the user image UI ' of the user U ' overlap (as shown in fig. 20C), and the central processing unit D recognizes that the user U is the active following object according to the speed difference between the two user images, so that the self-driven luggage 1001 can be prevented from being mistakenly followed by the user under the above-mentioned condition. That is, the central processing unit D calculates the displacement speed of the user U according to the data provided by the second following sensing module 8000, and when a blocking object occurs between the user U and the second following sensing module 8000, the central processing unit D controls at least one driving wheel module to travel at the previously recorded displacement speed of the user U. It must be noted that the user U or the user U' described herein may not be a person but any object that can be followed, and the description herein is merely illustrative and not restrictive.

As shown in fig. 21A, 21B and 21C, when the central processing unit D executes the second following mode and the first following sensing module 7000 senses that there is an obstacle 0 in front of the first side 2003 of the box 2000, the central processing unit D first switches the second following mode to the first following mode, so that the self-propelled luggage 1001 is wrapped around from the position shown in fig. 21A to the position shown in fig. 21B, and then switches the first following mode back to the second following mode, so that the self-propelled luggage 1001 is wrapped around from the position shown in fig. 21B to the position shown in fig. 21C, so that the self-propelled luggage 1001 can avoid the obstacle 0, and the self-propelled luggage 1001 can be prevented from effectively following the user U while avoiding the obstacle 0. In one embodiment, the timing for starting the rolling around from the luggage 1001 to the position shown in fig. 21C is determined by: the data returned by the first follower sensing module 7000 determines that the self-propelled luggage 1001 has bypassed the obstacle. In another embodiment, the self-propelled luggage 1001 switches the first following mode back to the second following mode after a predetermined time, or a predetermined travel distance, has elapsed. When the two following modes are switched, the following direction vector Y2 can be different from the box body trend vector Y1. It is worth mentioning that the unique design of the actuator wheel module of the present invention allows a higher degree of freedom in follow-up (all actuator wheel modules are able to rotate freely based on the first axis a1 and the second axis a2, either in the de-energized or non-energized state), thus allowing a smoother and more flexible follow-up effect than the limited design of a typical actuator wheel.

In another embodiment, the first following sensing module 7000 and the second following sensing module 8000 may be following sensing modules implemented by the same distance sensor (e.g. lidar distance sensor), and the following sensing modules are disposed at the corner between the back side 2002 and the first side 2003 of the self-propelled luggage 1001 to sense an object beside the back side 2002 or an object in front of the first side 2003 of the luggage compartment 2000. The integrated distance sensor is placed at the corner between the back side 2002 and the first side 2003, so that the side following (second following mode) and the rear following (first following mode) effects can be achieved at low cost.

It should be noted that the above schematic descriptions and the drawings can be applied to a self-driven device outside the trunk, such as a supermarket self-driven shopping cart with a following sensor module or a remote-controlled robot. This is by way of illustration and not of limitation.

Compared with the prior art, the self-driven luggage case and the self-driven chassis are provided with the power sources (namely the actuating wheel modules) for generating the driving force following the user, so that the user does not need to move manually when moving the luggage case or the self-driven chassis, and the use is convenient. In addition, the self-driven luggage case and the self-driven chassis are additionally provided with camera modules and/or distance sensors (namely a first sensor, a second sensor, a third sensor and a fourth sensor) for carrying out image processing and following distance control on user images, so that the self-driven luggage case and the self-driven chassis have an intelligent basis in structural configuration and design, meet the development trend of modern products and provide further use experience.

In addition, compared with the existing intelligent luggage case concept, the dual-shaft rotating wheel integrating the forward motor, the slip ring and the wheel position detection module, the integral forward method based on the speed difference control of the dual-shaft rotating wheel, and the contents of the forward motor, the slip ring, the steering motor and the like provided by the second embodiment of the invention are innovative technologies after numerous experiments and tests, and have rigorous research and structural implementation details.

The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention, and various modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art. Any modification, equivalent replacement, or improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A self-propelled luggage case having an automatic following function, comprising:

A box body, having a front face, a back face, a top side, a bottom side, a first side and a second side, wherein the top side is opposite to the bottom side, the first side is connected with the top side and the bottom side, the second side is connected with the top side and the bottom side and is opposite to the first side, the front face is opposite to the back face and is respectively connected with the top side, the bottom side, the first side and the second side, and a direction from the second side to the first side and along the box body direction is defined as a box body following direction vector;

At least one actuator wheel module coupled to the housing, each actuator wheel module comprising:

the base is provided with a first axis and a second axis, and is arranged at the bottom side of the box body and can rotate around the first axis relative to the box body; and

a wheel coupled to the base and rotatable relative to the base about the second axis;

The first following sensing module is arranged on the first side of the box body and used for sensing an object positioned in front of the first side of the box body; and

the central processing unit is coupled with the first following sensing module and the at least one driving wheel module, and controls the at least one driving wheel module to drive the box body to follow the object positioned in front of the first side of the box body according to the sensing result of the first following sensing module on the object so as to execute a first following mode;

The second following sensing module is arranged on the back face of the box body and used for sensing the object which is positioned beside the back face of the box body;

The central processing unit controls the at least one driving wheel module to rotate around the first axis relative to the box body according to the sensing result of the second following sensing module on the object, so that the at least one driving wheel module can drive the box body to follow the object located beside the back surface of the box body along the following direction vector to execute a second following mode;

when the central processing unit executes the second following mode and when the first following sensing module senses that an obstacle is arranged in front of the first side of the box body, the central processing unit switches the second following mode to the first following mode so as to avoid the obstacle.

2. The self-propelled luggage of claim 1, wherein said first follower sensing module comprises:

A camera module for capturing an object image of the object;

The central processing unit performs image processing on the object image to determine the relative orientation of the box body and the object.

3. the self-propelled luggage of claim 2, wherein said first follower sensing module further comprises:

The first sensor is used for sensing a first distance value of the object relative to the box body; and

The second sensor is used for sensing a second distance value of the object relative to the box body;

The central processing unit calculates the relative position of the box body and the object according to the object image, the first distance value and the second distance value.

4. The self-propelled luggage of claim 1, wherein said second follower sensing module comprises:

And the two cameras calculate the distance between the box body and the object by using a binocular vision algorithm.

5. The self-propelled luggage case of claim 1, further comprising:

a portable device communication module coupled to the CPU, the portable device communication module configured to establish communication with a portable device, such that the portable device can set a value of the following distance.

6. The self-propelled luggage case of claim 1, wherein said central processing unit additionally switches said first following mode back to said second following mode when said central processing unit determines that said case has bypassed said obstacle.

7. The self-propelled luggage case of claim 1, wherein said central processing unit switches said first following mode back to when a predetermined time or a predetermined travel distance has elapsed

The second following mode.

8. The self-propelled luggage of claim 6, wherein said following direction vector is different from said box-strike vector when said central processing unit performs a switch between two following modes.

9. a self-propelled device having an automatic follow-up function, comprising:

A body having a front surface, a back surface, a top side, a bottom side, a first side and a second side, the top side being opposite to the bottom side, the first side connecting the top side and the bottom side, the second side connecting the top side and the bottom side and being opposite to the first side, the front surface being opposite to the back surface and respectively connecting the top side, the bottom side, the first side and the second side, a direction from the second side toward the first side and along a direction of the body being defined as a body following direction vector;

at least one actuator wheel module coupled to the body, each actuator wheel module comprising:

A base having a first axis and a second axis, the base being mounted to the bottom side of the body and being rotatable relative to the body about the first axis; and

The second following sensing module is arranged on the back surface of the body and used for sensing an object beside the back surface of the body; and

The central processing unit is coupled with the second following sensing module and the at least one driving wheel module, and controls the at least one driving wheel module to drive the body to follow the object positioned beside the back surface of the body according to the sensing result of the second following sensing module on the object so as to execute a second following mode;

a first following sensing module disposed at the first side of the body and configured to sense an object located in front of the first side of the body,

Wherein:

When the central processing unit executes the second following mode and when the first following sensing module senses that an obstacle is arranged in front of the first side of the body, the central processing unit switches the second following mode into a first following mode so as to avoid the obstacle.

10. The self-propelled device as recited in claim 9, wherein said central processing unit maintains said object within a predetermined area within a sensing range based on a sensing result of said object by said second following sensing module, and wherein said at least one driving wheel module accelerates or decelerates to maintain said self-propelled device within said predetermined area when said object exceeds said predetermined area.

11. The self-propelled apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein said central processing unit calculates a first displacement velocity of said object based on data provided by said second following sensor module, said central processing unit controlling said at least one actuator wheel module to travel at said first displacement velocity when an obstruction is present between said object and said second following sensor module.

12. The self-propelled device of claim 9, wherein the central processing unit further switches the first following mode back to the second following mode when the central processing unit determines that the body has bypassed the obstacle.

13. A self-propelled device having an automatic follow-up function, comprising:

The following sensing module is arranged at the included angle between the back surface of the body and the first side and used for sensing an object beside the back surface of the body or an object in front of the first side; and

A central processing unit coupled to the following sensing module and the at least one actuating wheel module; wherein, the central processing unit controls the at least one driving wheel module to drive the body to follow the object located in front of the first side of the body to execute a first following mode or drive the body to follow the object located beside the back of the body to execute a second following mode according to the sensing result of the following sensing module on the object;

When the central processing unit executes the second following mode and when the first following sensing module senses that an obstacle is arranged in front of the first side of the body, the central processing unit switches the second following mode to the first following mode so as to avoid the obstacle.