JP2006004204A - Automatic traveling system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system for automatically traveling a traveling object which is an apparatus of a simple structure with a motor according to an arbitrary traveling program without using a special field such as a matrix of an electric wire. <P>SOLUTION: In the system, a port capable of transmitting and receiving radio signals such as an infrared ray is fixed, the radio signals are exchanged to and from the traveling object and propagation characteristic of the radio signals are used to detect mutual relative direction is detected. Then, a distance to a key position is detected. By referring to the data, automatic traveling is realized. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a system for automatically running a traveling object.

In order to automatically travel, it is necessary to detect the position and direction of a traveling object, calculate these data and target traveling data, and control a motor and the like.
In order to obtain information on the position and direction, a conducting wire is drawn in a matrix as shown in FIG. 12, an alternating current is passed through this, and this current is detected by two pickup coils provided on the traveling object. The position and orientation were detected. However, there are significant problems in terms of cost and work to stretch the lines in a matrix.
JP-A-1-259404

  The problem to be solved is to obtain information such as the direction and position of the traveling object without using a field structure such as a matrix using a conducting wire, and to travel according to the purpose.

  The present invention utilizes the linear flight characteristics of radio signals such as infrared rays, and detects the relative angle of each other by combining at least a transmission or reception port provided on the fixed side and a transmission / reception sensor provided on a traveling object. This is achieved by calculating based on the data and controlling the direction of the running object.

  According to the present invention, the traveling object can be automatically traveled or program-controlled by transmitting and receiving between the fixed side port and the traveling object and detecting the flying direction of the radio signal. In addition, the field itself does not need to have a special structure, and the traveling object can be automatically or manually switched as appropriate, and can be automatically stored or automatically set in the charging facility.

  As shown in the second embodiment, the minimum configuration for automatic traveling is to transmit traveling data and the like on the fixed side, simultaneously specify the radiation direction, receive on the traveling object side, and simultaneously specify the flying direction, and the reception level In this method, distance data is obtained, calculated, and run control is performed.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show the principle of obtaining the direction and position coordinates of the traveling object 1 by using two infrared ports and transmitting / receiving signals to / from the traveling object 1. FIG. 4 shows a signal timing chart.
In FIG. 1A, the traveling object 1 is placed on the field 2, and infrared ports 10 and 11 are respectively located at points P and Q outside the field. The point P is the origin, the line drawn from the point P to Q is the X axis, and the line drawn vertically from the point P is the Y axis. The infrared port 10 includes a light-emitting element 4 that illuminates the entire field with infrared rays, and a light-receiving sensor 7 that detects the incoming direction of the received infrared rays. On the other hand, the infrared port 11 has only the light receiving sensor 8 for detecting the incoming direction of the received infrared rays.

  Infrared rays are emitted from the light emitting element 4 of the port 10 and hit the light receiving sensor 5 of the traveling object 1. The light receiving sensor 5 is composed of four light receiving elements as shown in FIG. 5, and by calculating the four outputs, the infrared incoming angle θ can be known. Next, when infrared rays are radiated from the light emitting element 6 of the traveling object 1, the light receiving sensor 7 of the port 10 receives the light and similarly calculates it to obtain the flying angle γ.

When the information γ is transmitted to the traveling object 1 over infrared rays, θ and γ are obtained in the traveling object 1 and the direction φ = θ + γ with respect to the fixed coordinates of the traveling object 1 in FIG. 1 is obtained.
In FIG. 1B, when infrared rays are emitted from the light emitting element 6 of the traveling object 1, the light receiving sensor 8 of the port 11 also operates to obtain the flying angle δ. When this δ is also transmitted on infrared rays, the traveling object 1 obtains δ in addition to θ and γ. Here, when the intersection of the perpendicular point drawn from the point C of the position of the light emitting element 6 to the x-axis is M, the angle PCM = δ and the angle MCQ = γ as shown in the figure.

Here, the distance between the points P and Q is L, and the distance between the points P and M is x. The distance between point C and point M is y.
This relationship can be expressed as follows:

y = x / tan δ (Formula 1)
y = (L−x) / tan γ (Formula 2)

Solving this equation for x: x = L · tan δ / (tan δ + tan γ)
Substituting into Equation 1, y = L / (tan δ + tan γ) (Equation 3)

Thus, the position coordinates (x, y) of the traveling object 1 can be expressed by L, δ, and γ as in (Expression 1) and (Expression 3). In addition, since the direction φ of the traveling object 1 is also obtained, it is possible to automatically travel along an arbitrary curve by controlling the direction of the traveling object 1 by determining the direction to travel.
In this case, since both x and y are proportional to L, there is a feature that the travel route can be arbitrarily enlarged or reduced by adjusting L even if the vehicle is driven by the same program.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the traveling diagram.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the traveling object 1. The outputs of the four light receiving elements 21, 22, 23, 24 are selected by the selector switch 25, moderately amplified by the variable amplifier 27, and detected by the detector 28. The code signal is waveform-shaped, converted to S / P, and input to the microprocessor 32 as a command. At a predetermined timing, a non-modulated signal is taken into the detection output, and the level of the received light input signal is obtained by detecting the level by the A / D converter 31 together with the selection of the light receiving element. And by calculating it, the direction of infrared rays can be known.

5A and 5B are a plan view and a side view, respectively, of an example of four light receiving elements.
The direction of the traveling object 1 is changed by changing the rotational speeds of the left and right motors 35, 36 through the PWM drivers 33, 34, and the traveling speed is changed by increasing / decreasing the rotational speed simultaneously on the left and right.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of signal timing. The computer system 40 performs overall control, and sends addresses and commands to each traveling object 1. Next, an unmodulated signal for detecting the flying direction is sent. The traveling object 1 scans the selector switch 25 at that timing to obtain θ. Next, the traveling object 1 transmits an unmodulated signal from its light emitting element 6. At that timing, the port side obtains γ and δ through the light receiving sensors 7 and 8. If necessary, the traveling object sends θ to the fixed side. By obtaining θ, γ, and δ, the computer system obtains position information and direction information of the traveling object 1 and sends a motor control command necessary for traveling.

  Another example of detecting the position and orientation of the traveling object is shown in FIG. FIG. 6A is a plan view, and FIG. 6B is a side view. There is a light emitting portion 51 at the top of the port 50, and eight light emitting elements 52a, 52b,..., 52h are arranged radially. Signals radiated from the eight light emitting elements are shown in FIG. The light-emitting elements 52a, 52b,..., 52h are (a), (b),. The address, command, and unmodulated signal are common, and the last s0, s1,..., S7 are issued at their respective timings.

  The address is an identification address of the traveling object, the command is a command for the address, and the non-modulated signal is a signal used by the traveling object to detect the direction of incidence of infrared rays θ. The following s0, s1, ..., s7 are unmodulated signals, but they are emitted in sequence in order of time, so the signal magnitude changes on the light receiving side as shown in Fig. 7 (i). To do. And by calculating this, the direction γ of the position of the light receiving sensor of the traveling object can be detected.

  The detection of the flying direction θ can be obtained by the same method as in the first embodiment. Further, the signal level of the unmodulated signal is emitted with a constant light density regardless of the direction γ since eight light emitting elements are simultaneously emitted. If it spreads in the same horizontal direction, it can be estimated that the magnitude of infrared rays received by the light receiving sensor of the traveling object 1 is inversely proportional to the square of the distance L from the port 50.

Then, by obtaining actual measurement data including the unevenness of the light density with respect to γ, the light reception level of the traveling object 1 can be obtained, and the distance L can be obtained from the data.
Here, since the distance L and the angle γ are obtained, if xy coordinates are defined as shown in FIG. 6, x and y are obtained by the following equations.
x = L · cosγ (Formula 4)
y = L · sinγ (Formula 5)

Since γ and θ are obtained
φ = γ + θ (Formula 6)
φ is the direction of the traveling object 1 with respect to the x-axis, and is the direction of the traveling object 1 with respect to the fixed axis.
Since the position coordinates (x, y) of the traveling object 1 can be obtained from the equations 4 and 5, and the orientation of the traveling object 1 can be known from the equation 6, the traveling object 1 can be arbitrarily programmed. .

  In the case of this example, the fixed port side only emits infrared light, and the traveling object 1 side has only a light receiving sensor, which has the advantage of simplifying the configuration.

FIG. 8 includes a light receiving element 62 oriented in the vertical direction to measure the distance data of the second embodiment, and the elevation angle κ is obtained by comparing with the outputs of the light receiving elements 21, 22, 23, 24 in the horizontal direction. From now on, the distance L is
L = H · cotκ (Formula 7)
It is obtained by However, H is the difference between the height of the light emitting element 51 of the port 50 and the height of the light receiving sensor of the traveling object 1.

FIG. 9A shows an example in which a joystick attached to the port 50 of the system of FIG. In this case, the infrared radiation area from the port is within 180 degrees, and the number of light emitting elements of the light emitting unit 15 is also less than half. By configuring in this way, the controller 3 becomes a so-called intelligent control system in which a series of operations are performed with one button operation by attaching various function buttons at the same time as operating the traveling object 1.
Further, an intelligent control system for two persons as shown in FIG. 9B can be made by connecting a controller 3k having only a passive operation unit to the controller 3.

FIG. 10 shows an example of a game machine that controls four traveling objects 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d on one field. Ports 10 and 11 are outside the field, and the pilots 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d connected by wires are attached to the edge outside the field, so the four pilots can Steer with each joystick. The computer system 40 transmits a traveling command to the four traveling objects through the light emitting element 4 of the port 10 based on these pieces of information.
The running object is loaded with a battery, and is charged by going to each charging place at the end of the game. In order to go into the charging place, the approach angle and the traveling route require accuracy, and it is difficult to control from a normal port.

  The structure of the charging place is shown in FIG. It consists of two charging electrodes 18 and light emitting elements 17a and 17b that are installed with their orientations changed from side to side from the center line. When the traveling object 1 approaches the charging place, the normal control mode changes to the entry mode. Then, the light emitting elements 17a and 17b send signals alternately. The light receiving sensor catches this and obtains the deviation δ from the flying direction θ and the center line. If the angle δ is 0, the direction of the traveling object 1 is controlled so that θ = 0. If δ is not 0, the magnitude of θ is determined according to the magnitude, and the direction of the traveling object 1 is controlled. .

If it does in this way, the traveling object 1 will advance, correcting the shift | offset | difference from a centerline, can be accurately controlled, and can approach a charging device.
Even when exiting the charging device, if it is controlled so that it exits along the center line with high accuracy, there is no fear of messing, and it is possible to escape safely.
FIG. 11B shows sensitivity characteristics when the horizontal axis when the light receiving element 5 receives infrared rays from the two light emitting elements 17a and 17b is δ, and FIG. 11C is a curve of the difference between the two curves. It is.
With reference to this, θ is determined.

It is upper surface explanatory drawing which shows the example of data acquisition. (Example 1) It is explanatory drawing seen from the horizontal direction. (Example 1) It is a block diagram of a running object. (Example 1) It is a signal timing diagram. (Example 1) It is a figure of a light receiving element. (Example 1) It is a top view explaining operation | movement. (Example 2) It is a signal timing diagram. (Example 2) It is a distance detection figure. Example 3 An example in which the port and the controller are integrated is shown. Example 4 It is a top view of the example of a game machine. (Example 5) It is an enlarged view of a charger part. (Example 5) This is a conventional example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Running object 2 Field 3 Control device 4 Light emitting element 5 Light receiving sensor 6 Light emitting element 7 Light receiving sensor 8 Light receiving sensor 10 Port 11 Port 50 Port 51 Light emitting element group 52 Light emitting element

Claims (5)

A traveling control system that uses a traveling object having a traveling change means and a wireless port that constitutes a system that detects a wireless signal propagation direction between the traveling object,
A direction θ of the wireless port viewed from the traveling object, a direction γ of the traveling object position viewed from the wireless port, and a distance L between the traveling object and the wireless port are detected. A travel control system that obtains position information of the traveling object, obtains orientation information of the traveling object from φ = γ + θ, and drives the travel changing means based on the position information and the previous direction information. A traveling control system that uses a traveling object having a traveling change means and at least two wireless ports that detect a wireless signal propagation direction between the traveling object,
The direction θ of the first wireless port viewed from the traveling object, the direction γ of the traveling object viewed from the first wireless port, and the direction δ of the second wireless port viewed from the traveling object are detected. The travel control is calculated based on the distance L between the first wireless port and the second wireless port, the γ, the δ, and the θ, and the travel change means is driven to perform the travel control. system. A traveling object that has traveling means and wireless signal propagation direction detection means, and that drives the direction changing means based on the direction detected by the wireless signal propagation direction direction detection means;
The travel control system according to claim 1, wherein the travel object is travel-controlled along a predetermined travel line in a predetermined area including a wireless port which is a counterpart station of the wireless signal propagation direction detecting means.   A traveling object that has traveling means and wireless signal propagation direction detection means, and that drives the direction changing means based on the direction detected by the wireless signal propagation direction detection means, receives a command, the wireless signal propagation direction Outside the defined area that includes the wireless port that is the counterpart station of the detecting means, it is controlled so as to approach the wireless port, and within the area, the traveling control is performed along a predetermined traveling line. A traveling control system. A traveling object that has traveling means and wireless signal propagation direction detection means, and that drives the direction changing means based on the direction detected by the wireless signal propagation direction detection means;
When the traveling object receives a command, the traveling object is controlled to approach a wireless port that is a counterpart station of the wireless signal propagation direction detecting means, and when a predetermined traveling guidance signal is detected during that time, along with the traveling guidance signal A travel control system characterized in that travel control is performed so as to travel.

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