JP2012108858A - Travel control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inexpensively perform control of a moving body and to automatically move to a target position.SOLUTION: A travel control system 10 comprises: a light projector 20 which is provided to a moving body 100 and can project and detect signal light; two ultrasonic sensors 30 for transmitting ultrasonic waves in the same direction as the signal light projected by the light projector 20 and detecting the transmitted ultrasonic waves; and a reflector plate 50 which is provided to a target position 200 of the moving body 100 and reflects the signal light projected by the light projector 20. After the moving body 100 detects a travelling direction of the moving body 100 by the light projector 20, the moving body 100 moves to the target position 200 while correcting inclination of the moving body 100 relative to the target position 200 of the moving body 100 by the two ultrasonic sensors 30.

Description

  The present invention relates to a traveling control system capable of controlling the traveling direction of a traveling moving body.

Conventionally, as a traveling control system for controlling the traveling direction of a traveling moving body, for example, there is a control device disclosed in Patent Document 1. This control device has a vehicle traveling direction obstacle in a monitoring area including a front area provided in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle and a side area having a predetermined width area from the side surface of the vehicle to the vehicle width direction. The obstacle is detected by the detecting means, and the turning of the vehicle is controlled by the turning control means so that the obstacle in the monitoring area is excluded from the monitoring area, so that the vehicle is not brought into contact with the obstacle. Is running like that. Moreover, as a device for guiding the vehicle to a target position, for example, there is a parking assist device shown in Patent Document 2. This parking assistance device detects obstacles by obstacle detection means for detecting obstacles around the vehicle,
After the information obtained by the image pickup means for picking up obstacles around the vehicle is set by the guide route setting means for setting the guide route to the initial parking position, the information is displayed on the display means for displaying the initial parking position guide image and the parking Guidance is provided by guidance means for guiding to the initial position.

JP 2010-235073 A JP 2009-190463 A

  The control device described above is considered to be costly because it is necessary to provide detection means for detecting the presence or absence of an obstacle in the front area and the side area of the vehicle in order to control the traveling vehicle. Moreover, even if the parking assistance apparatus shown above is a vehicle provided with the display means and the guidance means for displaying the initial parking position, the occupant may make an operation error.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and it is an object of the present invention to make it possible to control a moving body at a low cost and to automatically move to a target position.

A projector provided on the moving body capable of projecting and detecting signal light; two ultrasonic sensors capable of transmitting and detecting ultrasonic waves in the same direction as the signal light projected by the projector; A travel control system comprising a reflector plate that is provided at a target position and that reflects signal light projected by a projector, and the mobile unit detects two traveling directions after detecting the traveling direction of the mobile unit with the projector. A traveling control system having a technical feature of moving to a target position while correcting an inclination of the moving body with respect to a target position of the moving body using an acoustic wave sensor.

  According to the travel control system of the first aspect, it is possible to reduce costs because there is no detection means for detecting an obstacle in the side area of the vehicle and no imaging means for imaging an obstacle around the vehicle. Since the moving body automatically moves to the target position, the occupant is not burdened with stress.

The mobile body provided with a projector and an ultrasonic sensor is shown. The disassembled perspective view of the lift up apparatus used as the target position of a moving body is shown. It is a figure which shows the raising / lowering mechanism with which a lift-up apparatus provided with a reflecting plate is equipped. It is a figure which shows the procedure in which a moving body moves to a target position.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
The present invention is a traveling control system 10 that controls the traveling direction of a traveling body 100 that travels, and includes a projector 20 that is provided in the traveling body 100 and that can project and detect signal light S, and the projector 20. Is installed in the same direction as the direction in which the signal light S is projected, the ultrasonic sensor 30 capable of transmitting and detecting the ultrasonic wave T, the ECU 40 for calculating the ultrasonic wave detected by the ultrasonic sensor 30, and the target position 200 And a reflector 50 that reflects the signal light S of the projector 20.

  A moving body 100 according to the present invention is an electric wheelchair 100a that can be used inside and outside a vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1, a frame 110 that constitutes a vehicle body and supports an occupant, and an occupant seated in the electric wheelchair 100a. The wheel 120 provided before and after the side frame 110 via the bracket 120a, the drive mechanism 130 for driving the wheel 120, and the operation mechanism for controlling the wheel 120 driven by the drive mechanism 130 and operating the traveling direction of the electric wheelchair 100a. 140, a projector 20 that projects the signal light S that detects the traveling direction of the operation mechanism 140 to the target position 200b, and an ultrasonic sensor 30 that is installed so as to be able to transmit the ultrasound T in the same direction as the projector 20. And an ECU 40 that calculates the ultrasonic wave T detected by the ultrasonic sensor 30 and controls the electric wheelchair 100a to be automatically maneuverable.

The drive mechanism 130 (not shown) is a mechanism for driving the wheel 120, and includes a motor 131 that serves as power for driving the wheel 120, a power transmission shaft 132 a that transmits the power of the motor 131 to the wheel 120, and a gear unit. And a power transmission mechanism 132 having 132b.

The operation mechanism 140 (not shown) is a mechanism for controlling the direction of the wheel 120 driven by the drive mechanism 130 and operating the traveling direction of the electric wheelchair 100a, and is provided at a position where the passenger can easily operate. The operation mechanism 140 includes a joystick that controls the drive mechanism 130 by tilting a lever, a handle that controls the drive mechanism 130 by rotating left and right, and a switch that supports automatic steering of the electric wheelchair 100a.

The projector 20 is a device that determines the traveling direction of the electric wheelchair 100a that performs automatic steering. In the present embodiment, the projector 20 detects the traveling direction of the electric wheelchair 100a that moves backward. On the other hand, it is installed in the direction of projecting the signal light S rearward at a substantially central position of the frame 110 provided at the rear. The projector 20 is provided at a height at which signal light S can be projected onto a reflector 50 described later, a projector 20 a that projects the signal light S, and a projector 20 a that is reflected by the reflector 50. The light receiving unit 20b for detecting the signal light S is provided separately or integrally. Further, when the projector 20 detects the signal light S reflected by the reflecting plate 50, the projector 20 stops the turning operation of the electric wheelchair 100 a and continues to project the signal light onto the reflecting plate 50. The projector 20 that continues to project the signal light S onto the reflection plate 50 stops the projection of the signal light S when the electric wheelchair 100a stops at a predetermined position. Here, the signal light S projected by the projector 20 projects visible light or infrared light with high directivity, but may be shielded when reflected by the reflecting plate 50. Therefore, the projector 20 uses a retroreflective photoelectric sensor that can detect the change in the amount of reflected light by the light receiving unit 20b and obtain an output signal.

The ultrasonic sensor 30 is a sensor that measures the distance between the electric wheelchair 100a and the target position, and is located at the rear of the frame 110 provided at the rear portion of the occupant seated in the electric wheelchair 100a. The ultrasonic wave T is installed so that it can be transmitted in the direction in which the signal light is projected. Here, the ultrasonic sensor 30 includes an ultrasonic sensor 30L provided on the left side of the frame 110 provided at the rear as viewed from the seated occupant, and an ultrasonic sensor 30R provided on the right side of the frame 110 provided at the rear as viewed from the seated occupant. And transmitting and detecting ultrasonic waves T having different frequencies. The ultrasonic sensor 30 includes a transmission unit 30a that transmits the ultrasonic wave T and a reception unit 30b that detects the ultrasonic wave T reflected by the object separately or integrally. This is to detect the ultrasonic wave T transmitted by the ultrasonic sensor 30L with the receiving unit 30b of the ultrasonic sensor 30R when the ultrasonic wave T is transmitted from each transmitting unit 30a. And the ultrasonic wave T transmitted by the ultrasonic sensor 30R is not detected by the receiving unit 30b of the ultrasonic sensor 30L. The two ultrasonic sensors 30 measure the distance from the electric wheelchair 100a to the target position 200, and then transmit the measured distance information to the ECU 40 described later. At this time, the ultrasonic sensor 30 that has transmitted the measured distance information to the ECU 40 repeatedly measures the distance to the target position 200 and transmits it to the ECU 40. Here, the two ultrasonic sensors 30 can determine that the rear of the electric wheelchair 100 a is parallel to the target position 200 when the distances to the target position 200 are approximately equal to each other. When the distances measured by the two ultrasonic sensors 30 indicate different values, the distance between the right side and the left side of the electric wheelchair 100a with respect to the target position 200 is different. It can be judged that it is in a state inclined with respect to.

The ECU 40 (not shown) is an electronic component that enables the electric wheelchair 100a to be automatically steered. The ECU 40 compares the distance information measured by the two ultrasonic sensors 30 with each other, and when the difference is greater than a predetermined distance, the drive mechanism is configured so that the distances measured by the two ultrasonic sensors 30 are equal to each other. 130 is driven to rotate the wheel 120. Here, from the distance between the two ultrasonic sensors 30 and the distance to the target position 200 detected by the two ultrasonic sensors 30, the ECU 40 determines how much the electric wheelchair 100a has with respect to the reflector 50 provided at the target position 200. Since it is possible to calculate whether the vehicle is tilted, the drive mechanism 130 that rotates the wheel 120 can be appropriately controlled.

Next, the reflecting plate 50 will be described.
The reflecting plate 50 is a reflecting plate 50 that reflects the signal light S projected from the projector 20, and has a target position 200 that can reflect the signal light S projected by the projector 20 included in the moving body. Provide. The reflecting plate 50 is processed to polarize and reflect the signal light S projected by the projector 20 and to reflect a part of the projected signal light S in the same direction as the incident angle. It is a reflector. In the present embodiment, the reflecting plate 50 is provided on the rear bracket 244 provided in the lifting mechanism 240 of the lift-up device 200a that becomes the target position 200 of the electric wheelchair 100a described later.

Next, the lift-up device 200a, which is the target position 200 of the moving body 100a in the present invention, will be described with reference to the drawings.
The lift-up device 200a is provided in the vehicle compartment and has a structure that can be connected to and disconnected from the moving body 100 (electric wheelchair 100a), and is a device that moves the electric wheelchair 100a into and out of the vehicle interior. As described above, the floor fixing part 210 fixed to the vehicle floor, the slide mechanism 220 provided on the floor fixing part 210 so as to be movable back and forth, the electric wheelchair 100a moved by the slide mechanism 220 with the traveling direction of the vehicle and the door opening part. A rotating mechanism 230 that is rotated by the rotating mechanism 230, an elevating mechanism 240 that moves the electric wheelchair 100a that faces the door opening by the rotating mechanism 230 between the vehicle interior and the road surface outside the vehicle room, and the electric wheelchair 100a that is moved to the vicinity of the road surface by the elevating mechanism 240. Furthermore, an outer slide mechanism 250 that moves in the vehicle exterior direction is provided.

  The elevating mechanism 240 is a mechanism for moving the electric wheelchair 100a into and out of the vehicle interior, and includes a block-shaped base 241 and a link arm 242 so as to bridge the base 241 as shown in FIG. Here, the base portion 241 includes a front base portion 241a and a rear base portion 241b. The left and right front base portions 241a are coupled by a front bracket 243, and the left and right rear base portions 241b are coupled by a rear bracket 244. Further, the rear bracket 244 is provided with a reflecting plate 50 at a position where the signal light S projected by the projector 20 provided in the electric wheelchair 100a can be reflected.

  Next, a procedure in which the traveling control system 10 of the present invention operates and the moving body 100 (electric wheelchair 100a) automatically travels to the target position 200 (lift-up device 200a) will be described (shown in FIG. 4). Here, it is assumed that the outer slide mechanism 250 of the lift-up device 200a has been moved to the lowered position outside the vehicle compartment.

The electric wheelchair 100a starts automatic operation by pressing the switch of the operation mechanism 140 after the occupant moves the joystick of the operation mechanism 140 to the front position of the lift-up device 200a.
The electric wheelchair 100a that has started the autopilot performs a turning operation clockwise or counterclockwise on the spot as the drive mechanism 130 rotates the left and right wheels 120 in different directions. At this time, the turning electric wheelchair 100a projects the signal light S from the light projecting unit 20a of the projector 20 to search in which direction the reflecting plate 50 is located. Here, when the light projector 20 detects the signal light S reflected by the reflecting plate 50 by the light receiving unit 20b, the projector 20 stops the turning operation of the electric wheelchair 100a and continues to project the signal light S to the reflecting plate 50. (Fig. 4a)

  The electric wheelchair 100a in which the projector 20 detects the reflecting plate 50 measures the distance to the lift-up device 200a by transmitting and detecting the ultrasonic waves T from the two ultrasonic sensors 30, and the two ultrasonic sensors 30. Is transmitted to the ECU 40. Here, ECU40 which acquired distance information grasps | ascertains how much the electric wheelchair 100a is inclined with respect to the lift-up apparatus 200a by comparing the distance information of the two ultrasonic sensors 30. (Fig. 4b)

  The electric wheelchair 100a that has grasped how much it is tilted with respect to the lift-up device 200a, lifts the electric wheelchair 100a from the signal light S of the projector 20 and the distance information of the two ultrasonic sensors 30. The ECU 50 performs an operation that enables connection to the vehicle, and corrects the tilt of the electric wheelchair 100a with respect to the lift-up device 200a by appropriately controlling the drive mechanism 130 that rotates the wheel 120. (Fig. 4c)

  The electric wheelchair 200a in which the rear surface of the electric wheelchair 200a is controlled to a position parallel to the reflector 50, which is the target position 200, for the occupant is the distance to the target position 200 measured by the two ultrasonic sensors 30. The electric wheelchair 100a is moved to the lift-up device 200a by controlling the drive mechanism 130 with the ECU 40 so as to maintain the above. (Fig. 4d)

  In the above embodiment, the electric wheelchair 100a connects the electric wheelchair 100a to the lift-up device 200a by driving the travel control system 10 after the occupant operates the operation mechanism 140 and moves to the front of the lift-up device 200a. Although operation | movement was demonstrated, this invention is not restricted to this, It is possible to apply also during the series of operation | movement of the invention in which the electric wheelchair 100a during automatic control approaches the lift-up apparatus 200a automatically. In the above embodiment, two ultrasonic sensors 30 that transmit and detect different frequencies are used. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and transmission and detection are performed by shifting the phase using ultrasonic waves of the same frequency. It is also possible to use an apparatus that transmits and detects ultrasonic waves at the same frequency as long as the reflected ultrasonic waves do not interfere with each other.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Traveling control system 20 Floodlight machine 30 Ultrasonic sensor 30L Ultrasonic sensor 30R Ultrasonic sensor 40 ECU
50 Reflector 100a Electric Wheelchair 110 Frame 200 Target Position 200a Lift-up Device 240 Lifting Mechanism 244 Rear Bracket S Signal Light T Ultrasonic

Claims (1)

A projector that is provided in a moving body and can project and detect signal light;
Two ultrasonic sensors capable of transmitting and detecting ultrasonic waves in the same direction as the signal light projected by the projector;
A travel control system comprising a reflector plate that is provided at a target position of the moving body and reflects the signal light projected by the projector,
The moving body moves to the target position while correcting the inclination of the moving body with respect to the target position of the moving body with the two ultrasonic sensors after detecting the traveling direction of the moving body with the projector. A travel control system characterized by that.

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