JPH03142508A - Automatic operating device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily put a vehicle into a garage through an automatic operation by providing the junctions symmetrically to a guide line laid on the surface of a traveling course and limiting the autonomous traveling range of the vehicle with these junctions. CONSTITUTION:The junctions 11 and 12 are provided at both ends of a guidance line 2, and the line 2 branches off symmetrically in a T shape through the branches 11 and 12 to form the parallel circuits 13a/13b and 14a/14b. When a vehicle 1 travels a place where no line 2 is laid, a driver operates a steering device 8. When the vehicle 1 is put into a garage 17, the vehicle 1 is stopped at a point near the garage 17 between junctions 11 and 12 where the line 2 is laid. Then the driver gets off the vehicle 1 and operates a power switch 16 to supply a current to the line 2. The autonomous drive is controlled by an automatic operating device 10 so that the line 2 is set between magnetic sensors 4a and 4b and between magnetic sensors 5a and 5b. Thus the vehicle 1 driven back along the line 2 and put into the garage 17.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an automatic driving device that automatically runs and stops a vehicle along a guide line on a running road surface, and particularly relates to an automatic driving device that automatically runs and stops a vehicle along a guide line on a running road surface, and in particular, an automatic driving device that automatically runs and stops a vehicle along a guide line on a running road surface. The present invention relates to an automatic driving device for a vehicle that is suitable for use in, for example, an automobile storage system.

[Conventional technology]

BACKGROUND ART Automatic driving devices for vehicles that move along guide lines laid on a running road surface are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 49-78084 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 51-139030. In this type of device, electric wires or reflective strips are laid along the road surface, and a detector installed in the vehicle detects the electric wires or reflective strips while controlling the vehicle's steering system to drive autonomously. It is configured.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

As described above, when using the automatic driving device of a vehicle to drive a car into a garage unattended, the driver first operates the car to drive the car onto the road surface where the guide line for parking the car is laid. When the driver gets out of the vehicle and operates the automatic driving switch, the automatic driving system starts parking the vehicle. Then, the vehicle autonomously travels along the guide line, stops when entering the garage, and completes the garage operation.

By the way, in order to automatically stop an autonomously running car at a predetermined position in the garage, it is equipped with a distance sensor that detects the distance from the wall of the garage, and the output signal of this sensor is used to detect the stop position and stop the car. ing. For this reason, there was a problem in that the above-mentioned automatic driving was impossible in a simple garage without walls.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic driving device for a vehicle that can automatically park the vehicle in a garage or parking lot without walls.

[Means to solve the problem]

The automatic driving device for a vehicle according to the present invention includes a vehicle that can run along a guide line laid on a running road surface, and a branch point where the guide line branches symmetrically, and the branch point allows the vehicle to travel within a driving range. It is designed to limit the

[For production]

In this invention, since the branch points of the guide wire are symmetrical, they can be easily detected by a sensor that detects the guide wire. Therefore, if the autonomous driving of the vehicle is stopped at the branch point, the autonomous driving range can be limited.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1st
Figures 1 and 2 show a side view and a plan view when the automatic driving device according to the present invention is applied to a car storage system. The guide wire 4.5 is a magnetic sensor attached to the lower surface of the front and rear end of the vehicle 1, and two pairs of magnetic sensors 4a, 4b and 5a, 5b are connected to the guide wire 2.
The eccentric position of the vehicle 1 is detected by detecting the magnetic field generated from the magnetic field. 6 is a front wheel of the vehicle 1, 7 is a rear wheel, 8 is a steering device operated by the driver, 9 is an automatic steering actuator,
The IO inputs the output signals of the magnetic sensors 4 and 5, performs predetermined arithmetic processing corresponding to these input information, and drives the automatic steering actuator 9.
This is an automatic driving device that starts and stops a vehicle that autonomously travels along a guide line 2. 11.12 are branch points provided at both ends of the guide wire 2, and from these branch points 11.12 the guide wire 2
are symmetrically branched into T-shaped parallel circuits 13a,
13b, 14a, and 14b. 15 is a power source for supplying current to the guide wire 2, and 16 is a power switch provided near the garage 17.

Next, the operation will be explained. When the vehicle 1 travels in a place where the guide wire 2 is not laid, the driver operates the steering device 8 to travel, as in the conventional device. On the other hand, when you want to park the vehicle 1 in the garage 17, as shown in FIG.
Vehicle 1 is stopped near . Then, the driver gets off the vehicle and operates the power switch 16 to cause current to flow through the guide wire 2. As a result, the magnetic field generated from the guide wire 2 is transmitted to the magnetic sensors 4a and 4.
b, 5a, and 5b, and the automatic driving device 10 that manually receives this detection signal starts autonomous driving of the vehicle 1. During autonomous driving, the vehicle 1 travels backward along the guide line 2 so that the guide line 2 is located between the magnetic sensors 4a and 4b, and between the magnetic sensors 5a and 5b. Then, the vehicle is controlled by the automatic driving device 10 and the vehicle is parked in the garage. Thus, when the vehicle 1 enters the garage 17 and approaches the branch point 12, the magnetic sensors 5a, 5b
is located directly above the guide wire 2, so the strength and direction of the magnetic field detected by the magnetic sensors 5a and 5b change greatly. When such a change is detected, the automatic driving device 10 immediately stops running the vehicle 1 and completes the garage operation.

Note that the above-mentioned branch point 11 restricts the autonomous running of the vehicle to be performed between the branch points 11 and 12, and the magnetic sensors 4a and 4b are located directly above the guide line 2 that branches left and right from the branch point 11. Then, the vehicle 1 is configured to stop running. Further, in the embodiment, the guiding wire 2 is shown as branching symmetrically into a T-shape, but it may also be branching into a Y-shape, a small shape, or the like.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, the guide line laid on the driving road surface is provided with bifurcation points that branch symmetrically, and the autonomous driving range of the vehicle is limited by this bifurcation point, so that the vehicle can be positioned at a predetermined position. There is no need for a special sensor to stop the vehicle, and furthermore, automatic parking can be easily performed in a garage or parking lot without walls, and the vehicle can be provided at a low cost.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are a side view and a plan view of a vehicle automatic driving device according to an embodiment of the present invention applied to a car storage system. 1... Vehicle, 2... Guidance line, 3... Running road surface, 4
．． 54a, 4b, 5a, 5b...magnetic sensor, 8...
・Steering device, 10... Automatic driving device, 11.12...
·branch point. Note that the same reference numerals in the figures indicate the same or equivalent parts.

Claims (1)

[Claims] An automated vehicle comprising: a vehicle capable of traveling along a guide line laid on a running road; said guide line having a bifurcation point where the guide line branches symmetrically; Driving device.