JPH0434302A - Detection of position of moving object - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable accurate detection of a position even under severe environments of use by reading information of an information pattern made up of a plurality of magnetic bodies magnetically non-contact with a plurality of magnetic type proximity switches mounted on a moving body. CONSTITUTION:A plurality of magnetic type proximity switches A-F are mounted on a bottom of a moving object 1 properly at intervals. The moving object 1 moves and when it arrives on an information pattern 3a provided on a running path 2, switches A and F at both ends of those A-F mounted on the moving object 1 are turned ON simultaneously with magnetic bodies (a) and (f) of the pattern 3a. This triggers the remaining switches B-E to be turned ON with other four magnetic bodies b-e. As a result, the moving body 1 recognizes own position by information on positions of the three magnetic bodies b, c and d and stops based on working information of the magnetic body (e) to perform a working such as loading or unloading of a cargo.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Application Field) The method for detecting the position of a moving object according to the present invention detects the running position of a moving object such as a crane or an unmanned carrier moving on a track or a predetermined running path. It is used to.

(Prior Art) There are various conventional methods for detecting the traveling position of a moving body such as an industrial transport machine. The following four methods are representative.

■A method of attaching an encoder to a moving object and continuously detecting the position based on the distance traveled by the moving object.

■ A method for position detection by mounting a gyro on a moving object.

■ A method of position detection by detecting the crossing pattern of guided radio lines using guided radio technology.

■ A mobile object identification device (data carrier) tag is buried at an appropriate location detection point on the road, and the ID number registered on the tag is detected using electromagnetic waves or radio waves.
A method of interpolating position detection between these tags using an encoder.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, the conventional position detection method has the following problems.

(2) The equipment cost is low in the position detection method (2) above, but when long-distance detection is performed using only an encoder, the detection error becomes large. Further, in a moving body, only position information can be obtained, and other information such as work information cannot be obtained.

(2) In the position detection method (2) above, the detection error is small, but the equipment cost is high. Further, in the case of a moving object, only position information can be obtained as in the case (2) above.

■ The position detection method described in ■■ has a small detection error and can transmit not only position information but also other work information to the moving object, but the equipment costs and construction costs to implement it are high. . Furthermore, it is easily affected by external noise.

(Objective of the Invention) The object of the present invention is to be able to continuously detect the absolute position of a moving object, to have a small detection error, to be able to obtain work information other than position information from the moving object, and to be able to do so at a particularly low cost. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for detecting the position of a moving body that does not become high.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The method for detecting the position of a moving object according to claim 1 of the present invention provides a method for detecting the position of a moving object as shown in FIG. Two or more information patterns 3a, 3b, . . . are provided at appropriate intervals, in which bodies a, b, . Magnetic proximity switches A and B compatible with...
.
When the mobile object 1 comes close to or above the information pattern magnetic bodies a, b, . . . , the proximity switches A, B, .
The mobile object 1 is characterized by being able to detect at least its own position information by turning it on and off.

The method for detecting the position of a moving body according to claim 2 of the present invention is to detect the distance β between adjacent information patterns 3a, 3b, . . . using an encoder 4 attached to the moving body l, as shown in FIG. This is characterized in that position detection between the same information patterns 3a, 3b, . . . is interpolated.

(Function) In the method for detecting the position of a moving body according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, proximity switches A, B...
The magnetic bodies a and b in the information patterns 3a, 3b...
..., magnetic proximity switches A and B, respectively.
. . . and the individual magnetic bodies a, b, . . . are arranged to correspond to each other individually. When the proximity switches A and F at both ends of the magnetic proximity switches A to F are simultaneously turned ON by the magnetic bodies a and f at both ends of the six magnetic bodies a = f of the information patterns 3a to 3e,
This will trigger the remaining four proximity switches B-E.
is turned ON or OFF depending on the presence or absence of the remaining magnetic bodies b-e. At this time, of the four magnetic bodies b - e excluding the magnetic bodies a and f at both ends of the figure, the left three magnetic bodies S, c, and d provide position information, and the remaining magnetic body If it represents information, the 0 of the previous word's proximity switch B-H
From the situation of N10FF, the moving object 1 can read its own position and the work information that the moving object 1 should perform.

In the position detection method according to the first aspect of the present invention, when more than one information pattern is provided on the traveling path 2 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the moving object l is Since the distance H (distance between two adjacent information patterns) from the time when the information pattern 3b on the near side of the information pattern 3b is finished reading until the next information pattern 3d is detected cannot be detected, the second invention , the distance β between two adjacent information patterns is mobile object 1
The encoder 4 attached to the position is continuously measured, and the position detection between them is interpolated based on the measured values.

(Embodiments) FIGS. 1 to 3 show various embodiments of the method for detecting the position of a moving body according to the present invention. Among these, the one shown in FIG. 1 is a case where only one information pattern 3a is provided on the running path 2, and the one shown in FIG. When two information patterns 3b and 3d are provided at appropriate intervals on a running path 2, and an information pattern 3C is provided on a bifurcated running path 2a, FIG. This is a case where different types of information patterns 3b, 3e, and 3d are provided at appropriate intervals.

In these figures, 1 is a moving body, 2 is a running path along which the moving body 1 moves, and 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, and 3e are information patterns provided on the running path 2. These information patterns 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, and 3e are formed by arranging a plurality of magnetic materials a-f such as iron plates or iron pieces at equal intervals to pattern position information or work information.
By changing the number, arrangement, spacing, etc. of -f, various patterns with different information are created as shown in Fig. 4 A to E.

In the information patterns 3a to 3d of FIG. The three magnetic bodies on the left (A, C, and D) carry position information, and the remaining magnetic body (e) carries information other than position information, such as commands for a moving object l to stop or load/unload cargo. Represents work information.

The information pattern 3e in Fig. 4 shows two magnetic bodies a,
The magnetic bodies a and f at both ends represent information for resetting the encoder 4.

The moving body 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is an unmanned guided machine, etc., and a plurality of magnetic proximity switches A to F are installed at appropriate intervals on the bottom of the moving body 1, as shown in FIG. It is installed.

This magnetic type proximity switch A-F is used when the moving object 1 is on the traveling path 2.
Information pattern 3a installed on or near (
3b..., it is turned ON or OFF depending on the magnetic material a-'f of the information pattern. These magnetic proximity switches A to F have the maximum number of magnetic bodies a to f in the information patterns 3a to 3d (the first
By using the same number of switches (six in the figure) and installing them at the same spacing as the arrangement spacing of the magnetic bodies a to f, each magnetic proximity switch A to F is connected to the magnetic body a.
-f individually.

Next, the method for detecting the position of a moving body according to the present invention will be explained based on FIGS. 1 to 3.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the transporting body 1 is moved and placed on the information pattern 3a provided on the traveling path 2, and the magnetic proximity switches A to F attached to the transporting body 1 are activated. Among them, magnetic proximity switches A and F at both ends have the same information pattern 3a.
When the magnetic bodies a and f simultaneously turn on, this serves as a trigger, and the remaining four magnetic proximity switches B to E are turned on by the other four magnetic bodies b to e. As a result.

The moving body I confirms its own position based on the position information of the three magnetic bodies A, C, and D, and the movable body I performs operations such as stopping temporarily and loading and unloading cargo based on the work information of the magnetic body e.

In the embodiment shown in FIG.
Similarly to the above case, when magnetic proximity switches A and F at both ends of magnetic proximity switches A to F are turned on at the same time, this serves as a trigger to turn on the remaining magnetic proximity switch B.
-E is turned ON by another magnetic material b = e. However, in the information pattern 3b in FIG. 2, since the second magnetic body from the left is missing, only the proximity switch B corresponding to the same magnetic body among the magnetic proximity switches A to F of the moving object 1 is turned off.
All other magnetic type proximity switches C to E are turned on. As a result, in this information pattern 3b, the moving body 1 recognizes its own position based on the position information of the two magnetic bodies c and d, and based on the work information of the magnetic body e, the moving body 1 determines whether it should continue or not. Determine whether to proceed to route 2a.

In Fig. 2, when the transport object] advances to the branch running road 2a and comes over the information pattern 3c provided on the branch running road 2a, in the same information pattern 3c, the second from the left and the second from the right Since there are no magnetic materials S and E, among the magnetic proximity switches A to F, proximity switches B and E corresponding to those magnetic materials S and E remain OFF, and the other proximity switches A and C remain OFF.

D and F are all turned ON. As a result, in the information pattern 3C of FIG. 2, the moving body 1 confirms its own position based on the position information of the two magnetic bodies c and d.

In FIG. 2, the information pattern 3 is provided on the traveling path 2 where the transport body 1 does not proceed to the branched traveling path 2a but goes straight.
d, since the same information pattern 3d does not have the second and third magnetic bodies d and e from the right, the proximity switches D, which correspond to the magnetic bodies d and e among the magnetic proximity switches A-F,
E remains OFF, and other proximity switches A, B, C, F
are all turned ON. As a result, information pattern 3 in Figure 2
In step d, the moving object l confirms its own position based on the position information of the two magnetic bodies A and C.

In addition, in FIGS. 1 to 3, 4 is an encoder, and this encoder 4 detects the distance β (absolute position) between adjacent information patterns 3b and 3d that cannot be read with the position information of information patterns 38 to 3d. This interpolates position detection at the same distance @1;1.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, when the transporting body l moves and comes over the information pattern 3b provided on the travel path 2, the information pattern 3b is the same pattern as the information pattern 3b of the second embodiment. Therefore, as in the case of Embodiment 2, of the magnetic proximity switches A to F of the moving body l, only the proximity switch B corresponding to the same magnetic body remains OFF, and the other magnetic proximity switches A and C remain OFF. -F are all turned ON. As a result, in this information pattern 3b, the mobile body 1 confirms its own position based on the position information of the two magnetic bodies C1d, and the mobile body 1 temporarily stops, loads, unloads, etc. based on the work information of the magnetic body e. do the work.

In FIG. 3, when the transport body 1 advances and comes over the information pattern 3e provided on the travel path 2, the information pattern 3e is covered with magnetic bodies a on both left and right ends.

Since there is only f, magnetic proximity switch A-F of moving object l
are magnetic proximity switches A and F corresponding to the same magnetic materials a and f.
As a result, information on the magnetic bodies a and f at both ends of this information pattern 3e, that is, information for resetting the encoder 4 attached to the moving body 1, is turned on and all others are turned off. Based on the encoder 4 of the mobile 1
is reset.

Incidentally, if the distance W#β between the two information patterns 3b and 3d in FIG. 3 becomes significantly long, there is a possibility that the absolute position detection error by the encoder 4 will become large. In such a case, two information patterns 3b and 3d as shown in FIG.
An information pattern 3e is placed at an appropriate position between the two, and at that point when the magnetic proximity switches A and F are turned on according to the information pattern 3e, the current position is corrected, and the encoder 4 is activated as described above. By resetting the position so that the encoder 4 starts counting the distance anew from that position, the error in detecting the absolute position by the encoder 4 can be kept small.6Furthermore, in FIG.
When the information pattern 3d further advances and comes over the information pattern 3d provided on the running path 2, the information pattern 3d is a magnetic type because the second and third magnetic bodies d and e from the right are missing. Of the proximity switches A-F, the proximity switches D and -E corresponding to the magnetic bodies d and e remain OFF, and the other proximity switches A,
B, C, and F are all turned ON. As a result, in the information pattern 3d of FIG. 3, the moving object l confirms its own position based on the position information of the two magnetic bodies A and C (effects of the invention). There is an effect.

■The information of information patterns 3a, 3b... composed of a plurality of magnetic bodies a, b... Because it is read magnetically by contact, it is less susceptible to external noise, dirt, and debris than conventional position detection methods that use guided radio or optical barcode reading, and is therefore highly reliable. This is an explanatory diagram of various types of information buttons used in the method that allows reliable position detection even under harsh usage environments such as factories. If information other than position information is included in information patterns 3a, 3b... Since it is possible to transmit not only position information but also various work information to the moving body l, it can be used, for example, in places such as warehouses and container yards where the interior is divided into blocks.

■The information patterns 3a, 3b... are made of inexpensive magnetic materials a, b... such as iron, and the proximity switches A, B...
Since it is only necessary to attach the . . .

■ In the second aspect of the invention, the distance β between two or more information patterns 3a, 3b, etc. arranged on or near the running path 2 is continuously measured by the encoder 4 to interpolate the position detection. This makes it possible to perform highly accurate position detection.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 3 are explanatory diagrams of various embodiments of the method for detecting the position of a moving body according to the present invention, and FIGS. 4A to 4E show the same detection. 1 is a moving body 2 is a traveling path 3a to 3e is an information pattern 4 is an encoder a-f is a magnetic body A-F is a proximity switch

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) Two or more information patterns in which arbitrary information is encoded by arranging a plurality of magnetic bodies at appropriate intervals are provided on or near the running path of the moving object, and the moving object is provided with each of the above-mentioned information patterns. A magnetic proximity switch corresponding to the magnetic material is attached, and when the moving object comes over or near the information pattern, the proximity switch is turned ON or OFF depending on the presence or absence of the magnetic material in the information pattern that the moving object approaches. , that ON,
1. A method for detecting a position of a moving body, characterized in that the moving body is enabled to detect at least its own position information by turning off. (2) Among two or more information patterns provided on or near the running path, the distance between adjacent information patterns is detected by an encoder attached to the moving object, and the position between the same information patterns is detected. 2. A method for detecting a position of a moving body according to claim 1, further comprising interpolating .