JPH0511840A - Position detecting device for moving body - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the position detection device of simple configuration for the moving body which can detect the position of the moving body, moving along a determined travel path, with high precision. CONSTITUTION:The position detection device is equipped with an absolute address display plate 1 where many bar codes 11-1n having constant width are displayed lengthwise, an optical reader 2 which is provided to the moving body 10 such as a vehicle which moves on the determined travel path, and a decoder 3 which decodes the output signal of the optical reader 2 and outputs position information. The optical reader 2 is equipped with a light emission part and a light reception part to read the bar codes on the absolute address display plate 1. The decoder 3 receives the output signal of the optical reader 2 and outputs a signal corresponding to the bar codes read by the optical reader 2 as position information.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for detecting the position of a moving body such as a crane or a vehicle that moves along a defined traveling path.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a conventional position detecting device for a moving body. This device is a position detection device of an inductive wireless system, and includes a loop antenna 51 provided in a moving body 50, three sets of guide lines 52 in which two parallel lines are crossed for each section, and three sets of guide lines. And a decoder 53 for detecting the phase difference between the induced voltages and outputting the position information.

In the position detecting apparatus of the guide wireless system having the above-mentioned structure, the traveling path of the moving body 50 is divided into certain sections, an absolute address by a binary code is given to each section, and parallel two lines are set in accordance with the addresses. The induction lines are crossed, the phase of the induction electric field is inverted at the intersection, the phase difference between the induced voltages by the three induction lines is detected, and the decoder 53 performs logical processing to determine the position of the moving body 50. Ask.

Now, when the mobile unit 50 is in the position,
The decoder 53 outputs the position information of "0,0,0", and when it moves to the position, the decoder 53 outputs the position information of "1,0,0". A main controller (not shown) of the mobile unit 50 determines the position of the mobile unit 50 based on the position information from the decoder 53.

[0005]

However, the conventional inductive wireless position detection device is easily affected by noise and level fluctuations, and thus it is difficult to perform highly accurate position detection. Further, it is necessary to lay a plurality of expensive guide wires along the moving direction of the moving body, which has a drawback of increasing the cost.

Further, in the conventional device, when there are a plurality of moving bodies on a certain traveling path, when the plurality of moving bodies are divided, for example, the frequency of the induced electric field is changed or the generation timing of the induced electric field is generated. Has to be changed, which makes the circuit complicated and the device expensive.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a position detecting device for a moving body, which is capable of highly accurately detecting the position of the moving body moving on a predetermined traveling path with a simple structure. It is intended to be provided.

[0008]

A position detecting device for a moving body according to the present invention for achieving the above object is installed in a position substantially parallel to a moving direction of a moving body moving on a predetermined traveling path, Display means for displaying a code serving as a reference for detection, and optical reading means provided on the moving body for optically reading the code displayed on the display means,
Decoding means for decoding the output signal from the optical reading means and outputting the position information of the moving body.

[0009]

According to the present invention, with the above structure, the optical reading means provided on the moving body displays the information on the display means.
For example, the position information is obtained by reading a code such as a barcode and decoding the code by the decoding means.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a position detecting device for a moving body according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation for detecting the position of the apparatus of this embodiment.
The device of this embodiment is provided on an absolute address display plate 1 in which a large number of bar codes 1 ₁ to 1 _{n each} having a constant width are displayed in the longitudinal direction, and a moving body 10 such as a vehicle moving on a predetermined traveling path. The optical reading device 2 and a decoder 3 that decodes an output signal of the optical reading device 2 and outputs position information are configured. Although not shown, the optical reading device 2 includes a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion, and reads the bar code of the absolute address display board 1. The decoder 3 receives the output signal of the optical reading device 2 and outputs a signal corresponding to the barcode read by the optical reading device 2 as position information.

When detecting the position of the moving body 10 traveling in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1, light is emitted from the light emitting portion of the optical reading device 2, reflected light is detected by the light receiving portion, and an optical signal is converted into an electrical signal. By doing so, the bar code value on the absolute address display board 1 is read. The value of the read bar code is decoded by being logically processed by the decoder 3 and sent as position information to a main controller (not shown) that controls the traveling of the moving body 10 and the like.

In the apparatus of this embodiment, the moving body 10 has a boundary 1 between the barcode 1 _m and the barcode 1 _{m + 1} as shown in FIG.
When it is located above 1, it outputs a value of 1 _{(m + m + 1) / 2} , and the moving body 10 slightly moves from the top of the boundary 11 to either the barcode 1 _m or the barcode 1 _{m + 1.} If
Outputs the barcode value of the side that is near. That is, for example, when the barcode 1 _m is the numerical value 102 and the barcode 1 _{m + 1} is the numerical value 103, the moving body 10
Is located on the boundary 11 between the numerical values 102 and 103, 102.5 is output. Also, even a little from the boundary
If it is closer to 02, 102 is output. As a result, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to perform position detection with higher accuracy than the conventional one. Furthermore, when highly accurate position detection is required, an intermediate value such as 101.25 may be output.

Further, according to the present embodiment, even when there are a plurality of moving bodies, only one absolute address display board 1 is required, and therefore the position of each moving body can be easily and accurately arranged by a simple structure. Can be detected.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a position detecting device for a moving body according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the case where the moving body moves on a straight line has been described, but this embodiment is a position detecting device for a moving body that is movable in the vertical and horizontal directions. The apparatus according to the second embodiment includes two absolute address display boards 1a and 1b laid in the X and Y directions which are orthogonal to each other.
And two optical readers 2a for reading the bar code displayed on the two absolute address display boards 1a, 1b.
2b and an XY decoder 30 which decodes output signals from the two optical reading devices 2a and 2b and outputs position information. The functions of the absolute address display plates 1a and 1b, the optical reading devices 2a and 2b, and the XY decoder 30 are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The position of a moving body such as a crane, which freely travels in a plane, is detected by the apparatus having the above-mentioned structure. Other functions and effects are similar to those of the first embodiment.

In the above embodiment, the case where the code of the display means is a bar code has been described, but this code may be a numeral or other coded designs. Also,
In the above embodiment, the case of detecting the position of the moving body moving in one direction or in the plane has been described, but the moving body may move in the space.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, the optical reading means is provided on the moving body that moves on the determined traveling path, and the reference numeral of the display means laid substantially parallel to the moving direction of the moving body is used. Since the position of the moving body can be known by reading it, the structure of the moving body is simpler than that of the conventional one, is not affected by electrical noise, and is highly accurate and inexpensive. Can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a position detecting device for a moving body according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an operation for position detection of the apparatus of this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a position detecting device for a moving body according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional moving body position detection device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 1a, 1b Absolute address display board 2, 2a, 2b Optical reading device 3,30 Decoder 10, 10a Moving body

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Susumu Yamamoto 1 Kimitsu, Kimitsu-shi, Chiba Nippon Steel Corp. Kimitsu Steel Works Ltd. premises Nippon Steel Information & Communication Systems Co., Ltd. Kimitsu System Center (72) Inventor Takeshi Nomura 45-18 Takakura-cho, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo Iwadori Isel Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Akira Kimura 45-18 Takakura-cho, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo Iwadori Isel Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

Claim: What is claimed is: 1. A display unit that is installed substantially parallel to a moving direction of a moving body that moves on a defined traveling path, and displays a reference code for position detection. The mobile unit is provided with an optical reading unit that optically reads a code displayed on the display unit, and a decoding unit that decodes an output signal from the optical reading unit and outputs position information of the mobile unit. A position detecting device for a moving body, characterized in that