JPH05341835A - Remote controlled golf cart - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a remote controlled golf cart which can freely move to a position near a golf player. CONSTITUTION:A golf cart is provided with a receiver 10 which receives the instruction information from a transmitter 9 and a control means 5 which performs the start-stop control of the driving devices 1 and 1a and the steering control of the steering device 2 and 2a based on the instruction information obtained via the receiver 10. The means 5 automatically stops the devices 1 and 1a after the cart has been driven by the set time or the set distance. Furthermore a direction detecting means 7 is added to detect the direction of the cart body. Thus, the means 5 carries out the steering control of the device 2 and 2a based on the information detected by the means 7 so that the cart is driven straight along the direction of its own body when the devices 1 and 1a are started.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a remote-controlled golf cart for a player to place and carry a golf bag on a golf course.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a remote-controlled golf cart that travels on a track such as a rail laid along a golf course. In this golf cart, the player can control start / stop from a remote place by a wireless transmitter (remote controller) for remote control.

[0003]

The above-mentioned conventional golf cart runs on a predetermined track and stops at an appropriate position. For example, a player walks to the golf cart to change a club. There was an inconvenience such as the necessity.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a golf cart which can be freely run near a player by remote control without the player having to walk to the golf cart. To provide.

[0005]

A first characteristic configuration of a remote-controlled golf cart of the present invention is based on a receiver that receives instruction information from a transmitter and instruction information obtained through the receiver. In addition, a control means for executing start / stop control of the traveling device and steering control of the steering device is provided.

A second characteristic configuration is that in the first characteristic configuration, the control means is configured to automatically stop the traveling device when traveling for a set time or a set distance. A third characteristic configuration is the first or second characteristic configuration, further comprising an azimuth detecting means for detecting the azimuth of the vehicle body, and the control means controls the vehicle body along the azimuth of the vehicle body when the traveling device is started. The steering control of the steering device is executed based on the detection information of the azimuth detecting means in order to make the vehicle go straight.

[0007]

According to the first characteristic configuration, the player can instruct not only the start / stop of the golf cart but also the steering by remote control, so that the player can run freely on the fairway regardless of the track. You can

The golf cart started by remote control is normally stopped by remote control, but according to the second characteristic configuration, it automatically stops after traveling for a set time or set distance. That is, when the remote control stop command is forgotten, or when the remote control becomes ineffective due to radio wave interference or the like, the vehicle stops safely without continuing traveling.

According to the third characteristic configuration, if the player remotely controls the steering wheel so that the golf cart is turned to his or her own direction, then the player can start the vehicle. Also, since the control means of the golf cart executes the steering control of the steering device based on the detection information of the azimuth detection means and moves the vehicle body straight, the golf cart can be brought closer to itself.

[0010]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a golf cart that can be run near the player by remote control without the player having to walk to the golf cart.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 2, the golf cart of the present embodiment (hereinafter referred to as a cart) has a three-wheeled vehicle body 3 including a pair of rear wheels 1 and front wheels 2 and a club case 4 and the like attached thereto. The rear wheel 1 is a drive wheel, and is rotationally driven by a traveling motor 1a as shown in FIG. The front wheel 2 is an idle wheel and a steered wheel whose steering angle is changed by the steering motor 2a. The drive wheel 1 and the traveling motor 1a correspond to a traveling device, and the steered wheels 2 and the steering motor 2a correspond to a steering device.

The traveling motor 1a and the steering motor 2a are driven and controlled by a control means 5 composed of a microcomputer or the like, using a battery mounted on the cart as a power source. The detection information of the traveling distance sensor 6 and the direction sensor 7 is input to the control unit 5. The mileage sensor 6 is
Generates a pulse number signal proportional to the rotational speed of the driving wheel 1,
The control means 5 calculates the traveling distance from the product of the count value of the number of pulses and the known distance per pulse. A gyro is used as the azimuth sensor 7, and the vehicle body 3 with respect to the reference azimuth is used.
The direction converted to the DC voltage is input to the control means 5 as the detection information.

The control means 5 calculates the approximate position of the cart in each hole in real time on the basis of the detection information of the traveling distance sensor 6 and the direction sensor 7. This position information is used for calculating the distance to the pin displayed on the display device 8 attached to the club case 4 and the like. The display device 8 is a multipurpose dot matrix LCD,
In addition to the distance to the pin, it is also possible to graphically display hole information such as the terrain of the entire hole, the terrain of the second half of the hole, and the terrain around the green. Their display is
It will switch automatically based on the distance to the pin.
In addition, a touch panel made of transparent electrodes is provided on the surface of the display device 8 for a display switching instruction or the like. The control means 5 is also responsible for the processing of display data output to the display device 8 and the processing of key input from the touch panel.

Next, the running / steering control of the cart will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the golf cart is radio-controlled by instruction information from a small radio transmitter (hereinafter, simply referred to as a transmitter) 9 carried by a player or the like. The cart is provided with a receiver 10 and a receiving antenna 10a, receives instruction information from the transmitter 9 and gives it to the control means 5.
From the transmitter 9 to the receiver 10, a carrier wave of several tens MHz is F
The instruction information is transmitted by the M-modulated low-power radio wave. Also, a plurality of bands can be switched to prevent crosstalk between a plurality of carts.

The transmitter 9 includes a high speed key 9a and a low speed key 9b for a start instruction and a gear change instruction, and a stop key 9 for a stop instruction.
c, an L key 9d and an LL key 9e for turning left, and an R key 9f and an RR key 9g for turning right are provided. The contact signal of each key is coded by the encoder circuit in the transmitter 9, converted into an FM signal by the modulation circuit, amplified by the output circuit, and radiated into the air as an FM radio wave from the antenna. The FM radio wave received by the cart receiver 10 is amplified, detected and demodulated, and again decoded into the contact signal of each key and given to the control means 5. The control means 5 executes start / stop control of the traveling device and steering control of the steering device based on the signal, that is, the instruction information. That is, the traveling motor 1a and the steering motor 2a are controlled.

The role of each key of the transmitter 9 is as follows. First, when the high speed key 9a or the low speed key 9b is pressed, if the cart is stopped, the cart starts at high speed or low speed. In the traveling state, the speed is changed from low speed to high speed or from high speed to low speed. High speed key 9a and low speed key 9
If b is pressed at the same time, an intermediate speed is reached. These speed controls are realized by the control means 5 controlling the rotation speed of the traveling motor 1a by PWM control.

While the vehicle is traveling, the control means 5 causes the direction information of the direction sensor 7 to be detected by the control means 5 so as to move the cart straight along the direction of the cart at the time of starting (direction of the vehicle body) unless a turning instruction described below is given. The steering motor 2a is controlled based on
When the stop key 9c is pressed during traveling, the traveling motor 1a is stopped and the cart is stopped. When the stop key 9c is pressed during turning, the steering wheel 2 is stopped after returning the steering angle to zero. The steering angle of the steered wheels 2 is detected by a steering angle sensor 11 including a potentiometer provided on the steering shaft.

When the left turn L key 9d is pressed during traveling, the steering motor 2a is driven in the forward direction, and the steered wheels 2 are steered to the left. As a result, the cart turns left. When the direction of the cart changes by a predetermined angle based on the detection information of the azimuth sensor 7, the steering motor 2a is reversely driven until the steering angle returns to zero. Actually, the steering motor 2a is drive-controlled so as to change the direction of the cart to the left by 30 degrees from the azimuth before turning. Similarly, when the LL key 9e is pressed, the steering motor 2a is drive-controlled so as to change the direction of the cart to the left by 90 degrees from the azimuth before turning.

When the L key 9d and the LL key 9e are pressed simultaneously, the steering motor 2a is drive-controlled so as to change the direction of the cart to the left by 60 degrees. Also, LL key 9
If e is pressed continuously, the steered wheels 2 are left-steered while being pressed, and the cart continues to turn left until it is released.

When the L key 9d or the LL key 9e is pressed while the cart is stopped, the traveling motor 1a is driven together with the steering motor 2a. When the direction of the cart changes by the predetermined angle, the traveling motor 1a is stopped, the steering angle of the steered wheels 2 is returned to zero, and the steering motor 2a is also stopped. The same applies when the L key 9d and the LL key 9e are simultaneously pressed or when the LL key 9e is continuously pressed.

The roles of the right turning R key 9f and RR key 9g are exactly the same as the above left turning L key 9d and LL key 9e, except that the left and right are reversed. The reason why the cart can be remotely controlled by using only the seven key switches is to make the transmitter 9 as small and lightweight as possible so that it can be easily carried.

The operability is also improved by the combination of the straight ahead control based on the detection information of the azimuth sensor 7 and the steering control for changing the azimuth of the vehicle body by a predetermined angle. For example, in the case where the player runs the cart to a certain point in the walking direction, first, the turning keys 9d to 9g are used to orient the cart in the direction of the point, and then the high speed key 9a or the low speed key is used. If you press 9b, the cart goes straight in that direction and eventually joins the player.

The cart is stopped based on the stop instruction information given to the control means 5 when the stop key 9c is pressed.
The control means 5 is performed by stopping the traveling motor 1a, but if the stop key 9c is forgotten, or if the radio control does not work due to radio interference or the like, automatic stop is also performed so as not to continue traveling forever. Done. That is, the control means 5 stops the traveling motor 1a when the traveling distance calculated based on the detection information of the traveling distance sensor 6 exceeds the set value.

Other examples will be listed below. The above automatic stop for safety is based on the mileage sensor 6
The traveling motor 1a may be stopped based on the internal timer of the control means 5 regardless of the detection information of 1. when the elapsed time from the start exceeds the set value. Further, the traveling distance (set value) or the elapsed time (set value) before stopping may be changed depending on the traveling speed.

The azimuth detecting means is not limited to one using a gyro, but may be one using a geomagnetic sensor. Further, a rate gyro may be used to obtain the angle from the reference azimuth by integrating the angular velocity that is the detection information by the control means.

The specific configurations of the transmitter and the receiver for remote control are not limited to those in the above embodiment. For example, if the golf cart is not too far away from the player, the transmitter can be further miniaturized by remote control using infrared rays or ultrasonic waves.

The specific configurations of the traveling device and the steering device are not limited to those in the above embodiment, and can be variously modified. For example, it is possible to use the front wheels as the driving wheels and the steered wheels and the rear wheels as the idle wheels. Further, the left and right driving wheels may be separately configured to be driven in the forward and reverse directions, so that the turning radius can be reduced or turning can be performed on the spot.

It should be noted that reference numerals are given in the claims for convenience of comparison with the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the accompanying drawings by the entry.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a remote-controlled golf cart according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view of a remote-controlled golf cart.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 1a Traveling device 2, 2a Steering device 5 Control means 7 Direction detection means 9 Transmitter 10 Receiver

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Yoshiaki Goto 64 Ishizukitamachi, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture Kubota Sakai Factory Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shigeru Tanaka 64, Ishizukitamachi, Sakai City, Osaka Manufacturing Kubota Sakai Co., Ltd. In-house

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A receiver (10) for receiving instruction information from a transmitter (9), and starting of a traveling device (1, 1a) based on the instruction information obtained through the receiver (10).・
A remote-controlled golf cart provided with control means (5) for executing stop control and steering control of the steering device (2, 2a). 2. The remote-controlled golf cart according to claim 1, wherein the control means (5) is configured to automatically stop the traveling device (1, 1a) after traveling for a set time or a set distance. .. 3. An azimuth detecting means (7) for detecting the azimuth of the vehicle body is provided, and the control means (5) goes straight on the vehicle body along the azimuth direction of the vehicle body when the traveling device (1, 1a) is started. The remote-controlled golf cart according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the steering control of the steering device (2, 2a) is executed based on the detection information of the azimuth detecting means (7).