JPH05346817A - Golf cart - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a golf cart by which the operation of a departure, stoppage and steering can be attained by a designating means and an automatic traveling can be attained on a prescribed locus between holes. CONSTITUTION:This cart is equipped with a control means 5 which executes the departure and stoppage control of traveling devices 1 and 1a, and the steering control of steering systems 2 and 2a. Also, the cart is equipped with a following sensor 13 which detects the presence of a guide line disposed along the adjacent holes, and the deviation from it. Then, the control means 5 controls the steering systems 2 and 2a based on the deviation detection information of the following sensor 13 attending on a state for which the following sensor 13 detects the absence of the guide line becomes to the state for which the following sensor 13 detects the presence of the guide line.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a golfer provided with control means for executing start / stop control of a traveling device and steering control of a steering device based on instruction information of a manually operated instruction means. Regarding the cart.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a golf cart for a player to place and carry a golf bag on a golf course,
There is a vehicle equipped with a traveling device and a steering device using an electric motor so that a player can easily carry a golf bag simply by giving an instruction to start, stop, or steer with an instruction means such as an operating handle. On the other hand, there are golf carts that automatically run along rails and guide lines laid on the golf course.

[0003]

In a golf cart that automatically travels on a predetermined track on which rails, guide wires, etc. are laid, for example, a golf cart in which a player is stopped on the track in order to change a club. I need to walk to the cart. Although there is no such inconvenience in a golf cart which can be freely traveled on the fairway by the operation of the player, it may be troublesome to operate the golf cart even before moving between holes.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to enable the starting, stopping, and steering operations by the indicating means, and to automatically move on a predetermined track between holes. It is to provide a golf cart that can run.

[0005]

A golf cart of the present invention is a control means for executing start / stop control of a traveling device and steering control of a steering device based on instruction information of a manually operated instruction means. According to the first characteristic configuration, a follow-up sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a guide wire laid between adjacent holes and a deviation from the guide wire is provided, and the follow-up sensor is the guide wire. Is configured to execute the control of the steering device based on the deviation detection information of the follow-up sensor in accordance with the change from the state of detecting the absence of the guide wire to the state of detecting the presence of the guide wire. There is a point.

A second characteristic configuration is that, in the first characteristic configuration, the manually operated instructing means is a transmitter, and a receiver for receiving instruction information from the transmitter is provided. ..

[0007]

According to the first characteristic configuration, the player freely operates the start, stop, and steering of the golf cart by giving the instruction information to the control means by the manually operable instruction means, and always operates. The player's familiarity can be followed. On the other hand, when moving between the halls, the automatic traveling in which the control means executes the control of the steering device based on the detection information of the follow-up sensor that detects the presence or absence of the guide wire laid between the holes and the deviation from the guide wire. Done.

Moreover, the player only has to start the golf cart toward the area where the guide wire is laid, and after that,
The control means controls the steering device based on the deviation detection information of the follower sensor as the follower sensor detects the absence of the guide wire from the state of detecting the existence of the guide wire. That is, it automatically switches to automatic traveling along the guide line.

According to the second characteristic configuration, since the manually operable instructing means is a transmitter and the golf cart is provided with a receiver for receiving instruction information from the transmitter, the player remotely operates. Start / stop of the golf cart by
And steering can be operated.

[0010]

Therefore, it is possible to provide a golf cart which can be started, stopped, and steered by the indicating means and can automatically travel on a predetermined track between holes. Moreover, switching to automatic running on the track is automatically performed. As a result, the player is released from operating the golf cart when moving between holes.

[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 set distance per pulse. A gyro is used as the azimuth sensor 7, and the direction of the vehicle body 3 with respect to the reference azimuth converted into a 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.

Of the hall information, fixed data is stored in the ROM of the control means 5, and data that changes day by day such as pin positions is stored in a memory card 5a which can be inserted into and removed from a dedicated slot of the control means 5. There is. Writing to the memory card 5a is performed by connecting the memory card 5a to a main computer provided in a clubhouse or the like. Further, score data and the like can be input from the touch panel 8a formed of a transparent electrode provided on the surface of the display device 8, and the input data is stored in the empty area of the memory card 5a by the control means 5. The stored data is read by connecting the memory card 5a to the main computer, and the main computer collects the data and prints out the data.

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 as a manually operated instruction means 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. Transmitter 9 to receiver 10
The instruction information is transmitted to the device by a low-power radio wave in which a carrier of several tens of MHz is FM-modulated. 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 L key 9d for left turn 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.

Also, as shown in FIG. 3, adjacent holes H
A guide wire 12 is laid between 1 and H2, and the cart is configured to be capable of following the guide wire 12 for automatic traveling. For this purpose, a follow-up sensor 13 for detecting the presence or absence of the guide wire 12 and a deviation from the guide wire 12 is provided in front of and behind the bottom of the vehicle body 3 of the cart, and the control means 5 causes the follow-up sensor 1 to operate.
The steering device, that is, the steering motor 2a is controlled based on the deviation detection information of No. 3 to follow the guide wire 12. A description will be added below.

The guide wire 12 has a power supply device 12a of several K.
An alternating current of Hz is applied, and the follow-up sensor 13 includes three electromagnetic pickup coils that detect an alternating magnetic field generated around the induction wire 12. As shown in FIG. 4, the three electromagnetic pickup coils 13a, 13b, 13c are arranged at equal intervals in the lateral width direction of the vehicle body 3. The AC voltage induced in the electromagnetic pickup coils 13a, 13b, 13c is individually rectified / smoothed after being noise-removed and amplified by a band filter of a signal processing circuit (not shown).
The C voltages become Va, Vb, and Vc. Further, the information is converted into a digital value by the A / D converter to determine the presence / absence of the guide wire 12, and the deviation detection information of the vehicle body 3 from the guide wire 12.

Specifically, the control means 5 has the guide wire 12 if the voltage Vp = Va + Vb + Vc, which is the sum of the DC voltages (hereinafter referred to as detection voltages) Va, Vb, and Vc, is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value. , If it is less than the threshold value, the guide wire 12
Is determined not to exist. Further, while the presence of the guide wire 12 is detected, the left and right electromagnetic pickup coils 13 are
The voltage Vd = (V
The deviation detection information is a−Vb) / (Va + Vb). That is, the control means 5 determines whether the vehicle body 3 is displaced to the left or right with respect to the guide line 12 depending on whether the Vd is positive or negative, and obtains the amount of displacement from the value.

The control means 5 controls the vehicle body 3 from the difference between the deviation amount obtained by the front follow-up sensor 13 provided at the front portion of the vehicle body 3 and the deviation amount obtained by the rear follow-up sensor 13 provided at the rear portion. The inclination with respect to the guide line 12 is also obtained. And
The steering angle of the steered wheels 2 is controlled based on the deviation detection information of the front following sensor 13 and the above inclination so as to reduce the deviation and the inclination.

If the front and rear follow-up sensors 13 no longer detect the presence of the guide wire 12 during automatic traveling following the guide wire 12, the control means 5 stops the traveling motor 1a to stop the cart. This is a safety measure when the guide wire 12 is disconnected for some reason. Also, the guide wire 12
A stop mark 12b obtained by magnetizing a plate made of a magnetic material is installed at the end of the, and the cart is provided with a mark sensor 14 for detecting the stop mark 12b. The control means 5 is a guide wire 1.
When the mark sensor 14 detects the stop mark 12b during the automatic traveling that follows 2, the traveling motor 1a is stopped and the cart is stopped. However, the second and subsequent carts are stopped based on a signal from the bumper switch 15 which is turned on when the front bumper comes into contact with the preceding cart.

The control means 5 automatically switches from the above-described remote control traveling to automatic traveling in which the guide line 12 is followed. As shown in FIG. 3, when the play in the hole H1 is completed and the player moves to the next hole H2, the player only has to start the cart A toward a predetermined mark by the above-mentioned remote control.

Cart A goes straight toward the guide line 12,
When the guide wire 12 is reached, the front follow-up sensor 13 changes from a state in which the absence of the guide wire 12 is detected to a state in which the presence of the guide wire 12 is detected. Eventually, the trailing follow-up sensor 13 also leads
As a result, the control means 5 switches to the automatic running that follows the guide wire 12 as described above.

However, when the approach angle to the guide wire 12 is large, the rear follow-up sensor 13 does not enter the state of detecting the existence of the guide wire 12 while the front follow-up sensor 13 detects the existence of the guide wire 12. .. For example, the time t from the state where the left end of the front following sensor 13 is on the guide wire 12 to the state where the right end is on the guide wire 12 is short, and the left end of the rear following sensor 13 is I don't care.
In this case, the control means 5 obtains an approximate value of the approach angle to the guide wire 12 from the time t and the traveling speed, and controls the steering motor 2a so as to turn right at the steering angle corresponding to this.
Note that, contrary to FIG. 3, when entering the guide wire 12 from the right end portion of the front following sensor 13, the right and left are in a reverse relationship in the above control. In these cases, too, both the front follow-up sensor 13 and the rear follow-up sensor 13 will be in a state of detecting the presence of the guide wire 12, so that the control means 5 operates as described above.
Switch to automatic driving that follows 2.

Other examples will be listed below. The manually operated instruction means is not limited to the wireless transmitter for remote control as in the above embodiment, but may be an operation handle 16 as shown in FIG. 5 laid on a cart. Briefly described, when the grip 16a of the handle 16 is gripped and turned around the left and right axis P, the vehicle starts to move, and the traveling speed changes according to the turning angle of the grip 16a. Grip 1 by loosening the hand holding the grip 16a
6a returns to its original state and the cart stops. For this purpose, a potentiometer 16b for detecting the rotation angle of the grip 16a around the left and right axis P is provided.

When the grip 16a is gripped and turned around the longitudinal axis Q, the steering angle of the steered wheels 2 changes, and the cart rotates left and right. In other words, turning it clockwise rotates the cart to the right, and turning it counterclockwise rotates the cart to the left.
Also, the radius of gyration changes depending on the turning angle. Grip 1
If the hand holding 6a is loosened, the grip 16a returns to the original state (neutral state), and the cart returns to the straight traveling state. For this purpose, a potentiometer 16c for detecting the rotation angle of the grip 16a around the front-rear axis Q is provided.

The induction wire laid between the adjacent holes is not limited to an electric wire through which an alternating current flows as in the above-described embodiment, and for example, a rail-shaped or tape-shaped magnetized magnetic body is laid, The tracking sensor provided in the cart may be configured by arranging a plurality of Hall elements, magnetoresistive elements, and the like in the lateral direction of the vehicle body.

Further, the laid state of the guide wire is not limited to the arrangement as in the above-mentioned embodiment, and for example, the start of the guide wire may be drawn close to the green or may be drawn across the fairway.

The specific configurations of the traveling device and the steering device are not limited to those in the above-described embodiment, but 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 added to the claims for convenience of comparison with the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the structures 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.

FIG. 3 is a layout diagram showing an example of a golf course on which a golf cart is run.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the tracking sensor of the golf cart and the guide wire.

FIG. 5 is an external view of a golf cart including an instruction unit according to another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 1a Traveling device 2, 2a Steering device 5 Control means 7 Direction detecting means 9 Instructing means 10 Receiver 12 Guide wire 13 Tracking sensor

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. Start / stop control of a traveling device (1, 1a) based on instruction information of a manually operated instruction means (9),
And a golf cart provided with a control means (5) for executing steering control of the steering device (2, 2a), the presence or absence of a guide wire (12) laid between adjacent holes, and A follow-up sensor (13) for detecting the deviation of the guide wire (13) from the state where the follow-up sensor (13) detects the absence of the guide wire (12) to the state where the existence of the guide wire (13) is detected. Accordingly, the control means (5) is configured to execute the control of the steering device (2, 2a) based on the deviation detection information of the tracking sensor (13). 2. The golf according to claim 1, wherein the manually operable instructing means (9) is a transmitter, and a receiver (10) for receiving instruction information from the transmitter (9) is provided. cart.