JPH07120202B2 - Operation control device for unmanned vehicles - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial field of application) The present invention relates to an operation control device for an unmanned vehicle.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, an operation control method for an unmanned vehicle has been adopted in which a plurality of unmanned vehicles are caused to travel along the same predetermined travel route. In this operation control method, a vehicle crossing location as shown in FIG. 8 was provided at an appropriate location on the travel route because of the crossing of the unmanned vehicle. That is, the avoidance guide line L2 is branched and laid on the main guide line L1 for forming the traveling route, and the main guide line L1 and the avoidance guide line L2 in front of the branch point (left side in FIG. 8) are close to each other. Loop coil 1a, 1 in position
b and the reed switches 2a and 2b are embedded respectively.

Then, in the case of a crossing, the control station 3 provided on the ground side
A stop signal is sent to the traveling unmanned vehicle 4 by passing a current through the loop coil 1a according to a control signal from the vehicle 4
Is decelerated and stopped at the branch point of the guide line as shown in FIG. The control station 3 detects the stop of the unmanned vehicle 4 at this predetermined position by the signal from the reed switch 2a. on the other hand,
The control station guides the unmanned vehicle 5 traveling from the opposite direction to the avoidance guide line L2 side, and decelerates the loop coil 1b and the reed switch 2b as described above to place the unmanned car at a predetermined position on the avoidance guide line L2. Stop 5 After guiding one unmanned vehicle 5 to the avoidance route in this way, the control station 3 allows the other unmanned vehicle 4 to pass therethrough and returns the unmanned vehicle 5 to the original main guide line L1 (travel route). Was there.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In such a conventional operation control method for an unmanned vehicle, it is possible to make a crossing only at a predetermined crossing point. It was necessary to wait for the arrival of the other unmanned vehicle, which was an obstacle to quick operation control. Also, the equipment such as the loop coils 1a and 1b, the reed switches 2a and 2b, and the control station 3 is required on the ground side.

It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems and to make a crossing at an arbitrary position and a short distance without waiting time, and to operate an unmanned vehicle that does not require equipment for crossing on the ground side. It is to provide a control device.

Configuration of the Invention (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to an unmanned vehicle that is configured to travel along a predetermined traveling route along which other unmanned vehicles also travel. Proximity detection means for detecting proximity,
Avoidance traveling control means for controlling a traveling steering device so as to avoid contact with an oncoming vehicle by deviating from the traveling route based on a detection signal of the approach detecting means, and passage detection for detecting passage of the oncoming vehicle at the avoidance position. And an operation control device for an unmanned vehicle, the operation control device including a return travel control device that controls a travel steering device to return to an original travel route from an avoidance position based on a detection signal of the passage detection device. Is.

(Operation) With the above configuration, when the unmanned vehicles approach each other at any position in the travel route, the approach detection means provided in the vehicle detects the approach of the oncoming vehicle, and the avoidance running control means outputs the detection signal of the approach detection means. Based on this, the traveling steering device is controlled so as to avoid contact with an oncoming vehicle by deviating from the traveling route. Then, when the passage detecting means detects the passage of the oncoming vehicle at the avoidance position, the return traveling control means controls the traveling steering device to return to the original traveling route from the avoidance position based on the detection signal of the passage detecting means.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, a guide line L3 is buried in the road surface, and the guide line L3 forms a traveling route for unmanned vehicles. A plurality of unmanned vehicles 11 and 12 are arranged in the traveling route. There is. Then, the unmanned vehicles 11 and 12 are designed to travel along the same travel route. The unmanned vehicles 11 and 12 are each provided with an approaching transmitter / receiver 13 as approaching detecting means on the front surface thereof.
When two unmanned vehicles 11 and 12 face each other and approach each other at a predetermined distance or less, the other approaching transmitter / receiver 13 receives a signal transmitted from the one approaching transmitter / receiver 13 and detects the approach. It is like this.

Further, the unmanned vehicles 11 and 12 are respectively provided with passage transmitting / receiving receivers 14 as passage detecting means on the right side with respect to the traveling direction thereof, and as shown in FIG. 4, two unmanned vehicles 11 and 12 are provided. When paralleled in a state of facing each other, the transmission signal from one of the transmission transmitters / receivers 14 for passage is received by the other transmission transmitter / receiver 14 for passage, and it is detected that the two unmanned vehicles 11 and 12 are lined up. It has become. The transmitting and receiving device 14 for passing and the transmitting and receiving device 13 for approaching are not only a device for transmitting and receiving radio waves or sound waves, but also a light emitting and receiving device, or a radio wave, sound waves or light emitted by an oncoming vehicle. It may be a sensor that detects the approach or parallel of an oncoming vehicle by receiving a reflected wave or reflected light.

Next, the electrical configuration of the operation control device for the unmanned vehicle thus configured will be described with reference to FIG.

The microcomputer 15 as the avoidance traveling control means and the return traveling control means is a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as CPU) 1
6, a program memory 17 including a read-only memory (ROM), a work memory 18 including a readable / rewritable memory (RAM) for temporarily storing the calculation result of the CPU 16
It consists of Then, the CPU 16 operates according to the control program stored in the program memory 17.

The approaching and passing transmitting receivers 13 and 14 are connected to the CPU 16, and the CPU 16 sends a signal from the approaching transmitting receiver 13 that the approaching vehicle is approaching and a signal from the passing outgoing receiver 14 that the vehicle is installed side by side. Enter. When the CPU 16 inputs a signal notifying that an oncoming vehicle is approaching, it sets a mode for crossing over from the normal traveling mode up to that point. Further, when the CPU 16 inputs a signal notifying that the vehicles are arranged side by side, it determines the passage of the vehicle.

The CPU 16 controls the traveling steering device 19 to start, brake and steer the vehicle to steer the vehicle. That is, when the guide line L3 guides the vehicle (normal traveling mode), the CPU 16 can steer the vehicle along the guide line L3 and also perform trackless autonomous traveling not guided by the guide line L3. ing.

Further, priorities are set in advance for the unmanned vehicles 11 and 12, and the unmanned vehicle 11 is the priority vehicle in this embodiment.

The operation of the operation control device for the unmanned vehicles 11 and 12 thus configured will be described.

Now, when the unmanned vehicles 11 and 12 run in a direction in which they approach each other along the guide line L3 and the distance between them becomes less than or equal to a predetermined distance, both vehicles
The CPU 16 of 11, 12 detects the approach of the oncoming vehicle by receiving the signal from the approach transmitter / receiver 13 of the oncoming vehicle, and cancels the normal driving mode up to that point, and the CPU 16 of the oncoming vehicle causes a crossing error. Set the mode of. With this mode setting, the CPU 16 of the priority unmanned vehicle 11 stops the vehicle.
Also, the CPU 16 of the other unmanned vehicle 12 performs trackless autonomous traveling from the traveling by the guide line L3 until then and travels to the avoidance route 20 shown by the broken line in FIG. 3 out of the traveling route as shown in FIG. Stop at a position off the route.

Then, the CPU 16 of the priority unmanned vehicle 11 determines, based on the signal from the approaching transmitter / receiver 13, that the oncoming vehicle 12 is no longer in front, and starts the vehicle from the vehicle stopped state until then. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, when the priority unmanned vehicle 11 moves forward and moves to the position where the two unmanned vehicles 11 and 12 are aligned, each C
The PU 16 determines the passage based on the signal from the transmitting / receiving receiver 14 for passage. By this passage detection, the CPU 16 of the priority unmanned vehicle 11 releases the mode for crossing and returns to the normal traveling mode. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the CPU 16 of the other unmanned vehicle 12 returns to the original traveling route on the avoidance route 21 shown by the broken line in the figure, and then returns to the normal traveling mode.

As described above, in this embodiment, when an oncoming vehicle is detected, one unmanned vehicle 12 enters the circuit route out of the normal traveling route by the trackless autonomous traveling and the passage of the other unmanned vehicle 11 is detected. I decided to return to the running route of
Unlike the prior art, it is possible to make a crossing only at a predetermined crossing point, and it is possible to make a crossing at an arbitrary position on the traveling route. Therefore, an unmanned vehicle that arrives at a crossing point first does not have to wait for the arrival of the other unmanned vehicle, and quick operation control can be performed. Moreover, since all the devices for performing this control are mounted on the vehicle side, it is possible to eliminate the need for equipment such as a loop coil, a reed switch, and a control station on the ground side for making a mistake.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the unmanned vehicle 12 has the transmitting / receiving receiver 14 for passing.
When the passage from the priority unmanned vehicle 11 is detected by the signal from the vehicle, the vehicle returns to the original travel route, so that the avoidance route can be shortened as compared with the conventional route. Therefore, the danger that the unmanned vehicle 12 collides with another obstacle is reduced, the safety is enhanced, and the width of the passage can be set narrow.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, both unmanned vehicles 11 and 12 deviate in opposite directions from the traveling route, and as shown in FIG. You may make it return-run. In this case, the unmanned vehicles 11 and 12 can cross each other in continuous running without stopping at all.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the traveling route is formed by the guide line L3 is embodied, but in addition, the traveling route is formed by detecting the white line drawn on the road surface with the optical detector. Of course, it may be applied to operation control of various unmanned vehicles such as a trackless system.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION As described in detail above, according to the present invention, it is possible to make a crossing at any position without waiting time, and it is possible to eliminate the need for equipment for crossing on the ground side. To do.

Also, when the passage of an oncoming vehicle is detected, the traveling distance for avoiding the oncoming vehicle can be shortened based on the configuration of returning to the original traveling route, so that the safety is improved and the width of the passage can be set narrow. Shows excellent effects.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an operation control device for an unmanned vehicle embodying the present invention, FIG. 2 is an electric block circuit diagram showing its electrical configuration, and FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 are unmanned vehicle FIGS. 6 and 7 are diagrams for explaining the operation state, FIGS. 6 and 7 are diagrams showing another example of an unmanned vehicle operation control device, and FIGS. 8 and 9 are for explaining a conventional unmanned vehicle traveling control method. FIG. In the figure, 11 is an unmanned vehicle, 12 is an unmanned vehicle, 13 is an approaching transmitter / receiver as approach detecting means, 14 is a passing transmitter / receiver as passing detecting means, and 15 is avoidance traveling control means and return traveling control means. Is a central processing unit, 17 is a program memory, 18 is a working memory, 19 is a traveling steering device, and L3 is a guide wire.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An unmanned vehicle configured to travel along a predetermined travel route along which another unmanned vehicle also travels, and an approach detecting means for detecting an approach of an oncoming vehicle, and a detection signal of the approach detecting means. Avoidance traveling control means for controlling the traveling steering device so as to avoid contact with an oncoming vehicle by deviating from the traveling route, passage detection means for detecting passage of the oncoming vehicle at the avoidance position, and detection by the passage detecting means. An operation control device for an unmanned vehicle, comprising return travel control means for controlling the travel steering device to return to the original travel route from the avoidance position based on a signal.