JPS58129610A - Controlling system of moving body - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily change the moving passages and various controlling operations by optically reading out signs set along a prescribed passage to recognize the pattern and performing a previously fixed moving action in accordance with the recognized result. CONSTITUTION:Tapes 12 in which a signs to indicate information controlling the moving action of a moving body 11 are drawn are adhered to appropriate positions of a flower surface 1 along a tape 2 indicating the moving passage. The signs drawn on the tapes 12 are read out by an image sensor 14 through a lens 13. When the contents of the signs read out by the image sensor 14 are detected by matching in a pattern recognizing device 16, a motor controlling signal corresponding to the detected contents is supplied to a motor controlling circuit 7. In accordance with the supplied controlling signal, the motor controlling circuit 7 controls wheel driving motors 8L, 8R. Thus, a moving body 11 performs the action specified by the signs such as left turn, slow going, etc.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention optically reads and identifies nine markers placed along a predetermined route of a moving object, and controls the movement of the moving object in accordance with the identification results. Related to mobile object control systems.

When transporting things within factories, etc., there are many examples of using unmanned vehicles to save labor. Conventionally, one method of operating such an unmanned vehicle is to specify the travel route with a tape attached to the floor, and detect the relative position of the tape and the vehicle using a photoelectric detection device mounted on the vehicle. A photoelectric induction method is used to control the moving direction of the vehicle according to the detection results.

That is, as shown in FIG.
The travel route is set. The moving body 11 is equipped with the illustrated devices such as a lamp 3 and photodetectors 4L and 4R. The light emitted from the lamp 3 is reflected by the tape 2 and enters the left and right photodetectors 4L and the shaft, where the light is photoelectrically converted and a trivial electric signal is sent to the left and right amplifiers SL1! : Input SRK. These input electrical signals are incident on each detector to determine the intensity of the light travel, ie, the distance X between each detector and the tape 2 as shown in the second diagram.

It corresponds to y. The deviation detector 6 receives the outputs of the amplifiers 5L and 5L and detects the level difference therebetween. The motor control circuit 7 controls the operation of the left and right wheel drive motors 8L and 81 according to the nine level difference output from the deviation detector 6.

For example, if the amount of light received by the left photodetector 4L is larger than that of the right photodetector, it means that x<y in FIG. The operation of wheel drive motors 8L and 8R is controlled so as to lower it than that of !. =) can be brought close to the state of r. The stop position detection circuit 9 detects, for example, that the outputs of the amplifiers 5L and 5R are both below a certain value (
The end of the tape is detected and a stop signal is sent to the motor control circuit 7.
Output to.

In addition, as a more sophisticated method, wires are buried in the floor along a predetermined travel route, low-frequency current is passed through them, and the strength of the electromagnetic induction is detected by a receiver mounted on the vehicle. Electromagnetic induction methods have also been adopted that use low-frequency currents to control movement or direction changes.

However, the photoelectric guidance method has a drawback in that it is difficult to set a complicated movement route with branching branches. In other words, if a branch is to be provided in the moving route, the moving vehicle must be equipped with a memory circuit that stores control information related to the moving operation, or a device that detects some information indicating the history of the moving vehicle, such as the distance traveled, in addition to the photoelectric detection device. The device must be installed, making the device complicated. In this case, there is also the problem that detection errors such as the travel distance are accumulated in proportion to the travel distance of the moving vehicle, or that the detection accuracy deteriorates over time.

Furthermore, in the electromagnetic induction method, it is necessary to bury wires in order to set and secure the movement route, which increases construction costs and increases the cost of the system. Furthermore, when changing the route, the wire must be re-buried, resulting in a lack of flexibility.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks.
The purpose is to provide a mobile object control system that is inexpensive, highly accurate, and capable of changing movement routes and control operations.

The details of the present invention will be explained below using examples.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. Elements in this figure labeled with the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1 are the same elements as already explained with respect to FIG. 1, and therefore do not require a detailed explanation.

In the present embodiment, a tape 1 on which signs are drawn to display information for controlling the movement of the moving body 11 at appropriate locations on the floor l along the tape 2 specifying the movement route.
2 is attached. This sign consists of appropriate letters, symbols, figures, or an appropriate combination of these, and tells the moving object 11 to turn left, turn right, slow down, or temporarily stop.

Provides movement control information such as retreat.

The mark drawn on the tape is read by the image sensor 14 through the lens 13. This image sensor 14 is a conventional device with 6D photoelectric conversion elements arranged one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally, and the number of arranged elements is determined as appropriate depending on the complexity and resolution of the label to be read. A value is selected. Although a configuration may be adopted in which the image sensor 14 scans the sign while the moving object is running, a unique scanning function may be provided that enables scanning while moving slowly or in a stopped state. The output from the image sensor 14 is binarized by a binarization circuit and supplied to a pattern recognition device 16 .

The pattern recognition device 16 is composed of a conventional and appropriate device, for example, reads the binarized signal into a two-dimensionally arranged shift register and performs thinning processing. Compare it with the memorized sign. When the content of the nine marks read by the image sensor 14 is detected by matching, a corresponding motor control signal is supplied to the motor control circuit 7. The motor control circuit 7 controls the wheel drive motors 8L and 8F according to the supplied control signals. As a result, the moving object 11 performs the action specified by the sign, such as turning left or slowing down.

The above-mentioned correspondence between the 9 signs and the control actions is such that when the number "3#" is read, when the number is 9, slow down, when the number "1" is read, when the number is 9, turn left, and so on.
A configuration in which K is associated may be used. Alternatively, control operations to be performed at each position on the moving route may be stored in advance in a memory circuit mounted on the moving body, and a sign may be used to indicate the current position of the moving body on the route. You can also do that.

In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the moving route is set using the photoelectric induction method has been described, but it may also be configured to use the electromagnetic induction method.

In addition, we explained a configuration in which the signs to be read are drawn on tape attached to the floor, but to prevent stains, it is necessary to draw the signs on the wall.

A configuration may also be adopted in which signs are placed at appropriate locations along the moving route, such as pillars, and the image sensor 14 is installed on the side of the moving body. In either case, by changing the content of the sign, it is possible to change the travel route or movement extremely easily.

As explained in detail above, the present invention is configured to optically read nine signs installed along a predetermined movement route to perform pattern recognition, and perform pre-added nine movement movements according to the recognition results. From, cheap.

It has the advantage of being highly accurate and also being able to easily change the movement route and various control operations.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are a ninth block diagram and a plan view for explaining the conventional photoelectric induction system, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the present invention in detail. l... Floor surface, 2... Tape for setting moving route, 3...
・Lamp, 4L, 4B...Photodetector, SL+5R...
- Amplifier, 6... Deviation detector, 7... Motor control circuit, 8L, 8R... Wheel drive motor, 11... Moving object, 12... Tape with a sign drawn on it, 14... - Image sensor, 15... Binarization circuit, 16... Pattern recognition device. Patent Applicant Sumitomo Electric Industries Co., Ltd. Patent Attorney Hisashi Tamamushi Department Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] A moving object control system including a guiding device that moves a moving object along a predetermined route, an optical reading device that places a mark along the route and optically reads the mark on the moving object; 9. A mobile object control system comprising: a pattern recognition device that recognizes a sign read by the user; and a control device that controls a predetermined moving operation of the mobile object in accordance with the content of the recognized sign.