JPS5886605A - Scanning method for light beam for guiding and controlling ground moving body - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow a ground moving body to not only a main line, but also plural by-passes, and to form the by-passes at lower cost by obtaining scans of a laser beam through a single laser beam generator. CONSTITUTION:A laser beam reflected by the main-line scanning reflector 61 of a reflector body 60 is scanned through the rotation of the reflector 61 to draw a main line L1 on a floor surface 66 as shown in the figure. The center of the rotating shaft of the reflector body 60 is at right angle to the beam LB, so said main line L1 on the floor surface 66 is linear. Further, the beam LB is also scanned by the by-pass scanning reflector 62 through the rotation of the main body 60. The reflector 62 has a prescribed angle theta of inclination to the rotating shaft 64, so the beam LB scanned through the rotation of the reflector 62 draws a curved by-pass L2 on the floor surface 66. The distance between the by-pass L2 and main line L1 depends upon the angle theta of inclination of the reflector 62.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for scanning a light beam for guiding and controlling a ground moving object such as an automatic guided vehicle.

The inventor of the present invention has been researching a method of bringing the above-mentioned ground moving object by using a light beam for some time, and regarding the completion of the research, "A device for generating a steering signal for a moving object" (special offense introduction 55-141306) As a patent, I made a patent.

Since the present invention is a further improvement of the above-mentioned invention, in order to better understand the present invention, before explaining the present invention, a summary of the invention that impedes the above-mentioned application will be explained.

That is, FIGS. 1 to 4 are principle diagrams for explaining the guiding means for a ground moving body that is common to the prior art and the present invention. In the figure, ground moving object 1 or route 2 to travel
A laser beam generator 3 is provided at a fixed position above. This laser beam generator [t3 is a ground moving object (e.g., an automatic guided vehicle) for improving the route (e.g., a road) 2.
A laser beam with a sharp interdigital pattern is scanned in the direction along the path to be moved. That is, as shown in Figure $3, the laser beam generator sequentially emits the laser beam LB in the direction along the route on the road 2 and in the direction in which the ground mobile object 1 is traveling. scan.

On the other hand, a detection means 4 for detecting the laser beam LB is provided on the ground moving body 1. This detection means 4 detects the laser beam LB, and based on this detection output, generates a steering signal necessary for the ground vehicle 1 to move on the path scanned by the laser beam LB. A steering device included in the ground vehicle 1 is controlled based on this steering signal,
Thereby, the ground moving object 1 moves on the path scanned by the laser beam LB.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ground moving body 1 is provided with a detection means 4 for detecting the laser beam LB.

FIG. 4 shows a block diagram for explaining this detection means. In other words, this detection means includes, for example, two detectors 41 arranged in a direction crossing the route,
42 included. For example, the detector 41 is provided on the right side of the ground vehicle 1, and the detector 42 is provided on the left side. The detection outputs of these detectors 41 and 42 are transmitted to amplifier circuits 51 and 52.
The signal is amplified by f+ and applied to a discriminating circuit 6 as a discriminating means. The determination circuit 6 generates a signal indicating whether the ground mobile object 1 should be steered to the left or right based on the detection output of the detector 41.42 amplified by the amplifier circuit 51.52. occurs. That is, for example, if the right detector 41 detects the laser beam LH, it will generate a signal to steer to the right, and the left detector 42 will generate a signal to steer the vehicle to the right.
If it detects this, it will generate a signal to steer to the left. Also,
If it is determined that the laser beam LB is detected at the boundary of the detector 4L42, no steering signal is generated.

Therefore, the output signal of this discrimination circuit 6 is
is given to the steering device 11 included in the. The steering device 11 steers the ground moving body 1 to the left or to the right based on the discrimination output of the discrimination circuit 6.

In other words, the conventional technology can be summarized as follows: A laser beam generating device generates a laser beam having a sharp directivity in the direction along the route along which the mobile body should travel from an arbitrary fixed position near the route on which the mobile body should travel. is scanned and converted into a steering signal necessary for moving on the route by a detection means installed on the moving object, and the ground moving object is steered. However, in the conventional laser beam scanning method, A single laser beam generator provides a single path for the ground vehicle.

On the other hand, if there are multiple ground moving objects and they take the same route (
(hereinafter referred to as the "main line"), when 1
When a ground vehicle stops on the main line, for example, to load or unload cargo, the route is called a bypass, and the end of the vehicle stops on the main line.
However, it is required separately from the main line.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a main line and a bypass of a ground moving body.

In the figure, 55 is a main line, 57 is a bypass, and 57 is a ground moving body.

However, if a bypass is to be provided using the conventional laser beam scanning method, a laser beam generating device is required for each bypass, which means that a large amount of cost is required to provide the bypass.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems,
To provide a laser beam scanning method capable of obtaining a plurality of bypasses in addition to the main route of a ground mobile object by obtaining a plurality of laser beam scans using a single laser beam generator. With the goal.

The laser beam scanning method according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the "method of the present invention") will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the method of the present invention.

In the same figure, 60 is a reflector body, and a main line scanning reflector 61 is fixedly attached to the main body mark of the reflector 1 in parallel with the rotation axis 64, and a predetermined position is attached to the target rotation axis. The attachment of the bypass eclipsing reflector 62 having an inclination angle of 0 is fixed. The reflector body ω is the motor 6
I+ at constant speed due to 3? 1 turn is carried out.

On the other hand, the master is a known laser beam generating device, and the laser beam generating device 65 is the reflecting mirror main body 6 which is rotated once.
0 is irradiated with a highly directional laser beam LB.

As a result, the laser beam LB reflected by the main line scanning reflector 61 of the reflector body (a) is scanned based on the rotation of the main line scanning reflector 61, and the laser beam LB is scanned between the floor surfaces as shown in the figure. Draw the main line Ll.

Here, since the center of the rotation axis of the reflecting mirror main body 60 is set to be perpendicular to the laser beam LB, the laser beam LB scanned by the main scanning reflecting mirror 61
The main line Ll drawn between the floors is straight.

On the other hand, the laser beam LB is also scanned by the bypass scanning reflecting mirror 62 due to the rotation of the reflecting mirror body ω. Since the bypass scanning reflector 62 is attached with a predetermined inclination angle of 0 with respect to the rotation axes, the laser beam LB scanned based on the rotation of the scanning reflector 62 can be moved between the floor surfaces. The route to be drawn is not a straight line, but a curved via Xlls L2. The distance between the bypass L2 and the main line L1 is determined by the bypass scanning reflector 6.
It is determined by the inclination angle 0 of 2.
According to the method of the present invention, the main line and the bypass are formed by obtaining a plurality of scans of the laser beam with the laser beam generating device of q'', -, so that it is not necessary to spend a large amount of money to provide the bypass. However, in the description of the embodiment of the method of the present invention, it is assumed that two reflecting mirrors are attached to the reflecting mirror main body ω, or it is assumed that three or more reflecting mirrors are attached. It may be something that can be done. By appropriately determining the inclination angle 0 of these reflecting mirrors with respect to the rotational axis, it is possible to create any number of bypasses.

Further, in the embodiment, the main line scanning reflecting mirror has been described as being provided parallel to the rotation axis, but it may be provided with a predetermined inclination angle of 0. In this case, the main line is not a curved line, but a curved line.

Further, the motor 63 does not need to rotate at a constant speed, and may rotate instead of rotating, and may swing like a beam or a pendulum.

Furthermore, in the embodiment, a laser beam is scanned to obtain the path of the ground vehicle; however, other light beams such as infrared or visible light may also be used to achieve a similar effect.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 4 are principle diagrams for explaining the guiding means for ground moving objects common to the prior art and the present invention, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the main line of the ground moving object and FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the method of the present invention. 60...Reflector main body, 61...Reflector for main line scanning,
62...Reflector for bypass scanning, 63...Motor 1
, 65... Laser beam generator. Patent applicant: Hitachi Kiden Kogyo Co., Ltd. Toshihiro Tsumura, patent attorney: Koji Onishi

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a method of scanning a light beam of a ground mobile object that receives and detects a light beam and travels while being guided, a rotating reflector body is placed at a predetermined distance from a single light beam generator, and the reflector body is A plurality of scans of the light beam are performed by irradiating the light beam from the light beam generator to a plurality of reflecting mirrors fixedly mounted at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the center of the rotation axis. A method for scanning a light beam for guiding and controlling a ground moving object, characterized by: