JPS61224009A - Automatic steering device of unmanned car - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to guide at high accuracy using simple constitution by detecting the size of magnetic fluxes of N pole and S pole coming from a guiding belt consisting of a beltlike magnet separately, and detecting deviation of an unmanned car from a guiding belt from the difference of the detected value. CONSTITUTION:A guiding belt 11 is laid on the road surface on which the unmanned car travels and constituted of a beltlike magnet both sides of which become continuous N pole or S pole. A magnetism detector 12 consists of a magnetism detecting element 12a and a deviation signal generating circuit 12b, and the element 12a detects the size of magnetic sluxes of N pole and S pole coming from the guiding belt 11 separately and outputs to the circuit 12b. The circuit 12b generates a deviation signal that indicates the amount of deviation of the unmanned car from the guiding belt 11 and sends the signal to a control device 13. The device 13 controls a steering gear 14 according to the deviation signal, and controls to make the center of the unmanned car coincide with the center of the guiding belt 11. By this constitution, one magnetism detecting element is enough for the purpose and constitution of the magnetism detector and control device become simple, and at the same time, highly accurate conducting becomes possible.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an automatic steering device for an unmanned vehicle that automatically guides the unmanned vehicle along a guide strip laid on a road surface on which the unmanned vehicle travels.

[Prior art]

Various methods have been used to automatically guide unmanned vehicles. Among these, in recent years, a method has been developed in which a magnetic guide strip is laid on the road surface on which an unmanned vehicle travels and the unmanned vehicle is guided along the guide strip.

The above technique is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 59-202514. Figures 2 and 3 are diagrams showing the guidance system for an unmanned trolley as described in the document. Figure 2 is a plan view showing the trolley and the guide band, and Figure 3 is the relationship between the guide band and the magnetic detection sensor. As shown in Figure 6, a magnetic guide strip 1 is laid on the road surface of the unmanned truck, and magnetic sensors 3, 3' are placed on the front and rear ends of the lower surface of the unmanned truck 2.
The unmanned truck is guided along the guide zone 1 by detecting the magnetism from the guide zone 1 with the magnetic sections 3 and 3'.

The magnetic sensors 3, 3' are composed of a large number of magnetic detection elements 4, and each magnetic detection element 4 is located at a height position that responds to the strength of the magnetic field 5 of the induction band 1 having a constant magnetic force, and at a position close to the trolley 2. They are allowed to be arranged at a predetermined pitch in the left and right direction. For example, if the truck 2 shifts to the right side while traveling, the plurality of magnetic detection elements 4 located to the left of the center of the magnetic sensor 3 will detect the magnetism of the guide band 1. Now, magnetic sensor 3
The distance from the center to the n8th magnetic sensing element 4 sensing magnetism is llx, and the distance from the center to the n2nd magnetic sensing element 4 is 1. Then, the 1++It distance JlIL from the center of the magnetic sensor 3 to the center line of the guide band 1 is expressed as L-□, and this distance is the amount of deviation from the guide band 1. The control device automatically guides the unmanned cart so that the amount of deviation becomes zero.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, since the guidance system for an unmanned vehicle having the above configuration uses a large number of magnetic detection elements 4 to constitute the magnetic sensors 3, 3', the cost of the magnetic detector 11 increases, and the distance between the magnetic detection elements 4 is The drawback was that it was not possible to make subtle adjustments.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and provides an automatic steering system for an unmanned vehicle that uses a magnetic sensor at a low cost, can accurately respond to slight / h slippage from an inductor, and guides the vehicle with high precision. The goal is to provide equipment.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention lays a guide strip made of band-shaped magnets with continuous N or S poles on both sides on the road surface on which an unmanned vehicle runs, and also provides a guide strip for the unmanned vehicle from the guide strip. A magnetic detector that separately detects the magnetism of the north pole or south pole of the vehicle and detects the deviation of the unmanned vehicle from the guide zone based on the difference between the detected values, and the output from the magnetic detector controls the steering system of the unmanned vehicle. An automatic steering system for an unmanned vehicle is constructed by providing a control device that controls the deviation to zero.

[Effect]

With the above configuration, the magnetic detector separately detects the magnitude of the N-pole or S-pole magnetic flux from the inductive band, and detects the deviation of the unmanned vehicle from the inductive band based on the difference between the detected values. ,
Since the steering system of the unmanned vehicle is controlled so that the deviation becomes zero, it is possible to accurately respond to even the slightest deviation from the guidance zone and to provide highly accurate guidance.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an automatic steering device for an unmanned vehicle according to the present invention. The automatic steering device includes a guide band 11, a magnetic detector 12 that detects deviation of the unmanned vehicle from the guide band 11, a control device 13, a steering device 14, a potentiometer 15, and a tacho generator 16. .

The guide strip 11 is completely laid down on the road surface on which the unmanned vehicle is running, and is made of a strip-shaped magnet whose both sides have continuous north or south poles, as shown in FIG. In addition, since the magnetic body constituting the guide band 11 is laid along the guide route of the unmanned vehicle, a flexible magnet such as a rubber magnet is used.

The magnetic detector 12 includes a magnetic detection element 1 as will be described in detail later.
2a and a deviation signal generating circuit 12b. The magnetic detection element 12a separately detects the magnitude of the N-pole and S-pole magnetic fluxes emitted from the induction band 11 and outputs them to the deviation signal generation circuit 12b. The deviation signal generation circuit 12b generates a deviation signal indicating how much the unmanned vehicle is deviated from the guide band 11 based on the magnitude of the N-pole and S-pole magnetic fluxes detected by the magnetic detection element 12a, and calculates the deviation. A signal is sent to the control device 13. The control device 13 controls the steering device 14 using the deviation signal so that the center of the unmanned vehicle is aligned with the center of the guide zone 11. The steering device 14 includes a steering motor 14b and a motor drive device 14a that drives the steering motor 14b. Steering motor 1
The amount of steering 4b can be detected by a potentiometer 15 and fed back to the control device 13. The tachogenerator 16 is for preventing over-rotation of the steering motor 14b, and is not necessarily necessary.

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of the magnetic detector 12. In the same figure, F is a magnetic core, and the magnetic core F has a coil LL.
, L2 are wound, the coil Ll and the fill L2
A high frequency (fkm, 7kHz) current is passed from the oscillation circuit O8 through the resistors R1 and R2, respectively. The winding direction of the fill L1 and the fill L2 is the coil Ll, L
Make sure that the magnetic fluxes emitted from 2 are in the same direction. A high-frequency current flows from the oscillation circuit O5 to the coils Ll and L2, generating magnetic flux, and a voltage proportional to the magnetic flux is applied to the coils LL and L2.
Occurs in L2. The voltage is sent to the deviation signal generation circuit 12b through the diodes D1 and D2, and the deviation signal generation circuit 12b detects the deviation of the unmanned vehicle from the induction band 11 (actually, the deviation of the magnetic detection element 12a from the induction band 11). do.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the output of the deviation signal generation circuit 12b.
As shown in FIG. 6, the induction band 11 of the magnetic detection element 12a
When the deviation toward the N pole side is assumed to be "-" and the deviation toward the S pole side is assumed to be "+", the change in the deviation signal value I becomes as shown in FIG. That is, when the center of the magnetic sensing element 12a and the center of the inductive band 11 coincide, the deviation signal value I is zero, and when the magnetic sensing element 12a shifts to the S pole side of the inductive band 11, the deviation signal value I becomes positive. increases in proportion to the amount of deviation. On the other hand, when there is a shift toward the N pole side, the deviation signal value I increases in the negative direction in proportion to the amount of shift.

In the automatic steering system for an unmanned vehicle having the above configuration, when the unmanned vehicle travels along the guide zone 11 using a traveling device (not shown),
The magnetic detection element 12a detects the voltage generated by the magnetic flux from the induction band 11 separately for the N pole and the S pole, and sends it to the deviation signal generation circuit 12b. In the deviation signal generation circuit 12b,
The deviation signal value I is detected according to the principle explained above, and the deviation signal value ■ is sent to the control device 13. The control device 13 controls a motor drive device 14a based on the deviation signal value to start and control the steering motor 14b. Steering motor 1
The amount of steering by 4b is detected by potentiometer 15 and fed back to control device 13.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the guidance belt 11 stretched out along the running route of the unmanned vehicle on the running floor surface. After the belt 11 is completely laid, a hood plate 18 made of a magnetic material for route switching is provided at a predetermined position on the travel route. As shown in FIG. 9, the unmanned vehicle has the traveling route La,
Lb.

2 corresponding to the traveling routes Lc, Ld, and the traveling routes Lb, Ld.
magnetic detectors 12-1, 12-2 and one switching sensor 19 are provided. Now, the unmanned vehicle is traveling on the traveling route Lc while detecting the magnetism from the guide band 11 with the magnetic detector 12-1, and when it reaches the switching point CH, the sensor 19
reads the code on the code board 18 and switches, for example, the magnetic detector 12-1 to the magnetic detector 12-2 based on the hood information, and the unmanned vehicle switches from the traveling route Lc to Ld and travels along the traveling route Ld. This applies to other travel routes La, Lb and travel route La.

The same can be done for Lc as well.

As explained above, according to the above embodiment, the magnetic detector 1
2, detect the strength of the N-pole and S-pole magnetic fluxes from the guide band 11, detect the deviation of the unmanned vehicle from the guide band 11 from the difference between the detected values, and make the deviation zero. The control device 13 controls the steering device 14 to move the unmanned vehicle to the guide zone 11.
Since the magnetic sensor is guided to run along the magnetic field, the price of the magnetic sensor can be reduced, unlike the conventional method of detecting the magnetism emitted from the induction band using a magnetic sensor composed of multiple magnetic detection elements. Along with unmanned vehicle guidance zone 11
Since it operates with high precision even when there is a slight deviation from the position, the unmanned vehicle will no longer meander.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, an induction zone is provided on the road surface on which an unmanned vehicle runs, and is made up of strip-shaped magnets with continuous N or S poles on both sides. The N-pole and S-pole magnetic fluxes from the guide band 11 are separately detected, the deviation of the unmanned vehicle from the guide band is detected from the difference between the detected values, and the unmanned vehicle is guided so that the deviation becomes zero. Therefore, it is possible to accurately guide an unmanned vehicle along the guidance zone, and since only one aether detection element is required to constitute the magnetic detector, the configuration of the magnetic detector and the control device that processes its output is simple and inexpensive. Excellent effects such as low cost can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an automatic steering device according to the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 3 are diagrams showing a schematic configuration of a conventional automatic steering device, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an automatic steering device according to the present invention. A circuit diagram showing the configuration of the magnetic detection element, Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the output of the magnetic detector, Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the magnetic detection element and the induction band, and Fig. 7 shows the shape of the induction band. A partial perspective view, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the travel route of an unmanned vehicle, and FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the relationship between the guide belt, magnetic detector, etc. In the figure, 11... Induction band, 12... Magnetic detector, 13
...Control device, 14... Steering device, 15... Potentiometer, 16... Tacho generator, La, L
b. Lc, Ld... Travel route, 18... Code board, 19
...Sensor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A guide strip consisting of a band-shaped magnet with continuous north or south poles on both sides is laid on the road surface on which the unmanned vehicle runs, and the strength of the magnetic flux of the north or south pole from the guide strip is set on the unmanned vehicle. a magnetic detector that separately detects and detects a deviation of the unmanned vehicle from the guide zone from the difference between the detected values; and a magnetic detector that receives the output from the magnetic detector and controls a steering device of the unmanned vehicle to eliminate the deviation. An automatic steering device for an unmanned vehicle, characterized in that it is provided with a control device for controlling the vehicle.