JPS63163607A - Traveling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily recognize its own position and direction, by providing a pair of parallel conductors on a floor or a spatial plane with contact height and also a magnetic field detecting means on a traveling device, performing arithmetic calculation according to its detecting output by an arithmetic means, and measuring its own position, attitude, and advancing direction from time to time. CONSTITUTION:When the traveling device 10 is moved directing its attitude in a direction of arrow head A within a plane sandwiched by a pair of parallel conductors 14, the magnetic field detecting means 18c and 18d provided on the traveling device 14 output output voltages Vc1, Vc2, Vd1, and Vd2 by permitting currents i1 and i2 time-divisionally by a current supplying means 16, and input signals to the arithmetic means 22. The arithmetic means 22, by calculating orthogonal positions Xc and Xd from the parallel conductors 14a of two magnetic field detecting means 18 and 20 from those input signals, discriminates the advancing direction including the position and the attitude of the traveling device 22.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION The present invention relates to a mobile device that moves in a pathless space while knowing its position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In recent years, there has been a growing demand for mobile devices that can be moved freely without routes for cleaning indoor floors, service work in hotels, restaurants, and the like. One of the important techniques for this type of mobile device is that it is required to accurately know its own position and direction.

Various position and direction measurement techniques have been proposed in the past.

One typical example is one that uses a rate gyro to measure changes in direction from time to time, measures the distance traveled from time to time with a tachometer attached to the car, and calculates it using a microcomputer.
For example, "Measurement and Control" Vo121 Na1 p,
723 to 730, etc.) The other method uses patterns around the route, such as walls, and the shape pattern of the wall is measured and characterized using an ultrasonic sensor from a moving object, a laser beam distance measurement sensor, etc. It stores data in memory and attempts to determine its location and orientation.

(For example, Journal of the 1st Academic Conference of the Robotics Society of Japan, p. 1
99-202, etc.) Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the former of the above proposals, the absolute error of the sensor,
There are many unsatisfactory points such as cumulative error processing being troublesome and sensor cost being high.

In addition, in the latter case, when the pattern on a wall etc. is cut off or does not exist from the beginning, it becomes blind, the sensor data is complex, it is troublesome to characterize it, and data processing takes time, so it is not sufficient. It's hard to say.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the moving device of the present invention uses a pair of parallel conducting wires provided on the floor or a spatial plane at a certain height, and a current flowing through the pair of parallel conducting wires. A magnetic field detection means for detecting the generated magnetic field, a current supply means for time-divisionally passing current through the pair of parallel conducting wires, and a detection output of the magnetic field detecting means perpendicular to four parallel wires in a plane sandwiched by the parallel conducting wires. It is equipped with a calculation means for knowing the absolute position in the direction.

Further, the pair of parallel conducting wires are provided to intersect in the X direction and the Y direction, so that the X and Y positions within the plane surrounded by the two pairs of parallel conducting wires can be determined.

Furthermore, by providing at least two magnetic field detection means in a plane with a predetermined span, the position and direction of movement of the moving device can be determined.

Function: As described above, in the present invention, the absolute position in the direction perpendicular to the parallel conducting wires within a plane sandwiched between the parallel conducting wires can be determined using a relatively simple configuration. Therefore, when the moving device moves along the parallel conductors, there is no absolute error or cumulative error caused by conventional sensors, or there is no blindness even if there is no pattern such as a wall surface or even if it is cut off. You can know the location without becoming a target.

Furthermore, as described above, if this principle is developed and a pair of parallel conducting wires are provided intersecting in the X and Y directions, the X and Y positions within the plane surrounded by the two pairs of parallel conducting wires can be similarly determined. can.

Furthermore, the position and direction of movement can be easily determined by the two magnetic field detection means.

Embodiment Hereinafter, a moving device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a moving device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, which is particularly capable of moving along a one-dimensionally long floor surface with a constant width, such as a hallway, without using a route.

That is, 10 is a wheel 1 with a suitable drive means (not shown).
This is a moving device that can move freely in any direction by driving 2.

14a and 14b are a pair of parallel conducting wires having a width D,
For example, they are installed along both corners of a hallway. 1
6 time-divisionally applies currents i, , i to the pair of parallel conducting wires 14.
2) to the carrier wave of the high frequency AC signal using the current supply means that supplies 1). 12 is carried by amplitude modulation. Reference numerals 18c and 18d denote magnetic field detection means consisting of a coil integrally provided with the moving device and having a predetermined span G.
The magnetic field generated around the conductor wire is inductively detected when electric current fit,,+2 flows through it, and Vc,,Vc2°Vd,,V
The output signal is taken out as a voltage d2. 22 uses the output voltages Vc, Vc2°Vd, Vd2 of the magnetic field detection means 18c and 18d as input signals,
Parallel conduction of the magnetic field detection means 18c and 18d! Absolute position Xc, X from one parallel conducting wire 14a in the direction perpendicular to 14
This is a calculation means designed to calculate d.

The above absolute position Xc can be determined from the following relational expression. Xd is found in the same way.

In the above configuration, when the moving device 10 shown in FIG. 1 moves in the direction of the arrow A within a plane sandwiched between the pair of parallel conducting wires 14, the current supply means 16 supplies the current jl, When F is applied, the magnetic field detection means 18c and 18d provided in the moving device 14 output voltages Vc, Vc2, ., Vc2, . Vd,
, Vd2, and manually input No. 13 to the calculation means 22.

From these input signals, the calculation means 22 calculates the perpendicular positions Xc, .
By immediately calculating Xd, the traveling direction including the position and attitude of the moving device 22 can be determined.

FIG. 2 shows a moving device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and is particularly a moving device that moves along a two-dimensional square floor plane such as an office, a hotel reception, a restaurant, etc. without a path.

That is, 10 is the same mobile device as shown in the first embodiment. 24 is a pair of parallel conducting wires having a width of Dl; 26
are a pair of parallel conducting wires having a width of D2, and 24 and 26 are provided to intersect in the X direction and the Y direction. Therefore, the moving device 10 is located in a plane surrounded by the two pairs of parallel conducting wires 24, 26, XD2.

28 alternately applies a time-shared current +1.12 . F, 14 to the carrier wave of the high frequency alternating current signal by the current supply means. .

i,,t,,14 is applied by amplitude modulation.

In the above configuration, when the moving device lO shown in FIG.
At first, if a current il, +2 is applied in a time-sharing manner to a pair of parallel conducting wires 24 in the X direction, and then a current f3°i4 is applied in a time-sharing manner to a pair of parallel conducting wires 26 in a Y direction, the moving device 1
The magnetic field detection means 18c and 18d provided at 0 have an output voltage V c .

Vc, Vd, Vd2, Vc, Vc,.

2 l 1 Vd, , Vd4 are output, and the signals are input to the calculation means 22. The calculation means 22 calculates (1) from these input signals.
), the perpendicular positions Xc and Xd of the two magnetic field detection means 18c and 18d from the parallel conducting wire 24a in the X direction and the perpendicular positions Yc and Yd from the parallel conducting wire 26a in the Y direction are immediately calculated.

That is, it is possible to determine the traveling direction including the X and Y positions and posture of the moving device 10 located within a plane surrounded by two pairs of parallel conducting wires.

If the movement position coordinates are input in advance in the mobile device of the present invention as described above, the mobile device can determine its own position,
It allows you to move while measuring your posture and direction of travel.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention provides a pair of parallel conductive wires on a floor surface or a spatial plane at a certain height, provides a magnetic field detection means with a simple configuration in a moving device, and calculates the detected output by a calculation means. It calculates its own position, attitude, and direction of travel from moment to moment. Therefore, it does not suffer from cumulative sensor errors as in the past, and can move freely without a route even if there are no patterns such as walls around the route. The pair of parallel conducting wires may be provided at a position outside the plane in which the moving device wants to move, that is, at a corner of a hallway or a corner of a floor, and there is no practical problem.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a one-dimensional moving device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an external view of a two-dimensional moving device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 10...Moving device, 14...Pair of parallel conducting wires, 16...Current supply means, 18c, 18
d...Magnetic field detection means, 22...Calculation means, 24...Pair of parallel conducting wires (X direction), 26
・・・・・・Pair of parallel conductors ``gA (Y direction), 2°8・
... Current supply means. Agent's name: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao 1 person 10-1 seconds! Chrysanthemum Kidney Noko---Ichitago's Dried Moxibustion Diagram 2

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A moving device that can move freely within a plane sandwiched between a pair of parallel conductive wires installed on the floor or a spatial plane at a certain height, and that generates a magnetic field generated by the current flowing through the pair of parallel conductive wires. A magnetic field detection means for detecting, a current supply means for time-divisionally passing a current through the pair of parallel conductors, and an absolute position in a direction perpendicular to the parallel conductors in a plane sandwiched by the parallel conductors from the detection output of the magnetic field detection means. A mobile device characterized in that it has a calculation means for knowing the. (2) A pair of parallel conductors are provided to cross in the X and Y directions, and a current is applied to the pair of parallel conductors in a time-sharing manner alternately in the X and Y directions to form a plane surrounded by the two pairs of parallel conductors. The moving device according to claim 1, wherein the moving device is configured to know the X and Y positions within the vehicle. (3) The moving device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least two magnetic field detection means are provided in a plane with a predetermined span so that the position and direction of movement can be determined. .