TWM539971U - Automatic following apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

This creation discloses an automatic following apparatus which is used to solve a problem of the conventional apparatus easy to collide with humans. The automatic following apparatus comprises a carrying-control module and a carrying platform. The carrying-control module has a short-distance paired communication unit and a gyroscope electrically connected with the short-distance paired communication unit. The carrying platform has a short-distance paired communication unit, a gyroscope, an actuating module and a control unit, with the two short-distance paired communication units coupled each other, the control unit electrically connected to the short-distance paired communication unit, the gyroscope and the actuating module of the carrying platform. The control unit generates a forward direction based on signals outputted from the two gyroscopes, generates a moving vector based on the forward direction and a signal intensity coupled by the two short-distance paired communication units, and outputs a driving signal to the actuating module based on the moving vector. Thus, it can resolve said problem.

Description

Automatic tracking device

The present invention relates to an automatic mobile device, and more particularly to an automatic following device that can automatically follow an electronic module.

With the rapid development of sensing and control technology, different types of automatic devices have been developed, such as various types of robots or automatic mobile devices, to meet the needs of home or business services.

Take the lever robot in the automatic vehicle as an example. Because during the golf course, different clubs need to hit the ball into different holes, the unused ball must be loaded into the pole bag, and the golfer should manually carry it. Or driving a golf cart, but the labor costs are increasing, and it is not easy to find the right person to serve as a younger brother for a long time, so gradually develop a robot that can automatically walk.

However, although the learned robots can automatically travel, but there is no anti-collision mechanism during the journey, the body of the robot is easy to collide with the player and cause injury, and the robot has no matching mechanism, if the body around the fuselage If there are obstacles or other personnel, it is easy to cause misjudgment and go in the wrong direction.

In view of this, it is necessary to improve the shortcomings of the above prior art to meet the actual needs and improve its safety and practicability.

This creation provides an automatic follow-up device with anti-collision and pairing functions.

The present invention discloses an automatic following device, which can include: a carrying control module, a short-distance pairing communication unit and a gyroscope, the gyroscope electrically connecting the short-distance pairing communication unit; And a loading station, comprising a short-distance pairing communication unit, a gyroscope, an actuating module and a control unit, wherein the two short-distance pairing communication units are coupled to each other, and the control unit is electrically connected to the short-distance pairing communication of the stage a unit, a gyroscope and an actuation module, the control unit generates a traveling direction according to the signal output by the two gyroscopes, and generates a motion vector according to the traveling direction and the signal strength of the two short-distance pairing communication units coupled to each other, according to The motion vector outputs a driving signal to the actuation module, and the actuation module drives the carrier to follow the movement of the carrier module according to the driving signal, so that the distance between the carrier module and the carrier is between Anti-collision range.

The control unit may be electrically connected to the plurality of ultrasonic transceivers; the plurality of ultrasonic transceivers may include a ranging ultrasonic transceiver and at least one anti-collision ultrasonic transceiver, and the control unit may be according to the traveling direction, The signal strength and the time difference between the transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves of the ranging ultrasonic transceiver generate the motion vector; the ranging ultrasonic transceiver is disposed on the stage for facing one side of the carrying module; the control The unit can be electrically connected to an alarm unit; the short-distance pairing communication unit can be a Bluetooth communication module; the control unit can be a microcontroller, a digital signal processor or an embedded system; The set may be provided with a plurality of motors and a plurality of rollers, the plurality of rollers being pivotally connected to the plurality of motors, each of the motors being electrically connectable to the control unit; the gyroscope may be an electronic compass or a gyroscope; The control module can be a smart phone or a smart electronic wear module; the carrier can have a casing, which can be a car body or a box.

The carrying control module of the automatic tracking device is provided for the person to carry around, so that the loading platform automatically follows the movement of the carrying control module, so that the distance between the carrying control module and the carrying platform is between the collision avoidance range, wherein The two short-distance pairing communication units are used to communicate with each other between the stage and the control module. The short-distance pairing communication units that are not paired can not communicate with each other, so that the correctness of the communication object can be ensured. "Following specific personnel", "avoiding injuries to people" and "automatically controlling follow-up distance" can improve problems such as "crashing people" and "following people" in the robots of the younger brothers. The vehicle with automatic follow-up function effectively assists the personnel to reduce the burden on travel and create convenience in life.

1‧‧‧Carrying module

11‧‧‧Short-pair communication unit

12‧‧‧Gyt

2‧‧‧ stage

21‧‧‧Short-pair communication unit

22‧‧‧Gyt

23‧‧‧Activity Module

24‧‧‧Control unit

25‧‧‧ Ultrasonic Transceiver

25a‧‧‧Ranging Ultrasonic Transceiver

25b‧‧‧Anti-collision ultrasonic transceiver

26‧‧‧Alarm unit

27‧‧‧Shell

D‧‧‧direction of travel

Figure 1 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of the present automatic tracking device.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view showing the mounting position of the ultrasonic transceiver and the housing of the embodiment of the automatic tracking device of the present invention.

In order to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more comprehensible, the embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. For example, "before", "after", "left", "right", "upper (top)", "lower", "inside", "outside", "side", etc., mainly refer to additional drawings The directions and directional terms are only used to assist in the description and understanding of the various embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

The "coupled connection" as used in the context of the present invention refers to the communication between two devices via a conductive medium electrical connection or wireless communication technology, but not limited thereto, which is a common knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs. Can understand.

Please refer to FIG. 1 , which is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of the present automatic tracking device. The automatic tracking device can include a carrying module 1 and a loading platform 2, which can be carried by a person (such as a player or a blind person), and the carrying module 1 and the carrying platform 2 can be coupled to each other, the stage 2 can follow the movement of the carrying module 1 , and the distance between the carrying module 1 and the stage 2 can be between a collision avoidance range. The following is an example of the implementation of the embodiment of the automatic following device, but is not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, the control module 1 can be a device with short-range pairing communication and spatial feature sensing functions, such as a smart phone or a smart electronic wearable module (such as smart The hand-held control module 1 can be conveniently carried by a person, and the carrier 2 can follow the movement of the person in charge of the control module 1. The control module 1 can be provided with a short The short-distance pairing communication unit 11 can be a communication device with a short-distance pairing function, such as a Bluetooth communication module, for coupling with the pairing communication unit 11 and a gyroscope 12 (such as an electronic compass or a gyroscope). The gyro 12 can be an electronic component with an azimuth detection function, such as an electronic compass or a gyroscope, for detecting the spatial characteristics of the orientation of the control module 1, and the gyroscope 12 is electrically connected. The short-distance pairing communication unit 11 enables the short-distance pairing communication unit 11 to receive signals from the gyroscope 12, but is not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, the stage 2 can be provided with a short-distance pairing communication unit 21, a gyroscope 22, an actuating module 23 and a control unit 24, and the short-distance pairing communication unit 21 of the stage 2 The gyro 22 and the short-distance pairing communication unit 11 and the gyro 12 of the control module 1 can be electronic components having the same or similar functions, so that the two short-distance pairing communication units 11, 21 can be coupled to each other, so that the The short-distance pairing communication unit 21 can receive the signal from the short-distance pairing communication unit 11; in addition, the gyro 22 can be used to detect the spatial characteristics such as the orientation of the stage 2, and serve as a basis for correcting the direction of the stage 2 when moving. In addition, the actuation module 23 can cause the carrier 2 to move. For example, the actuation module 23 can be provided with a plurality of motors and a plurality of rollers, and the plurality of rollers can be pivotally connected to the plurality of motors. The control unit 24 can be electrically connected to the control unit 24 for moving the stage 2, but not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, the control unit 24 can be a module with signal generation and data processing functions, such as a microcontroller (MCU), a digital signal processor (DSP), or an embedded system (Embedded System). The control unit 24 is electrically connected to the short-distance pairing communication unit 21, the gyroscope 22 and the actuation module 23 of the stage 2, and the control unit 24 can execute a control logic (such as a software program or a hardware circuit). The control unit 24 can generate a traveling direction D according to the signal output by the two gyroscopes 12, 22 (as shown in FIG. 2), for example, the control unit 24 can perform pair communication according to the traveling direction D and the two short distances. The signal strength (RSSI) coupled to the units 11 and 21 generates a motion vector, and the signal strength between the two short-distance pairing communication units 11 and 21 can be used as a signal with a ranging function, and the second Gyro The signals output by 12 and 22 can be used as a basis for correcting the traveling direction D. For example, if the angle of the difference between the direction of the gyroscope 22 and the gyroscope 12 is represented by a two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate of +45 degrees (degree, °), the load The angle at which the table 2 needs to be turned is -45 degrees, and the other directions can be deduced by analogy.

The signal strength may be inversely related to the scalar (rate) of the motion vector. If the signal strength is stronger, the closer the carrier 2 is to the carrier module 1, the lower the scalar rate of the motion vector. In order to prevent the stage 2 from colliding with the person in which the control module 1 is located; conversely, if the intensity of the signal is weaker, the more distant the stage 2 is from the carrier module 1, the higher the amount of the motion vector can be ( Rate) to prevent the stage 2 from being detached from the person in which the control module 1 is located.

Therefore, the control unit 24 can output a driving signal to the actuation module 23 according to the motion vector, and the actuation module 23 can drive the carrier 2 to follow the carrier module 1 according to the driving signal. The distance between the control module 1 and the stage 2 is between the collision avoidance range, such as 2.5 to 3.5 meters, but not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, the control unit 24 can also be electrically connected to a plurality of ultrasonic transceivers 25 (such as a module combining an ultrasonic sensor and a transmitter) and an alarm unit 26 (such as a light scintillator or a buzzer or the like, as shown in FIG. 2, the ultrasonic transceiver 25 can be mounted on the stage 2 for facing one side of the control module 1 (such as the front side), and the plurality of ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received. The device 25 can include a ranging ultrasonic transceiver 25a and at least one anti-collision ultrasonic transceiver 25b. The ranging ultrasonic transceiver 25a can be disposed on the stage 2 for facing one side of the carrying module 1 (such as the horizontal centering position on the front side), using the time difference between the transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves as the signal with the auxiliary ranging function, for example, using the time difference and the signal strength of the two short-distance pairing communication units 11 and 21 coupled together The motion vector is generated to improve the accuracy of the distance estimation. The anti-collision ultrasonic transceiver 25b can be disposed at the left and right corners of the front side of the stage 2 or at other side positions, and the ultrasonic reflection after the transmission is used as The signal with anti-collision detection function can prevent the stage 2 from accidentally colliding with other people or objects.

Thereby, the control unit 24 can utilize the two short-distance pairing communication unit 11, 21 The signal strength of the mutual coupling or the ranging ultrasonic transceiver 25a knows the distance between the stage 2 and the person in front of it, and further determines whether the distance is too close. If the determination is YES, the control unit 24 can output a signal. Up to the alarm unit 26, the alarm unit 26 is caused to send a warning message, such as a special light or sound with a warning function, to remind the person to pay attention to safety.

In addition, the stage 2 can have a casing 27, which can be a car body or a box body. In this example, the casing 27 of the stage 2 can form a golf car body (as shown in FIG. 2). Show), but not limited to this.

Please refer to FIG. 2 , the embodiment of the automatic tracking device can be used as a lever robot, for example, the player can carry the carrying module 1 (such as a smart phone or a smart bracelet) with him or her. The stage 2 can form a golf cart profile, and the two short-distance pairing communication units 11 and 21 are coupled to each other for communication, so that the control unit 24 generates the traveling direction D according to the signal output by the two gyroscopes 12 and 22. (As shown in FIG. 2), the control unit 24 can measure the stage according to the traveling direction D and the signal strength of the two short-distance pairing communication units 11, 21 or the ranging ultrasonic transceiver 25a. 2, the distance from the person in front of it generates an appropriate motion vector, the control unit 24 can output the driving signal to the actuation module 23 according to the motion vector, and the actuation module 23 drives the stage 2 according to the driving signal. Following the movement of the control module 1 , the distance between the control module 1 and the stage 2 is between the collision avoidance range to assist the player to carry the player. By analogy, the automatic tracking device embodiment of the present invention can also be used to assist other people who follow the load (for example, blind people), but not limited thereto.

Therefore, the carrying control module of the above embodiment can be carried by a person, so that the carrying platform automatically follows the movement of the carrying control module, so that the distance between the carrying control module and the loading platform is between the collision avoidance range. The short-distance pairing communication unit that does not have a pairing relationship is not allowed to communicate with each other by using the two short-distance pairing communication units to communicate with each other between the stage and the control module, so that the correctness of the communication object can be ensured. Achieving the effects of "really following a specific person", "avoiding a person being injured" and "automatically controlling the following distance" can improve the "crashing" caused by the familiar robot Issues such as "personnel" and "following the wrong person" can be further extended to various types of vehicles with automatic follow-up functions, effectively assisting personnel to reduce burdens and create convenience in life.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention, and it is still within the spirit and scope of the present invention to make various changes and modifications to the above embodiments. The technical scope of protection, therefore, the scope of protection of this creation is subject to the definition of the scope of the patent application attached.

1‧‧‧Carrying module

11‧‧‧Short-pair communication unit

12‧‧‧Gyt

2‧‧‧ stage

21‧‧‧Short-pair communication unit

22‧‧‧Gyt

23‧‧‧Activity Module

24‧‧‧Control unit

25‧‧‧ Ultrasonic Transceiver

26‧‧‧Alarm unit

Claims (11)

An automatic tracking device comprises: a carrying control module, a short-distance pairing communication unit and a gyroscope, the gyroscope is electrically connected to the short-distance pairing communication unit; and a loading station is provided with a short-distance pairing communication unit, a gyroscopic, an accommodating module and a control unit, the two short-distance pairing communication units are coupled to each other, and the control unit is electrically connected to the short-distance pairing communication unit, the gyro and the actuation module of the stage, the control unit Generating a direction of travel according to the signal output by the two gyroscopes, generating a motion vector according to the direction of the signal and the signal strength of the two short-distance pairing communication units, and outputting a driving signal to the actuation module according to the motion vector The actuation module drives the carrier to follow the movement of the carrier module according to the driving signal, so that the distance between the carrier module and the carrier is within a collision avoidance range. The automatic following device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is electrically connected to the plurality of ultrasonic transceivers. The automatic following device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of ultrasonic transceivers comprise a ranging ultrasonic transceiver and at least one anti-collision ultrasonic transceiver, the control unit according to the traveling direction, the signal The intensity and the time difference between the transmission and reception of the ultrasonic wave by the ranging ultrasonic transceiver produces the motion vector. The automatic following device of claim 3, wherein the ranging ultrasonic transceiver is disposed on the stage for facing one side of the carrying module. The automatic following device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit is electrically connected to an alarm unit. The automatic following device according to claim 1, wherein the short-distance pairing communication unit is a Bluetooth communication module. The automatic following device of claim 1, wherein the actuating module is provided with a plurality of motors and a plurality of rollers, the plurality of rollers being pivotally connected to the plurality of motors, wherein the motors are electrically connected to the motor control unit. The automatic following device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is a microcontroller, a digital signal processor or an embedded system. The automatic following device according to claim 1, wherein the gyroscope is an electronic compass or a gyroscope. The automatic following device according to claim 1, wherein the portable control module is a smart phone or a smart electronic wearable module. The automatic following device according to claim 1, wherein the stage has a casing, and the casing is a car body or a casing.