Control apparatus for automatic traveling vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10813267-B2
Application number	US-201815956758-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2018
Priority date	Apr 26, 2017
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A control apparatus for an automatic traveling vehicle includes a position sensor and circuitry. The position sensor is to detect a vehicle position of the automatic traveling vehicle. The circuitry is configured to control the automatic traveling vehicle to travel along a first route, a first turn route connected to the first route, a straight route connected to the first turn route, a second turn route connected to the straight route, and a second route connected to the second turn route in this order, and to calculate the straight route extending from a reference point on the first turn route to the second turn route such that the straight route is tangent to the second turn route.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control apparatus for an automatic traveling vehicle, comprising:
a position sensor to detect a vehicle position of the automatic traveling vehicle;
a travel state sensor to detect a traveling direction of the automatic traveling vehicle at a reference point of the automatic traveling vehicle; and
circuitry configured to
control the automatic traveling vehicle to travel along a first route, a first turn route connected to the first route, a reference tangent connected to the first turn route, a second turn route connected to the reference tangent, and a second route connected to the second turn route in this order,
repeatedly calculate a tangent extending from the reference point on the first turn route to the second turn route as the automatic traveling vehicle travels along the first turn route such that the tangent straight route is tangent to the second turn route and an angle between the tangent and the traveling direction of the automatic traveling vehicle as the automatic traveling vehicle travels along the first turn route until the angle between the tangent and the traveling direction of the automatic traveling vehicle is less than or equal to a first threshold angle, and
determine the tangent having the angle between the tangent and the traveling direction of the automatic traveling vehicle which is less than or equal to the first threshold angle as the reference tangent.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein the circuitry is configured to
repeatedly calculate a distance between the second route and the reference point on the second turn route as the automatic traveling vehicle travels along the second turn route and an angle made by the second route and the traveling direction of the automatic traveling vehicle as the automatic traveling vehicle travels along the second turn route until the angle made by the second route and the traveling direction of the automatic traveling vehicle is less than or equal to a second threshold angle and the distance is equal to or less than a threshold distance, and
control the automatic traveling vehicle to travel along the second route when the angle made by the second route and the traveling direction of the automatic traveling vehicle is less than or equal to the second threshold angle and the distance is equal to or less than the threshold distance.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein radius of curvature of the first turn route is a minimum turning radius of the automatic traveling vehicle.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the automatic traveling vehicle finishes traveling along the second turn route such that the vehicle position at which the automatic traveling vehicle finishes traveling along the second turn route deviates from the second route or an extension from the second route in more than a limit value, the circuitry is configured to control the automatic traveling vehicle to move backward to approach the second route.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first route and the second route are straight and parallel to each other.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the automatic traveling vehicle travels in a first direction along the first route, and
wherein the automatic traveling vehicle travels in a second direction opposite to the first direction along the second route.

7. A control apparatus for an automatic traveling vehicle, comprising:
a position sensor to detect a vehicle position of the automatic traveling vehicle;
a travel state sensor to detect a traveling direction of the automatic traveling vehicle at the vehicle position; and
circuitry configured to
control the automatic traveling vehicle to travel along a first route, and a first turn route connected to the first route in this order,
repeatedly calculate a tangent extending from the vehicle position on the first turn route while the automatic traveling vehicle travels along the first turn route such that the tangent is tangent to a circle which is connected to a second route which is targeted after the first turn route and an angle between the tangent and a traveling direction of the automatic traveling vehicle as the automatic traveling vehicle travels along the first turn route until the angle is less than or equal to a first threshold angle,
determine the tangent having the angle which is less than or equal to the first threshold angle as a reference tangent,
calculate a second turn route along the circle between the reference tangent and the second route, and
control the automatic traveling vehicle to travel along the reference tangent, the second turn route, and the second route in this order.

Assignees

• Kubota Kk

Inventors

• Shinkai Atsushi
• Sakaguchi Kazuo
• Yamaguchi Kotaro
• Suga Hiroki

Classifications

• A01B69/008 Primary

  automatic · CPC title

• B62D6/008 Primary

  Control of feed-back to the steering input member, e.g. simulating road feel in steer-by-wire applications · CPC title

• G09B29/10

  Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids (optical projection apparatus per se G03B) · CPC title

• B62D6/00

  Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits (means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00) · CPC title

• A01B69/001 Primary

  Steering by means of optical assistance, e.g. television cameras (steering devices for road marking vehicles E01C23/163) · CPC title