Automated weight balancing for automated guided vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11358706-B2
Application number	US-201916370266-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2019
Priority date	Mar 29, 2019
Publication date	Jun 14, 2022
Grant date	Jun 14, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods for an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) capable of automatically balancing large and heavy objects for transport through a facility. One embodiment is an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) including a balancing plate configured to support a load, load sensors configured to detect a weight distribution of the load, and an actuator configured to shift the balancing plate laterally. The AGV also includes a weight balancing controller configured to determine a center of gravity of the load based on the weight distribution detected by the load sensors, to determine that the center of gravity of the load is vertically misaligned with a center of gravity of the AGV, and to direct the actuator to shift the balancing plate laterally to move the center of gravity of the load toward vertical alignment with the center of gravity of the AGV.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) comprising:
a balancing plate configured to support a load;
load sensors configured to detect a weight distribution of the load;
an actuator configured to shift the balancing plate laterally; and
a weight balancing controller configured to determine a center of gravity of the load based on the weight distribution detected by the load sensors, to determine that the center of gravity of the load is vertically misaligned with a center of gravity of the AGV, and to direct the actuator to shift the balancing plate laterally to move the center of gravity the load toward vertical alignment with the center of gravity of the AGV.

2. The AGV of claim 1 wherein:
the actuator and the load sensors are located on a same plane that is underneath the balancing plate and on top of a frame of the AGV.

3. The AGV of claim 2 wherein:
the actuator is configured to move the balancing plate in multiple axes, and
the load sensors are disposed around the actuator.

4. The AGV of claim 2 further comprising:
multiple actuators,
wherein the load sensors are disposed between the multiple actuators.

5. The AGV of claim 1 further comprising:
a middle plate between the balancing plate and the frame; and
one or more actuators disposed underneath the balancing plate and on top of the middle plate,
wherein the load sensors are disposed underneath the middle plate and on top of a frame of the AGV.

6. The AGV of claim 1 wherein:
the weight balancing controller is configured to obtain motion data for the AGV, and to direct the actuator to shift the balancing plate laterally to move the load based on a combination of the motion data and the center of gravity of the load with respect to the AGV.

7. The AGV of claim 6 wherein:
the weight balancing controller is configured to position the center of gravity of the load behind the center of gravity of the AGV in response to detecting that the AGV is stopping.

8. The AGV of claim 1 wherein:
the weight balancing controller is configured to obtain route data for the AGV, and to direct the actuator to shift the balancing plate laterally to move the load based on a combination of the route data and the center of gravity of the load with respect to the AGV.

9. The AGV of claim 1 wherein:
the weight balancing controller is configured to direct the actuator to vertically align the center of gravity of the load with the center of gravity of the AGV.

10. A method comprising:
supporting a load on a balancing plate of an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV);
detecting, with load sensors, a weight distribution of the load;
determining a center of gravity of the load based on the weight distribution;
determining that the center of gravity of the load is vertically misaligned with a center of gravity of the AGV; and
directing an actuator to shift the balancing plate laterally to move the center of gravity of the load toward vertical alignment with the center of gravity of the AGV.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
determining a target load position for balancing the load based on the center of gravity of the AGV and a motion of the AGV; and
directing the actuator to shift the balancing plate laterally to move the load to center over the target load position.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
detecting, from route data of the AGV, an expected motion of the AGV;
determining a target load position of the AGV for balancing the load based on the center of gravity of the AGV and the expected motion of the AGV; and
directing the actuator to shift the balancing plate laterally to move the load to center over the target load position.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
determining the center of gravity of the AGV based on dimensions of the AGV.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
determining a target load position for balancing the load based on the center of gravity of the AGV and an alignment threshold.

15. An Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) comprising:
a balancing plate configured to support a load;
load sensors configured to detect a weight distribution of the load;
an actuator configured to move the balancing plate laterally; and
a weight balancing controller is configured, in response to detecting that the AGV is idle, to direct the actuator to laterally move the balancing plate to vertically align a center of the weight distribution of the load with a center of the AGV,
the weight balancing controller further configured, in response to detecting motion data for automatically guiding the AGV, to direct the actuator to laterally move the balancing plate to laterally offset the center of the weight distribution of the load from the center of the AGV based on the motion data.

16. The AGV of claim 15 wherein:
the weight balancing controller is further configured to direct the actuator to move the balancing plate backward in relation to a direction of travel of the AGV in response to detecting deceleration of the AGV.

17. The AGV of claim 15 wherein:
the weight balancing controller is further configured to direct the actuator to move the balancing plate forward in relation to a direction of travel of the AGV in response to detecting acceleration of the AGV.

18. The AGV of claim 15 wherein:
the weight balancing controller is further configured to direct the actuator to move the balancing plate in a side direction in relation to a direction of travel of the AGV in response to detecting a turn of the AGV.

19. The AGV of claim 15 wherein:
the weight balancing controller is further configured to direct the actuator to move the balancing plate to center the weight distribution of the load over the center of the AGV in response to detecting a constant velocity of the AGV.

20. The AGV of claim 15 wherein:
the weight balancing controller is further configured to obtain the motion data from a predetermined route for automatically guiding the AGV.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Coco Alexander J
• Georgeson Gary E

Classifications

• G01G19/035

  using electrical weight-sensitive devices · CPC title

• B64F5/50

  Handling or transporting aircraft components · CPC title

• G01G19/022

  for weighing wheeled or rolling bodies in motion (G01G19/045 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B64C17/02 Primary

  by gravity or inertia-actuated apparatus · CPC title

• G05D1/021

  specially adapted to land vehicles · CPC title