Patent · US Expired

Guidance system for unmanned transporting vehicle

US4711316A · kind A · utility

38Cited by
1References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 23, 1986
Grant dateDec 8, 1987
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 23, 2006

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG05D1/0261
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A guidance system for an unmanned transporting vehicle which runs along a guide track. The guide track is composed of a belt-shaped light reflective material and laid out on a floor or the like. The unmanned transporting vehicle has two rows of photodetectors longitudinally arranged thereon forwardly of the front wheel. Since the two rows of the photodetectors are spaced apart from each other with a distance less than the width of the guide track, increasingly forwardly photodetectors begin failing to detecting the guide track earlier when the vehicle runs off the guide track. The vehicle is equipped with control means for controlling the steering mechansim of the vehicle in response to the detection count value such that the front wheel is swivelled to correct the vehicle deviation at a sufficiently early stage.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.