Patent · US Expired

Method for controlling the movements of a mobile robot in a multiple node factory

US5280431A · kind A · utility

87Cited by
5References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 31, 1988
Grant dateJan 18, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 31, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG05D1/0272
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The invention provides a method for communicating the need to move a mobile robot, such as an AGV, from one location (node) to another, on a node-by-node basis, incrementally, among the nodes established in a physical environment such as a factory. The invention also provides the means to generate the commands necessary to accomplish this motion, by providing specific steering and drive information such as angle and speed to the mobile robot or AGV. The invention accomplishes these tasks in response to direct commands from a stationary controller as well as in response to continuous node-by-node position updates provided by an external navigation system, such as a visual navigation system, or an internal dead-reckoning navigation system, or both.

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