JPH0628030A - Method for detecting position of mobile body - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To highly accurately, inexpensively and efficiently execute the positional detection of plural mobile bodies in a working area. CONSTITUTION:The moving routes of working vehicles 2a to 2c are scanned by a scanner 7 arranged on a fixed station 1 set up on a reference position in a working area at fixed points with a prescribed interval, and when the vehicles 2a to 2c autonomously traveling along the route 3 are collimated by the scanner 7, distances up to the vehicles 2a to 2c are measured by a distance sensor 8 and the positions of the vehicles 2a to 2c are measured based on the distance data and angular data measured by a horizontal angle measure and a vertical angle measure.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a moving body positioning apparatus used for accurately positioning a moving body such as various work vehicles engaged in earthwork in a work area.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an earth and sand transportation system for earthwork, an unmanned traveling system is known in which a dump truck is automatically driven while recognizing its own position. In this unmanned traveling system, a preset traveling course is stored in a storage medium such as an IC card, and a large number of laser reflecting plates are installed along the traveling route of the dump truck to generate a laser beam emitted from the dump truck. The direction and distance are calculated from the reception angle of the reflection laser when the light is emitted toward the reflector, and the calculated position and the traveling route data of the storage medium are compared to confirm the traveling position of the dump truck and the position. While correcting, the dump truck is run unmanned along the stored course.

[0003]

However, in the conventional transportation system as described above, since the laser reflector has to be installed along the traveling route of the carrier, the traveling route is changed each time. Since the installation position of the laser reflection plate must be changed, the work becomes complicated and the setting of the travel route becomes troublesome.

Therefore, the present applicant has filed Japanese Patent Application No. 4-1268.
As shown in No. 24, the fixed station and the moving vehicle are each provided with an automatic tracking device, and by controlling the automatic tracking devices so as to face each other, the fixed station side constantly monitors the traveling position of the moving vehicle, By doing so, we propose an automatic transportation system that allows a moving vehicle to automatically travel along a travel route. However, in such an automatic transfer system, since the fixed station and the moving vehicle are always in a one-to-one bidirectional tracking state in which they face each other at all times, a plurality of other moving vehicles for transporting sediment exist in addition to this moving vehicle. Even if there is a backhoe, a bulltozer, a power shovel, etc. that perform work other than soil transportation, such as trench digging, soil collection, and other earthwork, the above-mentioned one-to-one relationship is used for positioning these work vehicles. It cannot be used as a fixed station in.

Therefore, it is conceivable to install a dedicated fixed station separately for self-positioning on other work vehicles as well. In this case, distance measurement for self-positioning and communication thereof are performed. In addition to making the equipment large and costly, using a large number of handsets installed in each vehicle at the same location may cause interference with radio waves, which may interfere with vehicle control. It is not suitable for positioning a large number of work vehicles because there are restrictions on the output and band of radio waves that can be used without being subject to legal restrictions. The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances as described above, and it is possible to position a plurality of moving objects within a work area with minimum equipment with high accuracy and at low cost efficiently. The purpose is to provide a device.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a fixed station set at a reference position in a work area and a plurality of mobile stations that move in the work area along a predetermined movement route. A moving vehicle, a scanning unit provided in the fixed station, for scanning the predetermined moving path at a plurality of positions at a fixed point, and provided in any one of the scanning unit and the moving body,
Position measuring means for measuring the position of the moving body, which is traveling autonomously along the moving route, when the moving means collimates the moving body with the fixed station as a reference. Further, the present invention is characterized in that the position measuring means comprises a distance sensor which emits a radio wave or a light beam having directivity, and the distance sensor is installed in the scanning means. Further, the present invention is characterized in that the distance sensor has a plurality of distance measurement radio wave sources or light sources which respectively emit toward the respective scanning fixed points of the scanning means. Further, the present invention is characterized in that the distance sensor has one light source for distance measurement, and the light from this light source is split by a splitter and emitted toward each scanning fixed point.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram when the present invention is applied to the positioning of each work vehicle that performs residential land development work.
FIG. 3 is a control block diagram of a fixed station and a work vehicle. In FIG. 1, 1 is a fixed station which is set at a predetermined reference position overlooking the whole construction work area, and 2a to 2c are preliminarily located between the sediment loading position P1 and the unloading position P2 for discharging the sediment in the construction work area. It is a plurality of work vehicles for earth and sand transportation such as a crawler dump that autonomously travels along the set travel route 3, and these work vehicles 2a to 2c travel on the travel route 3 under the supervision of the fixed station 1. Further, 5 is a control center left in a predetermined place in the construction work area, and the control center 5 and the fixed station 1 are connected by a cable 6 for communication, power feeding, and the like.

The fixed station 1 is provided with a scanning device 7 which scans a predetermined moving path 3 at fixed intervals, and the scanning device 7 fixedly moves the moving path 3 by a horizontal driving mechanism and a vertical driving mechanism (not shown). To scan. Further, the scanning fixed point coordinates on the moving path 3 by the scanning device 7 are set by the predetermined moving path data, and when the scanning device 7 is indexed to the scanning fixed point of the moving path 3, it stops for a predetermined time. ,
The positions of the work vehicles 2a to 2c passing through this scanning fixed point on the work area can be measured.

In order to measure the traveling positions of the work vehicles 2a to 2c at the scanning fixed points, a distance sensor 8 using directional radio waves or laser light is installed on the scanning device 7 and is fixed. An optical communication device 10 for spatial lightwave data transmission for performing data communication between both the station 1 and each of the work vehicles 2a to 2c is installed. Further, on each of the work vehicles 2a to 2c, a target 11 that reflects a radio wave or a light source sent from the distance sensor 8 of the fixed station 1 toward the work vehicle on the scanning fixed point, and an optical communication device 10 of the fixed station 1 are provided. An optical communication device 12 for performing data communication with is installed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control center 5 processes various data transmitted from the work vehicles 2a to 2c through the optical communication devices 10 and 12, and also controls the fixed station 1 and the work vehicles 2a to 2c. A host computer 40 that processes and sends data such as travel route data and a start command, a monitor 41 that displays the work status of the work vehicles 2a to 2c, a fixed station 1 using the VR (Virtual Reality) system, Work vehicles 2a-2c
A VR display device 42 and the like for remotely operating the vehicle are provided.

Next, the configuration of FIG. 2 will be described. The operating device 7 of the fixed station 1 includes a scanning device 7 when the scanning device 7 turns horizontally so that the scanning device 7 faces the targets 11 of the work vehicles 2a to 2c at each scanning fixed point from the fixed station 1. A horizontal angle measuring device 13 for measuring a deflection angle from a reference point, and a vertical angle for similarly measuring a tilt angle from the reference point of the scanning device 7 when the scanning device 7 is tilted in the vertical direction so as to face the target 11. An angle measuring device 14 is provided. The fixed station 14 also includes a control circuit 15 including a microcomputer that manages and controls the entire fixed station. The control circuit 15 includes an optical communication device 10, a rangefinder sensor 8, a data communication circuit 16, a horizontal angle measuring device 13, a vertical angle measuring device 14, a control program for these, and a work vehicle 2a.
2c movement route data, communication data and work vehicle 2a
2 to 2c and storage circuits 17 for storing programs for correcting the positions of the work vehicles 2a to 2c based on the position data and the movement route data, and the data communication circuit 16 via the cable 6. It is connected to the control center 5.

The work vehicles 2a to 2c are provided with a main control circuit 18 composed of a microcomputer for managing and controlling the whole work vehicles. The main control circuit 18 includes an optical communication device 1
2, a safety monitoring device 19, a positioning sensor 20 such as an optical gyro that detects the current position of the work vehicle, a driving control circuit 21 of the work vehicle, and a storage circuit 22 that stores these control programs, travel route data, and the like are connected. Has been done.

The safety monitoring device 19 is for preventing rear-end collisions with field workers and other obstacles and for preventing the work vehicle from falling, and is composed of an ultrasonic sensor and a sensor for detecting a pitching angle and a rolling angle. It The operation control circuit 21 performs running / stopping of the work vehicle, direction change, start / stop of the engine, up / down control of the bed, and the like. The operation control circuit 21 includes a crawler drive unit 23,
A steering unit 24, an engine start / stop operation unit 25, and a loading platform up / down drive unit 26 are connected to each other.

Next, the operation of this embodiment configured as described above will be described. First, the control center 15
The input device such as the keyboard is used to input the position coordinates of the fixed station 1 and the moving route data of the work vehicle in the work area, and the data is stored in the storage circuit 17 via the cable 6, the data communication circuit 16, and the control circuit 15. To store. In addition, the moving route data is stored in the moving vehicle 2 by the optical communication devices 10 and 12.
a to 2c, and stored in a predetermined area of the memory circuit 32 through the main control circuit 18. Then, the scanning device 7 of the fixed station 1 is driven at a predetermined time interval by the control circuit 15 in accordance with the scanning fixed point data plotted in advance in the moving route data, whereby the moving route 3 is moved from the loading position P1, for example. Through the unloading position P2, the fixed points are sequentially scanned toward the loading position P1. Further, when a start command is given from an unillustrated power shovel for loading sand, such as when the loading of sand on the work vehicle 2a waiting at the loading position P1 is completed, the main control circuit 18 instructs the operation control circuit 21. The work vehicle 2a is started by being sent from the departure command and driving the crawler drive unit 23 by this. Then, the work vehicle 2a autonomously travels along the moving route 3 while the position sensor 20 detects the azimuth and position of the work vehicle according to the route data stored in the storage circuit 22.

On the other hand, the work vehicle 2 traveling on the moving route 3
When a comes to cross a fixed point of the scanning device 7 during scanning, the horizontal and vertical drive mechanisms of the scanning device 7 operate to direct the distance sensor 8 toward the target 11 of the work vehicle 2a, and the optical communication devices 10 and 12 are turned on. Face up. Then, by operating the distance sensor 8, the laser light or the like generated from this is emitted toward the target 11 of the work vehicle 2a. Then, the distance to the work vehicle 2a is obtained by receiving the laser light reflected by the target 11 and the distance data and the horizontal angle and vertical angle measuring device 14 detected by the horizontal angle measuring device 13 are detected. The control circuit 15 calculates the current position of the work vehicle 2a at the scanning fixed point based on the tilt angle. The calculated position data is compared with the movement route data of the work vehicle 2a stored in the storage circuit 22 to determine whether the work vehicle 2a is traveling according to the movement route data. If there is a deviation between these two data, the drive control circuit 21 drives and controls the steering unit 24 of the work vehicle 2a to correct the position of the work vehicle 2a to a regular position on the movement route. Hereinafter, this positioning control is performed every time the scanning fixed point of the scanning device 7 and the work vehicle 2a are crossed, and the work vehicle 2a is corrected to the correct position on the movement route 3.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, when it is determined that the work vehicle 2c has reached the unloading position P2 based on the position data detected by the positioning sensor 20 and the route data, the work vehicle 2c becomes Stop. Then, the rear side of the loading platform is directed in the discharging direction, and the up / down drive unit 2
6 is moved up to raise the loading platform, and the sand in the loading platform is discharged. When the unloading is completed, the work vehicle 2c starts moving again on the moving route 3 toward the loading position P2.
Further, also in the work vehicles 2c and 2b, the scanning device 7 of the fixed station 1 moves along the movement route 3 as in the work vehicle 2a described above.
During the fixed point scanning of, the positioning is executed every time the scanning fixed point coincides. The work status data of the work vehicles 2a to 2c is transmitted to the control center 5 through the optical communication devices 10 and 12 and monitored through the monitor 41.

In this embodiment, when the scanning device of the fixed station scans the moving route of the working vehicle at a fixed point, the scanning device collimates the working vehicle traveling autonomously at the scanning fixed point. The distance sensor measures the distance to the collimated work vehicle, and the present position of the work vehicle is obtained from this distance data and the angles detected by the horizontal angle and vertical angle measuring instruments. The fixed station can measure the positions of a plurality of work vehicles with high accuracy and at low cost, and can position them. Therefore, it is not necessary to install a laser reflection plate along the movement path as in the conventional case, and manpower is also unnecessary. In addition, by comparing the measured position data with preset route data,
The position of the work vehicle can be corrected, and the work vehicle can always be made to accurately and autonomously travel along the movement route.

In the above embodiment, the positioning of the work vehicle such as the crawler dump was described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and is also used for positioning the moving body other than the construction heavy equipment traveling on the earthwork site. it can. Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the scanning device is configured to perform fixed point scanning and one distance sensor is described, but the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, the scanning device may be fixed and a plurality of optical or radio wave distance sensors may be provided, and each distance sensor may be arranged toward each scanning fixed point performed by the scanning device, or one optical distance sensor. The distance measuring light emitted from the beam splitter may be divided by a beam splitter and irradiated toward each scanning fixed point.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, the scanning means provided in the fixed station performs fixed point scanning of the moving route of the moving body at a large number of positions, and the moving body moving autonomously along the moving route is provided. Since the position of the moving body can be measured with the fixed station as a reference when collimated by the scanning means, the positions of a plurality of moving bodies working in the work area can be accurately measured with a single fixed station. Low cost, efficient measurement and positioning can be performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a case where the present invention is applied to positioning of a work vehicle for construction work.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control unit of a fixed station and a work vehicle according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fixed station 2a-2c Work vehicle (moving body) 3 Moving path 7 Scanning device 8 Distance sensor 11 Target 10, 12 Optical communication device 13 Horizontal angle measuring device 14 Vertical angle measuring device 20 Positioning sensor

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A fixed station set at a reference position in a work area, a plurality of moving bodies moving along a predetermined movement route in the work area, and a fixed station provided in the fixed station and set in advance. A scanning unit for scanning the moving route at a plurality of positions at a fixed point, and a moving unit which is provided in any one of the scanning unit and the moving unit and autonomously runs along the moving route when collimated by the scanning unit. A position measuring device for measuring the position of the moving body with the fixed station as a reference, and a position locating device for the moving body. 2. The position measuring means comprises a distance sensor which emits a radio wave or a light beam having directivity, and the distance sensor is installed in the scanning means. Positioning device for moving objects. 3. The position locating device for a moving body according to claim 2, wherein the distance sensor has a plurality of radio wave sources or light sources for distance measurement, each of which emits toward each scanning fixed point of the scanning means. 4. The distance sensor according to claim 2,
A moving object positioning device characterized in that it has one distance measuring light source, and the light from this light source is split by a splitter and emitted toward each scanning fixed point.