JPS5886607A - Method and device for scanning light beam for guiding and controlling ground moving body - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To change station positions by varying the angle of inclination of a reflector for a laser beam, and thus easily changing routes of a ground moving body. CONSTITUTION:In the laser beam scanner shown in the figure, reflectors 61 and 62 are fitted to the rotating shaft 64 of a motor 63, and a tension spring 66 is fitted to the other end. The angle theta of inclination of the reflectors 61 and 62 is set optionally by driving a driving lever 68 by a motor 67. A change in route is described hereafter. The laser beam scanner is installed at prescribed distance from a beam generator and the reflectors 61 and 62 are driven by the motor to rotate, scanning an incident laser beam. A route L1 is formed when said angle theta of inclination has a prescribed value, and a station 70 is at a point A. When the station 70 moves to a point B at distance X, the angle theta of inclination is varied according to the distance X until the beam scans on the point B, thus obtaining a route L2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for scanning a light beam for guiding and controlling a ground moving object such as an automatic guided vehicle.

The present inventors have long been conducting research on a method for operating the above-mentioned ground moving objects using light beams, and as a result of their research, they have published a patent application titled ``Steering signal generation device for moving objects'' (Patent application 141306/1982). A patent application was filed as

Since the present invention is a further improvement of the invention of this application, in order to better understand the present invention, before explaining the present invention, the invention related to the above-mentioned invention will be briefly explained.

That is, FIGS. 1 to 4 are principle diagrams for explaining the guiding means for a ground moving body that is common to the prior art and the present invention. In the figure, the route 2 on which the ground mobile object 1 should travel
A laser beam generator 3 is provided at a fixed position above. This laser beam generator 3 scans a laser beam having sharp directivity in a direction along a path along which a ground moving object (such as an automatic guided vehicle) should move on a surface of a path (such as a road) 2 . That is, the laser beam generator is oriented along the route on the road 2, as shown in FIG.
In addition, the laser beam LB is sequentially scanned from the direction in which the ground moving body 1 is traveling to the direction in which it should travel.

On the other hand, a detection means 4 is provided on the ground moving body 1 to detect the laser beam LB. This detection means 4 detects the laser beam LB, and based on this detection output, generates a steering signal necessary for the ground vehicle 1 to move on the path scanned by the laser beam LB. Based on this steering signal C1, the steering device included in the ground moving body 1 is controlled, and the ground moving body 1 moves on the path scanned by the laser beam LH due to the weather.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ground moving body 1 is provided with a detection means 4 for detecting the laser beam LB.

FIG. 4 shows a block diagram for explaining this sensing means.
Contains 1.42. For example, the detector 41
, and the detector 42 is provided on the left side. The detection outputs of these detectors 41 and 42 are sent to an amplifier circuit 51.
The signal is amplified in step 52 and provided to a discriminating circuit 6 as a discriminating means. The determination circuit 6 generates a signal indicating whether the ground mobile object 1 should be steered to the left or right based on the detection output of the detector 41.42 amplified by the amplifier circuit 51.52. occurs. That is, for example, when the right detector 41 detects the laser beam λLB, it generates a signal to steer to the right, and the left detector 42 detects the laser beam λLB.
If LB is detected, a signal to steer to the left is generated. Also, when it is determined that the laser beam LB is detected at the boundary of the detectors 41 and 42, the steering signal is changed.

Therefore, the output signal of this number of rotations WI6 is given to the steering device 11 included in the ground moving body 1. Steering device 1
1 steers the ground mobile object 1 to the left or to the right based on the determination made by the determination circuit 6.

In other words, the conventional technology scans a laser beam spring having sharp directivity in the direction along the panoramic path of the moving object using a laser beam generator from an arbitrary fixed position near the path along which the moving object is traveling. This is converted into a steering signal necessary for moving on the route by a detection means provided on the moving body, and the ground moving body is steered.

However, in the prior art, the path of the ground moving object obtained by scanning the laser beam is always constant and cannot be changed arbitrarily.

Therefore, if the ground vehicle is, for example, a transport aircraft that transports cargo, there is the inconvenience that the location for loading and unloading the cargo (hereinafter referred to as the "stay scene") cannot be changed arbitrarily. The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned inconvenience, and provides a ring mobile body that allows the route of the ground mobile body to be easily changed, thereby making it possible to change the position of the stationary body. An object of the present invention is to provide a scanning method and device for laser beam guidance and control.

Hereinafter, a laser beam scanning method according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the "method of the present invention") and a laser beam scanning device used therein will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view for explaining the method of the present invention, and is a view of the laser beam generator etc. viewed from diagonally above.

In the figure, 55 is a laser beam generator, 56 is a reflecting mirror, 57 is a motor for rotating or rotationally driving the reflecting mirror 56, 1 is a floor surface, and LM is a laser beam.

In the same figure (a), the angle of inclination of the reflecting mirror opening is 0° with respect to the center of its rotation axis, and even if the center of the rotation axis intersects at right angles to the laser beam LB, the reflecting mirror 5
Laser beam LB scanned by rotation or rotation of 6
The path L1 drawn on the floor surface is a straight line.

On the other hand, in the same figure (b), the reflecting mirror has a predetermined inclination angle θ with respect to the 6th axis of rotation, and as a result,
This is determined by the path L2 that the laser beam LB scanned by the rotation or rotation of the reflecting mirror draws on the floor fat. That is, by varying the inclination angle θ of the opening of the reflecting mirror, an arbitrary path L2 can be obtained.

The method of the present invention is based on the above principle and allows the route of a ground mobile object to be changed arbitrarily.

Next, a laser beam scanning device used to change the route of a ground moving object in carrying out the method of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a laser beam scanning device.

In the leb beam scanning device shown in FIG.
1 and the reflecting mirror 62 are each attached at one end to a rotation shaft diagram rotated by a motor 63 by a hinge 65, and at the other end, an opening spring ω is attached.

On the other hand, the inner surfaces of the reflectors 61 and 62 are in contact with both ends of a drive spine that is driven in the vertical direction by a reflector drive motor 67. As a result, the inclination angle θ of the reflecting mirrors 6 and 62 with respect to the center of the rotation axis can be arbitrarily set by appropriately driving the driving spine in the vertical direction. Also,
The reflector drive motor 67 is prevented from rotating by an L-shaped support 69 which is movably inserted into the insertion hole 68A of the drive 1Ff68. In the figure, 67A is a bearing for pivotally supporting the rotation shaft diagram, 67B is a screw shaft that is coupled to and rotates by a coupling 67H of the reflector drive motor 67, and 67C is a shaft for rotating the screw shaft 67B. Accordingly, a movable element 67D that meshes with this and is movable up and down is a locking metal fitting that locks one end of the tension spring connection.

A case in which a route is changed using such a laser beam scanning device will be described.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the route change.

That is, the laser beam scanning device is appropriately installed at a predetermined distance from the laser beam generating device,
``The reflecting mirror is rotationally driven by a motor and scans the laser beam incident on it.

A path L1 in the figure is a path drawn by the scanned laser beam when the inclination angle θ of the reflecting mirror takes a predetermined value, and the stationary unit 70 is located at a point A on this path L1.

At this time, the stage N70 is at point B, which is a distance X away.
, the inclination angle θ of the reflecting mirror is gradually changed according to the moving distance The ground moving body 71 reaches the station at point B by changing its traveling direction as the route gradually changes.

Also, if there are other moving objects or obstacles on Ll,
The course can be changed using L2.

As is clear from the above description of the embodiments of the method of the present invention,
According to the method of the present invention, the route of the ground moving object can be changed depending on the position of the stage 1, which is extremely convenient in terms of storage. Furthermore, for this reason, the stage 1 does not need to be installed at a predetermined location, which is extremely economical.

In the description of the embodiment, the reflecting mirrors 61 and 62 in FIG. 6 were explained as having an equal inclination angle of 0 with respect to the center of the rotation axis. The inclination angle of the reflecting mirror 62 may be set arbitrarily. Then, two field color paths are formed, and one
One route remains constant, and the other route can be changed arbitrarily.

In addition, in the embodiment, the route of the ground mobile object is obtained by scanning a laser beam, but it is possible to obtain the same effect even if other light beams such as infrared rays or visible light are used.
can.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 fJ-I to Fig. 4 are principle diagrams for explaining the guiding means for a ground moving body common to the prior art and the present invention, and Fig. 5
The figures are explanatory diagrams for explaining the method of the present invention, ``Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a laser beam scanning device, and Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram of route change. 61.62...Reflector, 63...Motor, field...
Driving rod, 70... Stage control, 71... Ground moving body, Ll, L2... Route. Patent applicant: Hitachi Kiden Kogyo Co., Ltd. Representative: Toshihiro Tsumura Patent attorney: Takaharu Ohnishi Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 (A) (B) 8

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In a method of scanning a light beam of a ground mobile object that receives and detects a light beam and travels while being guided, a rotating or rotating reflecting mirror is placed at a predetermined distance from the light beam generator, and the reflecting mirror is A method for scanning a light beam for guidance and control of a ground moving object, characterized in that the scanning direction of the light beam incident on the reflecting mirror is made variable by making the angle of inclination made with respect to the center of the rotation axis variable. .゛(
2) In a light beam scanning device for controlling a ground moving body that receives and detects a light beam and travels while being guided, the light beam scanning device has one or more reflecting mirrors that are rotated or rotationally driven by a motor. and the angle of inclination of at least one of the reflecting mirrors with respect to the center of its rotation axis is variable based on the drive of a separately provided motor. Beam scanning device.