초록 ▼

System for navigating a free ranging vehicle on a surface comprising means for detecting the position of the vehicle on the surface and to determine and/or correct the path to be followed, the surface carrying a grid of passive marker elements and the vehicle being provided with detectors for detect

System for navigating a free ranging vehicle on a surface comprising means for detecting the position of the vehicle on the surface and to determine and/or correct the path to be followed, the surface carrying a grid of passive marker elements and the vehicle being provided with detectors for detecting same.

대표청구항 ▼

A combination of a vehicle and navigation system for controlling movement of the vehicle on a surface having a certain layout, said vehicle including wheels, a motor for driving the wheels and a steering means for the wheels, and said navigation system comprising: a plurality of passive marker eleme

A combination of a vehicle and navigation system for controlling movement of the vehicle on a surface having a certain layout, said vehicle including wheels, a motor for driving the wheels and a steering means for the wheels, and said navigation system comprising: a plurality of passive marker elements which are positioned on or in said surface for providing a grid over which said vehicle can move, detector means on said vehicle for detecting said passive marker elements when said vehicle passes thereover so as to provide intermittent grid-detection signals, sensor means on said vehicle for determining the linear distance traveled by said vehicle over said surface, a computer control unit having a memory on said vehicle which is connected to said steering means, to said detector means, and to said sensor means, said computer control unit functioning to compute a planned path of said vehicle over said surface from any arbitrary starting point to an arbitrary destination considering said layout and, based on stored information in said memory regarding said layout and said grid, the intermittent grid-detection signals from said detector means, and information provided by said sensor means, to control said steering means so as to correct deviations of movement of said vehicle along said planned path, and input means connected to said computer control unit for inputting information regarding said arbitrary starting point, said arbitrary destination, said center layout, and said grid.