Eaton-kenway, Inc.

Hk Systems, Inc.

Bryan A Bloomfield

James V Yardley

Gary L Whatcott

Herman P Schutten

John A Petersen

Vaughn W Guest

Rick S Mottes

Joseph Zuercher

Robert K Forman

L Bruce Christensen

An automated guided vehicle (AGV) control system which is downward compatible with existing guidewire systems providing both guidewire navigation and communication and autonomous navigation and guidance and wireless communication between a central controller and each vehicle. FIGS. 90, 91, 92, 93, and 94 provide a map showing relative orientation of the schematic circuits seen in FIGS. 90A-B, 91A-B, 92A-B, 93A-B, and 94A-B, respectively over paths marked by update markers which may be spaced well apart, such as fifty feet. Redundant measurement capability using inputs from linear travel encoders from the vehicle's drive wheels, position measurements from the update markers, and bearing measurements from a novel angular rate sensing apparatus, in combination with the use of a Kalman filter, allows correction for navigation and guidance errors caused by such factors as angular rate sensor drift, wear, temperature changes, aging, and early miscalibration during vehicle operation. The control system employs high frequency two-way data transmission and reception capability over the guidewires and via wireless communications. The same data rates and message formats are used in both guidewire and wireless communications systems. Substantially the same communications electronics are used for the central controller and each vehicle. Novel navigation and guidance algorithms are used to select and calculate a non-linear path to each next vehicle waypoint when the vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode. The non-linear path originates with an initial direction equal to the heading of the vehicle as it enters the path and a waypoint heading defined as part of the message received from the central control system which plans and controls travel of each vehicle in the system.

Downward compatible AGV system and methods

An automated guided vehicle (AGV) control system which is downward compatible with existing guidewire systems providing both guidewire navigation and communication and autonomous navigation and guidance and wireless communication between a central controller and each vehicle. Vehicle steering and control includes autonomous guidance and navigation of the vehicle over paths marked by update markers which may be spaced well apart, such as fifty feet. The control system employs high frequency two-way data transmission and reception capability over the guidewires and via wireless communications. The same data rates and message formats are used in both guidewire and wireless communications systems. Substantially the same communications electronics are used for the central controller and each vehicle. Novel navigation and guidance algorithms are used to select and calculate a non-linear path to each next vehicle waypoint when the vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode. The non-linear path orginates with an initial direction equal to the heading of the vehicle as it enters the path and a waypoint heading defined as part of the message received from the central control system which plans and controls travel of each vehicle in the system.

An automated guided vehicle (AGV) control system which is downward compatible with existing guidewire systems providing both guidewire navigation and communication and autonomous navigation and guidance and wireless communication between a central controller and each vehicle. Autonomous vehicle navigation comprises travel over paths marked by update markers which may be spaced well apart, such as fifty feet Redundant measurement capability comprising inputs from linear travel encoders from the vehicle's drive wheels, position measurements from the update markers, and bearing measurements from a novel angular rate sensing apparatus, in combination with the use of a Kalman filter, allows correction for navigation and guidance errors caused by such factors as angular rate sensor drift, wear, temperature changes, aging, and early miscalibration during vehicle operation. The control system comprises high frequency two-way data transmission and reception capability over the guidewires and via wireless communications The same data rates and message formats are used in both communications systems. Substantially the same communications electronics are used for the central controller and each vehicle. Novel navigation and guidance algorithms are used to select and calculate a non-linear path to each next vehicle waypoint when the vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode. The non-linear path comprises an initial direction equal to the heading of the vehicle as it enters the path and a waypoint heading defined as part of the message received from the central control system which plans and controls travel of each vehicle in the system.

An improved accuracy position and direction updating system for use with an automatic guided vehicle that navigates by dead reckoning. Permanent magnets providing detectable position indicators are mounted in the floor and may be at widely spaced locations such as fifty feet apart along the route of the vehicle. A row of Hall sensors is transversely mounted on the vehicle. The sensors detect the lateral location of each floor magnet relative to the vehicle as the vehicle passes over the magnet. Sensors are precalibrated, correcting for errors in sensor null voltage readings due to changes in sensor characteristics due to causes comprising aging and temperature. Data from five sensors that are closest to the magnet are correlated with a stored pattern of magnetic field and their position data are averaged to determine a first estimate of the lateral or first dimensional position of the vehicle. A running average is calculated from sequentially acquired estimates to improve the results. Such precalibration and averaging provides an improved accuracy of the lateral or first dimensional position measurement between the array of Hall sensors and the magnet. A high frequency measurement of the time at which the signals from the row of sensors reaches a peak value, which is the time that the row of sensors arrives at the magnet, provides an improved second dimensional position measurement. More than one magnet is read concurrently to provide position and bearing information during one processing cycle.

Update marker system for navigation of an automatic guided vehicle

An improved accuracy position and direction updating system for use with an automatic guided vehicle that navigates by dead reckoning. Permanent magnets providing detectable position indicators are mounted in the floor and may be at widely spaced locations such as fifty feet apart along the route of the vehicle. A row of Hall sensors is transversely mounted on the vehicle. The sensors detect the lateral location of each floor magnet relative to the vehicle as the vehicle passes over the magnet. Sensors are precalibrated, correcting for errors in sensor null voltage readings due to changes in sensor characteristics due to causes comprising aging and temperature. Data from five sensors that are closest to the magnet are correlated with a stored pattern of magnetic field and their position data are averaged to determined a first estimate of the lateral or first dimensional position of the vehicle. A running average is calculated from sequentially acquired estimates to improve the results. Such precalibration and averaging provides an improved accuracy of the lateral or first dimensional position measurement between the array of Hall sensors and the magnet. A high frequency measurement of the time at which the signals from the row of sensors reaches a peak value, which is the time that the row of sensors arrives at the magnet, provides an improved second dimensional position measurement. More than one magnet is read concurrently to provide position and bearing information during one processing cycle.

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Bountiful, UT, United States of America

Bryan A Bloomfield