The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 18, 1994
Filed:
Oct. 31, 1988
David F Summerville, Garland, TX (US);
John P Williston, Plano, TX (US);
Martin A Wand, Plano, TX (US);
Thomas J Doty, Dallas, TX (US);
Haradon J Rice, Plano, TX (US);
Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US);
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.