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:
Aug. 23, 1994
Filed:
Jun. 26, 1992
James V Yardley, Centerville, UT (US);
Gary L Whatcott, Holladay, UT (US);
John A Petersen, Bountiful, UT (US);
Bryan A Bloomfield, Bountiful, UT (US);
Vaughn W Guest, Farmington, UT (US);
Rick S Mottes, Roy, UT (US);
Robert K Forman, Taylorsville, UT (US);
L Bruce Christensen, Kaysville, UT (US);
Joseph Zuercher, Brookfield, WI (US);
Herman P Schutten, Milwaukee, WI (US);
Eaton-Kenway, Inc., Salt Lake City, UT (US);
Abstract
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.