Apparatus and method for optical guidance system for automatic guided vehicle

Patent · Tue Dec 02 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6956593

Lofgren, G K; Netzler, G P.R.

This patent describes a guided vehicle system which includes a vehicle freely maneuverable along a variable, pre-determined path by navigation means and computing the position of the vehicle relative to fixed points collectively defining a path. The navigation means comprises: (a) an off-board computer having: (i) a vehicle controller containing predetermined vehicle and traffic protocol information regarding vehicle speed, direction, priority, routing or scheduling and means for generating an information containing signal; (ii) a light source positioned respectively at each of the plurality of fixed points defining the path for receiving the information containing signal from the vehicle controller and emitting a light signal containing such information; (b) a computer on-board the vehicle having: (i) a light receiving lens for receiving the optical signal from one of the light sources the lens defining a field of view wherein any particular point within the field of view is represented by a X,Y coordinate wherein X, Y represents the displacement of the light source in respect to the axis of the light receiving lens; (ii) a central processing unit for receiving and processing all vehicle information and outputting vehicle control instruction signals; (iii) a power amplifier for outputting a vehicle control signal to vehicle maneuvering apparatus; and, (iv) a detector for segregating X-data and Y-data, outputting Y-data to the central processing unit for azimuth computation and outputting X-data to the central processing unit for vehicle direction computation and to the power amplifier.

• Assignee: NDC Technologies, Inc., Charlotte, NC
• Patent Number(s): US 4626995
• OSTI ID: 6956593
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320203* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Transportation-- Land & Roadway
AMPLIFIERS
AZIMUTH
COMPUTERIZED CONTROL SYSTEMS
CONTROL SYSTEMS
DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS
DATA PROCESSING
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELECTRONIC GUIDANCE
EQUIPMENT
LENSES
LIGHT SOURCES
NAVIGATION
OPTICAL SYSTEMS
POSITIONING
POWER AMPLIFIERS
PROCESSING
RADIATION SOURCES
ROUTING
SCHEDULES
SIGNALS
VEHICLES
VELOCITY