JPS6355036B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a tracking type guidance and information transmission device for a moving body using a light beam, and in particular, by being able to track a moving body moving along a required route and irradiate it with a light beam. This paper proposes a tracking guidance and information transmission device for moving objects that uses light beams with improved information transmission efficiency.

The present inventor has previously developed a technology for guiding ground moving objects such as automatic guided vehicles along a route obtained by scanning a light beam.
A patent application has been filed for the results of the technical research for guiding the above-mentioned ground moving objects (Japanese Patent Application No. 141306, 1982).

Today, however, it is not only possible to simply guide a ground moving object based on scanning light beams, but also to transmit various control commands to the ground moving object, such as speed control commands, stop or start commands, and destination address commands. In addition, the condition of each part of the ground vehicle,
For example, it is required to understand and control battery consumption status, car license plate number, type and weight of loaded cargo, etc.

In view of such requests, the present inventors have proposed that by tracking a moving ground moving object and irradiating it with a light beam, it is possible to provide the running route of the ground moving object while transmitting more information. We have proposed a tracking guidance and information transmission device for ground moving objects that uses light beams that can improve the efficiency of transmission, and have already applied for a patent (patent application 1983-
74291).

The above device includes a light beam generator that emits a light beam, a tracking mirror that reflects the emitted light beam and irradiates it onto a travel path of a ground moving object, a drive motor that rotates the tracking mirror, and a drive motor that rotates the tracking mirror. a reflecting means attached to a moving body and reflecting the incident light beam in the same direction as the incident direction; and a reflecting means arranged in a passage area of the light beam reflected by the reflecting means and changing the arrival position of the light beam. and a light beam detection means for outputting a detection signal corresponding to the detection signal, and based on the detection signal, the light beam reflected by the tracking mirror is configured to track and irradiate the ground moving object traveling on the route. The motor is configured to control rotation of the motor.

However, the above-mentioned apparatus has a drawback in that if the light beam reflected by the reflecting means deviates from a predetermined reflection path, it becomes impossible to guide a ground moving object and to transmit information.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is capable of tracking moving objects including ground moving objects and aerial moving objects while preventing the light beam reflected by the reflecting means from deviating from a predetermined reflection path. An object of the present invention is to provide a tracking type guidance and information transmission device for a moving body using a light beam that can transmit a large amount of information while irradiating a light beam.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a moving body tracking guidance and information transmission device (hereinafter referred to as "the present invention device") using a light beam according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the apparatus of the present invention.

The device of the present invention includes a laser beam generator 1 that emits a laser beam LB (described later) from one end in the longitudinal direction as a light beam generator, a reflecting device 2, and a reflecting means attached to a moving object such as a ground moving object 3. 3 corner cubes 4a, 4 as
b and 4c, and laser beam detectors 5a and 5 made of solar cells, for example, as reflected light beam detection means.
It consists of b, etc. In addition, the laser beam
The cross section of the light beam of LB is, for example, approximately circular and has a relatively large diameter, and its diameter depends on the shape and arrangement of the corner cubes 4a, 4b, 4c, etc. It is determined by adjusting the collimator etc. built into the laser beam generator 1 so that the beam can be irradiated across the two corner cubes 4a, 4b or 4a, 4c. Also, corner cubes 4a, 4b and 4c
are arranged in a line in the order of 4b, 4a, and 4c from the front side in relation to the moving direction of the moving body 3, for example, in the front-rear direction of the moving body 3.

A laser beam generator 1 generates a laser beam LB at a suitable location above the path W on which the ground mobile object 3 should move.
For example, it is arranged to fire in a substantially horizontal direction.

In the vicinity of the laser beam generator 1, for example, an acousto-optic modulator (not shown) as a laser beam modulating means is arranged to modulate the laser beam LB. This acousto-optic modulator is constructed by attaching a piezoelectric element to one end of a rectangular glass body, for example, and when an electrical signal is applied to the piezoelectric element, the glass body generates a compression wave, that is, a refractive index wave, due to electrical vibration. As a result of periodic changes that act as a diffraction grating, the laser beam incident on the glass body
It diffracts LB.

The reflection device 2 is made of, for example, a rectangular total reflection mirror, and is disposed in a pass region of the laser beam LB so as to reflect the laser beam LB and irradiate it onto a path W. The reflecting device 2 is attached to a rotating shaft 211 of a step motor 21 as a rotating device via a reducer 212 having a reduction ratio of, for example, 1:110, as shown in FIG. 2, and is rotated as follows. That is, the step motor 21 is configured to rotate forward or reverse when a forward rotation pulse S or a reverse rotation pulse S' is input to the input terminal from a motor drive circuit 223 (see FIG. 5), which will be described later. is rotated in the forward or reverse direction and reflected by the reflecting device 2, and the laser beam LB is reflected by the corner cubes 4a, 4b and 4c attached to the ground moving body 3.
As will be explained later, this goal is always reached.
As shown in FIG. 3, the corner cubes 4a, 4b and 4c reflect the laser beam LB incident thereon in the same direction as the direction of incidence, that is, toward the reflecting device 2, as a reflected laser beam LB' or LB''.

Therefore, when the laser beam LB is incident across the corner cubes 4a and 4b as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 4, the reflected laser beam LB' from the corner cube 4b is shown as the dashed line in FIG. It is reflected in the direction of incidence.

Also, the laser beam LB is connected to the corner cube 4a.
and 4c, the reflected laser beam LB' from the corner cube 4c is reflected in the direction of incidence as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 5. In the vicinity of the laser beam generator 1, laser beam detectors 5a and 5 are disposed on both sides of the passage path of the laser beam LB.
corner cubes 4a and 4c are arranged facing each other at an appropriate distance apart with their detection surfaces facing the reflector 2 side.
The reflected laser beam LB' is incident on the detection surfaces of the laser beam detectors 5a and 5b. Then, the laser beam detectors 5a and 5b output detection signals P and P'. Note that the distance between the laser beam detectors 5a and 5b is the same as that of the corner cubes 4a and 4 disposed at both ends of the plurality of corner cubes arranged in a row as described above.
It is determined in relation to the distance between c.

The reflected laser beam LB'' reflected by the corner cube 4a is reflected toward the laser beam generator 1 and reaches the intermediate portion between the laser beam detectors 5a and 5b. It is a half mirror arranged at an appropriate inclination to reflect the laser beam LB'' in the vicinity.
Laser beam reflected by this half mirror 6
LB'' is incident on the detection surface of a laser beam detector 7 disposed near the half mirror 6. When the laser beam LB'' is incident on this detection surface, the laser beam detector 7 outputs a detection signal P''. , this output signal
P″ is input to the information transmission device 8 as described later.

Also, near the corner cube 4a, there is a laser beam detector (not shown) that receives the laser beam LB and outputs a detection signal, and a reflected laser beam.
For example, an acousto-optic modulator (not shown) is provided as a laser beam modulating means for modulating LB''.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the rotation controller 22 which processes the detection signals P and P' to control the rotation of the step motor 21.

The rotation controller 22 includes an amplifier 221 and a forward/reverse control circuit 22 consisting of a flip-flop circuit, for example.
2. Motor drive circuit 223 and pulse oscillation circuit 2
24, the detection signal P or P' amplified by the amplifier 221 is applied to the forward/reverse control circuit 222, processed, and then output as a forward rotation signal t or reverse rotation signal t'. The signal is input to the motor drive circuit 223. In the motor drive circuit 223, the pulse train inputted from the pulse oscillation circuit 224 is modulated by the forward rotation signal t or reverse rotation signal t' and outputted as a forward rotation pulse S or reverse rotation pulse S'. When the step motor 21 receives a forward rotation pulse S or a reverse rotation pulse S', the rotating shaft 211 rotates forward or reverse.

When the laser beam LB is incident across the corner cubes 4a and 4b as shown in FIG. 4, the reflected laser beam LB' from the corner cube 4b is incident on the laser beam detector 5b. The laser beam detector 5b receives a detection signal
Output P′. Then, as mentioned above, the motor drive circuit 223 sends a reverse rotation pulse to the step motor 21.
Since S' is input, the step motor 21 rotates in reverse. When the movable body 3 moves in the directions indicated by arrows in FIGS. 1 and 4, the laser beam LB comes to be incident on the corner cubes 4b and 4c as shown in FIG. 5. Then, the laser beam LB' from the corner cube 4c enters the laser beam detector 5a, and the laser beam detector 5a outputs a detection signal P. Then, as described above, the normal rotation pulse S is input from the motor drive circuit 223 to the step motor 21, and the step motor 21 rotates in the normal direction.

By rotating the reflection device 2 in the forward or reverse direction in this way, the corner cube 4a,
Since the direction of incidence of the laser beam LB on the corners 4b and 4c is corrected, the laser beam enters the corner cubes 4a, 4b and 4c without deviating from the required path. Therefore, of the corner cubes 4a, 4b, and 4c arranged in a row, the corner cubes 4b and 4c at both ends participate in control for irradiating the moving body with the laser beam LB while tracking it.

As is clear from the above, there is a corner cube 4 where the laser beam LB always enters.
a participates in the following information transmission. That is, control commands and speed control commands for guiding the mobile body 3 from the laser beam generator 1 side, that is, the fixed side, to the mobile body 3 using the information transmission device 8, the laser beam detector, and the acousto-optic modulator. , a stop or start command, a destination address command, etc., and the status of each component of the mobile body 3, such as battery consumption status, car number, and loaded cargo, can be transmitted from the mobile body 3 to the stationary side. Information on the type and weight of the product can be transmitted. Note that when there is no ground moving object 3 on the route W, the laser beam LB is irradiated onto the route W while being scanned at a required period.

As described in detail above, the device of the present invention is capable of tracking a moving object moving along a required route and irradiating it with a light beam, thereby providing a moving path for the moving object. The present invention has excellent effects such as being able to increase the amount of information that can be transmitted reliably and efficiently by using appropriate ones only for information transmission.

In addition, although a pair of laser beam detectors 5a and 5b were used in the above-mentioned embodiment, a pair of laser beam detectors is further provided perpendicularly to the opposing direction of the laser beam detectors 5a and 5b, and a reflection The device 2 can also be rotated in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis 211 of the step motor 21, and a plurality of reflecting means are arranged in a substantially cross shape in the traveling direction and the lateral direction of the moving body. By adding a rotation controller for this purpose, the reflection direction of the reflected laser beam LB' can be corrected to a predetermined reflection direction without deviating in any direction.

Further, in the above embodiment, the laser beam LB is used as the light beam, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that similar effects can be obtained by using an infrared beam, a visible light beam, or the like.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the laser beam detector 5
Although solar cells are used as a, 5b and 7, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to this, and linear diode arrays, photoelectric cells Cds, etc. may also be used.

Further, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the ground moving object 3 is used as the moving object, but the moving object is not limited to this, and the moving object may be, for example, an aerial moving object such as a crane or an airplane.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a tracking type guidance and information transmission device for a moving body using a light beam according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a reflection device, a step motor, etc., and Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the corner cube as a reflecting means, Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the passage paths of the laser beam LB and reflected laser beams LB', LB'', and Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the laser beam LB and the reflected laser when the moving object moves. An explanatory diagram of the passage path of the beam LB'LB'', and FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the main part of the apparatus of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Laser beam generator, 2... Reflection device, 3... Ground moving body, 4a, 4b, 4c... Corner cube, 5a, 5b, 7... Laser beam detector, 21... Step motor, 22... ...Rotation controller, 221...Amplifier, 222...Forward/reverse control circuit, 223...Motor drive circuit, 224...
Pulse oscillation circuit, 6... Half mirror, 8... Information transmitter, LB... Laser beam, LB', LB''...
...Reflected laser beam, P, P'...Detection signal, t...
...Forward rotation signal, t'...Reverse rotation signal, S...Forward rotation pulse, S'...Reverse rotation pulse, W...Route.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A light beam generator that emits a light beam, a reflection device that reflects the emitted light beam and irradiates it onto a moving path of a moving body, and a rotation device that rotates the reflection device. , three reflecting means disposed in a line on the moving body and reflecting the incident light beam in the same direction as the incident direction; and a light beam reflected by the reflecting means near the passage area. deviating reflected light beam detection means for detecting that the reflection direction of the light beam reflected by the reflection means is about to deviate from a predetermined reflection direction and outputting a detection signal; A rotation controller for controlling a rotation device, and a light beam modulation means and a light beam detection means arranged in relation to the central reflecting means of the three reflecting means arranged in a row. and controlling the rotation of the rotation device to irradiate the moving body with the light beam based on the detection signal, and transmitting information using the light beam modulation means and the light beam detection means. A tracking guidance and information transmission device for a moving body using a light beam, characterized in that the device is configured to transmit information. 2. The light beam generator according to claim 1, wherein the light beam generator is a laser beam generator that generates a laser beam having a substantially circular cross section and a relatively large diameter. Tracking guidance and information transmission device for moving objects using beams. 3. The tracking type guidance and information transmission device for a moving object using a light beam according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of reflecting means are corner cubes. 4. The above-mentioned deviated reflected light beam detection means is two laser beam detectors arranged in the vicinity of the light beam generator so as to sandwich the light beam passage path with their detection surfaces facing toward the reflection device. A moving body tracking guidance and information transmission device using a light beam according to claim 1. 5. Claim 1, wherein the rotation controller is comprised of an amplifier circuit, a forward/reverse control circuit, a motor drive circuit, and a pulse oscillation circuit.
A tracking type guidance and information transmission device for a moving body using the light beam described in 2. 6. The tracking type guidance and information transmission device for a moving body using a light beam according to claim 1, wherein the light beam modulation means is an acousto-optic modulator. 7. A moving body tracking guidance and information transmission device using a light beam according to claim 4, wherein the laser beam detector is comprised of a solar cell.