JPH0577006B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a position measuring device for a moving body, and more particularly to a device for measuring the current position of a moving body using reflection of light.

[Prior Art] For example, when guiding an aircraft from the runway to the taxiway at an airport, or when driving a car, an unmanned mobile guided vehicle in a factory, a golf cart, etc. on a predetermined course, the current position of these moving objects is If it were possible to measure this, automatic guidance would be possible based on that measurement, which would be very convenient.

Conventionally, devices for measuring the current position of a moving object have been used, for example, by installing radio wave transmission sources at multiple locations on the ground, receiving the radio waves on the moving object, and calculating the current position of the moving object from the receiving direction etc. I found a device that does that.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional position measuring device as described above, a plurality of expensive transmitting devices are required, so that the entire system becomes expensive.
Furthermore, since the transmitting device must be kept in normal operation at all times, inspection and maintenance of the transmitting device must be performed frequently. Therefore, there was a problem that inspection and maintenance costs and labor were too high. In particular, when used outdoors, the environment in which the transmitting device is installed is harsh, which increases the frequency of inspection and maintenance, and increases costs and labor accordingly. Furthermore, position measuring devices that use radio waves also have the problem of being subject to regulations under the Radio Law and being affected by radio noise.

This invention was made in order to solve the problems mentioned above, and it is a mobile object that has a simple and inexpensive structure, requires almost no inspection or maintenance, and is not subject to any regulations under the Radio Law. The purpose is to provide a position measuring device.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A position measuring device for a moving object according to the present invention is provided with at least one light reflecting means in relation to the movement course of the moving object. This light reflecting means has an optical property of reflecting incident light in the same direction.
On the other hand, the moving body is provided with an azimuth measuring means, first and second light emitting means, first and second photodetectors, mounting interval information generating means, and current position calculating means.

[Operation] The azimuth measuring means measures the deviation angle of the traveling azimuth of the moving body with respect to a predetermined reference azimuth. The first light emitting means has a first light emitting means with respect to the moving direction of the moving body.
The light is emitted at a predetermined angle. The second light emitting means emits light at a second predetermined angle different from the first predetermined angle with respect to the traveling direction of the moving object. A first light emitting means provided in association with the first light emitting means.
The photodetector detects the light emitted from the first light emitting means and reflected by the first light reflecting means. Second
A second photodetector provided in association with the light emitting means detects the light emitted from the second light emitting means and reflected by the light reflecting means. The travel distance measuring means measures the distance traveled by the mobile object from when one of the first and second photodetectors detects the reflected light to when the other detects the reflected light. The attachment interval information generating means generates information regarding the attachment interval of the first and second light emitting means. The current position calculating means is based on the deviation angle measured by the direction measuring means, the traveling distance measured by the traveling distance measuring means, and the mounting interval information generated by the mounting interval information generating means. Then, the current position of the moving object is calculated.

[Example] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the installed state of the light reflecting means. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the appearance of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, poles 2 and 3 are erected at predetermined positions on the left and right sides of a road 1 having multiple lanes. A beam 4 is provided between the poles 2 and 3. Note that instead of the beam 4, a wire, rope, or the like may be used. This beam 4 is provided with a first light reflecting means 5, a second light reflecting means 7, and a third light reflecting means 6. These light reflecting means have an optical property of reflecting the incident light in the same direction as the incident direction, and for example, a corner cube or the like is used. here,
The height of the beam 4 is selected to be sufficiently higher than the height of the moving body 8 passing under it. Further, the light reflecting means 5 to 7 are arranged on a line perpendicular to the reference direction X shown in FIG. Note that this reference direction X may be selected, for example, parallel to the road 1, or may be selected, for example, north, south, east, west, etc., regardless of the direction in which the road extends. Further, the third light reflecting means 6 is provided between the first light reflecting means 5 and the second light reflecting means 7, but its arrangement position is between the first light reflecting means 5 and the second light reflecting means 7. It is selected so that it is shifted in either the left or right direction from the center position with respect to the means 7 (near the center line of the road 1 in FIG. 1).

On the other hand, on the upper part of the moving body 8 traveling on the road 1, there is a first light emitting means 9, and second and third light emitting means 30R and 30L spaced apart from the first light emitting means 9 by a predetermined distance. and is provided. The third light emitting means 9 emits a planar light beam 10 (hereinafter, a planar light beam will be referred to as a plane beam) orthogonal to the traveling direction Y of the moving body upward. The spread angle of this plane beam 10 is selected such that when the moving body 8 passes under the beam 4, a part of the plane beam always hits the first to third light reflecting means 5, 7, and 6. . On the other hand, the second light emitting means 30R has a plane beam 4 having an angle of 45° to the right with respect to the traveling direction Y.
Fire 0R upwards. Further, the third light emitting means 30L emits a surface beam 40L having an angle of 45° to the left with respect to the traveling direction Y upwardly. The spread angles of these surface beams 40R and 40L are such that, like the surface beam 10, the movable body 8
When the plane beam passes under the
and the angle is chosen such that it hits the second light reflecting means 5 and 7.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing details of the first light emitting means 9 shown in FIG. 1. In the figure, a lens barrel 92 is housed inside a housing 91. Inside this lens barrel 92, a semiconductor laser 93, a beam splitter 94, and a lens 95 are housed. Further, a quarter wavelength plate 96 is provided at the light exit of the lens barrel 92. Furthermore, on the inner side surface of the housing 91, a light receiver 97 is provided at a portion facing the beam splitter 94.
is installed.

In the above configuration, the semiconductor laser 93
The straight light emitted from the lens passes through a beam splitter 94 and enters a lens 95. This lens 95 spreads the linear light and converts it into a plane beam 10. After this plane beam 10 passes through the quarter-wave plate 96, it is emitted to the outside. By the way, when the plane beam 10 hits any of the light reflecting means 5 to 7, the light reflecting means reflects the light in the same direction as the direction of incidence of the light.
Therefore, the reflected light returns to the first light emitting means 9 again. Therefore, after passing through the 1/4 wavelength plate 96, this reflected light is returned to straight light by the lens 95,
The beam enters the beam splitter 94. At this time, the light incident on the beam splitter 94 is
6 twice, its wavelength is shifted by a half wavelength from the light emitted from the semiconductor laser 93. Therefore, the beam splitter 94 reflects the reflected light from the light reflecting means 5 to 7 without transmitting it. The reflected light from this beam splitter 94 is
The light receiver 9 passes through a hole provided on the side of the lens barrel 92.
7. The light receiver 97 converts the incident light into an electrical signal.

As shown in FIG. 4, the second and third light emitting means 30R and 30L have the same structure as the first light emitting means 9. However, its installation angle is different from that of the first light emitting means 9 (see FIG. 1).

The detailed configuration and operation of the above embodiment will be described below. In order to measure the current position of the moving object 8,
Since it is necessary to know the deviation angle θ, the circuit and its operation for determining the deviation angle θ will be explained first.

FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of an azimuth measuring device mounted on the moving body 8. As shown in FIG. In the figure,
The output of the photodetector 97 is applied to the flip-flop 12 via the pulse selection circuit 11. Among the three light reception pulses obtained from the light receiver 97, the pulse selection circuit 11 selects a light reception pulse based on the light reflected from the first light reflection means 5 and a light reception pulse based on the reflection light from the second light reflection means 7. The pulse is selectively passed. The set output Q of flip-flop 12 is applied to one input of AND gate 13, and its polarity is inverted and applied to one input of AND gate 14. and gate 13
The output of the pulse generator 15 is given to the other input. This pulse generator 15 generates pulses corresponding to the traveling distance of the moving body 8.
The output of AND gate 13 is given to counter 16. The count value of this counter 16 is given to the other input of the AND gate 14. Further, the reset output () of flip-flop 12 is given to timer 18. The output of this timer 18 is given to the counter 16 as a reset output. The output of the AND gate 14 is given to one input of the division circuit 17. The output of the interval setting section 19 is applied to the other input of the division circuit 17. This interval setting section 1
The number of pulses corresponding to the distance between the first light reflecting means 5 and the second light reflecting means 7 is preset in 9. Note that instead of such an interval setting section 19, a receiver that receives interval information transmitted from a transmitter provided outside the mobile body 8 may be provided. The output of the division circuit 17 is applied to a polarity addition circuit 21 via a conversion circuit 20. On the other hand, the output of the light receiver 97 is
given to 2. This positive/negative determining circuit 22 is for determining whether the deviation angle θ obtained by the conversion circuit 20 is positive or negative. The output of the positive/negative discrimination circuit 22 is given to the polarity addition circuit 21. The polarity addition circuit 21 responds to the output of the positive/negative discrimination circuit 22,
A positive or negative polarity is added to the output of the conversion circuit 20. The output of the polarity adding circuit 21 is given to various utilization circuits (not shown) as azimuth information of the moving body 8.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing details of the pulse selection circuit 11 shown in FIG. 5. In the figure, the pulse selection circuit 11 is composed of a ring counter 23 and an OR gate 24. ring counter 23
The output of the photoreceiver 97 is given to . When the first light reception pulse is applied to this ring counter 23, only its first bit becomes logic "1", and the second bit becomes logic "1".
When the third light reception pulse is applied, only the second bit becomes logic "1", and when the third light reception pulse is applied, only the third bit becomes logic "1". The logic outputs of the first and third bits are provided to flip-flop 12 via OR gate 24, respectively. Further, the logic output of the third bit is given to the ring counter 23 as a reset signal. In such a configuration, the pulse selection circuit 11 cancels the second light reception pulse and passes the first light reception pulse and the third light reception pulse. Further, when the third light reception pulse is output, the ring counter 23 is reset (all 0).

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing details of the positive/negative discrimination circuit 22 shown in FIG. 5. In the figure, the positive/negative discrimination circuit 22 includes a ring counter 25, first and second timer circuits 26 and 27, and a comparison circuit 28. ring counter 25
has a configuration similar to that of the ring counter 23 shown in FIG. 6, and the light reception pulse of the light receiver 97 is inputted thereto.
Further, the logic output of the first bit of the ring counter 25 is applied to one input of the first timer circuit 26. Further, the logic output of the second bit is applied to the other input of the first clock circuit 26 and the second clock circuit 27.
is given to one input. Further, the logic output of the third bit is applied to the other input of the second clock circuit 27, and is also applied to the ring counter 25 as a reset signal. First clock circuit 26
measures the time width between two logical outputs given from the ring counter 25. Second clock circuit 2
The same applies to 7. The output of the first clock circuit 26 is applied to one input of a comparison circuit 28. The output of the second clock circuit 27 is applied to the other input of the comparison circuit 28. The comparison circuit 28 compares which of the first and second timer circuits 26 and 27 has a larger output, and outputs a positive or negative polarity signal based on the comparison result. This polarity signal is given to the polarity addition circuit 21.

FIG. 8 is a timing chart showing the light pulses received from the light receiver 97. FIG. 9 is a geometric layout diagram for explaining the measurement principle of an embodiment of the present invention. The operation of the above embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9.

Now, as shown in FIG. 1, it is assumed that the traveling direction Y of the moving body 8 is shifted from the reference direction X by θ. In this case, the surface beam 10 from the first light emitting means 9 first impinges on the second light reflecting means 7. Since the second light reflecting means 7 reflects the incident light in the same direction as the incident direction, the reflected light returns to the light emitting means 9, passes through a quarter wavelength plate 96, and is deflected by a lens 95 to form a beam. The light enters the printer 94. Since this incident light is shifted by a half wavelength from the output light of the semiconductor laser 93, the beam splitter 94 reflects the incident light and makes it enter the light receiver 97. In response, the light receiver 97 derives the first light reception pulse and sends the light reception pulse to the pulse selection circuit 11.
and is applied to the positive/negative discrimination circuit 22.

As mentioned above, since the pulse selection circuit 11 passes the first received light pulse, the flip-flop 1
A light reception pulse is given to 2. Since this flip-flop 12 derives a set output from the first input and a reset output from the next input, it is set by the first received light pulse that has passed through the pulse selection circuit 11. The set output (high level) of the flip-flop 12 is applied to an AND gate 13 to enable the AND gate 13, and is inverted to a low level and applied to an AND gate 14 to disable the AND gate 14. Accordingly, the pulses generated from the pulse generator 15 are applied to the counter 16 via the AND gate 13, so that the counter 16 counts the number of applied pulses. Here, the pulse generator 15 generates a pulse every time the movable body 8 advances a predetermined unit distance, and for example, a rotary encoder or the like that detects the rotation of the wheels of the movable body 8 is used. Therefore, by counting the number of output pulses of this pulse generator 15,
The travel distance of the moving body 8 can be measured.

When the moving body 8 travels a little and the surface beam 10 hits the third light reflecting means 6, the second light reception pulse is output from the light receiver 97. Pulse selection circuit 1
1 does not allow this second received pulse to pass through, so the flip-flop 12 is not inverted and the counter 16 continues counting pulses.

Furthermore, when the moving object 8 travels and the plane beam 10 hits the first light reflecting means 5, the third light reception pulse is output from the light receiver 97. This third received pulse passes through the pulse selection circuit 11 and resets the flip-flop 12. Therefore,
The flip-flop 12 has its set output at a low level and its reset output at a high level. Accordingly, AND Gate 13 is disabled,
And the AND gate 14 is activated. Therefore, the counter 16 detects the reflected light from the second light reflecting means 5 after the light receiver 97 detects the reflected light from the second light reflecting means 7.
A circuit 17 counts the number of pulses n correlated with the distance l traveled by the moving body 8 until the reflected light is detected, and divides the counted value n via an AND gate 14.
is given to one input. Also, flip-flop 1
The second reset output is given as a reset signal to the counter 16 after a certain time delay determined by the timer 18.

The other input of the division circuit 17 is given the setting value nw of the interval setting section 19. A value nw that correlates to the distance dl between the first light reflecting means 5 and the second light reflecting means 7 is set in advance in the interval setting section 19. That is, the number of pulses that would be obtained from the pulse generator 15 if the moving body 8 traveled the distance dl is preset in the interval setting section 19. Therefore, the division circuit 17 divides the count value n of the counter 16 into the first and second light reflecting means 5.
Divide (n/nw) by the setting value nw that correlates with the mounting interval of 7 and 7 to find sinθ'. This angle θ′ is the ninth
As shown in the figure, first and second light reflecting means 5
The angle made by the plane beam 10 with respect to the line segment d connecting the lines d and 7 is equal to the angle θ made by the traveling direction Y of the moving body 8 with respect to the reference direction X. Therefore,
The division circuit 17 calculates sin θ. The output of the division circuit 17 is given to a conversion circuit 20, and sin θ is converted into an angle θ. Although not shown, the conversion circuit 20 includes, for example, a ROM in which respective antilogous numbers (sine values) of sinθ (0≦θ<90°) are set at each address,
It is configured to read out an angle θ corresponding to an antilogous number equal to the division value (n/nw) from the division circuit 17. The angle θ derived from the conversion circuit 20 is an absolute value, and it is not clear whether its polarity is positive or negative with respect to the reference direction X. Therefore, for the purpose of determining whether the angle θ is positive or negative, a positive/negative determining circuit 2 is used.
2 is provided.

Next, the operation of this positive/negative discrimination circuit 22 will be explained. As shown in FIG.
When it is tilted to the right with respect to the angle, a received light pulse as shown in FIG. 8 is obtained from the light receiver 97.
In other words, the interval between the first and second received light pulses
ta is longer than the interval tb between the second and third received light pulses. This is based on the fact that the third light reflecting means 6 is provided shifted to the right of the center position, as shown in FIG. First clock circuit 26
detects the time interval ta between the first received light pulse and the second received light pulse. On the other hand, the second timer circuit 27 detects the time interval tb between the second light reception pulse and the third light reception pulse. The comparison circuit 28 is the first
Then, a comparison is made to see which of the second clock circuits 26 and 27 has a larger output. In this case, since the output of the first clock circuit 26 is larger, the comparator circuit 26
8 outputs, for example, a positive polarity signal and supplies it to the polarity adding circuit 21. Accordingly, the polarity addition circuit 21 adds a positive polarity to the absolute value angle θ output from the conversion circuit 20.

On the other hand, considering the case where the moving direction Y of the moving body 8 is shifted to the left with respect to the reference direction Detects the time interval between the received light pulse based on the reflected light of the light reflecting means 6, and
The timing circuit 27 detects the time interval between the received light pulse based on the reflected light from the third light reflecting means 6 and the received light pulse based on the reflected light from the second light reflecting means 7. Therefore, in this case, the output of the second clock circuit 27 is larger than the output of the first clock circuit 26, so the comparator circuit 28 derives a negative polarity signal and supplies it to the polarity adding circuit 21. . Accordingly, the polarity addition circuit 21 adds a negative polarity to the absolute value angle θ from the conversion circuit 20.

As described above, according to the azimuth measuring device shown in FIG.
The deviation angle θ and its polarity (positive or negative) can be accurately measured. Below, this deviation angle θ
A circuit and its operation for measuring the current position of a moving body using the following will be explained.

FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a position measuring device mounted on a moving body 8.
The outputs of photodetectors 97R (see FIG. 3) and 37L (see FIG. 4) are applied to one and the other inputs of OR gate 50, respectively. Here, the circuit components 12' to 16' and 18' constitute means for measuring the travel distance of the moving body 3,
Its structure and operation are similar to circuit components 12-16 and 18 shown in FIG. The output of the AND gate 14' is given to the arithmetic circuit 51. This arithmetic circuit 51 also includes an interval setting section 5.
2 outputs are given. The number of pulses corresponding to the installation interval A between the first light emitting means 9 and the second and third light emitting means 30R and 30L is preset in the interval setting section 52. Note that instead of such an interval setting section 52, a receiver that receives interval information transmitted from a transmitter provided outside the mobile body 8 may be provided. Further, the arithmetic circuit 51 includes a preceding/following discriminating circuit 53.
The output of is given. This forward/rear discriminating circuit 53 is
This is to determine which of the light receivers 97 and 37L derives the light reception output first. Further, the arithmetic circuit 51 is provided with mileage information l from the AND gate 14 and direction information ±θ from the polarity addition circuit 21. The calculation circuit 51 includes, for example, a microcomputer, and calculates the current position of the moving body 8 based on various pieces of information provided thereto.

Note that FIG. 10 shows a device for measuring the current position of the moving object 8 based on the reflected light from the second light reflecting means 7, and this embodiment further includes the first
Based on the reflected light from the light reflecting means 5 of
It is also equipped with a device for measuring the current position of (not shown). The configuration of this current position measuring device (not shown) is as follows:
This is almost the same as the current position measuring device shown in FIG. However, the only difference in the tenth point is that the output of the light receiver 37R is given to the other input of the OR gate 50 and the previous/following discrimination circuit 53 instead of the output of the light receiver 37L.
The device is different from the one shown in the figure.

11 to 13 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the position measuring device shown in FIG. 10.
Note that FIGS. 11 and 12 show the moving body 8 and the first
13 is a diagram geometrically showing the positional relationship with the second light reflecting means 5 and 7, and FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of the arithmetic circuit 51. below,
The operation of the position measuring device shown in FIG. 10 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13.

11 shows the positional relationship when the moving body 8 moves along the course V, and FIG. 12 shows the positional relationship when the moving body 8 moves along the course W. It is assumed that the courses V and W are parallel and are shifted from the reference direction X by θ. Incidentally, there are an infinite number of courses having a deviation of θ from the reference direction X. However, the course at which the surface beams 10 and 40L can simultaneously enter the second light reflecting means 7 is uniquely determined with respect to the deviation angle θ. That is, FIG. 11 and FIG.
This is the course U shown in Figure 2. Hereinafter, this course U will be referred to as a reference course.

First, the calculation circuit 51 receives the interval information A set in the interval setting section 52, the mileage information B from the AND gate 14', the mileage information L from the AND gate 14, and the direction information from the polarity addition circuit 21. ±
θ and the determination result of the preceding/following determining circuit 53 are input. Here, the interval information A is the first light emitting means 9
and second and third light emitting means 30R and 3
This is information indicating the installation interval with 0L. Further, the traveling distance information B is information indicating the distance traveled by the moving body 8 from when one of the light receivers 97 and 37L receives the reflected light until when the other receives the reflected light. For example, in Figure 11, the first
When the light emitting means 9 of is at the position of point Pe (at this time, the second and third light emitting means 30R and 3
0L is at the position of point Pf) The received light output from the light receiver 97b is obtained, and the third light emitting means 30L is turned on.
At the position Ph (at this time, the first light emitting means 9 is at the position Pg), a light reception output from the light receiver 37L is obtained. Therefore, in FIG. 11, the distance between point Pe and point Pg corresponds to mileage information B. Using the same idea, in Figure 12, point Pj and
The distance between Pm corresponds to mileage information B.
This mileage information B is stored in the flip-flop 12', AND gate 13' and 14' in FIG.
Pulse generator 15', counter 16', timer 1
8', the principle of this measurement is similar to the operation performed by the corresponding circuit components in the apparatus of FIG. 5, and its explanation will be omitted.

As mentioned above, the mileage information l is transmitted to the light receiver 9.
7 is information indicating the distance traveled by the mobile object 8 between detecting the reflected light from either one of the first and second light reflecting means 5 and 7 and detecting the reflected light from the other. be. Therefore, in Fig. 11, the distance between points Pe and Pi is the distance information l.
Correspondingly, in FIG. 12, the distance between point Pm and point Po corresponds to mileage information l. In addition, step
The input operation of S1 is completed when the first light emitting means 9 reaches the point Pi in the case of FIG. 11, and when the first light emitting means 9 reaches the point Po in the case of FIG.
When I reached the position of Therefore, in this embodiment, the point Pi or the point Po is calculated as the current position of the moving body 8.

Next, the process proceeds to step S2, where it is determined whether the polarity of the orientation information θ input in step S1 is positive. If it is positive, the process proceeds to step S3, where the position of point Pc is calculated based on the azimuth information θ and the interval information A. As described above, the plane beam 10 is perpendicular to the direction of travel Y, and the plane beam 40L has an angle of 45° with respect to the direction of travel Y. Therefore, point Pb (mounting position of second light reflecting means 7)
The triangle whose vertices are points Pc and Pd forms a right-angled isosceles triangle. Therefore, point Pb and point
The distance between the points Pc and Pc is equal to the distance between the points Pc and Pd (interval information A). Then, the point Pc exists on a line having an angle θ with respect to the line connecting the first and second light reflecting means 5 and 7. Therefore,
If the angle θ and the interval information A are known, the position of the point Pc can be calculated by simple vector calculation.

Next, the process proceeds to step S4, where it is determined which of the light receivers 97 and 37L first derives the light receiving output based on the determination result of the preceding/following determining circuit 53. As shown in FIG. 11, when the moving course V is deviated to the left with respect to the reference course U, the surface beam 10 hits the second light reflecting means 7 before the surface beam 40L, so that the light receiving output of the light receiver 97 decreases. derived first. Conversely, when the movement course W is shifted to the right with respect to the reference course U as shown in FIG. 12, the light reception output of the light receiver 37L is derived first.

If the light receiving output of the light receiver 97 is derived first (as in the case of FIG. position of the light emitting means 9) is calculated. As shown in FIG. 11, the triangle whose vertices are points Pc, Pe, and Pg forms a right-angled isosceles triangle. Therefore, the distance between points Pc and Pe is point Pg
It is equal to the distance between and Pe (mileage distance information B). Therefore, the distance B from point Pc towards point Pb
By performing vector operations such as subtracting the point Pe
The position of is easily calculated. Next, step S6
The current position Pi is calculated. Here, the point
The distance between Pe and Pi is equal to the traveling distance information l.
Therefore, the position of the point Pi can be easily calculated by performing a vector calculation such as adding the distance l from the point Pe in the direction of the traveling direction Y of the moving body 8.

On the other hand, if the light receiving output of the light receiver 37L is derived earlier than that of the light receiver 97 (as in the case of FIG. 12), the process proceeds to step S7, and the position of the point Pm is calculated. As shown in FIG. 12, the triangle whose vertices are points Pc, Pm, and Pj forms a right isosceles triangle.
Therefore, the distance between points Pm and Pc is equal to the distance between points Pm and Pj (mileage distance information B). Therefore,
As in the case of FIG. 11, the position of point Pm can be determined from the position of point Pc by vector calculation. However, in the case of Figure 12, point Pb seen from point Pc
Mileage information B is added in a direction 180° different from the direction of . Next, proceed to step S8,
The current position Po is calculated. This operation is the 11th
As in the case of the figure, it is obtained by adding the travel distance information l in the direction of the traveling direction Y to the point Pm.

Current position determined in step S6 or S8
Pi or Po is output from the arithmetic circuit 51 as position information.

Note that the operation in FIG. 13 shows the case where the deviation angle θ of the traveling direction Y with respect to the reference direction X is positive.
If the deviation angle θ is negative, the current position is calculated by another position measuring device (not shown) as described above. That is, in this case, the current position is calculated based on the reflected light of the first light reflecting means 5 with respect to the plane beams 10 and 40R. Therefore,
In this case, the geometrical relationship is symmetrical to that in FIGS. 11 and 12, but the measurement principle is the same as in the cases in FIGS. 11 to 13.

The orientation information and position information obtained as described above can be used in various ways. For example, it may be displayed on a display, or may be used as information for automatic guidance. When performing automatic guidance, it is sufficient to arrange a plurality of sets of light reflecting means on the road 1 at predetermined intervals.

In the above embodiment, the light reflecting means is arranged above the moving course of the moving body 8, so that even if there is a moving body running alongside, the light is not blocked by other moving bodies and the light is reflected reliably. Since it can reach the vehicle, it has the advantage of always being able to accurately measure the current position of the moving object. Using the same concept, the light reflecting means 5 to 7 may be provided at a low position (for example, on the ground, on the floor, or on a building) to look up at the moving object, and the surface beams may be emitted downward from the moving object. good. In this case, the moving object is an object that moves in the air. Therefore, this invention can be applied not only to objects moving on the ground or on the floor, but also to objects moving in the air, and as a result, it can be used to guide helicopters to helipads, guide airplanes to land,
It can be applied to crane movement control, etc.
However, if the above advantages are not desired, the light reflecting means 5 to 7 may be provided at the same height as the moving body.

In the above embodiment, the current position of the moving object is measured by selectively utilizing the reflected light from the first and second light reflecting means 5 and 7 according to the polarity of the deviation angle θ. In principle, it is possible to measure the current position of a moving object with only one light reflecting means. In this case, either one of the second and third light emitting means 30R and 30L becomes unnecessary. Note that if only one light reflecting means is provided, it is impossible to measure the deviation angle θ using the light reflecting means, so the deviation angle θ may be measured using a gyroscope, a compass, or the like.

Further, in the above embodiment, the planar beam 10 is emitted at an angle of 90° with respect to the traveling direction Y, and the planar beams 40R and 40L are emitted at an angle of 45° to the right and 45° to the left, respectively. However, the surface beam 10,4
The present invention can also be applied when 0R and 40L are fired at other angles. Theoretically, the emission angle of the surface beam 10 and the surface beam 40R
Alternatively, if the firing angle of 40L is selected to be a different angle, the current position can be measured and calculated.
However, as in the above example, if the firing angle is 90° and
Choosing 45° has the advantage of simplifying calculations for measuring the current position.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a plane beam is generated by spreading the emitted light of the semiconductor laser using a lens, but an equivalent beam can be generated by using a light modulator or a mechanical scanning device to swing a straight beam at high speed. Alternatively, a planar beam may be generated.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the travel distance of the moving body 8 is measured by counting the number of pulses corresponding to the rotation of the wheels. An ultrasonic oscillator, an electromagnetic wave generator, or an infrared ray generator that projects ultrasonic waves, electromagnetic waves, or light onto
The moving distance of the moving body 8 may be calculated and measured using the Doppler effect or the like by detecting the reflected waves. In this case, it is suitable for measuring the moving distance of an object moving in the air.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the current position of an object can be measured extremely accurately regardless of whether the object is moving on the ground or moving in the air. Furthermore, since it is sufficient to provide at least one light reflecting means on the ground, the ground equipment can be extremely inexpensive and the installation work can be shortened compared to conventional devices. Additionally, ground equipment requires little maintenance and inspection, resulting in significant time and cost savings.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the appearance of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the installed state of the light reflecting means. FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the first light emitting means 9 shown in FIG. FIG. 4 shows the second (or third) light emitting means 30R or 3 shown in FIG.
It is a sectional view of 0L. FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of an azimuth measuring device mounted on the moving body 8. As shown in FIG. FIG. 6 shows the pulse selection circuit 11 shown in FIG.
FIG. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing details of the positive/negative discrimination circuit 22 shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is a timing chart showing the pulses received by the light receiver 97. FIG. 9 is a geometrical schematic diagram for explaining the direction measuring operation by the direction measuring device shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a current position measuring device mounted on the moving body 8. As shown in FIG. Figures 11 and 12 are 10
FIG. 2 is a geometrical schematic diagram for explaining a current position measuring operation by the current position measuring device shown in the figure. 1st
FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the arithmetic circuit 51 shown in No. 10. In the figure, 1 is a road, 5 is a first light reflecting means, 6 is a third light reflecting means, 7 is a second light reflecting means, 8 is a moving object, 9 is a first light emitting means, 30R
is the second light emitting means, 30L is the third light emitting means, 10, 40R, 40L are the plane beams, 93, 3
3R, 33L are semiconductor lasers, 97, 37R, 3
7L indicates a light receiver.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A device for measuring the current position of a moving body using reflection of light, wherein at least one light reflecting means is provided in relation to a movement course of the moving body, and the light reflects the light. The reflecting means has a characteristic of reflecting the incident light in the same direction as the incident direction, and the moving body is configured to perform azimuth measurement for measuring the deviation angle of the traveling direction of the moving body with respect to a predetermined reference azimuth. means; a first light emitting means that emits light at a first predetermined angle with respect to the traveling direction of the moving body; and what is the first predetermined angle with respect to the traveling direction of the moving body. a second light emitting means that emits light at a different second predetermined angle; and a second light emitting means that is provided in relation to the first light emitting means, and is emitted from the first light emitting means and reflects the light. a first light detector for detecting light reflected by the means; and a first light detector provided in association with the second light emitting means, the light being emitted from the second light emitting means and reflected by the light reflecting means. a second photodetector for detecting the reflected light; and a period from when one of the first and second photodetectors detects the reflected light until the other detects the reflected light. a distance measuring means for measuring the distance traveled by the moving body; an attachment interval information generating means for generating information regarding the interval between the attachments of the first and second light emitting means; and an azimuth measuring means. of the moving object based on the deviation angle measured by the moving body, the running distance measured by the running distance measuring means, and the mounting interval information generated by the mounting interval information generating means. A position measuring device for a moving body, comprising: current position calculation means for calculating a current position. 2. The moving body position measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the first predetermined angle is selected to be approximately 90°. 3. The moving body position measuring device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second predetermined angle is selected to be approximately 45°. 4. The position measuring device for a moving body according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the light reflecting means is provided at approximately the same height as the moving body. 5. The light reflecting means is provided above the movement course so as to look down on the moving body.
A position measuring device for a moving body according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 6. The light reflecting means is provided below the movement course so as to look up at the moving body.
A position measuring device for a moving body according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 7. The moving body position measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first and second light reflecting means each include means for emitting planar light. 8. The light reflecting means is provided on the left and right sides of the movement course, and the current position is measured based on the reflected light from either of the light reflecting means provided on the left and right sides. Range 1st to 7th
The moving body position measuring device according to any one of the items. 9. The position of the moving body according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the orientation measuring means includes means for measuring the deviation angle based on the reflected light from the light reflecting means. measuring device. 10. The position measuring device for a moving body according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the azimuth measuring means is a gyroscope. 11. The position measuring device for a moving body according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the orientation measuring means is a orientation magnet. 12. Claims 1 to 1, wherein the moving body is an object that moves on the ground or on the floor.
The position measuring device for a moving body according to any one of Item 1. 13. The moving body position measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the moving body is an object that moves in the air.