阅读说明：本技术 一种新型车辆 (Novel vehicle ) 是由 不公告发明人 于 2020-04-29 设计创作，主要内容包括：本申请公开了一种新型车辆。所述车辆包括：第一支撑构件和第二支撑构件,其彼此之间可相对旋转；第一驱动轮,其可相对于第一支撑构件旋转；第二驱动轮,其可相对于第二支撑构件旋转；第一万向轮,其被安装在第一支撑构件上；第二万向轮,其被安装在第二支撑构件上。如果将车辆放置在水平地板上且两个驱动轮都与水平地板接触,则第一驱动轮的轴线和第二驱动轮的轴线可能或几乎都位于一个竖直平面中。所述车辆还包括马达、传感器和计算机。(The application discloses a novel vehicle. The vehicle includes: a first support member and a second support member rotatable relative to each other; a first drive wheel rotatable relative to the first support member; a second drive wheel rotatable relative to the second support member; a first universal wheel mounted on the first support member; a second universal wheel mounted on the second support member. If the vehicle is placed on a horizontal floor and both drive wheels are in contact with the horizontal floor, the axis of the first drive wheel and the axis of the second drive wheel may or may almost both lie in one vertical plane. The vehicle also includes a motor, a sensor, and a computer.)

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a computer;

a first support member;

a second support member which is rotatable about an axis relative to the first support member;

a first drive wheel rotatable relative to the first support member;

a first motor capable of driving the first drive wheel to rotate relative to the first support member;

a connecting member for connecting said computer to said first motor to allow said computer to control said first motor;

a second drive wheel rotatable relative to the second support member;

a second motor capable of driving the second driving wheel to rotate relative to the second supporting member;

a connecting member for connecting said second motor to said computer to allow said computer to control said second motor;

wherein if the vehicle is placed on a horizontal floor and both the first and second drive wheels are in contact with the horizontal floor, the axis of the first drive wheel and the axis of the second drive wheel are parallel;

wherein if the vehicle is placed on a horizontal floor and if the first and second drive wheels are both in contact with the horizontal floor, the axis of the first drive wheel and the axis of the second drive wheel are both closer to a vertical plane, and the distance from any point of the two axes to the vertical plane is less than 15% of the distance between the first and second drive wheels;

wherein an axis of the second drive wheel is non-parallel to a rotational center axis of the second support member relative to the first support member;

wherein an axis of the first drive wheel is non-parallel to a rotational center axis of the second support member relative to the first support member.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein a radius of the first drive wheel is the same as a radius of the second drive wheel.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a first universal wheel comprising:

a rotatable member that is rotationally movable relative to the first support member;

a wheel rotatably movable relative to the rotatable member;

wherein a central axis of rotation between the rotatable member and the first support member is perpendicular to but not coplanar with a central axis of rotation between the wheel and the rotatable member.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, further comprising a second universal wheel comprising:

a rotatable member that is rotatable with respect to the second support member;

a wheel which is capable of rotational movement relative to the rotary member;

wherein a central axis of rotation between the rotatable member and the second support member is perpendicular to but not coplanar with a central axis of rotation between the wheel and the rotatable member.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein if the vehicle is placed on a horizontal floor and the first and second drive wheels are both in contact with the horizontal floor, a center axis of rotation between the rotatable member of the first universal wheel and the first support member and a center axis of rotation between the rotatable member of the second universal wheel and the second support member are both in a vertical plane that is perpendicular to an axis of the first drive wheel, the first and second drive wheels being placed on opposite sides of the vertical plane.

6. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein a central axis of rotation between the rotatable member of the first steerable wheel and the first support component is vertical if the vehicle is placed on a horizontal floor with both the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel in contact with the horizontal floor. Characterized in that the central axis of rotation between the rotatable member of the second universal wheel and the second support member is vertical if the vehicle is placed on a horizontal floor with both the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel in contact with the horizontal floor.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a pair of wheels disposed on opposite sides of a vertical plane passing through an axis of the first drive wheel if the vehicle is disposed on a horizontal floor and the first drive wheel and second drive wheel are both in contact with the horizontal floor.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein an axis of the first drive wheel and an axis of the second drive wheel coincide if the vehicle is placed on a horizontal floor and both the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel are in contact with the horizontal floor.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein an axis of the first drive wheel is parallel to an axis of the second drive wheel if the vehicle is placed on a horizontal floor and both the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel are in contact with the horizontal floor.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first and second motors may be stepper motors.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a first encoder and a second encoder, each encoder being connected to the computer, wherein the first encoder can directly or indirectly detect angular changes in rotational motion driven by the first motor, and wherein the second encoder can directly or indirectly detect angular changes in rotational motion driven by the second motor.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a surface on which the indicia is printed.

13. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an orientation sensor operable to detect an orientation of the first support member, the orientation sensor coupled to the computer.

14. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising one or more proximity sensors, each proximity sensor capable of detecting an obstacle in the vehicle's subsequent path of movement, the proximity sensors being connected to the computer.

15. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising one or more digital cameras, each camera connected to the computer.

16. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein each vehicle comprises one or more layers.

17. A vehicle, comprising:

a computer;

a first support member;

a second support member rotatable about an axis relative to the first support member;

a first drive wheel rotatable relative to the first support member;

a first motor capable of driving the first drive wheel to rotate relative to the first support member;

a connecting member for connecting said computer and said first motor to allow said computer to control said first motor;

a second drive wheel that is rotatable relative to the second support member;

a second motor capable of driving the second drive wheel to rotate relative to the second support member;

a connecting member for connecting said second motor to said computer to allow said computer to control said second motor;

wherein if the vehicle is placed on a horizontal floor and the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel are both in contact with the horizontal floor, the axis of the first drive wheel and the axis of the second drive wheel are both in a vertical plane;

wherein an axis of the second drive wheel is non-parallel to a rotational center axis of the second support member relative to the first support member;

wherein an axis of the first drive wheel is non-parallel to a rotational center axis of the second support member relative to the first support member.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the axis of the first drive wheel is parallel to the axis of the second drive wheel if the vehicle is placed on a horizontal floor and the first and second drive wheels are both in contact with the horizontal floor.

19. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein an axis of the first drive wheel and an axis of the second drive wheel coincide if the vehicle is placed on a horizontal floor and both the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel are in contact with the horizontal floor.

20. A vehicle, comprising:

a computer;

a first support member;

a second support member rotatable about an axis relative to the first support member;

a first drive wheel rotatable relative to the first support member;

a first motor capable of driving the first drive wheel to rotate relative to the first support member;

a connecting member for connecting said computer and said first motor to allow said computer to control said first motor;

a second drive wheel rotatable relative to the second support member;

a second motor capable of driving the second drive wheel to rotate relative to the second support member;

a connecting member for connecting said second motor to said computer to allow said computer to control said second motor;

wherein if the vehicle is placed on a horizontal floor and both the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel are in contact with the horizontal floor, the axis of the first drive wheel and the axis of the second drive wheel are parallel;

wherein an axis of the second drive wheel is non-parallel to a rotational center axis of the second support member relative to the first support member;

wherein an axis of the first drive wheel is non-parallel to a rotational center axis of the second support member relative to the first support member;

wherein the vehicle further comprises a pair of wheels which lie on opposite sides of a vertical plane passing through the axis of the first drive wheel if the vehicle is placed on a horizontal floor with both the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel in contact with the horizontal floor.

Background

The present application relates to a vehicle that may be moved over a floor, road or other terrain. Our vehicle can be used for manned purposes. Our vehicle can also be used to deliver items to customers. The delivered items may be food in a restaurant, merchandise in a retail store, items from a business or a store to a home, items from one building to another, and the like. Our vehicle is simple in design, can travel on a bumpy road, and can turn with a smaller radius, thus avoiding obstacles better than conventional vehicles. The vehicle can also be automated through computer control.

Disclosure of Invention

The vehicle of the invention may comprise one or more of the following: a first support member and a second support member which are relatively rotatable; a pair of universal wheels mounted on the first support member and the second support member, respectively; a pair of drive wheels mounted on the first and second support members, respectively; and a pair of motors which respectively drive the corresponding driving wheels to rotate.

When the vehicle is placed on a horizontal floor, the axes of the two drive wheels are on the same vertical plane, or almost on the same vertical plane, the vehicle also comprising wheels on both sides of the vertical plane. Also, the angle between the axis of the drive wheel and the relative rotational center line of the first support member and the second support member is between 30 degrees and 60 degrees (or desirably 45 degrees).

The vehicle also includes a direction sensor, a proximity sensor, and the like. The vehicle also includes a computer for connecting to and controlling electrical or electronic devices on the vehicle.

The embodiments and features of the present invention described above are described in detail in the accompanying drawings, the description and the claims.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a computer including a plurality of input/output ports and a wireless communication device.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a universal wheel.

Figures 3A-3B are isometric views of a motion mechanism. Fig. 3C is a cross-sectional view of the motion mechanism.

Fig. 4A is an isometric view of a vehicle body part component. Fig. 4B is an axis of the vehicle body.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a vehicle including the body.

FIG. 6A is an isometric view of a marked vehicle. FIG. 6B is an isometric view of a vehicle marked with various indicia.

Detailed Description

In this patent application, one motor comprises a drive mechanism that produces relative motion of two members. The type of motor varies depending on the driving method (e.g., electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic). A computer may be used to control the time, direction and speed of the motor's movement.

In the present invention, the position of one rigid body includes position information of all points on the rigid body. If any point on the rigid body is moved, the position of the rigid body is considered to have changed.

The position of a wheel comprises information on the position of the axis of said wheel and information on the position of the space occupied by said wheel. If the wheel is rotated about its axis, the position of the wheel is considered unchanged.

In the present invention, a motor includes a base member (e.g., a frame) as a fixed member and a shaft as a moving member, and a driving mechanism of the motor can drive the shaft to rotate about an axis of the shaft with respect to the base member. It is not required that the motor necessarily include a shaft.

Similarly, the encoder also includes a base member and a shaft that is rotatable relative to the base member. The encoder is capable of detecting the angle of rotation of the shaft relative to the base member and sending a signal to a computer.

In the present invention, the position information of one object includes position information of all points on the object.

In the present invention, the wireless signal may be an electromagnetic signal, an optical signal, an ultrasonic signal, or other types of wireless signals.

As shown in fig. 1, one computer 22 includes a plurality of input/output ports 22A. The input/output port 22A may be connected to various electronic or electrical devices such as radar, lidar, cameras, proximity sensors, orientation sensors, infrared and other types of sensors, etc. by cable or wireless communication. The input/output port 22A may also be connected to an electrical or electronic device, such as a motor. The computer 22 may control the electrical or electronic devices by sending signals. The computer 22 also includes a wireless communication device 29 for receiving wireless signals from other computers or for sending signals to other computers. The computer 22 also includes hardware and software so that the computer 22 can communicate wirelessly with various electrical or electronic devices via a wireless communication device 29. The computer 22 also includes memory for storing data or information.

The computer 22 also includes a programmable controller, PLC for short. The computer 22 may also include a single chip microcomputer, a computer with an embedded system, or a circuit board thereof that includes a single chip microcomputer and a plurality of electronic or electrical components.

It should be noted that the wireless signals sent by the computer 22 of fig. 1 to other computers may be radio, WIFI, mobile, bluetooth, or other wireless signals.

As shown in fig. 2, one universal wheel 16 includes: two shafts 46 and 47; a rigid member 44; a wheel 48; and a rigid member 41. Axis 461 of shaft 46 is perpendicular to axis 471 of shaft 47, and axes 461 and 471 are not coplanar or do not intersect at a point in space. Note that an axis is an infinitely long line with no end in space. Rigid member 44 is rigidly connected to shaft 47, and relative movement between shaft 47 and rigid member 41 is limited to rotational movement about axis 471. Thus, relative movement between rigid member 44 and rigid member 41 is limited to rotational movement about axis 471. The wheel 48 is fixedly connected to the shaft 46 and is coaxial with the shaft 46. Relative movement between the wheel 48 and the rigid member 44 is limited to rotational movement about axis 461.

The rigid member 44 is also referred to as the rotatable member of the universal wheel 16.

As shown in fig. 3A to 3C, one movement mechanism 11 includes: a first universal wheel 16a, which is a duplicate of the universal wheel 16 having the same parts and the same number of parts; a second universal wheel 16b, which is also a duplicate of the universal wheel 16 with the same parts and the same number of parts; a first support member 73 which is a rigid member and rigidly connected to the bearing housing 73 a; a second support member 74 rigidly connected to the bearing seat 74 a. The axis of the axle 47 of the first universal wheel 16a is denoted 471a and the axis of the axle 47 of the second universal wheel 16b is denoted 471 b. The support member 41 of the first omni wheel 16a is rigidly connected to the first support member 73 such that relative movement between the rotating member 44 of the first omni wheel 16a and the first support member 73 is limited to rotational movement centered on the axis 471a of the shaft 47. Similarly, the support member 41 of the second universal wheel 16b is rigidly connected to the second support member 74 such that relative movement between the rotary member 44 of the second universal wheel 16b and the second support member 74 is limited to rotary movement about the axis 471b of the shaft 47.

The first support member 73 is rigidly connected to a shaft 71, the shaft 71 including an axis 711. The second support member 74 is rigidly connected to a bearing mount 72. The shaft 71 is connected to the bearing housing 72 by some kind of bearing (not shown) so that the relative movement between the first support member 73 and the second support member 74 is limited to a rotational movement centered on the axis 711 of the shaft 71.

The movement mechanism 11 further includes: a first driving wheel 53a and a second driving wheel 53 b; two shafts 58a and 58 b; a first motor 81A and a second motor 81B, wherein each motor includes a base member and a shaft. The first drive wheel 53a includes an axis 531 and the second drive wheel 53b includes an axis 532. The first drive wheel 53a is rigidly connected to the shaft 58a, and the axis 531 of the first drive wheel 53a coincides with the axis of the shaft 58 a. The connection of the shaft 58a to the bearing housing 73a via a bearing 57 is such that relative movement between the shaft 58a and the first support member 73 is limited to rotational movement about the axis 531. Therefore, the relative movement between the first drive wheel 53a and the first support member 73 is restricted to the rotational movement centering on the axis 531. Similarly, the second drive wheel 53b is rigidly connected to the shaft 58b, and the axis 532 of the second drive wheel 53b coincides with the axis of the shaft 58 b. The shaft 58b is connected to the bearing housing 74a by another bearing 157 such that relative movement between the shaft 58b and the second support member 74 is limited to rotational movement about an axis 532. Accordingly, relative movement between the second drive wheel 58b and the second support member 74 is limited to rotational movement about the axis 532. The base member of the first motor 81A is fixedly connected to the first support member 73 via a connector 54a, and the shaft of the first motor 81A is fixedly connected to the shaft 58a via a coupling 55 a. Thus, the first motor 81A can drive the shaft 58a and the first drive wheel 53a for rotational movement about the axis 531 relative to the first support member 73. The base member of the second motor 81B is fixedly connected to the second support member 74 via a connector 54B, and the shaft of the second motor 81B is connected to the shaft 58B via a coupling 55B. Thus, the second motor 81B can drive the shaft 58B and the second drive wheel 53B in rotational movement about the axis 532 relative to the second support member 74.

The movement mechanism 11 further includes a first encoder 91M and a second encoder 91P, each including a base member. The base member of the first encoder 91M is fixedly attached to the base member of the first motor 81A, and the first encoder 91M can be used to detect a change in the angle of the rotational movement driven by the first motor 81A. The base member of the second encoder 91P is fixedly connected to the base member of the second motor 81B, and the second encoder 91P can be used to detect the angular change of the rotational movement driven by the second motor 81B.

When the movement mechanism 11 is placed on a horizontal floor, its four wheels 53A, 53B, 48 and 48 are all in contact with the floor (as shown in figures 3A-3B), then:

(1) the axis 531 of the first drive wheel 53a and the axis 532 of the second drive wheel 53b are horizontal and parallel to each other;

(2) axis 531 lies in vertical plane 533;

(3) axis 532 lies in vertical plane 533, or axis 532 is closer to vertical plane 533, i.e., axis 532 is a relatively small distance from vertical plane 533, or more specifically, less than 15% of the distance between the first and second drive wheels;

(4) the two wheels 48 do not intersect the vertical plane 533;

(5) two wheels 48 are located on either side of the vertical plane 533;

(6) the axis 711 of the shaft 71 is horizontal;

(7) the axes of the wheels 48 are all horizontal;

(8) the axis 471a of the axle 47 of the first universal wheel 16a and the axis 471b of the axle 47 of the second universal wheel 16b are both vertical;

(9) the angle between axis 711 and axis 531 is between 30 and 60 degrees (ideally 45 degrees);

(10) the angle between axis 711 and axis 532 is between 30 and 60 degrees (ideally 45 degrees);

(11) the angle between axis 711 and a vertical plane passing through axes 471a and 471b is between 30 and 60 degrees (or ideally 45 degrees);

(12) the axis 471a of the shaft 47 of the first universal wheel 16a and the axis 471b of the shaft 47 of the second universal wheel 16b are in a vertical plane, which is located in the middle between the first drive wheel 53a and the second drive wheel 53 b;

(13) a vertical plane intermediate vertical axis 471a and vertical axis 471b intersects axis 531 at a point;

(14) the first and second drive wheels are located on either side of a vertical plane 473, the vertical plane 473 passing through axes 471a and 471 b;

(15) the angle between vertical plane 533 and vertical plane 473 is between 75 degrees and 105 degrees (or ideally 90 degrees).

The movement mechanism 11 comprises an axis 781, which is defined by the following conditions: (1) axis 781 intersects axis 711; (2) axis 781 is parallel to axis 471 a; (3) the angle between axis 531 and a plane passing through axes 781 and 471a is 90 degrees. The axis 781 is referred to as the center axis of the moving mechanism 11. The center axis of the motion mechanism 11 moves together with the first support member 73 of the motion mechanism 11.

The movement mechanism 11 further comprises an axis 161 which intersects the central axis 781 at 90 degrees and is perpendicular to said axis 531. The axis 161 is regarded as a movement axis of the movement mechanism 11. If the movement mechanism 11 is placed on a horizontal floor, the axis 161 is perpendicular to the axis 532 of the second drive wheel.

The radius of the first driving wheel 53a may be designed to be equal to the radius of the second driving wheel 53 b. If the movement mechanism 11 is placed on a horizontal floor, the first drive wheel 53a axis 531 coincides with the second drive wheel 53b axis 532.

When the movement mechanism 11 is placed on a horizontal floor with the four wheels 53a, 53b, 48 and 48 all in contact with the floor and the drive wheels 53a and 53b have equal radii, the following can be achieved: when the first motor 81A and the second motor 81B drive the first driving wheel 53a and the second driving wheel 53B, respectively, to rotate at the same speed and direction, the moving mechanism 11 moves in a direction parallel to the moving axis 161 (if slip is not considered). When the first motor 81A and the second motor 81B drive the first driving wheel 53a and the second driving wheel 53B to rotate at different speeds and in the same direction, respectively, the moving mechanism 11 moves along a curved path (if slip is not considered). When the first motor 81A and the second motor 81B drive the first driving wheel 53a and the second driving wheel 53B to rotate in opposite directions and at the same speed, respectively, the moving mechanism 11 can make a rotational movement on the floor around the central axis (if slip is not considered).

The movement means 11 can also be moved over uneven floors. The first support member 73 will now rotate relative to the second support member 74 to ensure that all four wheels of the vehicle are in contact with the floor. The weight of the movement mechanism 11 is now distributed over each wheel.

The first motor 81A and the second motor 81B may be stepper motors, but this is not a hard requirement. The angle of rotation of each motor is monitored by a sensor connected to computer 22.

The first and second drive wheels 53a and 53b may be identical in shape and size. When the kinematic mechanism 11 is placed on a horizontal floor with all four wheels 53a, 53b, 48 and 48 in contact with the floor, then: the center axis 781 is located at the very middle of the driving wheels 53a and 53 b; the central axis 781 is located substantially midway between the axes 471a and 471b and the distance between the drive wheels 53a and 53b is approximately equal to the distance between the axes 471a and 471 b.

As shown in fig. 4A-4B, a vehicle body 12 includes: a support member 37 which is a circular flat plate; a rigid member 32; a circular flat plate 36; one direction sensor 91A; a computer 22; a proximity sensor 91K; an infrared sensor 91X; an ultrasonic sensor 91Y; a camera 91E; a rechargeable battery 64; a top plate 31; a display 63 mounted on the top plate 31. The proximity sensor 91K is used to detect an obstacle around the vehicle body 12. The infrared sensor 91X is used to detect the distance from an object near the sensor to the vehicle body 12, and may also be used to detect an obstacle as well as a proximity sensor. The ultrasonic sensor 91Y is used to detect the distance from an object in the vicinity of the sensor to the vehicle body 12, and may also be used to detect an obstacle as with a proximity sensor. The support member 37, the plate 36 and the top plate 31 are all rigidly connected to the rigid member 32. A plurality of container holders 59 are mounted on each plate 36, wherein each container holder 59 is adapted to hold a container 82 of cooked food. The computer 22 includes a wireless communication device 29 that can communicate with other computers. The computer 22, the sensors 91A, 91K, 91X and 91Y, the camera 91E, the display 63 and the rechargeable battery 64 are fixedly mounted on the member 31, 36 or 37, respectively. The computer 22, the sensors 91A, 91K, 91X and 91Y, the camera 91E and the display 63 all have a power input which is connected to a power output of the rechargeable battery 64. The direction sensor 91A, the proximity sensor 91K, the infrared sensor 91X, the ultrasonic sensor 91Y, the camera 91E, and the display 63 are connected to the computer 22 through cables 93A, 93K, 93X, 93Y, 93E, and 93Z, respectively, to communicate with the computer 22.

The body 12 also includes an electrical light source 65 that is connected to the rechargeable battery 64 through switches 66, wherein each switch 66 is connected to the computer 22 so that the computer 22 can control the switch 66 to turn the electrical light source 65 on or off. The electric light source 65 may emit a light beam along the movement axis of the movement mechanism 11 toward the surrounding area of the vehicle 13.

It should be noted that the signals from the various sensors received by the computer 22 are sent to other computers.

It should be noted that the delicatessen container 82 is not part of the vehicle body 12.

As shown in fig. 5, the vehicle 13 includes a vehicle body 12 and a moving mechanism 11. The support member 37 of the vehicle body 12 is rigidly connected to the first support member 73 of the moving mechanism 11. The first motor 81A and the second motor 81B are connected to the computer 22 through cables 83A and 83B, respectively. The computer 22 may send signals to the first motor 81A and the second motor 81B to control the rotation of the shafts of the first motor 81A and the second motor 81B. The first encoder 91M and the second encoder 91P of the movement mechanism 11 are connected to the computer 22 through cables 93M and 93P, respectively. The encoders 91M and 91P may send signals to the computer 22, so the computer 22 may acquire the angular changes of the rotational movement driven by the first motor 81A and the second motor 81B through the first encoder 91M and the second encoder 91P, respectively.

The motion mechanism 11 may be movable on a floor of a building or structure and the vehicle body 12 may be movable with the motion mechanism 11. The computer 22 can acquire the angular changes of the rotational movement driven by the first motor 81A and the second motor 81B through the first encoder 91M and the second encoder 91P, respectively. The proximity sensor 91K may detect an obstacle on the following movement path of the vehicle 13 and then send an electronic or electrical signal to the computer 22. The infrared sensor 91X can detect infrared radiation of objects around the vehicle 13 and then send electric and electronic signals to the computer 22. The orientation sensor 91A may detect the orientation of the support member 37 (as a rigid body) relative to some reference frame (e.g., the ground or a reference frame using the earth's magnetic poles) and send the orientation information to the computer 22. The computer 22 includes a program that can be used to calculate the orientation of the support member 37. The direction of the center axis of the moving mechanism 11 can be determined by the signal of the direction sensor 91A.

When the proximity sensor 91K detects some object within its detection range, the proximity sensor 91K may send a signal to the computer 22. The camera 91E may capture digital images of objects around the vehicle 13 to detect whether there are obstacles around. The camera 91E transmits the captured digital image to the computer 22. The computer 22 includes an image analysis program that can be used to analyze the digital images to determine whether an obstacle exists in the path of movement of the vehicle 13.

The first support member 73 of the moving mechanism 11 can be regarded as a support member of the vehicle 13. The central axis of the moving mechanism 11 can be regarded as the central axis of the vehicle 13. The axis of motion of the motion mechanism 11 can be considered as the axis of motion of the vehicle 13. When the vehicle 13 is placed on a horizontal floor, the center axis of the vehicle 13 is always vertical, and the axis of movement of the vehicle 13 is always horizontal.

The center axis and axis of motion of the vehicle 13 are referred to as the center axis and axis of motion of the marked vehicle. The axis of motion has two directions, one of which is selected to be the positive direction of motion of the vehicle 13 and the other of which is the negative direction of motion of the vehicle 13. As explained earlier, when the vehicle 13 is placed on a horizontal floor, the first and second drive wheels have one and the same axis, which is perpendicular to the axis of movement of the vehicle 13. If the vehicle 13 is moving under the following assumption: (1) the vehicle 13 is placed on a horizontal floor; (2) the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel rotate in the clockwise direction at the same speed; (3) the direction of rotation of the first drive wheel of the vehicle 13 is referred to as the positive direction of rotation, with negligible slip between the wheel and the floor.

It should be noted that the orientation sensor 91A of the vehicle 13 may include a fusion sensor including an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer. The direction sensor 91A may further include an inclination sensor that can measure the direction of the earth's gravity in a three-dimensional coordinate system of which the central axis and the movement axis of the vehicle 13 are two coordinate axes. The direction sensor 91A may further include a geomagnetic positioning sensor. The orientation sensor 91A or the computer 22 may include a filter that calculates the orientation from the signals received by the orientation sensor 91A.

As shown in FIG. 6A, a marked vehicle 13X includes the vehicle 13 and a logo 31X, wherein the logo 31X is located on the surface 30 of the body 12 of the vehicle 13. In this application, the flat plate 31 is perpendicular to the center axis of the vehicle 13. The identifier 31X includes: five squares 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d and 33e, which do not overlap each other (except for the vertices) and do not overlap other parts of the logo (except for the background), wherein the inside of each square is individually painted with a single color or white. Squares 33a and 33b have a common apex P₁Squares 33c and 33d have a common apex P₂Squares 33d and 33e having a common apex P₃. Vertex P₁、P₂And P₃On the same line but this is not a hard requirement. Vertex P₂At the vertex P₁And P₃In the meantime. Vertex P₂And P₃BetweenIs greater than the vertex P₁And P₂The distance between them is several times smaller. The background of the logo surface may be other single colors or black. The surface of the plate 31 may be matt to limit light reflection. The tag 31X further includes a two-dimensional code 34X. When the vehicle 13 is placed on a horizontal surface, the line P₁P₂P₃Lies exactly on a vertical plane 473 that passes exactly through axes 471a and 471 b.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the marked vehicle 13Y includes the vehicle 13 and a logo 31Y, wherein the logo 31Y is printed on the surface 30 of the vehicle 13. Similar to the logo 31X, the logo 31Y includes five squares 35a, 35b, 35c, 35d, and 35e and a different two-dimensional code 34Y.

The mark 31X (or 31Y) may also include an image, drawing or character printed on the surface. The identification may or may not be visible to the human eye. The identification is not rotationally symmetric. In other words, the image of the mark is rotated by any angle between 0 and 360 degrees and then does not coincide with the original mark.

It should be noted that the surface 30 of the marked vehicle may be curved. The mark 31X or 31Y may be printed on the curved surface 30.

The body 12 in the vehicle 13 may be replaced by other types of bodies that may accommodate other types of containers or have seats for seating people. The body may also include windshields, wipers, computer displays, doors, windows, etc.

Our vehicle may also include other conventional elements such as suspensions, shock absorbers, brakes, steering wheel, accelerator, light bulbs, etc.

It should be noted that the motor in this patent application may be an AC or DC motor, a stepper motor, a servo motor, a variable frequency motor, a pneumatic or hydraulic motor, etc. A motor may also include a speed reducer. The rotation angle of the motor or shaft may be detected by sensors, including encoders and/or proximity sensors.

It should be noted that the electronic or electrical devices in the automated vehicle, such as radar, lidar, encoders, proximity sensors, infrared sensors, and other types of sensors, may alternatively communicate with the computer via wireless communication.

This document contains many specifics, but these are descriptions of specific embodiments and should not limit the scope of the invention as claimed or as may be claimed. Some features that are described in more than one embodiment in this document may be combined in a single embodiment. Conversely, some features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination to form multiple embodiments. Furthermore, although features may be described or claimed in combination as acting in certain combinations, one or more features of a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

The support member in this patent application may be any type of rigid member. Wherein one rigid member is relatively rigid if elasticity or other small deformations are neglected. One support member is movable relative to the other support member or the ground. The rigid members include rods, tubes, beams, plates, frames, bearing blocks, shafts. A rigid member may be made of metal (e.g., steel or aluminum) or other material or a combination of several types of materials.

Similarly, a rigid connection is a relatively rigid connection if elasticity or other small deformations are ignored.

The wheel in this patent application always comprises one axis. One drive wheel may be any wheel. The rotation of one drive wheel is typically driven by a motor.

In this application, the connection between a computer and an electrical and electronic device may be a wired connection or a wireless connection. The electrical or electronic device may include an electric motor, and the computer may control the movement of the motor.

Only a few examples and implementations are described herein and suitable variations, modifications, and enhancements may be made to the described examples and implementations without departing from the spirit of the invention.