An automated guided vehicle cooperative positioning system, method, device and storage medium
By employing a global optical synchronization mechanism and signal separation technology, the problem of synchronization error in collaborative transportation of multiple automated guided vehicles (AGVs) has been solved, achieving high-precision positioning and collaborative transportation, thereby improving logistics efficiency and production automation.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHANGHAI AIRCRAFT MFG
- Filing Date
- 2024-05-27
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-24
AI Technical Summary
Existing indoor GPS systems suffer from synchronization errors in collaborative transportation of multiple automated guided vehicles, resulting in low synchronization accuracy and failing to meet the requirements for high-precision real-time positioning.
A global optical synchronization mechanism is adopted, which generates a fixed-period synchronization optical signal and optical pulse signal through an optical pulse transmitter. The signal is then separated by the vehicle body receiving module to determine the position and attitude of the automated guided vehicle.
It improves the accuracy and reliability of collaborative positioning of multiple automated guided vehicles, realizes efficient and precise collaborative transportation, and enhances logistics efficiency and production automation level.
Smart Images

Figure CN120802177B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of collaborative transportation technology, and in particular to an automated guided vehicle (AGV) collaborative positioning system, method, device, and storage medium. Background Technology
[0002] With the continuous development of industrial automation and logistics technology, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) have been widely used in various fields. AGVs can autonomously travel along preset paths to complete tasks such as handling and loading / unloading goods, thereby improving logistics efficiency and the level of production automation.
[0003] In some complex logistics scenarios, a single Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) may not be sufficient to meet transportation demands, requiring multiple AGVs to work collaboratively. For example, in large warehouses, multiple AGVs need to coordinate the transport of goods to improve efficiency and reduce transit time. In such cases, collaborative transport positioning of AGVs becomes a key technology.
[0004] Although existing indoor GPS systems have excellent on-site static measurement capabilities and can meet the high-precision measurement needs of manufacturing sites under most quasi-static conditions, when faced with the dynamic measurement needs of continuous tracking and high-precision real-time acquisition during the transfer of multiple automated guided vehicles, the distributed measurement system of multi-station and multi-observation fusion of the measurement network will introduce significant dynamic synchronization errors into the measurement process, resulting in low synchronization accuracy. Summary of the Invention
[0005] This invention provides an automated guided vehicle (AGV) collaborative positioning system, method, device, and storage medium to improve signal synchronization accuracy based on a global optical synchronization mechanism, thereby enabling collaborative transportation of multiple AGVs.
[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, an automated guided vehicle cooperative positioning system is provided, the system comprising: at least one optical pulse transmitter and at least one vehicle body receiver;
[0007] An optical pulse transmitter is used to generate and transmit scanning optical signals and optical pulse signals based on a synchronization optical signal;
[0008] The vehicle body receiving module is used to acquire mixed signals, separate the mixed signals to generate individual signals, and determine the vehicle body position and attitude of the automated guided vehicle based on the separated signals. The mixed signals include synchronization light signals, scanning light signals, and light pulse signals.
[0009] Optionally, the optical pulse transmitter specifically includes: a signal transmitting unit and a signal scanning unit; the signal transmitting unit is used to acquire pulse parameters according to the synchronization optical signal, generate an optical pulse signal according to the pulse parameters, and transmit the optical pulse signal within a specified range, wherein the pulse parameters include pulse brightness and pulse width; the signal scanning unit is used to trigger its integrated photoelectric sensor according to the synchronization optical signal, and generate and transmit a scanning optical signal based on the photoelectric sensor.
[0010] Optionally, the system may also include: a global clock; the global clock is used to acquire a preset frequency, generate an electrical pulse sequence according to the preset frequency, generate a synchronization optical signal according to the electrical pulse sequence, and send the synchronization optical signal to the optical pulse transmitter.
[0011] Optionally, the vehicle body receiving module includes: a signal receiver and a signal processor; the signal receiver is used to acquire the mixed signal and send the mixed signal to the signal processor; the signal processor is used to perform photoelectric conversion and signal processing analysis on the received mixed signal according to the pulse period to generate a separate signal, and generate a scanning angle based on the separate signal.
[0012] Optionally, the vehicle body receiving module also includes: a local clock connected to the signal receiver; the signal receiver is also used to generate a trigger timing signal based on the mixed signal and send the trigger timing signal to the local clock; the local clock is used to start timing based on the trigger timing signal to generate timing information, determine the pulse period based on the timing information, and feed the pulse period back to the signal processor.
[0013] Optionally, the vehicle receiving module also includes: a memory connected to the signal receiver; a signal processor, which is also used to send the scanning angle to the memory; and a memory, which is used to receive and store the scanning angle.
[0014] Optionally, the system also includes: a host computer connected to the vehicle receiving module; the vehicle receiving module is also used to extract scan angles from the memory to form data packets according to a specified time interval, and send the data packets to the host computer via Ethernet; the host computer is used to obtain positioning-related parameters, determine the vehicle position and attitude of the automatic guided vehicle according to the positioning-related parameters, and feed back the vehicle position and attitude to the vehicle receiving module, wherein the positioning-related parameters include the inherent parameters of the transmitting station, the orientation parameters of the measurement field network, and the target parameters.
[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, an automated guided vehicle cooperative positioning method is provided, the method comprising:
[0016] A scanning light signal and a light pulse signal are generated based on a synchronization light signal using a light pulse transmitter;
[0017] The vehicle body receiving module acquires the mixed signal, separates the mixed signal to generate individual signals, and determines the vehicle body position and attitude of the automated guided vehicle based on the separated signals. The mixed signal includes a synchronization light signal, a scanning light signal, and a light pulse signal.
[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, an electronic device is provided, the electronic device comprising:
[0019] At least one processor; and
[0020] A memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein,
[0021] The memory stores a computer program that can be executed by the at least one processor, which enables the at least one processor to perform an automated guided vehicle cooperative positioning method according to any embodiment of the present invention.
[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, the computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions for causing a processor to execute and implement an automated guided vehicle cooperative positioning method according to any embodiment of the present invention.
[0023] The technical solution of this invention introduces a global optical synchronization mechanism, designs an optical pulse transmitter to achieve a fixed-period synchronous optical signal covering the entire space, and introduces a pulse period for signal separation. By determining the vehicle's position and attitude, it ultimately achieves collaborative positioning of multiple guided vehicles, which improves positioning accuracy and reliability, realizes more efficient and accurate collaborative transportation, and improves logistics efficiency and production automation.
[0024] It should be understood that the description in this section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of the present invention, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the invention. Other features of the invention will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description
[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automated guided vehicle cooperative positioning system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;
[0027] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of another automated guided vehicle cooperative positioning system provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;
[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another automated guided vehicle cooperative positioning system provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;
[0029] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of an automated guided vehicle cooperative positioning method according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention;
[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device that implements an automated guided vehicle cooperative positioning method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation
[0031] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0032] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of the invention described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.
[0033] Example 1
[0034] Figure 1 This invention provides a schematic diagram of an automated guided vehicle (AGV) cooperative positioning system according to Embodiment 1. The system includes: at least one optical pulse transmitter and at least one vehicle receiver.
[0035] Optionally, a light pulse transmitter is used to generate and transmit scanning light signals and light pulse signals based on a synchronization light signal; a vehicle body receiving module is used to acquire the mixed signal, separate the mixed signal to generate separate signals, and determine the vehicle body position and attitude of the automated guided vehicle based on the separate signals, wherein the mixed signal includes a synchronization light signal, a scanning light signal and a light pulse signal.
[0036] A light pulse transmitter is a device capable of generating and emitting light pulse signals. It utilizes specific optical elements and energy excitation mechanisms to convert electrical energy or other forms of energy into light energy, which is then emitted in the form of pulses. A vehicle-mounted receiver module is a receiving device installed on the automated guided vehicle (AGV) to receive light signals. In this embodiment, the vehicle-mounted receiver module primarily receives mixed signals from the outside, including synchronization light signals, scanning light signals, and light pulse signals. By processing and analyzing the mixed signals, the vehicle-mounted receiver can provide crucial data for determining the AAV's position, attitude, and other information, thereby assisting the AAV in achieving precise positioning, navigation, and related operational control functions. An automated guided vehicle (AGV) is an unmanned transport vehicle equipped with an automatic guidance system, capable of traveling along a prescribed guidance path, and possessing safety protection and various transfer functions. It is commonly used in industrial production, logistics warehousing, and other fields.
[0037] Specifically, the optical pulse transmitter can convert the synchronization optical signal into specific scanning optical signals and optical pulse signals, and then transmit them. The vehicle receiving module receives the mixed signals and decomposes them into different separate signals using signal separation technology, thereby calculating the position and attitude information of the automated guided vehicle, thus helping the vehicle achieve accurate positioning and navigation.
[0038] In summary, the light pulse transmitter is responsible for generating and emitting specific light signals, while the vehicle receiving module is responsible for receiving and processing these signals to determine the position and attitude of the automated guided vehicle. The two modules work together to realize the perception and control functions of the automated guided vehicle.
[0039] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automated guided vehicle cooperative positioning system provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 2 The system also includes: a global clock; the optical pulse transmitter specifically includes: a signal transmission unit and a signal scanning unit; and the vehicle body receiving module specifically includes: a signal receiver, a signal processor, a memory, and a local clock.
[0040] Optionally, the optical pulse transmitter specifically includes: a signal transmitting unit and a signal scanning unit; the signal transmitting unit is used to acquire pulse parameters according to the synchronization optical signal, generate an optical pulse signal according to the pulse parameters, and transmit the optical pulse signal within a specified range, wherein the pulse parameters include pulse brightness and pulse width; the signal scanning unit is used to trigger its integrated photoelectric sensor according to the synchronization optical signal, and generate and transmit a scanning optical signal based on the photoelectric sensor.
[0041] Specifically, the optical pulse transmitter includes a signal transmitting unit and a signal scanning unit. The signal transmitting unit acquires the corresponding pulse parameters, including pulse brightness and pulse width, based on the synchronization optical signal. Then, the signal transmitting unit generates an optical pulse signal according to the pulse parameters and transmits it within a specified range. For example, the signal transmitting unit can transmit a high-brightness, narrow-pulse optical signal within its coverage area. The signal scanning unit triggers its integrated photoelectric sensor based on the synchronization optical signal to generate a scanning optical signal. This scanning optical signal is used to detect trigger pulses from other optical pulse receivers, enabling wireless cascading triggering.
[0042] Optionally, the system may also include: a global clock; the global clock is used to acquire a preset frequency, generate an electrical pulse sequence according to the preset frequency, generate a synchronization optical signal according to the electrical pulse sequence, and send the synchronization optical signal to the optical pulse transmitter.
[0043] The global clock is a clock source that provides a reference time signal to generate a stable and accurate periodic signal. The global clock generates an electrical pulse sequence based on a preset frequency and further generates a synchronization optical signal. The global clock then sends the generated synchronization optical signal to the optical pulse transmitter.
[0044] In one specific implementation, the optical pulse transmitter can be triggered by a global clock connected to it via a wire to emit a high-brightness narrow pulse optical signal into the space within its coverage area. At the same time, the optical pulse transmitter can also detect the trigger pulses of other optical pulse receivers through its integrated photoelectric sensor, realizing wireless cascading triggering.
[0045] Optionally, the vehicle body receiving module includes: a signal receiver and a signal processor; the signal receiver is used to acquire the mixed signal and send the mixed signal to the signal processor; the signal processor is used to perform photoelectric conversion and signal processing analysis on the received mixed signal according to the pulse period to generate a separate signal, and generate a scanning angle based on the separate signal.
[0046] The signal receiver is a component within the vehicle's receiving module specifically responsible for receiving various signals, including mixed signals composed of synchronization light signals, scanning light signals, and light pulse signals. The signal processor is a device that performs photoelectric conversion and signal processing and analysis on the received mixed signals.
[0047] Specifically, after acquiring the mixed signal, the signal receiver sends it to the signal processor. The signal processor determines the pulse period of each mixed signal, and then performs photoelectric conversion and signal processing analysis on the received mixed signal based on the pulse period, decomposing the mixed signal into separate signals. The signal processor then generates a scanning angle based on the separate signals. The scanning angle refers to the maximum angular range that the laser beam can reach through the scanning device, also known as the field of view (FOV), which represents the angular range covered by the laser beam during scanning.
[0048] Optionally, the vehicle body receiving module also includes: a local clock connected to the signal receiver; the signal receiver is also used to generate a trigger timing signal based on the mixed signal and send the trigger timing signal to the local clock; the local clock is used to start timing based on the trigger timing signal to generate timing information, determine the pulse period based on the timing information, and feed the pulse period back to the signal processor.
[0049] Specifically, upon receiving the mixed signal, the signal receiver also generates a trigger timing signal. This trigger timing signal is the instruction to start the local clock. The signal receiver sends the trigger timing signal to the local clock. Upon receiving the trigger timing signal, the local clock begins timing. It accurately starts timing based on this trigger timing signal and generates corresponding timing information. Based on the timing information, the local clock determines the pulse period of the optical pulse signal and feeds the pulse period back to the signal processor.
[0050] Optionally, the vehicle receiving module also includes: a memory connected to the signal receiver; a signal processor, which is also used to send the scanning angle to the memory; and a memory, which is used to receive and store the scanning angle.
[0051] Specifically, memory can receive, store, and retrieve various types of data, including scan angles. Memory typically consists of memory chips or other storage media, which can store scan angles in a specific address space and perform read and write operations as needed. In this process, memory acts as a data cache and storage, allowing the signal processor to access and use the stored scan angles at any time during subsequent processing.
[0052] In one specific implementation, the vehicle receiving module receives optical pulses that are superimposed with the scanning light and synchronization light of the transmitting station. At the same time, it uses a local clock to time and measure the electrical pulses generated by various optical pulses. By calculating the pulse period, it separates the synchronization light signal from the scanning light signal and the synchronization light signal, aligns the synchronization light signal, the scanning light signal and the optical pulse signal, and calculates the position and attitude of the automated guided vehicle, ultimately realizing the synchronous measurement of the position and attitude of multiple automated guided vehicles.
[0053] The technical solution of this invention introduces a global optical synchronization mechanism, designs an optical pulse transmitter to achieve a fixed-period synchronous optical signal covering the entire space, and introduces a pulse period for signal separation. By determining the vehicle's position and attitude, it ultimately achieves collaborative positioning of multiple guided vehicles, which improves positioning accuracy and reliability, realizes more efficient and accurate collaborative transportation, and improves logistics efficiency and production automation.
[0054] Example 2
[0055] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automated guided vehicle cooperative positioning system provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 3 An upper computer was added based on the first embodiment.
[0056] Optionally, the system also includes: a host computer connected to the vehicle receiving module; the vehicle receiving module is also used to extract scan angles from the memory to form data packets according to a specified time interval, and send the data packets to the host computer via Ethernet; the host computer is used to obtain positioning-related parameters, determine the vehicle position and attitude of the automatic guided vehicle according to the positioning-related parameters, and feed back the vehicle position and attitude to the vehicle receiving module, wherein the positioning-related parameters include the inherent parameters of the transmitting station, the orientation parameters of the measurement field network, and the target parameters.
[0057] Specifically, the vehicle receiving module retrieves previously stored scan angles from the memory at pre-set time intervals and forms a data packet. The vehicle receiving module then sends the data packet to the host computer via Ethernet. For example, the signal processor can assemble all cached scan angle measurement information in the memory into a data packet every 50ms and send it to the host computer via Ethernet.
[0058] Specifically, after receiving the data packet, the host computer acquires positioning-related parameters, including the transmitter station's inherent parameters (related to its own characteristics), measurement field network orientation parameters (i.e., the network layout and orientation information of the measurement field), and target parameters. Based on these positioning parameters, the host computer uses specific algorithms and logic to calculate and analyze, determining the position and attitude of the automated guided vehicle (AGV). Finally, the host computer feeds back the determined vehicle position and attitude to the vehicle receiving modules to achieve collaborative positioning among the various vehicle receiving modules.
[0059] In one specific implementation, to reduce the data processing burden, the extraction of the timestamp of the global synchronization optical pulse identification data can be implemented through the internal logic of the FPGA at the channel entrance of each vehicle receiving module. Since the optical pulse transmitter and the laser transmitting station operate simultaneously, the signal received by the vehicle receiving module is a mixture of the global synchronization photoelectric pulse signal with a preset period T and the photoelectric pulses from each transmitting station. After the mixture enters the processing system, the signal processor times it using an internal counter in the FPGA, recording the photoelectric pulse times t1, t2…tn. To achieve global synchronization light filtering, the FPGA can use a period T+δt as the search interval (δt is a positive offset threshold, ensuring T+δt>T), starting from the last received pulse tn, to perform a finite search on the pulse sequence t1, t2…tn, calculating the time intervals dtn-1, dtn-2, dtn-3,… from tn to tn-1, tn-2, tn-3… respectively. If dtn-3 = T when tn-m is found, then tn can be identified as the global synchronization trigger pulse, and this moment is recorded.
[0060] Specific application scenario: Six vehicle-mounted receiving modules can be circumferentially distributed on the vehicle, with each module facing away from the vehicle's center. The angle between the lines connecting adjacent receiving modules and the vehicle's center is approximately 60°. During vehicle movement, in the worst-case scenario, if two receiving modules are directly facing each other and experience strong ambient light interference, they may malfunction. The remaining receiving modules can calculate the three-dimensional coordinates using a planar intersection method, and then use the rigid body transformation principle to solve for the vehicle's pose information. The measurement system can autonomously select the optimal algorithm to achieve real-time six-degree-of-freedom measurements of the vehicle at any position and orientation on the test site. On one hand, the layout scheme increases the measurement system's anti-interference capability and applicability; on the other hand, the six receiving modules also provide a certain degree of measurement information redundancy, improving the system's measurement accuracy.
[0061] Specifically, based on the principles of rigid body kinematics, measuring the six degrees of freedom (DOF) of autonomous navigation equipment such as trolleys requires installing at least three vehicle-mounted receiving modules on the trolley's surface. Each receiving module is fixed using a tooling bracket integrated with the trolley. During guidance, each receiving module must receive information from at least two stations to obtain the coordinates of each point and calculate the pose. Addressing the difficulty of rendezvous in large spaces, indoor GPS systems offer a non-rendezvous-based six-DOF measurement method. Theoretically, when a receiving module receives information from only one transmitting station, its coordinates cannot be calculated, and its information cannot be used for rigid body coordinate transformation. The non-rendezvous pose measurement algorithm does not rely on coordinate calculation; it directly transforms each optical plane received by the receiving module to the global coordinate system, and then uses a rendezvous algorithm to directly calculate the trolley's six-DOF information. Each receiving module only needs to receive optical signals from at least one transmitting station to meet the calculation requirements.
[0062] Furthermore, after the measurement field is set up, the indoor GPS coordinate system is transformed to the tooling coordinate system using reference points with known coordinates on the tooling. Before installing the vehicle receiving modules, the three-dimensional coordinates of each vehicle receiving module in the Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) coordinate system are calibrated using measurement methods as standard values. During AGV navigation, the measured coordinate values of the vehicle receiving modules and the standard values are used as corresponding points to achieve the transformation from the AGV coordinate system to the indoor GPS coordinate system. During the coordinate system transformation, the attitude registration relationship of the rigid body is calculated, i.e., the yaw angle of the vehicle and the three-dimensional coordinates (x, y, z) of the vehicle center in the tooling coordinate system, to achieve navigation.
[0063] As can be seen from the working principle of indoor GPS, when not synchronized, the measurement time of different scanning angles within a 50ms interval is uncertain. In extreme cases, the time synchronization error of different scanning angles within a single data packet for each automated guided vehicle (AGV) can reach up to 40ms. When the vehicle's receiving module moves at a speed of 100mm / s, the position error introduced by the different observation times of different scanning angles within the same data packet reaches 4mm. By introducing a synchronization pulse, the pose calculation mode based on data packets can be abandoned, improving the dynamic measurement accuracy of indoor GPS. A global calculation mode is adopted: all scanning angle information and synchronization time in different data packets are sorted sequentially on the time axis, prioritizing the selection of scanning angle observations with close synchronization times. Pose calculation is performed when the pose calculation conditions are met. Unused scanning angle observations within subsequent data packets participate in the formation of scanning angle information for the next pose calculation when the next data packet arrives. This method can shorten the time synchronization error of different scanning angles in pose calculation, achieving the effect of suppressing dynamic pose error and improving dynamic accuracy, enabling synchronous calculation of multiple AGVs in a factory workshop.
[0064] The technical solution of this invention introduces a global optical synchronization mechanism, designs an optical pulse transmitter to achieve a fixed-period synchronous optical signal covering the entire space, and introduces a pulse period for signal separation. By determining the vehicle's position and attitude, it ultimately achieves collaborative positioning of multiple guided vehicles, which improves positioning accuracy and reliability, realizes more efficient and accurate collaborative transportation, and improves logistics efficiency and production automation.
[0065] Example 3
[0066] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of an automated guided vehicle (AGV) cooperative positioning method provided in Embodiment 3 of the present invention. This embodiment is applicable to scenarios involving hardware-in-the-loop fault injection testing of hybrid motors. Figure 4 As shown, the method includes:
[0067] S310: The optical pulse transmitter generates scanning optical signals and optical pulse signals based on the synchronization optical signal.
[0068] A light pulse transmitter is a device capable of generating and emitting light pulse signals. It utilizes specific optical elements and energy excitation mechanisms to convert electrical energy or other forms of energy into light energy, which is then emitted in the form of pulses. A vehicle-mounted receiver module is a receiving device installed on the automated guided vehicle (AGV) to receive light signals. In this embodiment, the vehicle-mounted receiver module primarily receives mixed signals from the outside, including synchronization light signals, scanning light signals, and light pulse signals. By processing and analyzing the mixed signals, the vehicle-mounted receiver can provide crucial data for determining the AAV's position, attitude, and other information, thereby assisting the AAV in achieving precise positioning, navigation, and related operational control functions. An automated guided vehicle (AGV) is an unmanned transport vehicle equipped with an automatic guidance system, capable of traveling along a prescribed guidance path, and possessing safety protection and various transfer functions. It is commonly used in industrial production, logistics warehousing, and other fields.
[0069] S320. The mixed signal is acquired through the vehicle body receiving module, the mixed signal is separated to generate separate signals, and the position and attitude of the automatic guided vehicle are determined based on the separate signals. The mixed signal includes a synchronization light signal, a scanning light signal and a light pulse signal.
[0070] Specifically, the optical pulse transmitter can convert the synchronization optical signal into specific scanning optical signals and optical pulse signals, and then transmit them. The vehicle receiving module receives the mixed signals and decomposes them into different separate signals using signal separation technology, thereby calculating the position and attitude information of the automated guided vehicle, thus helping the vehicle achieve accurate positioning and navigation.
[0071] In summary, the light pulse transmitter is responsible for generating and emitting specific light signals, while the vehicle receiving module is responsible for receiving and processing these signals to determine the position and attitude of the automated guided vehicle. The two modules work together to realize the perception and control functions of the automated guided vehicle.
[0072] The technical solution of this invention introduces a global optical synchronization mechanism, designs an optical pulse transmitter to achieve a fixed-period synchronous optical signal covering the entire space, and introduces a pulse period for signal separation. By determining the vehicle's position and attitude, it ultimately achieves collaborative positioning of multiple guided vehicles, which improves positioning accuracy and reliability, realizes more efficient and accurate collaborative transportation, and improves logistics efficiency and production automation.
[0073] Example 4
[0074] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of an electronic device 10 that can be used to implement embodiments of the present invention is shown. The electronic device is intended to represent various forms of digital computers, such as laptop computers, desktop computers, workstations, personal digital assistants, servers, blade servers, mainframe computers, and other suitable computers. The electronic device can also represent various forms of mobile devices, such as personal digital processors, cellular phones, smartphones, wearable devices (e.g., helmets, glasses, watches, etc.), and other similar computing devices. The components shown herein, their connections and relationships, and their functions are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the implementation of the invention described and / or claimed herein.
[0075] like Figure 5 As shown, the electronic device 10 includes at least one processor 11 and a memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM) 12 or a random access memory (RAM) 13, communicatively connected to the at least one processor 11. The memory stores computer programs executable by the at least one processor. The processor 11 can perform various appropriate actions and processes based on the computer program stored in the ROM 12 or loaded from storage unit 18 into the RAM 13. The RAM 13 may also store various programs and data required for the operation of the electronic device 10. The processor 11, ROM 12, and RAM 13 are interconnected via a bus 14. An input / output (I / O) interface 15 is also connected to the bus 14.
[0076] Multiple components in electronic device 10 are connected to I / O interface 15, including: input unit 16, such as keyboard, mouse, etc.; output unit 17, such as various types of displays, speakers, etc.; storage unit 18, such as disk, optical disk, etc.; and communication unit 19, such as network card, modem, wireless transceiver, etc. Communication unit 19 allows electronic device 10 to exchange information / data with other devices through computer networks such as the Internet and / or various telecommunications networks.
[0077] Processor 11 can be a variety of general-purpose and / or special-purpose processing components with processing and computing capabilities. Some examples of processor 11 include, but are not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), various special-purpose artificial intelligence (AI) computing chips, various processors running machine learning model algorithms, a digital signal processor (DSP), and any suitable processor, controller, microcontroller, etc. Processor 11 performs the various methods and processes described above, such as an automated guided vehicle cooperative positioning method.
[0078] In some embodiments, an automated guided vehicle (AGV) cooperative positioning method may be implemented as a computer program tangibly contained in a computer-readable storage medium, such as storage unit 18. In some embodiments, part or all of the computer program may be loaded and / or installed on electronic device 10 via ROM 12 and / or communication unit 19. When the computer program is loaded into RAM 13 and executed by processor 11, one or more steps of the AGV cooperative positioning method described above may be performed. Alternatively, in other embodiments, processor 11 may be configured to perform an AGV cooperative positioning method by any other suitable means (e.g., by means of firmware).
[0079] Various embodiments of the systems and techniques described above herein can be implemented in digital electronic circuit systems, integrated circuit systems, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application-specific standard products (ASSPs), systems-on-a-chip (SoCs), payload-programmable logic devices (CPLDs), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various embodiments may include implementations in one or more computer programs that can be executed and / or interpreted on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which may be a dedicated or general-purpose programmable processor, capable of receiving data and instructions from a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device, and transmitting data and instructions to the storage system, the at least one input device, and the at least one output device.
[0080] Computer programs used to implement the methods of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These computer programs may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, such that when executed by the processor, the computer programs cause the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be performed. The computer programs may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, or as a standalone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.
[0081] In the context of this invention, a computer-readable storage medium can be a tangible medium that may contain or store a computer program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A computer-readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. Alternatively, a computer-readable storage medium may be a machine-readable signal medium. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media include electrical connections based on one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.
[0082] To provide interaction with a user, the systems and techniques described herein can be implemented on an electronic device having: a display device (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor) for displaying information to the user; and a keyboard and pointing device (e.g., a mouse or trackball) through which the user provides input to the electronic device. Other types of devices can also be used to provide interaction with the user; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback); and input from the user can be received in any form (including sound input, voice input, or tactile input).
[0083] The systems and technologies described herein can be implemented in computing systems that include backend components (e.g., as data servers), or computing systems that include middleware components (e.g., application servers), or computing systems that include frontend components (e.g., user computers with graphical user interfaces or web browsers through which users can interact with implementations of the systems and technologies described herein), or any combination of such backend, middleware, or frontend components. The components of the system can be interconnected via digital data communication of any form or medium (e.g., communication networks). Examples of communication networks include local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), blockchain networks, and the Internet.
[0084] A computing system can include clients and servers. Clients and servers are generally located far apart and typically interact through communication networks. The client-server relationship is created by computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship with each other. The server can be a cloud server, also known as a cloud computing server or cloud host, which is a hosting product within the cloud computing service system to address the shortcomings of traditional physical hosts and VPS services, such as high management difficulty and weak business scalability.
[0085] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used, with steps reordered, added, or deleted. For example, the steps described in this invention can be executed in parallel, sequentially, or in different orders, as long as the desired result of the technical solution of this invention can be achieved, and this is not limited herein.
[0086] The specific embodiments described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this invention should be included within the scope of protection of this invention.
Claims
1. An automated guided vehicle (AGV) cooperative positioning system, characterized in that, include: At least one optical pulse transmitter and at least one vehicle-mounted receiver; The optical pulse transmitter is used to generate and transmit scanning optical signals and optical pulse signals based on the synchronization optical signal; The vehicle receiving module is used to acquire a mixed signal, separate the mixed signal to generate separate signals, and determine the vehicle position and attitude of the automated guided vehicle based on the separate signals. The mixed signal includes a synchronization light signal, a scanning light signal, and a light pulse signal. The system further includes a global clock; the global clock is a clock source that provides a reference time signal to generate a stable and accurate periodic signal, and the global clock sends the generated synchronization optical signal to the optical pulse transmitter. The vehicle receiving module includes a signal receiver and a signal processor. The signal receiver is used to acquire the mixed signal and send the mixed signal to the signal processor; The signal processor is configured to perform photoelectric conversion and signal processing analysis on the received mixed signal according to the pulse period to generate a separation signal, and generate a scan angle according to the separation signal; The vehicle receiving module further includes a local clock connected to the signal receiver; the local clock is used to determine the pulse period of the optical pulse signal and feed the pulse period back to the signal processor.
2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The optical pulse transmitter specifically includes: a signal transmitting unit and a signal scanning unit; The signal transmitting unit is used to obtain pulse parameters based on the synchronization optical signal, generate an optical pulse signal based on the pulse parameters, and transmit the optical pulse signal to a specified range, wherein the pulse parameters include pulse brightness and pulse width; The signal scanning unit is used to trigger its integrated photoelectric sensor according to the synchronization optical signal, and generate and emit a scanning optical signal based on the photoelectric sensor.
3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The global clock is used to acquire a preset frequency, generate an electrical pulse sequence based on the preset frequency, generate a synchronization optical signal based on the electrical pulse sequence, and send the synchronization optical signal to the optical pulse transmitter.
4. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The signal receiver is further configured to generate a trigger timing signal based on the mixed signal, and send the trigger timing signal to the local clock; The local clock is used to start timing and generate timing information according to the trigger timing signal, determine the pulse period according to the timing information, and feed the pulse period back to the signal processor.
5. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The vehicle body receiving module further includes a memory connected to the signal receiver; The signal processor is also used to send the scan angle to the memory; The memory is used to receive and store the scan angle.
6. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The system also includes a host computer connected to the vehicle body receiving module; The vehicle receiving module is also used to extract scan angles from the memory to form data packets according to a specified time interval, and send the data packets to the host computer via Ethernet; The host computer is used to acquire positioning-related parameters, determine the vehicle position and attitude of the automated guided vehicle based on the positioning-related parameters, and feed back the vehicle position and attitude to the vehicle receiving module. The positioning-related parameters include the inherent parameters of the transmitting station, the orientation parameters of the measurement field network, and the target parameters.
7. A cooperative positioning method for automated guided vehicles, characterized in that, Applied to an automated guided vehicle cooperative positioning system as described in any one of claims 1-6, comprising: A scanning light signal and a light pulse signal are generated based on a synchronization light signal using a light pulse transmitter; The vehicle body receiving module acquires a mixed signal, performs signal separation on the mixed signal to generate separate signals, and determines the vehicle body position and attitude of the automated guided vehicle based on the separate signals. The mixed signal includes a synchronization light signal, a scanning light signal, and a light pulse signal.
8. An electronic device, characterized in that, The electronic device includes: At least one processor; and A memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein, The memory stores a computer program that can be executed by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the method of claim 7.
9. A computer storage medium, characterized in that, The computer storage medium stores computer instructions that are used to cause the processor to execute the method described in claim 7.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
CN102623883A
CN112835053A