WO2016177331A1 - Electronic fencing enclosure - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic fencing enclosure, comprising at least one laser emission platform (1) emitting line laser beams. At least one line laser emission head (4) is provided on the emission platform (1). A light curtain of the line laser beams emitted by the line laser emission head (4) is substantially perpendicular to the ground, and the light curtain is a boundary of the electronic fencing enclosure. The emission platform further comprises a power supply and a switch. A robot (5) confined by the electronic fencing enclosure is equipped with at least one laser signal detection device (7) and a conical reflector or a multichannel light guide (6) directed towards the laser signal detection device (7). The laser signal detection device (7) can redirect and center laser signals incident on the exterior of the robot (5) to the laser signal detection device (7) via the conical reflector or the multichannel light guide (6). The detection of a laser signal via the laser signal detection device (7) indicates that the robot (5) is at the boundary of the fencing enclosure.

Description

 Manual Title: An electronic fence

 Technical field

 [0001] The present invention relates to an electronic fence for setting a moving boundary for a robot, mainly for limiting the range of movement of an outdoor robot that is traversed to a fence.

 Background technique

 [0002] Outdoor mobile robots that pursue traversal, such as clean robots, mowing robots, harvesting robots, and demining robots used in public places, are not used in outdoor non-structural applications. There is no good range constraint mechanism, especially when the surface is not too flat. The problem is even more pronounced in the absence of boundaries (such as walls or obstacles) or in open spaces with only partial boundaries. One way is to set the length (X) and width (Y) parameters with the charging base as the origin (0,0), so that the robot works in the range of length X and width Y, 伹 because the outdoor surface is uneven In the case where the movement of the robot is deviated, it is too far-fetched in this way.

 technical problem

 [0003] The object of the present invention is to construct a structural region in an unflattened field and an open space without boundaries, constraining the range of movement of the robot.

 Problem solution

 Technical solution

The present invention is designed such that an electronic fence includes at least one laser emitting platform that emits a linear laser (also referred to as a word line laser), and at least one linear laser emitting head is disposed on the transmitting platform. The linear laser emits a linear laser light curtain that is substantially perpendicular to the ground. The light curtain is the edge of the electronic fence; the launching platform also includes a power source, a gate, and the robot bound by the electronic fence carries at least one a laser signal detecting device, and a tapered reflector or a plurality of light guides facing the laser signal detecting device, wherein the laser signal detecting device bends the laser signal irradiated by the robot exterior by a cone reflector or a plurality of light guides to Laser signal detection device. Once the robot detects the laser signal by the laser signal detection device that it is at the edge of the fence, the robot does not continue to move past the fence or move along the edge of the fence. Advantageous effects of the invention

 Beneficial effect

 [0005] The advantage of the invention is that the linear laser can diffuse the laser signal to a certain height range in the vertical direction of the ground, taking into account some ground unevenness, so that the mobile robot can be on the fence boundary of different surface. A laser signal was detected.

 Brief description of the drawing

 DRAWINGS

 1 to 5 are top views of an electronic fence provided in the present invention.

 6 (a, b), 7 (a, b, c) are side elevation views of the electronic fence provided for the present invention.

 8 is a schematic view of an electronic fence launching platform (a, b), a reflecting platform (c), and a benchmarking rod (d) of the present invention.

 9 is a schematic diagram of a robot equipped with a laser detecting device (where a and b are square, circular robot top view, and c is a rear view of b).

10 is a double view of a reflected light guide and a laser detecting device mounted on a robot.

Embodiments of the invention

 [0011] An electronic fence comprising at least one laser emitting platform 1 for emitting a linear laser (also referred to as a word line laser), wherein the transmitting platform 1 has at least one linear laser emitting head 4, which is linear The light curtain of the linear laser emitted by the laser emitting head 4 is substantially perpendicular to the ground, and the light curtain is the edge of the electronic fence; the launching platform 1 further includes a power source, a switch, and the robot 5 bound by the electronic fence carries at least one laser a signal detecting device 7, and a tapered reflector or a plurality of light guides 6 facing the laser signal detecting device, and the laser signal detecting device 7 can irradiate the laser signal to which the robot 5 is irradiated by the tapered reflector or the multi-way light guide 6. The bending is concentrated to the laser signal detecting device 7. Once the robot detects a laser signal indicating that it is at the edge of the fence, the robot is not allowed to move past the fence or move along the edge of the fence.

[0012] In the current detection method of the robot boundary of indoor movement, a conical reflector designed by American irobot company is commonly used for detecting infrared rays emitted from a virtual wall from various angles. Because infrared is Divergence transmission, and the transmission distance is short, and it is not suitable for use in a large outdoor range. A conical reflector can be used, and the corresponding infrared signal detection device can be changed to a corresponding laser detection device, which can be used in the laser detection device. Front (upper) Add filters and polarizers. In the patent CN200410014702, an inverted pyramid-shaped reflector is also provided, and a bendable light guide tube is provided in the specification of the patent CN201210435690.

(or an optical fiber) can be mounted on the robot 5 for cooperating with the laser detecting device 7 to detect a laser signal of the same wavelength emitted by the linear laser emitting head 4 on the transmitting platform 1.

 [0013] A laser beam can be formed from a side through a cylindrical lens or a wavy surface lens to form a fan-shaped light curtain, which is the principle of the generation of a linear laser. The linear laser has an exit angle, preferably an angle. Small linear laser emitting head 4. A part of the fan-shaped light curtain will hit the ground. After the laser signal on the ground is diffusely reflected, part of the signal will also be reflected on the laser signal detecting device 7 mounted on the robot. The threshold of the signal strength setting can be set by the test, ignoring this. Partially diffuse signal. The so-called linear laser light curtain is roughly perpendicular to the ground. It means that the light curtain of the linear laser is not required to be absolutely perpendicular to the ground. It does not matter if it is tilted. It is better to slant in the fence instead of "\". The word is tilted outside the fence, and after a part of the light curtain is shot on the ground, most of the laser signal is reflected outside the fence.

 [0014] A spotted spot semiconductor laser is used as a light source (the light beam can pass through the pupil). A Powell lens is then used to form a fan-shaped light curtain, and then a Fresnel lens is used to form a parallel light curtain with uniform light intensity distribution. This laser head is slightly more expensive, and the parallel light curtain works better than the fan light curtain.

 [0015] The linear laser emitting platform 1 can have two linear laser emitting heads 4, and an angle between the two emitting heads 4, the angle is generally 90 degrees, as shown in FIG. 1, or 180 degrees, as shown in the figure. 3. Figure 7 (c) and Figure 8 (b). Linear laser emitter 4 The horizontal elevation angle is adjustable and the horizontal direction is also rotatable to meet an environment that is not square (beveled).

[0016] The so-called at least one launching platform 1 is because, in some cases, the robot 5 can detect obstacles (such as walls, road teeth, flower buds, bushes, river banks, etc.) as the boundary of the fence, and the platform itself is also a robot Collision (or non-contact) of the detected obstacle can be used as a partial boundary, so at least one of the launching platforms 1 of the present invention can be used. For some irregularities of surface protrusions or depressions, the launching platform 1 can be set as shown in Figure 7 (a, b, c), and Figure 7 (a, b) is used to set two opposite emissions on both sides. The upper and lower angles of the linear laser emitting head 4 are adjusted, and Figure 7 (c) is on both sides. The opposite launching platform has a launching platform 1 with two linear laser emitting heads 4 facing in opposite directions (180 degrees in angle).

 [0017] The electronic fence may further comprise at least one reflective platform 2, such that the linear laser emitted by one launching platform is reflected by one or more emitting surfaces to form a fence that is closed or partially closed by the obstacle and partially open. As shown in Fig. 4, the fence includes a launching platform 1 and three reflecting platforms 2, which form a square fence; as shown in Fig. 5, the fence is not necessarily square, and may be composed of a plurality of sides. The reflecting platform 2 has a vertically disposed reflecting plate 3 with a smooth surface. As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 8(c), the surface of the reflecting plate 3 may be a mirror glass or a mirror surface coated with a reflective material, or even a smooth panel, a reflecting plate. 3 can be flat or concave. The advantage of providing a concave shape is that the reflecting plate 3 can appropriately focus and converge the linear laser, and the height of the reflecting plate 3 can be adjusted up and down (reflecting all or part of the laser line), and the inclination can also be adjusted ( By adjusting the base support foot) to meet the requirements of uneven placement; the position of the reflector 3 is not necessarily a reflective surface, but may also be a vertically disposed reflective prism, generally a total reflection prism, facing the launching platform 1 One side is a right angle side of the prism, and the other reflection stage 2 is the other right angle side of the prism. The prism can be made of plastic (plexiglass) or resin material or transparent material such as glass or crystal.

 [0018] The electronic fence includes two launching platforms 1, as shown in FIG. 1, and may also include four launching platforms 1, as shown in FIG. 2, and may also include more launching platforms 1 or multiple transmitting platforms 1 and multiple reflections. Platform 2.

 [0019] The launching platform 1 can be in the shape of a column, a table, a tower, etc., and can be placed in a stable manner, including a power source (AC adapter or charging module or battery), a switch, a linear laser emitting device 4, a power supply, and a switch can be set. On the base of the launching platform 1, the base may also be provided with one or two (signal or power line) plugs or sockets connected to the laser emitting head; the power supply, the switch (all or part) may also be integrated with the linear laser emitting head 4 is located on the integrated module 11 (that is, a box containing the linear laser emitting head 4), and one or two such integrated modules 11 can be disposed on the transmitting platform 1.

[0020] The whole device can also include a laser display pole 8 with a smooth surface (to avoid diffuse reflection as much as possible) for displaying the end points of the fence, the pole 8 has a base that can be placed smoothly, and the pole 8 itself is a square or a right triangle. The benchmark 8 can be placed all the time or removed after the fence is set. Benchmark 8 is not required, the platform itself can be used as a benchmark, or you can walk over and let the laser line shine to find the endpoint. The electronic fence can be set by placing the pole 8 at one end and placing the laser line at the other (or two) end points to hit the launching platform 1 of the pole 8, if the area is rectangular and launched There are two linear laser emitting heads 4 with an angle of 90 degrees on the platform 1. Then, after the two launching platforms 1 that can hit the benchmark 8 are placed, the end of the fourth rectangle is at the intersection of the two laser lines. .

[0021] The launching platform 1 and the reflecting platform 2 can be provided with a guide (north) needle, a horizontal straightening gauge (foot), and a lifting and lowering adjustable base. The so-called lifting and adjusting base can be an adjusting screw at the bottom of the platform, which can be placed after the platform is placed. The platform is adjusted to be horizontally placed, because the word line laser does not need to be absolutely vertical, so as an option, the linear laser emitting head 4 or the linear laser emitting integrated module 11 can be raised and lowered, the horizontal direction can be tilted, and the horizontal angle (relative In the north and south) adjustable, height adjustment, lifting (adjusting height), tilting (for horizontal direction), horizontal angle adjustment are simple techniques (linear laser emitter 4 or linear laser emission integration module 11 as a relatively fixed Parts), for example, can be rotated by a screw (or a nut), and the lifting can be similar to the height adjustment of a microscope or a similar chemical experiment. The height and angle of the test tube clamp on the iron stand are adjusted (as shown in Figure 8 (a, b)). Set a linear laser emitter 4吋, holding a linear laser on the pole The integrated module 11 needs to be provided with two linear laser emitting heads 4 吋, and two linear laser emitting integrated modules 11 are clamped on the poles, and the two modules are 90 degrees or 180 degrees. The poles can be square. Tube, convenient to set the angle.

[0022] Rotate directly with a screw or a turntable, and then simpler: The height of the laser head can be adjusted by the way of the tie rod, the rotary lever or directly adjusting the orientation of the base to adjust the horizontal angle, lifting or pressing the laser head to change its elevation angle, of course, in the adjustment line The horizontal angle 吋 of the laser emitting head 4 is preferably adjusted together with the direction in which the base is placed to ensure that the vertical direction of the linear laser light is directed to the base (and the outer frame of the top of the reflector) in an almost vertical direction. The reflected wave of this part of the light curtain can return to the launching platform almost in the original way (can be reflected obliquely outward), at least not obliquely back into the electronic fence, that is to say, this part of the reflected light makes the robot not set the boundary It can cause interference. Simply put, the base (and the outer frame of the top of the reflector) can be placed diagonally upwards, that is, a cone, which allows the reflected light to be reflected obliquely upward. For a platform that adjusts the height of the laser emitting head or the reflecting surface by a tie rod or a rotating rod, the rod can be biased toward a set, similar to Fig. 8(c), so that the reflected light does not hit the rod, or the side of the rod that is illuminated is parallel to the reflecting surface. Settings. The elevation angle of the base in Figure 6 and Figure 8 (c, d) is adjusted by a screw 9 (partially threaded) running from top to bottom. The adjusted handle 10 is placed on the base relative to the bottom of the base (such as a refrigerator). The adjustment foot of the washing machine is more convenient for rotation adjustment. The rotation of the screw 9 is adjusted to adjust the angle of the laser light curtain with the elevation angle of the laser emitting head, and the direction of the base is adjusted to adjust the vertical plane of the light curtain. Orientation, such methods are not listed one by one.

 [0023] The laser can be gap-type emission. If the gap is emitted, the product of the interval between the interval and the moving speed of the robot is the value that the width of the reflector or the light-injecting port 12 of the robot must reach, as shown in FIG. The robot 5 described above is not required to be square (as shown in Fig. 9 (a)) or circular (Fig. 9 (b, c)), and other shapes are also possible.

 [0024] The linear laser emitting head 4 requires less power, and within the safety range of the human eye, if the linear laser emitting head 4 (or its integrated module 11) on the high-grade launching platform 1 can also be rotated with a remote control (up and down, The left and right rotation, or the overall lifting and lowering device is used for controlling the generation of the fence at the distal end. Similarly, the reflecting surface 3 of the reflecting platform 2 can also be remotely rotated one by one or left and right.

Claims

Claim An electronic fence characterized by at least one laser emitting platform emitting a linear laser (1), the launching platform (1) has at least one linear laser emitting head (4), and the linear laser emitting head (4) emits a linear laser light curtain substantially perpendicular to the ground, the launching platform (1) A power supply, a switch, and a robot (5) constrained by the electronic fence are equipped with at least one laser signal detecting device (7), and a tapered reflector or multi-path toward the laser signal detecting device (7). The light guide (6), the laser signal detecting device (7) can bend the laser signal irradiated by the outer surface of the robot (5) to the laser signal detecting device (7) by a cone reflector or a multi-channel light guide (6). An electronic fence according to claim 1, wherein the linear laser emitting platform (1) has two linear laser emitting heads (4), and one of the two linear laser emitting heads (4) The angle is between 90 degrees. An electronic fence according to claim 1, wherein the linear laser emitting platform (1) has two linear laser emitting heads (4), and one of the two linear laser emitting heads (4) The angle is between 180 degrees. An electronic fence according to claim 1, characterized in that there is at least one reflecting platform (2) in the set of fences, and the reflecting platform (2) has a vertically disposed reflecting plate (3) or a reflecting prism. An electronic fence according to claim 4, characterized in that there are three reflecting platforms (2) in the set of fences. An electronic fence according to claim 1, wherein the electronic fence comprises two launching platforms (1). An electronic fence according to claim 1, wherein the electronic fence comprises four launching platforms (1). An electronic fence according to claim 1, wherein the electronic fence further comprises at least one pole (8) for displaying the end points of the fence.