Patent ID: 6282468
Filing Date: 2001-08-28
Classification: G05D

Abstract:
An automatic following travel system wherein, among a plurality of queued vehicles, a leading vehicle positioned at the front is driven by an operator, and following vehicles positioned behind said leading vehicle automatically follow said leading vehicle, and are made to travel in file; wherein:each of said vehicles has a vehicle position maintaining device for automatically maintaining a constant position during stoppage, a communicator for conducting communication with other said vehicles, and a controller for controlling operations of said vehicle position maintaining device and said communicator and for controlling travel of said vehicle;during initiation of travel in file, said controller of said leading vehicle sends a directive to said following vehicles via said communicator indicating that travel in file is to be conducted;said controllers of said following vehicles make a determination as to the possibility of travel of their own vehicles, based on said directive from said leading vehicle, control the operation of their own vehicles so as to maintain an approximately constant distance between their vehicle and another said vehicle positioned in front thereof, and communicate the results of the determination of the possibility of travel to said leading vehicle;when a determination that travel is possible has been communicated from all said following vehicles, said controller of said leading vehicle sends a directive canceling the operation of said vehicle position maintaining device to all said following vehicles; andsaid controllers of said following vehicles cancel the operation of said vehicle position maintaining devices thereof based on said operation canceling directive, and initiate forward progress of said following vehicles in response to the initiation of forward progress of said leading vehicle, and travel in file is conducted.