Technical field

The present invention relates to an electronic device, particularly for motorized objects provided with wheels and/or tracks, trolleys and means of transport in general. More particularly, the invention relates to an electronic device with pursuit and/or precession capability, particularly for motorized objects.

Background art

It is known to use, for the transport of people and/or items, objects provided with wheels and/or tracks, trolleys and the like, which depending on the field in which they are used, can be of the motorized type and/or towed/pushed by people and/or animals.

For example, trolleys for carrying golf clubs, shopping carts, laboratory trolleys, hospital trolleys, store trolleys, suitcase transport trolleys, wheelbarrows, transpallets, forklifts and many others are known among objects provided with wheels and/or tracks, trolleys and means of transport assigned to the movement of objects.

As regards the objects provided with wheels and/or tracks designed to carry people, push chairs, wheelchairs and wheeled stretchers can be considered as such for example.

Machines for cleaning floors and toys provided with wheels and/or tracks also are pushed/pulled physically and/or controlled by users.

All the examples described above have the common drawback of requiring at least one person who, depending on the individual cases, in order to move each object provided with wheels and/or tracks, must push/pull it physically and/or guide it, and these actions cannot be performed easily by anyone especially when it is necessary to move considerable weights. In an industrial situation, this can be observed in trolleys, transpallets and forklifts dedicated to handling quantities of heavy material for example inside a warehouse, where the total weight of the material to be transported can easily exceed the very weight of the person who manages the handling.

Likewise, this aspect can be observed in everyday life, when, for example, it is necessary to push the shopping cart full of heavy products or a wheelchair on which a person is sitting.

In order to reduce this drawback, many of these objects provided with wheels and/or tracks have already been equipped with motors that are capable of moving the weight to be transported and are managed by an operator who acts on their operating controls.

This is the case, for example, of motorized trolleys for warehouses, motorized wheelchairs, motorized transpallets, motorized forklifts and motorized industrial floor cleaning machines.

These objects provided with wheels and/or tracks of the known type have the common drawback of requiring the intervention of an operator, who manages them by means of specific operating controls - in the case of those of the motorized type - or moves them by pushing/pulling, performed with the movement of his own body - in the case of those of the non- motorized type.

Summary of the invention

The aim of the present invention is to overcome and solve, respectively, the limitations and drawbacks of the background art, by providing an electronic device with autonomous movement capability that can be applied to motorized objects, with the purpose of pursuing and/or preceding a reference subject or another instrument with the possibility of motion.

This movement capability occurs in a fully autonomous manner, i.e., the motorized object can move in any direction autonomously without being controlled directly by the reference subject/instrument and without any previous setting of the path to be followed.

Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device that can be installed on a generic motorized object provided with wheels and/or tracks for the purpose of managing its movement.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device which, thanks to its particular constructive features, gives the greatest assurances of reliability and safety in use, providing several safety strategies that are activated automatically in case of need and/or in case of an alarm condition.

This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by an electronic device, particularly for motorized objects provided with wheels and/or tracks, trolleys and means of transport in general, characterized in that it comprises a first means for emitting and receiving electromagnetic waves, which can be associated functionally with at least one moving subject which communicates by means of a first antenna for radio frequencies, and a second means for emitting and receiving electromagnetic waves which can be associated functionally with an object provided with wheels and/or tracks by means of a second radio frequency antenna, the movement of said moving subject determining the conditions of movement of said object provided with wheels and/or tracks, the movement of said object being consequent and related to the movement of said moving subject.

Brief description of drawings

Further characteristics and advantages will become better apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the electronic device according to the invention, illustrated by way of non limiting example in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a schematic view of the components that are used therein.

Ways of carrying out the invention

With reference to the figure, the electronic device, particularly for objects provided with wheels and/or tracks, trolleys and means of transport in general, generally designated by the reference numeral 1 , comprises a first means 2 for emitting and receiving electromagnetic waves, which can be associated functionally with at least one moving subject 3 or with another instrument with the possibility of movement, and a second means 4 for emitting and receiving electromagnetic waves which can be associated functionally with a motorized object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks or the like, the movement of which, as will become better apparent hereinafter, is consequent and related to the movement of the moving subj ect/instrument 3.

More particularly, the first emitter and receiver means 2 comprises a first radio signal transceiver 6 which can be associated with the moving subject 3, and the second emitter and receiver means 4 comprises a second transceiver 7 of radio signals which can be associated with the motorized object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks.

Differently from some current systems, in the present electronic device 1 both the first transceiver 6 and the second transceiver 7 are each provided with an antenna, respectively 21 and 22, of the omnidirectional type and without orientation capability, with the consequent advantage of being able to detect the intensity and origin of the radio signal without having to be oriented.

Since the device 1 is compact in its dimensions and lightweight, depending on the type and on the requirements of use, the first transceiver 6 can be easily transportable by a walking person or can be associated with an instrument that in turn can be transported or provided with its own movement means.

Moreover, the object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks is provided with means of locomotion 8 which are associated with said second emitter and receiver means 4 in order to control its movement so as to follow or precede the moving subject 3. Means 9 for measuring the intensity of the radio signal are provided which are associated with the motorized object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks, with the aim of determining its distance from the moving subject.

This distance measurement is based on the value of the intensity of the radio signal independently of its direction of origin: both the first emitter and receiver means 2 of electromagnetic waves and the second emitter and receiver means 4 mutually communicate each by means of the antennas 21 , 22 of the omnidirectional type and without orientation capability.

Since it is known that the intensity of a radio signal decreases as the receiver of the signal increases its distance from who is transmitting the signal, the electronic device 1 associates a greater proximity between the motorized object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks and the moving subject 3 with a higher intensity of the radio signal and vice versa associates a lower mutual proximity with a lower intensity of the radio signal.

Conveniently, control and management means 10 are provided for the actuation and control of the means of locomotion 8 as a function of the measured radio signal, which mainly consist of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and are associated with the second transceiver 7.

As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, calibration means

1 1 are provided which are related to the means 9 for measuring the radio signal detected by the second transceiver 7 and are activated after comparing the current radio intensity value with the reference value set in the device.

The reference radio intensity value is the parameter below or above which the means of locomotion 8 are operated in such a manner as to keep the object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks at a constant distance from the moving subject 3.

Advantageously, at least one first and one second electromagnetic compass 12 and 13 are provided, which are associated respectively with the first transceiver 6 and with the second transceiver 7 to estimate the orientation of the motorized object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks with respect to the orientation of the moving subject 3.

More precisely, the electromagnetic compasses 12 and 13 provide the motorized object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks with the orientation parameters to be maintained with respects to the cardinal points north, south, east and west.

By comparing the value of the compass 12 associated with the moving subject 3 with the value of the compass 13 associated with the motorized object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks, the motorized object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks actuates the means of locomotion 8 in such a manner as to maintain the same orientation of the moving subject 3, rotating about its own axis until a value that is equal to the one detected by the compass 12 is reached.

Having thus combined information related to the mutual distance and orientation between the moving subject 3 and the motorized object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks, the object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks can perform translations and/or rotations along a rectilinear path, along a curvilinear path and about a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the curvilinear path by using suitable linear motor means 14 and/or rotary motor means 15.

More precisely, the linear motor means 14 and the rotary motor means 15 are associated with the second transceiver 7, or with the second electromagnetic compass 13.

This movement is the result of the operations performed by the

(pursuing and/or precessing) electronic device 1 , which analyzes simultaneously both the values of the intensity of the radio signal and the values of the orientation of the compasses in order to evaluate respectively the distance and the orientation between the moving subject 3 and the motorized object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks. The electronic device 1, by way of the control and management means 10, controls the linear motor means 14 and/or the rotary motor means 15 so as to keep the object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks at a constant distance from the moving subject 3 and simultaneously with the same orientation as the moving subject 3.

It is specified that the constant distance to be maintained can be configured by the user at the beginning of each session of use of the electronic device 1 by varying the reference value of the intensity of the radio signal.

Therefore, the moving subject 3 and the object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks maintain different distances in different sessions of use, depending on the specific requirements.

Moreover, in order to prevent other external devices, both of the same type as the present invention and of another type but which communicate by means of radio signals of a similar type, from interfering with the electronic pursuit and/or precession device 1, first encoder means 16 and decoder means 17 are provided for the radio signal emitted and/or received by the first transceiver 6 and second encoder means 18 and decoder means 19 are provided for the radio signal emitted and/or received by the second transceiver 7.

This encoding comprises two types of instruments which are adopted and operate on different levels: first of all, specific radio channels and transmission frequencies are used which comply with the statutory requirements of the individual countries of use, and then some numeric encryption parameters are inserted in order to prevent signal interference during communication.

In a possible variation of the electronic pursuit and/or precession device 1 , an electronic movement mode can be also provided that is managed manually by the user and allows the object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks to move following the reception of radiofrequency commands for simple functions of forward, backward, right, left movement and stopping and for their possible combinations.

The operation of the electronic device 1 with pursuit and/or precession capability, particularly for objects provided with wheels and/or tracks and transport trolleys in general, is described hereinafter.

Two operating modes of the electronic device 1 are provided which more precisely consist of one for pursuit and one for precession and represent two distinct operating conditions managed by different procedures.

When the electronic device 1 is operational in one of the two modes of pursuit or precession, it maintains such mode active and preserves its memory until a new command is received which forces a mode change.

The object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks is equipped with linear motor means 14 and/or rotary motor means 15 that allow its autonomous movement on the basis of the processings of the radio intensity and compass signal that arrive from the first transceiver 6 and are detected by means of the second transceiver 7.

This autonomous movement of the object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks occurs without any actuation of direct or remote manual control on the part of one or more users, since the system is capable of recognizing the decrease or increase in the intensity of the radio signal that correspond respectively to the spacing and approach of the first transceiver 6 associated with the moving subject 3.

Likewise, the different orientation with respect to the cardinal points north, south, east, west of the first electromagnetic compass 12 with respect to the second electromagnetic compass 13 causes the rotation to the right or to the left of the motorized object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks with the aim of keeping the two compasses with the same orientation.

Both conditions of forward or backward movement and of right or left movement can occur independently and simultaneously, allowing the object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks to move even by means of combinations of multiple commands.

In this manner, if the pursuit condition is active, the object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks is capable of following the moving subject 3, tracing the same path on the basis of the combined comparison of the radio intensity and compass values detected by the two systems.

This comparison, in a first step, allows the object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks to process the movements to be performed by estimating the distance or spacing from the moving subject 3 and activating the means of locomotion 8 if the value of radio intensity between the two systems is lower than the preset reference value, with the aim of reaching the reference value by means of an approaching motion. This comparison, in a second step, allows the object 5 provided with wheels and/tracks to process the movements to be performed, evaluating the orientation of the moving subject 3 and activating the means of locomotion 8 if the compass values of the two systems are different, with the aim of maintaining the same orientation.

If instead the condition of precession is active, the object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks is capable of preceding the movements of the moving subject 3, anticipating its path on the basis of a combined comparison of the radio intensity and compass values detected by the two systems.

The first step of distance processing follows a criterion that is opposite to the one used in the pursuit condition, while the second step of orientation processing follows the same criterion of the pursuit condition.

The combined comparison of the radio intensity and compass values detected by the two systems in a first step in fact allows the object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks to process the movements to be performed, by evaluating the distance or closeness with respect to the moving subject 3 and activating the means of locomotion 8 if the radio intensity value between the two systems is higher than the preset reference value, with the aim of reaching the reference value by means of a spacing motion. This comparison, in a second step, allows the object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks to process the movements to be performed by evaluating the orientation of the moving subject 3 and activating the means of locomotion 8 if the compass values of the two systems are different, with the aim of maintaining the same orientation.

In both pursuit and precession conditions, the electronic device 1 is capable of maintaining, during use, a fixed distance between the two transceivers 6 and 7 automatically and autonomously: this distance can be configured by the user by modifying the radio intensity reference value.

As regards the rotations that the object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks performs on the basis of the moving subject 3, the direction of rotation and the greater or smaller rotation occur by comparing the values measured by the two electromagnetic compasses 12 and 13.

The goal of the rotation may be to keep the two electromagnetic compasses 12 and 13 mutually aligned or, if necessary, add an offset between the acquired orientation values.

Such offset corresponds to a constant difference to be added to the detected values, which is necessary if the electromagnetic compasses 12 and 13 are not physically positioned as aligned between the moving subject 3 and the object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks.

The electronic device 1 is further provided with safety means 20, which by means of the analysis of the parameters of radio signal intensity that arrive from the measurement means 9 act on the control and management means 10, which control the linear motor means 14 and/or the rotary motor means 15, with the aim of stopping the movement of the object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks in order to ensure a high level of safety during any moment of actuation.

In these cases, if the radio signal intensity decreases below a limit value that corresponds to an excessive spacing, or if a loss of radio signal occurs between the moving subject 3 and the motorized object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks, the device 1 operates autonomously on the object 5 provided with wheels and/or tracks, interrupting immediately the movement operations.

In practice it has been found that the electronic device 1 , particularly for motorized objects provided with wheels and/or tracks, trolleys and means of transport in general, according to the present invention, achieves the intended aim and objects, since it allows an object provided with wheels and/or tracks to pursue or precede a moving subject or another instrument with the possibility of motion, autonomously retracing or anticipating the path followed by the moving subject 3 and without the need to have stored any type of geographical map installed beforehand.

Another advantage of the device according to the invention consists in that by operating at radio frequencies it is capable of operating and communicating both in open spaces and in enclosed environments and with any type of weather condition without problems of partial or total signal loss because all the information required for movement are processed by the components of the device itself and not received from external sources.

Another advantage of the pursuit and/or precession device according to the invention consists in that it can be applied to trolleys of any type, such as trolleys for carrying golf clubs, supermarket trolleys, laboratory trolleys, hospital trolleys, warehouse trolleys, suitcase transport trolleys, push chairs for carrying children, wheelchairs, wheeled stretchers, wheelbarrows, transpallets, forklifts, machines for cleaning floors, toys and any other object that moves on wheels and/or tracks and receives motion by means of motors or an external source, the movement whereof is controlled and managed, according to the background art, constantly by an operator.

The electronic device particularly for motorized objects provided with wheels and/or tracks and transport trolleys in general thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.

All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, so long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to the requirements.

The disclosures in Italian Patent Application no. MI2010A002192, from which this application claims priority, are incorporated herein by reference.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.