JP2024024922A - Transport vehicle system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a transport vehicle system that can improve transport efficiency and prevent route conflicts from occurring.SOLUTION: A transport vehicle system 1 includes a plurality of transport vehicles 3 that travels along a route 5, and a controller 4 that manages the plurality of transport vehicles 3. A route search unit 41 of the controller 4 grasps an arrival timing at which an allocated transport vehicle 3A arrives at a delivery station 12x. Based on the arrival timing, an empty vehicle allocation unit 42 of the controller 4 allocates an empty transport vehicle 3B to the delivery station 12x so as to arrive later than the arrival timing without interfering with the travel of the allocated transport vehicle 3A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a guided vehicle system.

A guided vehicle system is known that includes a plurality of automated guided vehicles that travel along a route and a controller that manages the plurality of automated guided vehicles. In such a guided vehicle system, when a transportation request occurs, the automatic guided vehicle transfers the article from the source transfer station to the destination transfer station among the multiple transfer stations arranged along the route. transport. As this type of technology, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses that an automatic guided vehicle that has completed a predetermined operation is driven to a location where transport requests are frequently made and is made to wait at the location.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1-125609

In a guided vehicle system, it is desirable to shorten the waiting time (hereinafter also simply referred to as "waiting time") until an automatic guided vehicle arrives at a transfer station as a transfer source, and to improve transportation efficiency. Therefore, in the above-mentioned technique, it is conceivable to allocate an empty guided vehicle, which is an automatic guided vehicle to which no transport command has been assigned, to a transport source transfer station for the next transport request. However, in this case, there is an increased possibility that a route conflict (detlock) will occur in the vicinity of the transfer station in which the spatio-temporal routes of the automatic guided vehicle to which the previous transport request has been assigned and the empty guided vehicle conflict.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a conveyance vehicle system that can improve conveyance efficiency and prevent route conflicts from occurring.

(1) A guided vehicle system according to the present invention includes a plurality of automatic guided vehicles that travel along a route and a controller that manages the plurality of automated guided vehicles, and the controller is configured to operate an automatic guided vehicle to which a transportation command has been assigned. An arrival timing grasping unit grasps the arrival timing at which a certain assigned conveyance vehicle arrives at the transfer source transfer station among the plurality of transfer stations arranged along the route, and a transfer command is assigned based on the arrival timing. and an empty vehicle dispatching part which dispatches an empty guided vehicle, which is an unmanned guided vehicle, to a transport source transfer station so that the vehicle arrives later than the arrival timing without interfering with the travel of the allocated guided vehicle.

In this conveyance vehicle system, an empty conveyance vehicle can be dispatched to a transfer station as a transfer source, so that, for example, when a next conveyance request occurs, it is possible to shorten the waiting time. In addition, since the empty guided vehicles are allocated so that they arrive later than the arrival timing without interfering with the travel of the assigned guided vehicles, the assigned guided vehicles and empty guided vehicles are able to run smoothly while following each other. Therefore, it is possible to prevent route conflicts in which the spatio-temporal routes of allocated guided vehicles and empty guided vehicles conflict. Therefore, it is possible to improve transport efficiency and prevent route conflicts from occurring.

(2) In the guided vehicle system described in (1) above, the arrival timing grasping unit searches for a spatio-temporal route from the current position of the assigned guided vehicle to the transfer source transfer station, and from the transfer source transfer station to the destination transfer station. It includes a route search unit that searches for a spatio-temporal route to the destination transfer station and searches for all routes at once. The vehicle may be allocated to the transport source transfer station so that the vehicle arrives later than the arrival timing without interfering with the travel of the assigned vehicle. In this case, it is possible to prevent route conflicts from occurring by using the search results of the full route search.

(3) In the guided vehicle system described in (2) above, the empty vehicle dispatching unit moves the empty guided vehicle to the transport source transfer station based on the route search result of the route searching unit, and prevents the assigned guided vehicle from traveling. It is also possible to allocate the assigned vehicles so that they arrive later than the departure timing at which they depart from the transport source transfer station. In this case, the empty guided vehicles are arranged so that they arrive later than the departure timing without interfering with the travel of the assigned guided vehicles, so that the assigned guided vehicles and the empty guided vehicles can more closely follow each other and run smoothly. This makes it possible to further prevent route conflicts.

(4) The guided vehicle system according to any one of (1) to (3) above is provided with a non-dedicated waiting point arranged along the route, and the empty vehicle dispatching section is configured to ensure that the assigned guided vehicle is the transport source. If none of the multiple automated guided vehicles arrives at the non-dedicated waiting point before arriving at the transfer station, an empty guided vehicle is temporarily parked at the non-dedicated waiting point, and the assigned guided vehicle is transferred to the transfer source. After arriving at the loading station, an empty conveyance vehicle that is temporarily parked at a non-dedicated waiting point may be dispatched to the transfer source station. In this case, it is possible to prevent route conflicts by using non-dedicated standby points.

(5) In the guided vehicle system described in (2) or (3) above, when a transportation request occurs, the route search unit searches for all routes and transfers the transportation source from the current position of the assigned guided vehicle. Any one of the partial route searches for searching for a spatio-temporal route to a station may be selectively executed based on the number of automatic guided vehicles existing around the transport source transfer station. In this case, the calculation time required for route searching can be reduced in accordance with the number of automatic guided vehicles existing around the transfer station that is the transfer source.

(6) In the guided vehicle system described in any one of (1) to (5) above, the route includes a dedicated approach route to one transfer station, and the arrival timing grasping unit detects the approach dedicated route. The timing of arrival at one transfer station may be determined based on the entry of the assigned transport vehicle into the transfer station. In this case, the arrival timing can be determined by utilizing the entry of the assigned guided vehicle into the entry-only route.

(7) The guided vehicle system described in any one of (1) to (6) above is equipped with a dedicated waiting point arranged along the route, and the empty vehicle dispatching department is configured to ensure that the assigned guided vehicle is at the transport source. Before arriving at the transfer station, an empty carrier is made to wait at a dedicated waiting point, and based on the assigned carrier arriving at the transfer station from which it is transferred, the empty carrier that is parked at the dedicated waiting point is transported. Vehicles may be dispatched to the original transfer station. In this case, the empty transport vehicle can be dispatched to the transport source transfer station using the dedicated standby point.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a transport vehicle system that can improve transport efficiency.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a guided vehicle system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of the operation of the guided vehicle system of FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a continuation of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a continuation of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a continuation of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a continuation of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of the operation of the guided vehicle system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a continuation of FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of the operation of the guided vehicle system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a continuation of FIG. 9. FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of the operation of the guided vehicle system according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 12 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a continuation of FIG. 11. FIG. 13 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a guided vehicle system according to a modified example.

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or equivalent elements are given the same reference numerals and redundant description will be omitted. The dimensional proportions in the drawings do not necessarily correspond to those in the description.

[First embodiment]
As shown in FIG. 1, the conveyance vehicle system 1 according to the first embodiment is a system that constitutes a conveyance system for conveying articles (objects to be conveyed) taken out from an automated warehouse 10 in a facility such as a factory, for example. . The size, shape, weight, etc. of the article are not particularly limited, and any object can be used as the article. The guided vehicle system 1 includes a waiting point 2, a plurality of guided vehicles 3, and a controller 4.

A plurality of transfer stations 11 are installed in the facility where the carrier system 1 is installed. The transfer station 11 is a place where articles are placed. A plurality of transfer stations 11 are provided along the route 5 of the transport vehicle 3. The transfer station 11 includes an unloading station 12 that constitutes the unloading entrance of the automated warehouse 10, a warehousing station 13 that constitutes the unloading entrance of the automated warehouse 10, and a picking station 14 provided in the work area 20 within the facility. include.

The unloading station 12 is a station that receives and delivers articles taken out from the automated warehouse 10. For example, the shipping station 12 is connected to the automated warehouse 10 by a conveyor. The shipping station 12 is a station designated as a transport source. The unloading station 12 is a station that is never designated as a transport destination (does not receive articles from the transport vehicle 3). The warehousing station 13 is a station that receives articles from the transport vehicle 3 and transports them to the automated warehouse 19. For example, the warehousing station 13 is connected to the automated warehouse 10 by a conveyor. The warehousing station 13 is a station that is never designated as a transport source (does not deliver articles to the transport vehicle 3). The picking station 14 is a station where, for example, a robot arm performs a predetermined work. The picking station 14 is a station designated as a transport source and a transport destination.

The waiting point 2 is a place where the transport vehicle 3 can wait. The waiting point 2 is provided along the route 5 of the transport vehicle 3. Waiting point 2 is a stop position for waiting of transport vehicle 3, which is set on control. The waiting point 2 is an area where at least one transport vehicle 3 can stop. The standby point 2 can be set, for example, in the controller 4.

The guided vehicle 3 is an unmanned guided vehicle that runs unmanned. The transport vehicle 3 travels on the floor of the facility, for example. The transport vehicle 3 travels along a predetermined route 5. Route 5 is a route set under control. For example, route 5 is predetermined to pass through transfer station 11 and waiting point 2 . The route 5 may be a virtual travel route set based on the position information of the guided vehicle 3. The path 5 may be configured by, for example, a magnetic tape (magnetic marker), a laser reflector, a floor track, a ceiling track, a rail, or the like.

The transport vehicle 3 is capable of transporting articles from one transfer station 11 to another transfer station 11. The transport vehicle 3 can transfer (deliver) articles to and from the transfer station 11 . As the transport vehicle 3, an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle) is used. Note that the transport vehicle 3 is not particularly limited to an AGV, and may be, for example, an overhead traveling vehicle, a track guided vehicle, or the like. The transport vehicle 3 may be a moving body that has an elevating function and uses a three-dimensional space as its movement region, a drone, etc. that can freely move in a three-dimensional space.

When a transport command (described later) is assigned from the controller 4, the transport vehicle 3 performs travel control and loading to transport the article from the transport source transfer station 11 to the transport destination transfer station 11 of the transport command. Execute lowering control. In travel control, for example, SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology may be used as a guidance method. In the loading and unloading control, by raising and lowering a lifter included in the transport vehicle 3, loading from the transfer station 11 to the transport vehicle 3 and unloading from the transport vehicle 3 to the transfer station 11 are carried out.

The controller 4 is a control device that manages the plurality of transport vehicles 3. The controller 4 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which programs and the like are stored, a RAM (Random Access Memory) in which data is temporarily stored, a storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and This is a computer that has a communication circuit such as a wireless LAN. The controller 4 can be configured, for example, as software in which a program stored in a ROM is loaded onto a RAM and executed by a CPU. The controller 4 may be configured as hardware such as an electronic circuit. The controller 4 may be composed of one device or may be composed of a plurality of devices. When the controller 4 is composed of a plurality of devices, one logical controller 4 is constructed by connecting these devices via a communication network such as the Internet or an intranet.

The controller 4 is connected to the transport vehicle 3 and a higher-level controller (not shown) by wire or wirelessly. The controller 4 receives information regarding the current position, current speed, etc. of the guided vehicle 3 from the guided vehicle 3 . The controller 4 receives a transport request from a higher-level controller to transport an article from one transfer station 11 to another transfer station 11. The controller 4 generates a transport command according to the received transport request, and assigns the transport command to the transport vehicle 3.

The transport command is a control command for causing the transport vehicle 3 to transport the article from the transport source transfer station 11 to the transport destination transfer station 11 in the transport request. The transport command includes the transfer of the article L at the transfer station 11 at the transfer source, the movement along the route 5 from the transfer station 11 at the source to the transfer station 11 at the destination, and the transfer at the transfer station 11 at the destination. Contains information regarding the transfer of article L.

In this embodiment, the controller 4 includes a route search section 41 and an empty vehicle dispatch section 42. The route search unit 41 searches for a spatio-temporal route from the current position of the assigned conveyance vehicle 3A, which is the conveyance vehicle 3 to which a conveyance command has been assigned, to the transfer station 11 as the transfer source, and searches for a spatio-temporal route from the transfer station 11 as the transfer source to the transfer station 11 as the transfer source. A search for a spatio-temporal route to the previous transfer station 11 and an all-route search are performed at once. The spatio-temporal route is a movement trajectory including time that the guided vehicle 3 is scheduled to travel. The spatiotemporal route is a time route using time and the position of the guided vehicle 3 as parameters.

Such a route search unit 41 can grasp the arrival timing (hereinafter also simply referred to as "arrival timing") at which the allocated carrier 3A arrives at the transfer station 11 as the transfer source from the results of the entire route search. That is, the route search unit 41 is included in the arrival timing understanding unit. The spatiotemporal route search method by the route search unit 41 is not particularly limited, and general optimization methods such as the Multi-Agent Path Finding method, slime mold algorithm, and Dijkstra's algorithm may be applied.

The empty vehicle allocation unit 42 allocates a vehicle allocation command to the empty transport vehicle 3B, which is the transport vehicle 3 to which no transport command has been allocated, based on the arrival timing. Vehicle dispatch commands are issued in a state where transport commands have already been output (allocated) for transport requests that have already been issued, and no new transport commands have been generated (=state where no new transport requests have been issued). , which instructs the empty transport vehicle 3B to move to a predetermined position. The vehicle dispatch command is sent to a transfer station 11 that is scheduled to become a transfer source or is likely to become a transfer source (hereinafter, such a transfer station 11 is also referred to as a "transfer source transfer station" or simply "transfer source"). This is a control command to allocate the empty guided vehicle 3B so that it arrives (enters) later than the arrival timing without interfering with the travel of the allocated guided vehicle 3A. The vehicle allocation command is based on the route search result of the route search unit 41 to move the empty guided vehicle 3B to the transfer station 11 at the transfer source without interfering with the travel of the assigned guided vehicle 3A and to allow the assigned guided vehicle 3A to move from the transfer source. The vehicle is allocated so that the vehicle arrives later than the departure timing from the loading station 11. The departure timing can be determined from the results of all route searches by the route search unit 41.

The dispatch command can be generated, for example, as follows. First, the route search unit 41 searches for a plurality of spatio-temporal route candidates from the current position of the empty guided vehicle 3B to the transfer station 11 as the transport source. Among the plurality of searched spatio-temporal route candidates, the empty vehicle dispatching unit 42 selects a candidate vehicle that does not approach the spatio-temporal route of the assigned guided vehicle 3A by a predetermined distance or less and is later than the arrival timing (here, the departure timing). The empty transport vehicle 3B is determined to arrive at the transfer station 11, which is the transport source, as the spatio-temporal route of the empty transport vehicle 3B. A control command for driving the vehicle along the determined spatio-temporal route is generated as a dispatch command.

The predetermined distance corresponds to, for example, a distance at which blocking control (control for prohibiting other guided vehicles 3 from entering a predetermined area) is activated. In the vehicle allocation command, allocating the empty guided vehicle 3B so as not to interfere with the travel of the assigned guided vehicle 3A and to arrive late at the transport source means "delaying the departure timing of the empty guided vehicle 3B" and "delaying the departure timing of the assigned guided vehicle 3B". 3A from the traveling route," "Make it run along a spatio-temporal route different from the spatio-temporal route of the allocated guided vehicle 3A," "Change (for example, slow down) the traveling speed of the empty guided vehicle 3B," " It may be realized by "making the empty guided vehicle 3B take a detour to the transportation source or via a standby point", "making the empty guided vehicle 3B temporarily stand by while traveling", or a combination of at least any of these. The method of generating the dispatch command is not particularly limited, and various methods may be applied.

In the transport vehicle system 1 described above, when a transport request to transport an article from the delivery station 12x (transfer station 11 as the transport source) to the picking station 14x (transfer station 11 as the transport destination) occurs, the following example is used. The action is executed.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the controller 4 allocates a transport command to a transport vehicle 3 that satisfies a predetermined condition in response to a transport request received from a higher-level controller. At this time, the route search unit 41 executes a full route search for the assigned guided vehicle 3A to which the transport command has been assigned, and creates a spatio-temporal route J1 to the unloading station 12x and a spatio-temporal route J2 from the unloading station 12x to the picking station 14x. and get . Thereby, it is possible to grasp the arrival timing of the assigned carrier vehicle 3A to the shipping station 12x and the departure timing of the assigned carrier vehicle 3A from the shipping station 12x.

As shown in FIG. 3, after the assignment of the transport command to the assigned guided vehicle 3A and before the assigned guided vehicle 3A arrives at the delivery station 12x, an empty vehicle is placed in the empty guided vehicle 3B waiting at the waiting point 2. The vehicle dispatching unit 42 allocates a vehicle dispatch command and starts distributing the empty guided vehicle 3B to the delivery station 12x. In the present embodiment, a vehicle allocation command may be assigned to the empty carrier vehicle 3B in parallel with the assignment of the transport command to the assigned carrier vehicle 3A. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the assigned transport vehicle 3A travels along the spatio-temporal path J1 (see FIG. 2), arrives at the unloading station 12x, and starts transferring articles from the unloading station 12x. do. The empty conveyance vehicle 3B travels toward the delivery station 12x.

After completing the transfer of the articles, the assigned transport vehicle 3A departs from the unloading station 12x, and, as shown in FIG. 5, travels along the spatio-temporal route J2 (see FIG. 2) toward the picking station 14x. After the allocated carrier 3A departs from the delivery station 12x, the empty carrier 3B arrives at (enters) the delivery station 12x, and waits after arriving. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the assigned transport vehicle 3A arrives at the delivery station 12x. On the other hand, the empty conveyance vehicle 3B remains on standby in preparation for a conveyance request with the next delivery station 12x as the conveyance source.

As described above, in the guided vehicle system 1, the empty guided vehicle 3B can be dispatched to the transfer station 11 that is the transfer source, so for example, when the next transfer request occurs, the empty guided vehicle 3B is dispatched to the transfer station 11 that is the transfer source. It is possible to shorten the waiting time until arrival. Regarding the next transport request, it is possible to improve the ability to lead time from the generation of the request to the completion of transport.

In addition, since the empty guided vehicle 3B is arranged so as to arrive later than the arrival timing without interfering with the travel of the assigned guided vehicle 3A, the assigned guided vehicle 3A and the empty guided vehicle 3B can be arranged smoothly in accordance with the order of arrival. It is possible to prevent a route conflict in which the spatio-temporal routes of the assigned guided vehicle 3A and the empty guided vehicle 3B conflict. It is possible to prevent the assigned transport vehicle 3A loaded with articles from becoming unable to proceed due to the presence of an empty transport vehicle 3B. Therefore, according to the transport vehicle system 1, it is possible to improve transport efficiency and prevent route conflicts from occurring.

In the guided vehicle system 1, the route search unit 41 searches for a spatio-temporal route J1 from the current position of the assigned guided vehicle 3A to the transfer station 11 as the transfer source, and performs a search for a spatio-temporal route J1 from the current position of the assigned guided vehicle 3A to the transfer station 11 as the transfer source and transfer station 11 as the transfer source. A search for the spatio-temporal route J2 to the station 11 and an all-route search are performed together. Based on the route search result of the route search unit 41, the empty vehicle dispatching unit 42 assigns the empty guided vehicle 3B to the transport source transfer station 11 so that it arrives later than the arrival timing without interfering with the travel of the allocated guided vehicle 3A. Dispatch to. In this case, it is possible to prevent route conflicts from occurring by using the search results of the full route search.

In the guided vehicle system 1, the empty vehicle dispatching unit 42 moves the empty guided vehicle 3B to the transfer station 11, which is the transfer source, based on the route search result of the route searching unit 41, without interfering with the travel of the assigned guided vehicle 3A, and in an assigned manner. The transport vehicle 3A is arranged so that it arrives later than the departure timing of the transfer station 11 that is the transport source. In this case, since the empty guided vehicle 3B is arranged so as to arrive later than the departure timing without interfering with the travel of the assigned guided vehicle 3A, the assigned guided vehicle 3A and the empty guided vehicle 3B are arranged in a manner that ensures that the assigned guided vehicle 3A and empty guided vehicle 3B follow the same schedule. The vehicle can run smoothly and route conflicts can be further prevented.

Here, an evaluation test was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the guided vehicle system 1. In the evaluation test, the evaluation item was the transportation time required to complete transportation of a predetermined amount of articles. The comparative example of the evaluation test differs from the guided vehicle system 1 in that the spatiotemporal route J2 is searched and a vehicle allocation command is assigned to the empty guided vehicle 3B immediately before the departure timing of the assigned guided vehicle 3A from the transport source. As a result of the evaluation test, it was confirmed that according to the conveyance vehicle system 1, it was possible to improve the time required for conveyance by 5% compared to the comparative example, and that it was possible to achieve high conveyance capacity.

[Second embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the description of this embodiment, descriptions that overlap with those of the first embodiment will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 7, a guided vehicle system 101 according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it includes a dedicated standby point 102. The dedicated standby point 102 is a standby point that is used only when the empty guided vehicle 3B is dispatched according to a dispatch command. The dedicated standby point 102 is not used for anything other than the standby point. Dedicated waiting points 102 are located along route 5. The dedicated waiting points 102 are arranged corresponding to each of the exit stations 12. For example, dedicated waiting points 102 are located around each exit station 12. The dedicated waiting point 102 is a place where the transport vehicle 3 can wait. The dedicated standby point 102 is a stop position for waiting of the transport vehicle 3, which is set on the control. The dedicated standby point 102 is an area where at least one transport vehicle 3 can stop. The dedicated standby point 102 can be set, for example, in the controller 4.

In the dispatch command of the empty vehicle dispatching unit 42 in this embodiment, before the allocated guided vehicle 3A arrives at the delivery station 12x, which is the transfer station 11 as the transport source, the empty guided vehicle 3B is driven to the dedicated waiting point 102, and An empty conveyance vehicle 3B is made to stand by at a waiting point 102. In the vehicle allocation command, as shown in FIG. 8, based on the arrival of the allocated guided vehicle 3A at the dispatch station 12x, the empty guided vehicle 3B, which is waiting at the dedicated standby point 102, is dispatched to the dispatch station 12x. Specifically, in the vehicle allocation command, the arrival of the assigned guided vehicle 3A at the dispatch station 12x is used as a trigger to cause the empty guided vehicle 3B waiting at the dedicated standby point 102 to travel to the dispatch station 12x.

As described above, the transport vehicle system 101 also achieves the above-mentioned effects of improving transport efficiency and preventing route conflicts from occurring. Furthermore, in the guided vehicle system 101, the empty guided vehicle 3B can be dispatched to the delivery station 12x by using the dedicated standby point 102.

In addition, in the vehicle allocation command of this embodiment, the empty guided vehicle 3B should arrive at the delivery station 12x and wait later than the assigned guided vehicle 3A so as not to interfere with the travel of the assigned guided vehicle 3A. The arrival and waiting of the empty guided vehicle 3B at the dedicated waiting point 102 does not have to be before the empty guided vehicle 3B arrives at the delivery station 12x, but may be done before the next transportation request is generated.

[Third embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the description of this embodiment, descriptions that overlap with those of the first embodiment will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 9, the guided vehicle system 201 according to the third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that route 5 includes an entry-only route 205 and an exit-only route 206. The entry-only route 205 is a route used only for entering the transfer station 11. The exit exclusive route 206 is a route used only for exiting from the transfer station 11. The approach-only route 205 is a one-way travel route that allows the vehicle to proceed only in the direction approaching the transfer station 11 . The exit-only route 206 is a one-way travel route that allows travel only in the direction away from the transfer station 11.

The controller 4 further includes an entry detection section 243. The entry detection unit 243 detects the entry of the assigned guided vehicle 3A into the entry-only route 205, for example, based on information regarding the current position received from the assigned guided vehicle 3A. The controller 4 determines the timing of arrival at the transfer station 11 based on the entry of the allocated transport vehicle 3A into the entry-only route 205 detected by the entry detection unit 243. For example, the controller 4 can obtain the arrival timing based on the current speed received from the assigned guided vehicle 3A, the route length of the entry-only route 205, and the like. The controller 4 including such an approach detection section 243 constitutes an arrival timing grasping section.

In the dispatch command of the empty vehicle dispatching unit 42 in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, based on the fact that the allocated guided vehicle 3A has entered the entry-only route 205, the empty guided vehicle 3B is dispatched to the exit station 12x. Specifically, in the vehicle allocation command, the empty guided vehicle 3B is caused to travel to the exit station 12x using the fact that the allocated guided vehicle 3A has entered the entry-only route 205 as a trigger. In addition, here, the empty guided vehicle 3B may be made to wait at the waiting point 2, and the idle guided vehicle 3B may be dispatched based on the fact that the allocated guided vehicle 3A has entered the entry-only route 205.

As described above, the transport vehicle system 201 also achieves the above-mentioned effects of improving transport efficiency and preventing route conflicts from occurring. Furthermore, in the guided vehicle system 201, it is possible to grasp the arrival timing by utilizing the entry of the allocated guided vehicle 3A into the entry-only route 205.

[Fourth embodiment]
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. In the description of this embodiment, descriptions that overlap with those of the first embodiment will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 11, the carrier system 301 according to the fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it includes a warehousing station 13 as a non-dedicated standby point 313. The non-dedicated waiting point 313 constitutes a waiting point that is used not only as the warehousing station 13 but also when the empty carrier 3B is dispatched according to a dispatch command. The non-dedicated waiting point 313 can be set, for example, in the controller 4.

In the vehicle dispatching command of the empty vehicle dispatching unit 42 in this embodiment, before the allocated guided vehicle 3A arrives at the shipping station 12x, which is the transfer station 11 of the transportation source, other guided vehicles 3 are placed at the non-dedicated waiting point 313. If it does not arrive, the empty carrier 3B is made to temporarily wait at a non-dedicated waiting point 313. That is, if there is another carrier 3 traveling with the warehousing station 13 as the destination (transfer destination), if the carrier 3 unloads at the warehousing station 13, it becomes an empty carrier 3B. In this embodiment, if the frequency of unloading at the unloading station 12x is higher than the frequency of loading at the receiving station 13, etc., the vehicle will travel with the receiving station 13 as the destination before the next transport request with the unloading station 12x as the transport source. This assumes that no other conveyance vehicle is present. In such a case, in this embodiment, the empty conveyance vehicle 3B is allocated to the warehousing station 13, which is the non-dedicated waiting point 313, and is made to temporarily stand by.

In the vehicle allocation command of this embodiment, after the allocated guided vehicle 3A arrives at the dispatch station 12x, the empty guided vehicle 3B, which is temporarily held at the non-dedicated standby point 313, is dispatched to the dispatch station 12x. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, in the vehicle allocation command, after arriving at the shipping station 12 The empty conveyance vehicle 3B, which has been temporarily kept on standby at the point 313, is driven to the delivery station 12x.

As described above, the transport vehicle system 301 also achieves the above-mentioned effects of improving transport efficiency and preventing route conflicts from occurring. Additionally, it is often difficult to secure a waiting point around the unloading station 12x of the automated warehouse 10 due to lack of space, but in the guided vehicle system 301, the warehousing station 13 can be used as a temporary non-dedicated waiting point 313. This makes it possible to use the non-dedicated standby point 313 to prevent route conflicts. Note that the non-dedicated waiting point 313 is not particularly limited, and may be another transfer station 11 or another location.

[Modified example]
Although the embodiments have been described above, one aspect of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the above embodiment, the layout of the route 5 is not particularly limited, and various layouts may be used. In the above embodiment, the number and arrangement of transfer stations 11 and the number and arrangement of waiting points 2 are not particularly limited, and may be various numbers and arrangement. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, a guided vehicle system 401 according to a modification may include a route 5 including a circuit 51. In such a transport vehicle system 401, when transporting articles from the delivery station 12x to the picking station 14x, the assigned transport vehicle 3A can be run along the spatio-temporal route J2 that will reach the transport destination in the shortest possible time. It becomes possible to prevent the allocation conveyance vehicle 3A from taking a detour toward the conveyance destination.

In the embodiment described above, a sensor may detect that the allocation carrier 3A has actually arrived at the transfer station 11 as the transfer source, and the controller 4 may determine the arrival timing from the detection result. In this case, the sensor and controller 4 constitute an arrival timing grasping section.

In the embodiment described above, when a transport request occurs, the route search unit 41 performs the above-mentioned all-route search and searches for the spatio-temporal route J1 from the current position of the allocated guided vehicle 3A to the transport source transfer station 11. Either of the partial route searches for performing the above may be selectively executed based on the number of transport vehicles 3 existing around the transfer station 11 as the transport source. For example, when a transport request occurs, if the number of transport vehicles 3 existing in a predetermined area around the transport source transfer station 11 is greater than or equal to the specified number, the above-mentioned full route search is performed, and if the number is less than the specified number, the , the partial route search described above may be performed. In this case, the calculation time, calculation cost, and risk of revising the plan required for route searching can be reduced in accordance with the number of transport vehicles 3 existing around the transfer station 11 as the transport source.

Each configuration in the above embodiment or modified example can be arbitrarily applied to each configuration in other embodiments or modified examples. Some of the configurations in the above embodiments or modified examples can be omitted as appropriate without departing from the gist of one aspect of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

1, 101, 201, 301, 401... Guided vehicle system, 3... Guided vehicle (automated guided vehicle), 3A... Assigned guided vehicle, 3B... Empty guided vehicle, 4... Controller (arrival timing grasping unit), 5... Route, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11... Transfer station, 12, 12x... Delivery station, 13... Warehousing station, 14, 14x... Picking station, 41... Route search unit (arrival timing understanding unit), 102... Dedicated waiting point, 205... Dedicated approach route, 243 ...Entry detection unit (arrival timing grasping unit), 313...Non-dedicated standby point, J1, J2...Spatio-temporal route.

Claims (7)

Multiple automated guided vehicles traveling along the route,
A controller that manages a plurality of the automatic guided vehicles,
The controller includes:
an arrival timing grasping unit that grasps the arrival timing at which the assigned conveyance vehicle, which is the automatic guided vehicle to which a conveyance command has been assigned, arrives at a transfer source transfer station among a plurality of transfer stations arranged along the route; and,
Based on the arrival timing, the empty guided vehicle, which is the automatic guided vehicle to which no transport command has been assigned, is sent to the transfer station, which is the transfer source, at a later time than the arrival timing without interfering with the travel of the assigned guided vehicle. A conveyance vehicle system comprising: an empty vehicle dispatching section that dispatches vehicles so that the vehicles arrive. The arrival timing understanding unit includes:
A search for a spatio-temporal route from the current position of the assigned conveyance vehicle to the transfer station as a transfer source, and a search for a spatio-temporal route from the transfer station as a transfer source to the transfer station as a transfer destination are summarized. includes a route search unit that performs a full route search,
The empty vehicle dispatching unit causes the empty vehicle to arrive at the transfer source transfer station later than the arrival timing without interfering with the travel of the assigned vehicle, based on the route search result of the route searching unit. The conveyance vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the conveyance vehicle system is arranged as follows. The empty vehicle dispatching unit, based on the route search result of the route searching unit, moves the empty vehicle to the transfer station, which is the transfer source, without interfering with the travel of the assigned vehicle, and where the assigned vehicle is the transfer source. The conveyance vehicle system according to claim 2, wherein the conveyance vehicle system is arranged so as to arrive later than the departure timing of departure from the transfer station. a non-dedicated waiting point located along the route;
The vacant vehicle dispatch department is
If none of the plurality of automatic guided vehicles arrives at the non-dedicated waiting point before the assigned guided vehicle arrives at the transfer station as the transfer source, the empty guided vehicle is temporarily placed at the non-dedicated waiting point. wait for a while,
Claim 1 or 2, wherein after the allocated carrier arrives at the transfer station, which is the transfer source, the empty carrier, which has been temporarily parked at the non-dedicated waiting point, is dispatched to the transfer station, which is the transfer source. The conveyor system described in . The route search unit includes:
When a transport request occurs, either the full route search or the partial route search, which searches for a spatio-temporal route from the current position of the assigned transport vehicle to the transport source transfer station, is performed on the transport source. The guided vehicle system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the guided vehicle system selectively executes the transfer based on the number of the automatic guided vehicles existing around the transfer station. The route includes a dedicated route for entering one of the transfer stations,
The guided vehicle system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the arrival timing grasping unit grasps the arrival timing of arriving at one of the transfer stations based on the entry of the assigned guided vehicle into the entry-only route. . a dedicated waiting point located along the route;
The vacant vehicle dispatch department is
Before the assigned transport vehicle arrives at the transfer station as the transport source, the empty transport vehicle is made to wait at the dedicated waiting point,
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, based on the fact that the allocated carrier has arrived at the transfer station which is the transfer source, the empty carrier that has been kept waiting at the dedicated waiting point is dispatched to the transfer station which is the transfer source. The conveyor system described.

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