Automated guided vehicle management system

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of automatic guided vehicles, and discloses an automatic guided vehicle management system, which comprises a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and a plurality of wireless access points: the wireless access points are used for constructing a wireless local area network; the PLC is used for receiving a task request; based on the task request, real-time data of the automated guided vehicle is acquired, and an automated guided vehicle control instruction is generated in combination with the task request and the real-time data; and sending the automated guided vehicle control instruction to the target automated guided vehicle through the wireless local area network, so that the target automated guided vehicle operates based on the automated guided vehicle control instruction. According to the invention, instruction issuing, path planning, traffic control and information interaction with third-party equipment are realized by using the PLC. Due to the fact that the PLC is widely applied to production equipment, equipment maintenance personnel basically master programming and using of the PLC skillfully, the AGV is managed through the PLC, and the equipment maintenance personnel can master and maintain the management system conveniently.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automatic guided vehicles, and in particular to an automatic guided vehicle management system. Background Art

[0002] AGV is the abbreviation of Automated Guided Vehicle, which refers to an unmanned automated vehicle with automatic guidance equipment such as magnetic strips, tracks or lasers, which travels along a planned path, is powered by batteries, and is equipped with safety protection and various auxiliary mechanisms (such as transfer and assembly mechanisms).

[0003] In the related technology, the existing automated guided vehicle management system often requires different types of control devices to realize the path planning and traffic control of the automated guided vehicle, and equipment maintenance personnel need to spend more time to familiarize themselves with the programming and use of different types of control devices, making it difficult to master and maintain the automated guided vehicle management system. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides an automatic guided vehicle management system to solve the problem that it is difficult to master and maintain the automatic guided vehicle management system.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an automatic guided vehicle management system, the system comprising: a PLC controller and a plurality of wireless access points:

[0006] Wireless access point, used to build a wireless local area network;

[0007] The PLC controller is used to receive task requests; based on the task requests, obtain the real-time data of the automatic guided vehicle, and generate automatic guided vehicle control instructions in combination with the task request and the real-time data; and send the automatic guided vehicle control instructions to the target automatic guided vehicle through the wireless local area network, so that the target automatic guided vehicle runs based on the automatic guided vehicle control instructions.

[0008] In the present invention, a wireless local area network is constructed by using wireless access points, a PLC controller is used to manage and control the automatic guided vehicle, and the wireless local area network is used to realize the communication between the PLC controller and the automatic guided vehicle AGV, thereby realizing the use of the PLC controller to issue instructions, plan paths, control traffic, and interact with third-party equipment. Since PLC controllers are widely used in production equipment, most of the equipment in factories is controlled by PLC controllers, so equipment maintenance personnel are basically proficient in programming and using PLC controllers, and use PLC controllers to manage AGVs, which is convenient for equipment maintenance personnel to master and maintain the management system.

[0009] In an optional implementation, the wireless access point uses a fat AP mode to build a wireless local area network.

[0010] In this method, a local wireless network is constructed by using fat APs to meet the needs of internal factory communications in industrial scenarios, and is more adaptable to the factory environment and the communication needs of automated guided vehicle management and control.

[0011] In an optional implementation, the PLC controller is connected to the wireless access point in a wired manner via a switch;

[0012] The PLC controller is connected to the third-party device through the switch and exchanges data with the third-party device through the Ethernet / IP protocol.

[0013] In this method, the PLC controller is connected to the wireless access point via a switch in a wired manner, connected to a third-party device via the switch, and exchanges data with the third-party device via the Ethernet / IP protocol, thereby realizing communication between the PLC controller and other devices and facilitating the PLC controller to manage the automated guided vehicle and third-party equipment.

[0014] In an optional embodiment, the automatic guided vehicle includes a wireless client and a vehicle-controlled PLC controller. The wireless client is connected to a wireless access point in wireless mode. The wireless client interacts with the vehicle-controlled PLC controller through a network port. The vehicle-controlled PLC controller interacts with the PLC controller through an Ethernet / IP protocol.

[0015] In this method, the automatic guided vehicle AGV is equipped with a wireless client CL and a vehicle control PLC controller. CL is connected to the wireless access point in wireless mode and exchanges data with the vehicle control PLC through the network port. The vehicle control PLC exchanges data with the PLC controller through the EIP protocol, thereby realizing data interaction between the AGV and the PLC controller, and thus facilitating the PLC controller to manage and control the AGV.

[0016] In an optional implementation, the PLC controller assigns a vehicle control PLC controller IP address to each vehicle control PLC controller, assigns all vehicle control PLC controller IP addresses and the IP address of the PLC controller to the same network segment, and each vehicle control PLC controller IP address is different from other vehicle control PLC controller IP addresses.

[0017] In this method, an IP address is assigned to each vehicle-control PLC through the PLC controller. The IP address of each vehicle-control PLC is assigned to the same network segment and the IP address of each vehicle-control PLC is different from the IP addresses of other vehicle-control PLC controllers. This realizes the allocation of IP addresses for vehicle-control PLCs, making it easier for the PLC controller to identify and distinguish AGVs based on IP addresses and establish communication with AGVs.

[0018] In an optional implementation, the PLC controller configures a wireless access point IP address for each wireless access point, and the wireless access point IP address and the IP address of the PLC controller are located in the same network segment.

[0019] In this method, the IP address of the wireless access point is allocated to the same network segment as the IP address of the PLC controller, thereby facilitating data interaction between the wireless access point and the system.

[0020] In an optional implementation, the PLC controller configures a wireless client IP address for each wireless client, the wireless client IP address and the PLC controller IP address are in the same network segment, the wireless client accesses the wireless LAN, and the wireless network name and password of the wireless client are the same as the wireless network name and password of the wireless access point.

[0021] In this manner, an IP address is allocated to each wireless client CL through the PLC controller, and the wireless network name and password of the wireless client CL are the same as the wireless network name and password of the wireless access point, thereby enabling the wireless client CL to access the wireless local area network.

[0022] In an optional implementation, the PLC controller configures the third-party device IP address for the third-party device, and the third-party device IP address and the IP address of the PLC controller are located in the same network segment.

[0023] In this method, since the address is used as a carrier of information, by storing the information in the corresponding address, the information in the sending data address can be transmitted to the other party, and the information sent by the other party can be stored in the receiving data address. Therefore, by configuring the third-party device IP address and the PLC controller IP address in the same network segment, data interaction between the third-party device IP address and the PLC controller is achieved.

[0024] In an optional implementation, the automated guided vehicle uploads real-time data of the automated guided vehicle to the PLC controller via a wireless local area network, so that the PLC controller determines whether there is an automated guided vehicle in the target area and generates corresponding automated guided vehicle control instructions.

[0025] In this method, the real-time data of the automatic guided vehicle is uploaded to the PLC controller through the wireless LAN, so that the PLC controller can determine whether there is an automatic guided vehicle in the target area and generate corresponding automatic guided vehicle control instructions, thereby realizing traffic control of the AGV and avoiding collisions of the AGV during its movement.

[0026] In an optional implementation, the PLC controller determines the real-time data uploaded by the automatic guided vehicle and the first byte number of the transmitted real-time data, and determines the second byte number of the automatic guided vehicle control instruction; configures the first byte number, the vehicle control PLC controller IP address, the second byte number and the IP address of the PLC controller through the network configuration software to generate a configuration file; and downloads the configuration file to the PLC controller and the vehicle control PLC controller.

[0027] In this way, data exchange between the automatic guided vehicle AGV and the automatic guided vehicle management system is realized. The PLC controller can receive the data information uploaded by the AGV in real time. At the same time, the AGV can also receive data information such as automatic guided vehicle control instructions issued by the PLC controller in real time, thereby realizing real-time management of the AGV. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific implementation methods of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the specific implementation methods or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some implementation methods of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0029] Figure 1 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic guided vehicle management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 It is a structural connection diagram of an AGV control system based on a PLC controller according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of an AGV operation route plan according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of a process for docking an AGV with a Robot station (third-party equipment) according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] In the related technology, the existing automated guided vehicle management system often requires different types of control devices to realize the path planning and traffic control of the automated guided vehicle, and equipment maintenance personnel need to spend more time to familiarize themselves with the programming and use of different types of control devices, making it difficult to master and maintain the automated guided vehicle management system.

[0035] In order to solve the above problems, an automatic guided vehicle management system is provided in an embodiment of the present invention, which is suitable for use scenarios such as issuing and managing tasks for AGVs, path planning, traffic control, and AGV status information display. The present invention provides an automatic guided vehicle management system, which uses wireless access points to build a wireless local area network, uses a PLC controller to manage and control the automatic guided vehicle, and uses the wireless local area network to realize communication between the PLC controller and the automatic guided vehicle AGV, thereby realizing the use of the PLC controller to issue instructions, path planning, traffic control, and information interaction with third-party devices. Since PLC controllers are widely used in production equipment, most of the equipment in factories is controlled by PLC controllers. Therefore, equipment maintenance personnel are basically proficient in the programming and use of PLC controllers, and use PLC controllers to manage AGVs, which is convenient for equipment maintenance personnel to master and maintain the management system.

[0036] In this embodiment, an automatic guided vehicle management system is provided. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic guided vehicle management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the system includes: a PLC controller 10 and a plurality of wireless access points 20: the wireless access point 20 is used to build a wireless local area network; the PLC controller 10 is used to receive a task request; based on the task request, the real-time data of the automatic guided vehicle 30 is obtained, and the automatic guided vehicle control instruction is generated by combining the task request and the real-time data; the automatic guided vehicle control instruction is sent to the target automatic guided vehicle 30 through the wireless local area network, so that the target automatic guided vehicle 30 runs based on the automatic guided vehicle control instruction.

[0037] In one example, Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a structural connection of an AGV control system based on a PLC controller according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2As shown, the AGV management system based on the PLC controller as the host computer may include: a PLC controller 10 as the AGV host computer management system, a touch screen device for human-computer interaction, multiple automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGVs), a smart charging station, a wireless remote control, an industrial Ethernet switch, a wireless access point 20 (AP) and a wireless client (CL): the wireless access point 20 (AP) is used to build a wireless local area network. Multiple automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGVs) access the wireless local area network built by the wireless access point 20 (AP) through the wireless client CL, and exchange data with the management system with the PLC controller 10 as the host computer via the industrial Ethernet switch 40. The management system with the PLC controller 10 as the host computer includes instructions for the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV), route planning, task management, and traffic control during the operation of the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV). The touch screen is used to manage the tasks of the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) and display the status information of the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV), and monitor the operating status of each AGV in real time. The management system of the PLC controller 10 as the host computer receives the signal of the wireless remote controller (task request, release of AGV, etc.) and sends relevant instructions to the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) according to the signal. The management system of the PLC controller 10 as the host computer is connected to the third-party device 50 via the industrial Ethernet switch 40 to realize signal interaction.

[0038] Exemplarily, the management system includes a PLC controller 10 and a touch screen device to realize real-time monitoring and task allocation of multiple AGVs. The communication between the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) device and the host management system includes the PLC controller 10, the industrial Ethernet switch 40, the wireless access point 20 (AP), the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) device, wherein the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) has a built-in wireless client (CL), a vehicle-side PLC controller (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle control PLC"), etc. The PLC controller 10 and the wireless access point 20 are connected by wire through the switch, and the wireless access point 20 and the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) are connected by a wireless network, using the wireless mode communication of AP-Station. The data of the host management system is transferred through the wireless access point 20 (AP) and wirelessly transmitted to the wireless client (CL) wireless terminal device on the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV). The wireless terminal device exchanges the received data with the vehicle control PLC through the network port. The vehicle control PLC controller and the PLC controller 10 exchange data through the Ethernet / IP (EIP) protocol. Through the PLC controller 10, multiple automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGVs) are exchanged with data to obtain real-time data, task status and other information of the automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGV) and display them on the touch screen. Task request, AGV release and other signals are sent by the station operator to the host computer management system through a wireless remote control. Signal interaction with the third-party device 50 is achieved by connecting to the third-party device 50 through an industrial Ethernet switch 40 via a network cable, and data interaction is achieved through the Ethernet / IP (EIP) protocol. The wireless access point 20 (AP) uses a fat AP (compared to a thin AP, a fat AP can be used independently, and a thin AP needs to be managed uniformly by an AC controller; a thin AP + AC controller method is also acceptable) to assemble a wireless LAN. The controller of multiple automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGV) is a PLC controller 10. Multiple automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGV) devices are connected to a wireless local area network constructed by a wireless access point 20 (AP) through a wireless client, and use the EIP communication protocol to interact with the AGV management system with the PLC controller 10 as the host computer in real time. The AGV management system issues and manages multiple automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGVs) and controls traffic intersections on the routes of the automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGVs), while receiving and displaying the location, status, alarm and other information of the automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGV). The instructions are issued by the station personnel sending a signal to the AGV management system. After receiving the signal, the AGV management system issues the corresponding instructions to the standby automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGV). The touch screen-human-computer interaction interface is used to monitor and display the tasks, status and alarm information of the automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGV) in real time, and manage the tasks of the automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGV).The PLC controller 10 exchanges signals with the third-party device (robot station) through a network cable connection, confirms the signal timing and control logic, and performs real-time control of the connection between the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) and the third-party device 50. The staff sends signals to the PLC control system through a wireless remote control. The third-party device 50 uses a PLC controller to communicate through the EIP communication module to achieve signal interaction.

[0039] In an optional implementation, the wireless access point 20 constructs a wireless local area network in a fat AP manner.

[0040] In this method, a local wireless network is constructed by using fat APs to meet the needs of internal factory communications in industrial scenarios, and is more adaptable to the factory environment and the communication needs of automated guided vehicle management and control.

[0041] In an optional implementation, the PLC controller 10 is connected to the wireless access point via a switch in a wired manner; the PLC controller 10 is connected to the third-party device 50 via the switch 40, and exchanges data with the third-party device 50 via the Ethernet / IP protocol.

[0042] In this method, the PLC controller is connected to the wireless access point via a switch in a wired manner, connected to a third-party device via the switch, and exchanges data with the third-party device via the Ethernet / IP protocol, thereby realizing communication between the PLC controller and other devices and facilitating the PLC controller to manage the automated guided vehicle and third-party equipment.

[0043] In an optional embodiment, the automatic guided vehicle 30 includes a wireless client and a vehicle-controlled PLC controller. The wireless client is connected to the wireless access point 20 in wireless mode. The wireless client interacts with the vehicle-controlled PLC controller through a network port. The vehicle-controlled PLC controller interacts with the PLC controller 10 through an Ethernet / IP protocol.

[0044] In this method, the automatic guided vehicle AGV is equipped with a wireless client CL and a vehicle control PLC controller. CL is connected to the wireless access point in wireless mode and exchanges data with the vehicle control PLC through the network port. The vehicle control PLC exchanges data with the PLC controller through the EIP protocol, thereby realizing data interaction between the AGV and the PLC controller, and thus facilitating the PLC controller to manage and control the AGV.

[0045] In an optional embodiment, the PLC controller 10 assigns a vehicle-control PLC controller IP address to each vehicle-control PLC controller, assigns all vehicle-control PLC controller IP addresses and the IP address of the PLC controller 10 to the same network segment, and each vehicle-control PLC controller IP address is different from other vehicle-control PLC controller IP addresses.

[0046] In this method, an IP address is assigned to each vehicle-control PLC through the PLC controller. The IP address of each vehicle-control PLC is assigned to the same network segment and the IP address of each vehicle-control PLC is different from the IP addresses of other vehicle-control PLC controllers. This realizes the allocation of IP addresses for vehicle-control PLCs, making it easier for the PLC controller to identify and distinguish AGVs based on IP addresses and establish communication with AGVs.

[0047] In an optional implementation, the PLC controller 10 configures a wireless access point IP address for each wireless access point 20 , and the wireless access point IP address and the IP address of the PLC controller 10 are located in the same network segment.

[0048] In this method, the IP address of the wireless access point is allocated to the same network segment as the IP address of the PLC controller, thereby facilitating data interaction between the wireless access point and the system.

[0049] In an optional embodiment, the PLC controller 10 configures a wireless client IP address for each wireless client, the wireless client IP address and the IP address of the PLC controller 10 are located in the same network segment, the wireless client accesses the wireless LAN, and the wireless network name and password of the wireless client are the same as the wireless network name and password of the wireless access point 20.

[0050] In this manner, an IP address is allocated to each wireless client CL through the PLC controller, and the wireless network name and password of the wireless client CL are the same as the wireless network name and password of the wireless access point, thereby enabling the wireless client CL to access the wireless local area network.

[0051] In an optional implementation, the PLC controller 10 configures a third-party device IP address for the third-party device 50 , and the third-party device IP address and the IP address of the PLC controller are located in the same network segment.

[0052] In this method, since the address is used as a carrier of information, by storing the information in the corresponding address, the information in the sending data address can be transmitted to the other party, and the information sent by the other party can be stored in the receiving data address. Therefore, by configuring the third-party device IP address and the PLC controller IP address in the same network segment, data interaction between the third-party device IP address and the PLC controller is achieved.

[0053] In an optional embodiment, the automatic guided vehicle 30 uploads the real-time data of the automatic guided vehicle 30 to the PLC controller 10 via the wireless local area network, so that the PLC controller 10 determines whether there is an automatic guided vehicle 30 in the target area and generates corresponding automatic guided vehicle control instructions.

[0054] In this method, the real-time data of the automatic guided vehicle is uploaded to the PLC controller through the wireless LAN, so that the PLC controller can determine whether there is an automatic guided vehicle in the target area and generate corresponding automatic guided vehicle control instructions, thereby realizing traffic control of the AGV and avoiding collisions of the AGV during its movement.

[0055] In an optional embodiment, the PLC controller 10 determines the real-time data uploaded by the automatic guided vehicle 30 and the first byte number of the transmitted real-time data, and determines the second byte number of the automatic guided vehicle control instruction; configures the first byte number, the vehicle control PLC controller IP address, the second byte number and the IP address of the PLC controller through the network configuration software to generate a configuration file; and downloads the configuration file to the PLC controller 10 and the vehicle control PLC controller.

[0056] In this way, data exchange between the automatic guided vehicle AGV and the automatic guided vehicle management system is realized. The PLC controller can receive the data information uploaded by the AGV in real time. At the same time, the AGV can also receive data information such as automatic guided vehicle control instructions issued by the PLC controller in real time, thereby realizing real-time management of the AGV.

[0057] In one implementation scenario, an AGV management system based on a PLC controller as a host computer includes a control PLC controller 10, a touch screen device for human-computer interaction, multiple automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGVs), smart charging stations, wireless remote controllers, industrial Ethernet switches 40, wireless access points 20 (APs) and wireless clients (CLs). A wireless local area network is constructed by the wireless access point 20 (AP), and the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) is connected to the local area network through the wireless client (CL), and signals are exchanged with the PLC controller 10 in the AGV management system via the industrial Ethernet switch 40. The wireless remote controller is used to issue task requests (release or call AGVs) and to exchange signals with a third-party device 50 (robot) through a network cable connection.

[0058] The equipment included in the AGV management system based on the PLC controller 10 as the host computer plans and allocates IP addresses for the automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGVs): Taking the number of AGVs as N (N>1) as an example, the AGVs are numbered from 1 to N, namely AGV1, AGV2…AGV(N), and the IP addresses of the automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGVs) are allocated as 192.168.127.1, 192.168.127.2…192.168.127.N, respectively, and the IP address can be set through the PLC programming software. The IP addresses of each automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) are in the same network segment, and the IP addresses are different (that is, the last data is different). The AGV management system identifies and distinguishes the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) and establishes communication with it based on the IP address.

[0059] Configure the wireless access point 20 (AP): connect the laptop and the wireless access point 20 (AP) with an Ethernet cable, open a web browser, enter the factory default IP address of the wireless access point 20 (AP), enter the AP configuration page, set the IP address of the wireless access point 20 (AP), wireless LAN name (SSID), password, channel selection, etc., and then save the configuration.

[0060] Configure the AGV wireless client (CL): connect the laptop and the wireless client with a network cable, open the web browser, enter the default IP address of the wireless client at the factory, enter the wireless client configuration page, set the IP address, select the wireless network to be connected (that is, the wireless LAN built by the wireless access point 20 (AP)), and enter the wireless network name and password (the wireless network name and password should be consistent with those in the wireless access point 20 (AP)).

[0061] Allocating and setting an IP address to an EIP module for signal interaction between the PLC controller 10 and the third-party device 50 includes: the IP addresses of the PLC and EIP modules of the third-party device 50 can be set through the PLC programming software.

[0062] The vehicle control PLC controller IP addresses of multiple automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGVs), the IP addresses of wireless clients, the IP addresses of wireless access points 20 (APs), the IP addresses of PLC controllers 10 as AGV management systems, and the IP addresses of EIP modules of third-party devices 50 are all in the same network segment, and the IP addresses are different. The above steps establish the communication connection between the PLC controller 10 and the automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGV) and the third-party devices 50. Next, the data information that needs to be exchanged between the PLC control 10 as the AGV management system and the automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGV) and the third-party devices 50 through the EIP module is configured: the addresses corresponding to the information received and sent for the information exchange between the master PLC and the automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGV) and the third-party devices 50 are configured through the network configuration software. The address is used as the carrier of information. By storing the information in the corresponding address, the information in the sending data address can be transmitted to the other party, and the information transmitted by the other party can be stored in the receiving data address.

[0063] Exemplarily, the AGV management system automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) equipment communication system generally includes: AGV vehicle control PLC controller, wireless client (CL), wireless access point 20 (AP) and PLC controller 10 are four basic entities. The communication between automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGV) equipment in the AGV management system uses the EIP protocol.

[0064] First, confirm all the data information uploaded by the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) and the number of bytes N required to transmit this data, and at the same time confirm the number of bytes M required for the PLC controller 10 to issue instructions, and then configure the number of bytes N and the corresponding address required for the vehicle control PLC of the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) to send data and the number of bytes M and the corresponding address required for receiving control instruction information through the network configuration software; at the same time, configure the number of bytes N and the corresponding address required for the PLC controller 10 to receive the data of the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) and the number of bytes and the corresponding address required for sending instruction information. Table 1 is an information interaction table between the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) and the AGV management system. As shown in Table 1, download the configured file to the body PLC and PLC controller 10 of the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV), and the data exchange between the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) and the AGV management system is realized. The PLC controller 10 can receive the data information uploaded by the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV), and the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) can also receive the data information issued by the PLC controller 10.

[0065] Table 1

[0066]

[0067]

[0068] According to the above embodiment, the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) transmits its body number, location information, status information, fault information, battery power, etc. to the PLC controller 10 through a wireless network. The PLC controller 10 issues tasks (calls or releases AGVs), manages tasks, and controls traffic at intersections on the running routes of the automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGVs). At the same time, the status information, fault information, etc. of the automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGVs) are displayed on the touch screen, and the running status of each automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) is monitored in real time.

[0069] The AGV number, operating status, fault alarm, battery voltage and other data of the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) obtained by the PLC controller 10 as the upper computer management system are displayed one by one on the corresponding touch screen screen (AGV number and operating status screen of the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV), AGV fault information screen, AGV battery power screen) through the touch screen. For the location information of each automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) device obtained, these information are centrally processed by writing a program to confirm which positions have automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGVs) and which positions do not have automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGVs). It can be confirmed whether there are automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGVs) in a certain area (intersections and other areas that need to be controlled), thereby realizing traffic management of automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGVs) at intersections.

[0070] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an AGV operation route scheme according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 3 As shown, for the management system with the PLC controller 10 as the host computer, the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) arrives at the A3 position, the line operator takes the material off, and sends a task request to the PLC controller 10 through the wireless remote control button A. After receiving the task request signal, the PLC controller 10 issues a release instruction to the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) at the A3 position. After receiving the release instruction, the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) automatically drives away from the manual workstation. After the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) leaves, the PLC controller 10 issues an instruction to allow the next automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) carrying materials to enter the manual workstation.

[0071] For the signal interaction between the PLC controller 10 and the third-party device 50 (robot station), the configuration method is consistent with the configuration method for implementing the data interaction between the above-mentioned PLC controller 10 and the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV). Figure 4FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a docking process between an AGV and a Robot station (third-party equipment 50) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The docking process between the PLC controller 10 and the third-party equipment 50 (robot station) is shown in FIG. Figure 4 , including:

[0072] (1) When the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) arrives at position A1, it sends an AGV entry request signal to the robot device.

[0073] (2) The automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) receives a signal from the robot device allowing the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) to enter, and the PLC controller 10 issues an execution instruction to the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV). The automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) enters the robot workstation and simultaneously sends an automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) entry signal to the robot device.

[0074] (3) When the AGV arrives at A2, a signal indicating that the AGV has arrived is sent to the robot device. The intelligent charging station is installed at A2, and the AGV automatically charges while waiting for the robot to load the material.

[0075] (4) After the robot places the material on the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV), it sends a signal to the PLC controller 10 to allow the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) to leave. The PLC controller 10 issues an execution instruction to the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV). The automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) drives away from the robot workstation and sends a signal to the robot device that the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) is leaving.

[0076] (5) When the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) completely leaves the robot workstation, the PLC controller 10 sends a departure completion signal of the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) to the robot device, and a complete process flow is completed.

[0077] Among them, when the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) fails or the materials carried by the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) are defective, the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) is driven away from the operation route area. At this time, it is necessary to clear the position of the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) and other related information to prevent the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) from occupying a certain position and causing traffic jams. At this time, click the AGV offline button of the corresponding numbered automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) on the touch screen to obtain the relevant information of this automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) and its impact on the operation of the remaining automatic guided vehicles 30 (AGV). Similarly, when the automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) is moved to the operation route for production, click the AGV online button of the corresponding numbered automatic guided vehicle 30 (AGV) on the touch screen.

[0078] The automatic guided vehicle management system provided in this embodiment uses wireless access points to build a wireless local area network, uses a PLC controller to manage and control the automatic guided vehicle, and uses the wireless local area network to realize the communication between the PLC controller and the automatic guided vehicle AGV, thereby realizing the use of the PLC controller to issue instructions, plan paths, control traffic, and interact with third-party devices. Since PLC controllers are widely used in production equipment, most of the equipment in factories is controlled by PLC controllers. Therefore, equipment maintenance personnel are basically proficient in programming and using PLC controllers. Using PLC controllers to manage AGVs is convenient for equipment maintenance personnel to master and maintain the management system.

[0079] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such modifications and variations are all within the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An automated guided vehicle management system, characterized in that: The system includes: a PLC controller and several wireless access points: The wireless access point is used to build a wireless local area network; The PLC controller is used to receive a task request; based on the task request, obtain real-time data of the automatic guided vehicle, and generate an automatic guided vehicle control instruction in combination with the task request and the real-time data; and send the automatic guided vehicle control instruction to a target automatic guided vehicle through the wireless local area network, so that the target automatic guided vehicle runs based on the automatic guided vehicle control instruction.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The wireless access point uses a fat AP mode to construct the wireless local area network.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The PLC controller is connected to the wireless access point in a wired manner via a switch; The PLC controller is connected to a third-party device via a switch and exchanges data with the third-party device via the Ethernet / IP protocol.

4. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that The automatic guided vehicle includes a wireless client and a vehicle control PLC controller. The wireless client is connected to the wireless access point in wireless mode. The wireless client interacts with the vehicle control PLC controller through a network port. The vehicle control PLC controller interacts with the PLC controller through an Ethernet / IP protocol.

5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that The PLC controller allocates a vehicle control PLC controller IP address to each of the vehicle control PLC controllers, allocates all vehicle control PLC controller IP addresses and the IP address of the PLC controller to the same network segment, and each vehicle control PLC controller IP address is different from other vehicle control PLC controller IP addresses.

6. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that The PLC controller configures a wireless access point IP address for each of the wireless access points, and the wireless access point IP address and the IP address of the PLC controller are located in the same network segment.

7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that The PLC controller configures a wireless client IP address for each of the wireless clients, the wireless client IP address and the IP address of the PLC controller are located in the same network segment, the wireless client accesses the wireless LAN, and the wireless network name and password of the wireless client are the same as the wireless network name and password of the wireless access point.

8. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that The PLC controller configures a third-party device IP address for the third-party device, and the third-party device IP address and the IP address of the PLC controller are located in the same network segment.

9. The system according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that The automatic guided vehicle uploads the real-time data of the automatic guided vehicle to the PLC controller through the wireless local area network, so that the PLC controller determines whether there is an automatic guided vehicle in the target area and generates corresponding automatic guided vehicle control instructions.

10. The system according to claim 9, characterized in that The PLC controller determines the real-time data uploaded by the automatic guided vehicle and the first byte number of the real-time data transmitted, and determines the second byte number of the automatic guided vehicle control instruction; configures the first byte number, the vehicle control PLC controller IP address, the second byte number and the IP address of the PLC controller through network configuration software to generate a configuration file; and downloads the configuration file to the PLC controller and the vehicle control PLC controller.

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