Article conveying facility

Abstract

An article transport facility is provided with a control system that gives a transport command that specifies a transport source and a transport destination of an article to a transport vehicle. The control system is configured to execute: a predicted transport time derivation process for deriving predicted transport times for each of a plurality of candidate paths (90); and a path selection process for selecting, from among the plurality of candidate paths (90), a transport path (90) on which the transport vehicle travels. The control system preferentially selects, as a conveyance path (90), a candidate path (90) for which the predicted conveyance time (Tp) is within a reference range (Rt) in a path selection process for a candidate path (90) for which the target conveyance destination is the conveyance destination.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a goods conveying device, comprising a pre-set path, a plurality of conveying vehicles that travel along the aforementioned path to convey goods, a plurality of transfer object parts arranged along the aforementioned path, and a control system for issuing conveying instructions to the aforementioned conveying vehicles specifying the conveying source and conveying destination of the aforementioned goods. Background Technology

[0002] For example, International Publication No. 2023 / 132101 (Patent Document 1) discloses a technique for selecting the path with the least cost from multiple paths from the source of the article to the destination as the movement path of the transport vehicle.

[0003] The cost of a path is often set based on the time required for a transport vehicle to travel along that path and deliver the goods. Generally, the shorter the delivery time of a path, the lower its cost. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In a transport system, multiple transport vehicles are assigned to transport items for various tasks. However, if all transport vehicles choose routes with the lowest possible cost, it's possible that multiple vehicles might concentrate on a specific path, such as a main road near the center of the system. In this case, due to increased congestion on that particular path, even though the transport vehicles have chosen the lowest-cost route, the transport of items may still take longer, potentially reducing the overall transport efficiency of the system.

[0005] In view of the above situation, it is desirable to develop a technology that can suppress the decline in the overall conveying efficiency of the equipment.

[0006] The technology used to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows.

[0007] A goods conveying device includes: a pre-set path; multiple conveyor vehicles that travel and convey goods along the path; multiple transfer object locations arranged along the path; and a control system that issues conveying instructions to the conveyor vehicles specifying a conveying source and a conveying destination for the goods. In the goods conveying device, the conveying source and the conveying destination are each specified from one of the multiple transfer object locations. Candidate conveying paths for the goods by the conveyor vehicles from the conveying source to the conveying destination are designated as candidate paths. The control system is configured to perform: a predicted conveying time derivation process, deriving a predicted conveying time for each of the multiple candidate paths, the predicted conveying time being a predicted value of the time required to convey the goods while traveling along the candidate path; and a path selection process. From a plurality of candidate paths, the aforementioned transport path for which the aforementioned transport vehicle travels is selected; the aforementioned transport destination that becomes the object among the plurality of transport destinations that can be specified in the aforementioned transport instruction is defined as the object transport destination; the transport time required to transport the aforementioned item from each of the plurality of transport sources to one of the aforementioned object transport destinations is defined as the transport required time; the average of the transport required time for the combination of the plurality of transport sources for the aforementioned object transport destination is defined as the average transport time; the time range including the aforementioned average transport time is set as the reference range; in the aforementioned path selection process for the aforementioned candidate paths with the aforementioned object transport destination as the aforementioned transport destination, the aforementioned control system preferentially selects the aforementioned candidate paths whose predicted transport time is within the aforementioned reference range as the aforementioned transport path.

[0008] According to this structure, the control system prioritizes candidate paths within the predicted delivery time range as the delivery path for the transport vehicles. Consequently, multiple transport vehicles operating within the equipment travel along their chosen paths, delivering items in a time close to the average delivery time. As a result, the delivery time for each transport vehicle is equalized, suppressing any decrease in the overall transport efficiency of the equipment.

[0009] Further features and advantages of the technology disclosed herein will become clearer from the following illustrative and non-limiting description of embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a top view showing a part of the goods conveying equipment.

[0011] Figure 2 It is a control block diagram.

[0012] Figure 3 It is a graph that represents the paths from multiple transport sources to the destination of the object.

[0013] Figure 4 It is a graph showing the distribution of delivery time for each path.

[0014] Figure 5 It is a graph representing candidate paths from a specific transport source to the destination of an object transport.

[0015] Figure 6 It is a graph showing the predicted delivery time for each delivery path.

[0016] Figure 7 This is a graph showing the corrected predicted delivery time for each delivery path.

[0017] Figure 8 It is a graph showing the deviation of the predicted delivery time for each delivery path. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Hereinafter, the implementation of the article conveying equipment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a top view showing a portion of the goods conveying equipment 100. (Example) Figure 1 As shown, the goods conveying equipment 100 includes a pre-set path 9, multiple conveyor vehicles 1 that travel along the path 9 to convey goods (not shown), multiple transfer object parts 8 set along the path 9, and a control system 2 (see reference) for controlling the conveyor vehicles 1 on the path 9. Figure 2 ).

[0020] In this embodiment, path 9 is constructed using a track. For example, the track constituting path 9 is located near the ceiling of the equipment. In this case, the transport vehicle 1 is configured as a so-called ceiling transport vehicle that travels along path 9 located near the ceiling.

[0021] There are various types of items handled by the transport equipment 100. For example, the transport equipment 100 is used in semiconductor manufacturing plants. Therefore, substrate receiving containers (so-called FOUP: Front Opening Unified Pod) that contain substrates (wafers, panels, etc.), marking sheet receiving containers (so-called marking sheet boxes) that contain marking sheets, or boxes, trays, etc., are designated as items. In this case, the transport vehicle 1 transports items such as substrate receiving containers and marking sheet receiving containers along path 9 between processes.

[0022] The transfer target area 8 is the location where the transport vehicle 1 transfers or receives items. In this embodiment, the transfer target area 8 includes a processing device 80 for processing items and a platform 81 disposed adjacent to the processing device 80. "Processing items" refers to the processing of the contained items (substrate, marking sheet) housed in a storage container. The transport vehicle 1 receives items from the platform 81 that have completed the processing performed by the processing device 80, or transfers items whose processing by the processing device 80 is not yet complete to the platform 81. In addition, the processing device 80 performs various processes such as thin film formation, photolithography, and etching. Furthermore, not limited to the above, the transfer target area 8 may also be a buffer section for temporarily storing items along the path 9, or an inbound port or outbound port disposed adjacent to an automated warehouse for storing items.

[0023] like Figure 2 As shown, the control system 2 is configured to communicate with each transport vehicle 1. The control system 2 assigns the transport source F and the transport destination T of the items to the transport vehicles 1 (see reference). Figure 5 The transport instruction is as follows: The transport source F and the transport destination T are respectively designated from one of the multiple transfer object locations 8.

[0024] In this embodiment, the control system 2 issues transport instructions to each transport vehicle 1 based on a pre-set production schedule for the items. In the illustrated example, the control system 2 is configured to retrieve various information from the database 3. The aforementioned production schedule is stored in the database 3, and the control system 2 retrieves the production schedule from the database 3 to issue transport instructions to each transport vehicle 1.

[0025] The control system 2 includes: a storage device for storing information input to the input device; a processing device for retrieving information from the storage device, performing processing, and saving the processing results to the storage device; and a control device for issuing commands to each device. The control system 2 is composed of one or more CPUs. These CPUs are elements included in the control device fixedly installed within the equipment or mounted on the transport vehicle 1.

[0026] Here, the transport vehicle 1, which receives the transport instruction, transports the item from the transport source F to the transport destination T. However, there are multiple paths 9 from the transport source F to the transport destination T (see...). Figure 5 ).

[0027] The candidate transport path 9 of the item carried by the transport vehicle 1 from the transport source F to the transport destination T is designated as candidate path 90. The control system 2 is configured to perform path selection processing to select the transport path 9 from the multiple candidate paths 90 for the transport vehicle 1 to travel on. The transport vehicle 1 transports the item from the transport source F to the transport destination T by traveling on the transport path 9 selected by the path selection processing performed by the control system 2.

[0028] Before selecting a transport path 9 from multiple candidate paths 90, the control system 2 derives an index as the basis for selection for each of the multiple candidate paths 90. Here, the control system 2 is configured to perform the derivation of the predicted transport time Tp (refer to...) for each of the multiple candidate paths 90. Figure 5 The system performs a predicted transport time derivation process, where the predicted transport time Tp is a predicted value of the time required to transport the item while traveling along the candidate path 90. The control system 2 then performs a path selection process based on the predicted transport time Tp derived from the predicted transport time derivation process.

[0029] In this embodiment, the control system 2 calculates the cost for each candidate path 90 and derives the predicted transport time Tp based on the cost. The cost includes fixed costs and variable costs. Fixed costs are set, for example, based on the length of the transport path 9, its structure, or the presence or absence of stations (transfer object locations 8) and their surrounding environment. Variable costs are set, for example, based on congestion levels, the presence or absence of disabled vehicles, etc.

[0030] Thus, the control system 2 derives the predicted transport time Tp for each candidate path 90 by performing a predicted transport time derivation process. Furthermore, the control system 2 performs a path selection process based on the predicted transport time Tp of each candidate path 90 to select the transport path 9 from the multiple candidate paths 90 for the transport vehicle 1 to travel.

[0031] Here, the goal is generally to improve the overall conveying efficiency of the equipment, and it is common practice to select the candidate path 90 with the shortest predicted conveying time Tp from among multiple candidate paths 90 as the conveying path 9. However, following such a rule for path selection does not necessarily help improve conveying efficiency. This is because if the candidate path 90 with the shortest predicted conveying time Tp is selected for each conveyor 1, the conveyor 1 becomes concentrated on a specific path 9, and congestion will actually increase the time required for conveying.

[0032] Therefore, in the article conveying device 100 of this disclosure, by equalizing the conveying time of articles carried out by each conveyor 1, the decline in the overall conveying efficiency of the device is suppressed. This will be explained in detail below.

[0033] like Figure 3As shown, the object delivery destination T among the multiple delivery destinations T that can be specified in the delivery command issued by the control system 2 is defined as the object delivery destination T. Furthermore, the time required to deliver items from each path 9 from the multiple delivery sources F to the object delivery destination T is defined as the delivery time Tr (refer to...). Figure 4 ).

[0034] Considering path 9 as a whole, there can be multiple transport sources F (transfer object locations 8) for a single object transport destination T (transfer object location 8). In other words, a single transfer object location 8 (object transport destination T) can be the destination for further processing of items that have finished processing at various transfer object locations 8 (transport sources F) located at different positions along path 9. If the transport sources F are different, the transport time Tr required to reach the object transport destination T varies depending on path 9.

[0035] Figure 4 This represents the distribution of the time Tr required to transport items from a conceivable number of transport sources F to a single object transport destination T. By calculating the average of all transport times Tr, the average time required to transport an item to its object transport destination T is determined within the item transport equipment 100. Here, the average transport time TAvg is defined as the average transport time TAvg for the combination of multiple transport sources F to the object transport destination T. In the illustrated example, the average transport time TAvg is set to "30 seconds". The average transport time TAvg can be calculated for the object transport destination T based on all transfer object locations 8 (transport sources F) located in the item transport equipment 100, or it can be calculated based on any portion of the transfer object locations 8 (transport sources F).

[0036] As described above, the destination T becomes the transfer object section 8 equipped with the processing device 80. The multiple processing devices 80 installed in the article conveying equipment 100 handle different items and have different processing times. For each processing device 80 (destination T), a production schedule corresponding to the handling content and processing time is set, and this production schedule is also effective based on the average conveying time TAvg calculated for each processing device 80 (destination T).

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the transport time Tr required for the combination of multiple transport sources F for the object transport destination T is a past actual value, for example, a value stored in database 3 (see reference 3). Figure 2 However, control system 2 can also calculate the required delivery time Tr to the object delivery destination T for each of multiple paths 9 based on the current status of the equipment.

[0038] By transporting items to the destination T with an average transport time TAvg or close to it by all the transport vehicles 100 present in the item transport equipment, the transport time Tr required for the entire equipment can be evened out and the decrease in transport efficiency can be suppressed. Therefore, during the path selection process, by selecting a candidate path 90 whose transport time Tr is the average transport time TAvg or close to it, the decrease in transport efficiency of the entire equipment can be suppressed.

[0039] However, since the average delivery time TAvg is a concept that indicates a "point" on the time axis, when the average delivery time TAvg is used as the processing benchmark for path selection, there may be few cases where the processing benchmark is met.

[0040] Therefore, in the article conveying device 100 of this disclosure, the time range including the average conveying time TAvg is set as the reference range Rt. This allows the processing reference for path selection to have a "width". The reference range Rt can be appropriately set according to the operating conditions of the equipment, and the setting subject can be either the control system 2 or the operator. Figure 4 In the example shown, the reference range Rt is set within ±5 seconds relative to the average transport time TAvg. That is, the reference range Rt is set to the range of 25 to 35 seconds.

[0041] Figure 5 This represents three candidate paths 90 from a specific transport source F to the object transport destination T. Hereinafter, these candidate paths 90 will be referred to as candidate path A, candidate path B, and candidate path C, respectively. In the illustrated example, among the three candidate paths 90, candidate path A is the longest, candidate path B is the shortest, and candidate path C is the intermediate length.

[0042] like Figure 6 As shown, the control system 2 derives the predicted delivery time Tp for candidate path A, candidate path B, and candidate path C by performing a predicted delivery time derivation process.

[0043] In the example shown, the predicted delivery time Tp for candidate path A is "60 seconds", the predicted delivery time Tp for candidate path B is "15 seconds", and the predicted delivery time Tp for candidate path C is "25 seconds".

[0044] In the path selection process of the control system 2 regarding setting the object delivery destination T as the candidate path 90, the candidate path 90 within the reference range Rt with the predicted delivery time Tp is preferentially selected as the delivery path 9.

[0045] exist Figure 6In the example shown, the predicted transport time Tp of candidate path A and candidate path B are outside the reference range Rt. On the other hand, the predicted transport time Tp of candidate path C is "25 seconds", which is within the reference range Rt. Therefore, among the three candidate paths 90, the control system 2 preferentially selects candidate path C as the transport path 9. That is, in the path selection process, the control system 2 selects the candidate path 90 as the transport path 9 when there is only one candidate path 90 whose predicted transport time Tp is within the reference range Rt.

[0046] In the example above, only candidate path C has a predicted transport time Tp within the baseline range Rt. However, depending on the relationship between the transport source F and the destination T, multiple candidate paths 90 have predicted transport times Tp within the baseline range Rt. Therefore, detailed illustrations are omitted, but in the path selection process, when multiple candidate paths 90 have predicted transport times Tp within the baseline range Rt, the control system 2 selects the candidate path 90 with the shortest predicted transport time Tp as the transport path 9. Thus, it is possible to shorten the transport time Tr while promoting the equalization of the transport time Tr required for each transport vehicle 1.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control system 2 is configured to correct the predicted transport time Tp of each candidate path 90 by means of a correction process, so that candidate paths 90 whose predicted transport time Tp is within or close to the reference range Rt are easily selected as transport paths 9 for the transport vehicle 1 to travel.

[0048] Figure 7 This indicates the situation where control system 2 performs the above-mentioned correction process. Figure 7 The preconditions and Figure 6 The situation is the same: the predicted delivery time Tp for candidate path A is "60 seconds", the predicted delivery time Tp for candidate path B is "15 seconds", and the predicted delivery time Tp for candidate path C is "25 seconds".

[0049] like Figure 7 As shown, among multiple candidate paths 90, candidate paths 90 with predicted delivery times Tp within the reference range Rt are designated as priority candidate paths 91, and candidate paths 90 with predicted delivery times Tp outside the reference range Rt are designated as non-priority candidate paths 92. Figure 7 In the example shown, candidate path C is a preferred candidate path 91, while candidate paths A and B are non-preferred candidate paths 92.

[0050] The control system 2 performs a correction process in which the predicted delivery time Tp of at least one of the non-priority candidate path 92 and the priority candidate path 91 is corrected, making the priority candidate path 91 more likely to be selected in the path selection process compared to the non-priority candidate path 92. In this example, the control system 2 corrects the predicted delivery time Tp of the non-priority candidate path 92 in the correction process, but does not correct the predicted delivery time Tp of the priority candidate path 91. Moreover, in the path selection process, the control system 2 selects the candidate path 90 with the shortest corrected predicted delivery time Tp from among the multiple candidate paths 90 as the delivery path 9.

[0051] In this embodiment, the control system 2 adds a correction value X to the predicted transport time Tp of the non-priority candidate path 92 during the correction process. The correction value X can be either a fixed value or a variable value. A variable value is set, for example, based on the number of transport vehicles 1 currently existing on path 9, the number of transport vehicles 1 expected to pass through path 9, etc. In this example, the correction value X is a fixed value and is set to the upper limit of the reference range Rt (here, "35 seconds"). Therefore, the corrected predicted transport time Tp of the non-priority candidate path 92 is definitely a value exceeding the reference range Rt. Consequently, the predicted transport time Tp of the non-priority candidate path 92 is adjusted to be a longer time exceeding the reference range Rt, making it difficult to select in the path selection process where the candidate path 90 with the shortest corrected predicted transport time Tp is chosen as the transport path 9.

[0052] exist Figure 7 In the example shown, since the upper limit of the reference range Rt is "35 seconds", the correction value X becomes "35 seconds". Therefore, the predicted transport time Tp of the corrected candidate path A becomes "95 seconds", and the predicted transport time Tp of the corrected candidate path B becomes "50 seconds". As described above, the predicted transport time Tp of candidate path C remains unchanged at "25 seconds" since it has not been corrected. Alternatively, the correction value X can be set to "0 seconds" for candidate path C, which is the preferred candidate path 91, to correct the predicted transport time Tp of candidate path C by adding "0 seconds". The control system 2 selects candidate path C with the shortest predicted transport time Tp as transport path 9.

[0053] Figure 8 This indicates that there is no candidate path 90 within the baseline range Rt for the predicted delivery time Tp. Figure 8 In the example shown, with Figures 5-7The scenarios shown are different: the predicted delivery time Tp for candidate path A is "40 seconds", the predicted delivery time Tp for candidate path B is "45 seconds", and the predicted delivery time Tp for candidate path C is "10 seconds". The predicted delivery time Tp for all candidate paths 90 is outside the baseline range Rt of "25 seconds to 35 seconds".

[0054] like Figure 8 As shown, in the path selection process, if no candidate path 90 exists whose predicted delivery time Tp is within the reference range Rt, the control system 2 selects the candidate path 90 whose predicted delivery time Tp is closest to the reference range Rt as the delivery path 9. In this example, for each candidate path 90, the control system 2 calculates the deviation between the predicted delivery time Tp and the reference range Rt. That is, based on a quantitative value, it calculates how much the predicted delivery time Tp deviates from the reference range Rt. Furthermore, after calculating the deviation, the control system 2 compares the absolute values ​​of the deviations for each candidate path 90 and selects the candidate path 90 with the smallest absolute value of the deviation as the delivery path 9. By comparing the deviations as absolute values, the magnitude relationship can be appropriately compared without considering the sign of the deviation.

[0055] exist Figure 8 In the example shown, the deviation of the predicted delivery time Tp of candidate path A is "+5 seconds", and its absolute value is "5 seconds". This is the difference between the upper limit of the baseline range Rt, which is "35 seconds", and the predicted delivery time Tp of candidate path A, which is "40 seconds".

[0056] The deviation of the predicted delivery time Tp for candidate path B is "+10 seconds", with an absolute value of "10 seconds". This is the difference between the upper limit of the baseline range Rt, i.e., "35 seconds", and the predicted delivery time Tp for candidate path B, i.e., "45 seconds".

[0057] The deviation of the predicted delivery time Tp for candidate path C is -15 seconds, with an absolute value of 15 seconds. This is the difference between the lower limit of the baseline range Rt (25 seconds) and the predicted delivery time Tp for candidate path C (10 seconds).

[0058] exist Figure 8 In the example shown, the control system 2 selects the candidate path A, which has the smallest deviation of "5 seconds" between the predicted delivery time Tp and the reference range Rt, as the delivery path 9.

[0059] According to the above description of the article conveying equipment 100, multiple conveyor vehicles 1 operating within the equipment travel along their respective selected conveying paths 9, conveying articles in a time close to the average conveying time TAvg. As a result, the conveying time Tr required for each conveyor vehicle 1 is balanced for the equipment as a whole, and the decrease in the overall conveying efficiency of the equipment can be suppressed.

[0060] [Other Implementation Methods]

[0061] Next, other implementation methods will be described.

[0062] (1) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the control system 2 corrects the predicted transport time Tp of the non-priority candidate path 92 but does not correct the predicted transport time Tp of the priority candidate path 91 in the correction process. However, it is not limited to such an example. The control system 2 may also correct both the predicted transport time Tp of the non-priority candidate path 92 and the predicted transport time Tp of the priority candidate path 91. Alternatively, the control system 2 may only correct the predicted transport time Tp of the priority candidate path 91. When the control system 2 corrects the predicted transport time Tp of the priority candidate path 91, it is preferable to make the correction so that the predicted transport time Tp is smaller. As a result, in the path selection process, when the candidate path 90 with the smallest predicted transport time Tp is selected as the transport path 9, the priority candidate path 91 is more likely to be selected.

[0063] (2) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the control system 2 calculates the deviation of the predicted delivery time Tp relative to the reference range Rt for each candidate path 90 and compares the magnitude of the absolute value of the deviation. However, it is not limited to such an example. The control system 2 may also compare the value after squaring the deviation for each candidate path 90, or it may compare the square root of the value. Thus, the positive and negative signs of each value can be removed, and the magnitude relationship can be appropriately compared.

[0064] (3) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the control system 2 selects the candidate path 90 whose predicted delivery time Tp is closest to the reference range Rt as the delivery path 9 when there is no candidate path 90 within the reference range Rt where the predicted delivery time Tp is not available. However, the control system 2 is not limited to this example, and may also select the candidate path 90 that is closest to any value (e.g., average delivery time TAvg) within the reference range Rt as the delivery path 9.

[0065] (4) In the above embodiment, an example of the transport vehicle 1 being configured as a so-called canopy transport vehicle has been described. However, it is not limited to such an example, and the transport vehicle 1 may also be configured as a trackless trolley such as an AGV. In this case, the path 9 is constructed using a magnetic tape or the like installed on the ground.

[0066] (5) Furthermore, the structures disclosed in the above embodiments can be combined with structures disclosed in other embodiments, provided that no contradictions arise. Regarding other structures, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely simple examples in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be appropriately made without departing from the spirit of this disclosure.

[0067] [Summary of this implementation method]

[0068] The following is a summary of this implementation method.

[0069] A goods conveying device includes: a pre-set path; multiple conveyor vehicles that travel and convey goods along the path; multiple transfer object locations arranged along the path; and a control system that issues conveying instructions to the conveyor vehicles specifying a conveying source and a conveying destination for the goods. In the goods conveying device, the conveying source and the conveying destination are each specified from one of the multiple transfer object locations. Candidate conveying paths for the goods by the conveyor vehicles from the conveying source to the conveying destination are designated as candidate paths. The control system is configured to perform: a predicted conveying time derivation process, deriving a predicted conveying time for each of the multiple candidate paths, the predicted conveying time being a predicted value of the time required to convey the goods while traveling along the candidate path; and a path selection process. From a plurality of candidate paths, the aforementioned transport path for which the aforementioned transport vehicle travels is selected; the aforementioned transport destination that becomes the object among the plurality of transport destinations that can be specified in the aforementioned transport instruction is defined as the object transport destination; the transport time required to transport the aforementioned item from each of the plurality of transport sources to one of the aforementioned object transport destinations is defined as the transport required time; the average of the transport required time for the combination of the plurality of transport sources for the aforementioned object transport destination is defined as the average transport time; the time range including the aforementioned average transport time is set as the reference range; in the aforementioned path selection process for the aforementioned candidate paths with the aforementioned object transport destination as the aforementioned transport destination, the aforementioned control system preferentially selects the aforementioned candidate paths whose predicted transport time is within the aforementioned reference range as the aforementioned transport path.

[0070] According to this structure, the control system prioritizes candidate paths within the predicted delivery time range as the delivery path for the transport vehicles. Consequently, multiple transport vehicles operating within the equipment travel along their chosen paths, delivering items in a time close to the average delivery time. As a result, the delivery time for each transport vehicle is equalized, suppressing any decrease in the overall transport efficiency of the equipment.

[0071] Preferably, among the plurality of candidate paths, the candidate paths whose predicted delivery time falls within the aforementioned reference range are designated as priority candidate paths, and the candidate paths whose predicted delivery time falls outside the aforementioned reference range are designated as non-priority candidate paths; the aforementioned control system performs a correction process, in which the predicted delivery time of at least one of the aforementioned non-priority candidate paths and the aforementioned priority candidate paths is corrected, so that the aforementioned priority candidate paths are more likely to be selected in the aforementioned path selection process compared with the aforementioned non-priority candidate paths; in the aforementioned path selection process, the candidate path with the shortest predicted delivery time after the correction process among the plurality of candidate paths is selected as the aforementioned delivery path.

[0072] According to this structure, candidate paths with predicted transport times within or close to the baseline range are more likely to be selected as the transport paths for the transport vehicles. Therefore, the equalization of the transport time required for each transport vehicle is promoted, and the decline in the overall transport efficiency of the equipment is easily suppressed.

[0073] Preferably, in the aforementioned path selection process, when there are multiple candidate paths whose predicted delivery time is within the aforementioned benchmark range, the aforementioned control system selects the candidate path with the shortest predicted delivery time as the aforementioned delivery path; when there is only one candidate path whose predicted delivery time is within the aforementioned benchmark range, the aforementioned control system selects that candidate path as the aforementioned delivery path.

[0074] According to this structure, it is possible to reduce the required delivery time while promoting the equalization of the delivery time for each transport vehicle.

[0075] Preferably, in the aforementioned path selection process, if there is no candidate path whose predicted delivery time is within the aforementioned reference range, the aforementioned control system selects the candidate path whose predicted delivery time is closest to the aforementioned reference range as the aforementioned delivery path.

[0076] According to this structure, even if no candidate path exists within the predicted delivery time range, the candidate path with the predicted delivery time closest to the range will be selected as the delivery path for the transport vehicle. Therefore, the overall equipment can achieve a balance in the delivery time required.

[0077] Industrial applicability

[0078] The technology disclosed herein can be used in a material transport device having a pre-set path, multiple transport vehicles that travel along the aforementioned path to transport materials, multiple transfer object locations set along the aforementioned path, and a control system that sends transport instructions to the aforementioned transport vehicles specifying the transport source and transport destination of the aforementioned materials.

[0079] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0080] 100: Item conveying equipment

[0081] 1: Conveyor vehicle

[0082] 2: Control System

[0083] 8: Location of the object to be moved

[0084] 9: Path

[0085] 90: Candidate Path

[0086] 91: Preferred candidate path

[0087] 92: Non-priority candidate path

[0088] F: Delivery source

[0089] T: Destination

[0090] Rt: Reference range

[0091] TAvg: Average delivery time

[0092] Tp: Predicted delivery time

[0093] Tr: Delivery time

Claims

1. A material conveying device, comprising: A pre-defined path; Multiple transport vehicles travel along the aforementioned path, transporting goods. Multiple transferable object parts are set along the aforementioned path; and The control system issues transport instructions to the aforementioned transport vehicle, specifying the transport source and destination of the aforementioned items; Its features are, The aforementioned transport source and the aforementioned transport destination are respectively designated from one of the aforementioned transfer object locations; Let the candidate transport path of the aforementioned article carried by the aforementioned transport vehicle from the aforementioned transport source to the aforementioned transport destination be the candidate path; The aforementioned control system is configured to execute: The predicted delivery time is derived by deriving the predicted delivery time for each of the aforementioned candidate paths. The predicted delivery time is the predicted value of the time required to travel and deliver the aforementioned items on the candidate path. as well as The path selection process selects the aforementioned transport path from multiple candidate paths, allowing the aforementioned transport vehicle to travel along it. Let the aforementioned delivery destination that becomes the object among the multiple delivery destinations that can be specified in the aforementioned delivery instruction be the object delivery destination; Let the time required to transport the aforementioned items from each of the multiple aforementioned transport sources to the aforementioned object transport destination along each path be the transport time required; Let the average of the transport times required for the transport of the aforementioned objects to their destinations be the average transport time. The time range including the aforementioned average delivery time is set as the baseline range; In the aforementioned path selection process for the aforementioned candidate paths with the aforementioned object as the aforementioned destination, the aforementioned control system preferentially selects the aforementioned candidate paths whose predicted delivery time is within the aforementioned reference range as the aforementioned delivery path.

2. The article conveying device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Among the aforementioned candidate paths, the aforementioned candidate paths whose predicted delivery time is within the aforementioned benchmark range are designated as priority candidate paths, and the aforementioned candidate paths whose predicted delivery time is outside the aforementioned benchmark range are designated as non-priority candidate paths. The aforementioned control system A correction process is performed, in which the predicted delivery time of at least one of the aforementioned non-priority candidate path and the aforementioned priority candidate path is corrected, so that the aforementioned priority candidate path is more likely to be selected in the aforementioned path selection process compared with the aforementioned non-priority candidate path. In the aforementioned path selection process, the candidate path with the shortest predicted delivery time after the aforementioned correction process is selected as the aforementioned delivery path from among the multiple candidate paths.

3. The article conveying device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In the aforementioned path selection process, when there are multiple candidate paths whose predicted delivery time is within the aforementioned benchmark range, the aforementioned control system selects the candidate path with the shortest predicted delivery time as the aforementioned delivery path. In the aforementioned path selection process, if there is only one candidate path whose predicted delivery time is within the aforementioned reference range, the aforementioned control system selects that candidate path as the aforementioned delivery path.

4. The article conveying device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, In the aforementioned path selection process, if there is no candidate path whose predicted delivery time is within the aforementioned reference range, the aforementioned control system selects the candidate path whose predicted delivery time is closest to the aforementioned reference range as the aforementioned delivery path.

Images