Control method, control system, and control program

Abstract

To efficiently operate a cart robot.SOLUTION: A control method is executed by a computer, and includes a collection step of collecting information including respective battery residual amount of a plurality of cart robots conveying cargoes by traveling on either one of a plurality of lanes, and a determination step of determining priority for performing charge for each of the plurality of cart robot based on the information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The disclosed embodiments relate to a control method, a control system, and a control program. [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a cart robot that autonomously travels based on a predetermined collection plan for articles and takes out cargo from a shelf by an arm (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2022-68557 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] The cart robot is driven by a driving battery. On the other hand, the cart robot cannot be driven while the driving battery is being charged at an installed station or the like. For this reason, in conventional techniques, the operating efficiency of the cart robot may decrease due to charging.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a control method, a control system, and a control program that efficiently operate a cart robot. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0006] A control method according to one aspect of an embodiment is ,Ko a control method executed by a computer, comprising: a collecting step of collecting information including the remaining battery level of each of a plurality of cart robots that travel on any of a plurality of lanes and convey cargo; and a determining step of determining a charging priority for each of the plurality of cart robots based on the information. [Effect of the Invention]

[0007] According to one embodiment, the cart robot can be operated efficiently. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a floor plan of a warehouse to which the picking system according to this embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the cart robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram of the control system of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a block diagram of the control system of the control center according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of information collected by the control center according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the process flow for controlling the charging of the cart robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a computer hardware configuration that functions as a control center. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The present invention will be described below through embodiments, but these embodiments are not intended to limit the invention as defined in the claims. Furthermore, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0010] Figure 1 is a floor plan of warehouse floor 50 to which the picking system according to this embodiment is applied. Note that the picking system is an example of a system according to this embodiment.

[0011] Picking is the job of collecting (picking up) necessary items (packages). Picking staff play an essential role in shipping items from the warehouse and are therefore deployed in warehouses of all types. In this embodiment, the picking staff is a robot with an arm. In this embodiment, the picking staff is a cart robot 52. The picking staff also includes humanoid robots.

[0012] For example, the main job of a picking staff member is to collect specified items based on pre-assigned lists or order forms, and then pass them on to the inspection and packing staff. The larger the warehouse, the greater the variety and number of items stored, and therefore, a large number of picking staff members move around within the 50-floor warehouse.

[0013] A control center 1 (control device) is installed on floor 50 shown in Figure 1. The control center 1 controls the entire floor 50. The control center 1 creates collection lists for the goods to be collected by each cart robot 52, creates movement routes, etc., and controls each cart robot 52 based on the various information created.

[0014] Furthermore, a storage area (warehouse, shelves, etc.) 54 is provided on floor 50, where multiple baskets 56 are stored. The baskets 56 are items (packages) collected through picking operations. Cart robots 52 move around this storage area 54. The primary role of the cart robots 52 is to receive and transfer the baskets 56, and they are classified into Fast Track Cart 52A, which moves along the Fast Lane 58, and Local Track Cart 52B, which moves along the Local Picking Lane 60.

[0015] The cart robot 52 delivers and receives baskets 56. Delivery and receiving includes taking out the basket 56 from the storage unit 54. Further, the cart robot 52 is driven by a driving battery. The driving battery is a secondary battery that can be repeatedly charged and discharged.

[0016] The local lane 60 is an inner lane in the floor 50, in other words, a lane set outside the storage unit 54. The local cart 52B travels in a meandering manner so as to approach and separate from the storage unit 54, and temporarily decelerates or stops to pick up the basket 56 from the storage unit 54. Note that the traveling of the local cart 52B is not limited to meandering traveling.

[0017] The high-speed lane 58 is an outer lane in the floor 50, in other words, a lane set outside the local lane 60. For example, the high-speed lane 58 travels non-stop at a speed of 20 km / h, and receives the basket 56 from the local cart 52B moving on the local lane 60.

[0018] As a series of operations, for example, after picking up the basket 56, the local cart 52B on the local lane 60 delivers the basket 56 to the high-speed cart 52A non-stop while traveling in parallel with the high-speed cart 52A on the outer high-speed lane 58 at 20 km / h in the manner of passing a relay baton. Note that the delivery and receiving of the basket 56 between the local cart 52B and the high-speed cart 52A may be performed in a state where each cart robot 52 is stopped. In this way, the cart robot 52 travels on any one of a plurality of lanes (the high-speed lane 58 or the local lane 60) to convey the basket 56 (cargo).

[0019] A docking station 68 is installed on the floor 50 corresponding to the storage unit 54. The docking station 68 serves as a junction between the high-speed lane 58 and the local lane 60.

[0020] The docking station 68 includes, for example, 20 arms and has a function of receiving the basket 56 from the high-speed lane 58.

[0021] At the docking station 68, the high-speed cart 52A temporarily decelerates to, for example, 2 km / h, transfers the basket 56 within, for example, 1 minute, and then re-accelerates.

[0022] On the floor 50, in-warehouse sensors 70 including cameras and LiDAR are installed on the ceiling and walls.

[0023] These in-warehouse sensors 70 constantly measure the inter-vehicle distance and speed of the high-speed cart 52A and the local cart 52B. The in-warehouse sensors 70 include at least one of a highest-performance camera, solid-state LiDAR (light detection and ranging), multi-color laser coaxial displacement meter, or various other sensors. The in-warehouse sensors 70 also include a vibration meter, thermo camera, hardness tester, radar, LiDAR, high-pixel / telephoto / ultra-wide-angle / 360-degree / high-performance cameras, vision recognition sensor , minute sound sensor , ultrasonic wave sensor , vibration sensor , infrared ray sensor , ultraviolet ray sensor , electromagnetic wave sensor , temperature sensor , humidity sensor , spot AI weather forecast Sensors that acquire data , high-precision multi-channel GPS, low-altitude satellite information Sensors that acquire data , and long-tail incident AI data Sensors that acquire data and the like. The in-warehouse sensors 70 may include a plurality of sensors.

[0024] The in-warehouse sensors 70 may detect Other information the above information. Other information detected by the in-warehouse sensors 70 includes the movement of the center of gravity of the cart robot 52, the material of the floor on which the cart robot 52 is installed 、 the vertical, horizontal and oblique tilt angles of the floor ,odorThese are some examples. The warehouse sensor 70 performs these detections, for example, every nanosecond.

[0025] The measured information is used to control the cart robot 52. For example, the measured information is used to synchronize the high-speed cart 52A and the local cart 52B with each other.

[0026] A charging station 80 (charging device) is installed on floor 50. The charging station 80 is a station for charging the drive batteries of each cart robot 52. The charging station 80 is also equipped with a connector 81. The connector 81 is connected to the charging port of the cart robot 52.

[0027] The charging station 80 receives power from a warehouse or similar source. Furthermore, the charging station 80 supplies the received power to the cart robot 52. This charges the cart robot 52's drive battery.

[0028] Furthermore, when the cart robot 52 receives power from the charging station 80, the charging port moves to a position where it can connect to the connector 81. The connector 81 only needs to be electrically connected to the charging port and does not necessarily need to be mechanically connected to it.

[0029] The charging station 80 supplies power to the cart robot 52 wirelessly. For example, the charging station 80 charges the cart robot 52 using existing wireless power supply technology (contactless charging).

[0030] The charging station 80 may be mechanically connected to the charging port and power supplied via a wire. In this case, the connector 81 and the charging port are connected, for example, by a cable. The cable connection may be performed by a person or automatically by a device.

[0031] The cart robot 52 performs the following actions according to the control of the control center 1. Specifically, the cart robot 52 moves from the lane it is currently traveling in (high-speed lane 58 or local lane 60) toward the charging station 80. At this point, the cart robot 52's original operation (for example, handing over the basket 56) stops.

[0032] The cart robot 52 then adjusts its position and orientation so that the charging port and connector 81 can be connected. Once the position and orientation adjustments are complete, the cart robot 52 receives power from the charging station 80. After that, when the conditions are met, the cart robot 52 completes charging, returns to the designated lane, and resumes operation.

[0033] Thus, there will be periods when the cart robot 52 is inoperable due to charging. The control center 1 controls the operation of the cart robot 52 for charging, taking into consideration the efficiency of the entire picking system. Details of the control method by the control center 1 will be described later.

[0034] As shown in Figure 2, the cart robot 52 comprises a vehicle body 10, an arm 11, a sensor 12, a drive battery 13, and an information processing device 15 (see Figure 3). Figure 2 is a perspective view of the cart robot 52 according to this embodiment. The cart robot 52 described below is applicable to at least one of the high-speed cart 52A and the local cart 52B.

[0035] The vehicle body 10 is formed, for example, in the shape of a box with an opening at the top. The vehicle body 10 is capable of carrying a basket 56. The vehicle body 10 is provided with a plurality of drive wheels 10a. Each drive wheel 10a is provided with a motor. The rotational speed of each drive wheel 10a is adjusted by the motor. By adjusting the rotational speed of each drive wheel 10a, the vehicle body 10 can travel in the forward / backward, left / right, and diagonal directions. Furthermore, by adjusting the rotational speed of each drive wheel 10a, the vehicle body 10 can rotate 360 ​​degrees.

[0036] The arm 11 is attached to the vehicle body 10. The arm 11 is fixed to the vehicle body 10 by attaching its base end to the vehicle body 10. One arm 11 is provided for the vehicle body 10. That is, the cart robot 52 is equipped with one arm 11. The arm 11 is attached to the rear side of the vehicle body 10. For example, the arm 11 is attached to the rear end of the vehicle body 10. The arm 11 is attached near the center in the left-right direction of the vehicle body 10.

[0037] The arm 11 has a plurality of rod sections 11a and a plurality of joint sections 11b. The joint sections 11b are provided, for example, between two rod sections 11a, allowing the two rod sections 11a to rotate relative to each other. Each joint section 11b has a motor. By rotating the rod sections 11a relative to each joint section 11b, the arm 11 can extend and retract and rotate 360 ​​degrees.

[0038] The tip of the arm 11 is provided with a gripping part 11c for gripping the basket 56. The gripping part 11c grips the basket 56, for example, by suction. Note that even if the cart robot 52 has multiple arms 11, good .

[0039] Sensor 12 is attached to the vehicle body 10. Sensor 12 is located on the front side of the vehicle body 10. For example, sensor 12 is located at the front end of the vehicle body 10. Sensor 12 is located at the upper end of the vehicle body 10. Sensor 12 may be located so as to protrude above the vehicle body 10. Sensor 12 is attached near the center of the vehicle body 10 in the left-right direction. For example, arm 11 and sensor 12 are located opposite each other on the vehicle body 10. The type of sensor 12 is the same as that of the warehouse sensor 70. Sensor 12 may include multiple sensors.

[0040] The drive battery 13 is the power source for the cart robot 52. The drive battery 13 has a charging port that can be connected to the connector 81 of the charging station 80.

[0041] As shown in Figure 3, the information processing device 15 comprises an information acquisition unit 150, a control unit 152, and an information storage unit 154. Figure 3 is a control system block diagram of the information processing device 15 according to this embodiment.

[0042] The information acquisition unit 150 acquires information detected by the sensor 12. The information acquisition unit 150 acquires information detected by the warehouse sensor 70. The information acquisition unit 150 acquires information regarding the remaining battery level of the drive battery 13. The information acquisition unit 150 acquires signals transmitted from a command device (e.g., control center 1) that instructs the operation of the cart robot 52.

[0043] The control unit 152 controls the operation of the arm 11 and the vehicle body 10 based on signals transmitted from a command device or the like and acquired by the information acquisition unit 150.

[0044] The control unit 152 controls the movement of the arm 11 using the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 150 and AI (Artificial Intelligence). The control unit 152 controls the motors of each joint 11b of the arm 11. The control unit 152 controls the movement of the arm 11 using the information detected by the sensor 12 and the warehouse sensor 70.

[0045] Furthermore, the control unit 152 controls the operation of the vehicle body 10 using the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 150 and the AI. The control unit 152 controls the motors of each drive wheel 10a of the vehicle body 10. The control unit 152 controls the operation of the vehicle body 10 using the information detected by the sensor 12 and the warehouse sensor 70.

[0046] Furthermore, the control unit 152 detects a decrease in the battery level of the drive battery 13 based on the information about the battery level of the drive battery 13 acquired by the information acquisition unit 150. Note that the detection of the decrease in battery level may also be performed by the control center 1.

[0047] The control unit 152 causes the cart robot 52 to charge according to the control center 1. The charging operation is as described above. In addition, if the control unit 152 detects a decrease in the battery level of the drive battery 13, it may request the control center 1 to start the charging process sequence. The control center 1 controls the charging of the cart robot 52 within the charging process sequence.

[0048] The information storage unit 154 is implemented by a storage medium such as a semiconductor memory element, such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or flash memory. The information storage unit 154 stores various programs executed by the control unit 152. The information storage unit 154 also stores information acquired by the information acquisition unit 150.

[0049] Next, an example of the configuration of the control center 1 will be described using Figure 4. Figure 4 is a control system block diagram of the control center 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 4, the control center 1 includes an information acquisition unit 101, a control unit 102, and an information storage unit 103.

[0050] The information acquisition unit 101 acquires information related to the order list. The information acquisition unit 101 acquires information related to the status of each cart robot 52 from each cart robot 52. The status information includes the task being executed, the battery level, etc. The information acquisition unit 101 acquires information detected by the warehouse sensors 70.

[0051] The control unit 102 controls the operation of each cart robot 52 using the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 101 and AI (Artificial Intelligence). For example, the control unit 102 creates a collection list and a travel route for each cart robot 52.

[0052] The control unit 102 starts a charging process sequence when a trigger occurs. Triggers include when the battery level of any of the cart robots 52 falls below a threshold (e.g., 15%), when any of the cart robots 52 requests the start of a charging process sequence, or when a predetermined time has arrived. The control unit 102 may also start the processing sequence at regular time intervals (e.g., every 30 minutes).

[0053] In the processing sequence, the control unit 102 collects information, including the battery level, via the information acquisition unit 101 or the information storage unit 103. Based on the collected information, the control unit 102 calculates the charging priority for each of the cart robots 52. The control unit 102 performs the priority calculation using the information shown in Figure 5. Figure 5 shows an example of the information collected by the control center according to this embodiment. The information shown in Figure 5 includes information acquired by the information acquisition unit 101 and information already stored in the information storage unit 103.

[0054] In Figure 5, "ID" is information used to identify the cart robot 52. "Lane" indicates the lane the cart robot 52 is currently traveling in. "High-speed" corresponds to the high-speed lane 58. "Local" corresponds to the local lane 60.

[0055] "Battery level" refers to the remaining battery level of each drive battery in the cart robot 52. "Collection schedule" refers to the weight and quantity of baskets 56 that each cart robot 52 is scheduled to deliver within a specific period. For example, the specific period is from the current time to 30 minutes later. The "Collection schedule" is obtained from the collection list created by the control unit 102.

[0056] For example, Figure 5 shows that the cart robot 52, identified as "C011," is traveling in the high-speed lane 58, has a battery level of "60%", and is scheduled to deliver three 5kg baskets 56.

[0057] For example, Figure 5 shows that the cart robot 52, identified as "C013," is traveling in local lane 60, has a battery level of "25%", and is scheduled to deliver one 10kg basket 56.

[0058] (Priority based on lanes) The control unit 102 collects information including the number of cart robots 52 traveling in each of the multiple lanes, as shown in the "lanes" in Figure 5. Then, the control unit 102 collects information including the number of cart robots 52 traveling in each of the multiple lanes. lane For each of them, Cart Robot 52 The larger the number, the higher the priority.

[0059] Based on the information in Figure 5, the control unit 102 counts the number of cart robots 52 traveling in the high-speed lane 58 and the number of cart robots 52 traveling in the local lane 60. Then, it increases the priority of the cart robots 52 traveling in the lane with the larger number.

[0060] This is because lanes with a larger number of moving cart robots 52 make it easier to compensate for the operation of cart robots 52 that have stopped operating for charging with other cart robots 52.

[0061] In the example shown in Figure 5, there are 6 cart robots 52 traveling in the high-speed lane 58 and 3 cart robots 52 traveling in the local lane 60. Therefore, the control unit 102 sets the priority of the cart robots 52 traveling in the high-speed lane 58 higher than the priority of the cart robots 52 traveling in the local lane 60.

[0062] The control unit 102 may calculate priority based on a predetermined number for each lane. For example, suppose the number of cart robots 52 required for the high-speed lane 58 is 6, and the number of cart robots 52 required for the local lane 60 is 2.

[0063] In this case, as shown in the example in Figure 5, the number of kart robots 52 in the high-speed lane 58 is just full, and the number of kart robots 52 traveling in the local lane 60 exceeds the specified number. Therefore, the control unit 102 sets the priority of the kart robots 52 traveling in the local lane 60 to be higher than the priority of the kart robots 52 traveling in the high-speed lane 58.

[0064] (Priority based on battery level) Based on the information in Figure 5, the control unit 102 prioritizes the lower the battery level. This is because, in order to prevent the battery from running out, cart robots 52 with low battery levels require more urgent charging.

[0065] Furthermore, the control unit 102 may keep the priority constant if the battery level exceeds an upper limit (e.g., 50%). Also, the control unit 102 may further increase the degree to which the priority is increased if the battery level falls below a lower limit (e.g., 20%). This allows the control unit 102 to increase the influence of the battery level-based priority when calculating the final priority by adding or multiplying the battery level-based priority with other priorities.

[0066] For example, the control unit 102 sets the priority to a constant value (e.g., 1) when the battery level is between 100% and 50%. Then, when the battery level is between 50% and 20%, the control unit 102 makes the priority inversely proportional to the battery level (for example, if the battery level is 25%, the priority is the reciprocal of 25 / 100, which is 4). Furthermore, when the battery level is between 20% and 0%, the control unit 102 makes the priority inversely proportional to the square of the battery level (for example, if the battery level is 10%, the priority is the reciprocal of the square of (10 / 100), which is 100).

[0067] (Priority based on collection schedule) As shown in the "Collection Schedule" in Figure 5, the control unit 102 collects information including the weight and quantity of packages that each of the multiple cart robots 52 is scheduled to transport. For each of the multiple cart robots 52, the control unit 102 assigns a higher priority to the cart robots 52 that have a greater load based on the weight and quantity of packages they are scheduled to transport. This is because the battery level decreases more rapidly with a greater load.

[0068] Based on the "collection schedule," the control unit 102 calculates the total weight for each cart robot 52 by multiplying the weight and quantity of the baskets 56 as the load. The control unit 102 then assigns a higher priority to each robot with a larger total weight.

[0069] For example, the control unit 102 is "C01 1 For the cart robot 52 identified as "C012", the control unit 102 calculates the total weight as 5kg × 3 = 15kg. Also, for the cart robot 52 identified as "C012", the control unit 102 calculates the total weight as 0kg. Also, for the cart robot 52 identified as "C014", the control unit 102 calculates the total weight as 2kg × 4 + 5kg × 1 = 13kg.

[0070] The control unit 102 calculates the final priority by combining one or more of the priority based on the lane, priority based on battery level, and priority based on collection schedule described above.

[0071] The control unit 102 then instructs the cart robots 52 that have a certain number of higher priority levels (1 or more) among the multiple cart robots 52 to stop transporting cargo and start charging.

[0072] Furthermore, the operation of the cart robot 52 may be interrupted during charging, which could prevent the normal performance of operations. In such cases, the control unit 102 may recreate (update) the collection list and travel route for the cart robot 52 that is not being charged, in order to ensure that operations can be performed normally.

[0073] The information storage unit 103 is implemented by a storage medium such as a semiconductor memory element, such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or flash memory. 03 The control unit 102 stores various programs that are executed by the control unit 102. The information storage unit 103 stores information acquired by the information acquisition unit 101.

[0074] Next, the process for controlling the charging of the cart robot 52 according to the embodiment will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 6. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process for controlling the charging of the cart robot according to the embodiment. Furthermore, the process from step S102 onwards in Figure 6 corresponds to the processing sequence for charging.

[0075] Control Center 1 waits until a trigger occurs (Step S101, No). When a trigger occurs (Step S101, Yes), Control Center 1 proceeds to Step S102 and starts the charging process sequence. The trigger may be that the battery level of any of the cart robots 52 falls below a threshold.

[0076] The control center 1 collects information including the battery levels of multiple cart robots 52 (step S102). For example, the control center 1 collects information such as that shown in Figure 5 from the information acquisition unit 101 and the information storage unit 103.

[0077] Next, the control center 1 calculates the charging priority of each cart robot 52 based on the collected information (step S103). The control center 1 may calculate one priority from the aforementioned priorities, or it may calculate multiple priorities.

[0078] Next, the control center 1 determines which cart robot to charge based on priority (step S104). Then, the control center 1 instructs the determined cart robot 52 to perform charging (step S105).

[0079] Furthermore, the control center 1 determines whether or not it is necessary to update the collection list and travel route in conjunction with charging (step S106). If the control center 1 determines that it is necessary to update the collection list and travel route (step S106, Yes), it updates the collection list and travel route of the cart robot 52 that is not being charged (step S107) and terminates the processing sequence.

[0080] If Control Center 1 determines that it is not necessary to update the collection list and the travel route (Step S106, No), it terminates the processing sequence.

[0081] Note that the charging process sequence may be executed by a device other than the control center 1. For example, the information processing device 15 provided in the cart robot 52 may execute the charging process sequence. In that case, the cart robot 52 is capable of collecting the information shown in Figure 5.

[0082] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer 1200 that functions as a control center 1. A program installed on the computer 1200 can cause the computer 1200 to function as one or more "parts" of the apparatus according to this embodiment, or to cause the computer 1200 to execute operations associated with the apparatus according to this embodiment or such one or more "parts", and / or to cause the computer 1200 to execute a process or a stage of such process according to this embodiment. Such a program may be executed by the CPU 1212 to cause the computer 1200 to execute specific operations associated with some or all of the blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

[0083] The computer 1200 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 1212, RAM 1214, and a graphics controller 1216, which are interconnected by a host controller 1210. The computer 1200 also includes input / output units such as a communication interface 1222, a storage device 1224, a DVD drive, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 1210 via an input / output controller 1220. The DVD drive may be a DVD-ROM drive and a DVD-RAM drive, etc. The storage device 1224 may be a hard disk drive and a solid-state drive, etc. The computer 1200 also includes input / output units such as a ROM 1230 and a keyboard, which are connected to the input / output controller 1220 via an input / output chip 1240.

[0084] The CPU 1212 operates according to the programs stored in the ROM 1230 and RAM 1214, thereby controlling each unit. The graphics controller 1216 acquires the image data generated by the CPU 1212 and stores it in the frame buffer provided in RAM 1214 or within itself, so that the image data is displayed on the display device 1218.

[0085] The communication interface 1222 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The storage device 1224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 1212 in the computer 1200. The DVD drive reads programs or data from a DVD-ROM or the like and provides them to the storage device 1224. The IC card drive reads programs and data from an IC card and / or writes programs and data to an IC card.

[0086] The ROM 1230 stores boot programs and / or hardware-dependent programs of the computer 1200, which are executed by the computer 1200 upon activation. The input / output chip 1240 may also connect various input / output units to the input / output controller 1220 via USB ports, parallel ports, serial ports, keyboard ports, mouse ports, etc.

[0087] The program is provided on a computer-readable storage medium such as a DVD-ROM or IC card. The program is read from the computer-readable storage medium and installed on a storage device 1224, RAM 1214, or ROM 1230, which are examples of computer-readable storage media, and executed by the CPU 1212. The information processing described within these programs is read by the computer 1200, resulting in coordination between the program and the various types of hardware resources described above. The apparatus or method may be configured to realize the operation or processing of information in accordance with the use of the computer 1200.

[0088] For example, when communication is performed between a computer 1200 and an external device, the CPU 1212 may execute a communication program loaded into RAM 1214 and, based on the processing described in the communication program, instruct the communication interface 1222 to perform communication processing. Under the control of the CPU 1212, the communication interface 1222 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer area provided in a recording medium such as RAM 1214, storage device 1224, DVD-ROM, or IC card, transmits the read transmission data to the network, or writes received data received from the network to a reception buffer area provided on the recording medium.

[0089] Furthermore, the CPU 1212 may read all or necessary parts of a file or database stored on an external recording medium such as the storage device 1224, a DVD drive (DVD-ROM), or an IC card into the RAM 1214, and perform various types of processing on the data in the RAM 1214. The CPU 1212 may then write the processed data back to the external recording medium.

[0090] Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored on the recording medium and subjected to information processing. The CPU 1212 may perform various types of processing on the data read from RAM 1214, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgments, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information retrieval / replacement, etc., as described throughout this disclosure and specified by the program instruction sequence, and write the results back to RAM 1214. The CPU 1212 may also retrieve information in files, databases, etc., within the recording medium. For example, if multiple entries are stored in the recording medium, each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute, the CPU 1212 may search among the multiple entries for an entry that matches the specified condition for the attribute value of the first attribute, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in that entry, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies the predetermined condition.

[0091] The program or software module described above may be stored on or near the computer 1200 in a computer-readable storage medium. Alternatively, a recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided within a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as a computer-readable storage medium, thereby providing the program to the computer 1200 via the network.

[0092] In this embodiment, blocks in the flowchart and block diagram may represent a stage in a process in which an operation is performed or a "part" of a device that has the role of performing an operation. A particular stage and "part" may be implemented by a dedicated circuit, a programmable circuit supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, and / or a processor supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium. The dedicated circuit may include digital and / or analog hardware circuits, and may include integrated circuits (ICs) and / or discrete circuits. The programmable circuit may include reconfigurable hardware circuits, such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and programmable logic arrays (PLAs), which include logical AND, logical OR, exclusive OR, negated AND, negated OR, and other logical operations, flip-flops, registers, and memory elements.

[0093] A computer-readable storage medium may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions to be executed by a suitable device, and as a result, a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein will comprise a product that includes instructions that can be executed to create means for performing operations specified in a flowchart or block diagram. Examples of computer-readable storage media may include electronic storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, etc. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include floppy disks, diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), static random access memory (SRAM), compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital multipurpose disc (DVD), Blu-ray® disc, memory stick, integrated circuit card, etc.

[0094] Computer-readable instructions may include assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk®, Java®, C++, and traditional procedural programming languages ​​such as the C programming language or similar languages.

[0095] Computer-readable instructions may be provided to a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or a programmable circuit, either locally or via a wide area network (WAN) such as a local area network (LAN) or the internet, so that the computer-readable instructions may be executed by the processor or programmable circuit of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, in order to generate means for performing operations specified in a flowchart or block diagram. Examples of processors include computer processors, processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, microcontrollers, and the like.

[0096] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It will be clear from the claims that such modified or improved forms may also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0097] It should be noted that the execution order of operations, procedures, steps, and stages in the apparatus, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not explicitly stated as "before" or "prior to," and that these can be implemented in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a later process. Even if the operation flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is described using phrases such as "first," and "next," for convenience, this does not mean that it is essential to perform the operations in that order. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0098] 1 Control Center 10. Running vehicle 13 Power battery 52 Cart Robots 58 High-speed lane 60 local lanes 80 Charging Stations 81 Connectors

Claims

1. A control method performed by a computer, A collection process that collects information including the battery level of each of the multiple cart robots that travel along one of multiple lanes and transport goods, Based on the aforementioned information, a decision-making process is performed to determine the priority for charging each of the multiple cart robots, Includes, The collection step collects information including the number of cart robots traveling in each of the plurality of lanes, The aforementioned decision step determines that for each of the multiple lanes, the greater the number of moving cart robots, the higher the priority. Control method.

2. The aforementioned decision step determines that for each of the multiple cart robots, the lower the battery level, the higher the priority. The control method according to claim 1.

3. The collection process involves collecting information including the weight and quantity of the packages that each of the multiple cart robots is scheduled to transport. The aforementioned decision step determines that for each of the multiple cart robots, the greater the load based on the weight and quantity of the cargo to be transported, the higher the priority. The control method according to claim 1.

4. A charging control process that causes a certain number of the cart robots among the aforementioned plurality of cart robots to stop transporting cargo and perform charging. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising:

5. A control system comprising: multiple cart robots that travel along one of multiple lanes and transport cargo; a control device that controls the multiple cart robots; and a charging device that charges the multiple cart robots, The control device is The system collects information including the remaining battery level of each of the multiple cart robots and the number of cart robots traveling in each of the multiple lanes. Based on the above information, the priority for charging each of the multiple cart robots is determined. For each of the aforementioned multiple lanes, the priority is increased as the number of moving cart robots increases. Control system.

6. A collection procedure for collecting information, including the battery level of each of the multiple cart robots that travel in one of multiple lanes and transport goods, Based on the aforementioned information, a decision procedure is provided to determine the priority for charging each of the multiple cart robots, Have the computer run it, The collection procedure collects information including the number of cart robots traveling in each of the multiple lanes, The aforementioned decision procedure assigns a higher priority to each of the multiple lanes as the number of moving cart robots increases. Control program.

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