A vehicle following control method and device

Abstract

The present invention discloses a vehicle following control method and device, and relates to the field of computer technology. A specific implementation of the method includes: obtaining the virtual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle in real time through a vehicle speed control curve; obtaining the actual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle in real time through a vehicle body sensor; when the deviation between the actual coordinate position and the virtual coordinate position is greater than a first threshold distance, the unmanned guided vehicle is speed-regulated; the virtual coordinate position is corrected according to the actual coordinate position, and multiple unmanned guided vehicles are controlled to operate according to a vehicle following mode; wherein the vehicle following mode refers to the distance between any two unmanned guided vehicles being within a second threshold distance range. This implementation realizes the vehicle following scheduling of multiple unmanned guided vehicles, achieving the technical effect of significantly increasing the traffic volume of AGVs in key sections and improving overall operating efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of computer technology, and in particular to a vehicle following control method and device. Background Art

[0002] AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) following means that AGVs pass through the same path one after another. Under the premise that no safety incidents occur, the following vehicle should follow the front vehicle as closely as possible during the driving process. AGVs usually run along code points (a kind of identification code pasted on the ground), that is, every time they run to a code point, they feedback the current coordinate position to the system, and the system will release the coordinate position of the next code point. The larger the spacing between code points, the longer it takes, resulting in lower AGV traffic and lower operating efficiency.

[0003] In the process of implementing the present invention, the inventors found that there are at least the following problems in the prior art:

[0004] 1. During the entire vehicle following process, when the front and rear vehicles are out of the position of the identification code, the dispatching system cannot know the actual physical coordinates of the front and rear vehicles;

[0005] 2. When the distance between the two identification codes is small, the network communication status is poor or there is a delay in information transmission, the following vehicle in the following mode will stop and go, and the following process will be unsmooth;

[0006] 3. When there are a large number of AGVs in the same batch, the above method is prone to all AGVs malfunctioning or abnormal, making it impossible to achieve large-scale scheduling. Summary of the invention

[0007] In view of this, an embodiment of the present invention provides a vehicle following control method and device, which can realize the vehicle following scheduling of multiple unmanned guided vehicles, significantly increase the traffic volume of AGVs in key sections, and improve the overall operating efficiency.

[0008] To achieve the above object, according to one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle following control method is provided, comprising:

[0009] The virtual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle is obtained in real time through the vehicle speed control curve;

[0010] The actual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle is obtained in real time through the vehicle body sensor;

[0011] When the deviation between the actual coordinate position and the virtual coordinate position is greater than a first threshold distance, the unmanned guided vehicle is subjected to speed adjustment processing;

[0012] The virtual coordinate position is corrected according to the actual coordinate position, and multiple unmanned guided vehicles are controlled to operate according to the following mode;

[0013] Among them, the following vehicle mode means that the distance between any two unmanned guided vehicles is within the second threshold distance range.

[0014] Furthermore, the above-mentioned vehicle following control method also includes: determining the distance between the unmanned guided vehicle and the sensing object in front of it according to the safety sensor, and when the distance between the unmanned guided vehicle and the sensing object in front of it is less than a third threshold distance, stopping the unmanned guided vehicle.

[0015] Furthermore, the above-mentioned following vehicle control method also includes: controlling the frontmost unmanned guided vehicle to run along the identification code, and when the distance between the remaining unmanned guided vehicles in the following vehicle logic area and the previous unmanned guided vehicle meets the second threshold distance, controlling the remaining unmanned guided vehicles to start the following vehicle mode.

[0016] Furthermore, the step of obtaining the actual coordinate positions of the plurality of unmanned guided vehicles includes: after the vehicle body sensor senses the identification code under the vehicle body, the actual position represented by the identification code is identified according to the navigation system.

[0017] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle following control device, comprising:

[0018] A virtual coordinate position acquisition module is used to obtain the virtual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle in real time through a vehicle speed control curve;

[0019] The actual coordinate position acquisition module is used to obtain the actual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle in real time through the vehicle body sensor;

[0020] A speed control module, when the deviation between the actual coordinate position and the virtual coordinate position is greater than a first threshold distance, the speed control module is used to perform speed control on the unmanned guided vehicle;

[0021] The correction module is used to correct the virtual coordinate position according to the actual coordinate position, and control multiple unmanned guided vehicles to operate according to the following mode, wherein the following mode means that the distance between any two unmanned guided vehicles is within a second threshold distance range.

[0022] Furthermore, the above-mentioned vehicle following control device also includes a safety sensor module, which is used to determine the distance between the unmanned guided vehicle and the sensing object in front of it. When the distance between the unmanned guided vehicle and the sensing object in front of it is less than a third threshold distance, the safety sensor is also used to stop the unmanned guided vehicle.

[0023] Furthermore, the above-mentioned following vehicle control device also includes a following vehicle logic area module, which is used to control the frontmost unmanned guided vehicle to run along the identification code. When the distance between the remaining unmanned guided vehicles in the following vehicle logic area and the previous unmanned guided vehicle meets the second threshold distance, the remaining unmanned guided vehicles are controlled to start the following vehicle mode.

[0024] Furthermore, after the vehicle body sensor senses the identification code under the vehicle body, the actual coordinate position acquisition module is also used to identify the actual position represented by the identification code according to the navigation system.

[0025] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a server, including:

[0026] one or more processors;

[0027] a storage device for storing one or more programs,

[0028] When one or more programs are executed by one or more processors, the one or more processors implement any of the above-mentioned vehicle following control methods.

[0029] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a computer-readable medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored, and when the program is executed by a processor, any of the above-mentioned vehicle following control methods is implemented.

[0030] An embodiment of the above invention has the following advantages or beneficial effects: because the virtual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle is obtained in real time through the vehicle speed control curve; the actual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle is obtained in real time through the vehicle body sensor; when the deviation between the actual coordinate position and the virtual coordinate position is greater than the first threshold distance, the speed of the unmanned guided vehicle is adjusted; the virtual coordinate position is corrected according to the actual coordinate position, and multiple unmanned guided vehicles are controlled to operate according to the following mode; wherein the following mode refers to a technical means that the distance between any two unmanned guided vehicles is within the second threshold distance range, so it overcomes the technical problems in the prior art that when the AGV runs between two identification codes, the following process is not smooth due to the inability to know the actual position of the AGV, and the inability to meet the large-scale AGV following scheduling, and realizes the following scheduling of multiple unmanned guided vehicles, achieving the technical effect of significantly improving the traffic volume of AGVs in key sections and improving the overall operation efficiency.

[0031] The further effects of the above-mentioned non-conventional optional manner will be described below in conjunction with the specific implementation manner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The accompanying drawings are used to better understand the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the main process of the vehicle following control method provided according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2a is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of a vehicle following control method provided according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2bis a schematic diagram of an application scenario of a vehicle following control method provided according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of main modules of a vehicle following control device provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 4 is an exemplary system architecture diagram to which embodiments of the present invention may be applied;

[0038] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computer system of a terminal device or a server suitable for implementing an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The following is a description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, including various details of the embodiments of the present invention to facilitate understanding, which should be considered as merely exemplary. Therefore, it should be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Similarly, for clarity and conciseness, the description of well-known functions and structures is omitted in the following description.

[0040] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the main process of the vehicle following control method provided according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle following control method provided by the embodiment of the present invention mainly includes:

[0041] Step S101, the virtual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle is obtained in real time through the vehicle speed control curve. The control system can only obtain the physical coordinate position information of the two fixed identification codes in front and behind. When the AGV leaves the current identification code, the control system obtains the virtual coordinate position of the AGV in real time according to the AGV's speed control curve, so as to predict the distance between the AGV and the front and rear vehicles and realize the system scheduling of the following vehicle control.

[0042] The vehicle speed control curve is a curve drawn according to the preset speed control during AGV operation. It reflects the distance traveled by the AGV at the preset speed, and further reflects the coordinate position of the AGV. However, due to unexpected situations such as encountering obstacles or being close to the front and rear vehicles during actual operation, the actual operating speed of the AGV will change. The actual speed is not equal to the preset speed control, which leads to a deviation between the actual position and the virtual coordinate position. Therefore, only the virtual coordinate position of the AGV is obtained through the vehicle speed control curve.

[0043] Step S102, obtaining the actual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle in real time through the vehicle body sensor.

[0044] Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of obtaining the actual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle includes: after the body sensor of the unmanned guided vehicle senses the identification code under the body, the actual position represented by the identification code is identified according to its own navigation system. The actual coordinate position of each identification code is set, and when the AGV passes through the identification code, the current real-time coordinate position of the AGV can be obtained.

[0045] Step S103, when the deviation between the actual coordinate position and the virtual coordinate position is greater than the first threshold distance, the unmanned guided vehicle is speed-regulated. When the AGV is running between two identification codes, it is impossible to accurately obtain the real-time coordinate position of the AGV, and then obtain the virtual coordinate positions of multiple unmanned guided vehicles in real time through the vehicle speed control curve. In the actual operation process, when the AGV encounters obstacles and other scenes, it cannot run according to the predetermined speed curve, resulting in a deviation between the actual coordinate position of each AGV and its virtual coordinate position. When the deviation value is large, the AGV needs to be speeded up so that the distance between any two AGVs is within the second threshold range. Specifically, the front vehicle can be accelerated or the rear vehicle can be decelerated.

[0046] It should be noted that the specific values ​​of the first threshold distance, the second threshold distance and the third threshold distance can be set according to the size and model of the AGV, the operating speed, and the spatial size of the operating area; among them, the second threshold distance represents a distance range. If the distance is less than the second threshold distance, there is a risk of collision when encountering an emergency. If the distance is greater than the second threshold distance, the traffic rate at key intersections is affected. Only the vehicle distance within this distance range meets the safe and reasonable distance of the following mode.

[0047] Step S104, the virtual coordinate position is corrected according to the actual coordinate position, and the multiple unmanned guided vehicles are controlled to operate according to the following mode, wherein the following mode means that the distance between any two unmanned guided vehicles is within the second threshold distance range. Every time an identification code is passed, the virtual coordinate position of the AGV in the vehicle speed curve is corrected according to the actual coordinate position obtained in real time by each AGV, and then the multiple unmanned guided vehicles are controlled to operate according to the following mode.

[0048] Specifically, multiple unmanned guided vehicles run along the identification code, which is also called a code point and is pasted on the ground. It can be in the form of a QR code or the like, and is used to indicate the actual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle. In order to standardize the form of unmanned guided vehicles and facilitate unified scheduling and management, AGVs usually run along the identification code. According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, a following vehicle logic area can be set at key intersections or key sections (such as crossroads, fire doors, etc.) so that the AGV in the area starts the following vehicle mode, passes through the key section quickly and safely, and increases the AGV traffic volume in the key section, thereby improving the overall following vehicle operation efficiency.

[0049] Furthermore, according to the embodiments of the present invention, the number of automated guided vehicles in the following-following mode can also be planned by setting the range of the following-following logic area, so as to achieve large-scale AGV following-following scheduling.

[0050] Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the above following-following control method further includes: determining the distance between the automated guided vehicle and the induction object in front of it according to the safety sensor, and when the distance between the automated guided vehicle and the induction object in front of it is less than the third threshold distance, performing a parking process on the automated guided vehicle. Configuring a safety sensor on the AGV as hardware protection realizes the overall closed-loop control of the AGV following-following mode. During the operation of the AGV, in the event of an emergency where induction objects such as personnel and goods appear on its driving path, the safety sensor can be used to cut off the power supply in a timely manner and output a control signal to make the AGV stop running or perform other control logics to avoid the occurrence of safety accidents. Or in the scenario where the vehicle distance between the front and rear vehicles triggers the safety sensor, the safety sensor controls the front vehicle to continue running and the rear vehicle to stop running. When the vehicle distance increases (greater than the third threshold distance), the rear vehicle restarts and continues the following-following operation.

[0051] According to the technical solution of the present invention, the safety sensor is the hardware protection of the AGV, which realizes the overall closed-loop control of the AGV following-following mode. When the safety distance cannot be guaranteed even by adjusting the speed of the AGV during each operation according to the deviation between the actual coordinate position and the virtual coordinate position, the vehicle distance between the front and rear vehicles will trigger the safety sensor, so that the rear vehicle decelerates or stops emergently, avoiding the occurrence of following-following failures.

[0052] Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the following-following control method further includes: controlling the foremost automated guided vehicle to run along the identification code, and when the vehicle distance between the remaining automated guided vehicles in the following-following logic area and the previous automated guided vehicle satisfies the second threshold distance, controlling the remaining automated guided vehicles to start the following-following mode. That is, after the first AGV starts, the rear vehicle starts following-following operation after a certain delay. Specifically, after the foremost AGV starts and leaves the current position, the AGV in its following-following logic area senses the distance from the front vehicle. When the vehicle distance between the front and rear vehicles is within the second threshold distance range, the rear vehicle starts to run in the following-following mode.

[0053] According to the technical method of the present invention, the virtual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle is obtained in real time through the vehicle speed control curve; the actual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle is obtained in real time through the vehicle body sensor; when the deviation between the actual coordinate position and the virtual coordinate position is greater than the first threshold distance, the speed of the unmanned guided vehicle is adjusted; the virtual coordinate position is corrected according to the actual coordinate position, and multiple unmanned guided vehicles are controlled to operate according to the following mode; wherein the following mode refers to a technical means by which the distance between any two unmanned guided vehicles is within the second threshold distance range. Therefore, the technical problems of the prior art that when the AGV runs between two identification codes, the following process is not smooth due to the inability to know the actual position of the AGV, and the inability to meet the large-scale AGV following scheduling are overcome, and the following scheduling of multiple unmanned guided vehicles is realized, achieving the technical effect of significantly improving the traffic volume of AGVs in key sections and improving the overall operation efficiency.

[0054] Figure 2a is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of the vehicle following control method provided according to the second embodiment of the present invention; in the actual use of AGV, due to restrictions such as fire protection or physical warehouses, there are many physical isolation areas, and too many passage paths cannot be designed in these isolation areas. Therefore, it is necessary to use the existing paths to improve the passage efficiency of key sections as much as possible, such as Figure 2a As shown, there is a vehicle following scene of the overall vehicle following control method for five AGVs, namely, 1#, 2#, 3#, 4#, and 5#, at a key intersection (doorway 3).

[0055] There are five AGVs placed in the vehicle following logic area 5, among which vehicle No. 1 is directly above the first identification code, and its coordinate position is set to (005000, 006000), where the first group of data in brackets represents the X-axis, and the second group of data represents the Y-axis. The scale unit is millimeter, and the coordinate position of the second identification code is set to (005000, 007000). After vehicle No. 1 sends its actual coordinate position to the control system, it starts to start, that is, it leaves the coordinate position (005000, 006000) and runs towards the coordinate position (005000, 007000). The control system fits the coordinate position of vehicle No. 1 (i.e., the virtual coordinate position) through the vehicle speed control curve of vehicle No. 1, for example, the coordinate position (005000, 006005), and records the virtual position in the system. When vehicle No. 1 runs for a period of time, that is, it leaves the first identification code position, and the distance between vehicle No. 1 and vehicle No. 2 meets the set second threshold distance range (i.e., the safety distance), vehicle No. 2 starts to run and turns on the following mode; similarly, vehicles No. 3, 4, and 5 run in sequence.

[0056] When one of the AGVs running according to the predetermined speed control curve encounters an emergency such as an obstacle, the control system will slow down or stop the AGV, which will cause a deviation between the actual coordinate position and the virtual coordinate position. When the deviation value is large, it is necessary to adjust the speed of multiple AGVs so that the distance between any two AGVs is within the second threshold range. Specifically, the front vehicle can be accelerated or the rear vehicle can be slowed down.

[0057] Furthermore, the above five AGVs are also equipped with safety sensors. When the safety sensor senses that the distance between the unmanned guided vehicle and the sensing object in front of it is less than the third threshold distance, the unmanned guided vehicle is stopped. Safety sensors are configured on the AGV as hardware protection to achieve overall closed-loop control of the AGV following mode. During the operation of the AGV, in the event of an emergency in which sensing objects such as personnel and goods appear on its driving path, the safety sensor can be used to cut off the power supply in time and output a control signal at the same time to stop the AGV from running or perform other control logic to avoid the occurrence of safety accidents. Or in the scenario where the distance between the front and rear vehicles triggers the safety sensor, the front vehicle is controlled to continue running and the rear vehicle is controlled to stop running. When the distance between the vehicles increases (greater than the third threshold distance), the rear vehicle restarts and continues to follow the vehicle.

[0058] Figure 2b It is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of the vehicle following control method provided according to the third embodiment of the present invention; it shows a vehicle following scenario of the overall vehicle following control method when the AGV is in a circular workstation area.

[0059] The vehicle-following logic area is the entire outer ring, with five AGVs running around the shelves in the central area.

[0060] same Figure 2a The following vehicle mode described in the specification is similar. The overall following vehicle is systematically scheduled by obtaining the actual coordinate position and the fitted virtual coordinate position in real time. At the same time, safety sensors are configured on each AGV as hardware protection. Through the above settings, according to the following vehicle control method provided by the present invention, a closed-loop following vehicle control method based on system scheduling and hardware protection can solve the shortcomings of the current technology and improve the traffic efficiency and overall operation stability of the following vehicle mode.

[0061] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the main modules of the vehicle following control device provided according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 3 As shown, the vehicle following control device 300 provided in the embodiment of the present invention mainly includes:

[0062] The virtual coordinate position acquisition module 301 is used to obtain the virtual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle in real time through the vehicle speed control curve. The control system can only obtain the physical coordinate position information of the two fixed identification codes in front and behind. When the AGV leaves the current identification code, the control system obtains the virtual coordinate position of the AGV in real time according to the AGV's speed control curve, so as to predict the distance between the AGV and the front and rear vehicles and realize the system scheduling of the following vehicle control.

[0063] The vehicle speed control curve is a curve drawn according to the preset speed control during AGV operation. It reflects the distance traveled by the AGV at the preset speed, and further reflects the coordinate position of the AGV. However, due to unexpected situations such as encountering obstacles or being close to the front and rear vehicles during actual operation, the actual operating speed of the AGV will change. The actual speed is not equal to the preset speed control, which leads to a deviation between the actual position and the virtual coordinate position. Therefore, only the virtual coordinate position of the AGV is obtained through the vehicle speed control curve.

[0064] The actual coordinate position acquisition module 302 acquires the actual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle in real time through the vehicle body sensor.

[0065] Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, after the body sensor of the unmanned guided vehicle senses the identification code under the body, the actual coordinate position acquisition module 302 is also used to identify the actual position represented by the identification code according to the navigation system of the unmanned guided vehicle, and feed back the actual coordinate position to the control system. The actual coordinate position of each identification code is set in advance, and when the AGV passes the identification code, the current real-time coordinate position of the AGV can be obtained.

[0066] The speed control module 303 performs speed control on the unmanned guided vehicle when the deviation between the actual coordinate position and the virtual coordinate position is greater than the first threshold distance. When the AGV is running between two identification codes, it is impossible to accurately obtain the real-time coordinate position of the AGV, and then obtain the virtual coordinate positions of multiple unmanned guided vehicles in real time through the vehicle speed control curve. In the actual operation process, when the AGV encounters obstacles and other scenes, it cannot run according to the predetermined speed curve, which causes a deviation between the actual coordinate position and the virtual coordinate position. When the deviation value is large, the AGV needs to be speeded up so that the distance between any two AGVs is within the second threshold distance range. Specifically, the front vehicle can be accelerated or the rear vehicle can be decelerated.

[0067] It should be noted that the specific values ​​of the first threshold distance, the second threshold distance and the third threshold distance can be set according to the size and model of the AGV, the operating speed, and the spatial size of the operating area; among them, the second threshold distance represents a distance range, and only the vehicle distance within this distance range meets the safety distance of the following mode.

[0068] The correction module 304 corrects the virtual coordinate position according to the actual coordinate position, and controls the multiple unmanned guided vehicles to operate according to the following mode, wherein the following mode means that the distance between any two unmanned guided vehicles is within the second threshold distance range. After each identification code is passed, the virtual coordinate position of the AGV in the vehicle speed curve is corrected according to the actual coordinate position obtained in real time by each AGV, and then the multiple unmanned guided vehicles are controlled to operate according to the following mode.

[0069] Specifically, multiple unmanned guided vehicles run along the identification code, which is also called a code point. It is pasted on the ground and is used to indicate the actual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle. In order to standardize the form of unmanned guided vehicles and facilitate unified scheduling and management, AGVs usually run along the identification code. According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, a following vehicle logic area can be set at key intersections or key sections (such as intersections, fire doors, etc.) so that the AGV in the area starts the following vehicle mode, passes through the key section quickly and safely, and increases the AGV traffic volume in the key section, thereby improving the overall following vehicle operation efficiency.

[0070] Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the number of unmanned guided vehicles in the following mode can be planned by setting the range of the following logic zone, thereby realizing large-scale AGV following scheduling.

[0071] Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned vehicle following control device 300 also includes a safety sensor module, which is installed on the body of multiple unmanned guided vehicles and is used to determine the distance between the unmanned guided vehicle and the sensing object in front of it. When the distance between the unmanned guided vehicle and the sensing object in front of it is less than the third threshold distance, the unmanned guided vehicle is stopped. The safety sensor is configured on the AGV as hardware protection to achieve the overall closed-loop control of the AGV following mode. During the operation of the AGV, when encountering an emergency situation in which sensing objects such as personnel and goods appear on its driving path, the safety sensor can be used to cut off the power supply in time, and output a control signal at the same time, so that the AGV stops running or performs other control logic to avoid the occurrence of safety accidents. Or in the scenario where the distance between the front and rear vehicles triggers the safety sensor, the safety sensor controls the front vehicle to continue to run and controls the rear vehicle to stop running. When the distance between the vehicles increases (greater than the third threshold distance), the rear vehicle restarts and continues the following operation.

[0072] According to the technical solution of the present invention, the safety sensor is the hardware protection of the AGV, which realizes the overall closed-loop control of the AGV following mode. When the safety distance cannot be guaranteed by adjusting the AGV speed in each operation process according to the deviation between the actual coordinate position and the virtual coordinate position, the distance between the front and rear vehicles will trigger the safety sensor, so that the rear vehicle will decelerate or stop urgently, avoiding the occurrence of following vehicle failure.

[0073] Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned vehicle following control device 300 also includes a vehicle following logic area module, which is used to control the front-most unmanned guided vehicle to run along the identification code, and when the remaining unmanned guided vehicles in the vehicle following logic area sense that the distance from the previous unmanned guided vehicle meets the second threshold distance, the remaining unmanned guided vehicles are controlled to start the vehicle following mode. That is, after the first AGV starts, the following vehicle will delay for a certain period of time before starting the vehicle following operation. Specifically, when the front-most AGV starts to use the current position, the AGV in the vehicle following logic area behind it senses the distance from the front vehicle, and when the distance between the front and rear vehicles meets the second threshold distance, the rear vehicle starts the vehicle following mode.

[0074] According to the technical method of the present invention, the virtual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle is obtained in real time through the vehicle speed control curve; the actual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle is obtained in real time through the vehicle body sensor; when the deviation between the actual coordinate position and the virtual coordinate position is greater than the first threshold distance, the speed of the unmanned guided vehicle is adjusted; the virtual coordinate position is corrected according to the actual coordinate position, and multiple unmanned guided vehicles are controlled to operate according to the following mode; wherein the following mode refers to a technical means by which the distance between any two unmanned guided vehicles is within the second threshold distance range. Therefore, the technical problems of the prior art that when the AGV runs between two identification codes, the following process is not smooth due to the inability to know the actual position of the AGV, and the inability to meet the large-scale AGV following scheduling are overcome, and the following scheduling of multiple unmanned guided vehicles is realized, achieving the technical effect of significantly improving the traffic volume of AGVs in key sections and improving the overall operation efficiency.

[0075] Figure 4 An exemplary system architecture 400 is shown to which a vehicle following control method or a vehicle following control device according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied.

[0076] like Figure 4 As shown, system architecture 400 may include terminal devices 401, 402, 403, network 404 and server 405. Network 404 is used to provide a medium for communication links between terminal devices 401, 402, 403 and server 405. Network 404 may include various connection types, such as wired, wireless communication links or optical fiber cables, etc.

[0077] Users can use terminal devices 401, 402, 403 to interact with server 405 through network 404 to receive or send messages, etc. Various communication client applications can be installed on terminal devices 401, 402, 403, such as shopping applications, web browser applications, search applications, instant messaging tools, email clients, social platform software, etc. (only as examples).

[0078] The terminal devices 401 , 402 , and 403 may be various electronic devices having a display screen and supporting web browsing, including but not limited to smart phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, and desktop computers.

[0079] The server 405 may be a server that provides various services, such as a backend management server (only an example) that provides support for shopping websites browsed by users using the terminal devices 401, 402, and 403. The backend management server may analyze and process the received data such as product information query requests, and feed back the processing results (such as target push information, product information - only an example) to the terminal device.

[0080] It should be noted that the vehicle following control method provided in the embodiment of the present invention is generally executed by the server 405 , and accordingly, the vehicle following control device is generally disposed in the server 405 .

[0081] It should be understood that Figure 4 The number of terminal devices, networks and servers in the embodiment is only for illustration. Any number of terminal devices, networks and servers may be provided according to implementation requirements.

[0082] Reference below Figure 5 , which shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a computer system 500 of a terminal device suitable for implementing an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 The terminal device shown is only an example and should not bring any limitation to the functions and scope of use of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0083] like Figure 5 As shown, the computer system 500 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 501, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to a program stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 502 or a program loaded from a storage part 508 into a random access memory (RAM) 503. In the RAM 503, various programs and data required for the operation of the system 500 are also stored. The CPU 501, the ROM 502, and the RAM 503 are connected to each other via a bus 504. An input / output (I / O) interface 505 is also connected to the bus 504.

[0084] The following components are connected to the I / O interface 505: an input section 506 including a keyboard, a mouse, etc.; an output section 507 including a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), etc., and a speaker, etc.; a storage section 508 including a hard disk, etc.; and a communication section 509 including a network interface card such as a LAN card, a modem, etc. The communication section 509 performs communication processing via a network such as the Internet. A drive 510 is also connected to the I / O interface 505 as needed. A removable medium 511, such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a semiconductor memory, etc., is installed on the drive 510 as needed, so that a computer program read therefrom is installed into the storage section 508 as needed.

[0085] In particular, according to the embodiments disclosed in the present invention, the process described above with reference to the flowchart can be implemented as a computer software program. For example, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention include a computer program product, which includes a computer program carried on a computer-readable medium, and the computer program includes a program code for executing the method shown in the flowchart. In such an embodiment, the computer program can be downloaded and installed from the network through the communication part 509, and / or installed from the removable medium 511. When the computer program is executed by the central processing unit (CPU) 501, the above-mentioned functions defined in the system of the present invention are executed.

[0086] It should be noted that the computer-readable medium shown in the present invention may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium or any combination of the above two. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device or device, or any combination of the above. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above. In the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that can be used by or in combination with an instruction execution system, device or device. In the present invention, a computer-readable signal medium may include a data signal propagated in a baseband or as part of a carrier wave, which carries a computer-readable program code. This propagated data signal may take a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination of the above. Computer-readable signal media may also be any computer-readable medium other than computer-readable storage media, which may send, propagate or transmit a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus or device. The program code contained on the computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to: wireless, wire, optical cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the above.

[0087] The flow chart and block diagram in the accompanying drawings illustrate the possible architecture, function and operation of the system, method and computer program product according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each box in the flow chart or block diagram can represent a module, a program segment, or a part of a code, and the above-mentioned module, program segment, or a part of a code contains one or more executable instructions for realizing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the box can also occur in a different order from the order marked in the accompanying drawings. For example, two boxes represented in succession can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be executed in the opposite order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each box in the block diagram or flow chart, and the combination of the boxes in the block diagram or flow chart can be implemented with a dedicated hardware-based system that performs a specified function or operation, or can be implemented with a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0088] The modules involved in the embodiments of the present invention may be implemented by software or hardware. The modules described may also be set in a processor, for example, it may be described as: a processor includes a virtual coordinate position acquisition module, a speed control module and a correction module. The names of these modules do not constitute a limitation on the modules themselves in some cases, for example, the correction module may also be described as "a module for correcting the virtual coordinate position according to the actual coordinate position".

[0089] As another aspect, the present invention also provides a computer-readable medium, which may be included in the device described in the above embodiment; or it may exist independently without being assembled into the device. The above computer-readable medium carries one or more programs, and when the above one or more programs are executed by a device, the device includes: obtaining the virtual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle in real time through the vehicle speed control curve; obtaining the actual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle in real time through the vehicle body sensor; when the deviation between the actual coordinate position and the virtual coordinate position is greater than the first threshold distance, the unmanned guided vehicle is speed-regulated; the virtual coordinate position is corrected according to the actual coordinate position, and multiple unmanned guided vehicles are controlled to operate according to the following mode; wherein the following mode means that the distance between any two unmanned guided vehicles is within the second threshold distance range.

[0090] According to the technical method of the present invention, the virtual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle is obtained in real time through the vehicle speed control curve; the actual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle is obtained in real time through the vehicle body sensor; when the deviation between the actual coordinate position and the virtual coordinate position is greater than the first threshold distance, the speed of the unmanned guided vehicle is adjusted; the virtual coordinate position is corrected according to the actual coordinate position, and multiple unmanned guided vehicles are controlled to operate according to the following mode; wherein the following mode refers to a technical means by which the distance between any two unmanned guided vehicles is within the second threshold distance range. Therefore, the technical problems of the prior art that when the AGV runs between two identification codes, the following process is not smooth due to the inability to know the actual position of the AGV, and the inability to meet the large-scale AGV following scheduling are overcome, and the following scheduling of multiple unmanned guided vehicles is realized, achieving the technical effect of significantly improving the traffic volume of AGVs in key sections and improving the overall operation efficiency.

[0091] The above specific implementations do not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of the present invention. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations and substitutions may occur depending on design requirements and other factors. Any modification, equivalent substitution and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle following control method, It is characterized in that include: The virtual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle is obtained in real time through the vehicle speed control curve; The actual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle is obtained in real time through the body sensor installed on the unmanned guided vehicle; When the deviation between the actual coordinate position and the virtual coordinate position is greater than a first threshold distance, speed adjustment is performed on the unmanned guided vehicle; The virtual coordinate position is corrected according to the actual coordinate position, and a plurality of unmanned guided vehicles are controlled to operate according to a following vehicle mode; the plurality of unmanned guided vehicles operate along identification codes, the identification codes are pasted on the ground, and are used to indicate the actual coordinate positions of the unmanned guided vehicles; wherein the following vehicle mode means that the distance between any two unmanned guided vehicles is within a second threshold distance range; The following vehicle control method also includes: controlling the frontmost unmanned guided vehicle to run along the identification code, and when the distance between the remaining unmanned guided vehicles in the following vehicle logic area and the previous unmanned guided vehicle meets the second threshold distance, controlling the remaining unmanned guided vehicles to start the following vehicle mode.

2. The vehicle following control method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The following vehicle control method further includes: determining the distance between the unmanned guided vehicle and the sensing object in front of it according to the safety sensor, and stopping the unmanned guided vehicle when the distance between the unmanned guided vehicle and the sensing object in front of it is less than a third threshold distance.

3. The vehicle following control method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The step of obtaining the actual coordinate positions of the plurality of unmanned guided vehicles includes: after the vehicle body sensor senses the identification code under the vehicle body, the actual position represented by the identification code is identified according to the navigation system.

4. A vehicle following control device, It is characterized in that include: A virtual coordinate position acquisition module is used to obtain the virtual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle in real time through a vehicle speed control curve; The actual coordinate position acquisition module is used to obtain the actual coordinate position of the unmanned guided vehicle in real time through the vehicle body sensor installed on the unmanned guided vehicle; A speed regulating module, when the deviation between the actual coordinate position and the virtual coordinate position is greater than a first threshold distance, the speed regulating module is used to perform speed regulating processing on the unmanned guided vehicle; a correction module, for correcting the virtual coordinate position according to the actual coordinate position, and controlling a plurality of unmanned guided vehicles to operate according to a following vehicle mode; the plurality of unmanned guided vehicles operate along identification codes, the identification codes are pasted on the ground, and are used to indicate the actual coordinate positions of the unmanned guided vehicles; wherein the following vehicle mode means that the distance between any two unmanned guided vehicles is within a second threshold distance range; The following vehicle control device also includes a following vehicle logic zone module, which is used to control the frontmost unmanned guided vehicle to run along the identification code. When the distance between the remaining unmanned guided vehicles in the following vehicle logic zone and the previous unmanned guided vehicle meets the second threshold distance, the remaining unmanned guided vehicles are controlled to start the following vehicle mode.

5. The vehicle following control device according to claim 4, It is characterized in that The following vehicle control device also includes a safety sensor module, which is used to determine the distance between the unmanned guided vehicle and the sensing object in front of it. When the distance between the unmanned guided vehicle and the sensing object in front of it is less than a third threshold distance, the safety sensor is also used to stop the unmanned guided vehicle.

6. The vehicle following control device according to claim 4, It is characterized in that After the vehicle body sensor senses the identification code under the vehicle body, the actual coordinate position acquisition module is further used to identify the actual position represented by the identification code according to the navigation system.

7. A server, It is characterized in that include: one or more processors; a storage device for storing one or more programs, When the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

8. A computer readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, It is characterized in that When the program is executed by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is implemented.

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