Transport Control Method, Non-Temporary Recording Medium, and Transport System

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a transportation control method, a non-transitory recording medium, and a transportation system. An object of the present disclosure is to suppress a deterioration in the efficiency of an operation of transporting an object to be transported. The transportation control method includes a setting step, a determination step, and a control step. In the setting step, a determination area including at least one of a gripping area (A2) and a non-gripping area (A3) is set. The gripping area (A2) is an area where one or more transportation devices (1) set one or more objects to be transported (X1) to a first state of moving together with the transportation device (1). The non-gripping area (A3) is an area set to a second state in which the first state is released. In the determination step, the presence or absence of an object in the determination area is determined. In the control step, based on the determination result of the determination step, it is determined whether to move the transportation device (1) to the determination area, thereby controlling the movement of the transportation device (1).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a transport control method, a non-transitory recording medium, and a transport system. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a transport control method, a non-transitory recording medium, and a transport system for transporting an object to be transported. Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-134794 discloses a mobile robot control system including: a plurality of automatic transporters (transport devices); and a server device that wirelessly communicates with the automatic transporters. The mobile robot control system includes: a path search unit that searches for a movement path set for the automatic transporter based on map information; and a movement control unit that gives an instruction to move the automatic transporter based on the path information. The movement control unit determines whether interference will occur between the multiple automatic transporters during their respective movements based on the movement robot information related to the state of the automatic transporter including the position of the automatic transporter and the path information including the movement path set for the automatic transporter. In the case where interference will occur, the path search unit changes the path information related to at least one of the automatic transporters that will cause interference so as to avoid interference.

[0003] In the above mobile robot control system, when the automatic transporter moves to the loading / unloading place of the goods (object to be transported), the goods are stacked on the automatic transporter at the loading / unloading place. If there are goods at the loading / unloading place when the automatic transporter moves to the loading / unloading place, the goods are stacked on the automatic transporter, but if there are no goods at the loading / unloading place, there is a possibility that the automatic transporter will continue to wait at the loading / unloading place for the goods to arrive. Therefore, in this mobile robot control system, there is a possibility that the efficiency of the operation of transporting goods deteriorates. Summary of the Invention

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a transport control method, a non-transitory recording medium, and a transport system that can suppress deterioration in the efficiency of the operation of transporting an object to be transported.

[0005] A transport control method according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a setting step, a determination step, and a control step. In the setting step, a determination area including at least one of a grasping area and a non-grasping area is set. The grasping area is an area where one or more transport devices set one or more objects to be transported to a first state of moving together with the transport devices. The non-grasping area is an area set to a second state of releasing the first state. In the determination step, the presence or absence of an object in the determination area is determined. In the control step, based on the determination result of the determination step, it is determined whether to move the transport device to the determination area, thereby controlling the movement of the transport device.

[0006] A non - transitory recording medium according to an aspect of the present disclosure records a program for causing a computer system to execute the transportation control method.

[0007] A transportation system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a setting unit, a determination unit, and a movement control unit. The setting unit sets a determination area including at least one of a grasping area and a non - grasping area. The grasping area is an area where one or more transportation devices move one or more objects to be transported together with the transportation devices in a first state. The non - grasping area is an area set in a second state where the first state is released. The determination unit determines the presence or absence of an object in the determination area. The movement control unit controls the movement of the transportation device by determining whether to move the transportation device to the determination area based on the determination result of the determination unit.

[0008] Effects of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, a transportation control method, a non - transitory recording medium, and a transportation system that can suppress a deterioration in the efficiency of the operation of transporting an object to be transported can be provided. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing the appearance of a transportation device controlled by the transportation control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and an object to be transported by the transportation device.

[0011] Figure 2 It is a schematic explanatory view of a given area where an object to be transported is transported by the transportation system described above.

[0012] Figure 3 It is a schematic block diagram of a transportation system including the transportation device described above.

[0013] Figure 4 It is a perspective view showing the appearance of the transportation device described above.

[0014] Figure 5 It is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the transportation system described above for setting a determination area.

[0015] Figure 6 It is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the transportation system described above based on a captured image of the grasping area.

[0016] Figure 7 It is a flowchart for the operation of the transportation system described above based on a captured image of the non - grasping area.

[0017] Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0018] 1 Transportation device (first transportation device, second transportation device)

[0019] 22 Camera

[0020] 23 Setting Unit

[0021] 24 Determination Unit

[0022] 32 Movement Control Unit

[0023] A2 Gripping Area

[0024] A3 Non - Gripping Area

[0025] A5 Movement Area

[0026] A21 - A23 First Division

[0027] A31 - A33 Second Division

[0028] TS1 Conveying System

[0029] X1 Object to be Conveyed (First Object to be Conveyed, Second Object to be Conveyed) Detailed Implementation Manner

[0030] (Embodiment)

[0031] (1) Summary

[0032] In the following embodiments, the diagrams described are schematic diagrams, and the ratios of the sizes and thicknesses of the respective components in each diagram are not necessarily limited to reflecting the actual dimensional ratios.

[0033] The conveying control method according to this embodiment is, as Figure 1 shown, a control method for controlling the movement of the conveying device 1 that conveys the object to be conveyed X1.

[0034] The conveying device 1 of this embodiment is introduced into facilities such as a logistics center (including a distribution center), a factory, an office building, a store, a school, and a hospital, for example. The conveying device 1 moves by traveling on a moving surface 90 with one or more wheels. The moving surface 90 is the surface on which the conveying device 1 moves. When the conveying device 1 moves within a facility, the floor of the facility, etc. becomes the moving surface 90, and when the conveying device 1 moves outdoors, the ground, etc. becomes the moving surface 90. Hereinafter, the case where one or more conveying devices 1 convey one or more objects to be conveyed X1 in a logistics center will be described.

[0035] Figure 2It is a schematic plan view of a given area A100 where the conveying device 1 moves. In the given area A100, there are provided: a first area A1 where one or more objects to be conveyed X1 are placed; and a second area A4 where, for example, one or more objects to be conveyed X1 loaded into a truck or the like are temporarily placed. In addition, in the given area A100, a gripping area A2 is provided adjacent to the first area A1, and a non-gripping area A3 is provided adjacent to the second area A4. In addition, it is not necessary for the first area A1 and the gripping area A2 to be adjacent, and it is sufficient that the gripping area A2 exists near the first area A1. Similarly, it is not necessary for the second area A4 and the non-gripping area A3 to be adjacent, and it is sufficient that the non-gripping area A3 exists near the second area A4. The gripping area A2 is an area where the conveying device 1 grips the object to be conveyed X1. The non-gripping area A3 is an area where the conveying device 1 that conveys the object to be conveyed X1 from the gripping area A2 drops (unloads) the object to be conveyed X1. In addition, in the present embodiment, the gripping area A2 includes a plurality of (for example, three) first divisions A21, A22, A23, and the non-gripping area A3 includes a plurality of (for example, three) second divisions A31, A32, A33. And any one of the plurality of second divisions A31, A32, A33 is assigned to each of the plurality of first divisions A21, A22, A23 as a destination differentiated by location. Specifically, the second division A31 is assigned to the first division A21 as a destination differentiated by location, the second division A32 is assigned to the first division A22 as a destination differentiated by location, and the second division A33 is assigned to the first division A23 as a destination differentiated by location. In addition, there is also a case where the object to be conveyed X1 to be sent to the second division A31 among the plurality of objects to be conveyed X1 is marked as X11, the object to be conveyed X1 to be sent to the second division A32 is marked as X12, and the object to be conveyed X1 to be sent to the second division A33 is marked as X13. In addition, in the second area A4, there are provided: a small area A41 for transporting the object to be conveyed X1 placed in the second division A31; a small area A42 for transporting the object to be conveyed X1 placed in the second division A32; and a small area A43 for transporting the object to be conveyed X1 placed in the second division A33.

[0036] Here, when moving one or more objects to be conveyed X1 placed in the first area A1 to the second area A4, in a part of the section (the section from the gripping area A2 to the non-gripping area A3), the conveying device 1 moves the object to be conveyed X1. Specifically, the user U1 selects a desired object to be conveyed X1 from the plurality of objects to be conveyed X1 placed in the first area A1, and manually moves the selected object to be conveyed X1 to the gripping area A2. When the object to be conveyed X1 is placed in the gripping area A2, the transport system TS1 moves the conveying device 1 to the gripping area A2 and grips the object to be conveyed X1, and then, the conveying device 1 (refer to Figure 3) Move to the non-gripping area A3, and unload the object to be transported X1 in the non-gripping area A3. Then, manually move the object to be transported X1 placed in the non-gripping area A3 to the second area A4 by the user U2 operating in the second area A4, and temporarily place it in the second area A4. The object to be transported X1 temporarily placed in the second area A4 is loaded onto a truck or the like by the user U2 and delivered to a given delivery destination by the truck. Here, the transport device 1 of the present embodiment performs a transport operation of moving the object to be transported X1 placed in the gripping area A2 to the non-gripping area A3. Hereinafter, a transport control method for moving the transport device 1 from the gripping area A2 to the non-gripping area A3 will be described. This transport control method is realized, for example, by the transport system TS1.

[0037] The transport system TS1 according to the present embodiment is as Figure 3 shown and includes a setting unit 23, a determination unit 24, and a movement control unit 32.

[0038] The setting unit 23 sets a determination area including at least one of the gripping area A2 and the non-gripping area A3. The gripping area A2 is an area where one or more transport devices 1 set one or more objects to be transported X1 to a first state of moving together with the transport device 1. The non-gripping area A3 is an area set to a second state in which the first state is released.

[0039] The determination unit 24 determines the presence or absence of an object in the determination area.

[0040] Based on the determination result of the determination unit 24, the movement control unit 32 determines whether to move the transport device 1 to the determination area, thereby controlling the movement of the transport device 1.

[0041] Here, the first state is a state in which one or more transport devices 1 are connected to one or more objects to be transported X1, and it is a state in which one or more transport devices 1 can move together with one or more objects to be transported X1. Here, the so-called "connection" means that one or more transport devices 1 are connected to one or more objects to be transported X1 in a separable state. In addition, the second state is a state in which the first state is released, and it means that the object to be transported X1 is placed on the spot by releasing (i.e., separating) the connection state between one or more transport devices 1 and one or more objects to be transported X1. In addition, in the following embodiments, the first state is switched from the second state by the transport device 1 gripping the object to be transported X1. In addition, the transport device 1 "gripping" the object to be transported X1 means that the transport device 1 holds the object to be transported X1 in a movable state by connecting to at least a part of the object to be transported X1. If the transport device 1 moves in a state of gripping the object to be transported X1, the object to be transported X1 moves together with the transport device 1. In the following embodiments, the transport device 1 grips the object to be transported X1 by lifting the object to be transported X1, but "gripping" is not limited to the method of lifting the object to be transported X1. For example, the transport device 1 may also be a method of gripping by pulling the object to be transported X1, a method of gripping by pushing the object to be transported X1, a method of gripping by holding the object to be transported X1, or a method of gripping by adsorbing the object to be transported X1, etc. In addition, the transport device 1 "releasing" the object to be transported X1 means releasing the state in which the transport device 1 is gripping the object to be transported X1, and it means that the object to be transported X1 is placed on the spot.

[0042] In addition, in a given area A100, there is a movement area A5 adjacent to the gripping area A2 and through which the transport device 1 moving in and out of the gripping area A2 moves. In the given area A100, there is a standby area A6 adjacent to the movement area A5 and in which the transport device 1 stands by outside the movement area A5. In addition, in the given area A100, there is a movement area A7 adjacent to the non-gripping area A3 and through which the transport device 1 moving in and out of the non-gripping area A3 moves.

[0043] In addition, in the present embodiment, the determination unit 24 determines the presence or absence of an object in the determination area based on the captured image captured by the camera 22. The camera 22 captures a range including the grasping area A2 and the non-grasping area A3. In the present embodiment, the camera 22 includes a first camera 221 that captures the grasping area A2 and a second camera 222 that captures the non-grasping area A3. That is, in a given area A100, one first camera 221 that captures the grasping area A2 and one second camera 222 that captures the non-grasping area A3 are provided respectively. In the setting unit 23, in the captured image captured by the camera 22 (221, 222), a determination area including at least one of the grasping area A2 and the non-grasping area A3 is set. In addition, in the present embodiment, the camera 22 includes a first camera 221 that captures a range including the grasping area A2 and a second camera 222 that captures a range including the non-grasping area A3, but it is also possible to use one camera 22 to capture both the grasping area A2 and the non-grasping area A3.

[0044] Here, in the determination area including the grasping area A2, the determination unit 24 determines the presence or absence of the object to be transported X1 based on the captured image of the first camera 221. In addition, in the determination area including the non-grasping area A3, the determination unit 24 determines the presence or absence of an object based on the captured image of the second camera 222. The "object" to be determined is not limited to the object to be transported X1, and can include stationary objects or moving objects other than the object to be transported X1 (such as the transport device 1 or a human body, etc.).

[0045] In addition, it is not necessary for the determination unit 24 to determine the presence or absence of an object in the determination area based on the captured image of the camera 22. The determination unit 24 may also determine the presence or absence of an object in the determination area based on the measurement result of a weight sensor provided in the determination area and capable of measuring the weight of an object existing in the determination area.

[0046] The movement control unit 32 determines whether to move the transport device 1 to the determination area based on the determination result of the presence or absence of an object in the determination area.

[0047] In the transport system TS1 of the present embodiment, the determination unit 24 determines the presence or absence of an object in the determination area (at least one of the grasping area A2 and the non-grasping area A3) based on the captured image of the camera 22. Then, the movement control unit 32 determines whether to move the transport device 1 to the determination area based on the determination result of the determination unit 24, so that control can be performed according to the presence or absence of an object in the determination area. Therefore, the possibility that the operation of moving the transport device 1 to the determination area becomes useless can be reduced, and the deterioration of the efficiency of the operation of transporting the object to be transported X1 can be suppressed.

[0048] (2) Detailed situation

[0049] The conveying device 1 and the conveying system TS1 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise prohibited, the direction orthogonal to the moving surface 90 (refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 ) in which the conveying device 1 moves (the Z-axis direction of Figure 4 ) is set as the vertical direction. From the moving surface 90, the side of the conveying device 1 is set as "above", and the opposite side is set as "below" for the description. In addition, hereinafter, the long side direction of the main body 100 of the conveying device 1 (the X-axis direction of Figure 4 ) is set as the front-back direction, and the direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and the front-back direction (the Y-axis direction of Figure 4 , the short side direction of the main body 100) is set as the left-right direction for the description. In addition, the definition of these directions does not mean to limit the usage mode of the conveying device 1. In addition, the arrows indicating the respective directions in the drawings are only marked for explanation and do not accompany the entity. Furthermore, the arrows extending from the object (such as the conveying device 1 and the object to be conveyed X1, etc.) in the drawings only represent the moving direction of the object and do not accompany the entity.

[0050] The conveying device 1 is a moving body that moves on the moving surface 90 by a plurality of wheels (drive wheels) 111 (refer to Figure 4 ). The plurality of wheels 111 are arranged on both sides in the left-right direction of the main body 100, for example. The main body 100 moves along the moving surface 90 by traveling with the wheels 111.

[0051] (2.1) Conveying system

[0052] First, the overall structure of the conveying system TS1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0053] The conveying system TS1 according to the present embodiment includes, as shown in Figure 3 : one or more conveying devices 1 (moving bodies); a camera system 2 including a camera 22; and a superior system 3 that controls the movement of the conveying device 1 based on the captured image captured by the camera 22.

[0054] In addition, in Figure 3In this case, the number of the transport devices 1 is one, but the transport system TS1 of the present embodiment includes a plurality of transport devices 1, and the operation of transporting a plurality of objects to be transported X1 is performed by the plurality of transport devices 1. In addition, the transport system TS1 of the present embodiment further includes a relay device 4 that relays communication between the transport device 1, the camera system 2, and the upper-level system 3. Here, separate network IDs (such as IP addresses or MAC addresses, etc.) are assigned to the plurality of transport devices 1, the camera system 2, and the upper-level system 3, and communication can be performed using the network IDs between the transport device 1, the camera system 2, and the upper-level system 3.

[0055] The transport device 1, the camera system 2, and the upper-level system 3 are configured to be able to communicate with each other. In the present disclosure, "able to communicate" means being able to directly or indirectly receive and transmit information through an appropriate communication method of wired communication or wireless communication, such as via the communication network NT1 and the relay device 4, etc. That is, the transport device 1, the camera system 2, and the upper-level system 3 can receive and transmit information from each other. In the present embodiment, the transport device 1, the camera system 2, and the upper-level system 3 can communicate bidirectionally with each other, and can perform both the transmission of information from the upper-level system 3 to the transport device 1 and the camera system 2, and the transmission of information from the transport device 1 and the camera system 2 to the upper-level system 3. In addition, the communication network NT1 is not limited to the Internet, and for example, a local communication network within a given area A100 or within the operating company of the given area A100 can also be used.

[0056] The transport device 1, the camera system 2, and the upper-level system 3 that constitute the transport system TS1 will be described separately below.

[0057] (2.2) Transport device

[0058] The transport device 1 is as Figure 1 and Figure 4 shown, and includes a moving main body 100. In addition, the transport device 1 is as Figure 3 shown, and further includes a control unit 10, a communication unit 11, a detection unit 12, a drive unit 13, a lifting unit 14, and a power storage unit 15.

[0059] The transport device 1 autonomously travels on a flat moving surface 90 such as the ground of a facility. The transport device 1 of the present embodiment includes a power storage unit 15 and operates using the electric energy stored in the power storage unit 15. The power storage unit 15 is, for example, a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery. An actuator (such as an electric motor) that operates using the electric energy stored in the power storage unit 15 is mounted on the main body 100, and the actuator is operated using the electric energy stored in the power storage unit 15 to move the main body 100. In the present embodiment, the transport device 1 can travel on the moving surface 90 in either a state where the object to be transported X1 is loaded on the main body 100 or a state where the object to be transported X1 is not loaded on the main body 100. Thus, the transport device 1 can, for example, move to a certain place (the grasping area A2) within the facility, grasp the object to be transported X1 placed at that place (the grasping area A2), and then move to another place (the non-grasping area A3) within the facility and unload the object to be transported X1.

[0060] In the present embodiment, the object to be transported X1 can include goods 80, products in a manufacturing factory, products in the middle of manufacturing (semi-finished products), pallets, or pallets carrying goods 80, etc. That is, in the present embodiment, the object to be transported X1 is the transported object of the transport device 1. The pallet is, for example, a roller box pallet (including a cold-insulated roller box pallet) 70 or a flat pallet. Hereinafter, as long as there is no special prohibition, the object to be transported X1 is the roller box pallet 70 for carrying the goods 80 for handling. In addition, the object to be transported X1 can also be a roller box pallet 70 loaded with goods 80, or a roller box pallet 70 not loaded with goods 80. Wheels 71 are provided at the four corners of the lower part of the roller box pallet 70, and users U1, U2 can push the roller box pallet 70 by hand to move it. Here, the users U1, U2 are operators who perform operations such as loading the goods 80 onto the roller box pallet 70, that is, the object to be transported X1, unloading the goods 80 from the object to be transported X1, or moving the object to be transported X1 loaded with the goods 80.

[0061] The main body 100 is in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped that is longer in the front-rear direction than in the left-right direction and has a smaller dimension in the up-down direction than in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. In the present embodiment, as Figure 1 shown, after the main body 100 enters below the object to be transported X1, the lifting body 102 provided on the main body 100 (refer to Figure 4 ) rises, and the rising lifting body 102 lifts the object to be transported X1, whereby the object to be transported X1 is loaded onto the main body 100. Therefore, in order to allow the main body 100 to fit into the gap generated below the object to be transported X1, the dimension of the main body 100 in the up-down direction in the state where the lifting body 102 is lowered is set to be smaller than the height dimension of the space (gap) that can be formed below the object to be transported X1.

[0062] The main body portion 100 includes: a vehicle body portion 101; and a lifting body 102 that covers the upper portion of the vehicle body portion 101 and is lifted or lowered by a lifting portion 14. In the present embodiment, the vehicle body portion 101 and the lifting body 102 are, for example, made of metal, but the vehicle body portion 101 and the lifting body 102 are not limited to being made of metal and may also be made of resin, for example.

[0063] The vehicle body portion 101 is supported on the moving surface 90 by a plurality of (for example, two) wheels 111 and a plurality of (for example, two) auxiliary wheels. The plurality of wheels 111 are arranged at intervals in the width direction (left - right direction) of the vehicle body portion 101 at the central portion in the longitudinal direction (front - rear direction) of the vehicle body portion 101. Each of the plurality of wheels 111 can receive a driving force from the driving portion 13 and rotate independently. Each wheel 111 is held in the main body portion 100 (vehicle body portion 101) in a state where it can rotate about a rotation axis extending in the left - right direction. The plurality of auxiliary wheels are arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction (front - rear direction) of the vehicle body portion 101 at the central portion in the width direction (left - right direction) of the vehicle body portion 101. The plurality of auxiliary wheels can rotate independently without receiving a driving force from the driving portion 13.

[0064] In the present embodiment, all of the plurality of wheels 111 are drive wheels driven by the driving portion 13. And, by these plurality of wheels 111 being independently driven by the driving portion 13, the main body portion 100 can move in all directions. That is, by the plurality of wheels 111 rotating at mutually different angular velocities, it can turn in either the left or right direction, and by rotating at the same angular velocity, it can travel straight. Therefore, the main body portion 100 can move forward, backward, and turn in the left - right direction (including in - place turning and super in - place turning). In addition, the main body portion 100 can also move along a curved track (i.e., turn).

[0065] The lifting body 102 is arranged above the vehicle body portion 101 so as to cover the central portion in the longitudinal direction (front - rear direction) of the upper surface of the vehicle body portion 101. Loading platforms 103 that protrude upward are provided on both sides in the front - rear direction of the lifting body 102. The upper surface of each loading platform 103 becomes a loading surface for loading the object to be transported X1 when transporting the object to be transported X1 by the transporting device 1. Anti - slip processing is performed on at least a part of the upper surface of each loading platform 103 (loading surface). Therefore, the object to be transported X1 loaded on each loading platform 103 (holding portion) of the lifting body 102 is difficult to slip relative to each loading platform 103, and the object to be transported X1 can be prevented from slipping off the transporting device 1.

[0066] Here, the lifting body 102 can move in the vertical direction relative to the vehicle body 101 through the lifting unit 14 (i.e., can be lifted). For this purpose, in a state where the main body 100 enters below the object X1 to be transported, the lifting body 102 rises, and the object X1 to be transported is lifted on each mounting table 103. In other words, through the lifting unit 14 and the lifting body 102, a gripping mechanism 16 for gripping the object X1 to be transported is formed when transporting the object X1 to be transported, and the main body 100 has a gripping mechanism 16 including the lifting unit 14 and the lifting body 102. In addition, in a state where the object X1 to be transported is lifted on each mounting table 103, the wheels 71 are in a state of leaving the moving surface 90.

[0067] On the other hand, if the lifting body 102 descends in a state where the object X1 to be transported is lifted on each mounting table 103 and each mounting table 103 separates from the object X1 to be transported, the object X1 to be transported is unloaded from the transport device 1.

[0068] Here, a control unit 10, a communication unit 11, a detection unit 12, a drive unit 13, a lifting unit 14, a power storage unit 15, etc. are mounted on the main body 100 of the transport device 1.

[0069] The control unit 10 has a computer system having one or more processors and a memory as its main structure. The functions of the control unit 10 are realized by the processor of the computer system executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program can be recorded in the memory, can also be provided through an electrical communication line such as the Internet, or can be recorded in a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card.

[0070] The communication unit 11 communicates with the upper system 3 (the communication unit 31 of the upper system 3) via the relay device 4 and the communication network NT1. Here, the communication unit 11 communicates with the relay device 4 by a wireless communication method. In the present embodiment, the communication unit 11 and the relay device 4 communicate by wireless communication using radio waves as a medium. Therefore, the transport device 1 and the upper system 3 communicate indirectly at least via the communication network NT1 and the relay device 4. Here, in the communication between the communication unit 11 and the relay device 4, wireless communication following standards such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), or low-power wireless (specific low-power wireless) that does not require communication permission is adopted.

[0071] The drive unit 13 drives the drive wheels provided on the vehicle body unit 101 based on the control signal input from the control unit 10. The drive unit 13 directly or indirectly applies a driving force to the drive wheels, i.e., the wheels 111. In the present embodiment, since all of the plurality of wheels 111 are drive wheels as described above, the drive unit 13 applies a driving force to all of the plurality of wheels 111. The drive unit 13 is built into the vehicle body unit 101. The drive unit 13 includes, for example, a motor, and indirectly applies the driving force generated in the motor to each of the wheels 111 via a transmission and a belt or the like. Alternatively, the drive unit 13 may have a structure such as an in-wheel motor that directly applies a driving force to each of the wheels 111. The drive unit 13 drives each of the plurality of wheels 111 in a rotational direction and at a rotational speed corresponding to the control signal based on the control signal input from the control unit 10.

[0072] The detection unit 12 detects the position of the main body unit 100 and the conditions of the periphery of the main body unit 100 and the like. In the "conditions of the periphery" as described in the present disclosure, the conditions of objects such as the object to be transported X1 located around the main body unit 100 can be included. Specifically, the detection unit 12 includes, for example, two distance measurement sensors 121 such as 2D-LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), and uses the two distance measurement sensors 121 to detect the conditions of the periphery of the main body unit 100. LiDAR is a sensor that uses light (laser) and measures the distance to an object based on the reflected light from an object (e.g., the object to be transported X1) located around the main body unit 100. In the present embodiment, one distance measurement sensor 121 is respectively arranged at the front end on the left side of the main body unit 100 and the rear end on the right side of the main body unit 100.

[0073] In addition, the detection unit 12 may include sensors such as a sonar sensor, a radar (RADAR: Radio Detection and Ranging), or an image sensor, and these sensors can be used to detect the conditions of the periphery of the main body unit 100. A sonar sensor is a sensor that uses sound waves such as ultrasonic waves and measures the distance to the object to be transported X1 based on the reflected wave from the object to be transported X1. A radar is a sensor that uses electromagnetic waves (radio waves) such as microwaves and measures the distance to an object such as the object to be transported X1 based on the reflected wave from the object to be transported X1. An image sensor has, for example, an imaging element such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor, captures the surroundings of the transport device 1, and outputs image data. The control unit 10 detects objects (e.g., the object to be transported X1 and the like) existing around the transport device 1 by performing image processing on the image data input from the image sensor.

[0074] In addition, the detection unit 12 estimates the current position of the transport device 1 (main body unit 100) on the electronic map based on the detection information of surrounding objects by the distance measurement sensor 121 and the electronic map information of the given area A100 where the transport device 1 moves. In addition, the electronic map information of the given area A100 may be stored in the storage device of the transport device 1.

[0075] Here, the control unit 10 transmits, from the communication unit 11 to the upper-level system 3, at a given time interval (for example, a time interval of 1 second to several tens of seconds), at least the information on the position of the transport device 1 and the information indicating whether it is in transportation, among the detection results of the detection unit 12. In addition, while avoiding collisions between the transport device 1 and surrounding objects based on the detection results of the detection unit 12 (the current position of the transport device 1 and the surrounding conditions), the control unit 10 outputs a control command to the drive unit 13 to enable the transport device 1 to autonomously travel.

[0076] The lifting unit 14 moves the lifting body 102 in the vertical direction (lifts and lowers) between the raised position and the lowered position based on a control command from the control unit 10. The raised position of the lifting body 102 is the position of the lifting body 102 in a state where the object to be transported X1 is lifted by the mounting table 103 of the lifting body 102, and is the upper limit position of the movable range of the lifting body 102. The lowered position of the lifting body 102 is the position of the lifting body 102 in a state where the mounting table 103 of the lifting body 102 is separated from the object to be transported X1, and is the lower limit position of the movable range of the lifting body 102. Here, the lifting unit 14 and the lifting body 102 driven by the lifting unit 14 are a gripping mechanism 16 that grips the object to be transported X1 by lifting the object to be transported X1. The lifting unit 14 raises or lowers the upper surface (loading surface) of each mounting table 103 by relatively moving the lifting body 102 in the vertical direction with respect to the vehicle body unit 101. The lifting unit 14 is housed in the main body unit 100 so as to be received between the vehicle body unit 101 and the lifting body 102.

[0077] (2.3) Camera system

[0078] The camera system 2, as Figure 2 shown, includes a control unit 20, a communication unit 21, and a camera 22.

[0079] In the present embodiment, camera systems 2 are respectively provided in the above-described gripping area A2 and non-gripping area A3. In addition, in the following description, when distinguishing between two camera systems 2, there is also a case where the camera system 2 provided in the gripping area A2 is denoted as camera system 2A, and the camera system 2 provided in the non-gripping area A3 is denoted as camera system 2B.

[0080] The communication unit 21 communicates with the higher-level system 3 (the communication unit 31 of the higher-level system 3) via the relay device 4 and the communication network NT1. Here, the communication unit 21 communicates with the relay device 4 by wireless communication. In the present embodiment, the communication unit 21 and the relay device 4 communicate by wireless communication using radio waves as a medium. Therefore, the camera system 2 and the higher-level system 3 communicate indirectly at least via the communication network NT1 and the relay device 4. Here, wireless communication conforming to standards such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, or low-power wireless (specific low-power wireless) that does not require communication permission is used for the communication between the communication unit 21 and the relay device 4.

[0081] The camera 22 has an image sensor such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor, for example, and captures a color image of the area of the subject. In addition, the camera 22 is not limited to having a CMOS image sensor, and may also have an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor. The camera 22 (the first camera 221) included in the camera system 2A captures an area including at least the grasping area A2. The camera 22 (the second camera 222) included in the camera system 2B captures an area including at least the non-grasping area A3. Here, the camera 22 is an environmental camera. An environmental camera is a camera for capturing the environment (appearance) of an area including the determination area. Specifically, the camera 22 is an environmental camera that captures an area including the grasping area A2 or the non-grasping area A3. The environmental camera is, for example, a fixed camera (such as a surveillance camera or a fixed-point observation camera) installed in a given area A100 to capture an area including the determination area. In addition, the environmental camera may be a mobile camera mounted on a moving body (such as a drone or a balloon) moving within the given area A100 to capture an area including the determination area. In addition, as the camera 22, an omnidirectional camera capable of capturing omnidirectionally may also be used. In addition, in the present embodiment, it is not necessary to separately provide the camera system 2 having the camera 22 from the transport device 1, and the camera 22 may also be a camera mounted on the transport device 1 itself.

[0082] The control unit 20 has a computer system having one or more processors and a memory as its main structure. The functions of the control unit 20 (such as the functions of the setting unit 23 and the determination unit 24, etc.) are realized by the processor of the computer system executing the program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in the memory, may be provided via an electrical communication line such as the Internet, or may be provided by being recorded in a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card.

[0083] The setting unit 23 sets a determination area including at least one of the grasping area A2 and the non-grasping area A3 in the captured image captured by the camera 22. The setting unit 23 performs the setting of the determination area based on, for example, setting information input from the upper-level system 3 via the communication unit 21. In the setting information, for example, information such as coordinates (coordinates in the captured image) specifying the area to be set as the determination area in the captured image of the camera 22 is included. Here, the setting unit 23 of the camera system 2A sets a determination area including the grasping area A2 and a determination area including the movement area A5 based on the setting information from the upper-level system 3. In addition, the setting unit 23 of the camera system 2B sets a determination area including the non-grasping area A3 and a determination area including the movement area A7 based on the setting information from the upper-level system 3.

[0084] The determination unit 24 determines the presence or absence of an object in the determination area based on the captured image of the camera 22. Template images of objects to be determined (for example, the object to be transported X1, articles other than the object to be transported X1, the transport device 1, a human body, etc.) are registered in advance in the determination unit 24. The determination unit 24 determines the presence or absence of an object in the determination area by, for example, performing pattern matching between the image of the determination area and the template image. The determination unit 24 extracts a partial image of the determination area from the captured image of the camera 22 at a given time interval (for example, a time interval of 1 second to several tens of seconds), and performs pattern matching between the partial image of the determination area and the template image, thereby determining the presence or absence of an object in the determination area. In addition, the determination unit 24 can perform a process of determining the presence or absence of an object using a learned model created by machine learning.

[0085] In the camera system 2, when the process of determining the presence or absence of an object is performed by the determination unit 24 at a given time interval, determination information including area information for determining the determination area and the determination result of the determination unit 24 is transmitted from the communication unit 21 to the upper-level system 3. Here, the area information for determining the determination area is, for example, the name of the determination area (the grasping area A2, the non-grasping area A3, etc.), or position coordinates representing the position of the determination area within a given area A100.

[0086] (2.4) Upper-level system

[0087] The upper-level system 3 is, for example, a server, and includes a control unit 30 and a communication unit 31.

[0088] The control unit 30 has a computer system with one or more processors and a memory as its main structure. The functions of the control unit 30 (such as the functions of the movement control unit 32, etc.) are realized by the processor of the computer system executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program can be recorded in the memory, provided via an electrical communication line such as the Internet, or provided by being recorded in a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card.

[0089] The communication unit 31 communicates with the relay device 4 via the communication network NT1. The communication unit 31 communicates with one or more transport devices 1 and the camera system respectively via the communication network NT1 and the relay device 4. As the communication method between the communication unit 31 and the relay device 4, an appropriate communication method such as wireless communication or wired communication is adopted. In addition, Figure 3 in this case, the number of relay devices 4 is one, but the number of relay devices 4 is not limited to one and can be appropriately changed.

[0090] The movement control unit 32 determines whether to move the transport device 1 to each of the multiple determination areas based on the determination information input from the camera system 2 (2A, 2B) via the communication unit 31. The movement control unit 32 controls the movement of the transport device 1 to be controlled by sending a control instruction corresponding to the determination content from the communication unit 31 to the transport device 1 to be controlled.

[0091] Here, when the determination information indicating that there is a transported object X1 in the grasping area A2 is input, the movement control unit 32 sends a control instruction indicating movement to the grasping area A2 to the transport device 1 that is not performing a transport operation. After the transport device 1 that has received this control instruction moves to the grasping area A2, it grasps the transported object X1 placed in the grasping area A2 and moves to the non-grasping area A3. In other words, when the determination area includes the grasping area A2, the movement control unit 32 performs a control step to control the movement of the transport device 1 based on the determination result that there is a transported object X1 in the grasping area A2, so that the transport device 1 moves to the grasping area A2. Since the movement control unit 32 makes the transport device 1 move to the grasping area A2 after determining that there is a transported object X1 in the grasping area A2, it is difficult for a situation to occur where the transport device 1 moves to the grasping area A2 even if there is no transported object X1 in the grasping area A2. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the situation where the transport device 1 that has moved to the grasping area A2 continues to standby on the spot until the transported object X1 arrives, and it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the efficiency of the operation of transporting the transported object X1.

[0092] In addition, in the case where the determination area includes the non-gripping area A3, if it is determined that there is no object (such as the object to be transported X1, etc.) in the non-gripping area A3, the movement control unit 32 causes the transport device 1 that is transporting the object to be transported X1 to move to the non-gripping area A3, and unloads the object to be transported X1 in the non-gripping area A3. In other words, in the case where the determination area includes the non-gripping area, the movement control unit 32 controls the movement of the transport device 1 based on the determination result that there is no object in the non-gripping area A3, so that the transport device 1 moves to the non-gripping area A3. Since the movement control unit 32 causes the transport device 1 in transport to move to the non-gripping area A3 only after it is determined that the object to be transported X1 does not exist in the non-gripping area A3, a situation where the transport device 1 in transport continuously waits around the non-gripping area A3 for the object in the non-gripping area A3 to move outside the non-gripping area A3 can be avoided. Therefore, a situation where the transport device 1 in transport continuously stands by for the non-gripping area A3 to be emptied can be avoided, and the deterioration of the efficiency of the operation of transporting the object to be transported X1 can be suppressed.

[0093] (3) Operations

[0094] Next, the operations of the transport system TS1 of the present embodiment will be described based on the drawings.

[0095] (3.1) Setting process

[0096] First, with reference to Figure 5 the operation of the transport system TS1 for setting a determination area including at least one of the gripping area A2 and the non-gripping area A3 in the captured image of the camera 22 will be described.

[0097] At the initial setting of the transport system TS1 or during operation, if the user inputs the setting information (S1) of the determination area using, for example, the operation unit (such as a keyboard and a mouse, etc.) of the upper-level system 3, the setting information is transmitted from the communication unit 31 to the camera system 2 (S2). In the present embodiment, the gripping area A2 and the non-gripping area A3 are set as the determination area. Here, the setting information of the determination area is information for specifying the determination area (such as the gripping area A2 and the non-gripping area A3) within a given area A100. The setting information of the determination area can be input, for example, by selecting the range that becomes the determination area in the electronic map representing the given area A100 using a mouse or the like, or by inputting the position coordinates on the electronic map that specify the range that becomes the determination area using a keyboard or the like.

[0098] If the communication unit 21 of the camera system 2 receives the setting information from the upper-level system 3, the setting unit 23 performs a setting process (S3) for setting the determination area within the given area A100 based on the setting information from the upper-level system 3.

[0099] In addition, in the present embodiment, the upper-level system 3 sends setting information for respectively setting a determination area including the grasping area A2 and a determination area including the movement area A5 to the camera system 2A. In addition, the upper-level system 3 sends setting information for respectively setting a determination area including the non-grasping area A3 and a determination area including the movement area A7 to the camera system 2B.

[0100] In addition, the transport control method of the present embodiment may further include a change step of changing the determination area set in the setting step (setting process S3). That is, the setting unit 23 can change the determination area set in the setting step, and can easily cope with changes in the positions of the grasping area A2 and the non-grasping area A3 that are the determination areas. For example, there are cases where the positions and sizes of the grasping area A2 and the non-grasping area A3 are changed in response to a layout change within a given area A100 or a change in the number of transported objects X1 to be handled. In such a case, it is also possible to easily cope with changes in the positions and sizes of the grasping area A2 and the non-grasping area A3 by changing the determination area in the change step.

[0101] Here, the setting unit 23 may change the determination area in accordance with the transport plan (transport schedule) of the transported object X1 in the change step. The transport plan includes, for example, at least setting information specifying the locations of the grasping area A2 and the non-grasping area A3, and may also include setting information specifying the locations of the movement areas A5 and A7. In addition, the transport plan can be changed, for example, corresponding to time, etc., and may include information on the time zone in which the transport plan is applied. In this case, the setting unit 23 only needs to set the determination areas respectively including the grasping area A2, the non-grasping area A3, and the movement areas A5 and A7 based on the transport plan corresponding to the current date and time. Thereby, the setting unit 23 can set a determination area that matches the transport plan at the current time point.

[0102] In addition, Figure 5 The flowchart shown is merely an example of the setting step for setting the determination area, and the order of processing can be appropriately changed, and processing can also be appropriately added or omitted.

[0103] (3.2) Movement control based on the captured image of the grasping area

[0104] Next, with reference to Figure 6 the operation of the transport system TS1 for controlling the movement of the transport device 1 based on the captured image of the grasping area A2 captured by the camera 221 of the camera system 2A will be described.

[0105] The camera 22 of the camera system 2A captures the range including the grasping area A2, and the determination unit 24 periodically acquires the image data of the captured image of the camera 22 at an appropriate time interval (for example, a time interval of 1 second to several tens of seconds) (S11).

[0106] When the captured image of the camera 22 is obtained, the determination unit 24 extracts a partial image of the grasping area A2 as the determination area from the captured image of the camera 22. The determination unit 24 determines whether the object to be transported X1 exists in the determination area (S12) by performing pattern matching between the partial image of the grasping area A2 and the template image.

[0107] When the determination unit 24 determines that the object to be transported X1 does not exist in the grasping area A2 as the determination area (S12 "No"), the control unit 20 transmits the area information including the grasping area A2 (for example, the area information of the first division where the object to be transported X1 does not exist) and the determination information of the determination result that the object to be transported X1 does not exist from the communication unit 21 to the upper-level system 3. When it is determined that the object to be transported X1 does not exist in the grasping area A2, the movement control unit 32 of the upper-level system 3 decides not to move the transport device 1 to the grasping area A2 based on the determination result of the determination unit 24.

[0108] On the other hand, when the determination unit 24 determines that the object to be transported X1 exists in the grasping area A2 as the determination area (S12 "Yes"), the control unit 20 transmits the area information including the grasping area A2 and the determination information of the determination result that the object to be transported X1 exists from the communication unit 21 to the upper-level system 3. When it is determined that the object to be transported X1 exists in the grasping area A2, the movement control unit 32 of the upper-level system 3 moves the object to be transported X1 existing in the grasping area A2 to the non-grasping area A3 based on the determination result of the determination unit 24, and thus decides to move the transport device 1 to the grasping area A2. The movement control unit 32 sends a control command to make the transport device 1 that is not performing the transport operation move to the grasping area A2 from the communication unit 31 (S13). As described above, the grasping area A2 is divided into a plurality of first divisions A21 to A23, and the non-grasping area A3 is divided into a plurality of second divisions A31 to A33. And, as the destination distinguished by location, any one of the plurality of second divisions A31 to A33 corresponds to each of the first divisions A21 to A23. Here, the movement control unit 32 controls the movement of the transport device 1 so that the object to be transported X1 existing in any one of the plurality of first divisions A21 to A23 moves to the destination distinguished by location (second division) corresponding to the first division where the object to be transported X1 exists. Thus, the user U1 can transport the object to be transported X1 to the desired second division by placing the object to be transported X1 in the first division corresponding to the desired second division among the plurality of second divisions A31 to A33 as the destination distinguished by location.

[0109] If the communication unit 11 of the transport device 1 receives a control instruction sent from the upper-level system 3, the control unit 10 controls the drive unit 13 based on the control instruction to move the transport device 1 to the grasping area A2. When the transport device 1 arrives at the grasping area A2, the detection unit 12 detects the existence position of the object to be transported X1. After the control unit 10 moves the main body unit 100 to a position where the main body unit 100 enters below the object to be transported X1 based on the existence position of the object to be transported X1 detected by the detection unit 12, the lifting unit 14 raises the lifting body 102, thereby grasping the object to be transported X1 in a lifted state. The control unit 10 controls the drive unit 13 based on the current position and surrounding conditions detected by the detection unit 12 and the control instruction from the upper-level system 3 in the state of grasping the object to be transported X1, and moves the transport device 1 to the non-grasping area A3.

[0110] The transport system TS1 repeatedly executes the above-described processes of S11 to S13, and can control the movement of the transport device 1 based on the result of determining the existence or non-existence of the object to be transported X1 in the grasping area A2. In addition, Figure 6 The flowchart shown is only an example of a transport control method for controlling the movement of the transport device 1 corresponding to the existence or non-existence of the object to be transported X1 in the grasping area A2, and the order of the processes can be changed as appropriate, and processes can also be added or omitted as appropriate.

[0111] In addition, in the present embodiment, the camera 22 (the first camera 221) of the camera system 2A captures the grasping area A2 and the moving area A5. Then, the determination unit 24 can determine whether there is an object in the grasping area A2 and whether there is an object in the moving area A5, respectively. Here, after the transport device (the first transport device) 1 sets the object to be transported (the first object to be transported) X1 existing in the grasping area A2 to the first state, when the first transport device 1 exists in either the grasping area A2 or the moving area A5, the movement control unit 32 may also prohibit the other transport device (the second transport device) 1 from moving to the grasping area A2 and the moving area A5. That is, even if it is determined in the determination step of the determination unit 24 that there is another object to be transported (the second object to be transported) X1 in the grasping area A2, in the control step of the movement control unit 32, the second transport device 1 is not moved to the grasping area A2. After that, when the transport device (the first transport device) 1 that sets the object to be transported (the first object to be transported) X1 to the first state moves outside the grasping area A2 and the moving area A5, in the control step of the movement control unit 32, the second transport device 1 may be moved to the grasping area A2. In addition, in the present embodiment, the determination unit 24 determines whether there is an object in the grasping area A2 and whether there is an object in the moving area A5, respectively, based on the captured image of the camera 22 (the first camera 221). In this way, when the first transport device 1 that enters the grasping area A2 and grasps the first object to be transported X1 exists in either the grasping area A2 or the moving area A5, since the second transport device 1 is not moved to the grasping area A2, the first transport device 1 can move smoothly. In addition, the movement control unit 32 can make the second transport device 1 standby in the standby area A6 in front of the moving area A5, and can also make the second transport device 1 move to the grasping area A2 in order to transport the second object to be transported X1 immediately after the first transport device 1 exits the moving area A5.

[0112] (3.3) Movement control based on the captured image of the non-grasping area

[0113] Next, with reference to Figure 7 the operation of the transport system TS1 for controlling the movement of the transport device 1 based on the captured image of the non-grasping area A3 captured by the camera 22 of the camera system 2B will be described.

[0114] The camera 22 of the camera system 2B captures the non-grasping area A3, and the determination unit 24 periodically obtains the image data of the captured image of the non-grasping area A3 from the camera 22 at an appropriate time interval (for example, a time interval of 1 second to several tens of seconds) (S21).

[0115] If the image data of the captured image is input from the camera 22, the determination unit 24 extracts a partial image of the non-gripping area A3, which is the determination area, from the captured image of the camera 22. Then, the determination unit 24 determines whether there is an object such as the transported object X1 in the non-gripping area A3, which is the determination area, by performing pattern matching between the partial image of the determination area and the template image (S22).

[0116] When the determination unit 24 determines that there is an object in the non-gripping area A3 (S22 “No”), the control unit 20 transmits determination information including the area information of the area including the non-gripping area A3 and the determination result of the existence of the object from the communication unit 21 to the upper-level system 3. In addition, when it is determined that there is a transported object X1 in the non-gripping area A3, the movement control unit 32 of the upper-level system 3 decides not to move the transport device 1 to the non-gripping area A3 based on the determination result of the determination unit 24. Here, when the determination unit 24 determines the existence or non-existence of an object for each of the plurality of second sections A31 to A33, the movement control unit 32 of the upper-level system 3 can perform control so that the transport device 1 does not move to the second section where the object exists.

[0117] On the other hand, when the determination unit 24 determines that there is no object such as the transported object X1 in the non-gripping area A3 (S22 “Yes”), the control unit 20 transmits determination information including the area information of the area including the non-gripping area A3 and the determination result of the non-existence of the transported object X1 from the communication unit 21 to the upper-level system 3. In addition, when it is determined that there is no object in the non-gripping area A3, the movement control unit 32 of the upper-level system 3 decides to move the transport device 1 that is transporting the transported object X1 to the non-gripping area A3 based on the determination result of the determination unit 24. The movement control unit 32 causes a control command for moving the transport device 1 that is transporting the transported object X1 to the non-gripping area A3 where no object is placed to be transmitted from the communication unit 31 to the transport device 1 (S23). If the communication unit 11 of the transport device 1 receives the control command transmitted from the upper-level system 3, the control unit 10 controls the drive unit 13 based on the control command to move the transport device 1 to the non-gripping area A3. When the transport device 1 arrives at the non-gripping area A3, after unloading the transported object X1 in any one of the second sections A31 to A33, the transport device 1 moves from the non-gripping area A3 to the standby area A6. Here, the transported object X1 unloaded in the second sections A31 to A33 of the non-gripping area A3 is manually moved by the user U2 to the corresponding small areas A41 to A43 within the second area A4.

[0118] The transport system TS1 repeatedly executes the above-described processes of S21 to S23, and can control the movement of the transport device 1 based on the result of determining the existence or non-existence of an object in the non-gripping area A3. In addition, Figure 7The flowchart shown is merely an example of a transport control method for controlling the movement of the transport device 1 in accordance with the presence or absence of an object in the non-gripping area A3. The order of processing can be appropriately changed, and processing can also be appropriately added or omitted.

[0119] In addition, in the present embodiment, the camera 22 (second camera 222) of the camera system 2B captures the non-gripping area A3 and the movement area A7, and the determination unit 24 can determine the presence or absence of an object in the non-gripping area A3 and the presence or absence of an object in the movement area A7 based on the captured image of the camera 22. Here, when it is determined that the transport device 1 exists in either the non-gripping area A3 or the movement area A7, the movement control unit 32 can control the movement of the other transport device 1 so that the other transport device 1 does not move into the non-gripping area A3, and can smoothly move the transport device 1 existing in the non-gripping area A3 or the movement area A7.

[0120] In addition, in the present embodiment, the gripping area A2 may include a plurality of first sections A21 to A23, the non-gripping area A3 may include a plurality of second sections A31 to A33, and the determination unit 24 may determine the presence or absence of the object to be transported X1 in each of the plurality of first sections A21 to A23, and determine the presence or absence of an object in each of the plurality of second sections A31 to A33.

[0121] Here, in the control step of the movement control unit 32, it is also possible to determine whether to move the transport device 1 to the destination differentiated by location based on the determination results in the first sections A21 to A23 and the determination results in the destination differentiated by location (any one of the second sections A31 to A33) corresponding to the first sections A21 to A23. That is, when the determination unit 24 determines that the object to be transported X1 exists in any one of the first sections A21 to A23 and there is no object in the destination differentiated by location corresponding to the first section where the object to be transported X1 exists, the movement of the transport device 1 can be controlled so that the object to be transported X1 is transported. Thereby, the transport device 1 can move smoothly.

[0122] In addition, in the present embodiment, the grasping area A2 as the determination area includes a plurality of small areas (first areas A21 to A23), and the non-grasping area A3 as the determination area includes a plurality of small areas (second areas A31 to A33). Then, in the determination step performed by the determination unit 24, the presence or absence of an object is determined in each of the plurality of small areas (first areas A21 to A23, second areas A31 to A33). Therefore, the presence or absence of an object can be determined in each of the plurality of small areas based on the captured image of one camera 22. In addition, in the present embodiment, three small areas are provided in the grasping area A2 as the determination area, and three small areas are provided in the non-grasping area A3 as the determination area, but the number of small areas can be appropriately changed. In addition, in the present embodiment, in the determination step performed by the determination unit 24, the presence or absence of an object is determined in each of the plurality of small areas (first areas A21 to A23, second areas A31 to A33) based on the captured image captured by one camera 22.

[0123] (4) Modification example

[0124] The above embodiment is only one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. As long as the purpose of the present disclosure can be achieved, the above embodiment can be variously changed corresponding to the design and the like.

[0125] In addition, the same functions as those of the transportation system TS1 in the following embodiments can also be specifically implemented by a transportation control method, a computer program, or a non-transitory recording medium recording the program. The transportation control method according to one embodiment includes a setting step, a determination step, and a control step. In the setting step, a determination area including at least one of the grasping area A2 and the non-grasping area A3 is set. The grasping area A2 is an area where one or more transportation devices 1 set one or more objects to be transported X1 to move together with the transportation device 1 in the first state. The non-grasping area A3 is an area set to be in the second state where the first state is released. In the determination step, the presence or absence of an object in the determination area (at least one of the grasping area A2 and the non-grasping area A3) is determined. In the control step, based on the determination result of the determination step, it is determined whether to move the transportation device 1 to the determination area, and the movement of the transportation device 1 is controlled. In addition, in the above embodiment, in the determination step, the presence or absence of an object in the determination area is determined based on the captured image (captured by the camera 22). In addition, the (computer) program according to one embodiment is a program for causing a computer system to execute the setting step, the determination step, and the control step.

[0126] The following lists modification examples of the above embodiment. The modification examples described below can be appropriately combined and applied.

[0127] The transportation system TS1 in the present disclosure (the transportation device 1, the camera system 2, and the upper-level system 3 that constitute the transportation system TS1) includes a computer system. The computer system has a processor and a memory as its main structure. By the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system, the functions of the transportation system TS1 (the transportation device 1, the camera system 2, and the upper-level system 3) in the present disclosure are realized. The program can be pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, can also be provided via an electrical communication line, or can be provided by being recorded on a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card, an optical disc, or a hard disk drive readable by the computer system. The processor of the computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI). The integrated circuits such as the IC or LSI mentioned here have different names according to the degree of integration, and include integrated circuits called system LSI, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). Furthermore, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) for post-fabrication programming of the LSI, or a logic device capable of reconstructing the bonding relationship inside the LSI or the circuit division inside the LSI can also be used as the processor. The multiple electronic circuits can be integrated on one chip, or can be dispersed on multiple chips. The multiple chips can be integrated in one device, or can be dispersed in multiple devices. The computer system mentioned here includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Therefore, for the microcontroller, it is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a conductor integrated circuit or a large-scale integrated circuit.

[0128] In addition, it is not a necessary structure for the transportation system TS1 that multiple functions in the transportation system TS1 (such as the camera system 2 or the upper-level system 3) are integrated in one housing, and the components of the transportation system TS1 can also be dispersed in multiple housings. Furthermore, at least a part of the functions of the transportation system TS1, for example, a part of the functions of the transportation system TS1, can also be realized through the cloud (cloud computing), etc.

[0129] Conversely, in the above embodiments, at least a part of the functions of the transportation system TS1 dispersed in multiple devices can also be integrated in one housing. For example, a part of the functions of the transportation system TS1 dispersed in the camera system 2 and the upper-level system 3 can be integrated in one housing.

[0130] In the above-described embodiment, when the determination result of the determination unit 24 of the determination area of the movement destination changes while the transport device 1 is moving in the forward determination area (the grasping area A2 or the non-grasping area A3), the transport device 1 can be controlled in the movement control unit 32 so as to abort the movement to the determination area and execute a specific process. Here, the change in the determination result of the determination unit 24 may mean that after the determination result of the determination unit 24 changes, the changed determination result continues for a given time (several seconds to several tens of seconds), and thus it is determined that the determination result of the determination unit 24 has changed. In addition, the specific process is, for example, a process of moving the transport device 1 to the standby area A6. In addition, the specific process may also be a process of giving an error notification by at least one of sound and light in the upper-level system 3, or may be a process of outputting an error notification to the portable terminals (for example, smart phones) carried by the users U1 and U2.

[0131] In the above-described embodiment, destinations are set according to the places corresponding to the respective ones of the plurality of first sections A21 to A23, but any one of the plurality of second sections A31 to A32 may be made to correspond to a destination differentiated by type according to each type of the object to be transported X1 arranged in the grasping area A2. Further, in the control step of the movement control unit 32, the movement of the transport device 1 may be controlled so that the object to be transported X1 existing in the grasping area A2 is transported to the destination differentiated by type corresponding to the type of the object to be transported X1. For example, in the camera system 2, the type of the object to be transported X1 arranged in the grasping area A2 is discriminated based on the captured image of the camera 22. Here, corresponding to the type of the goods 80 (for example, the content of the goods 80 such as fresh food, refrigerated goods, frozen goods, clothing, precision equipment, etc., or the delivery destination of the goods 80, etc.) loaded in the roller box pallet 70 as the object to be transported X1, at least one of the size, shape, and color of the roller box pallet 70 or its accessories (for example, a belt, etc.) is made different. When the determination unit 24 of the camera system 2 detects the object to be transported X1 located in the grasping area A2 based on the captured image, it determines the type of the object to be transported X1 based on the size, shape, color, etc. of the object to be transported X1, and sends the determination result to the upper-level system 3. Thereby, the movement control unit 32 can obtain the type of the object to be transported X1 based on the information transmitted from the camera system 2, and can control the movement of the transport device 1 so as to transport it to the destination differentiated by type corresponding to the type of the object to be transported X1.

[0132] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the movement control unit 32 may also use a separate control step in which the movement of the transport device 1 is controlled regardless of the determination result of the presence or absence of the object X1 to be transported in the determination area, and the transport device 1 is moved toward the determination area. For example, in the separate control step, when the movement control unit 32 causes the transport device 1 to travel to the gripping area A2 including a plurality of first sections A21 to A23, the transport device 1 is moved in the order of the first section A21, the first section A22, and the first section A23, and the objects X1 located in the respective first sections A21 to A23 are sequentially gripped and moved to the non-gripping area A3.

[0133] In the above-described embodiment, the transport system TS1 includes the camera system 2, but it is not essential for the transport system TS1 to include the camera system 2. The transport system TS1 acquires a captured image of the determination area from an external camera, sets the determination area based on the captured image, determines the presence or absence of an object in the determination area, and determines whether to move the transport device 1 toward the determination area based on the determination result.

[0134] In the above-described embodiment, the camera system 2 periodically transmits the determination result of the presence or absence of an object in the determination area, but it may also transmit the determination result of the presence or absence of an object when a request is received from the upper-level system 3.

[0135] In the above-described embodiment, the gripping area A2 is photographed by the camera 22 of the camera system 2A, and the non-gripping area A3 is photographed by the camera 22 of the camera system 2B, but it is also possible to photograph both the gripping area A2 and the non-gripping area A3 with one camera 22.

[0136] In the above-described embodiment, the camera system 2 transmits the determination result of the presence or absence of an object in the determination area based on the captured image of the camera 22 to the upper-level system 3, but the determination process of the presence or absence of an object in the determination area may also be performed by the upper-level system 3. That is, the camera system 2 transmits the captured image taken by the camera 22 to the upper-level system 3, and the upper-level system 3 determines the presence or absence of an object in the determination area based on the captured image of the camera 22, and controls the movement of the transport device 1 based on the determination result. Here, the camera system 2 may transmit the captured image taken by the camera 22 to the upper-level system 3 as it is, or may extract a partial image of the determination area from the captured image taken by the camera 22 and transmit the partial image of the determination area to the upper-level system 3.

[0137] In the above-described embodiment, the path for moving the object to be transported X1 within the given area A100 can be appropriately changed, and the configurations of the first area A1 and the second area A4 can be appropriately changed. In addition, the first area A1 and the second area A4 can change their configurations within the given area A100 corresponding to time zones or the like. Further, it is not necessary to move the object to be transported X1 from the first area A1 to the second area A4 within the given area A100. Instead, the object to be transported X1 can be moved from the second area A4 to the first area A1. For example, the direction of movement of the object to be transported X1 can be appropriately changed corresponding to time zones or the like.

[0138] In the above-described embodiment, the user U1 performs the operation of moving the object to be transported X1 from the first area A1 to the grasping area A2, but the object to be transported X1 can also be moved from the first area A1 to the grasping area A2 by a transport robot or the like other than the transport device 1. In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the user U2 performs the operation of moving the object to be transported X1 from the non-grasping area A3 to the second area A4, but the object to be transported X1 can also be moved from the non-grasping area A3 to the second area A4 by a transport robot or the like other than the transport device 1.

[0139] (Summary)

[0140] As described above, the transport control method of the first aspect includes a setting step, a determination step, and a control step. In the setting step, a determination area including at least one of the grasping area (A2) and the non-grasping area (A3) is set. The grasping area (A2) is an area where one or more transport devices (1) set one or more objects to be transported (X1) to a first state of moving together with the transport device (1). The non-grasping area (A3) is an area set to a second state in which the first state is released. In the determination step, the presence or absence of an object in the determination area is determined. In the control step, based on the determination result of the determination step, it is decided whether to move the transport device (1) to the determination area, thereby controlling the movement of the transport device (1).

[0141] According to this aspect, it is possible to prevent the efficiency of the operation of transporting the object to be transported (X1) from deteriorating.

[0142] In the transport control method of the second aspect, based on the first aspect, in the determination step, the presence or absence of an object in the determination area is determined based on the captured image captured by the camera (22).

[0143] According to this aspect, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of an object in the determination area using the captured image of the camera (22).

[0144] In the transport control method of the third aspect, based on the second aspect, the camera (22) captures an area including the determination area.

[0145] According to this solution, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of an object in the determination area by using the captured image of the environmental camera.

[0146] In the transport control method of the fourth solution, based on any one of the first to third solutions, the determination area includes the grasping area (A2). In the control step, based on the determination result that the object to be transported (X1) exists in the grasping area (A2), the movement of the transport device (1) is controlled so that the transport device (1) moves toward the grasping area (A2).

[0147] According to this solution, since the possibility that the transport device (1) moves to the grasping area (A2) is reduced even when the object to be transported (X1) does not exist in the grasping area (A2), it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the efficiency of the operation of transporting the object to be transported (X1).

[0148] In the transport control method of the fifth solution, based on any one of the first to fourth solutions, the determination area includes the non-grasping area (A3). In the control step, based on the determination result that no object exists in the non-grasping area (A3), the movement of the transport device (1) is controlled so that the transport device (1) moves toward the non-grasping area (A3).

[0149] According to this solution, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the transport device (1) moves to the non-grasping area (A3) even when an object exists in the non-grasping area (A3) and waits for the object to move out of the non-grasping area (A3) around the non-grasping area (A3). Therefore, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the efficiency of the operation of transporting the object to be transported (X1).

[0150] In the transport control method of the sixth solution, based on any one of the first to fifth solutions, when the determination result of the determination area of the movement destination changes while the transport device (1) is moving toward the determination area, in the control step, the transport device (1) is controlled to abort the movement toward the determination area and perform a specific process.

[0151] According to this solution, it is possible to change the process of controlling the movement of the transport device (1) in response to the change in the determination result of the determination area.

[0152] In the transport control method of the seventh aspect, based on any one of the first to sixth aspects, the gripping area (A2) includes a plurality of first zones (A21 to A23), and the non-gripping area (A3) includes a plurality of second zones (A31 to A33). Any one of the plurality of second zones (A31 to A33) corresponds to each of the plurality of first zones (A21 to A23) to distinguish destinations by location. In the control step, the movement of the transport device (1) is controlled so that the object to be transported (X1) existing in the first zone (A21 to A23) is transported to the destination distinguished by location corresponding to the first zone (A21 to A23) where the object to be transported (X1) exists.

[0153] According to this aspect, the object to be transported (X1) existing in the first zone (A21 to A23) can be transported to the destination distinguished by location corresponding to the first zone (A21 to A23) where the object to be transported (X1) exists.

[0154] In the transport control method of the eighth aspect, based on the seventh aspect, in the control step, it is determined whether to move the transport device (1) to the destination distinguished by location based on the determination result in the first zone (A21 to A23) and the determination result in the destination distinguished by location corresponding to the first zone (A21 to A23).

[0155] According to this aspect, the movement of the transport device (1) can be controlled based on the determination result in the first zone (A21 to A23) and the determination result in the destination distinguished by location.

[0156] In the transport control method of the ninth aspect, based on any one of the first to eighth aspects, the non-gripping area (A3) includes a plurality of second zones (A31 to A33). Any one of the plurality of second zones (A31 to A33) corresponds to each type of the object to be transported (X1) arranged in the gripping area (A2) to distinguish destinations by type. In the control step, the movement of the transport device (1) is controlled so that the object to be transported (X1) existing in the gripping area (A2) is transported to the destination distinguished by type corresponding to the type of the object to be transported (X1).

[0157] According to this aspect, the object to be transported (X1) arranged in the gripping area (A2) can be transported to the destination distinguished by type corresponding to the type of the object to be transported (X1).

[0158] In the transportation control method of the 10th aspect, based on any one of the 1st to 9th aspects, the determination area includes the grasping area (A2) and the moving area (A5) where the transportation device (1) moves out of the grasping area (A2). In the determination step, the presence or absence of an object in the grasping area (A2) and the presence or absence of an object in the moving area (A5) are determined respectively. The one or more transportation devices (1) include the first transportation device (1) and the second transportation device (1). The one or more objects to be transported (X1) include the first object to be transported (X1) and the second object to be transported (X1). After the first transportation device (1) sets the first object to be transported (X1) existing in the grasping area (A2) to the first state, when the first transportation device (1) exists in either the grasping area (A2) or the moving area (A5), even if it is determined in the determination step that the second object to be transported (X1) exists in the grasping area (A2), in the control step, the second transportation device (1) is not moved to the grasping area (A2). When the first transportation device (1) that sets the first object to be transported (X1) to the first state moves outside the grasping area (A2) and the moving area (A5), the second transportation device (1) is moved to the grasping area (A2) in the control step.

[0159] According to this aspect, the possibility that the movement of the first transportation device (1) that is setting the first object to be transported (X1) to the first state is obstructed by the second transportation device (1) can be reduced.

[0160] In the transportation control method of the 11th aspect, based on any one of the 1st to 10th aspects, it further includes: a change step of changing the determination area set in the change setting step.

[0161] According to this aspect, the determination area can be changed in the change step.

[0162] In the transportation control method of the 12th aspect, based on the 11th aspect, in the change step, the determination area is changed in accordance with the transportation plan of the object to be transported (X1).

[0163] According to this aspect, the determination area can be changed in accordance with the transportation plan.

[0164] In the transportation control method of the 13th aspect, based on any one of the 1st to 12th aspects, it further includes a separate control step. In the separate control step, the movement of the transportation device (1) is controlled regardless of the determination result of the presence or absence of the object to be transported (X1) in the determination area, so that the transportation device (1) moves to the determination area.

[0165] According to this aspect, the control of the movement of the transportation device (1) based on the determination result in the determination step and the control of the movement of the transportation device (1) in the separate control step can be used in combination.

[0166] In the transportation control method of the 14th aspect, based on the aspect of any one of the 1st to 13th aspects, the determination area includes a plurality of sections. In the determination step, the presence or absence of an object is determined in each of the plurality of sections.

[0167] According to this aspect, the presence or absence of an object can be determined in each of the plurality of sections.

[0168] The non-transitory recording medium of the 15th aspect records a program for causing a computer system to execute the transportation control method of the aspect of any one of the 1st to 14th aspects.

[0169] According to this aspect, it is possible to suppress a deterioration in the efficiency of the operation of transporting the object to be transported (X1).

[0170] The transportation system (TS1) of the 16th aspect includes a setting unit (23), a determination unit (24), and a movement control unit (32). The setting unit (23) sets a determination area including at least one of a gripping area (A2) and a non-gripping area (A3). The gripping area (A2) is an area where one or more transportation devices (1) set one or more objects to be transported (X1) to a first state of moving together with the transportation device (1). The non-gripping area (A3) is an area set to a second state in which the first state is released. The determination unit (24) determines the presence or absence of an object in the determination area. The movement control unit (32) decides whether to move the transportation device (1) to the determination area based on the determination result of the determination unit (24), thereby controlling the movement of the transportation device (1).

[0171] According to this aspect, it is possible to suppress a deterioration in the efficiency of the operation of transporting the object to be transported (X1).

[0172] Not limited to the above aspects, various structures (including modified examples) of the transportation system (TS1) related to the above-described embodiments can be specifically implemented by the transportation control method of the transportation system (TS1), a (computer) program, or a non-transitory recording medium recording the program, etc.

[0173] Regarding the structures related to the 2nd to 14th aspects, they are not essential structures for the transportation control method and can be appropriately omitted.

Claims

1. A transportation control method, comprising: A setting step of setting a determination area, the determination area including at least one of a grasping area where one or more transportation devices set one or more objects to be transported to a first state of moving together with the transportation devices, and a non-grasping area set to a second state of releasing the first state; A determination step of determining the presence or absence of an object in the determination area; And A control step of determining whether to move the transportation device to the determination area based on the determination result of the determination step, thereby controlling the transportation device, The transportation device performs a transportation operation of moving the object to be transported placed in the grasping area to the non-grasping area, In the control step, at least one of the following is executed: When the determination area includes the grasping area, based on the determination result that the object to be transported exists in the grasping area, control the movement of the transportation device so that the transportation device moves to the grasping area; When the determination area includes the non-grasping area, based on the determination result that there is no object in the non-grasping area, control the movement of the transportation device so that the transportation device moves to the non-grasping area; During the movement of the transportation device to the determination area, when the determination result of the determination area of the movement destination changes, control the transportation device to abort the movement to the determination area and perform a specific process; The grasping area includes a plurality of first zones, the non-grasping area includes a plurality of second zones, any one of the plurality of second zones is established corresponding to each of the plurality of first zones as a destination differentiated by location, and based on the determination result in the first zone and the determination result in the destination differentiated by location corresponding to the first zone, determine whether to move the transportation device to the destination differentiated by location in order to transport the object to be transported existing in the first zone to the destination differentiated by location corresponding to the first zone where the object to be transported exists; And When any one of the plurality of second zones is established corresponding to each type of the objects to be transported arranged in the grasping area as a destination differentiated by type, control the movement of the transportation device so that the objects to be transported existing in the grasping area are transported to the destination differentiated by type corresponding to the type of the objects to be transported.

2. A transportation control method, comprising: A setting step of setting a determination area, the determination area including at least one of a grasping area where one or more transportation devices set one or more objects to be transported to a first state of moving together with the transportation devices, and a non-grasping area set to a second state of releasing the first state; A determination step of determining the presence or absence of an object in the determination area; And A control step of determining whether to move the transportation device to the determination area based on the determination result of the determination step, thereby controlling the transportation device, The conveying device performs a conveying operation of moving an object to be conveyed placed in the grasping area to the non-grasping area. The determination area includes: the grasping area; and a moving area where the conveying device moves out of the grasping area. In the determination step, the presence or absence of an object in the grasping area and the presence or absence of an object in the moving area are respectively determined. The one or more conveying devices include a first conveying device and a second conveying device. The one or more objects to be conveyed include a first object to be conveyed and a second object to be conveyed. After the first conveying device sets the first object to be conveyed existing in the grasping area to the first state, when the first conveying device exists in either the grasping area or the moving area, even if it is determined in the determination step that the second object to be conveyed exists in the grasping area, in the control step, the second conveying device is not moved to the grasping area. When the first conveying device that sets the first object to be conveyed to the first state moves outside the grasping area and the moving area, in the control step, the second conveying device is moved to the grasping area.

3. The conveying control method according to claim 2, wherein The grasping area includes a plurality of first zones. The non-grasping area includes a plurality of second zones. Any one of the plurality of second zones is established in correspondence with each of the plurality of first zones as a destination distinguished by location. In the control step, the movement of the conveying device is controlled so that the object to be conveyed existing in the first zone is conveyed to the destination distinguished by location corresponding to the first zone where the object to be conveyed exists.

4. The conveying control method according to claim 3, wherein In the control step, it is determined whether to move the conveying device to the destination distinguished by location based on the determination result in the first zone and the determination result in the destination distinguished by location corresponding to the first zone.

5. The conveying control method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein In the determination step, the presence or absence of an object in the determination area is determined based on a captured image captured by a camera.

6. The conveying control method according to claim 5, wherein The camera captures an area including the determination area.

7. The conveying control method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The conveying control method further includes a changing step of changing the determination area set in the setting step.

8. The conveying control method according to claim 7, wherein In the changing step, the determination area is changed in accordance with the conveying plan of the object to be conveyed.

9. The conveying control method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The conveying control method further includes: An independent control step of controlling the movement of the conveying device to move the conveying device to the determination area regardless of the determination result of determining the presence or absence of the object to be conveyed in the determination area.

10. The transport control method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, the determination area includes a plurality of sub-areas, in the determination step, the presence or absence of an object is determined in each of the plurality of sub-areas.

11. A non-transitory recording medium that records a program for causing a computer system to execute the transport control method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A transport system, comprising: a setting unit that sets a determination area, the determination area including at least one of a gripping area in which one or more transport devices set one or more objects to be transported to a first state of moving together with the transport devices, and a non-gripping area set to a second state of releasing the first state; a determination unit that determines the presence or absence of an object in the determination area; and a movement control unit that determines whether to move the transport device to the determination area based on the determination result of the determination unit, thereby controlling the movement of the transport device, the transport device performs a transport operation of moving an object to be transported placed in the gripping area to the non-gripping area, the control unit executes at least one of the following: when the determination area includes the gripping area, controls the movement of the transport device based on the determination result that the object to be transported exists in the gripping area, so that the transport device moves to the gripping area; when the determination area includes the non-gripping area, controls the movement of the transport device based on the determination result that there is no object in the non-gripping area, so that the transport device moves to the non-gripping area; during the movement of the transport device to the determination area, when the determination result of the determination area of the movement destination changes, controls the transport device to abort the movement to the determination area and execute a specific process; the gripping area includes a plurality of first divisions, the non-gripping area includes a plurality of second divisions, any one of the plurality of second divisions is set as a destination differentiated by location and corresponds to each of the plurality of first divisions, and based on the determination result in the first division and the determination result in the destination differentiated by location corresponding to the first division, determines whether to move the transport device to the destination differentiated by location in order to transport the object to be transported existing in the first division to the destination differentiated by location corresponding to the first division where the object to be transported exists; and when any one of the plurality of second divisions is set as a destination differentiated by type and corresponds to each type of the objects to be transported arranged in the gripping area, controls the movement of the transport device so that the objects to be transported existing in the gripping area are transported to the destination differentiated by type corresponding to the type of the objects to be transported.

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