Conveying system

Abstract

A transport system is provided. In the case of inter-zone transport, a management control section performs path setting control, a first zone control section performs first zone internal transport control, a connection control section performs connection transport control, and a second zone control section performs second zone internal transport control. In the path setting control, based on respective transport status information of the first zone internal transport device, the second zone internal transport device, and the plurality of connection transport devices, an overall path from a departure location to a destination location is set. In the second zone internal transport control, based on the transport status information of the second zone internal transport device, a partial path from a second handover location of an object connection transport device to the destination location is set.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a transport system that transports a plurality of transport articles. BACKGROUND

[0002] One example of the above-described transport system is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-196780 (Patent Document 1). Hereinafter, in the description of the background art, the reference numerals shown in parentheses are those of Patent Document 1. In the transport system of Patent Document 1, a plurality of management devices (Tn) are configured to manage the transport path (L) by dividing it into a plurality of areas (An). As described in paragraphs 0033-0037 of Patent Document 1, each management device (Tn) stores, in a storage mechanism, information of the transport path (L) of the area (An) that it manages itself as well as information of the transport path (L) received from other management devices (Tn) (i.e., information of the transport path (L) of the area (An) managed by the other management devices (Tn)), and shares the information of the transport path of all the areas (An) by the management devices (Tn). Then, if a search of the transport path (L) is requested, the management device (Tn) refers to the information of the transport path (L) stored in the storage mechanism, searches for the transport path from the start point to the end point, and causes the unmanned transport vehicle (30) to travel on the searched transport path. In addition, in paragraphs 0029, 0041 of Patent Document 1, as the information of the transport path (L), information of whether the unmanned transport vehicle (30) can travel or not, congestion information, and the like are cited. SUMMARY

[0003] In the transport system of Patent Document 1, since each management device shares the information of the transport path of all the areas, when searching for the transport path that spans a plurality of areas, the information of the transport path of all the areas can be taken into account. However, in the case where the state of the transport path such as whether the transport vehicle can travel or not, congestion, and the like, which can change with time, is taken into account, the searched transport path can no longer be an appropriate path due to a change in the state of the transport path of a certain area (e.g., an area close to the end point) before the transport of the articles in that area is performed.

[0004] Therefore, in the case where the target articles are transported between areas whose transport device actions are controlled by mutually different control sections, it is desirable to realize a technique that enables the transport path of the target articles in each area to be an appropriate path.

[0005] A conveying system according to the present disclosure is a conveying system that conveys a plurality of conveyed articles, and includes: a first region that includes a first-region-internal conveying device that forms a plurality of conveying paths; a first-region control unit that controls the first-region-internal conveying device to convey the conveyed articles along a path selected from among the plurality of conveying paths in the first region; a second region that includes a second-region-internal conveying device that forms a plurality of conveying paths; a second-region control unit that controls the second-region-internal conveying device to convey the conveyed articles along a path selected from among the plurality of conveying paths in the second region; a plurality of connection conveying devices that each form a conveying path that connects a first handover position provided in the first region and a second handover position provided in the second region; a connection control unit that controls each of the plurality of connection conveying devices to convey the conveyed articles between the first handover position and the second handover position; and a management control unit that manages the first-region control unit, the second-region control unit, and the connection control unit. When inter-regional conveying of an object article from a start point in the first region to a destination point in the second region is performed, the management control unit performs path setting control, the first-region control unit performs first-region-internal conveying control, the connection control unit performs connection conveying control, and the second-region control unit performs second-region-internal conveying control. The path setting control is control that acquires conveying status information indicating a conveying status of other articles in each of the first-region-internal conveying device, the second-region-internal conveying device, and the plurality of connection conveying devices, and sets an entire path from the start point to the destination point based on the conveying status information. The connection conveying device included in the entire path among the plurality of connection conveying devices is an object connection conveying device. The first-region-internal conveying control is control that causes the first-region-internal conveying device to operate to convey the object article from the start point to the first handover position of the object connection conveying device. The connection conveying control is control that causes the object connection conveying device to operate to convey the object article from the first handover position of the object connection conveying device to the second handover position. The second-region-internal conveying control is control that acquires the conveying status information of the second-region-internal conveying device, sets a partial path from the second handover position of the object connection conveying device to the destination point based on the conveying status information, and causes the second-region-internal conveying device to operate to convey the object article along the partial path from the second handover position of the object connection conveying device to the destination point.

[0006] According to the present structure, in a case where the inter-zone transport of the target article from a departure place in the first zone to a destination place in the second zone is performed, the entire path from the departure place to the destination place can be set based on the transport status information of each of the in-zone transport device, the in-zone transport device, and the plurality of connection transport devices. In a case where the transport path of the target article in the first zone on the departure place side is set without considering the transport status information of the in-zone transport device and the connection transport device in the second zone, even if the transport path of the target article in the first zone can be set as an appropriate path, the entire path from the departure place to the destination place can not be an appropriate path, for example, because the transport path of the target article in the second zone on the destination place side becomes a path passing through a congested area, the entire length of the transport path from the departure place to the destination place is too long, or the connection transport device used for the transport is waiting for a large number of other articles, and the like. In contrast, in the present structure, since the entire path can be set taking into account the transport status information of each of the in-zone transport device, the in-zone transport device, and the plurality of connection transport devices, the entire path is easily made an appropriate path.

[0007] However, in a case where the transport status that changes over time, such as congestion, is taken into account, the transport status of other articles in the transport device provided in the zone can change before the transport of the target article in the zone is performed. Moreover, the second zone in which the transport of the target article is performed after the change in the transport status from the time of setting of the entire path is easily larger than the first zone. In this regard, according to the present structure, in the in-zone transport control in the second zone, the partial path to the destination place is set based on the transport status information of the in-zone transport device, and the target article is transported along the partial path. Thus, even in a case where the transport status of other articles in the in-zone transport device changes before the transport of the target article in the second zone is performed, the transport path of the target article in the second zone is easily made an appropriate path.

[0008] As described above, according to the present structure, in a case where the target article is transported between the first zone and the second zone in which the operation control of the transport device is performed by mutually different control units, the transport path of the target article in each zone is easily made an appropriate path.

[0009] Further features and advantages of the transport system will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments with reference to the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a transport device according to an embodiment.

[0011] Figure 2This is an illustration of the overall path and some parts of the path.

[0012] Figure 3 This is the control block diagram of the conveying system.

[0013] Figure 4 This is a control flowchart for inter-regional transport.

[0014] Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing a simplified representation of a conveying device according to other embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The implementation of the conveying system will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The conveying system 100 is for conveying multiple conveyed items W (see attached drawings). Figure 1 The system 100 is used in the conveyor system. Figure 1 The example illustrates a conveying device (a device that conveys a conveying item W). The type of conveying item W is not limited to this; for example, the conveying item W is a FOUP (FrontOpening Unified Pod) that contains a semiconductor chip.

[0016] like Figure 1 As shown, the conveying system 100 includes: a first region A1, in which conveying devices 1 forming multiple conveying paths P are installed; a second region A2, in which conveying devices 2 forming multiple conveying paths P are installed; and multiple connecting conveying devices 3, each forming a conveying path P (see reference). Figure 2 The conveying path P is located at the first junction 31 in the first area A1 and the second junction 32 in the second area A2. The first area A1 and the second area A2 are not directly connected. That is, the conveying path P in the first area A1 (the conveying path P formed by conveying device 1 in the first area) and the conveying path P in the second area A2 (the conveying path P formed by conveying device 2 in the second area) are not directly connected; they are connected via a conveying path P formed by connecting conveying device 3. At the first junction 31, the conveyed item W is transferred between conveying device 1 and connecting conveying device 3 in the first area; at the second junction 32, the conveyed item W is transferred between conveying device 2 and connecting conveying device 3 in the second area. Thus, the conveying of the item W between the first area A1 and the second area A2 requires the transfer of the item W between different conveying devices. Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the example shown, the conveying system 100 has three connected conveying devices 3. The conveying system 100 may also have three or more areas with conveying devices forming multiple conveying paths P within the area.

[0017] Each of the in-1st-region conveying device 1, the in-2nd-region conveying device 2, and the connecting conveying device 3 can be, for example, a device that conveys the conveyed article W by means of a conveying vehicle, a device that conveys the conveyed article W by means of a conveyor such as a belt conveyor, a device that conveys the conveyed article W by means of an elevator, or a device that combines these, and the like. As shown in Figure 1 In the present embodiment, the in-1st-region conveying device 1 is a device that conveys the conveyed article W by means of the 1st conveying vehicle 41, and the in-2nd-region conveying device 2 is a device that conveys the conveyed article W by means of the 2nd conveying vehicle 42. The 1st conveying vehicle 41 and the 2nd conveying vehicle 42 convey the conveyed article W by traveling while holding the conveyed article W. The conveying path P in the 1st region Al is formed by a travel path of the 1st conveying vehicle 41, and the conveying path P in the 2nd region A2 is formed by a travel path of the 2nd conveying vehicle 42. The travel path in the 1st region Al and the travel path in the 2nd region A2 are not directly connected, and in the present embodiment, the 1st conveying vehicle 41 does not travel into the travel path in the 2nd region A2, and the 2nd conveying vehicle 42 does not travel into the travel path in the 1st region Al. In addition, in the case where the connecting conveying device 3 is a device that conveys the 1st conveying vehicle 41 and the 2nd conveying vehicle 42 together with the conveying vehicle (for example, a device provided with a device that elevates the conveying vehicle), there is also a case where the conveying vehicle travels into the travel path in the other region. The 1st conveying vehicle 41 and the 2nd conveying vehicle 42 are, for example, a ceiling conveying vehicle that travels along a travel path formed along a ceiling, or a floor conveying vehicle that travels along a travel path formed along a floor. In addition, the travel path can be physically formed by a rail or the like, or can be virtually set.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1 In the present embodiment, the 1st region Al and the 2nd region A2 are separately set in different floors 70 in the same building 60, and the connecting conveying device 3 is an inter-floor conveying device that conveys the conveyed article W between the different floors 70 in the same building 60. That is, in the present embodiment, the connecting conveying device 3 is a device that conveys the conveyed article W by means of an elevator. The elevator is provided with an elevator body 43 that holds the conveyed article W and elevates, and a mechanism that elevates the elevator body 43 (for example, a mechanism that elevates the elevator body 43 by winding or unwinding a belt). The conveying path P that connects the 1st handover position 31 and the 2nd handover position 32 is formed by an elevation path of the elevator body 43.

[0019] In the present embodiment, at each of the first transfer position 31 and the second transfer position 32, an in-out conveying device such as a conveyor is provided in a state of passing through a partition body that forms a hoist space inside the hoist body 43 (i.e., across the inside and outside of the partition body). The in-out conveying device provided at the first transfer position 31 conveys the conveyed article W accepted from the first conveying cart 41 outside the partition body to inside the partition body to deliver the conveyed article W to the hoist body 43. The in-out conveying device provided at the second transfer position 32 conveys the conveyed article W accepted from the hoist body 43 inside the partition body to outside the partition body to deliver the conveyed article W to the second conveying cart 42. The transfer of the conveyed article W between the conveying cart such as the first conveying cart 41 and the second conveying cart 42 and the in-out conveying device is performed by a transfer device provided at the conveying cart, and the transfer of the conveyed article W between the hoist body 43 and the in-out conveying device is performed by a transfer device provided at the hoist body 43.

[0020] As described later, the conveying system 100 has a feature in the control content in the case where the inter-zone conveying of the target article from the departure place XI in one zone to the destination place X2 in another zone is performed. In the present specification, one of the plurality of conveyed articles W is set as a "target article", and the rest are referred to as "other articles". The target article is the conveyed article W that is the target of the inter-zone conveying, and any of the conveyed articles W can be the target article. The above-described first zone Al is a zone in which the departure place XI exists among the plurality of zones provided in the conveying system 100, and the above-described second zone A2 is a zone in which the destination place X2 exists among the plurality of zones provided in the conveying system 100. Since the first zone Al and the second zone A2 are thus defined, each of the plurality of zones provided in the conveying system 100 can be either the first zone Al or the second zone A2.

[0021] In Figure 1 In the example shown in the figure, the building 60 is provided with a plurality of floors 70 including an upper floor 71 and a lower floor 72 (a floor 70 that is lower than the upper floor 71), and a zone in the upper floor 71 is assumed to be the first zone Al, and a zone in the lower floor 72 is assumed to be the second zone A2. Figure 1 In the example shown in the figure, the building 60 is provided with a plurality of floors 70 including an upper floor 71 and a lower floor 72 (a floor 70 that is lower than the upper floor 71), and a zone in the upper floor 71 is assumed to be the first zone Al, and a zone in the lower floor 72 is assumed to be the second zone A2.

[0022] The plurality of transport paths P formed by the first-in-area transport device 1 and the second-in-area transport device 2 are schematically represented as in Figure 2 The nodes N and links L connecting the nodes N can be used for representation. The nodes N correspond to specific locations such as locations where paths branch or merge, and the links L correspond to path portions connecting the specific locations. In the present embodiment, the plurality of connection transport devices 3 (three connection transport devices 3 in the example shown in Figure 2 form one transport path P connecting the first transfer location 31 and the second transfer location 32. Further, as will be described later, one of the plurality of connection transport devices 3 is an object connection transport device 3a, and the rest are non-object connection transport devices 3b (see Figure 1 ).

[0023] As shown in Figure 3 , the transport system 100 includes a first-in-area control section 51, a second-in-area control section 52, a connection control section 53, and a management control section 50. The management control section 50 manages the first-in-area control section 51, the second-in-area control section 52, and the connection control section 53. These multiple control sections are configured to be able to exchange information with each other. Further, the functions of each of these multiple control sections are realized by cooperation of hardware including an arithmetic processing section and a storage section and a program executed on the hardware. In addition, these control sections included in the transport system 100 are at least logically distinguished, and do not necessarily need to be physically distinguished. That is, these multiple control sections can be provided separately in different hardware (for example, computers including an arithmetic processing section and a storage section), or at least a part of the control sections can be provided in the same hardware. For example, in a case where the first-in-area control section 51, the second-in-area control section 52, and the connection control section 53 are provided separately in three hardware, the management control section 50 can be provided in the same hardware as the first-in-area control section 51, or the management control section 50 can be provided in different hardware from the three hardware. The features of the technology of the transport system 100 disclosed in the present specification can also be applied to a transport method of the transport articles W, and a transport method of the transport articles W is also disclosed in the present specification. In the transport method, a process of performing inter-area transport (specifically, a process of performing each of the processes (steps) shown in Figure 4 ) is included. Specifically, in the transport method, a process in which the management control section 50 performs path setting control (Step #01 of Figure 4 ), a process in which the first-in-area control section 51 performs first-in-area transport control (Step #02 of Figure 4 ), and a process in which the connection control section 53 performs connection transport control (Step #03 of Figure 4 ) are included.Figure 4 the procedure in which the 2nd area control section 52 performs 2nd area-internal transport control (step #03) of the procedure in FIG. 8, and the procedure in which the 1st area control section 51 performs 1st area-internal transport control (step #04) of the procedure in FIG. 8. Figure 4 the procedure in which the 2nd area control section 52 performs 2nd area-internal transport control (step #03) of the procedure in FIG. 8, and the procedure in which the 1st area control section 51 performs 1st area-internal transport control (step #04) of the procedure in FIG. 8.

[0024] The 1st area control section 51 controls the 1st area-internal transport apparatus 1 to transport the transport article W along a path selected from among the plurality of transport paths P within the 1st area Al. In the present embodiment, the 1st area control section 51 controls the 1st transport vehicle 41 possessed by the 1st area-internal transport apparatus 1 to cause the 1st transport vehicle 41 in a state of holding the transport article W to travel, so as to transport the transport article W along the selected path. Further, the 2nd area control section 52 controls the 2nd area-internal transport apparatus 2 to transport the transport article W along a path selected from among the plurality of transport paths P within the 2nd area A2. In the present embodiment, the 2nd area control section 52 controls the 2nd transport vehicle 42 possessed by the 2nd area-internal transport apparatus 2 to cause the 2nd transport vehicle 42 in a state of holding the transport article W to travel, so as to transport the transport article W along the selected path.

[0025] The connection control section 53 controls each of the plurality of connection transport apparatuses 3 to transport the transport article W between the 1st handover position 31 and the 2nd handover position 32. In the present embodiment, the connection control section 53 controls the lifting mechanism of the lifting body 43 possessed by the connection transport apparatus 3 to cause the lifting body 43 in a state of holding the transport article W to be lifted, so as to transport the transport article W between the 1st handover position 31 and the 2nd handover position 32. In addition, the connection control section 53 can be constituted by one control section that controls all of the connection transport apparatuses 3, or can be constituted by a collection of a plurality of control sections (at least logically distinguished control sections) that control mutually different connection transport apparatuses 3. In the latter case, the plurality of control sections can be respectively provided separately in another hardware, or at least a part of the control sections can be provided in the same hardware. Further, the connection control section 53 can be one of the plurality of control sections that control mutually different connection transport apparatuses 3.

[0026] In the present embodiment, in the case where the inter-area transport of the target article from the departure place XI within the 1st area Al to the destination place X2 within the 2nd area A2 is performed, as shown in FIG. 9, the 1st area control section 51 performs the 1st area-internal transport control (step #04) of the procedure in FIG. 8, and the 2nd area control section 52 performs the 2nd area-internal transport control (step #03) of the procedure in FIG. 8. Figure 4As shown, the management control unit 50 executes path setting control (step #01), the first area control unit 51 executes transport control within the first area (step #02), the connection control unit 53 executes connection transport control (step #03), and the second area control unit 52 executes transport control within the second area (step #04). Furthermore, the departure point X1 (the transport source of the object item) and the destination point X2 (the transport destination of the object item) are, for example, the load port of a processing device that processes the transported item W (or a container holding the transported item W) or the storage shelf of a storage device that stores the transported item W.

[0027] The path setting control obtains the transport status information 90 from each of the transport equipment 1 in the first area, the transport equipment 2 in the second area, and the multiple connected transport equipment 3, which indicates the transport status of other items. Based on this transport status information 90, the overall path R1 from the starting point X1 to the destination point X2 is set (see reference). Figure 1 and Figure 2 Control of ) . For example Figure 3 As shown, the management control unit 50 obtains the conveying status information 90 of the conveying device 1 in the first area from the first area control unit 51, the conveying status information 90 of the conveying device 2 in the second area from the second area control unit 52, and the conveying status information 90 of the connected conveying device 3 from the connection control unit 53. The first area control unit 51, the second area control unit 52, and the connection control unit 53 each obtain information sent from the conveying device of the controlled object (e.g., the progress status and completion information of the conveying action of the conveyed item W), and send the obtained conveying status information 90 to the management control unit 50 as the conveying status information 90 of that conveying device.

[0028] In this embodiment, the transport status information 90 is information indicating the current transport status of other items. Furthermore, the transport status information 90 can be information that directly indicates the transport status of other items (e.g., information about the location of other items, information about whether other items are being transported), or information that indirectly indicates the transport status of other items (e.g., information about the congestion status of transport path P, information about the congestion status of the first handover position 31 and the second handover position 32, or information about the operational status of the transport equipment). Information about the operational status of the transport equipment includes, for example, information about the location of the transport vehicle (in this embodiment, the first transport vehicle 41, the second transport vehicle 42, or the elevator 43) that transports the transport item W, and information about the presence or absence of a malfunction in the transport vehicle.

[0029] In the conveyance system 100, since the overall path R1 is set based on the respective conveyance status information 90 of the first-in-area conveyance device 1, the second-in-area conveyance device 2, and the plurality of connecting conveyance devices 3 in the path setting control, it is easy to set the overall path R1 as an appropriate path. If reference is made to Figure 1 This is explained, in the case where a congestion area 80 in which the conveyance path P is congested with other articles exists in the second area A2 is assumed in the path setting control in the second embodiment. In such a case, if the path from the departure point X1 to the destination point X2 is set in a manner that includes the connecting conveyance device 3 closest to the departure point X1 without taking into account the conveyance status information 90 of the second-in-area conveyance device 2, as the comparative path R3, the path becomes one that passes through the congestion area 80 in the second area A2, and the conveyance time of the object article from the departure point X1 to the destination point X2 can become long. Figure 1

[0030] In contrast, in the conveyance system 100, since the overall path R1 is set taking into account the conveyance status information 90 of the second-in-area conveyance device 2, the path from the departure point X1 to the destination point X2 can be set in a manner that avoids the congestion area 80, as the overall path R1 shown in Figure 1 In addition, in the case where, for example, the first handover position 31 or the second handover position 32 of the connecting conveyance device 3 is congested with other articles, the overall path R1 is set taking into account the conveyance status information 90 of the connecting conveyance device 3, and the path from the departure point X1 to the destination point X2 can be set in a manner that includes another connecting conveyance device 3 other than the connecting conveyance device 3. That is, by taking into account the respective conveyance status information 90 of the plurality of connecting conveyance devices 3, the overall path R1 using the connecting conveyance device 3 that is preferable from the viewpoint of improvement of the conveyance efficiency of the object article can be set.

[0031] In the present embodiment, in the path setting control, the management control section 50 is configured to further acquire weight information 92 indicating the weight (weighting coefficient, cost) of each conveyance path P in the first-in-area conveyance device 1, the second-in-area conveyance device 2, and the plurality of connecting conveyance devices 3 (refer to Figure 3 ​The overall path R1 is also set based on the weight information 92. Weight information 92, representing the pre-set weights of each transport path P, is stored in a storage device (e.g., a storage device included in the management control unit 50, not shown). The management control unit 50 obtains the weight information 92 of each transport path P by referring to this storage device. For the transport path P formed by the transport device 1 in the first area and the transport device 2 in the second area, a weight (line cost) is set for each line L. Furthermore, the weights of the transport path P formed by connecting the transport device 3, including the first junction position 31 and the second junction position 32, are set. In this embodiment, the connecting transport device 3 has multiple first junction positions 31 (specifically, two first junction positions 31) and multiple second junction positions 32 (specifically, two second junction positions 32). The weights of the transport path P formed by connecting the transport device 3 can be set to different values ​​depending on the combination of the first junction positions 31 and the second junction positions 32 that become the transport source and destination of the transported item W.

[0032] like Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the management control unit 50 is configured to obtain weight information 92 of the conveying path P formed by the conveying device 1 in the first area from the first area control unit 51, and weight information 92 of the conveying path P formed by the conveying device 2 in the second area from the second area control unit 52. The management control unit 50 may also be configured to obtain weight information 92 of the conveying path P formed by the connecting conveying device 3 from the connection control unit 53.

[0033] The weight of the transport path P can be set by considering, for example, the length of the transport path P (the length of the path portion corresponding to line L in relation to the transport path P formed by transport equipment 1 in the first area and transport equipment 2 in the second area), the average travel time of the transport path P learned based on past transport condition information 90, the average congestion of the transport path P learned based on past transport condition information 90, or a combination thereof. When setting the weight considering the length of the transport path P, the weight is set in a manner that increases with the length of the transport path P. Similarly, when setting the weight considering the average travel time of the transport path P, the weight is set in a manner that increases with the travel time. Furthermore, when setting the weight considering the average congestion of the transport path P, the weight is set in a manner that increases with the congestion level. Additionally, the setting of the weight of the transport path P based on the learned information can be performed only on some of the transport equipment (e.g., transport equipment 1 in the first area and transport equipment 2 in the second area) and a portion of the multiple connecting transport equipment 3, or on all of the transport equipment.

[0034] In a case where the conveyor having a length capable of arranging and disposing a plurality of conveyed articles W in the conveying direction is provided at the first transfer position 31 and the second transfer position 32, the weight of the conveying path P formed by the connection conveying device 3 can vary depending on the number of the conveyed articles W that are left at the first transfer position 31 and the second transfer position 32. In view of this, the structure of the weight of the conveying path P formed by the connection conveying device 3 can also be configured to take into account the number of the conveyed articles W that are left at the first transfer position 31 and the second transfer position 32. At the first transfer position 31 and the second transfer position 32, the conveyed articles W that can be left at the maximum buffer number (the maximum number of the conveyed articles W that can be accommodated) in the transfer position. Therefore, for example, the weight of the conveying path P formed by the connection conveying device 3 can be set in a manner that increases as the buffer number of the first transfer position 31 and the second transfer position 32 increases.

[0035] In the present embodiment, in the path setting control, the management control section 50 is configured to set, as the entire path R1, a path in which a predicted value of the required time required to convey the target article from the departure place X1 to the destination place X2 becomes the shortest. The path in which the predicted value of the required time becomes the shortest can be set, for example, as a path in which a path cost in the candidate paths from the departure place X1 to the destination place X2 becomes the minimum. The path in which the path cost becomes the minimum can be found, for example, by Dijkstra's algorithm. Here, the path cost is a cost that indicates the predicted value of the required time required to convey the target article from the departure place X1 to the destination place X2. The path cost can be obtained by adding the weights set to all the conveying paths P included in the candidate paths. At this time, by correcting the weights of the conveying paths P based on the conveying condition information 90, it is possible to set the entire path R1 while reflecting the conveying conditions of the first intra-zone conveying device 1, the second intra-zone conveying device 2, and the plurality of connection conveying devices 3 in the path cost.

[0036] In the present embodiment, in the path setting control, the management control section 50 is configured to further acquire, in each of the first intra-zone conveying device 1, the second intra-zone conveying device 2, and the plurality of connection conveying devices 3, the expected conveying condition information 91 (see FIG. 6) that indicates a conveying condition of other articles expected in the future based on the past conveying condition information 90 (see FIG. 5) (see FIG. 6). The expected conveying condition information 91 can be acquired, for example, by the management control section 50 predicting the conveying condition of the other articles in the future based on the past conveying condition information 90. Figure 3), and also based on the expected transport status information 91. The expected transport status information 91 can be, for example, information of the same kind as the transport status information 90 (but differs in that it is not the current transport status of other articles but the future transport status of other articles). In a case where the expected transport status information 91 is generated by the management control section 50, the management control section 50 acquires the expected transport status information 91 generated by itself. The generation of the expected transport status information 91 can also be performed based on the transport path (the path from the transport source to the transport destination) set for other articles in addition to the past transport status information 90 (for example, the transport status information 90 up to the present). As described above, in the present embodiment, the path in which the path cost is the smallest is set as the overall path R1. Thereby, by correcting the weight of the transport path P based on the expected transport status information 91, it is possible to cause the future expected transport status of each of the first-in-area transport device 1, the second-in-area transport device 2, and the plurality of connecting transport devices 3 to be reflected in the path cost, and set the overall path R1.

[0037] In addition, instead of the management control section 50 calculating and acquiring the expected transport status information 91 in each of the first-in-area transport device 1, the second-in-area transport device 2, and the connecting transport device 3 by itself, the structure can also be such that the management control section 50 acquires the expected transport status information 91 in the first-in-area transport device 1 from the first-in-area control section 51, acquires the expected transport status information 91 in the second-in-area transport device 2 from the second-in-area control section 52, and acquires the expected transport status information 91 in the connecting transport device 3 from the connecting control section 53. In this case, the expected transport status information 91 in the first-in-area transport device 1 is calculated by the first-in-area control section 51 and transmitted to the management control section 50, the expected transport status information 91 in the second-in-area transport device 2 is calculated by the second-in-area control section 52 and transmitted to the management control section 50, and the expected transport status information 91 in the connecting transport device 3 is calculated by the connecting control section 53 and transmitted to the management control section 50.

[0038] As described above Figure 4As shown, after the path setting control is executed by the management control section 50, the first area control section 51 executes first area-internal transport control. Here, the connection transport devices 3 included in the overall path Rl among the plurality of connection transport devices 3 are set as target connection transport devices 3a, and the connection transport devices 3 other than these are set as non-target connection transport devices 3b. The first area-internal transport control is control that causes the first area-internal transport device 1 to act to transport the target article from the departure location Xl to the first handover position 31 of the target connection transport device 3a. In the present embodiment, in the first area-internal transport control, the running action of the first transport vehicle 41 that holds the state of the target article is controlled to transport the target article from the departure location Xl to the first handover position 31 of the target connection transport device 3a. Further, in the present embodiment, each of the plurality of connection transport devices 3 is provided with a plurality of first handover positions 31, and the target article is transported to the first handover position 31 included in the overall path Rl among the plurality of first handover positions 31.

[0039] In the present embodiment, in the first area-internal transport control, the first area-internal transport device 1 is caused to act to transport the target article from the departure location Xl to the first handover position 31 of the target connection transport device 3a along the overall path Rl. Unlike such a structure, it can also be configured such that, in the first area-internal transport control, the first area control section 51 acquires the transport status information 90 of the first area-internal transport device 1, sets a path (hereinafter referred to as a "resettled path") from the departure location Xl to the first handover position 31 of the target connection transport device 3a based on the transport status information 90, and causes the first area-internal transport device 1 to act to transport the target article from the departure location Xl to the first handover position 31 of the target connection transport device 3a along the resettled path. The resettled path can be set in the same manner as the overall path Rl except that the information of the second area-internal transport device 2 and the connection transport device 3 (specifically, the transport status information 90, the expected transport status information 91, and the weight information 92) is not taken into account.

[0040] The resetting path can be either a path partially identical to the path between the starting point X1 and the first junction position 31 of the object connecting conveyor 3a in the overall path R1, or a path at least partially different. Even in the latter case, the resetting path is set in a manner that includes the object connecting conveyor 3a. In this embodiment, each of the multiple connecting conveyors 3 has multiple first junction positions 31. In this case, the resetting path can be configured to either allow the setting of a resetting path that includes first junction positions 31 different from those included in the overall path R1, or it can be configured not to allow it. In the former case, the first area control unit 51 obtains information from the object connecting conveyor 3a regarding the entry and exit status of other items from each of the multiple first junction positions 31 provided by the object connecting conveyor 3a. Based on this information, it selects the destination of the object item for conveying control within the first area from among the multiple first junction positions 31.

[0041] like Figure 4 As shown, after the first area control unit 51 performs the first area transport control, the connection control unit 53 performs the connection transport control. The connection transport control is the control that causes the object connection transport device 3a to operate, transporting the object item from the first handover position 31 of the object connection transport device 3a to the second handover position 32 (the second handover position 32 of the object connection transport device 3a). In this embodiment, in the connection transport control, the lifting movement of the lifting body 43, which maintains the state of the object item, is controlled to transport the object item from the first handover position 31 to the second handover position 32.

[0042] In this embodiment, each of the plurality of connecting conveyor devices 3 has a plurality of second handover positions 32. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the connection control unit 53 is configured to acquire inbound / outbound status information 94 (see reference) from each of the plurality of second handover positions 32 of the target connecting conveyor device 3a, indicating the inbound / outbound status of other items. Figure 3 Based on the inbound / outbound status information 94, the connection control unit 53 selects the destination of the object item based on the connection transport control from among the multiple second handover locations 32. The connection control unit 53 obtains the inbound / outbound status information 94 from the object connection transport device 3a. For example, the connection control unit 53 may be configured such that the second handover location 32 with the fewest configurations of other items among the multiple second handover locations 32 is selected as the destination of the object item based on the connection transport control. If the second handover location 32 selected by the connection control unit 53 is different from the second handover location 32 included in the overall path R1, the partial path R2 described below is set to be at least partially different from the path between the second handover location 32 and the destination point X2 in the overall path R1.

[0043] As Figure 4 shown, after the connection transport control is executed by the connection control section 53, the 2nd-zone control section 52 executes the 2nd-zone-internal transport control. The 2nd-zone-internal transport control is control that acquires the transport status information 90 of the 2nd-zone-internal transport device 2, sets a partial path R2 from the 2nd handover position 32 of the subject connection transport device 3a (in this embodiment, the 2nd handover position 32 selected by the connection control section 53) to the destination point X2 based on the transport status information 90, and causes the 2nd-zone-internal transport device 2 to act so as to transport the subject article along the partial path R2 from the 2nd handover position 32 of the subject connection transport device 3a to the destination point X2. In this embodiment, in the 2nd-zone-internal transport control, the travel action of the 2nd transport vehicle 42 that holds the state of the subject article is controlled so as to transport the subject article from the 2nd handover position 32 of the subject connection transport device 3a to the destination point X2. The partial path R2 can be set in the same manner as the entire path Rl except that the information (specifically, the transport status information 90, the expected transport status information 91, and the weight information 92) of the 1st-zone-internal transport device 1 and the connection transport device 3 is not considered. In addition, the partial path R2 can be set to be the same path as the portion of the entire path Rl between the 2nd handover position 32 and the destination point X2, or can be set to be a path that is different at least in part. Figure 1 An example of the former case is shown in FIG. 17, and an example of the latter case is shown in FIG. 18. Figure 2 An example of the former case is shown in FIG. 17, and an example of the latter case is shown in FIG. 18.

[0044] In this embodiment, the connection control section 53 is configured to transmit the scheduled arrival information 93 that indicates the scheduled arrival of the subject article at the 2nd handover position 32 to the 2nd-zone control section 52 before the arrival of the subject article at the 2nd handover position 32 due to the execution of the connection transport control (see FIG. 16), and the 2nd-zone control section 52 is configured to start the preparation of the 2nd-zone-internal transport control based on the scheduled arrival information 93. In this embodiment, the preparation of the 2nd-zone-internal transport control is to arrange the 2nd transport vehicle 42 that is not holding the transport article W at the 2nd handover position 32, and the 2nd-zone control section 52 controls the travel action of the 2nd transport vehicle 42 so as to match the arrival of the subject article at the 2nd handover position 32 or before the 2nd transport vehicle 42 is arranged at the 2nd handover position 32. Figure 3

[0045] [Other Embodiments]

[0046] Next, other embodiments of the transport system will be described.

[0047] ​(1) In the above embodiment, an example was described where the first region A1 and the second region A2 are separately located on different floors 70 in the same building 60, and the connecting conveyor 3 is an inter-floor conveyor. However, this disclosure is not limited to such a structure; for example, other structures may be used as follows: Figure 5 As shown in the example, area 1 A1 and area 2 A2 are set up separately in different buildings 60. Figure 5 In the example shown, a first area A1 is provided in the first building 61, and a second area A2 is provided in the second building 62, which is another building 60 besides the first building 61. In this case, the connecting conveyor 3 is configured as an inter-building conveyor that transports the transported item W between different buildings 60. The inter-building conveyor is, for example, a device that transports the transported item W by means of a conveyor.

[0048] (2) In the above embodiment, the structure described is as follows: the connection control unit 53 transmits predetermined arrival information 93 to the second area control unit 52 before the object item arrives at the second handover position 32 due to the execution of the connection transport control, and the second area control unit 52 starts preparation for transport control in the second area based on the predetermined arrival information 93. However, this disclosure is not limited to such a structure. For example, it may also be configured such that the second area control unit 52 starts preparation for transport control in the second area based on information sent from the connection control unit 53 to the management control unit 50 or the second area control unit 52 according to the arrival of the object item at the second handover position 32 due to the execution of the connection transport control.

[0049] (3) In the above embodiment, the structure in which the management control unit 50 sets the overall path R1 based on the expected transport status information 91 of each of the conveying equipment 1 in the first area, the conveying equipment 2 in the second area, and the multiple connecting conveying equipment 3 is described as an example. However, this disclosure is not limited to such a structure. It is also possible for the management control unit 50 to set the overall path R1 based on the expected transport status information 91 of each of the conveying equipment 1 in the first area and the conveying equipment 2 in the second area, without using the expected transport status information 91 of the connecting conveying equipment 3, or for the management control unit 50 to set the overall path R1 without using the expected transport status information 91 of any conveying equipment.

[0050] (4) In the above-described embodiments, the structure in which the management control section 50 sets the overall path Rl based on the respective weight information 92 of the first-in-area transport device 1, the second-in-area transport device 2, and the plurality of connection transport devices 3 was described as an example. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a structure, and the structure in which the management control section 50 sets the overall path Rl based on the respective weight information 92 of the first-in-area transport device 1 and the second-in-area transport device 2 without being based on the weight information 92 of the connection transport device 3 can also be provided.

[0051] (5) In the above-described embodiments, the structure in which the connection control section 53 acquires the respective in-out status information 94 of the plurality of second transfer positions 32 possessed by the target connection transport device 3a, and selects the transport destination of the target article based on the connection transport control from among the plurality of second transfer positions 32 based on the in-out status information 94 was described as an example. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a structure, and the structure in which the transport destination of the target article based on the connection transport control is fixed to the second transfer position 32 included in the overall path Rl can also be provided.

[0052] (6) In the above-described embodiments, the structure in which the connection transport device 3 possesses the plurality of first transfer positions 31 and the plurality of second transfer positions 32 was described as an example. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a structure, and the structure in which the connection transport device 3 possesses only one first transfer position 31, the structure in which the connection transport device 3 possesses only one second transfer position 32, or the structure in which these are combined can also be provided.

[0053] (7) In addition, the structures disclosed in the above-described embodiments can be applied in combination with the structures disclosed in the other embodiments (including the combination of the embodiments described as the other embodiments) as long as no contradiction occurs. As for other structures, the embodiments disclosed in the present specification are merely examples in all aspects. Thus, various changes can be appropriately made within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure.

[0054] 〔Summary of the above-described embodiments〕

[0055] Hereinafter, a summary of the transport system described in the above will be described.

[0056] A conveying system that conveys a plurality of conveyed articles, includes: a first region provided with a first-region-in conveyance device that forms a plurality of conveying paths; a first-region control section that controls the first-region-in conveyance device to convey the conveyed articles along a path selected from among the plurality of conveying paths in the first region; a second region provided with a second-region-in conveyance device that forms a plurality of conveying paths; a second-region control section that controls the second-region-in conveyance device to convey the conveyed articles along a path selected from among the plurality of conveying paths in the second region; a plurality of connection conveyance devices that each form a conveying path that connects a first transfer position provided in the first region and a second transfer position provided in the second region; a connection control section that controls each of the plurality of connection conveyance devices to convey the conveyed articles between the first transfer position and the second transfer position; and a management control section that manages the first-region control section, the second-region control section, and the connection control section; one of the plurality of conveyed articles is taken as an object article, and the rest are taken as other articles; in a case where inter-regional conveyance of the object article from a departure place in the first region to a destination place in the second region is performed, the management control section performs path setting control, the first-region control section performs first-region-in conveyance control, the connection control section performs connection conveyance control, and the second-region control section performs second-region-in conveyance control; the path setting control is control that acquires conveyance status information indicating a conveyance status of the other articles in each of the first-region-in conveyance device, the second-region-in conveyance device, and the plurality of connection conveyance devices, and sets an entire path from the departure place to the destination place based on the conveyance status information; the connection conveyance device included in the entire path among the plurality of connection conveyance devices is taken as an object connection conveyance device; the first-region-in conveyance control is control that causes the first-region-in conveyance device to act to convey the object article from the departure place to the first transfer position of the object connection conveyance device; the connection conveyance control is control that causes the object connection conveyance device to act to convey the object article from the first transfer position of the object connection conveyance device to the second transfer position; and the second-region-in conveyance control is control that acquires the conveyance status information of the second-region-in conveyance device, sets a partial path from the second transfer position of the object connection conveyance device to the destination place based on the conveyance status information, and causes the second-region-in conveyance device to act to convey the object article along the partial path from the second transfer position of the object connection conveyance device to the destination place.

[0057] According to the present structure, in a case where the inter-zone transport of the target article from a departure place in the first zone to a destination place in the second zone is performed, the entire path from the departure place to the destination place can be set based on the transport status information of each of the in-zone transport apparatus, the in-zone transport apparatus, and the plurality of connecting transport apparatuses. In a case where the transport path of the target article in the first zone on the departure place side is set without considering the transport status information of the in-zone transport apparatus and the connecting transport apparatus in the second zone, even if the transport path of the target article in the first zone can be set as an appropriate path, the entire path from the departure place to the destination place can not be an appropriate path, for example, because the transport path of the target article in the second zone on the destination place side becomes a path passing through a congested area, the entire length of the transport path from the departure place to the destination place is too long, or the connecting transport apparatus used for the transport is waiting for a large number of other articles. In contrast, in the present structure, since the entire path can be set taking into account the transport status information of each of the in-zone transport apparatus, the in-zone transport apparatus, and the plurality of connecting transport apparatuses, the entire path is easily made an appropriate path.

[0058] However, in a case where the transport status that changes over time, such as congestion, is taken into account, the transport status of other articles in the transport apparatus provided in the zone can change before the transport of the target article in the zone is performed. Moreover, the second zone in which the transport of the target article is performed after the change in the transport status from the time when the entire path is set is easily larger than the first zone. In this regard, according to the present structure, in the in-zone transport control in the second zone, the partial path to the destination place is set based on the transport status information of the in-zone transport apparatus, and the target article is transported along the partial path. Thus, even in a case where the transport status of other articles in the in-zone transport apparatus changes before the transport of the target article in the second zone is performed, the transport path of the target article in the second zone is easily made an appropriate path.

[0059] As described above, according to the present structure, in a case where the target article is transported between the first zone and the second zone in which the action control of the transport apparatus is performed by the mutually different control units, the transport path of the target article in each zone is easily made an appropriate path.

[0060] Here, it is preferable that the aforementioned connection control unit, before the aforementioned arrival of the aforementioned target article at the aforementioned second handover position resulting from execution of the aforementioned connection transport control, transmit predetermined arrival information indicating a predetermined arrival of the aforementioned target article at the aforementioned second handover position to the aforementioned second zone control unit; and the aforementioned second zone control unit, based on the aforementioned predetermined arrival information, start preparation of the aforementioned in-zone transport control in the second zone.

[0061] According to the present structure, it is possible to suppress the time from the arrival of the object article at the second transfer position to the start of the second-in-area transport control for the object article to be short, and to achieve an improvement in the transport efficiency of the object article.

[0062] Further, it is preferable that each of the plurality of connection transport devices have a plurality of the aforementioned second transfer positions; the aforementioned connection control section acquire in each of the plurality of the aforementioned second transfer positions possessed by the aforementioned object connection transport device, in- and out- status information indicating the in- and out- status of the aforementioned other article, and based on the in- and out- status information, select the transport destination of the aforementioned object article based on the aforementioned connection transport control from among the plurality of the aforementioned second transfer positions.

[0063] According to the present structure, in the case where the connection transport device has a plurality of second transfer positions, it is possible to select the second transfer position that becomes the transport destination of the object article, taking into account the in- and out- status information of each of the second transfer positions. Therefore, it is possible to achieve an improvement in the transfer efficiency of the object article from the second transfer position to the second-in-area transport device.

[0064] Further, it is preferable that in the aforementioned path setting control, weight information indicating the weight of each transport path is also acquired in each of the aforementioned first-in-area transport device and the aforementioned second-in-area transport device, and the aforementioned overall path is also set based on the weight information.

[0065] According to the present structure, in the case where there are a plurality of candidates for the overall path, the plurality of paths that become candidates are quantitatively compared based on the weight, and it is possible to appropriately set the overall path. For example, in the case where the weight is set based on the length of each transport path, the average travel time required, the average congestion degree, and the like, it is possible to set an overall path that reaches the destination point with an average shorter required time.

[0066] In the structure described above, in which the aforementioned overall path is also set based on the aforementioned weight information in each of the aforementioned first-in-area transport device and the aforementioned second-in-area transport device in the aforementioned path setting control, it is preferable that in the aforementioned path setting control, the aforementioned weight information is also acquired in each of the plurality of the aforementioned connection transport devices, and the aforementioned overall path is also set based on the weight information.

[0067] According to the present structure, by taking into account the weight information of each of the plurality of connection transport devices in addition to the weight information of each of the first-in-area transport device and the second-in-area transport device, it is possible to more appropriately set the overall path.

[0068] In the conveyance system of each of the above structures, it is preferable that, in the aforementioned path setting control, the predicted conveyance condition information indicating the future conveyance condition of the other article expected based on the past conveyance condition information is also acquired in each of the aforementioned first region conveyance device and the aforementioned second region conveyance device, and the aforementioned overall path is set based on the predicted conveyance condition information.

[0069] According to the present structure, since the overall path can be set in consideration of the predicted conveyance condition information of each of the first region conveyance device and the second region conveyance device, the overall path can be more appropriately set. Thus, the past conveyance condition information can be effectively used to set the overall path so that, for example, the interference with other articles or the useless detour to avoid a congested region is reduced.

[0070] In the structure in which, as described above, the aforementioned overall path is set based on the aforementioned predicted conveyance condition information in each of the aforementioned first region conveyance device and the aforementioned second region conveyance device in the aforementioned path setting control, it is preferable that, in the aforementioned path setting control, the aforementioned predicted conveyance condition information in each of a plurality of the aforementioned connecting conveyance devices is also acquired, and the aforementioned overall path is set based on the predicted conveyance condition information.

[0071] According to the present structure, by considering the predicted conveyance condition information of each of a plurality of connecting conveyance devices in addition to the predicted conveyance condition information of each of the first region conveyance device and the second region conveyance device, the overall path can be more appropriately set.

[0072] In the conveyance system of each of the above structures, it is preferable that, in the aforementioned path setting control, a path in which a predicted value of a required time required to convey the aforementioned target article from the aforementioned starting point to the aforementioned destination point becomes the shortest is set as the aforementioned overall path.

[0073] According to the present structure, it is possible to increase the possibility that a path in which the conveyance time from the starting point to the destination point is short can be set as the overall path.

[0074] Further, it is preferable that the aforementioned first region and the aforementioned second region are set on different floors in the same building; and the aforementioned connecting conveyance device is a floor-to-floor conveyance device that conveys the aforementioned conveyance article between different floors in the same building.

[0075] As described above, in the conveyance system of the present disclosure, in a case where a target article is conveyed between a first region and a second region in which the operation of a conveyance device is controlled by mutually different control sections, it is possible to make the conveyance path of the target article in each region an appropriate path. Thus, in a case where the connecting conveyance device is a floor-to-floor conveyance device as in the present structure, it is possible to make the conveyance path of the target article in each floor an appropriate path.

[0076] Further, it is preferable that the aforementioned first region and the aforementioned second region are provided separately in different buildings; and the aforementioned connecting conveyance device is an inter-building conveyance device that conveys the conveyed article between the different buildings.

[0077] As described above, in the conveyance system of the present disclosure, in the case where the object article is conveyed between the first region and the second region whose conveyance device action controls are performed by mutually different control sections, the conveyance path of the object article in each region can be made an appropriate path. Thus, in the case where the connecting conveyance device as the present structure is an inter-building conveyance device, the conveyance path of the object article in each building can be made an appropriate path.

[0078] The conveyance system of the present disclosure can be configured to achieve at least one of the above-described effects.

[0079] Explanation of Reference Signs

[0080] 1: Conveyance device in first region

[0081] 2: Conveyance device in second region

[0082] 3: Connecting conveyance device

[0083] 3a: Object connecting conveyance device

[0084] 31: First handover position

[0085] 32: Second handover position

[0086] 50: Management control section

[0087] 51: First region control section

[0088] 52: Second region control section

[0089] 53: Connecting control section

[0090] 60: Building

[0091] 70: Floor

[0092] 90: Conveyance status information

[0093] 91: Anticipated conveyance status information

[0094] 92: Weight information

[0095] 93: Scheduled arrival information

[0096] 94: Inbound / outbound status information

[0097] 100: Conveyance system

[0098] A1: 1st region

[0099] A2: 2nd region

[0100] P: transport path

[0101] R1: overall path

[0102] R2: partial path

[0103] W: transport article

[0104] X1: departure location

[0105] X2: destination location

Claims

1. A conveying system for conveying multiple conveyed items, characterized in that, have: The first zone is equipped with conveying equipment that forms multiple conveying paths within the first zone; The first area control unit controls the conveying equipment within the first area to convey the conveyed items along a path selected from among the multiple conveying paths within the first area. The second zone is equipped with conveying equipment that forms multiple conveying paths within the second zone; The second area control unit controls the conveying equipment in the aforementioned second area and conveys the aforementioned conveyed items along a path selected from among the multiple aforementioned conveying paths in the aforementioned second area; Multiple connecting conveying devices respectively form a conveying path connecting the first junction position located in the aforementioned first area and the second junction position located in the aforementioned second area; The connection control unit controls each of the aforementioned connection conveying devices to transport the aforementioned conveyed items between the aforementioned first handover position and the aforementioned second handover position; and The Management and Control Department manages the aforementioned First Area Control Department, the aforementioned Second Area Control Department, and the aforementioned Connection Control Department; One of the aforementioned transported items is designated as the target item, and the rest are designated as other items; In the case of inter-regional transport of the aforementioned object from the starting point in the aforementioned first region to the destination in the aforementioned second region, the aforementioned management control unit performs path setting control, the aforementioned first region control unit performs transport control within the first region, the aforementioned connection control unit performs connection transport control, and the aforementioned second region control unit performs transport control within the second region. The aforementioned path setting control is to obtain the transport status information representing the transport status of the aforementioned other items from each of the transport equipment in the aforementioned first area, the transport equipment in the aforementioned second area, and the plurality of aforementioned connected transport equipment, and to set the overall path from the aforementioned starting point to the aforementioned destination based on the transport status information; The aforementioned connecting conveyor devices included in the aforementioned overall path are considered as object connecting conveyor devices; The aforementioned transport control within the first area is the control that causes the transport equipment within the aforementioned first area to operate so as to transport the aforementioned object from the aforementioned starting point to the aforementioned first handover position of the object-connecting transport equipment; The aforementioned connection and conveying control is the control that causes the aforementioned object connection and conveying equipment to operate so as to convey the aforementioned object item from the aforementioned first handover position of the aforementioned object connection and conveying equipment to the aforementioned second handover position; The aforementioned transport control within the second area involves obtaining the transport status information of the transport equipment within the second area, setting a partial path from the aforementioned second handover position of the aforementioned object-connecting transport equipment to the aforementioned destination based on the transport status information, and causing the transport equipment within the second area to operate to transport the aforementioned object along the partial path from the aforementioned second handover position of the aforementioned object-connecting transport equipment to the aforementioned destination. Before the object item arrives at the second handover location as a result of the execution of the connection transport control, the connection control unit transmits predetermined arrival information indicating the predetermined arrival of the object item at the second handover location to the second area control unit. Based on the aforementioned predetermined arrival information, the aforementioned second area control unit begins preparations for transport control within the aforementioned second area; The conveying equipment in the aforementioned second area is a device that uses a conveyor vehicle to transport the aforementioned items; The aforementioned preparation for transport control in the second area involves positioning the aforementioned transport vehicle, which is not maintaining the state of the aforementioned transported items, at the aforementioned second handover position; The aforementioned second area control unit controls the driving action of the aforementioned transport vehicle so that the transport vehicle is positioned at the aforementioned second handover position before or during the arrival of the aforementioned object item at the aforementioned second handover position.

2. The conveying system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the aforementioned connecting conveying devices has multiple of the aforementioned second handover positions; The aforementioned connection control unit obtains entry and exit status information indicating the entry and exit status of the aforementioned other items from each of the plurality of aforementioned second handover positions provided by the aforementioned object connection conveying equipment, and selects the delivery destination of the aforementioned object items based on the aforementioned connection conveying control from the plurality of aforementioned second handover positions.

3. The conveying system as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, In the aforementioned path setting control, weight information representing the weight of each conveying path is also obtained for the conveying equipment in the first area and the conveying equipment in the second area, and the overall path is set based on this weight information.

4. The conveying system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, In the aforementioned path setting control, the aforementioned weight information of each of the aforementioned connected conveying devices is also obtained, and the aforementioned overall path is set based on the weight information.

5. The conveying system as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, In the aforementioned path setting control, the system also obtains the expected transport status information of the transport equipment in the first area and the transport equipment in the second area, which represents the expected transport status of the other items in the future based on the previous transport status information, and sets the overall path based on the expected transport status information.

6. The conveying system as described in claim 5, characterized in that, In the aforementioned path setting control, the expected transport status information of each of the aforementioned connected transport devices is also obtained, and the overall path is set based on the expected transport status information.

7. The conveying system as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, In the aforementioned path setting control, the predicted time required to transport the aforementioned object from the aforementioned starting point to the aforementioned destination is set as the shortest path as the aforementioned overall path.

8. The conveying system as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The aforementioned Zone 1 and Zone 2 are located separately on different floors within the same building; The aforementioned connecting conveyor equipment is an inter-floor conveyor equipment that transports the aforementioned conveyed items between different floors in the same building.

9. The conveying system as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The aforementioned Area 1 and Area 2 are located in different buildings; The aforementioned connecting conveying equipment is an inter-building conveying equipment that transports the aforementioned conveyed items between different buildings.

Images