Calculation method for the protective space of AGV and its attached flexible connecting rack

Abstract

This application discloses a method for calculating the protective space of an AGV and its attached flexible connecting rack. The method first determines the first path segment occupied by the AGV on the planned path. Then, based on pre-defined path segment information, a second path segment is determined in reverse order from the first path segment on the planned path. The determined first and second path segments are then set as the first protective path segment. It should be understood that at this point, the first and second path segments at least cover the AGV and the attached flexible connecting rack. Furthermore, the two path segments move along the planned path with the AGV, thus ensuring real-time coverage of the AGV and the attached flexible connecting rack. This eliminates the need to calculate the bending angle of the flexible connecting rack when the AGV travels along an arc, allowing for convenient calculation of the space occupied by the AGV and the attached flexible connecting rack, preventing collisions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of logistics technology, and in particular to a method for calculating the protective space of an AGV and its attached flexible connecting rack. Background Technology

[0002] In logistics systems, AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) are typically used to carry goods. This involves attaching one or more racks to the back of the AGV. In this case, it is necessary to calculate the rack space behind the AGV in order to control the movement or stopping of other AGVs and avoid collisions.

[0003] In existing technologies, a rectangular space can be generated as a shelf protection space based on AGV coordinates, angles, and shelf size information.

[0004] However, the above solutions are generally applicable to rigidly connected racks, but not to flexible connections between racks or between racks and AGVs. In rigidly connected racks, adjacent racks are fixed and do not rotate relative to each other, while flexible connected racks can rotate relative to each other. For example, when a flexible connected rack moves along an arc, the position and angle information of the rack are difficult to obtain due to the radius of curvature of the arc, making it difficult to accurately calculate the arc space occupied by the flexible connected rack behind the AGV. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address at least one aspect of the aforementioned technical problems, embodiments of this application provide a method for calculating the protective space of an AGV and its mounted flexible connecting rack. This method determines in real time the first path segment and the second path segment covered by the AGV and the subsequent flexible connecting rack along the planned path the AGV travels, and sets the first path segment and the second path segment as the first protective path segment. This results in the first protective path segment being distributed along the planned path traveled by the AGV, thus solving the technical problem of being unable to calculate the protective space of the flexible connecting rack.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a method for calculating the protective space of an AGV and its attached flexible connecting rack. The method is applied to the process of driving the AGV along a planned path. The AGV has a flexible connecting rack attached to its tail. The planned path is formed by connecting several path segments end to end.

[0007] The method for calculating the protected space includes:

[0008] Determine the first path segment occupied by the AGV on the planned path;

[0009] Based on the prefabricated path segment information, a second path segment is determined along the planned path from the first path segment and in the opposite direction to the corresponding walking direction of the first path segment; wherein, the prefabricated path segment information indicates the length of the path segment occupied by the flexible connecting rack on the planned path;

[0010] The first path segment and the second path segment are set as the first protected path segment.

[0011] In one embodiment, it further includes:

[0012] Based on the shelf width information of the flexible connection shelf, a strip-shaped first protection space is formed by extending to both sides with the first protection path segment as the center line.

[0013] In one embodiment,

[0014] The steps for determining the first path segment occupied by the AGV on the planned path specifically include:

[0015] Determine the first real-time position of the AGV on the first path segment;

[0016] The step of determining the second path segment based on the pre-defined path segment information, following the planned path from the first path segment and in the reverse direction of the corresponding walking direction of the first path segment, specifically includes:

[0017] Based on the pre-made path segment information, along the planned path from the first real-time position and in the opposite direction of the walking direction corresponding to the first path segment, a second real-time position corresponding to the first real-time position is determined.

[0018] The steps of setting the first path segment and the second path segment as the first protected path segment specifically include:

[0019] The path segment between the first real-time location and the second real-time location is set as the second protected path segment.

[0020] In one embodiment, the step of determining the first real-time position of the AGV on the first path segment includes:

[0021] Obtain the real-time coordinates of the AGV;

[0022] The first real-time position of the AGV on the first path segment is determined based on the coordinates of the first endpoint, the coordinates of the second endpoint, and the real-time coordinates of the first path segment.

[0023] In one embodiment, the planned path includes a starting path segment that covers the starting point of the planned path, and the endpoints of the starting path segment are connected to extended path segments, wherein...

[0024] When the first path segment is the starting path segment, the second path segment is determined according to the pre-made path segment information, along the extended path segment from the first path segment and in the opposite direction of the walking direction corresponding to the first path segment.

[0025] In one embodiment, it further includes:

[0026] Obtain the shelf length information of the flexible connection shelf;

[0027] The shelf length information is converted into the prefabricated path segment information.

[0028] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a protective space calculation device for an AGV and its attached flexible connecting rack. The protective space calculation device is used to drive the AGV to walk along a planned path. The AGV has a flexible connecting rack attached to its tail. The planned path is formed by connecting several path segments end to end.

[0029] The protective space computing device includes:

[0030] The first determining module is used to determine the first path segment occupied by the AGV on the planned path;

[0031] The third determining module is used to determine a second path segment along the planned path from the first path segment and in the opposite direction of the walking direction corresponding to the first path segment, based on the prefabricated path segment information; wherein, the prefabricated path segment information represents the length of the path segment occupied by the flexible connecting rack on the planned path;

[0032] The protection path segment setting module is used to set the first path segment and the second path segment as the first protection path segment.

[0033] In one embodiment, it further includes:

[0034] The protection space setting module is used to form a strip-shaped first protection space by extending to both sides with the first protection path segment as the center line, based on the width information of the flexible connection shelf.

[0035] In one embodiment,

[0036] The first determining module specifically includes:

[0037] The first determining unit is used to determine the first real-time position of the AGV on the first path segment;

[0038] The third determining module specifically includes:

[0039] The third determining unit is used to determine, based on the pre-made path segment information, a second real-time position corresponding to the first real-time position from the first real-time position and in the opposite direction of the walking direction corresponding to the first path segment along the planned path from the first real-time position;

[0040] The protection path segment setting module specifically includes:

[0041] The protection path segment setting unit is used to set the path segment between the first real-time location and the second real-time location as the second protection path segment.

[0042] In one embodiment, the first determining unit includes:

[0043] The coordinate acquisition subunit is used to acquire the real-time coordinates of the AGV;

[0044] The position determination subunit is used to determine the first real-time position of the AGV on the first path segment based on the coordinates of the first endpoint, the coordinates of the second endpoint, and the real-time coordinates of the first path segment.

[0045] In one embodiment, the planned path includes a starting path segment that covers the starting point of the planned path, and the endpoints of the starting path segment are connected to extended path segments, wherein...

[0046] The protective space computing device further includes:

[0047] The second determining module is used to determine the second path segment in the reverse direction from the first path segment and toward the corresponding walking direction of the first path segment, based on the pre-made path segment information, when the first path segment is the starting path segment.

[0048] In one embodiment, the protective space computing device further includes:

[0049] The shelving information acquisition module is used to acquire the shelving length information of the flexible connection shelving;

[0050] The conversion module is used to convert the shelf length information into the prefabricated path segment information.

[0051] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps in the protection space calculation method described above.

[0052] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide an AGV control system, which includes a control unit and a plurality of AGVs. The control unit is used to control the walking process of the AGVs respectively. The control unit executes the steps in the protection space calculation method described above when driving the AGVs to walk.

[0053] One or more technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0054] This application provides a method for calculating the protection space of an AGV and its attached flexible connecting rack. The method first determines the first path segment occupied by the AGV on the planned path. Then, on the planned path, a second path segment is determined in reverse from the first path segment based on pre-made path segment information. The determined first and second path segments are then set as the first protection path segment. It should be understood that at this time, the first and second path segments at least cover the AGV and the flexible connecting rack attached to it. Moreover, the two path segments move along the planned path with the AGV, so that the two path segments can cover the AGV and the flexible connecting rack attached to it in real time.

[0055] In other words, for the flexible connecting rack attached to the AGV, at a certain moment when the AGV is walking along the planned path, this application first determines the path segment occupied by the AGV on the planned path, and then determines the path segment occupied by the flexible connecting rack behind the path segment occupied by the AGV based on the pre-made path segment information associated with the length information of the flexible connecting rack. Then, the two path segments occupied are set as the first protective path segment. Thus, the first protective path segment is set according to the path segment traversed by the AGV. In this way, when walking in an arc, the calculation of the bending angle of the flexible connecting rack is eliminated, and the space occupied by the AGV and the flexible connecting rack attached after it can be easily calculated. Therefore, when controlling the movement of other AGVs, it is possible to avoid approaching or crossing the occupied space and prevent collisions. Attached Figure Description

[0056] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments of the present invention will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0057] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the planned path described in this application embodiment, which consists of several path segments connected end to end.

[0058] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the AGV traveling along the planned path in an embodiment of this application.

[0059] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the method for calculating the protective space of the flexible connecting shelf described in this application embodiment.

[0060] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the AGV passing through an arc in the embodiments of this application.

[0061] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the AGV described in the embodiments of this application passing through a forked arc.

[0062] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first protective space in an embodiment of this application.

[0063] Figure 7 This is a comparative diagram of the first protection path segment and the second protection path segment in an embodiment of this application.

[0064] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the protective space calculation device for the flexible connecting shelf described in this application embodiment.

[0065] In the attached figures, the following labels are used:

[0066] 100-AGV, 200-Flexible Connection Shelving

[0067] 10 - Planned path, 11 - Node, 12 - Path segment

[0068] 20 - First protected path segment

[0069] 21 - First path segment, 22 - Second path segment

[0070] 30 - Second protection path segment

[0071] 40 - First Protective Space

[0072] 93-First Determined Module,

[0073] 96-Third Determination Module,

[0074] 97-Protection path segment setting module. Detailed Implementation

[0075] To better understand the above technical solutions, exemplary embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments of this application. It should be understood that this application is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein.

[0076] In typical AGV cargo-carrying scenarios, the protection space for both the AGV and the rack can be calculated conveniently and accurately. For example, based on coordinates, angles, and size information, a rectangular space can be generated for description and protection.

[0077] However, when the AGV is mounted on a flexible rack, such as several racks mounted behind the AGV with flexible connections between them, it is difficult to accurately obtain the position and angle information of each rack behind it during the AGV's movement, especially when it is moving in an arc. Therefore, the spatial description of the flexible rack cannot be obtained according to the above calculation method.

[0078] To address the issue that flexible connected racks cannot be spatially described, this application provides a method for calculating the protective space of an AGV and its attached flexible connected racks. This method calculates the protective space based on the path segment traversed by the AGV. It only requires determining the path segment occupied by the AGV and its subsequently attached flexible connected racks at a certain moment, and then setting that path segment as the protective path segment.

[0079] Figure 1 For a planned path of an AGV in a topology map, it should be understood that the topology map includes several nodes 11, and two nodes 11 are connected by path segments 12. Nodes 11 represent storage locations, charging locations, etc., and path segments 12 represent channels for AGVs to travel. Therefore, the planned path 10 based on the topology map should be formed by connecting several path segments 12 end to end.

[0080] The AGV has a flexible connecting rack attached to its tail. The flexible connecting rack consists of several racks, and adjacent racks are connected by means of pins, forming a rotatable flexible connection.

[0081] Please combine Figure 2 and Figure 3 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an AGV traveling along a planned path. Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for calculating the protective space of a flexible connected rack. The method is applied to the process of driving an AGV100 along a planned path 10. The tail of the AGV100 is attached to a flexible connected rack 200. The planned path 10 is formed by connecting several path segments end to end.

[0082] The method for calculating the protected space includes:

[0083] S3. Determine the first path segment 21 occupied by AGV100 on the planned path 10.

[0084] As mentioned above, the planned path includes several path segments connected end to end. When the AGV travels along the planned path, it should be understood that at a certain moment, the AGV should be located in one of the several path segments of the planned path, and thus the path segment can be determined to be the first path segment.

[0085] In other words, the first path segment reflects a certain path segment on the planned path of the AGV at a certain moment, and the first path segment moves on the planned path as the AGV travels.

[0086] S6. Based on the prefabricated path segment information, determine the second path segment 22 along the planned path 10 from the first path segment 21 and in the opposite direction of the walking direction corresponding to the first path segment 21; wherein, the prefabricated path segment information indicates the length of the path segment occupied by the flexible connecting shelf 200 on the planned path 10.

[0087] The prefabricated path segment information reflects the length of the path segment occupied by the flexible connection rack on the planned path. The longer the flexible connection rack is, the longer the path segment it occupies on the planned path.

[0088] Wherein, after determining the first path segment at a certain moment, the prefabricated path segment is extended from the first path segment along the planned path in the opposite direction of the walking direction corresponding to the first path segment. The path segment covered by the length of the prefabricated path segment is the second path segment.

[0089] Furthermore, it should be understood that the second path segment 22 should include one or more path segments, see [link / reference] Figure 2 The second path segment may include, for example, three path segments.

[0090] Here, it should be understood that the first path segment mentioned above should be a path segment on the planned path, and the second path segment mentioned above should be one or more connected path segments on the planned path, and the first path segment is connected to the second path segment.

[0091] S7. Set the first path segment 21 and the second path segment 22 as the first protected path segment 20.

[0092] After determining the first path segment and the second path segment as described above, the first path segment and the second path segment can be set as the first protection path segment; wherein, the first protection path segment should move along the planned path as the AGV travels.

[0093] The first protected path segment means that at a certain moment it is occupied by the AGV and its attached flexible connecting rack. At this time, other AGVs should be prevented from crossing or getting close to the first protected path segment.

[0094] Continue reading Figure 4When the AGV travels to the arc, the first protection path segment 20 is the arc segment behind the AGV on the planned path, which can be easily determined as the first protection path segment, making calculation convenient.

[0095] See further Figure 5 When the AGV travels to the forked arc, the first protection path segment 20 is the arc segment that the AGV has traveled. Since the forked path segment does not belong to the planned path 10, this embodiment will not set the forked path segment as the first protection path segment. The setting of the first protection path segment is accurate and reliable.

[0096] In one possible implementation, the protected space calculation method further includes:

[0097] S8. Based on the shelf width information of the flexible connection shelf 200, a strip-shaped first protection space 40 is formed by extending from the first protection path segment 20 as the center line to both sides.

[0098] Please refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 The structure of the first protective space 40 is shown. Specifically, after the first protective path segment is determined above, the first protective path segment is used as the center line, and the shelf width information of the flexible connecting shelf is extended from the center line to both sides, thereby forming a strip-shaped first protective space along the first protective path segment.

[0099] Compared to the first protection path segment mentioned above, this first protection space takes into account the width of the flexible connecting rack. It can more accurately reflect the space occupancy of the AGV and the flexible connecting rack in the width direction of the planned path. Therefore, the first protection space does not overlap with the protection space of other AGVs, which means that there will be no collision or scratches, thus improving the safety of movement.

[0100] In one possible implementation, step S3 specifically includes:

[0101] S301. Determine the first real-time position of AGV100 on the first path segment 21.

[0102] The above step S6 specifically includes:

[0103] S601. Based on the prefabricated path segment information, determine the second real-time position corresponding to the first real-time position by moving along the planned path 10 from the first real-time position in the opposite direction of the walking direction corresponding to the first path segment 21.

[0104] The above step S7 specifically includes:

[0105] S701, Set the path segment between the first real-time position and the second real-time position as the second protection path segment 30.

[0106] Since the first path segment moves along the planned path as the AGV travels, and considering that the lengths of path segments on the planned path vary, when the first path segment corresponds to a relatively long path segment, the length of the first protective path segment relative to the AGV and its attached flexible connecting rack will greatly exceed the length it actually occupies. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first real-time position of the AGV on the first path segment can be specifically determined. Then, based on the first real-time position and the aforementioned pre-fabricated path segment information, the second real-time position corresponding to the tail of the flexible connecting rack can be determined. Thus, the path segment between the two real-time positions can be specifically set as the second protective path segment. Please refer to... Figure 7 , Figure 7 A comparison of the first protection path segment 20 and the second protection path segment 30 is shown. It can be seen that the second protection path segment 30 provides a more accurate description of the occupied space compared to the first protection path segment 20.

[0107] Furthermore, similar to the first protected space described above, step S8 specifically includes:

[0108] S801. Based on the shelf width information of the flexible connection shelf, a strip-shaped second protection space is formed by extending from the second protection path segment to both sides; thus, the second protection space provides a more accurate description of the occupied space compared to the first protection space.

[0109] In one possible implementation, step S301 specifically includes:

[0110] S3011, Obtain the real-time coordinates of AGV100;

[0111] S3012. Determine the first real-time position of AGV100 on the first path segment 21 based on the coordinates of the first endpoint, the second endpoint, and the real-time coordinates of the first path segment 21.

[0112] It should be understood that, on the one hand, the first path segment occupied by the AGV includes a first endpoint and a second endpoint, which can be described by the coordinates of the first endpoint and the second endpoint, respectively; on the other hand, the real-time position of the AGV can be described by the real-time coordinates; thus, the first real-time position of the AGV relative to the first path segment can be determined by the aforementioned coordinates of the first endpoint, the second endpoint, and the real-time coordinates.

[0113] Specifically, the distances between the real-time coordinates and the coordinates of the first endpoint and the second endpoint can be calculated respectively. Then, based on the two distances obtained, the first real-time position on the first path segment can be roughly obtained.

[0114] For example, if the distance between the real-time coordinates and the coordinates of the first endpoint is equal to the distance between the real-time coordinates and the coordinates of the second endpoint, then the first real-time position can be roughly determined to be the middle position of the first path segment; if the distance between the real-time coordinates and the coordinates of the first endpoint is twice the distance between the real-time coordinates and the coordinates of the second endpoint, then the first real-time position can be roughly determined to be one-third of the way from the second endpoint of the first path segment; it should be understood that the first real-time position is obtained roughly taking into account the possibility that the first path segment may be a curve.

[0115] In one possible implementation, the planned path includes a starting path segment that covers the starting point of the planned path, and the endpoints of the starting path segment connect to extended path segments, wherein...

[0116] The steps following step S3 above include:

[0117] S5. If the first path segment is the starting path segment, the second path segment is determined according to the pre-made path segment information, following the extended path segment from the first path segment and in the opposite direction of the corresponding walking direction of the first path segment.

[0118] It should be understood that the planned path includes a starting point and an ending point. The AGV travels from the starting point along the planned path to the ending point. The starting point is located at a certain position on the starting path segment, which is the path segment that the AGV first travels. In other words, considering that there is no planned path after the starting path segment when the AGV is traveling along the starting path segment, this embodiment connects an extended path segment at the end of the starting path segment. The extended path segment represents the path segment actually occupied by the flexible connecting shelf at this time.

[0119] After determining the first path segment, this embodiment first detects whether the first path segment is the starting path segment. If the first path segment is determined to be the starting path segment, this embodiment determines the second path segment based on the pre-made path segment information and along the extended path segment.

[0120] In one possible implementation, regarding the acquisition of the aforementioned shelf length information, the protected space calculation method further includes:

[0121] S1. Obtain the shelf length information of the flexible connection shelf;

[0122] S2. Convert the shelf length information into prefabricated path segment information.

[0123] Here, the shelf length information is, for example, the actual length of the flexible connection shelf. This actual length can be converted into prefabricated path segment information according to the map scale of the topology map. This prefabricated path segment information reflects the length of the path segment occupied by the flexible connection shelf on the planned path.

[0124] Based on the aforementioned method for calculating the protective space of flexible connected racks, this application also discloses an AGV and a device for calculating the protective space of the flexible connected racks it mounts. Please refer to... Figure 8 The protective space computing device is used to drive the AGV to walk along the planned path. The tail of the AGV is equipped with a flexible connecting shelf. The planned path is formed by connecting several path segments end to end.

[0125] The protective space computing device includes:

[0126] The first determining module 93 is used to determine the first path segment occupied by the AGV on the planned path;

[0127] The third determining module 96 is used to determine the second path segment along the planned path from the first path segment and in the opposite direction of the corresponding walking direction of the first path segment, based on the prefabricated path segment information; wherein, the prefabricated path segment information represents the length information of the path segment occupied by the flexible connecting rack on the planned path;

[0128] The protection path segment setting module 97 is used to set the first path segment and the second path segment as the first protection path segment.

[0129] In one possible implementation, the protective space computing device further includes:

[0130] The protection space setting module is used to form a strip-shaped first protection space by taking the protection path segment as the center line and extending to both sides, based on the width information of the flexible connection shelf.

[0131] In one possible implementation, the first determining module 93 specifically includes:

[0132] The first determining unit is used to determine the first real-time position of the AGV on the first path segment;

[0133] The third determination module 96 specifically includes:

[0134] The third determining unit is used to determine the second real-time position corresponding to the first real-time position by following the planned path from the first real-time position and in the opposite direction of the walking direction corresponding to the first real-time position, based on the pre-made path segment information.

[0135] The protection path segment setting module 97 specifically includes:

[0136] The protection path segment setting unit is used to set the path segment between the first real-time position and the second real-time position as the second protection path segment.

[0137] In one possible implementation, the first determining unit 931 includes:

[0138] The coordinate acquisition subunit is used to acquire the real-time coordinates of the AGV;

[0139] The position determination subunit is used to determine the first real-time position of the AGV on the first path segment based on the coordinates of the first endpoint, the second endpoint, and the real-time coordinates of the first path segment.

[0140] In one possible implementation, the planned path includes a starting path segment that covers the starting point of the planned path, and the endpoints of the starting path segment connect to extended path segments, wherein...

[0141] The protective space computing device also includes:

[0142] The second determining module is used to determine the second path segment based on the pre-made path segment information, when the first path segment is the starting path segment, by extending the path segment from the first path segment and moving in the opposite direction to the corresponding walking direction of the first path segment.

[0143] In one possible implementation, the protective space computing device further includes:

[0144] The shelving information acquisition module is used to acquire the length information of the flexible connection shelving.

[0145] The conversion module is used to convert shelf length information into prefabricated path segment information.

[0146] Based on the above-described method for calculating the protective space of flexible connecting shelves, this application also discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps in the protective space calculation method described above.

[0147] Based on the above-mentioned method for calculating the protective space of flexible connected shelves, this application also discloses an AGV control system. The AGV control system includes a control unit and several AGVs. The control unit is used to control the walking process of the AGVs respectively. The control unit executes the steps in the protective space calculation method described above when driving the AGVs to walk.

[0148] The basic principles of this application have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, benefits, and effects mentioned in this application are merely examples and not limitations, and should not be considered as essential features of each embodiment of this application. Furthermore, the specific details disclosed above are for illustrative and facilitative purposes only, and are not limitations. These details do not limit the application to the necessity of employing the aforementioned specific details for implementation.

[0149] The block diagrams of devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems involved in this application are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, or configured in the manner shown in the block diagrams. As those skilled in the art will recognize, these devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems can be connected, arranged, and configured in any manner. Words such as “comprising,” “including,” “having,” etc., are open-ended terms meaning “including but not limited to,” and are used interchangeably with them. The terms “or” and “and” as used herein refer to the terms “and / or,” and are used interchangeably with them unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “such as” as used herein refers to the phrase “such as but not limited to,” and is used interchangeably with it.

[0150] It should also be noted that in the apparatus, equipment, and methods of this application, the components or steps can be disassembled and / or recombined. These disassemblies and / or recombinations should be considered as equivalent solutions of this application.

[0151] The above description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use this application. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but rather to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0152] The above description has been given for illustrative and descriptive purposes. Furthermore, this description is not intended to limit the embodiments of this application to the forms disclosed herein. Although numerous exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize that certain variations, modifications, alterations, additions, and sub-combinations thereof should be included within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A method for calculating the protective space of an AGV and its mounted flexible connecting rack, characterized in that, The protective space calculation method is applied to the process of driving the AGV to walk along the planned path. The tail of the AGV is equipped with a flexible connecting shelf. The planned path is formed by connecting several path segments end to end. The method for calculating the protected space includes: Determine the first path segment occupied by the AGV on the planned path; Based on the prefabricated path segment information, a second path segment is determined along the planned path from the first path segment and in the opposite direction to the corresponding walking direction of the first path segment; wherein, the prefabricated path segment information indicates the length of the path segment occupied by the flexible connecting rack on the planned path; The first path segment and the second path segment are set as the first protected path segment.

2. The method for calculating the protected space according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Based on the shelf width information of the flexible connection shelf, a strip-shaped first protection space is formed by extending to both sides with the first protection path segment as the center line.

3. The method for calculating the protected space according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that, The steps for determining the first path segment occupied by the AGV on the planned path specifically include: Determine the first real-time position of the AGV on the first path segment; The step of determining the second path segment based on the pre-defined path segment information, following the planned path from the first path segment and in the reverse direction of the corresponding walking direction of the first path segment, specifically includes: Based on the pre-made path segment information, along the planned path from the first real-time position and in the opposite direction of the walking direction corresponding to the first path segment, a second real-time position corresponding to the first real-time position is determined. The steps of setting the first path segment and the second path segment as the first protected path segment specifically include: The path segment between the first real-time location and the second real-time location is set as the second protected path segment.

4. The method for calculating the protected space according to claim 3, characterized in that, The steps for determining the first real-time position of the AGV on the first path segment include: Obtain the real-time coordinates of the AGV; The first real-time position of the AGV on the first path segment is determined based on the coordinates of the first endpoint, the coordinates of the second endpoint, and the real-time coordinates of the first path segment.

5. The method for calculating the protected space according to claim 1, characterized in that, The planned path includes a starting path segment that covers the starting point of the planned path, and the endpoints of the starting path segment connect to extended path segments, wherein... When the first path segment is the starting path segment, the second path segment is determined according to the pre-made path segment information, along the extended path segment from the first path segment and in the opposite direction of the walking direction corresponding to the first path segment.

6. The method for calculating protected space according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Obtain the shelf length information of the flexible connection shelf; The shelf length information is converted into the prefabricated path segment information.

7. A protective space calculation device for an AGV and its mounted flexible connecting rack, characterized in that, The protective space computing device is used to drive the AGV to walk along the planned path. The tail of the AGV is equipped with a flexible connecting shelf. The planned path is formed by connecting several path segments end to end. The protective space computing device includes: The first determining module is used to determine the first path segment occupied by the AGV on the planned path; The third determining module is used to determine a second path segment along the planned path from the first path segment and in the opposite direction of the corresponding walking direction of the first path segment, based on the prefabricated path segment information; wherein, the prefabricated path segment information represents the length of the path segment occupied by the flexible connecting rack on the planned path; The protection path segment setting module is used to set the first path segment and the second path segment as the first protection path segment.

8. The protective space computing device according to claim 7, characterized in that, Also includes: The protection space setting module is used to form a strip-shaped first protection space by extending to both sides with the first protection path segment as the center line, based on the width information of the flexible connection shelf.

9. The protective space computing device according to any one of claims 7 and 8, characterized in that, The first determining module specifically includes: The first determining unit is used to determine the first real-time position of the AGV on the first path segment; The third determining module specifically includes: The third determining unit is used to determine, based on the pre-made path segment information, a second real-time position corresponding to the first real-time position from the first real-time position and in the opposite direction of the walking direction corresponding to the first path segment along the planned path from the first real-time position; The protection path segment setting module specifically includes: The protection path segment setting unit is used to set the path segment between the first real-time location and the second real-time location as the second protection path segment.

10. The protective space computing device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first determining unit includes: The coordinate acquisition subunit is used to acquire the real-time coordinates of the AGV; The position determination subunit is used to determine the first real-time position of the AGV on the first path segment based on the coordinates of the first endpoint, the coordinates of the second endpoint, and the real-time coordinates of the first path segment.

11. The protective space computing device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The planned path includes a starting path segment that covers the starting point of the planned path, and the endpoints of the starting path segment connect to extended path segments, wherein... The protective space computing device further includes: The second determining module is used to determine the second path segment in the reverse direction from the first path segment and toward the corresponding walking direction of the first path segment, based on the pre-made path segment information, when the first path segment is the starting path segment.

12. The protective space computing device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The protective space computing device further includes: The shelving information acquisition module is used to acquire the shelving length information of the flexible connection shelving; The conversion module is used to convert the shelf length information into the prefabricated path segment information.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps in the protected space calculation method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

14. An AGV control system, characterized in that, The AGV control system includes a control unit and a plurality of AGVs. The control unit is used to control the walking process of the AGVs respectively. When driving the AGVs to walk, the control unit performs the steps in the protective space calculation method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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