Automatic guided vehicle, and scheduling method and system of automatic guided vehicle

Abstract

The invention provides an automatic guided vehicle and a scheduling method and system of the automatic guided vehicle. The automatic guided vehicle scheduling method comprises the steps that the current state of a first process of a to-be-machined object is acquired, the first process is the process of processing the to-be-machined object in a first process processing area, and the first process is any one of a plurality of processing processes of the to-be-machined object; and according to the state of the first technology and the logic relation among the multiple machining technologies, the to-be-machined object is carried to a second technology treatment area from the first technology treatment area to be subjected to the second technology, and the second technology is the next machining technology adjacent to the first technology. According to the embodiment of the invention, the circulation interval time among the processing technologies is short, the cohesion of the processing technologies is good, and the production efficiency is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of intelligent equipment technology, and in particular to an automatic guided vehicle, and a scheduling method and system for an automatic guided vehicle. Background Art

[0002] In modern manufacturing environments, parts usually need to go through multiple processes during processing, and these process areas are usually dispersed within the factory. The dispersion leads to the need for parts (i.e., processing objects) to flow between different process areas, and currently they are mainly transported and transferred manually or semi-automatically. However, manual or semi-automatic methods of transportation and transfer have low efficiency and are difficult to meet the high-efficiency requirements of modern manufacturing. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present application provides an automated guided vehicle, an automated guided vehicle scheduling method and a system. Various aspects of the present application are introduced below.

[0004] In a first aspect, the present application provides a scheduling method for an automatic guided vehicle, comprising: obtaining the current status of a first process of an object to be processed, the first process being a process in which the object to be processed is processed in a first process processing area, and the first process being any one of multiple processing processes of the object to be processed; according to the status of the first process and the logical relationship between the multiple processing processes, the object to be processed is transported from the first process processing area to a second process processing area for a second process, and the second process is the next processing process adjacent to the first process.

[0005] In the second aspect, the present application provides a scheduling system for an automatic guided vehicle, comprising: an acquisition unit, used to acquire the current state of a first process of an object to be processed, the first process being a process in which the object to be processed is processed in a first process treatment area, and the first process is any one of multiple processing processes for the object to be processed; a control unit, used to transport the object to be processed from the first process treatment area to a second process treatment area for a second process according to the state of the first process and the logical relationship between the multiple processing processes, the second process being the next processing process adjacent to the first process.

[0006] In a third aspect, the present application provides an automatic guided vehicle, comprising: a memory for storing code; and a processor connected to the memory, for executing the code stored in the memory, so that the automatic guided vehicle performs the scheduling method as described in the first aspect.

[0007] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a scheduling system for an automatic guided vehicle, comprising: a memory for storing code; and a processor connected to the memory for executing the code stored in the memory so that the scheduling system executes the scheduling method described in the first aspect.

[0008] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a manufacturing management system, comprising the automatic guided vehicle as described in the third aspect.

[0009] In a sixth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a program is stored, and when the program is executed, the steps of the method described in the first aspect can be implemented.

[0010] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising a program, which, when executed, can implement the steps of the method described in the first aspect.

[0011] This application automatically moves the object to be processed from the first process processing area to the second process processing area according to the state of the first process and the logical relationship between multiple processing processes. Since the real-time processing progress of the first process is obtained, it can be moved to the second process processing area after the first process is completed. In this application, the flow interval between each processing process is short, the connection between each processing process is good, and the production efficiency is high, which helps to improve the automation level of the factory and provide strong support for intelligent manufacturing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for describing the embodiments are briefly introduced below.

[0013] Figure 1 It is a flow chart of the scheduling method of the automatic guided vehicle provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0014] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of component units / partial component units of the automatic guided vehicle provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0015] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the composition of a dispatching system for an automated guided vehicle provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0016] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the composition of another automatic guided vehicle dispatching system provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0017] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of component units / partial component units of the manufacturing management system provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments.

[0019] With the continuous improvement of automation technology, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) have been widely used. AGVs, also known as intelligent transport vehicles and mobile transport robots, are a set of core logistics equipment that are essential for the construction of digital workshops / intelligent factories at home and abroad. In recent years, in important industries of the national economy such as engineering machinery, automobiles and auto parts, rail transportation, medicine, new materials, and food, automated guided vehicles have played an important role in improving the informatization, intelligence, and unmanned operation of workshop material distribution.

[0020] In a modern manufacturing environment, parts usually need to go through a variety of process treatments during the machining process, such as numerical control machining (CNC), turning and milling, three-dimensional inspection, electrical discharge machining, wire cutting, polishing, etc., and these process areas are usually dispersed in the factory. This dispersion leads to the need for parts (i.e., processing objects) to flow between different process areas, and currently they mainly rely on manual or semi-automatic methods for transportation and circulation. In the semi-automatic method, most of the transportation is done by automatic guided vehicles. The scheduling of automatic guided vehicles is usually based on the request signal of the calling station, and is scheduled in sequence according to the first call order. However, the manual or semi-automatic transportation and circulation has the problem of low efficiency and difficulty in adapting to the high-efficiency needs of smart factories.

[0021] Therefore, it is necessary to design a technical solution for dispatching automatic guided vehicles with higher efficiency.

[0022] Based on this, the present application embodiment proposes a scheduling method for an automated guided vehicle. The purpose is to achieve efficient transportation and circulation of the automated guided vehicle according to the business logic states between multiple processing techniques of the object to be processed. Figure 1 The scheduling method of the automatic guided vehicle in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail. Figure 1 As shown, the scheduling method of the embodiment of the present application may mainly include steps S110 to S120, and these steps are described in detail below.

[0023] It should be pointed out that the size of the serial numbers of the steps in the embodiments of the present application does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0024] The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit the subject that executes the scheduling method of the automated guided vehicle. In some embodiments, the execution subject may be an automated guided vehicle. In other embodiments, the execution subject may also be an intelligent manufacturing management system such as a manufacturing execution system (MES) and a warehouse management system (WMS). The manufacturing execution system may include an automated guided vehicle, or the automated guided vehicle may be scheduled through a communication connection to execute the scheduling method of the automated guided vehicle of the embodiments of the present application.

[0025] In step S110, the current state of the first process of the object to be processed is obtained.

[0026] The object to be processed may also be referred to as a part to be processed. The first process is a process in which the object to be processed is processed in the first process treatment area, and the first process is any one of multiple processing processes of the object to be processed. The entire production process of the object to be processed may include multiple processing processes, and the multiple processing processes correspond to multiple process treatment areas. The current state of the first process may at least include the current processing progress of the first process. For example, the state of the first process is a state in which 70% of the processing progress is completed, or a state in which it has been completed. The completion time or estimated completion time of the first process may be determined according to the state of the first process.

[0027] It is understandable that multiple different process treatment areas can perform multiple different processing techniques, and multiple different processing techniques correspond to multiple different process states. The first process treatment area is a process treatment area corresponding to the first process among the multiple process treatment areas. The object to be processed can be subjected to different process treatments in different process treatment areas and have different process states.

[0028] The multiple processing techniques in the production process can cover some or all of the process links in traditional processes such as CNC processing, turning and milling, three-dimensional inspection, electrical discharge machining, wire cutting, polishing, and grinding.

[0029] However, the entire production process of the object to be processed also includes the material flow link, and some material flows (such as material preparation, clamping, shipment, and warehousing) are not directly driven by traditional processing technology.

[0030] In some implementations, multiple processing techniques may also include material flow processes (links), and multiple processing techniques correspond to multiple process states. Multiple processing process states may include corresponding material flow states. The material flow process may at least include some or all of the links in material preparation (referring to writing RFID), clamping, outbound storage, and warehousing. Alternatively, multiple process states may also include material flow states, and the material flow states may at least include some or all of the states in material preparation, clamping, outbound storage, and warehousing. By including multiple processing techniques in the material flow process, the entire production process of the object to be processed can be covered, and each link in the entire production process can be driven by the process.

[0031] For example, the main steps of a possible overall production process for the object to be processed are as follows:

[0032] Out of warehouse → Waiting for clamping → Waiting for material preparation (writing RFID) → Waiting for line body → Waiting for processing → Processing completed → Polishing → Warehouse

[0033] In some implementations, the multiple processing states may further include a processing abnormal state and / or a handover abnormal state, so as to facilitate the handling of abnormal situations during the processing and abnormal situations that occur after handover. For example, according to the category of the process state, the multiple process states can be roughly divided into the following four types: waiting for processing state, processing completed state, handover abnormal state, and processing error state.

[0034] In step S120, according to the state of the first process and the logical relationship between the multiple processing processes, the object to be processed is moved from the first process processing area to the second process processing area for the second process. The second process is the next processing process adjacent to the first process. The second process processing area is the process processing area corresponding to the second process among the multiple process processing areas.

[0035] According to the logical relationship between the multiple processing techniques, the second process can be determined, that is, the next processing technique adjacent to the first process can be determined. According to the completion of the first process and the second process, the object to be processed is moved from the first process processing area to the second process processing area for the second process. It can be understood that the first process is a non-last processing process among the multiple processing techniques of the object to be processed.

[0036] The object to be processed may require different fixtures in different process areas, that is, the fixture of the object to be processed in the first process area may be the same as or different from the fixture of the object to be processed in the second process area. In addition, the fixtures are usually different for different objects to be processed. In order to ensure the continuity of the production process, the fixtures required for the next processing process should be prepared in advance.

[0037] In some implementations, in step S120, based on the status of the first process and the logical relationship between multiple processing processes, transporting the object to be processed from the first process treatment area to the second process treatment area for the second process, may include: based on the estimated completion time of the first process and the logical relationship between multiple processing processes, scheduling an automatic guided vehicle to transport the tooling and fixture required for the second process of the object to be processed to the second process treatment area; and transporting the object to be processed from the first process treatment area to the second process treatment area.

[0038] In the embodiment of the present application, the object to be processed is automatically moved from the first process treatment area to the second process treatment area according to the state of the first process and the logical relationship between multiple processing techniques. Since the real-time processing progress of the first process is obtained, it can be moved to the second process treatment area after the first process is completed. It is also possible to move the accessories (such as jigs and fixtures, shelves) required for the next processing technique to the second process treatment area in advance according to the estimated completion time of the first process, or to move them to the second process treatment area together with the object to be processed. In the embodiment of the present application, the flow interval time between each processing technique is short, and the connectivity of each processing technique is good, which helps to improve the automation level and production efficiency of the factory and provide strong support for intelligent manufacturing.

[0039] In a factory environment, the scheduling tasks of AGV are usually not limited to simple point-to-point movement. Each object to be processed is usually equipped with a dedicated fixture, such as a 3R fixture and an Erowa fixture for precision positioning. Some fixtures are small, and the AGV can move the fixture and the object to be processed to the second process area together. Some fixtures are large, and the AGV needs to move the fixture and the object to be processed to the second process area separately.

[0040] Specifically, in some embodiments, according to the estimated completion time of the first process and the logical relationship between multiple processing processes, the automatic guided vehicle is dispatched to transport the fixtures required for the second process of the object to be processed and the object to be processed that has completed the first process from the first process processing area to the second process processing area at one time. This helps to improve the connectivity between multiple processes.

[0041] In other embodiments, according to the estimated completion time of the first process and the logical relationship between multiple processing processes, before the object to be processed that has completed the first process is moved from the first process processing area to the second process processing area, it also includes: dispatching an automatic guided vehicle to transport the tooling and fixtures required for the second process of the object to be processed to the second process processing area. In other words, according to the estimated completion time of the first process and the logical relationship between multiple processing processes, dispatching an automatic guided vehicle to transport the tooling and fixtures required for the second process of the object to be processed to the second process processing area in advance (before the first process is completed); and then transporting the object to be processed that has completed the first process from the first process processing area to the second process processing area.

[0042] Special fixtures usually need to be placed on the corresponding shelves (pallet shelves), and different fixtures may be placed on the same or different shelves. It is usually necessary to design special pallet shelves to support the placement of 3R fixtures and Erowa fixtures. In order to ensure good connectivity between processing techniques, the fixtures required for the next processing technique and / or the shelves where the fixtures are placed should be prepared in advance.

[0043] In some implementations, the aforementioned method of transporting the tooling and fixtures required for the second process of the object to be processed to the second process treatment area based on the estimated completion time of the first process and the logical relationship between the multiple processing processes may include: dispatching an automatic guided vehicle to transport the shelves holding the tooling and fixtures required for the second process to the second process treatment area based on the estimated completion time of the first process and the logical relationship between the multiple processing processes; and transporting the tooling and fixtures required for the second process of the object to be processed to the second process treatment area.

[0044] In some embodiments, the automatic guided vehicle can move the shelf where the tooling and fixtures required for the second process are placed to the second process treatment area in advance (before the first process is completed); and then move the tooling and fixtures to the second process treatment area. In other embodiments, the automatic guided vehicle can move the shelf where the tooling and fixtures required for the second process are placed to the second process treatment area together with the tooling and fixtures in advance. In other words, based on the estimated completion time of the first process and the logical relationship between multiple processing processes, before moving the object to be processed that has completed the first process from the first process treatment area to the second process treatment area, the method of the embodiment of the present application also includes: moving the shelf where the tooling and fixtures required for the second process are placed and the tooling and fixtures to the second process treatment area separately or together.

[0045] In some implementations, before the automated guided vehicle transports the shelf containing the tooling and fixtures required for the second process to the second process treatment area, the method of the embodiment of the present application further includes: the automated guided vehicle taking out the shelf containing the tooling and fixtures required for the second process from the shelf warehouse.

[0046] It is understandable that, based on the estimated completion time of the first process, as well as the time required for the automated guided vehicle to transport the shelf and the time required to transport the fixtures, the execution entity (e.g., AGV) can automatically calculate the start time for removing the shelf, the start time for transporting the shelf to the second process treatment area, the start time and completion time for transporting the fixtures to the second process treatment area, and the start time for transporting the object to be processed to the second process treatment area. Some or all of the data required for the calculation (such as the location of each process treatment area, the location of the shelf warehouse) can be stored in advance in the memory of the execution entity or in a remote server. Usually, the start time for transporting the object to be processed to the second process treatment area should be close to the moment when the first process of the object to be processed is completed. The above-mentioned start times can also be reversed based on the completion time of the first process of the object to be processed to further determine each start time.

[0047] In some implementations, in step S120, based on the completion status of the first process and the logical relationship between multiple processing processes, the object to be processed is moved from the first process treatment area to the second process treatment area for performing the second process, which may include: in response to completing the current first process, based on the logical relationship between multiple processing processes, the object to be processed is moved from the first process treatment area to the second process treatment area for performing the second process.

[0048] In some implementations, the step S120 of moving the object to be processed from the first process treatment area to the second process treatment area for the second process according to the completion status of the first process and the logical relationship between the multiple processing processes may include: in response to the completion of the current first process and the satisfaction of the time trigger condition, moving the object to be processed from the first process treatment area to the second process treatment area for the second process according to the logical relationship between the multiple processing processes. The time trigger condition is that a preset waiting time is reached, and / or the current time is within a preset permitted time period. In some embodiments, in order to achieve flexible scheduling, the user can set the effectiveness of the scheduling within the preset permitted time period. This helps to reduce the waiting time of the AGV and improve the operating efficiency of the AGV.

[0049] In some implementations, in response to the completion of the current first process and the satisfaction of the time trigger condition, according to the logical relationship between multiple processing processes, the object to be processed is moved from the first process processing area to the second process processing area for the second process, which may include: in response to the completion of the current first process, the second process processing area is in a receivable state, and the time trigger condition is satisfied, according to the logical relationship between multiple processing processes, the object to be processed is moved from the first process processing area to the second process processing area for the second process. This helps to reduce the waiting time of the AGV and improve the operating efficiency of the AGV.

[0050] It is understandable that transporting a processing object from one process area to another process area involves path planning. Before transporting the object to be processed from the first process area to the second process area, the AGV needs to perform path planning to determine a suitable transport (travel) route. For example, the transport route has the shortest distance and the shortest time.

[0051] In some implementations, the above, according to the logical relationship between the multiple processing techniques, transporting the object to be processed from the first processing area to the second processing area for the second process, may include: according to the logical relationship between the multiple processing techniques, dispatching a target automated guided vehicle to transport the object to be processed from the first processing area to the second processing area for the second process; wherein the target automated guided vehicle is an automated guided vehicle with a high priority among the multiple automated guided vehicles. The priority is determined based on multiple parameters, and the multiple parameters include at least some or all of the parameters of transportation distance, demand urgency, material processing status, and customer delivery date.

[0052] As an example, there may be multiple AGVs on standby, and the multiple AGVs may be distributed in different locations and in different operating states. For example, some AGVs are closer to the second process area, and some AGVs are closer to the shelf warehouse. Prioritizing the selection of high-priority target AGVs to transport the objects to be processed from the first process area to the second process area for the second process helps to reduce the comprehensive operating costs of AGVs, reduce operating time, and reduce route conflicts.

[0053] Further, the target automated guided vehicle with the highest priority is selected to transport the object to be processed from the first process treatment area to the second process treatment area for performing the second process.

[0054] In order to facilitate measurement and calculation, the non-quantitative parameters of demand urgency and material processing status representation value can be quantified. For example, the demand urgency representation value is used to represent the demand urgency of the destination, and the material processing status representation value is used to represent the level of the material processing status.

[0055] In some implementations, the priority is positively correlated with the demand urgency representation value, the material processing status representation value, and the customer delivery date, and the priority is negatively correlated with the transportation distance.

[0056] Next, the specific calculation of the priority of the automated guided vehicle is described in detail.

[0057] In order to reduce the comprehensive operating cost of AGV, the embodiment of the present application proposes an evaluation model of comprehensive cost. The objective function of comprehensive cost is associated with transportation distance, demand urgency, material processing status and customer delivery date. Therefore, the priority of the automated guided vehicle can also be determined based on the comprehensive cost objective function of AGV. Specifically, the objective function cost of the set comprehensive cost can be expressed as:

[0058] Cost=αS+βK+γD+δT

[0059] Among them, S represents the transportation distance, K is the demand urgency, D is the material processing status, T is the customer delivery date, and α, β, γ, and δ are the weight values ​​corresponding to each parameter. The following is a detailed description of the input parameters of the objective function.

[0060] (I) Transportation distance S. The transportation distance S can be composed of three parts, which are specifically expressed as follows:

[0061] S=S 1 +S 2 +S 3

[0062] Among them, S 1 is the distance from the current location to the shelf warehouse to get the shelf, S 2 is the distance of the transport rack from the rack warehouse to the destination (in the second process area), S 3 To return the shelf distance.

[0063] (ii) Demand urgency K.

[0064] The demand urgency K indicates the urgency of the demand at the destination. The value range of K can include the high and low urgency of the demand at the destination: 1 Indicates that the material is being processed; K 2 Indicates that material preparation is suspended; K 3 Indicates that the material is waiting to be processed.

[0065] Correspondingly, a quantitative weight can be assigned, or called a demand urgency representation value. Specifically, if W K = {W K1 ,W K2 ,W K3}, where W K1 K 1 Quantitative weights in material processing, W K3 K 3 The quantitative weight of the material to be processed. The higher the urgency of the demand at the destination, the more urgent the task, and the greater the urgency value.

[0066] (III) Material processing status D.

[0067] The material processing status D can include multiple states, and the specific identification can be found in D 1 To D 11 (Corresponding to CNC processing, turning and milling processing and other process states respectively.) Multiple material processing states can be assigned quantitative grade values, or material processing state characterization values. The later the serial number, the higher the grade value.

[0068] Specifically, if W D = {W D1 ,W D2 ,......,W D11}. Among them, W D1 Indicates D 1 The representation value of the material structure status, W D11 Indicates D 11 Characteristic value of material status. Generally, the higher the hourly cost of material processing status (corresponding to process equipment), the greater the characterization value of material processing status.

[0069] (IV) Customer delivery date T.

[0070] Customer delivery time T can include T 1 、T 2 Multiple sub-items, T 1 For the customer delivery period, T 2 is the overdue period. Accordingly, a quantitative weight can be assigned to the customer delivery period T. T = {W T1 ,W T2}, where W T1 Indicates the customer delivery period T 1 The weight, W T2 Indicates the customer delivery period T 2 In some embodiments, the weights within the customer delivery period can be further subdivided, such as the closer the delivery deadline is, the greater the weight. This helps to increase the importance of products that are about to be delivered, and to schedule production in time to complete them on schedule. Among multiple customer tasks, the urgency of the processing technology usually takes precedence over the customer delivery date, or in other words, the machine task takes precedence over the customer delivery date.

[0071] In the objective function model, α, β, γ, and δ are adjustment coefficients, which are usually pre-set initial values. In some embodiments, their specific values ​​can also be adjusted according to specific business needs. For example, when the transportation distance is long, or greater than a predetermined length threshold, the adjustment coefficient β of the demand urgency can be increased to reduce the impact of the transportation distance on the cost. In the time period with high demand urgency, the adjustment coefficient δ of the customer delivery date can be appropriately increased.

[0072] According to the impact and contribution to the comprehensive cost, in the model of the objective function, the reasonable value range of the transportation distance, demand urgency characterization value, material processing status characterization value, and customer delivery date parameters can be determined. Since the transportation distance, demand urgency, material processing status, and customer delivery date parameters have different dimensions, the transportation distance, demand urgency characterization value, material processing status characterization value, and customer delivery date can also be normalized values.

[0073] According to the model of the objective function, the comprehensive cost of the automated guided vehicle can be clearly quantified, the objective function can be optimized and calculated, and the minimum value of the comprehensive cost of the automated guided vehicle can be determined.

[0074] The priorities of multiple automated guided vehicles can be determined based on the transportation distance, the value representing the urgency of demand, the value representing the material processing status, and the customer delivery date parameters. When determining the priority, a basic priority can be defined. Combining the above factors, the basic priority P can be expressed as:

[0075]

[0076] It can be understood that the above formula needs to satisfy certain constraints, which may include transportation distance constraints and delivery time constraints.

[0077] 1) Transportation distance constraints:

[0078] S≤S max

[0079] Where S max It is the maximum transport capacity of AGV.

[0080] 2) Delivery constraint, W T The corresponding delivery period T should satisfy:

[0081] T≤T deadline

[0082] The higher the urgency of the demand at the destination, the more urgent the task is, and the greater the urgency of the demand representation value. Generally, the higher the hourly cost of the material processing status (corresponding to the process equipment), the greater the material processing status representation value. The closer to the customer's delivery deadline, the more priority should be given; the greater the transportation distance, the longer it takes. It can be seen that the priority of the automated guided vehicle is positively correlated with the urgency of the demand representation value, the material processing status representation value and the customer delivery date, and the priority is negatively correlated with the transportation distance.

[0083] Prioritize the target automatic guided vehicle with high priority. The target automatic guided vehicle can use the path planning algorithm to determine the optimal path from the current location to the target location. For example, the A* algorithm or the Dijkstra algorithm is used to determine the optimal path from the current location to the target location. Among them, the Dijkstra algorithm is a typical shortest path algorithm. Its essence is breadth-first search, and its space complexity and time complexity are relatively high. The A* algorithm is also called the A-star algorithm. As an extension of the Dijkstra algorithm, it not only records the cost to the source point, but also calculates the expected cost from the current point to the target point. It is a heuristic algorithm and a depth-first algorithm.

[0084] The comprehensive cost model of the embodiment of the present application provides a quantitative method for scheduling transportation of automated guided vehicles, by comprehensively considering the transportation distance, demand urgency, processing status and customer delivery period, selecting high-priority target automated guided vehicles, and providing a basis for path planning. The coefficient can be adjusted to adapt to different production environments and priority requirements.

[0085] In the embodiment of the present application, the object to be processed is automatically moved from the first process treatment area to the second process treatment area according to the state of the first process and the logical relationship between multiple processing techniques. Since the real-time processing progress of the first process is obtained, it can be moved to the second process treatment area after the first process is completed. It is also possible to move the accessories (such as jigs and fixtures, shelves) required for the next processing technique to the second process treatment area in advance according to the estimated completion time of the first process, or to move them to the second process treatment area together with the object to be processed. In the embodiment of the present application, the flow interval time between each processing technique is short, the connectivity of each processing technique is good, and the production efficiency is high, which helps to improve the automation level of the factory.

[0086] By expanding the traditional process, the system can control every step of the object to be processed in the entire production process. By encapsulating the AGV tasks, the scheduling process of the AGV in the factory can be simplified. The AGV in the embodiment of the present application can be seamlessly integrated with the MES system to achieve full-factory automation. The AGV in the embodiment of the present application can also be combined with the advanced planning and scheduling (APS) system to achieve priority outbound processing of warehouse materials and improve the efficiency of automatic warehousing and outbound in warehouse management.

[0087] Combination of the above Figure 1 The method embodiment of the present application is described in detail. Figures 2 to 5 The device embodiment of the present application is described in detail. It should be understood that the description of the device embodiment corresponds to the description of the method embodiment, so the parts not described in detail can refer to the previous method embodiment.

[0088] An embodiment of the present application also provides an automatic guided vehicle. Figure 2 Schematic diagram of component units / partial component units of the automatic guided vehicle provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 As shown, the automatic guided vehicle 200 includes: a guided vehicle body 230 , a memory 210 , and at least one processor 220 .

[0089] The guide vehicle body 230 is used to carry and transport the object to be processed.

[0090] The memory 210 is used to store codes or computer programs.

[0091] The processor 220 is connected to the memory 210 and is used to execute the code or computer program stored in the memory 210 so that the automatic guided vehicle 200 executes any of the methods described above.

[0092] Exemplarily, the computer program may be divided into one or more modules / units, one or more modules / units are stored in the memory 210 and executed by the processor 220 to complete the present application.

[0093] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 2 The automatic guided vehicle 200 is merely an example and does not constitute a limitation of the automatic guided vehicle, and may include more or less components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or different components.

[0094] The processor 220 may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, or the processor may be any conventional processor, etc.

[0095] The automatic guided vehicle 200 provided in this embodiment can execute the above method embodiment, and its implementation principle and technical effect are similar, which will not be repeated here.

[0096] In the embodiment of the present application, the object to be processed is automatically moved from the first process processing area to the second process processing area according to the completion status of the first process and the logical relationship between multiple processing processes. In the embodiment of the present application, the flow time between the processing processes is short, the connection between the processing processes is good, the production efficiency is high, which helps to improve the automation level of the factory and provide strong support for intelligent manufacturing.

[0097] By expanding the traditional process, the system can control every step of the object to be processed in the entire production process. By encapsulating the AGV tasks, the scheduling process of the AGV in the factory can be simplified. The AGV in the embodiment of the present application can be seamlessly integrated with the MES system to achieve full factory automation. The AGV in the embodiment of the present application can also be combined with an advanced planning and scheduling system to achieve priority outbound processing of warehouse materials and solve the problem of automatic warehousing and outbound in warehouse management.

[0098] An embodiment of the present application also provides a scheduling system for an automated guided vehicle. Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the composition of an automatic guided vehicle dispatching system provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 As shown, the dispatching system 300 for an automated guided vehicle may include an acquisition unit 310 and a control unit 320 .

[0099] The acquisition unit 310 is used to acquire the current state of the first process of the object to be processed. The first process is a process in which the object to be processed is processed in the first process processing area, and the first process is any one of multiple processing processes of the object to be processed.

[0100] Multiple processing techniques correspond to multiple process states, and the multiple process states include material flow states. The material flow states include at least some or all of the states of material preparation, clamping, outbound storage, and inbound storage; and / or, the multiple process states also include abnormal handover states and abnormal processing states.

[0101] The control unit 320 is used to control the automatic guided vehicle to move the object to be processed from the first process treatment area to the second process treatment area for the second process according to the state of the first process and the logical relationship between multiple processing processes. The second process is the next processing process adjacent to the first process.

[0102] Optionally, the control unit 320 is used to send a first message to the automatic guided vehicle according to the state of the first process and the logical relationship between the multiple processing processes. The first message is used to control the automatic guided vehicle to move the object to be processed from the first process processing area to the second process processing area for the second process.

[0103] Accordingly, the automated guided vehicle may receive the first message from the automated guided vehicle scheduling system 300. According to the first message, the automated guided vehicle may transport the object to be processed from the first process treatment area to the second process treatment area for performing the second process.

[0104] Optionally, the control unit 320 is used to schedule the AGV to transport the tooling and fixtures required for the second process of the object to be processed to the second process processing area according to the estimated completion time of the first process and the logical relationship between multiple processing processes; and to transport the object to be processed from the first process processing area to the second process processing area.

[0105] Optionally, the control unit 320 is used to schedule the AGV to transport the shelves containing the tooling and fixtures required for the second process to the second process processing area according to the estimated completion time of the first process and the logical relationship between multiple processing processes; and to transport the tooling and fixtures required for the second process of the object to be processed to the second process processing area.

[0106] Optionally, the control unit 320 is used to schedule the AGV to return the shelf on which the tooling fixtures required for the second process are placed to the shelf warehouse.

[0107] Optionally, the control unit 320 is used to, in response to the completion of the current first process and the satisfaction of the time trigger condition, schedule the AGV to transport the object to be processed from the first process processing area to the second process processing area for the second process according to the logical relationship between the multiple processing processes. The time trigger condition is that a preset waiting time is reached and / or the current time is within a preset permitted time period.

[0108] Optionally, the control unit 320 is used to control the target automated guided vehicle to transport the object to be processed from the first process processing area to the second process processing area for the second process in response to the completion of the current first process and the satisfaction of the time trigger condition, according to the logical relationship between the multiple processing processes; wherein the target automated guided vehicle is the automated guided vehicle with the highest priority among the multiple automated guided vehicles. The priority is determined based on multiple parameters, and the multiple parameters include at least some or all of the parameters of the transportation distance, the urgency of the demand, the material processing status, and the customer delivery date.

[0109] Optionally, the priority is positively correlated with the demand urgency representation value, the material processing status representation value and the customer delivery date, and the priority is negatively correlated with the transportation distance.

[0110] Since the processing progress of the first process is obtained in real time, it can be moved to the second process processing area after the first process is completed. It is also possible to move the accessories (tooling fixtures, shelves) required for the next process to the second process processing area in advance according to the estimated completion time of the first process, or move them to the second process processing area together with the object to be processed. In the embodiment of the present application, the flow time interval between each processing technology is short, the connection between each processing technology is good, and the production efficiency is high, which helps to improve the automation level of the factory and provide strong support for intelligent manufacturing.

[0111] The AGV in the embodiment of the present application can be seamlessly integrated with the MES system to realize the automation of the whole factory. The AGV in the embodiment of the present application can also be combined with the Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) system to realize the priority outbound processing of storage materials and solve the problem of automatic storage and outbound in storage management.

[0112] Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of another automatic guided vehicle dispatching system provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 As shown, the dispatching system 400 for an automated guided vehicle may include: a memory 410 and at least one processor 420 .

[0113] The memory 410 is used to store codes or computer programs.

[0114] The processor 420 is connected to the memory 410 and is used to execute the code or computer program stored in the memory 410 to control the automatic guided vehicle scheduling system 400 to execute any of the scheduling methods described above.

[0115] The embodiment of the present application also provides a manufacturing management system. Figure 5 Schematic diagram of component units / partial component units of the manufacturing management system provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 5 As shown, the manufacturing management system 500 may include an automated guided vehicle 200 as described above.

[0116] After the production plan is issued by the Manufacturing Execution System (MES), each workstation starts to execute the production task. When a workstation needs materials, it sends a material request to the side warehouse and waits for the staff to complete the material collection, transportation and loading process, or waits for the automatic guided vehicle 200 to complete the material transportation process.

[0117] An embodiment of the present application further provides a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps in the above-mentioned method embodiments can be implemented.

[0118] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product. When the computer program product runs on an electronic device, the electronic device can implement the steps in the above-mentioned method embodiments when executing the computer program product.

[0119] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the present application implements all or part of the processes in the above method embodiments, which can be completed by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program, and the computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed by the processor, the steps of the above method embodiments can be implemented. Among them, the computer program includes computer program code, which can be in source code form, object code form, executable file or some intermediate form. The computer-readable medium may at least include: any entity or device that can carry the computer program code to the camera / electronic device, recording medium, computer memory, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), read-only compact disc (CD-ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk and optical data storage device. The computer-readable storage medium mentioned in the present application can be a non-volatile storage medium, in other words, it can be a non-transient storage medium.

[0120] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described or recorded in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0121] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0122] In the embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices / equipment and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device / equipment embodiments described above are only schematic, for example, the division of modules or units is only a logical function division, and there may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0123] It should be understood that when used in the present specification and the appended claims, the term "comprising" indicates the presence of described features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0124] It should also be understood that the term “and / or” used in the specification and appended claims refers to any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and includes these combinations.

[0125] As used in the specification and appended claims of this application, the term "if" can be interpreted as "when" or "uponce" or "in response to determining" or "in response to detecting", depending on the context. Similarly, the phrase "if it is determined" or "if [described condition or event] is detected" can be interpreted as meaning "uponce it is determined" or "in response to determining" or "uponce [described condition or event] is detected" or "in response to detecting [described condition or event]", depending on the context.

[0126] In addition, in the description of the present application specification and the appended claims, the terms "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish the descriptions and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0127] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit it. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for dispatching an automatic guided vehicle, characterized in that: include: Acquire a current state of a first process of the object to be processed, where the first process is a process in which the object to be processed is processed in a first process processing area, and the first process is any one of a plurality of processing processes of the object to be processed; According to the state of the first process and the logical relationship between the multiple processing processes, the object to be processed is moved from the first process processing area to the second process processing area for a second process, and the second process is the next processing process adjacent to the first process.

2. The scheduling method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method of moving the object to be processed from the first process treatment area to the second process treatment area for performing the second process according to the state of the first process and the logical relationship between the plurality of processing processes comprises: According to the estimated completion time of the first process and the logical relationship between the multiple processing processes, the automatic guided vehicle AGV is dispatched to transport the tooling and fixture required for the second process of the object to be processed to the second process processing area; The object to be processed is transported from the first process treatment area to the second process treatment area.

3. The scheduling method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The method of scheduling the AGV to transport the tooling fixture required for the second process of the object to be processed to the second process processing area according to the estimated completion time of the first process and the logical relationship between the multiple processing processes includes: According to the estimated completion time of the first process and the logical relationship between the multiple processing processes, the AGV is scheduled to transport the shelf where the tooling fixtures required for the second process are placed to the second process processing area; The tooling and fixtures required for the second process of the object to be processed are transported to the second process treatment area.

4. The scheduling method according to claim 3, characterized in that: After the second process is completed in the second process treatment area, the method further includes: The AGV is dispatched to return the shelf on which the tooling fixtures required for the second process are placed to the shelf warehouse.

5. The scheduling method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method of moving the object to be processed from the first process treatment area to the second process treatment area for performing the second process according to the state of the first process and the logical relationship between the plurality of processing processes comprises: In response to the completion of the current first process and the satisfaction of a time trigger condition, the object to be processed is transported from the first process treatment area to a second process treatment area for a second process according to a logical relationship between the plurality of processing processes; The time trigger condition is that a preset waiting time has been reached, and / or the current time is within a preset permitted time period.

6. The scheduling method according to claim 5, characterized in that: In response to completing the current first process and satisfying a time trigger condition, according to the logical relationship between the multiple processing processes, the object to be processed is transported from the first process processing area to the second process processing area for performing the second process, including: In response to completing the current first process and satisfying a time trigger condition, according to a logical relationship between the multiple processing processes, scheduling a target automatic guided vehicle to move the object to be processed from the first process processing area to a second process processing area for performing a second process; Among them, the target automated guided vehicle is the automated guided vehicle with the highest priority among multiple automated guided vehicles, and the priority is determined based on multiple parameters, and the multiple parameters at least include some or all parameters of transportation distance, demand urgency, material processing status and customer delivery time.

7. The scheduling method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The priority is positively correlated with the demand urgency characterization value, the material processing status characterization value and the customer delivery date, and the priority is negatively correlated with the transportation distance.

8. A dispatching system for an automated guided vehicle, characterized in that: include: an acquisition unit, used for acquiring completion status of a current first process of the object to be processed, wherein the first process is a process in which the object to be processed is processed in a first process processing area, and the first process is any process among a plurality of processing processes of the object to be processed; A control unit is used to move the object to be processed from the first process treatment area to the second process treatment area for a second process according to the completion status of the first process and the logical relationship between the multiple processing processes. The second process is the next processing process adjacent to the first process.

9. An automatic guided vehicle, characterized in that: include: Guide vehicle body; A memory for storing codes; A processor, connected to the memory, is used to execute the code stored in the memory so that the automatic guided vehicle executes the scheduling method as described in any one of claims 1-7.

10. A dispatching system for an automated guided vehicle, characterized in that: include: A memory for storing codes; A processor is connected to the memory and is used to execute the code stored in the memory so that the scheduling system executes the scheduling method as described in any one of claims 1-7.

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