Mobile body operation management device

Abstract

The invention relates to a moving body operation management device which is configured to set an exclusive section when the operation of a certain moving body hinders the movement of a channel of another moving body. When the exclusive section of one of the two moving bodies and the exclusive section of the other moving body are adjacent to each other, the movement of the one moving body on the shortest path to the next moving destination is blocked by the exclusive section of the other moving body. The present invention selectively issues a first operation instruction and a second operation instruction by comparing the arrival time of the one to the next movement destination in accordance with a first operation instruction for moving the one to the next movement destination along a path that bypasses an exclusive section with respect to the other, and a second operation instruction for moving the other to the next movement destination along a path that bypasses the exclusive section with respect to the other. The second operation instruction causes the one to move to the next movement destination in the shortest path after the exclusive interval with respect to the other is released.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for managing the operation of a plurality of moving bodies that move along a passage provided in an area and perform work at a specific location. Background Art

[0002] As a system for managing the operation of multiple mobile bodies, there is a technique such as that described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-178533. This technique relates to ground support work using mobile bodies at an airport, in which the travel paths of each of the multiple mobile bodies are set so as not to interfere with other mobile bodies.

[0003] The technology described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-178533 is a technology for setting a driving path relatively freely in an area where a passage is not set, and is not a preferred technology for managing the operation of a mobile body in an area where a passage for the mobile body to travel is pre-set. It can be considered that if the operation of a mobile body can be properly managed in an area where a passage is pre-set by a mobile body operation management device, the practicality of the mobile body operation management device is improved. The present invention is completed in view of such actual conditions, and its purpose is to provide a mobile body operation management device with high practicality. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the mobile body operation management device of the present invention is characterized in that:

[0005] The system is configured to manage the operation of a plurality of moving bodies that move along passages set in an area and perform operations at a specific location.

[0006] When the operation of a certain moving body hinders the movement of other moving bodies in the passage, the section including the place where the operation is being performed is set as an exclusive section.

[0007] When the exclusive section for one of the two moving bodies is adjacent to the exclusive section for the other moving body, and the movement of the one moving body to the next moving destination by the shortest path is blocked by the exclusive section for the other moving body,

[0008] The first operation instruction and the second operation instruction are selectively issued by comparing the arrival time of the first operation instruction and the second operation instruction at the next destination of the first operation instruction and the second operation instruction,

[0009] the first operation instruction causes the one to move to a next movement destination along a route that bypasses an exclusive section associated with the other,

[0010] the second operation instruction causes the one to move to the next movement destination via the shortest route after the exclusive section with respect to the other is released,

[0011] The second operation instruction is an instruction for causing the above-mentioned one party to retreat to a nearby retreat space and release the exclusive section regarding the above-mentioned one party when the movement of the above-mentioned other party to the next moving destination by the shortest path is blocked by the exclusive section regarding the above-mentioned one party, so that the above-mentioned other party can pass through the released exclusive section and rush to the next moving destination by the shortest path, and then move to the next moving destination by the shortest path.

[0012] According to the mobile body operation management device of the present invention, the movement path is determined based on which of moving along a detour path and moving along the shortest path after the other party's work is completed to reach the next movement destination first. Therefore, even if there are adjacent exclusive sections, the mobile body can be operated quickly.

[0013] The premise of the mobile body operation management device of the present invention is that it is configured to manage the operation of a plurality of mobile bodies that move in passages set in an area and perform operations in a specific place.

[0014] When the operation of a certain moving body hinders the movement of other moving bodies in the passage, the section including the place where the operation is being performed is set as an exclusive section.

[0015] When an exclusive section for one of the two moving bodies and an exclusive section for the other are adjacent to each other and movement of the one moving body to the next moving destination by the shortest path is blocked by the exclusive section for the other moving body,

[0016] The first operation instruction and the second operation instruction are selectively issued by comparing the arrival time of the first operation instruction and the second operation instruction at the next destination of the first operation instruction and the second operation instruction,

[0017] the first operation instruction causes the one to move to a next movement destination along a route that bypasses an exclusive section associated with the other,

[0018] The second operation instruction causes the one to move to a next destination via the shortest route after the exclusive section with respect to the other is released.

[0019] The mobile bodies to be managed by the mobile body operation management device of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "management device") are not particularly limited, and various devices such as vehicles, heavy equipment, transport devices, and drones are the targets. In addition, the present invention can be applied to mobile bodies that move in various areas such as warehouses, offices, and blocks. Specifically, for example, it can be applied to vehicles that move in divided blocks to transport people and objects; and to transport trucks that move objects in and out of warehouses. The operations performed by the mobile body are also not particularly limited, and can vary depending on the mobile body.

[0020] The passage for the moving bodies may be a passage in which the moving bodies cannot pass each other. In view of the ease of operation management and the smoothness of the movement of the moving bodies, it is preferred that the passage for the moving bodies be designed to allow the moving bodies to pass each other by allowing the moving bodies to move only on one side of the passage, the right side and the left side, relative to the moving direction of the moving bodies.

[0021] “The operation of a certain moving body hinders the movement of another moving body in the passage” means, for example, that the operation of a certain moving body is performed by blocking the passage, protruding into the passage, etc., and the operation of the moving body interferes with other moving bodies. The operation for which the exclusive section is set can be regarded as an operation that occupies the passage.

[0022] The mobile body may be a device that moves automatically, that is, an automatic driving device, or a device driven by a person. In the case where the mobile body is an automatic driving device, it is sufficient that the mobile body is designed to automatically drive based on the instructions from the management device. In the case where the mobile body is a device driven by a person, it is sufficient that the instructions from the management device are displayed on a display in a manner that the driver can recognize, for example.

[0023] When the operation of a certain moving body hinders the movement of the passage of other moving bodies, the management device sets an exclusive section for the certain moving body. For example, the management device only needs to set the exclusive section when the operation is started. Moreover, when the operation is completed and the moving body is in a position to move to the next moving destination after the operation is completed, the management device only needs to cancel the setting of the exclusive section.

[0024] The basic concept of the present invention is that when two moving bodies are working in adjacent places and one of the two moving bodies finishes the work while the other is still working, the one moving body is given a choice of whether to move in a detour path around the other moving body or to wait for the other moving body to finish the work and then move in the shortest path. In the case of the former, the instruction issued to the moving body of one side is the above-mentioned first operation instruction. In the case of the latter, the instruction issued to the moving body of one side is the above-mentioned second operation instruction. These first operation instructions and second operation instructions can be issued to the moving body of one side at the moment when the work in the exclusive section of the moving body of one side is finished. Among them, in the case where the movement of the moving body of one side to the next moving destination in the shortest path is not hindered by the exclusive section of the moving body of the other side, it is sufficient to issue an instruction to move to the next moving destination in the shortest path to the moving body of one side.

[0025] When the second operation instruction is issued based on the above basic concept, as the second operation instruction, there are two types of instructions regarding the behavior of one of the moving bodies, for example, "standby instruction" and "retreat instruction". The standby instruction is "an instruction to make one party standby in an exclusive interval for the one party". The retreat instruction is "an instruction to make one party retreat to a nearby retreat space". The second operation instruction in the present invention is the "retreat instruction", but each of the above two instructions will be described later.

[0026] When the second operation instruction is a standby instruction, the second operation instruction becomes an instruction to make one of the two moving bodies stand by in an exclusive section related to the one and move to the next moving destination via the shortest path after the other of the two moving bodies moves toward the next moving destination without passing through the exclusive section related to the one.

[0027] When the second operation instruction as the above-mentioned standby instruction is issued to one of the two moving bodies, the management device may issue an instruction to the other moving body to move to the next moving destination by the shortest path, for example, when the movement of the other moving body to the next moving destination by the shortest path is not blocked by the exclusive section related to one of the two moving bodies. Alternatively, for example, when the movement of the other moving body to the next moving destination by the shortest path is blocked by the exclusive section related to one of the two moving bodies, an instruction may be issued to cause the other moving body to move to the next moving destination by bypassing the exclusive section related to one of the two moving bodies. The latter instruction becomes an effective instruction in a situation where the movement of one moving body by the shortest path and the movement of the other moving body by the shortest path are blocked from each other, that is, in a situation where a deadlock occurs.

[0028] When the second operation instruction is a retreat instruction, the second operation instruction becomes the following instruction. When the movement of the other of the two moving bodies to the next moving destination by the shortest path is blocked by the exclusive section of one of the two moving bodies, one of the moving bodies is retreated to a nearby retreat space. After the exclusive section of the one of the moving bodies is released to allow the other party to pass through the released exclusive section and rush to the next moving destination by the shortest path, one of the moving bodies is moved to the next moving destination by the shortest path. The second operation instruction also becomes an effective instruction in the case where the two moving bodies are deadlocked. By the way, the retreat space is a space where one can stay without obstructing the movement of the passage of other moving bodies.

[0029] In the absence of the retreat space, the management device may selectively issue the first operation instruction and the third operation instruction, for example, by comparing the arrival time of the one of the two moving bodies to the next moving destination in accordance with the first operation instruction and the third operation instruction, wherein the third operation instruction is an instruction replacing the second operation instruction, so as to make one of the two moving bodies wait in the exclusive section for the one of the two moving bodies, make the other of the two moving bodies bypass the exclusive section for the one of the two moving bodies and move to the next moving destination, and after the movement, make the one of the two moving bodies move to the next moving destination by the shortest path. The instruction that performs such selection is also an effective instruction in the situation where the two moving bodies are deadlocked.

[0030] The selection of the first operation instruction and the second operation instruction is performed by comparing the arrival time of one of the two moving bodies at the next moving destination when the instructions are followed. The selection of the first operation instruction and the second operation instruction is performed by comparing the arrival time at the next moving destination when moving to the next moving destination by a detour route (hereinafter referred to as "the first arrival time") and the arrival time at the next moving destination when moving to the next moving destination by the shortest route after waiting or retreating (hereinafter referred to as "the second arrival time").

[0031] The first arrival time and the second arrival time can be calculated by, for example, the Dijkstra algorithm in graph theory. Specifically, a graph is created in which nodes (vertices) are set at important locations such as branch points of the channel and about the work places (exclusive intervals) of both sides of the two moving bodies and the next moving destination, and the edges (edges) connecting the above nodes are set according to the channel. It is sufficient to select the shortest path from the paths between the work place of one moving body in the graph and the next moving destination for calculation. By the way, the calculation of the first arrival time can be performed using a graph in which the edges connecting the work places of the two moving bodies are eliminated. The calculation of the second arrival time can be performed by adding the time spent on waiting or retreating to the time spent on moving with the shortest path. In other words, the calculation of the second arrival time can be performed by inferring the end time of the work of the other party of the two moving bodies in the exclusive interval about the other party and taking that time into consideration.

[0032] In the selection of either the first operation instruction or the second operation instruction, in principle, the instruction of the earlier of the first arrival time and the second arrival time may be selected. In addition, it is not necessary to follow the principle, and for example, factors such as traffic congestion, the state of the passage, and the fuel utilization rate may be considered to add or subtract a margin time to one of the first arrival time and the second arrival time, and the first arrival time and the second arrival time obtained by adding or subtracting the margin time are compared to select the earlier instruction.

[0033] In addition, in the area, for example, there may be a moving object other than the two moving objects described above (hereinafter, there may be a case where it is referred to as a "third moving object"). It is also conceivable that if the moving object is referred to as a third moving object, the third moving object hinders the movement of one of the two moving objects to the next moving destination. However, in order to make the concept of the present invention easy to understand, in this specification, the obstruction of movement caused by such a third moving object is not considered for description.

[0034] The hardware structure of the mobile body operation management device is not particularly limited. The mobile body operation management device may be configured to include, for example, a computer and a communication device. The storage area of ​​the computer may be configured to store, for example, a map related to the passage for the mobile bodies to move, the current position of each mobile body, the operation schedule of each mobile body, etc. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Hereinafter, features, advantages, technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like components, wherein:

[0036] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing a vehicle warehouse which is an area where a vehicle transporter which is a mobile body to be managed by the mobile body operation management device of the embodiment moves.

[0037] Figure 2A It is a figure which shows a vehicle transporter.

[0038] Figure 2B It is a figure which shows a vehicle transporter.

[0039] Figure 3A This is a diagram for explaining how work performed by a vehicle transport machine obstructs movement of a passage of another vehicle transport machine, and an exclusion section set in association with the obstruction.

[0040] Figure 3B This is a diagram for explaining how work performed by a vehicle transport machine obstructs movement of a passage of another vehicle transport machine, and an exclusion section set in association with the obstruction.

[0041] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of operation instruction processing performed by the mobile body operation management device of the embodiment in consideration of the exclusive section.

[0042] Figure 5A This is a diagram for explaining the standby instruction and the retreat instruction as the second operation instruction.

[0043] Figure 5B This is a diagram for explaining the standby instruction and the retreat instruction as the second operation instruction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Hereinafter, as a method for implementing the present invention, the mobile body operation management device of the embodiment is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition to the following embodiments, the present invention can also be implemented in various ways represented by the method described in the morphological item of the above invention and various changes and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0045] Vehicle warehouse

[0046] The mobile body operation management device of the embodiment is a transporter operation management device (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a "management device") that manages the operation of a vehicle transporter (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a "transporter") as a mobile body. Figure 1 As shown, the transporter T moves, that is, travels, within the warehouse 10 as an area. The transporter T will be described in detail later, and carries a vehicle C as a transport object into the warehouse 10 and stores the transported vehicle C in the storage section S, and takes out the vehicle C stored in the storage section S and carries the vehicle C out of the warehouse 10.

[0047] The storage partition S has a length and width that is just enough to store one vehicle C. A plurality of storage blocks B are provided in the warehouse 10, each of which has a plurality of storage columns L arranged in the width direction, and each storage column L has four storage partitions S arranged in the length direction. A passage P for the transporter T to travel is provided in the warehouse 10 so as to surround each storage block B. Specifically, a transverse passage PL extending in the transverse direction in a manner that the ends of the storage columns L face each other and a longitudinal passage PV connecting the transverse passages PL are provided in the warehouse 10. In the following, the transverse passage PL and the longitudinal passage PV are collectively referred to as the passage P.

[0048] At the left end of the warehouse 10 in the drawing, an exit GO for unloading the vehicle C is provided. Although omitted in the drawing, at the right end of the warehouse 10, an entrance GI for loading the vehicle C is provided. The management device 12 is configured to include a computer 14 and a communication device 16. The management device 12 is provided in a management room 18 attached to the warehouse 10.

[0049] Vehicle transporter

[0050] like Figure 2A Middle top view, Figure 2B As shown in the middle side view, the transporter T is composed of an automatically driven tractor 20 and a shelf 22 towed by the tractor 20. The tractor 20 and the shelf 22 can rotate with each other around the hinge 24. The tractor 20 has a front wheel 26 and a rear wheel 28. The front wheel 26 is a steering wheel, and the rear wheel 28 is a driving wheel. The tractor 20 is equipped with an automatic driving controller for automatic driving. In addition, a unit device 30 is maintained above the tractor 20, which is integrated with a camera for monitoring the surroundings for automatic driving, a beacon receiver for obtaining its own position, and a communicator for communicating with the management device 12. Since the automatic driving is performed by general techniques, the description here is omitted. The shelf 22 has a platform 32 for lifting. The lifting of the platform 32 is performed by the automatic driving controller. In addition, the shelf 22 has a wheel 34 at the end of the side far from the tractor 20.

[0051] like Figure 2A , Figure 2B As shown, the transporter T can insert the shelf 22 from the rear side of the vehicle C under the vehicle body, and transport the vehicle C while raising the platform 32 to lift the vehicle C. In addition, although not shown in the figure, the transporter T can also insert the shelf 22 from the front side of the vehicle C under the vehicle body, and transport the vehicle C while raising the platform 32 to lift the vehicle C. That is, the transporter T can access the vehicle C from either the front side or the rear side of the vehicle C.

[0052] Functions of the conveyor operation management device

[0053] As described above, the management device 12 as a mobile body operation management device uses the computer 14 as a main body. The computer 14 is configured to include a CPU, ROM, RAM, hard disk and other storage devices. The management device 12 has an inventory management function that can create inventory data, and the inventory data indicates which storage partition S in the warehouse 10 stores which vehicle C at the current moment. In addition, the management device 12 is sent from the outside with respect to what kind of vehicle C is moved into the warehouse 10 and when what kind of vehicle C is moved out of the warehouse 10. The management device 12 has an operation plan creation function, and the operation plan creation function creates an operation plan for at least one of the storage operation and the removal operation of the vehicle C performed by the transporter T based on the import and export data. Although detailed descriptions about the inventory data and the operation plan are omitted, the inventory data and the operation plan are stored in the storage device of the computer 14.

[0054] Furthermore, the management device 12 has a job allocation function, which determines the storage partition S for storing the imported vehicle C or storing the vehicle C to be removed at an appropriate time based on the above-mentioned inventory data and the loading and unloading data, and determines which transporter T is to perform the storage operation of the vehicle C to the storage partition S or the removal operation of the vehicle C from the storage partition S. In addition, the management device 12 grasps which transporter T is currently moving to which position in the warehouse 10 in a state of transporting the vehicle C or not transporting the vehicle C, or at which position it is performing the storage operation or the removal operation. Therefore, the allocation of the storage operation or the removal operation is performed based on this grasp. Furthermore, the management device 12 has an operation instruction issuing function for issuing an operation instruction to the transporter T to which the operation is assigned. As an example of an operation instruction, an operation instruction can be cited that includes which vehicle C is to be brought into the warehouse 10 and which storage partition S is to be run to through which passage P, and the vehicle C is to be stored in the storage partition S. Another example of the operation instruction is an operation instruction to take out a vehicle C stored in a storage section S and to carry it out from the warehouse 10 through a passage P. The management device 12 has a function of issuing an operation instruction including the next moving destination of each transporter T.

[0055] Obstruction of vehicle storage / removal operations and aisle movement by vehicle transporters

[0056] A storage row L in which four storage partitions S are arranged is arranged in the warehouse 10. For example, Figure 3A As shown, the vehicle C is taken out from the storage partition S and the vehicle C is stored in the storage partition S by the transporter T entering the storage column L from the transverse passage PL facing the end of the storage column L, and entering and exiting the storage column L relative to the transverse passage PL. The passage P is for left-side traffic and has a width that the transporter T can pass. Regardless of whether the transporter T is transporting the vehicle C, the length of the transporter T is long. Therefore, in the passage P, when a storage operation or a take-out operation (hereinafter referred to as "operation") is performed, in a certain section of the transverse passage PL including the place where the operation is performed, the movement of other transporters T in the section is blocked.

[0057] In view of this, when one transporter T is performing a storage operation or a take-out operation, the management device 12 sets the above section as an exclusive section E, and prohibits other transporters T from moving in the exclusive section E. Incidentally, when the transporter T performing the operation completes the operation, more specifically, when the transporter T completes the operation and moves along the transverse passage PL, the setting of the exclusive section E is canceled. In the drawings, the exclusive section E is shown in gray.

[0058] It should be noted that, for example, when two transporters T are operating in one transverse channel PL, Figure 3B A problem will arise when two exclusive intervals E are set adjacent to each other as shown. Specifically, in view of the efficiency of the transport machine T, the transport machine T that has completed a job should move to the next destination for the next job by the shortest path. However, when a transport machine T that has completed a job (hereinafter referred to as the "target transport machine Ts") rushes to the next destination, it cannot move along the shortest path shown by the solid line due to the exclusive interval E (hereinafter referred to as the "adjacent exclusive interval En") related to another transport machine T (hereinafter referred to as the "adjacent operation transport machine Tn"). In particular, when the adjacent operation transport machine Tn has completed a job, the adjacent operation transport machine Tn cannot move along the shortest path shown by the solid line due to the exclusive interval E related to the target transport machine Ts (hereinafter referred to as the "self-exclusive interval Es"). It also results in a situation where the so-called deadlock occurs. Among them, in Figure 3B In FIG. 1 , the detour routes of the target transport machine Ts and the adjacent work transport machine Tn are indicated by dotted lines.

[0059] Dealing with adjacent exclusive intervals

[0060] The management device 12 is designed to take measures to deal with the above-mentioned problem caused by the adjacent exclusive intervals E. Specifically, the management device 12 makes the one of the two adjacent transporters T that finishes the operation first become the target transporter Ts. The management device 12 is designed to execute a Figure 4 The operation instruction processing shown in the flowchart is described below according to the flowchart. Figure 3B This explanation is based on the situation of. Figure 3B The details of the situation are as follows. A self-exclusive section Es is set for the target transporter Ts. An adjacent work transporter Tn is working at a location adjacent to the target transporter Ts. An adjacent exclusive section En is set for the adjacent work transporter Tn.

[0061] When the object transporter Ts finishes the storage operation or the removal operation and the object transporter Ts wants to move to the next moving destination, the operation instruction processing is executed. In the operation instruction processing, first, in step 1 (hereinafter referred to as "S1". The same applies to other steps), the shortest path is determined. In S2, it is determined whether the movement of the object transporter Ts to the next moving destination along the shortest path is hindered by the adjacent exclusive interval En. In the case where the movement along the shortest path is not hindered, that is, in the case where the shortest path is a path in the opposite direction to the adjacent exclusive interval En (in this case, Figure 3BThe path indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 1 is the shortest path), and in S3, the setting of the self-exclusive section Es is released, and an instruction is issued to the target transporter Ts to move along the shortest path.

[0062] When the movement of the target transporter Ts by the shortest path is blocked, that is, when the shortest path is a path passing through the adjacent exclusive section En, in S4, a detour path that bypasses the adjacent exclusive section En, that is, a path that goes in the opposite direction to the adjacent exclusive section En is determined. In S5, the time when the target transporter Ts arrives at the next movement destination by moving along the detour path, that is, the detour arrival time t1 as the first arrival time, is estimated.

[0063] In the subsequent S6, it is determined whether the movement of the adjacent working transporter Tn to the next moving destination by the shortest path is blocked by the self-exclusive section Es. In other words, it is determined whether the adjacent working transporter Tn passes through the self-exclusive section Es or the section set as the self-exclusive section Es when moving to the next moving destination by the shortest path. In the case where it is not blocked (in this case, Figure 3B The path shown by the dotted line in the middle becomes the shortest path to the adjacent work transporter Tn), and in S7, the standby mode is selected as the operation mode. Figure 5A As shown, in the standby mode, the object transporter Ts stands by in the self-exclusive section Es, and after the adjacent working transporter Tn completes the work and rushes to the next moving destination by the shortest path, that is, after the setting of the adjacent exclusive section En is released, the object transporter Ts moves to the next moving destination by its own shortest path.

[0064] When it is determined in S6 that the movement of the adjacent working transporter Tn to the next moving destination by the shortest path is blocked by the self-exclusive section Es, the processing proceeds to S8. In S8, it is determined whether there is a space for the target transporter Ts to retreat, i.e., a retreat space, in the vicinity of the target transporter Ts, more specifically, in an area other than the adjacent exclusive section En in the lateral passage PL where the target transporter Ts exists. The retreat space is a space where the transporter T, which is not transporting a vehicle C or is about to transport a vehicle C, can stay without protruding into the passage P. Figure 5B As shown by the reference numeral X in the figure, for example, two consecutive storage sections S can be used as the retreat space.

[0065] If there is no escape space, the standby mode is selected as the operation mode in S7. Incidentally, in this case, the following instruction is issued to the adjacent work transporter Tn: when the work is completed and the work is moved to the next destination, it should run to the next destination by a route that does not pass through the self-exclusive section Es, that is, a detour route instead of the shortest route. If there is an escape space X, the escape mode is selected as the operation mode in S9. In this escape mode, if Figure 5B As shown, after the operation is completed, the target transporter Ts temporarily retreats to the retreat space X, so that the setting of the self-exclusive section Es is released. After the adjacent transporter Tn that has completed the operation passes through the section that was the self-exclusive section Es by the shortest path, the target transporter Ts passes through the section where the setting of the adjacent exclusive section En is released and moves to the next movement destination by its own shortest path.

[0066] In the case where either the standby mode or the retreat mode is selected, the arrival time of the target transport machine Ts at the next destination, that is, the shortest path arrival time t2 as the second arrival time is also calculated in S10. In the case where the standby mode is selected, the shortest path arrival time t2 is calculated as the time obtained by adding the time of waiting in the self-exclusive section Es to the time of arriving at the next destination by the shortest path when the movement is not blocked. In the case where the retreat mode is selected, the shortest path arrival time t2 is calculated as the time obtained by adding the time of retreating in the retreat space X to the time of arriving at the next destination by the shortest path when the movement is not blocked. The shortest path arrival time t2 can be considered as the time estimated based on the time when the adjacent working transport machine Tn in the adjacent exclusive section En is estimated to have completed the work.

[0067] Next, in S11, the detour arrival time t1 calculated in S5 is compared with the shortest path arrival time t2 calculated in S10. When the detour arrival time t1 is closer to the current time than the shortest path arrival time t2, that is, when it is determined that the next destination will arrive earlier by running to the next destination by the detour path without waiting or retreating, an instruction to run to the next destination by the detour path is issued to the target transporter Ts in S12 as the first operation instruction. On the other hand, when the shortest path arrival time t2 is equal to the detour time t1 or the shortest path arrival time t2 is closer to the current time than the detour time t1, that is, when it is determined that the next destination will arrive later by running to the next destination by the detour path, an instruction suitable for the selected operation mode, that is, the standby mode or the retreat mode, is issued to the target transporter Ts in S13 as the second operation instruction. However, when the instruction to enter the standby mode is issued, as described above, an instruction is also issued to the adjacent work transporter Tn to run to the next movement destination via the shortest route or the detour route.

[0068] As described above, the management device 12 of this embodiment can appropriately manage the operation of the moving body even when the movement of the moving body to the next moving destination by the shortest path is blocked by the exclusive section. In particular, when two moving bodies are deadlocked, the deadlock can be appropriately avoided.

[0069] Furthermore, when it is determined that the movement of the adjacent working transporter Tn to the next moving destination by the shortest path is blocked by the self-exclusive section Es, the instruction when the retreat mode is selected because there is a retreat space for the target transporter Ts can be regarded as the second operation instruction. The instruction when there is no retreat space and the standby mode is selected, even if the target transporter Ts is on standby in the self-exclusive section Es, the instruction to make the adjacent working transporter Tn bypass the self-exclusive section Es and move to the next moving destination, and after the movement, make the target transporter Ts move to the next moving destination by the shortest path, can also be regarded as the third operation instruction replacing the second operation instruction.

Claims

1. A mobile body operation management device, wherein: The system is configured to manage the operation of a plurality of moving bodies that move along passages set in an area and perform operations at a specific location. When the operation of a certain moving body hinders the movement of other moving bodies in the passage, the section including the place where the operation is being performed is set as an exclusive section. When the exclusive section for one of the two moving bodies is adjacent to the exclusive section for the other moving body, and the movement of the one moving body to the next moving destination by the shortest path is blocked by the exclusive section for the other moving body, The first operation instruction and the second operation instruction are selectively issued by comparing the arrival time of the one at the next destination when the first operation instruction and the second operation instruction are followed, The first operation instruction causes the one to move to a next movement destination along a route that bypasses an exclusive section associated with the other. The second operation instruction causes the one to move to the next destination by the shortest route after the exclusive section with respect to the other is released. The second operation instruction is an instruction for causing the one party to retreat to a nearby retreat space and release the exclusive section regarding the one party when the other party's movement to the next moving destination by the shortest path is blocked by the exclusive section regarding the one party, so that the other party can pass through the released exclusive section and rush to the next moving destination by the shortest path, and then move to the next moving destination by the shortest path.

2. The mobile body operation management device according to claim 1, wherein: The mobile body operation management device is composed of: In the absence of the nearby escape space, selectively issuing the first operation instruction and the third operation instruction by comparing the arrival time of the one at the next destination when the first operation instruction and the third operation instruction are followed, The third operation instruction is an instruction replacing the second operation instruction, which causes the one party to wait in the exclusive section related to the one party, causes the other party to bypass the exclusive section related to the one party and move to the next movement destination, and after the movement, causes the one party to move to the next movement destination along the shortest path.

3. The mobile body operation management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The moving body operation management device is configured to determine the arrival time at the next moving destination based on Dijkstra's algorithm in graph theory.

4. The mobile body operation management device according to claim 1, wherein: The mobile body operation management device is configured to estimate the end time of the work of the other party in the exclusive section with respect to the other party when issuing the second operation instruction, and estimate the arrival time of the one party at the next movement destination when following the second operation instruction.

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