Cargo handling system

Abstract

Provided is a cargo handling system capable of achieving cost reduction. A cargo handling system (100) is provided with: a monitoring unit (40) that monitors a platform (22) of a transport vehicle (20) parked in a parking area (E1) and / or the surroundings of the platform; and a determination unit (61) that determines the state of the stage and the state of the surroundings of the stage on the basis of the information acquired by the monitoring unit. The monitoring unit is provided at a position different from that of the industrial vehicle (1) in the work field (110), and has an image acquisition unit (41) for acquiring an image. Thus, the monitoring unit can acquire an image from an image acquisition unit provided on the device side instead of acquiring an image from the industrial vehicle. Thus, the determination unit can determine the state of the stage and the state of the periphery of the stage on the basis of the image obtained by the device-side image acquisition unit. Therefore, in the cargo handling system (10), there is no need to provide a high-performance monitoring unit for the determination by the determination unit to each industrial vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to cargo handling systems. Background Art

[0002] As an existing cargo handling system, there is a cargo handling system described in Patent Document 1, for example. This existing cargo handling system is a system for performing cargo handling operations on an industrial vehicle such as a transport vehicle forklift. The cargo handling system has a distance measuring device as ground equipment. The cargo handling system measures the distance of a pallet on a cargo platform, and based on the distance information, sends a command related to cargo handling to the industrial vehicle.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-195215 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] In the above-mentioned existing cargo handling system, the ground equipment is equipped with a distance measuring unit for measuring the distance. However, the conditions of the transport vehicle and the surroundings of the transport vehicle cannot be fully understood only by the distance. In this case, the on-site operator needs to make various judgments. Alternatively, it is necessary to install a high-performance detection device on each industrial vehicle, which increases the cost.

[0008] The present disclosure is made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to provide a cargo handling system capable of achieving cost reduction.

[0009] Solutions for solving problems

[0010] The cargo loading and unloading system involved in one aspect of the present disclosure is a cargo loading and unloading system in which an industrial vehicle performs cargo loading and unloading operations on a transport vehicle, and comprises: an industrial vehicle; a work site having a parking area for the transport vehicle to park and for the industrial vehicle to perform cargo loading and unloading operations; a monitoring unit that monitors at least one of a cargo bed of the transport vehicle parked in the parking area and the surroundings of the cargo bed; a determination unit that determines the state of the cargo bed and the state of the surroundings of the cargo bed based on information obtained by the monitoring unit; and an instruction unit that sends instructions to the industrial vehicle based on the determination result of the determination unit, the monitoring unit being arranged at a position different from the industrial vehicle in the work site, and having an image acquisition unit that acquires an image of at least one of the cargo bed of the transport vehicle and the surroundings of the cargo bed.

[0011] The cargo handling system includes: a monitoring unit that monitors at least one of the cargo bed of the transport vehicle parked in the parking area and the surrounding of the cargo bed; and a determination unit that determines the state of the cargo bed and the surrounding of the cargo bed based on the information obtained by the monitoring unit. The monitoring unit is set at a different position from the industrial vehicle in the work area, and has an image acquisition unit that acquires an image of at least one of the cargo bed of the transport vehicle and the surrounding of the cargo bed. In this way, the monitoring unit can acquire images from the image acquisition unit set on the equipment side, rather than from the industrial vehicle. Therefore, the determination unit can determine the state of the cargo bed and the surrounding of the cargo bed based on the image obtained by the image acquisition unit on the equipment side. Therefore, in the cargo handling system, it is not necessary to set a high-performance monitoring unit on each industrial vehicle for the determination unit to perform determination. As a result, cost reduction can be achieved.

[0012] Alternatively, the determination unit may use artificial intelligence to perform the determination. In this case, the determination unit can determine the state of the cargo bed of the transport vehicle and the state of the surroundings of the transport vehicle in more detail based on the obtained image.

[0013] Alternatively, when the determination unit determines that there is a person around the cargo platform, the command unit may send a stop command to the industrial vehicle. In this case, safety when there is a person around the cargo platform can be improved.

[0014] The monitoring unit may further include a distance measuring unit for measuring the distance of the object. In this case, the monitoring unit can determine the state of the cargo bed of the transport vehicle and the state of the surroundings of the transport vehicle based on both the image and the distance of the object.

[0015] Effects of the Invention

[0016] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a cargo handling system capable of achieving cost reduction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 1 is a side view showing an example of an industrial vehicle of the cargo handling system according to the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 2 is a top view showing an example of a cargo handling system.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a front view showing an example of a cargo handling system.

[0020] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the module configuration of a cargo handling system.

[0021] Figure 5 This is an image showing a situation when the determination unit makes a determination using artificial intelligence.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing an example of the processing content of the cargo handling system.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a flowchart showing an example of the processing content of the cargo handling system.

[0024] Figure 8 This is a flowchart showing an example of the processing content of the cargo handling system.

[0025] Fig. 9 This is a flowchart showing an example of the processing content of the cargo handling system.

[0026] Fig.10 This is a flowchart showing an example of the processing content of the cargo handling system.

[0027] Fig.11 This is a flowchart showing an example of the processing content of the cargo handling system.

[0028] Fig.12 This is a flowchart showing an example of the processing content of the cargo handling system.

[0029] Fig.13 This is a flowchart showing an example of the processing content of the cargo handling system.

[0030] Description of Reference Numerals

[0031] 1 ... industrial vehicle, 20 ... transport vehicle, 40 ... monitoring unit, 41 ... image acquisition unit, 42 ... distance measurement unit, 61 ... determination unit, 62 ... command unit, 100 ... cargo handling system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Figure 1 1 is a side view showing an example of an industrial vehicle 1 involved in the present disclosure. The industrial vehicle 1 is a vehicle for unloading cargo W from a transport vehicle. A forklift is used as the industrial vehicle 1. The type of forklift is not particularly limited, and may be any of a reach type and a counterweight type. Figure 1 As shown, the industrial vehicle 1 includes a travel device 2 , a cargo handling device 3 disposed in front of the travel device 2 and having a fork 13 , and a travel control unit that controls the travel of the industrial vehicle 1 .

[0033] The travel device 2 includes a vehicle body 4, a pair of driving wheels, namely, front wheels 5, arranged at the front of the vehicle body 4, and a pair of steering wheels, namely, rear wheels 6, arranged at the rear of the vehicle body 4. A cab 7 composed of a frame including a roof guard is provided on the vehicle body 4. A lifting operation lever for operating a lifting cylinder 14, a tilting operation lever for operating a tilting cylinder 15, a steering device for steering the industrial vehicle 1, and the like are arranged in the cab 7. In addition, the travel device 2 includes a travel motor for rotating the front wheels 5 and a steering motor for steering the rear wheels 6 by rotating a handle shaft of the industrial vehicle 1. In the industrial vehicle 1, the travel motor rotates the front wheels 5, and the steering motor steers the rear wheels 6, thereby achieving travel of the travel device 2.

[0034] The cargo handling device 3 includes a mast 11 mounted on the front of the vehicle body 4, a pair of forks 13 mounted on the mast 11 via a lifting bracket 12 to hold the cargo W, a lifting cylinder 14 to raise and lower the forks 13, and a tilting cylinder 15 to tilt the mast 11. The forks 13 are mounted so as to protrude forward from the lifting bracket 12.

[0035] Next, refer to Figure 2 to Figure 4 The configuration of the cargo handling system 100 will be described. Figure 2 is a top view of cargo handling system 100 . Figure 3 is a front view of the cargo handling system 100 . Figure 4 is a block diagram of the cargo handling system 100. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the cargo handling system 100 includes the above-mentioned industrial vehicle 1, the transport vehicle 20, the work site 110, the above-ground equipment 70, and the server 60. The cargo handling system 100 is a system for the industrial vehicle 1 to perform cargo handling operations on the transport vehicle 20.

[0036] like Figure 4 As shown, the industrial vehicle 1 includes a control unit 30, a reading unit 31, and an input unit 32. The control unit 30 is a device that controls the entire industrial vehicle 1. The control unit 30 is composed of a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, an input / output interface, and the like. The control unit 30 includes a calculation unit 33 that performs various calculations and a communication unit 34 that performs communication. The communication unit 34 can communicate with the ground device 70 and the server 60. The reading unit 31 is a machine that can read various information. The reading unit 31 can read identification information from the identification information providing units 27 and 28 described later. The reading unit 31 can include an image acquisition unit such as a camera, an REID reader that reads a REID tag, and the like. There is no particular limitation on where the reading unit 31 is set on the industrial vehicle 1, as long as it is set at a position where the identification information providing units 27 and 28 can be read. The input unit 32 is a machine that can input various information to the industrial vehicle 1. As the input unit 32, there are various switches, touch panels, and the like.

[0037] like Figure 2 As shown, the transport vehicle 20 has a travel portion 21 and a cargo platform 22 for loading cargo W. In this embodiment, a truck is used as the transport vehicle 20. Figure 3 As shown, the cargo platform 22 includes a bottom 23, a top 24, and a pair of wings 26. The pair of wings 26 opens and closes the side of the cargo platform 22. The wings 26 are opened and closed using the top 24 as a hinge. On the bottom 23 of the cargo platform 22, a pallet PT loaded with cargo W is placed.

[0038] An identification information assigning unit 27 for assigning identification information for identifying the transport vehicle 20 is provided on the cargo platform 22. An identification information assigning unit 28 for assigning identification information for identifying the cargo W loaded on the pallet PT is provided on the pallet PT. As the identification information assigning units 27 and 28, for example, a medium that can be read based on an image can be used. For example, a QR code (registered trademark), a bar code, etc. can be used as the identification information assigning units 27 and 28. Alternatively, as the identification information assigning units 27 and 28, a medium that can be read by a reading device can be used. For example, as a medium that can be read by a reading device, an RFID tag, etc. can be used. The identification information assigning units 27 and 28 are provided by a reading unit 31 (refer to Figure 4 ) to read.

[0039] like Figure 2 As shown, the work site 110 includes a parking area E1, a waiting area E2, and a home position E3. The parking area E1 is an area for the transport vehicle 20 to park. The industrial vehicle 1 performs an operation of unloading the cargo W loaded on the cargo platform 22 of the transport vehicle 20 parked in the parking area E1. The waiting area E2 is an area for the transport vehicle 20 to wait. At the waiting area E2, the transport vehicle 20 waits until the parking area E1 becomes available for parking. The home position E3 is an area for the industrial vehicle 1 to wait when it is not performing cargo loading and unloading operations.

[0040] The above-ground equipment 70 is installed at a position different from the industrial vehicle 1 and the transport vehicle 20 in the work site 110. The above-ground equipment 70 is not mounted on the industrial vehicle 1 and the transport vehicle 20, but is installed as a device on the equipment side. The above-ground equipment 70 includes a monitoring unit 40 and a control unit 50.

[0041] The monitoring unit 40 is a device that monitors at least one of the cargo bed 22 of the transport vehicle 20 parked in the parking area E1 and the surroundings of the cargo bed 22 parked in the parking area E1. The monitoring unit 40 includes: an image acquisition unit 41 that acquires an image of at least one of the cargo bed 22 of the transport vehicle 20 and the surroundings of the cargo bed 22; and a distance measurement unit 42 that measures the distance to an object. The monitoring unit 40 has a monitoring area DE. The monitoring area DE includes the parking area E1, the waiting area E2, and the starting position E3. In the present embodiment, the cargo loading and unloading system 100 has a pair of monitoring units 40. One monitoring unit 40 monitors the side of one side of the transport vehicle 20. The other monitoring unit 40 monitors the side of the other side of the transport vehicle 20. The position of the monitoring unit 40 is not particularly limited, but Figure 3 As shown, the image acquisition unit 41 is set at a position separated from the ground and upward so as to be able to monitor the entire side of the transport vehicle 20 and the surroundings of the transport vehicle 20. The image acquisition unit 41 is a device for acquiring an image in the monitoring area DE. The image acquisition unit 41 is composed of, for example, a camera. The distance measurement unit 42 is a device for measuring the distance to an object existing in the monitoring area DE. The distance measurement unit 42 is composed of, for example, a 3D laser radar (LiDAR) or the like.

[0042] The control unit 50 is a device for controlling the entire ground equipment 70. The control unit 50 is composed of a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and an input / output interface. The control unit 50 can be placed in a position in the work area 110 that does not hinder the cargo loading and unloading operation. Figure 4 As shown, the control unit 50 includes a calculation unit 51 for performing various calculations and a communication unit 52 for performing communication. The communication unit 52 can communicate with the industrial vehicle 1 and the server 60.

[0043] like Figure 4 As shown, the ground equipment 70 includes a display unit 43 and a terminal 44. The display unit 43 is a device that receives display information from the control unit 50 and displays it in the work area 110. As the display unit 43, a monitor, a touch panel, etc. can be used. Although the display unit 43 only needs to be set at the position of the control unit 50 (see Figure 2 and Figure 3 ), but can be set at any position in the work area 110. The display unit 43 can visually display information such as whether the cargo loading and unloading operation can be started, paused, and the operation is completed. The terminal 44 is a device that allows the operator to input information in the work area 110. The terminal 44 sends the input information to the control unit 50. As the terminal 44, a dedicated operation terminal, a tablet computer, a smart phone, etc. can be used. The terminal 44 can accept a button operation for expressing the intention of starting the automatic driving and resuming the automatic driving.

[0044] The server 60 performs various information processing in the cargo handling system 100 and accumulates various information. The server 60 may be set in the work area 110 or outside the work area 110. As the server 60, a cloud server or the like may be used. Figure 4 As shown, the server 60 includes a determination unit 61 and an instruction unit 62. The determination unit 61 determines the state of the cargo platform 22 and the state of the surroundings of the cargo platform 22 based on the information obtained by the monitoring unit 40. In addition, the determination unit 61 uses artificial intelligence to make a determination. Artificial intelligence learns based on data that binds the past monitoring information of the monitoring unit 40 with the state corresponding to the past monitoring information. For example, artificial intelligence learns based on the image data obtained by the monitoring unit 40. Thus, the instruction unit 62 sends an instruction to the industrial vehicle 1 based on the determination result of the determination unit 61. However, there is no particular limitation on where the determination unit 61 and the instruction unit 62 are set in the cargo handling system 100, and they can be set in the control unit 50 or in a ground device 70 different from the control unit 50.

[0045] The determination unit 61 performs determinations related to cargo loading and unloading operations. Specifically, the determination unit 61 determines whether there are transport vehicles 20 in the parking area E1 and the waiting area E2. The determination unit 61 determines the position of the transport vehicle 20 in each area E1 and E2. The determination unit 61 determines the open and closed state of the wing 26 of the transport vehicle 20. The determination unit 61 determines whether there are obstacles on the cargo platform 22. The determination unit 61 determines the height of the cargo platform of the transport vehicle 20. In addition, in the following description, these determinations of states related to the transport vehicle 20 are sometimes referred to as "determinations of the states of the transport vehicle 20". In addition, the determination unit 61 determines whether there are obstacles (operators, etc.) around the transport vehicle 20. The determination unit 61 can use both image data and distance data to determine these determination contents, but it can also use artificial intelligence and the like to determine only based on image data. The instruction unit 62 instructs the industrial vehicle 1 on the operation contents of cargo loading and unloading operations based on these determination results. The instruction unit 62 instructs the placement location of the cargo, the order of loading / unloading, the number of cargo, etc. In addition, when the determination unit 61 determines that there is a person around the cargo platform 22, the command unit 62 sends a stop command to the industrial vehicle 1. The determination unit 61 also determines information related to the operation status of the cargo loading and unloading operation. For example, the determination unit 61 determines whether the cargo loading and unloading operation can be started or whether the cargo loading and unloading operation is completed.

[0046] The determination unit 61 may also determine the destination of delivery based on the identification information of the pallet PT. The instruction unit 62 indicates the place where the cargo W is to be placed. In addition, the determination unit 61 determines the shape of the pallet PT based on the pallet hole size included in the identification information, and the instruction unit 62 indicates the optimal fork spacing. The server 60 may manage information on which type of cargo W is loaded on which transport vehicle 20 and how much based on the identification information of the transport vehicle 20 and the identification information of the pallet PT. The determination unit 61 may determine which transport vehicle 20 is parked based on the identification information of the transport vehicle 20 in the parking area E1, and determine the cargo W based on the managed information. Then, the instruction unit 62 indicates the unloading destination and causes the industrial vehicle 1 to drive automatically. In addition, the instruction unit 62 indicates the designated pallet cargo, the placement location, the shipping order, and the number of pallets and causes the industrial vehicle 1 to drive automatically.

[0047] For example, Figure 5 As shown, the determination unit 61 uses the learned artificial intelligence to determine the number of pallets on the cargo platform 22 by known techniques based on the image data of the cargo platform 22 from the monitoring unit 40. The instruction unit 62 sends the number determination result to the industrial vehicle 1. Thus, the industrial vehicle 1 that performs automatic driving can determine the amount of work to be unloaded. In addition, if there is a stack of pallets PT, the determination unit 61 can determine which of the upper and lower pallets PT is to be unloaded. In addition, by using the determination technology of the pallet PT based on artificial intelligence, the determination unit 61 can determine the presence or absence of people, the presence or absence of the transport vehicle 20, the position of the transport vehicle 20, the height of the cargo platform, etc. based on the image data.

[0048] Next, refer to Figure 6 to Figure 13 An example of the processing content of the cargo handling system 100 is described. In this flowchart, the work content of "truck (transport vehicle 20), person", "industrial vehicle", "ground equipment", and "server" are recorded in parallel. Figure 6 to Figure 10 The following describes the processing contents when the industrial vehicle 1 unloads the cargo W from the transport vehicle 20 by automatic driving.

[0049] exist Figure 6In the state where the process is started, the transport vehicle 20 is parked at the waiting place E2 (step S10). In addition, the industrial vehicle 1 is waiting at the starting position E3 (step S100). The monitoring unit 40 of the ground device 70 sends the monitoring result to the server 60 (step S200). The determination unit 61 of the server 60 determines whether there is a transport vehicle 20 in the parking area E1 (step S400). In the case where it is determined that there is, the determination unit 61 repeats step S400 again. In the case where it is determined that there is no, the instruction unit 62 performs a display instruction to the display unit 43 of the ground device 70 (step S410). The display unit 43 displays the meaning that the transport vehicle 20 can move to the parking area E1 to the driver (step S210). In addition, in the case where it is determined in step S400 that there is a transport vehicle 20 in the parking area E1, the display unit 43 can display the meaning that it cannot move to the parking area E1. The transport vehicle 20 moves to the parking area E1 at any timing after the display (step S20).

[0050] The monitoring unit 40 sends the monitoring result to the server 60 (step S220). The determination unit 61 determines whether the position of the transport vehicle 20 in the parking area E1 is OK (step S420). If it is determined that there is a problem (NG), the determination unit 61 repeats step S420 again. If it is determined that it is OK, the instruction unit 62 issues a display instruction to the display unit 43 (step S430). The display unit 43 displays to the driver of the transport vehicle 20 that the position of the transport vehicle 20 in the parking area E1 is OK (step S230). In addition, if it is determined that the position is NG in step S420, the display unit 43 may display that the position is NG. The transport vehicle 20 ends parking after the display that the position of the transport vehicle 20 in the parking area E1 is OK (step S30).

[0051] like Figure 7As shown, the monitoring unit 40 reads the identification information of the identification information giving unit 27 of the transport vehicle 20, and sends the reading result to the server 60 (step S240). The determination unit 61 determines the transport vehicle 20 based on the reading result (step S440). The transport vehicle 20 opens the wing 26 at an arbitrary timing after parking (step S40). The monitoring unit 40 sends the monitoring result to the server 60 (step S250). The determination unit 61 determines whether the wing 26 of the transport vehicle 20 is open (step S450). In the case of determining that it is closed, the determination unit 61 repeats step S450 again. In the case of determining that it is open, the instruction unit 62 issues a display instruction to the display unit 43 of the ground device 70 (step S460). The display unit 43 displays the meaning that the wing 26 is open to the driver of the transport vehicle 20 (step S260). In addition, in the case where it is determined that the wing 26 is closed in step S450, the display unit 43 can display the meaning that the wing 26 is closed.

[0052] like Figure 8 As shown, the monitoring unit 40 sends the monitoring result (step S270). The determination unit 61 determines various conditions related to the determination of the state of the transport vehicle 20, and determines whether the state of the transport vehicle 20 can be determined (step S470). Obstacles such as people are avoided from the periphery of the transport vehicle 20 at any timing after the wing 26 is opened (step S50). If it cannot be determined, the determination unit 61 repeats step S470 until it can be determined. The monitoring unit 40 sends the monitoring result to the server 60 (step S280). The determination unit 61 determines whether there are obstacles around the transport vehicle 20 and whether there is a possibility of cargo collapse (step S480). When it is determined that there is an obstacle or there is a possibility of cargo collapse, the instruction unit 62 issues a display instruction to the display unit 43 of the ground equipment 70 (step S490). The display unit 43 displays the meaning that there is an obstacle or there is a possibility of cargo collapse to the driver of the transport vehicle 20 (step S290). In addition, after the display of step S290, step S480 may be repeated again to wait until the obstacle is avoided and the possibility of the cargo collapsing disappears. In addition, if it is determined in step S480 that there is neither an obstacle nor the possibility of the cargo collapsing, step S490 is omitted.

[0053] like Fig. 9As shown, the industrial vehicle 1 determines whether it is in a state where it can be driven automatically (step S110). If it is not in a state where it can be driven automatically, step S110 is repeated. If it is in a state where it can be driven automatically, the industrial vehicle 1 notifies the server 60 of this fact (step S120). On the other hand, the determination unit 61 determines whether the industrial vehicle 1 can be driven automatically (step S500). If it is determined that it cannot be driven automatically, the determination unit 61 repeats step S500. After receiving the notification of step S120, the determination unit 61 determines that it can be driven automatically in step S500. At this time, the command unit 62 notifies the industrial vehicle 1 and the ground equipment 70 that it can be driven automatically (step S510). In addition, in step S510, the command unit 62 sends the command data required for automatic driving to the industrial vehicle 1. After receiving the notification, the industrial vehicle 1 enters a standby state for automatic driving (step S130). The obstacle is avoided from the vicinity of the transport vehicle 20 at any timing after the display unit 43 displays that there is an obstacle or there is a possibility of cargo collapse (step S60). The ground device 70 prepares to start the automatic driving by displaying the button "Start automatic driving" on the terminal 44 and starting to accept the button being pressed (step S300). At any timing after this process, the operator presses the button (step S70). The ground device 70 determines whether the button has been pressed (step S310). If it is determined that the button has not been pressed, the ground device 70 repeats step S310. If it is determined that the button has been pressed, the ground device 70 notifies the industrial vehicle 1 that the button has been pressed (step S320).

[0054] like Fig.10 As shown, the industrial vehicle 1 starts automatic driving based on the instruction data received in step S510 (step S140). The industrial vehicle 1 reads the identification information of the identification information assigning unit 28 set on the pallet PT, and sends it to the server 60 (step S150). The determination unit 61 determines the pallet information such as the owner, type of goods, weight, destination, and pallet hole size based on the identification information (step S520). The determination unit 61 determines the unloading position and fork width, and the instruction unit 62 sends this information to the industrial vehicle 1 (step S530). The industrial vehicle 1 performs cargo loading and unloading operations based on the information received in step S530 (step S160). As a result, Figure 6 to Figure 10 The shown processing ends.

[0055] Next, refer to Figure 11 to Figure 13 The following describes the process of pausing the automatic driving of the industrial vehicle 1 when an obstacle enters the vicinity of the transport vehicle 20 or there is a possibility that the cargo may collapse. Fig.11As shown, the monitoring unit 40 sends the monitoring result to the server 60 (step S330). The determination unit 61 determines whether there are obstacles around the transport vehicle 20 and whether there is a possibility of cargo collapse (step S540). If it is determined that there are no obstacles and there is no possibility of cargo collapse, Figure 11 to Figure 13 The processing is completed and step S330 is repeated again. When it is determined that there is an obstacle or there is a possibility of cargo collapse, the command unit 62 issues a display command to the display unit 43 of the ground equipment 70 (step S550). The display unit 43 displays to the operator that there is an obstacle or there is a possibility of cargo collapse (step S340). In addition, the command unit 62 issues an instruction to the industrial vehicle 1 to pause (step S560). At any timing during this period, the operator removes the obstacle (step S80).

[0056] like Fig.12 As shown, the monitoring unit 40 sends the monitoring result to the server 60 (step S350). The determination unit 61 determines whether the obstacles around the transport vehicle 20 have disappeared and whether the possibility of cargo collapse has disappeared (step S570). When it is determined that there is an obstacle and there is a possibility of cargo collapse, the determination unit 61 repeats step S570. When it is determined that the obstacle has disappeared and the possibility of cargo collapse has disappeared, the instruction unit 62 issues a display instruction to the display unit 43 of the ground equipment 70 (step S580). The display unit 43 displays to the operator that the obstacle has disappeared and the possibility of cargo collapse has disappeared (step S360).

[0057] like Fig.13As shown, the determination unit 61 determines whether the industrial vehicle 1 can be driven automatically (step S590). If it is determined that the automatic driving is not possible, the determination unit 61 repeats step S590. If it is determined that the automatic driving is possible, the command unit 62 notifies the industrial vehicle 1 and the ground device 70 that the automatic driving is possible (step S600). In addition, in step S600, the command unit 62 sends the command data required for the automatic driving to the industrial vehicle 1. After receiving the notification, the industrial vehicle 1 enters the standby state for automatic driving (step S170). The ground device 70 prepares to start the automatic driving by displaying the button "Start automatic driving" in the terminal and starting to accept the button being pressed (step S370). At an arbitrary timing after this process, the operator presses the button (step S90). The ground device 70 determines whether the button is pressed (step S380). If it is determined that the button is not pressed, the ground device 70 repeats step S380. If it is determined that the button is pressed, the ground device 70 notifies the industrial vehicle 1 that the button is pressed (step S390). The industrial vehicle 1 resumes automatic driving based on the instruction data received in step S600 (step S180). Figure 11 to Figure 13 The shown processing ends.

[0058] Next, the operation and effects of the cargo handling system 100 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0059] The cargo handling system 100 includes: a monitoring unit 40 that monitors at least one of the cargo platform 22 and the surroundings of the cargo platform 22 of the transport vehicle 20 parked in the parking area E1; and a determination unit 61 that determines the state of the cargo platform 22 and the surroundings of the cargo platform 22 based on the information obtained by the monitoring unit 40. The monitoring unit 40 is provided at a different position from the industrial vehicle 1 in the work site 110, and includes an image acquisition unit 41 that acquires an image. In this way, the monitoring unit 40 can acquire an image from the image acquisition unit 41 provided on the equipment side, not from the industrial vehicle 1. Therefore, the determination unit 61 can determine the state of the cargo platform 22 and the surroundings of the cargo platform 22 based on the image obtained by the image acquisition unit 41 on the equipment side. Therefore, in the cargo handling system 100, it is not necessary to provide a high-performance monitoring unit for the determination unit 61 to perform determination in each industrial vehicle 1. According to the above, cost reduction can be achieved.

[0060] For example, when the monitoring units (camera and laser radar) for high-performance determination are respectively provided on two industrial vehicles 1, since they need to be provided in three directions, "3 sets x 2 units = 6 sets (about 900,000 yen)" are required. On the other hand, when the monitoring unit 40 is provided on the equipment side other than the industrial vehicle 1, it can be provided with 2 sets (about 300,000 yen). In addition, it is no longer necessary to provide a PC (about 200,000 yen) for high-performance determination in each industrial vehicle 1. Therefore, a total cost reduction of about 800,000 yen can be achieved.

[0061] Alternatively, the determination unit 61 may perform determination using artificial intelligence. In this case, the determination unit 61 can determine the state of the cargo bed 22 of the transport vehicle 20 and the state of the surroundings of the transport vehicle 20 in more detail based on the obtained image.

[0062] When the determination unit 61 determines that there is a person around the cargo platform 22, the instruction unit 62 may send a stop instruction to the industrial vehicle 1. In this case, safety when there is a person around the cargo platform 22 can be improved.

[0063] The monitoring unit 40 may further include a distance measuring unit 42 for measuring the distance of the object. In this case, the monitoring unit 40 can determine the state of the cargo bed 22 of the transport vehicle 20 and the state of the surroundings of the transport vehicle 20 based on both the image and the distance of the object.

[0064] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0065] For example, Figure 2 and Figure 3 The example shown is an example of the configuration of a work site or a cargo handling system, and can be modified appropriately. Figure 6 to Figure 13 The flowchart shown is merely an example of the process and can be modified as appropriate.

[0066] The gist of the present disclosure is as shown in the following [1] to [4].

[0067] [1] A cargo loading and unloading system is a cargo loading and unloading system in which an industrial vehicle performs cargo loading and unloading operations on a transport vehicle, wherein the system comprises:

[0068] said industrial vehicle;

[0069] A work area having a parking area for the transport vehicle to park and for the industrial vehicle to carry out the cargo loading and unloading operation;

[0070] a monitoring unit that monitors at least one of a cargo platform of the transport vehicle parked in the parking area and a periphery of the cargo platform;

[0071] a determination unit that determines the state of the cargo platform and the state of the surroundings of the cargo platform based on the information acquired by the monitoring unit; and

[0072] an instruction unit that sends an instruction to the industrial vehicle based on the determination result of the determination unit,

[0073] The monitoring unit is provided at a position different from that of the industrial vehicle in the work site, and includes an image acquisition unit that acquires an image.

[0074] [2] The cargo handling system according to [1], wherein:

[0075] The determination unit performs determination using artificial intelligence.

[0076] [3] The cargo handling system according to [1] or [2], wherein:

[0077] The command unit transmits a stop command to the industrial vehicle when the determination unit determines that there is a person around the cargo platform.

[0078] [4] The cargo handling system according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein:

[0079] The monitoring unit further includes a distance measuring unit that measures the distance to an object.

Claims

1. A cargo loading and unloading system is a cargo loading and unloading system in which an industrial vehicle loads and unloads cargo to a transport vehicle, characterized in that: have: said industrial vehicle; A work area having a parking area for the transport vehicle to park and for the industrial vehicle to carry out the cargo loading and unloading operation; a monitoring unit that monitors at least one of a cargo platform of the transport vehicle parked in the parking area and a periphery of the cargo platform; a determination unit that determines a state of the cargo platform and a state of a periphery of the cargo platform based on the information acquired by the monitoring unit; as well as an instruction unit that sends an instruction to the industrial vehicle based on the determination result of the determination unit, The monitoring unit is provided at a position different from the industrial vehicle in the work site, and includes an image acquisition unit that acquires an image of at least one of a cargo bed of the transport vehicle and a periphery of the cargo bed.

2. The cargo handling system according to claim 1, wherein: The determination unit performs determination using artificial intelligence.

3. The cargo handling system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The command unit transmits a stop command to the industrial vehicle when the determination unit determines that there is a person around the cargo platform.

4. The cargo handling system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The monitoring unit further includes a distance measuring unit that measures the distance to an object.

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