Communication method and device based on automated guided vehicle cluster

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a communication method and device based on an automated guided vehicle cluster. The method comprises the following steps: receiving a carrying task sent by a server; according to the carrying task, a first control instruction is sent to at least part of member nodes in one or more member nodes controlled by the control node, so that the carrying task is executed; and in the process of executing the carrying task, sending the related condition of at least part of the member nodes and / or the execution condition of the carrying task to the server. According to the embodiment of the invention, the control node and the corresponding member nodes are arranged in the automatic guided vehicle cluster, and the control node communicates with the server and controls the corresponding member nodes, so that partition communication and control are carried out in the automatic guided vehicle cluster.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automatic guided vehicle communication, and in particular to a communication method and device based on an automatic guided vehicle cluster. Background Art

[0002] At present, with the development of unmanned factories and intelligent warehousing technologies, more and more modern factories are entrusting some simple tasks to automated guided vehicles (AGVs) for processing.

[0003] However, the factory itself is characterized by a large area and a complex environment, while the characteristics of the automated guided vehicle body are the combination of multiple interfaces and multiple devices, which makes the automated guided vehicle have certain communication problems.

[0004] Moreover, since AGVs have real-time requirements in their working environment, such as obstacle avoidance path planning, a single AGV device needs to process and transmit a large amount of data, and the number of AGV devices in modern factories is increasing rapidly. When there are a large number of AGVs, the amount of data transmitted by the AGV system will be huge, and the pressure on data communication will increase dramatically. Data transmission will be blocked, and data will be in a queue waiting to be sent, which cannot meet the timeliness requirements. At the same time, many large-scale AGV projects cannot be implemented in modern factories. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, a communication method and device based on an automatic guided vehicle cluster is proposed to overcome the above problems or at least partially solve the above problems, including:

[0006] A communication method based on an automatic guided vehicle cluster, wherein the automatic guided vehicle cluster is composed of a plurality of automatic guided vehicles, wherein the plurality of automatic guided vehicles include one or more control nodes and one or more member nodes controlled by each control node, wherein the one or more control nodes communicate with a service end via a base station, and each control node communicates with the one or more member nodes controlled by the control node via short-range wireless communication, wherein the method comprises:

[0007] Receiving the transport task sent by the server;

[0008] According to the transport task, sending a first control instruction to at least some of the one or more member nodes controlled by the control node to execute the transport task;

[0009] During the execution of the transport task, the relevant information of at least part of the member nodes and / or the execution status of the transport task are sent to the server.

[0010] Optionally, the method further comprises:

[0011] During the execution of the transport task, a second control instruction is sent to the at least some of the member nodes according to the relevant data sent by the at least some of the member nodes.

[0012] Optionally, the relevant data includes location information, and in the process of executing the transport task, sending a second control instruction to the at least some of the member nodes according to the relevant data sent by the at least some of the member nodes includes:

[0013] During the execution of the transport task, path replanning is performed according to the position information sent by at least some of the member nodes, and based on the result of the path replanning, a second control instruction is sent to at least some of the member nodes, and the second control instruction is used to correct the position of the member nodes.

[0014] Optionally, the relevant data includes a material image, and in the process of executing the handling task, sending a second control instruction to the at least some of the member nodes according to the relevant data sent by the at least some of the member nodes includes:

[0015] During the execution of the transport task, material images are compared based on the material images sent by at least some of the member nodes, and based on the comparison results, a second control instruction is sent to at least some of the member nodes, wherein the second control instruction is used to indicate whether to transport the current material.

[0016] Optionally, the method further comprises:

[0017] A third control instruction sent by the server to a target member node is received, and the target member node is controlled according to the third control instruction.

[0018] Optionally, the one or more control nodes communicate with the server via the WebSocket protocol.

[0019] Optionally, the WebSocket protocol message carries: a local area network identifier and a topic identifier.

[0020] Optionally, each control node communicates with one or more member nodes controlled by the control node via a local area network, and multiple member nodes communicate with each other via a local area network, and the member node determines whether to receive a data packet based on a local area network identifier and a topic identifier carried in the data packet.

[0021] Optionally, the control node is deployed with a first industrial computer, and data processing is performed through the first industrial computer.

[0022] Optionally, the first industrial computer in the control node is configured with an Internet of Things module, and communicates with the base station through the Internet of Things module.

[0023] Optionally, the first industrial computer in the control node is configured with a first wireless network module, and communicates with the member nodes through the first wireless network module.

[0024] Optionally, the first industrial computer in the control node is configured with a signal amplifier, and the wireless network signal sent by the first wireless network module is amplified by the signal amplifier.

[0025] Optionally, the member node is deployed with a second industrial computer, and data processing is performed through the second industrial computer.

[0026] Optionally, the second industrial computer in the member node is configured with a second wireless network module, and communicates with the control node through the second wireless network module.

[0027] Optionally, the automatic guided vehicle is deployed with a plurality of sensors, and the plurality of sensors include any one or more of the following:

[0028] Cameras, radar, laser, ultrasound.

[0029] Optionally, the first control instruction carries: path planning information including initial coordinates, cargo coordinates, and transport destination coordinates.

[0030] Optionally, the relevant conditions of at least some of the member nodes include any one or more of the following:

[0031] Current operating status and location information.

[0032] Optionally, the execution status of the transport task includes any one or more of the following:

[0033] Completion status and execution progress.

[0034] A communication device based on an automatic guided vehicle cluster, the device comprising:

[0035] A task receiving module, used to receive the handling task sent by the server;

[0036] A first control instruction sending module, configured to send a first control instruction to at least some of the one or more member nodes controlled by the control node according to the transport task, so as to execute the transport task;

[0037] The situation sending module is used to send the relevant situation of at least part of the member nodes and / or the execution situation of the transport task to the server during the execution of the transport task.

[0038] An automatic guided vehicle comprises a processor, a memory and a computer program stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor, wherein the computer program implements the method described above when executed by the processor.

[0039] An electronic device comprises a processor, a memory and a computer program stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor, wherein the computer program implements the method described above when executed by the processor.

[0040] A computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the method described above is implemented.

[0041] The embodiments of the present invention have the following advantages:

[0042] In an embodiment of the present invention, an automated guided vehicle cluster is configured to consist of a plurality of automated guided vehicles, the plurality of automated guided vehicles include one or more control nodes and one or more member nodes controlled by each control node, the one or more control nodes communicate with a server via a base station, each control node communicates with the one or more member nodes controlled by the controlled node via short-range wireless communication, and receives a handling task sent by the server; according to the handling task, a first control instruction is sent to at least some of the one or more member nodes controlled by the controlled node to execute the handling task; in the process of executing the handling task, relevant conditions of at least some of the member nodes and / or the execution conditions of the handling task are sent to the server, so that a control node and corresponding member nodes are set in the automated guided vehicle cluster, the control node communicates with the server and controls the corresponding member nodes, thereby performing partitioned communication and control in the automated guided vehicle cluster, simplifying the amount of data transmitted between the automated guided vehicle cluster and the server, and improving the timeliness of the control of the automated guided vehicle cluster. The automated guided vehicle cluster can be applied to the scenario of a large-scale automated guided vehicle cluster, and the automated guided vehicle cluster can be remotely monitored at the server. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the accompanying drawings required for use in the description of the present invention will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without paying creative labor.

[0044] Figure 1 is a UAV cluster communication structure diagram provided by some embodiments of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 2It is an AGV equipment classification system provided by some embodiments of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 3 It is a distributed structure diagram of an AGV device provided by some embodiments of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 4 is a flow chart of steps of a communication method based on an automatic guided vehicle cluster provided by some embodiments of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 5 It is a communication architecture of an automatic guided vehicle cluster provided by some embodiments of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of an AVG group leader communication design provided by some embodiments of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an AVG member communication design provided by some embodiments of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of communication between an automated guided vehicle cluster and a base station provided by some embodiments of the present invention;

[0052] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a WebSocket communication protocol provided by some embodiments of the present invention;

[0053] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of a data structure of a WebSocket protocol provided by some embodiments of the present invention;

[0054] Fig.11 It is a schematic diagram of a WebSocket protocol data transmission form provided by some embodiments of the present invention;

[0055] Fig.12 is a schematic diagram of an AVG device information transmission mode provided by some embodiments of the present invention;

[0056] Fig.13 is a CAN bus architecture diagram provided by some embodiments of the present invention;

[0057] Fig.14 is an exemplary illustration of another communication method based on an automatic guided vehicle cluster provided by some embodiments of the present invention;

[0058] Fig.15 It is a structural block diagram of a device based on an automatic guided vehicle cluster provided by some embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0060] In related technologies, data transmission of multiple devices can be achieved by using cluster communication. Most cluster communications use point-to-point distributed communication, with the node manager (Master) as the core node device for processing data. Since the node manager has special responsibilities and permissions, the node manager is usually used to coordinate and manage the work of the entire distributed cluster to ensure the stability and high availability of the system. Cluster communication is mostly used in drone clusters, and the operating environment is relatively simple. It relies on mobile base stations or signal transmitters to provide signal coverage for drone clusters.

[0061] However, using point-to-point distributed communication in cluster communication will cause the following problems:

[0062] 1. Since the communication mode and operation range of the equipment are restricted by the node manager, it cannot be used far away from the node manager node, resulting in fewer project devices and a relatively concentrated operation range of the equipment.

[0063] 2. Existing cluster communications require a large number of servers, mobile base stations, routers and other network communication equipment to be deployed in the early stage of operation to improve signal coverage for use by drone clusters.

[0064] 3. The node manager node is the core of the cluster. If there is no node manager node or there is a problem with the node manager, communication among the nodes will not be possible.

[0065] 4. Existing cluster communications lack the ability to cope with large-scale and complex environmental scenarios.

[0066] In practical applications, the structure of cluster communication methods is used in the field of drones, such as Figure 1 As shown, it is generally a two-level structure, a node manager node and a sub-node. The node manager node communicates with the sub-node through the base station to control and manage the sub-node.

[0067] Compared with UAV cluster communication, automatic guided vehicle cluster communication itself has the characteristics of multiple interfaces and multiple devices. A single automatic guided vehicle device contains numerous sensor interfaces, such as lasers, cameras, radars, etc. The number of automatic guided vehicle devices required for a project can reach 300. If information is transmitted only through base stations, the information delay will be too long.

[0068] In the face of complex environments, more sensing devices are needed to parse environmental information and convert unknown information into known information, which requires stronger data processing capabilities. Stronger data processing capabilities require higher requirements for communication methods, equipment, and the number of equipment. The existing cluster communication lacks the ability to cope with large areas and complex environments. This is because the project deployment scenario using automated guided vehicles is generally around 20,000 square meters, and the site environment is very complex. For example, the factory contains many employees and people coming and going; contains various transportation equipment, trailers, forklifts, tractors, etc.; contains many materials, material racks, semi-finished goods and related accessories, etc.; contains many large equipment, gantry cranes, laser cutting equipment, CNC lathes, etc., contains many staff members, various transportation vehicles, and many large equipment and materials.

[0069] Therefore, the present invention proposes to change the secondary structure of the node manager node and the child node of the drone cluster into a three-level structure, such as Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the AGV equipment hierarchical system includes: server, AVG team leader (i.e. control node), AVG member (i.e. member node). Figure 3 As shown, the AGV equipment hierarchical system can also use a distributed method to load balance large-scale cluster communications. Compared with the prior art, the embodiments of the present invention solve the problem that other cluster communication methods cannot handle multiple interfaces, multiple devices, large areas and complex environments.

[0070] Reference Figure 4 , shows a flow chart of steps of a communication method based on an automatic guided vehicle cluster provided by some embodiments of the present invention, wherein:

[0071] The automatic guided vehicle cluster is composed of multiple automatic guided vehicles, and the multiple automatic guided vehicles may include one or more control nodes and one or more member nodes controlled by each control node.

[0072] In some examples, an automated guided vehicle refers to an unmanned automated vehicle that has automatic guidance equipment such as magnetic strips, tracks or lasers, travels along a planned path, is powered by batteries, and is equipped with safety protection and various auxiliary mechanisms (such as transfer and assembly mechanisms). Usually, multiple AGVs, a control computer (console), navigation equipment, charging equipment and peripheral accessories form an AGV system. Its main working principle is that under the monitoring and task scheduling of the control computer, the AGV can accurately follow the specified path, and after reaching the specified task location, it completes a series of tasks. The control computer can also decide whether to go to the charging area for automatic charging based on the AGV's own power.

[0073] In some embodiments of the present invention, the automatic guided vehicle is deployed with a plurality of sensors, and the plurality of sensors include any one or more of the following: camera, radar, laser, ultrasonic wave.

[0074] In practical applications, multiple sensors may be deployed in an automated guided vehicle to collect data during the execution of a task by the automated guided vehicle, such as obtaining image information from a camera deployed in the automated guided vehicle.

[0075] In some examples, multiple automated guided vehicles can form one or more automated guided vehicle clusters. In an automated guided vehicle cluster, one or more automated guided vehicles are used as control nodes. After the control nodes are determined, other automated guided vehicles in the automated guided vehicle cluster can serve as member nodes.

[0076] For example, there are 6 AGVs in AGV cluster A, namely a1, a2, a3, a4, a5, and a6. A1 is used as a control node, and control node a1 can control a2 or a2, a3, a4, a5, and a6. Alternatively, a1 and a4 are used as control nodes, and control node a1 controls a2 or a2 and a3, and control node a4 controls a5 or a5 and a6.

[0077] like Figure 3 As shown, a plurality of automatic guided vehicles form an automatic guided vehicle cluster (ie, AVG cluster), and the plurality of automatic guided vehicles have three control nodes (ie, AVG team leaders) and three member nodes (ie, AVG members) controlled by each control node.

[0078] In some embodiments of the present invention, the automated guided vehicle cluster may adopt the following communication architecture:

[0079] like Figure 5 As shown, the communication architecture of the automatic guided vehicle cluster may include: an external server, a service end, a base station, and an AVG cluster (ie, an automatic guided vehicle cluster).

[0080] About the server:

[0081] Among them, a scheduling system management platform can be pre-established in the server. The server can issue tasks to the control nodes through the scheduling system management platform so that the member nodes can perform the tasks. The scheduling system management platform can also be used to control and monitor the automatic guided vehicle cluster.

[0082] About the control node:

[0083] The control node may be an automatic guided vehicle in an automatic guided vehicle cluster. A robot platform may also be established in the control node to collect data of member nodes through the robot platform.

[0084] like Figure 6The figure shows the communication design of the AVG team leader (i.e., the control node). The control node includes: actuators, encoders, sensors, input / output (I / O) interfaces, sensors (such as cameras, radars, lasers, ultrasonic waves), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), universal serial bus (USB) CAN (i.e., USB is connected to the CAN network for CAN bus data collection and processing), LAN ports, industrial computers (i.e., the first industrial computer), and the industrial computer also includes: Internet of Things modules, signal amplifiers, and wireless network cards.

[0085] In some embodiments of the present invention, the control node is deployed with a first industrial computer, and data processing is performed through the first industrial computer. An industrial computer is a computer device specially used in the field of industrial control and automation, also known as an industrial control computer or an embedded industrial computer. An industrial computer has higher reliability, stability, anti-interference ability and security, and is suitable for long-term operation and stable control of industrial production processes in harsh environments.

[0086] Industrial computers usually have a variety of input and output interfaces and communication interfaces, such as serial ports, parallel ports, network ports, USB, CAN bus, etc., which can communicate and control various sensors, actuators and control devices. It can also support a variety of real-time operating systems, such as Windows Embedded, Linux, VxWorks, etc., to meet the needs of different application scenarios. Usually, industrial computers also have dustproof, waterproof, shockproof, corrosion-resistant and other characteristics to meet the special requirements of industrial production environments.

[0087] Industrial computers usually use high-performance processors, large-capacity memory, high-speed communication interfaces, and stable and reliable power supplies to meet various complex industrial control and automation tasks. They are also usually equipped with a variety of expansion interfaces and card slots to easily expand functions and meet the needs of different application scenarios.

[0088] Since PLC controls the underlying operation of the vehicle, including the drive wheels, steering wheels, hydraulics, etc. PLC can also be remotely controlled by connecting an external CAN to WIFI module, but it cannot handle many complex tasks internally. Many complex calculations and controls need to rely on high-level languages, related library files, and related hardware device drivers. Therefore, if you want to achieve complex calculation control, you can connect an external industrial computer. The industrial computer uses the Ubuntu system and can achieve most of the complex processing operations.

[0089] In some examples, a first industrial computer may be deployed in a control node determined in a plurality of automated guided vehicles. When certain data processing in the control node is more complex, the data may be processed by the first industrial computer, thereby enabling the first industrial computer to enhance the data processing capability of the control node.

[0090] In actual applications, after receiving the transport task issued by the server scheduling system management platform, the control node can parse the transport task according to the first industrial computer, generate a first control instruction and send it to one or more member nodes controlled by the controlled node, so that the member nodes execute the transport task.

[0091] In some examples, the data processing capability of the control node is enhanced by connecting to a first industrial computer via a serial communication protocol to achieve rapid data processing.

[0092] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first industrial computer in the control node is configured with an Internet of Things module, and communicates with the base station through the Internet of Things module.

[0093] In actual applications, the first industrial computer in the control node is configured with an Internet of Things module, so that an external Internet of Things card can be connected. Through the external Internet of Things card, the Internet of Things module can obtain a fixed IP and communicate with external 4G or 5G base stations.

[0094] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first industrial computer in the control node is configured with a first wireless network module, and communicates with the member nodes through the first wireless network module.

[0095] In some examples, the first wireless network module may be a wireless network card module.

[0096] In actual applications, after the first industrial computer in the control node is configured with the first wireless network module, the first industrial computer can start the wireless network through the first wireless network module according to the configured Internet of Things module, so that the member nodes can connect to the wireless network and communicate with the members.

[0097] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first industrial computer in the control node is configured with a signal amplifier, and the wireless network signal sent by the first wireless network module is amplified by the signal amplifier.

[0098] In practical applications, a signal amplifier can be configured in the control node for the first industrial computer. According to the configured signal amplifier, the first industrial computer starts the wireless network through the first wireless network module according to the configured Internet of Things module to increase the range of the wireless network.

[0099] About member nodes:

[0100] The member node may be an automated guided vehicle in an automated guided vehicle cluster. A robot platform may also be established in the member node, and the member node publishes its own data (such as data collected by sensors) through the robot platform.

[0101] In some embodiments of the present invention, the member node is deployed with a second industrial computer, and data processing is performed through the second industrial computer.

[0102] In practical applications, a second industrial computer may be deployed in a member node, so that the member node processes data through the second industrial computer, thereby reducing the amount of data processing of the control node.

[0103] In some embodiments of the present invention, the second industrial computer in the member node is configured with a second wireless network module, and communicates with the control node through the second wireless network module.

[0104] In some examples, the second wireless network module may also be a wireless network card module.

[0105] In practical applications, a second wireless network module may be configured in the second industrial computer so that the member nodes can connect to the wireless network opened by the control node through the second wireless network module in the second industrial computer, thereby communicating with the control node.

[0106] like Figure 7 The figure shows the communication design of AVG members (i.e., member nodes). The member nodes may include: actuators, encoders, sensors, input / output (I / O) interfaces, host computer sensors (such as cameras, radars, lasers, and ultrasonic waves), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), LAN ports, Universal Serial Bus (USB) CAN (i.e., USB is connected to the CAN network for CAN bus data collection and processing), industrial computers, and the industrial computers may also include: wireless network card modules. Member nodes can read the data of the underlying sensors and drivers through PLCs, and then forward and receive data through wireless network card modules.

[0107] In some examples, the wireless network card module can be connected to an antenna on the automatic guided vehicle via a wire to transmit and receive data.

[0108] About the communication between the control node and the server:

[0109] One or more control nodes communicate with the server through a base station.

[0110] In practical applications, the control node in the AGV cluster can send data to the server through the base station. The server can also send data to the control node in the AGV cluster through the base station.

[0111] like Figure 8 As shown, three AVG group leaders (ie, control nodes) can communicate with the server through the base station, and one or more AVG control nodes can send processed data to the server through the base station.

[0112] In some examples, since the communication architecture of the AGV cluster may include: an external server, a service end, a base station, and an AVG cluster (i.e., an AGV cluster), the control node in the AGV cluster may send data to the service end through the base station, and the service end then transfers the data to the external server. Alternatively, the external server sends data to the service end, and the service end may send the data to the control node in the AGV cluster through the base station, thereby enabling the external server to monitor and control the AGV cluster.

[0113] In some embodiments of the present invention, the one or more control nodes communicate with the server via the WebSocket protocol.

[0114] In some examples, WebSocket is a protocol for full-duplex communication over a single TCP connection. WebSocket makes data exchange between the client and the server easier, allowing the server to actively push data to the client. In the WebSocket application programming interface (Application Programming Interface, API), the client and the server only need to complete a handshake to create a persistent connection between the two and perform two-way data transmission.

[0115] like Fig. 9 As shown, by establishing the WebSocket communication protocol, the client can handshake (HTTP upgrade) with the server, open a connection, send bi-directional messages, open and persistent connection, close one side channel, and close connection. The client can also be an automatic guided vehicle.

[0116] like Fig.10As shown in the data structure of the WebSocket protocol, the first byte describes whether the message is finished, the second to fourth bits are used for extended definition, and the fifth to eighth bits indicate the message receiving type. The first bit of the second byte controls whether mask processing is performed, and the second to eighth bits are the payload length. If it is equal to 126, the actual length is the last two bytes. If it is equal to 127, the actual length is the last 8 bytes. When the client sends, a 4-byte mask will be added, and the data after the mask is the actual data to be transmitted.

[0117] In actual applications, the WebSocket communication protocol is located in the application layer of the OSI reference model (Open System Interconnect, OSI). OSI is open system interconnection, which is used to describe the flow of information from one computing device to another computing device in a network environment. It is a standard specification for computer communication and a standard specification for data transmission followed by all computers. In actual use, the OSI seven-layer model is simplified to the TCP / IP four-layer or five-layer model. The OSI reference model is present in every automatic guided vehicle or computer.

[0118] In some examples, the control nodes in one or more automated guided vehicles may send data to the server via the WebSocket protocol, and the server may also actively push data to the control node via the WebSocket protocol, thereby controlling the automated guided vehicle member nodes.

[0119] In some examples of the present invention, the control node transmits data directly to the server-side scheduling system management platform by using the WebSocket protocol, enabling the server or external server to remotely monitor the operation of multiple projects and store the data in the cloud, greatly improving data security.

[0120] In some embodiments of the present invention, the WebSocket protocol message carries: a local area network identifier and a topic identifier.

[0121] In some examples, the local area network identifier may be a domain ID for distinguishing communications in the same local area network, the topic identifier may be a topic for communication between different nodes in the same domain, and the message may be a WS message.

[0122] Before the control node communicates with the server through the WebSocket protocol, the data transmission form of the WebSocket protocol can be pre-established, so that the data sent by the control node is encapsulated according to the data transmission form of the WebSocket protocol to generate a message.

[0123] In some examples, when one or more control nodes communicate with the server via the WebSocket protocol, or when the server communicates with one or more control nodes via the WebSocket protocol, the data transmission form can also be pre-designed according to the WebSocket protocol, and the data sent by the control node to the server or the data sent by the server to the control node can be encapsulated to generate a message to ensure the security of the data.

[0124] like Fig.11 As shown, the WebSocket protocol data transmission form, the first part is the Ethernet header, which mainly includes the target computer physical address (Media Access Control, MAC) address and source MAC address information, the Internet Protocol (Internet Protocol, IP) header mainly includes the target IP address and source IP address information, the Transmission Control Protocol (Transmission Control Protocol, TCP) header mainly includes the source port and target port information, the WS message is the data information encapsulated by the WebSocket of the present invention, and the Ethernet tail performs error detection on the data frame.

[0125] like Fig.11 As shown in the figure, the WS message structure contains four data information, where DOMAIN ID is the domain ID used to distinguish communications in the same LAN, Topic is the topic for communication between different nodes in the same domain, and only nodes in the same domain and topic can communicate, Message is the data type information, and Data is the real data.

[0126] Regarding the communication between the control node and the member nodes:

[0127] Each control node communicates with one or more member nodes controlled by the control node via short-range wireless communication.

[0128] In some examples, each control node can communicate with one or more member nodes controlled by the control node through short-range wireless communication. For example, there are three automatic guided vehicles in the automatic guided vehicle cluster A, namely a1, a2, and a3. A1 serves as the control node. The control node a1 can communicate with a2 or a2 and a3 through short-range wireless communication via WIFI to transmit data.

[0129] In some embodiments of the present invention, each control node communicates with one or more member nodes controlled by the control node through a local area network, and multiple member nodes communicate with each other through a local area network, and the member nodes determine whether to receive a data packet based on a local area network identifier and a topic identifier carried in the data packet.

[0130] In some examples, the local area network can be WIFI. Since an Internet of Things module is deployed in the control node, the control node can be connected to an external IoT card to communicate with an external 4G base station by obtaining a fixed IP. The control node uses a wireless network card module to enable WIFI hotspot coverage centered on the connected IoT card, and expands the coverage range of the WIFI signal based on the deployed signal amplifier to 300-400 meters in open space and 80-100 meters in semi-open space, so that one or more member nodes controlled by the controlled node can connect to the WIFI of the control node through the wireless network card module in the second industrial computer for short-range wireless communication, thereby realizing data reception and transmission.

[0131] In some examples, IoT modules are deployed on control nodes and external IoT cards are used to enable direct use of 4G base stations for communication, reducing the initial layout of network cables, mobile base stations, switches, routers and other equipment. Several projects can share one server, greatly reducing the communication and labor costs of the projects.

[0132] In some examples, hotspot coverage within a certain range is achieved by controlling the IoT card embedded in the node, thereby realizing partitioned communication. This solves the problem in the prior art that problems with the Master node cause the entire communication system to be paralyzed, and that large-area communication cannot be achieved.

[0133] In some examples, when the working range of a single group is relatively large, such as when the working range of a member node is greater than 400m, a wireless bridge can be added to expand the signal coverage range to forward data across the range.

[0134] In some examples, the member node communicates with the control node through a wireless network card module to connect to the WIFI hotspot turned on by the control node. The communication protocol may be the Data Distribution Service (DDS) protocol, and the control node communicates with the server through the WebSocket protocol.

[0135] In actual applications, the server can encapsulate the handling task into a WS message data packet and send it to the control node. The control node decodes it, confirms the MAC information, IP information, and port information, and then broadcasts it on the LAN. The member nodes in the same LAN confirm whether to receive the data packet through the LAN identification (DOMAIN ID) information and the topic identification (Topic information). After confirming the reception, the member nodes can receive data according to the data type of the Message.

[0136] Specifically, the following steps may be included:

[0137] Step 401, receiving the transport task sent by the server.

[0138] In actual applications, after receiving the handling task issued by the server-side scheduling system management platform, the control node can forward the handling task to multiple member nodes. For example, there are three automatic guided vehicles in the automatic guided vehicle cluster A, namely a1, a2, and a3. In the automatic guided vehicle cluster A, a1 is the control node. After receiving the handling task, the control node a1 can forward it to a2 and a3.

[0139] In some examples, before receiving the handling task sent by the server, a scheduling system management platform can be established in the server. The scheduling system management platform plans tasks according to the projects to be executed. The scheduling system management platform sends the planned handling tasks through the base station to the control node in the automatic guided vehicle cluster that needs to execute the handling task for task forwarding.

[0140] Step 402: According to the transport task, a first control instruction is sent to at least some of the one or more member nodes controlled by the control node to execute the transport task.

[0141] In some examples of the present invention, the first control instruction carries: path planning information including initial coordinates, cargo coordinates, and transport destination coordinates.

[0142] In some examples, the first control instruction may be carried in the transport task, or may be generated by the control node according to the transport task, and the first control instruction is used to control the member node to execute the transport task.

[0143] For example, after receiving the transport task issued by the server scheduling system management platform, the control node can parse the transport task to obtain a first control instruction, and send it to one or more member nodes controlled by the control node, so that the member nodes execute the transport task.

[0144] For another example, after receiving the transport task sent by the server scheduling system management platform, the control node can parse the transport task, generate a first control instruction, and send it to one or more member nodes controlled by the control node, so that the member nodes execute the transport task.

[0145] In some examples, after the control node receives the handling task issued by the server-side scheduling system management platform, the control node can also perform path planning for the handling task and image recognition of the material based on the current status of one or more member nodes (such as idle or working) to generate a first control instruction, and send it to the corresponding member node (such as an idle member node) to control the member node to complete the handling task.

[0146] In some examples, after receiving the transport task sent by the server, the control node can also plan the path according to the transport task and arrive at the work place with the member nodes, determine whether the goods need to be transported through the camera, and perform refined operations after the determination is completed to load the goods. After the control node plans the path according to the transport task, it issues a first control instruction to the member node, and the member node operates according to the first control instruction.

[0147] Step 403: During the execution of the transport task, the relevant information of at least part of the member nodes and / or the execution status of the transport task are sent to the server.

[0148] In some examples of the present invention, the relevant conditions of at least some of the member nodes include any one or more of the following: current operating status, location information.

[0149] In some examples, the current operation status may be whether the member node is operating normally, and the location information may be the coordinate information of the location of the member node. When the member node is performing the transport task, the relevant information may be sent to the control node, and then sent to the server via the control node.

[0150] In some examples of the present invention, the execution status of the transport task includes any one or more of the following: completion status, execution progress.

[0151] In some examples, the completion status may be whether the transport task is completed, and the execution progress may be the extent to which the transport task is executed. When the member node is executing the transport task, the execution status may be sent to the control node, and then sent to the server via the control node.

[0152] In some examples, while a member node is performing a transport task, it may also send other data to a control node, and then to a server via the control node. The other data may be data collected by sensors in the member node, and the other data may be used to identify obstacles, etc.

[0153] In some examples, during the execution of the handling task, after the member node sends the relevant information or execution status collected by the sensor to the control node, the control node can also encapsulate it according to the WebSocket protocol data transmission format and send it to the server. The server finally decodes it layer by layer to obtain the WS message. The scheduling system management platform in the server creates a proxy node through the rosbridge protocol to parse the received WS message data.

[0154] In some examples, before sending the relevant information of at least some member nodes and / or the execution status of the handling task to the server, a transmission mode of the automatic guided vehicle equipment information can be pre-established, and data can be transmitted according to the transmission mode. For example, a robot platform is established in the control node and the member node, and the robot platform is used for the software development, deployment and management of the automatic guided vehicle, so that it can handle most of the complex logic.

[0155] In some examples, member nodes can also publish relevant situations, execution status of handling tasks and other data collected by sensors on the robot platform through the local area network. The control node can also obtain the data published by the member nodes through the robot platform and process it.

[0156] In some examples of the present invention, by establishing a robot platform, when a member node is performing a handling task and the sensor suddenly senses an obstacle ahead, it can make an emergency stop, interrupt device communication, suspend operation, etc.

[0157] like Fig.12 As shown, the member node reads the sensor (laser, radar, camera, etc.) data to the robot platform through the LAN network port, and publishes it after processing. The control node can obtain the data published by the member node through the robot platform, and after processing (such as encapsulating it in the form of WebSocket protocol data transmission), the base station sends the data to the AVG (automatic guided vehicle) scheduling system management platform on the server side through the WebSocket protocol.

[0158] like Fig.13 The figure shows the CAN bus architecture diagram of the present invention. Multiple devices (such as infrared sensors, actuators, encoders, etc.) can be connected to the CAN bus, so that the data collected by the multiple devices can be transmitted to the control node or member node.

[0159] For example, in some examples of the present invention, by sending relevant information to the server, the server scheduling system platform can monitor the operating status and location information of the member nodes.

[0160] In some examples, since the external server can communicate with the server, the external server can also access the scheduling system platform of the server to view the relevant status of the member nodes and / or the execution status of the handling task, thereby monitoring and controlling the automatic guided vehicle cluster.

[0161] In some embodiments of the present invention, the method further comprises:

[0162] During the execution of the transport task, a second control instruction is sent to the at least some of the member nodes according to the relevant data sent by the at least some of the member nodes.

[0163] In some examples, the relevant data may be relevant information about members and nodes, execution status of transport tasks, other data, location information, material images, and other data related to member nodes.

[0164] In some examples, the second control instruction can be used to control the member nodes to make adjustments based on the relevant data, wherein the second control instruction may also include path planning information of the initial coordinates, cargo coordinates, and transport destination coordinates.

[0165] In some examples, when a member node performs a handling task, the member node publishes its own relevant data through the robot platform at intervals (such as 5 minutes) during the driving process. After the control node obtains these relevant data of the member node on the robot platform, it can perform calculations on the data through the industrial computer to obtain the calculation results, so that the control node can adjust the member node according to the calculation results, such as the control node issuing a second control instruction through the robot platform according to the calculation results to perform the next step of control or correction operations.

[0166] In some examples of the present invention, the control node performs calculations on the relevant data of the member nodes so that the server does not need to perform calculations, thereby freeing up the server and reducing the requirements on the server's performance.

[0167] In some embodiments of the present invention, the relevant data includes location information, and in the process of executing the transport task, sending a second control instruction to the at least some of the member nodes according to the relevant data sent by the at least some of the member nodes includes:

[0168] During the execution of the transport task, path replanning is performed according to the position information sent by at least some of the member nodes, and based on the result of the path replanning, a second control instruction is sent to at least some of the member nodes, and the second control instruction is used to correct the position of the member nodes.

[0169] In some examples, the path replanning may be a calculation between the location information of the member nodes and the path set for executing the transport task.

[0170] In some examples, when a member node performs a handling task, after the member node publishes its own relevant data through the robot platform, the control node can obtain the relevant data of the member node based on the robot platform, and calculate the position information in the relevant data to obtain the result of path replanning, and generate a second control instruction and send it to the robot platform in the member node through the robot platform to correct the position of the member node through the second control instruction.

[0171] In actual applications, when the control node calculates based on the relevant data of the member node and determines that the position information does not match the path set for executing the transport task, the control node can re-plan the path based on the position information, obtain the result of the path re-planning to generate a second control instruction, and issue the second control instruction to the member node through the robot platform. After receiving the second control instruction issued by the robot platform, the member node can adjust its position according to the second control instruction.

[0172] In some embodiments of the present invention, the relevant data includes a material image, and in the process of executing the handling task, sending a second control instruction to the at least some of the member nodes according to the relevant data sent by the at least some of the member nodes includes:

[0173] During the execution of the transport task, material images are compared based on the material images sent by at least some of the member nodes, and based on the comparison results, a second control instruction is sent to at least some of the member nodes, wherein the second control instruction is used to indicate whether to transport the current material.

[0174] In some examples, the material images may be images of materials in a warehouse.

[0175] In some examples, the second control instruction can also be used to instruct the member node whether to transport the current material, wherein the second control instruction can also include path planning information of the initial coordinates, cargo coordinates, and transport destination coordinates.

[0176] In some examples, when a member node performs a handling task, after the member node publishes its own relevant data through the robot platform, the control node can obtain the relevant data of the member node based on the robot platform, and compare the material images in the relevant data to obtain the material image comparison result (such as match or mismatch), and generate a second control instruction and send it to the robot platform in the member node through the robot platform to instruct the member node whether to handle the current material through the second control instruction.

[0177] In actual applications, since there are sensors (such as cameras) on the member nodes, the member nodes can obtain image information of the current material when performing the handling task and upload it to the robot platform. The control node can compare the material image of the member node with the material image in the handling task to obtain a comparison result. When it is determined that the material image does not match the material image set for the handling task, the control node can generate a second control instruction and issue the second control instruction to the member node through the robot platform. After receiving the second control instruction issued by the robot platform, the member node can determine not to handle the current material based on the second control instruction.

[0178] When it is determined that the material image matches the material image set for the handling task, the control node can generate a second control instruction and issue the second control instruction to the member node through the robot platform. After the member node receives the second control instruction issued by the robot platform, it can determine that the current material can be handled based on the second control instruction, thereby performing the handling task.

[0179] In some embodiments of the present invention, the method further comprises:

[0180] A third control instruction sent by the server to a target member node is received, and the target member node is controlled according to the third control instruction.

[0181] In some examples, the third control instruction may be used to control the target member node. The second control instruction may include path planning information of the destination coordinates and target member node control information.

[0182] In some examples, after receiving the relevant data published by the member node through the robot platform, the control node can also encapsulate the relevant data according to the WebSocket protocol data transmission format. After the control node encapsulates the relevant data, it sends it to the scheduling system management platform on the server side through the WebSocket protocol according to the base station. The scheduling system management platform parses it into a WS message and displays it on the interactive interface.

[0183] Since an automated guided vehicle cluster contains multiple member nodes, users can also view the relevant data of each member node and designate a member node as a target member node based on the interactive interface of the scheduling system management platform website. Users generate a third control instruction based on the server, and the server sends the third control instruction to the control node, which sends it to the target member node through the robot platform to control the target member node.

[0184] In some examples, the external server can also access the server-side scheduling system management platform website through the network to view the relevant data of each member node through the interactive interface, and designate a member node as the target member node, and generate a third control instruction based on the server. The server sends the third control instruction to the control node, and the control node sends it to the target member node through the robot platform to achieve control of the target member node.

[0185] In some examples of the present invention, the server scheduling system management platform website can also be accessed through a personal computer, and data interaction is performed with the control node through the server.

[0186] The following is combined with Fig.14 An example explanation is given below:

[0187] S1, the control node collects the underlying device data through the CAN bus.

[0188] Since multiple devices (such as infrared sensors, actuators, encoders, etc.) can be connected to the CAN bus, the control node obtains the underlying device data collected by the sensor through the CAN bus.

[0189] S2, the underlying data is transmitted to the robot platform via the CAN bus.

[0190] The control node collects the underlying device data of the member nodes and transmits it to the robot platform through the CAN bus.

[0191] Among them, the member nodes can also obtain the underlying device data of the member nodes collected by the sensors through the CAN bus, transmit it to the robot platform through the CAN bus for publication, and the control node receives the underlying device data published by the member nodes on the robot platform.

[0192] S3, the control node obtains a fixed IP address through the IoT card to access the network.

[0193] The control node obtains a fixed IP address and communicates with the external 4G base station based on the deployed IoT module external IoT card.

[0194] S4, the control node is connected to the server through the base station.

[0195] The control node communicates with the server via the base station.

[0196] S5, the robot platform interacts with the website in the server through WebSocket.

[0197] The robot platform in the control node interacts with the server-side scheduling system management platform website through the WebSocket protocol and sends the underlying device data to the scheduling system management platform.

[0198] S6, the external server monitors and controls the AGV cluster (i.e., automatic guided vehicle cluster) by interacting with the website.

[0199] The external server can interact with the server-side scheduling system management platform website through the network to monitor and control the automatic guided vehicle cluster.

[0200] In some embodiments of the present invention, an automated guided vehicle cluster is configured to consist of a plurality of automated guided vehicles, the plurality of automated guided vehicles include one or more control nodes and one or more member nodes controlled by each control node, the one or more control nodes communicate with a server via a base station, each control node communicates with the one or more member nodes controlled by the controlled node via short-range wireless communication, and receives a handling task sent by the server; according to the handling task, a first control instruction is sent to at least some of the one or more member nodes controlled by the controlled node to execute the handling task; in the process of executing the handling task, relevant conditions of at least some of the member nodes and / or the execution conditions of the handling task are sent to the server, so that control nodes and corresponding member nodes are set in the automated guided vehicle cluster, the control nodes communicate with the server and control the corresponding member nodes, thereby performing partitioned communication and control in the automated guided vehicle cluster, simplifying the amount of data transmitted between the automated guided vehicle cluster and the server, and improving the timeliness of the control of the automated guided vehicle cluster. The automated guided vehicle cluster can be applied to scenarios of large-scale automated guided vehicle clusters, and the automated guided vehicle cluster can be remotely monitored on the server.

[0201] It should be noted that, for the sake of simplicity, the method embodiments are described as a series of action combinations, but those skilled in the art should be aware that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited by the order of the actions described, because according to the embodiments of the present invention, certain steps can be performed in other orders or simultaneously. Secondly, those skilled in the art should also be aware that the embodiments described in the specification are all preferred embodiments, and the actions involved are not necessarily required by the embodiments of the present invention.

[0202] Reference Fig.15 , shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a device based on an automatic guided vehicle cluster provided by some embodiments of the present invention, which may specifically include the following modules:

[0203] The task receiving module 1501 is used to receive the transport task sent by the server;

[0204] A first control instruction sending module 1502, configured to send a first control instruction to at least some of the one or more member nodes controlled by the control node according to the transport task, so as to execute the transport task;

[0205] The status sending module 1503 is used to send the relevant status of at least part of the member nodes and / or the execution status of the transport task to the server during the execution of the transport task.

[0206] In some embodiments of the present invention, the device further comprises:

[0207] The second control instruction sending module is used to send a second control instruction to at least some of the member nodes according to the relevant data sent by at least some of the member nodes during the execution of the transport task.

[0208] In some embodiments of the present invention, the second control instruction sending module includes:

[0209] The path replanning submodule is used to replan the path according to the position information sent by at least some of the member nodes during the execution of the transportation task, and send a second control instruction to at least some of the member nodes based on the result of the path replanning, and the second control instruction is used to correct the position of the member nodes.

[0210] In some embodiments of the present invention, the second control instruction sending module includes:

[0211] The material image comparison submodule is used to perform material image comparison according to the material images sent by at least some of the member nodes during the execution of the handling task, and send a second control instruction to at least some of the member nodes based on the comparison result, wherein the second control instruction is used to indicate whether to handle the current material.

[0212] In some embodiments of the present invention, the device further comprises:

[0213] The third control instruction receiving module is used to receive the third control instruction sent by the server to the target member node, and control the target member node according to the third control instruction.

[0214] In some embodiments of the present invention, the one or more control nodes communicate with the server via the WebSocket protocol.

[0215] In some embodiments of the present invention, the WebSocket protocol message carries: a local area network identifier and a topic identifier.

[0216] In some embodiments of the present invention, each control node communicates with one or more member nodes controlled by the control node through a local area network, and multiple member nodes communicate with each other through a local area network, and the member nodes determine whether to receive a data packet based on a local area network identifier and a topic identifier carried in the data packet.

[0217] In some embodiments of the present invention, the control node is deployed with a first industrial computer, and data processing is performed through the first industrial computer.

[0218] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first industrial computer in the control node is configured with an Internet of Things module, and communicates with the base station through the Internet of Things module.

[0219] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first industrial computer in the control node is configured with a first wireless network module, and communicates with the member nodes through the first wireless network module.

[0220] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first industrial computer in the control node is configured with a signal amplifier, and the wireless network signal sent by the first wireless network module is amplified by the signal amplifier.

[0221] In some embodiments of the present invention, the member node is deployed with a second industrial computer, and data processing is performed through the second industrial computer.

[0222] In some embodiments of the present invention, the second industrial computer in the member node is configured with a second wireless network module, and communicates with the control node through the second wireless network module.

[0223] In some embodiments of the present invention, the automatic guided vehicle is deployed with a plurality of sensors, and the plurality of sensors include any one or more of the following: camera, radar, laser, ultrasonic wave.

[0224] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first control instruction carries: path planning information including initial coordinates, cargo coordinates, and transport destination coordinates.

[0225] In some embodiments of the present invention, the relevant conditions of at least some of the member nodes include any one or more of the following: current operating status, location information.

[0226] In some embodiments of the present invention, the execution status of the transport task includes any one or more of the following: completion status, execution progress.

[0227] Some embodiments of the present invention further provide an automated guided vehicle, which may include a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor, wherein the computer program implements the above communication method based on an automated guided vehicle cluster when executed by the processor.

[0228] Some embodiments of the present invention further provide an electronic device, which may include a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the above communication method based on an automated guided vehicle cluster is implemented.

[0229] Some embodiments of the present invention further provide a computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the communication method based on an automated guided vehicle cluster as described above is implemented.

[0230] As for the device embodiment, since it is basically similar to the method embodiment, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the partial description of the method embodiment.

[0231] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0232] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present invention may be provided as methods, devices, or computer program products. Therefore, the embodiments of the present invention may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware. Moreover, the embodiments of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program codes.

[0233] The embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, terminal devices (systems), and computer program products according to the embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that each process and / or block in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the processes and / or blocks in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing terminal device to generate a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing terminal device generate instructions for implementing the processes in the flowchart and / or block diagram. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in a block or multiple blocks.

[0234] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory capable of directing a computer or other programmable data processing terminal device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce a manufactured product including an instruction device, which implements the process Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A function specified in one or more boxes.

[0235] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing terminal device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable terminal device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions for executing on the computer or other programmable terminal device to implement the process. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps for the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0236] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, those skilled in the art may make additional changes and modifications to these embodiments once they have learned the basic creative concept. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments and all changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0237] Finally, it should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or terminal device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or terminal device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "including one..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or terminal device including the above elements.

[0238] The above is a detailed introduction to a communication method and device based on an automated guided vehicle cluster. Specific examples are used in this article to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method of the present invention and its core idea. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of ​​the present invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation method and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

Claims

1. A communication method based on an automatic guided vehicle cluster, characterized in that: The automatic guided vehicle cluster is composed of a plurality of automatic guided vehicles, the plurality of automatic guided vehicles include one or more control nodes and one or more member nodes controlled by each control node, the one or more control nodes communicate with a server via a base station, each control node communicates with the one or more member nodes controlled by the control node via short-range wireless communication, and the method includes: Receiving the transport task sent by the server; According to the transport task, sending a first control instruction to at least some of the one or more member nodes controlled by the control node to execute the transport task; During the execution of the transport task, the relevant information of at least part of the member nodes and / or the execution status of the transport task are sent to the server.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: During the execution of the transport task, a second control instruction is sent to the at least some of the member nodes according to the relevant data sent by the at least some of the member nodes.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The relevant data includes location information, and in the process of executing the transport task, sending a second control instruction to the at least some of the member nodes according to the relevant data sent by the at least some of the member nodes, comprises: During the execution of the transport task, path replanning is performed according to the position information sent by at least some of the member nodes, and based on the result of the path replanning, a second control instruction is sent to at least some of the member nodes, and the second control instruction is used to correct the position of the member nodes.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The relevant data includes a material image, and in the process of executing the handling task, sending a second control instruction to the at least some of the member nodes according to the relevant data sent by the at least some of the member nodes, comprises: During the execution of the transport task, material images are compared based on the material images sent by at least some of the member nodes, and based on the comparison results, a second control instruction is sent to at least some of the member nodes, wherein the second control instruction is used to indicate whether to transport the current material.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further comprises: A third control instruction sent by the server to a target member node is received, and the target member node is controlled according to the third control instruction.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The one or more control nodes communicate with the server via the WebSocket protocol.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The WebSocket protocol message carries: a local area network identifier and a topic identifier.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Each control node communicates with one or more member nodes controlled by the control node through a local area network, and multiple member nodes communicate with each other through a local area network. The member node determines whether to receive a data packet based on a local area network identifier and a topic identifier carried in the data packet.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The control node is deployed with a first industrial computer, and data processing is performed through the first industrial computer.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The first industrial computer in the control node is configured with an Internet of Things module, and communicates with the base station through the Internet of Things module.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that: The first industrial computer in the control node is configured with a first wireless network module, and communicates with the member nodes through the first wireless network module.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The first industrial computer in the control node is equipped with a signal amplifier, and the signal amplifier is used to amplify the wireless network signal sent by the first wireless network module.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The member node is deployed with a second industrial computer, and data processing is performed through the second industrial computer.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The second industrial computer in the member node is configured with a second wireless network module, and communicates with the control node through the second wireless network module.

15. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The automatic guided vehicle is deployed with a plurality of sensors, and the plurality of sensors include any one or more of the following: Cameras, radar, laser, ultrasound.

16. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first control instruction carries: path planning information including initial coordinates, cargo coordinates, and transport destination coordinates.

17. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The relevant conditions of at least some of the member nodes include any one or more of the following: Current operating status and location information.

18. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The execution of the handling task includes any one or more of the following: Completion status and execution progress.

19. A communication device based on an automated guided vehicle cluster, characterized in that: The device comprises: A task receiving module, used to receive the handling task sent by the server; A first control instruction sending module, configured to send a first control instruction to at least some of the one or more member nodes controlled by the control node according to the transport task, so as to execute the transport task; The situation sending module is used to send the relevant situation of at least part of the member nodes and / or the execution situation of the transport task to the server during the execution of the transport task.

20. An automatic guided vehicle, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor, wherein the computer program implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18 when executed by the processor.

21. An electronic device, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor, wherein the computer program implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18 when executed by the processor.

22. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18 is implemented.

Images