Traveling vehicle system

Abstract

The invention discloses a running vehicle system, which comprises a running vehicle running on a track with a group of grid cells, the running vehicle is communicated with a control system, and the control system confirms whether a grid cell to be unlocked exists in each grid cell of the track; when it is determined that the to-be-unlocked grid unit exists, an unlocking driving vehicle on the track is indicated to unlock the to-be-unlocked grid unit; when one to-be-unlocked grid unit needs to be unlocked, an unlocking driving vehicle determines whether other driving vehicles exist at the to-be-unlocked grid unit or not according to a signal of an obstacle avoidance sensor on the unlocking driving vehicle so as to determine whether the to-be-unlocked grid unit is successfully unlocked or not; and the control system updates the attribute information of the to-be-unlocked grid unit according to the feedback of the unlocked running vehicle. According to the invention, the grid unit can be effectively ensured to be unlocked in time under an abnormal condition, convenience is provided for passing of other running vehicles, and the passing efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automatic material handling, especially a vehicle system. Background Art

[0002] The patent document with the authorization announcement number CN113874271B discloses a vehicle system that uses a vehicle moving on a grid-like track to carry items such as handling containers (FOUP, reticle box) that house semiconductor wafers or reticles.

[0003] In such a system, it involves releasing the vehicle's occupation of a grid cell.

[0004] However, during the actual operation of the system, there are various situations that lead to the problem that the grid cell cannot be released in time. For example, the vehicle crashes and cannot communicate; or the logic processing of the control system makes a mistake and does not automatically release the vehicle's occupation of the grid cell that is no longer needed.

[0005] And the grid cell not being released in time will cause other vehicles not to pass, greatly affecting the passing efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the above problems existing in the prior art and provide a vehicle system.

[0007] The purpose of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions: A vehicle system, including a track with a set of grid cells and a vehicle moving on the track, the vehicle communicates with a control system, and the control system confirms whether there is an unlockable grid cell among the grid cells of the track; when it is determined that there is an unlockable grid cell, the control system instructs the unlocking vehicle on the track to unlock the unlockable grid cell; when unlocking an unlockable grid cell, the unlocking vehicle determines whether there is another vehicle at the unlockable grid cell according to the signal of the obstacle avoidance sensor on it. If it is determined that there is no other vehicle at the unlockable grid cell, the unlocking vehicle sends a message to the control system that the unlocking of the unlockable grid cell is successful. If it is determined that there is another vehicle at the unlockable grid cell, the unlocking vehicle sends a message to the control system that the unlocking of the unlockable grid cell fails, and the control system updates the attribute information of the unlockable grid cell according to the feedback of the unlocking vehicle.

[0008] Preferably, the control system determines whether a grid cell is an unlockable grid cell according to the following process: The control system determines whether the duration of the grid cell being occupied by a vehicle exceeds a set threshold; If it is determined that the duration for which the grid cell is occupied by a moving vehicle does not exceed a set threshold, it is determined that the grid cell is not an unlockable grid cell; If it is determined that the duration for which the grid cell is occupied by a moving vehicle exceeds the set threshold, determine whether there is an abnormality in the communication of the moving vehicle; If it is determined that there is an abnormality in the communication of the moving vehicle, it is determined that the grid cell is an unlockable grid cell; If it is determined that the communication of the moving vehicle is normal, determine whether the grid cell is the grid cell currently occupied by the moving vehicle; If it is determined that the grid cell is not the grid cell currently occupied by the moving vehicle, determine that the grid cell is an unlockable grid cell; If it is determined that the grid cell is the grid cell currently occupied by the moving vehicle, determine whether there is a mechanical failure in the moving vehicle; if so, determine that the grid cell is an unlockable grid cell; if not, notify the moving vehicle to release the grid cell in a timely manner.

[0009] Preferably, when the control system determines that there is an abnormality in the communication of the moving vehicle and / or there is a mechanical failure in the moving vehicle, it is determined that all grid cells currently occupied by the moving vehicle are unlockable grid cells.

[0010] Preferably, the control system selects the idle moving vehicle that is the closest to the unlockable grid cell or has the shortest travel time to the unlockable grid cell as the unlocking moving vehicle.

[0011] Preferably, when the unlocking moving vehicle moves to a predetermined distance from the unlockable grid cell, the unlocking moving vehicle moves towards the unlockable grid cell at a first speed that is less than the normal moving speed.

[0012] Preferably, when the unlocking moving vehicle moves to the unlockable grid cell, it sends information to the control system indicating that the unlockable grid cell has been successfully unlocked.

[0013] Preferably, when an unlockable grid cell needs to be unlocked, if the control system determines that the moving path of a moving vehicle performing a work task includes the unlockable grid cell and the moving vehicle in the operation has not requested to obtain the exclusive right to the unlockable grid cell, then when the moving vehicle in the operation requests to occupy an exclusive area including the unlockable grid cell, and the control system determines that the moving vehicle in the operation has obtained the exclusive right to other grid cells in the exclusive area before the unlockable grid cell, the control system grants the exclusive right to the unlockable grid cell to the moving vehicle in the operation and instructs the moving vehicle in the operation to unlock the unlockable grid cell.

[0014] Preferably, When the moving vehicle in the operation confirms that there is no other moving vehicle at the grid unit to be unlocked, the moving vehicle in the operation sends information indicating the successful unlocking of the grid unit to be unlocked to the control system, and the moving vehicle in the operation determines whether to wait at the grid unit to be unlocked or continue to move downstream to other grid units according to whether it obtains the exclusive rights of other grid units located downstream of the grid unit to be unlocked on its moving path; When the moving vehicle in the operation confirms that there is other moving vehicle at the grid unit to be unlocked, the moving vehicle in the operation sends information indicating the failed unlocking of the grid unit to be unlocked to the control system, and requests the control system to re-plan the moving path, and the moving vehicle in the operation stops and waits at a grid unit before the grid unit to be unlocked.

[0015] Preferably, obstacle avoidance sensors are provided on four sides of each moving vehicle.

[0016] Preferably, the detection distance of the obstacle avoidance sensor is not less than the length or width of a grid unit, and the detection distance of the obstacle avoidance sensor satisfies that when the moving vehicle is at a grid unit, the obstacle avoidance sensor on the moving vehicle can detect whether there is an obstacle within the range of one grid unit in front of the obstacle avoidance sensor.

[0017] The advantages of the technical solution of the present invention are mainly reflected in: By identifying the status of each grid unit, the present invention can timely detect the grid units to be unlocked that are not released in time. Moreover, by configuring obstacle avoidance sensors on the moving vehicle, the control system can verify the situation of the grid units to be unlocked through other moving vehicles on the track, and unlock the grid units to be unlocked when there is no moving vehicle at the grid unit to be unlocked, which can effectively ensure that the grid units to be unlocked in case of abnormal situations are unlocked in time, thus providing convenience for the passage of other moving vehicles and being beneficial to improving the passage efficiency.

[0018] When determining the grid units to be unlocked, the present invention can effectively identify different states of the grid units, making the judgment more accurate. At the same time, when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the communication of the moving vehicle or the moving vehicle has a mechanical failure, directly determining all the grid units occupied by the moving vehicle as the grid units to be unlocked can effectively reduce the number of judgments and time, thereby improving the processing efficiency.

[0019] When selecting an unlocked driving vehicle in the present invention, an idle driving vehicle can be selected nearby according to needs, or a working driving vehicle that is performing a work task can be selected, providing more choices. When selecting a working driving vehicle for unlocking, there is no need to use an additional driving vehicle to unlock the grid unit to be unlocked, reducing the control process. Moreover, the working driving vehicle can not only identify whether the grid unit to be unlocked can be unlocked, but also promptly confirm the passable state of its current moving path to switch the moving path as soon as possible. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 is a partial schematic view of the driving vehicle system of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective schematic view of the track of the present invention; Figure 3 is a partial top view of the track of the present invention; Figure 4 is an end view of the first track or the second track and the structures thereon of the present invention; Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the track of the present invention connected to the ceiling or roof through a connecting member; Figure 6 is a front view of the driving vehicle of the present invention; Figure 7 is a top view of the driving vehicle of the present invention; Figure 8 is a schematic view of the driving vehicle of the present invention grasping an item; Figure 9 is a schematic view of the driving vehicle of the present invention grasping an item into its storage space; Figure 10 is a schematic view of the detection range of the obstacle avoidance radar on one side of the driving vehicle of the present invention; Figure 11 is a schematic view of the non-connection between the grid unit currently occupied by the driving vehicle and the exclusive interval requested to be occupied in the present invention; Figure 12 is a schematic view of the connection between the end point of the exclusive interval currently occupied by the driving vehicle and the starting point of the exclusive interval requested to be occupied in the present invention; Figure 13 is a schematic view of the connection between the starting point of the exclusive interval requested to be occupied by the driving vehicle and other points of the exclusive interval currently occupied in the present invention; Figure 14 is a schematic view of the process of the driving vehicle system of the present invention checking and unlocking the grid unit to be unlocked; Figure 15 is a schematic view of the process of the blocking control system of the present invention determining whether a grid unit is a grid unit to be unlocked; Figure 16It is a schematic diagram of the process of unlocking the grid cells to be unlocked by a traveling vehicle in an operation of the present invention; Figure 17 It is an example diagram of unlocking the grid cells to be unlocked by a traveling vehicle in an operation of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0021] The objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be illustrated and explained by the following non-restrictive description of preferred embodiments. These embodiments are only typical examples of applying the technical solutions of the present invention, and any technical solutions formed by equivalent replacement or equivalent transformation fall within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0022] In the description of the solution, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of description and simplification of description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0023] Embodiment 1 The traveling vehicle system disclosed by the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The specific structure of the traveling vehicle system can refer to the structure disclosed in the patent documents cited in the background art, as shown in the attached drawings Figure 1 As shown, it includes a track A00 and a traveling vehicle B00 traveling along a first direction and a second direction on the track A00.

[0024] Of course, in other embodiments, the track A00 and the traveling vehicle B00 may also adopt other structures.

[0025] As shown in the attached drawings Figure 2 As shown, the track A00 includes a plurality of first tracks A01 horizontally extending along a first direction X and a plurality of second tracks A02 horizontally extending along a second direction Y. The plurality of first tracks A01 are arranged at the same height and at equal intervals. A set of the second tracks A02 is arranged between two adjacent first tracks A01. A set of the second tracks A02 is arranged at the same height and at equal intervals between the first tracks A01, and the top surface of the second tracks A02 is flush with the top surface of the first tracks A01. Moreover, the positions of multiple sets of second tracks A02 correspond to each other. Thus, two adjacent second tracks A02 and the two first tracks A01 connected to them enclose a grid cell A03.

[0026] Of course, the track A00 can also be processed in other ways. For example, the track A00 is a structure with a grid-like top view formed by stamping a plurality of rectangular holes distributed in a grid pattern on an integral plate, or the track A00 is assembled from a plurality of plates with grid-like rectangular holes, and one rectangular hole is one grid unit.

[0027] As shown in the attached Figure 2 figure, the top surfaces of the first track A01 and the second track A02 cooperate to form a plurality of first bearing surfaces A04 extending in the first direction X and a plurality of second bearing surfaces A05 extending in the second direction Y. Each of the first bearing surfaces A04 includes two first passing surfaces A06 extending in the first direction X and maintaining a first interval A07. Each of the second bearing surfaces A05 includes two second passing surfaces A09 extending in the second direction Y and maintaining a second interval A08. The traveling vehicle moves on the adjacent first passing surfaces of two adjacent first bearing surfaces or on the adjacent second passing surfaces of two adjacent second bearing surfaces.

[0028] As shown in the attached Figure 3 and the attached Figure 4 figure, in order to better guide the moving wheels of the traveling vehicle B00, partition bars A10 are provided at each of the first interval A07 and the second interval A08. The partition bars A10 at each first interval A07 are spaced in the first direction X, and the partition bars A10 at each second interval A08 are spaced in the second direction Y, and the two ends of each partition bar A10 do not extend into the square area A11 where the first bearing surface A04 and the second bearing surface A05 intersect. At the same time, outer retaining bars A12 are provided at each of the first passing surfaces A06 and the second passing surfaces A09 near their outer sides. The two ends of the outer retaining bars A12 also do not extend into the square area A11. Thus, the partition bars and the outer retaining bars do not affect the passage of the traveling vehicle in the square area, and the partition bar A10 and the outer retaining bar A12 on one side of it form a wheel groove A13, and the wheel groove A13 is an inverted trapezoidal groove. Of course, the partition bars and the outer retaining bars are not necessary.

[0029] As shown in the attached Figure 2 and the attached Figure 3 and the attached Figure 5As shown, the track A00 is connected to the bottom of the ceiling or roof D of the workshop through a set of connectors C. The connectors C can be connected at the first interval A07 and the second interval A08 to avoid interfering with the passage of the traveling vehicle B00. More preferably, the connectors C are connected at the intersection A14 of the first interval A07 and the second interval A08. The structure of the connectors C can be designed as needed. To better support the track A00, the connectors C include a connecting rod C01. The connecting rod C01 passes through the through hole A15 at the intersection A14. At the same time, the connecting rod C01 is connected to a reinforcing plate C02 located at the bottom of the track A00. The reinforcing plate C02 is fixed to the track A00, and the reinforcing plate C02 does not extend into the grid unit A03.

[0030] As shown in the attached Figure 6 , the attached Figure 7 figure, the traveling vehicle B00 includes a vehicle frame B01. The vehicle frame B01 includes a hollow square box B02. The size of the square box B02 is adapted to the size of a grid unit A03 of the track A00. Usually, the size of the square box is slightly larger than the size of a grid unit. The square box B02 includes four horizontal load plates, and each load plate has sufficient thickness and width. At the top of the square box B02, support rods B03 extending in the vertical direction are provided near the four top corners. The height of the support rods B03 can be designed as needed to ensure that the following storage space B20 can effectively store an item E. An upper cover B04 is provided on a group of the support rods B03, and side enclosing plates can also be provided between the upper cover B04 and the square box B02 to enclose the four sides of the vehicle frame B01.

[0031] As shown in the attached Figure 6 , the attached Figure 7 figure, a first moving mechanism B05 for driving it to translate in the first direction X and a second moving mechanism B06 for driving it to translate in the second direction Y are provided at the lower part of the vehicle frame B01. The first moving wheels B07 of the first moving mechanism B05 are arranged on two opposite load plates of the square box B02, and the second moving wheels B08 of the second moving mechanism B06 are arranged on the other two load plates of the square box B02. The number of the first moving wheels B07 is preferably four and their axes extend in the second direction Y. The two first moving wheels B07 on one load plate are distributed in the first direction X and correspond to the two first moving wheels B07 on the other load plate one by one. The distance between the first moving wheels B07 on one side (the first moving wheels B07 on one load plate) and the first moving wheels B07 on the other side is equivalent to the extension distance of a grid unit A03 in the second direction Y, so that the first moving wheels B07 on both sides can effectively move on the two first passing surfaces A06 on both sides of a grid unit A03.

[0032] The number of the second moving wheels B08 is also four, and their axes extend along the first direction X. Two second moving wheels B08 on one carrier plate are distributed in the second direction Y and correspond to the two second moving wheels B08 on the other carrier plate one by one. The distance between the second moving wheels B08 on one side (the second moving wheels B08 on one carrier plate) and the second moving wheels B08 on the other side is equivalent to the extension distance of a grid unit A03 in the first direction X, so that the second moving wheels B08 on both sides can effectively move on the two second passage surfaces A09 on both sides of a grid unit A03.

[0033] In order to drive the first moving wheels B07 and the second moving wheels B08, two first moving wheels B07 at the same carrier plate can be driven by a motor located outside the first moving wheels B07, or each first moving wheel B07 can be driven by a motor located outside the first moving wheel B07. At this time, the motor can be a thinner motor. For example, among known motors, the thickness of the motor can be controlled within 2 - 5 cm, and the motor can drive the first moving wheels B07 to rotate through a transmission mechanism composed of a chain and a sprocket or a synchronous belt and a synchronous pulley. The second moving wheels B08 can be driven by the same structure, which will not be elaborated here.

[0034] Certainly, in a more optimal embodiment, at least one pair of the two pairs of coaxially arranged first moving wheels B07 can be driven by in-wheel motors, and at least one pair of the two pairs of coaxially arranged second moving wheels B08 can be driven by in-wheel motors, which is beneficial to further reduce the space required for the drive structure.

[0035] Moreover, in order to make the first moving wheels B07 move above the track A00 with a gap when the second moving wheels B08 are located above the track A00 and make the first moving wheels B07 move above the track A00 with a gap when the second moving wheels B08 move on the track A00, the first moving wheels B07 and the second moving wheels B08 can be respectively capable of moving up and down relative to the vehicle frame B01.

[0036] The specific structures for the first moving wheels B07 and the second moving wheels B08 to move up and down relative to the vehicle frame B01 are the same or similar. Here, the structure for the first moving wheels B07 to move up and down relative to the vehicle frame B01 will be taken as an example for illustration.

[0037] As shown in the attached Figure 6 、attached Figure 7 figures, two first moving wheels B07 on the same side are arranged on a lifting plate B09, and the first moving wheels B07 are generally located outside the lifting plate B09. The lifting plate B09 is movably arranged on the square frame B02 in the vertical direction and is connected to a lifting drive mechanism B10 that drives it to move up and down relative to the square frame B02.

[0038] To meet the structural layout requirements within a limited space, the lifting plate B09 is in a convex shape. A guiding hole matching the protrusion B11 of the lifting plate B09 is provided on the carrier plate, and the protrusion B11 is movably inserted up and down through the guiding hole for guiding it. At this time, the lifting drive mechanism B10 for driving the lifting plate B09 to move up and down includes a lead screw and a lifting drive motor for driving the rotation of the nut B12 of the lead screw. One end of the screw rod B13 of the lead screw is connected to the lifting plate B09, and its connection position with the lifting plate B09 is located on one side of the protrusion B11. The screw rod B13 passes through an avoidance hole (not shown in the figure) provided on the square frame B02 with its axis extending in the vertical direction. The nut B12 of the lead screw can be rotatably arranged in place on the square frame B02 through components such as bearings and is connected to the lifting drive motor B15 for driving its rotation through a transmission mechanism B14. The transmission mechanism is, for example, a gear transmission mechanism, a transmission mechanism composed of a synchronous belt and synchronous wheels, etc. When the lifting drive motor drives the nut B12 to rotate, the screw rod B13 of the lead screw moves in the vertical direction, thereby driving the lifting plate B09 to move up and down. Of course, the lead screw can also be directly replaced by a screw rod and a nut.

[0039] To maintain the dynamic balance on both sides of the lifting plate B09, the lifting plate B09 can be connected to two lifting drive mechanisms B10 symmetrically distributed on both sides of the protrusion B11, and the two lifting drive mechanisms B10 can respectively have lifting drive motors. Of course, in a more optimal embodiment, the two lifting drive mechanisms B10 can share a single lifting drive motor. At this time, the lifting drive motor can drive the two nuts or nuts B12 to rotate synchronously through a synchronous mechanism B16 composed of a synchronous belt and synchronous wheels. At this time, the protrusion B11 of the lifting plate B09 can be located within the area enclosed by the synchronous belt of the linkage mechanism connecting the two nuts or nuts B12.

[0040] Of course, in other embodiments, the lifting plate B09 can also be of other shapes, and they can be respectively arranged on the side of the square frame B02 through slide rails. At this time, the lifting drive mechanism B10 can be, for example, an electric rod arranged in the vertical direction, or other devices or mechanisms capable of generating vertical movement, such as a structure in which a lead screw cooperates with a motor. At this time, the screw rod B13 of the lead screw rotates in place, while the nut B12 moves up and down along the screw rod B13 and is connected to the lifting plate B09.

[0041] As shown in the attached Figure 6 、attached Figure 7As shown, in order to ensure that when the first moving wheel B07 is traveling, the square box B02 will not move downward relative to the lifting plate B09, and at the same time, reduce the stress on the lead screw or screw and nut, when the first moving wheel B07 moves on the track A00, a limiting component B17 for cooperating with the lifting plate B09 to limit the downward movement of the square box B02 relative to the lifting plate B09 is provided on the square box B02. The limiting component B17 is, for example, a device such as an electromagnetic lock or an electric rod. The limiting component B17 includes a telescopic member B18 that can translate in a direction perpendicular to the lifting plate B09. The telescopic member B18 can extend above the top of the lifting plate B09. At this time, the telescopic member B18 abuts against the top of the lifting plate B09, so that the lifting plate B09 can limit the telescopic member B18 and prevent the carrier plate where the telescopic member B18 is located from moving downward relative to the lifting plate B09. When it is necessary to enable the lifting plate B09 to move upward relative to the square box B02, the telescopic member B18 retracts to the side of the lifting plate B09, thereby releasing the restriction on the lifting plate B09. At this time, the lifting plate B09 can be driven to move upward by the lifting drive mechanism B10.

[0042] Moreover, in order to facilitate the installation of the limiting component B17, a notch B19 matching the telescopic member B18 is provided at the top of the lifting plate B09. The telescopic member B18 can extend into the notch B19 from the outside of the notch B19, and the bottom of the telescopic member B18 maintains a small gap or is in contact with the bottom of the notch B19 to limit the downward movement of the square box B02 and limit the upward movement of the lifting plate B09.

[0043] When it is necessary to travel through the first moving wheel B07, the second moving wheel B08 can be lifted above the track A00 by the lifting drive mechanism B10 connected to the lifting plate B09 where the second moving wheel B08 is located; when it is necessary to switch to the second moving wheel B08 for traveling, first lower the second moving wheel B08 onto the track A00, and then lift the first moving wheel B07 above the track A00 by the lifting drive mechanism B10 connected to the lifting plate B09 where the first moving wheel B07 is located.

[0044] As attached Figure 6As shown, the frame B01 has a storage space B20 with an open bottom end. The storage space B20 extends in the vertical direction within the range of the inner hole of the square frame B02. For example, the range of its vertical extension is between the bottom of the upper cover B04 and the bottom of the lower one of the lifting plates B09. Below the upper cover B04 of the frame B01, a material loading and unloading mechanism B21 is provided. The material loading and unloading mechanism B21 includes a rotary drive assembly B22 provided at the bottom of the upper cover B04, a lifting assembly B23 driven by the rotary drive assembly B22 to rotate about an axis extending in the vertical direction, and a grasping assembly B24 driven by the lifting assembly B23 to move up and down. The specific structures of the rotary drive assembly B22, the lifting assembly B23, and the grasping assembly B24 are known technologies and will not be elaborated here. And the rotary drive assembly B22 is not necessary and can be omitted.

[0045] As shown in the attached Figure 8 drawing(s), Figure 9 the traveling vehicle moves above the track. When the traveling vehicle B00 needs to load and unload an item E, the traveling vehicle B00 moves directly above the grid unit A03, and then drives the grasping assembly B24 to move up and down through the lifting assembly B23, so that the grasping assembly B24 can load and unload the item E. Moreover, after the traveling vehicle B00 grasps the item E directly below a grid unit A03, it extracts the item E through the grid unit A03 into its storage space B20 for transportation.

[0046] Meanwhile, different from the existing traveling vehicle B00: as shown in the attached Figure 6 drawing(s), obstacle avoidance sensors B25 are provided on four sides of each traveling vehicle B00. The obstacle avoidance sensors B25 are used to determine whether there are obstacles blocking the passage in front of the traveling direction of the traveling vehicle B00. The obstacle avoidance sensors B25 are, for example, known obstacle avoidance radars, ultrasonic sensors, laser sensors, etc., which are not limited here. The detection distance of the obstacle avoidance sensors B25 is not less than the length or width of a grid unit A03. And, as shown in the attached Figure 10As shown, when the detection range B26 of the obstacle avoidance sensor B25 meets the detection distance of the traveling vehicle at a grid unit, the obstacle avoidance sensor on the traveling vehicle can detect whether there is an obstacle within the range of a grid unit in front of the obstacle avoidance sensor. In order to ensure that the obstacle avoidance sensor B25 can fully detect, the obstacle avoidance sensor B25 is located in the middle position of the horizontal direction on each side of the traveling vehicle B00. The specific height of the obstacle avoidance sensor B25 on each side of the traveling vehicle B00 can be designed as needed and is not limited here. In addition to being used for obstacle identification, the obstacle avoidance sensor B25 of the present invention is a major innovation: the obstacle avoidance sensor B25 of the traveling vehicle B00 is used to unlock the grid unit to be unlocked. The unlocking is to release the state where a grid unit A03 where no traveling vehicle B00 is parked is occupied by a traveling vehicle B00 that may be down or has a mechanical failure or a traveling vehicle B00 that does not need to occupy the grid unit. This will be described in detail below and will not be repeated here.

[0047] The obstacle avoidance sensor B25 is connected to and communicates with the onboard controller of the traveling vehicle B00, and the onboard controller is used to control the movement of the traveling vehicle B00, perform pick-and-place operations, request exclusive rights to the grid unit A03, etc.

[0048] The on-board controller of the traveling vehicle B00 communicates with the control system, and the control system may include a transport control system (TCS, Transport Control System) and a blocking control system (BCS, Blocking Controller System) that communicate with each other. They may be integrated into one controller, and the controller is usually composed of a processor, a memory, software, etc., which will not be described here. Of course, the transport control system and the blocking control system may also be two independent controllers, and they communicate with each other. For example, the blocking control system shares the attribute information of the grid unit A03 it manages with the transport control system so that the transport control system plans a moving path for the traveling vehicle B00 and instructs the traveling vehicle to unlock the grid unit to be unlocked.

[0049] The transportation control system is also used to receive work tasks, determine the vehicles B00 that perform various work tasks, plan moving paths for the vehicles B00 that perform work tasks, and instruct each vehicle B00 to perform work tasks according to the planned moving paths. The work tasks include but are not limited to handling tasks, scheduling tasks, unlocking tasks, etc.

[0050] The lock control system is also used to communicate with the vehicle-mounted controller of the traveling vehicle B00 to allocate the exclusive rights of each grid unit A03 to the traveling vehicle B00. At any moment, the exclusive rights of a grid unit A03 can only be granted to one traveling vehicle B00. That is, when the exclusive rights of a grid unit A03 have been granted to a traveling vehicle B00 (the grid unit A03 is occupied by a traveling vehicle B00), other traveling vehicles B00 cannot obtain the exclusive rights of this grid unit A03. After obtaining the exclusive rights of a grid unit, the corresponding traveling vehicle B00 can move to the grid unit.

[0051] The lock control system maintains a grid unit status table, which stores the attribute information of each grid unit A03 and is dynamically updated. The attribute information of each grid unit A03 includes, but is not limited to, the status of the grid unit A03, the inspection result of the to-be-unlocked status, the occupied traveling vehicle B00, the start time of occupancy, the idle time, etc. Among them, the status of the grid unit A03 includes, but is not limited to: occupied, idle, locked, etc. Moreover, when the lock control system allocates the exclusive rights of a grid unit A03, it is determined according to the order of the traveling vehicle B00 requesting to obtain the exclusive rights of this grid unit A03. That is, the traveling vehicle B00 that requests to obtain the exclusive rights of this grid unit A03 first is granted the exclusive rights of the grid unit A03 first, and the traveling vehicle B00 that requests to obtain the exclusive rights of this grid unit A03 later is granted the exclusive rights of the grid unit A03 later.

[0052] When the traveling vehicle system is working, when the transportation control system receives a work task, it determines a traveling vehicle as the working traveling vehicle for executing the work task, plans a moving path for the working traveling vehicle, and then sends a work instruction to the working traveling vehicle. When the working traveling vehicle receives the work instruction, it determines the grid unit A03 to be occupied according to the moving path, that is, determines which grid units' exclusive rights the working traveling vehicle is to obtain.

[0053] When requesting the exclusive right to occupy grid cell A03 to be occupied, the traveling vehicle in the operation can request the exclusive rights to all grid cells A03 on its moving path at once. More preferably, the traveling vehicle in the operation can request the exclusive rights to all grid cells A03 on the moving path in batches, that is, taking some grid cells on the moving path as an exclusive interval to request the exclusive right to this exclusive interval. The exclusive interval can include only one grid cell A03. More preferably, in order to reduce the number of communications, the exclusive interval includes a plurality of grid cells A03 continuously distributed in the moving direction of the traveling vehicle in the operation. The specific number of grid cells A03 in the exclusive interval can be designed as needed. In one way, the number of exclusive intervals can be a fixed value. For example, the exclusive interval can include 3 or 5 grid cells A03, that is, the traveling vehicle in the operation can request the exclusive rights to 3 or 5 consecutive grid cells A03 at once, which is not limited here. Of course, in other embodiments, the number of grid cells A03 included in an exclusive interval can also be determined within a threshold range according to the moving speed of the traveling vehicle in the operation, the distribution direction of grid cells A03, etc. For example, it can be selected within the range of 2 - 10, which is not limited here. More preferably, when the traveling vehicle in the operation requests to occupy an exclusive interval, all grid cells A03 in the exclusive interval are continuously distributed only in one direction. For example, when all grid cells A03 that the moving path needs to pass through include 4 grid cells A03 continuously distributed along the first direction X and 5 grid cells A03 continuously distributed along the second direction Y, then when requesting the exclusive interval, the traveling vehicle in the operation can first request the exclusive rights to 4 grid cells A03 continuously distributed along the first direction X, and then request the exclusive rights to 5 grid cells A03 continuously distributed along the second direction Y.

[0054] After the traveling vehicle in the operation determines the exclusive interval to be occupied at once, it sends an occupancy request for the exclusive right to occupy this exclusive interval to the blocking control system. When the blocking control system receives the occupancy request sent by the traveling vehicle in the operation each time, it first confirms whether the exclusive interval requested by the traveling vehicle in the operation is connected to the grid cell A03 currently occupied by the traveling vehicle in the operation. The blocking control system maintains an occupancy data table for each traveling vehicle, and the occupancy data table stores information such as the grid cells currently occupied by each overhead crane, the status and position of the traveling vehicle.

[0055] When it is determined that the two are not connected, the blocking control system sends an occupancy failure message to the vehicle in operation, and at the same time, it can also send a message to the vehicle in operation to verify the exclusive area requested for occupancy. After receiving the feedback message from the blocking control system, the vehicle in operation can re-determine the exclusive area for which it wants to obtain the exclusive right based on the grid cell A03 it currently occupies and the grid cells A03 through which its moving path passes, and then re-send an occupancy request to the blocking control system. As shown in the appendix Figure 11 As shown, the vehicle numbered V01 currently occupies the grid cells numbered 11 - 14. The next exclusive area requested by the vehicle numbered V01 for occupancy includes the grid cells numbered 16 - 18. At this time, the blocking control system confirms that the exclusive area requested by the vehicle numbered V01 for occupancy is not connected to the grid cells it currently occupies, and then sends an occupancy failure message to the vehicle in operation.

[0056] When it is determined that the exclusive area requested by the vehicle in operation for occupancy is connected to the grid cell A03 currently occupied by the vehicle in operation, the blocking control system sequentially determines whether each grid cell A03 is idle from the start point to the end point of the exclusive area requested for occupancy. That is, the blocking control system first determines whether the first grid cell A03 of the exclusive area to be occupied by the vehicle in operation is idle. If it is determined that the first grid cell A03 is not idle (i.e., the first grid cell A03 is occupied by another vehicle B00), then it returns an occupancy failure message to the vehicle in operation and ends the continued authorization of the other grid cells in the exclusive area. If it is determined that the first grid cell A03 is idle (not occupied by another vehicle B00), then it assigns the exclusive right of the first grid cell A03 to the vehicle in operation and determines whether the next grid cell A03 is idle.

[0057] When it is determined that any grid cell A03 in the exclusive area is not idle, it feeds back an occupancy failure message to the vehicle in operation and ends the continued authorization of the remaining grid cells A03 in the exclusive area. When it is determined that the exclusive rights of all grid cells A03 in the exclusive area have been granted to the vehicle in operation, the blocking control system sends an occupancy success message to the vehicle in operation. The vehicle-mounted controller of the vehicle in operation updates the occupancy information table it maintains and can move to the exclusive area.

[0058] When the moving vehicle in the operation moves to a certain position in the exclusive section it currently occupies, the moving vehicle in the operation may request the blocking control system to obtain the exclusive right to the next exclusive section. In one example, the request for obtaining the exclusive right to the next exclusive section may be made when the moving vehicle in the operation moves to the last grid cell A03 of the currently occupied exclusive section. However, since it takes a certain response time for the blocking control system to grant the exclusive right, in order to ensure the smoothness of the movement of the moving vehicle in the operation as much as possible, the request for obtaining the exclusive right to the next exclusive section may be made in advance before the moving vehicle in the operation moves to the last grid cell A03 of the currently occupied exclusive section. The timing of the request can be determined according to the moving speed of the moving vehicle in the operation and the response time of the blocking control system. Specifically, each moving vehicle in the operation can count the response time of the blocking control system when it requests the exclusive right in the recent several times, and calculate the average value of the recent several response times as the possible response time for the next request for the exclusive right. Thus, when it is determined that the time taken for the moving vehicle in the operation to reach the last grid cell A03 of the currently occupied exclusive section from a certain position is slightly greater than the possible response time, the blocking control system is requested to obtain the exclusive right to the next exclusive section.

[0059] The timing of the above request for the exclusive right to the next exclusive section is usually based on the grid cell A03 of the next exclusive section and the currently occupied grid cell being continuously distributed in one direction, that is, continuously distributed in the first direction or the second direction. When the moving direction of the moving vehicle in the operation in the next exclusive section to be occupied is different from the moving direction of the moving vehicle in the operation in the currently occupied exclusive section, since the moving vehicle in the operation needs to stop at the last grid cell A03 of the currently occupied exclusive section to switch the first moving wheel B07 and the second moving wheel B08, the request for obtaining the exclusive right to the next exclusive section may be made when the moving vehicle in the operation moves to the last grid cell A03 of the currently occupied exclusive section or a grid cell A03 upstream of the last grid cell A03.

[0060] The timing of releasing a grid cell A03 (that is, releasing the occupation of a grid cell A03 by a moving vehicle in the operation and restoring the grid cell A03 to the idle state) will also greatly affect the traffic efficiency. Preferably, the blocking control system determines whether to release at least some of the grid cells A03 in the currently occupied exclusive section of the moving vehicle in the operation according to the connection position between the next exclusive section requested by the moving vehicle in the operation to occupy and the currently occupied exclusive section of the moving vehicle in the operation and whether to grant the exclusive right to all the grid cells A03 in the next exclusive section requested by the moving vehicle in the operation to occupy.

[0061] Specifically, when the blocking control system determines that the end point of the exclusive section currently occupied by the traveling vehicle in the operation (the last grid cell A03 of the exclusive section) is connected to the start point of the next exclusive section requested to be occupied (the first grid cell A03 of the exclusive section), and the exclusive rights of all grid cells A03 of the next exclusive section requested to be occupied by the traveling vehicle in the operation are granted to the traveling vehicle in the operation, the blocking control system releases the grid cells A03 upstream of the grid cell A03 where the traveling vehicle in the operation issues an occupancy request for obtaining the exclusive right of the next exclusive section in the exclusive section currently occupied by the traveling vehicle in the operation.

[0062] As shown in the Figure 12 attachment, the exclusive section currently occupied by the traveling vehicle numbered V01 includes grid cells A03 numbered 11 - 14. The traveling vehicle numbered V01 issues an occupancy request for occupying the next exclusive section to the blocking control system at the grid cell numbered 13. The next exclusive section it requests to occupy includes grid cells A03 numbered 15 - 17. The end point of the currently occupied exclusive section (grid cell A03 numbered 14) is connected to the start point of the next exclusive section (grid cell A03 numbered 15). When it is determined that the exclusive rights of all grid cells of the next exclusive section are granted to the traveling vehicle numbered V01, the blocking control system releases grid cells A03 numbered 11 and 12. Adopting such a strategy can release the unused grid cells A03 as early as possible, thereby improving the utilization rate of grid cells A03 and further improving the handling efficiency.

[0063] When the blocking control system determines that the end point of the exclusive section currently occupied by the traveling vehicle in the operation is connected to the start point of the next exclusive section requested to be occupied, but the exclusive rights of all grid cells A03 of the next exclusive section requested to be occupied by the traveling vehicle in the operation are not all granted to the traveling vehicle in the operation, the blocking control system does not release at least some of the grid cells in the exclusive section currently occupied by the traveling vehicle in the operation. As shown in the Figure 12As shown, if the vehicle numbered V01 is only granted the exclusive right to the grid cells A03 numbered 15 and 16 and does not obtain the exclusive right to the grid cell A03 numbered 17, the blocking control system does not release the grid cells A03 numbered 11 and 12. Instead, after the vehicle numbered V01 is granted the exclusive right to the grid cell A03 numbered 17, the blocking control system determines which grid cells A03 to release according to the request position when the vehicle numbered V01 requests to occupy the exclusive right to the grid cell A03 numbered 17 again. For example, when the vehicle numbered V01 requests to obtain the exclusive right to the grid cell A03 numbered 17 at the grid cell A03 numbered 14 and is granted the exclusive right, at this time, the blocking control system can release the grid cells A03 numbered 11 - 13. This can provide a fallback in case it is impossible to obtain the exclusive right to all grid cells A03 for a long time and the moving path needs to be changed.

[0064] As shown in the Figure 13 attachment, when the blocking control system determines that the end point (the grid cell A03 numbered 14) of the exclusive interval (the grid cells A03 numbered 11 - 14) currently occupied by the vehicle numbered V01 does not connect to the starting point (the grid cell A03 numbered 15) of the next exclusive interval (the grid cells A03 numbered 15 - 17) to be occupied, and the starting point of the next exclusive interval connects to other points (the grid cell A03 numbered 13) of the currently occupied exclusive interval, this situation usually occurs because the transportation control system will determine according to the dynamically updated grid cell status table or the positions of each vehicle that there is congestion at the grid cells downstream of the previously planned moving path for the vehicle numbered V01, so it is necessary to switch the moving path and a new moving path is planned for the vehicle numbered V01.

[0065] In this case, even when the vehicle numbered V01 is granted the exclusive right to the grid cells numbered 15 - 17, the blocking control system does not release the grid cells currently occupied by the vehicle numbered V01. When the vehicle numbered V01 moves to the starting point of the next exclusive interval, the blocking control system can release the currently occupied exclusive interval, that is, when the vehicle numbered V01 moves to the grid cell A03 numbered 15, the previously occupied exclusive interval is released. Such a strategy can meet the requirement that when it is found that there is congestion in the grid cells A03 on the moving path and the moving path needs to be changed, the vehicle in operation still has a fallback for moving path switching, which is beneficial to ensuring the handling flexibility and timeliness of the vehicle in operation.

[0066] When the blocking control system releases each of the grid cells A03, it notifies the traveling vehicle in the corresponding operation of the grid cell A03 to be released, so that the traveling vehicle in the operation can update the occupancy information table it maintains in a timely manner. And the blocking control system can integrate information such as the grid cell A03 to be released, the occupancy result of whether the traveling vehicle in the operation successfully obtains the exclusive right of an exclusive interval, and all the grid cells A03 currently occupied by the traveling vehicle in the operation (excluding the released grid cells) into a response message and then feedback it to the traveling vehicle in the operation.

[0067] Of course, other methods can also be used to release the occupied grid cell A03. For example, after receiving the response message from the blocking control system, the traveling vehicle in the operation updates the information of the grid cell A03 it occupies and determines whether the number of grid cells A03 it occupies exceeds a threshold. If so, it actively applies to release the grid cell A03 that is no longer needed. The threshold can be set as needed, such as 5 - 8, etc., which is not limited here. The grid cell A03 that is no longer needed can be determined as needed, which is not limited here.

[0068] To ensure that the grid cell A03 can be released fully and in a timely manner, as shown in the appendix Figure 14 The blocking control system can confirm in real time or periodically whether there are grid cells to be unlocked in each grid cell A03; specifically, the blocking control system can continuously poll the attribute information of each grid cell A03 to determine whether a grid cell A03 is a grid cell to be unlocked.

[0069] As shown in the appendix Figure 15 The blocking control system determines whether a grid cell A03 is a grid cell to be unlocked according to the following process: The blocking control system determines whether the duration for which the grid cell A03 is occupied by a traveling vehicle B00 exceeds a set threshold; for example, when a grid cell A03 is occupied by a traveling vehicle B00, the time T1 when the grid cell A03 starts to be occupied by the traveling vehicle B00 is recorded in its attribute information. When the blocking control system polls the attribute information of the grid cell A03 at time T2 and determines that the grid cell A03 is still occupied by the traveling vehicle B00, it determines whether T2 - T1 is greater than the set threshold.

[0070] If it is determined that the duration for which the grid cell A03 is occupied by a traveling vehicle B00 does not exceed the set threshold, the judgment of this grid cell ends, and it can be determined that the grid cell A03 is not a grid cell to be unlocked. In the corresponding attribute information of the grid cell A03, the check result of the to-be-unlocked state is "no".

[0071] If it is determined that the duration for which the grid cell A03 is occupied by a moving vehicle B00 exceeds a set threshold, determine whether there is an abnormality in the communication of the moving vehicle B00. For example, the blocking control system sends a communication request to the moving vehicle B00. If the blocking control system determines that it receives the communication feedback from the moving vehicle B00 for the first time, it is determined that the communication of the moving vehicle B00 is normal. On the contrary, if the blocking control system fails to receive the communication feedback from the moving vehicle B00 continuously for multiple times, it is determined that there is an abnormality in the communication of the moving vehicle B00. At this time, the moving vehicle B00 may be in a down state.

[0072] If it is determined that there is an abnormality in the communication of the moving vehicle B00, then determine that the grid cell A03 is a grid cell to be unlocked. This is because when there is an abnormality in the communication of the moving vehicle B00, it can no longer continue to request the exclusive right to the next exclusive interval. Therefore, it can only stay at the currently occupied exclusive interval, resulting in all grid cells A03 of the currently occupied exclusive interval being continuously occupied by it and unable to be released. Correspondingly, in the attribute information of the grid cell A03, the check result of the to-be-unlocked state is "yes".

[0073] If it is determined that the communication of the moving vehicle B00 is normal, then determine whether the grid cell A03 is the grid cell A03 currently occupied by the moving vehicle B00. For example, the blocking control system can send a message to the moving vehicle B00 requesting it to feedback the grid cell A03 it currently occupies, and compare the grid cell A03 with the grid cell A03 feedback by the moving vehicle B00 to determine whether the grid cell A03 is the grid cell A03 currently occupied by the moving vehicle B00.

[0074] If it is determined that the grid cell A03 is not the grid cell A03 currently occupied by the moving vehicle B00, that is, the moving vehicle B00 has stopped occupying the grid cell A03, confirm that the grid cell A03 is a grid cell to be unlocked. Correspondingly, in the attribute information of the grid cell A03, the check result of the to-be-unlocked state is "yes".

[0075] If it is determined that the grid cell A03 is the grid cell A03 currently occupied by the moving vehicle B00, communicate with the moving vehicle B00 to determine whether there is a mechanical failure in the moving vehicle B00 and it is unable to continue working. The mechanical failures include but are not limited to the failure of the first moving mechanism B05, the failure of the second moving mechanism B06, the failure of the picking and placing mechanism B21, etc. If it is determined that there is a mechanical failure in the moving vehicle B00, then determine that the grid cell A03 is a grid cell to be unlocked. Correspondingly, in the attribute information of the grid cell A03, the check result of the to-be-unlocked state is "yes". If it is determined that there is no mechanical failure in the moving vehicle B00, notify the moving vehicle B00 to release the grid cell A03 in a timely manner.

[0076] Further, when the blocking control system determines that there is a communication anomaly in the traveling vehicle B00 and when it determines that there is a mechanical failure in the traveling vehicle B00, it determines that all grid cells A03 in the exclusive section currently occupied by the traveling vehicle B00 are grid cells to be unlocked, which can effectively reduce the number of times of determining whether the grid cell A03 is a grid cell to be unlocked.

[0077] As shown in the Figure 14 attachment, when it is determined that there are grid cells to be unlocked, the blocking control system communicates with the transportation control system to inform the grid cells to be unlocked that need to be unlocked. The transportation control system instructs the unlocking traveling vehicle on the track A00 to unlock the grid cells to be unlocked. Of course, the blocking control system can also directly instruct the unlocking traveling vehicle to unlock the grid cells to be unlocked.

[0078] When unlocking a grid cell to be unlocked, the unlocking traveling vehicle determines whether there is another traveling vehicle B00 at the grid cell to be unlocked according to the signal of the obstacle avoidance sensor B25 on it. If it is determined that there is no other traveling vehicle B00 at the grid cell to be unlocked, the unlocking traveling vehicle sends a message to the blocking control system that the unlocking of the grid cell to be unlocked is successful. If it is determined that there is another traveling vehicle B00 at the grid cell to be unlocked, the unlocking traveling vehicle sends a message to the blocking control system that the unlocking of the grid cell to be unlocked fails. The blocking control system updates the attribute information of the grid cell to be unlocked. That is, when the unlocking of the grid cell to be unlocked is successful, the status in its attribute information switches to idle or occupied. If the unlocking of the grid cell to be unlocked fails, the status in its attribute information switches to locked.

[0079] Of course, when it is necessary to unlock multiple consecutive grid cells to be unlocked in an exclusive section, one unlocking traveling vehicle can be used to unlock all the grid cells to be unlocked in the exclusive section. That is, the unlocking traveling vehicle can be instructed to sequentially unlock all the grid cells to be unlocked in the exclusive section according to the serial numbers, or multiple unlocking traveling vehicles can be used to unlock different grid cells to be unlocked in the exclusive section respectively.

[0080] When determining the unlocking traveling vehicle, the transportation control system can select the idle traveling vehicle closest to the grid cell to be unlocked or with the shortest passing time to the grid cell to be unlocked as the unlocking traveling vehicle. The specific determination method is a known technology and will not be elaborated here.

[0081] Of course, in other embodiments, a traveling vehicle performing a work task may also be selected to unlock a grid unit to be unlocked. Specifically, when it is necessary to unlock a grid unit to be unlocked, the transportation control system determines that the movement path of a traveling vehicle performing a work task includes the grid unit to be unlocked and the traveling vehicle has not requested to obtain the exclusive right to the grid unit to be unlocked, and then selects the traveling vehicle as the unlocking vehicle to unlock the grid unit to be unlocked.

[0082] When the unlocking vehicle moves towards the grid unit to be unlocked according to the planned movement path, the vehicle B00 initially moves towards the grid unit to be unlocked at a relatively high normal movement speed. For example, the normal movement speed is 2 m / s, which is not limited herein. When the unlocking vehicle moves to a predetermined distance from the grid unit to be unlocked, for example, when the grid unit A03 where the unlocking vehicle currently moves is separated from the grid unit to be unlocked by one grid unit A03, the unlocking vehicle moves towards the grid unit to be unlocked at a first speed less than the normal movement speed. The first speed is, for example, 0.5 m / s, which is specifically designed according to needs and is not limited herein. This can effectively avoid the possibility of the unlocking vehicle colliding with the vehicle B00 at the grid unit to be unlocked and improve the safety during unlocking.

[0083] Since the detection distance of the obstacle avoidance sensor B25 can cover one grid unit, when the unlocking vehicle moves to the grid unit A03 adjacent to the grid unit to be unlocked, it can already identify whether there is another vehicle B00 at the grid unit to be unlocked. However, to ensure reliable unlocking of the grid unit to be unlocked, when the unlocking vehicle can determine according to the signal of the obstacle avoidance sensor B25 thereon that there is no other vehicle B00 at the grid unit to be unlocked, the unlocking vehicle continues to move towards the grid unit to be unlocked at the first speed until the unlocking vehicle moves to the position of the grid unit to be unlocked (i.e., the unlocking vehicle is directly above the grid unit to be unlocked), and the unlocking vehicle sends the information that the grid unit to be unlocked is successfully unlocked and occupied to the blocking control system, so that the blocking control system updates the status in the attribute information of the grid unit to be unlocked to occupied.

[0084] If, during the movement of the unlocking vehicle towards the grid unit to be unlocked, the obstacle avoidance sensor B25 detects that there is another vehicle B00 at the grid unit to be unlocked, the unlocking vehicle stops at the grid unit A03 upstream of the grid unit to be unlocked and sends a message to the blocking control system that there is another vehicle B00 at the grid unit to be unlocked and the unlocking fails. The blocking control system switches the status of the grid unit to be unlocked to locked.

[0085] As shown in the appendix Figure 16 When a traveling vehicle in an operation is used as the unlocking traveling vehicle to unlock a grid unit to be unlocked, when the traveling vehicle in the operation requests the exclusive right to an exclusive interval including the grid unit to be unlocked, at this time, preferably, the grid unit to be unlocked is the last grid unit in the exclusive interval. When it is determined that the traveling vehicle in the operation has obtained the exclusive rights to other grid units A03 before the grid unit to be unlocked in the exclusive interval, the exclusive right to the grid unit to be unlocked is granted to the traveling vehicle in the operation and the traveling vehicle in the operation is instructed to unlock the grid unit to be unlocked.

[0086] When the traveling vehicle in the operation confirms that there is no other traveling vehicle B00 at the grid unit to be unlocked and moves to the grid unit to be unlocked, the traveling vehicle in the operation sends information indicating that the unlocking of the grid unit to be unlocked is successful to the control system, and the traveling vehicle in the operation determines whether to wait at the grid unit to be unlocked or continue to move to other grid units downstream based on whether it has obtained the exclusive rights to other grid units downstream of the grid unit to be unlocked on its moving path.

[0087] Conversely, when the traveling vehicle in the operation confirms that there is another traveling vehicle B00 at the grid unit to be unlocked, the traveling vehicle in the operation sends information indicating that there is another traveling vehicle B00 at the grid unit to be unlocked and the unlocking fails to the control system, and requests the control system to re-plan the moving path, and the traveling vehicle in the operation stops at a grid unit A03 before the grid unit to be unlocked and waits for further instructions from the control system.

[0088] For example, as shown in the appendix Figure 17 As shown, the grid unit numbered 53 is a grid unit to be unlocked. The traveling vehicle numbered V01 is performing a handling task, and its moving path needs to pass through grid units numbered 23, 33, 43, 53, 63, and 73. That is, the traveling vehicle numbered V01 needs to pass through the grid unit to be unlocked when performing the handling task. If the traveling vehicle numbered V01 has not requested to obtain the exclusive interval including the grid unit numbered 53, the traveling vehicle numbered V01 can be selected as the unlocking traveling vehicle to unlock the grid unit numbered 53.

[0089] When the traveling vehicle numbered V01 requests to obtain the exclusive right to the exclusive interval including grid units A03 numbered 23, 33, 43, and 53, if the locking control unit has granted the exclusive rights to grid units A03 numbered 23, 33, and 43 to the traveling vehicle B00, it also grants the exclusive right to the grid unit numbered 53 to the traveling vehicle numbered V01 and instructs the traveling vehicle numbered V01 to unlock the grid unit numbered 53.

[0090] Thus, the vehicle numbered V01 moves along the exclusive section. When the vehicle numbered V01 moves to the grid cell A03 numbered 33, the vehicle numbered V01 reduces its speed to the first speed and continues to move towards the grid cell numbered 53. At this time, if there is no other vehicle B00 at the grid cell numbered 53, the obstacle avoidance sensor B25 on the vehicle numbered V01 facing the forward direction will not detect any obstacles during the movement. Thus, when the vehicle numbered V01 moves to the grid cell numbered 53, the vehicle numbered V01 sends a message to the blocking control system that the unlocking of the grid cell numbered 53 is successful. And when the vehicle numbered V01 moves to the grid cell A03 numbered 43, it can already determine that there is no other vehicle B00 at the grid cell numbered 53. At this time, it can request the blocking control system to obtain the exclusive right to the next exclusive section including the grid cells A03 numbered 63 and 73. If the vehicle numbered V01 has obtained the exclusive right to the exclusive section including the grid cells A03 numbered 63 and 73 when it moves to the grid cell numbered 53, the vehicle numbered V01 continues to move towards the grid cell A03 numbered 73. On the contrary, if the vehicle numbered V01 has not obtained the exclusive right to the exclusive section including the grid cells A03 numbered 63 and 73 when it moves to the grid cell numbered 53, the vehicle numbered V01 waits at the grid cell numbered 53.

[0091] If there is another vehicle B00 at the grid cell numbered 53, when the vehicle numbered V01 starts to move into the range of the grid cell A03 numbered 43, the obstacle avoidance sensor B25 may already be able to start detecting the other vehicle B00 at the grid cell numbered 53. When the obstacle avoidance sensor B25 of the vehicle numbered V01 detects that there is another vehicle B00 at the grid cell numbered 53, the vehicle numbered V01 can send a message to the transportation control system to re-plan the movement path. At the same time, the vehicle numbered V01 sends a message to the blocking control system that there is another vehicle at the grid cell numbered 53 and the unlocking fails. And the vehicle numbered V01 moves to the grid cell A03 numbered 43 and waits for further instructions from the transportation control system.

[0092] The present invention has multiple embodiments. All technical solutions formed by equivalent transformation or equivalent substitution fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle system, comprising a track having a set of grid cells and a vehicle traveling on the track, wherein the vehicle communicates with a control system, and is characterized in that: The control system confirms whether there is a grid unit to be unlocked among the grid units of the track; when it is determined that there is a grid unit to be unlocked, the control system instructs the unlocking vehicle on the track to unlock the grid unit to be unlocked; When unlocking a grid unit to be unlocked, the unlocking vehicle determines whether there are other vehicles at the grid unit to be unlocked based on the signal of the obstacle avoidance sensor thereon; if it is determined that there are no other vehicles at the grid unit to be unlocked, the unlocking vehicle sends a message that the grid unit to be unlocked is successfully unlocked to the control system; if it is determined that there are other vehicles at the grid unit to be unlocked, the unlocking vehicle sends a message that the grid unit to be unlocked fails to be unlocked to the control system; and the control system updates the attribute information of the grid unit to be unlocked based on the feedback from the unlocking vehicle.

2. The driving vehicle system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control system determines whether a grid unit is a grid unit to be unlocked according to the following process: The control system determines whether the time period during which the grid unit is occupied by a moving vehicle exceeds a set threshold; If it is determined that the time duration for which the grid unit is occupied by a moving vehicle does not exceed a set threshold, it is determined that the grid unit is not a grid unit to be unlocked; If it is determined that the time duration for which the grid unit is occupied by a moving vehicle exceeds a set threshold, determining whether there is an abnormality in the communication of the moving vehicle; If it is determined that there is an abnormality in the communication of the traveling vehicle, determining the grid unit as a grid unit to be unlocked; If it is determined that the communication of the traveling vehicle is normal, determining whether the grid unit is a grid unit currently occupied by the traveling vehicle; If it is determined that the grid cell is not the grid cell currently occupied by the traveling vehicle, determining that the grid cell is a grid cell to be unlocked; If it is determined that the grid unit is the grid unit currently occupied by the traveling vehicle, determine whether the traveling vehicle has a mechanical failure; if so, determine that the grid unit is a grid unit to be unlocked; if not, notify the traveling vehicle to release the grid unit in time.

3. The driving vehicle system according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the control system determines that there is an abnormality in the communication of the traveling vehicle and / or there is a mechanical failure in the traveling vehicle, it determines that all grid cells currently occupied by the traveling vehicle are grid cells to be unlocked.

4. The driving vehicle system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control system selects an idle vehicle that is closest to the grid unit to be unlocked or has the shortest travel time to the grid unit to be unlocked as the unlocking vehicle.

5. The driving vehicle system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the unlocking traveling vehicle moves to maintain a predetermined distance from the to-be-unlocked grid unit, the unlocking traveling vehicle moves toward the to-be-unlocked grid unit at a first speed that is lower than a normal moving speed.

6. The driving vehicle system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the unlocking vehicle moves to the grid unit to be unlocked, the unlocking vehicle sends information that the grid unit to be unlocked is successfully unlocked to the control system.

7. The driving vehicle system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When it is necessary to unlock a grid unit to be unlocked, the control system determines that a moving path of a vehicle on the job that is performing a work task includes the grid unit to be unlocked and the vehicle on the job has not yet requested to obtain the exclusive right to the grid unit to be unlocked. Then, when the vehicle on the job requests to occupy the exclusive interval including the grid unit to be unlocked, the control system grants the exclusive right to the grid unit to be unlocked to the vehicle on the job and instructs the vehicle on the job to unlock the grid unit to be unlocked when it determines that the vehicle on the job has obtained the exclusive right to other grid units located before the grid unit to be unlocked in the exclusive interval.

8. The vehicle system according to claim 7, characterized in that: When the operating vehicle confirms that there is no other vehicle at the grid unit to be unlocked, the operating vehicle sends information that the grid unit to be unlocked is successfully unlocked to the control system, and the operating vehicle determines whether to wait at the grid unit to be unlocked or continue to move to other grid units downstream according to whether it obtains the exclusive right of other grid units located downstream of the grid unit to be unlocked on its moving path; When the operating vehicle confirms that there are other vehicles at the grid unit to be unlocked, the operating vehicle sends information that the unlocking of the grid unit to be unlocked has failed to the control system, and requests the control system to re-plan the moving path, and the operating vehicle stops at a grid unit before the grid unit to be unlocked and waits.

9. The driving vehicle system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The obstacle avoidance sensors are arranged on four sides of each of the traveling vehicles.

10. The driving vehicle system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The detection distance of the obstacle avoidance sensor is not less than the length or width of a grid unit, and when the detection distance of the obstacle avoidance sensor satisfies that when the traveling vehicle is at a grid unit, the obstacle avoidance sensor on the traveling vehicle can detect whether there is an obstacle within the range of a grid unit in front of the obstacle avoidance sensor.

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