Crown block roaming control method and device, storage medium and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a crown block roaming control method and device, a storage medium and electronic equipment, and belongs to the technical field of transportation control. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring a first number of idle crown blocks in an expansion area corresponding to each roaming area and position information of each idle crown block; determining at least one convergence center from the roaming area based on the first number and the position information; distributing a corresponding convergence center for each idle crown block according to the position; generating a first roaming path for each idle crown block to travel to the distributed convergence center based on the position information and the center position of the convergence center; controlling each idle crown block to converge at the corresponding convergence center according to the corresponding first roaming path to form a corresponding roaming fleet; and generating a second roaming path for the roaming fleet, and controlling the idle crown block in the roaming fleet to run in the corresponding roaming area according to the second roaming path. According to the invention, the computing resources of the scheduling system in the AHMS can be saved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of transportation control, and particularly to an overhead crane roaming control method, device, storage medium and electronic device. Background Art

[0002] In the field of semiconductor manufacturing, an Automated Material Handling System (AMHS) undertakes the task of efficiently transporting wafers. In the AMHS, in addition to the overhead cranes that are performing distribution tasks, there are also a small number of idle overhead cranes. The idle overhead cranes are constantly in a roaming state on the overhead track.

[0003] In order to avoid the driving impact of idle overhead cranes on the overhead cranes that are performing distribution tasks on the overhead track, it is necessary to plan a roaming path for each idle overhead crane in real time, so as to reduce the driving impact on the overhead cranes that are performing distribution tasks.

[0004] However, most of the existing roaming path planning methods are based on simple rules or fixed algorithms, and do not fully consider real-time production task changes, overhead track traffic conditions, and the operating status of the overhead cranes themselves. Therefore, the existing overhead crane roaming control methods have obvious deficiencies in terms of computing resource utilization, path planning flexibility, and overhead crane group management. There is an urgent need for an innovative overhead crane roaming control method to solve the current problems and improve the overall performance and production efficiency of the wafer fab material handling system. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present application is to provide an overhead crane roaming control method, device, storage medium and electronic device to solve at least one of the above technical problems.

[0006] In the first aspect of the present application, an overhead crane roaming control method is provided, and the method includes: Obtain the first quantity of idle overhead cranes in the extended area corresponding to each roaming area and the position information of each idle overhead crane; Determine at least one convergence center from the roaming area based on the first quantity and position information; Allocate a corresponding convergence center for each idle overhead crane according to the position; Generate a first roaming path for each idle overhead crane to travel to the allocated convergence center based on the position information and the center position of the convergence center; Control each idle overhead crane to converge at the corresponding convergence center according to the corresponding first roaming path to form a corresponding roaming convoy; Generate a second roaming path for the roaming convoy, and control the idle overhead cranes in the roaming convoy to travel in the corresponding roaming area according to the second roaming path.

[0007] Optionally, the method further includes: detecting whether there is a conflict between the operation path of the operation overhead crane and the second roaming path; When there is a conflict, determining the interference level of the second roaming path on the operation path, taking the operation overhead crane with the conflict as the target operation overhead crane, and taking the roaming vehicle fleet with the conflict as the target roaming vehicle fleet; When the interference level is at a low interference level, maintaining the second roaming path unchanged and controlling the driving speed and / or following distance of the target roaming vehicle fleet to reduce the interference on the target operation overhead crane; When the interference level is at a medium interference level, controlling the target operation overhead crane to merge into the target roaming vehicle fleet; When the interference level is at a high interference level, splitting the target roaming vehicle fleet and re-planning the second roaming path for the split roaming vehicle fleet to reduce the interference on the target operation overhead crane.

[0008] Optionally, the step of merging the target operation overhead crane into the target roaming vehicle fleet includes: Identifying the conflict point between the target roaming vehicle fleet and the target operation overhead crane on the overhead rail; Calculating the target idle overhead crane at the conflict point in the target roaming vehicle fleet when the target operation overhead crane reaches the conflict point; Controlling the driving speed of the target idle overhead crane so that the target operation overhead crane merges into the target roaming vehicle fleet at the conflict point and is in front of the target idle overhead crane.

[0009] Optionally, the step of splitting the target roaming vehicle fleet includes: Identifying the conflict point between the target roaming vehicle fleet and the target operation overhead crane on the overhead rail; Calculating the target idle overhead crane at the conflict point in the target roaming vehicle fleet when the target operation overhead crane reaches the conflict point; Taking the idle overhead cranes before the target idle overhead crane as the first roaming vehicle fleet; taking the idle overhead cranes at and after the target idle overhead crane as the second roaming vehicle fleet.

[0010] Optionally, the method further includes: identifying whether two roaming vehicle fleets in the same roaming area meet the merging conditions, and when the merging conditions are met, merging the two roaming vehicle fleets into a new roaming vehicle fleet; the merging conditions include one or more of the following conditions: 1. The total number of idle overhead cranes in the two roaming vehicle fleets does not exceed the overhead crane capacity threshold; 2. The coincidence degree of the second roaming paths of the two roaming vehicle fleets exceeds a preset coincidence degree threshold; 3. The distance between the two roaming vehicle fleets is less than a preset path distance threshold.

[0011] Optionally, the method further includes: calculating a second traffic congestion index of the second roaming path; adjusting the driving speed of the roaming vehicle fleet and the following distance between the overhead cranes based on the second traffic congestion index.

[0012] Optionally, the method further includes: updating the overhead crane capacity threshold of the roaming vehicle fleet in real time according to the second traffic congestion index; when the second number of idle overhead cranes in the roaming vehicle fleet exceeds the overhead crane capacity threshold, splitting the roaming vehicle fleet.

[0013] Optionally, after forming the corresponding roaming vehicle fleet, it includes: designating one of the idle overhead cranes in the roaming vehicle fleet as the main guiding overhead crane, and using the other idle overhead cranes as following overhead cranes; Controlling the idle overhead cranes in the roaming vehicle fleet to travel in the corresponding roaming area according to the second roaming path includes: controlling the main guiding overhead crane to travel in the corresponding roaming area according to the second roaming path, and making the following overhead cranes follow the main guiding overhead crane.

[0014] In the second aspect of the present application, an overhead crane roaming control device is provided, and the device includes: An idle overhead crane acquisition module, configured to acquire the first number of idle overhead cranes in the extended area corresponding to each roaming area and the position information of each idle overhead crane; An aggregation module, configured to determine at least one aggregation center from the roaming area based on the first number and position information; allocate a corresponding aggregation center for each idle overhead crane according to the position; generate a first roaming path for each idle overhead crane to travel to the allocated aggregation center based on the position information and the center position of the aggregation center; control each idle overhead crane to converge at the corresponding aggregation center according to the corresponding first roaming path to form a corresponding roaming vehicle fleet; A vehicle fleet path planning module, configured to generate a second roaming path for the roaming vehicle fleet, and control the idle overhead cranes in the roaming vehicle fleet to travel in the corresponding roaming area according to the second roaming path.

[0015] In the third aspect of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, and an executable instruction is stored on the computer-readable storage medium. When the executable instruction is executed by a processor, the processor executes the method described in any embodiment of the present application.

[0016] In a fourth aspect of the present application, there is provided an electronic device, including: one or more processors; a memory for storing one or more programs, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to execute the method described in any embodiment of the present application.

[0017] In the overhead crane roaming control method, device, storage medium and electronic device of the present application, the convergence center of the roaming convoy to be formed is determined according to the number and location distribution of the idle overhead cranes in the system, so that each idle overhead crane converges at its corresponding convergence center to form a roaming convoy, and path planning is carried out with the roaming convoy as a whole, without the need to carry out path planning independently for each idle overhead crane, which can save a large amount of computing resources of the scheduling system in the AHMS and improve the utilization efficiency of the system computing resources. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present application and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the present application.

[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the scenario of the overhead crane roaming control method in one embodiment; Figure 2 It is a schematic flowchart of the overhead crane roaming control method in one embodiment; Figure 3 It is a schematic flowchart of aggregating newly added idle overhead cranes into the target roaming convoy in one embodiment; Figure 4 It is a schematic flowchart of guiding the replaced overhead crane in one embodiment; Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of the overhead crane roaming control device in one embodiment; Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of the electronic device in one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0020] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0021] All terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in the present application have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art, unless otherwise defined. It should be noted that the terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the context of this specification and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly rigid manner.

[0022] For example, terms such as "first" and "second" used in the present application may be used herein to describe various elements, but these elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the first element from another element.

[0023] For another example, terms such as "comprising" and "including" used in the present application indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, or components.

[0024] The overhead crane roaming control method in the present application can be applied to, for example, Figure 1 the scenarios shown. As shown in Figure 1 , in the AMHS, numerous overhead cranes travel on the overhead rail 100 to deliver items (such as wafer boxes) and deliver the items to the corresponding destinations. Among these overhead cranes, some overhead cranes (such as the working overhead crane 110) are in the task execution state, and the other part is in the idle state. The overhead cranes in the idle state (idle overhead cranes 120) are not always fixed at a certain position, but still travel on the overhead rail in a roaming manner. Corresponding sensing devices are distributed on both the overhead rail and / or the overhead cranes, which can real-time locate the position of the overhead crane on the overhead rail and measure relevant driving data such as the driving speed, power consumption, and vibration of the overhead crane at various positions on the overhead rail. The electronic device can real-time obtain the positions and relevant driving states of each overhead crane, plan corresponding driving paths for each overhead crane based on this information, aggregate some idle overhead cranes 120 together to form a roaming fleet 130, plan the driving path of the roaming fleet 130 and control its driving.

[0025] In one embodiment, an overhead crane roaming control method is provided, and this method can be applied to Figure 1 the scenarios shown. As shown in Figure 2 , this method includes: Step 210, obtaining the first quantity of idle overhead cranes in the extended area corresponding to each roaming area and the position information of each idle overhead crane.

[0026] In this embodiment, an idle overhead crane refers to an overhead crane that has no new task (has not been assigned a new task) temporarily after completing the delivery task. Specifically, an idle overhead crane means an overhead crane that, starting from the moment of completing the current material handling task as the starting moment, will not be assigned a new handling task within a certain time threshold. This time threshold can be a suitable threshold set in advance, and the size of this threshold can be a fixed value or can be adaptively changed according to the actual situation. For example, it can be any suitable duration such as 5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc.

[0027] The electronic device can predict whether a new handling task will be assigned to the crane within the time threshold according to the actual situation in the AMHS. If the prediction result is that no new handling task will be assigned to it, the crane will be identified as an idle crane. According to the task execution status of the crane, the crane can be classified into an idle crane and an operating crane. The operating crane can specifically include a loaded operating crane that has picked up the delivery items and is transporting the delivery items to the delivery destination, and an unloaded operating crane on the way to pick up the delivery items.

[0028] It is understandable that there are multiple idle overhead cranes in AMHS. The starting positions of these idle overhead cranes are usually at the stop points corresponding to the completion of the material handling task, and they use the stop points as the starting positions to roam on the overhead rails.

[0029] The first number is the number of idle overhead cranes at the current moment or within a preset time period in the future (such as the above-mentioned time threshold).

[0030] The electronic equipment divides the entire overhead crane operation area into multiple roaming areas in advance according to the distribution of overhead rails, handling points, and parking points in the AMHS. Adjacent roaming areas may or may not intersect. The roaming area is the area where the roaming fleet is located when roaming. After the roaming fleet is formed, the idle overhead cranes in the roaming fleet usually roam in the roaming area to which they belong.

[0031] Each roaming area is usually provided with a corresponding extended area. The range of the extended area can also be set according to the distribution of locations such as transfer points and stop points. The range of the extended area is larger than the roaming area. The extended area covers one or more stop points / transfer points, so that when a new overhead crane is generated, it can correspond to the extended area and roaming area to which it belongs according to its location, and enter the corresponding roaming area to roam.

[0032] Based on the divided roaming areas, the extended areas and the position information of each idle overhead crane, the number (ie, the first number) of idle overhead cranes in each extended area may be calculated.

[0033] Step 220: Determine at least one convergence center in the roaming area based on the first quantity and the location information.

[0034] In this embodiment, the convergence center is the location or location range where the roaming fleet is initially formed. Optionally, the electronic device can determine the convergence center according to a preset path planning algorithm and / or cluster analysis algorithm. The number of convergence centers in a roaming area can include one or more.

[0035] Among them, the number of convergence centers is positively correlated with the first quantity. When the first quantity is large, the number of convergence centers also increases appropriately; in the case of the same first quantity, the more dispersed the positions of the overhead cranes are, the relatively more the number of convergence centers is.

[0036] Specifically, the electronic device can set a clustering algorithm for determining the number of convergence centers. This clustering algorithm is, for example, the K-Means clustering algorithm. The K value of the clustering algorithm is the corresponding value of the convergence center. If the number of idle overhead cranes in the extended area is large and the distribution is relatively dispersed, the K value can be appropriately increased; if the number of idle overhead cranes is small and relatively concentrated, the K value can be decreased. Some empirical formulas can also be used or appropriate K values can be determined through multiple experiments.

[0037] After determining the K value, the positions of K idle overhead cranes can be selected as the initial clustering centers, or the clustering centers can also be selected from the key nodes of the overhead rail or multiple preset positions within the roaming area.

[0038] In one embodiment, the electronic device can set multiple candidate convergence centers in each roaming area according to the historical operation data of the overhead cranes, and determine a preset number of candidate convergence centers as the convergence centers from the multiple candidate convergence centers based on the first quantity and the position information.

[0039] Step 230, allocate corresponding convergence centers to each idle overhead crane according to the position.

[0040] Optionally, according to the position information of the idle overhead cranes and the positions of the convergence centers, the shortest path principle and / or the shortest duration principle are adopted to allocate corresponding convergence centers to each idle overhead crane.

[0041] Specifically, according to the time layout and traffic rules of the overhead rail, calculate the path lengths from each idle overhead crane to each convergence center, and predict the required passing duration. Select a convergence center as the corresponding convergence center for the idle overhead crane according to the path length and / or the passing duration.

[0042] In one embodiment, step 230 further includes: determining the second quantity of the overhead cranes converged by each convergence center; determining the mapping relationship between each idle overhead crane and the convergence center within the extended area based on the second quantity and the position information.

[0043] Among them, the electronic device further sets the overhead crane capacity threshold of the idle overhead cranes that each convergence center can converge (i.e., the corresponding roaming vehicle fleet formed). This overhead crane capacity threshold can be determined according to various factors such as traffic congestion conditions within the roaming area. The second quantity does not exceed the corresponding overhead crane capacity threshold.

[0044] Optionally, the electronic device may calculate the travel duration of each idle crane to each convergence center, select the convergence center with the shortest travel duration as the initial target convergence center for the corresponding idle crane, and use the initial target convergence center as the initially assigned convergence center for the corresponding idle crane.

[0045] After the initial assignment is completed, it can be detected whether the number of idle cranes corresponding to each convergence center exceeds the corresponding crane capacity threshold. Then, the idle cranes in the convergence centers that exceed the corresponding crane capacity threshold are reallocated. For example, some idle cranes are screened out from this convergence center and reallocated to other convergence centers that do not exceed the corresponding crane capacity threshold, so that the number of idle cranes in each convergence center does not exceed the corresponding crane capacity threshold finally.

[0046] After the final assignment is completed, a mapping relationship between each idle crane and the finally assigned convergence center is established, so that the idle cranes mapped to the same convergence center form a corresponding roaming fleet.

[0047] Step 240: Generate a first roaming path for each idle crane to travel to the assigned convergence center based on the location information and the central location of the convergence center.

[0048] Step 250: Control each idle crane to converge at the corresponding convergence center according to the corresponding first roaming path to form a corresponding roaming fleet.

[0049] Specifically, based on the location of the convergence center and the location of the idle crane, a first roaming path is planned for it, so that the idle crane can be controlled to converge at the convergence center according to the planned path.

[0050] In one embodiment, one idle crane in the roaming fleet is designated as the main guiding crane, and the other idle cranes are used as following cranes.

[0051] For the formed roaming fleet, the electronic device sets the crane at the forefront in the driving direction of the fleet as the main guiding crane, and the remaining cranes as following cranes. Each roaming fleet has one main guiding crane and at least one following crane. The main guiding crane is used to lead the cranes in the roaming fleet to travel on the crane rail, and the following cranes keep following the preceding crane in the roaming fleet.

[0052] Step 260: Generate a second roaming path for the roaming fleet, and control the idle cranes in the roaming fleet to travel in the corresponding roaming area according to the second roaming path.

[0053] After the roaming fleet is formed, taking the roaming fleet as a whole, a second roaming path is planned for the roaming fleet in the roaming area where the roaming fleet is located.

[0054] Among them, the electronic device further plans a second roaming path for the roaming vehicle fleet according to the real-time traffic conditions within the roaming area and the task prediction for a period of time in the future, so that the planned second roaming path can minimize the impact on the passage of the working overhead crane, and at the same time take into account the distance between the roaming vehicle fleet and the handling points of the distribution tasks.

[0055] In the overhead crane roaming control method of this application, the convergence center of the roaming vehicle fleet to be formed is determined according to the number and position distribution of the idle overhead cranes in the system, so that each idle overhead crane converges into a roaming vehicle fleet at its corresponding convergence center, and path planning is carried out with the roaming vehicle fleet as a whole, without the need to independently carry out path planning for each idle overhead crane, which can save a large amount of computing resources of the scheduling system in the AHMS and improve the utilization efficiency of the system computing resources.

[0056] In one embodiment, step 260 includes: controlling the main guiding overhead crane to travel within the corresponding roaming area according to the second roaming path, and enabling the following overhead crane to follow the main guiding overhead crane.

[0057] The electronic device can send a guiding driving instruction containing the second roaming path to the main guiding overhead crane, and send a following driving instruction containing the overhead crane identifier of the preceding vehicle followed by the following overhead crane to the following overhead crane, so that the main guiding overhead crane roams within the roaming area based on the guiding driving instruction according to the second roaming path therein, and the following overhead crane keeps following the preceding vehicle according to the overhead crane identifier in the following driving instruction.

[0058] Specifically, a guiding driving instruction containing the second roaming path is sent to the main guiding overhead crane at a first frequency, and the guiding driving instruction is used to instruct the main guiding overhead crane to travel according to the second roaming path; a following driving instruction containing following information is sent to the following overhead crane at a second frequency, and the following driving instruction is used to instruct the following overhead crane to follow the preceding vehicle, and the second frequency is less than the first frequency.

[0059] In this application, the first frequency f 1 is the communication frequency between the electronic device and the main guiding overhead crane; the second frequency f 2 is the communication frequency between the electronic device and the following overhead crane, and the second frequency f 2 is less than the first frequency f 1 .

[0060] Generally, the first frequency is relatively high because the main guiding overhead crane, as the core guiding vehicle of the fleet, needs to obtain system information in real time and adjust the driving path promptly. A higher frequency can ensure the timeliness and accuracy of data transmission between the main guiding overhead crane and the background management terminal, enabling the main guiding overhead crane to quickly respond to the scheduling instructions of the system. For example, in the event of track congestion, task priority changes, etc., it can promptly adjust the driving route. For instance, in some actual application scenarios, the first frequency can be set to communicate 10 - 20 times per second. Such high-frequency communication can ensure that the main guiding overhead crane always maintains the best driving state in a complex and changing operating environment.

[0061] During this high-frequency communication process, the information of the second roaming path transmitted in the guiding driving instruction is rich and crucial. The guiding driving instruction includes one or more of the global track operation status information, the scale information of the roaming fleet, the second roaming path planned in real time, etc. The track operation status information can include the real-time congestion situation of each section, the driving paths of other overhead cranes performing tasks, etc., so that the main guiding overhead crane can plan a conflict-free and efficient roaming route; the scale information of the overhead cranes in the roaming fleet is used to comprehensively evaluate the coordination of the fleet's driving and the resource utilization efficiency; the information of the optimally planned roaming path in real time can include the coordinates of each path node, the expected driving speed, and the turning angle, etc., guiding the main guiding overhead crane to drive accurately.

[0062] The second frequency is the frequency used when the AMHS background management terminal communicates with the following overhead crane. The following driving instruction sent based on the second frequency is mainly used to maintain the basic operation status monitoring of the following overhead crane and ensure the accuracy of its following driving.

[0063] The second frequency is lower than the first frequency because the main task of the following overhead crane is to follow the main guiding overhead crane and does not need to receive a large amount of complex information as frequently as the main guiding overhead crane. A lower frequency can not only meet the need of the following overhead crane to receive necessary instructions but also effectively reduce the occupation of communication resources and avoid system communication congestion. For example, the second frequency can be set to communicate once every 5 - 10 seconds. Such a frequency is sufficient to ensure that the following overhead crane obtains key instructions and maintains coordination with the fleet.

[0064] The information transmitted in the following driving instruction mainly focuses on the following driving of the following crane, and the amount of information in the following driving instruction is less than that in the guiding driving instruction. The following driving instruction may include information such as following distance and vehicle speed, and the following distance and vehicle speed will be dynamically adjusted according to the actual conditions of the track (such as congestion areas, idle areas) to ensure that there is a safe distance between the cranes and no track resources are wasted, and to ensure that the following crane has the same speed as the main guiding crane or the previous following crane, maintaining the stability of the convoy driving. In addition, some basic status query and confirmation information, such as heartbeat packets, will also be transmitted to confirm the online status of the following crane and the stability of the communication link.

[0065] After receiving the guiding driving instruction, the main guiding crane can obtain the second roaming path therein and perform roaming driving based on this driving path. The information of the second roaming path may include one or more of the following: the sequence of roaming path points of the roaming convoy within a certain future duration, path key information, traffic congestion conditions, dynamic information of other cranes, passing priority, speed control parameters, steering control parameters, etc.

[0066] The sequence of roaming path points can be presented in the form of precise coordinates, such as [(X1, Y1, Z1), (X2, Y2, Z2),...], where Xi, Yi, and Zi respectively represent the positions of the crane in three-dimensional space, and the Z-axis corresponds to different track height levels. These coordinate points constitute the path that the crane needs to pass through in sequence, and may be accompanied by timestamps indicating the estimated arrival time at each point, such as [(X1, Y1, Z1, t1), (X2, Y2, Z2, t2),...].

[0067] The path key information includes descriptions of special sections on the path, such as curves, uphill sections, speed-limited sections, etc. For curves, the radius of curvature of the curve and the recommended turning speed can be given; for speed-limited sections, the speed limit value is clearly defined.

[0068] The traffic congestion condition can be the congestion coefficient of each section on the forward path related to the track section where the roaming convoy travels. This coefficient can be obtained by statistics of sensors installed on the track and reflects the ratio of the number of cranes in the current section to the maximum allowable number of cranes.

[0069] The dynamic information of other cranes represents the position, speed, and driving direction of other cranes within a certain distance range of the roaming convoy, so that the main guiding crane can make preparations for avoidance or speed adjustment in advance.

[0070] The passing priority can be divided into multiple levels such as high, medium, and low. When there is a passing conflict between the overhead cranes, the overhead crane with a higher passing priority has the priority to pass on the overhead rail. The speed control parameters are used to give the target speed and acceleration limits of the overhead crane in different sections to ensure smooth and safe driving. For sections that require turning, the steering control parameters are used to provide the accurate steering angle and steering timing for the overhead crane to help the overhead crane accurately complete the turning action.

[0071] Similarly, the following driving instruction also includes the driving information planned for the corresponding following overhead crane. After receiving the following driving instruction, the following overhead crane obtains the driving information therein and drives based on the driving information. Among them, the driving information can be the same as the information of the roaming driving path of the main guiding overhead crane, or only include one or several of the corresponding real-time coordinates, vehicle speed, acceleration, path adjustment information, following distance, etc. Among them, the real-time coordinates can be the real-time position of the overhead crane followed by the following overhead crane (such as the overhead crane in front of the main guiding overhead crane, denoted as the "preceding vehicle") so that the following overhead crane can adjust its own position in real time and maintain a safe distance from the preceding vehicle. The speed and acceleration can include the driving speed and acceleration information of the preceding vehicle, or can also include the limit information for the speed and acceleration information of the following overhead crane, so that the following overhead crane can adjust its own speed according to this information to achieve following driving. The following distance is used to clarify the safe distance that needs to be maintained between the following overhead crane and the preceding vehicle, and this distance will be dynamically adjusted according to factors such as the load condition and driving speed of the overhead crane. The path adjustment information indicates whether it is necessary to adjust the path for the following overhead crane so that its driving path is inconsistent with the driving path of the entire roaming fleet. For example, when the following overhead crane needs to break away from the roaming fleet, the path adjustment information can be the specific driving path information planned for the following overhead crane.

[0072] Corresponding sensors are provided on the overhead crane. Through this sensor, objects near the vehicle can be sensed. For example, it can sense whether there is an overhead crane within a certain range in front and can sense the distance from the nearby overhead crane. For example, a corresponding lidar is arranged at the front position of the overhead crane body. Through this lidar, the distance from the overhead crane in front can be measured within a certain distance range. After receiving the following driving instruction sent by the electronic device, it can control its own driving speed based on the indication of the following driving instruction to keep an appropriate distance from the preceding vehicle and follow the preceding vehicle.

[0073] In one embodiment, the above method further includes: obtaining the fleet size of the roaming fleet and the first traffic congestion index of the automatic material handling system AHMS in real time; adjusting the first frequency and the second frequency based on the fleet size and the first traffic congestion index.

[0074] The fleet size of the roaming fleet represents the number of overhead cranes within the roaming fleet (such as the second quantity mentioned above). The number of overhead cranes in different roaming fleets is not necessarily the same. The overhead cranes within the same roaming fleet are in a dynamic change process. For example, new idle overhead cranes may join the roaming fleet, and existing overhead cranes within the fleet may be assigned handling tasks and thus leave the roaming fleet.

[0075] The electronic device can set a dynamically updated member list for each roaming fleet. Whenever an overhead crane joins or leaves the roaming fleet, the system will automatically update the list and count the number of overhead cranes in the list in real time to determine the fleet size.

[0076] The traffic congestion index is a quantitative indicator for measuring the traffic congestion degree of the overhead rail in the automatic material handling system (AMHS). It comprehensively reflects factors such as the distribution density of overhead cranes on the overhead rail, the driving speed, and the section passing capacity. The traffic congestion index can be quantified for each specific overhead rail section, and the electronic device can calculate the traffic congestion index for each overhead rail section. For the location where the roaming fleet is located, the overhead rail section where the roaming fleet is located can be located. Based on the planned driving path for the roaming fleet, the overhead rail sections that will affect the driving of the roaming fleet within a period of time can be determined. This overhead rail section may be the overhead rail section on the driving path and / or one or more overhead rail sections near the driving path.

[0077] Extract the traffic congestion index of the determined overhead rail section, and determine the first frequency and the second frequency based on the fleet size and the extracted traffic congestion index.

[0078] In one embodiment, the first frequency is positively correlated with the traffic congestion index and the fleet size. The higher the traffic congestion index and the larger the fleet size, the greater the first frequency. The second frequency is negatively correlated with the traffic congestion index and positively correlated with the fleet size. In the case of a large fleet size and traffic congestion, the main guiding overhead crane needs to communicate with the dispatching center more frequently to obtain the latest path planning and traffic information to guide the fleet to drive safely and efficiently; while for the following overhead cranes, due to the complex driving environment and heavy communication burden, appropriately reducing the communication frequency can reduce communication conflicts. At the same time, since they only need to follow the leading vehicle, low-frequency communication can also meet the basic needs.

[0079] During the operation of the overhead crane, the fleet size and traffic congestion index are constantly changing. Therefore, frequency adjustment is a dynamic process. The dispatching center continuously monitors these parameters and adjusts the first frequency and the second frequency in a timely manner according to the changes. At the same time, the electronic device is also equipped with a feedback mechanism. During the communication process, the overhead crane will feedback the communication quality and data reception status to the dispatching center. If communication problems are identified in the response information sent by the overhead crane to the electronic device, such as weak signals or data delays. Then, based on this response information, the electronic device further optimizes the frequency adjustment strategy to ensure efficient and stable communication under different operating conditions. For example, during one operation, after the frequency adjustment of the roaming fleet C, the main guiding overhead crane feedback that some data reception was incomplete. According to this feedback, the dispatching center appropriately reduced the adjustment amplitude of the first frequency and optimized the data verification mechanism in the communication protocol, thus solving the data reception problem.

[0080] In one embodiment, the electronic device presets the calculation formulas for the first frequency and the second frequency, and calculates the first frequency and the second frequency in real time based on the set calculation formulas.

[0081] Specifically, the first frequency f 1 can be calculated according to the following formula 1: (Formula 1) The second frequency f 2 can be calculated according to the following formula 2: (Formula 2) Among them, f 10 represents the initial first frequency, f 20 represents the initial second frequency. f 10 and f 20 can be preset fixed values. N represents the real-time fleet size, N 0 represents the fleet size standard value, N max represents the maximum fleet size; C represents the real-time traffic congestion index, C 0 represents the traffic congestion index standard value, C max represents the maximum traffic congestion index; α and β respectively represent the weight coefficients of the fleet size and the traffic congestion index, which can be set according to the actual situation. For example, α = 0.3 and β = 0.7, indicating that the traffic congestion index has a relatively greater impact on the first frequency.

[0082] In one embodiment, it is possible to detect whether C exceeds C 0 , and whether N exceeds N 0 . When either of them is determined to be yes, the corresponding f 1 and f 2 are calculated by calling the above formula, and f1 and f 2 Adjustment. If both determinations are negative, then keep f 1 = f 10 and f 2 = f 20 so as to reduce the adjustment for the first frequency and the second frequency.

[0083] In one embodiment, the above method further includes a process of adjusting the convoy of the roaming convoy, as Figure 3 shown, this process includes: Step 310, calculate the second traffic congestion index of the second roaming path.

[0084] Specifically, the second traffic congestion index can be calculated according to the driving path information of the working overhead crane in the roaming area and the second roaming path of the roaming convoy.

[0085] The electronic device will collect traffic data of each section of the overhead track in real time, including information such as the number of overhead cranes, the driving speed of the overhead cranes, and the occupancy time of the section. For the second roaming path planned by the roaming convoy, the system will collect data along this path to calculate the second traffic congestion index. The second traffic congestion index can be the same as the first traffic congestion index.

[0086] Step 320, adjust the driving speed of the roaming convoy and the following distance between the overhead cranes based on the second traffic congestion index.

[0087] Optionally, the electronic device can adjust the corresponding driving speed and following distance in real time according to the mapping relationship preset between the traffic congestion index and the driving speed of the roaming convoy and the following distance between the overhead cranes in the convoy.

[0088] Corresponding traffic congestion index threshold ranges can be set. For example, multiple traffic congestion levels can be set. For the calculated second traffic congestion index, the traffic congestion level corresponding to this second traffic congestion index can be determined, and the driving speed and following distance corresponding to this traffic congestion level can be obtained. For example, it can be divided into three levels: low congestion, medium congestion, and high congestion, and each level corresponds to a driving speed (or a range of driving speeds) and a following distance (or a range of following distances).

[0089] Step 330, update the overhead crane capacity threshold of the roaming convoy in real time according to the second traffic congestion index.

[0090] Step 340, when the second number of idle overhead cranes in the roaming convoy exceeds the overhead crane capacity threshold, split the roaming convoy.

[0091] Similar to the driving speed and following distance, the electronic device has also preset the mapping relationship between the traffic congestion index and the overhead crane capacity threshold. It can be understood that the higher the traffic congestion index, the smaller the corresponding overhead crane capacity threshold.

[0092] Similarly, the traffic congestion level where the traffic congestion index is located can be calculated, and the overhead crane capacity threshold can be determined based on this traffic congestion level. The overhead crane capacity thresholds corresponding to different traffic congestion levels are different.

[0093] When it is recognized that the number of idle overhead cranes (the second number) within the roaming fleet exceeds the corresponding overhead crane capacity threshold, then the roaming fleet needs to be split, splitting one roaming fleet into multiple roaming fleets, so that the number of idle overhead cranes within each of the split roaming fleets does not exceed the overhead crane capacity threshold.

[0094] For example, when the number of idle overhead cranes in a certain roaming fleet is 30, but the overhead crane capacity threshold is 25, the roaming fleet can be split into two roaming fleets in any suitable splitting manner, so that the number of idle overhead cranes in each of the two roaming fleets formed after splitting does not exceed 25. For example, the first 20 idle overhead cranes in the roaming fleet can be taken as one roaming fleet, and the last 10 idle overhead cranes can be taken as another roaming fleet.

[0095] By adjusting the driving speed, following distance, and the number of idle overhead cranes of the roaming fleet in real time according to the traffic congestion situation, the adaptability of the roaming fleet to the traffic congestion situation can be improved, and the overall handling efficiency can be improved.

[0096] In one embodiment, as Figure 4 shown, the above method further includes a path conflict detection process, and this process includes: Step 410, detecting whether there is a conflict between the operation path of the working overhead crane and the second roaming path.

[0097] In this embodiment, at the same moment, if the operation path coincides with the second roaming path, it means that there is a conflict between the second roaming path and the operation path. When, within a future period of time (such as the above-mentioned time threshold), the longer the coincidence duration between the second roaming path and the operation path, and the more the number of operation paths (i.e., the number of working overhead cranes) that conflict with the second roaming path, the more serious the conflict.

[0098] When there is no operation path that is in a repeated state with the second roaming path at the same time, it means that there is no conflict.

[0099] Step 420: When there is a conflict, determine the interference level of the second roaming path on the operation path, take the conflicting operation crane as the target operation crane, and take the roaming vehicle fleet with the conflict as the target roaming vehicle fleet.

[0100] When it is recognized that a conflict will occur at a certain moment in the future, the interference level corresponding to the conflict can be further recognized.

[0101] In this embodiment, the electronic device presets multiple interference levels. The more serious the conflict, the higher the interference level. Among them, the interference level can include a low interference level, a medium interference level, and a high interference level.

[0102] Specifically, determine the interference level of the second roaming path on the operation path according to multiple factors. These factors include one or more of the number of operation cranes with conflicts occurring simultaneously within a preset time period, the urgency of the tasks of the operation cranes, and the traffic capacity of the overhead rail section at the conflict point.

[0103] When the number of operation cranes with conflicts is larger, the urgency of the operation tasks is higher, and the traffic capacity at the conflict point is smaller, the interference level is lower; on the contrary, the interference level is higher. The traffic capacity of the overhead rail section reflects the flexibility of the speed change of the roaming vehicle fleet on the corresponding overhead rail section. The higher the flexibility of the speed change, the higher the traffic capacity of the overhead rail section; on the contrary, it is lower.

[0104] For example, when only the roaming vehicle fleet is driving on a certain overhead rail section and there are no other operation cranes, the roaming vehicle fleet can drive at a high speed or a low speed on this overhead rail section without interfering with the distribution of the operation cranes, so the traffic capacity of this overhead rail section is relatively high. On the contrary, if there are corresponding operation cranes driving in front of and behind the roaming vehicle fleet on a certain overhead rail section where the roaming vehicle fleet is located, the driving speeds of the operation cranes in front and behind will limit the driving speed of the roaming vehicle fleet, so the traffic capacity of this overhead rail section is relatively low.

[0105] Step 430: When the interference level is at the low interference level, keep the second roaming path unchanged, and control the driving speed and / or following distance of the target roaming vehicle fleet to reduce the interference to the target operation crane.

[0106] In this embodiment, when it is recognized as the low interference level, it means that the interference to the operation crane can be reduced or avoided by controlling the driving speed and following distance of the roaming vehicle fleet.

[0107] Specifically, identify the conflict point between the target roaming vehicle fleet and the target operation crane on the overhead rail, and control the driving speed and / or following distance of the roaming vehicle fleet so that the target roaming vehicle fleet has all passed through the conflict point when the target operation crane reaches the conflict point, or the main guiding crane of the target roaming vehicle fleet has not reached the conflict point when the target operation crane reaches the conflict point.

[0108] This conflict point indicates the position point where the target roaming vehicle fleet travels along the pre-planned second roaming path (including the preset driving speed and following distance), and the target working overhead crane travels along the pre-planned working path, and the two converge.

[0109] For example, when traveling at the driving speed and following distance corresponding to the originally planned second roaming path, it will converge with a certain working overhead crane at a certain position on the overhead rail section (i.e., the conflict point). At this time, if the traffic capacity of this overhead rail section is very high, the driving speed and / or following distance of the roaming vehicle fleet can be controlled so that when the target working overhead crane reaches the conflict point, the roaming vehicle fleet has completely passed through this conflict point, or the roaming vehicle fleet has not passed through this conflict point yet.

[0110] That is to say, by controlling the driving speed and / or following distance of the roaming vehicle fleet, when the target working overhead crane reaches the conflict point, it can travel in front of the main guiding vehicle of the roaming vehicle fleet, so that when the main guiding vehicle of the roaming vehicle fleet reaches this conflict point, it travels behind the target working overhead crane, thus avoiding interfering with the target working overhead crane; it is also possible to increase the driving speed of the roaming vehicle fleet and / or reduce the following distance so that the roaming vehicle fleet passes through this conflict point in advance, and when the target working overhead crane reaches the conflict point, it travels behind the last following vehicle of the roaming vehicle fleet.

[0111] Step 440, when the interference level is at the medium interference level, control the target working overhead crane to merge into the target roaming vehicle fleet.

[0112] In this embodiment, when at the medium interference level, the target working overhead crane can be made to merge into the target roaming vehicle fleet. For example, it can be inserted into any suitable position between the main guiding vehicle and the last following vehicle and follow the target roaming vehicle fleet until the driving paths of the two do not overlap, and then control the target working overhead crane to separate from the target roaming vehicle fleet.

[0113] Step 450, when the interference level is at the high interference level, split the target roaming vehicle fleet, and re-plan the second roaming path for the split roaming vehicle fleet to reduce the interference to the target working overhead crane.

[0114] In this embodiment, when it is detected that the interference level is at the high interference level, the target roaming vehicle fleet is split, and the target working overhead crane travels between the two split roaming vehicle fleets to prevent the roaming vehicle fleet before splitting from occupying the overhead rail section for too long and interfering with the passage of the target working overhead crane.

[0115] In this embodiment, when interference is detected, by performing interference level classification and performing different treatments on the target roaming vehicle fleet according to different interference levels, the distribution interference to the target working overhead crane is reduced.

[0116] In one embodiment, step 440 includes: identifying the conflict point between the target roaming fleet and the target operating overhead crane on the overhead rail; calculating the target idle overhead crane in the target roaming fleet that is at the conflict point when the target operating overhead crane arrives at the conflict point; controlling the travel speed of the target idle overhead crane so that the target operating overhead crane merges into the target roaming fleet at the conflict point and is ahead of the target idle overhead crane.

[0117] In this embodiment, the electronic device can calculate the idle overhead crane that intersects with the target operating overhead crane at the conflict point when the target roaming fleet and the target operating overhead crane are traveling according to the planned paths (including driving speed, following distance, etc.), and use the idle overhead crane as the target idle overhead crane.

[0118] After the target idle overhead crane is determined, the driving speed and following distance of the entire roaming fleet can be controlled so that the following distance between the target idle overhead crane and the vehicle in front of it is sufficient to accommodate the normal driving of the target idle overhead crane and the target operating overhead crane reaches the conflict point before the target idle overhead crane. In this way, when the target operating overhead crane reaches the conflict point, it can merge into the target roaming fleet and be between the target idle overhead crane and the vehicle in front of it.

[0119] In this embodiment, after the target operating overhead crane joins the target roaming fleet, the electronic device sends a follow-up instruction to the target idle overhead crane including the overhead crane identification of the target operating overhead crane, so that the target idle overhead crane keeps following the target operating overhead crane until the target operating overhead crane leaves the roaming fleet and then resumes following the idle overhead crane before the target idle overhead crane.

[0120] In one embodiment, step 450 includes: identifying the conflict point between the target roaming fleet and the target operating overhead crane on the overhead rail; calculating the target idle overhead crane in the target roaming fleet at the conflict point when the target operating overhead crane arrives at the conflict point; taking the idle overhead crane before the target idle overhead crane as the first roaming fleet; taking the idle overhead cranes at and after the target idle overhead crane as the second roaming fleet.

[0121] In this embodiment, when the interference level is high, after the conflict point and the target operating overhead crane are determined, the idle overhead crane before the target idle overhead crane is used as the first roaming fleet, and the first roaming fleet is controlled to roam according to the originally planned second driving path, and before the target operating overhead crane reaches the conflict point, the first roaming fleet completely passes the conflict point.

[0122] For the second roaming fleet formed, it can also travel according to the planned second driving path, but reduce its driving speed. It can also re-plan a new driving path so that when the target operating overhead crane reaches the conflict point, the second roaming fleet is behind the target idle overhead crane, or its driving path is not the same as that of the target operating overhead crane.

[0123] For example, when multiple target working overhead cranes all need to pass through the conflict point, the electronic device can control the second roaming convoy to still travel along the second driving path, but reduce its driving speed so that before reaching the conflict point, it waits until all the multiple target working overhead cranes have passed through the conflict point and then continues to travel along the second driving path.

[0124] Since there are multiple target idle overhead cranes between the second roaming convoy and the first roaming convoy, the two become two independent roaming convoys, so their roaming path planning can be carried out independently.

[0125] In one embodiment, the above method further includes: identifying whether two roaming convoys within the same roaming area meet the merging conditions, and when the merging conditions are met, merging the two roaming convoys into a new roaming convoy; the merging conditions include one or more of the following conditions: Condition 1: The total number of idle overhead cranes in the two roaming convoys does not exceed the overhead crane capacity threshold; Condition 2: The overlap degree of the second roaming paths of the two roaming convoys exceeds the preset overlap degree threshold; Condition 3: The convoy distance between the two roaming convoys is less than the preset path distance threshold.

[0126] In this embodiment, for multiple roaming convoys existing in the roaming area, the idle overhead cranes among them will be detached from the roaming convoy due to being assigned new handling tasks and become working overhead cranes, so the number of overhead cranes in the roaming convoy will decrease.

[0127] Taking the simultaneous satisfaction of these 3 conditions as an example, when it is detected that the sum of the number of overhead cranes in the two roaming convoys both exceeds the corresponding overhead crane capacity threshold, it means that the two roaming convoys have the possibility of merging.

[0128] At this time, the convoy distance between the two roaming convoys can be further detected. The convoy distance can be the driving distance required for one roaming convoy to travel to the other roaming convoy. When the driving distance is lower than the preset path distance threshold, it means that the two are relatively close.

[0129] On the basis of meeting the condition of being relatively close, the overlap degree of the second roaming paths of the two roaming convoys can be further detected, or the second roaming paths of one or both of the two roaming convoys can be re-planned so that the overlap degree exceeds the preset overlap degree threshold, enabling the two to gradually approach and converge during driving.

[0130] For the newly formed roaming convoy after convergence, the idle overhead crane at the forefront of the new roaming convoy can be used as the main guiding overhead crane, and the remaining overhead cranes as following overhead cranes, and a second roaming path is regenerated for the new roaming convoy (taking into account factors such as the original paths of the two convoys and the number of overhead cranes in the convoys). The new main guiding overhead crane travels along the re-planned second roaming path, and the following overhead cranes keep following the vehicle in front.

[0131] For example, within the same roaming area, the electronic device identifies that roaming convoy A and roaming convoy B meet the merging conditions. At this time, the second roaming path of roaming convoy A and / or roaming convoy B can be re-planned, and the driving states of roaming convoy A and / or roaming convoy B can be adjusted. For example, if roaming convoy A is in front of the driving direction of roaming convoy B, the idle overhead cranes of roaming convoy B can be controlled to gradually accelerate to reduce the distance from roaming convoy A until the two convoys are closely connected.

[0132] After the connection is completed, the system re-designates the main guiding overhead crane. For example, the original main guiding overhead crane in roaming convoy A is selected as the main guiding overhead crane of the newly merged convoy, and the remaining overhead cranes as following overhead cranes.

[0133] In this embodiment, by converging the roaming convoys that meet the merging conditions to form a roaming convoy, the scheduling management of idle overhead cranes can be further optimized.

[0134] In one embodiment, as Figure 5 shown, an overhead crane roaming control device is provided, and the device includes: An idle overhead crane acquisition module 510, configured to acquire the first quantity of idle overhead cranes in the extended areas corresponding to each roaming area and the position information of each idle overhead crane; A convergence module 520, configured to determine at least one convergence center from the roaming area based on the first quantity and the position information; allocate a corresponding convergence center for each idle overhead crane according to the position; generate a first roaming path for each idle overhead crane to travel to the allocated convergence center based on the position information and the central position of the convergence center; control each idle overhead crane to converge at the corresponding convergence center according to the corresponding first roaming path to form a corresponding roaming convoy; A convoy path planning module 530, configured to generate a second roaming path for the roaming convoy, and control the idle overhead cranes in the roaming convoy to travel in the corresponding roaming area according to the second roaming path.

[0135] In one embodiment, the fleet path planning module 530 is further configured to detect whether there is a conflict between the operation path of the working overhead crane and the second roaming path; when there is a conflict, determine the interference level of the second roaming path on the operation path, use the working overhead crane with the conflict as the target working overhead crane, and use the roaming fleet with the conflict as the target roaming fleet; when the interference level is at a low interference level, keep the second roaming path unchanged, and control the driving speed and / or following distance of the target roaming fleet to reduce the interference on the target working overhead crane; when the interference level is at a medium interference level, control the target working overhead crane to merge into the target roaming fleet; when the interference level is at a high interference level, split the target roaming fleet, and re-plan the second roaming path for the split roaming fleet to reduce the interference on the target working overhead crane.

[0136] In one embodiment, the fleet path planning module 530 is further configured to identify the conflict point between the target roaming fleet and the target working overhead crane on the sky track; calculate the target idle overhead crane at the conflict point in the target roaming fleet when the target working overhead crane reaches the conflict point; control the driving speed of the target idle overhead crane so that the target working overhead crane merges into the target roaming fleet at the conflict point and is in front of the target idle overhead crane.

[0137] In one embodiment, the fleet path planning module 530 is further configured to identify the conflict point between the target roaming fleet and the target working overhead crane on the sky track; calculate the target idle overhead crane at the conflict point in the target roaming fleet when the target working overhead crane reaches the conflict point; use the idle overhead crane in front of the target idle overhead crane as the first roaming fleet; use the idle overhead crane at and after the target idle overhead crane as the second roaming fleet.

[0138] In one embodiment, the fleet path planning module 530 is further configured to identify whether two roaming fleets in the same roaming area meet the merging conditions, and when the merging conditions are met, merge the two roaming fleets into a new roaming fleet; the merging conditions include one or more of the following conditions: 1. The total number of idle overhead cranes in the two roaming fleets does not exceed the overhead crane capacity threshold; 2. The coincidence degree of the second roaming paths of the two roaming fleets exceeds the preset coincidence degree threshold; 3. The fleet distance between the two roaming fleets is less than the preset path distance threshold.

[0139] In one embodiment, the fleet path planning module 530 is further configured to calculate the second traffic congestion index of the second roaming path; adjust the driving speed of the roaming fleet and the following distance between overhead cranes based on the second traffic congestion index.

[0140] In one embodiment, the fleet path planning module 530 is further configured to update the overhead crane capacity threshold of the roaming fleet in real time according to the second traffic congestion index; when the second number of idle overhead cranes in the roaming fleet exceeds the overhead crane capacity threshold, split the roaming fleet.

[0141] In one embodiment, the fleet path planning module 530 is further configured to designate one of the idle overhead cranes in the roaming fleet as the main guiding overhead crane, and use the other idle overhead cranes as following overhead cranes; control the main guiding overhead crane to travel within the corresponding roaming area according to the second roaming path, and cause the following overhead cranes to follow the main guiding overhead crane.

[0142] In one embodiment, the fleet path planning module 530 is further configured to send a guiding driving instruction including the second roaming path to the main guiding overhead crane at a first frequency, where the guiding driving instruction is used to instruct the main guiding overhead crane to travel according to the second roaming path; send a following driving instruction including following information to the following overhead cranes at a second frequency, where the following driving instruction is used to instruct the following overhead cranes to follow the leading vehicle, and the second frequency is less than the first frequency.

[0143] In one embodiment, the fleet path planning module 530 is further configured to obtain the fleet size of the roaming fleet and the first traffic congestion index of the automatic material handling system AHMS in real time; adjust the first frequency and the second frequency based on the fleet size and the first traffic congestion index.

[0144] In one embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which executable instructions are stored, and when the instructions are executed by a processor, the processor is caused to execute the steps in the above method embodiments.

[0145] In one embodiment, an electronic device is further provided, including one or more processors; a memory, where one or more programs are stored in the memory, and when the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors are caused to execute the steps in the above method embodiments. The electronic device may be a device on which the above distribution control system is deployed, such as a background server or an AMHS background management terminal that controls the operation of the overhead crane or sends a driving path to the overhead crane and communicates with the overhead crane.

[0146] In one embodiment, as Figure 6 shown, it shows a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device for implementing the embodiments of the present application. The electronic device 600 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 601, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to the program stored in the read-only memory (ROM) 602 or the program loaded from the storage section 608 into the random access memory (RAM) 603. In the RAM 603, various programs and data required for the operation of the electronic device 600 are also stored. The CPU 601, the ROM 602, and the RAM 603 are connected to each other through a bus 604. The input / output (I / O) interface 605 is also connected to the bus 604.

[0147] The following components are connected to the I / O interface 605: an input section 606 including a keyboard, a mouse, etc.; an output section 607 including a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), etc. as well as a speaker, etc.; a storage section 608 including a hard disk, etc.; and a communication section 609 including a network interface card such as a LAN card, a modem, etc. The communication section 609 performs communication processing via a network such as the Internet. A drive 610 is also connected to the I / O interface 605 as required. A removable medium 611 such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a semiconductor memory, etc. is mounted on the drive 610 as required so that a computer program read therefrom can be installed into the storage section 608 as required.

[0148] Specifically, according to an embodiment of the present application, the processes described above with reference to the flowcharts can be implemented as computer software programs. For example, an embodiment of the present application includes a computer program product including a computer-readable medium carrying instructions. In such an embodiment, the instructions can be downloaded and installed from a network via the communication section 609 and / or installed from the removable medium 611. When the instructions are executed by a central processing unit (CPU) 601, the respective method steps described in the present application are executed.

[0149] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application and are not intended to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements on some or all of the technical features. And these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

[0150] In addition, those skilled in the art can understand that although some of the embodiments herein include certain features included in other embodiments rather than other features, the combination of the features of different embodiments means that it is within the scope of the present application and forms different embodiments. For example, all the above embodiments can be used in any combination. The information disclosed in this background section is only intended to deepen the understanding of the overall background technology of the present application and should not be regarded as an admission or any form of implication that this information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a roaming crane, characterized in that: The method comprises: Acquire a first number of idle overhead cranes in an extended area corresponding to each roaming area and position information of each idle overhead crane; determining at least one aggregation center within the roaming area based on the first quantity and location information; According to the location, a corresponding convergence center is allocated to each idle overhead crane; Generate a first roaming path for each idle overhead crane to travel to the assigned convergence center based on the position information and the central position of the convergence center; Control each idle overhead crane to converge at a corresponding convergence center according to a corresponding first roaming path to form a corresponding roaming fleet; A second roaming path is generated for the roaming fleet, and an idle overhead crane in the roaming fleet is controlled to travel in a corresponding roaming area according to the second roaming path.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: Detecting whether there is a conflict between the operating path of the overhead crane and the second roaming path; When there is a conflict, determining the interference level of the second roaming path on the operating path, taking the conflicting operating overhead vehicle as the target operating overhead vehicle, and taking the conflicting roaming fleet as the target roaming fleet; When the interference level is at a low interference level, maintaining the second roaming path unchanged, and controlling the travel speed and / or following distance of the target roaming fleet to reduce interference to the target overhead crane; When the interference level is at a medium interference level, controlling the target overhead travelling vehicle to merge into the target roaming fleet; When the interference level is at a high interference level, the target roaming fleet is split, and a second roaming path is replanned for the split roaming fleet to reduce interference with the target overhead travelling vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The step of merging the target operating overhead crane into the target roaming fleet includes: Identifying a conflict point between the target roaming fleet and the target overhead crane on the overhead rail; Calculating a target idle overhead crane in the target roaming fleet that is at the conflict point when the target operating overhead crane arrives at the conflict point; The travel speed of the target idle overhead crane is controlled so that the target operating overhead crane merges into the target roaming fleet at the conflict point and is located ahead of the target idle overhead crane.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The splitting of the target roaming fleet includes: Identifying a conflict point between the target roaming fleet and the target overhead crane on the overhead rail; Calculating a target idle overhead crane in the target roaming fleet that is at the conflict point when the target operating overhead crane arrives at the conflict point; The idle overhead cranes before the target idle overhead crane are regarded as the first roaming fleet; and the idle overhead cranes after the target idle overhead crane are regarded as the second roaming fleet.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: Identify whether two roaming fleets in the same roaming area meet a merging condition, and when the merging condition is met, merge the two roaming fleets into a new roaming fleet; the merging condition is one or more of the following conditions: Condition 1: The total number of idle cranes in the two roaming fleets does not exceed the crane capacity threshold; Condition 2: The overlap of the second roaming paths of the two roaming fleets exceeds a preset overlap threshold; Condition 3: The convoy distance between the two roaming convoys is less than a preset path distance threshold.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: calculating a second traffic congestion index of the second roaming path; adjusting the driving speed of the roaming fleet and the following distance between vehicles based on the second traffic congestion index; updating the overhead crane capacity threshold of the roaming fleet in real time according to the second traffic congestion index; When the second number of idle overhead cranes in the roaming fleet exceeds the overhead crane capacity threshold, the roaming fleet is split.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that After the corresponding rover fleet is formed, the following steps are included: designating one of the idle overhead cranes in the roaming fleet as a main leading overhead crane and designating the other idle overhead cranes as follower overhead cranes; The controlling the idle overhead cranes in the roaming fleet to travel in the corresponding roaming area according to the second roaming path includes: controlling the main guide overhead crane to travel in the corresponding roaming area according to the second roaming path, and making the follower overhead crane follow the main guide overhead crane.

8. A roaming control device for an overhead crane, characterized in that: The device comprises: An idle overhead crane acquisition module, used to acquire a first number of idle overhead cranes in an extended area corresponding to each roaming area and position information of each idle overhead crane; A convergence module is used to determine at least one convergence center in the roaming area based on the first number and the position information; assign a corresponding convergence center to each idle overhead crane according to the position; generate a first roaming path for each idle overhead crane to travel to the assigned convergence center based on the position information and the center position of the convergence center; control each idle overhead crane to converge at the corresponding convergence center according to the corresponding first roaming path to form a corresponding roaming fleet; The fleet path planning module generates a second roaming path for the roaming fleet, and controls the idle overhead cranes in the roaming fleet to travel in the corresponding roaming area according to the second roaming path.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores executable instructions, and when the executable instructions are executed by a processor, the processor is enabled to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: one or more processors; A memory for storing one or more programs, which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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