An agv dynamic scheduling method and system

Abstract

The application provides an AGV dynamic scheduling method and system, and belongs to the technical field of data processing. The method comprises the following steps: a first control AGV receives first scheduling information from a control center, the first scheduling information being used for scheduling a target controlled AGV corresponding to one of a plurality of controlled AGVs; and the first control AGV sends the first scheduling information to the target controlled AGV. In the case that the first control AGV is moving due to performing a carrying task of the first control AGV, and the target controlled AGV is moving due to performing a carrying task of the target controlled AGV, the target controlled AGV accesses the first control AGV due to being in a signal coverage range of the first control AGV, and the first control AGV continuously broadcasts a signal to maintain scheduling of the target controlled AGV while performing the carrying task of the first control AGV.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of data processing technology, and in particular to a dynamic scheduling method and system for AGVs. Background Technology

[0002] Existing AGV scheduling systems typically employ a centralized architecture, where all AGVs are directly assigned tasks and have their paths planned by the control center. The control center maintains real-time communication with each AGV via a wireless network, issuing scheduling commands and receiving status feedback. However, this direct scheduling method suffers from insufficient flexibility in practical applications. On one hand, as the number of AGVs increases, the communication load on the control center rises sharply, easily leading to channel congestion and command delays. On the other hand, when AGVs enter signal blind spots such as warehouse corners or deep within shelves, the direct connection with the control center may be interrupted, causing scheduling failure. Furthermore, fixed base stations have limited coverage, making them unsuitable for scenarios involving large-scale AGV movement. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides a dynamic scheduling method and system based on AGVs.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: Firstly, a dynamic scheduling method for AGVs is provided. In a park, multiple control AGVs and multiple controlled AGVs are deployed. The method is applied to a first control AGV, which is any one of the multiple control AGVs. The method includes: the first control AGV receiving first scheduling information from a control center, the first scheduling information being used to schedule a target controlled AGV among the multiple controlled AGVs; the first control AGV sending the first scheduling information to the target controlled AGV; wherein, when both the first control AGV and the target controlled AGV are moving due to performing their own transport tasks, the target controlled AGV accesses the first control AGV because it is within the signal coverage area of ​​the first control AGV; and while performing its own transport task, the first control AGV continuously broadcasts signals to maintain the scheduling of the target controlled AGV. The first control AGV has the ability to communicate directly with the control center, while the target controlled AGV does not have the ability to communicate directly with the control center.

[0005] Therefore, designing the control AGV to act as a base station and the controlled AGV to act as a UE enables more flexible scheduling. The first control AGV continuously broadcasts signals while performing its own transport tasks, forming a dynamic coverage cell. When the target controlled AGV (UE) is within the signal coverage range of this mobile base station, it automatically connects, eliminating the need for direct connection to the control center and reducing hardware costs on the UE side. Crucially, the moving base station adaptively adjusts its coverage according to the relative movement of the UE; even if both are moving, as long as the relative distance remains within the signal range, the scheduling link will not be interrupted. This "mobile base station-mobile UE" model overcomes the coverage limitations of traditional fixed base stations, allowing the scheduling relationship to be dynamically established and maintained with the movement of the AGV, significantly improving the system's flexibility and robustness in dynamic environments. Furthermore, since the controlled AGV does not have the ability to communicate directly with the control center, its hardware implementation can be simpler, thus reducing implementation complexity.

[0006] Optionally, the first scheduling information includes the real-time position information of multiple control AGVs, which is used for the switching decision of the target controlled AGV.

[0007] Therefore, since the first scheduling information includes the real-time location information of multiple control AGVs (i.e., multiple mobile base stations), dynamic switching decisions for the target controlled AGV are realized. For example, after the target controlled AGV obtains the positions of all surrounding control AGVs, it can assess the distance, direction of movement, and speed of each control AGV in advance, thereby predicting the trend of signal quality changes. Compared to the traditional UE passively waiting for the current base station signal to attenuate below a threshold before scanning and switching, this proactive decision-making based on location information can achieve seamless and smooth switching, avoiding command loss or communication interruption caused by switching delays, and ensuring scheduling continuity.

[0008] Optionally, after the first controlling AGV sends the first scheduling information to the target controlled AGV, the method further includes: the first controlling AGV receiving second scheduling information from the control center, the second scheduling information including task information, the task information being used to update the task currently being executed by the target controlled AGV or configure the next task to be executed by the target controlled AGV; the first controlling AGV sending the second scheduling information to the target controlled AGV according to the current communication status of the target controlled AGV.

[0009] Therefore, the above scheme achieves dynamic distribution of scheduling information, improving the success rate of transmission and reception. For example, after the first control AGV receives the second scheduling information (such as a task update) from the control center, it does not forward it immediately, but first obtains the current communication status of the target controlled AGV. Since the target controlled AGV may be in the process of switching measurements, neighbor cell scanning, or other communication operations, blindly sending information may result in information loss due to channel occupancy or processing conflicts on the target controlled AGV side. By adapting the transmission timing to the real-time status of the target controlled AGV, retransmission delays can be effectively avoided, ensuring that task information reaches the target controlled AGV in a timely and reliable manner.

[0010] Optionally, the first controlling AGV sends second scheduling information to the target controlled AGV based on the current communication status of the target controlled AGV, including: the first controlling AGV obtaining the current communication status of the target controlled AGV from the target controlled AGV based on the received second scheduling information; if the current communication status of the target controlled AGV indicates that the target controlled AGV is currently making a switching decision based on the real-time location information of multiple controlling AGVs, then the first controlling AGV directly sends the second scheduling information to the target controlled AGV; or, if the current communication status of the target controlled AGV indicates that the target controlled AGV is not currently making a switching decision based on the real-time location information of multiple controlling AGVs, then the first controlling AGV first sends a control command to the target controlled AGV, and after sending the control command, sends the second scheduling information to the target controlled AGV, the control command instructing the target controlled AGV to immediately suspend the currently executed communication operation and wait to receive information from the first controlling AGV.

[0011] Therefore, the above scheme ensures the successful transmission of emergency dispatch information. When the controlled AGV is not making a switching decision based on its position information (e.g., passively scanning signals from other controlled AGVs), its communication module may be listening to other channels or processing measurement data. In this case, directly sending the second dispatch information risks being missed. However, by first sending a control command to force the controlled AGV to immediately pause its current communication operation and switch back to receiving mode, and then sending the emergency dispatch information, this "preemptive" mechanism ensures that critical commands (such as emergency stop and path change) can break through the existing task cycle of the controlled AGV, achieving immediate response and avoiding safety accidents or task failures due to measurement operation delays.

[0012] Optionally, the target controlled AGV performs a switching decision based on the real-time position information of multiple control AGVs, including: the target controlled AGV processes the real-time position information of multiple control AGVs through a neural network model deployed on the target controlled AGV to predict the communication quality between the target controlled AGV and the multiple control AGVs respectively; or, the target controlled AGV does not perform a switching decision based on the real-time position information of multiple control AGVs, including: the target controlled AGV receives a signal from at least one of the multiple control AGVs to actually measure the communication quality between the target controlled AGV and at least one control AGV respectively, wherein the at least one control AGV does not include the first control AGV.

[0013] Therefore, the location-based prediction mode utilizes neural networks to process the real-time positions of multiple controlled AGVs, estimating communication quality in advance through model inference. It can complete switching decisions without actually receiving signals, exhibiting low latency and low power consumption. The measurement mode, on the other hand, requires the controlled AGV to actually receive and measure the signal strength of at least one other controlled AGV. While the measurement results are more accurate, it is time-consuming, and simultaneous communication with the controlled AGV is impossible during the measurement period. The two modes are suitable for different scenarios: the prediction mode is suitable for scenarios with rapid movement or high energy-saving requirements, while the measurement mode is suitable for scenarios with high accuracy requirements.

[0014] Optionally, whether the target controlled AGV makes a switching decision based on the real-time location information of multiple control AGVs depends on the remaining power of the target controlled AGV.

[0015] Therefore, when the remaining battery power is low, the controlled AGV prioritizes the neural network-based predictive mode, eliminating the need to activate the RF receiving circuit for actual signal scanning, thus significantly reducing the power consumption of the communication module. When the battery power is sufficient, the actual measurement mode is used to obtain a more accurate communication quality assessment. This dynamic trade-off mechanism extends the single-charge runtime of the controlled AGV while ensuring switching reliability, making it particularly suitable for long-term continuous operation scenarios in park logistics.

[0016] Optionally, the communication resources used by the target controlled AGV to receive signals from at least one control AGV are different from the communication resources used by the target controlled AGV to communicate with the first control AGV.

[0017] Therefore, it can be seen that the communication resources (such as channels, time slots, or frequencies) used by the controlled AGV to receive signals from other controlled AGVs are different from the resources used to communicate with its own controlled AGV. This means that when the controlled AGV switches resources to scan or measure signals from other controlled AGVs, the link between it and its own controlled AGV cannot be maintained physically at the same time. If the first controlled AGV has urgent scheduling information to send at this time, the controlled AGV cannot receive it because it is on different communication resources. Therefore, the control command requires the controlled AGV to immediately suspend the measurement operation and switch back to the original communication resource, fundamentally solving the communication blind spot problem caused by resource mutual exclusion.

[0018] Optionally, after sending the second scheduling information to the target controlled AGV, the method further includes: the first controlling AGV receiving a switching request from the target controlled AGV, the switching request instructing the target controlled AGV to switch to the second controlling AGV among multiple controlling AGVs; the first controlling AGV sending switching information to the second controlling AGV through the control center, the switching information instructing the target controlled AGV to switch access to the second controlling AGV, and the second controlling AGV cannot refuse the switching information, or in other words, the switching information is used to force the second controlling AGV to accept the switching access.

[0019] Therefore, the second control AGV cannot refuse the handover request. This forced acceptance mechanism is based on the special characteristics of the campus scenario: the total number of AGVs is limited (usually tens to hundreds), and any additional control AGV connecting to a few controlled AGVs will not cause communication congestion. Unlike traditional cellular base stations, the communication load of the control AGV is far from reaching the channel capacity limit. Refusing handover not only does not help load balancing but also disrupts scheduling continuity. Forced acceptance ensures that a controlled AGV can always find an available control AGV to provide service, avoiding disconnections or retry delays caused by handover rejection, fundamentally improving the reliability of system scheduling.

[0020] Optionally, before the first controlled AGV receives the first scheduling information from the control center, the method further includes: when the target controlled AGV accesses the first controlled AGV, the first controlled AGV reports a notification message to the control center, the notification message indicating the current position of the target controlled AGV and the current access of the target controlled AGV to the first controlled AGV.

[0021] Therefore, after the target controlled AGV connects to the first control AGV, the first control AGV proactively reports a notification message to the control center, including the current location of the controlled AGV and the identifier of the control AGV it has connected to. Although the control center cannot directly communicate with the controlled AGV, it can construct a map of the controlled AGV locations and access topology for the entire park by aggregating the reported information from each control AGV. This provides a crucial basis for subsequent scheduling decisions: when assigning new tasks, the control center can issue instructions based on the nearest control AGV currently connected to the controlled AGV, reducing the number of forwarding hops; at the same time, it can monitor whether the controlled AGV is in a normal access state, promptly detect abnormal disconnections, and trigger emergency handling.

[0022] Secondly, a dynamic AGV scheduling system is provided. The system includes multiple control AGVs and multiple controlled AGVs deployed in a park. The first control AGV is any one of the multiple control AGVs and is configured to: receive first scheduling information from a control center; the first scheduling information is used to schedule a target controlled AGV among the multiple controlled AGVs; and send the first scheduling information to the target controlled AGV. Specifically, when both the first control AGV and the target controlled AGV are moving while performing their own transport tasks, the target controlled AGV accesses the first control AGV because it is within its signal coverage area. Furthermore, while performing its own transport task, the first control AGV continuously broadcasts signals to maintain the scheduling of the target controlled AGV. The first control AGV has the ability to communicate directly with the control center, while the target controlled AGV does not have the ability to communicate directly with the control center.

[0023] Thirdly, a processing apparatus is provided, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store a computer program, which, when executed by the processor, causes the processing apparatus to perform the method described in the first aspect.

[0024] In one possible design, the processing device described in the third aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the processing device described in the third aspect and other processing devices. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an AGV dynamic scheduling system provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a scenario for an AGV dynamic scheduling method provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3A flowchart illustrating an AGV dynamic scheduling method provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the processing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solution of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] In this embodiment of the invention, "instruction" can include direct and indirect instructions, as well as explicit and implicit instructions. The information indicated by a certain piece of information is called the information to be instructed. In specific implementation, there are many ways to instruct the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly instructing the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also indirectly instruct the information to be instructed by instructing other information, where there is a correlation between the other information and the information to be instructed. It can also instruct only a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing instruction overhead to some extent. Simultaneously, common parts of various pieces of information can be identified and uniformly indicated to reduce the instruction overhead caused by individually indicating the same information.

[0028] Furthermore, the specific indication method can also be any existing indication method, such as, but not limited to, the above-mentioned indication methods and their various combinations. Specific details of various indication methods can be found in existing technologies, and will not be elaborated upon here. As described above, for example, when multiple pieces of information of the same type need to be indicated, the indication methods for different pieces of information may differ. In specific implementation, the required indication method can be selected according to specific needs. This embodiment of the invention does not limit the selected indication method; therefore, the indication methods involved in this embodiment of the invention should be understood to cover various methods that enable the party to be indicated to obtain the information to be indicated.

[0029] In this embodiment of the invention, descriptions such as "when," "under the circumstances," "if," and "if" all refer to the device making corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances, and are not limited to a specific time. They do not require the device to make a judgment action during implementation, nor do they imply any other limitations.

[0030] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise stated, " / " indicates that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can represent A or B. "And / or" in the embodiments of the present invention is merely a description of the relationship between the related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. Furthermore, in the description of the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" refers to two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. Additionally, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of the present invention to distinguish identical or similar items with essentially the same function and effect. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first," "second," etc., do not limit the quantity or order of execution, and that "first," "second," etc., are not necessarily different. Furthermore, in the embodiments of this invention, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is being described as an example, illustration, or illustration. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this invention should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner for ease of understanding, and will not be elaborated upon further.

[0031] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, firstly, let's take... Figure 1 The AGV dynamic scheduling system shown in the figure is used as an example to illustrate the AGV dynamic scheduling method applicable to the embodiments of the present invention.

[0032] For example, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an AGV dynamic scheduling system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the system mainly includes multiple controlled Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) deployed in the park, as well as multiple controlled AGVs.

[0033] For ease of understanding, let's take any one of the multiple control AGVs as the first control AGV and any one of the multiple controlled AGVs as the target controlled AGV.

[0034] In the system architecture, the first control AGV and the target controlled AGV have differentiated equipment forms and functional positioning. The first control AGV is a type of autonomous mobile robot with enhanced communication capabilities. Its hardware platform includes: a high-computing-power embedded controller, a multi-mode wireless communication module (supporting 4G / 5G or park-specific frequency bands), a high-precision positioning unit (such as GPS / IMU / LiDAR fusion navigation), and warehouse handling execution mechanisms (such as lifting forks or towing hooks). On the one hand, this control AGV performs its own material handling tasks as a regular handling robot. On the other hand, it continuously broadcasts beacon signals through its communication module to form a dynamically moving wireless coverage cell. It also receives scheduling instructions using a direct backhaul link with the control center (such as 5G NR or Wi-Fi Mesh) and then forwards the instructions to the controlled AGVs connected to its cell. In other words, the first control AGV is physically equivalent to an autonomous navigation forklift or towing vehicle, but its communication protocol stack extends the base station function, enabling it to maintain multiple point-to-multipoint connections with the controlled AGVs simultaneously.

[0035] The target controlled AGV is a lightweight, low-cost transport robot. Its equipment includes a simplified embedded controller, a narrowband communication module (supporting only short-range connections with neighboring controlled AGVs, such as Bluetooth, UWB, or a simplified LTE terminal), basic positioning sensors (such as odometers and landmark recognition cameras), and actuators for end-effector handling. This controlled AGV lacks the ability to communicate directly with the control center; its communication module's transmit power and protocol stack depth are insufficient to support wide-area backhaul at the campus level, and it cannot parse the control center's original scheduling signals. Its normal operation relies on connecting to a specific controlled AGV, receiving task instructions through that AGV's relay, and periodically reporting its own status (such as position, battery level, and task progress) to the controlled AGV. Furthermore, the target controlled AGV's controller has a pre-built lightweight neural network model used to predict handover timing based on received real-time position information from multiple controlled AGVs, thereby achieving seamless cell reselection. In terms of physical form, target-controlled AGVs are usually smaller and simpler in structure, such as backpack-type lurking tractors or lifting roller transporters, whose manufacturing costs and energy consumption are significantly lower than those of control AGVs.

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a scenario for an AGV dynamic scheduling method provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2As shown, in a scenario where both the first controlled AGV and the target controlled AGV are moving while performing their own transport tasks, the target controlled AGV automatically connects to the first controlled AGV when it happens to enter the first controlled AGV's real-time signal coverage area. It's important to emphasize that while the first controlled AGV is performing its own transport task, its communication module is always in broadcast mode, continuously sending beacon signals to maintain scheduling control over the connected target controlled AGV, even if both are moving. For example, if the first controlled AGV is moving towards a shelf while the target controlled AGV is transporting materials in the opposite direction, the connection remains as long as the relative distance and obstacle conditions ensure the target controlled AGV remains within the first controlled AGV's effective coverage radius. The diagram also illustrates that the first controlled AGV maintains direct communication with the control center via a wireless backhaul network (such as 5G or Wi-Fi) deployed in the park, while the target controlled AGV does not have a direct communication link with the control center; all its commands and status reports must be relayed through the currently connected first controlled AGV. This design eliminates the need for the controlled AGV to carry the high-power modules required for long-distance communication with the control center during movement, while relying on the moving control AGV as a dynamic base station to achieve continuous coverage of scheduling.

[0037] It should be understood that in the park deployment plan, the number of multiple control AGVs needs to meet the following coverage constraint: regardless of how each AGV dynamically performs its handling tasks, the signals broadcast by multiple control AGVs can jointly cover the entire park for most of the operating period, or even always. In other words, the deployment density of control AGVs is optimized, for example, based on the park area, the degree of shelf obstruction, the maximum communication radius of the control AGVs, and the task heatmap, to ensure that at any given time, at least one control AGV is within the communication reach of the target controlled AGV. This coverage redundancy design ensures that the controlled AGVs will almost never experience a "no cell available for them to stay" disconnection during movement, thus guaranteeing the continuity and reliability of scheduling. When the signal of some control AGVs weakens due to entering warehouse dead zones or tunnel areas, other nearby control AGVs can automatically fill the gap, forming an adaptive overlapping coverage network similar to a mobile base station cluster.

[0038] Based on the aforementioned coverage constraints, corresponding requirements are also imposed on the handling tasks performed by the controlled AGVs. Specifically, the tasks undertaken by the controlled AGVs are typically limited to short- or medium-distance handling operations, such as material transfers within the same warehouse area, between adjacent aisles, or within no more than two zones. This design aims to prevent a single controlled AGV from moving far from its intended coverage area due to performing long-distance tasks, thereby creating signal blind spots in localized areas of the park. When a controlled AGV moves only within its vicinity, the coverage of its broadcast signal can overlap or be adjacent to the signals of other surrounding controlled AGVs, jointly maintaining basic coverage of the entire park. If controlled AGVs are allowed to perform long-distance cross-zone handling, their original coverage area may lack a signal source for an extended period during long-distance movement, and the overlap of their coverage with other controlled AGVs along the way is difficult to guarantee. Therefore, in actual task scheduling, the control center tends to assign long-distance handling tasks to controlled AGVs (which are then relayed by multiple controlled AGVs along the way), while assigning short-distance, time-sensitive tasks, or tasks requiring relay nodes, to the controlled AGVs, thereby achieving a balance between coverage stability and task execution.

[0039] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an AGV dynamic scheduling method provided in an embodiment of the present invention, which is applicable to the aforementioned system.

[0040] The specific process is as follows: S301, the first control AGV receives the first scheduling information from the control center. The first scheduling information is used to schedule a target control AGV among multiple control AGVs.

[0041] Before step S301 is executed, the target controlled AGV needs to complete the access process to the first control AGV. Specifically, each control AGV in the park, while performing its own transport task, continuously broadcasts a beacon signal with a fixed transmission power and period. This beacon signal contains at least the control AGV's own identifier, current geographical location, and a timestamp for synchronization. After the target controlled AGV is powered on or in an idle state, its narrowband communication module periodically scans for available control AGV signals in the vicinity. When the target controlled AGV moves to within approximately 20 meters of the first control AGV and there are no significant obstructions due to performing a transport task, the strength of the beacon signal received from the first control AGV exceeds a preset threshold (e.g., -70dBm). At this time, the target controlled AGV selects the one with the best signal quality from among the multiple detectable control AGVs. In this example, the first control AGV is used as the target base station. Subsequently, the target controlled AGV sends an access request message on the uplink access resource indicated by the first control AGV's broadcast signal. This message carries its own device identifier and current task status. Upon receiving an access request, if the first controlling AGV determines that its resources (e.g., the maximum number of controlled AGVs it can simultaneously serve has not been reached) permit, it returns an access confirmation message and allocates dedicated communication resources (e.g., a specific time slot or sub-channel) to the target controlled AGV. At this point, the target controlled AGV successfully accesses the first controlling AGV, establishing a point-to-point relay link. After access is complete, the first controlling AGV proactively reports a notification message to the control center. This notification message carries at least the target controlled AGV's current location coordinates (e.g., estimated by the first controlling AGV using its own positioning system) and identification information indicating that the target controlled AGV has now accessed the first controlling AGV. Upon receiving this notification message, the control center can determine the real-time location of the target controlled AGV and its attached cell (i.e., the first controlling AGV), thereby establishing a mapping relationship between the controlled AGV and its corresponding controlling AGV.

[0042] Based on this mapping relationship, the control center can periodically (e.g., every 100 milliseconds) send scheduling information, i.e., the first scheduling information, to the first control AGV. As an example, the first scheduling information not only includes the task parameters that the control center wants the target control AGV to perform (e.g., "go to shelf A to move goods to point B"), but also the real-time location information of multiple control AGVs within the park. For instance, the control center collects the self-location reports from all control AGVs (including the first control AGV itself, the second control AGV, the third control AGV, etc.) and packages these locations into the first scheduling information in the form of a list or coordinate array. After receiving this information, the target control AGV can perform a handover decision based on this location information. For example, when the target control AGV detects that the currently connected first control AGV is about to leave its effective communication range (e.g., the relative distance exceeds 30 meters), and another control AGV is approaching, the control AGV can initiate a handover request to the neighboring control AGV in advance, thereby achieving uninterrupted base station reselection. The above process ensures that the controlled AGV can always obtain neighboring cell location data for autonomous decision-making without relying on real-time signal strength scanning, thus reducing communication overhead and power consumption.

[0043] S302, the first controlling AGV sends the first scheduling information to the target controlled AGV.

[0044] Optionally, after the first controlling AGV sends the first scheduling information to the target controlled AGV, the method further includes: S303-S304.

[0045] S303, the first control AGV receives the second scheduling information from the control center.

[0046] The second scheduling information typically includes urgent task information, such as updating the task currently being performed by the target controlled AGV (e.g., changing destination midway) or configuring its next pending task (e.g., inserting a high-priority urgent order). This type of information has time-sensitive requirements.

[0047] S304, the first controlling AGV sends the second scheduling information to the target controlled AGV according to the current communication status of the target controlled AGV.

[0048] Based on the received second scheduling information, the controlling AGV obtains the current communication status of the target controlled AGV. If the current communication status of the target controlled AGV indicates that it is currently making a switching decision based on the real-time location information of multiple controlling AGVs, the first controlling AGV directly sends the second scheduling information to the target controlled AGV. In this case, the target controlled AGV is operating in predictive mode, and its communication link remains unobstructed, requiring no additional operation. Alternatively, if the current communication status of the target controlled AGV indicates that it is not currently making a switching decision based on the real-time location information of multiple controlling AGVs, the first controlling AGV first sends a control command to the target controlled AGV, and then sends the second scheduling information to the target controlled AGV after sending the control command. The control command instructs the target controlled AGV to immediately suspend its current communication operation and wait to receive information from the first controlling AGV. In this case, the target controlled AGV is operating in actual measurement mode, and it needs to be forced to suspend measurement before it can reliably receive emergency information.

[0049] It should be understood that whether the target controlled AGV makes a switching decision based on the real-time position information of multiple control AGVs depends on the remaining power of the target controlled AGV. Therefore, the target controlled AGV can continuously and proactively report its real-time remaining power to the first control AGV to determine its current communication status, i.e., to obtain the current communication status of the target controlled AGV. Specifically, when the remaining power is low, to reduce power consumption, the target controlled AGV preferentially adopts a neural network-based prediction mode, that is, it makes a switching decision based on the real-time position information of multiple control AGVs. At this time, there is no need to start the radio frequency receiving circuit for actual signal scanning. When the remaining power is sufficient, the actual measurement mode is adopted, that is, the communication quality is measured by actually receiving signals from other control AGVs to obtain more accurate evaluation results. For example, a power threshold of 30% can be set: when it is above 30%, the target controlled AGV enters the actual measurement mode, and when it is below 30%, it switches to the prediction mode. The target controlled AGV reports its current remaining power to the first controlling AGV every 200 milliseconds. The first controlling AGV can determine which mode the target controlled AGV's current communication status belongs to based on the most recent reported value.

[0050] Specifically, the target controlled AGV performs a switching decision based on the real-time position information of multiple control AGVs. This includes: the target controlled AGV processes the real-time position information of multiple control AGVs through a neural network model deployed on the target controlled AGV to predict the communication quality between the target controlled AGV and each of the multiple control AGVs. This neural network model is a lightweight feedforward network; its inputs are the two-dimensional coordinates (x, y) and velocity vectors of each control AGV, and its output is the predicted received signal strength (RSSI) or signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The target controlled AGV runs this model every certain period of time (e.g., 1 second) and selects the control AGV with the best signal quality as a potential switching target based on the prediction results, without actually occupying radio frequency resources for scanning. Alternatively, the target controlled AGV does not perform a switching decision based on the real-time position information of multiple control AGVs. This includes: the target controlled AGV receives signals from at least one of the multiple control AGVs to actually measure the communication quality between the target controlled AGV and at least one control AGV, where at least one control AGV does not include the first control AGV. In the actual test mode, the radio frequency module of the target controlled AGV is sequentially tuned to the broadcast channel of other controlled AGVs, and the received signal strength of each channel is measured. Each measurement lasts for about 10 milliseconds, and the signal is returned to the service channel after the measurement is completed.

[0051] The communication resources used by the target controlled AGV to receive signals from at least one controlling AGV differ from those used by the target controlled AGV to communicate with the first controlling AGV. For example, the first controlling AGV uses channel 1 (center frequency 2.412GHz) of the 2.4GHz band as the service channel, while the broadcast channels of other controlling AGVs are located on channel 6 (2.437GHz) and channel 11 (2.462GHz), respectively; or a time-division multiplexing method is used, with the service channel occupying time slots 0-3 and the measurement channel occupying time slots 4-7. Due to this resource difference, when the target controlled AGV is in test mode, its RF front-end has disconnected from the service channel and cannot simultaneously receive information directly transmitted by the first controlling AGV. To overcome this mutual exclusion problem, the target controlled AGV periodically performs a "measurement-listening" operation in test mode: Specifically, the target controlled AGV divides time into consecutive 50-millisecond periods. Within each period, it first performs continuous measurements for 40 milliseconds, such as sequentially scanning the channels of multiple other controlled AGVs. Then, it actively pauses the measurement and quickly switches back to the service channel and opens a receiving window within the next 5 milliseconds to listen for any downlink information from the first controlled AGV. The remaining 5 milliseconds serve as a guard interval or processing time. Although this listening window is brief, it is sufficient to capture control commands sent by the first controlled AGV. After learning that the target controlled AGV is in test mode, the first controlled AGV does not immediately send the second scheduling information. Instead, it utilizes this listening window mechanism to repeatedly send control commands three times consecutively on the service channel at a high transmission power, with each transmission spaced 20 milliseconds apart, for a total duration of approximately 60 milliseconds, thus covering at least one complete listening window. After the target controlled AGV successfully detects the control command within its listening window, it immediately decodes and executes the following: suspends all measurement operations, completely locks the radio frequency resources onto the service channel, stops the periodic "measurement-listening" switching, and sends an acknowledgment response to the first control AGV. Upon receiving the acknowledgment, the first control AGV then transmits the second scheduling information normally. Since the target controlled AGV is now fixedly listening on the service channel, the second scheduling information can be received immediately and without error. As a supplement, if the first control AGV fails to receive acknowledgment after continuously sending control commands, it can repeat the above process or notify other control AGVs through the control center to assist in forwarding. Through this mechanism, even if the target controlled AGV uses resources different from normal communication due to the actual measurement mode, the first control AGV can still reliably deliver control commands using the inherent periodic listening window of the controlled AGV, thereby forcing it to suspend measurements and ensuring that urgent second scheduling information is not missed.

[0052] Optionally, after sending the second scheduling information to the target controlled AGV, the method further includes: S305-S306.

[0053] S305, the first control AGV receives a switching request from the target controlled AGV, the switching request instructing the target controlled AGV to switch to the second control AGV among multiple control AGVs.

[0054] Specifically, the timing of this handover request is closely related to the handover decision-making mode of the target controlled AGV. For example, when the target controlled AGV is operating in prediction mode, its neural network model, based on the real-time position information of multiple control AGVs, predicts that the first control AGV currently connected is about to leave its effective communication range (e.g., the relative distance exceeds 30 meters and the movement direction is opposite), while simultaneously predicting that the second control AGV is approaching and its signal quality will be better than that of the first control AGV. At this time, the target controlled AGV actively generates and sends a handover request. As another example, when the target controlled AGV is operating in test mode, during the intervals of the periodic listening window, if it discovers through actual measurement that the broadcast signal strength of the second control AGV has been consistently higher than that of the first control AGV (e.g., for more than 5 seconds and the difference is greater than 5dB), it will also initiate a handover request. This handover request carries at least the device identifier of the target controlled AGV itself, the identifier of the target base station requesting the handover (i.e., the ID of the second control AGV), and optionally includes a context snapshot of the current task, such as unfinished task steps, current coordinates, and movement status.

[0055] S306, the first control AGV sends switching information to the second control AGV through the control center.

[0056] Specifically, upon receiving a handover request, the first controlling AGV first verifies the request's validity, confirming, for example, that the second controlling AGV does indeed exist in the current campus deployment list and is in normal operating condition. After successful verification, the first controlling AGV encapsulates all locally stored context information related to the target controlled AGV into handover information, including the target controlled AGV's device identifier, currently executing task parameters, incomplete task queues, communication resource allocation records, security credentials, and the latest location and movement status. This handover information is then reported to the control center via a direct backhaul link. Upon receiving this information, the control center immediately forwards the complete handover information to the second controlling AGV based on the second controlling AGV identifier indicated in the handover information. The handover information instructs the target controlled AGV to request handover access to the second controlling AGV, and the second controlling AGV cannot refuse the handover information; in other words, the handover information forces the second controlling AGV to accept the handover access. For example, the first controlling AGV can include the locally stored context of the target controlled AGV in the handover information. It is important to emphasize that the second controlling AGV is designed not to refuse this handover information. This mandatory acceptance mechanism is based on the specific characteristics of the park scenario: the total number of control AGVs deployed within the park is limited (usually dozens to over a hundred), and the communication module of each control AGV is designed to serve dozens of controlled AGVs simultaneously without congestion. In other words, the current load status of the second control AGV will not be a reason to refuse handover, because even if an additional controlled AGV is connected, its communication resource usage is far from reaching its limit. Allowing the second control AGV to refuse handover based on its own load or other reasons might actually cause the target controlled AGV to fall into a state of no base station available during the handover process, affecting the continuity and reliability of scheduling. Therefore, at the system architecture level, it is agreed that any control AGV, upon receiving handover information forwarded by the control center, must unconditionally accept the handover, allocate communication resources for the target controlled AGV, and establish a relay link. After receiving the handover information, the second control AGV begins to pre-allocate resources for the incoming target controlled AGV and can choose to return a confirmation message to the control center. The control center then forwards this confirmation to the target controlled AGV via the first control AGV, completing the handover process. The above design ensures a smooth switching process for the controlled AGVs without rejection risks, guaranteeing the overall reliability of the scheduling system. In summary, designing the control AGV to function as a base station and the controlled AGV as a UE enables more flexible scheduling. The first control AGV continuously broadcasts signals while performing its own transport tasks, forming a dynamic coverage cell. When the target controlled AGV (UE) is within the signal coverage area of ​​the mobile base station, it automatically connects, eliminating the need for a direct connection to the control center and reducing hardware costs on the UE side.The key is that the mobile base station adaptively adjusts its coverage according to the relative movement of the UE. Even if both are moving, as long as the relative distance remains within the signal range, the scheduling link will not be interrupted. This "mobile base station-mobile UE" mode breaks through the coverage limitations of traditional fixed base stations, enabling the scheduling relationship to be dynamically established and maintained as the AGV moves, significantly improving the system's flexibility and robustness in dynamic environments. Furthermore, since the controlled AGV does not have the ability to communicate directly with the control center, its hardware implementation can be simpler, thus reducing implementation complexity.

[0057] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a processing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Exemplarily, this processing device may be a network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly that can be disposed in a network device. Figure 4 As shown, the processing device 400 may include a processor 401. Optionally, the processing device 400 may also include a memory 402 and / or a transceiver 403. The processor 401 is coupled to the memory 402 and the transceiver 403, for example, via a communication bus.

[0058] The following is combined Figure 4 A detailed description of each component of the processing equipment 400 is provided below: The processor 401 is the control center of the processing device 400. It can be a single processor or a collective term for multiple processing elements. For example, the processor 401 can be one or more central processing units (CPUs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement embodiments of the present invention, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0059] Optionally, the processor 401 can perform various functions of the processing device 400 by running or executing software programs stored in the memory 402 and calling data stored in the memory 402.

[0060] In a specific implementation, as one example, processor 401 may include one or more CPUs, for example... Figure 4 CPU0 and CPU1 are shown in the diagram.

[0061] In a specific implementation, as one example, the processing device 400 may also include multiple processors. Each of these processors may be a single-core processor (single-CPU) or a multi-core processor (multi-CPU). Here, a processor may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores used for processing data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0062] The memory 402 is used to store the software program that executes the solution of the present invention, and is controlled by the processor 401 to execute it. The specific implementation method can be referred to the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0063] Optionally, the memory 402 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but not limited thereto. The memory 402 may be integrated with the processor 401 or exist independently, and may be connected via the interface circuit of the processing device 400. Figure 4 (Not shown in the image) is coupled to processor 401, and this embodiment of the invention does not specifically limit this.

[0064] Transceiver 403 is used for communication with other processing devices. For example, if processing device 400 is a terminal, transceiver 403 can be used to communicate with a network device or with another terminal device. As another example, if processing device 400 is a network device, transceiver 403 can be used to communicate with a terminal or with another network device.

[0065] Alternatively, transceiver 403 may include a receiver and a transmitter. Figure 4 (Not shown separately). The receiver is used to implement the receiving function, and the transmitter is used to implement the transmitting function.

[0066] Alternatively, the transceiver 403 can be integrated with the processor 401, or it can exist independently and be connected via the interface circuit of the processing device 400. Figure 4 (Not shown in the image) is coupled to processor 401, and this embodiment of the invention does not specifically limit this.

[0067] Understandable, Figure 4 The structure of the processing device 400 shown does not constitute a limitation on the processing device. Actual processing devices may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0068] Furthermore, the technical effects of the processing device 400 can be referred to the technical effects of the method described in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0069] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present invention can be a central processing unit (CPU), or it can be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0070] It should also be understood that the memory in the embodiments of the present invention can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of random access memory (RAM) are available, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous DRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous DRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous linked DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0071] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A dynamic scheduling method for AGVs, characterized in that, The park is equipped with multiple control AGVs and multiple controlled AGVs. The method is applied to a first control AGV, which is any one of the multiple control AGVs. The method includes: The first controlled AGV receives first scheduling information from the control center, and the first scheduling information is used to schedule a target controlled AGV among the plurality of controlled AGVs; The first controlling AGV sends the first scheduling information to the target controlled AGV; Specifically, when both the first controlled AGV and the target controlled AGV are moving while performing their own transport tasks, the target controlled AGV connects to the first controlled AGV because it is within the signal coverage area of ​​the first controlled AGV. Furthermore, while performing its own transport task, the first controlled AGV continuously broadcasts signals to maintain the scheduling of the target controlled AGV. The first controlled AGV has the ability to communicate directly with the control center, while the target controlled AGV does not have the ability to communicate directly with the control center.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first scheduling information includes the real-time location information of the plurality of controlled AGVs, which is used for the switching decision of the target controlled AGV.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, After the first controlling AGV sends the first scheduling information to the target controlled AGV, the method further includes: The first controlled AGV receives second scheduling information from the control center. The second scheduling information includes task information, which is used to update the task currently being executed by the target controlled AGV or to configure the next task to be executed by the target controlled AGV. The first controlling AGV sends the second scheduling information to the target controlled AGV based on the current communication status of the target controlled AGV.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first controlling AGV sends the second scheduling information to the target controlled AGV based on the current communication status of the target controlled AGV, including: The first controlling AGV obtains the current communication status of the target controlled AGV from the target controlled AGV based on the received second scheduling information; If the current communication status of the target controlled AGV indicates that the target controlled AGV is currently executing the switching decision based on the real-time location information of the multiple control AGVs, then the first control AGV directly sends the second scheduling information to the target controlled AGV; or, if the current communication status of the target controlled AGV indicates that the target controlled AGV is not currently executing the switching decision based on the real-time location information of the multiple control AGVs, then the first control AGV first sends a control command to the target controlled AGV, and after sending the control command, sends the second scheduling information to the target controlled AGV. The control command instructs the target controlled AGV to immediately suspend the currently executing communication operation and wait to receive information from the first control AGV.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The target controlled AGV executes the switching decision based on the real-time position information of the multiple control AGVs, including: the target controlled AGV processes the real-time position information of the multiple control AGVs through a neural network model deployed on the target controlled AGV to predict the communication quality between the target controlled AGV and the multiple control AGVs respectively; Alternatively, the target controlled AGV does not perform the switching decision based on the real-time location information of the plurality of control AGVs, including: the target controlled AGV receives a signal from at least one of the plurality of control AGVs to actually measure the communication quality between the target controlled AGV and the at least one control AGV respectively, wherein the at least one control AGV does not include the first control AGV.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Whether the target controlled AGV executes the switching decision based on the real-time location information of the multiple controlled AGVs depends on the remaining power of the target controlled AGV.

7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The communication resources used by the target controlled AGV to receive signals from the at least one control AGV are different from the communication resources used by the target controlled AGV to communicate with the first control AGV.

8. The method according to any one of claims 3-7, characterized in that, After sending the second scheduling information to the target controlled AGV, the method further includes: The first controlled AGV receives a switching request from the target controlled AGV, the switching request instructing the target controlled AGV to switch to the second controlled AGV among the plurality of controlled AGVs; The first controlled AGV sends switching information to the second controlled AGV through the control center. The switching information is used to force the second controlled AGV to accept the switching access.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before the first controlled AGV receives the first scheduling information from the control center, the method further includes: When the target controlled AGV connects to the first controlled AGV, the first controlled AGV reports a notification message to the control center. The notification message indicates the current position of the target controlled AGV and that the target controlled AGV has now connected to the first controlled AGV.

10. An AGV dynamic scheduling system, characterized in that, The system includes multiple control AGVs and multiple controlled AGVs deployed within the park. A first control AGV, which is any one of the multiple control AGVs, is configured as follows: The first controlled AGV receives first scheduling information from the control center, and the first scheduling information is used to schedule a target controlled AGV among the plurality of controlled AGVs; The first controlling AGV sends the first scheduling information to the target controlled AGV; Specifically, when both the first controlled AGV and the target controlled AGV are moving while performing their own transport tasks, the target controlled AGV connects to the first controlled AGV because it is within the signal coverage area of ​​the first controlled AGV. Furthermore, while performing its own transport task, the first controlled AGV continuously broadcasts signals to maintain the scheduling of the target controlled AGV. The first controlled AGV has the ability to communicate directly with the control center, while the target controlled AGV does not have the ability to communicate directly with the control center.

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