An automated container terminal AGV scheduling system and device

Abstract

The application discloses an automatic container wharf AGV scheduling system and equipment, belongs to the technical field of automatic wharf transportation equipment, and comprises a plurality of automatic guided vehicles, each of the automatic guided vehicles comprising a vehicle body, a vehicle body variable unit, a multi-section telescopic rotary grabbing mechanism and a structure state sensing module; the vehicle body variable unit is used for adjusting the width of the vehicle body of the automatic guided vehicle; the multi-section telescopic rotary grabbing mechanism is used for adjusting the span of a clamp and the grabbing angle of the clamp; the structure state sensing module is used for collecting the width of the vehicle body of the automatic guided vehicle, the span of the clamp, the angle of the clamp and the clamping state; and a scheduling control center. The application can dynamically adjust the physical form of the automatic guided vehicle according to the width of a wharf road, the specification of a container, a grabbing posture and the demand for cooperative passing of a plurality of vehicles, and can feed back the width of the vehicle body, the span of the clamp, the angle of the clamp and the clamping state to the scheduling control center in real time, so that the scheduling control center performs task distribution, path planning and form adjustment control based on a real-time physical envelope.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of automated terminal transportation equipment, specifically to an automated container terminal AGV scheduling system and equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In automated container terminals, AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) handle horizontal transport between quay cranes, yards, and loading / unloading buffer zones. AGV scheduling efficiency directly impacts the terminal's overall throughput, quay crane waiting time, yard operation continuity, and energy consumption.

[0003] The existing automated terminal AGVs and their scheduling systems have the following main shortcomings: First, the width of existing AGVs is basically fixed. Temporary container stacking, road maintenance, vehicle queuing, and equipment obstruction frequently occur in port yards, causing some passageways to narrow. Fixed-width AGVs can only determine passage based on their fixed vehicle outlines during path planning. When a section of road is insufficiently wide, that section is excluded, and the vehicle must detour, increasing transportation distance and time.

[0004] Second, the existing AGV's gripping or carrying mechanisms have limited adaptability to containers of different sizes. For 20-foot, 40-foot, and special-sized containers, conventional AGVs need to rely on fixed clamps or different vehicle models to complete the task, resulting in a decrease in equipment utilization.

[0005] Third, existing dock scheduling systems primarily rely on AGV location, battery level, and task queues for scheduling, with little consideration given to the mechanical state of the AGVs. For example, data such as the current width of the vehicle body, the current span of the clamp, the current angle of the clamp, and the clamping force status are usually only used for local vehicle control and are not used as core inputs for global path planning and task matching in the scheduling system.

[0006] Fourth, when multiple AGVs collide in narrow passages or intersections, existing systems typically handle the situation by stopping and waiting, detouring, or manual intervention, failing to fully utilize the vehicles' deformability to proactively reduce the physical envelope and free up passage space.

[0007] Therefore, it is necessary to propose a new automated container terminal AGV scheduling system that enables AGVs to not only change their shape according to task requirements and road environment, but also to feed back the shape change to the scheduling system in real time. The scheduling system can then perform task allocation, path planning, and collaborative obstacle avoidance based on the real-time physical envelope. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present invention addresses the problem that existing technical solutions are too simplistic and provides a solution that is significantly different from existing technologies. Specifically, the present invention mainly provides an automated container terminal AGV scheduling system and equipment to solve the technical problems mentioned in the background.

[0009] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows: An automated container terminal AGV scheduling device includes: Multiple automated guided vehicles, each of which includes a vehicle body, a vehicle body deformation unit, a multi-segment telescopic and rotating grasping mechanism, and a structural state sensing module; The vehicle body deformation unit is disposed on the vehicle body and is used to adjust the width of the automated guided vehicle. The multi-segment telescopic rotary gripping mechanism is located in the bearing area of ​​the vehicle body and is used to adjust the span of the clamp and the gripping angle of the clamp. The structural state sensing module is connected to the vehicle body deformation unit and the multi-segment telescopic rotation gripping mechanism respectively, and is used to collect the vehicle body width, clamp span, clamp angle and clamping status of the automated guided vehicle, and generate structural state data. The dispatch control center is communicatively connected to multiple of the automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and is used to receive the structural status data. Based on the task parameters, the dock electronic map, and the structural status data, the center performs task allocation, path planning, and morphological adjustment control on the AGVs.

[0010] Preferably, the vehicle body includes a main frame of the vehicle chassis, a left vehicle body section, and a right vehicle body section; the vehicle body deformation unit includes a slide rail assembly, an electric push rod, and a linkage mechanism; the left vehicle body section and the right vehicle body section are respectively movably connected to the lateral sides of the main frame of the vehicle chassis via the slide rail assembly; The electric push rod is mechanically connected to the left and right vehicle body parts respectively through the linkage mechanism, and is used to drive the left and right vehicle body parts to expand outward or contract inward synchronously relative to the main frame of the vehicle chassis.

[0011] Preferably, the linkage mechanism is a cross linkage mechanism, and the power output end of the electric push rod is hinged to the middle or end of the cross linkage mechanism. The two output ends of the cross linkage mechanism are respectively connected to the left side of the vehicle body and the right side of the vehicle body, so as to convert the linear extension and retraction motion of the electric push rod into the lateral synchronous extension and retraction motion of the vehicle body.

[0012] Preferably, the multi-segment telescopic rotary gripping mechanism includes a main frame, a telescopic slide rail segment, a rotary transfer mechanism, a gear screw drive motor, and a planetary gear reducer motor; The telescopic slide rail section is slidably disposed within the main frame, and the gear screw drive motor is connected to the telescopic slide rail section for driving the telescopic slide rail section to extend or retract. The rotary transfer mechanism is located at the end of the telescopic slide rail section, and the planetary geared motor is connected to the rotary transfer mechanism for driving the clamp to rotate relative to the telescopic slide rail section.

[0013] Preferably, the telescopic slide rail section includes at least two telescopic sections stacked sequentially, with a linear rolling guide rail between each telescopic section; the gear screw drive motor drives the telescopic slide rail section to extend and retract along the length direction of the main frame through a screw transmission structure, so that the span of the clamp can be continuously adjusted within a preset range; the rotary transition mechanism includes a bearing support structure, and the planetary gear motor drives the rotary transition mechanism to rotate in the horizontal plane to adjust the clamp gripping angle.

[0014] Preferably, the structural state sensing module includes a position sensor, a clamping force sensor, and an on-board communication unit; the position sensor is used to detect the vehicle body width, clamp span, and clamp angle; the clamping force sensor is used to detect the clamping state; and the on-board communication unit is used to upload the data collected by the position sensor and the clamping force sensor to the dispatch control center.

[0015] An automated container terminal AGV scheduling system, employing any one of the automated container terminal AGV scheduling devices described above, includes: The scheduling control layer includes a scheduling control center, which includes a structural state analysis module, a task scheduling module, and a path planning module. The underlying execution layer includes multiple automated guided vehicles (AGVs), each of which includes a vehicle body, a vehicle body deformation unit, a multi-segment telescopic and rotating grasping mechanism, and a structural state sensing module. The structural state analysis module is used to receive and parse the structural state data uploaded by the structural state sensing module, and generate the real-time physical envelope of the corresponding automated guided vehicle based on the vehicle body width, clamp span and clamp angle. The task scheduling module is used to select the automated guided vehicle to perform the task based on the task parameters, vehicle location, battery status and the real-time physical envelope. The path planning module is used to generate a movement path based on the dock electronic map, road width, and the real-time physical envelope. The underlying execution layer is used to receive task instructions, path instructions and shape adjustment instructions issued by the scheduling and control layer, and drive the vehicle body deformation unit and the multi-segment telescopic rotation gripping mechanism to perform corresponding actions.

[0016] Preferably, when the path planning module determines that the current real-time physical envelope cannot pass through the target road segment, the path planning module outputs a morphological adjustment request to the task scheduling module; the task scheduling module issues vehicle body retraction, vehicle body extension, clamp extension or clamp rotation commands to the corresponding automated guided vehicle according to the morphological adjustment request; the structural state sensing module re-collects structural state data after the automated guided vehicle completes the morphological adjustment and feeds it back to the structural state analysis module.

[0017] Preferably, the task scheduling module has a built-in multi-objective optimization algorithm controller. The multi-objective optimization algorithm controller uses task completion time, vehicle travel distance, vehicle energy consumption, morphological adjustment time and road conflict risk as constraint parameters or target parameters to generate task-vehicle matching results and send the task-vehicle matching results to the corresponding automated guided vehicle.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: (1) The present invention enables the AGV body width to be adjusted according to the actual road width through the vehicle body deformation unit; when the AGV needs to pass through narrow passages or temporary restricted passages in the dock yard, the dispatch control center can issue a vehicle body shrinkage command to make the left and right vehicle body parts shrink inward synchronously along the slide rail assembly, thereby reducing the physical envelope of the vehicle. This structure makes the road that was originally impassable due to the fixed vehicle width a feasible path again, effectively reducing the detour distance and improving transportation efficiency.

[0019] (2) The present invention achieves dynamic adjustment of clamp span and gripping angle through a multi-segment telescopic rotating gripping mechanism; the telescopic slide rail section can adjust the clamp span according to the lock hole spacing of 20-foot, 40-foot or other specifications of containers, and the rotating transfer mechanism can adjust the clamp angle according to the actual yaw angle of the container, thereby improving the adaptability of a single AGV to various container tasks and reducing the number of special vehicles configured.

[0020] (3) The present invention uploads mechanical structure data such as vehicle width, clamp span, clamp angle, clamping force, and mechanical locking status to the dispatch control center in real time; the dispatch control center no longer relies solely on vehicle location and power for dispatching, but uses the vehicle's real-time physical envelope and actual operating capacity as important parameters for dispatching decisions, making the dispatching scheme more accurate and executable.

[0021] (4) Traditional path planning usually uses fixed vehicle size as a constraint, which results in some narrow roads being permanently excluded from the feasible path. The path planning module of the present invention can dynamically determine the road passability based on the current form of the AGV, and can actively request the vehicle to adjust its form, so that the AGV can enter a smaller envelope state by shrinking the vehicle body or retracting the clamp, thereby including more roads into the set of feasible paths and improving the global path optimization capability.

[0022] (5) When multiple AGVs face a risk of conflict in narrow passages, intersections, or turning areas of a storage yard, the dispatch control center can predict collisions based on the real-time physical envelope model of each vehicle and coordinate to avoid collisions through methods such as stopping and waiting, speed adjustment, vehicle retraction, or clamp retraction. Compared to simply stopping to avoid collisions, this invention can actively release road space by utilizing changes in vehicle shape, thereby improving traffic efficiency.

[0023] The present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall architecture of the automated container terminal AGV scheduling system of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the deformable body unit structure of the automated guided vehicle of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the multi-segment telescopic rotary gripping mechanism of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the data flow between the dispatch control center and the automated guided vehicle of this invention; Figure 5 This is a top-view comparison diagram of the automated guided vehicle of the present invention in its standard width and compact width states. 10. Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV); 11. Vehicle body; 11a. Left side of the vehicle body; 11b. Right side of the vehicle body; 110. Main frame of the vehicle chassis; 12. Vehicle body deformation unit; 121. Slide rail assembly; 122. Electric push rod; 123. Linkage mechanism; 13. Multi-segment telescopic rotary gripping mechanism; 131. Main frame; 132. Telescopic slide rail section; 133. Rotary transfer mechanism; 134. Gear screw drive motor; 135. Planetary gear motor; 14. Structural state sensing module; 141. Position sensor; 142. Clamping force sensor; 20. Scheduling and Control Center; 21. Task Scheduling Module; 22. Path Planning Module; 23. Structural Status Analysis Module. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, a more comprehensive description of the present invention will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention can be implemented in different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described in the text. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make the disclosure of the present invention more thorough and complete.

[0026] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this document are for illustrative purposes only.

[0027] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly associated with those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the specification of this invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and is not intended to limit the invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Example 1

[0028] Please refer to Figure 1 This embodiment provides an automated container terminal AGV scheduling device, including multiple automated guided vehicles 10 and a scheduling control center 20.

[0029] Multiple automated guided vehicles (AGVs) 10 are distributed among the quay crane operation area, yard access, loading and unloading buffer zone, and charging waiting area to perform horizontal container transport tasks. The dispatch control center 20 establishes a two-way communication connection with the AGVs 10 via an industrial wireless network. This industrial wireless network can employ 5G, Wi-Fi 6, or a dedicated terminal wireless communication network.

[0030] Each automated guided vehicle (AGV) 10 includes a vehicle body 11, a vehicle body deformation unit 12, a multi-segment telescopic and rotating gripping mechanism 13, and a structural status sensing module 14. The vehicle body 11 is used to carry containers and install the driving components; the vehicle body deformation unit 12 is used to adjust the lateral width of the AGV 10; the multi-segment telescopic and rotating gripping mechanism 13 is used to adjust the span and angle of the grippers according to the container specifications and posture; the structural status sensing module 14 is used to detect the mechanical state of the AGV 10 and upload the detection data to the dispatch control center 20.

[0031] The dispatch control center 20 includes a task scheduling module 21, a path planning module 22, and a structural status analysis module 23. The structural status analysis module 23 receives structural status data uploaded by the automated guided vehicle (AGV) 10 and generates a real-time physical envelope of the AAV 10 based on the vehicle width, fixture span, and fixture angle. The task scheduling module 21 selects the AAV 10 to perform the task based on the work task, vehicle location, battery status, and real-time physical envelope. The path planning module 22 generates the vehicle movement path based on the dock electronic map, road width, obstacle information, and real-time physical envelope.

[0032] Unlike traditional scheduling methods, the scheduling control center 20 in this embodiment does not treat the automated guided vehicle 10 as a fixed-size moving object, but rather as a moving execution unit with a variable physical envelope. The width of the automated guided vehicle 10, the extension length of its grippers, and the angle of its grippers can all affect the path planning results and task matching results, thereby achieving linkage between mechanical form and scheduling decisions. Example 2

[0033] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 5 The vehicle body 11 includes a main chassis frame 110, a left body section 11a, and a right body section 11b. The main chassis frame 110 is located in the middle of the vehicle body 11 and is used to install the battery pack, drive wheel assembly, navigation components, control components, and main load-bearing beams. The left body section 11a and the right body section 11b are respectively located on the lateral sides of the main chassis frame 110.

[0034] The vehicle body deformation unit 12 includes a slide rail assembly 121, an electric push rod 122, and a linkage mechanism 123. The slide rail assembly 121 is disposed between the main frame 110 of the vehicle chassis and the left vehicle body part 11a and the right vehicle body part 11b, so that the left vehicle body part 11a and the right vehicle body part 11b can slide laterally relative to the main frame 110 of the vehicle chassis.

[0035] An electric push rod 122 is mounted on the main frame 110 of the vehicle chassis, and its power output end is connected to a linkage mechanism 123. The linkage mechanism 123 is preferably a cross-link mechanism, with its two output ends connected to the left vehicle body section 11a and the right vehicle body section 11b, respectively. When the electric push rod 122 extends, the linkage mechanism 123 converts the linear extension and retraction motion of the electric push rod 122 into a synchronous outward expansion motion of the left and right vehicle body sections, causing the automated guided vehicle 10 to enter a standard width state. When the electric push rod 122 retracts, the linkage mechanism 123 causes the left vehicle body section 11a and the right vehicle body section 11b to synchronously retract, causing the automated guided vehicle 10 to enter a compact width state.

[0036] The standard width configuration is suitable for operating conditions requiring high stability, such as fully loaded transport, heavy-load turns, and grabbing operations. The compact width configuration is suitable for operating conditions such as unloaded passage through narrow passages, temporary road restrictions, or multi-vehicle passing maneuvers.

[0037] In practical applications, the vehicle width can be adjusted continuously or in stages within a preset range. For example, before the automated guided vehicle 10 enters a narrow passage in the yard, the dispatch control center 20 can issue a vehicle width retraction command to the automated guided vehicle 10 based on the road width information in the terminal's electronic map. After receiving the command, the automated guided vehicle 10 uses an electric push rod 122 to drive the linkage mechanism 123, causing the left side of the vehicle body 11a and the right side of the vehicle body 11b to retract inward. After the structural status sensing module 14 detects that the vehicle width has reached the target value, it uploads the updated vehicle width to the dispatch control center 20. The dispatch control center 20 then recalculates the real-time physical envelope and confirms whether the vehicle meets the passage conditions. Example 3

[0038] Please refer to Figure 3 The multi-segment telescopic rotary gripping mechanism 13 is located in the load-bearing area of ​​the vehicle body 11 and is used to adjust the span and gripping angle of the clamp. The multi-segment telescopic rotary gripping mechanism 13 includes a main frame 131, a telescopic slide rail section 132, a rotary transition mechanism 133, a gear screw drive motor 134, and a planetary gear motor 135.

[0039] The main frame 131 is fixedly installed in the load-bearing area of ​​the vehicle body 11. The telescopic slide rail section 132 is slidably installed within the main frame 131 and can extend or retract along the length of the main frame 131. The telescopic slide rail section 132 may include at least two telescopic sections that are nested together in sequence, and a linear rolling guide rail is provided between each telescopic section to improve the smoothness and positioning accuracy during the telescopic process.

[0040] The gear-screw drive motor 134 is connected to the telescopic slide rail section 132 via a transmission mechanism. The gear-screw drive motor 134 converts the rotational motion of the motor into the linear motion of the telescopic slide rail section 132 through a screw transmission structure. When the gear-screw drive motor 134 drives in the forward direction, the telescopic slide rail section 132 extends outward, increasing the span of the clamp; when the gear-screw drive motor 134 drives in the reverse direction, the telescopic slide rail section 132 retracts inward, decreasing the span of the clamp.

[0041] A rotary transition mechanism 133 is located at the end of the telescopic slide rail section 132, used to connect the clamp and adjust its angle. A planetary geared motor 135 is connected to the rotary transition mechanism 133, used to drive the clamp to rotate in the horizontal plane relative to the telescopic slide rail section 132. Through this structure, the automated guided vehicle 10 can adjust the clamp angle according to the actual posture of the container, aligning the clamp with the container's locking hole or load-bearing position.

[0042] During routine operations, when the automated guided vehicle 10 receives a task to move a 40-foot container, the dispatch control center 20 determines the required clamp span based on the task parameters and issues a clamp extension / retraction command to the automated guided vehicle 10. The geared screw drive motor 134 drives the telescopic slide rail section 132 to extend to the target position. If the container has a yaw angle, the dispatch control center 20 or the vehicle's local controller can further control the planetary geared motor 135 to drive the rotary transfer mechanism 133 to rotate, so that the clamp angle matches the container's posture. Example 4

[0043] The structural state sensing module 14 is used to collect the mechanical state of the automated guided vehicle 10 and convert it into data that can be recognized by the dispatch control center 20.

[0044] The structural state sensing module 14 includes a position sensor 141, a clamping force sensor 142, and an on-board communication unit. The position sensor 141 is positioned at corresponding locations on the vehicle body deformation unit 12 and the multi-segment telescopic rotary gripping mechanism 13, and is used to detect the vehicle body width, gripper span, and gripper angle. Specifically, the position sensor 141 can detect the extension / retraction amount of the electric push rod 122 and calculate the vehicle body width based on this amount; it can also detect the extension length of the telescopic slide rail section 132 to determine the gripper span; and it can also detect the rotation angle of the rotary transition mechanism 133 to determine the gripper gripping angle.

[0045] A clamping force sensor 142 is installed on the clamp or the force-bearing part of the clamp to detect the clamping status between the clamp and the container. When the clamping force is insufficient, it indicates that the clamp may not be reliably locked; when the clamping force exceeds the preset safety range, it indicates that the clamp or container may be at risk of overload. The structural status sensing module 14 uploads the clamping status to the dispatch control center 20, enabling the dispatch control center 20 to determine whether the automated guided vehicle 10 is in a transportable state.

[0046] The vehicle-mounted communication unit is used to send the data collected by the position sensor 141 and the clamping force sensor 142 to the dispatch control center 20. The uploaded data may include information such as vehicle number, timestamp, current vehicle position, vehicle width, clamp span, clamp angle, clamping status, battery level, and fault status.

[0047] Through the structural state sensing module 14, the mechanical state of the automated guided vehicle 10 is no longer just a local control parameter of the vehicle, but becomes an important input for the dispatch control center 20 to make global decisions. Example 5

[0048] Please refer to Figure 4 The scheduling and control center 20 includes a task scheduling module 21, a path planning module 22, and a structural state analysis module 23.

[0049] The structural state analysis module 23 receives the structural state data uploaded by the structural state sensing module 14 and generates a real-time physical envelope of the automated guided vehicle 10 based on the vehicle body width, clamp span, and clamp angle. The real-time physical envelope can be represented by a two-dimensional outer contour, a polygonal envelope, or a three-dimensional envelope model. During path planning, a two-dimensional physical envelope in the vehicle's top-down view is preferred; during grasping or spatial avoidance, a three-dimensional physical envelope can be formed by combining data such as clamp height and extension length.

[0050] The task scheduling module 21 is used to select the target automated guided vehicle 10 based on the task parameters and vehicle status. Task parameters may include container specifications, task start point, task end point, task priority, estimated loading / unloading time, and work window. Vehicle status may include the vehicle's current position, battery level, load status, vehicle width, clamp span, clamp angle, and clamping status. The task scheduling module 21 prioritizes selecting the automated guided vehicle 10 that can complete the task at a lower overall cost.

[0051] The path planning module 22 generates a movement path based on the terminal's electronic map, road width, obstacle information, and real-time physical envelope. The terminal's electronic map includes road centerlines, road widths, intersection locations, container yard locations, restricted areas, and temporary obstacles. When calculating the path, the path planning module 22 compares the real-time physical envelope of the automated guided vehicle 10 with the road width. If the width of a road segment is less than the safe passage width of the automated guided vehicle 10's current physical envelope, that segment is deemed impassable.

[0052] If the path planning module 22 determines that a certain road segment is impassable in the current configuration of the automated guided vehicle 10, but can be made passable by retracting the vehicle body or retracting the clamps, then the path planning module 22 outputs a configuration adjustment request to the task scheduling module 21. Based on this, the task scheduling module 21 issues commands to the corresponding automated guided vehicle 10 to retract the vehicle body, extend the vehicle body, extend or retract the clamps, or rotate the clamps. After the automated guided vehicle 10 completes the configuration adjustment, the structure status sensing module 14 re-uploads the structure status data, the structure status analysis module 23 updates the real-time physical envelope, and the path planning module 22 regenerates the path based on the updated physical envelope.

[0053] In this way, the dispatch control center 20 can not only allocate tasks according to the vehicle status, but also reverse control the mechanical form of the vehicle according to the route traffic demand, so as to realize the closed-loop linkage between the dispatch system and the mechanical structure. Example 6

[0054] The following uses a container handling task as an example to illustrate the working process of the present invention.

[0055] First, the dispatch control center 20 receives a container handling task from the quay crane or yard system. This task includes parameters such as container specifications, origin location, destination location, and task priority.

[0056] Subsequently, the task scheduling module 21 selects candidate vehicles from multiple automated guided vehicles 10. Selection criteria include the vehicle's current location, battery level, whether it is empty or fully loaded, current vehicle width, clamp span, clamp angle, and the presence of any malfunctions. The structural state analysis module 23 generates a corresponding real-time physical envelope based on the structural state data uploaded by each candidate vehicle.

[0057] Next, the path planning module 22 plans a path based on the candidate vehicle's current location, the task start point, the task end point, and the dock's electronic map. If the shortest path includes a narrow passage that the candidate vehicle cannot pass through due to its current standard width, the path planning module 22 sends a morphological adjustment request to the task scheduling module 21. The task scheduling module 21 then issues a vehicle retraction command to the automated guided vehicle 10.

[0058] After receiving the vehicle body retraction command, the automated guided vehicle 10 activates the electric push rod 122, which, through the linkage mechanism 123, causes the left and right vehicle body sections 11a and 11b to retract inward along the slide rail assembly 121. The position sensor 141 detects changes in vehicle body width. When the vehicle body width reaches the target value, the structural state sensing module 14 uploads the new vehicle body width data to the dispatch control center 20. The structural state analysis module 23 updates the vehicle's real-time physical envelope, and the path planning module 22, after confirming that the vehicle can pass through the target narrow passage, issues a path command.

[0059] The automated guided vehicle 10 (AGV10) traverses a narrow passage to reach the container gripping area. If a large gripping span is required, the dispatch control center 20 issues a gripper extension command. The gear screw drive motor 134 drives the telescopic slide rail section 132 to extend, allowing the gripper span to reach the target value. If the container has a yaw angle, the planetary gear motor 135 drives the rotary transfer mechanism 133 to rotate, matching the gripper angle with the container's posture. After the clamping force sensor 142 detects that the clamping status meets safety requirements, the AGV10 performs the handling task.

[0060] During transportation, the dispatch control center 20 continuously receives structural status data and location data uploaded by the automated guided vehicles 10, and makes traffic conflict judgments based on the real-time physical envelope of multiple automated guided vehicles 10. When two automated guided vehicles 10 have potential conflicts at intersections or narrow areas, the dispatch control center 20 can coordinate to avoid them by adjusting speed, replanning routes, or issuing morphological adjustment instructions.

[0061] After the task is completed, the automated guided vehicle 10 releases the container and maintains its current form or switches to another form according to the needs of subsequent tasks, waiting for the dispatch control center 20 to issue the next task.

[0062] The present invention has been described by way of example in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the specific implementation of the present invention is not limited to the above-described manner. Any non-substantial improvement made by adopting the inventive concept and technical solution of the present invention, or the direct application of the inventive concept and technical solution of the present invention to other occasions without modification, shall be within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated container terminal AGV scheduling device, characterized in that, include: Multiple automated guided vehicles (10), each of the automated guided vehicles (10) includes a vehicle body (11), a vehicle body deformation unit (12), a multi-segment telescopic rotation gripping mechanism (13), and a structural state sensing module (14). The vehicle body deformation unit (12) is disposed on the vehicle body (11) and is used to adjust the width of the vehicle body of the automated guided vehicle (10); The multi-segment telescopic rotary gripping mechanism (13) is located in the bearing area of ​​the vehicle body (11) and is used to adjust the span of the clamp and the gripping angle of the clamp. The structural state sensing module (14) is connected to the vehicle body deformation unit (12) and the multi-segment telescopic rotation gripping mechanism (13) respectively, and is used to collect the vehicle body width, clamp span, clamp angle and clamping status of the automatic guide vehicle (10) and generate structural state data. The dispatch control center (20) is connected in communication with multiple automated guided vehicles (10) to receive the structural status data and to perform task allocation, path planning and morphological adjustment control on the automated guided vehicles (10) based on the operation task parameters, the dock electronic map and the structural status data.

2. The automated container terminal AGV scheduling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle body (11) includes a main frame (110) of the vehicle chassis, a left vehicle body part (11a) and a right vehicle body part (11b); the vehicle body deformation unit (12) includes a slide rail assembly (121), an electric push rod (122) and a linkage mechanism (123); the left vehicle body part (11a) and the right vehicle body part (11b) are respectively movably connected to the lateral sides of the main frame (110) of the vehicle chassis through the slide rail assembly (121); The electric push rod (122) is mechanically connected to the left vehicle body part (11a) and the right vehicle body part (11b) respectively through the linkage mechanism (123), and is used to drive the left vehicle body part (11a) and the right vehicle body part (11b) to expand outward or retract inward relative to the main frame of the vehicle chassis (110).

3. The automated container terminal AGV scheduling equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The linkage mechanism (123) is a cross linkage mechanism. The power output end of the electric push rod (122) is hinged to the middle or end of the cross linkage mechanism. The two output ends of the cross linkage mechanism are respectively connected to the left vehicle body part (11a) and the right vehicle body part (11b) to convert the linear extension and retraction motion of the electric push rod (122) into the lateral synchronous extension and retraction motion of the vehicle body.

4. An automated container terminal AGV scheduling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The multi-segment telescopic rotary gripping mechanism (13) includes a main frame (131), a telescopic slide rail segment (132), a rotary transfer mechanism (133), a gear screw drive motor (134), and a planetary gear motor (135). The telescopic slide rail section (132) is slidably disposed within the main frame (131), and the gear screw drive motor (134) is connected to the telescopic slide rail section (132) for driving the telescopic slide rail section (132) to extend or retract. The rotary transfer mechanism (133) is located at the end of the telescopic slide rail section (132), and the planetary gear motor (135) is connected to the rotary transfer mechanism (133) for driving the clamp to rotate relative to the telescopic slide rail section (132).

5. An automated container terminal AGV scheduling device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The telescopic slide rail section (132) includes at least two telescopic sections stacked in sequence, with a linear rolling guide rail between each telescopic section; the gear screw drive motor (134) drives the telescopic slide rail section (132) to extend and retract along the length direction of the main frame (131) through a screw transmission structure, so that the span of the clamp can be continuously adjusted within a preset range; the rotary transition mechanism (133) includes a bearing support structure, and the planetary gear motor (135) drives the rotary transition mechanism (133) to rotate in the horizontal plane to adjust the clamp gripping angle.

6. An automated container terminal AGV scheduling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The structural state sensing module (14) includes a position sensor (141), a clamping force sensor (142), and an on-board communication unit; the position sensor (141) is used to detect the vehicle body width, clamp span, and clamp angle; the clamping force sensor (142) is used to detect the clamping state; the on-board communication unit is used to upload the data collected by the position sensor (141) and the clamping force sensor (142) to the dispatch control center (20).

7. An automated container terminal AGV scheduling system, employing the automated container terminal AGV scheduling equipment described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, include: The scheduling control layer includes a scheduling control center (20), which includes a structure state analysis module (23), a task scheduling module (21), and a path planning module (22). The underlying execution layer includes multiple automated guided vehicles (10), each of which includes a vehicle body (11), a vehicle body deformation unit (12), a multi-segment telescopic rotation gripping mechanism (13), and a structural state sensing module (14). The structural state analysis module (23) is used to receive and parse the structural state data uploaded by the structural state sensing module (14), and generate the real-time physical envelope of the corresponding automated guided vehicle (10) according to the vehicle body width, clamp span and clamp angle; The task scheduling module (21) is used to select the automated guided vehicle (10) to perform the task based on the task parameters, vehicle location, power status and the real-time physical envelope. The path planning module (22) is used to generate a movement path based on the dock electronic map, road width and the real-time physical envelope; The underlying execution layer is used to receive task instructions, path instructions and shape adjustment instructions issued by the scheduling control layer, and drive the vehicle body deformation unit (12) and the multi-segment telescopic rotation gripping mechanism (13) to perform corresponding actions.

8. An automated container terminal AGV scheduling system according to claim 7, characterized in that: When the path planning module (22) determines that the current real-time physical envelope cannot pass through the target road segment, the path planning module (22) outputs a form adjustment request to the task scheduling module (21); the task scheduling module (21) issues vehicle body shrinkage, vehicle body expansion, clamp extension or clamp rotation commands to the corresponding automated guided vehicle (10) according to the form adjustment request; the structure state sensing module (14) re-collects the structure state data after the automated guided vehicle (10) completes the form adjustment, and feeds it back to the structure state analysis module (23).

9. An automated container terminal AGV scheduling system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The task scheduling module (21) has a built-in multi-objective optimization algorithm controller. The multi-objective optimization algorithm controller uses task completion time, vehicle travel distance, vehicle energy consumption, morphological adjustment time and road conflict risk as constraint parameters or target parameters to generate task-vehicle matching results and send the task-vehicle matching results to the corresponding automated guided vehicle (10).

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