Technical installation and method for operating a technical installation

Abstract

The invention relates to a technical installation comprising at least one autonomous vehicle, which has at least one laser scanner for detecting objects, and an at least approximately flat floor on which the autonomous vehicle can be moved. The technical installation comprises at least one display element (10) which can be detected by the laser scanner of the autonomous vehicle, and the display element (10) has at least one first reflection region (11) with first reflection properties and at least one second reflection region (12) with second reflection properties, and the first reflection properties differ from the second reflection properties, and the display element (10) contains information which is coded by the arrangement of the reflection regions (11, 12) in the display element (10). The invention also relates to a method for operating a technical installation according to the invention.

Description

[0001] Technical system and procedure for operating a technical system

[0002] Description:

[0003] The invention relates to a technical system comprising at least one autonomous vehicle having at least one laser scanner for detecting objects, and an at least approximately flat floor on which the autonomous vehicle can move. The invention also relates to a method for operating a technical system according to the invention.

[0004] The technical facility is, in particular, an industrial application, such as a production plant, an industrial hall, or a logistics center. Autonomous vehicles, for example, are used to transport materials within the technical facility. Other objects are also located within the technical facility. The autonomous vehicles are equipped with sensors for detecting such objects and their distances. One such sensor is, for example, a laser scanner.

[0005] DE 102021 002 636 A1 discloses a technical system and a method for operating a technical system. The technical system comprises several autonomous vehicles equipped with laser scanners. The laser scanners can detect objects and distances to them.

[0006] If multiple autonomous vehicles are driving within the technical facility, traffic regulations must be observed to avoid collisions. The autonomous vehicles must be familiar with these traffic regulations.

[0007] The invention is based on the object of developing a technical system and a method for operating a technical system.

[0008] The object is also achieved by a technical system having the features specified in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments are the subject of the dependent claims. The object is also achieved by a method for operating a technical system having the features specified in claim 7. Advantageous embodiments and further developments are the subject of the dependent claims. A technical system according to the invention comprises at least one autonomous vehicle, which has at least one laser scanner for detecting objects, and an at least approximately flat floor on which the autonomous vehicle is movable. The technical system further comprises at least one display element, which can be detected by the laser scanner of the autonomous vehicle.The display element has at least one first reflection region with first reflection properties and at least one second reflection region with second reflection properties, wherein the first reflection properties are different from the second reflection properties. The display element contains information that is encoded by the arrangement of the reflection regions in the display element.

[0009] The reflective areas of the display element represent a barcode readable by the autonomous vehicle's laser scanner. This allows information, such as traffic regulations, to be easily transmitted to an autonomous vehicle in the technical system. This advantageously increases the operational safety of the technical system.

[0010] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the display element is at least approximately rectangular and extends in a vertical direction perpendicular to the floor and in a transverse direction parallel to the floor. The reflection regions are at least approximately rectangular. The extension of a reflection region in the vertical direction is greater than the extension of the reflection region in the transverse direction, and the reflection regions are arranged adjacent to one another in the transverse direction.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the at least one first reflection region is retroreflective, and the at least one second reflection region is diffusely reflective. Laser beams that strike a retroreflective first reflection region are largely reflected in the direction from which they came, regardless of the direction of incidence. The laser beams that strike a first reflection region are thus almost completely reflected back to the laser scanner and thus have a relatively high intensity. Laser beams that strike a diffusely reflective second reflection region are reflected in different directions, regardless of the direction of incidence.The laser beams that hit a second reflection zone are only partially reflected back to the laser scanner and thus have a relatively low intensity. The different intensities of the reflected laser beams are relatively easy to detect by the laser scanner.

[0012] According to an advantageous development of the invention, the display element comprises at least one optically visible signal element, in which the information contained in the display element is additionally encoded. Such a signal element contains, for example, human-readable text or a symbol familiar to humans. When commissioning or configuring the technical system, it is thus easy for a person to verify what information the display element contains.

[0013] According to an advantageous development of the invention, the technical system comprises at least one information sign which has two display elements. The display elements can be pivoted relative to one another about a pivot axis running in a vertical direction. The information sign can then be attached to a door, for example, in such a way that one of the two display elements pivots accordingly when the door is opened and closed. If the two display elements are oriented at right angles to one another, the information sign stands stably on a floor. If the two display elements are oriented parallel to one another, the information sign is easier to transport. If the two display elements are oriented parallel to one another, the information sign requires less space when not in use and can therefore be stored more easily.

[0014] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the autonomous vehicle has a decoding unit for decoding the information contained in the display element, a localization unit for determining a location of the display element in the technical system, a drive device, an electrical energy storage device for supplying the drive device, a control unit for controlling the drive device and a communication device for wireless communication via a network.

[0015] According to a method according to the invention for operating a technical system according to the invention, the laser scanner of the autonomous vehicle detects a display element, and a decoding unit of the autonomous vehicle decodes the information contained in the display element. Thus, information, for example, traffic regulations, is easily transmitted to an autonomous vehicle in the technical system. This advantageously increases the operational reliability of the technical system. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the decoding unit transmits the information contained in the display element to a control unit of the autonomous vehicle, and the control unit controls a drive device of the autonomous vehicle depending on the information. For example, the control unit reduces the speed of the autonomous vehicle if the information contained in the display element is a speed limit.

[0016] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the technical system comprises a plurality of autonomous vehicles, and the decoding unit transmits the information contained in the display element to a communication device of the autonomous vehicle, and the communication device sends the information via a network to at least one further autonomous vehicle.

[0017] According to an advantageous development of the invention, a localization unit of the autonomous vehicle determines a location of the display element in the technical system, and the localization unit transmits the location of the display element to the communication device of the autonomous vehicle, and the communication device sends the location of the display element via the network to at least one further autonomous vehicle.

[0018] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the decoding unit transmits the information contained in the display element to a communication device of the autonomous vehicle, and the communication device sends the information via a network to a configuration unit of the technical system. The configuration unit collects the information received from the autonomous vehicles and stores it, for example, in a database.

[0019] According to an advantageous development of the invention, a localization unit of the autonomous vehicle determines a location of the display element in the technical system. The localization unit transmits the location of the display element to the communication device of the autonomous vehicle. The communication device sends the location of the display element via the network to the configuration unit of the technical system. The configuration unit collects the information contained in the display element and the locations of the display elements and inserts the information and the locations into a map of the technical system. This creates an image of the technical system on the map, which also contains the traffic regulations.

[0020] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the technical system comprises a plurality of autonomous vehicles, and the configuration unit of the technical system receives locations of display elements and information contained in the display elements via the network. The configuration unit of the technical system sends the received locations of the display elements and the received information contained in the display elements via the network to the communication devices of the autonomous vehicles. The autonomous vehicles insert the information and the locations into a map of the technical system. The maps of the technical system are thus updated in the autonomous vehicles.

[0021] According to an advantageous development of the invention, the configuration unit of the technical system enters the received locations of the display elements into a map of the technical system and transmits the map of the technical system via the network to the communication devices of the autonomous vehicles. Thus, the recognized display elements also serve the autonomous vehicles for navigation within the technical system.

[0022] According to an advantageous development of the invention, the laser scanner of the autonomous vehicle detects at least one obstacle that is impassable for the autonomous vehicle. The localization unit of the autonomous vehicle determines a location of the obstacle in the technical system, and the localization unit transmits the location of the obstacle to the communication device of the autonomous vehicle. The communication device sends the location of the obstacle via the network to the configuration unit of the technical system, and the configuration unit of the technical system receives locations of obstacles via the network. The configuration unit of the technical system enters the received locations of the obstacles into the map of the technical system.

[0023] Such obstacles include walls, pillars, or production machines. The autonomous vehicle's laser scanner thus performs several tasks, namely the detection of display elements and the detection of obstacles. The detected obstacles also serve the autonomous vehicles for navigation within the technical system. The invention is not limited to the combination of features of the claims. Those skilled in the art will recognize further possible combinations of claims and / or individual claim features and / or features of the description and / or the figures, in particular from the task and / or the task posed by comparison with the prior art.

[0024] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings. The drawings only represent the subject matter of the invention schematically. They show:

[0025] Figure 1: a sign with two display elements in a first embodiment and

[0026] Figure 2: the information sign with two display elements in a second embodiment.

[0027] Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of an information sign 2 with two display elements 10. The information sign 2 is mounted in a technical facility. The technical facility is an industrial application, for example, a production plant, an industrial hall, or a logistics center. The technical facility comprises several autonomous vehicles. The autonomous vehicles are used primarily for transporting material within the technical facility.

[0028] The technical facility comprises an at least approximately level floor. The autonomous vehicles are located on the floor and can move on it. A vertical direction Z runs perpendicular to the floor. A transverse direction Y runs parallel to the floor and perpendicular to the vertical direction Z.

[0029] The technical system includes areas accessible to autonomous vehicles, such as empty spaces and paths. The technical system also includes areas that pose obstacles to autonomous vehicles, such as walls, pillars, or production machines, and which are not accessible.

[0030] The autonomous vehicles each have a map of the technical facility. Specifically, all autonomous vehicles in the technical facility have the same map. The map is generated in advance and loaded into the autonomous vehicles. The map describes the areas that are accessible to the autonomous vehicles and the areas that are not accessible to them.

[0031] The autonomous vehicles each have a drive system, an electrical energy storage device for supplying the drive system, and a control unit for controlling the drive system. Furthermore, the autonomous vehicles each have a communication device for wireless communication via a network with other autonomous vehicles and with a configuration unit of the technical system. The communication device of the autonomous vehicle is designed, for example, for data transmission via WLAN, Bluetooth, or light.

[0032] The autonomous vehicles each have a laser scanner. The laser scanners are used to detect objects in the technical system. The laser scanners emit laser beams that are reflected by objects. The laser scanners receive the reflected laser beams and use them to detect objects. When an object is detected, the laser scanner records the distance to the object and the direction in which the object is located.

[0033] The autonomous vehicles each also have a location determination unit. Using the location determination unit, the location of the autonomous vehicle within the technical facility can be determined and displayed on the map. The location determination unit comprises, for example, a GPS sensor that detects the location of the autonomous vehicle within the technical facility. Alternatively, the location determination unit receives data about detected objects from the laser scanner. The location determination unit then determines the location of the autonomous vehicle within the technical facility by comparing the objects detected by the laser scanner with objects listed on the map.

[0034] As already mentioned, the technical system comprises the information sign 2 with two display elements 10. The information sign 2 is attached to a wall or to another object in the technical system. It is also conceivable that the information sign 2 comprises only one display element 10. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the display element 10 is in the form of a sticker that is attached to a wall or another object in the technical system.

[0035] The information sign 2 has a perforation 17. The perforation 17 runs in the vertical direction Z. The perforation 17 separates the two display elements 10 from each other. The two display elements 10 are largely identical in design. Therefore, only one of the display elements 10 will be discussed below.

[0036] The display element 10 is rectangular and extends into the

[0037] Vertical direction Z and in the transverse direction Y. The display element 10 is

[0038] Laser scanners of autonomous vehicles detect this. The display element 10 has a plurality of reflection regions 11, 12. The reflection regions 11, 12 are rectangular and arranged next to one another in the transverse direction Y. The extent of a reflection region 11, 12 in the vertical direction Z is greater than the extent of the reflection region 11, 12 in the transverse direction Y.

[0039] The display element 10 has at least one first reflection region 11. In the present case, the display element 10 has a plurality of first reflection regions 11. The display element 10 also has at least one second reflection region 12. In the present case, the display element 10 has a plurality of second reflection regions 12.

[0040] The first reflection regions 11 have first reflection properties for the laser beams emitted by the laser scanners. In particular, the first reflection regions 11 are designed to be retroreflective for the laser beams. Laser beams that strike a retroreflective first reflection region 11 are largely reflected by the first reflection region 11 in the direction from which they came, regardless of the direction of incidence. The laser beams that strike a first reflection region 11 are thus almost completely reflected back to the laser scanner. The reflected laser beams thus have a relatively high intensity.

[0041] The second reflection regions 12 have second reflection properties for the laser beams emitted by the laser scanners. In particular, the second reflection regions 12 are designed to be diffusely reflective for the laser beams. Laser beams that strike a diffusely reflective second reflection region 12 are reflected in various directions by the second reflection region 12, regardless of the direction of incidence. The laser beams that strike a second reflection region 12 are therefore only partially reflected back to the laser scanner. The reflected laser beams thus have a relatively low intensity.

[0042] The first reflection properties of the first reflection regions 11 are thus different from the second reflection properties of the second reflection regions 12. The first reflection regions 11 represent regions of high intensity for a laser scanner, and the second reflection regions 12 represent regions of low intensity for a laser scanner. The first reflection regions 11 and the second reflection regions 12 of the display element 10 represent a barcode readable by the laser scanners of the autonomous vehicles. The display element 10 contains information which is encoded by the arrangement of the first reflection regions 11 and the second reflection regions 12 in the display element 10.

[0043] The information encoded in display element 10 is, for example, a traffic regulation. The display element 10 shown here contains, for example, the information "Give way." Other conceivable information contained in a display element 10 includes speed limits or information on maximum permissible heights for autonomous vehicles with cargo. A height corresponds to an extension in the vertical direction Z.

[0044] The display element 10 comprises two signal areas 15. The signal areas 15 each serve to accommodate a visually visible signal element, in which the information contained in the display element 10 is additionally encoded. Such a signal element contains, for example, human-readable text or a familiar symbol, such as the "Give Way" traffic sign. When commissioning or configuring the technical system, it is thus easy for a person to verify what information the display element 10 contains.

[0045] The autonomous vehicles each have a decoding unit. The decoding unit is used to decode the information contained in the display element 10. The decoding unit functions similarly to a barcode reader. The decoding unit detects the arrangement of the different reflection areas 11, 12 and decodes the information contained in the display element 10.

[0046] The autonomous vehicles each also have a localization unit. The localization unit is used to determine a location of the display element 10 in the technical system. The localization unit receives the location of the autonomous vehicle from the location determination unit of the autonomous vehicle. The localization unit also receives a distance to the display element 10 and a direction in which the display element 10 is located from the laser scanner of the autonomous vehicle. From this information, the localization unit calculates the location of the display element 10. Figure 2 shows the information sign 2 shown in Figure 1 with two display elements 10 in a second embodiment. The information sign 2 is attached to the technical system described in Figure 1.

[0047] In contrast to the illustration in Figure 1, the information sign 2 is bent at a right angle along the perforation 17. The two display elements 10 are thus oriented at right angles to each other. One of the display elements 10 extends in the vertical direction Z and in the transverse direction Y. The other of the display elements 10 extends in the vertical direction Z and a direction perpendicular to the transverse direction Y and perpendicular to the vertical direction Z.

[0048] It is also conceivable for the information sign 2 to comprise a pivot joint forming a pivot axis extending in the vertical direction Z. The display elements 10 can be pivoted relative to one another about the pivot axis. In the illustration shown here, the two display elements 10 are oriented at right angles to one another. One of the display elements 10 extends in the vertical direction Z and in the transverse direction Y. The other of the display elements 10 extends in the vertical direction Z and a direction perpendicular to the transverse direction Y and perpendicular to the vertical direction Z.

[0049] The information sign 2 can be installed, for example, at an intersection. The two display elements 10 of the information sign 2 are thus visible from different directions. The two display elements 10 of the information sign 2 can each contain the same information, for example, a speed limit or an indication of the maximum permissible height for autonomous vehicles with cargo. However, the two display elements 10 of the information sign 2 can also contain different information, for example, "Yield" and "Right of way."

[0050] List of reference symbols

[0051] 2 Information sign 10 Display element

[0052] 11 first reflection area

[0053] 12 second reflection area

[0054] 15 Signal range

[0055] 17 Perforation Y cross direction

[0056] Z vertical direction

Claims

Patent claims:

1. Technical system, comprising at least one autonomous vehicle which has at least one laser scanner for detecting objects, and an at least approximately flat floor on which the autonomous vehicle is movable, characterized in that the technical system comprises at least one display element (10) which can be detected by the laser scanner of the autonomous vehicle, and in that the display element (10) has at least one first reflection region (11) with first reflection properties and at least one second reflection region (12) with second reflection properties, and in that the first reflection properties are different from the second reflection properties, and in that the display element (10) contains information which is encoded by the arrangement of the reflection regions (11, 12) in the display element (10).

2. Technical system according to claim 1, characterized in that the display element (10) is at least approximately rectangular and extends in a vertical direction (Z), which runs at right angles to the ground, and in a transverse direction (Y), which runs parallel to the ground, and in that the reflection regions (11, 12) are at least approximately rectangular, and in that an extension of a reflection region (11, 12) in the vertical direction (Z) is greater than an extension of the reflection region (11, 12) in the transverse direction (Y), and in that the reflection regions (11, 12) are arranged next to one another in the transverse direction (Y).

3. Technical system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one first reflection region (11) is retro-reflective and that the at least one second reflection region (12) is diffusely reflective.

4. Technical system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the display element (10) comprises at least one optically visible signal element in which the information contained in the display element (10) is additionally encoded.

5. Technical installation according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the technical installation comprises at least one information sign (2) which has two display elements (10), and that the display elements (10) are pivotable relative to one another about a pivot axis running in a vertical direction (Z).

6. Technical system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the autonomous vehicle has a decoding unit for decoding the information contained in the display element (10), a localization unit for determining a location of the display element (10) in the technical system, a drive device, an electrical energy storage device for supplying the drive device, a control unit for controlling the drive device and a communication device for wireless communication via a network.

7. A method for operating a technical system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the laser scanner of the autonomous vehicle detects a display element (10), and that a decoding unit of the autonomous vehicle decodes the information contained in the display element (10).

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the decoding unit transmits the information contained in the display element (10) to a control unit of the autonomous vehicle, and in that the control unit controls a drive device of the autonomous vehicle in dependence on the information.

9. Method according to one of claims 7 to 8, characterized in that the technical system comprises a plurality of autonomous vehicles, and in that the decoding unit transmits the information contained in the display element (10) to a communication device of the autonomous vehicle, and in that the communication device sends the information via a network to at least one further autonomous vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that a localization unit of the autonomous vehicle determines a location of the display element (10) in the technical system, and that the localization unit transmits the location of the display element (10) to the communication device of the autonomous vehicle, and that the communication device sends the location of the display element (10) via the network to at least one further autonomous vehicle.

11. Method according to one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the decoding unit transmits the information contained in the display element (10) to a communication device of the autonomous vehicle, and in that the communication device sends the information via a network to a configuration unit of the technical system.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that a localization unit of the autonomous vehicle determines a location of the display element (10) in the technical system, and that the localization unit transmits the location of the display element (10) to the communication device of the autonomous vehicle, and that the communication device sends the location of the display element (10) via the network to the configuration unit of the technical system.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the technical installation comprises a plurality of autonomous vehicles, and in that the configuration unit of the technical installation receives locations of display elements (10) and information contained in the display elements (10) via the network, and in that the configuration unit of the technical installation sends the received locations of the display elements (10) and the received information contained in the display elements (10) via the network to the communication devices of the autonomous vehicles.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that the configuration unit of the technical installation enters the received locations of the display elements (10) into a map of the technical installation and sends the map of the technical installation via the network to the communication devices of the autonomous vehicles.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that the laser scanner of the autonomous vehicle detects at least one obstacle which is not passable for the autonomous vehicle, and in that the localization unit of the autonomous vehicle determines a location of the obstacle in the technical installation, and in that the localization unit transmits the location of the obstacle to the communication device of the autonomous vehicle, and in that the communication device sends the location of the obstacle via the network to the configuration unit of the technical installation, and in that the configuration unit of the technical installation determines locations of obstacles via the network, and that the configuration unit of the technical installation enters the received locations of the obstacles into the map of the technical installation.

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