Control system for unmanned conveyance truck

Abstract

To detect presence / absence of a cargo loaded on a frame with legs without an operator inspecting visually, to detect whether or not the frame with legs is arranged at a predetermined position without the operator inspecting visually, and to convey the detected cargo by an unmanned conveyance truck.SOLUTION: A control system for an unmanned conveyance truck includes: an unmanned conveyance truck for conveying a cargo; cargo detection means for detecting presence / absence of the cargo loaded on a frame with legs; position detection means for detecting the legs of the frame with legs and a reference mark provided on a floor surface, and detecting whether or not the frame with legs is arranged at a predetermined position; and a conveyance part for, when the frame with legs is arranged at the predetermined position, conveying the loaded cargo by the unmanned conveyance truck together with the frame with legs.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control system for an automated guided vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] The cargo transport equipment described in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a transport cart that transports cargo consisting of a top plate on which an article is placed and a number of support legs supporting the top plate, by sliding into the space between the support legs and using an acting means that acts on the cargo. A first guideline is provided on the underside of the top plate facing the space, guiding the transport cart to an acting position where the acting means acts on the cargo, and a first detection means is provided on the transport cart for detecting the first guideline attached to the underside of the top plate. The transport cart moves within the space along the first guideline by detecting the first guideline with the first detection means, and moves to the acting position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-187946 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventionally, there is an automated guided vehicle that transports luggage without a human driver. In some cases, the automated guided vehicle transports luggage loaded on a legged platform together with the legged platform. Here, for example, in order to have the automated guided vehicle transport the luggage loaded on the legged platform, an operator visually checks whether or not there is luggage, and further visually checks whether or not the legged platform is positioned at a predetermined position.

[0005] The object of the present disclosure is to detect whether or not there is luggage loaded on a legged stand without an operator having to visually check it, and to detect whether or not the legged stand is positioned in a predetermined position without an operator having to visually check it, and to transport the detected luggage using an unmanned transport vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The control system for an unmanned guided vehicle in the first embodiment includes an unmanned guided vehicle that transports luggage, luggage detection means that detects the presence or absence of luggage loaded on a legged platform, position detection means that detects the legs of the legged platform and reference marks provided on the floor surface to detect whether the legged platform is located at a predetermined position, and a transport unit that controls the unmanned guided vehicle and transports the loaded luggage together with the legged platform by the unmanned guided vehicle when the legged platform with luggage loaded on it is located at the predetermined position.

[0007] According to the above aspect, the baggage detection means detects the presence or absence of baggage loaded on the legged platform. Furthermore, the position detection means detects the legs of the legged platform and a reference mark provided on the floor surface to detect whether the legged platform is placed in a predetermined position. Furthermore, when the legged platform is placed in the predetermined position, the transport unit transports the loaded baggage together with the legged platform by the automated guided vehicle.

[0008] In this way, the presence or absence of luggage loaded on the legged stand can be detected without the worker having to visually check, and the presence or absence of the legged stand positioned in a predetermined position can be detected without the worker having to visually check, and the detected luggage can be transported by an unmanned transport vehicle.

[0009] The control system for an automated guided vehicle according to a second aspect is the control system for an automated guided vehicle according to the first aspect, wherein the baggage detection means includes an image recognition camera and a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of baggage from an image captured by the image recognition camera.

[0010] According to the above aspect, the image recognition camera captures an image of the luggage, and the detection unit detects the presence or absence of the luggage from the captured image. This makes it possible to detect the presence or absence of the luggage more effectively than, for example, a case in which the presence or absence of the luggage is detected by installing a mass meter on a stand with legs.

[0011] A control system for an unmanned guided vehicle according to a third aspect is the control system for an unmanned guided vehicle according to the first or second aspect, wherein the position detection means comprises an image recognition camera and a detection unit that detects whether the legged platform is positioned at a predetermined position from the legs and the reference marks imaged by the image recognition camera.

[0012] According to the above aspect, the image recognition camera captures the legs and the reference marks, and the detection unit detects whether the platform on which the luggage is loaded is located at a predetermined position from the captured image. This makes it easier to detect whether the platform on which the luggage is loaded is located at a predetermined position compared to, for example, a case in which a photoelectric sensor is provided on the floor to detect a positional deviation of the platform. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to detect, without an operator having to visually check, whether or not a load is loaded on a legged stand, and to detect, without an operator having to visually check, whether or not the legged stand is positioned in a predetermined position, and to transport the detected load using an unmanned transport vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a control system for an automated guided vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1A and 1B are perspective views showing an automated guided vehicle provided in an automated guided vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3]1A and 1B are perspective views showing a load to be transported by an automated guided vehicle provided in a control system for an automated guided vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a legged platform on which the load is placed, and the like. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are perspective views showing a load to be transported by an automated guided vehicle provided in a control system for an automated guided vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a legged platform on which the load is placed, and the like. [Diagram 5] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing a hardware configuration and a functional configuration of a control unit provided in a control system for an automated guided vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a flow diagram showing a flow for transporting luggage in a control system for an automated guided vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] An example of a control system for an automated guided vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. Arrow H shown in each figure indicates the up-down direction, i.e., the vertical direction, arrow W shown in each figure is perpendicular to arrow H and also indicates the horizontal direction, and arrow D shown in each figure is perpendicular to arrows H and W and also indicates the horizontal direction.

[0016] (Overall configuration of the automated guided vehicle control system 10) As shown in FIG. 1, the automated guided vehicle control system 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "vehicle control system 10") includes a server 12 that processes transport information for transporting luggage 100, an automated guided vehicle 20, and a camera 30 that captures images of the luggage 100 being transported.

[0017] [Automated Guided Vehicle 20] The automated guided vehicle 20 is a vehicle that travels by itself to transport the luggage 100 based on instructions from the server 12, and as shown in Figures 2(A) and (B), is equipped with a main body 22, a lifting unit 24, and tires 26. The main body 22 is rectangular when viewed from above, and is formed with an upper surface 22a facing upward.

[0018] The lifting section 24 also includes a plate-shaped lifting plate 24a superimposed on the upper surface 22a of the main body 22, and a cylindrical section 24b that supports the lower surface of the lifting plate 24a and moves the lifting plate 24a up and down. Specifically, the cylindrical section 24b moves up and down to which a driving force is transmitted from a driving source (not shown), so that the lifting plate 24a moves between an initial position (see FIG. 2(A)) where it overlaps the upper surface 22a and a lifting position (see FIG. 2(B)) where it lifts up the loaded baggage. Furthermore, a pair of tires 26 are provided with the main body 22 between them.

[0019] In this configuration, the automated guided vehicle 20 transports the luggage 100 from a take-out position designated for loading the luggage 100 to a destination position designated for carrying the luggage 100, based on instructions from the server 12. In this embodiment, the automated guided vehicle 20 travels using, as an example, a so-called QR code method in which address information within a building is read from a QR code (registered trademark) affixed to the floor.

[0020] Here, the legged platform 60 on which the cargo 100 transported by the automatic guided vehicle 20 is placed will be described. As shown in Fig. 3(A), the legged stand 60 (hereinafter referred to as "stand 60") is rectangular when viewed from above, and includes a rectangular top plate 62 and legs 64 extending downward from corners of the top plate 62. The cross section of the legs 64 is rectangular. The load 100 is placed on an upper surface 62a of the top plate 62 of the stand 60.

[0021] Further, on the floor surface 110, L-shaped reference marks 112 are provided, which face the legs 64 of the stand 60 arranged in the extended position from the outside.

[0022] [Camera 30] 3A, the camera 30 is disposed above the stand 60 disposed at the take-out position. The camera 30 captures images of the four legs 64 of the stand 60 and the reference marks 112 corresponding to the legs 64. The camera 30 is an example of an image recognition camera.

[0023] [Server 12] As shown in FIGS. 5(A) and 5(B), the server 12 includes a control unit 40 that controls the operation of each unit.

[0024] -Hardware configuration of the control unit 40- 5A, the control unit 40 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 41, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 42, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 43, a storage 44, and a communication interface (I / F) 45. Each component is connected to each other via a bus 49 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0025] The CPU 41 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each part. That is, the CPU 41 reads a program from the ROM 42 or the storage 44, and executes the program using the RAM 43 as a working area. The CPU 41 controls each component and performs various calculation processes according to the program stored in the ROM 42 or the storage 44.

[0026] In this embodiment, for example, the ROM 42 or the storage 44 stores an operation program for operating the automatic guided vehicle 20 based on images captured by the camera 30.

[0027] The RAM 43 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. The storage 44 is configured with a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), and stores various programs including an operating system, and various data.

[0028] The communication interface 45 is an interface for the control unit 40 to communicate with the camera 30, the automated guided vehicle 20, etc., and uses standards such as Ethernet (registered trademark), FDDI, and Wi-Fi (registered trademark), for example.

[0029] When executing the above operating programs, the control unit 40 realizes various functions using the above hardware resources. The functional configuration of the control unit 40 that realizes the various functions will be described below.

[0030] -Functional configuration of the control unit 40- 5(B), the control unit 40 has a receiving unit 46, a conveying unit 47, a detection unit 48, and a detection unit 49. Each functional configuration is realized by the CPU 41 reading and executing a driving program stored in the ROM 42 or the storage 44. The control unit 40 will be described in detail together with its operation, which will be described later.

[0031] (Function of the bogie control system 10) Next, the process in which the control unit 40 of the server 12 operates the automated guided vehicle 20 based on the image captured by the camera 30, and the automated guided vehicle 20 transports the luggage 100 from the pick-up position to the destination position will be explained using the flow chart in Figure 6.

[0032] In the initial state before the vehicle control system 10 starts operation, multiple automated guided vehicles 20 are waiting in the vehicle waiting space as shown in Fig. 1. Furthermore, the lifting plate 24a of the automated guided vehicle 20 is disposed in the initial position (see Fig. 2(A)) overlapping with the upper surface 22a.

[0033] Then, the server 12, which has received the transport information of the luggage 100, detects whether the luggage 100 is at the take-out position in step S100 shown in FIG. 6. Specifically, the camera 30 captures an image of the luggage 100 being transported, and the receiving unit 46 receives the image captured by the camera 30. Furthermore, the detection unit 48 detects whether the luggage 100 is at the take-out position from the image captured by the camera 30. If it is detected that the luggage 100 is present, the process proceeds to step S200, and if it is detected that the luggage 100 is not present, the process proceeds to step S210. In step S210, the worker places the luggage 100 at the take-out position, and the process of step S100 described above is executed again. In this way, the luggage detection means 32 that detects the presence or absence of the luggage 100 is configured to include the camera 30 and the detection unit 48.

[0034] In step S200, the detection unit 49 detects whether or not the luggage 100 is displaced from the image captured by the camera 30 in step S100. Specifically, the detection unit 49 detects whether or not the platform 60 carrying the luggage 100 is located within a reference range with respect to a predetermined take-out position from the leg 64 of the platform 60 and the L-shaped reference mark 112 captured by the camera 30. Specifically, the detection unit 49 derives the relative position between the reference mark 112 and the leg 64, and detects whether or not the relative position is within a reference range. In this way, the detection unit 49 detects whether or not the platform 60 carrying the luggage 100 is displaced from the take-out position. If the luggage 100 is displaced, the process proceeds to step S300, and if the luggage 100 is not displaced, the process proceeds to step S310. In this way, the position detection means 34 is configured to detect whether or not the platform 60 is located at a predetermined take-out position, including the camera 30 and the detection unit 49.

[0035] In step S300, the detector 49 issues an alarm, and in step S400, an operator corrects the positional deviation of the pedestal 60, and the process of step S200 described above is executed again.

[0036] On the other hand, if it is detected in step S200 that there is no positional deviation in the platform 60 and the process proceeds to step S310, the loading signal is turned ON and the transport unit 47 issues a transport instruction to one of the multiple unmanned transport vehicles 20 waiting in the cart waiting space.

[0037] In step S410, the automated guided vehicle 20 that has received the transport instruction travels to the take-out position, and enters below the top plate 62 of the platform 60, as shown in Fig. 3(B). Furthermore, the lifting plate 24a of the automated guided vehicle 20 moves from the initial position to the lifting position, as shown in Fig. 4(A), and the automated guided vehicle 20 lifts up the loaded baggage 100 together with the platform 60.

[0038] 4(B), the automated guided vehicle 20 lifting the platform 60 travels toward the destination position, and the lifting plate 24a of the automated guided vehicle 20 that stops at the destination position returns to its initial position. Then, the automated guided vehicle 20 travels toward the vehicle standby space and waits there.

[0039] (summary) As described above, the cart control system 10 detects whether or not there is luggage 100 loaded on the platform 60 without the worker having to visually check it, and detects whether or not the platform 60 is positioned at a predetermined take-out position without the worker having to visually check it, and can transport the detected luggage 100 by the unmanned transport cart 20.

[0040] In the cart control system 10, the camera 30 captures an image of the luggage 100, and the detector 48 detects the presence or absence of luggage from the captured image. This makes it possible to more reliably detect the presence or absence of luggage compared to a case in which the presence or absence of luggage is detected by installing a mass meter on a stand with legs.

[0041] Furthermore, in the control system of the automated guided vehicle, the camera 30 captures images of the legs 64 and the reference marks 112, and the detection unit 49 detects from the captured images whether the platform 60 carrying the luggage 100 is located at a predetermined take-out position. This makes it easier to detect whether the platform 60 carrying the luggage 100 is located at a predetermined take-out position, compared to the case where a photoelectric sensor is provided on the floor to detect a positional deviation.

[0042] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with respect to a specific embodiment, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment, and various other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, in the above embodiment, the cargo 100 is directly loaded onto the platform 60, but cargo placed on a pallet may be loaded onto the platform.

[0043] In addition, in the above embodiment, the camera 30 detects misalignment of the base 60 by capturing images of the four legs 64 and the reference mark 112 of the stand 60, but it may also detect misalignment of the stand 60 by capturing images of three legs 64 and the reference mark 112.

[0044] Further, in the above embodiment, the number of cameras 30 is not specifically described, but it is sufficient that three or more pairs of legs 64 and reference marks 112 are imaged, and the number is not limited to one and may be multiple.

[0045] In addition, in the above embodiment, the position of the camera 30 was not specifically described, but the camera 30 may be positioned above a corner of the stand 60 in order to capture images of three or more pairs of legs 64 and reference marks 112. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 20 Automated Guided Vehicle 30 Camera (an example of an image recognition camera) 32 Baggage detection means 34 Position detection means 47 Conveyor 48 Detection unit 49 Detection section 60 Stand (stand with legs) 64 legs 100 Baggage 110 Floor 112 Reference Mark

Claims

1. An automated guided vehicle that transports luggage; A luggage detection means for detecting the presence or absence of luggage loaded on the legged stand; a position detection means for detecting the legs of the legged stand and a reference mark provided on a floor surface to detect whether the legged stand is placed at a predetermined position; a transport unit that controls the automated guided vehicle when the legged platform on which the luggage is loaded is located at a predetermined position, and causes the automated guided vehicle to transport the loaded luggage together with the legged platform; A control system for an automated guided vehicle.

2. The baggage detection means includes an image recognition camera and a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the baggage from an image captured by the image recognition camera. The control system for the automated guided vehicle according to claim 1 .

3. The position detection means includes an image recognition camera, and a detection unit that detects whether or not the legged stand is placed at a predetermined position based on the image of the leg and the reference mark captured by the image recognition camera. The control system for the automated guided vehicle according to claim 1 .

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