Moving object operation management device

Abstract

To provide a practical moving object operation management device.SOLUTION: The invention relates to a moving object operation management device for managing operation of moving objects T that move in a passage PL provided in an area 10 and perform work at a specific place. When the work of a certain moving object hinders the movement of another moving object in the passage, the device sets exclusive sections E such that an exclusive section Es of one moving object Ts of the two moving objects is adjacent to an exclusive section En of the other moving object Tn thereof. When the movement of one moving object along the shortest path (solid line) to a next destination is hindered by the exclusive section of the other moving object, the device selectively issues: (A) a first operation instruction to move the one moving object to the next destination along a path (broken line) bypassing the exclusive section of the other moving object; and (B) a second operation instruction to move the one moving object to the next destination along the shortest path after the exclusive section of the other moving object is lifted; by comparing the time the one moving object arrives at the next destination in the cases of following these instructions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for managing the operation of a plurality of mobile objects which move along paths provided within an area and perform work in a specific location. [Background technology]

[0002] As a system for managing the operation of multiple moving objects, there is a technology as described in the following patent document. The technology is related to ground support operations using moving objects at an airport, and in the support operations, the travel route of each of the multiple moving objects is set so as not to interfere with the other moving objects. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2021-178533 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology described in the above patent document is a technology for relatively freely setting a travel route in an area where no passage is set, and is not a suitable technology for managing the operation of a mobile object in an area where a passage for the mobile object to travel is set in advance. If it is possible to appropriately manage the operation of a mobile object in an area where a passage is set in advance, it is considered that the practicality of a mobile object operation management device will be improved. The present invention has been made in consideration of such a situation, and aims to provide a mobile object operation management device that is highly practical. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, a mobile object operation control device of the present invention is A mobile object operation management device that manages the operation of a plurality of mobile objects that move through a passage provided within an area and perform work in a specific location, When a task performed by a certain moving object impedes the movement of another moving object along a passageway, a section including the location where the task is being performed is set as an exclusive section; When an exclusive section for one of two moving objects and an exclusive section for the other moving object are adjacent to each other and the movement of the one moving object to the next destination via the shortest route is obstructed by the exclusive section of the other moving object, a first operation instruction for moving the one of the vehicles to a next destination along a route that bypasses the exclusive section for the other of the vehicles; A second operation instruction for moving the one of the vehicles to a next destination via the shortest route after the exclusive section for the other vehicle is released. and selectively issuing the instruction by comparing the arrival time of the one of the instructions at the next destination when the instructions are followed; The second operation instruction is When the movement of the other vehicle to its next destination via the shortest route is hindered by the exclusive section for one of the vehicles, the one vehicle is evacuated to a nearby evacuation space, the exclusive section for the one vehicle is released, the other vehicle passes through the released exclusive section to head to its next destination via the shortest route, and then the vehicle is instructed to move to its next destination via the shortest route. Effect of the Invention

[0006] In simple terms, the mobile object traffic control device of the present invention can determine a travel route based on which of the following two routes will arrive at the next destination first: travelling along a detour route, or travelling along the shortest route after the other task is completed. This enables the mobile object to travel quickly even when there are adjacent exclusive sections.

[0007] The mobile object traffic control device of the present invention is a mobile object traffic control device that controls the traffic of a plurality of mobile objects that move along a passage provided within an area and perform work at a specific location, When a task performed by a certain moving object impedes the movement of another moving object along a passageway, a section including the location where the task is being performed is set as an exclusive section; When an exclusive section for one of two moving objects and an exclusive section for the other moving object are adjacent to each other and the movement of the one moving object to the next destination via the shortest route is obstructed by the exclusive section of the other moving object, a first operation instruction for moving the one of the vehicles to a next destination along a route that bypasses the exclusive section for the other of the vehicles; A second operation instruction for moving the one of the vehicles to a next destination via the shortest route after the exclusive section for the other vehicle is released. It is assumed that the instructions are configured to be selectively issued by comparing the arrival time at the next destination of one of the instructions when the instructions are followed.

[0008] The mobile object to be managed by the mobile object operation management device of the present invention (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as the "management device") is not particularly limited, and various objects such as vehicles, heavy machinery, transport equipment, drones, etc. are subject to management. The present invention can also be applied to mobile objects that move in various areas such as warehouses, business establishments, and towns. Specifically, for example, the present invention can be applied to vehicles that move through partitioned towns to transport people and objects, or to transport vehicles that carry objects in and out of warehouses. The work performed by the mobile object is also not particularly limited, and may vary depending on the mobile object.

[0009] The passageway along which moving bodies move may be one in which moving bodies cannot pass each other, but in consideration of ease of operation management and the smooth movement of moving bodies, it is desirable to allow moving bodies to pass each other by only allowing movement on either the right or left side of the direction of movement.

[0010] "The work of a certain moving object impedes the movement of other moving objects along a passage" means, for example, a situation in which the work of a certain moving object interferes with other moving objects, such as work that is performed by blocking a passage or work that extends beyond the passage, etc. Simply put, work for which an exclusive section is set can be thought of as work that occupies a passage.

[0011] The moving body may be one that moves automatically, that is, one that is automatically driven, or one that is driven by a person. If the moving body is an automatically driven one, it is sufficient that the moving body is automatically driven based on instructions from the management device, and if the moving body is a human driven one, it is sufficient that the instructions from the management device are displayed on a display so that the driver can recognize them, for example.

[0012] When a task performed by a certain moving object blocks the movement of other moving objects along a passage, the management device sets an exclusive section for the certain moving object. Simply put, for example, when the task is started, the management device sets the exclusive section. Then, when the task is completed or when the moving object has completed the task and is ready to move to its next destination, the management device releases the setting of the exclusive section.

[0013] The basic concept of the present invention is, simply put, that two moving bodies are working at adjacent locations, and when one of the two moving bodies finishes its work while the other is still working, the system selects whether to move the one moving body via a detour route that bypasses the other moving body, or to wait for the other moving body to finish its work and then move via the shortest route. When the former is selected, the instruction issued to the one moving body is the above-mentioned first operation instruction, and when the latter is selected, the instruction issued to the one moving body is the above-mentioned second operation instruction. The first operation instruction and the second operation instruction may be issued to the one moving body when the one moving body finishes its work in its own exclusive section. Note that, when the movement of the one moving body to its next destination via the shortest route is not hindered by the exclusive section of the other moving body, a command may be issued to the one moving body to move to its next destination via the shortest route.

[0014] When a second operation instruction is issued according to the above basic concept, there are two kinds of instructions regarding the behavior of one of the moving bodies as the second operation instruction: for example, "an instruction to make one wait in the exclusive section for that one", i.e., a "wait instruction", and "an instruction to make one evacuate to a nearby evacuation space", i.e., an "evacuation instruction". The second operation instruction in this invention is an "evacuation instruction", but the following explanation will be given for each of these two instructions.

[0015] When the second operation instruction is a waiting instruction, the second operation instruction is an instruction to have one of the two moving bodies wait within the exclusive section for that one, and for the other of the two moving bodies to move toward its next destination without passing through the exclusive section for that one, and then to move to the next destination via the shortest route.

[0016] When the second operation instruction, which is the above-mentioned waiting instruction, is issued to one of the two moving bodies, the management device may issue an instruction to the other of the two moving bodies to move the other to its next destination via the shortest route if the movement of the other to its next destination via the shortest route is not hindered by the exclusive section for one of the moving bodies. Also, for example, if the movement of the other to its next destination via the shortest route is hindered by the exclusive section for one of the moving bodies, the management device may issue an instruction to move the other to its next destination by bypassing the exclusive section for one of the moving bodies. The latter is an effective instruction in a situation where the movement of one moving body via the shortest route and the movement of the other moving body via the shortest route are mutually hindered, that is, in a situation where a deadlock occurs.

[0017] When the second operation instruction is an evacuation instruction, when the movement of the other of the two moving bodies to the next destination via the shortest route is obstructed by an exclusive section for one of the two moving bodies, the second operation instruction is an instruction to evacuate one of the two moving bodies to a nearby evacuation space, and after the exclusive section for the one of the two moving bodies is released and the other passes through the released exclusive section to head to the next destination via the shortest route, the second operation instruction is also an effective instruction in a situation where a deadlock occurs between the two moving bodies. Incidentally, an evacuation space is a space where one moving body can stop without obstructing the movement of the passage of the other moving body.

[0018] When there is no evacuation space, the management device may selectively issue, for example, the first operation instruction and a third operation instruction, which is an instruction in place of the second operation instruction and causes one of the two moving bodies to wait in the exclusive section for that one of the two moving bodies, causes the other of the two moving bodies to move to the next destination by detouring the exclusive section for that one of the two moving bodies, and then moves the other of the two moving bodies to the next destination by the shortest route, by comparing the arrival time of the one of the two moving bodies at the next destination when those instructions are followed. An instruction with such a selection is also a valid instruction in a situation where a deadlock occurs between the two moving bodies.

[0019] The selection between the first and second operating instructions is made by comparing the arrival time of one of the two moving bodies at the next destination when the instructions are followed. More specifically, the selection is made by comparing the arrival time at the next destination when the moving body moves to the next destination via a detour route (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "first arrival time") with the arrival time at the next destination when the moving body moves to the next destination via the shortest route after waiting or evacuation (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "second arrival time").

[0020] The first arrival time and the second arrival time may be calculated, for example, by the Dijkstra algorithm in graph theory. Specifically, a graph is created in which nodes (vertices) are set at each key point such as a branch point of the passage, and at each of the work places (exclusive sections) and next destinations of both of the two moving bodies, and edges (edges) connecting these nodes according to the passage are set, and the shortest route for travel is selected from among the routes between the work place of one moving body and the next destination. Incidentally, the first arrival time may be calculated using a graph in which edges connecting each of the work places of the two moving bodies are deleted, and the second arrival time may be calculated by adding the time required for waiting or evacuation to the time required for travel on the shortest route. In other words, the second arrival time may be calculated by estimating the end time of the work in the exclusive section of the other of the two moving bodies and adding that time.

[0021] In selecting either the first operation instruction or the second operation instruction, the earlier of the first arrival time and the second arrival time should be selected in principle. However, this principle does not necessarily have to be followed, and for example, a margin of time may be added or subtracted from either the first arrival time or the second arrival time in consideration of factors such as traffic congestion, passage conditions, and fuel consumption, and the earlier instruction may be selected by comparing the first arrival time and the second arrival time with the margin of time added or subtracted.

[0022] In addition, if there is a moving body other than the above two moving bodies (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a "third moving body") in the area, and if that moving body is called the third moving body, it is possible that the third moving body may block the movement of one of the two moving bodies to the next destination. However, in order to make the concept of the present invention easier to understand, the present specification will be described without considering the blockage of movement by such a third moving body.

[0023] The mobile object traffic control device is not particularly limited in terms of hardware configuration, and may be configured to include, for example, a computer and a communication device. The memory area of ​​the computer may be configured to store, for example, a map of the route along which the mobile objects travel, the current positions of each mobile object, the work schedule of each mobile object, etc. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a vehicle warehouse which is an area in which a vehicle transporter, which is a mobile object to be managed by a mobile object operation management device of an embodiment, moves. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] 11 is a diagram for explaining a state in which work performed by a vehicle transporter blocks the movement of other vehicle transporters along an aisle, and an exclusive section that is set in relation to this blockage. FIG. [Figure 4] 11 is a flowchart of an operation instruction process performed by the mobile object operation control device of the embodiment in consideration of an exclusive section. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a standby instruction and an evacuation instruction which are the second operation instructions. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] The following describes in detail a mobile object traffic control device according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. In addition to the following embodiment, the present invention can be embodied in various forms including those described in the above [Modes of the Invention] section, and can be modified and improved in various ways based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. EXAMPLES

[0026] [A] Vehicle Warehouse The mobile object operation management device of the embodiment is a conveyor operation management device (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as a "management device") that manages the operation of a vehicle conveyor (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as a "conveyor") as a mobile object. As shown in Fig. 1, a conveyor T moves, i.e., travels, within a warehouse 10. As will be described in detail later, the conveyor T carries a vehicle C as an article to be conveyed into the warehouse 10 and stores the transported vehicle C in a storage section S, and also removes the vehicle C stored in the storage section S and carries the vehicle C out of the warehouse 10.

[0027] The storage section S has a length and width just large enough to store one vehicle C, and the warehouse 10 is provided with several storage blocks B, each having multiple storage rows L, each of which has four storage sections S arranged in the length direction. The warehouse 10 is provided with passages P, along which the conveyor T travels, surrounding each storage block B. More specifically, the warehouse 10 is provided with horizontal passages PL, which extend horizontally so that the ends of the storage rows L face each other, and vertical passages PV, which connect the horizontal passages PL. Note that hereinafter, the horizontal passages PL and vertical passages PV may be collectively referred to as passages P.

[0028] An exit GO for carrying out vehicles C is provided at the left end of the warehouse 10 in the figure, and an entrance GI for carrying in vehicles C is provided at the right end, although this is omitted in the figure. The management device 12 includes a computer 14 and a communication device 16, and is installed in a management room 18 attached to the warehouse 10.

[0029] [B] Vehicle transport machine As shown in a plan view in FIG. 2(a) and a side view in FIG. 2(b), the conveyor T is composed of an automatically traveling towing vehicle 20 and a carrier 22 towed by the towing vehicle 20. The towing vehicle 20 and the carrier 22 are rotatable about a hinge 24. The towing vehicle 20 has front wheels 26 and rear wheels 28, the front wheels 26 being steered wheels and the rear wheels 28 being driven wheels. The towing vehicle 20 has a built-in automatic driving controller for automatic driving. The towing vehicle 20 also holds a unit device 30 on its upper side, which is integrated with a camera for monitoring the surroundings for automatic driving, a beacon receiver for acquiring its own position, a communication device for communicating with the management device 12, and the like. The automatic driving is performed by a general method, so a description thereof will be omitted here. The carrier 22 has a platform 32 that can be raised and lowered, and this raising and lowering is performed by an automatic driving controller. The carrier 22 also has wheels 34 at the end on the side farther from the towing vehicle 20.

[0030] 2(a) and 2(b), the conveying machine T is capable of conveying the vehicle C by inserting the carrier 22 under the vehicle body from the rear side of the vehicle C and lifting the bed plate 32 to lift the vehicle C. Although not shown, the conveying machine T is also capable of conveying the vehicle C by inserting the carrier 22 under the vehicle body from the front side of the vehicle C and lifting the bed plate 32 to lift the vehicle C. In other words, the conveying machine T is capable of accessing the vehicle C in either direction, that is, the front side or the rear side of the vehicle C.

[0031] [C] Functions of the transport vehicle operation management device As described above, the management device 12, which is a mobile object operation management device, is mainly composed of a computer 14, and the computer 14 is configured to include a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a storage device such as a hard disk, and the like. The management device 12 has an inventory management function that creates inventory data indicating what vehicle C is currently stored in which storage section S in the warehouse 10. In addition, carry-in / out data regarding when and what vehicle C will be carried into the warehouse 10 and when and what vehicle C will be carried out from the warehouse 10 is transmitted to the management device 12 from an external source. The management device 12 has a work plan creation function that creates a work plan for the storage / removal work of the vehicle C by the conveyor T based on this carry-in / out data. Although detailed explanations of the inventory data and the work plan will be omitted, they are stored in the storage device of the computer 14.

[0032] Furthermore, the management device 12 has a task allocation function that identifies the storage section S in which the vehicle C being brought in or the vehicle C being taken out is stored at an appropriate time based on the above inventory data and the carry-in / carry-out data, and determines which conveying machine T should be made to carry out the task of storing the vehicle C in the storage section S or the task of removing the vehicle C from the storage section S. Also, the management device 12 is aware of which conveying machine T is currently moving to which position in the warehouse 10 while transporting the vehicle C or while not transporting the vehicle C, or at which position the conveying machine T is performing the storage task or removal task, and the storage task or removal task is assigned based on this understanding. The management device 12 has an operation instruction issuing function that issues operation instructions to the conveying machine T to which the work is assigned, such as operation instructions to bring in which vehicle C into the warehouse 10, go to which storage section S through which passage P, and store the vehicle C in that storage section S, and operation instructions to take out the vehicle C stored in which storage section S, and take out the vehicle C from the warehouse 10 through which passage P. Simply put, it has a function to issue operation instructions including the next destination of each conveying machine T.

[0033] [D] Vehicle storage / removal work by vehicle transporters and obstruction of aisle movement In the warehouse 10, a storage row L with four storage compartments S arranged side by side is arranged, and the removal of a vehicle C from the storage compartment S and the storage of a vehicle C in the storage compartment S are performed, for example, as shown in FIG. 3(a), by a conveyor T entering the storage row L from a horizontal passage PL facing the end of the storage row L and then exiting the storage row L into the horizontal passage PL. The passage P is set up for traffic on the left side and is wide enough for conveyors T to pass each other, but because the length of the conveyor T is long regardless of whether it is transporting a vehicle C or not, when a storage operation or removal operation (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "operation") is performed, in a section of the horizontal passage PL including the place where the operation is performed, the movement of other conveyors T in that section is hindered.

[0034] Therefore, when one conveyor T is performing storage or removal work, the management device 12 sets the above section as an exclusive section E, and prohibits the movement of other conveyors T. Incidentally, the setting of the exclusive section E is released when the conveyor T performing the work finishes the work, more specifically, when the conveyor T finishes the work and assumes a position to move along the horizontal passage PL. In the drawing, the exclusive section E is shown in gray.

[0035] However, for example, when two conveyors T are working in one horizontal passage PL and two exclusive sections E are set adjacent to each other as shown in FIG. 3(b), a problem occurs. Specifically, in consideration of the efficiency of the conveyors T, the conveyors T that have finished their work should move to the next destination for the next work by the shortest route. However, when one conveyor T that has finished its work (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "target conveyor Ts") heads to the next destination, it cannot move by the shortest route shown by the solid line due to the exclusive section E (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "adjacent exclusive section En") for the other conveyor T (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "adjacent work conveyor Tn"). In particular, when the adjacent work conveyor Tn finishes its work, the exclusive section E (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "self-exclusive section Es") for the target conveyor Ts prevents the adjacent work conveyor Tn from moving by the shortest route shown by the solid line. This may result in a so-called deadlock situation. In FIG. 3(b), the respective detour routes for the target transport vehicle Ts and the adjacent work transport vehicle Tn are indicated by dashed lines.

[0036] [E] Dealing with adjacent exclusive sections The management device 12 is adapted to take measures to deal with the above problems caused by the adjacent exclusive sections E. Specifically, the one of two adjacently working conveyors T that finishes its work first is set as the target conveyor Ts, and the operation instruction process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4 is executed for the target conveyor Ts. The operation instruction process will be explained below with reference to the flowchart. Note that this explanation is performed on the premise of the situation in FIG. 3(b). More specifically, it is performed on the premise of a situation in which a self-exclusive section Es is set for the target conveyor Ts, an adjacent work conveyor Tn is working in a place adjacent to the target conveyor Ts, and an adjacent exclusive section En is set for the adjacent work conveyor Tn.

[0037] The operation instruction process is executed when the target conveying machine Ts finishes a storage operation or a removal operation and is about to move to the next destination. In this operation instruction process, first, in step 1 (hereinafter abbreviated as "S1"; the same applies to the other steps), the shortest route is identified, and in S2, it is determined whether the movement of the target conveying machine Ts to the next destination via the shortest route is obstructed by the adjacent exclusive section En. If the movement via the shortest route is not obstructed, that is, if the shortest route is a route going in the opposite direction to the adjacent exclusive section En (in this case, the route shown by the dashed line in FIG. 3(b) is the shortest route), in S3, the setting of the self-exclusive section Es is released, and an instruction is issued to the target conveying machine Ts to move via the shortest route.

[0038] If the movement of the target conveying unit Ts along the shortest route is obstructed, that is, if the shortest route is a route that passes through the adjacent exclusive section En, a detour route that bypasses the adjacent exclusive section En, that is, a route that goes in the opposite direction to the adjacent exclusive section En, is identified in S4, and in S5, the time at which the target conveying unit Ts travels along that detour route and arrives at its next destination, that is, the detour arrival time t1, which is the first arrival time, is calculated.

[0039] In the next S6, it is determined whether the adjacent work conveying machine Tn is prevented from moving along the shortest route to the next destination by the self-exclusive section Es. In other words, it is determined whether the adjacent work conveying machine Tn passes through the self-exclusive section Es or the section that has been set as the self-exclusive section Es when moving along the shortest route to the next destination. If it is not prevented (in this case, the route shown by the dashed line in FIG. 3(b) is the shortest route for the adjacent work conveying machine Tn), in S7, the standby mode is selected as the operation mode. As shown in FIG. 5(a), in the standby mode, the target conveying machine Ts waits in the self-exclusive section Es, and after the adjacent work conveying machine Tn finishes its work and moves along the shortest route to the next destination, that is, after the setting of the adjacent exclusive section En is released, the target conveying machine Ts moves along its own shortest route to the next destination.

[0040] If it is determined in S6 that the movement of the adjacent working conveyance Tn to the next destination via the shortest route is hindered by the self-exclusive section Es, it is determined in S8 whether or not there is a space for the target conveyance Ts to retreat, that is, an evacuation space, in the vicinity of the target conveyance Ts, more specifically, in the section excluding the adjacent exclusive section En of the lateral passage PL in which the target conveyance Ts is located. The evacuation space is a space in which the conveyance vehicle T, which is not transporting the vehicle C or is transporting the vehicle C, can stop without protruding into the passage P, and as shown by the symbol X in FIG. 5(b), for example, two consecutive storage sections S can be used as the evacuation space.

[0041] If there is no evacuation space, the standby mode is selected as the operation mode in S7. Incidentally, in this case, when the adjacent work conveying machine Tn finishes work and moves to the next destination, an instruction is issued to move to the next destination via a route that does not pass through the self-exclusive section Es, that is, a detour route rather than the shortest route. If there is an evacuation space X, the evacuation mode is selected as the operation mode in S9. In this evacuation mode, as shown in FIG. 5(b), after the work is completed, the target conveying machine Ts temporarily retreats to the evacuation space X, and the setting of the self-exclusive section Es is released. After the adjacent work conveying machine Tn that has finished work passes through the section that was the self-exclusive section Es on the shortest route, the target conveying machine Ts passes through the section where the setting of the adjacent exclusive section En is released and moves to the next destination on its own shortest route.

[0042] Regardless of whether the standby mode or the evacuation mode is selected, the arrival time of the target conveyor Ts at the next destination, i.e., the shortest route arrival time t2, which is the second arrival time, is calculated in S10. In simple terms, when the standby mode is selected, the shortest route arrival time t2 is calculated as the time when the target conveyor Ts arrives at the next destination via the shortest route if the movement is not obstructed plus the time of waiting in the self-exclusive section Es, and when the evacuation mode is selected, the shortest route arrival time t2 is calculated as the time when the target conveyor Ts arrives at the next destination via the shortest route if the movement is not obstructed plus the time of evacuation in the evacuation space X. In other words, the shortest route arrival time t2 can be considered to be an estimated time based on the estimated time when the work of the adjacent work conveyor Tn in the adjacent exclusive section En is completed.

[0043] Next, in S11, the detour arrival time t1 calculated in S5 is compared with the shortest route arrival time t2 calculated in S10. If the detour arrival time t1 is closer to the current time than the shortest route arrival time t2, that is, if it is determined that the target conveyance Ts will arrive sooner by heading to the next destination via the detour route without waiting or evacuating, then in S12, a first operation instruction is issued to the target conveyance Ts to head to the next destination via the detour route. On the other hand, if the shortest route arrival time t2 and the detour time t1 are equal or the shortest route arrival time t2 is closer to the current time than the detour time t1, that is, if it is determined that the target conveyance Ts will arrive late by heading to the next destination via the detour route, then in S13, a second operation instruction is issued to the target conveyance Ts, that is, an instruction suitable for the selected operation mode, that is, the waiting mode or the evacuation mode. When an instruction suitable for the standby mode is issued, as explained above, an instruction is also issued to the adjacent work conveyance Tn as to whether to move to the next destination via the shortest route or a detour route.

[0044] As described above, according to the management device 12 of the present embodiment, even if the exclusive section prevents the moving object from moving to the next destination via the shortest route, it is possible to appropriately manage the operation of the moving object. In particular, even if a deadlock occurs between two moving objects, it is possible to appropriately avoid the deadlock.

[0045] In addition, when it is determined that the movement of the adjacent work conveying machine Tn to its next destination via the shortest route is obstructed by the self-exclusive section Es, the instruction given when the evacuation mode is selected because there is evacuation space for the target conveying machine Ts can be considered as a second operation instruction, and the instruction given when there is no evacuation space and the standby mode is selected, i.e., an instruction to have the target conveying machine Ts wait within the self-exclusive section Es, to move the adjacent work conveying machine Tn to its next destination by bypassing the self-exclusive section Es, and after that movement, to move the target conveying machine Ts to its next destination via the shortest route, can also be considered as a third operation instruction replacing the second operation instruction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 10: Warehouse (area) 12: Transport vehicle operation control device (mobile vehicle operation control device) 14: Computer 16: Communication device T: Vehicle transport vehicle (mobile vehicle) Ts: Target transport vehicle Tn: Adjacent work transport vehicle C: Vehicle (transported item) S: Storage section L: Storage row B: Storage block P: Passage PL: Horizontal passage PV: Vertical passage E: Exclusive section Es: Self-exclusive section En: Adjacent exclusive section t1: Detour arrival time (first arrival time) t2: Shortest route arrival time (second arrival time) X: Evacuation space

Claims

1. A mobile object operation management device that manages the operation of a plurality of mobile objects that move along a passageway provided within an area and perform work at a specific location, When a task performed by a certain moving object impedes the movement of another moving object along a passageway, a section including the location where the task is being performed is set as an exclusive section; When an exclusive section for one of two moving objects and an exclusive section for the other moving object are adjacent to each other and the movement of the one moving object to a next destination via the shortest route is obstructed by the exclusive section of the other moving object, a first operation instruction for moving the one of the vehicles to a next destination along a route that bypasses the exclusive section for the other of the vehicles; a second operation instruction for moving the one of the vehicles to a next destination via a shortest route after the exclusive section for the other vehicle is released; and selectively issuing the instruction by comparing the arrival time of the one of the instructions at the next destination when the instructions are followed; The second operation instruction is A mobile object operation management device that instructs, when the movement of the other vehicle to its next destination via the shortest route is obstructed by an exclusive section for one of the vehicles, to evacuate the other vehicle to a nearby evacuation space, release the exclusive section for the other vehicle, pass through the released exclusive section to head to its next destination via the shortest route, and then move to its next destination via the shortest route.

2. The mobile object operation control device, If there is no nearby evacuation space, The first operation instruction; a third operation instruction which is an instruction to replace the second operation instruction and causes one of the vehicles to wait in the exclusive section for the one of the vehicles, causes the other vehicle to move to a next destination by detouring the exclusive section for the one of the vehicles, and then causes the one vehicle to move to the next destination via the shortest route; 2. The mobile object operation control device according to claim 1, configured to selectively issue the instruction by comparing arrival times at the next destination of said one of the instructions when the instructions are followed.

3. The mobile object operation control device, 3. The mobile object operation control device according to claim 1, wherein the arrival time at the next destination is determined according to Dijkstra's algorithm in graph theory.

4. The mobile object operation control device, The mobile object operation management device of claim 1, configured to estimate the end time of work in the exclusive section for the other of the two vehicles when issuing the second operation instruction, and to estimate the arrival time of the one of the two vehicles at its next destination if the second operation instruction is followed.

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