Vehicle and vehicle management system

Abstract

To provide a vehicle and a vehicle management system which, when a remaining battery level of a vehicle falls below a planned level due to disturbance, can prevent electricity from running out while suppressing deterioration of productivity.SOLUTION: Before a vehicle 20 starts to run on a running route from a charging point at which a power supply device 50 is installed to a predetermined destination, a control device 31 calculates feedback electric energy that is electric energy required for the vehicle to run from each point to the charging point, on the running route, on the basis of map data and the carrying capacity of the vehicle 20; calculates predicted electric energy that is a remaining battery level of a power storage device 29 at each point on the running route, from the current position of the vehicle 20 to the predetermined destination, during running of the vehicle 20 toward the predetermined destination on the running route; and when there is a point at which the predicted electric energy falls below the feedback electric energy, among points on the running route from the current position to the predetermined destination, changes the destination of the vehicle 20 from the predetermined destination to another destination.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle management system, and more particularly to a vehicle management technique at a work site where a vehicle equipped with an electricity storage device travels. [Background technology]

[0002] In ultra-large dump trucks that operate in open-cut mines and transport ores and soil excavated by loading machines, a system that generates electricity using a diesel engine mounted on the vehicle body and drives the motor to run is widely used. However, the amount of energy required for transportation is very large, which has caused a problem of high greenhouse gas emissions. To solve this problem, development is underway for battery dump trucks that drive the motor with an on-board storage battery instead of the conventional diesel engine that generates electricity.

[0003] In such a battery dump truck, the amount of power required per transport cycle, which involves a series of tasks of loading, transporting, and dumping, is very large relative to the capacity of the storage battery, so frequent charging is required, for example, for each transport cycle. As charging methods, a method of stopping and charging at a charging station installed in or near the transport route, and a method of charging while traveling using a trolley wire as shown in Patent Document 1 are known. Here, in order to perform continuous transport work, it is necessary to prevent the battery from running out of power. For this reason, it is necessary to always ensure that there is enough battery power to return to the charging equipment, and it is required to make a travel plan in advance that takes into account the amount of power consumed on the travel route and travel according to that plan. Such a travel plan includes the charging time at the charging station to charge the amount of power required for the transport cycle, and the travel speed to ensure the charging time on the trolley wire. Insufficient charging time will lead to a lack of power, but excessive charging time will increase the time required for the transport cycle and reduce productivity, so it is desirable to set the charging time to ensure a sufficient amount of charge for the transport cycle.

[0004] However, due to disturbances during the transport cycle, the remaining battery level may drop below the value assumed in the driving plan. Types of disturbances include unplanned tasks such as respotting to adjust the loading position, exceptional soil dumping when overloading occurs during loading, temporary stop and restart due to falling rocks, and interactions with other vehicles such as other dump trucks and bulldozers at intersections and transport routes. Depending on the road surface conditions, the amount of power consumed may increase due to tire spinning in mud or increased wheel torque on rough ground. Furthermore, the amount of power consumed may increase due to changes in battery characteristics due to the harsh temperature conditions in mines and changes in the load of auxiliary equipment such as radiator fans. As such, there are many disturbance factors that lead to increased power consumption at mining work sites, so even if a driving plan is made taking into account the charging time as described above, a situation in which the remaining battery level is insufficient may easily occur.

[0005] If the remaining battery power falls below the planned level and the vehicle runs out of power before reaching a charging facility, an exceptional battery dump will be required to be retrieved and recharged, significantly reducing productivity throughout the mine. Therefore, when the vehicle is predicted to run out of power, it is desirable to change the travel plan and return to the charging point. In response to this problem, an example shown in Patent Document 2 and other documents discloses a method for displaying information about charging facilities that can be reached with the current remaining battery power when the remaining battery power falls in a vehicle driven by an on-board battery. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] US Patent Publication No. 2015 / 0283907 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7072597 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] By applying the method shown in Patent Document 2, even if the remaining battery level is lower than planned due to a disturbance, it is possible to determine whether the driving plan to the charging point can be completed, and if not, to change the driving plan to return to the charging point to prevent running out of power. However, in some cases, the change in the driving plan may result in returning to the charging point without loading or unloading, which may lead to a decrease in productivity throughout the mine.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle and vehicle management system that can prevent running out of power while suppressing a decrease in productivity when the vehicle's remaining battery power falls below planned due to an external disturbance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a vehicle including a power receiving device that receives power from a power supply device, a power storage device that stores the power received by the power receiving device, a position sensor that acquires a position, a load sensor that acquires a load amount, and a control device that acquires map data and sets a destination based on the map data. Before the vehicle starts traveling on a travel route from a charging point where the power supply device is provided to a predetermined destination, the control device calculates a feedback energy amount, which is the amount of energy required to travel from each point on the travel route to the charging point, based on the map data and the load amount, and while the vehicle is traveling on the travel route toward the predetermined destination, calculates a predicted energy amount that will be the remaining battery charge of the power storage device at each point on the travel route from the current position of the vehicle, acquired by the position sensor, to the predetermined destination, and when there is a point among each point on the travel route from the current position to the predetermined destination where the predicted energy amount is lower than the feedback energy amount, changes the destination of the vehicle from the predetermined destination to another destination.

[0010] The present invention also relates to a vehicle management system including a storage device that stores map data and a control device that sets a destination of a vehicle based on the map data. Before the vehicle starts traveling along a travel route from a charging point, which is a point where a power supply device is installed, to a predetermined destination, the control device calculates a feedback energy amount, which is the amount of energy required to travel from each point on the travel route to the charging point, based on the map data and the load capacity of the vehicle, and while the vehicle is traveling along the travel route toward the destination, calculates a predicted energy amount that will be the remaining battery charge of the power storage device at each point on the travel route from the current position of the vehicle to the predetermined destination. If there is a point among the points on the travel route from the current position to the predetermined destination where the predicted energy amount is lower than the feedback energy amount, the control device changes the destination of the vehicle from the predetermined destination to another destination. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, even if the remaining battery charge of a vehicle decreases due to the influence of an external disturbance, it is possible to continuously operate the vehicle while preventing a decrease in productivity and preventing a battery shortage. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle management system. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle management system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3A] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a specific example of vehicle dispatch information. [Figure 3B] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of map data. [Figure 4A] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a flow of power in a vehicle. [Figure 4B] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a flow of power in a vehicle. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the distance from a charging point and the amount of feedback power. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing a process of determining whether charging is required by the control device. [Figure 7A] 5 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between a predicted value of a remaining battery charge and an amount of feedback power. FIG. [Figure 7B] 5 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between a predicted value of a remaining battery charge and an amount of feedback power. FIG. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing a process performed when a vehicle is dispatched to a charging point. [Figure 9] 11 is a flowchart showing a loading amount upper limit instruction process in the control device. [Figure 10] 5 is a flowchart showing a process performed when a loading amount is limited in the loading machine. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a transport path in a second embodiment. [Figure 12] 13 is a flowchart showing a process of vehicle dispatch management by a traffic control device in a second embodiment. [Figure 13A] 13 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between a predicted value of a remaining battery charge and an amount of feedback power in the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 13B] 13 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between a predicted value of a remaining battery charge and an amount of feedback power in the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a transport path in a third embodiment. [Figure 15] 13 is a flowchart showing a process of vehicle dispatch management by a traffic control device in a third embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle management system according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of map data in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 18] 10 is a flowchart showing a process of updating disturbance information of the air traffic control device. [Figure 19] 13 is a flowchart showing a process of vehicle dispatch management by a traffic control device in a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same elements, and duplicated explanations will be omitted as appropriate. EXAMPLES

[0014] A first embodiment of the present invention will now be described.

[0015] <Outline of vehicle management system> Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle management system in this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle management system in this embodiment. Note that, for convenience, only one vehicle and one loading machine are shown in Fig. 2, but two or more vehicles and loading machines may be present.

[0016] The vehicle management system 1 of this embodiment is operated at a work site such as a mine. This vehicle management system 1 includes one or more loading machines 10 that perform excavation and loading work, one or more vehicles 20 that travel on a transport path 60 at the work site and transport soil and sand loaded from the loading machines 10, and a control station 30 that controls the vehicles 20. The loading machines 10 perform loading work of excavated soil and sand onto the vehicles 20 at a loading site 61, and the vehicles 20 perform dumping work of the loaded soil and sand at a dumping site 62.

[0017] The loading machine 10, the vehicle 20, and the control station 30 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a wireless communication line 40. Specifically, a plurality of wireless base stations 41 are installed at the work site, and the loading machine 10, the vehicle 20, and the control station 30 communicate with each other via the wireless base stations 41.

[0018] The vehicle 20 is equipped with a power storage device 29 capable of storing electrical energy using a storage battery or the like. A trolley wire 50-1 that is connected to a substation and capable of transmitting power from a power generation plant is installed on the conveyance path 60, and the vehicle 20 can connect to the trolley wire 50-1 using a pantograph or the like to charge the power storage device 29. A charging station 50-2 is installed on a parking area 63 connected to the conveyance path 60, and the vehicle 20 can connect to the charging station 50-2 using a power supply connector or the like to charge the power storage device 29. Hereinafter, the trolley wire 50-1 and the charging station 50-2 are collectively referred to as the power supply device 50, and the pantograph, the power supply connector, and the like are collectively referred to as the power receiving device 28. A point where such a power supply device 50 is installed is referred to as a charging point.

[0019] <Vehicle configuration> The vehicle 20 is a dump truck that can be driven by an operator. The vehicle 20 includes a vehicle body control device 21, a traveling device 22, a position sensor 23, a speed sensor 24, a load sensor 25, an operation device 26, a wireless communication device 27, a power receiving device 28, a power storage device 29, and an output device 201.

[0020] The traveling device 22 of the vehicle 20 is driven in response to the operation of the operating device 26 to travel the vehicle 20. The traveling device 22 includes, for example, a steering motor for changing the steering angle of the vehicle 20, an electrically driven traveling motor for traveling the vehicle 20, and a brake.

[0021] The position sensor 23 of the vehicle 20 measures the position of the vehicle 20 (own vehicle) and outputs the measured position to the vehicle body control device 21. The position sensor 23 is, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS) that identifies the position using a signal from a satellite 70, a combination of a GPS and an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), or a sensor that identifies the position using radio waves from a ground base station.

[0022] The speed sensor 24 of the vehicle 20 measures the speed of the vehicle 20 (host vehicle) and outputs the measured speed to the vehicle body control device 21. The speed sensor 24 is, for example, a rotary encoder that detects the rotation speed of the wheels, a GPS that measures the speed from the amount of change in the position of the vehicle 20, an inertial measurement unit, or a speed estimation device that is a combination of these.

[0023] The load sensor 25 of the vehicle 20 measures the weight of loads such as ores and earth and sand loaded on the bed of the vehicle 20 (host vehicle) and outputs the measured load amount to the vehicle body control device 21. The load sensor 25 is, for example, a pressure sensor installed under the bed of the vehicle 20 to measure the weight of the bed, or a weight estimation device that uses the pressure of a hydraulic suspension that supports the wheels.

[0024] The operation device 26 of the vehicle 20 receives operations from an operator who drives the vehicle 20, and outputs signals to drive the traveling device 22 and the power receiving device 28. The operation device 26 is, for example, a steering wheel, an accelerator, a brake, buttons, a touch panel, etc. provided at the driver's seat.

[0025] The wireless communication device 27 of the vehicle 20 is a radio for connecting the vehicle body control device 21 to the wireless communication line 40. The vehicle body control device 21 of the vehicle 20 transmits and receives information and commands to and from the control device 31 of the control station 30 via the wireless communication device 27 and the like.

[0026] The power receiving device 28 of the vehicle 20 is driven in response to the operation of the operation device 26, and is connected to the power feeding device 50 to supply electric power to the power storage device 29. The power receiving device 28 includes, for example, a pantograph that can rise and fall.

[0027] The power storage device 29 of the vehicle 20 is a device for storing electrical energy for driving the traveling device 22. The power storage device 29 includes, for example, a plurality of lithium ion batteries and a device for controlling the voltage and current for the batteries.

[0028] Here, as shown in FIG. 4A, for example, when the vehicle 20 runs with the power receiving device 28 not connected to the power supply device 50, the power storage device 29 discharges in order to drive the traveling device 22. Also, as shown in FIG. 4B, for example, when the vehicle 20 runs with the power receiving device 28 connected to the power supply device 50, the power storage device 29 charges with the power supplied from the power supply device 50. At this time, the traveling device 22 is driven by the power supplied from the power supply device 50. Also, regardless of whether the vehicle 20 is connected to the power supply device 50 or not, when the vehicle 20 decelerates, the power generated by the regenerative braking of the traveling device 22 can be supplied to the power storage device 29 to charge it, so that it can be charged. When the power storage device 29 charges, a quick charging method established in the field of electric vehicles can be utilized, and the magnitude of the current can be controlled so as not to burden the storage battery, thereby allowing charging to be performed while taking into consideration the life of the storage battery.

[0029] The output device 201 of the vehicle 20 is a device for presenting vehicle body status and control information to the operator of the vehicle 20 by screen display and audio. The output device 201 is, for example, a liquid crystal monitor and a speaker installed near the driver's seat of the vehicle 20.

[0030] The vehicle body control device 21 of the vehicle 20 is configured by a microcomputer that combines, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes calculations, a ROM (Read Only Memory) as a secondary storage device that records programs for the calculations, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) as a temporary storage device that stores the calculation process and temporary control variables. The vehicle body control device 21 has, as functional components, a vehicle body state management unit 211, a control information management unit 212, and a driving control unit 213.

[0031] The vehicle body status management unit 211 of the vehicle body control device 21 manages position information obtained by the position sensor 23, speed information obtained by the speed sensor 24, load information obtained by the load sensor 25, information on the connection status of the power receiving device 28 to the power supply device 50, and information on the remaining battery charge of the power storage device 29, and transmits this information to the control control device 31 of the control station 30.

[0032] The control information management unit 212 of the vehicle body control device 21 receives destination information and speed limit information from the vehicle dispatch management unit 311 of the vehicle control device 31, and outputs an alarm to the output device 201 and instructs the travel control unit 213 to limit the speed.

[0033] The traveling control unit 213 of the vehicle body control device 21 receives operations received from the operating device 26, and drives the traveling device 22 based on information from the vehicle body state management unit 211 and the control information management unit 212, taking into account the speed limit instruction.

[0034] <Loading machine configuration> The loading machine 10 is a shovel capable of performing excavation and loading work by operation of an operator. The loading machine 10 includes a vehicle control device 11, an operation device 12, a drive device 13, an output device 14, and a wireless communication device 17.

[0035] The driving device 13 of the loading machine 10 is driven in response to the operation of the operating device 12. The driving device 13 includes, for example, a hydraulic cylinder for controlling the attitude of a boom, an arm, and a bucket used by the loading machine 10 to perform a loading operation, and a travel motor for moving the position of the loading machine 10.

[0036] The operation device 12 of the loading machine 10 accepts operations by an operator who drives the loading machine 10, and outputs a signal to drive the drive device 13. The operation device 12 is, for example, an operation lever, a pedal, a button, a touch panel, etc. provided at the driver's seat.

[0037] The wireless communication device 17 of the loading machine 10 is a radio for connecting the vehicle body control device 11 to the wireless communication line 40. The vehicle body control device 11 of the loading machine 10 transmits and receives information and commands to and from the control device 31 of the control station 30 via the wireless communication device 17 and the like.

[0038] The output device 14 of the loading machine 10 is a device for presenting control information and the like to the operator of the loading machine 10 by screen display or voice. The output device 14 is, for example, a liquid crystal monitor or a speaker installed near the driver's seat of the loading machine 10.

[0039] The vehicle body control device 11 of the loading machine 10 is configured by a microcomputer that combines, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes calculations, a ROM (Read Only Memory) as a secondary storage device that records programs for the calculations, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) as a temporary storage device that stores the calculation process and temporary control variables. The vehicle body control device 11 has, as functional components, a control information management unit 111, a loading stop determination unit 112, and a drive control unit 113.

[0040] The control information management unit 111 of the vehicle body control device 11 receives information such as the load capacity of the vehicle 20 currently being loaded and the load capacity upper limit value from the vehicle dispatch management unit 311 of the control device 31, and displays the information on the output device 14.

[0041] The loading stop determination unit 112 of the vehicle control device 11 refers to the information received by the control information management unit 111, determines whether loading should be stopped for the vehicle 20 currently being loaded, taking into account the load capacity upper limit value, and outputs an alarm to the output device 14 if necessary.

[0042] The drive control section 113 of the vehicle body control device 11 controls the drive of the drive device 13 in response to an input to the operation device 12 by the operator of the loading machine 10 .

[0043] <Control Station Configuration> The control station 30 includes a control device 31, a storage device 32, a wireless communication device 33, and an input device .

[0044] The storage device 32 of the control station 30 is a non-volatile storage medium capable of reading and writing information, and stores an OS, various control programs, application programs, databases, etc. The storage device 32 has a vehicle dispatch information storage unit 321 and a map data storage unit 322.

[0045] The wireless communication device 33 of the control station 30 is a radio for connecting the control device 31 to the wireless communication line 40. The control device 31 of the control station 30 transmits and receives information and commands to and from the vehicle body control device 21 of the vehicle 20 via the wireless communication device 33 and the like.

[0046] The input device 34 of the control station 30 is a user interface that enables an operator to operate the control device 31. The input device 34 is, for example, a mouse or a keyboard.

[0047] The control device 31 of the control station 30 is configured by a microcomputer that combines, for example, a CPU that executes calculations, a ROM as a secondary storage device that records programs for the calculations, and a RAM as a temporary storage device that stores the calculation process and temporary control variables. The control device 31 has, as its functional components, a vehicle dispatch management unit 311, a battery remaining capacity monitoring unit 312, a charging necessity determination unit 313, and a load capacity upper limit indication unit 314.

[0048] The vehicle allocation management unit 311 of the control device 31 sets a driving route for the vehicle 20 to the destination based on the position information of the vehicle 20 received from the vehicle body control device 21 of the vehicle 20. For example, when the vehicle 20 is at the loading site 61, the vehicle allocation management unit 311 sets a driving route for the vehicle 20 to the dumping site 62. Also, when the vehicle 20 is at the dumping site 62, the vehicle allocation management unit 311 sets a driving route for the vehicle 20 to the loading site 61. The vehicle allocation management unit 311 stores the set driving route for the vehicle 20 in the vehicle allocation information storage unit 321 of the storage device 32 as vehicle allocation information.

[0049] The vehicle allocation information is in a table format as shown in FIG. 3A, for example, and includes a vehicle ID, which is identification information of the vehicle 20, a travel route set for each vehicle ID, and a charging plan set for the travel route. The travel route is, for example, a travel route from the loading site 61 to the dump site 62, or a travel route from the dump site 62 to the loading site 61. The travel route conforms to the transport route of the map data, and is composed of sections into which the transport route is divided. The charging plan is, for example, a charging station present on or near the travel route, and a charging time at the charging station. Alternatively, it is a trolley wire present in a section on the travel route, and a target speed for ensuring a charging time under the trolley wire. The charging time can be calculated, for example, by calculating the power consumption of the entire travel route with reference to map data described later, and taking into account the charging speed to the power storage device 29. Alternatively, such calculations may be performed in advance, and a charging plan corresponding to each route may be provided. In addition, when vehicle allocation information for the preceding and following times can be referenced, a charging plan that ensures a sufficient amount of charge may be calculated by taking them into account.

[0050] The map data is stored in the map data storage unit 322 of the storage device 32, and is in a table format as shown in FIG. 3B, for example, and includes the ID of each section in a transport route divided into a plurality of sections, the distance of each section, the target speed, the amount of power consumption, and the presence or absence of a power supply device 50. Here, the target speed of each section is a basic target speed, and when a speed in a specific section is specified in the charging plan of the dispatch information, the vehicle 20 prioritizes following the speed in the dispatch information. The amount of power consumption includes the amount of power consumption according to the load of the vehicle 20, and includes, for example, the amount of power consumption when the load is 0% and 100%. The map data may also include information on a sequence of coordinate points constituting each section (not shown).

[0051] The battery remaining capacity monitoring unit 312 of the control device 31 monitors and predicts information on the remaining battery capacity of the power storage device 29 received from the vehicle body control device 21 of the vehicle 20, and provides the information to a charging necessity determination unit 313 and a load capacity upper limit indication unit 314.

[0052] The charging necessity determination unit 313 of the control device 31 compares the predicted remaining battery charge of the storage device 29 of the vehicle 20 with the return power amount, which is the minimum amount of power required to return from each point on the transport route to the charging point where the power supply device 50 is installed, and if it is predicted that the remaining battery charge will fall below the return power amount if the vehicle 20 continues to travel, it requests the dispatch management unit 311 to change the destination to the charging point.

[0053] When the loading machine 10 performs loading work on the vehicle 20, the load capacity upper limit indication unit 314 of the control device 31 calculates an upper load capacity limit value such that the feedback power amount falls below the remaining battery capacity based on the remaining battery capacity of the vehicle 20's power storage device 29 and the feedback power amount corresponding to the load capacity of the vehicle 20 at the loading point, and instructs the vehicle body control device 11 of the loading machine 10.

[0054] <Explanation of feedback power amount> Next, an example of the amount of feedback power, which is the amount of power required to travel from each point on the transport route to the charging point where the power supply device 50 is installed, will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a graph with the distance from the charging point on the horizontal axis and the amount of feedback power on the vertical axis, showing the relationship according to the load of the vehicle 20. First, regardless of the load, there is a relationship in which the amount of feedback power increases as the travel distance increases, since the amount of power consumed for travel increases. At this time, the magnitude of the gradient also affects the amount of feedback power. That is, in a section with an uphill gradient toward the charging point, the amount of power consumed increases by the potential energy.

[0055] Furthermore, there is a relationship that the greater the load, the greater the amount of feedback power. In other words, when the vehicle 20 is empty (load 0%), the amount of feedback power is small, and when the vehicle 20 is fully loaded (load 100%), the amount of feedback power is large. The amount of feedback power for loads between these two amounts, or when the vehicle is overloaded, can be calculated, for example, by linear interpolation using the values ​​of 0% and 100% load.

[0056] The amount of feedback power can be calculated as the amount of power consumption relative to the distance from the charging point, for example, using the map data shown in Fig. 3B. This amount of power consumption can be roughly calculated from the laws of physics based on the distance, gradient, and running resistance of each section. Alternatively, the amount of change in the remaining battery charge of the power storage device 29 for each section when the vehicle 20 is actually traveling may be measured and registered in the map data.

[0057] <Details of the process for determining whether charging is required by the control device> In the following, an example of an operation for determining and instructing the vehicle 20 to return to a charging point when it is predicted that the vehicle 20 will run out of power while traveling, using information on the amount of feedback power, will be described. First, the details of the process of determining whether charging is necessary using the amount of feedback power in the control device 31 will be described with reference to Figs. 6, 7A, and 7B.

[0058] First, in step S601, the charging necessity determination unit 313 of the control device 31 determines whether the target vehicle 20 is traveling. If the target vehicle 20 is not traveling (S601 / NO), the process returns to the beginning. If the target vehicle 20 is traveling (S601 / YES), the process proceeds to step S602.

[0059] Next, in step S602, it is determined whether the traveling direction of the target vehicle 20 is a direction away from the charging point. For example, if there is no charging point ahead of the currently traveling section of the travel route set for the vehicle 20 by the vehicle dispatch management unit 311, it can be determined that the traveling direction of the vehicle 20 is a direction away from the charging point. If the traveling direction is not a direction away from the charging point (S602 / NO), the process returns to the beginning. If the traveling direction is a direction away from the charging point (S602 / YES), the process proceeds to step S603.

[0060] Next, in step S603, the battery remaining amount monitoring unit 312 calculates a predicted battery remaining amount on the subsequent travel route of the vehicle 20 based on the information on the current position of the vehicle 20, the information on the remaining battery amount, and the information on the power consumption of the map data. This predicted battery remaining amount can be calculated and stored, for example, at regular intervals on the travel route.

[0061] Next, in step S604, the charging necessity determination unit 313 determines whether the remaining battery charge prediction value exceeds the feedback power amount at all points on the subsequent driving route of the vehicle 20. In step S604, if the condition is satisfied (S604 / YES), the process returns to the beginning. If the condition is not satisfied (S604 / NO), the process proceeds to step S605.

[0062] The details will be described with reference to FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B. Both FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B are graphs showing the relationship between the travel distance, the predicted battery remaining amount, and the return energy amount for the vehicle 20 traveling from the current position to the loading point. Here, as described above, the values ​​of these graphs can be calculated as a series of points at a constant distance interval, and in this case, the calculation is performed so that the predicted battery remaining amount and the return energy amount can be compared at the same point. FIG. 7A is an example in which the predicted battery remaining amount is always greater than the return energy amount at each point from the current position to the loading point. In this case, it is possible to return to the charging point from any point until the loading point is reached, and there is no risk of the vehicle 20 running out of power even if the vehicle continues traveling. On the other hand, FIG. 7B is an example in which the predicted battery remaining amount falls below the return energy amount on the way to the loading point. In this case, at the point where the battery remaining amount falls below the return energy amount, the vehicle 20 will not be able to return to the charging point, and there is a possibility that it will run out of power on the way. Therefore, when such a situation is predicted, it can be determined that the current battery remaining amount is insufficient to continue the work.

[0063] Next, in step S605, the charging necessity determination unit 313 cooperates with the vehicle dispatch management unit 311 to set the destination of the target vehicle 20 to a charging point. Then, in step S606, the vehicle dispatch management unit 311 instructs the vehicle 20 of the destination and the driving route through the wireless communication line 40. In the vehicle 20, the received information is held in the control information management unit 212 of the vehicle body control device 21, and is output to the output device 201 to present the information to the operator of the vehicle 20.

[0064] <Details on handling vehicle warnings and speed limits> Next, with reference to FIG. 8, a process of issuing a warning or limiting the speed depending on the situation in the vehicle body control device 21 of the vehicle 20 when the destination is a charging point will be described in detail.

[0065] First, in step S801, the control information management unit 212 determines whether the destination set in the vehicle 20 is a charging point. If the destination is not a charging point (S801 / NO), the process returns to the beginning. If the destination is a charging point (S801 / YES), the process proceeds to step S802.

[0066] Next, in step S802, the control information management unit 212 refers to the information of the vehicle body state management unit 211 and determines whether the vehicle 20 is traveling in a direction away from the charging point set as the destination. If the vehicle 20 is not traveling in a direction away from the charging point (S802 / NO), the process returns to the beginning. If the vehicle 20 is traveling in a direction away from the charging point (S802 / YES), the process proceeds to step S803.

[0067] Next, in step S803, the control information management unit 212 issues a return warning to prompt the operator to return to the charging point from the output device 201. The return warning is, for example, warning information displayed on a monitor or a warning sound issued from a speaker.

[0068] Next, in step S804, the control information management unit 212 sets a speed limit for the traveling control unit 213. The traveling control unit 213 limits the maximum speed to a predetermined value under the set speed limit, regardless of the operation of the operation device 26 by the operator.

[0069] <Details of the processing of the load limit instruction from the air traffic control device> In the following, an example of an operation for limiting the load amount based on the remaining battery charge of the vehicle 20 so that the vehicle 20 can return to the charging point when the loading machine 10 loads the vehicle 20 will be described. First, the details of the load amount upper limit instruction process of the control device 31 will be described with reference to Fig. 9.

[0070] First, in step S901, the load capacity upper limit instruction unit 314 of the control device 31 refers to information received from the vehicle body state management unit 211 of the vehicle 20 and determines whether the target vehicle 20 is being loaded. If the target vehicle 20 is not being loaded (S901 / NO), the process returns to the beginning of the process. If the target vehicle 20 is being loaded (S901 / YES), the process proceeds to step S902.

[0071] Next, in step S902, the load capacity upper limit indicator 314 calculates a load capacity upper limit value that results in a feedback power amount that is lower than the remaining battery charge of the vehicle 20. The load capacity upper limit value can be calculated, for example, by determining a load capacity that matches a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined margin from the current remaining battery charge of the vehicle 20 with a feedback power amount that takes the load capacity into consideration. This calculation can be performed using linear interpolation by referring to the values ​​of the power consumption amount for each section in the map data when the load capacity is 0% and 100%.

[0072] Next, in step S903, the load capacity upper limit instructing unit 314 instructs the loading machine 10 of the calculated load capacity upper limit value via the wireless communication line 40.

[0073] <Details of the loading machine's loading stop judgment process> Next, the loading stop determination process of the loading machine 10 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

[0074] First, in step S1001, the control information management unit 111 determines whether or not a load capacity upper limit value has been received from the control device 31. If not (S1001 / NO), the process returns to the beginning. If received (S1001 / YES), the process proceeds to step S1002.

[0075] Next, in step S1002, the control information management unit 111 outputs information on the load capacity upper limit value to the output device 14. For example, the load capacity upper limit value is displayed on a monitor by using numbers or a meter display so that the operator of the loading machine 10 can confirm it together with the current load capacity of the vehicle 20.

[0076] Next, in step S1003, the loading stop determination unit 112 calculates a loading stop warning threshold. The loading stop warning threshold is a threshold for issuing a warning to stop the loading operation when the load amount of the vehicle 20 during loading operation exceeds the threshold, and can be calculated as a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined margin from the load amount upper limit value.

[0077] Next, in step S1004, the loading stop determination unit 112 determines whether the load amount of the vehicle 20 during loading operation is below the loading stop warning threshold. If the load amount is equal to or greater than the loading stop warning threshold (S1004 / NO), the process proceeds to step S1005.

[0078] Next, in step S1005, the loading stop determination unit 112 issues a loading stop warning from the output device 14 to prompt the operator of the loading machine 10 to stop the loading work. The loading stop warning is a warning display on the monitor or an alarm sound output from a speaker.

[0079] In step S1004, if the loading amount is below the loading stop warning threshold (S1004 / YES), the process proceeds to step S1006. In step S1006, the loading stop determination unit 112 determines whether loading is complete for the target vehicle 20 based on operation information from the operation device 12. This determination can be made, for example, based on whether the operator of the loading machine 10 has signaled loading completion by using a button or touch panel. If loading is complete (S1006 / YES), the process ends. If loading is not complete (S1006 / NO), the process returns to step S1004.

[0080] <Effects of the First Embodiment> In a first embodiment, in a vehicle management system 1 including a storage device 32 that stores map data and a control device 31 that sets a destination of a vehicle 20 based on the map data, before the vehicle 20 starts traveling along a travel route from a charging point, which is a point where a power supply device 50 is installed, to a predetermined destination, the control device 31 calculates a return energy amount, which is the amount of energy required to travel from each point on the travel route to the charging point, based on the map data and the load capacity of the vehicle 20, and while the vehicle 20 is traveling along the travel route toward the destination, calculates a predicted energy amount that will be the remaining battery charge of the power storage device at each point on the travel route from the current position of the vehicle 20 to the predetermined destination, and if there is a point among the points on the travel route from the current position to the predetermined destination where the predicted energy amount is lower than the return energy amount, the control device 31 changes the destination of the vehicle 20 from the predetermined destination to another destination.

[0081] In the first embodiment, in a vehicle 20 including a power receiving device 28 that receives power from a power supply device 50, a power storage device 29 that stores the power received by the power receiving device 28, a position sensor 23 that acquires a position, a load sensor 25 that acquires a load amount, and a control device 21 that acquires map data and sets a destination based on the map data, the control device 21 sets the location of each location on the travel route based on the map data and the load amount before the vehicle 20 starts traveling on a travel route from a charging point, which is a point where the power supply device 50 is provided, to a predetermined destination. A return energy amount, which is the amount of energy required to travel from the charging point to the charging point, is calculated, and while the vehicle 20 is traveling along the travel route toward the specified destination, a predicted amount of energy that will be the remaining battery charge of the power storage device 29 at each point on the travel route from the current position of the vehicle 20 acquired by the position sensor 23 to the specified destination is calculated, and if there is a point among each point on the travel route from the current position to the specified destination where the predicted amount of energy is lower than the return energy amount, the destination of the vehicle 20 is changed from the specified destination to another destination.

[0082] According to the first embodiment configured as described above, the control device 31 (or the vehicle body control device 21) predicts changes in the remaining battery charge of the power storage device 29 while the vehicle 20 is traveling on the transport route 60 that has a charging point, and compares this with the return power amount at each point on the travel route. If it is predicted that the vehicle 20 will run out of power, a dispatch instruction is given to head to another destination, thereby making it possible to prevent the vehicle 20 from running out of power.

[0083] Moreover, another destination in the first embodiment is a charging point. This allows the power storage device 29 to be charged promptly when it is predicted that the vehicle 20 will run out of power.

[0084] Furthermore, the traffic control device 31 in the first embodiment issues a warning to the vehicle 20 to encourage the vehicle 20 to drive to the charging point when the vehicle 20 drives on a driving route in a direction away from the charging point after changing the destination of the vehicle 20 from a predetermined destination to a charging point. Alternatively, the vehicle body control device 21 in the first embodiment issues a warning to encourage the vehicle 20 to drive to the charging point when the vehicle 20 drives on a driving route in a direction away from the charging point after changing the destination of the vehicle 20 from a predetermined destination to a charging point. This makes it possible to prevent the vehicle 20 from running out of power.

[0085] Furthermore, the traffic control device 31 in the first embodiment instructs the vehicle 20 to limit the speed when the vehicle 20 travels on a travel route in a direction away from the charging point after the destination of the vehicle 20 is changed from a predetermined destination to a charging point. Alternatively, the vehicle body control device 21 in the first embodiment limits the speed of the vehicle 20 when the vehicle 20 travels on a travel route in a direction away from the charging point after the destination of the vehicle 20 is changed from a predetermined destination to a charging point. This makes it possible to prevent the vehicle 20 from running out of power.

[0086] Furthermore, when the loading machine 10 starts loading work on the vehicle 20, the control device 31 in the first embodiment determines a loading amount upper limit value that is an upper limit of the loading amount at which the amount of feedback power falls below the charged amount of the power storage device 29, and instructs the loading machine 10. This makes it possible to prevent the vehicle 20 from running out of power on the travel route from the loading point back to the charging point.

[0087] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the control device 31 issues a warning to the loading machine 10 to prompt the loading operation to be stopped when the load of the vehicle 20 exceeds a warning threshold value set lower than the load upper limit value. This makes it possible to prevent the vehicle 20 from running out of power on the travel route from the loading point back to the charging point.

[0088] <Modification of the first embodiment> In this embodiment, an example of the configuration and operation of the vehicle 20 driven by an operator is shown, but the means for realizing the present invention is not limited to this method. For example, if the vehicle 20 has a function of autonomously traveling along a travel route according to a dispatch instruction from the control device 31, when it is predicted that the remaining battery charge will fall below the return power amount and the destination is changed to a charging point, the vehicle 20 can immediately return to the charging point by autonomous traveling instead of notifying the operator of the change in destination and issuing a return warning. In this embodiment, the control device 31 is arranged in the control station 30, but the function of the control device 31 may be implemented in the vehicle body control device 21 of the vehicle 20. EXAMPLES

[0089] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which, when the vehicle 20 is traveling toward a dump site, the destination is changed to another dump site based on a prediction of the remaining battery level. In mines, it is common for there to be multiple dump sites, particularly for dumping soil and sand, and changing the destination makes it possible to reduce the impact of disturbances on productivity. In this embodiment, parts equivalent to those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

[0090] <Configuration of the second embodiment> The configuration of the vehicle management system 1 in this embodiment is entirely the same as that in the first embodiment, except for the processing content in the charging necessity determination unit 313 of the control device 31, which will be described later.

[0091] <Conveyor path configuration of the second embodiment> The configuration of the transport route assumed in this embodiment is shown in Fig. 11. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the vehicle 20 is traveling on the transport route 60 with the soil dump site 62A as the destination. It is assumed that there is a branch point connected to the soil dump site 62B on the travel route between the vehicle 20 and the soil dump site 62A. It is also assumed that the vehicle 20 is traveling in a direction away from the charging point. Here, in the following embodiment, the charging point is the parking lot 63 where the charging station 50-2 is installed, but this may be a part of the transport route 60 where the trolley overhead line 50-1 is installed.

[0092] <Details of the processing by the charge necessity determination unit of the control device> In the following, using Figures 12, 13A and 13B, the details of the process in which the control device 31 utilizes information on the amount of returned power and changes the dispatch instruction to another destination when it is predicted that the vehicle 20 will run out of power while traveling toward a destination will be described.

[0093] First, in the flowchart of Fig. 12, steps S601 to S604 are the same as those described in Fig. 6 of the first embodiment, and therefore the description will be omitted here. In the process of the control device 31 in Fig. 6, if the condition that the predicted battery remaining amount exceeds the feedback power amount is not satisfied at all points on the travel route in step S604, the destination is changed to a charging point, but in this embodiment, the subsequent process is different.

[0094] First, in step S1205, the charging necessity determination unit 313 calculates a battery remaining charge prediction value for a travel route toward a destination different from the current destination. Here, the destination different from the current destination is a dump site if the vehicle is loaded, or a loading site if the vehicle is unloaded, for example, the dump site 62B in the embodiment of FIG. 11.

[0095] 12, when the destination is a dump site, the destination where the load of the vehicle 20 can be dumped is the target for calculating the predicted battery remaining capacity. For example, when the load of the vehicle 20 is topsoil, the target is the destination where the topsoil can be dumped, and when the load is ore, the target is the destination where the ore can be dumped.

[0096] Next, in step S1206, the charging necessity determination unit 313 determines whether there is a destination where the predicted battery remaining amount value exceeds the return power amount at all points on the travel route. If there is a destination that satisfies the condition (S1206 / YES), the process proceeds to step S1207, where the destination of the target vehicle 20 is set to the destination that satisfies the condition in cooperation with the vehicle dispatch management unit 311. If there is no destination that satisfies the condition (S1206 / NO), the process proceeds to step S1208, where the destination of the target vehicle 20 is set to a charging point.

[0097] Then, in step S1209, the vehicle dispatch management unit 311 instructs the vehicle 20 via the wireless communication line 40 of the destination and the driving route.

[0098] Here, a specific example in which the above processing is effective will be shown with reference to Figs. 13A and 13B. Figs. 13A and 13B are graphs showing the relationship between the travel distance, the predicted battery remaining amount, and the return power amount for the vehicle 20 traveling from the current position toward the release point, with the horizontal axis showing the distance on the travel route toward the release site 62A and the release site 62B, respectively. Fig. 13A shows a situation in which the change in the battery remaining amount predicted on the travel route toward the release site 62A, which is the current destination, falls below the return power amount on the way. Therefore, since the condition in the judgment of step S604 is not satisfied and the vehicle 20 may run out of power, it is necessary to change the destination of the vehicle 20. In contrast, Fig. 13B shows a situation in which the change in the battery remaining amount predicted on the travel route toward the release site 62B, which is a destination different from the current one, exceeds the return power amount at all points. Therefore, in such a situation, if the destination of the vehicle 20 is changed to the release site 62B, the vehicle 20 can be prevented from running out of power.

[0099] <Effects of the second embodiment> In the second embodiment, when the destination of the vehicle 20 is changed from a specified destination to another destination, the control control device 31 (or the vehicle body control device 21) selects, as the other destination, from among each of the driving routes from the current position of the vehicle 20 to a plurality of candidate destinations that are candidates for the other destination, a destination candidate that corresponds to a driving route that does not include a point where the predicted amount of power in the storage device 29 falls below the return amount of power.

[0100] According to the second embodiment configured as described above, the control device 31 (or the vehicle body control device 21) predicts changes in the remaining battery charge of the power storage device 29 while the vehicle 20 is traveling on the transport route 60 including a charging point, and compares this with the amount of returned power at each point on the travel route. If it is predicted that the vehicle 20 will run out of power, it issues a dispatch instruction to change the destination to one of the candidate destinations different from the current one based on the loading condition, which is on the travel route where the vehicle 20 is predicted not to run out of power. This prevents the vehicle 20 from running out of power and makes it possible to continue the transport operation without returning to the charging point.

[0101] Furthermore, the control device 31 (or the vehicle body control device 21) in the second embodiment selects a plurality of destination candidates that are candidates for other destinations according to the type of cargo of the vehicle 20. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in productivity of the entire mine.

[0102] <Modification of the second embodiment> In this embodiment, the charging necessity determination unit 313 performs the process to immediately determine whether or not the destination is to be changed if the predicted battery remaining amount on the current driving route is predicted to fall below the return power amount at any point. However, the realization means of the present invention is not limited to this method. For example, when the destination is a dumping site, the vehicle 20 dumps soil at the dumping site, so that the return power amount at each point becomes smaller than the loaded state. Therefore, even if the predicted battery remaining amount is predicted to fall below the return power amount on the outbound route to the dumping site, if it is determined that the predicted battery remaining amount exceeds the return power amount with the reduced load on the return route from the dumping site, the vehicle 20 can continue traveling to the destination. In this way, the vehicle 20 does not run out of power, and there is no need to change the original dumping plan, making it possible to produce as planned. EXAMPLES

[0103] A third embodiment of the present invention will be described, focusing on the differences from the above-mentioned embodiments. In this embodiment, an example of operation in a case where a plurality of charging points exist on a transport path 60 on which a vehicle 20 travels will be described.

[0104] <Configuration of the third embodiment> The configuration of the vehicle management system 1 in this embodiment is entirely the same as that in the first embodiment, except for the processing content in the charging necessity determination unit 313 of the control device 31, which will be described later.

[0105] <Conveyor path configuration of the third embodiment> The configuration of the transport route assumed in this embodiment is shown in Fig. 14. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the vehicle 20 is traveling on the transport route 60 with the dump site 62 as the destination. The vehicle 20 is traveling in a direction away from the parking lot 63A, which is a charging point. In addition, it is assumed that there is a junction on the travel route between the vehicle 20 and the dump site 62, which is connected to the parking lot 63B, which is another charging point.

[0106] <Details of the processing by the charge necessity determination unit of the control device> The following describes in detail the process in which the control device 31 predicts a power shortage in the vehicle 20 and issues a dispatch instruction in consideration of the return power amounts related to a plurality of charging points.

[0107] First, in the flowchart of Fig. 15, steps S601 to S604 are the same as those described in Fig. 6 of the first embodiment, and therefore the description will be omitted here. In the process of the control device 31 in Fig. 6, if the condition that the predicted battery remaining amount exceeds the feedback power amount is not satisfied at all points on the travel route in step S604, the destination is changed to a charging point, but in this embodiment, the subsequent process is different.

[0108] First, in step S1505, the charging necessity determination unit 313 refers to map data and determines whether or not there is a charging point on a route different from the current route of the vehicle 20. If there is a charging point (S1505 / YES), the process proceeds to step S1506, and if there is no charging point (S1505 / NO), the process proceeds to step S1507.

[0109] Next, in step S1506, the charging necessity determination unit 313 determines whether the predicted battery remaining amount is greater than the return power amount for any charging point on a different route obtained in the previous step at each point on the current traveling route of the vehicle 20. Here, the return power amount for a charging point on a different route is the power consumption amount required for traveling the shortest route from each point on the traveling route of the vehicle 20 to the target charging point. For example, in the example of FIG. 14, the return power amount on the current traveling route of the vehicle 20 to the parking lot 63B, which is the charging point, is smallest at the junction and increases as the distance from the junction increases. In other words, from the current position of the vehicle 20 in FIG. 14, the return power amount for the parking lot 63B on the current traveling route decreases as the vehicle approaches the junction. In step S1506, if the predicted battery remaining amount on the traveling route always exceeds the return power amount for any charging point (S1506 / YES), the process returns to step S601. If the condition is not satisfied for any of the charging points (S1506 / NO), the process proceeds to step S1507.

[0110] Next, in step S1507, the charging necessity determination unit 313 cooperates with the vehicle allocation management unit 311 to set the destination of the target vehicle 20 to the charging point with the smallest return power amount from the current position. Then, in step S1508, the vehicle allocation management unit 311 instructs the vehicle 20 via the wireless communication line 40 of the destination and the driving route.

[0111] <Advantages of the third embodiment> In the third embodiment, when there are multiple charging points, including the charging point, on a driving route from a charging point to a specified destination or on a driving route branching off from the driving route, and there is a point on all driving routes to the multiple charging points where the predicted amount of power is less than the feedback amount of power, the control control device 31 (or the vehicle control device 21) selects the charging point among the multiple charging points with the smallest amount of feedback power as the other destination.

[0112] According to this embodiment configured as described above, the control device 31 (or the vehicle body control device 21) predicts changes in the remaining battery charge of the power storage device 29 while the vehicle 20 is traveling on the transport route 60 which has multiple charging points, and compares the predicted remaining battery charge value at each point on the travel route with the return power amount to the multiple charging points. If it is predicted that the vehicle 20 will run out of power, the destination of the vehicle 20 can be changed to the charging point with the smallest return power amount, thereby preventing the vehicle 20 from running out of power and also reducing the loss of power consumption, i.e., the cost, caused by returning to the charging point. EXAMPLES

[0113] A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described, focusing on the differences from the above-mentioned embodiments. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which a charging plan is adjusted in advance by utilizing actual data on an increase in power consumption due to disturbances that actually occurred when the vehicle 20 traveled along the transport path 60.

[0114] <Configuration of the Fourth Example> The configuration of the vehicle management system 1 in this embodiment is shown in Fig. 16. In this embodiment, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment, the traffic control device 31 includes a disturbance information management unit 315. All other components are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0115] The disturbance information management unit acquires information on the remaining battery charge of the power storage device 29 of the vehicle 20, and collects the amount of change in the remaining battery charge for each section of the transport route 60 and stores the collected data in the map data. In addition, in cooperation with the vehicle dispatch management unit, the disturbance information management unit instructs a charging plan for adjusting the amount of charge at the charging point of the vehicle 20.

[0116] An example of map data in this embodiment is shown in FIG. 17. In addition to the contents of the first embodiment, the map data includes information on the disturbance power consumption in each section. The disturbance power consumption is information that is estimated based on actual data on the power consumption required for normal driving in each section, as well as the additional power consumption generated due to various factors such as interactions with other vehicles, unplanned work, and the influence of road surface conditions, as described above. Note that in this embodiment, the disturbance power consumption is stored separately from the normal power consumption, but they may be stored together to store the power consumption in each section including the influence of disturbances.

[0117] <Details of the process for updating the disturbance power consumption of the control device> Below, we explain how to obtain the amount of disturbance power consumption from actual data and how to use this data to manage vehicle dispatch, including charging plans.

[0118] First, the process of updating the disturbance-induced power consumption amount in the control device 31 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

[0119] First, in step S1801, the disturbance information management unit 315 determines whether any vehicle 20 has passed through any section on the conveyance route 60. This determination can be made based on information on the order of the travel route included in the dispatch information set for the vehicle 20 and on the position information of the vehicle 20. If the vehicle 20 has not passed through any section (S1801 / NO), the process returns to the beginning. If the vehicle 20 has passed through any section (S1801 / YES), the process proceeds to step S1802.

[0120] Next, in step S1802, the disturbance information management unit 315 compares and obtains the difference between the power consumption on the map data of the target section and the actual power consumption of the target vehicle 20. The actual power consumption of the target vehicle 20 can be calculated, for example, by taking the difference between the remaining battery power of the vehicle 20 at the start and end of traveling in the target section.

[0121] Next, in step S1803, the disturbance information management unit 315 calculates an expected value of the disturbance power consumption in the target section by using the difference between the actual power consumption in the target section and the power consumption in the map data. For example, the expected value can be calculated by storing history information of the difference from the power consumption in the map data and taking the moving average.

[0122] Then, in step S1804, the disturbance information management unit 315 updates the disturbance power consumption amount of the map data with the value calculated in the previous step.

[0123] <Details of vehicle dispatch instruction processing that takes into account the amount of disturbance power consumption by the traffic control device> Next, the details of the process of vehicle dispatch instructions in consideration of the amount of disturbance power consumption in the control device 31 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0124] First, in step S1901, the vehicle allocation management unit 311 determines whether any vehicle 20 is requesting allocation to the next destination. If there is no vehicle 20 requesting allocation (S1901 / NO), the process returns to the beginning. If there is a vehicle 20 requesting allocation (S1901 / YES), the process proceeds to step S1902.

[0125] Next, in step S1902, the vehicle dispatch management unit 311, in cooperation with the disturbance information management unit 315, calculates the total value of the disturbance power consumption to the destination as the charging margin of the target travel route. Here, the destination and the travel route to the destination are determined taking into consideration the loading state of the vehicle 20 and the working state of the loading machine 10.

[0126] Next, in step S1903, the vehicle dispatch management unit 311 calculates a charging time that can ensure the required amount of charge for the target driving route, taking into account the charging speed of the power storage device 29 and including the charging margin calculated in the previous step.

[0127] Next, in step S1904, the vehicle dispatch management unit 311 determines a charging plan for charging points on the target driving route. The charging plan is information on charging time or driving speed at the charging points, and can be calculated by taking into account a charging margin for the original charging section linked to the target driving route.

[0128] Finally, in step S1905, the vehicle allocation management unit 311 instructs the vehicle 20 that has requested allocation of vehicle allocation information including the determined charging plan.

[0129] <Effects of the Fourth Embodiment> In the fourth embodiment, the control device 31 acquires information on actual power consumption, which is the amount of power actually consumed by the vehicle 20 in the power storage device 29 in each section of the driving route, estimates the amount of power required for driving along the driving route based on the information on the actual power consumption, determines a charging plan so that the amount of power to be charged at a charging point exceeds the amount of power required for the driving, and instructs the vehicle 20 to do so.

[0130] According to the fourth embodiment configured as described above, the control device 31 can obtain the amount of power consumption due to disturbances that actually occur when the vehicle 20 travels along the conveying route 60 and reflect this in the charging plan. This allows the charge amount to be secured in advance taking into account the amount of power consumption due to disturbances, and reduces the possibility of the vehicle 20 having to return to the charging point during travel, thereby suppressing the resulting decline in productivity.

[0131] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications are included. For example, the above-mentioned embodiments have been described in detail to easily explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those having all of the configurations described. In addition, it is possible to add a part of the configuration of one embodiment to the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to delete a part of the configuration of one embodiment, or to replace it with a part of another embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0132] 1...vehicle management system, 10...loading machine, 11...vehicle control device, 12...operation device, 13...drive device, 14...output device, 17...wireless communication device, 20...vehicle, 21...vehicle control device, 22...travel device, 23...position sensor, 24...speed sensor, 25...loading sensor, 26...operation device, 27...wireless communication device, 28...power receiving device, 29...power storage device, 30...control station, 31...control control device, 32...storage device, 33...wireless communication device, 34...input device, 40...wireless communication line, 41...wireless base station, 50...power supply device, 50-1...trolley overhead line, 5 0-2...charging station, 60...transport route, 61...loading area, 62, 62A, 62B...discharge area, 63, 63A, 63B...parking area, 70...satellite, 100...payload, 111...control information management unit, 112...loading stop determination unit, 113...drive control unit, 201...output device, 211...vehicle body status management unit, 212...control information management unit, 213...travel control unit, 311...vehicle dispatch management unit, 312...battery remaining capacity monitoring unit, 313...charging necessity determination unit, 314...load capacity upper limit indication unit, 315...disturbance information management unit, 321...vehicle dispatch information storage unit, 322...map data storage unit.

Claims

1. a power receiving device that receives power from a power supply device; a power storage device that stores the power received by the power receiving device; A position sensor for acquiring a position; A load sensor for acquiring a load; A vehicle equipped with a control device that acquires map data and sets a destination based on the map data, The control device includes: calculating, before the vehicle starts traveling along a travel route from a charging point, which is a point where the power supply device is provided, to a predetermined destination, a return energy amount that is an energy amount required for traveling from each point on the travel route to the charging point, based on the map data and the load amount; While the vehicle is traveling along the travel route toward the predetermined destination, a predicted amount of power that will be a remaining battery charge of the power storage device at each point on the travel route from a current position of the vehicle acquired by the position sensor to the predetermined destination is calculated; When there is a point on the travel route from the current position to the predetermined destination where the predicted power amount is lower than the return power amount, the destination of the vehicle is changed from the predetermined destination to another destination. A vehicle characterized by:

2. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, The other destination is the charging point. A vehicle characterized by:

3. 3. The vehicle according to claim 2, The control device issues a warning to encourage the vehicle to travel to the charging point when the vehicle travels along the travel route in a direction away from the charging point after changing the destination of the vehicle from the predetermined destination to the charging point. A vehicle characterized by:

4. 3. The vehicle according to claim 2, The control device limits a speed of the vehicle when the vehicle travels along the travel route in a direction away from the charging point after a destination of the vehicle is changed from the predetermined destination to the charging point. A vehicle characterized by:

5. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, When changing the destination of the vehicle from the predetermined destination to another destination, the control device selects, as the another destination, a destination candidate corresponding to a travel route that does not include a point at which the predicted power amount falls below the return power amount, from among each travel route from the current position to a plurality of destination candidate candidates that are candidates for the other destination. A vehicle characterized by:

6. 6. The vehicle according to claim 5, The control device selects the plurality of destination candidates according to a type of cargo of the vehicle. A vehicle characterized by:

7. 3. The vehicle according to claim 2, When a plurality of charging points including the charging point are present on the travel route or on a travel route branching off from the travel route, and a point at which the predicted power amount is less than the feedback power amount is present on all travel routes to the plurality of charging points, the control device selects, as the other destination, a charging point at which the feedback power amount is smallest among the plurality of charging points. A vehicle characterized by:

8. A storage device that stores map data; A vehicle management system including a control device that sets a destination of a vehicle based on the map data, The control device includes: calculating, before the vehicle starts traveling along a travel route from a charging point, which is a point where a power supply device is provided, to a predetermined destination, a return energy amount that is an amount of energy required for traveling from each point on the travel route to the charging point, based on the map data and a load amount of the vehicle; While the vehicle is traveling along the travel route toward the destination, a predicted amount of electric power that will be a remaining battery charge of a power storage device of the vehicle at each point on the travel route from a current position of the vehicle to the predetermined destination is calculated; When there is a point on the travel route from the current position to the predetermined destination where the predicted power amount is lower than the return power amount, the destination of the vehicle is changed from the predetermined destination to another destination. A vehicle management system comprising:

9. The vehicle management system according to claim 8, The other destination is the charging point. A vehicle management system comprising:

10. The vehicle management system according to claim 9, When the vehicle travels along the travel route in a direction away from the charging point after the destination of the vehicle is changed from the predetermined destination to the charging point, the control device issues a warning to the vehicle to prompt the vehicle to travel to the charging point. A vehicle management system comprising:

11. The vehicle management system according to claim 9, The control device instructs the vehicle to limit its speed when the vehicle travels along the travel route in a direction away from the charging point after the destination of the vehicle is changed from the predetermined destination to the charging point. A vehicle management system comprising:

12. The vehicle management system according to claim 8, When changing the destination of the vehicle from the predetermined destination to another destination, the control device selects, as the another destination, a destination candidate corresponding to a travel route that does not include a point at which the predicted power amount falls below the return power amount, from among each travel route from the current position to a plurality of destination candidates that are candidates for the other destination. A vehicle management system comprising:

13. The vehicle management system according to claim 12, The control device selects the plurality of destination candidates according to a type of cargo of the vehicle. A vehicle management system comprising:

14. The vehicle management system according to claim 9, When a plurality of charging points including the charging point are present on the travel route or on a travel route branching off from the travel route, and a point at which the predicted power amount is less than the feedback power amount is present on all travel routes to the plurality of charging points, the control device selects, as the other destination, a charging point at which the feedback power amount is smallest among the plurality of charging points. A vehicle management system comprising:

15. The vehicle management system according to claim 8, The control device determines a load capacity upper limit value that is an upper limit of a load capacity at which the amount of feedback power falls below the amount of charge of the power storage device when the loading machine starts loading work on the vehicle, and instructs the loading machine to determine the load capacity upper limit value. A vehicle management system comprising:

16. The vehicle management system according to claim 15, The control device issues a warning to the loading machine to prompt the loading operation to be stopped when the load of the vehicle exceeds a warning threshold value set lower than the load upper limit value. A vehicle management system comprising:

17. The vehicle management system according to claim 8, The control device acquires information on actual power consumption, which is the amount of power actually consumed by the vehicle in each section of the travel route, estimates the amount of power required for travel along the travel route based on the information on the actual power consumption, determines a charging plan so that the amount of power to be charged at the charging point exceeds the amount of power required for the travel, and instructs the vehicle to charge the vehicle. A vehicle management system comprising:

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