Operation management system, management device, method, and program

Abstract

To efficiently modify an operation plan without directly detecting factors that interfere with the operation on the line of flow.SOLUTION: An operation management system 100 includes a plurality of mobile devices 30 and a management device 10 that manages the operation of each of the plurality of mobile devices 30. The management device 10 formulates an operation plan for each of the plurality of mobile devices and transmits it to each of the mobile devices 30, obtains status information of the mobile devices 30 from each of the mobile devices 30, and when it is determined that the operation plan needs to be revised based on the difference between the operation results indicated by the status information and the operation plan, revises the time when the mobile devices pass each routing point and transmits it to each of the mobile devices 30. Each of the mobile devices 30 controls the operation of the mobile devices based on the operation plan and the revised information transmitted from the management unit 10, and obtains the status information of its own device and transmits it to the management unit 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an operation management system, a management device, a management method, and a management program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a control device has been proposed that appropriately changes the operation mode of an article transfer mechanism in response to the occurrence of an event without stopping the article transfer mechanism such as a cargo handling robot or an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle). This control device includes an operation plan modification means and a control means. The operation plan modification means formulates an operation plan by setting a plurality of waypoints including the start point and the end point of the route of the article transfer mechanism during the movement of the article, and the passing time when the article transfer mechanism passes through each waypoint. Further, this control device formulates a modified operation plan in which the passing time is delayed or advanced without changing the waypoint among the set values of the formulated operation plan to modify the operation plan. The control means operates the article transfer mechanism based on the presence or absence of a factor that hinders the operation on the route. At that time, when there is no factor, the control means controls the operation of the article transfer mechanism according to the operation plan, and when there is a factor, the operation plan modification means is made to formulate a modified operation plan, and the operation of the article transfer mechanism is controlled according to the modified operation plan (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above prior art, after determining the presence or absence of factors that interfere with the operation on the traffic line, the operation plan is corrected. Therefore, in the prior art, it is difficult to correct the operation plan for the delay or advance of the mobile machine with respect to the operation plan due to the accuracy of the inference model used for formulating the operation plan, and the delay of the mobile machine based on factors that are difficult to detect by sensors.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to efficiently correct the operation plan without directly detecting factors that interfere with the operation on the traffic line.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] The operation management system according to the present disclosure is an operation management system including a management device that manages the operation of each of a plurality of mobile machines and the plurality of mobile machines. The management device formulates an operation plan including the time when each of the plurality of mobile machines passes through each waypoint for each of the plurality of mobile machines, and a formulation unit that transmits the operation plan formulated for each of the plurality of mobile machines; acquires state information indicating the state of the mobile machine including at least the position of the mobile machine at each time from each of the plurality of mobile machines, and determines whether it is necessary to correct the operation plan based on the difference between the operation actual result of the mobile machine indicated by the acquired state information and the operation plan; and a correction unit that creates correction information obtained by correcting the time when the mobile machine passes through each waypoint when it is determined that the correction of the operation plan is necessary, and transmits the created correction information to each of the plurality of mobile machines. The mobile machine includes an acquisition unit that acquires the operation plan and the correction information transmitted from the management device, a control unit that controls the operation of the mobile machine based on the operation plan and the correction information, and a transmission unit that acquires the state information indicating the state of its own machine and transmits the acquired state information to the management device.

[0007] The management device according to the present disclosure includes: a formulation unit that formulates an operation plan including the time when each of a plurality of mobile machines passes through each waypoint, and transmits the formulated operation plan to each of the plurality of mobile machines; a determination unit that acquires state information indicating the state of each of the plurality of mobile machines, including at least the position of the mobile machine at each time, from each of the plurality of mobile machines, and determines whether it is necessary to correct the operation plan based on the difference between the operation results of the mobile machines indicated by the acquired state information and the operation plan; and a correction unit that creates correction information in which the time when the mobile machine passes through each waypoint is corrected when it is determined that the correction of the operation plan is necessary, and transmits the created correction information to each of the plurality of mobile machines.

[0008] The management method according to the present disclosure is a method in which a computer executes a process of formulating an operation plan including the time when each of a plurality of mobile machines passes through each waypoint for each of the plurality of mobile machines, transmitting the formulated operation plan to each of the plurality of mobile machines, acquiring state information indicating the state of each of the plurality of mobile machines, including at least the position of the mobile machine at each time, from each of the plurality of mobile machines, determining whether it is necessary to correct the operation plan based on the difference between the operation results of the mobile machines indicated by the acquired state information and the operation plan, creating correction information in which the time when the mobile machine passes through each waypoint is corrected when it is determined that the correction of the operation plan is necessary, and transmitting the created correction information to each of the plurality of mobile machines.

[0009] The management program according to the present disclosure causes a computer to formulate an operation plan including the time when each of a plurality of mobile machines passes through each waypoint for each of the plurality of mobile machines, and transmit the formulated operation plan to each of the plurality of mobile machines; acquire state information indicating the state of each of the plurality of mobile machines, including at least the position of the mobile machine at each time, from each of the plurality of mobile machines; determine whether it is necessary to correct the operation plan based on the difference between the operation record of the mobile machine indicated by the acquired state information and the operation plan; and, when it is determined that it is necessary to correct the operation plan, function as a correction unit that creates correction information in which the time when the mobile machine passes through each waypoint is corrected, and transmits the created correction information to each of the plurality of mobile machines.

Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the operation management system, management device, method, and program according to the present disclosure, the operation plan can be efficiently corrected without directly detecting factors that interfere with the operation on the flow line.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each of the drawings, the same or equivalent components and parts are given the same reference numerals. Also, the dimensions and ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation and may be different from the actual ratios.

[0013] <First Embodiment> As shown in FIG. 1, the operation management system 100 according to the first embodiment includes a management device 10 and a plurality of mobile devices 30. Each of the management device 10 and the mobile device 30 is communicably connected to each other via a network.

[0014] The management device 10 is realized by an information processing device such as a server device or a personal computer.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the management device 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the management device 10 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 12, a memory 14, a storage device 16, an input device 18, an output device 20, a storage medium reader 22, and a communication I / F (Interface) 24. Each configuration is communicably connected to each other via a bus 26.

[0016] The storage device 16 stores a management program for executing the management device side processing described later. The CPU 12 is a central arithmetic processing unit that executes various programs and controls each configuration. That is, the CPU 12 reads a program from the storage device 16 and executes the program using the memory 14 as a work area. The CPU 12 performs control of the above-described respective configurations and various arithmetic processes according to the program stored in the storage device 16.

[0017] The memory 14 is composed of a RAM (Random Access Memory) and temporarily stores programs and data as a working area. The storage device 16 is composed of a ROM (Read Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), etc., and stores various programs including an operating system and various data.

[0018] The input device 18 is a device for performing various inputs, such as a keyboard and a mouse. The output device 20 is a device for outputting various information, such as a display and a printer. By adopting a touch panel display as the output device 20, it may function as the input device 18.

[0019] The storage medium reader / writer 22 reads data stored in various storage media such as a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM, a Blu-ray Disc, and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, and writes data to the storage medium. The communication I / F 24 is an interface for communicating with other devices, and for example, standards such as Ethernet (registered trademark), FDDI, and Wi-Fi (registered trademark) are used.

[0020] The mobile unit 30 is, for example, an AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot), an AGV, etc.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the mobile device 30. As shown in FIG. 3, the mobile device 30 includes a CPU 32 similar to the CPU 12, a memory 34, a storage device 36, a storage medium reader 42, and a communication I / F 44, which are the hardware configuration of the management device 10. The storage device 36 stores a mobile device program for executing the mobile device side processing described later. Further, the mobile device 30 includes a drive mechanism 38 and a sensor 40. Each component is communicably connected to each other via a bus 46.

[0022] The drive mechanism 38 is a mechanism such as a motor, a power source such as a battery, a transmission, and tires for running and operating the mobile device 30. The sensor 40 detects the state of the mobile device such as its position, attitude, speed, and acceleration, and includes, for example, a gyro sensor, a speed sensor, a camera, etc.

[0023] Next, the functional configurations of the management device 10 and the mobile device 30 will be described. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configurations of the management device 10 and the mobile device 30.

[0024] First, the functional configuration of the management device 10 will be described.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 4, the management device 10 includes, as functional configurations, a planning unit 52, a determination unit 54, and a correction unit 56. Each functional configuration is realized by the CPU 12 reading out the management program stored in the storage device 16, expanding it in the memory 14, and executing it.

[0026] The planning unit 52 formulates an operation plan including the time when each of the plurality of mobile devices 30 passes through each waypoint, and transmits the formulated operation plan to each of the plurality of mobile devices 30. Specifically, the planning unit 52 formulates an operation plan by MAPF (Multi Agent Path Finding). The planning unit 52 may use any solver that handles the MAPF problem, such as CCBS (Continuous Conflict-Based Search), as the algorithm for the operation plan.

[0027] More specifically, when a job to be executed by the plurality of mobile devices 30 is input from the upper system, the planning unit 52 formulates an operation plan using the map data stored in the storage device 16. The map data is defined as an actual map as shown in the upper figure of FIG. 5 for the range where the job is executed. The actual map includes a plurality of areas and a plurality of waypoints. The area includes a moving path including one or more lanes and an open space where the mobile device 30 can move arbitrarily. The open space and the moving path are connected via a waypoint. Also, the waypoint includes something corresponding to a goal where the mobile device 30 performs work in the open space. In the example of FIG. 5, the area is represented by a polygon and the waypoint is represented by a circle, and the identification information (ID) of the area and the waypoint is shown inside each. In the example of FIG. 5, the area ID when the area is a moving path is a combination of "e" and a number, the area ID when the area is an open space is a combination of "o (oh)" and a number, and the waypoint ID is represented by a number.

[0028] The planning unit 52 uses a graph map obtained by converting the actual map as shown in the upper figure of FIG. 5 as shown in the lower figure of FIG. 5. The graph map is composed of nodes corresponding to the waypoints of the actual map and edges connecting the nodes. Each edge is associated with the time required for the mobile device 30 to pass through the edge during steady driving (for example, driving at the maximum speed). That is, the graph map functions as a required time model used for formulating the operation plan.

[0029] In addition, in the present embodiment, the planning unit 52 formulates an operation plan having a data structure as shown in FIG. 6. In the example of FIG. 6, passing through one area is expressed as one action, and the operation plan is expressed as a series of these actions. An action includes the waypoint ID of the waypoint that is the initial position for that action, the area ID of the area passed through in that action, and the start time of that action. In the example of FIG. 6, the waypoint ID is represented by a combination of "n" and a number. In the middle part of FIG. 6, an example of the operation plan for each of the mobile machines a1 and a2 is shown. In addition, each action is assigned an action ID.

[0030] In addition, in order to facilitate the search focusing on a certain location, the planning unit 52 converts the operation plan into a data structure of a passage history for each area indicating which mobile machine 30 exists with respect to the time axis, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 6. Information on the number of mobile machines 30 that can exist in the area at the same time is associated with each area. For example, in the example of FIG. 6, area e1 represents a moving path including two lanes, and area o5 represents an open space with a capacity of 1.

[0031] In addition, when the planning unit 52 is notified of a replanning trigger (details will be described later) from the determination unit 54, the planning unit 52 executes replanning of the operation plan including a new route search. At this time, the planning unit 52 executes replanning of the operation plan according to the latest situation based on the status information (details will be described later) transmitted from each of the plurality of mobile machines 30.

[0032] When replanning the operation plan, there is a problem that the mobile machine 30 moves during the calculation time of the operation plan and is no longer at the location given as the odometry at the start of the operation plan, so the initial position of the mobile machine 30 in the operation plan deviates between the plan and the actual result. This problem does not occur when the speed of the mobile machine 30 is slow enough, the calculation time of the operation plan is short enough, and the moving distance of the mobile machine 30 during the calculation time of the operation plan is not so long. However, especially in the case of a multi-agent operation plan problem where a long calculation time for the operation plan is required, this initial position deviation problem is likely to occur.

[0033] To address this problem, the planning unit 52 formulates an operation plan such that the transfer machine 30 operates according to the operation plan before replanning for Tp seconds from the current time when the replanning trigger is notified. Here, Tp is a constant specified by a parameter, and it is assumed that the maximum value of the calculation time of the operation plan is estimated and specified. As a result, if the calculation of the operation plan is completed within Tp seconds, it is guaranteed that there will be no discrepancy between the operation plan followed by the transfer machine 30 and the operation plan transmitted from the planning unit 52.

[0034] This will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 7. Among the current operation plans as shown in FIG. 7(1), the currently executing action is indicated by "current". The currently executing action is managed based on the state information acquired from the transfer machine 30. As shown in FIG. 7(2), the planning unit 52 specifies the action Tp seconds after current as the start position of the replanning of the operation plan ("plan start" in FIG. 7). As shown by A in FIG. 7(2), the action being executed Tp seconds after current is completed, and the next action is specified as the start position of the replanning. The planning unit 52 deletes the executed actions. Further, as shown in FIG. 7(3), the planning unit 52 creates job information for replanning in which the job information of the actions from current to before the start position is updated to completed. Further, the planning unit 52 formulates an operation plan after the start position based on the job information for replanning and the information on the start position of the replanning. Then, as shown in FIG. 7(4), the planning unit 52 combines the actions from current to before the start position and the operation plan after the start position that has been formulated to obtain the operation plan after replanning.

[0035] On the side of the mobile unit 30, it does not always follow the operation plan until the operation plan is re-established due to errors in the required time model or delays or advances caused by disturbances. Therefore, the mobile unit 30 sets, as the action to start referring to the operation plan, an action among the actions included in the operation plan that includes the current position of the mobile unit 30. By such inheritance of the operation plan, even when the calculation time of the operation plan is long, it is possible to avoid collisions between the mobile units 30 without interrupting the operation plan correction process described later.

[0036] Further, the planning unit 52 may also re-establish the operation plan when an addition or cancellation of a job occurs, when the required time model is updated by updating information such as passability and traffic jam information, when the mobile unit 30 breaks down and cannot operate normally, and the like.

[0037] The determination unit 54 acquires state information indicating the state of each of the plurality of mobile units 30, including at least the position of the mobile unit 30, at each time from each of the mobile units 30. The determination unit 54 determines whether it is necessary to correct the operation plan based on the difference between the operation record of the mobile unit 30 indicated by the acquired state information and the operation plan formulated by the planning unit 52. The state information may include, in addition to the position of the mobile unit 30, the attitude, speed, acceleration, odometry information, etc. of the mobile unit 30. The state information may include, as time information corresponding to the state information, the time when these information were measured by the mobile unit 30 and the transmission time when the state information is transmitted from the mobile unit 30. Also, the time information may not be included in the state information. In this case, when the determination unit 54 acquires the state information, time information may be added to the state information. For example, the reception time when the state information transmitted from the mobile unit 30 is received by the management device 10 may be used as a substitute.

[0038] Specifically, when the difference between the operation record and the operation plan is equal to or greater than the threshold TH1, the determination unit 54 determines that it is necessary to correct the operation plan and notifies the correction unit 56 of a correction trigger. Also, when the difference between the operation record and the operation plan is equal to or greater than a threshold TH2 that is greater than the threshold TH1, the determination unit determines that the operation plan needs to be re-established and notifies the planning unit 52 of a re-establishment trigger.

[0039] An example of an operation plan in a range schematically represented by an actual map as shown in the upper part of FIG. 8 will be used for more specific explanation. In FIG. 8, the area representing the movement path is a solid-line square, the area representing the open space is a dashed-line square, and the waypoints are represented by circles. The waypoint ID is also noted in the circle indicating the waypoint. The same applies to each of the following figures. Also, hereinafter, the waypoint with waypoint ID = i will be referred to as "waypoint i", and the area with area ID = j will be referred to as "area j".

[0040] The determination unit 54 acquires the state information at regular time intervals, and specifies the time of the state information when the position of the mover 30 corresponds to any of the waypoints as the actual value of the passing time of that waypoint. The association between the position of the mover 30 and the waypoint may be performed by referring to the map data. Also, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 8, the determination unit 54 associates, for each waypoint, the actual value of the specified passing time with the planned value of the passing time of the corresponding waypoint in the operation plan.

[0041] When the threshold TH1 = 6 seconds, in the case of the example in the lower part of FIG. 8, at waypoint 1, the difference between the actual value and the planned value is 5 seconds, which is smaller than TH1, so the correction trigger does not occur. At waypoint 2, the difference between the actual value and the planned value is 6 seconds, which is equal to or greater than TH1, so the correction trigger occurs. Also, when the threshold TH2 = 10 seconds, in the case of the example in the upper part of FIG. 9, at waypoint 2, the difference between the actual value and the planned value is 10 seconds, which is equal to or greater than TH2, so the replanning trigger occurs. In this case, the planning unit 52 performs replanning of the operation plan, and as shown in the lower part of FIG. 9, the operation plan held on the mover 30 side is updated.

[0042] When the correction unit 56 needs to correct the operation plan, that is, when it is notified of a correction trigger from the determination unit 54, it creates correction information that corrects the time when the mobile unit 30 passes each waypoint, and transmits the created correction information to each of the plurality of mobile units 30. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the correction unit 56 calculates the passing time of each waypoint using a non-steady running time model based on the state information such as the position, speed, and attitude of the mobile unit 30 transmitted from the mobile unit 30. The non-steady running time model may be a machine learning model trained in advance, or a calculation formula using the state information as a parameter. The correction unit 56 may calculate the passing times of all waypoints after a predetermined number of waypoints after the waypoint where the correction trigger occurred (for example, the next waypoint, the next next waypoint, etc.), or may calculate the passing times of some waypoints after a predetermined number of waypoints after the waypoint. As shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 11, for waypoints for which the passing time is not calculated, no correction may be made.

[0043] The correction unit 56 associates the calculated passing time with the waypoint ID of the corresponding waypoint as correction information and transmits it to the mobile unit 30. Note that the correction information may be the calculated passing time itself, or may be an offset value from the original operation plan. Also, the correction information may be the passing times of all waypoints after the waypoint where the correction trigger occurred, or may be only the passing time of the waypoint for which the correction was made. Thereby, on the mobile unit 30 side, as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 11, in the operation plan, the passing time of the waypoint that needs to be corrected is corrected (the portion indicated by shading).

[0044] In addition, when two or more mobile units 30 enter the same area, the correction unit 56 calculates the passing time of the waypoint that is the entrance to the same area so as to satisfy the conditions for avoiding interference between two or more mobile units 30 in the same area.

[0045] For example, as shown in the upper figure of FIG. 12, for the area e1 which is a one-lane moving path, the generation of interference avoidance conditions in the case of the moving machines a1 and a2 traveling in a queue without overtaking and the moving machine a3 trying to enter from the opposite side of the area e1 will be described. First, as shown in the lower figure of FIG. 12, for all the moving machines 30, the following required time relationships TTE (Travel Time Estimate) 1, TTE2, and TTE3 must hold.

[0046] TTE1: t1 + tte(e1, a2) ≤ t3 TTE2: t2 + tte(e1, a1) ≤ t4 TTE3: t5 + tte(e1, a3) ≤ t3

[0047] In the above, "tte(area, moving machine)" (for example, tte(e1, a2)) is the minimum required time when the moving machine 30 (for example, the moving machine a2) passes through the area (for example, the area e1). The reason why TTE is in the form of an inequality condition is that it is assumed that the moving machine 30 is allowed to run as slowly as possible.

[0048] Next, as interference avoidance conditions, the following COA (Collision Avoidance) 1, COA2, and COA3 must hold.

[0049] COA1: t1 + tc ≤ t2 COA2: t3 + tc ≤ t4 COA3: t4 + tc ≤ t5

[0050] Since the moving machines a1 and a2 are traveling in a queue without overtaking, the order in which the moving machines a1 and a2 enter the area e1 and the order in which they exit the area e1 must be the same. The conditions representing this are COA1 and COA2. COA3 is a condition representing that the time when the moving machine a3 enters the area e1 must be greater than the time when the moving machine a1, which exits the area e1 last, exits. tc is the time defining the minimum value of the inter-vehicle distance for interference avoidance.

[0051] For an optimization problem satisfying these conditions, when the total number of actions of all movers 30 is N, the number of times the action time information is updated is at most N times. Also, since multi-threading is possible as needed, the update operation can be completed in a very short time after a modification to the operation plan is requested.

[0052] For example, as shown in FIG. 13, assume that a delay occurs in mover a1, and when mover a1 passes through waypoint 3, the difference between the planned value and the actual value becomes equal to or greater than threshold TH1, and a correction trigger is generated. Due to this delay of mover a1, there is a possibility that mover a1 traveling in the order of waypoint 3 → waypoint 4 and mover a2 traveling in the order of waypoint 9 → waypoint 10 may enter the same area o1. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14, since the influence of the delay of mover a1 also affects mover a2, the correction unit 56 corrects the passing times of the waypoints for both mover a1 and mover a2 according to the above conditions.

[0053] Next, the functional configuration of the mover 30 will be described.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 4, the mover 30 includes, as a functional configuration, an acquisition unit 62, a control unit 64, and a transmission unit 66. Also, an operation plan DB (database) 68 is stored in a predetermined storage area of the mover 30. Each functional configuration is realized by the CPU 32 reading out the mover-side program stored in the storage device 36 and expanding and executing it in the memory 34.

[0055] The acquisition unit 62 acquires the operation plan transmitted from the management device 10 and stores it in the operation plan DB 68. Also, when the acquisition unit 62 acquires the correction information transmitted from the management device 10, it corrects the operation plan stored in the operation plan DB 68 based on the acquired correction information. Specifically, the acquisition unit 62 corrects the action start time of an action having the waypoint indicated by the correction information as the initial position waypoint to the passing time indicated by the correction information.

[0056] The control unit 64 controls the operation of the mobile unit 30 based on the operation plan stored in the operation plan DB 68. Specifically, it is assumed that the storage device 36 of the mobile unit 30 stores map data and a waypoint list regarding the travel area of the own vehicle. The control unit 64 uses the information detected by the sensor 40 to estimate the position of the own vehicle at each time, and refers to the map data and the waypoint list to control the drive mechanism 38 so that the mobile unit 30 travels according to the operation plan.

[0057] The transmission unit 66 acquires state information such as the speed and acceleration detected by the sensor 40, the position of the own vehicle estimated by the control unit 64, and the odometry obtained from the position of the own vehicle at each time, and transmits the acquired state information to the management device 10.

[0058] Next, the operation of the operation management system 100 according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0059] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the flow of the management device side processing executed by the CPU 12 of the management device 10. When a job is input from the upper system to the management device 10, the CPU 12 reads the management program from the storage device 16, expands it in the memory 14, and executes it. As a result, the CPU 12 functions as each functional configuration of the management device 10, and the management device side processing shown in FIG. 15 is executed. Note that the management device side processing is an example of the management method of the present disclosure.

[0060] In step S10, the planning unit 52 formulates an operation plan for each mobile unit 30. Next, in step S12, the planning unit 52 transmits the formulated operation plan to each mobile unit 30. Next, in step S14, the determination unit 54 acquires the state information of each mobile unit 30 transmitted from each mobile unit 30. Next, in step S16, the determination unit 54 calculates the difference between the actual value of the passing time of the waypoint indicated by the state information and the planned value of the passing time of the corresponding waypoint in the operation plan.

[0061] Next, in step S18, the determination unit 54 determines whether the calculated difference is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH2. If the difference is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH2, the determination unit 54 notifies the re-planning unit 52 of the re-planning trigger and proceeds to step S26. If the difference is less than the threshold value TH2, the process proceeds to step S20. In step S20, the determination unit 54 determines whether the calculated difference is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH1. Note that TH1 < TH2. If the difference is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH1, the determination unit 54 notifies the correction unit 56 of the correction trigger and proceeds to step S22. If the difference is less than the threshold value TH1, the process proceeds to step S30.

[0062] In step S22, based on the state information acquired in step S14 above, the correction unit 56 calculates the passing time of each waypoint using the required time model for non-steady running, and creates correction information in association with the waypoint ID of the corresponding waypoint. Next, in step S24, the correction unit 56 transmits the created correction information to each mobile unit 30 and proceeds to step S30.

[0063] On the other hand, in step S26, the planning unit 52 re-plans the operation plan based on the latest information using the state information acquired in step S14 above. Next, in step S28, the planning unit 52 transmits the re-planned operation plan to each mobile unit 30 and proceeds to step S30.

[0064] In step S30, the determination unit 54 determines whether to end the operation of the mobile unit 30 based on the operation plan, for example, by determining whether a signal indicating completion of operation has been received from all mobile units 30. If the operation is not ended, the process returns to step S14. If the operation is ended, the management device side process ends.

[0065] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the flow of the mobile unit side process executed by the CPU 32 of the mobile unit 30. When the power of the mobile unit 30 is turned on, the CPU 32 reads the mobile unit side program from the storage device 36, expands it in the memory 34, and executes it, whereby the CPU 32 functions as each functional configuration of the mobile unit 30, and the mobile unit side process shown in FIG. 16 is executed.

[0066] In step S40, the acquisition unit 62 determines whether it has acquired the operation plan transmitted from the management device 10. If the operation plan has been acquired, the acquisition unit 62 stores the acquired operation plan in the operation plan DB 68 and proceeds to step S42. If the operation plan has not been acquired, the determination in this step is repeated.

[0067] In step S42, the control unit 64 causes the mobile unit 30 to travel toward the next waypoint based on the operation plan stored in the operation plan DB 68. Next, in step S44, the control unit 64 determines whether the mobile unit 30 has arrived at the final destination indicated by the operation plan. If it has not arrived at the final destination, the process proceeds to step S46.

[0068] In step S46, the transmission unit 66 acquires state information such as the speed and acceleration detected by the sensor 40, the position of the own vehicle estimated by the control unit 64, and the odometry obtained from the position of the own vehicle at each time, and transmits the acquired state information to the management device 10.

[0069] Next, in step S48, the acquisition unit 62 determines whether it has acquired the correction information or the re-planned operation plan transmitted from the management device 10. If the correction information or the operation plan has been acquired, the process proceeds to step S50. If neither has been acquired, the process returns to step S42.

[0070] In step S50, if the acquisition unit 62 has acquired the correction information transmitted from the management device 10, it corrects the operation plan stored in the operation plan DB 68 based on the acquired correction information. If the acquisition unit 62 has acquired the operation plan transmitted from the management device 10, it updates the operation plan stored in the operation plan DB 68 with the acquired operation plan and returns to step S42.

[0071] On the other hand, when returning to step S42 and it is determined in the next step S44 that the final destination has been reached, the process proceeds to step S52. In step S52, the transmission unit 66 transmits the completion of the operation to the management device 10, and the processing on the mobile unit side ends.

[0072] As described above, the operation management system according to the first embodiment includes a management device that manages the operation of each of a plurality of mobile machines, and the plurality of mobile machines. The management device formulates an operation plan including the time when each mobile machine passes through each waypoint for each of the plurality of mobile machines, and transmits the formulated operation plan to each of the plurality of mobile machines. The mobile machine acquires the operation plan transmitted from the management device, and controls the operation of the mobile machine based on the operation plan. Further, the mobile machine acquires state information including at least its own position at each time, and transmits it to the management device. The management device acquires state information from each of the plurality of mobile machines, and determines whether it is necessary to correct the operation plan based on the difference between the operation result of the mobile machine indicated by the acquired state information and the operation plan. Further, when it is determined that correction is necessary, the management device creates correction information in which the time when the mobile machine passes through each waypoint is corrected, and transmits the created correction information to each of the plurality of mobile machines.

[0073] In this way, the management device according to the present embodiment corrects only the passing time of each waypoint in the operation plan triggered by the deviation between the operation result and the operation plan. Therefore, without directly detecting factors that interfere with the operation on the route, and even when there is a deviation between the operation of the mobile machine and the operation plan due to factors other than those detectable by the sensor, it is possible to efficiently correct the operation plan to avoid deadlocks and collisions. That is, in the present embodiment, means for detecting factors that interfere with the operation on the route is not required. Further, since the operation plan is partially corrected, the calculation process is fast. Further, since the operation plan can be corrected for delays or advances due to various factors during the operation of the mobile machine, the work efficiency of the plurality of mobile machines can be improved.

[0074] <Second Embodiment> Next, the second embodiment will be described. In the operation management system according to the second embodiment, the same components as those of the operation management system 100 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 1, the operation management system 200 according to the second embodiment includes a management device 210 and a plurality of mobile machines 30. Each of the management device 210 and the mobile machine 30 is communicably connected to each other via a network.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 4, the management device 210 includes, as a functional configuration, a planning unit 252, a determination unit 254, and a correction unit 256.

[0077] The planning unit 252 formulates operation management including the work by the mobile machine 30 at a predetermined waypoint that is the goal. The work is, for example, a loading / unloading work of luggage or the like. The planning unit 252 formulates an operation plan using the average value of the work time in past similar works as the reference work time. For example, the planning unit 252 formulates an operation plan including an action in which the work start time is associated with the waypoint ID of the waypoint that is the goal, and an action in which the work completion time obtained by adding the reference work time to the work start time is associated with the waypoint ID.

[0078] The determination unit 254 predicts the work completion time from the progress rate of the work based on the acquired state information, and determines that the operation plan needs to be corrected when the predicted completion time exceeds the work completion time formulated in the operation plan.

[0079] For example, the determination unit 254 calculates the progress rate based on which step is currently being executed out of the total number of operation steps defined for executing the work. Information on which step is currently being executed may be acquired from the mobile machine 30 as state information. Also, for example, the progress rate may be predicted using a machine learning model that has been trained in advance to output the progress rate with the state information as input. Then, the determination unit 254 divides the elapsed time from the start of the work to the current time by the progress rate to predict the work completion time.

[0080] The correction unit 256 creates correction information using the work completion time predicted by the determination unit 254.

[0081] A more specific explanation will be given using the example of Fig. 17. In the example of Fig. 17, at the waypoint (goal) 7 included in the area o2, the transporter a1 performs loading and unloading operations, and then the transporter a2 also performs loading and unloading operations at the same waypoint 7. When the standard operation time of this loading and unloading operation is 10 seconds, as shown by the thick frame part in the lower figure of Fig. 17, the operation plan is formulated such that the difference in passing times associated with the two waypoint IDs = 7 is 10 seconds.

[0082] In this example, as shown in the upper figure of Fig. 18, the operation of the transporter a2 starts after the operation of the transporter a1 is completed. Therefore, if a delay occurs in the operation of the transporter a1, the impact will also affect the transporter a2. As shown in the lower figure of Fig. 18, the correction unit 256 creates correction information for the transporter a1 based on the predicted operation completion time based on the progress rate, and also creates correction information for the transporter a2 so that the operation starts after the operation of the transporter a1 is completed.

[0083] Since the hardware configuration of the management device 210 is the same as the hardware configuration of the management device 10 according to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the description is omitted. Also, since the transporter 30 is the same as in the first embodiment, the description is omitted.

[0084] Next, the operation of the operation management system 200 according to the second embodiment will be described.

[0085] Also in the second embodiment, in the management device 210, the management device side processing shown in Fig. 15 is executed, and in the transporter 30, the transporter side processing shown in Fig. 16 is executed.

[0086] However, in steps S10 and S26 of the management device side processing, an operation plan including operations at a predetermined waypoint that is the goal is formulated. Also, in step S16, calculating the difference between the predicted operation completion time predicted from the progress rate and the operation completion time of the operation plan for the operation completion time is also included. Also, in step S22, creating correction information using the predicted operation completion time is also included.

[0087] As described above, in the operation management system according to the second embodiment, regarding the work of the mobile machine at a predetermined waypoint such as the loading and unloading work of the luggage by the mobile machine, the operation plan is also corrected based on the difference between the planned value and the actual value. As a result, even if there is a delay or an advance in the work such as loading and unloading, the operation management can be efficiently corrected so as to avoid competition with other mobile machines.

[0088] <Third Embodiment> Next, the third embodiment will be described. In the operation management system according to the third embodiment, for the same configuration as the operation management system 100 according to the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given and the detailed description is omitted.

[0089] As shown in FIG. 1, the operation management system 300 according to the third embodiment includes a management device 310, a mobile machine serving as a master machine (hereinafter referred to as "master mobile machine") 330A, and a plurality of mobile machines serving as slave machines (hereinafter referred to as "slave mobile machines") 330B. When the master mobile machine 330A and the slave mobile machines 330B are described without distinction, they are simply referred to as "mobile machines 330". Each of the management device 310 and the mobile machines 330 is connected to be communicable with each other via a network.

[0090] Next, the functional configurations of the management device 310, the master mobile machine 330A, and the slave mobile machines 330B will be described. FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configurations of the management device 310, the master mobile machine 330A, and the slave mobile machines 330B.

[0091] The management device 310 includes a planning unit 352 as a functional configuration.

[0092] The planning unit 352 formulates the operation plan for each mobile machine 330 in the same manner as the planning unit 52 of the first embodiment. Further, the planning unit 352 determines the master mobile machine 330A from among the plurality of mobile machines 330, and transmits the operation plan formulated for the master mobile machine 330A.

[0093] The master mobile machine 330A includes an acquisition unit 362A, a determination unit 354, and a correction unit 356 as functional configurations.

[0094] The acquisition unit 362A acquires the operation plan from the management device 310, similar to the acquisition unit 62 in the first embodiment. The acquisition unit 362A transmits the acquired operation plan to each of the plurality of child movers 330B.

[0095] The determination unit 354 determines whether to correct the operation plan based on the difference between the operation plan and the operation results, similar to the determination unit 54 in the first embodiment, and generates a correction trigger or a replanning trigger as necessary. The determination unit 354 notifies the correction trigger to the correction unit 356 included in the parent mover 330A, and notifies the replanning trigger to the planning unit 352 of the management device 310.

[0096] When notified of the correction trigger from the determination unit 354, the correction unit 356 creates correction information and transmits it to the child mover 330B, similar to the correction unit 56 in the first embodiment.

[0097] The child mover 330B includes an acquisition unit 362B, a control unit 64, and a transmission unit 366 as its functional configuration. Also, an operation plan DB 68 is stored in a predetermined storage area of the child mover 330B.

[0098] The acquisition unit 362B acquires the operation plan and the correction information, similar to the acquisition unit 62 in the first embodiment. However, the source of these acquisitions is the parent mover 330A instead of the management device 310.

[0099] The transmission unit 366 acquires and transmits the status information of its own device, similar to the transmission unit 66 in the first embodiment. However, the destination of the status information is the parent mover 330A instead of the management device 310.

[0100] Since the hardware configuration of the management device 310 is the same as the hardware configuration of the management device 10 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the description is omitted. Also, since the hardware configuration of each of the parent mover 330A and the child mover 330B is the same as the hardware configuration of the mover 30 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the description is omitted.

[0101] Next, the operation of the operation management system 300 according to the third embodiment will be described. In the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 20 to 22 below, for the same processes as the management device side process (FIG. 15) and the mobile device side process (FIG. 16) in the first embodiment, the same step numbers are assigned and detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0102] First, the management device side process shown in FIG. 20 will be described.

[0103] In step S10, the planning unit 352 formulates an operation plan. Next, in step S311, the planning unit 352 determines the parent mobile device 330A from among the plurality of mobile devices 330. Next, in step S312, the planning unit 352 transmits the formulated operation plan to the parent mobile device 330A.

[0104] Next, in step S319, the planning unit 352 determines whether a replanning trigger has been received from the parent mobile device 330A. If a replanning trigger is received, the process proceeds to step S326. If not received, the process proceeds to step S330. In step S326, the planning unit 352 replans the operation plan. Next, in step S328, the planning unit 352 transmits the replanned operation plan to the parent mobile device 330A.

[0105] Next, in step S330, the planning unit 352 determines whether a signal indicating completion of operation has been received from the parent mobile device 330A. If not received, the process returns to step S319. If received, the management device side process ends.

[0106] Next, the parent mobile device side process shown in FIG. 21 will be described.

[0107] In step S40, when the acquisition unit 362A acquires the operation plan transmitted from the management device 310, in the next step S312, the acquisition unit 362A transmits the acquired operation plan to each child moving machine 330B. Next, in step S314, the determination unit 354 acquires the status information transmitted from each child moving machine 330B. Next, after passing through step S16, in step S18, if the determination unit 354 determines that the difference between the actual value and the planned value is equal to or greater than the threshold TH2, it proceeds to step S327, and if it determines that the difference is less than the threshold TH2, it proceeds to step S20.

[0108] After passing through steps S20 to S22, in the next step S324, the correction unit 356 transmits the created correction information to each child moving machine 330B. On the other hand, in step S327, the correction unit 356 transmits a replanning trigger to the management device 310.

[0109] Next, in step S331, the determination unit 354 determines, for example, whether signals indicating the completion of operation have been received from all the child moving machines 330B. If not, it returns to step S314, and if so, the parent moving machine side processing ends.

[0110] Next, the child moving machine side processing shown in FIG. 22 will be described.

[0111] In step S440, when the acquisition unit 362B acquires the operation plan transmitted from the parent moving machine 330A, after passing through steps S42 and S44, in the next step S346, the transmission unit 366 acquires the status information of its own machine and transmits the acquired status information to the parent moving machine 330A. Next, after passing through steps S48 and S50, it returns to step S42, and in the next step S44, if it is determined that the final destination has been reached, it proceeds to step S352. In step S352, the transmission unit 366 transmits the completion of operation to the parent moving machine 330A, and the child moving machine side processing ends.

[0112] As described above, according to the operation management system according to the third embodiment, instead of the management device, the parent mobile machine executes the modification of the operation plan. Thereby, the configuration of the management device can be simplified, and even in an environment where the communication status between the management device and the mobile machine is poor or the communication delay is large, it is possible to avoid a situation where the modification of the operation plan is not executed due to a communication failure.

[0113] In the above-described third embodiment, the parent mobile machine only executes the modification of the operation plan and does not take charge of the execution of the job. However, the parent mobile machine may execute the job together with the child mobile machines while executing the modification of the operation plan.

[0114] Also, in the third embodiment as well, similar to the second embodiment, the operation plan may be modified in consideration of delays and advances in loading and unloading operations and the like.

[0115] <Fourth Embodiment> Next, the fourth embodiment will be described. In the operation management system according to the fourth embodiment, the same components as those of the operation management system 100 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0116] As shown in FIG. 1, the operation management system 400 according to the fourth embodiment includes a management device 410 and a plurality of mobile machines 430. Each of the management device 410 and the mobile machines 430 is communicably connected to each other via a network.

[0117] As shown in FIG. 4, the management device 410 includes, as a functional configuration, a planning unit 52, a determination unit 454, and a modification unit 56. The mobile machine 430 includes, as a functional configuration, an acquisition unit 62, a control unit 64, and a transmission unit 466.

[0118] The transmitting unit 466 predicts the time to pass through the next waypoint, which is the entrance to the next area from the currently traveling area, based on the time required for the own vehicle to pass through the currently traveling area, acquires the status information including the predicted time, and transmits the acquired status information to the management device 410. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 23, the transmitting unit 466 calculates the predicted passing time of the next waypoint using the non-steady travel time model, and transmits the calculated predicted passing time of the next waypoint to the management device 410 as status information.

[0119] The determination unit 454 uses the predicted time as the operation result, and determines whether it is necessary to correct the operation plan based on the difference between the operation result and the operation plan.

[0120] The determination unit 54 of the first embodiment uses the time of the status information transmitted from the mobile unit 30, that is, the actual value of the passing time, as the operation result, and determines whether it is necessary to correct the operation plan. In contrast, as shown in FIG. 23, the determination unit 454 of the fourth embodiment uses the predicted passing time of the next waypoint calculated on the mobile unit 430 side as the operation result, and determines whether it is necessary to correct the operation plan.

[0121] Since the hardware configuration of the management device 410 is the same as the hardware configuration of the management device 10 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the description thereof is omitted. Also, since the hardware configuration of the mobile unit 430 is the same as the hardware configuration of the mobile unit 30 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the description thereof is omitted.

[0122] Next, the operation of the operation management system 400 according to the fourth embodiment will be described. Also in the fourth embodiment, on the management device 410 side, the management device side processing shown in FIG. 15 is executed, and on the mobile unit 430 side, the mobile unit side processing shown in FIG. 16 is executed.

[0123] However, the status information acquired by the management device 410 in step S14 of the management device side processing and the status information transmitted from the mobile unit 430 to the management device 410 in step S46 of the mobile unit side processing are the predicted passing times of the next waypoints.

[0124] As described above, in the operation management system according to the fourth embodiment, as state information transmitted from the mobile machine to the management device, the predicted passing time of the next waypoint is transmitted. Thereby, the processing load on the management device side can be reduced. Further, compared with the case of transmitting detailed state information such as the position, speed, and attitude of the mobile machine to the management device, the data size of the state information becomes smaller, and the communication volume between the mobile machine and the management device can be reduced.

[0125] In the fourth embodiment, the case where the predicted passing time of the next waypoint is calculated on the mobile machine side has been described. However, the predicted passing time may be calculated on the management device side. In this case, the determination unit calculates the predicted passing time of the next waypoint based on the state information such as the position, speed, and attitude acquired from the mobile machine and the required time (non-steady running required time model) for the mobile machine to pass through the area where it is currently running. Then, the determination unit determines whether it is necessary to correct the operation plan based on the difference between the calculated predicted passing time of the next waypoint and the passing time of the next waypoint in the operation plan.

[0126] <Fifth Embodiment> Next, the fifth embodiment will be described. In the operation management system according to the fifth embodiment, the same components as those of the operation management system 100 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0127] As shown in FIG. 1, the operation management system 500 according to the fifth embodiment includes a management device 10 and a plurality of mobile machines 530. Each of the management device 10 and the mobile machine 530 is communicably connected to each other via a network.

[0128] As shown in FIG. 4, the mobile machine 530 includes, as a functional configuration, an acquisition unit 62, a control unit 564, and a transmission unit 466.

[0129] The mobile unit 530 may not be able to pass through the waypoint at the planned passing time. In this case, there may be a collision between the mobile units 530 entering the same area. However, there may be no problem even if it cannot pass through at the planned passing time. For example, when it is predicted that the waypoint will be passed at a time later than the planned passing time for a certain waypoint, there is no problem because the passing time is corrected to a later time by modifying the operation plan. Also, when it is likely to arrive at a time earlier than the planned passing time, if the plan can be advanced, there is no problem because the passing time is corrected to an earlier time by modifying the operation plan.

[0130] However, it is not always possible to advance the plan. In the case where the plan cannot be advanced and it is predicted that the arrival time will be earlier than the planned passing time, it can be guaranteed that there will be no collision between the mobile units if the corresponding waypoint is not passed through at a time earlier than the planned passing time. Therefore, in the fifth embodiment, the mobile unit 530 is controlled to pass through the waypoint at the planned time within the possible range under the condition that it does not pass through the waypoint at a time earlier than the planned passing time.

[0131] Specifically, the control unit 564 predicts the time to pass through the next waypoint, which is the entrance to the next area from the area where the own vehicle is currently traveling, based on the required time to pass through the area where the own vehicle is currently traveling. When the predicted time is earlier than the time to pass through the next waypoint indicated by the operation plan, the control unit 564 controls to make the mobile unit wait before the next waypoint or to reduce the speed of the mobile unit. On the other hand, when the predicted time is later than the time to pass through the next waypoint indicated by the operation plan, the control unit 64 controls to let the mobile unit pass through as it is or to increase the speed of the mobile unit. The control unit 564 may predict the required time to pass through the area using the state information and the required time model for non-steady running.

[0132] For example, as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 24, assume that the control unit 564 of the mobile unit 530 traveling in area e1 predicts that the predicted passing time of waypoint 4 is 35 seconds. Also, assume that the planned passing time for waypoint 4 is 40 seconds. Then, as shown in the middle diagram of FIG. 24, the control unit 564 stops the mobile unit 530 in front of waypoint 4 between 35 and 40 seconds. And as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 24, the control unit 564 restarts the mobile unit 530 at the timing when the mobile unit 530 can pass waypoint 4 at 40 seconds.

[0133] Also, for example, as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 25, in a situation similar to the example in the upper diagram of FIG. 24, the control unit 564 reduces the speed of the mobile unit 530 as shown in the middle diagram of FIG. 25. And as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 25, the control unit 564 controls the mobile unit 530 so that it can pass waypoint 4 at 40 seconds.

[0134] Also, for example, as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 26, assume that the control unit 564 of the mobile unit 530 traveling in area e1 predicts that the predicted passing time of waypoint 4 is 42 seconds. Also, assume that the planned passing time for waypoint 4 is 40 seconds. Then, as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 26, the control unit 564 allows the mobile unit 530 to pass as it is.

[0135] Also, for example, as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 27, in a situation similar to the example in the upper diagram of FIG. 26, the control unit 564 increases the speed of the mobile unit 530 as shown in the middle diagram of FIG. 27. And as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 27, the control unit 564 controls the mobile unit 530 so that it can pass waypoint 4 at 40 seconds.

[0136] Since the hardware configuration of the mobile unit 530 is the same as the hardware configuration of the mobile unit 30 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the description is omitted. Also, since the management device 10 is the same as in the first embodiment, the description is omitted.

[0137] Next, the operation of the operation management system 500 according to the fifth embodiment will be described. Also in the fifth embodiment, in the management device 10, the management device side processing shown in FIG. 15 is executed, and in the mobile device 530, the mobile device side processing shown in FIG. 16 is executed.

[0138] However, between steps S42 and S44 of the mobile device side processing, the passing time control processing shown in FIG. 28 is executed.

[0139] In step S60, the control unit 564 acquires the passing time planned for the next waypoint from the operation plan stored in the operation plan DB 68. Next, in step S62, the control unit 564 calculates the predicted passing time of the next waypoint using the state information and the required time model for non-steady running.

[0140] Next, in step S64, the control unit 564 calculates J = planned passing time - predicted passing time. If J>0, it proceeds to step S66. If J<0, it proceeds to step S68. If J = 0, it proceeds to step S70.

[0141] In step S66, the control unit 564 controls whether to let the mobile device 530 pass as it is or to accelerate so that the next waypoint is passed at the planned passing time. In step S68, the control unit 564 controls whether to let the mobile device 530 wait before the next waypoint until the planned passing time or to decelerate so that the next waypoint is passed at the planned passing time. In step S70, the control unit 564 lets the mobile device 530 pass as it is.

[0142] As described above, in the operation management system according to the fifth embodiment, the mobile device is controlled so as not to pass the corresponding waypoint at a time earlier than the passing time defined in the operation plan. Thereby, even when it is predicted that the mobile device will not pass the waypoint at the planned passing time, it is possible to ensure that mobile devices entering the same area do not collide with each other.

[0143] When realizing the above control by waiting for the mobile machine, it is possible to easily execute the control of allowing the mobile machine that has arrived at the waypoint earlier than the planned passing time to pass through at the passing time. Also, when realizing the above control by adjusting the speed (acceleration or deceleration) of the mobile machine, compared with the control of waiting for the mobile machine, the cost of stopping and restarting the mobile machine is eliminated. Further, when the mobile machine stops within the area, there is a possibility of causing anxiety to the user, but in the case of adjusting the speed of the mobile machine, such a situation can be avoided.

[0144] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the case of determining whether to correct the operation plan based on the difference between the actual value and the planned value of the passing time at each waypoint has been described, but it is not limited to this. For example, as the planned value, the current position based on the operation plan may be used, and as the actual value, the current position obtained from the odometry information may be used, and the determination may be made based on the difference between the two.

[0145] Also, in each of the above embodiments, the management process executed by the CPU by loading software (program) may be executed by various processors other than the CPU. Examples of the processor in this case include a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacturing, such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and a dedicated electric circuit which is a processor having a circuit configuration dedicated to executing a specific process, such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Also, the management process may be executed by one of these various processors, or may be executed by a combination of two or more processors of the same type or different types (for example, a plurality of FPGAs, and a combination of a CPU and an FPGA, etc.). Further, the hardware structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electric circuit combining circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0146] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the mode in which the management program is pre-stored (installed) in the storage device has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The program may be provided in a form stored in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Blu-ray Disc, USB memory, etc. Further, the program may be in a form downloaded from an external device via a network.

[0147] The following are the appended claims regarding the present disclosure.

[0148] (Appended Claim 1) An operation management system including a management device that manages the operation of each of a plurality of mobile machines and the plurality of mobile machines, The management device, For each of the plurality of mobile machines, a planning unit that formulates an operation plan including the time when the mobile machine passes each waypoint and transmits the formulated operation plan to each of the plurality of mobile machines; From each of the plurality of mobile machines, acquires state information indicating the state of the mobile machine including at least the position of the mobile machine at each time, and based on the difference between the operation record of the mobile machine indicated by the acquired state information and the operation plan, a determination unit that determines whether it is necessary to correct the operation plan; When it is determined that it is necessary to correct the operation plan, a correction unit that creates correction information in which the time when the mobile machine passes each waypoint is corrected and transmits the created correction information to each of the plurality of mobile machines, The mobile machine, An acquisition unit that acquires the operation plan and the correction information transmitted from the management device; A control unit that controls the operation of the mobile machine based on the operation plan and the correction information; An acquisition unit that acquires the state information indicating the state of its own machine and transmits the acquired state information to the management device, An operation management system.

[0149] (Appended Claim 2) The correction unit calculates the time when each of the two or more mobile devices passes through a waypoint that becomes an entrance to the same area, so as to satisfy the conditions for avoiding interference between the two or more mobile devices in the same area, based on the traveling directions of each of the two or more mobile devices entering the same area and the time required for each of the two or more mobile devices to pass through the same area, and creates the correction information. The operation management system according to appended claim 1.

[0150] (Appended claim 3) The determination unit determines that it is necessary to correct the operation plan when the difference between the operation result and the operation plan is equal to or greater than a first threshold value. The operation management system according to appended claim 1 or appended claim 2.

[0151] (Appended claim 4) The determination unit determines that the operation plan needs to be re-established when the difference between the operation result and the operation plan is equal to or greater than a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value. When the determination unit determines that the operation plan needs to be re-established, the establishment unit re-establishes the operation plan based on the state information acquired by the determination unit. The operation management system according to appended claim 3.

[0152] (Appended claim 5) When the establishment unit re-establishes the operation plan, the establishment unit re-establishes the operation plan so that the mobile device operates according to the current operation plan until a predetermined time after the current time. The operation management system according to appended claim 4.

[0153] (Appended claim 6) The operation plan includes work by the mobile device at a predetermined waypoint. The determination unit predicts the completion time of the work from the progress rate of the work based on the acquired state information, and determines that it is necessary to correct the operation plan when the predicted completion time exceeds the completion time of the work established in the operation plan. The operation management system according to any one of appended claims 1 to appended claim 5.

[0154] (Supplementary Item 7) Using any one of the plurality of mobile machines as the parent mobile machine, the parent mobile machine is the operation management system according to any one of Claims 1 to 6 including the determination unit and the correction unit.

[0155] (Supplementary Item 8) The determination unit predicts the time to pass through the next waypoint that is the entrance to the next area from the area where the vehicle is currently traveling based on the acquired state information and the required time for the mobile machine to pass through the area where it is currently traveling, and determines whether it is necessary to correct the operation plan based on the difference between the predicted time and the time to pass through the next waypoint in the operation plan. The operation management system according to any one of Claims 1 to 7.

[0156] (Supplementary Item 9) The transmission unit predicts the time to pass through the next waypoint that is the entrance to the next area from the area where the vehicle is currently traveling based on the required time for the vehicle to pass through the area where it is currently traveling, acquires the state information including the predicted time, and transmits the acquired state information to the management device. The determination unit uses the predicted time as the operation result, and determines whether it is necessary to correct the operation plan based on the difference between the operation result and the operation plan. The operation management system according to any one of Claims 1 to 7.

[0157] (Supplementary Item 10) The control unit predicts the time to pass through the next waypoint that is the entrance to the next area from the area where the vehicle is currently traveling based on the required time for the vehicle to pass through the area where it is currently traveling. When the predicted time is earlier than the time to pass through the next waypoint indicated by the operation plan, the control unit controls to make the mobile machine wait before the next waypoint or reduce the speed of the mobile machine. When the predicted time is later than the time to pass through the next waypoint indicated by the operation plan, the control unit controls to let the mobile machine pass through as it is or increase the speed of the mobile machine. The operation management system according to any one of Claims 1 to 9.

[0158] (Supplementary Item 11) For each of a plurality of mobile devices, a planning unit that formulates an operation plan including the time when the mobile device passes each waypoint and transmits the operation plan formulated for each of the plurality of mobile devices; A determination unit that acquires state information indicating the state of the mobile device including at least the position of the mobile device at each time from each of the plurality of mobile devices, and determines whether it is necessary to correct the operation plan based on the difference between the actual operation results of the mobile device indicated by the acquired state information and the operation plan; A correction unit that, when it is determined that it is necessary to correct the operation plan, creates correction information in which the time when the mobile device passes each waypoint is corrected, and transmits the created correction information to each of the plurality of mobile devices; A management device including the above.

[0159] (Supplementary Item 12) For each of a plurality of mobile devices, formulate an operation plan including the time when the mobile device passes each waypoint, and transmit the operation plan formulated for each of the plurality of mobile devices, Acquire state information indicating the state of the mobile device including at least the position of the mobile device at each time from each of the plurality of mobile devices, and determine whether it is necessary to correct the operation plan based on the difference between the actual operation results of the mobile device indicated by the acquired state information and the operation plan, When it is determined that it is necessary to correct the operation plan, create correction information in which the time when the mobile device passes each waypoint is corrected, and transmit the created correction information to each of the plurality of mobile devices A management method in which a computer executes the process.

[0160] (Supplementary Item 13) A computer, For each of a plurality of mobile devices, a planning unit that formulates an operation plan including the time when the mobile device passes each waypoint and transmits the operation plan formulated for each of the plurality of mobile devices, Obtain state information indicating the state of each of the plurality of mobile machines at each time, including at least the position of the mobile machine, and based on the difference between the actual operation results of the mobile machine indicated by the obtained state information and the operation plan, a determination unit that determines whether it is necessary to correct the operation plan, and When it is determined that it is necessary to correct the operation plan, a correction unit that creates correction information for correcting the time when the mobile machine passes each waypoint and transmits the created correction information to each of the plurality of mobile machines A management program for causing it to function.

Explanation of Signs

[0161] 10, 210, 310, 410 Management device 12, 32 CPU 14, 34 Memory 16, 36 Storage device 18 Input device 20 Output device 22, 42 Storage medium reader 24, 44 Communication I / F 26, 46 Bus 30, 330, 430, 530 Mobile machine 330A Parent mobile machine 330B Child mobile machine 38 Driving mechanism 40 Sensor 52, 252, 352 Planning unit 54, 254, 354, 454 Determination unit 56, 256, 356 Correction unit 62, 362A, 362B Acquisition unit 64, 564 Control unit 66, 466 Transmission unit 68 Operation plan DB 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 Operation management system

Claims

1. An operation management system including a management device that manages the operation of each of a plurality of mobile machines and the plurality of mobile machines, wherein the management device includes a planning unit that creates an operation plan including the time when each of the plurality of mobile machines passes through each waypoint, and transmits the created operation plan to each of the plurality of mobile machines; a determination unit that acquires state information indicating the state of each of the plurality of mobile machines including at least the position of the mobile machine at each time, and determines whether it is necessary to correct the operation plan based on the difference between the operation result indicated by the acquired state information and the operation plan; and a correction unit that, when it is determined that the operation plan needs to be corrected, creates correction information in which the time when the mobile machine passes through each waypoint is corrected, and transmits the created correction information to each of the plurality of mobile machines; wherein the mobile machine includes an acquisition unit that acquires the operation plan and the correction information transmitted from the management device; a control unit that controls the operation of the mobile machine based on the operation plan and the correction information; and a transmission unit that acquires the state information indicating the state of its own machine and transmits the acquired state information to the management device. An operation management system.

2. The operation management system according to claim 1, wherein the correction unit calculates the time when each of the two or more mobile machines passes through a waypoint that becomes an entrance to the same area so as to satisfy a condition for avoiding interference between the two or more mobile machines in the same area based on the traveling direction of each of the two or more mobile machines entering the same area and the time required for each of the two or more mobile machines to pass through the same area, thereby creating the correction information.

3. The operation management system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the determination unit determines that the operation plan needs to be corrected when the difference between the operation result and the operation plan is equal to or greater than a first threshold value.

4. The determination unit determines that the operation plan needs to be recreated when the difference between the operation result and the operation plan is equal to or greater than a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value, and the creation unit recreates the operation plan based on the state information acquired by the determination unit when the determination unit determines that the operation plan needs to be recreated. The operation management system according to claim 3.

5. The operation management system according to claim 4, wherein when the formulation unit re-formulates the operation plan, the operation plan is re-formulated so that the mobile machine operates according to the current operation plan until a predetermined time after the current time.

6. The operation plan includes work by the mobile machine at a predetermined waypoint, The determination unit predicts the completion time of the work from the progress rate of the work based on the acquired status information, and when the predicted completion time exceeds the completion time of the work formulated in the operation plan, determines that it is necessary to correct the operation plan. The operation management system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

7. Any one of the plurality of mobile machines is a parent mobile machine, and the parent mobile machine includes the determination unit and the correction unit. The operation management system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

8. The determination unit predicts the time to pass through the next waypoint, which is the entrance to the next area from the area where the vehicle is currently traveling, based on the acquired status information and the time required for the mobile machine to pass through the area where the vehicle is currently traveling, and determines whether it is necessary to correct the operation plan based on the difference between the predicted time and the time to pass through the next waypoint in the operation plan. The operation management system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

9. The transmission unit predicts the time to pass through the next waypoint, which is the entrance to the next area from the area where the vehicle is currently traveling, based on the time required for the vehicle to pass through the area where the vehicle is currently traveling, acquires the status information including the predicted time, and transmits the acquired status information to the management device. The determination unit uses the predicted time as the operation result, and determines whether it is necessary to correct the operation plan based on the difference between the operation result and the operation plan. The operation management system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

10. The control unit predicts the time to pass through the next waypoint, which is the entrance to the next area from the area where the vehicle is currently traveling, based on the time required for the vehicle to pass through the area where the vehicle is currently traveling. When the predicted time is earlier than the time to pass through the next waypoint indicated by the operation plan, the control unit controls to make the mobile machine wait before the next waypoint or reduce the speed of the mobile machine. When the predicted time is later than the time to pass through the next waypoint indicated by the operation plan, the control unit controls to let the mobile machine pass through as it is or increase the speed of the mobile machine. The operation management system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

11. For each of the plurality of mobile devices, a scheduling unit that formulates an operation plan including the time when the mobile device passes through each waypoint and transmits the formulated operation plan to each of the plurality of mobile devices; A determination unit that acquires state information indicating the state of the mobile device including at least the position of the mobile device at each time from each of the plurality of mobile devices, and determines whether it is necessary to correct the operation plan based on the difference between the actual operation results of the mobile device indicated by the acquired state information and the operation plan; A correction unit that, when it is determined that the operation plan needs to be corrected, creates correction information in which the time when the mobile device passes through each waypoint is corrected, and transmits the created correction information to each of the plurality of mobile devices; A management device including the above.

12. For each of the plurality of mobile devices, an operation plan including the time when the mobile device passes through each waypoint is formulated, and the formulated operation plan is transmitted to each of the plurality of mobile devices. State information indicating the state of the mobile device including at least the position of the mobile device at each time is acquired from each of the plurality of mobile devices, and based on the difference between the actual operation results of the mobile device indicated by the acquired state information and the operation plan, it is determined whether it is necessary to correct the operation plan. When it is determined that the operation plan needs to be corrected, correction information in which the time when the mobile device passes through each waypoint is corrected is created, and the created correction information is transmitted to each of the plurality of mobile devices. A management method executed by a computer for the above process.

13. A computer is For each of the plurality of mobile devices, a scheduling unit that formulates an operation plan including the time when the mobile device passes through each waypoint and transmits the formulated operation plan to each of the plurality of mobile devices. A determination unit that acquires state information indicating the state of the mobile device including at least the position of the mobile device at each time from each of the plurality of mobile devices, and determines whether it is necessary to correct the operation plan based on the difference between the actual operation results of the mobile device indicated by the acquired state information and the operation plan, and A correction unit that, when it is determined that the operation plan needs to be corrected, creates correction information in which the time when the mobile device passes through each waypoint is corrected, and transmits the created correction information to each of the plurality of mobile devices. A management program for causing the above to function.

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