Article conveyance facility

Abstract

To achieve an article conveyance facility capable of improving the movement efficiency of movable bodies as the entire facility.SOLUTION: An article conveyance facility (1) includes a plurality of movable bodies (20) that move within a movable area (A). Each movable body (20) includes a periphery detection device, and a peripheral information acquisition part for acquiring peripheral information on the basis of its detection results. The plurality of movable bodies (20) existing within a shared range (S) execute information sharing processing for sharing peripheral information (V) acquired by each of the movable bodies. The movable bodies (20) search for a movable path up to a movement destination on the basis of the peripheral information (V) shared by the information sharing information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to article conveyance equipment.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in a logistics center, a factory, or the like, article conveyance equipment including a plurality of moving bodies for conveying articles is used. An example of such article conveyance equipment is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-45704 (Patent Document 1). The plurality of moving bodies (article conveyance carts 3) convey an article (article W) to a destination based on a command from a movement control device (facility control device H1). The plurality of moving bodies and the movement control device are communicably connected by a communication system (wireless communication).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Each moving body may be configured to search for and determine a movement route to a destination based on movement destination information received from the movement control device and map information indicating a map of the movable area. However, since the situation of the movable area can change every moment, simply based on the map information, there is a possibility of determining a movement route that is not necessarily appropriate from the viewpoint of movement efficiency.

[0005] Therefore, it is desired to realize article conveyance equipment that can improve the movement efficiency of the moving bodies as an entire facility.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The article conveyance equipment according to the present disclosure is A plurality of moving bodies that move within a movable area to transport articles, A movement control device that stores control map information indicating a map of the movable area and commands the movement destination of each of the plurality of moving bodies based on the control map information, An article transport facility including a communication system that communicably connects the plurality of moving bodies and the movement control device, The movement control device is configured to transmit movement destination information indicating the movement destination to each of the plurality of moving bodies via the communication system, The moving body includes A storage unit that stores moving body map information indicating a map of the movable area, A peripheral detection device that detects the situation around itself, A peripheral information acquisition unit that acquires peripheral information indicating the situation around itself based on the detection result of the peripheral detection device, A route determination unit that searches for and determines a movement route to the movement destination based on the movement destination information received from the movement control device, the moving body map information, and the peripheral information, The communication system is configured to execute an information sharing process in which at least a part of the peripheral information acquired by each of the plurality of moving bodies existing within a predetermined sharing range is shared, The route determination unit of the moving body that has acquired the peripheral information derived from another moving body by the information sharing process searches for the movement route based on the shared peripheral information.

[0007] According to this configuration, each mobile body can accurately search for a movement route by using not only the map information for the mobile body but also the surrounding information acquired based on the detection results of the surrounding detection device. In addition, by sharing the surrounding information acquired by each mobile body based on the detection results of the surrounding detection device among a plurality of mobile bodies existing within the sharing range, each mobile body can further use the surrounding information derived from other mobile bodies to more accurately search for a movement route. In this way, since it is possible to search for a movement route in consideration of the situation that changes moment by moment, the movement efficiency of the mobile bodies as a whole of the article conveyance facility can be improved.

[0008] Further features and advantages of the technology according to the present disclosure will become clearer from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments described with reference to the drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] An embodiment of an article transfer facility will be described with reference to the drawings. The article transfer facility 1 of this embodiment is used, for example, in a semiconductor manufacturing factory or the like to transfer an article 7. As shown in FIG. 1, the article transfer facility 1 includes a plurality of moving bodies 20 that travel on a floor 10. Each of the plurality of moving bodies 20 is provided with a moving body terminal device 30. In addition to the moving bodies 20 (moving body terminal devices 30), the article transfer facility 1 includes a movement control device 40, a work terminal device 50, and a communication system 60, as shown in FIG. 3. The moving bodies 20 (moving body terminal devices 30), the movement control device 40, and the work terminal device 50 are communicably connected to each other by the communication system 60.

[0011] The floor 10 includes a floor surface 11 and various installed objects 12 installed on the floor surface 11. Examples of the installed objects 12 include a storage shelf 13 for storing the article 7, a processing device 14 that performs various processes (for example, mask processing, etching processing, bonding processing, and molding processing, etc.) on a semiconductor substrate, and the like. Also, a mounting table 15 or the like that is installed together with the processing device 14 and receives the transported article 7 and delivers the transported article 7 may be included in the installed objects 12.

[0012] Here, examples of the article 7 that is the object to be transported by the moving body 20 include a wafer storage container (so-called FOUP: Front Opening Unified Pod) that houses wafers, a reticle storage container (so-called reticle pod) that houses reticles, and the like.

[0013] The mobile body 20 travels in an area on the floor surface 11 of the floor 10 where there is no installed object 12 (hereinafter referred to as the "area where there is no installed object"). The mobile body 20 travels in an area (hereinafter referred to as the "reduced area where there is no installed object") that excludes the area near the installed object 12 (for example, an area where the distance to the installed object 12 is equal to or less than a reference distance, hereinafter referred to as the "area near the installed object") among the areas where there is no installed object on the floor surface 11. In the present embodiment, this reduced area where there is no installed object is referred to as the movable area A. The movable area A may be grasped as one overall area or as a plurality of divided areas. The movable area A of the present embodiment includes a first area A1, a second area A2, and a third area A3 arranged in order.

[0014] The mobile body 20 transports the article 7. As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile body 20 includes a traveling carriage 21 and a clean booth 26. The traveling carriage 21 and the clean booth 26 are connected to each other so as to move in conjunction with each other. In the present embodiment, the clean booth 26 is placed and fixed on the traveling carriage 21, and the traveling carriage 21 and the clean booth 26 move integrally. Further, in the present embodiment, the mobile body 20 is provided with a mobile body terminal device 30.

[0015] The traveling carriage 21 includes a vehicle body main body 22 and a plurality of wheels 23 rotatably supported by the vehicle body main body 22. At least one of the plurality of wheels 23 is connected to a drive motor and functions as a drive wheel. Further, at least one of the plurality of wheels 23 is supported so as to be rotatable about an axis along the vertical direction and functions as a steering wheel. The traveling carriage 21 also includes a peripheral detection device 24. The peripheral detection device 24 is fixed to the vehicle body main body 22. In FIG. 2, an example is shown in which one peripheral detection device 24 is fixed to the front surface of the vehicle body main body 22, but a plurality of peripheral detection devices 24 may be appropriately distributed and fixed to the outer surface (front surface, rear surface, both side surfaces) of the vehicle body main body 22.

[0016] The peripheral detection device 24 is a device for detecting the situation around itself (the peripheral detection device 24 itself, and by extension, the moving body 20 on which it is installed). As the peripheral detection device 24, any device that can detect the situation around itself can be used without particular limitation. Specific examples of the peripheral detection device 24 include ultrasonic sensors, infrared sensors, laser sensors, LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), microwave sensors, millimeter-wave sensors, and cameras, etc., and a plurality of these types can be used in combination.

[0017] The peripheral detection device 24 detects, as the situation around itself, the presence or absence of objects (obstacles or other moving bodies 20) around itself, and the shape, size, state, etc. of the objects when they exist. The information on the detection result by the peripheral detection device 24 is transmitted to the mobile terminal device 30, for example, by visible light communication, infrared communication, or the like.

[0018] In this embodiment, a support base 25 is fixed to the traveling carriage 21. The mobile terminal device 30 is attached to this support base 25. The mobile terminal device 30 may be integrally fixed to the support base 25, or may be detachably attached to the support base 25. In the former case, for example, a microcomputer can be used as the mobile terminal device 30, and in the latter case, for example, a smart device such as a tablet terminal can be used as the mobile terminal device 30. Further, the support base 25 may be provided with a receiver for receiving the information on the detection result transmitted from the peripheral detection device 24.

[0019] The clean booth 26 is a facility for forming a highly clean space inside it. The clean booth 26 includes an outer wall 27 and a dust removal device 29. The outer wall 27 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and has side walls surrounding the four sides and a ceiling wall covering the upper part. An accommodation space for accommodating the article 7 is formed inside the outer wall 27. A support plate 28 for supporting the article 7 from below may be provided inside the outer wall 27. When the support plate 28 is provided, it may be provided in multiple stages.

[0020] The dust removal device 29 is provided on the outer wall 27. The dust removal device 29 is a device for removing dust from the outside air taken into the clean booth 26. As the dust removal device 29, a fan filter unit having a fan and a filter (for example, a HEPA filter; High Efficiency Particulate Air filter) can be used. In FIG. 2, an example in which the dust removal device 29 is provided on the ceiling wall of the outer wall 27 is shown, but the dust removal device 29 may be provided on the side wall of the outer wall 27.

[0021] The moving body 20 (specifically, the mobile terminal device 30 included in the moving body 20) includes, as shown in FIG. 3, a storage unit 31, a peripheral information acquisition unit 32, a route determination unit 33, a travel control unit 34, and a communication unit 36.

[0022] The storage unit 31 is a device that stores various types of information. The storage unit 31 can be configured by, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) built into the mobile terminal device 30. In particular, in the present embodiment, the storage unit 31 stores and holds the mobile body map information Mb. The mobile body map information Mb is information indicating a map of the movable area A in the article transport facility 1. The mobile body map information Mb includes, for example, position coordinates for each of a plurality of points in the movable area A, the types of the installed objects 12 in the vicinity, the distance between two adjacent points, and the like. Note that these are merely examples, and other information may be included in the mobile body map information Mb.

[0023] The peripheral information acquisition unit 32 acquires peripheral information V indicating the situation around itself (the mobile terminal device 30 including the peripheral information acquisition unit 32, and thus the mobile body 20 on which it is provided). The peripheral information acquisition unit 32 acquires the peripheral information V based on the detection result received from the peripheral detection device 24. The peripheral information V acquired by the peripheral information acquisition unit 32 may be the information on the situation around the peripheral detection device 24 detected by the peripheral detection device 24 as it is (that is, raw data), or may be something with some processing applied (that is, processed data).

[0024] The route determination unit 33 searches for and determines the movement route to the destination where the article 7 is to be transported. In the present embodiment, the mobile terminal device 30 receives movement destination information D indicating the destination to which the mobile body 20 equipped with the mobile terminal device 30 should head from the movement system control device 40 described later. The mobile terminal device 30 that has received this movement destination information D searches for and determines the movement route to the destination based on the received movement destination information D, the map information Mb for the mobile body, and the surrounding information V. The route determination unit 33 can search for the movement route using a method such as Dijkstra's algorithm.

[0025] The traveling control unit 34 controls the traveling of the mobile body 20. The traveling control unit 34 controls the mobile body 20 to travel along the movement route to the destination determined by the route determination unit 33.

[0026] The communication unit 36 communicates with other mobile bodies 20 (mobile terminal devices 30 provided in the mobile body 20), the movement system control device 40, and the work terminal device 50. The communication unit 36 can use, for example, an antenna capable of Wi-Fi connection. The communication unit 36 constitutes a communication system 60 together with the communication units 36 of other mobile bodies 20 (mobile terminal devices 30), the communication unit 46 of the movement system control device 40, the communication unit 56 of the work terminal device 50, and the like. In FIG. 3, the communication unit 36 is schematically displayed to show this, but the communication unit 36 may be built into the mobile terminal device 30.

[0027] The mobile body 20 moves to the destination indicated by the movement destination information D under the control of the traveling control unit 34 along the movement route determined by the route determination unit 33. At that time, the surrounding situation is detected at a predetermined cycle by the surrounding detection device 24, and the surrounding information V is continuously acquired by the surrounding information acquisition unit 32. The mobile body 20 travels toward the destination along the movement route while executing, for example, necessary deceleration processing and temporary stop processing based on the continuously acquired surrounding information V. As such a mobile body 20, for example, an autonomous mobile robot called an AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) can be used.

[0028] When an AMR is used as the mobile body 20, it is preferable that a plurality of mobile bodies 20 and a plurality of workers can cooperate with high safety in the article conveying facility 1. Further, it is preferable that the layout of the installed objects 12 in the article conveying facility 1 can be flexibly adapted to changes.

[0029] The movement control device 40 manages the entire plurality of mobile bodies 20. The movement control device 40 is a host control device that comprehensively controls the mobile body terminal devices 30 provided in each of the plurality of mobile bodies 20. As the movement control device 40, for example, a workstation or the like can be used. As shown in FIG. 3, the movement control device 40 includes a storage unit 41, an overall control unit 42, and a communication unit 46.

[0030] The storage unit 41 is a device that stores various types of information. The storage unit 41 can be configured by, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a hard disk built into the movement control device 40. In particular, in the present embodiment, the storage unit 41 stores and holds control map information Ma. The control map information Ma is information indicating a map of the movable area A in the article conveying facility 1. The control map information Ma includes, for example, position coordinates for each of a plurality of points in the movable area A, the types of the installed objects 12 in the vicinity, and information such as the distance between two adjacent points. Note that these are merely examples, and other information may be included in the control map information Ma. The control map information Ma may have the same content as the mobile body map information Mb stored in the mobile body terminal device 30, or may be different.

[0031] The overall control unit 42 comprehensively controls the movement of each of the plurality of mobile bodies 20. In the present embodiment, the overall control unit 42 commands the destination of each of the plurality of mobile bodies 20 based on the control map information Ma stored in the storage unit 41. Examples of the destination of the mobile body 20 include the positions of the storage shelves 13 or the placement tables 15 where the article 7 should be received, or the positions of the storage shelves 13 or the placement tables 15 where the article 7 should be delivered. The overall control unit 42 generates destination information D indicating the destination for each of the plurality of mobile bodies 20.

[0032] The destination information D generated by the overall control unit 42 is transmitted via the communication unit 46. The communication unit 46 communicates with the plurality of mobile bodies 20 (mobile terminal devices 30 provided in each of them) and the work terminal device 50. The communication unit 46 can use, for example, an antenna capable of Wi-Fi connection. The communication unit 46 may be built into the movement control device 40. The communication unit 46, together with the communication units 36 of the plurality of mobile bodies 20 (mobile terminal devices 30) and the communication unit 56 of the work terminal device 50, constitutes a communication system 60.

[0033] The work terminal device 50 is a terminal device carried by a worker who performs work in the article conveyance facility 1. As the work terminal device 50, for example, a smart device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal can be used. The work terminal device 50 includes a display unit 51 and a communication unit 56.

[0034] The display unit 51 is a device that displays various types of information. The display unit 51 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The display unit 51 may be configured such that a touch panel is integrated to also serve as an input unit. The display unit 51 can display the information received via the communication unit 56.

[0035] The communication unit 56 communicates with a plurality of mobile bodies 20 (mobile terminal devices 30 each equipped therewith) and the mobile body control device 40. The communication unit 46 can use, for example, an antenna capable of Wi-Fi connection. The communication unit 56 may be built into the work terminal device 50. The communication unit 56, together with the communication units 36 of the plurality of mobile bodies 20 (mobile terminal devices 30) and the communication unit 46 of the mobile body control device 40, constitutes a communication system 60.

[0036] The communication system 60 communicably connects a plurality of mobile bodies 20 (mobile terminal devices 30), the mobile body control device 40, and the work terminal device 50. The communication system 60 of the present embodiment communicably connects a plurality of mobile bodies 20 (mobile terminal devices 30), the mobile body control device 40, and the work terminal device 50 by wireless communication (for example, Wi-Fi communication compliant with the IEEE802.11 standard). As shown in FIG. 4, the communication system 60 includes a plurality of wireless transmission / reception units 61 and a relay processing device 62.

[0037] The wireless transmission / reception units 61 are installed at a plurality of locations in the movable area A of the article conveyance facility 1. The wireless transmission / reception unit 61 is a device that transmits and receives wireless radio waves (Wi-Fi radio waves), and a so-called access point corresponds to this. The wireless transmission / reception unit 61 may have both the function as an access point and the function as a router. Communication ranges C are respectively set for the plurality of wireless transmission / reception units 61. The communication range C of each wireless transmission / reception unit 61 is generally a range within a predetermined distance centered on the position of the wireless transmission / reception unit 61. The plurality of wireless transmission / reception units 61 are installed so as to cover most (preferably all) of the movable area A within the entire communication range C of each.

[0038] The relay processing device 62 is communicably connected to a plurality of wireless transmission / reception units 61. The relay processing device 62 of the present embodiment is communicably connected to some of the wireless transmission / reception units 61 out of all the wireless transmission / reception units 61 installed in the article conveying facility 1. In the present embodiment, one relay processing device 62 is installed for each divided area (in this example, the first area A1, the second area A2, and the third area A3) of the movable area A. The relay processing device 62 of each divided area is communicably connected to a plurality of wireless transmission / reception units 61 within the divided area (in FIG. 4, only the relay processing device 62 of the second area A2 is shown, but it is similarly provided in the first area A1 and the third area A3).

[0039] The relay processing device 62 is a processing device that performs some data processing separately from the movement control device 40 at the peripheral part of the network, and a so-called edge computer corresponds to this. The relay processing device 62 plays a central role in the information sharing process executed by the communication system 60 in the article conveying facility 1 of the present embodiment.

[0040] As described above, each mobile body 20 moves (travels) while acquiring the peripheral information V by the peripheral information acquisition unit 32 provided in the mobile body terminal device 30. In the information sharing process executed by the communication system 60, at least a part of the peripheral information V acquired by each of a plurality of mobile bodies 20 existing within a predetermined sharing range S is shared with each other.

[0041] The sharing range S, which is a position condition for a plurality of mobile bodies 20 to execute the information sharing process, is set based on the respective communication ranges C of the wireless transmission / reception units 61. In the present embodiment, the sharing range S is set to the respective communication ranges C of the wireless transmission / reception units 61. In this case, at least a part of the peripheral information V acquired by each of a plurality of mobile bodies 20 existing within the communication range C of one wireless transmission / reception unit 61 is shared with each other, and this is executed respectively within the communication ranges C of the plurality of wireless transmission / reception units 61.

[0042] In the information sharing process, a mobile body 20 existing within a certain sharing range S (communication range C) transmits peripheral information V to a wireless transceiver 61 within the sharing range S (communication range C). The wireless transceiver 61 that has received the peripheral information V transfers the peripheral information V to a relay processing device 62 provided in the same divided area as the wireless transceiver 61. The relay processing device 62 stores the received peripheral information V in a storage unit (built-in RAM, hard disk, etc.) included in the relay processing device 62. Further, the relay processing device 62 transmits the peripheral information V stored and accumulated in the storage unit to other mobile bodies 20 existing within the same sharing range S (communication range C). In this way, the peripheral information V is shared among a plurality of mobile bodies 20.

[0043] Note that the plurality of mobile bodies 20 that share the peripheral information V through the information sharing process may exist within the sharing range S (communication range C) at the same time, or may exist within the sharing range S (communication range C) at different times. In particular, in this embodiment, by the intervention of the relay processing device 62, the peripheral information V can be shared among a plurality of mobile bodies 20 that exist within the sharing range S (communication range C) at different times. That is, in the information sharing process of this embodiment, the peripheral information V stored in the relay processing device 62 is also shared with other mobile bodies 20 that later enter the sharing range S.

[0044] In this embodiment, in the information sharing process, at least a part of the peripheral information V acquired by any one of the mobile bodies 20 is also shared with a work terminal device 50 existing within the sharing range S. As described above, the relay processing device 62 stores the peripheral information V received from any one of the mobile bodies 20 in the storage unit. The relay processing device 62 also transmits the peripheral information V stored and accumulated in the storage unit to the work terminal device 50 existing within the same sharing range S (communication range C), so that the peripheral information V is also shared with the work terminal device 50.

[0045] In the information sharing process, the information to be shared may be all the peripheral information V acquired by each mobile body 20, or only a part of it. Even in the latter case, it is preferable that the shared peripheral information V includes at least information that affects the movement of the mobile body 20. Here, examples of information that affects the movement of the mobile body 20 include information indicating, for example, that construction is in progress within the movable area A, information indicating that there are steps, and information indicating that there are obstacles (including other mobile bodies 20 that cannot move due to reasons such as being faulty). It is preferable that the information of the position coordinates of the location is associated with these.

[0046] The information that affects the movement of the mobile body 20 may include not only what actually affects as described above, but also what is predicted to be able to affect in the near future even if it has no effect at that time. Examples of such future prediction information include information indicating that there is another mobile body 20 showing unnatural behavior within the movable area A.

[0047] The route determination unit 33 of the mobile body 20 that has acquired the peripheral information V derived from another mobile body 20 by the information sharing process searches for a movement route to the destination based on the shared peripheral information V as well. That is, the route determination unit 33 of the mobile body 20 searches for a movement route based on the above-described destination information D, the map information Mb for the mobile body, the peripheral information V acquired by itself, and the peripheral information V derived from another mobile body 20 obtained by the information sharing process. If the movement route has not been determined yet at that time, the route determination unit 33 newly searches for and determines the movement route to the destination. Also, if the movement route has already been determined at that time, the route determination unit 33 re-searches for the movement route to the destination. In this way, the peripheral information V derived from another mobile body 20 can be effectively utilized to accurately perform the search (new search / re-search) of the movement route.

[0048] The work terminal device 50 that has acquired the surrounding information V through the information sharing process displays the shared surrounding information V on the display unit 51. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the work terminal device 50 displays the surrounding information V as text on the display unit 51. The work terminal device 50 may also image the surrounding information V and display it on the display unit 51. Further, the work terminal device 50 may output the surrounding information V as audio data from the speaker.

[0049] In addition to the information that affects the movement of the moving body 20 described above, the shared surrounding information V may also include information that does not affect the movement of the moving body 20. Here, examples of the information that does not affect the movement of the moving body 20 include information related to construction work or obstacles outside the movable area A, or environmental information (such as temperature and humidity information) inside the article conveyance facility 1.

[0050] In the information sharing process, by sharing all of the surrounding information V including the information that does not affect the movement of the moving body 20, various types of information can be transmitted to, for example, the operator, and the convenience of the operator can be improved. Therefore, when information is shared including the information that does not affect the movement of the moving body 20, it is preferable that the surrounding information V is shared not only between the moving bodies 20 but also with the work terminal devices 50 existing within the same sharing range S (communication range C).

[0051] On the other hand, if the configuration is such that the information that does not affect the movement of the moving body 20 among the surrounding information V is not shared in the information sharing process, there is an advantage that the load on the communication system 60 can be reduced. Therefore, the information shared with the moving body 20 may be only the information that affects the movement of the moving body 20 among the surrounding information V, and the information shared with the work terminal device 50 may be all of the surrounding information V, and the content of the information shared may be varied according to the sharing partner.

[0052] It is preferable that the plurality of mobile bodies 20 that share the peripheral information V through information sharing processing have different directions of their respective movement paths. If the plurality of mobile bodies 20 each have a different direction of movement path, they can complement each other with respect to the peripheral information V, and can accurately perform the search (new search / re-search) of the movement path. It is preferable that the plurality of mobile bodies 20 have angles formed by the directions of their respective movement paths of 90° or more, and more preferably, they are in opposite directions to each other.

[0053] With reference to FIGS. 6 to 8, an example of the information sharing process will be described more specifically. In this example, it is assumed that the three mobile bodies 20 move along the movement paths indicated by the dashed arrows in FIG. 6. Here, for convenience of explanation, the three mobile bodies 20 are distinguished using the symbols "20A", "20B", and "20C" respectively.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 6, the mobile body 20A generally moves in the -Y direction in the first area A1, then changes its direction to the +X direction, and moves in the +X direction from the first area A1 to the third area A3. The mobile body 20B generally moves in the -X direction from the third area A3 to the second area A2, then changes its direction to the +Y direction, and moves in the +Y direction in the second area A2. The mobile body 20C moves in the -X direction from the third area A3 to the first area A1 generally on the +Y side of the mobile body 20B.

[0055] At this time, as shown in FIG. 7, it is assumed that there is another mobile body 20 (displayed as "20F" in FIG. 7) that has failed and cannot move, around the movement path of the mobile body 20B in the second area A2. When passing by the side of the mobile body 20F, the mobile body 20B generates peripheral information V indicating that there is an obstacle (the failed mobile body 20F) at that position. The generated peripheral information V is stored in the storage unit 31 of the mobile terminal device 30 provided in the mobile body 20B.

[0056] After that, when the mobile body 20B enters the communication range C of the new wireless transceiver 61 at the destination, the mobile body 20B transmits the peripheral information V related to the existence of the previously acquired obstacle (the failed mobile body 20F) to the corresponding relay processing device 62. The relay processing device 62 stores the peripheral information V derived from the mobile body 20B received from the mobile body 20B in the storage unit. Further, the relay processing device 62 transmits the stored peripheral information V to other mobile bodies 20 (mobile bodies 20A and 20C in this example) existing in the communication range C (i.e., the shared range S) of the same wireless transceiver 61 at that time.

[0057] Based on the received peripheral information V (here, at least including the peripheral information V derived from the mobile body 20B), the mobile body 20A re-searches the movement route to the destination. Since the peripheral information V derived from the mobile body 20B includes information indicating that there is an obstacle (the failed mobile body 20F) at the location where the mobile body 20A is about to go, the passing cost of the route passing through that position increases. As a result, it is more likely that the mobile body 20A determines a new movement route (indicated by the thick dashed arrow in FIG. 8) that bypasses the obstacle (the failed mobile body 20F) through route re-search. Therefore, the possibility of congestion occurring at the location of the obstacle (the failed mobile body 20F) can be reduced, and the movement efficiency of the mobile bodies 20 as a whole of the article conveyance facility 1 can be improved.

[0058] Note that the mobile body 20C also receives the same peripheral information V, but since the position of the obstacle (the failed mobile body 20F) is not the destination of the mobile body 20C, the movement route of the mobile body 20C is not changed even if route re-search is performed.

[0059] If there is an operator carrying the work terminal device 50 within the communicable range C (shared range S) of the same wireless transceiver 61, the relay processing device 62 also transmits the stored surrounding information V to the work terminal device 50. The work terminal device 50 that has received the surrounding information V displays it on the display unit 51 (see FIG. 5 as an example). When the information related to the failed moving body 20F as in this example is displayed on the display unit 51 of the work terminal device 50, the operator who has seen it can promptly respond to the failure and head to the site. By providing various information to the operator, the convenience of the operator can be improved.

[0060] [Other Embodiments] (1) In the above embodiment, in the information sharing process, as an example, it has been described that the surrounding information V is shared among the plurality of moving bodies 20 existing within the shared range S and is also shared with the work terminal device 50 existing within the same shared range S. However, without being limited to such a configuration, in the information sharing process, the surrounding information V may be shared only among the plurality of moving bodies 20 existing within the shared range S. Alternatively, in the information sharing process, the surrounding information V acquired by any one of the moving bodies 20 may be shared only with the work terminal device 50 existing within the same shared range S.

[0061] (2) In the above embodiment, mainly assuming a configuration in which the communication between the moving body 20 and the relay processing device 62 is performed via the wireless transceiver 61, it has been described. However, without being limited to such a configuration, the moving body 20 and the relay processing device 62 may communicate directly. For example, when the moving body 20 passes near the relay processing device 62, the moving body 20 and the relay processing device 62 may communicate by passing each other. The passing communication between the moving body 20 and the relay processing device 62 can be assumed to be performed when the distance between the two is equal to or less than the reference distance. In this case, the reference distance can be set to a distance that is N times the width of the moving body 20 (N is an integer of 3 or less, for example).

[0062] (3) In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which information sharing among a plurality of moving bodies 20 is performed via the wireless transceiver unit 61 and the relay processing device 62 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the peripheral information V may be shared among the plurality of moving bodies 20 by direct communication between them. The direct communication between the plurality of moving bodies 20 may be performed, for example, when they pass by each other. The passing communication between the plurality of moving bodies 20 can be set to be performed when the distance between them is equal to or less than a reference distance. In this case, the reference distance can be set to a distance that is M times the width of the moving body 20 (M is an integer of 3 or less, for example).

[0063] (4) In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the sharing range S in which the information sharing process is executed is set to the respective communication ranges C of the wireless transceiver units 61 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. The sharing range S may be set to, for example, a range that combines a plurality of communication ranges C related to a plurality of wireless transceiver units 61. Further, the sharing range S may be set to the entire movable area A or a divided area (first area A1 / second area A2 / third area A3). Alternatively, the sharing range S may be set to a range narrower than the communication range C of any one of the wireless transceiver units 61.

[0064] (5) In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the overall control unit 42 provided in the movement control device 40 determines the respective destinations of the plurality of moving bodies 20 and issues a command based on the determination has been mainly assumed and described. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. A control system higher than the movement control device 40 may be provided, and the overall control unit 42 of the movement control device 40 may issue a command for the destination based on a command from the higher control system.

[0065] (6) In the above-described embodiment, the traveling carriage 21 and the clean booth 26 that constitute the moving body 20 were described by taking as an example a configuration in which the clean booth 26 is fixed on the traveling carriage 21 and they move integrally. However, the configuration is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the traveling carriage 21 may move while towing the clean booth 26 with casters. In this way, the traveling carriage 21 and the clean booth 26 that constitute the moving body 20 may move in a line.

[0066] (7) In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the moving body 20 is a traveling body that travels on the floor surface 11 was described by taking as an example. However, the configuration is not limited to such a configuration. The moving body 20 may be a flying body (for example, a drone) that flies in the space of the article conveying facility 1. In this case, when there is a space above the installed object 12 on the floor surface 11 where the flying body can fly, not only the area where there is no installed object on the floor surface 11 but also the area where the installed object 12 exists may be included in the movable area A.

[0067] (8) The configurations disclosed in each of the above-described embodiments (including the above-described embodiment and other embodiments; the same applies hereinafter) can be applied in combination with the configurations disclosed in other embodiments as long as there is no contradiction. Regarding other configurations as well, all the embodiments disclosed in this specification are illustrative in all respects, and can be appropriately modified within the scope not departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0068] Summary of Embodiment Summarizing the above, the article conveying facility according to the present disclosure preferably includes the following respective configurations.

[0069] A plurality of moving bodies that move within the movable area to convey articles, A movement control device that stores control map information indicating a map of the movable area and commands the movement destination of each of the plurality of moving bodies based on the control map information, A communication system that communicably connects the plurality of moving bodies and the movement control device, and is an article conveying facility including The movement control device is configured to transmit destination information indicating the destination to each of the plurality of moving bodies via the communication system. The moving body includes a storage unit that stores map information for the moving body indicating a map of the movable area, a peripheral detection device that detects the situation around itself, a peripheral information acquisition unit that acquires peripheral information indicating the situation around itself based on the detection result of the peripheral detection device, and a route determination unit that searches for and determines a movement route to the destination based on the destination information received from the movement control device, the map information for the moving body, and the peripheral information. The communication system is configured to execute an information sharing process in which at least a part of the peripheral information acquired by each of the plurality of moving bodies existing within a predetermined sharing range is shared among the moving bodies. The route determination unit of the moving body that has acquired the peripheral information derived from another moving body by the information sharing process searches for the movement route based on the shared peripheral information.

[0070] According to this configuration, each moving body can accurately search for a movement route using not only the map information for the moving body but also the peripheral information acquired based on the detection result of the peripheral detection device. In addition, by sharing the peripheral information acquired by each moving body based on the detection result of the peripheral detection device among the plurality of moving bodies existing within the sharing range, each moving body can further use the peripheral information derived from other moving bodies to more accurately search for the movement route. In this way, since it is possible to search for a movement route considering the constantly changing situation, the movement efficiency of the moving bodies as a whole of the article conveying facility can be improved.

[0071] As one aspect, the communication system includes wireless transmission / reception units installed at a plurality of locations in the movable area and a relay processing device connected to the plurality of wireless transmission / reception units. The sharing range is set to the communication range of each of the wireless transmission / reception units. The peripheral information shared by the information sharing process is stored in the relay processing device, and it is preferable that the relay processing device also shares the stored peripheral information with other moving bodies that later enter the sharing range.

[0072] According to this configuration, by storing the peripheral information shared by the information sharing process in the relay processing device, the peripheral information can also be shared with moving bodies that enter the sharing range with a time difference. Therefore, it is possible to accurately search for the moving routes of more moving bodies, and it is possible to further improve the moving efficiency of the moving bodies as the entire article conveyance facility.

[0073] As one aspect, it is preferable that the communication system is configured to execute the information sharing process at least between a plurality of the moving bodies that move in opposite directions along their respective moving routes.

[0074] According to this configuration, the peripheral information at the destination that each moving body is about to head to can be mutually acquired from other moving bodies passing by. Therefore, it is possible to accurately search for the moving route in consideration of the peripheral situation of the future moving route of each moving body.

[0075] As one aspect, in the information sharing process, it is preferable that at least the information that affects the movement of the moving body among the peripheral information acquired by each moving body is shared.

[0076] According to this configuration, in each moving body, it is possible to accurately search for the moving route while appropriately considering an event that affects the movement (or an event that may affect the movement).

[0077] As one aspect, it further includes a work terminal device having a display unit and carried by an operator, In the information sharing process, the communication system is configured to share at least a part of the peripheral information acquired by any of the mobile bodies with the work terminal device existing within the sharing range. The work terminal device that has acquired the peripheral information through the information sharing process preferably displays the shared peripheral information on the display unit.

[0078] According to this configuration, by sharing the peripheral information acquired by each mobile body based on the detection result of the peripheral detection device with the work terminal device existing within the sharing range, the shared peripheral information can be displayed on the display unit of the work terminal device to notify the operator. Therefore, while improving the movement efficiency of the mobile bodies as a whole of the article conveying facility, it is also possible to improve the convenience of the operators who perform various operations in the article conveying facility.

[0079] Another article conveying facility according to the present disclosure preferably includes each of the following configurations.

[0080] A plurality of mobile bodies that move within a movable area to convey articles, A movement control device that stores control map information indicating a map of the movable area and commands the movement destination of each of the plurality of mobile bodies based on the control map information, A work terminal device having a display unit and carried by an operator, An article conveying facility including a communication system that communicably connects the plurality of mobile bodies, the movement control device, and the work terminal device, wherein The mobile body A peripheral detection device that detects the situation around itself, A peripheral information acquisition unit that acquires peripheral information indicating the situation around itself based on the detection result of the peripheral detection device, and is provided with The communication system is configured to execute an information sharing process of sharing at least a part of the peripheral information acquired by the mobile body with the work terminal device within a predetermined sharing range. The work terminal device that has acquired the peripheral information from the moving body by the information sharing process displays the shared peripheral information on the display unit.

[0081] According to this configuration, by sharing the peripheral information acquired by each moving body based on the detection result of the peripheral detection device with the work terminal devices existing within the sharing range, the shared peripheral information can be displayed on the display unit of the work terminal device to notify the operator. Therefore, the convenience of the operators performing various operations in the article conveying facility can be improved.

[0082] The article conveying facility according to the present disclosure only needs to be able to achieve at least one of the above-described effects.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0083] 1 Article conveying facility 7 Article 20 Moving body 24 Peripheral detection device 30 Moving body terminal device 31 Storage unit 32 Peripheral information acquisition unit 33 Route determination unit 40 Movement control device 41 Storage unit 50 Work terminal device 51 Display unit 60 Communication system 61 Wireless transceiver 62 Relay processing device Ma Map information for control Mb Map information for moving body V Peripheral information A Movable area C Communicable range S Sharing range

Claims

1. A plurality of mobile bodies that move within a movable area to transport articles, A movement control device that stores control map information indicating a map of the movable area and commands the movement destinations of the plurality of mobile bodies based on the control map information, An article transport facility comprising a communication system that communicably connects the plurality of mobile bodies and the movement control device, The movement control device is configured to transmit movement destination information indicating the movement destination to each of the plurality of mobile bodies via the communication system, The mobile body, A storage unit that stores mobile body map information indicating a map of the movable area, A peripheral detection device that detects the situation around itself, A peripheral information acquisition unit that acquires peripheral information indicating the situation around itself based on the detection result of the peripheral detection device, A path determination unit that searches for and determines a movement path to the movement destination based on the movement destination information received from the movement control device, the mobile body map information, and the peripheral information, The communication system is configured to execute an information sharing process in which at least a part of the peripheral information acquired by each of the plurality of mobile bodies existing within a predetermined sharing range is shared, The path determination unit of the mobile body that has acquired the peripheral information derived from another mobile body by the information sharing process searches for the movement path based on the shared peripheral information. An article transport facility.

2. The communication system includes wireless transmission / reception units installed at a plurality of locations in the movable area and a relay processing device connected to the plurality of wireless transmission / reception units, The sharing range is set to the communication range of each of the wireless transmission / reception units, The peripheral information shared by the information sharing process is stored in the relay processing device, The relay processing device shares the stored peripheral information with other mobile bodies that enter the sharing range later. The article transport facility according to claim 1.

3. The communication system is configured to execute the information sharing process at least among the plurality of mobile bodies that move along the movement paths in opposite directions to each other. The article transport facility according to claim 1 or 2.

4. In the information sharing process, at least information that affects the movement of the mobile body among the peripheral information acquired by each mobile body is shared. The article transport facility according to claim 1 or 2.

5. An article conveying facility further comprising a work terminal device having a display unit and carried by an operator, wherein the communication system is configured to share at least a part of the peripheral information acquired by any one of the moving bodies with the work terminal device existing within the sharing range in the information sharing process, and the work terminal device that has acquired the peripheral information by the information sharing process displays the shared peripheral information on the display unit. The article conveying facility according to claim 1 or 2.

6. A plurality of moving bodies that move within a movable area to convey articles, a movement control device that stores control map information indicating a map of the movable area and commands a moving destination of each of the plurality of moving bodies based on the control map information, a work terminal device having a display unit and carried by an operator, and a communication system that communicably connects the plurality of moving bodies, the movement control device, and the work terminal device. The article conveying facility is wherein the moving body comprises a peripheral detection device that detects the situation around itself, and a peripheral information acquisition unit that acquires peripheral information indicating the situation around itself based on the detection result of the peripheral detection device, and the communication system is configured to execute an information sharing process of sharing at least a part of the peripheral information acquired by the moving body between the moving body existing within a predetermined sharing range and the work terminal device, and the work terminal device that has acquired the peripheral information from the moving body by the information sharing process displays the shared peripheral information on the display unit. An article conveying facility.

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