Running system and running device

Abstract

To cause a plurality of running devices to appropriately stop at a plurality of stop areas, respectively, on a predefined route regardless of a control from a higher-hierarchy control station.SOLUTION: A plurality of running devices 20 each includes: a distance measuring unit that measures a distance to a designated point P on a predefined route 10; a detecting unit that detects the adjacency to another forehead running device 20; and a control unit that controls starting and stopping of the running device based on a predetermined algorithm. A control unit causes the own running device 20 to temporary stop when the own running device 20 reaches the designated point P or when the adjacency to another forehead running device 20 is detected, calculates a distance to the designated point P during the temporal stop, estimates a group to which the own running device 20 belongs based on the distance to the designated point P, acquires stop information to stop at a stop area AR based on the information on the group, and causes the own running device 20 to stop at the stop area AR based on the stop information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for causing a plurality of autonomously traveling vehicles to travel along a predetermined route, and also to the autonomously traveling vehicles themselves. [Background technology]

[0002] The applicant of the present application has previously proposed a motor-driven traveling device that travels on a pre-laid lane (Patent Document 1). The traveling device described in Patent Document 1 is expected to travel while contacting the side walls provided on the left and right sides of the lane.

[0003] In addition, there have been known running toys that run autonomously along a track drawn on a running surface (for example, Patent Document 2). The running toy described in Patent Document 2 is equipped with a photosensor (optical sensor) for detecting the track drawn on the running surface, and is configured so that the photosensor optically detects the track based on light reflected from the running surface. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7365084 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-181241 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Consider a case where a plurality of traveling devices, such as those shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2, are continuously traveling on a predetermined route. In this case, it is effective to provide charging areas at various locations along the route, periodically stop the traveling devices in the charging areas, charge the batteries mounted on the traveling devices with a wireless charger, and then resume traveling. By automatically repeating stopping and starting for charging in this way, each traveling device can continue traveling on the route.

[0006] When autonomously driving traveling devices, it is common to set up a higher-level control station such as a control center, which sends control commands related to stopping and starting to all traveling devices and controls the traveling status of the traveling devices based on these commands. However, when the traveling status of all traveling devices is controlled by a higher-level control station, it is necessary to frequently send and receive information between the traveling devices and the control station, for example, for each traveling device to report its own location and remaining charge to the higher-level control station, and for the control station to send commands to each traveling device specifying a charging area. As a result, the amount of communication data for the entire system naturally increases, and unless the communication speed is very high, the control processing of the traveling devices cannot keep up. In particular, if there are a large number of traveling devices, the communication burden becomes enormous, making it more difficult to realize such a system. For example, when traveling devices are densely packed together in a room with poor communication environment, it is not realistic to centrally manage all traveling devices by a higher-level control station.

[0007] On the other hand, due to the above-mentioned communication data volume problem, it has been considered to abandon the control of the traveling devices by a higher-level control station and instead have each traveling device operate independently. However, in this case, each traveling device would be unable to grasp the status of the other traveling devices, making it difficult for it to independently determine which charging area to stop at. In particular, if charging areas are set up on a predetermined route, if each traveling device stops at a charging area on its own, it could obstruct the following traveling devices, resulting in a collision or the following traveling device passing the stopped traveling device and being unable to move forward. Furthermore, if multiple traveling devices overlap and attempt to stop at a single charging area, there is a concern that the number of traveling devices that can stop at a charging area at one time may exceed the capacity. Note that similar problems can occur not only when traveling devices are stopped at charging areas, but also when traveling devices are stopped appropriately at designated stopping areas along the route and traveling devices are appropriately dispersed along the route.

[0008] Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to appropriately stop each traveling device at a stopping area without relying on control from a higher-level control station when multiple traveling devices are traveling on a predetermined route. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The inventor of the present invention has intensively studied means for solving the above problem, and as a result, has developed an algorithm that can distribute and stop multiple traveling devices in multiple stopping areas, and has found that by installing this algorithm in each traveling device, it becomes possible to stop each traveling device appropriately in the stopping area without relying on control from a higher-level control station. Based on this finding, the inventor has come to the realization that the above problem can be solved, and has completed the present invention.

[0010] A first aspect of the present invention relates to a system 100 for causing multiple traveling devices 20 to travel along a predetermined route 10. Multiple stopping areas AR are provided along the route 10. The route 10 may have side walls on both sides, allowing the traveling devices 20 to travel while in contact with the side walls. Alternatively, guide lines may be drawn along the route 10, allowing the traveling devices 20 to travel along the guide lines. Each of the multiple traveling devices 20 includes a distance measurement unit, a detection unit, and a control unit. The distance measurement unit is an element for measuring the distance to a designated point P on the route 10. Examples of the distance measurement unit include a wireless module that receives radio signals, a microphone that receives sound signals, and an optical sensor that receives optical signals. The detection unit detects proximity to another traveling device ahead. The control unit controls the start and stop of the traveling device based on a predetermined algorithm. Specifically, the control unit temporarily stops the traveling device 20 when it detects that the traveling device 20 has reached a designated point P or is approaching another traveling device 20 ahead. Next, the control unit calculates the distance from the traveling device 20 to the designated point P while the traveling device 20 is temporarily stopped. Next, the control unit estimates the group to which the traveling device 20 belongs based on the distance from the traveling device 20 to the designated point P. Next, the control unit obtains stop information for stopping the traveling device 20 in the stopping area AR based on the information about the estimated group. Then, the control unit stops the traveling device in the stopping area AR based on this stop information. In this way, by implementing an algorithm for controlling starting and stopping in each traveling device 20, each traveling device can appropriately stop in the stopping area AR without communicating with a higher-level control station.

[0011] The traveling device 20 according to the present invention may further include a designated point detection unit. The designated point detection unit detects that the traveling device 20 has reached a designated point P while traveling along the route 10. The method for detecting the designated point is not particularly limited, and examples include using an optical sensor (including visible light, ultraviolet light, and infrared light) to read a marker indicating the designated point P attached to the route 10, using a sound collection device (microphone) to acquire sound (including ultrasonic waves) emitted from near the designated point P, and using a magnetic sensor to detect magnetism generated from the designated point P. In addition, the traveling device 20 can identify the designated point P on the route 10 using wireless location identification technologies such as barcodes, QR codes (registered trademark), near-field communication (NFC), Bluetooth (registered trademark), and Quuppa (registered trademark).

[0012] Consider a case in which the control unit of a traveling device 20 in the system 100 according to the present invention temporarily stops the traveling device 20 upon detecting that the traveling device 20 is approaching another traveling device 20 ahead. In this case, the control unit stops the traveling device 20 while maintaining a predetermined distance from the other traveling device 20 ahead. The control unit then preferably estimates the group number to which the traveling device 20 belongs by estimating the ranking of the traveling device 20 in the line of traveling devices 20 leading to the designated point P based on the distance to the designated point P, the inter-vehicle distance, and the total length of the traveling device 20. The control unit may also calculate the number of passes (n) that the traveling device 20 will pass through the stop area AR based on this group number, and stop the traveling device in the stop area AR after the number of passes (n) has passed. This allows the traveling devices 20 to be stopped in the appropriate stop area AR without overlapping with each other.

[0013] Preferably, the system 100 according to the present invention further includes a base station 30 installed near the designated point P. This base station 30 transmits a radio signal such as an electric wave signal, a sound wave signal, or an optical signal. In this case, it is preferable that the control unit of the traveling device 20 calculates the distance from the traveling device 20 itself to the designated point P based on the radio signal received by the distance measurement unit. This makes it possible to efficiently calculate the distance from the traveling device 20 to the designated point P with a simple configuration.

[0014] In the system 100 according to the present invention, the stopping area AR preferably includes a charger 40 for charging the battery 25 mounted on the traveling device 20. The charger 40 may be either wired or wireless, but it is preferable to use a wireless charging type in order to eliminate the need to plug a charging cable into the traveling device 20. This allows the traveling device 20 to be charged while parked in the stopping area AR.

[0015] In the system 100 according to the present invention, the number of traveling devices 20 is preferably greater than the number of stopping areas AR. Furthermore, the number of stopping areas AR is preferably equal to or greater than the number of groups. Even under such conditions, the system 100 according to the present invention can efficiently stop the traveling devices 20 in a distributed manner in the stopping areas AR.

[0016] In the system 100 according to the present invention, it is preferable that the traveling devices 20 are not controlled by an external computer (higher-level control station) and that starting and stopping are controlled based only on a predetermined algorithm. This allows each traveling device 20 to be stopped appropriately in the stopping area AR even in an environment with poor communication conditions, such as indoors.

[0017] A second aspect of the present invention relates to the traveling device 20 itself. The traveling device 20 is capable of traveling on a predetermined route 10 on which a plurality of stopping areas AR are provided. The traveling device 20 has a distance measuring unit for measuring the distance to a designated point P on the route 10, a detection unit for detecting proximity to another traveling device 20 ahead, and a control unit for controlling the start and stop of the traveling device 20 based on a predetermined algorithm. The control unit temporarily stops the traveling device 20 when it detects that the traveling device 20 has reached the designated point P or approached another traveling device 20 ahead. The control unit calculates the distance from the traveling device 20 to the designated point P while the traveling device 20 is temporarily stopped. The control unit estimates the group to which the traveling device 20 belongs based on the distance to the designated point P. The control unit obtains stop information for stopping the traveling device 20 at the stop area AR based on the group information. The control unit stops the traveling device 20 at the stop area AR based on the stop information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, when a plurality of traveling devices are made to travel on a predetermined route, each traveling device can be stopped appropriately in a stopping area without relying on control from a higher-level control station. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a traveling device that travels autonomously on a predetermined route. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the components of the pathway. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of components of the traveling device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing an example of an algorithm implemented in the traveling device. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of the free running step (S1) and the calculation step (S2). [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of the passing step (S3) and the stopping step (S4). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, but also includes appropriate modifications of the embodiments below within the scope obvious to those skilled in the art.

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a traveling device 20 traveling on a predetermined path 10 (lane) in a traveling system 100 according to the present invention. The traveling device 20 receives propulsion force from a drive mechanism of the vehicle body and travels along the path 10. This path 10 has side walls on both the left and right sides of the traveling surface, and the body of the traveling device 20 moves forward while contacting the side walls of the lane. As a result, the traveling device 20 moves forward while moving straight or curved along the shape of the lane. The traveling device 20 is also equipped with a light-emitting mechanism. The traveling device 20 also has a dome-shaped cover 29 attached to the top of the vehicle body. Since this cover 29 is transparent or translucent, when a light-emitting mechanism provided inside the cover 29 emits light, the light passes through the cover 29 and is visible from the outside.

[0022] Next, an example configuration of the traveling device 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the traveling device 20 includes a control device 21 and two motors 22. Each motor 22 is electrically connected to the control device 21 via an electronic board or the like and is controlled by the control device 21. Each motor 22 is independently attached to a drive wheel 23. The drive wheels 23 are rotated by supplying power from a battery 25 to each motor 22, and the traveling device 20 obtains propulsion force when the drive wheels 23 come into contact with the road surface of the route 10. In this embodiment, the traveling device 20 employs a rear-wheel drive system, and therefore each motor 22 is mounted at the rear of the chassis of the traveling device 20. In the illustrated example, with respect to the traveling direction of the traveling device 20 as the reference, the first motor 22(R) rotates the first drive wheel 23(R) on the right side, and the second motor 22(L) rotates the second drive wheel 23(L) on the left side. The traveling device 20 is not limited to a rear-wheel drive system, but may be a front-wheel drive system.

[0023] A known motor can be used as each motor 22. Specifically, each motor 22 includes a rotating unit including a stator and a rotor, and an output shaft for outputting the rotational force obtained by the rotating unit to the outside. A known motor can also be used as each drive wheel 23. Specifically, each drive wheel 23 includes a metal or plastic wheel member and a high-friction rubber tire member attached to the outer periphery of the wheel member. Since the tire member is a consumable item, it can be removed from the wheel member and replaced as needed. In this embodiment, the wheel member of each drive wheel 23 is directly fixed to the output shaft of each motor 22. The wheel member and the output shaft may be fixed by friction generated between them, or by known fixing methods such as adhesive or welding. However, the output shaft of the motor 22 and the wheel member of the wheel can also be interlocked by using an intermediate part such as a gear or a shaft.

[0024] 2, the traveling device 20 includes one or more driven wheels 24 that come into contact with the road surface of the route 10, in addition to the drive wheels 23 fixed to the motors 22. The driven wheels 24 are not connected to a drive source such as the motor 22, but are wheels that assist the traveling of the traveling device 20. In this embodiment, the driven wheels 24 are disposed at two locations, one on the left and one on the front side of the chassis of the traveling device 20. The number of driven wheels 24 can be increased or decreased depending on the size of the traveling device 20, etc.

[0025] The traveling device 20 also includes a battery 25. The battery 25 may be a primary battery or a secondary battery. However, because repeatedly rechargeable batteries provide higher operational efficiency, it is preferable to use a secondary battery as the battery 25. In particular, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the battery 25 is repeatedly and automatically charged so that the traveling device 20 can travel continuously. Power from the battery 25 is supplied to, for example, the control device 21, the motors 22, the sensor 27, and the light-emitting element 28. The remaining charge of the battery 25 may also be monitored by the processor 21a.

[0026] The traveling device 20 also includes a power receiving coil 26 for charging the battery 25. The power receiving coil 26 can receive power from an external source through electromagnetic induction. For example, when the traveling device 20 stops in a stopping area AR, power is supplied to the power receiving coil 26 through electromagnetic induction from a power transmitting coil included in a charger 40 installed in the stopping area AR. The power received by the power receiving coil 26 is supplied to the battery 25 via a rectifier circuit or the like, and the battery 25 is charged in a contactless manner. In this way, the power receiving coil 26 can receive power wirelessly from an external device, enabling the battery 25 to be charged.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, the traveling device 20 also includes a sensor 27, which includes a light-projecting unit 27a and a light-receiving unit 27b for reading, for example, markers at designated points drawn on the route. The light-projecting unit 27a and the light-receiving unit 27b are connected to the control device 21 and transmit detection information to the control device 21. The markers indicating designated points on the route reflect, for example, light of a specific wavelength. For this reason, the light-projecting unit 27a and the light-receiving unit 27b may be photoelectric sensors that can detect the markers by projecting light of a specific wavelength onto the guide line 13 and receiving the reflected light. For example, if fluorescent pigments are used as markers indicating designated points, the light-projecting unit 27a irradiates ultraviolet light (black light) onto the traveling surface of the route 10, and the light-receiving unit 27b receives the ultraviolet light and then receives visible light emitted from the fluorescent pigment of the markers. When light receiving unit 27b receives visible light from the fluorescent pigment of the marker, it converts information about the relative position of the marker with respect to light receiving unit 27b into an electrical signal and transmits it to control device 21. In this embodiment, light projecting unit 27a and light receiving unit 27b are used as designated point detecting units as described above, but the method for detecting designated point P is not limited to this.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 2 , the sensor 27 of the traveling device 20 further includes a proximity sensor 27c. This proximity sensor 27c detects when the traveling device 20 approaches the traveling device 20 in front of it within a predetermined distance. A known proximity sensor can be used as the proximity sensor 27c. For example, an infrared sensor, millimeter-wave radar, or ultrasonic sensor can be used as the proximity sensor 27c. These sensors can measure the distance when another traveling device 20 is present in front of the traveling device 20. Specifically, an infrared sensor transmits infrared rays and measures the reflected light. A millimeter-wave radar transmits radio waves and measures the reflected waves. An ultrasonic sensor transmits sound waves and measures the reflected sound. When such a remote measurement sensor is used as the proximity sensor 27c and detects that the distance to the traveling device 20 in front is within a predetermined distance, the traveling device 20 automatically stops while maintaining a predetermined distance from the traveling device 20 in front to prevent a collision between the traveling devices 20.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 2, the traveling device 20 may further include one or more light-emitting elements 28. The light-emitting elements 28 are electrically connected to the control device 21 via an electronic board or the like and are controlled by the control device 21. The cover 29 of the traveling device 20 is transparent or translucent, so that when the light-emitting elements 28 emit light, the light passes through the cover 29 and is visible from the outside. The cover 29 may be made of, for example, a known polycarbonate material or silicone material. The cover 29 may also be made of a half mirror. A half mirror transmits light traveling from the inside to the outside and reflects light traveling from the outside to the inside. In this case, a half mirror film may be attached to the inner surface of the cover 29, which is made of, for example, a silicone material.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a control system centered around the control device 21. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the control device 21 includes a processor 21a, a memory 21b, a wireless module 21c, a drive control circuit 21d, a sensor control circuit 21e, and a light emission control circuit 21f. Examples of the processor 21a include a known CPU or other control circuit. The processor 21a performs predetermined arithmetic processing in accordance with predetermined algorithms (programs) and data stored in the memory 21b, and executes various control processes while writing the results of the calculations to a workspace in the memory 21b. The memory 21b is composed of, for example, a volatile memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory, and is used for the arithmetic processing by the processor 21a. In this embodiment, the processor 21a reads the programs stored in the memory 21b and performs processing to drive the motors 22 and cause the light-emitting elements 28 to emit light in accordance with the programs.

[0031] The wireless module 21c receives a wireless signal transmitted from a base station 30 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) installed close to a designated point P on the route 10. The processor 21a can calculate the distance from the traveling device 20 to the designated point P (more precisely, the base station 30) based on the strength of the wireless signal received by the wireless module 21c. Specifically, the received radio wave strength from the base station 30 at the position of the designated point P is measured in advance, and the strength is stored in the memory 21b of the traveling device 20 as a reference value. Next, the wireless module 21c of the traveling device 20 measures the radio wave strength actually received from the base station 30. Then, the difference between the radio wave strength (reference value) stored in the memory 21b and the actually measured radio wave strength is calculated. This difference is inversely proportional to the distance from the base station 30. Therefore, by experimentally determining the relationship between this difference and distance in advance, the actual distance from the traveling device 20 to the designated point P can be determined based on the calculated difference. The radio waves transmitted by the base station 30 may conform to known wireless standards such as 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or Sub1 GHz.

[0032] The drive control circuit 21d is a circuit that supplies power from the battery 25 to each motor 22 (R, L) based on a control command from the processor 21a so that the motors 22 (R, L) are driven under predetermined rotation conditions (rotation speed, rotation direction, etc.). Note that by switching the rotation direction of each motor 22, it is also possible to switch between forward and reverse movement of the traveling device 20. Furthermore, this drive control circuit 21d is capable of independently controlling the first motor 22(R) and the second motor 22(R).

[0033] The sensor control circuit 21e is a circuit that supplies power from the battery 25 to the sensor 27 and controls its on / off operation based on a control command from the processor 21a, and transmits information (electrical signals) obtained by the light receiving unit 27b and the proximity sensor 27c to the processor 21a. The processor 21a generates a control command to stop the motor 22 based on, for example, position information of a marker indicating a specified point on the path 10 detected by the light receiving unit 27b, and outputs the control command to the drive control circuit 21d. Furthermore, the processor 21a generates a control command to stop the motor 22 when, for example, the proximity sensor 27c detects the proximity state of the preceding traveling device 20, and outputs the control command to the drive control circuit 21d. Furthermore, the processor 21a generates a control command to restart the motor 22 when the proximity sensor 27c detects the separation of the preceding traveling device 20, and outputs the control command to the drive control circuit 21d.

[0034] The light-emission control circuit 21f is a circuit that supplies power from the battery 25 to each of the light-emitting elements 28 so that each of the light-emitting elements 28 emits light under predetermined light-emission conditions (e.g., emitted light color, brightness, etc.) based on a control command from the processor 21a. The light-emission control circuit 21f can control each of the light-emitting elements 28 independently.

[0035] Next, with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6 , an algorithm will be described that allows multiple traveling devices 20 traveling on the route 10 to independently determine whether to stop at a battery charging stopping area AR. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , a base station 30 is installed near a designated point P on the route 10, and as described above, this base station 30 emits a radio signal. However, this base station 30 simply emits a radio signal (radio wave) and does not provide any control commands to the traveling devices 20 regarding stopping, starting, or the like. Each of the multiple traveling devices 20 independently determines the stopping area AR in which it should stop based on an algorithm implemented in it. Nevertheless, in this embodiment, all of the traveling devices 20 can be smoothly distributed and stopped at multiple stopping areas AR (for battery charging) without causing a concentration of traveling devices 20 that exceeds the capacity of a single stopping area AR or collisions between the traveling devices 20 on the route 10. FIG. 3 shows an example of an algorithm implemented in each traveling device 20 to achieve this. 3, the processing flow executed by the traveling device 20 roughly includes a free traveling step (S1), a calculation step (S2), a passing step (S3), and a stopping step (S4). The free traveling step (S1) is outlined in FIG. 5(a), the calculation step (S2) is outlined in FIG. 5(b), the passing step (S3) is outlined in FIG. 6(c), and the stopping step (S4) is outlined in FIG. 6(d).

[0036] First, the free running step (S1) is a step in which the multiple traveling devices 20 travel freely along the route 10 until the next calculation step (S2) is entered. In the free running step, first, each of the multiple traveling devices 20 starts moving (S1-1). Each traveling device 20 continues traveling along the route 10 until a predetermined stopping condition is met.

[0037] In this embodiment, there are two conditions for the traveling device 20 to temporarily stop. As a first stopping condition, when the traveling device 20 reaches a designated point P provided on the route 10, the traveling device 20 temporarily stops at the designated point P (S1-2, S2-1). For example, a marker (indicated by a triangle in FIG. 5 and other figures) indicating that the designated point P is located is provided on the route 10. When the traveling device 20 detects the marker, for example, with the sensor 27 (light-emitting unit 27a and light-receiving unit 27b), the traveling device 20 temporarily stops at the designated point P. As a second stopping condition, when a proximity sensor 27c detects that a certain traveling device 20 is approaching a preceding traveling device 20 within a predetermined distance, the traveling device 20 temporarily stops at the designated point P (S1-3, S2-1). In the example shown in FIG. 6(b), multiple traveling devices 20 are temporarily stopped in a line, but the traveling device 20 at the front of the line (number 0) temporarily stops due to the first stopping condition after reaching the designated point P. On the other hand, the traveling devices 20 following behind the leading device 20 are temporarily stopped due to the second stop condition when they detect that they have approached the leading traveling device 20 to within a predetermined distance. The traveling devices 20 that have temporarily stopped in this way proceed to the next calculation step (S2).

[0038] In addition to the case where the leading traveling device 20 has reached the designated point P, the distance between the two traveling devices 20 may become equal to or less than the predetermined distance for some reason, and the traveling devices 20 may be forced to temporarily stop due to the second stop condition. In this case, the temporarily stopped traveling device 20 also proceeds to the calculation step (S2). However, if the leading vehicle separates from the trailing vehicle after the transition to the calculation step (S2), and the distance between the two traveling devices 20 becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined distance, the calculation step (S2) is stopped, and the process returns to the free traveling step (S1). At this time, the traveling device 20 discards the calculation result. In this way, it is possible to avoid a collision between the two traveling devices 20 on the route 10.

[0039] It should be noted that the traveling device 20 does not necessarily have to be temporarily stopped when it reaches the designated point P. For example, the traveling device 20 may be temporarily stopped at the designated point P only when it reaches the designated point P with the remaining charge of the battery 25 mounted on the traveling device 20 being equal to or less than a predetermined value. In cases where the traveling route 10 is short, for example, the traveling device 20 may pass the designated point P repeatedly within a short period of time, but it would be inefficient to stop the traveling device 20 at the designated point P each time. For this reason, an additional condition to the first stop condition may be that the remaining charge of the battery 25 is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

[0040] Next, the calculation step (S2) is a step in which the number of times each traveling device 20 passes through the stopping area AR is calculated based on the position where each traveling device 20 is temporarily stopped. As described above, when the first or second stopping condition is satisfied, the traveling device 20 temporarily stops at that location and proceeds to the calculation step (S2-1). In the calculation step (S2), first, each traveling device 20 calculates the distance to the designated point P (S2-2). A wireless signal is transmitted from a base station 30 installed near the designated point P, and each traveling device 20 can calculate the distance to the designated point P by receiving this wireless signal and measuring the signal strength. Note that, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the distance to the designated point P of the leading traveling device 20, which is temporarily stopped at the designated point P due to the first stopping condition, is zero. The subsequent traveling devices 20 also calculate their distance to the designated point P.

[0041] Next, each traveling device 20 uses the distance to the specified point P to estimate its own rank in the line headed by the traveling device 20 stopped at the specified point P (S2-3). Specifically, each traveling device 20 can estimate its own rank using the following equation 1. [Formula 1] Rank = Distance to designated point P / (Inter-vehicle distance + Total length of running device) The solution calculated from the above formula 1 may be rounded down to the nearest integer.

[0042] In the above formula 1, "distance to designated point P" is a variable, and the distance calculated in S2-2 is substituted for it. The "inter-vehicle distance" refers to the distance between two traveling devices 20, and the "total length of traveling device" refers to the length of one traveling device 20 in the traveling direction. The inter-vehicle distance and the total length of the traveling device are constants, and fixed values stored in advance in the memory 21b of the traveling device 20 can be read out. This allows the traveling device 20 to estimate its own ranking. In the example shown in FIG. 5(b), a total of 10 traveling devices 20 are lined up from the front, and the ranking of the leading traveling device 20 is "0." The rankings of the remaining nine traveling devices 20 are "1," "3," "4," "5," "6," "8," "9," "10," and "11," respectively. In this example, the rankings "2" and "7" are missing, but because the distances from each traveling device 20 to the designated point P vary, errors may occur in the ranking estimation. However, the algorithm of this embodiment has the advantage of being able to tolerate such errors.

[0043] Next, each traveling device 20 estimates the group number to which it belongs using the ranking determined in S2-3 (S2-4). For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5(b), ten traveling devices 20 are stopped in a line, but up to three traveling devices 20 can belong to one group, and up to five such groups can be created. Specifically, it is predetermined that traveling devices 20 ranked 0 to 2 belong to group G0, traveling devices 20 ranked 3 to 5 belong to group G1, traveling devices 20 ranked 6 to 8 belong to group G2, traveling devices 20 ranked 9 to 11 belong to group G3, and traveling devices 20 ranked 12 to 14 belong to group G4. Thus, in this example, the maximum number of vehicles that can belong to one group is three, but this maximum number should be the same as or less than the number of vehicles that can be parked in one stop area AR on route 10. In this example, the maximum number of groups is 5, but the maximum number of groups may be set to match the number of stopping areas AR on the route 10 or to be less than the number of stopping areas AR. Note that in the example shown in FIG. 5(b), the number of traveling devices 20 is limited to 10, so group G4 is not created.

[0044] Once the ranking of each traveling device 20 is determined in S2-3, it can estimate the number of the group to which it belongs using the following [Equation 2]. [Formula 2] Group number = ranking / number of cars in one group The solution calculated from the above formula 2 may be rounded down to the nearest integer. For example, since the number of vehicles belonging to one group is three, in the case of the traveling unit 20 ranked 11th, the group number is 11 / 3=3.66, and the group number is "3" (G3).

[0045] Next, each traveling device 20 uses the group number calculated in S2-3 to calculate the number of stopping areas (passing number) that will be passed through after restarting (S2-5). The passing number can be calculated, for example, by the following formula 3. [Formula 3] Number of passes = Maximum number of groups - own group number For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the maximum number of groups is 5, so the number of passes for group number "0" (G0) is 5, and the number of passes for group number "4" (G4) is 1. Note that the number of passes does not have to be calculated using the above formula 3, but rather the number of passes may be associated with each group in advance, and the corresponding data may be stored in the memory 21b of the traveling device 20, etc. After the calculation of the number of passes has been completed in this manner, each traveling device 20 proceeds to the next passing step (S3).

[0046] Next, in the passing step (S3), the traveling devices 20 restart and pass through the stopping area AR for the number of passes calculated in the calculation step (S2). In the passing step (S3), first, each traveling device 20 that has finished calculating the number of passes restarts (S3-1). After restarting, each traveling device 20 passes through the specified point P.

[0047] Thereafter, each traveling device 20 counts the number of stop areas AR that it has passed while traveling along the route 10 (S3-2) and determines whether the number of stop areas AR that it has passed reaches its own passing number (S3-3). As a method for the traveling device 20 to count the number of stop areas AR, for example, a marker that can be read by the sensor 27 (light-emitting unit 27a, light-receiving unit 27b) of the traveling device 20 may be provided in each stop area AR, and when the sensor 27 reads this marker, the traveling device 20 may be counted as having reached the stop area AR. Also, for example, when power is supplied to the traveling device 20 from a charger 40 provided in the stop area AR, the traveling device 20 may be counted as having reached the stop area AR. In this way, each traveling device 20 continues traveling along the route 10 until the number of stop areas AR that it has passed reaches its own passing number. When the counting of the passing number is completed, each traveling device 20 proceeds to the next stopping step (S4).

[0048] The stopping step (S4) is a step in which each traveling device 20 stops again at the stopping area AR. At this time, if a charger 40 is provided in the stopping area AR, power is supplied from the charger 40 to the traveling device 20, and the battery 25 mounted on the traveling device 20 is charged. First, when each traveling device 20 has passed through the stopping area AR the number of times it has passed through it in the passing step (S3), it stops at the next stopping area AR (S4-1). For example, since the number of passes of the traveling devices 20 belonging to group G0 is five, after the traveling devices 20 of this group G0 have passed through five stopping areas AR, they stop at the next, sixth stopping area AR. The same applies to the traveling devices 20 belonging to other groups.

[0049] 6(d) shows a state in which all traveling devices 20 are stopped in the stopping area AR. As shown in this figure, multiple traveling devices 20 are stopped in multiple stopping areas AR in a dispersed manner, so that the number of traveling devices 20 does not exceed the capacity of one stopping area AR. Furthermore, traveling devices 20 stopped in a stopping area AR do not obstruct the travel of subsequent traveling devices 20.

[0050] Thereafter, each traveling device 20 that has stopped in a stopping area AR waits in that stopping area AR until a predetermined time has elapsed (step S4-2). In the example shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a charger 40 is provided in each stopping area AR, and this charger 40 has a power transmission coil (not shown) for supplying power by electromagnetic induction. During the waiting time, the traveling device 20 that has stopped in the stopping area AR receives power supplied from the power transmission coil of the charger 40 in each stopping area AR via the power receiving coil 26, and supplies the power to the battery 25 via a rectifier circuit or the like. In this way, the battery 25 is charged contactlessly while the traveling device 20 is waiting in the stopping area AR. The time that the traveling device 20 is kept waiting in the stopping area AR can be adjusted as appropriate, but may be, for example, about 30 seconds to 5 minutes.

[0051] After waiting for a predetermined time in the stopping area AR, each traveling device 20 starts moving and transitions again to the free traveling step (S1). When transitioning from the stopping step (S4) to the free traveling step (S1), each traveling device 20 discards its calculation results up to that point. In this way, each traveling device 20 repeats the free traveling step (S1) to the stopping step (S4) entirely by its own judgment and calculation. This allows each traveling device 20 to continue traveling on the route 10 while charging its battery 25 as appropriate. Each traveling device 20 travels and stops according to an algorithm implemented in itself. This algorithm prevents the traveling devices 20 from concentrating in the stopping area AR beyond its capacity or from blocking the travel of subsequent traveling devices 20. Furthermore, this algorithm can tolerate slight errors in distance measurement and calculation by each traveling device 20, thereby maintaining an appropriate flow of traveling devices 20 throughout the entire system.

[0052] In the above description of the present invention, the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings in order to express the contents of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and includes modifications and improvements that are obvious to those skilled in the art based on the matters described in the present specification.

[0053] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the traveling control means of the traveling device 20 is a means for adjusting the traveling direction of the traveling device 20 by independently controlling the two motors 22. However, the traveling control means of the traveling device 20 is not limited to this. For example, in addition to the motor 22 that rotates the driving wheels 23 (rear wheels), a steering motor for rotating the direction (yaw angle) of one or more driven wheels 24 (front wheels) can be provided, and the traveling direction of the entire traveling device 20 can be adjusted by controlling the direction of the driven wheels with this steering motor. The traveling direction of the traveling device 20 is determined by the direction of the driven wheels 24. Note that in this case, it is not necessary to independently control the two motors 22 that rotate the driving wheels 23 (rear wheels); they can simply be set to the same rotation speed and the same rotation direction. Other known traveling control means can be adopted for the traveling device 20.

[0054] Furthermore, for example, in the above-described embodiment, a charger 40 is provided in each stop area AR, but it is not necessary to provide a charger 40 in each stop area AR. For example, when multiple traveling devices 20 are traveling continuously on the route 10, differences in the speed of the traveling devices 20 may cause the traveling devices 20 to be crowded together in some areas, or conversely, the traveling devices 20 to be too far apart. In this case, according to the present invention, the traveling devices 20 can be temporarily stopped and then dispersed to stop areas AR provided on the route 10 to temporarily wait there, thereby making it possible to appropriately adjust the intervals at which the traveling devices 20 travel on the route 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 10...Route 11...Mirror 12...Film 13...Guiding wire 20...Traveling device 21...Control device 21a...Processor 21b...Memory 21c...wireless module 21d...drive control circuit 21e...sensor control circuit 21f...light emission control circuit 22...Motor 23...Drive wheel 24...Driven wheels 25...Battery 26... Power receiving coil 27... Sensor 27a...light-emitting part 27b...light-receiving part 27c... proximity sensor 28... light emitting element 29...Cover 30...Base Station 40...Charger 100...Driving system AR: Stopping area P: Designated point

Claims

1. A system for causing a plurality of traveling devices to travel on a predetermined route, A plurality of stopping areas are provided on the route, Each of the traveling devices is a distance measuring unit for measuring a distance to a specified point on the route; a detection unit that detects proximity to another traveling device in front; a control unit that controls the start and stop of its own traveling device based on a predetermined algorithm; The control unit When it is detected that the own traveling device has reached the specified point or is approaching another traveling device ahead, the own traveling device is temporarily stopped; Calculating the distance from the vehicle's own traveling device to the specified point during the temporary stop; estimating a group to which the traveling device belongs based on the distance to the specified point; determining stop information for stopping the vehicle's own traveling device in the stopping area based on the information of the group; The vehicle stops its own traveling device in the stopping area based on the stopping information. system.

2. The control unit When the vehicle temporarily stops its own running device due to the detection of proximity to another running device in front, The vehicle stops its own traveling device while maintaining a predetermined distance from another traveling device in front of it, estimating the rank of the traveling device in the line of traveling devices continuing to the specified point based on the distance to the specified point, the inter-vehicle distance, and the total length of the traveling device, thereby estimating the number of the group to which the traveling device belongs; The number of passes that the own traveling device will make through the stopping area is calculated based on the number of the group, and the own traveling device is stopped in the stopping area after the number of passes has passed. The system of claim 1 .

3. The system includes a base station installed near the designated point; The base station transmits a radio signal, an acoustic signal, or an optical signal; The control unit of the traveling device calculates the distance from the traveling device itself to the specified point based on the wireless signal received by the distance measuring unit.

3. The system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The stopping area includes a charger for charging a battery mounted on the traveling device.

3. The system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

5. the number of the traveling devices is greater than the number of the stopping areas, The number of the stopping areas is equal to or greater than the number of the groups.

3. The system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

6. The running device is not controlled by an external computer, and start and stop control is performed based solely on the algorithm.

3. The system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

7. A traveling device capable of traveling on a predetermined route on which a plurality of stopping areas are provided, a distance measuring unit for measuring a distance to a specified point on the route; a detection unit that detects proximity to another traveling device in front; a control unit that controls the start and stop of its own traveling device based on a predetermined algorithm; The control unit When it is detected that the own traveling device has reached the specified point or is approaching another traveling device ahead, the own traveling device is temporarily stopped; Calculating the distance from the vehicle's own traveling device to the specified point during the temporary stop; estimating a group to which the traveling device belongs based on the distance to the specified point; determining stop information for stopping the vehicle's own traveling device in the stopping area based on the information of the group; The vehicle stops its own traveling device in the stopping area based on the stopping information. Running gear.

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