Industrial vehicle

Abstract

To provide an industrial vehicle capable of automatically canceling a sleep state and starting automatic traveling as needed even at a loading position where no worker is present.SOLUTION: In an industrial vehicle including a vehicle body, a driving source mounted on the vehicle body, and an on-board controller 36 that controls the driving source, and traveling automatically based on operation data preset in an operation control device that controls the operation of the industrial vehicle, the on-board controller 36 stops at the command of the operation control device when the vehicle body arrives at a loading position preset in the operation data, and switches from a normal state in which automatic travel is possible to a power-saving sleep state in which power consumption of each part of the vehicle body is reduced. When preset sleep release conditions are met after entering the power-saving sleep state, the on-board controller releases the power-saving sleep state, switches to the normal state, and resumes automatic travel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an autonomously driven industrial vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, automated driving of towing vehicles and the like has been progressing in logistics sites (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This type of industrial vehicle towing vehicle, for example, tows an empty cart and stops at a loading position. A worker is present at the loading position, and the work vehicle loads the cart with the cargo. Once loading is complete, the unmanned driving resumes. In this case, the worker operates the key of the stopped towing vehicle to switch it from key-on to key-off, and by holding the operated key, other workers cannot operate the towing vehicle. Note that the key-off state does not completely turn off the power, but rather is a sleep state that saves power. Then, once loading of the cargo is complete, the towing vehicle is turned on using the key that the worker held, and it returns to its normal state, allowing automatic driving to resume.

[0003] Another prior art related to industrial vehicles is, for example, the unmanned vehicle system disclosed in Patent Document 2. In the unmanned vehicle system disclosed in Patent Document 2, each unmanned vehicle travels along a guide line while detecting the guide line with a sensor. Each unmanned vehicle also obtains information to determine its own position on the route, branch points, etc., by detecting mark plates placed at various points on the guide line with a mark sensor. A ground control panel is installed outside the unmanned vehicle's travel area. The ground control panel is capable of two-way wireless communication with each unmanned vehicle, and the operation of each unmanned vehicle is controlled based on instruction data transmitted from the ground control panel.

[0004] This type of unmanned vehicle system has three operational modes: "emergency stop," when all unmanned vehicles are stopped due to some kind of trouble; "sleep," when work for the day is finished and the power is turned off; and "start," when sleep is resumed and the unmanned vehicles are started. In "emergency stop," the power to the CPU is also turned off. In "sleep," the power to the CPU is not turned off. For this reason, when operation is initiated by "start," work resumes from where it was interrupted in "sleep." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-117433 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-15529 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, with the towing vehicle shown in Patent Document 1, no worker is present at the loading position, and if, for example, an automated loading line is installed with loading equipment such as a loading robot, the towing vehicle cannot be put into sleep mode when stopped. Furthermore, in the unmanned vehicle system disclosed in Patent Document 2, when the ground control panel receives a signal indicating that the sleep button or start button has been pressed, it considers this to be a command to all vehicles, and simply transmits instruction data to all unmanned vehicles.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an industrial vehicle that can automatically cancel the sleep mode and start automatic driving when necessary, even when the vehicle is at a loading position where no workers are present. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an industrial vehicle that has a vehicle body, a driving source mounted on the vehicle body, and an on-board controller that controls the driving source, and that automatically drives based on operation data that is preset in an operation control device that controls the operation of the industrial vehicle.When the vehicle body arrives at a loading position that is preset in the operation data, the on-board controller stops in response to a command from the operation control device, and switches from a normal state in which automatic driving is possible to a power-saving sleep state in which power consumption of each part of the vehicle body is reduced, and when preset sleep release conditions are met after entering the power-saving sleep state, the on-board controller releases the power-saving sleep state, switches to the normal state, and resumes automatic driving.

[0009] In this invention, when the industrial vehicle arrives at the loading / unloading position, the onboard controller stops the vehicle in response to a command from the operation control device and switches from a normal state capable of automatic driving to a power-saving sleep state in which power consumption by each part of the vehicle body is reduced. When a preset sleep release condition is met after the power-saving sleep state, the onboard controller releases the power-saving sleep state, switches to a normal state, and resumes automatic driving. Therefore, even when a worker is not present at the loading / unloading position, it is possible to automatically release the sleep state and start automatic driving when necessary. As a result, unnecessary power consumption can be reduced while the vehicle is stopped at the loading / unloading position.

[0010] In addition, in the above-mentioned industrial vehicle, the sleep cancellation condition is to receive a sleep cancellation command from the operation control device, and the on-board controller may be configured to cancel the power-saving sleep state and resume automatic driving as a normal state when the on-board controller receives the sleep cancellation command. In this case, the on-board controller can automatically cancel the power-saving sleep mode and return to the normal mode upon receiving a sleep cancellation command from the operation control device. Also, by returning the industrial vehicle to the normal mode, it becomes possible to resume autonomous driving.

[0011] In addition, in the above-mentioned industrial vehicle, the sleep cancellation condition may be a preset sleep setting time during which the power-saving sleep state is maintained, and the on-board controller may be configured to cancel the power-saving sleep state and resume automatic driving as a normal state when the sleep setting time has elapsed since the start of the power-saving sleep state. In this case, the in-vehicle controller can cancel the power-saving sleep state when the sleep setting time has elapsed since the start of the power-saving sleep state.

[0012] In the above-described industrial vehicle, the on-board controller may be configured to receive a sleep command from the operation control device and put the industrial vehicle into the power-saving sleep state. In this case, the industrial vehicle can be automatically put into a power-saving sleep state by receiving a sleep command from the operation control device.

[0013] In the above-described industrial vehicle, the sleep command from the operation control device may be based on position information of the loading position that is acquired by the operation control device when the industrial vehicle arrives at the loading position. In this case, the sleep command from the operation control device is based on the position information of the loading position acquired by the operation control device when the industrial vehicle arrives at the loading position, so the industrial vehicle can be reliably put into a power-saving sleep state at the loading position.

[0014] In the above-described industrial vehicle, the vehicle body may have a plurality of devices that are to be put into sleep mode and whose power supply is cut off, and the devices that are to be put into sleep mode may be set by the operation control device. In this case, the devices to be put into sleep mode and de-energized can be preset by the operation control device, so that the power-saving sleep state of the industrial vehicle can be changed according to the conditions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, an industrial vehicle can be provided that can automatically cancel the sleep mode and start automatic traveling when necessary, even when the vehicle is at a loading position where no worker is present. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a towing vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a towing vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a towing vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the relationship between the towing vehicle and the loading position according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the procedure for switching the towing vehicle into and out of a power-saving sleep state. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a towing vehicle according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure for switching the towing vehicle into and out of a power-saving sleep state according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] (First embodiment) A towing vehicle as an industrial vehicle according to a first embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The towing vehicle of this embodiment is a small, unmanned towing vehicle capable of autonomous driving. However, the towing vehicle of this embodiment is an unmanned towing vehicle equipped with a driver's seat so that it can also be driven by a driver. Note that the directions "forward / backward," "left / right," and "up / down" are based on the state in which an operator is seated in the driver's seat of the small towing vehicle during manned driving.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1, front wheels 12 are provided at the front of a body 11 of a towing vehicle 10, and rear wheels 13 are provided at the rear of the body 11. The front wheels 12 are steered wheels, and the rear wheels 13 are drive wheels. A driver's seat 14 is provided near the center of the body 11. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the driver's seat 14 is equipped with a standing driver's seat 15 and a steering lever 16 to enable manned driving. In normal unmanned autonomous driving, an operator does not board the towing vehicle 10, but it is expected that the towing vehicle 10 will continue to drive automatically even if an operator boards the vehicle.

[0019] A battery room (not shown) is located behind the driver's seat 14 in the vehicle body 11. The battery room is a space that can accommodate a battery 17. The upper part of the battery room is covered by an openable and closable cover 18 that the vehicle body 11 is provided with. As shown in FIG. 1, a drawbar device 19 that couples a towed vehicle, such as a bogie, to the rear of the vehicle body 11 is provided. The towed vehicle is coupled to or uncoupled from the towing vehicle 10 by operating the drawbar device 19.

[0020] The towing vehicle 10 is equipped with a magnetic detection sensor 20 and a tag detector 21 under the vehicle body 11. The magnetic detection sensor 20 detects a magnetic tape A laid on the road surface F. The magnetic tape A forms the travel route of the towing vehicle 10. The tag detector 21 reads a plurality of information tags B placed along the magnetic tape A. The information tags B are, for example, RFID tags, and specify the behavior of the towing vehicle 10 (accelerating / decelerating, stopping, turning right / left, etc.) in addition to position information in the operation data described below. Note that the information tags B may be magnetic marks or the like instead of RFID tags.

[0021] An obstacle sensor 22 is provided near the road surface F at the front of the vehicle body 11. The obstacle sensor 22 is mounted on the vehicle body 11 at a predetermined height (e.g., 200 mm) or less from the road surface F. The obstacle sensor 22 is a laser sensor that scans a preset obstacle detection area (not shown) with laser light.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, a front cover 23 is provided at the front of the vehicle body 11, and the front cover 23 is provided with headlights 24 and front turn signal lights 25. The headlights 24 are lights that are turned on when driving. The front turn signal lights 25 are a pair of lights on the left and right that indicate the lateral direction of the towing vehicle 10.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the towing vehicle 10 has brake lights 26, rear turn signal lights 27, and reversing lights 28 at the rear of the vehicle body 11. The brake lights 26, rear turn signal lights 27, and reversing lights 28 are provided in pairs on the left and right sides of the rear of the vehicle body 11. The brake lights 26 are a pair of left and right lights that turn on when the towing vehicle 10 brakes. The rear turn signal lights 27, like the front turn signal lights 25, are a pair of left and right lights that indicate the left and right directions of the towing vehicle 10. The reversing lights 28 are a pair of left and right lights that turn on when the towing vehicle 10 is reversing.

[0024] A signal light stack 29 is provided on the vehicle body 11 between the driver's seat 14 and the drawbar device 19. The signal light stack 29 has multiple signal lights (e.g., red, yellow, and green lights) stacked one above the other, and indicates the status of the towing vehicle 10 by the signal lights that are turned on. For example, when the red light of the signal light stack 29 is turned on, it indicates an emergency stop state, when the yellow light is turned on, it indicates an abnormal standby state, and when the green light is turned on, it indicates no abnormality. During normal operation, the green light of the signal light stack 29 is turned on. In addition to the signal light stack 29, the headlights 24, front turn signal lights 25, brake lights 26, rear turn signal lights 27, and reverse lights 28 correspond to multiple devices that are subject to sleep mode and whose power is cut off.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 3, the towing vehicle 10 is equipped with a traveling drive device 30 that generates driving force for driving the rear wheels 13, which are driving wheels, and a steering drive device 31 for steering the front wheels 12, which are steering wheels. The traveling drive device 30 is equipped with a traveling drive motor 32 for rotating the rear wheels 13, and a motor driver 33 that drives the drive motor 32. The drive motor 32 corresponds to a traveling drive source. The steering drive device 31 is equipped with a steering drive motor 34 for steering the front wheels 12, and a motor driver 35 that drives the drive motor 34.

[0026] The vehicle body 11 is equipped with an on-board controller 36 that controls the motor drivers 33, 35. The motor driver 33 controls the rotation speed of the drive motor 32 in response to commands from the on-board controller 36. Therefore, the on-board controller 36 controls the acceleration and deceleration (braking) of the towing vehicle 10 by controlling the traveling drive device 30. In addition, the motor driver 35 controls the rotation amount of the drive motor 34 in response to commands from the on-board controller 36.

[0027] 3, the in-vehicle controller 36 includes a CPU 37 and a storage unit 38 including RAM, ROM, etc. The in-vehicle controller 36 may include dedicated hardware for executing at least some of the various processes, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The in-vehicle controller 36 may be configured as a circuit including one or more processors that operate according to a computer program, one or more dedicated hardware circuits such as ASICs, or a combination thereof.

[0028] Memory 38 stores program code or instructions configured to cause CPU 37 to execute processes. Memory 38 stores various programs for controlling tug 10, as well as operational data that defines the route tug 10 will travel and the behavior of tug 10 at specific locations. Memory 38, i.e., computer-readable media, includes anything that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

[0029] A wireless communication device 39 is mounted on the body 11 of the towing vehicle 10. The wireless communication device 39 is capable of wireless communication with an operation control device C installed on the ground, and is connected to the on-board controller 36. The operation control device C includes a CPU, a memory unit, and a wireless communication unit, not shown, and controls the operation of the towing vehicle 10. Specifically, it manages the operating status and load of the towing vehicle 10, and issues various commands to the towing vehicle 10.

[0030] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a loading / unloading position X is set on the travel route set by the magnetic tape A of the towing vehicle 10. The loading / unloading position X is a location where loading / unloading work is performed. Specifically, the loading / unloading work is the loading / unloading of cargo W onto the carriage D towed by the towing vehicle 10. In this embodiment, multiple loading / unloading devices E1, E2 are installed. The loading / unloading devices E1, E2 have, for example, an arm robot with a gripping function and a conveyor. The loading / unloading devices E1, E2 are capable of communicating with the operation control device C, and the operation control device C is able to grasp the operating status of the loading / unloading devices E1, E2 by communicating with the loading / unloading devices E1, E2.

[0031] An information tag B1 is installed just before loading position X on the travel route, and an information tag B2 is installed at loading position X. Furthermore, an information tag B3 is installed in front of loading position X. The information tags B1 to B3 are information tags that specify the behavior of the towing vehicle 10 as well as position information related to the travel route in the travel data stored in the on-board controller 36. In the travel data, the information tag B1 indicates, for example, the deceleration operation of the towing vehicle 10, and the information tag B2 indicates the stopping of the towing vehicle 10. Furthermore, in the travel data, the information tag B3 indicates the acceleration operation of the towing vehicle 10.

[0032] In this embodiment, when the towing vehicle 10 stops at the loading position X, the towing vehicle 10 enters a power-saving sleep state, and maintains the power-saving sleep state while loading and unloading operations continue using the loading devices E1 and E2. When loading and unloading operations using the loading devices E1 and E2 are completed, the power-saving sleep state is cancelled, the towing vehicle 10 returns to the normal state, and automatic traveling resumes. As shown in the flow chart of Figure 5, the on-board controller 36 of the towing vehicle 10, together with the operation control device C, controls the switching to the power-saving sleep state at the loading position X, the cancellation of the power-saving sleep state in the towing vehicle 10, and the resumption of automatic traveling.

[0033] In the power-saving sleep state, all lights on the towing vehicle 10, including the headlights 24, are turned off, and power is cut off to the obstacle sensors 22, but power is maintained to the on-board controller 36 and wireless communication device 39. The headlights 24, front turn signal lights 25, brake lights 26, rear turn signal lights 27, reversing lights 28, and stacked signal lights 29 correspond to multiple devices that are subject to sleep and whose power is cut off, and the devices that are subject to sleep are set in advance by the operation control device C.

[0034] The flow shown in FIG. 5 will be described. The flow on the left side of FIG. 5 is the flow of the on-board controller 36, and the flow on the right side of FIG. 5 is the flow of the operation control device C. The destination in the flow is the loading position X shown in FIG. 4, and the information tag B is the information tag B2 installed at the loading position X. When the towing vehicle 10 is traveling automatically, the on-board controller 36 recognizes that the towing vehicle 10 is traveling automatically (see step S101). Next, the on-board controller 36 determines whether or not the information tag B is detected (see step S102). If it determines that the information tag B is detected, it then determines whether or not there is a destination arrival notification in the operation data (see step S103). Note that if it determines in step S102 that the information tag B is not detected, the on-board controller 36 causes the towing vehicle 10 to continue traveling automatically.

[0035] If it is determined in step S103 that the operation data includes a destination arrival notification, the on-board controller 36 notifies the operation control device C of arrival at the destination (see step S104). Next, the on-board controller 36 determines whether or not a sleep command has been received from the operation control device C (see step S105). If it is determined that a sleep command has been received, the on-board controller 36 switches the towing vehicle 10 from a normal state in which it is capable of traveling to a power-saving sleep state (see step S106).

[0036] Next, the on-board controller 36 determines whether or not a sleep cancellation command has been received from the operation control device C (see step S107). If the on-board controller 36 determines that a sleep cancellation command has been received from the operation control device C, it cancels the power-saving sleep state (see step S108). Furthermore, the on-board controller 36 transmits to the operation control device C a notification that the power-saving sleep state has been cancelled. If it determines in step S107 that a sleep cancellation command has not been received from the operation control device C, the on-board controller 36 causes the towing vehicle 10 to maintain the power-saving sleep state.

[0037] When the in-vehicle controller 36 transmits to the operation control device C that the power-saving sleep state has been released, the in-vehicle controller 36 determines whether or not a command to resume automatic traveling has been received from the operation control device C (step S109). If it is determined that a command to resume automatic traveling has been received, the in-vehicle controller 36 resumes automatic traveling of the towing vehicle 10 (see step S110). Then, the series of steps S101 to S110 in the in-vehicle controller 36 ends. Note that if it is determined in step S109 that a command to resume automatic traveling has not been received, the in-vehicle controller 36 releases the power-saving sleep state of the towing vehicle 10 and puts the towing vehicle 10 into standby mode.

[0038] Next, a flow of control by the operation control device C will be described. First, the operation control device C determines whether or not it has received a destination arrival notification from the towing vehicle 10 (see step S201). Upon receiving the destination arrival notification from the towing vehicle 10, the operation control device C issues a sleep command to the towing vehicle 10 (see step S202). Then, the operation control device C instructs the cargo handling devices E1 and E2 to perform cargo handling work (see step S203). The operation control device C determines whether or not it has received a work completion notification from the cargo handling devices E1 and E2 (see step S204). If it is determined that there has been a work completion notification from the cargo handling devices E1 and E2, the operation control device C issues a sleep release command (see step S205). If it is determined in step S204 that there has been no work completion notification from the cargo handling devices E1 and E2, the operation control device C goes into standby. In this embodiment, the receipt of a work completion notification from the cargo handling devices E1 and E2 corresponds to satisfying a preset sleep release condition after the power-saving sleep state.

[0039] When the sleep cancellation command is transmitted, the operation control device C determines whether or not a sleep cancellation command has been received from the towing vehicle 10 (see step S206). If it is determined that a sleep cancellation command has been received from the towing vehicle 10, the operation control device C transmits a command to the towing vehicle 10 to resume automatic traveling (see step S207). Then, the series of steps S201 to S206 in the operation control device C ends. Note that if it is determined in step S206 that a sleep cancellation command has not been received, the operation control device C goes into standby.

[0040] In this way, the on-board controller 36 switches to a power-saving sleep state at the destination through communication with the operation control device C, cancels the power-saving sleep state after the loading and unloading operations of the loading and unloading devices E1 and E2 are completed, and resumes automatic driving.

[0041] Next, the operation of the towing vehicle 10 according to this embodiment will be described. The towing vehicle 10 automatically travels along a travel route preset in the operation data. The towing vehicle 10 travels along the travel route as the magnetic detection sensor 20 detects the magnetic tape A. When the tag detector 21 detects, for example, the information tag B1 shown in FIG. 4, the on-board controller 36 recognizes that the towing vehicle 10 has reached the position corresponding to the information tag B1 and controls the travel drive device 30 to decelerate. When the towing vehicle 10 arrives at the loading position X and the tag detector 21 detects the information tag B2, the on-board controller 36 recognizes that the towing vehicle 10 has reached the loading position X corresponding to the information tag B1 and controls the travel drive device 30 to stop.

[0042] When the towing vehicle 10 stops at the loading position X, the operation data notifies the towing vehicle 10 that it has reached the loading position X, which is its destination, and the onboard controller 36 transmits this notification to the operation control device C. The operation control device C receives the notification that the towing vehicle 10 has arrived at the loading position X and transmits a sleep command to the towing vehicle 10. Having received the sleep command from the operation control device C, the onboard controller 36 controls each part of the vehicle body 11 to enter a power-saving sleep state. Specifically, it cuts off power to the headlights 24, front turn signal lights 25, brake lights 26, rear turn signal lights 27, reversing lights 28, and stack signal lights 29, leaving only the onboard controller 36 and the wireless communication device 39 powered. Therefore, in the power-saving sleep state, power consumption in the towing vehicle 10 is reduced compared to the normal state.

[0043] Meanwhile, after transmitting a sleep command to the towing vehicle 10, the operation control device C transmits a command for a loading and unloading operation instruction to the loading and unloading devices E1, E2. Upon receiving the command for the loading and unloading operation instruction, the loading and unloading devices E1, E2 begin loading and unloading the dolly D towed by the towing vehicle 10. When the loading and unloading operation on the dolly D is completed, a work completion notification is transmitted from the loading and unloading devices E1, E to the operation control device C. Upon receiving the work completion notification, the operation control device C transmits a sleep release command to the towing vehicle 10.

[0044] The on-board controller 36 receives the sleep release command and releases the power-saving sleep state. When the power-saving sleep state is released, the towing vehicle 10 transmits a notification to the operation control device C that the power-saving sleep state has been released. When the towing vehicle 10 releases the power-saving sleep state, the operation control device C transmits a command to resume automatic driving to the towing vehicle 10. Upon receiving the command to resume automatic driving, the on-board controller 36 controls the travel drive device 30 so that the towing vehicle 10 resumes automatic driving.

[0045] The towing vehicle 10 resumes automatic driving and moves forward. After leaving the loading position X, the tag detector 21 detects the information tag B3, recognizing that the towing vehicle 10 is at the position corresponding to the information tag B3, and the towing vehicle 10 increases its speed.

[0046] The towing vehicle 10 of this embodiment has the following advantages. (1) When the towing vehicle 10 arrives at the loading position X, the onboard controller 36 stops in response to a command from the operation control device C and switches from a normal state capable of automatic driving to a power-saving sleep state in which power consumption by each part of the vehicle body 11 is reduced. When a preset sleep release condition is met after the onboard controller 36 has entered the power-saving sleep state, the onboard controller 36 releases the power-saving sleep state, switches to the normal state, and resumes automatic driving. Therefore, even when an operator is not present at the loading position X, it is possible to automatically release the power-saving sleep state of the towing vehicle 10 and start automatic driving when necessary. As a result, unnecessary power consumption can be reduced while the vehicle is stopped at the loading position X.

[0047] (2) The sleep cancellation condition for the towing vehicle 10 is to receive a sleep cancellation command from the operation control device C. Therefore, the on-board controller 36 can automatically cancel the power-saving sleep state and return to the normal state by receiving a sleep cancellation command from the operation control device C. Furthermore, by returning the towing vehicle 10 to the normal state, it becomes possible to resume automatic driving.

[0048] (3) The on-board controller 36 puts the towing vehicle 10 into a power-saving sleep state upon receiving a sleep command from the operation control device C. Therefore, upon receiving a sleep command from the operation control device C, the towing vehicle 10 can automatically be put into a power-saving sleep state.

[0049] (4) The sleep command from the operation control device C is based on the position information of the loading position X acquired by the operation control device C when the towing vehicle 10 arrives at the loading position X, so that the towing vehicle 10 can be reliably put into a power-saving sleep state at the loading position X.

[0050] (5) The plurality of devices to be put into sleep mode and de-energized can be preset by the operation control device C. Therefore, the power-saving sleep state of the towing vehicle 10 can be changed according to the conditions. For example, if there are a plurality of loading positions X, the devices to be put into sleep mode and de-energized can be changed for each loading position.

[0051] (Second embodiment) Next, a towing vehicle according to a second embodiment will be described. The towing vehicle of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it does not communicate with the operation control device. The same components as those of the first embodiment will be referred to in the description of the first embodiment, and common reference numerals will be used.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 6, the towing vehicle 40 of this embodiment is structurally the same as the towing vehicle 10 of the first embodiment, but the procedures for switching the towing vehicle 40 into and out of the power-saving sleep state differ from those of the first embodiment. This will be described with reference to the flow diagram shown in Fig. 7, which shows the procedures for switching the towing vehicle 40 into and out of the power-saving sleep state.

[0053] 7 are the same as steps S101 to S103 in the first embodiment. When it is determined in step S302 that the operation data includes a destination arrival notification, the on-board controller 36 switches the towing vehicle 40 from a normal state in which the towing vehicle 40 is capable of traveling to a power-saving sleep state (see step S304).

[0054] When the towing vehicle 40 enters the power-saving sleep state, the onboard controller 36 determines whether the sleep setting time has elapsed (see step S305). The sleep setting time is the time for which the power-saving sleep state, which is set in advance in the onboard controller 36, should be maintained, and is set according to the time it takes for the loading and unloading devices E1, E2 to perform loading and unloading operations. The timer function of the onboard controller 36 is used to monitor the passage of time. Note that if the sleep setting time has elapsed and loading and unloading operations are still being performed by the loading and unloading devices E1, E2, it is sufficient to determine that an abnormality has occurred and maintain the power-saving sleep state, while issuing a warning in the towing vehicle 40.

[0055] Then, when the on-board controller 36 determines that the sleep setting time has elapsed, it cancels the power-saving sleep state (see step S306). Furthermore, when the power-saving sleep state is canceled, the on-board controller 36 causes the towing vehicle 40 to resume automatic traveling. Note that, when it is determined in step S305 that the sleep setting time has not elapsed, the on-board controller 36 causes the towing vehicle 40 to maintain the power-saving sleep state.

[0056] In this embodiment, even when an operator is not present at loading position X, the towing vehicle 40 can be automatically released from the power-saving sleep mode and start automatic traveling when necessary. As a result, unnecessary power consumption can be reduced while the vehicle is stopped at loading position X. Furthermore, the on-board controller 36 can release the power-saving sleep mode without requiring the operation control device C when the sleep setting time has elapsed since the start of the power-saving sleep mode.

[0057] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the spirit of the invention. For example, the following modifications may be made.

[0058] In the above embodiment, a towing vehicle is described as an example of an industrial vehicle guided by a magnetic tape, but this is not limited thereto. The industrial vehicle may be equipped with equipment that uses SLAM, which creates an environmental map while estimating its own position. In this case, position information for entering a power-saving sleep state may be registered in a pre-stored environmental map, and the industrial vehicle may be controlled to enter the power-saving sleep state when it reaches a position where the power-saving sleep state should be entered. Note that the instruction to enter the power-saving sleep state may be given by a driving control device or an on-board controller. In the above embodiment, power to the lights is cut off in the power-saving sleep state. However, this is not limited to this. For example, power to auxiliary devices other than the lights may be cut off in the power-saving sleep state. Examples of auxiliary devices to which power can be cut off include a warning horn, a display, and a communication device. In the above embodiment, the loading and unloading device includes a robot and a conveyor. However, the loading and unloading device is not limited to this. For example, the loading and unloading device may be an unmanned loading and unloading vehicle, as long as it is capable of automatically performing loading and unloading work. In the above embodiment, a small towing vehicle is used as an example of an automatically traveling industrial vehicle, but the invention is not limited to this. The industrial vehicle may be, for example, an automated guided vehicle, an automated towing tractor, or any other automatically traveling industrial vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 10, 40 Small towing vehicle (industrial vehicle) 11 Body 12 Front wheels (steering wheels) 13 Rear wheels (drive wheels) 14 Driver's seat 20 Magnetic detection sensor 21 Tag detector 22 Obstacle Sensor 24 Headlights 25 Front direction indicator light 26 Brake lights 27 Rear direction indicator light 28 Reverse light 29 Stacked Signal Light 30 Traveling drive unit 31 Steering drive unit 36 In-vehicle controller 39 Radio Communication Device A. Magnetic tape B Information tag C. Operation control device E1 Cargo handling equipment E2 Cargo handling equipment F road surface W load X Loading position

Claims

1. The car body and a driving source mounted on the vehicle body; an on-vehicle controller that controls the driving source; In an industrial vehicle that automatically travels based on operation data preset in an operation control device that controls the operation of the industrial vehicle, When the vehicle body arrives at a loading position preset in the operation data, the onboard controller stops in response to a command from the operation control device and switches from a normal state in which automatic driving is possible to a power-saving sleep state in which power consumption of each part of the vehicle body is reduced, and when a preset sleep release condition is met after entering the power-saving sleep state, the onboard controller releases the power-saving sleep state, switches to the normal state, and resumes automatic driving, characterized in that the industrial vehicle.

2. The sleep cancellation condition is receiving a sleep cancellation command from the operation control device, 2. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the on-board controller, upon receiving the sleep release command, releases the power-saving sleep state, returns to a normal state, and resumes automatic driving.

3. the sleep cancellation condition is a preset sleep setting time during which the power-saving sleep state is maintained, 2. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the on-board controller cancels the power-saving sleep state and resumes automatic driving in a normal state when the sleep setting time has elapsed since the start of the power-saving sleep state.

4. 3. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the on-board controller puts the industrial vehicle into the power-saving sleep state upon receiving a sleep command from the operation control device.

5. 3. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the sleep command from the operation control device is based on position information of the loading position that is acquired by the operation control device when the industrial vehicle arrives at the loading position.

6. the vehicle body has a plurality of devices that are to be put into sleep mode and whose power supply is cut off; 3. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the device to be put into sleep mode is set by the operation control device.

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