Article transport facility

Abstract

To desire the achievement of a technology capable of appropriately setting a movement destination of a standby transport vehicle in the case of moving the standby vehicle for purposes other than charging.SOLUTION: An operation state of a transport vehicle 1 includes a first state for moving to a transport destination being a destination set to receive an article or deliver an article and a second state in which a transport destination is not set. In the case of determining a movement destination of a standby transport vehicle with the transport vehicle 1 in the second state as a standby transport vehicle, a control system 30 acquires power storage amount information showing a power storage amount of a power storage device 52 provided in the standby transport vehicle, determines a movement destination regardless of being a power feeding area or a non-power feeding area if the power storage amount is a set value or more, and determines a movement destination by limiting to the power feeding area if the power storage amount is less than the set value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an article transport facility including a plurality of transport vehicles that move along a movable path to transport articles, and a control system that controls the transport vehicles. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of such an article transport facility is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-38134 (Patent Document 1). Hereinafter, in the description of the background art, reference numerals in Patent Document 1 will be cited in parentheses. The article transport facility described in Patent Document 1 includes an overhead traveling vehicle (16) as a transport vehicle that moves along a movable path to transport articles, and a ground controller (20) as a control system that controls the transport vehicle. The overhead traveling vehicle (16) includes a secondary battery (28), and a travel motor (60) and a transfer motor (61) included in the overhead traveling vehicle (16) are driven by power stored in the secondary battery (28) and, in a section where the non-contact power feeder (14) is present, are driven by power from the non-contact power feeder (14) (paragraph 0024). The ground controller (20) is configured to instruct an overhead traveling vehicle (16) whose remaining capacity of the secondary battery (28) is low to travel to a charging bay route (8) to charge the battery, or to charge the battery in a straight section of the route (4, 6) where a non-contact power supply line (14) is installed (paragraph 0020). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-38134 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A guided vehicle in operation moving toward a transport destination, which is a destination set for receiving or delivering an item, is referred to as an "operating guided vehicle," and a guided vehicle in operation for which a transport destination is not set is referred to as an "on standby guided vehicle." The on standby guided vehicle may be moved for a purpose other than charging its power storage device. When moving a on standby guided vehicle for a purpose other than charging, it is desirable to appropriately set the destination of the on standby guided vehicle so that the on standby guided vehicle can appropriately transport items when it becomes an operating guided vehicle after moving to its destination. However, Patent Document 1 only describes charging a guided vehicle with low stored power at a location where it can be charged, but does not describe moving a on standby guided vehicle for a purpose other than charging.

[0005] Therefore, it is desirable to realize a technology that can appropriately set the destination of a waiting transport vehicle when the waiting transport vehicle is moved for a purpose other than charging. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The article transport facility according to the present disclosure is an article transport facility including a plurality of transport vehicles that move along a movable route to transport articles, and a control system that controls the transport vehicles, wherein the movable route includes a power supply area in which a power supply device that supplies power to the transport vehicles is provided, and a non-power supply area in which the power supply device is not provided, and the transport vehicles include a power storage device, a power receiving device that receives power from the power supply device, and a drive device that is driven by at least one of the power stored in the power storage device and the power received by the power receiving device, and the operation state of the transport vehicles includes a power supply area in which the transport vehicles move along a movable route to transport articles, and a control system that controls the transport vehicles, wherein the operation state of the transport vehicles includes a power supply area in which the transport vehicles move along a movable route to transport articles, and a non-power supply area in which the power supply device is not provided, and the transport vehicles include a power storage device, a power receiving device that receives power from the power supply device, and a drive device that is driven by at least one of the power stored in the power storage device and the power received by the power receiving device, and the operation state of the transport vehicles includes a power supply area in which the transport vehicles move along a movable route to transport articles, and a power supply area in which the transport vehicles move along a movable route to transport articles, and a control system that controls the transport vehicles, wherein the operation state of the transport vehicles includes a power supply area in which the transport vehicles move along a movable route to transport articles, and a non-power supply area in which the transport vehicles are not provided, and the non-power supply area in which the power supply device is not provided, and the non-power supply area in which the non-power ... The state includes a first state in which the transport vehicle moves toward a transport destination that is a destination set for handing over the item, and a second state in which the transport destination is not set, and the transport vehicle in the second state is a standby transport vehicle, and when determining the destination of the standby transport vehicle, the control system acquires power storage amount information that indicates the amount of power stored in the power storage device equipped in the standby transport vehicle, and if the power storage amount is equal to or greater than a set value, determines the destination regardless of whether it is the power supply area or the non-power supply area, and if the power storage amount is less than the set value, determines the destination by limiting it to the power supply area.

[0007] For example, a standby transport vehicle may be moved for purposes other than charging, such as to facilitate the movement of an operating transport vehicle (a transport vehicle in the first state) or to distribute multiple standby transport vehicles (transport vehicles in the second state) to transport new items. According to this configuration, when a standby transport vehicle is moved for purposes other than charging, an appropriate destination can be determined depending on the amount of stored power of the standby transport vehicle. Specifically, when the amount of stored power of the standby transport vehicle is large, the standby transport vehicle is unlikely to experience a state of insufficient stored power at its destination. Therefore, the destination can be determined without being limited to a power supply area. On the other hand, when the amount of stored power of the standby transport vehicle is small, the destination can be determined by being limited to a power supply area where the power storage device can be charged. Therefore, regardless of the amount of stored power of the standby transport vehicle, it is possible to prevent a state of insufficient stored power from occurring in the standby transport vehicle that has moved to its destination. This allows the standby transport vehicle that has moved to its destination to appropriately transport items when it subsequently becomes an operating transport vehicle. As described above, according to this configuration, when the waiting transport vehicle is moved for a purpose other than charging, it is possible to appropriately set the destination of the waiting transport vehicle.

[0008] Further features and advantages of the article transport installation will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments, which is given with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the layout of an article transport facility. [Figure 2] A side view showing an example of a transport vehicle. [Figure 3] A front view showing an example of a transport vehicle. [Figure 4] Control block diagram according to an embodiment [Figure 5] Illustration of the expulsion process [Figure 6] Balance processing diagram [Figure 7] A diagram showing possible routes using nodes and links [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a search result for a travel route when the cost adjustment process is not executed. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the results of a search for a travel route when a cost adjustment process is executed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] An embodiment of an article conveying facility will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the article conveying facility 100 includes a plurality of transport vehicles 1 that move along a movable path 40 to convey an article 2 (see FIG. 2), and a control system 30 that controls the transport vehicles 1. Various technical features of the control system 30 disclosed in this specification can also be applied to a method for controlling the transport vehicles 1 and a program for controlling the transport vehicles 1 (a program for causing a computer to function as the control system 30). Such methods and programs, as well as a storage medium (e.g., a computer-readable storage medium such as an optical disk flash memory) on which such a program is stored, are also disclosed by this specification. The article 2 (see FIG. 2) is, for example, a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) that contains semiconductor wafers.

[0011] The movable path 40 is a path along which the transport vehicle 1 can travel. As shown in FIG. 1, a forward direction F is set for each section of the movable path 40, and the transport vehicle 1 basically travels along each section of the movable path 40 in the forward direction F. The movable path 40 includes a junction 42 where multiple paths merge into one path, and a branching section 43 where one path branches into multiple paths. The movable path 40 refers to the entire path along which the transport vehicle 1 travels, and is composed of a collection of multiple paths (point-to-point paths connecting points). In the example shown in FIG. 7, which will be referred to later, a node N corresponds to a "point," and a link L corresponds to a "point-to-point path." The path along which the transport vehicle 1 travels is represented by a combination of multiple point-to-point paths.

[0012] The movable path 40 may be defined physically or virtually. That is, the guided vehicle 1 may be a rail-guided vehicle or a railless guided vehicle such as an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , in this embodiment, the movable path 40 is physically defined by rails 41 (here, a pair of rails 41 arranged at an interval in the left-right direction Y, which will be described later). Alternatively, the movable path 40 may be physically defined by the shape of a passageway along which the guided vehicle 1 moves. In this case, the movable path 40 is physically defined, for example, by a structure that partitions the passageway. Alternatively, a detectable object, such as a magnetic tape, a two-dimensional code, or an RF (Radio Frequency) tag, that can be detected by the guided vehicle 1 may be provided on the floor or the like, and the movable path 40 may be virtually defined by the detectable object. In this case, the movable path 40 is virtually defined, for example, along the detectable object or by connecting multiple detectable objects.

[0013] 2 and 3, the direction in which the transport vehicle 1 moves and that is along the movable path 40 (here, the direction along the extension direction of the rail 41) is defined as the front-rear direction X, and the direction perpendicular to both the front-rear direction X and the up-down direction Z (vertical direction) is defined as the left-right direction Y. In the example shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rail 41 that defines the movable path 40 is suspended and supported from the ceiling 7. Therefore, in this example, the transport vehicle 1 is a ceiling transport vehicle that moves along the movable path 40 that is formed along the ceiling 7. The movable path 40 is not limited to being formed on the ceiling 7, but may also be formed on the floor surface or the like.

[0014] The guided vehicle 1 (here, an automated guided vehicle) illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 is configured as follows. The guided vehicle 1 includes a running unit 10 and a main body unit 20. The running unit 10 includes running wheels 11 that roll on the running surfaces of rails 41, and a running drive unit 12 (for example, an electric motor such as a servo motor) that rotates the running wheels 11. The running wheels 11 are rotationally driven by the running drive unit 12, causing the running unit 10 to run along the rails 41, and thereby the guided vehicle 1 moves along the movable path 40. In this example, the running unit 10 includes guide wheels 14 that roll on the guide surfaces of the rails 41, and the running unit 10 runs along the rails 41 with the guide wheels 14 in contact with and guided by the guide surfaces.

[0015] The travel drive unit 12 may be a collection of drive units that drive a plurality of drive targets. For example, the travel unit 10 may be provided with a switching mechanism that switches the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 1 at the branching unit 43 (see FIG. 1 ), and the travel drive unit 12 may drive the switching mechanism in addition to the running wheels 11. Although details are omitted, this switching mechanism is a mechanism that switches the position of the guided part provided on the travel unit 10 between a position where it contacts a guide rail provided along the movable path 40 from one side in the left-right direction Y, and a position where it contacts the guide rail from the other side in the left-right direction Y.

[0016] The main body 20 is connected to the running part 10. Here, the main body 20 is arranged on the lower side Z2 relative to the running part 10. The main body 20 is equipped with a holding part 21 that holds the item 2, and the item 2 is transported by the transport vehicle 1 while held by the holding part 21. The main body 20 is equipped with a transfer drive part (e.g., an electric motor such as a servo motor) not shown in the figure for performing the transfer operation of the item 2 between the transport vehicle 1 and the transfer target location (e.g., an item support part 6 described below). The holding part 21 is driven by the transfer drive part to perform a holding operation to hold the item 2 and a holding release operation to release the hold of the item 2.

[0017] The transfer drive unit may be a collection of drive units that drive multiple drive targets. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the main body 20 includes an elevator 22 that raises and lowers the holding unit 21 and a moving device 24 that moves the holding unit 21 in the left-right direction Y. The transfer drive unit is configured to drive the elevator 22 and the moving device 24 in addition to the holding unit 21. In this example, the elevator 22 is configured to raise the holding unit 21 by winding a take-up member 23 (e.g., a belt or wire) that suspends the holding unit 21 onto a rotating body (e.g., a drum) (not shown), and to lower the holding unit 21 by unwinding the take-up member 23 from the rotating body. In addition, in this example, the moving device 24 is configured to move the elevator 22 in the left-right direction Y, thereby moving the holding unit 21 supported by the elevator 22 in the left-right direction Y. The main body 20 may be provided with a rotation device that rotates the holding part 21 around a vertical axis along the vertical direction Z, and the rotation device may be driven by the transfer drive part.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of stations 3 are set along a movable path 40. Each station 3 is provided with an item support section 6 (see FIG. 2) that supports the item 2, and the item 2 is transferred between the transport vehicle 1 and the item support section 6 at the station 3. The item support section 6 may be, for example, a load port of a processing device 4 that processes the item 2 (or the contents contained in the item 2), an in / out port of a storage device that stores the item 2, or a storage shelf that stores the item 2. Here, "storage" includes temporary storage. Hereinafter, a device that stores the item 2, such as the storage device or storage shelf, will be referred to as an item storage device 5.

[0019] When transferring an item 2 between the transport vehicle 1 and the item support unit 6, the transport vehicle 1 travels to the station 3 where the item support unit 6 is provided. When the transport vehicle 1 travels, the holder 21 is positioned at a reference height H1 (see FIG. 2). The reference height H1 is the height at which the holder 21 and the item 2 held by the holder 21 are accommodated in the main body 20. The reference height H1 is set at a position Z1 above a transfer height H2, which will be described later. After the transport vehicle 1 reaches the station 3, the transport vehicle 1 performs the transfer operation of the item 2 between the transport vehicle 1 and the item support unit 6. If the item support unit 6 is not positioned directly below the movable path 40 but is positioned offset in the left-right direction Y from the movable path 40, the transport vehicle 1 moves the holder 21 in the left-right direction Y by the moving device 24 to a position directly above the item support unit 6, and then performs the transfer operation of the item 2.

[0020] In the transfer operation of the article 2 when transferring the article 2 from the transport vehicle 1 to the article support unit 6, the following operations are performed in sequence: a lowering operation in which the lifting device 22 lowers the holding unit 21, which is holding the article 2, from the reference height H1 to the transfer height H2; a release operation by the holding unit 21; and an ascending operation in which the lifting device 22 raises the holding unit 21, which is not holding the article 2, from the transfer height H2 to the reference height H1. Here, the transfer height H2 (see FIG. 2) is a height that is set according to the height of the article support unit 6. In addition, in the transfer operation of the article 2 when transferring the article 2 from the transport vehicle 1 to the article support unit 6, the following operations are performed in sequence: a lowering operation in which the lifting device 22 lowers the holding unit 21, which is not holding the article 2, from the reference height H1 to the transfer height H2; a holding operation by the holding unit 21; and an ascending operation in which the lifting device 22 raises the holding unit 21, which is holding the article 2, from the transfer height H2 to the reference height H1.

[0021] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the transport vehicle 1 includes a power storage device 52, a power receiving device 15 that receives power from a power supply device 90 (described later), and a drive device 51 that is driven by at least one of the power stored in the power storage device 52 and the power received by the power receiving device 15. The power storage device 52 is a device that stores power. The power storage device 52 is configured to be capable of charging and discharging. The power storage device 52 is, for example, a battery, a capacitor, or a combination of a battery and a capacitor. The power storage device 52 is provided with a power storage amount sensor that detects the amount of stored power. The power storage amount sensor includes, for example, one or both of a voltage sensor and a current sensor.

[0022] The drive unit 51 is configured to generate a movement drive force, which is the drive force required for the transport vehicle 1 to move along the movable path 40. In this embodiment, the transport vehicle 1 moves the item 2 to transfer the item 2 between the transport vehicle 1 and the target transfer location. Therefore, in this embodiment, the drive unit 51 is also configured to generate a transfer drive force, which is the drive force required for transferring the item 2 between the transport vehicle 1 and the target transfer location. For example, in the transport vehicle 1 illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 above, the travel drive unit 12 generates the movement drive force, and a transfer drive unit (not shown) generates the transfer drive force. Therefore, in this transport vehicle 1, the drive unit 51 includes both the travel drive unit 12 and the transfer drive unit. Note that the drive unit 51 may also be configured without a transfer drive unit. In this case, for example, the transfer of the item 2 between the transport vehicle 1 and the target transfer location is performed by a device provided at the target transfer location moving the item 2.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the movable route 40 includes a power supply area A in which a power supply device 90 (see FIG. 3) that supplies power to the transport vehicle 1 is provided, and a non-power supply area B in which the power supply device 90 is not provided. Although the non-power supply area B is not shown in FIG. 1, as shown in simplified form in FIG. 7, which will be referred to later, the area other than the power supply area A on the movable route 40 is the non-power supply area B. The power supply device 90 is configured to be able to supply power to at least one of a stopped transport vehicle 1 and a traveling transport vehicle 1 (in this embodiment, both). The power supply method for the transport vehicle 1 in the power supply area A may be a contactless method or a contact method. The power received by the power receiving device 15 in the power supply area A is stored in the power storage device 52 or used to drive the drive device 51. In the power supply area A, the driving device 51 is driven by the power received by the power receiving device 15, and when the power received by the power receiving device 15 is insufficient, the driving device 51 is driven by both the power stored in the power storage device 52 and the power received by the power receiving device 15. In the non-power supply area B, the driving device 51 is driven by the power stored in the power storage device 52. When there is no need for power reception by the power receiving device 15 in the power supply area A, the driving device 51 may be configured to be driven by the power stored in the power storage device 52.

[0024] In the transport vehicle 1 illustrated in FIG. 3 , the power receiving device 15 is configured to receive power in a contactless manner from a power supply line 8 arranged along a movable path 40 in a power supply area A. The power receiving device 15 includes, for example, a pickup coil. In this example, the power supply device 90 includes the power supply line 8 and a power supply device 9 that supplies power to the power supply line 8. AC power is induced in the pickup coil by a magnetic field generated around the power supply line 8 to which AC current is supplied from the power supply device 9. This AC power is converted into, for example, DC and supplied to the power storage device 52 or the drive device 51.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 4, the transport vehicle 1 is equipped with a control device 50 that controls the transport vehicle 1. The control device 50 and a later-described upper control device 31 are equipped with, for example, an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and peripheral circuits such as a memory. Each function of the control device 50 and the upper control device 31 is realized, for example, by cooperation between hardware such as an arithmetic processing device and a program executed on the hardware. The control device 50 controls the drive device 51. The control device 50 controls the drive device 51 (for example, the travel drive unit 12 described above) to cause the transport vehicle 1 to perform a movement operation to move along the movable path 40. In this embodiment, the control device 50 further controls the drive device 51 (for example, the transfer drive unit described above) to cause the transport vehicle 1 to perform a transfer operation of the item 2 between the transport vehicle 1 and a transfer target location.

[0026] The control system 30 controls a plurality of guided vehicles 1. As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the control system 30 includes a host controller 31. The host controller 31 may be a collection of a plurality of devices that can communicate with each other. The host controller 31 is communicatively connected to a controller 50 provided in the guided vehicle 1, and the controller 50 controls the operation of the guided vehicle 1 in response to a command from the host controller 31. The host controller 31 assigns a task for transporting an item 2 (for example, a transport task described below) to one of the plurality of guided vehicles 1. The task may be generated by the host controller 31 or may be generated by another device that can communicate with the host controller 31. The host controller 31 then instructs the guided vehicle 1 to which the task has been assigned to execute the task, and the controller 50 provided in the guided vehicle 1 that receives the command controls the guided vehicle 1 to perform an operation for executing the task.

[0027] In this embodiment, the control system 30 is configured by cooperation between the host controller 31 and the controller 50 (here, the controller 50 provided in each transport vehicle 1), but the control system 30 may also be configured by only the host controller 31. Also, the control system 30 may be configured by cooperation between the controllers 50 of each transport vehicle 1 that are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other, without providing the host controller 31.

[0028] The control system 30 (in this embodiment, the host control device 31) is aware of the current positions of the multiple guided vehicles 1. In this embodiment, the guided vehicles 1 are configured to recognize their own current positions, and the host control device 31 acquires information on the current positions of the guided vehicles 1 from the guided vehicles 1. Although details are omitted, for example, detectable objects (e.g., one-dimensional codes, two-dimensional codes, RF tags, etc.) that hold position information may be provided at multiple positions along the movable path 40, and the guided vehicles 1 may recognize their own current positions by reading the position information held by the detectable objects. The guided vehicles 1 may recognize their own current positions, for example, based on the read position information and the distance traveled since the position information was read. The guided vehicles 1 may also be configured to recognize their own current positions based on the output of a positioning device such as a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver.

[0029] The control system 30 (in this embodiment, the upper control device 31) executes a movement route determination process, an electric energy acquisition process, a movement destination determination process, and a movement destination change process. The operation states of the transport vehicle 1 include a first state in which the transport vehicle 1 moves toward a transport destination P3 (see FIG. 5), which is a destination set for receiving or delivering the item 2, and a second state in which a transport destination P3 is not set. Here, the transport vehicle 1 in the first state is referred to as an operating transport vehicle 1B (see FIG. 5), and the transport vehicle 1 in the second state is referred to as a standby transport vehicle 1A (see FIGS. 5 and 6). The control system 30 executes the movement route determination process for the standby transport vehicle 1A and the operating transport vehicle 1B. The control system 30 also executes the electric energy acquisition process, the movement destination determination process, and the movement destination change process for the standby transport vehicle 1A.

[0030] The control system 30 assigns a transport task of transporting an item 2 from a receiving location to a delivery location to one of the multiple transport vehicles 1. The receiving location is a location where the item 2 is received (the source station 3), and the delivery location is a location where the item 2 is delivered (the destination station 3). The transport task is preferentially assigned to, for example, a standby transport vehicle 1A located near the receiving location. The standby transport vehicle 1A assigned the transport task becomes an operating transport vehicle 1B, travels to the receiving location to receive the item 2, and then travels to the delivery location to deliver the item 2. When the operating transport vehicle 1B is heading toward the receiving location, the receiving location is set as the transport destination P3, and when the operating transport vehicle 1B is heading toward the delivery location, the delivery location is set as the transport destination P3.

[0031] The movement path determination process is a process for determining a movement path for the transport vehicle 1. In the movement path determination process, one of multiple candidate movement paths is determined as the movement path. In the movement path determination process, a path with a shortest predicted value of the movement time for the transport vehicle 1 is preferentially determined as the movement path from multiple candidate movement paths. For example, the path with the shortest predicted value of the movement time for the transport vehicle 1 is determined as the movement path. In the movement path determination process for the standby transport vehicle 1A, the control system 30 determines a movement path to a destination P2 (described later) as the movement path for the standby transport vehicle 1A. Then, the control system 30 controls the standby transport vehicle 1A to move along the determined movement path to the destination P2. Furthermore, in the movement path determination process for the operating transport vehicle 1B, the control system 30 determines a movement path to a transport destination P3 as the movement path for the operating transport vehicle 1B. Then, the control system 30 controls the operating transport vehicle 1B to move along the determined movement path to the transport destination P3. The travel route determination process will be described in detail later with reference to FIGS.

[0032] The power amount acquisition process is a process for acquiring stored power amount information indicating the amount of power stored in the power storage device 52 included in the standby guided vehicle 1A. The stored power amount is expressed, for example, as a ratio (percentage) of the remaining capacity to the fully charged capacity. In this case, the stored power amount in a fully charged state is 100%, and the stored power amount in a fully discharged state is 0%. The stored power amount of the power storage device 52 can be estimated, for example, based on the output voltage of the power storage device 52, or based on an integrated value of the amount of power charged to the power storage device 52 and an integrated value of the amount of power discharged from the power storage device 52, or based on a combination of these. When the stored power amount of the power storage device 52 is estimated by the control device 50 of the guided vehicle 1, the control device 50 transmits stored power amount information indicating the estimated stored power amount to the upper control device 31. When the stored power amount of the power storage device 52 is estimated by the upper control device 31, the upper control device 31 acquires information necessary for estimating the stored power amount of the power storage device 52 (for example, information on the value detected by the above-mentioned stored power amount sensor) from the guided vehicle 1.

[0033] The destination determination process is a process for determining a destination P2 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) of the standby guided vehicle 1A. For example, when the standby guided vehicle 1A is moved for a purpose other than charging the power storage device 52, the control system 30 determines the destination P2 of the standby guided vehicle 1A. The destination P2 of the standby guided vehicle 1A is determined to be a position where the purpose of moving the standby guided vehicle 1A can be achieved (in other words, a position that satisfies the purpose). If there are multiple places (positions) where the purpose of moving the standby guided vehicle 1A can be achieved (if the amount of stored power is less than a first set value described later, multiple places exist within the power supply area A), for example, a place among these multiple places where the cost of the movement route from the current position P1 of the standby guided vehicle 1A is the smallest is determined as the destination P2. The cost will be described later. Then, the destination P2 determined by the destination determination process is set for the standby guided vehicle 1A, and the movement route to the destination P2 set for the standby guided vehicle 1A is determined by the movement route determination process. Each station 3 can be either a moving destination P2 or a transport destination P3, but the moving destination P2 differs from the transport destination P3 in that it is not set up to receive or deliver the item 2.

[0034] When determining the destination P2 of the waiting guided vehicle 1A in the destination determination process, the control system 30 acquires stored power amount information indicating the stored power amount of the power storage device 52 provided in the waiting guided vehicle 1A through the power amount acquisition process. Then, if the stored power amount of the waiting guided vehicle 1A is equal to or greater than a first set value, the control system 30 determines the destination P2 of the waiting guided vehicle 1A regardless of whether it is the power supply area A or the non-power supply area B. Furthermore, if the stored power amount of the waiting guided vehicle 1A is less than the first set value, the control system 30 determines the destination P2 of the waiting guided vehicle 1A only within the power supply area A. That is, in this case, a position within the power supply area A is determined as the destination P2. The first set value may be a common value for the entire movable route 40, or may be set to a different value for each area. For example, if the installation ratio of power supply areas A differs for each divided area obtained by dividing the entire movable route 40 into multiple areas, the first setting value can be set for each divided area so that the lower the installation ratio of power supply areas A in the divided area, the larger the first setting value. In this case, the destination determination process uses the first setting value set for the divided area to which the waiting guided vehicle 1A moves. In this embodiment, the first setting value corresponds to the "setting value."

[0035] In this embodiment, the control system 30 determines the destination P2 of the standby guided vehicle 1A for at least one of the eviction process and the balancing process (here, both). That is, the above-mentioned "purpose other than charging the power storage device 52" includes at least one of the eviction process and the balancing process. In FIGS. 5 and 6, which will be referred to below, the movement path of the standby guided vehicle 1A to the determined destination P2 is indicated by a thick dashed arrow. Note that the power supply area A and the non-power supply area B are not shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 5, the eviction process is a process of moving the standby guided vehicle 1A present on the movement route of the operating guided vehicle 1B (hereinafter referred to as the "target route R") to a location outside the target route R. The purpose of moving the standby guided vehicle 1A in the eviction process is to facilitate the movement of the operating guided vehicle 1B, and a location outside the target route R that can achieve this purpose (here, station 3) is determined as the destination P2 of the standby guided vehicle 1A. In this case, if the amount of stored power of the standby guided vehicle 1A is equal to or greater than a first set value, the location outside the target route R is determined as the destination P2, regardless of whether it is the power supply area A or the non-power supply area B, but if the amount of stored power of the standby guided vehicle 1A is less than the first set value, it is limited to the power supply area A. In the example shown in FIG. 5, a location within the control area C where the standby guided vehicle 1A is located is determined as the destination P2. The control area C will be described later. In this manner, in this embodiment, the control system 30 determines the destination P2 of the waiting guided vehicle 1A, with the waiting guided vehicle 1A existing on the target route R as the target.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 6, the balancing process is performed when the control system 30 manages the guided vehicles 1 in units of control areas C, which are set by dividing the entire movable route 40 into multiple areas. The control areas C are set, for example, by an operator. FIG. 6 shows three control areas C: a first control area C1, a second control area C2, and a third control area C3. The balancing process is a process of moving the standby guided vehicles 1A so that the number of the standby guided vehicles 1A present in each of the multiple control areas C is within a range set for each control area C. Hereinafter, this range will be referred to as a "number range." The number range is set in advance, for example, by an operator. Note that a standby guided vehicle 1A whose stored power amount is less than a set value set to a value smaller than a first set value may not be counted as a standby guided vehicle 1A present in the control area C and may not be subject to the balancing process.

[0038] The number range may be a range that includes only one specific number of vehicles. Also, a common number range may be set for multiple control areas C, or a separate number range may be set for each control area C. FIG. 3 assumes that a common number range is set for multiple control areas C (specifically, a range with a lower limit of two vehicles, or a range that includes only two vehicles). In this case, by moving one standby guided vehicle 1A from the second control area C2 to the third control area C3 through balancing processing, the number of standby guided vehicles 1A present in each of the three control areas C becomes two, within the number range set for each control area C.

[0039] The purpose of moving the standby guided vehicles 1A in the balancing process is to distribute and allocate multiple standby guided vehicles 1A for newly occurring transport tasks. Therefore, for example, a different number range may be set for each control area C depending on the frequency of occurrence of transport tasks in each control area C. For example, for a control area C that contains a station 3 that is more frequently used as a receiving location for items 2 than other stations 3, a number range with a lower limit value higher than that of other control areas C can be set.

[0040] In the balancing process, a position (here, station 3) that can achieve the above-mentioned objective is determined as the destination P2 of the waiting guided vehicle 1A. At this time, if the amount of stored power of the waiting guided vehicle 1A is equal to or greater than a first set value, the destination P2 is determined to be the power supply area A or the non-power supply area B, but if the amount of stored power of the waiting guided vehicle 1A is less than the first set value, the destination P2 is determined to be the power supply area A. Note that the first set value used in the balancing process may be the same as or different from the first set value used in the expulsion process. As described above, in this embodiment, the control system 30 determines the destination P2 of the waiting guided vehicle 1A so that the number of waiting guided vehicles 1A present in each of the multiple control areas C set by dividing the entire movable route 40 is within the range set for each control area C.

[0041] In this embodiment, when the amount of stored power of the waiting guided vehicle 1A becomes less than a first set value while the waiting guided vehicle 1A is moving toward destination P2 in the non-power supply area B, the control system 30 is configured to execute a destination change process to change the destination P2 of the waiting guided vehicle 1A to a position within the power supply area A. For example, the destination P2 is changed to a position within the power supply area A that is closest to the current position of the waiting guided vehicle 1A (here, station 3). In the destination change process, the control system 30 determines a movement route to the changed destination P2 by a movement route determination process.

[0042] The control system 30 may be configured to operate the standby guided vehicle 1A in a power-saving mode that consumes less power than the normal mode when the stored power of the standby guided vehicle 1A falls below a set value (e.g., a first set value) while the standby guided vehicle 1A is moving toward destination P2 in the non-power supply area B. Here, the normal mode is a mode in which the standby guided vehicle 1A operates without limiting the acceleration and maximum speed (specifically, allowing them up to a predetermined upper limit value). The power-saving mode is a mode in which the standby guided vehicle 1A operates while limiting at least one of the acceleration and maximum speed (e.g., only the acceleration) (specifically, limiting them to a value less than the upper limit value).

[0043] In this embodiment, when determining the travel route of the transport vehicle 1 in the travel route determination process, the control system 30 is configured to prioritize the route with the lowest cost from among multiple routes using a cost (weight) that is a value of a factor that affects the travel time of the transport vehicle 1 and that increases as the travel time increases. The cost corresponds to the predicted travel time. For example, in the travel route determination process, the travel route search is performed based on a route search algorithm that can search for the route with the lowest cost, such as Dijkstra's algorithm, making it possible to determine the route with the lowest cost as the travel route.

[0044] Factors that affect the travel time of the guided vehicle 1 include, for example, the distance of the route, the structure of the route, and the degree of congestion on the route (the length of congestion, the number of other guided vehicles 1 on the route, etc.). The above cost is set to increase as the travel time of the guided vehicle 1 increases due to such factors. Therefore, for example, the above cost can be configured to include at least one of a distance cost, a structure cost, a congestion cost, and a foreign vehicle cost. Here, "including" means that it is included as an element for deriving the cost. Therefore, the cost is derived based on at least one of the distance cost, the structure cost, the congestion cost, and the foreign vehicle cost. The distance cost, the structure cost, the congestion cost, and the foreign vehicle cost are considered "element costs," and the cost can be derived, for example, by adding element costs together, multiplying element costs together, or by combining these.

[0045] The distance cost is a cost that increases as the travel distance of the transport vehicle 1 increases. The distance cost can be determined according to the distance of the route, and can be set to a value obtained by multiplying the distance by a coefficient, for example. The structural cost is a cost that increases as the movable speed (e.g., maximum speed) of the transport vehicle 1 decreases depending on the structure of the movable route 40. The structure of the movable route 40 is a structure that affects the movement speed of the transport vehicle 1, such as a junction 42, a branching section 43, a lifter (a lifting device that raises and lowers the transport vehicle 1 on the route along which the transport vehicle 1 rises and lowers), a curve, etc. The structural cost can be determined according to the movable speed of the transport vehicle 1 in each structure, and can be set to a value obtained by multiplying the reciprocal of the movable speed by a coefficient, for example.

[0046] The congestion cost increases as at least one of the length of a congestion on the route (the travel route of the transport vehicle 1) and the number of transport vehicles 1 involved in the congestion increases. When the transport vehicle 1 is equipped with a collision prevention sensor that detects other transport vehicles 1 ahead of the transport vehicle 1, a congestion can be defined as the presence of a transport vehicle 1 that has detected another transport vehicle 1 by the collision prevention sensor and has been stopped for a set time or longer. In this case, the number of transport vehicles 1 that have been stopped for a set time or longer is the number of transport vehicles 1 involved in the congestion. When the congestion cost is determined according to the number of transport vehicles 1 involved in the congestion on the route, for example, the congestion cost can be set to a value obtained by multiplying the number by a coefficient. When the congestion cost is determined according to the length of the congestion on the route, for example, the congestion cost can be set to a value obtained by multiplying the length by a coefficient. The other vehicle cost increases as the number of other transport vehicles 1 on the route (the travel route of the transport vehicle 1) increases. In this embodiment, it does not matter whether the "other transport vehicles 1" are moving or stopped. The other vehicle cost can be determined according to the number of other guided vehicles 1 present on the route, and can be set to a value obtained by multiplying the number by a coefficient, for example. The length of congestion present on the route, the number of guided vehicles 1 included in the congestion present on the route, and the number of other guided vehicles 1 present on the route may be values ​​(actual values) at the time of execution of the movement route determination process, or may be predicted values ​​at the time the guided vehicle 1 arrives at the route. Furthermore, the length of congestion present on the route, the number of guided vehicles 1 included in the congestion present on the route, and the number of other guided vehicles 1 present on the route may be statistical values ​​based on past performance.

[0047] In this embodiment, when determining the travel route of the standby guided vehicle 1A, the control system 30 is configured to execute a cost adjustment process if the amount of stored power of the standby guided vehicle 1A is less than a second set value. The second set value is set to a value equal to or different from the first set value (a value greater or smaller than the first set value). For example, when there is little remaining stored power, the second set value can be set to a value smaller than the first set value, in consideration of the high possibility of a state in which the amount of stored power becomes insufficient unless some measures are taken not only for the destination P2 but also for the route. The cost adjustment process includes at least one of a process of increasing the cost of the route passing through the non-power supply area B and a process of decreasing the cost of the route passing through the power supply area A compared to when the amount of stored power of the standby guided vehicle 1A is equal to or greater than the second set value. The process of increasing the cost of the route passing through the non-power supply area B is, for example, a process of increasing the cost of the link L within the non-power supply area B or a process of increasing the cost of the node N at the entrance to the non-power supply area B. The process of reducing the cost of the route passing through the power supply area A is, for example, a process of reducing the cost of a link L within the power supply area A, or a process of reducing the cost of a node N at the entrance of the power supply area A. The node N and the link L will be described later.

[0048] 7 to 9, the movement route determination process according to this embodiment will be described. Here, a case will be described in which a movement route (a movement route from the current location P1 to the destination P2) of the standby guided vehicle 1A is searched for based on a route search algorithm that can search for a route with the lowest cost. In the following, it is assumed that a route search is performed starting from the current location P1, but it is also possible to perform a route search starting from the destination P2, or to perform a route search starting from both the current location P1 and the destination P2.

[0049] 7 to 9, the possible route 40 is represented by nodes N and links L connecting the nodes N. The nodes N correspond to specific points such as the junction 42 and the branching point 43 (see FIG. 1), and the links L correspond to inter-point routes connecting specific points. In the route determination process, the control system 30 searches for a route by sequentially connecting the links L. In FIG. 7, the links L within the power supply area A are indicated by double lines, and the links L within the non-power supply area B are indicated by single lines. In the following, when multiple nodes N are to be distinguished from one another, the alphabet shown in the circle representing the node N in FIG. 7 is written in parentheses after the node N. For example, node N(a) represents the node N indicated by "a." Here, node N(a) is the current location P1 of the standby guided vehicle 1A, and node N(f) is the destination P2 of the standby guided vehicle 1A. In FIGS. 8 and 9, the alphabets distinguishing the nodes N are omitted.

[0050] 7 to 9, a numerical value representing a cost (link cost), which is the weight of the link L, is assigned to each link L. The cost of the link L is the above-mentioned cost (a value for a factor that affects the travel time of the transport vehicle 1, and which increases as the travel time becomes longer) set for each link L. In other words, the cost of the link L corresponds to the predicted travel time of the link L. The control system 30 derives the cost of the travel route based on the sum of the costs of the links L included in the travel route. In this embodiment, the cost of the travel route is represented by the sum of the costs of the links L included in the travel route. Here, a case will be described in which a cost is not set for the node N. However, if a cost is also set for the node N, the control system 30 derives the cost of the travel route based on the sum of the costs of the links L included in the travel route and the sum of the costs of the nodes N included in the travel route. In this case, the cost of the travel route is represented, for example, by the sum of the costs of the links L and the nodes N included in the travel route.

[0051] Fig. 8 shows the results of a search for a travel route when the above-mentioned cost adjustment process is not executed. The numbers shown inside each node N indicate the cost of the route from node N(a) to each node N with the lowest cost. In the example shown in Fig. 8, as the route with the lowest cost from the current location P1 to the destination P2, a route from node N(a) to node N(f) via node N(d), node N(c), and node N(b) in that order, as indicated by the thick arrow, is searched for, and this route is determined as the travel route.

[0052] FIG. 9 shows the results of a travel route search performed during the cost adjustment process described above. Here, the cost adjustment process is assumed to involve both increasing the cost of a route passing through the non-power supply area B and decreasing the cost of a route passing through the power supply area A. Specifically, compared to FIG. 8, the cost of link L in the non-power supply area B is increased by 2, and the cost of link L in the power supply area A is decreased by 2. As a result, in the example shown in FIG. 9, a route from node N(a) to node N(f) via nodes N(c) and N(e) in this order is searched for as the route with the lowest cost from the current location P1 to the destination P2, as indicated by the thick arrow, and this route is determined as the travel route. Comparing FIG. 9 with FIG. 8 makes it clear that performing the cost adjustment process as shown in FIG. 9 makes it more likely that a route passing through the power supply area A (see FIG. 7) will be determined as the travel route.

[0053] Other Embodiments (1) In the above embodiment, the control system 30 executes the destination change process when the amount of stored power of the standby guided vehicle 1A moving toward destination P2 in the non-power supply area B falls below a first set value. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the control system 30 may execute the destination change process when the amount of stored power of the standby guided vehicle 1A moving toward destination P2 in the non-power supply area B falls below a third set value that is set to a value different from the first set value (e.g., a value smaller than the first set value). The third set value may be the same as or different from the second set value. Note that the control system 30 may also be configured not to execute the destination change process.

[0054] (2) In the above embodiment, the control system 30 executes the cost adjustment process when determining the travel route of the standby guided vehicle 1A and the stored power amount of the standby guided vehicle 1A is less than the second set value. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and the control system 30 may be configured not to execute the cost adjustment process.

[0055] (3) Note that the configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments (including combinations of embodiments described as other embodiments) as long as no contradictions arise. Regarding other configurations, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be made as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0056] [Summary of this embodiment] The embodiment of the article transport facility described above will be summarized below.

[0057] The article transport facility includes a plurality of transport vehicles that move along a movable route to transport articles, and a control system that controls the transport vehicles, wherein the movable route includes a power supply area where a power supply device that supplies power to the transport vehicles is provided, and a non-power supply area where the power supply device is not provided, and the transport vehicles include a power storage device, a power receiving device that receives power from the power supply device, and a drive device that is driven by at least one of the power stored in the power storage device and the power received by the power receiving device, and the operation state of the transport vehicles includes a state in which the transport vehicles receive the articles or The state includes a first state in which the transport vehicle moves toward a transport destination that is a destination set for handing over an item, and a second state in which the transport destination is not set.The transport vehicle in the second state is a standby transport vehicle, and when determining the destination of the standby transport vehicle, the control system acquires power storage amount information that indicates the power storage amount of the power storage device equipped in the standby transport vehicle, and if the power storage amount is equal to or greater than a set value, determines the destination regardless of whether it is the power supply area or the non-power supply area, and if the power storage amount is less than the set value, determines the destination by limiting it to the power supply area.

[0058] For example, a standby transport vehicle may be moved for purposes other than charging, such as to facilitate the movement of an operating transport vehicle (a transport vehicle in the first state) or to distribute multiple standby transport vehicles (transport vehicles in the second state) to transport new items. According to this configuration, when a standby transport vehicle is moved for purposes other than charging, an appropriate destination can be determined depending on the amount of stored power of the standby transport vehicle. Specifically, when the amount of stored power of the standby transport vehicle is large, the standby transport vehicle is unlikely to experience a state of insufficient stored power at its destination. Therefore, the destination can be determined without being limited to a power supply area. On the other hand, when the amount of stored power of the standby transport vehicle is small, the destination can be determined by being limited to a power supply area where the power storage device can be charged. Therefore, regardless of the amount of stored power of the standby transport vehicle, it is possible to prevent a state of insufficient stored power from occurring in the standby transport vehicle that has moved to its destination. This allows the standby transport vehicle that has moved to its destination to appropriately transport items when it subsequently becomes an operating transport vehicle. As described above, according to this configuration, when the waiting transport vehicle is moved for a purpose other than charging, it is possible to appropriately set the destination of the waiting transport vehicle.

[0059] Here, the control system is configured such that, when determining the movement route of the transport vehicle, the control system uses a cost value representing a factor that affects the movement time of the transport vehicle, the cost increasing as the movement time increases, to preferentially determine as the movement route from among multiple routes a route with the lowest cost, and when determining the movement route of the waiting transport vehicle, the control system preferably executes a cost adjustment process that includes at least one of a process of increasing the cost of the route passing through the non-powered area when the stored power amount of the waiting transport vehicle is less than a second set value, and a process of decreasing the cost of the route passing through the power-supply area, compared to when the stored power amount is equal to or greater than the second set value.

[0060] According to this configuration, not only the destination of the waiting transport vehicle but also the route to the destination can be appropriately determined according to the amount of stored power of the waiting transport vehicle. In other words, when the amount of stored power of the waiting transport vehicle is low, a route passing through the power supply area is more likely to be determined as the route to the destination, making it less likely that the stored power of the waiting transport vehicle will be insufficient while traveling to the destination.

[0061] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the costs include at least one of a distance cost that increases as the travel distance of the transport vehicle increases, a structural cost that increases as the travel speed of the transport vehicle decreases depending on the structure of the travelable route, a congestion cost that increases as at least one of the length of a congestion on the travel route of the transport vehicle and the number of transport vehicles involved in the congestion increases, and an other vehicle cost that increases as the number of other transport vehicles on the travel route of the transport vehicle increases.

[0062] This configuration improves the accuracy of the cost, which is a value for a factor affecting the travel time of a transport vehicle and increases as the travel time increases, and the accuracy of the appropriateness of the travel route determined based on the cost, thereby making it easier to determine a more appropriate route for the transport vehicle.

[0063] In the item transport equipment of each of the above configurations, it is preferable that the transport vehicle in the first state is an operating transport vehicle, and the control system determines the destination of the waiting transport vehicle by targeting the waiting transport vehicle that is present on the movement path of the operating transport vehicle.

[0064] This configuration reduces the possibility that standby transport vehicles will obstruct the movement of operating transport vehicles moving to transport items, thereby enabling smooth movement of the operating transport vehicles. Therefore, it is easy to improve the efficiency of transporting items in the item transport facility. Furthermore, according to the technology disclosed herein, when moving a standby transport vehicle for such a purpose, as described above, an appropriate destination is determined based on the amount of stored power in the standby transport vehicle, making it less likely that the standby transport vehicle will experience a shortage of stored power after moving to its destination.

[0065] Furthermore, it is preferable that the control system determines the destination of the waiting transport vehicle so that the number of waiting transport vehicles present in each of the multiple control areas set by dividing the entire movable route is within a range set for each of the control areas.

[0066] According to this configuration, multiple standby transport vehicles can be distributed and allocated for newly occurring item transport tasks. Therefore, it is easy to improve the efficiency of transporting items in the item transport facility. Furthermore, according to the technology disclosed herein, when moving a standby transport vehicle for such a purpose, as described above, an appropriate destination can be determined based on the amount of stored power of the standby transport vehicle, making it less likely that the standby transport vehicle will experience a shortage of stored power after moving to its destination.

[0067] Furthermore, it is preferable that the control system executes a destination change process to change the destination of the waiting transport vehicle to a position within the power supply area when the stored power amount of the waiting transport vehicle falls below the set value while the waiting transport vehicle is moving toward the destination within the non-power supply area.

[0068] According to this configuration, even if a standby transport vehicle whose stored power amount is equal to or greater than a set value when the destination is determined consumes power during travel and the stored power amount falls below the set value, the destination change process can be executed to charge the power storage device at the destination. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the stored power amount of the standby transport vehicle that has moved to the destination is insufficient.

[0069] It is sufficient for the article transport facility according to the present disclosure to achieve at least one of the above-described effects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1: Transport vehicle 1A: Standby transport vehicle 1B: Working transport vehicle 2: Goods 15: Power receiving device 30: Control System 40: Possible routes 51: Drive unit 52: Power storage device 90: Power supply device 100: Goods transport equipment A: Power supply area B: Non-powered area C: Control Area P2: Destination P3: Delivery destination R: Target route (travel route of the operating transport vehicle)

Claims

1. An article transport facility comprising: a plurality of transport vehicles that move along a movable path to transport articles; and a control system that controls the transport vehicles, the movable route includes a power supply area in which a power supply device that supplies power to the transport vehicle is installed, and a non-power supply area in which the power supply device is not installed, the transport vehicle includes a power storage device, a power receiving device that receives power from the power supply device, and a drive device that is driven by at least one of the power stored in the power storage device and the power received by the power receiving device; The operation state of the transportation vehicle includes a first state in which the transportation vehicle moves toward a transportation destination that is a destination set for receiving or delivering the item, and a second state in which the transportation destination is not set, The transport vehicle in the second state is set as a standby transport vehicle, When determining a destination of the waiting guided vehicle, the control system acquiring stored power amount information indicating the stored power amount of the power storage device provided in the standby transport vehicle; If the amount of stored power is equal to or greater than a set value, the destination is determined regardless of whether the area is the power supply area or the non-power supply area; When the amount of stored electricity is less than the set value, the destination is determined by limiting it to the power supply area.

2. the control system is configured, when determining a movement route for the transported vehicle, to preferentially determine, from among a plurality of routes, a route with a small cost as the movement route, using a cost that is a value of a factor that affects a movement time of the transported vehicle and that increases as the movement time increases; 2. The item transport facility of claim 1, wherein when determining the movement route of the waiting transport vehicle, the control system executes a cost adjustment process that includes at least one of a process of increasing the cost of the route that passes through the non-powered area when the power storage amount of the waiting transport vehicle is less than a second set value, and a process of decreasing the cost of the route that passes through the power supply area, compared to a case where the power storage amount is equal to or greater than the second set value.

3. The cost is a distance cost that increases as the travel distance of the transport vehicle increases; a structural cost that increases as the movable speed of the transport vehicle decreases depending on the structure of the movable route; a congestion cost that increases as at least one of the length of a congestion occurring on the movement route of the transported vehicle and the number of the transported vehicles involved in the congestion increases; and and an other vehicle cost that increases as the number of other transport vehicles present on the movement route of the transport vehicle increases.

4. The transport vehicle in the first state is an operating transport vehicle, The article transport facility according to claim 1 , wherein the control system determines the destination of the standby transport vehicle based on the standby transport vehicle that is present on the movement path of the operating transport vehicle.

5. 4. The article transport facility according to claim 1, wherein the control system determines the destination of the waiting transport vehicle so that the number of the waiting transport vehicles present in each of a plurality of control areas set by dividing the entire movable path is within a range set for each of the control areas.

6. 4. The item transport facility according to claim 1, wherein, when the amount of stored power of the waiting transport vehicle falls below the set value while the waiting transport vehicle is moving toward the destination within the non-powered area, the control system executes a destination change process to change the destination of the waiting transport vehicle to a position within the powered area.

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