Conveying facility

Abstract

To accurately grasp the state of the transport vehicle where an abnormality has occurred.SOLUTION: A transport facility 100 includes a mobile body 3 that moves separately from a transport vehicle 1, a mobile body control system C3 that controls the mobile body 3, and a management terminal 4 for an administrator. When an abnormality occurs in the transport vehicle 1, the mobile body control system C3 executes an abnormality response process of successively acquiring status information Is using a status information acquisition device 32, and successively transmitting the acquired status information Is to the management terminal 4, in the state the mobile body 3 is able to acquire the status information Is including the status of the transport vehicle 1 using the status information acquisition device 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport facility equipped with a transport vehicle for transporting an object. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of such a transport facility is the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 6504266 (Patent Document 1). In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, a controller (50) communicates with a transport vehicle (20) to cause the transport vehicle (20) to transport an object (90). Generally, in such a transport facility, various information is exchanged through communication between the controller and the transport vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6504266 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Information transmitted and received between the controller and the transport vehicle may include abnormality information regarding an abnormality occurring in the transport vehicle. However, because various types of abnormalities occur in transport vehicles and the transport vehicle itself may not be able to recognize the occurrence of an abnormality, the controller may not be able to properly recognize the abnormality in the transport vehicle simply by transmitting and receiving information with the transport vehicle. Furthermore, if an abnormality occurs in the communication system between the controller and the transport vehicle, even if the transport vehicle itself is able to recognize the occurrence of the abnormality, the controller may not be able to receive information regarding the abnormality. As such, in conventional transport equipment, it may be difficult to properly recognize the status of a transport vehicle in which an abnormality has occurred.

[0005] In view of the above situation, it is desirable to realize a technology that can appropriately grasp the status of a transport vehicle in which an abnormality has occurred. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A conveying facility equipped with a conveying vehicle that conveys an object, a moving body that moves separately from the transport vehicle; a mobile object control system for controlling the mobile object; An administrator terminal, Equipped with the moving body includes a situation information acquisition device that acquires situation information indicating a situation around the moving body, When an abnormality occurs in the transport vehicle, the mobile control system executes an abnormality response process in which the status information acquisition device sequentially acquires the status information and sequentially transmits the acquired status information to the management terminal.

[0007] According to this configuration, the mobile body can acquire status information, including the status of the transport vehicle, using the status information acquisition device. If an abnormality occurs in the transport vehicle, the mobile body control system executes an abnormality response process, and the status information, including the status of the transport vehicle acquired by the mobile body, is sequentially acquired by the mobile body control system and sequentially transmitted to the management terminal. This allows the manager to properly understand the status of the transport vehicle without having to go to the site where the abnormal transport vehicle is located.

[0008] Further features and advantages of the techniques according to the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, which proceeds with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram of the transport equipment [Figure 2] A diagram showing a transport vehicle and a moving body. [Figure 3] Conveyor system configuration diagram [Figure 4] Illustration of advance movement processing [Figure 5] Illustration of the delivery item receiving process [Figure 6]Diagram showing the process after power outage recovery [Figure 7] A diagram showing how the situation information acquisition device is transformed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The conveyance facility is a facility equipped with a conveyance vehicle for conveying an object to be conveyed. Hereinafter, an embodiment of the conveyance facility will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the transport facility 100 includes a transport room A1 in which transported objects W (see FIG. 2) are transported by a transport vehicle 1, and a control room A2 in which a control terminal 4 operated by a manager 40 (also referred to as "worker 40") is installed. The control room A2 is located outside the transport room A1. The control room A2 and the transport room A1 are configured so that the manager 40 can move back and forth. The control terminal 4 may be a personal computer installed in the control room A2, or a mobile terminal (smartphone or tablet) that can be carried outside the control room A2.

[0012] The transfer facility 100 includes a plurality of transfer vehicles 1 that travel along a transfer path 9, and a transfer vehicle control device C1 (see FIG. 3) that controls the transfer vehicles 1. The transfer path 9 is provided in a transfer chamber A1.

[0013] In this embodiment, the movement path 9 is configured using rails 90 (see FIG. 2) provided near the ceiling. The transport vehicle 1 is configured as a so-called ceiling transport vehicle, and travels on the rails 90 along the movement path 9.

[0014] A plurality of transfer target locations 8 are provided along the movement path 9. The transfer target locations 8 include locations that are located below the movement path 9. The transport vehicle 1 is configured to transfer the transported article W (see FIG. 2) between the above-mentioned transfer target locations 8 by raising and lowering the transported article W.

[0015] Each of the multiple transport vehicles 1 is configured to receive a transport command from the above-mentioned transport vehicle control device C1 and execute a task according to the transport command. For example, the transport command includes information on the origin and destination of the transported object W. Upon receiving the transport command, the transport vehicle 1 transports the transported object W from the origin to the destination. The origin and destination include the above-mentioned transfer target location 8.

[0016] There are various types of transported goods W that can be handled by the transport facility 100. In this example, the transport facility 100 is used in a semiconductor manufacturing factory. Therefore, the transported goods W may be substrate containers (so-called FOUPs: Front Opening Unified Pods) that store substrates (wafers, panels, etc.), reticle containers (so-called reticle pods) that store reticles, magazines, trays, etc. In this case, the transport vehicle 1 transports the transported goods W, such as the substrate container or reticle container, along the movement path 9 between each process.

[0017] In this embodiment, the transfer target location 8 includes a processing device 80 that performs processing on the transported object W, and a mounting table 81 arranged adjacent to the processing device 80. "Processing on the transported object" refers to processing on the objects (substrates or reticles) contained in the transported object W as a container. The transport vehicle 1 receives the transported object W that has been processed by the processing device 80 from the mounting table 81, or delivers the transported object W that has not been processed by the processing device 80 to the mounting table 81. The processing device 80 performs various processes, such as thin film formation, photolithography, and etching.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the transport vehicle 1 includes a traveling section 10 that travels along rails 90 that form the travel path 9, and a gripping section 11 that grips the transported object W. This enables the transport vehicle 1 to transport the transported object W and transfer the transported object W to and from a transfer target location 8. In this embodiment, the transport vehicle 1 includes a lifting section 12 that raises and lowers the gripping section 11. This enables the transport vehicle 1 to transfer the transported object W to and from a transfer target location 8 that is located below the travel path 9.

[0019] 3, the transport facility 100 includes a host controller Ct that manages all the functional units in the facility, and a transport vehicle controller C1 that controls the transport vehicle 1. The host controller Ct and the transport vehicle controller C1 are connected to each other via wire or wirelessly so that they can communicate with each other.

[0020] Here, an abnormality may occur in the transport vehicle 1. An abnormal state includes a state in which normal operation of the transport vehicle 1 cannot be maintained or a state in which maintaining normal operation is inappropriate. For example, abnormalities in the transport vehicle 1 itself include abnormal operation of the traveling unit 10, abnormal operation of the gripping unit 11, and abnormal operation of the lifting unit 12. Furthermore, abnormalities related to the transport vehicle 1 include an abnormality in the transported object W being held by the transport vehicle 1 (for example, in the case of a FOUP, the lid not being completely closed), the presence of an obstacle around the travel path 9, or a power abnormality (power shortage or excessive power supply). Hereinafter, these various types of abnormalities may be simply referred to as "abnormalities."

[0021] Normally, when an abnormality occurs in the transport vehicle 1, the transport vehicle 1 notifies the transport vehicle 1 of the occurrence of the abnormality and the type of abnormality, so that the abnormality can be detected by a higher-level control system such as the higher-level control device Ct or the transport vehicle control device C1. However, as described above, there are various types of abnormalities that can occur in the transport vehicle 1, and the transport vehicle 1 itself may not be able to detect the occurrence of an abnormality. Therefore, the higher-level control system may not be able to properly detect the abnormality in the transport vehicle 1 simply by sending and receiving information to and from the transport vehicle 1. Furthermore, if an abnormality occurs in the communication system between the higher-level control system and the transport vehicle 1, even if the transport vehicle 1 itself is able to detect the occurrence of the abnormality, the higher-level control system may not be able to receive information about the abnormality.

[0022] Therefore, the conveyance facility 100 according to the present disclosure includes a mobile body 3 that moves separately from the transport vehicle 1, and a mobile body control device C3 that controls the mobile body 3. The mobile body 3 includes a situation information acquisition device 32 that acquires situation information Is that indicates the situation around the mobile body 3. The mobile body 3 is configured to be capable of autonomous movement and can move to the vicinity of the transport vehicle 1. The mobile body 3 is also configured to be able to acquire information about the situation of the transport vehicle 1 using the situation information acquisition device 32. This allows the mobile body 3 to acquire information about the transport vehicle 1 that cannot be grasped by a higher-level control system. Then, by transmitting this information to the higher-level control system, the higher-level control system and a manager 40 can appropriately grasp the situation of the transport vehicle 1. This will be described in detail below.

[0023] In this embodiment, the mobile object control device C3 corresponds to the "mobile object control system." However, the mobile object control system may be configured only by the control unit 30 mounted on each of the multiple mobile objects 3, or may include these control units 30.

[0024] 3, the transport facility 100 includes a host controller Ct, a transport vehicle controller C1, a mobile body controller C3, and a management terminal 4 for a manager 40. The host controller Ct, the transport vehicle controller C1, the mobile body controller C3, and the management terminal 4 are connected to each other by wire or wirelessly so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0025] In this embodiment, the transport vehicle control device C1 and the transport vehicle 1 are configured to communicate with each other via an access point AP. The communication between the transport vehicle control device C1 and the access point AP is realized by wired or wireless means. In this example, the access point AP and the transport vehicle 1 are configured to perform wireless communication. For example, the two perform Wi-Fi communication (registered trademark). Although detailed illustration is omitted, access points AP are arranged at multiple locations in the transport chamber A1 (see FIG. 1).

[0026] The mobile object control device C3 and the mobile object 3 are configured to communicate with each other via an access point AP. The communication between the mobile object control device C3 and the access point AP is realized by wire or wireless. In this example, the access point AP and the mobile object 3 are configured to perform wireless communication. For example, the two perform Wi-Fi communication.

[0027] The moving body 3 is configured to travel on a floor surface 6 (see also FIG. 2), and in this embodiment, is configured as a so-called AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot).

[0028] The mobile body 3 includes a control unit 30 that controls each functional unit provided in the mobile body 3, a position information acquisition unit 31, a situation information acquisition device 32, a command output unit 33, and a storage unit 34.

[0029] The location information acquisition unit 31 is a functional unit that acquires location information Ip (see FIG. 4 ) indicating the location of the mobile object 3 equipped with the location information acquisition unit 31. The mobile object 3 moves while recognizing its own location using the location information acquisition unit 31. Mapping and self-location estimation techniques using LiDAR (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) or SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) are used to recognize the location information. Information obtained by SLAM is fed back to the upper control device Ct through the mobile object control device C3. This allows the location information of the mobile object 3 to be shared throughout the entire system. Alternatively, location information may be recognized using, for example, a GPS system or a beacon system. The location information acquisition unit 31 is an element that constitutes at least a part of these systems. Note that if the mobile object 3 moves while reading one-dimensional or two-dimensional codes installed on the floor surface 6, the location information acquisition unit 31 may be configured using a reader for reading these codes.

[0030] The situation information acquisition device 32 is a functional unit that acquires situation information Is that indicates the situation around the moving object 3. As shown in Fig. 2, the situation information acquisition device 32 includes at least one of a camera 32a and a microphone 32b. In this embodiment, the situation information acquisition device 32 includes both the camera 32a and the microphone 32b.

[0031] The camera 32a acquires visual information about the surroundings of the mobile object 3 as situation information Is. The situation information Is acquired by the camera 32a includes image data such as video data and still image data. The camera 32a can function as the eyes of the manager 40. The manager 40 can determine whether there is an abnormality in the transport vehicle 1 from its appearance based on the image data acquired by the camera 32a. If there is another worker 40 on-site, the manager 40 can check the work of the worker 40 on-site through the image. During normal transport when no abnormality has occurred in the transport vehicle 1, the mobile object 3 patrols the facility, monitoring the facility, and records the image data captured by the camera 32a.

[0032] In this embodiment, the camera 32a includes a 360-degree camera capable of capturing a wide range of images and a PTZ camera with PTZ (Pan / Tilt / Zoom) functionality. The 360-degree camera functions as a monitoring and recording camera when the mobile unit 3 is patrolling. When an abnormality occurs in the transport vehicle 1 and the mobile unit 3 is performing recovery work, the 360-degree camera is responsible for monitoring the safety of the area around the recovery site. The PTZ camera is generally not used when the mobile unit 3 is patrolling. Because the PTZ function allows for flexible adjustment of the imaging range, when an abnormality occurs in the transport vehicle 1 and the mobile unit 3 is performing recovery work, the PTZ camera is useful for capturing detailed images of the transport vehicle 1 and discovering the cause of the abnormality. The PTZ camera can be remotely operated by the manager 40. Note that a high-performance camera equipped with both the functions of a 360-degree camera and a PTZ camera can also be used.

[0033] The microphone 32b acquires auditory information about the surroundings of the mobile object 3 as situation information Is. The situation information Is acquired by the microphone 32b includes audio data. The microphone 32b can function as the ears of the manager 40. Based on the audio data acquired by the camera 32a, the manager 40 can determine whether the transport vehicle 1 is making any abnormal sounds as it operates. If another worker 40 is present at the site, the manager 40 can communicate with the worker 40 and give appropriate instructions to the worker 40. In this case, it is preferable that the mobile object 3 is equipped with a speaker (not shown) that outputs audio. This makes it easy to give instructions to the worker 40 at the site from a location other than the site. During normal transport when no abnormalities are occurring in the transport vehicle 1, the mobile object 3 patrols the facility, monitoring the facility, and records the audio data acquired by the microphone 32b.

[0034] In this embodiment, the situation information acquisition device 32 is configured to acquire situation information Is within a predetermined acquireable range R32. For example, the acquireable range R32 for the camera 32a can also be referred to as an image capture range. The acquireable range R32 for the microphone 32b can also be referred to as a sound collection range. The acquireable range R32 for the camera 32a and the acquireable range R32 for the microphone 32b may be the same range or different ranges.

[0035] The moving body 3 approaches the guided vehicle 1 until the guided vehicle 1 is within the obtainable range R32. This allows the moving body 3 to acquire the situation around the guided vehicle 1 as situation information Is.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 3 , the mobile object control device C3 is configured to execute an abnormality response process when an abnormality occurs in the transport vehicle 1. In the abnormality response process, the mobile object 3 is in a state where the status information acquisition device 32 can acquire status information Is, including the status of the transport vehicle 1. The status information acquisition device 32 sequentially acquires the status information Is, and the acquired status information Is is sequentially transmitted to the management terminal 4. In this embodiment, the "state where the status information Is, including the status of the transport vehicle 1, can be acquired" refers to a state where the transport vehicle 1 is within the acquisition range R32, as described above. This configuration allows the manager 40 to appropriately grasp the status of the transport vehicle 1 without having to travel to the site where the abnormality occurred. In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for easier and faster recovery when the transport vehicle 1 breaks down. This is due to the increasing volume of transport requests due to the expansion of semiconductor factories and the reduction in lead times for production equipment. The above configuration can also meet this demand.

[0037] In this embodiment, the moving body 3 is configured to be able to communicate with the transport vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the moving body 3 and the transport vehicle 1 are configured to perform short-range wireless communication. For example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used as short-range wireless communication. By using a device such as Bluetooth, which is a short-range communication, power consumption can be reduced compared to Wi-Fi, which is a long-range communication. However, Wi-Fi communication or infrared communication can also be used.

[0038] The command output unit 33 described above is a functional unit that outputs an operation command Od to ​​the transport vehicle 1. By issuing the operation command Od to ​​the transport vehicle 1, the moving body 3 causes the transport vehicle 1 to perform a traveling operation, a gripping operation, a lifting / lowering operation, or restart of each functional unit. The operation command Od includes a recovery operation command for recovering the transport vehicle 1 from an abnormality. When issuing a recovery operation command, the command output unit 33 causes the transport vehicle 1 to perform a traveling operation, a gripping operation, a lifting / lowering operation, or restart of each functional unit in order to recover the transport vehicle 1 from the abnormal state. This makes it possible to appropriately determine which of the operations performed by the transport vehicle 1 has an abnormality and which of the functional units provided in the transport vehicle 1 has an abnormality.

[0039] For example, the manager 40 can issue an operation command Od to ​​the transport vehicle 1 via the management terminal 4. That is, the operation command Od may include a command from the management terminal 4. Note that the operation command Od may also include a command from the higher-level control device Ct or the transport vehicle control device C1.

[0040] On the other hand, the operation command Od may be issued regardless of the intention of the manager 40. In this case, the command output unit 33 is provided with an automatic recovery program that generates a recovery operation command based on the situation information Is acquired by the situation information acquisition device 32. This allows the moving body 3 to automatically perform recovery processing for the guided vehicle 1 in which an abnormality has occurred. This reduces the effort required of the worker 40 for the recovery processing.

[0041] In this embodiment, the guided vehicle 1 includes a command receiving unit 13 that receives an operation command Od from the command output unit 33. When the operation command Od is received by the command receiving unit 13, the guided vehicle 1 performs an operation according to the operation command Od.

[0042] As described above, in the conveyance facility 100 according to the present disclosure, when an abnormality occurs in the transport vehicle 1, the mobile unit 3 acquires the situation around the transport vehicle 1 as status information Is, and the status information Is is transmitted to the management terminal 4. Therefore, the manager 40 can appropriately grasp the situation around the transport vehicle 1 where the abnormality has occurred. Furthermore, the status information Is can be shared with higher-level control systems such as the upper control device Ct and the transport vehicle control device C1. Therefore, for example, these higher-level control systems can grasp detailed information that the higher-level control systems cannot grasp. Furthermore, the manager 40 can not only grasp the situation around the transport vehicle 1 where the abnormality has occurred, but also remotely operate the transport vehicle 1 via the mobile unit 3. Therefore, recovery processing of the transport vehicle 1 can also be performed remotely.

[0043] The mobile body 3 becomes aware of an abnormality in the transport vehicle 1 based on the following example. As one example, the transport vehicle 1 in which the abnormality has occurred sends an abnormality notification to the transport vehicle control device C1 or the higher-level control device Ct. Then, the abnormality notification is sent to the mobile body control device C3 together with the position information of the transport vehicle 1 in which the abnormality has occurred. The mobile body control device C3 sends the abnormality notification and the position information of the transport vehicle 1 to the mobile body 3. As a result, the mobile body 3 becomes aware of the abnormality in the transport vehicle 1 and heads to the site. As another example, the mobile body 3 patrolling within the facility may discover the transport vehicle 1 in which the abnormality has occurred.

[0044] As described above, the recovery operation command is transmitted from the moving body 3 to the guided vehicle 1 in which an abnormality has occurred in order to restore the guided vehicle 1 to a normal state. The recovery operation command causes the guided vehicle 1 to perform various operations, restarts the vehicle, or prompts the guided vehicle 1 to switch from maintenance mode after a power outage to normal operation mode as described below. However, if the location where the abnormality has occurred in the guided vehicle 1 (location where the abnormality has occurred) is a location where other guided vehicles 1 can pass, performing the recovery operation described above at the location where the abnormality has occurred may interfere with the movement of the other guided vehicles 1.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 4, the conveying facility 100 according to the present disclosure includes a predetermined maintenance location 7. The maintenance location 7 is provided on the travel route 9. Preferably, the maintenance location 7 is provided in a portion of the travel route 9 where the transport vehicle 1 passes relatively infrequently. The maintenance location 7 is a location where regular maintenance of the transport vehicle 1 is performed, but can also be used as a location where recovery operations are performed on the transport vehicle 1 in the event of an abnormality as described above.

[0046] In this embodiment, the mobile body control device C3 is configured to be able to execute a pre-movement process to move the transport vehicle 1 to a predetermined maintenance location 7 and to move the mobile body 3 together with the transport vehicle 1. After executing the pre-movement process to direct the transport vehicle 1 in which an abnormality has occurred to the maintenance location 7, the mobile body control device C3 executes a recovery process for the transport vehicle 1 at the maintenance location 7.

[0047] Here, as shown in FIG. 4, there may be other normal guided vehicles 1 on the movement route 9 of the abnormal guided vehicle 1 heading to the maintenance location 7. In the figure, the symbol shown in black is the target guided vehicle 1, which is the guided vehicle 1 in which the abnormality has occurred. The symbols shown in white are other normal guided vehicles 1.

[0048] In this embodiment, the command output unit 33 of the moving body 3 is configured to be able to output the operation command Od to ​​other normal guided vehicles 1 as well. When moving the target guided vehicle 1, which is the guided vehicle 1 in which an abnormality has occurred, if there are other guided vehicles 1 on the movement path 9 of the target guided vehicle 1, the moving body control device C3 outputs an evacuation command to the other guided vehicles 1 on the movement path 9 to retreat outside the movement path 9. The evacuation command is included in the operation command Od and may be output from the command output unit 33 of the moving body 3 to the guided vehicle 1, or may be output to the guided vehicle 1 via the upper control device Ct or the guided vehicle control device C1. Furthermore, the above-mentioned "movement path 9 of the target guided vehicle 1" refers to the planned movement path along which the target guided vehicle 1 is scheduled to move. Therefore, when an evacuation command is output, the other guided vehicles 1 that are retreating retreat outside the planned movement path of the target guided vehicle 1, but do not retreat outside the entire movement path 9.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 4(a), if there is another guided vehicle 1 on the planned movement route of the target guided vehicle 1, in this example, the movement route 9 from the current position of the target guided vehicle 1 to the maintenance location 7, the moving body 3 outputs an evacuation command to the other guided vehicle 1. As shown in Fig. 4(b), the other guided vehicle 1 evacuates from the planned movement route of the target guided vehicle 1.

[0050] Meanwhile, the moving body 3 directs the target guided vehicle 1 to the maintenance location 7. When directing the target guided vehicle 1 to the maintenance location 7, the moving body 3 moves together with the target guided vehicle 1 while maintaining a distance from the target guided vehicle 1. This is because if the distance between the moving body 3 and the target guided vehicle 1 becomes too great, the target guided vehicle 1 may not be able to properly receive the operation command Od from the command output unit 33.

[0051] Here, if the abnormality occurring in the target guided vehicle 1 is, for example, an abnormality in the communication system, information may not be exchanged properly between the target guided vehicle 1 and a higher-level control system such as the higher-level control device Ct or the guided vehicle control device C1. In this case, there is a possibility that the higher-level control system is unable to grasp the position of the target guided vehicle 1.

[0052] Therefore, in this embodiment, when moving a guided vehicle 1 in which an abnormality has occurred, the mobile body control device C3 estimates the position of the target guided vehicle 1 based on the position information Ip of the mobile body 3, generates a path instruction command as an operation command Od that instructs the path of the target guided vehicle 1 based on the estimated position, and outputs the path instruction command from the command output unit 33. As described above with reference to FIG. 3, the mobile body 3 is equipped with a position information acquisition unit 31 and is able to grasp its own position. In this embodiment, the mobile body 3 is configured to be able to acquire route information Im of the travel route 9 of the guided vehicle 1 and is able to grasp its own position relative to the travel route 9. The route information Im is stored in, for example, a database DB. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the mobile body 3 is configured to acquire the route information Im from the database DB via the mobile body control device C3. Note that the route information Im may be stored in the mobile body 3.

[0053] As shown in Fig. 4, in this embodiment, the moving body 3 outputs a route instruction command to the target guided vehicle 1 while grasping the position of the target guided vehicle 1 on the travel route 9 based on its own position. In the example shown in Fig. 4(b), the target guided vehicle 1 switches its route to "right" based on the route instruction command from the moving body 3, and heads toward the maintenance location 7. Note that if the guided vehicle 1 is configured to control its traveling direction by switching the position of a guide roller (not shown) between left and right, the route instruction command may be a signal to switch the guide roller to either the left or right position.

[0054] 4 may be reversed. In other words, if the target transport vehicle 1 is located in front of the other transport vehicle 1 and obstructs the movement of the other transport vehicle 1, the target transport vehicle 1 can move away from the movement path of the other transport vehicle 1 to ensure the movement path of the other transport vehicle 1.

[0055] Here, for example, when the target transport vehicle 1 is to perform a recovery operation, it is preferable that the target transport vehicle 1 is not holding the transported object W. If the target transport vehicle 1 is holding the transported object W, restrictions may be imposed on the operations that the target transport vehicle 1 can perform, and in such cases, it may be difficult to perform appropriate operation checks.

[0056] As described above, in this embodiment, the mobile body 3 is equipped with a holding unit 34 that holds the transported object W. As shown in FIG. 5 , in this embodiment, the mobile body control device C3 is configured to be able to execute a transported object receiving process in which, when the target transport vehicle 1 is transporting the transported object W, the holding unit 34 of the mobile body 3 receives the transported object W from the target transport vehicle 1. This allows the target transport vehicle 1 to achieve a state in which it is not holding the transported object W. In the transported object receiving process, the command output unit 33 of the mobile body 3 outputs a transfer command for the transported object W to the target transport vehicle 1. The transfer command is included in the operation command Od. Upon receiving the transfer command, the target transport vehicle 1 hands over the transported object W to the holding unit 34 of the mobile body 3. Note that the mobile body 3 is configured to be able to store the holding unit 34. The mobile body 3 can keep the holding unit 34 in a stored state except when the transported object receiving process is being executed. However, the holding unit 34 does not have to be able to be stored.

[0057] It is preferable that the mobile object control device C3 executes the transported object receiving process before executing the recovery process, so that the recovery process can be executed when the target transported vehicle 1 is not holding the transported object W, and the operation of the target transported vehicle 1 can be appropriately checked.

[0058] In this embodiment, a power supply line (not shown) is provided along the movement route 9, and the transport vehicle 1 is configured to operate using power from the power supply line as a power source. For example, as shown in Fig. 6, the movement route 9 is divided into set areas As, and a power source for supplying power to the power supply line is provided in each set area As.

[0059] FIG. 6 illustrates an example in which a power outage occurs in one of the set areas As (see FIG. 6(b) in particular). In this embodiment, the guided vehicle 1 in the set area As where the power outage occurred will make an abnormal stop. When the set area As recovers from the power outage, the guided vehicle 1 transitions to maintenance mode. For example, in maintenance mode, the tasks assigned to the guided vehicle 1 before the power outage are reset, and the upper limit speed of the guided vehicle 1 is set lower than in normal operation mode. When the set area As experiences a power outage, the upper control system, which normally knows the position of the guided vehicle 1, will lose track of the position of the guided vehicle 1. Even when the set area As recovers from the power outage, it is difficult for the upper control system, which once lost track of the position of the guided vehicle 1, to accurately determine the position of the guided vehicle 1. Therefore, it is difficult for the upper control system to issue a command to the guided vehicle 1 to transition from maintenance mode to normal operation mode.

[0060] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the set area As recovers from a power outage and the transport vehicle 1 transitions to maintenance mode, the command output unit 33 of the moving body 3 outputs a mode switching command to the transport vehicle 1 (see FIG. 6(c)). The mode switching command is included in the operation command Od. In this example, the command output unit 33 outputs the mode switching command to the transport vehicle 1, thereby transitioning the transport vehicle 1 from maintenance mode to normal operation mode.

[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the command output unit 33 outputs a mode switching command to the transport vehicle 1, the moving body 3 estimates the position of the transport vehicle 1 based on its own position information and notifies the higher-level control system of information relating to the estimated position of the transport vehicle 1. This allows the higher-level control system to properly grasp the position of the transport vehicle 1 after power is restored from a power outage. The decision to output the mode switching command can be made remotely by the manager 40 after the safety of the surrounding area has been confirmed based on the image captured by the camera 32a of the moving body 3.

[0062] In the above, an example has been described in which the transport vehicle 1 stops when an abnormality occurs. The moving body 3 approaches the transport vehicle 1 that has stopped abnormally until the transport vehicle 1 falls within the obtainable range R32, and acquires the surrounding situation as situation information Is (see FIG. 2).

[0063] However, depending on the layout of the facility, a structure at the location where the transport vehicle 1 abnormally stops may block the moving body 3 from the transport vehicle 1, preventing the moving body 3 from properly acquiring the situation information Is.

[0064] 7, for example, the transport vehicle 1 is stopped on a structure (processing device 80 in the illustrated example). In such a case, it is difficult to keep the transport vehicle 1 within the obtainable range R32.

[0065] Therefore, in this embodiment, the moving body 3 is provided with a movable mechanism 32c that changes at least one of the position and orientation of the situation information acquisition device 32. By changing at least one of the position and orientation of the situation information acquisition device 32 using the movable mechanism 32c, it becomes possible to keep the abnormally stopped transport vehicle 1 within the obtainable range R32 even when a structure is in the way.

[0066] 7, the movable mechanism 32c is configured to raise and lower at least a part of the elements (camera 32a in the illustrated example) that make up the situation information acquisition device 32. This allows the transport vehicle 1 that has abnormally stopped on a structure to be contained within the acquisition range R32, and the mobile body 3 can acquire the situation around the transport vehicle 1 as situation information Is. The operation of the movable mechanism 32c may be performed remotely from the management terminal 4, or may be performed automatically by the mobile body 3.

[0067] Other Embodiments Next, other embodiments will be described.

[0068] (1) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the situation information acquisition device 32 includes at least one of the camera 32a and the microphone 32b. However, without being limited to this example, the situation information acquisition device 32 may include various sensors such as LiDAR, various radars, or a communication device that communicates with the transport vehicle 1 to acquire information indicating the state of the transport vehicle 1.

[0069] (2) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the target transport vehicle 1 hands over the transported object W to the holder 34 of the movable body 3 in the transported object receiving process, i.e., an example in which the movable body 3 passively receives the transported object W. However, without being limited to such an example, in the transported object receiving process, the movable body 3 may actively receive the transported object W from the target transport vehicle 1. In this case, the movable body 3 may be equipped with an arm, fork, conveyor, or the like for receiving the transported object W from the target transport vehicle 1.

[0070] (3) In the above embodiment, various processes and commands are described which are performed by the mobile object control device C3 (mobile object control system). These processes and commands may be performed by the mobile object control device C3 (mobile object control system) based on instructions from the upper control device Ct, the transport vehicle control device C1, or the management terminal 4.

[0071] (4) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the transport vehicle 1 is configured as an overhead transport vehicle. However, the transport vehicle 1 is not limited to such an example, and may be a cart for sorting articles, an AGV, or an AMR, which is the same as the moving body 3 according to this embodiment.

[0072] (5) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the moving body 3 is configured as an AMR. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example, and the moving body 3 may travel along the same route as the transport vehicle 1 or a different route, or may be a drone, etc. Furthermore, the moving body 3 may be provided with a loading mechanism for loading the transported object W, and may be used as transport equipment for transporting the transported object W during steady-state transport by the transport vehicle 1.

[0073] (6) The configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments may be combined with configurations disclosed in 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 may be made as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0074] [Summary of this embodiment] The summary of this embodiment will be described below.

[0075] A conveying facility equipped with a conveying vehicle that conveys an object, a moving body that moves separately from the transport vehicle; a mobile object control system for controlling the mobile object; An administrator terminal, Equipped with the moving body includes a situation information acquisition device that acquires situation information indicating a situation around the moving body, When an abnormality occurs in the transport vehicle, the mobile control system executes an abnormality response process in which the status information acquisition device sequentially acquires the status information and sequentially transmits the acquired status information to the management terminal.

[0076] According to this configuration, the mobile body can acquire status information, including the status of the transport vehicle, using the status information acquisition device. If an abnormality occurs in the transport vehicle, the mobile body control system executes an abnormality response process, and the status information, including the status of the transport vehicle acquired by the mobile body, is sequentially acquired by the mobile body control system and sequentially transmitted to the management terminal. This allows the manager to properly understand the status of the transport vehicle without having to go to the site where the abnormal transport vehicle is located.

[0077] the moving body is capable of communicating with the transport vehicle; the moving body further includes a command output unit that outputs an operation command to the transport vehicle, The operation command preferably includes a recovery operation command for recovering the transport vehicle from an abnormality.

[0078] According to this configuration, the recovery process for the transport vehicle in which an abnormality has occurred can be performed using the moving body, thereby reducing the workload of the administrator for the recovery process.

[0079] The operation command preferably includes a command from the management terminal.

[0080] According to this configuration, the moving body can be remotely controlled at the discretion of the manager. If the operation command is a recovery command, the manager can remotely control the moving body to perform recovery processing of the transport vehicle.

[0081] Preferably, the command output unit includes an automatic recovery program that generates the recovery operation command based on the situation information acquired by the situation information acquisition device.

[0082] According to this configuration, the mobile body can automatically perform recovery processing for the transport vehicle in which an abnormality has occurred, thereby significantly reducing the labor required by the operator for the recovery processing.

[0083] the moving body includes a holding unit that holds the transported object, Preferably, the mobile body control system is configured to be able to execute a transported object receiving process that causes the holding unit of the mobile body to receive the transported object from the transport vehicle when the transport vehicle is transporting the transported object.

[0084] According to this configuration, the mobile body can temporarily receive the transported item from the transport vehicle or can transport the transported item in place of the transport vehicle. By having the mobile body receive the transported item from the transport vehicle while the recovery process is being performed, it is possible to prevent the transported item from accidentally falling off the transport vehicle.

[0085] Preferably, the mobile body control system executes a pre-movement process for moving the transport vehicle to a predetermined maintenance location and moving the mobile body together with the transport vehicle.

[0086] According to this configuration, when performing recovery processing for a transport vehicle that has experienced an abnormality, the transport vehicle can be moved to a maintenance location before the recovery processing is performed. This prevents the transport vehicle from interfering with other transport vehicles on the travel route. Furthermore, by moving the moving body together with the transport vehicle, the status of the transport vehicle heading to the maintenance location can be properly understood and appropriate commands can be output to the transport vehicle.

[0087] the moving body includes a command output unit that outputs an operation command to the transport vehicle, and a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information indicating its own position, When moving a transport vehicle that has experienced an abnormality, the mobile body control system preferably estimates the position of the transport vehicle based on the position information of the mobile body, generates a route instruction command as the operation command that instructs the route of the transport vehicle based on the estimated position, and outputs the route instruction command from the command output unit.

[0088] According to this configuration, even in a situation where the position of the transport vehicle is unknown, the route of the transport vehicle can be instructed based on the position information of the moving body, and the transport vehicle can be moved appropriately.

[0089] A plurality of the transport vehicles are provided, Preferably, when the mobile body control system moves the target transport vehicle, which is the transport vehicle that has experienced an abnormality, if there are other transport vehicles on the movement path of the target transport vehicle, it outputs an evacuation command to the transport vehicles on the movement path to evacuate them outside the movement path.

[0090] According to this configuration, even if another transport vehicle is present on the movement route of the target transport vehicle, which is the transport vehicle in which the abnormality has occurred, the target transport vehicle can be moved appropriately.

[0091] the situation information acquisition device includes at least one of a camera and a microphone, The mobile object preferably includes a movable mechanism for changing at least one of the position and orientation of the situation information acquisition device.

[0092] According to this configuration, it is possible to acquire situation information as visual information and auditory information. Furthermore, by changing the position and orientation of the situation information acquisition device using the movable mechanism, it is possible to improve the accuracy of acquiring visual information and auditory information. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately acquire situation information even if, for example, there is an obstacle between the moving body and the transport vehicle. [Industrial Applicability]

[0093] The technology disclosed herein can be used in a transport facility equipped with a transport vehicle that transports an object. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 100:Transportation equipment 1: Transport vehicle 3: Moving object 31: Location information acquisition section 32: Situation information acquisition device 32a: Camera 32b:Mike 32c: Movable mechanism 33: Command output section 34: Holding part 4: Management terminal 40:Administrator 7: Maintenance location 9: Travel route W: Transported item IP: Location information Is: Status information Od: Operation command

Claims

1. A conveying facility equipped with a conveying vehicle that conveys an object, a moving body that moves separately from the transport vehicle; a mobile object control system for controlling the mobile object; An administrator terminal, Equipped with the moving body includes a situation information acquisition device that acquires situation information indicating a situation around the moving body, The mobile control system is a transportation facility that, when an abnormality occurs in the transportation vehicle, sequentially acquires the status information using the status information acquisition device and executes an abnormality response process that sequentially transmits the acquired status information to the management terminal.

2. the moving body is capable of communicating with the transport vehicle; the moving body further includes a command output unit that outputs an operation command to the transport vehicle, The transport facility according to claim 1 , wherein the operation command includes a recovery operation command for recovering the transport vehicle from an abnormality.

3. The transport facility according to claim 2 , wherein the operation command includes a command from the management terminal.

4. The transport facility according to claim 2 , wherein the command output unit includes an automatic recovery program that generates the recovery operation command based on the status information acquired by the status information acquisition device.

5. the moving body includes a holding unit that holds the transported object, The conveying equipment according to claim 1, wherein the mobile body control system is configured to be capable of executing a conveying object receiving process that causes the holding unit of the mobile body to receive the conveying object from the conveying vehicle when the conveying vehicle is currently conveying the conveying object.

6. The transport facility according to claim 2 , wherein the mobile body control system executes a pre-movement process of moving the transport vehicle to a predetermined maintenance location and moving the mobile body together with the transport vehicle.

7. the moving body includes a command output unit that outputs an operation command to the transport vehicle, and a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information indicating its own position, 7. The transportation facility according to claim 2, wherein, when moving the transport vehicle in which an abnormality has occurred, the mobile body control system estimates the position of the transport vehicle based on the position information of the mobile body, generates a route instruction command as the operation command that instructs the route of the transport vehicle based on the estimated position, and outputs the route instruction command from the command output unit.

8. A plurality of the transport vehicles are provided, 7. The transport facility according to claim 1, wherein, when moving a target transport vehicle, which is the transport vehicle in which an abnormality has occurred, if there are other transport vehicles on the movement path of the target transport vehicle, the mobile body control system outputs an evacuation command to the transport vehicles on the movement path to evacuate them outside the movement path.

9. the situation information acquisition device includes at least one of a camera and a microphone, The transport facility according to claim 1 , wherein the moving body includes a movable mechanism that changes at least one of the position and the orientation of the situation information acquisition device.

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