Control device and control method

Abstract

To enable exclusive control in an area where multiple types of mobile devices are mixed.SOLUTION: In a control device that controls a movement of a mobile device, an area in which the mobile device is movable includes a first dedicated area where a first mobile device is movable and a common area where the first mobile device and a second mobile device are movable; the control device comprises an integrated control unit that manages a movement of the mobile device in the common area by referring to area information and an individual control unit that manages a movement of the mobile device in the first dedicated area by referring to the area information; and when the mobile device moves through the common area, the individual control unit requests the integrated control unit to make a reservation for a section of the common area included in a travel route of the mobile device; and after the reservation is established, the individual control unit controls the movement of the mobile device, and when the mobile device moves out of the first dedicated area, the individual control unit controls the movement of the mobile device without requesting the integrated control unit to make the reservation for the section included in the travel route of the mobile device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device for controlling a moving device. [Background technology]

[0002] In a mobile robot system, there is a technology for preventing and avoiding collisions between mobile robots at an early stage. One example of a control method using a warehouse control system (WCS) that controls multiple mobile devices (e.g., mobile robots such as automated guided vehicles) is a technology that reserves at least a portion (one or more sections) of a route along which a mobile device is scheduled to move, and performs exclusive control to prevent other mobile devices from moving (entering) that section until the mobile device has passed through the reserved route. This exclusive control can, for example, prevent collisions between multiple mobile devices. Furthermore, by reserving a movement route for a mobile device in advance, it can be reflected in the planning of movement routes for other mobile devices, thereby improving movement efficiency.

[0003] The following prior art exists as background art in this technical field: Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 5-66831) describes a mobile robot system comprising a plurality of mobile robots and a control station for controlling these mobile robots, in which each mobile robot travels while detecting nodes provided on a travel path, the control station gives the mobile robots work instructions consisting of a destination node corresponding to a work point and a type of work to be performed at the work point, and the mobile robot to which the work instruction has been given requests the control station to make a travel reservation to the destination node if the destination node is within a certain distance from the node where the mobile robot is currently located or is to pass, or if the node where the mobile robot is currently located or is to pass is a branch node connected to a dead end and the destination node is within the dead end, and The present invention describes a mobile robot system characterized in that, if there is no destination node within a certain distance from the node to which the mobile robot is attempting to travel, the control station requests a travel reservation to the first branch node beyond the certain distance toward the destination node, and if the node for which the travel reservation is requested is the entrance or exit of a dead end and the destination node of the mobile robot requesting the travel reservation is within the dead end, the control station grants the travel reservation only if there are no other mobile robots within the dead end and the node for which the request is made is not a node that has granted a travel reservation to another mobile robot, and if the node for which the request is made is not the entrance or exit of a dead end, the control station grants the travel reservation only if the node for which the request is made is not a node that has granted a travel reservation to another mobile robot. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-66831 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The above-mentioned exclusive control is effective for multiple mobile devices controlled by the same WCS, but it is not effective for mobile devices not controlled by that WCS (mobile devices controlled by other WCSs, such as mobile devices from different vendors or different types of mobile devices). This places constraints on the design of the mobile area, such as the inability to mix (coexist) mobile devices controlled by the WCS and mobile devices not controlled by the WCS in the same mobile area. Furthermore, when mobile devices controlled by different WCSs are mixed, it is necessary to select mobile devices capable of different collision avoidance control, which places constraints on the selection of mobile devices.

[0006] Therefore, there is a demand for optimizing the entire logistics center by improving the degree of freedom in designing the movement area and the degree of freedom in selecting the movement device, for example.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a mobile control device and a mobile control method that enable exclusive control of mobile devices by reserving sections in a mobile area where multiple mobile devices controlled by different WCSs coexist. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A representative example of the invention disclosed in the present application is as follows: That is, a control device for controlling movement of mobile devices is configured by a computer having a processing unit that executes predetermined processing and a storage unit connected to the processing unit, the mobile devices include a first mobile device and a second mobile device that have different movable areas, the movable area of ​​the mobile devices is divided into sections of a predetermined size, including a first dedicated area in which the first mobile device can move and a shared area in which the first mobile device and the second mobile device can move, the storage unit stores area information in which reservation statuses of sections included in a route traveled by the mobile devices are recorded, and the control device, the processing unit, by referring to the area information, controls the movement of the mobile devices in the shared area. The system is characterized in that it comprises an integrated control unit that manages movement, and an individual control unit that manages the movement of the mobile device in the first dedicated area by referring to the area information, the memory unit stores area information in which the reservation status of sections included in the route along which the mobile device travels is recorded, the individual control unit, when the mobile device travels in the shared area, requests the integrated control unit to reserve a section of the shared area included in the travel route of the mobile device, and controls the movement of the mobile device after the reservation is made, and when the mobile device travels in the first dedicated area, it controls the movement of the mobile device without requesting the integrated control unit to reserve a section included in the travel route of the mobile device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, in an area where multiple mobile devices controlled by different WCSs coexist, it is possible to exclusively control a mobile device by reserving a partition. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become clear from the description of the following embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a logistics system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a logistics system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3A]1 is a perspective view of a moving device according to a first embodiment, seen from above. [Figure 3B] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the moving device of the first embodiment. [Figure 4A] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an area configuration according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4B] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an area configuration according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5A] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of area information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5B] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of area information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5C] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of area information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of device information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of order information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of inventory information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating a process related to a movement instruction according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart of a movement control process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart of a reservation process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart of a movement control process after a reservation process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart of a reservation cancellation process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a logistics system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of conversion information according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The examples are illustrative of the present invention, and for clarity of explanation, appropriate omissions and simplifications have been made. The present invention can be implemented in various other forms. Unless otherwise specified, each component may be singular or plural.

[0012] In order to facilitate understanding of the invention, the position, size, shape, range, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may not represent the actual position, size, shape, range, etc. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the position, size, shape, range, etc. disclosed in the drawings.

[0013] Although various types of information may be described using the expression "tables" as an example, the various types of information may be data of any structure (for example, structured data or unstructured data), or may be a neural network that generates output for an input, or a learning model such as a genetic algorithm or random forest. For example, various types of information such as "XX table," "XX list," and "XX queue" may be referred to as "XX information." Furthermore, in the following description, the structure of each table is an example, and one table may be divided into two or more tables, or all or part of two or more tables may be one table.

[0014] Any information (for example, at least one of "ID," "name," and "number") may be adopted as information for identifying an element (identification information, identifier). When describing identification information, expressions such as "identification information," "identifier," "name," "ID," and "number" are used, but these are interchangeable.

[0015] When there are multiple components with the same or similar functions, they may be described using the same reference numeral with different subscripts. When there is no need to distinguish between these multiple components, the subscripts may be omitted.

[0016] In the following description, processing performed with a "program" as the subject may be described, but this processing is processing performed by executing a "program." Here, a computer executes the program using a processor (e.g., a CPU or a GPU) and performs processing defined by the program using storage resources (e.g., memory) and interface devices (e.g., communication ports). Therefore, the subject of processing performed by executing a program may be the processor. Similarly, the subject of processing performed by executing a program may be a controller, device, system, computer, or node having a processor. The subject of processing performed by executing a program may be any computing unit, and may include a dedicated circuit that performs specific processing. Here, the dedicated circuit may be, for example, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device).

[0017] A program may be installed on a computer from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory recording medium). When the program source is a program distribution server, the program distribution server may include a processor and storage resources for storing the program to be distributed, and the processor of the program distribution server may distribute the program to be distributed to other computers. In addition, in an embodiment, two or more programs may be realized as one program, or one program may be realized as two or more programs.

[0018] A "processor" may refer to one or more processor devices. The at least one processor device may typically be a microprocessor device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may also be other types of processor devices such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The at least one processor device may be single-core or multi-core. The at least one processor device may also be a processor core. The at least one processor device may also be a broader processor device such as a circuit that is a collection of gate arrays written in a hardware description language that performs part or all of the processing (e.g., an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit)).

[0019] The "memory" refers to one or more memory devices, which are an example of one or more "storage devices," and may typically be a primary storage device. At least one memory device in the memory may be a volatile memory device or a non-volatile memory device.

[0020] The “persistent storage device” may be one or more persistent storage devices, which are an example of one or more “storage devices.” The persistent storage device may typically be a non-volatile storage device (e.g., an auxiliary storage device), and specifically may be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a non-volatile memory express (NVMe) drive, or a storage class memory (SCM).

[0021] An "interface device" may be one or more interface devices, which may be at least one of the following:

[0022] One or more I / O (Input / Output) interface devices. The I / O interface devices are interface devices for at least one of the I / O devices and the display computer. The I / O devices may be user interface devices, for example, input devices such as a keyboard and a pointing device, or output devices such as a display device. The I / O interface device for the display computer may be a communication interface device.

[0023] One or more communication interface devices. The one or more communication interface devices may be one or more homogeneous communication interface devices (e.g., one or more NICs (Network Interface Cards)), or two or more heterogeneous communication interface devices (e.g., a NIC and an HBA (Host Bus Adapter)).

[0024] The unit of "date and time" may be coarser or finer than the year, month, day, hour, minute.

[0025] Example 1 1 is a diagram showing a logistics system provided in a warehouse (logistics center) where a moving device controlled by a control device of this embodiment travels. The logistics system may be, for example, a transport system using a transport device or the like.

[0026] The logistics system has a plurality of mobile devices 9A, 9B that travel within an area 40 in a warehouse (logistics center), and a control device 1 that remotely controls the movement of each of the mobile devices 9A, 9B. The "movement" of the mobile devices 9A, 9B refers to the general movement of the mobile devices 9A, 9B, regardless of whether they are loaded with an article to be transported. The "movement" of the mobile devices 9A, 9B may also be referred to as the "travel" of the mobile devices 9A, 9B. The "movement" of the mobile devices 9A, 9B when they are loaded with an article to be transported is sometimes referred to as "transport." In this specification, when there is no need to distinguish between the mobile devices 9A, 9B, they may be referred to as mobile devices 9.

[0027] A warehouse is a storage facility used by, for example, mail-order companies or equipment manufacturing companies to store goods. The goods stored in a warehouse may be products or parts. In the following, we may use products as an example of goods stored in a warehouse.

[0028] Area 40 is a part of the warehouse floor area, and is an area in which mobile device 9 can travel. Area 40 has multiple areas. For example, area 40 includes a common area and dedicated areas (e.g., dedicated area A and dedicated area B). In each dedicated area, for example, one or more items (e.g., products to be sold) may be stored in a predetermined storage format at a predetermined location. The common area may have, for example, a work station. For example, in response to a movement instruction from the control device 1, mobile device 9 may load an item to be transported (e.g., an item or an item storage unit that stores the item) in the dedicated area and move (transport) it to the work station in the common area.

[0029] A work station (WS) may also be called a work station or a working station. A work station is a place where work such as picking is performed. Picking is an example of work. At a work station, work such as stocktaking, such as replenishing goods in a goods storage section (e.g., a shelf), and inventory may also be performed.

[0030] The moving device 9 is a device that moves in accordance with a "movement instruction" from the control device 1, and may be, for example, an unmanned transport vehicle such as an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle). The moving device 9 may also be a transport device or a transport vehicle. The "movement instruction" sent from the control device 1 to the moving device 9 includes information representing a movement task assigned to the moving device 9. The information representing the movement task includes, for example, information about the route along which the moving device 9 will move (which may include, for example, information about the destination), and instructions for the moving device 9 to move or transport.

[0031] The transported object transported by the moving device 9 is, for example, an article or an article storage unit that stores the article. Examples of the article storage unit are a tray, pallet, container, or shelf that can be transported by the moving device 9. The article storage unit may also be called a storage device or a loading platform.

[0032] The mobile devices 9 are controlled by the control device 1. The mobile devices 9 may include not only multiple mobile devices 9 controlled by one control device 1, but also mobile devices 9 that are not controlled by one control device 1, i.e., mobile devices 9 controlled by different control devices 1 (for example, mobile devices 9 from different vendors, mobile devices 9 of different types, etc.).

[0033] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the dedicated area A is an area where a mobile device 9A (a mobile device classified as AGV-a) controlled by the WCS-a3 built into the control device 1 travels, and other mobile devices 9B do not travel. The dedicated area B is an area where a mobile device 9B (a mobile device classified as AGV-b) controlled by a WCS-b3 different from the WCS-a travels, and other mobile devices 9A do not travel. On the other hand, the common area is an area where both mobile devices 9A and 9B controlled by different WCSs (for example, WCS-a and WCS-b) travel. The size of the sections in each dedicated area may be the same as or different from that of the common area. The sections are set to reserve sections included in the routes traveled by the mobile devices 9 to avoid collisions between the mobile devices 9.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a logistics system according to the first embodiment.

[0035] The logistics system has a control device 1, multiple mobile devices 9A, 9B, and a network 100 (for example, a wireless communication line such as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network)). The control device 1 and the multiple mobile devices 9 can communicate via the network 100. Each component of the logistics system may be singular (one) or multiple. The logistics system may also have material handling equipment other than the mobile devices 9 and terminals at work stations.

[0036] The mobile device 9A has a drive device 91, a storage device 92, an interface device 93, a sensor 94, a battery (not shown), and a controller 90 connected to these components. The mobile device 9B has the same configuration as the mobile device 9A.

[0037] The driving device 91 has driving wheels 96, auxiliary wheels 97, and an actuator (not shown) such as a motor for driving the driving wheels 96 to rotate.

[0038] The storage device 92 stores, for example, route information 920, device information 921, map information 922, measurement information 923, and performance information 924. The route information 920 includes, for example, a travel instruction received from the control device 1 and information representing a travel route specified in the travel instruction. The information representing the travel route may include information on sections of the travel route, etc. The device information 921 includes information on an ID for uniquely identifying the mobile device 9A, the current location (section) of the mobile device 9A, and the status of the mobile device 9A (for example, moving, vacant (waiting), etc.). The map information 922 includes information on a map of the area 40 and information representing the position of each section 41. Note that the map information 922 may include information exemplified in FIG. 4A . The measurement information 923 includes information measured by the sensor 94. The information measured by the sensor 94 may be, for example, information read from the marker 42 (position information), information on the surrounding environment of the mobile device 9A, information on vibrations received by the mobile device 9A, information on the speed, acceleration, and direction of the mobile device 9A, and information on the weight and presence or absence of a load (carried object) carried by the mobile device 9A. The performance information 924 includes information on the travel performance, including the route and date and time traveled by the mobile device 9A.

[0039] The interface device 93 is a device for communicating with the control device 1 via the network 100 in accordance with a predetermined wireless communication method, and may be configured, for example, by a wireless LAN card.

[0040] The sensor 94 is a device for collecting information about the floor surface on which the mobile device 9A travels and various information about the mobile device 9A. The sensor 94 is capable of reading information about markers 42 on a section 41 on the floor, for example. The sensor 94 may be, for example, a camera that captures an image of the markers 42, a sensor that acquires information about the environment surrounding the mobile device 9A, a vibration sensor that detects vibrations received by the mobile device 9A, a speed sensor that measures the speed of the mobile device 9A, an acceleration sensor that measures the acceleration of the mobile device 9A, a gyro sensor that measures the orientation of the mobile device 9A, or a weight sensor that measures the weight of a load (carried object) carried by the mobile device 9A.

[0041] The controller 90 controls the operation of the moving apparatus 9A in accordance with a movement instruction from the control device 1, the charge state of a built-in battery, and the like. The controller 90 includes, for example, a processor and a storage device (e.g., a memory). A control program 900 is stored in the storage device of the controller 90. The processor of the controller 90 executes the control program 900, thereby performing various controls of the moving apparatus 9A.

[0042] The control program 900 has a function (communication program) of exchanging commands and information with the control device 1 via the interface device 93. The control program 900 transmits at least some of the information among the route information 920, device information 921, map information 922, measurement information 923, and performance information 924 to the control device 1 in response to a request from the control device 1. The control program 900 may transmit each of these pieces of information to the control device 1 at regular or irregular intervals even without a request from the control device 1. The control program 900 has a function (movement control program) of controlling the movement of the mobile device 9A in response to a movement instruction received from the control device 1. The control program 900 controls the drive device 91 so that the mobile device 9A moves along the movement route specified in the movement instruction. The control program 900 has a function (measurement program) of setting the sensor 94 and storing the output (measurement result) of the sensor 94 in the measurement information 923. The control program 900 has a function (position estimation program) of estimating the position of the mobile device 9A based on information about the marker 42 acquired by the sensor 94, etc.

[0043] The control device 1 has a processor 10, a memory 11, an auxiliary storage device 12, an input device 13, an output device 14, and an interface device 15. The processor 10 operates as a "processing unit", the memory 11 and the auxiliary storage device 12 as a "storage unit", the input device 13 as an "input unit", the output device 14 as an "output unit", and the interface device 15 as an "interface unit".

[0044] The control device 1 may be one or more physical computers having hardware such as a processor 10, a memory 11, an auxiliary storage device 12, an input device 13, an output device 14, and an interface device 15, or may be a system (e.g., a cloud computing system) implemented on one or more physical computers (e.g., a cloud platform). The control device 1 may also be a control system.

[0045] Each device included in the control device 1 may be located in one physical computer, or may be distributed across multiple physical computers. The programs and information stored in the auxiliary storage device 12 may be stored in one storage device, or may be stored separately in multiple storage devices. The control device 1 may be capable of inputting and outputting information via a client system that can communicate through the interface device 15.

[0046] The processor 10 is a device that executes a program to perform predetermined arithmetic processing and controls the overall operation of the control device 1. The processor 10 may be composed of a processing unit, an arithmetic unit, an arithmetic processing unit, and a controller. The memory 11 is a volatile storage area used as a work memory for the processor 10 and may include a non-volatile storage area for storing unchanging data. The input device 13 may be composed of, for example, a mouse or a keyboard, and is used by an operator to input necessary information and instructions into the control device 1. The output device 14 may be composed of a display device such as a liquid crystal display. The interface device 15 is a device that communicates with the mobile device 9 via the network 100 according to a predetermined wireless communication method and may be composed of, for example, a wireless LAN card.

[0047] The auxiliary storage device 12 is a non-volatile storage medium that stores various programs and various information. For example, the auxiliary storage device 12 stores map information 4, area information 5 (FIG. 5), device information 6 (FIG. 6), order information 7 (FIG. 7), and inventory information 8 (FIG. 8). The map information 4 includes information on a map of an area 40 and information indicating the location of each section 41. The map information 4 may include information exemplified in FIG. 4A. For example, the control device 1 may transmit the map information 4 to the mobile devices 9, which may then be stored as map information 922 in each mobile device 9.

[0048] The control device 1 periodically or irregularly receives information about each mobile device 9 (for example, at least some of the route information 920, device information 921, map information 922, measurement information 923, and performance information 924) from the mobile device 9. The control device 1 also receives information about the progress of work input to a terminal at the work station. The control device 1 also updates the relevant portions of the map information 4, area information 5, device information 6, order information 7, and inventory information 8 as appropriate, based on the received information and at least some of the information input by the manager.

[0049] The auxiliary storage device 12 stores an integrated WCS (Warehouse Control System) program and multiple WCS programs. When the processor 10 executes the integrated WCS program, an integrated WCS2 is realized. When the processor 10 executes the WCS program, one or more WCS3s (three WCSs, WCS-a3, WCS-b3, and WCS-c3, are shown in the figure) are realized. Hereinafter, the integrated WCS program may be referred to as integrated WCS2, and the WCS program may be referred to as WCS3.

[0050] The integrated WCS 2 performs integrated control of a logistics system including various moving devices 9 and various material handling equipment. The WCS 3 is a warehouse control device that controls the moving devices 9. There are multiple different WCSs 3. In the illustrated example, WCS-a3 controls moving device 9A, WCS-b3 controls moving device 9B, and WCS-c3 controls the other moving devices 9.

[0051] 3A and 3B are diagrams showing the appearance of the mobile device 9A. Note that the mobile device 9A shown in Figures 3A and 3B is an example of the mobile device 9A, and may be a different type of mobile device 9A. Furthermore, the mobile device 9B may have the same configuration as the mobile device 9A, or may have a different configuration from the mobile device 9A.

[0052] 3A is a perspective view of the moving device 9A as seen from above. The moving device 9A is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. A disk-shaped loading device 95 that can be raised, lowered, and rotated is provided in the center of the top surface of the moving device 9A. The loading device 95 may also be called a lifting device, a rotating device, a lifting and rotating device, or a table.

[0053] 3B is a bottom view of the transfer device 9A. Drive wheels 96 for turning and moving forward are arranged on the underside (bottom) of the transfer device 9A, and auxiliary wheels 97 are arranged at the four corners of the underside of the transfer device 9A. The drive wheels 96 and auxiliary wheels 97 are the "wheels" of the transfer device 9A.

[0054] 3A and 3B rotates drive wheels 96 to move to the underside of the object (e.g., a shelf), then raises loading device 95 to lift the object after moving, and travels through area 40 to transport the object while it is lifted. With the object lifted, moving device 9A can rotate loading device 95 to change the orientation of the object. When the moving device 9A itself rotates, moving device 9A can rotate loading device 95 in the direction opposite to the rotating direction, thereby rotating the lifted object without rotating it, thereby changing the traveling direction of moving device 9A.

[0055] 4A and 4B are diagrams showing the configuration of the area 40 according to the first embodiment.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 4A, the control device 1 (integrated WCS 2 and WCS 3) manages the area 40 (movement area) in which the moving device 9 moves by dividing it into multiple rectangular sections 41 of a predetermined size. The sections 41 may be expressed in a coordinate format, such as sections (α, β, γ). Here, α is the position in the x-coordinate (the section position along the x-direction, which is one horizontal direction), β is the position in the y-coordinate (the section position along the y-direction, which is perpendicular to the x-direction in the horizontal direction), and γ is the position in the z-coordinate (the area position in the height direction, which is perpendicular to the x- and y-directions). For example, if the area 40 includes areas on multiple floors or areas above and below a mezzanine, the z-coordinate can be used to represent the area position in the height direction of each area. Note that when the area 40 spans multiple floors, transportation between floors or between the top and bottom of a mezzanine may be performed by, for example, a vertical conveyor. In this case, the vertical conveyor may transport only the items, or the items and the moving device 9 may be transported by the vertical conveyor.

[0057] As will be described later, the control device 1 reserves a section 41 included in the travel route of the mobile device 9, and exclusively controls the movement of the mobile device 9 to prevent other mobile devices 9 from moving into the reserved section 41, thereby preventing collisions between the mobile devices 9.

[0058] Below, an example will be described in which the areas 40 are provided at the same height, and the position of each section will be described using the expression of section identification information (α, β) on a two-dimensional plane.

[0059] 4B, a marker 42 indicating the position of each section 41 may be provided within each section 41. The marker 42 may include information for identifying the position of the section, and may be, for example, the position information of the section or information associated with the position information of the section (e.g., identification information of the section 41 that enables the position information of the section 41 to be identified). The marker 42 can be read by the sensor 94 of the mobile devices 9A, 9B, and may be, for example, a one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark), an RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) ​​tag, or other information.

[0060] For example, the mobile device 9 reads a marker 42 provided on a section 41 that the mobile device 9 passes through. While moving (driving), the mobile device 9 transmits information about the read marker 42 together with identification information (device ID) of the mobile device 9 to the control device 1 via the network 100 (wireless communication network). For example, the mobile device 9A may transmit, as information about the read marker 42, location information represented by the marker 42 or location information determined from the information represented by the marker 42 to the control device 1. The control device 1 (integrated WCS2 and WCS3) determines the location of the mobile device 9 based on the information about the marker 42 received from the mobile device 9.

[0061] 5A, 5B, and 5C are diagrams showing configuration examples of the area information 5 according to the first embodiment.

[0062] The area information 5 stores information about an area 40 in which the mobile device 9 moves. The control device 1 (the integrated WCS 2 and the WCS 3) refers to the area information 5 to control the movement of the mobile device 9.

[0063] The area information 5 has a record for each section 41 in the area 40. The area information 5 may also have a record for each device classification 54 of a mobile device that can move into each section 41.

[0064] Each record of the area information 5 includes information on location 50, partition setting 51, WS ID 52, area 53, device classification 54, reservation 55, no-movement flag 56, no-turn flag 57, and direction 58. Below, an example of one target partition of partition 41 will be explained.

[0065] The position 50 represents the position of the target section in the area 40, and may be represented by, for example, the coordinates (address) of the target section.

[0066] The section setting 51 indicates the type of section set for the target section. The section setting 51 may be, for example, a "travel section," a "stopping section," a "temporary waiting section," or a "battery station." Here, the "traveling section" indicates a section through which the mobile device 9 moves. The "stopping section" indicates a section that serves as a stopping position corresponding to the work station identified by the WS ID 52. The "temporary waiting section" indicates a section that serves as a temporary waiting position for the mobile device 9. The "battery station" indicates a section that serves as the location of a battery station where charging equipment capable of charging the mobile device 9 that corresponds to the device classification 54 is installed.

[0067] The WS ID 52 indicates the ID of the work station (WS) corresponding to the stop section when the section setting 51 of the target section is "stop section."

[0068] Area 53 indicates the area classification (or area ID) of the target section. Area 53 is a classification corresponding to area 82 of inventory information 8 (FIG. 8).

[0069] The device classification 54 indicates the classification of the target device. The device classification 54 corresponds to the device classification 61 of the device information 6 (FIG. 6).

[0070] Reservation 55 indicates the reservation status of the target section. For example, if no mobile device 9 has reserved the target section, "vacant" is recorded in reservation 55. Also, there are cases where nothing is recorded in reservation 55 (indicated by "-"). For example, the section at position (15,2) in area information 5B shown in FIG. 5B is a shared area, so it is not known whether any WSCs other than WSC-a3 (the WSC3 controlling mobile device 9A) that uses area information 5B have reserved the section. According to area information 5C (area information 5 used by integrated WSC2) shown in FIG. 5C, the section at position (15,2) has been reserved by WSC-c3 (the WSC3 controlling mobile device 9C) for the mobile device of AGV-c1, but this reservation information is not necessary for WSC-a3, so it is not recorded in area information 5B. When the integrated WCS2 (or the WCS3 controlling the moving device 9) reserves a target section as a movement route for the moving device 9, it records the device ID of the moving device 9 in the reservation 55 of the target section. The integrated WCS2 (or WCS3) performs exclusive control to prevent other moving devices 9 from moving into (entering) the section until the moving device 9 has passed through the reserved section and the reservation for the section is released.

[0071] The non-movement flag 56 indicates whether a mobile device 9 corresponding to the device classification 54 can move (enter) the target area. If nothing is recorded in the non-movement flag 56 and the mobile device 9 can move to the area, the target area may be included in the movement route of the mobile device 9. On the other hand, if non-movement is recorded in the non-movement flag 56, the movement of the mobile device 9 is controlled by the integrated WCS2 (or WCS3) so that the target area is not included in the movement route of the mobile device 9.

[0072] In the examples shown in FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C, if movement is possible, the movement-prohibited flag 56 is set to "-", meaning nothing is recorded therein. If movement is not possible, the movement-prohibited flag 56 is set to "temporarily not possible" or "always not possible." Here, the integrated WCS2 (or WCS3) can change the movement-prohibited flag 56 to "-", indicating movement is possible, under a predetermined condition (e.g., if the target area is temporarily not possible due to maintenance, when the completion of maintenance for the target area is detected or when the administrator inputs that maintenance is complete). On the other hand, the "always not possible" flag is changed to "-", indicating movement is possible, by a setting change made by the administrator, but the integrated WCS2 (or WCS3) does not automatically change the setting to "-" or "temporarily not possible." For example, the target area is set to "always not possible" when the target area is a narrow passageway that cannot be used as a movement route for a mobile device 9 that corresponds to the device classification 54, and is therefore always a restricted area.

[0073] The non-turning flag 57 indicates whether the mobile device 9 corresponding to the device classification 54 can turn in the target section. If the mobile device 9 can turn, the mobile device 9 may turn in the target section. On the other hand, if the mobile device 9 cannot turn, the mobile device 9 is controlled by the integrated WCS2 (or WCS3) so as not to turn in the target section.

[0074] In the examples shown in Figures 5A, 5B, and 5C, if rotation is possible, nothing is recorded in the rotation-prohibited flag 57, i.e., "-", and if rotation is not possible, "temporarily not possible" or "always not possible" is recorded in the rotation-prohibited flag 57. Here, the possibility of changing the setting of "temporarily not possible" or "always not possible" is the same as for the movement-prohibited flag 56. That is, "temporarily not possible" can be changed to "-" by the integrated WCS2 (or WCS3) under predetermined conditions. On the other hand, "always not possible" is changed to "-" indicating that movement is possible by a setting change by the administrator, but the integrated WCS2 (or WCS3) does not automatically change the setting to "- (movable)" or "temporarily not possible".

[0075] The direction 58 represents a direction in which the mobile device 9 corresponding to the device classification 54 can move from the target section when the mobile device 9 is present in the target section. For example, all or some of the +x direction, the -x direction, the +y direction, and the -y direction may be set as the directions in which the mobile device 9 can move. Between sections 41, the mobile device 9 may be set to be movable in both directions, or may be set to be movable in only one direction. The direction 58 represents a direction in which the mobile device 9 corresponding to the device classification 54 can move from the target section when the mobile device 9 is present in the target section. For example, all or some of the +x direction, the -x direction, the +y direction, and the -y direction may be set as the directions in which the mobile device 9 can move. Between sections 41, the mobile device 9 may be set to be movable in both directions, or may be set to be movable in only one direction.

[0076] The direction 58 may be set in advance, or may be dynamically set and changed. For example, the control device 1 (integrated WCS 2 or WCS 3) may dynamically set or change the direction 58 based on the number of mobile devices 9 in the area 40, the congestion level, or the positions 50 and zone settings 51 of each section 41. By setting some sections 41 to be movable in only one direction, it is possible to suppress or reduce congestion of mobile devices 9 and improve overall transportation efficiency. Note that if there are many sections 41 that can only be moved in one direction, the travel route of the mobile devices 9 may become long.

[0077] Fig. 5A is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of area information 5 that is commonly used by the integrated WCS 2 and WCS 3. Since the area information 5 shown in Fig. 5A is commonly used by the integrated WCS 2 and WCS 3, information on all sections (i.e., all areas) and all device classifications is recorded.

[0078] 5B and 5C show examples of the configuration of area information 5 when integrated WCS2 and WCS3 use different area information 5. Fig. 5B shows an example of the configuration of area information 5 used by WSC-a3, which controls mobile device 9A, and Fig. 5C shows an example of the configuration of area information 5 used by integrated WSC2. The area information 5 used by WSC-a3 (Fig. 5B) includes information on dedicated area A and information on mobile device 9A in the shared area, but does not include information on dedicated area B, where mobile device 9A does not move, or information on mobile devices other than mobile device 9A in the shared area. Furthermore, the area information 5 used by integrated WSC2 (Fig. 5C) includes information on the shared area, but does not include information on dedicated areas that are not controlled by integrated WSC2.

[0079] Although area information 5B (Figure 5B) and area information 5C (Figure 5C) are configured in separate tables, they may be configured in a single table, and two tables may be virtually configured by masking data that cannot be referenced by integrated WCS2 and WCS3.

[0080] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the device information 6 according to the first embodiment.

[0081] The device information 6 stores information about the mobile device 9 and has a record for each mobile device 9 .

[0082] The record of device information 6 includes information on WCS 60, device classification 61, device ID 62, remaining battery level 63, device status 64, location 65, destination 66, and estimated arrival date and time 67. Below, an explanation will be given using one moving device 9 (referred to as the "target device" in the explanation of FIG. 6) as an example.

[0083] The WCS 60 indicates the identification information of the warehouse control system (WCS) that controls the target device.

[0084] The device classification 61 indicates the classification of the target device. For example, multiple mobile devices controlled by the same WCS 3 may be in the same classification. On the other hand, mobile devices that are not controlled by the same WCS 3, i.e., mobile devices controlled by different WCSs 3 (e.g., mobile devices from different vendors or different types of mobile devices), are in different classifications.

[0085] The device ID 62 indicates the ID of the target device.

[0086] The remaining battery capacity 63 indicates the remaining battery capacity of the target device.

[0087] The equipment status 64 indicates the status of the target equipment. Examples of equipment status 64 include "moving," "parked," and "vacant." Here, "moving" indicates a status in which the target equipment is moving. "parked" indicates a status in which the target equipment is stopped at a parking position (or a temporary waiting position). An example of "parked" is a status in which the target equipment is stopped at a parking position corresponding to a work station, and a worker at the work station is working on the target equipment (or a container or item loaded by the target equipment). "Vacant" indicates that no movement instruction has been assigned to the target equipment, and the equipment is in an vacant state (waiting state).

[0088] The location 65 indicates the location (current location) of the target device. The location 65 may be expressed, for example, by the coordinates of the section in which the target device is located.

[0089] The destination 66 indicates the location of the target device. The destination 66 may be expressed, for example, by the coordinates of the section to which the target device is to be moved. Examples of the destination include a location where an item corresponding to an order is stored or a location from which the item is to be delivered, a stopping location corresponding to a work station, or a temporary waiting location.

[0090] The estimated arrival date and time 67 is the date and time when the target device is scheduled to arrive at the destination. The integrated WCS2 (or WCS3) may calculate the estimated arrival date and time 67 based on, for example, the route of the target device to the destination.

[0091] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the order information 7 according to the first embodiment.

[0092] The order information 7 stores various information related to orders from customers, and has, for example, a record for each type of item (item ID) of each order.

[0093] Each record of the order information 7 includes information on a status 70, an order ID 71, a shipping destination ID 72, an item ID 73, a quantity 74, a delivery date 75, a receipt date and time 76, and a work date and time. Below, an example of one order (referred to as the "target order" in the explanation of FIG. 7) will be explained.

[0094] The status 70 indicates the progress of the work (for example, picking work) for the item specified in the target order.

[0095] The order ID 71 indicates the ID of the target order (for example, a slip number).

[0096] The shipping destination ID 72 indicates the ID of the shipping destination of the item specified in the target order (for example, identification information of the store to which the item will be shipped).

[0097] The item ID 73 indicates identification information of an item (for example, a product) specified in the target order.

[0098] The quantity 74 indicates the number of items specified in the target order.

[0099] The delivery date 75 indicates the deadline for delivering the goods specified in the target order to the shipping destination.

[0100] The reception date and time 76 indicates the date and time when the target order was received.

[0101] The work date and time 77 indicates the date and time when the item specified in the target order will be transported to the work station and a specified work (for example, picking the item) will be performed at the work station. The integrated WCS2 (or WCS3) may calculate the work date and time 77 based on the delivery date 75 and the reception date and time 76. The integrated WCS2 (or WCS3) may also determine the timing of sending a movement instruction (an instruction to transport the item) to the movement device 9 based on the work date and time 77.

[0102] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the inventory information 8 according to the first embodiment.

[0103] Inventory information 8 stores information about stored items (e.g., products), and has, for example, a record for each item. If the same item is stored in different areas or different locations, multiple records for that item may exist in inventory information 8. Also, if the same item is stored in different containers, or if the same item is stored in different locations within the same container, multiple records for that item may exist in inventory information 8.

[0104] Each record of the inventory information 8 includes information on an item ID 80, an inventory quantity 81, an area 82, a location 83, a container ID 84, and a location in the container 85. The following description will be given taking one item (the "target item" in the description of FIG. 8) as an example.

[0105] The item ID 80 indicates the identification information of the target item.

[0106] The stock quantity 81 indicates the stock quantity of the target item.

[0107] Area 82 indicates the classification of the area where the target item is stored (or area identification information).

[0108] The location 83 represents the location where the target item is stored (for example, a location within an area). The location 83 may be represented by, for example, the coordinates of the section where the target item is stored.

[0109] The container ID 84 represents identification information of the container (for example, shelf) in which the target item is stored.

[0110] The position in the container 85 indicates the position where the target item is stored in the container. For example, if the container is a shelf, "U3R2" means the third from the top and the second from the right.

[0111] FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram illustrating a process related to a movement instruction according to the first embodiment.

[0112] 9 is executed at a predetermined timing, such as when processing of an order stored in the order information 7 starts or when processing of the next order is executed, and is executed repeatedly until processing of all orders is completed. Note that the processing described below is performed by a program executed by the processor 10 of the control device 1, with the integrated WCS2 processing being performed by the integrated WCS program and the WCS3 processing being performed by the WCS program.

[0113] First, the integrated WCS 2 identifies the item ID of the item to be processed from one record identified from the order information 7 in order of earliest work date and time (S201), and then refers to the inventory information 8 to identify the area where the item related to the order is stored based on the identified item ID (S202). By referring to the inventory information 8, it is possible to know whether the item is stored in a shared area or a dedicated area.

[0114] Then, the integrated WCS 2 refers to the area information 5A or 5C and identifies the device classification of the moving device 9 that can transport the item based on the acquired area information (S203). Note that in step S202, in addition to the storage location of the item that is the source of the transport, area information of the destination of the item may be acquired, and the device classification may be identified based on the area information of the destination.

[0115] The integrated WCS 2 then refers to the device information 6, and based on the identified device classification, identifies a WCS 3 that controls the moving device 9 of that device classification (S204), and transmits a movement instruction (transport instruction) to the identified WCS 3 (S205). Note that the process of identifying a WCS 3 from the order information 7 may be a process with other procedures instead of the processes shown in steps S201 to S203.

[0116] When the WCS 3 receives a travel instruction from the integrated WCS 2, it determines the mobile device 9 that will carry out the transportation according to the travel instruction based on the device information (S206), identifies drivable sections based on the map information 4 and area information 5A or 5B, and creates a travel route by connecting the drivable sections (S207). Then, the WCS 3 transmits the travel instruction to the mobile device 9 that will carry out the transportation, and controls the movement of the mobile device 9 (S208). The travel control process executed by the WCS 3 will be described later with reference to FIG. 10.

[0117] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the movement control process according to the first embodiment.

[0118] The movement control process shown in Fig. 10 is executed by the WCS 3, for example, in step S208 in Fig. 9. In addition, the WCS 3 executes the process when the mobile device 9 reserves the next route while moving along a route, when the area in which the mobile device 9 is located changes (for example, when the mobile device 9 enters a shared area), etc.

[0119] First, the WCS 3 identifies one or more planned movement sections based on the position and movement route of the moving device 9 (S211), and identifies the area of ​​the planned movement section by referring to the area information 5A or 5B (S212).

[0120] Then, the WCS 3 determines whether the identified area is a shared area (S213). For example, if the area is dedicated to the device classification of the mobile device 9 controlled by the WCS 3 itself, the determination is "No."

[0121] If WCS3 determines that the identified area is a common area, it requests a reservation from integrated WCS2 (S214). When the reservation request is received from WCS3, integrated WCS2 executes the reservation process (FIG. 11).

[0122] On the other hand, if the WCS 3 determines that the identified area is not a common area, it refers to the area information 5A or 5B and determines whether or not the area can be reserved (S215).

[0123] If reservation is not possible (NO in S216), the WCS 3 waits for a predetermined time (S219), returns to step S215, and continues processing. The processing of step S219 may be executed a predetermined number of times. After executing the processing a predetermined number of times, the WCS 3 may change to another route.

[0124] If reservation is possible (YES in S216), the WCS3 records the device ID of the mobile device 9 in the reservation column 55 of the area information 5A or 5B to reserve the section (S217), and instructs the mobile device 9 traveling on the route to move for the section of the route for which the section is reserved (S218).

[0125] In addition, if the mobile device 9 controlled by WCS3 is a mobile device that does not require a reservation in a dedicated area (for example, an AMR that moves autonomously to avoid collisions), the processing of steps 216 to 217 can be omitted and the mobile device 9 can be instructed to move in step S218.

[0126] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the reservation process according to the first embodiment.

[0127] The reservation process shown in FIG. 11 is executed by the integrated WCS 2, for example, when a reservation request is received from a WCS to the integrated WCS (step S214 in FIG. 10, step S235 in FIG. 12).

[0128] First, the integrated WCS 2 refers to the area information 5A or 5C to determine whether the requested section can be reserved (S221).

[0129] If the integrated WCS2 determines that the requested section cannot be reserved (NO in S222), it notifies the requesting WCS3 that the reservation is not possible (S225). Note that the integrated WCS2 may wait for a predetermined time, return to step S221, and notify the requesting WCS3 that the reservation is not possible if it has been determined that the reservation is not possible a predetermined number of times in step S222.

[0130] If the integrated WCS 2 determines that the requested section can be reserved (YES in S222), it records the device ID of the mobile device 9 in the reservation field of the area information 5A or 5C, reserves the section (S223), and transmits the reservation information to the requesting WCS 3 (S224). The reservation information transmitted in step S224 includes the location of the reserved section and the device ID of the mobile device 9 that reserved the section.

[0131] FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the movement control process according to the first embodiment.

[0132] The movement control process shown in FIG. 12 is executed by the WCS3, for example, when the WCS3 receives a response regarding the reservation from the integrated WCS2 (steps S224 and S225 in FIG. 11).

[0133] First, the WCS3 determines whether the notification received from the integrated WCS2 indicates that the reservation has been completed (S231).

[0134] When WCS3 receives a reservation completion notification from integrated WCS2, it records the device ID of the mobile device 9 in the reservation column 55 of the area information 5B and updates the area information 5B (S232). Note that step S232 is a process that is executed when different area information 5B and 5C are used in integrated WCS2 and WCS3, as shown in Figures 5B and 5C. However, when the same area information 5A is used in integrated WCS2 and WCS3, as shown in Figure 5A, the area information 5A can be updated by integrated WCS2.

[0135] Then, the WCS 3 instructs the mobile device 9 traveling along the route for the route portion for which the section is reserved to move (S233).

[0136] On the other hand, if WCS3 receives a notification from integrated WCS2 that reservation is not possible, it waits for a predetermined time (S234) and then requests reservation from integrated WCS2 (S235). The process of step S234 may be executed a predetermined number of times. After executing the process a predetermined number of times, it may change to another route and execute the movement control process (FIG. 10).

[0137] FIG. 13 is a flowchart of the reservation cancellation process executed by the WCS 3.

[0138] The reservation cancellation process shown in Figure 13 is executed, for example, when location information is received from the mobile device 9, when the mobile device 9 is moving along a route that includes the reserved section, at the time of the next reservation, or when the area changes (for example, when entering a shared area).

[0139] First, the WCS 3 identifies a section for which the reservation is to be cancelled based on the location of the mobile device 9 (S241), and determines whether there is a section for which the reservation is to be cancelled (S242). For example, a section that the mobile device 9 has already passed on the route is a section for which the reservation is to be cancelled.

[0140] If there are no more partitions to be released from reservation, the WCS 3 ends the reservation release process.

[0141] On the other hand, if there is a section for which the reservation is to be cancelled, the WCS 3 refers to the area information 5A or 5B to identify the area of ​​the section for which the reservation is to be cancelled (S243), and determines whether the identified area is a common area (S244).

[0142] If the identified area is a common area, the WCS3 requests the integrated WCS2 to cancel the reservation (S245). When the integrated WCS 2 receives the reservation cancellation request, it records "vacant" in the reservation column 55 of the area information 5A or 5C, cancels the reservation of the section, and notifies the WCS 2 that the reservation cancellation has been completed.

[0143] If the identified area is not a common area, the WCS 3 records "vacant" in the reservation column 55 of the area information 5A or 5B, cancels the reservation of the section (S246), and ends the reservation cancellation process.

[0144] As described above, the logistics system according to the first embodiment of the present invention enables exclusive control of multiple mobile devices by reserving sections in a moving area where multiple mobile devices controlled by different WCSs coexist. This allows for, for example, increased flexibility in designing the moving area and in selecting mobile devices, thereby optimizing the entire logistics center.

[0145] <Example 2> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment described above, the partition used by integrated WCS2 and the partition used by WCS3 are the same size and in the same division, but in the second embodiment, if the partition used by integrated WCS2 and the partition used by WCS3 are different sizes, the partitions are converted and the reservation status is managed. In the second embodiment, differences from the first embodiment described above will be mainly described, and the same configurations and processes as those in the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0146] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a logistics system according to the second embodiment.

[0147] The logistics system includes a control device 1, a plurality of mobile devices 9A and 9B, and a network 100 (for example, a wireless communication line such as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network)).

[0148] The mobile device 9A has a drive device 91, a storage device 92, an interface device 93, a sensor 94, a battery (not shown), and a controller 90 connected to these components. The mobile device 9B has the same configuration as the mobile device 9A.

[0149] The driving device 91, the storage device 92, the interface device 93, and the sensor 94 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0150] The controller 90 controls the operation of the moving apparatus 9A in accordance with a movement instruction from the control device 1, the charge state of a built-in battery, and the like. The controller 90 includes, for example, a processor and a storage device (e.g., a memory). A control program 900 is stored in the storage device of the controller 90. The processor of the controller 90 executes the control program 900, thereby performing various controls of the moving apparatus 9A.

[0151] The control program 900 transmits at least some of the information among the route information 920, device information 921, map information 922, measurement information 923, and performance information 924 to the control device 1 in response to a request from the control device 1 (or without a request). The control program 900 may transmit each of these pieces of information to the control device 1 at regular or irregular intervals. The control program 900 has a function (movement control program) to control the movement of the mobile device 9A in response to a movement instruction received from the control device 1. The control program 900 controls the drive device 91 so that the mobile device 9A moves along the movement route specified in the movement instruction. The communication program 901 exchanges commands and information with the control device 1 via the interface device 93. The measurement program 902 sets the sensor 94 and stores the output (measurement result) of the sensor 94 in the measurement information 923. The position estimation program 903 estimates the position of the mobile device 9A based on information about the marker 42 acquired by the sensor 94, etc.

[0152] The control device 1 includes a processor 10 , a memory 11 , an auxiliary storage device 12 , an input device 13 , an output device 14 , and an interface device 15 .

[0153] The control device 1 may be one or more physical computers having hardware such as a processor 10, a memory 11, an auxiliary storage device 12, an input device 13, an output device 14, and an interface device 15, or may be a system (e.g., a cloud computing system) implemented on one or more physical computers (e.g., a cloud platform). The control device 1 may also be a control system.

[0154] Each device included in the control device 1 may be located in one physical computer, or may be distributed across multiple physical computers. The programs and information stored in the auxiliary storage device 12 may be stored in one storage device, or may be stored separately in multiple storage devices. The control device 1 may be capable of inputting and outputting information via a client system that can communicate through the interface device 15.

[0155] The processor 10 is a device that controls the overall operation of the control device 1. The processor 10 may be composed of a processing unit, an arithmetic unit, an arithmetic processing unit, and a controller. The memory 11 is a volatile storage area used as a work memory for the processor 10, and may include a non-volatile storage area for storing unchanging data. The input device 13 may be composed of, for example, a mouse or a keyboard, and is used by an operator to input necessary information and instructions into the control device 1. The output device 14 may be composed of a display device such as a liquid crystal display. The interface device 15 is a device that communicates with the mobile device 9 via the network 100 in accordance with a predetermined wireless communication method, and may be composed of, for example, a wireless LAN card.

[0156] The auxiliary storage device 12 is a non-volatile storage medium that stores various programs and various information. For example, the auxiliary storage device 12 stores map information 4, area information 5 (FIG. 5), device information 6 (FIG. 6), order information 7 (FIG. 7), inventory information 8 (FIG. 8), and conversion information 30 (FIG. 15). The map information 4 includes information on a map of an area 40 and information indicating the location of each section 41. The map information 4 may include information exemplified in FIG. 4A. For example, the control device 1 may transmit the map information 4 to the mobile devices 9, which may then be stored as map information 922 in each mobile device 9.

[0157] The control device 1 periodically or irregularly receives information about each mobile device 9 (for example, at least some of the route information 920, device information 921, map information 922, measurement information 923, and performance information 924) from the mobile device 9. The control device 1 also receives information about the progress of work input to a terminal at the work station. The control device 1 also updates the relevant portions of the map information 4, area information 5, device information 6, order information 7, and inventory information 8 as appropriate, based on the received information and at least some of the information input by the manager.

[0158] The auxiliary storage device 12 stores an integrated WCS (Warehouse Control System) program and multiple WCS programs. The processor 10 executes the integrated WCS program to realize an integrated WCS2. The processor 10 executes the WCS program to realize one or more WCS3 (three WCSs, WCS-a3, WCS-b3, and WCS-c3, are shown in the figure).

[0159] The integrated WCS 2 performs integrated control of a logistics system including various moving devices 9 and various material handling equipment. The WCS 3 is a warehouse control device that controls the moving devices 9. There are multiple different WCSs 3. In the illustrated example, WCS-a3 controls moving device 9A, WCS-b3 controls moving device 9B, and WCS-c3 controls the other moving devices 9.

[0160] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the conversion information 30. As shown in FIG.

[0161] The conversion information 30 stores information about sections for each area, including an integrated WCS management section position 31, a WCS-a management section position 32, a WCS-b management section position 33, and a WCS-c management section position 34, with the location information of each section being associated and recorded. The integrated WCS 2 and each WCS 3 set sections of their own size. In particular, if the size of a mobile device 9 varies depending on the device classification of the mobile device 9, the size of the section may differ for each device type of the mobile device 9, i.e., for each WCS 3. Furthermore, the integrated WCS 2 and each WCS 3 manage sections within the area using their own coordinate systems, and the identification information for sections differ even at the same location. Therefore, the integrated WCS 2 and each WCS 3 use different sections to manage the movement of the mobile device 9.

[0162] In the conversion information 30 shown in Figure 15, the partition managed by WCS-c3 is the largest, and the partition managed by WCS-a3 is the smallest. That is, the partitions of each WCS3 are associated so that multiple partitions managed by WCS-a3 are included in one partition managed by WCS-b3, and multiple partitions managed by WCS-b3 are included in one partition managed by WCS-c3. The size of the partition managed by the integrated WCS2 can be determined to match the largest or smallest partition managed by the WCS3. Note that determining the size to match the smallest partition makes it easier to reserve a partition for a mobile device 9 that moves using the smallest partition.

[0163] In the conversion information 30 shown in FIG. 15, the location information of the section is associated with each WCS, but the location information may be associated with each device classification of the mobile device 9.

[0164] When the integrated WCS2 receives a reservation request or reservation cancellation request from WCS3, it refers to the conversion information 30, converts the partition managed by the WCS3 that sent the request to a partition managed by the integrated WCS2, and processes the reservation request or reservation cancellation request received from WCS3. In other words, the integrated WCS2 handles reservations and reservation cancellations in the partition managed by the integrated WCS2. When responding to a reservation request or reservation cancellation request, the integrated WCS2 refers to the conversion information 30, converts the partition managed by the integrated WCS2 to a partition managed by WCS3, and sends a response to the reservation request or reservation cancellation request to WCS3.

[0165] As described above, the logistics system of the second embodiment of the present invention allows exclusive control by reserving sections even when the sections used by the integrated WCS 2 are different from the sections used by the WCS 3. In particular, exclusive control by reserving sections is possible even when the size of the sections included in the route of the mobile device 9 differs depending on the device classification of the mobile device 9, or when the integrated WCS 2 and each WCS 3 manage sections within their areas using separate coordinate systems.

[0166] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes various modifications and equivalent configurations within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to configurations including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, part of the configuration of one embodiment may be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment. Furthermore, the configuration of another embodiment may be added to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, part of the configuration of each embodiment may be added, deleted, or replaced with other configurations.

[0167] Furthermore, the aforementioned configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be realized in part or in whole in hardware, for example by designing them as integrated circuits, or may be realized in software by having a processor interpret and execute a program that realizes each function.

[0168] Information such as programs, tables, and files that realize each function can be stored in a storage device such as a memory, a hard disk, or an SSD (Solid State Drive), or in a recording medium such as an IC card, an SD card, or a DVD.

[0169] In addition, the control lines and information lines shown are those that are considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily represent all the control lines and information lines that are necessary for implementation. In reality, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected. [Explanation of symbols]

[0170] 1. Control device 2 Integrated WCS 3. WCS 4. Map information 5A, 5B, 5C Area Information 6 Device information 7 Order Information 8. Stock Information 9A, 9B, 9C Mobile device 10 processors 11. Memory 12 Storage device 13 Input Devices 14 Output Devices 15 Interface Device 30 Conversion Information 90 Controller 91 Drive unit 92 Storage device 93 Interface Device 94 Sensors 95 Loading device 96 Drive wheels 97 Training wheels 100 Network 900 Control Program 901 Correspondence Program 902 Measurement Program 903 Location Estimation Program 920 Route Information 921 Device information 922 Map Information 923 Measurement Information 924 Performance Information

Claims

1. A control device for controlling movement of a moving device, The computer is configured with a processing unit that executes a predetermined process and a storage unit connected to the processing unit, the mobile devices include a first mobile device and a second mobile device having different movable areas; an area in which the mobile devices can move is divided into sections of a predetermined size, and includes a first dedicated area in which the first mobile device can move, and a common area in which the first mobile device and the second mobile device can move; the storage unit stores area information in which reservation statuses of sections included in a route traveled by the mobile device are recorded; the control device includes an integrated control unit in which the processing unit manages movement of the mobile device in the shared area by referring to the area information, and an individual control unit in which the processing unit manages movement of the mobile device in the first dedicated area by referring to the area information, The individual control unit When the mobile device moves in the shared area, the mobile device requests the integrated control unit to reserve a section of the shared area included in a travel route of the mobile device, and controls the movement of the mobile device after the reservation is established; A control device characterized in that, when the mobile device moves through the first dedicated area, the control device controls the movement of the mobile device without requesting the integrated control unit to reserve a section included in the travel route of the mobile device.

2. The control device according to claim 1, The control device is characterized in that, when the mobile device moves through the first dedicated area, the individual control unit updates the area information of a section of the first dedicated area included in the travel route of the mobile device to a reservation, and controls the movement of the mobile device after the reservation is established.

3. The control device according to claim 1, the integrated control unit updates the area information of the section to a reservation in accordance with a reservation request from the individual control unit, and notifies the individual control unit of the success or failure of the reservation; The control device is characterized in that the individual control unit controls the movement of the mobile device after receiving a notification that the reservation has been established from the integrated control unit.

4. The control device according to claim 3, The individual control unit When canceling a reservation for a partition included in the shared area, a request is made to the integrated control unit to cancel the reservation for the partition; When canceling a reservation for a partition included in the first dedicated area, the control device updates the area information for the partition to vacant and cancels the reservation.

5. The control device according to claim 3, The area information is recording directions in which the mobile device can move in each section of the common area; A control device characterized by recording different directions for the first mobile device and the second mobile device.

6. The control device according to claim 3, The area information is Record whether the mobile device can turn in each section of the common area; A control device characterized in that different information regarding whether or not the first mobile device and the second mobile device are capable of turning is recorded.

7. The control device according to claim 3, The area information is Record whether the mobile device is allowed to move in each section of the common area; A control device characterized in that different information on whether or not movement is possible is recorded for the first mobile device and the second mobile device.

8. The control device according to claim 7, The information on whether or not the mobile device is movable, set in the area information, includes "movable" which means that the mobile device is always movable, "temporarily not movable" which means that the mobile device is temporarily not movable, and "always not movable" which means that the mobile device is always not movable, The control device is characterized in that the integrated control unit can change the temporarily impossible to movable information to movable information, and cannot change the constantly impossible to movable information to other movable or unmovable information.

9. The control device according to claim 3, the storage unit stores conversion information that records information on the partitions used by the integrated control unit and information on the partitions used by the individual control units in association with each other; a partition in the shared area managed by the integrated control unit and a partition in the shared area managed by the individual control unit are different, The integrated control unit When a reservation request for a partition in the shared area is received from the individual control unit, the conversion information is referenced to convert the partition managed by the individual control unit into a partition managed by the integrated control unit, and the area information of the converted partition is updated to reservation; A control device characterized in that, when it receives a request to cancel a reservation for a shared area from the individual control unit, it refers to the conversion information, converts the partition managed by the individual control unit to a partition managed by the integrated control unit, and updates the area information of the converted partition to vacant.

10. The control device according to claim 3, A control device, characterized in that information about partitions in the shared area used by the integrated control unit is the same as information about partitions in the shared area used by the individual control units.

11. The control device according to claim 9, the size of the partition in the common area used by the integrated control unit is the same as the size of the partition in the common area used by the individual control unit, identification information of a partition in the shared area used by the integrated control unit and identification information of a partition in the shared area used by the individual control unit are different, A control device characterized in that the conversion information is recorded in association with identification information of a partition within the shared area used by the integrated control unit and identification information of a partition within the shared area used by the individual control unit.

12. The control device according to claim 9, A control device characterized in that the size of the partitions in the common area managed by the integrated control unit is different from the size of the partitions in the first dedicated area managed by the individual control unit.

13. The control device according to claim 9, A control device characterized in that the size of the section within the first dedicated area in which the first mobile device can move is different from the size of the section within the second dedicated area in which the second mobile device can move.

14. A control method in which a control device controls movement of a mobile device, comprising: the control device is configured by a computer having a processing unit that executes a predetermined process and a storage unit connected to the processing unit, the mobile devices include a first mobile device and a second mobile device having different movable areas; an area in which the mobile devices can move is divided into sections of a predetermined size, and includes a first dedicated area in which the first mobile device can move, and a common area in which the first mobile device and the second mobile device can move; the storage unit stores area information in which reservation statuses of sections included in a route traveled by the mobile device are recorded; the control device includes an integrated control unit in which the processing unit refers to the area information and manages movement of the mobile device in the shared area, and an individual control unit in which the processing unit refers to the area information and manages movement of the mobile device in the first dedicated area, The control method includes: a procedure in which, when the mobile device moves in the shared area, the individual control unit requests the integrated control unit to reserve a section of the shared area included in a travel route of the mobile device, and controls the movement of the mobile device after the reservation is established; a procedure in which, when the mobile device moves through the first dedicated area, the individual control unit controls the movement of the mobile device without requesting the integrated control unit to reserve a section included in the mobile device's travel route.

15. 15. The control method of claim 14, A control method characterized in that, when the mobile device moves through the first dedicated area, the individual control unit updates the area information of a section of the first dedicated area included in the travel route of the mobile device to a reservation, and controls the movement of the mobile device after the reservation is established.

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