Smart factory control method and control device

Abstract

A smart factory control method and control device are provided that can efficiently control smart logistics vehicles. [Solution] A smart factory control method and control device are introduced, which include steps of determining and outputting the movement route of a smart logistics vehicle, checking the position of the smart logistics vehicle and outputting a first control signal corresponding to the position, and checking the interlock status while the smart logistics vehicle is moving and outputting or reserving a second control signal that causes the smart logistics vehicle to stop based on the interlock status.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a smart factory control method and control device that can efficiently manage processes in a smart factory. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, smart logistics vehicles have been introduced not only in general logistics warehouses and factories, but also in smart factories that use a variety of parts to manufacture goods with different specifications.

[0003] Smart logistics vehicles are a collective term for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and unmanned forklifts, and these smart logistics vehicles can move and perform tasks under the control of a control system. In addition, the control system can control the operation of not only smart logistics vehicles but also production equipment.

[0004] When such smart logistics vehicles and control systems are applied, the supply and transportation of parts and other items can be handled flexibly and efficiently. However, since the process may be delayed due to the control system's smart logistics vehicle control process, a solution needs to be proposed to improve process efficiency through rapid control process. The matters described above as background art are merely intended to enhance understanding of the background of the present invention and should not be construed as admitting that they constitute prior art already known to those having ordinary skill in the art. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a smart factory control method and control device that can efficiently control smart logistics vehicles. The technical problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned technical problems, and other technical problems not mentioned above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned object, a smart factory control method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: determining a movement route of a smart logistics vehicle having a specific area as its destination based on input production information, and outputting the determined movement route; confirming the position of the smart logistics vehicle moving along the movement route, and outputting a first control signal corresponding to the confirmed position of the smart logistics vehicle to a process controller corresponding to the specific area; and confirming from the process controller, while the smart logistics vehicle is moving, an interlock status corresponding to the entry requirements of the specific area based on the output first control signal, and outputting or reserving a second control signal to stop the smart logistics vehicle based on the interlock status.

[0007] To achieve the above object, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a control device for a smart factory includes a communication unit that communicates with at least one process controller; and a work schedule management unit that controls the communication unit, determines a movement route of a smart logistics vehicle having a specific area as its destination based on input production information, outputs the determined movement route, confirms the position of the smart logistics vehicle moving along the movement route, and outputs a first control signal corresponding to the confirmed position of the smart logistics vehicle to a process controller corresponding to the specific area.The work schedule management unit can confirm an interlock status corresponding to the entry requirements of the specific area from the process controller based on the output first control signal while the smart logistics vehicle is moving, and output or reserve a second control signal to stop the smart logistics vehicle based on the interlock status. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the various embodiments of the present invention described above, by controlling the process based on the position of the smart logistics vehicle without any separate control intervention while the smart logistics vehicle is moving, it is possible to reduce process delays that occur when the smart logistics vehicle enters the process. This will increase the convenience of smart factory control and improve process efficiency and productivity. The effects obtained by the present invention are not limited to those described above, and other effects not described above will be clearly understood by those having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains from the following description. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a smart factory that can be applied to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device that can be applied to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a smart logistics vehicle that can be applied to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a smart logistics vehicle that can be applied to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a travel process of a smart logistics vehicle that can be applied to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram illustrating a control process according to an embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Regardless of the drawing numbers, the same or similar components will be given the same reference numbers and redundant description thereof will be omitted.

[0011] The suffixes "module" and "section" used in the following description for components are used solely for ease of description and do not have any distinct meanings or functions. Furthermore, when describing the embodiments disclosed herein, if a detailed description of related publicly known technologies is deemed to obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein, such detailed description will be omitted. Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are merely provided to facilitate understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein, and should not be construed as limiting the technical ideas disclosed herein, but should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

[0012] Terms including ordinal numbers such as "first," "second," etc. may be used to describe various components, but these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another.

[0013] When a component is referred to as being "coupled" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly coupled or connected to the other component, or that there may be other components intervening between them. In contrast, when a component is referred to as being "directly coupled" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components intervening between them.

[0014] A singular expression includes a plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this specification, the terms "comprise" or "have" and the like are intended to specify the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, but should be understood as not precluding the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0015] In addition, the term "unit" or "control unit" included in the names of the internal components of smart logistics vehicles and control devices is merely a term widely used to name a controller that controls a specific function, and does not mean a generic function unit. For example, each controller may include a modem / transceiver that communicates with other controllers or sensors to control the function it is responsible for, a memory that stores operating systems, logic commands, input / output information, etc., and one or more processors that perform judgments, calculations, and decisions required to control the function it is responsible for. Depending on the implementation, one processor may be responsible for calculations for multiple controllers.

[0016] First, the configuration of a smart factory in which smart logistics vehicles according to an embodiment are deployed and operated will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a smart factory that can be applied to an embodiment.

[0017] Referring to FIG. 1 , a smart factory 100 may include a smart logistics vehicle 110 , a production device 120 , a monitoring device 130 , and a control device 140 . The smart factory 100 may be equipped with a plurality of smart logistics vehicles 110, a plurality of production devices 120, and a plurality of monitoring devices 130 according to the production process and target production speed of the product. Each component will be described below.

[0018] First, the smart logistics vehicle 110 can include an autonomous mobile robot (hereinafter referred to as "AMR" for convenience), an automated guided vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "AGV" for convenience), and an unmanned forklift. Depending on the operation policy of the smart logistics vehicle 110, only one type of vehicle, either AGV or AMR, can be operated in the smart factory 100, or both AGVs and AMRs can be operated within a single smart factory 100.

[0019] AGVs generally perform required operations (such as moving, changing direction, and stopping) within the smart factory 100 by recognizing and following guidance equipment arranged on the floor to guide the AGV. Here, guidance equipment may refer to optically recognizable markers (such as spots or 2D codes), tags that can be recognized contactlessly over short distances (such as NFC tags or RFID tags), magnetic strips, wires, etc., but these are merely examples and are not necessarily limited to these. Guidance equipment may be arranged continuously on the floor or spaced apart from one another. Because AGVs generally operate through the recognition and following of guidance equipment, the guidance equipment must be installed in advance before operation. Furthermore, if the AGV needs to move along a new route or modify an existing route, the guidance equipment must be physically installed or modified. Furthermore, since the AGV does not deviate from the route set by the guidance equipment, if an obstacle is detected on or near the route, the AGV typically stops until the detected obstacle disappears or is otherwise controlled. In operating the AGV, the control device 140 must control the AGV based on the guidance equipment, and can transmit commands such as "drive until the third marker is recognized" or "when the third marker is recognized, change heading direction 90 degrees" from the current position to the AGV in individual command units or mission units including multiple commands (e.g., collection, supply, charging, patrol, etc.).

[0020] AMRs are most distinct from AGVs in that they can determine their current location (i.e., positioning) by sensing their surroundings and can set their own path using positioning and a map. Therefore, if a map with compatible coordinates is shared between the AMR and the control device 140, the control device 140 can control the AMR by instructing the AMR on a path based on the coordinates. Furthermore, if an obstacle is detected while traveling, the AMR can automatically set an avoidance path to avoid the obstacle and then return to its original path. The function of the control device 140 to set the AMR's path to one or more via coordinates can be referred to as global path planning, and the function of the AMR to set a movement path or an avoidance path between via coordinates based on global path planning can be referred to as local path planning.

[0021] A more detailed configuration of the smart logistics vehicle 110 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, and a more detailed driving control process of the AMR will be described later with reference to FIG. 5.

[0022] Next, the production equipment 120 may refer to equipment (e.g., a robotic arm, a conveyor belt, etc.) that performs the production process of a product in the smart factory 100, or in a broader sense, if the production process is performed by humans, it may refer to equipment arranged to assist in the performance of a mission, such as the entry and exit of the smart logistics vehicle 110. Equipment arranged to assist in the performance of a mission may be, but is not necessarily limited to, a device that detects the status of a designated position where the smart logistics vehicle 110 can unload or collect a pallet carried by the smart logistics vehicle 110 within an area where a specific production process is performed, a device that determines the progress of the process, a means for blocking entry and exit into the area, etc.

[0023] For example, the production equipment 120 is controlled via a programmable logic controller (PLC) and can communicate with the control equipment 140 regarding the progress of the process.

[0024] The monitoring device 130 can acquire information for determining the status within the smart factory 100 and transmit the information to the control device 140. For example, the monitoring device 130 may include a camera, a proximity sensor, etc., but is not necessarily limited thereto.

[0025] The control device 140 can communicate with the above-mentioned components 110, 120, and 130 to obtain information necessary for operating the smart factory 100 or control each component. For example, the control device 140 can perform dispatching of the smart logistics vehicles 110, route setting, mission assignment, process management for each product, material management, etc.

[0026] In implementation, the control device 140 may include a local control device (ACS: AMR / AGV Control System) that controls peripheral process equipment based on the position of the AGV / AMR and performs mission-based control of the AGV / AMR, and an integrated control device (MORIMS: Mobile Robot Integrated Monitoring System) that integrates and controls two or more local control devices. The integrated control device can monitor the status and routes of all smart logistics vehicles 110 in the smart factory 100, set logistics flow, and control traffic from each of the multiple local control devices. For example, if local control devices (ACS) are installed for smart logistics vehicles 110 of the same manufacturer or model, the integrated control device can perform integrated control for collision prevention, such as bottleneck level analysis in intersection / overlap areas, driving acceleration / deceleration control, and avoidance route regeneration, through heterogeneous traffic distribution control based on information obtained through the multiple local control devices (ACS).

[0027] Furthermore, the integrated control device can also have a manufacturing execution system (MES) as its upper control entity, and the manufacturing execution system (MES) can again be linked to an automated scheduler (APS: Advanced Planning & Scheduling).

[0028] In addition to the aforementioned components 110, 120, 130, and 140 of the smart factory 100, devices for intercommunication between components such as beacons, repeaters, and APs (Access Points), chargers for charging the smart logistics vehicles 110, loading spaces for storing or loading parts, spaces for storing finished products or intermediate products, traffic lights, circuit breakers, and waiting spaces for idle smart logistics vehicles 110 can of course be appropriately arranged within the smart factory 100.

[0029] The configuration of the control device 140 that can be applied to the embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device applicable to an embodiment of the present invention. The components shown in FIG. 2 are mainly those related to the embodiment of the present invention, and an actual implementation of the control device 140 may include more or fewer components. Referring to FIG. 2, the control device 140 may include a firmware management unit 141, a traffic control unit 142, a process management unit 143, a production / logistics management unit 144, an inventory management unit 145, a communication unit 146, a vehicle monitoring unit 147, and a map management unit 148.

[0030] The firmware management unit 141 can obtain the latest firmware for the smart logistics vehicle 110 via the communication unit 146, transmit it to the smart logistics vehicle 110, and perform a firmware update, thereby maintaining the firmware of the smart logistics vehicle 110 in the latest state.

[0031] The traffic control unit 142 may control traffic lights and circuit breakers based on the route of the smart logistics vehicle 110, and may also recalculate the route of the smart logistics vehicle 110 according to traffic.

[0032] The process management unit 143 can define processes for each product and manage missions such as the progress of the process and the progress position. The production / logistics management department 144 can dispatch the smart logistics vehicles 110 based on the mission.

[0033] The inventory management unit 145 manages the location and quantity of each material, and such information can be useful for more efficient process operation, such as departing the smart logistics vehicle 110 to the destination for pallet pickup or recovery before the actual assembly / consumption of materials is detected.

[0034] The communication unit 146 can communicate not only with internal components of the smart factory 100 such as the smart logistics vehicle 110, the production device 120, and the monitoring device 130, but also with external entities such as a firmware update server.

[0035] The vehicle monitoring unit 147 can monitor the position, route, battery status, communication status, powertrain status, etc. of each smart logistics vehicle 110. Here, the route is a concept that includes a waypoint-based global route and a real-time local route. The battery status can include voltage, current, temperature, peak voltage and current values, State of Charge (SOC), State of Health (SOH), etc. The communication status can include information on the currently activated communication protocol (e.g., Wi-Fi), connected AP, distance from the AP, channel in use, etc. The powertrain status can include drivetrain load, temperature, RPM, etc.

[0036] In addition, the vehicle monitoring unit 147 can also check the mission, operation mode, firmware version, etc. currently assigned to each individual smart logistics vehicle 110.

[0037] The map management unit 148 may acquire map data in the form of a grid map acquired by the AMR of the smart logistics vehicle 110 while driving inside the smart factory 100, and may provide a tool that allows a factory manager to edit the acquired map data. By editing the map data, it is possible to set zones, virtual lanes, intersections, no-entry areas, etc., in which one or more pre-set actions are performed when the smart logistics vehicle 110 enters, but this is by way of example and is not necessarily limited to these. In addition, the map management unit 148 may distribute the initial grid map to the remaining smart logistics vehicles 110 other than the smart logistics vehicle 110 that acquired the map through actual driving via the communication unit 146.

[0038] Next, the smart logistics vehicle will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a smart logistics vehicle that can be applied to an embodiment of the present invention. 3, the smart logistics vehicle 110 may include a traveling unit 111, a sensing unit 112, a loading unit 113, a communication unit 114, and a control unit 115. Each component will be described below.

[0039] The travel unit 111 may include a drive source, wheels, suspension, etc., which are involved in the movement, steering, and stopping of the smart logistics vehicle 110. The drive source may be an electric motor supplied with power from a built-in battery (not shown). The wheels may include one or more drive wheels that receive drive force from a drive source and non-drive wheels that rotate due to the movement of the vehicle body without receiving drive force. Depending on the implementation, if multiple drive wheels are provided, a drive source may be matched to each drive wheel, and the rotation of each drive wheel may be independently controlled. In this case, by differentiating the rotation directions of the different drive wheels, the vehicle body may be rotated and steered without a separate steering means. At least some of the non-drive wheels may be configured as caster-type wheels, but this is merely an example and is not necessarily limited thereto.

[0040] The sensing unit 112 is used to sense the surrounding environment of the smart logistics vehicle 100 and its own operating status, and may include at least one of a 2D and 3D laser scanner (e.g., LiDAR), a 3D vision (stereo) camera, a multi-axis gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, a wheel encoder, and a proximity sensor.

[0041] The encoder can output information that can determine how much a wheel has rotated using light emitted from a light-emitting element (e.g., a photodiode). For example, the encoder can count the number of slits arranged along the circumferential direction of a wheel or a disk that rotates with the wheel during a unit time. The control unit 115 can perform odometry, which estimates displacement by analyzing the amount of position change over time using data acquired through the encoder and gyro sensor. However, there may be an error between the displacement estimated based on the encoder data and the actual displacement due to wheel slippage or wear (changes in wheel radius). Therefore, when performing odometry, the control unit 115 applies a predetermined algorithm (e.g., Extended Kinematic Function (EKF)) to the information collected from the wheel and gyro sensor. Kalman By correcting for noise and errors using a filter, it is possible to output results that tend to be closer to the actual value. This type of odometry can be particularly useful when localization using a 2D laser scanner, which will be described later, is not possible.

[0042] A 2D laser scanner can scan the surrounding environment by emitting a laser beam through a rotating reflector and detecting the reflected signal. In this case, it can output the detection results of the point cloud shape by analyzing the strength of the reflected signal and the time difference between the emission and reception.

[0043] The 3D vision camera can calculate the distance to an object based on the parallax between two cameras spaced a certain distance apart, i.e., the pixel distance between the images captured by each camera. In this case, a texture projector may be provided that projects a predetermined pattern of infrared light so that it can be sensed even on a flat surface of the same color (e.g., a white wall).

[0044] Generally, 2D laser scanners are used for mapping, navigation, object recognition, etc., while 3D cameras can be utilized during navigation, particularly for obstacle avoidance, but this is by way of example only and not necessarily as a limitation.

[0045] The loading unit 113 is a means for loading items to be transported, and may be the upper plate of the upper part of the vehicle body itself or a table arranged on the upper plate, a lift, a turntable that rotates along a vertical axis, a forklift, a conveyor, or a combination thereof. In the case of a forklift, it may also support telescopic and tilt functions similar to a forklift.

[0046] The communication unit 114 can communicate with other components in the smart factory 100, such as the production equipment 120 and the control equipment 140, and can also support communication between smart logistics vehicles 110. It can also communicate with chargers when performing a charging mission.

[0047] The control unit 115 is the entity that performs overall control of the aforementioned components 111, 112, 113, and 114, and can perform current mission, current position, destination determination, route planning, loading unit control, etc. based on information obtained from the control device 140 via the communication unit 114.

[0048] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a smart logistics vehicle that can be applied to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Referring to FIG. 4, an example of an AMR is shown as a smart logistics vehicle 110. The vehicle body may have a truck-like planar shape with a major axis extending along one axis. One drive wheel 111-1 may be disposed at the center of the vehicle body along the one axis and on one side along the two axis. Another drive wheel (not shown) may be disposed on the other side of the vehicle body, facing the one drive wheel 111-1 along the two axis. This drive wheel arrangement may be referred to as a "differential drive (DD)." Although not shown in FIG. 4, two or more non-drive wheels may be disposed at the bottom of the vehicle body. In this case, when the two drive wheels rotate in the same direction at the same speed, the vehicle can move forward or backward along the one axis. When the two drive wheels rotate in opposite directions at the same speed, the vehicle can rotate around a rotation axis extending along the three axis and passing through the center (C) of the vehicle body. In addition, a sensing unit 112 may be disposed at the front of the vehicle body, and a loading unit 113 may be disposed at the top. The loading unit 113 may be configured to be able to move up and down along three axial directions, and a rack or a tray may be fixed to the upper surface thereof via a guide 113-1. However, the AMR configuration shown in FIG. 4 is merely an example, and the AGV may have a similar configuration, or the AMR may have a different configuration.

[0050] Next, the traveling process of the smart logistics vehicle 110 will be described with reference to FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a driving process of the smart logistics vehicle 110 that can be applied to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 5, for convenience, it is assumed that the smart logistics vehicle 110 is an AMR capable of positioning and local route planning.

[0051] Referring to FIG. 5, first, an AMR can acquire a measured grid map through a lidar or the like while traveling inside the smart factory 100 (S501).

[0052] When the AMR transmits the acquired grid map to the control device 140, a grid map editing and matching process can be performed in the map management unit 148 of the control device 140 (S502). Here, the editing process can include a process of setting the various zones in the grid map and a process of assigning costs to each grid. Here, the cost assignment can be performed in a direction in which a higher cost is assigned the closer the AMR is to an obstacle or a no-entry area so that the AMR does not move around an obstacle or an area where it should not enter. This is because the AMR selects the set of cells with the lowest cost between waypoints as the route when setting a local route.

[0053] In addition, the map matching process may refer to the process of matching the coordinates of the CAD map used in the design of the smart factory 100, the measured grid map (lidar map), and the topology map that has undergone the editing process. Thereafter, the control device 140 can share the topology map with all AMRs in the factory via the communication unit 146 (S503).

[0054] The following steps may be applied to individual AMRs. The AMR can determine its current location on a map using the sensor data of the sensing unit 112 and the acquired map (S504). For example, the AMR can determine its current location by comparing the surrounding terrain acquired through the lidar with the map based on feature points.

[0055] The control device 140 can select a specific AMR and assign it a mission, which can typically be assigned one or more waypoints determined through global path planning. A waypoint can be defined as a coordinate on a map and can be accompanied by information regarding the direction (i.e., heading) in which the AMR should head at that coordinate. In response to this assignment, a destination can be set for the AMR (Yes in S505), and the AMR can perform local path planning between the waypoints based on costs in the topology map (S506).

[0056] Once the route is determined, the AMR starts traveling (S507), and if an obstacle is detected via the sensing unit 112 while traveling (Yes in S508), the AMR can perform a local route search to bypass the detected obstacle and initiate an avoidance strategy (S509). Depending on the circumstances, the control device 140 can also update the mission of the AMR in response to the avoidance strategy being initiated or in response to a failure of the avoidance strategy.

[0057] The AMR can also correct for position errors during travel via the aforementioned odometry techniques while traveling until it reaches its destination (S510).

[0058] Thereafter, when the AMR reaches the destination (S511), it can perform activation based on the mission (S512). For example, the AMR can determine whether the conditions for entering a specific process area are met, retrieve an empty pallet from the destination, or drop off the load on the loading section 113.

[0059] In one embodiment of the present invention, we propose improving the process efficiency and increasing productivity of smart factories by checking whether a smart logistics vehicle can enter a process in advance while it is moving and controlling the process accordingly.

[0060] Hereinafter, a smart logistics vehicle according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6, a control device 140 of a smart factory according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a communication unit 146 and a work schedule management unit 149, and can have the location, production information, and interlock status of smart logistics vehicles such as AGVs and AMRs as input information.

[0061] Furthermore, the control device 140 can have the travel route, the first control signal, and the second control signal as output information.

[0062] Here, the production information and interlock status can be obtained from process equipment such as the production device 120 and the monitoring device 130, and the location of the smart logistics vehicle can be obtained from the communication unit 114 of the smart logistics vehicle 110, etc.

[0063] Meanwhile, the control device 140 can determine a travel route based on the input information and transmit it to the smart logistics vehicle 110, and can control the process by outputting a first control signal to the process equipment or outputting or reserving a second control signal to the smart logistics vehicle 110.

[0064] The specific functions of the control device 140 according to one embodiment will be described below. First, the communication unit 146 can communicate with at least one process controller connected to the production device 120. Here, the process controller can be realized, for example, by the PLC described above.

[0065] The communication unit 146 continuously exchanges production information, interlock status, first control signals, etc. with the process controller and transmits them to the work schedule management unit 149 so that the work schedule management unit 149 can control the production equipment 120, smart logistics vehicle 110, etc.

[0066] In addition, the communication unit 146 can also communicate with the communication unit 114 of the smart logistics vehicle 110, thereby allowing the work schedule management unit 149 to confirm the location of the smart logistics vehicle 110 or control the smart logistics vehicle 110.

[0067] Meanwhile, the work schedule management unit 149 can control the communication unit 146 and determine the movement route of the smart logistics vehicle 110 having a specific area as its destination based on the input production information. Here, the production information may include at least one of operation information of a production robot for a specific area, production facility information, or production facility logistics delivery information.

[0068] The operation information of the production robot may include information on whether the robot is operating normally or the currently executed operation, and the production facility information may include the detection results obtained through the monitoring device 130. In addition, the production facility logistics delivery information may include the quantity, type, and current location of logistics.

[0069] Meanwhile, the work schedule management unit 149 can determine whether to dispatch the smart logistics vehicle 110 to at least one process based on the production information, and can determine a movement route of the smart logistics vehicle with a specific area corresponding to the process for which dispatching has been determined. For example, the work schedule management unit 149 can determine a process that requires or requires dispatching the smart logistics vehicle 110 in consideration of the production information, and can allocate the smart logistics vehicle 110 to the process.

[0070] In addition, the work schedule management unit 149 can determine whether to dispatch the vehicle by utilizing a memory map that has already been stored in correspondence with the production information. In addition, the work schedule management unit 149 may output the determined travel route so that the smart logistics vehicle 110 travels along the travel route.

[0071] In addition, the work schedule management unit 149 can check the position of the smart logistics vehicle 110 traveling along the travel route, and can output a first control signal corresponding to the checked position of the smart logistics vehicle 110 to the process controller corresponding to the specific area. By receiving the first control signal, the process controller can obtain the position of the smart logistics vehicle 110 and determine production information, interlock information, etc. based on the position.

[0072] Meanwhile, the first control signal may correspond to not only the location but also the operating status of the smart logistics vehicle 110. Here, the operating status of the smart logistics vehicle 110 may include whether the smart logistics vehicle 110 is docked, whether it is operating normally, the type of operation currently being performed, or the expected completion time, etc.

[0073] Meanwhile, in one embodiment of the present invention, the smart logistics vehicle 110 may include at least one of an AMR and an AGV.

[0074] If the smart logistics vehicle 110 moving along the travel route is an AMR, the location of the smart logistics vehicle 110 can be confirmed based on the results of sensing surrounding objects by sensors connected to the robot. In addition, if the smart logistics vehicle 110 moving along the movement route is an automated guided vehicle, it can be confirmed based on whether it passes through nodes spaced apart at multiple points on the movement route.

[0075] In addition, the work schedule management unit 149 can check the interlock status corresponding to the entry requirements for the specific area from the process controller based on the first control signal output while the smart logistics vehicle 110 is moving. Here, the specific area may refer to the destination of the smart logistics vehicle 110, that is, the area where the process that the smart logistics vehicle 110 is going to enter is being carried out.

[0076] The interlock status corresponds to the entry requirements for a specific area, i.e., the entry requirements for a target process, and may be determined based on the progress of the target process, the current work stage, whether the process is operating normally, the amount and type of logistics, etc. The interlock status may also reflect the location of the smart logistics vehicle 110. For example, in the current status, the smart logistics vehicle 110 may not be allowed to enter the process, but the smart logistics vehicle 110 may be allowed to enter the process if the expected arrival time based on the location of the smart logistics vehicle 110 is reflected in the interlock status.

[0077] Meanwhile, the interlock state can be determined by the process controller and transmitted to the work schedule management unit 149 via the communication unit 146.

[0078] Meanwhile, the work schedule management unit 149 may output or reserve a second control signal to stop the smart logistics vehicle based on the interlock status. For example, if it is determined that the process entry requirement is met based on the interlock status, the work schedule management unit 149 may reserve the second control signal to cause the smart logistics vehicle 110 to continue moving along the movement path, and if it is determined that the process entry requirement is not met based on the interlock status, the work schedule management unit 149 may output the second control signal to cause the smart logistics vehicle 110 to stop.

[0079] Meanwhile, the work schedule management unit 149 may set an interlock area corresponding to a specific area on the movement route, and when the smart logistics vehicle enters the set interlock area, may output or reserve the second control signal based on the interlock status. The interlock area may be understood as a space where whether or not the smart logistics vehicle 110 can enter a process is confirmed in advance before reaching the specific area. By outputting or reserving the second control signal based on the interlock status in the interlock space, the smart logistics vehicle 110 may not stop unnecessarily while entering the process, and may be stopped if there is a reason such as the smart logistics vehicle 110 being unable to enter the process.

[0080] Meanwhile, when the smart logistics vehicle 110 arrives at a specific area or stops due to a second control signal, the work schedule management unit 149 can determine and output a new route for the vehicle 110. That is, the work schedule management unit 149 can initialize production information, interlock information, etc., and restart a new control process.

[0081] Hereinafter, a control process of a smart factory according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a control process according to an embodiment of the present invention. 7, first, the communication unit 146 can receive production robot operation information, production equipment peripheral sensor information, production equipment logistics release information, etc. from the production equipment 120 and the monitoring device 130. Also, depending on the embodiment, the production / logistics management unit 144 can also receive the production equipment logistics release information (S711 to S713).

[0082] Thereafter, the communication unit 146 transmits the production information to the work schedule management unit 149 (S721 to S723), and the work schedule management unit 149 determines and outputs a movement route for the smart logistics vehicle 110 based on the production information (S730).

[0083] The smart logistics vehicle 110 moves along the outputted route, checks its current location through the control unit 115 (S740), and transmits it to the work schedule management unit 149 so that the work schedule management unit 149 can check the location of the smart logistics vehicle 110 (S750).

[0084] The work schedule management unit 149 outputs a first control signal corresponding to the position of the smart logistics vehicle 110 to the process controller, allowing the process controller to determine and control the interlock information (S760), and checks the interlock status from the process controller based on the first control signal (S770).

[0085] Thereafter, the work schedule management unit 149 outputs or reserves a second control signal to stop the smart logistics vehicle 110 based on the interlock status and the location of the smart logistics vehicle. In this case, if an abnormality is detected in the process control according to the interlock status, making it impossible to enter the process, the work schedule management unit 149 can output the second control signal to control the smart logistics vehicle 110 to stop (S780).

[0086] According to the various embodiments of the present invention described above, the process can be controlled based on the location of the smart logistics vehicle without any separate control intervention while the smart logistics vehicle is moving, thereby reducing process delays that occur when the smart logistics vehicle enters the process. This will increase the convenience of smart factory control and improve process efficiency and productivity.

[0087] While the present invention has been shown and described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 100 Smart Factory 110 Smart logistics vehicles 111 Running part 112 Sensing unit 113 Loading section 114, 146 Communications Department 115 Control Unit 120 Production Equipment 130 Monitoring equipment 140 Control equipment 141 Firmware Management Unit 142 Traffic Control Section 143 Process Management Department 144 Production / Logistics Management Department 145 Inventory Management Department 147 Vehicle Monitoring Department 148 Map Management Department 149 Work Schedule Management Department

Claims

1. determining a travel route of a smart logistics vehicle having a specific area as a destination based on the input production information, and outputting the determined travel route; determining a position of the smart logistics vehicle moving along the travel path, and outputting a first control signal corresponding to the determined position of the smart logistics vehicle to a process controller corresponding to the specific area; During the movement of the smart logistics vehicle, confirming from the process controller an interlock state corresponding to the entry requirement of the specific area based on the output first control signal, and outputting or withholding a second control signal to stop the smart logistics vehicle based on the interlock state.

2. The production information is The smart factory control method according to claim 1, characterized in that the smart factory control method includes at least one of operation information of a production robot, production equipment information, and production equipment logistics delivery information for the specific area.

3. The step of outputting the travel path includes: determining whether to allocate vehicles for at least one process based on the production information; The smart factory control method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of determining the movement route of the smart logistics vehicle having the specific area corresponding to the process for which the dispatch has been determined as a destination.

4. The step of determining whether to dispatch a vehicle includes: The smart factory control method according to claim 3, further comprising: determining whether to dispatch the vehicle by utilizing a memory map that has been previously stored to correspond to the production information.

5. The smart logistics vehicle includes:

2. The smart factory control method according to claim 1, wherein the smart factory includes at least one of an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) and an automated guided vehicle (AGV).

6. The location of the smart logistics vehicle is:

6. The smart factory control method of claim 5, wherein if the smart logistics vehicle moving along the travel path is the autonomous mobile robot, the smart logistics vehicle is identified based on a result of sensing surrounding objects by a sensor connected to the autonomous mobile robot.

7. The location of the smart logistics vehicle is:

6. The smart factory control method of claim 5, wherein if the smart logistics vehicle moving along the movement route is an automated guided vehicle, confirmation is made based on whether it passes through nodes spaced apart at multiple points on the movement route.

8. The smart factory control method according to claim 1 , wherein the first control signal corresponds to an operating state of the smart logistics vehicle.

9. The step of outputting or reserving the second control signal includes: setting an interlock area corresponding to the specific area on the movement path; and outputting or withholding the second control signal based on the interlock status when the smart logistics vehicle enters the set interlock area.

10. 2. The smart factory control method of claim 1, wherein when the smart logistics vehicle arrives at the specific area or stops based on the second control signal, the step of outputting the movement route is returned to.

11. a communication unit for communicating with at least one process controller; a work schedule management unit that controls the communication unit, determines a movement route of a smart logistics vehicle having a specific area as a destination based on input production information, outputs the determined movement route, confirms a position of the smart logistics vehicle moving along the movement route, and outputs a first control signal corresponding to the confirmed position of the smart logistics vehicle to a process controller corresponding to the specific area; The work schedule management unit The control device for a smart factory is characterized in that, while the smart logistics vehicle is moving, an interlock state corresponding to the entry requirement of the specific area is confirmed from the process controller based on the output first control signal, and a second control signal that causes the smart logistics vehicle to stop based on the interlock state is output or reserved.

12. The production information is The control device of claim 11, further comprising at least one of operation information of a production robot, production facility information, and production facility logistics delivery information for the specific area.

13. The work schedule management unit The control device of claim 11, characterized in that it determines whether to allocate a vehicle for at least one process based on the production information, and determines a movement route for a smart logistics vehicle whose destination is a specific area corresponding to the process for which allocation has been determined.

14. The work schedule management unit The control device of claim 13, wherein the dispatching is determined by utilizing a memory map that is already stored corresponding to the production information.

15. The smart logistics vehicle includes: The smart factory control device according to claim 11, comprising at least one of an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) and an automated guided vehicle (AGV).

16. The location of the smart logistics vehicle is:

16. The smart factory control device of claim 15, wherein, if the smart logistics vehicle moving along the travel path is an autonomous mobile robot, the smart logistics vehicle is identified based on a result of detecting surrounding objects by a sensor connected to the autonomous mobile robot.

17. The location of the smart logistics vehicle is:

16. The control device of claim 15, wherein if the smart logistics vehicle moving along the movement route is an automated guided vehicle, the control device confirms whether the smart logistics vehicle passes through nodes spaced apart at multiple points on the movement route.

18. The control device of claim 11, wherein the first control signal corresponds to an operating state of the smart logistics vehicle.

19. The work schedule management unit 12. The control device of claim 11, further comprising: setting an interlock area corresponding to a specific area on the movement path; and outputting or withholding the second control signal based on the interlock state when the smart logistics vehicle enters the set interlock area.

20. The work schedule management unit The control device of claim 11, wherein the control device determines and outputs the movement route again when the smart logistics vehicle arrives at the specific area or stops based on the second control signal.

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