Transport vehicle system

Abstract

To provide a carrier system capable of preventing the occurrence of congestion due to the concentration of carriers in any part of a route.SOLUTION: The transport vehicle system 1 includes a transport vehicle 2 that travels along a track 10 and transports an article, and a transport vehicle controller 20 that controls the travel of the transport vehicle 2 and sets a travel route from a loading position to an unloading position. The transport vehicle controller 20 acquires information about the loading position and the unloading point, and determines, in accordance with the type of the unloading point, whether to execute normal travel control in which the shortest route from the loading position to the unloading point is adopted as the travel route, or to execute special travel control in which a detour route other than the shortest route can be adopted as the travel route.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a guided vehicle system. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a transport vehicle system in which a transport vehicle such as an overhead traveling vehicle travels along a travel route to transport goods. For example, as in the system described in Patent Document 1, a layout consisting of multiple intra-bay routes and multiple inter-bay routes connecting the multiple intra-bay routes may be applied. When moving from one intra-bay route to another, the transport vehicle travels on the inter-bay route provided between the intra-bay routes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-165130 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the guided vehicle system, a controller generates a transport command to transport an article from a loading position to a destination, i.e., an unloading destination. The controller searches for the shortest route from the loading position to the unloading destination, and causes the guided vehicle to travel along that shortest route.

[0005] However, if the controller performs travel control (transport control) based on searching for the shortest route for all transport commands, there is a possibility that congestion will occur due to the concentration of multiple transport vehicles on part of the travel route (track).There may be specific routes where transport vehicles are likely to concentrate and become congested depending on the layout of the track, processing equipment, storage equipment, etc., and routes where transport vehicles are likely to concentrate and become congested may change from moment to moment depending on the operating status of the system.

[0006] The present disclosure describes a guided vehicle system that can prevent guided vehicles from concentrating and causing congestion on any part of a track. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] [1] A transport vehicle system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a track having multiple branching sections and multiple merging sections, a transport vehicle that travels along the track and transports items, and a controller that controls the travel of the transport vehicle and sets a travel route from a loading position or the current position of the transport vehicle to an unloading destination, wherein the controller acquires information regarding the loading position or the current position and the unloading destination, and determines, depending on the type of unloading destination, whether to perform normal travel control, which adopts the shortest route from the loading position or the current position to the unloading destination as the travel route, or whether to perform special travel control, which can adopt a detour route other than the shortest route as the travel route.

[0008] According to the guided vehicle system in [1], the controller adopts the shortest route in normal driving control, but can adopt a detour route in special driving control. Depending on the type of unloading destination, the arrival of the goods may not be urgent, so the goods are transported along a detour route, and there is no problem even if the goods arrive late. This allows the driving routes of each guided vehicle to be dispersed. As a result, it is possible to prevent guided vehicles from concentrating on any part of the track and causing congestion.

[0009] [2] In the transport vehicle system described in [1] above, the controller may execute special travel control when the unloading destination is a storage device that stores items. There is often no need to rush the transport of items to be stored in the storage device. This control can prevent concentrated congestion on certain routes while maintaining the completion of transport commands other than those to the storage device (e.g., unloading commands or loading commands to a processing device).

[0010] [3] In the guided vehicle system described in [1] or [2] above, the detour route in special driving control may be the shortest route to the unloading destination when the guided vehicle passes through one or more via points set within the track. This prevents concentrated congestion on certain routes while still utilizing the basic logic of searching for the shortest route. The same logic can be used to search for driving routes in both normal driving control and special driving control.

[0011] [4] In the guided vehicle system described in [3] above, the track may be composed of multiple intra-bay routes including stop positions for guided vehicles corresponding to the loading or current location and the unloading destination, and multiple inter-bay routes connecting the intra-bay routes. The via points used for special driving control may be set in sections of the inter-bay routes that are relatively less congested. Because the detour route passes through sections that are relatively less congested, the driving routes of each guided vehicle can be further dispersed.

[0012] [5] In the transport vehicle system of [3] or [4] above, the via points may be set for each combination of the area where the loading position or the current position is located and the unloading destination. This allows the via points to be set in detail that are suitable for each combination of the area where the loading position or the current position is located and the unloading destination (port, etc.).

[0013] [6] In the transport vehicle system of [3] or [4] above, a via point may be set for each combination of an area where the loading position or current position is located and an area where the unloading destination is located. An appropriate via point can be set for each combination of an area where the loading position is located and an area where the unloading destination (port, etc.) is located.

[0014] [7] In any one of the guided vehicle systems [3] to [6] above, a plurality of types of candidate via routes may be preset as candidates for a portion of the travel route in the special travel control, and each of the candidate via routes may include one or more via points. The controller may select one of the candidate via routes in the special travel control and then search for a detour route. For example, even if a route to a specific via point is blocked, another candidate via route that does not include that via point can be selected, thereby ensuring an alternative route in the special travel control.

[0015] [8] In the guided vehicle system described in [7] above, when the controller executes special driving control for multiple transportation requests, the controller may select each of the candidate via routes sequentially, or may select one of the candidate via routes according to a ratio set for each of the candidate via routes. Either of the above selection methods can distribute the via points (candidate via routes) for multiple transportation requests. When selecting according to a ratio, the number of guided vehicles passing through each via point (candidate via route) can be controlled by appropriately setting the ratio. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent transport vehicles from concentrating on any one part of the track route, causing congestion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example layout of a guided vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the guided vehicle system. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the transport vehicle controller. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a running state in a reference mode in response to a certain transport request. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a plurality of via points set in travel control according to an embodiment in response to a certain transport request. [Figure 6] FIG. 6(a) is an example of a table in which route candidates are selected sequentially, and FIG. 6(b) is an example of a table in which route candidates are selected according to a ratio. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a driving state when special driving control is performed according to the table shown in FIG. 6(a) or FIG. 6(b). [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of travel control in the controller of one embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the layout of the guided vehicle system according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a plurality of via points set for the layout example of FIG. [Figure 11] Figure 11(a) is an example of a table when the loading location area is area A and the unloading destination is port m, and Figure 11(b) is an example of a table when the loading location area is area E and the unloading destination is port n. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated description will be omitted.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the guided vehicle system 1 according to this embodiment includes a track 10, a plurality of guided vehicles 2 traveling along the track 10, and a guided vehicle controller (controller) 20 that allocates transportation commands to the guided vehicles 2.

[0020] The track 10 is a transport path along which the transport vehicles 2 can travel in a predetermined travel direction. The track 10 is laid, for example, within a facility such as a factory. The track 10 has multiple sections (bays). The track 10 includes an intra-bay route BR1, which is a travel path within the bay, and an inter-bay route BR2, which is a travel path connecting different bays. The intra-bay route BR1 is set, for example, so that the transport vehicles 2 travel one-way in a counterclockwise direction. Like the intra-bay route BR1, the inter-bay route BR2 is also set so that the transport vehicles 2 travel one-way in a counterclockwise direction. The track 10 has multiple branching sections 12 that branch off the track sections and multiple merging sections 13 that merge the track sections.

[0021] The transport vehicle 2 is, for example, an automated guided vehicle that transports an article. The transport vehicle 2 is, for example, an overhead traveling vehicle, a rail-guided vehicle, or the like. As an example, the transport vehicle 2 is an overhead traveling automated guided vehicle that is capable of traveling along a track 10. For example, the transport vehicle 2 is an overhead traveling automated guided vehicle (OHT: Overhead Hoist Transport). The transport vehicle 2 transports an article (not shown) while traveling along the track 10. As an example, the article transported by the transport vehicle 2 is a cassette (a so-called FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod)) that contains multiple semiconductor wafers.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transport vehicle controller 20 receives a transport request from the upper controller 50. The transport request includes, for example, unique information for identifying the item to be transported, information about the loading position (From) or the current position of the transport vehicle 2, and information about the unloading destination (To). When the transport vehicle controller 20 receives a transport request from the upper controller 50, it performs predetermined calculations and processing (described later) based on the transport request to generate a transport command. The transport command for the transport request including information about the loading position includes a loading command to an available transport vehicle 2 (selected transport vehicle 2) to travel to the loading position and acquire and hold the item from a port, station, etc. at the loading position. Note that the transport vehicle 2 to which the transport command for the transport request including information about the current position is assigned is a transport vehicle that, for some reason, needed to change its original destination (unloading destination) while holding an item. The transport command also includes an unloading command to have the transport vehicle 2 travel along a predetermined travel route (travel path) to the unloading destination and deposit (transfer) the goods at a port, station, etc. at the unloading destination.

[0023] In generating a transport command including a loading command, the transport vehicle controller 20 selects one of the multiple transport vehicles 2 by referring to the current positions of the multiple transport vehicles 2, the loading positions, and the congestion status from the current positions to the loading positions. In generating the transport command, the transport vehicle controller 20 also sets a driving route for the transport vehicle 2 by performing a route search using a predetermined route search algorithm (for example, a shortest path search algorithm such as Dijkstra's algorithm). The driving route is the route from the current position of the transport vehicle 2 to the loading position and the route from the loading position to the unloading destination. The transport vehicle controller 20 controls the driving of the transport vehicle 2 by assigning a transport command to the selected transport vehicle 2. An empty transport vehicle 2 is a transport vehicle 2 to which a transport command has not yet been assigned, and includes an empty transport vehicle 2 that is not holding or transporting an article.

[0024] A transport vehicle 2 to which a transport command including a loading command is assigned travels toward a loading position, loads the items to be transported at the loading position, and then travels toward an unloading destination where the items are unloaded. Note that a transport vehicle 2 to which a transport command for a transport request including information regarding the current position of the transport vehicle 2 is assigned travels from the current position toward an unloading destination where the items are unloaded. The route search algorithm for route search is not particularly limited, and various algorithms may be used (the same applies to the following route search).

[0025] 3, the guided vehicle controller 20 can be configured as a computer system including one or more processors 201 such as CPUs (Central Processing Units), one or more RAMs (Random Access Memories) 202 and one or more ROMs (Read Only Memories) 203 as main storage devices, an input device 204 such as a keyboard for an operator to input operations, an output device 205 such as a display that presents information to the operator, a communication module 206 for communicating with the guided vehicle 2, and an auxiliary storage device 207 such as an HDD and SSD. The guided vehicle controller 20 can be configured as a single computer device or as multiple computer devices (e.g., multiple sub-controllers).

[0026] Each function of the transport vehicle controller 20 is realized, for example, by loading a predetermined program (transport vehicle control program 5 stored in auxiliary storage device 207) into a memory such as RAM 202, operating the input device 204 and output device 205 under the control of the processor 201, and operating the communication module 206, and reading and writing data in RAM 202 and auxiliary storage device 207.

[0027] In this embodiment, the transport vehicle controller 20 acquires information regarding the loading location and unloading destination indicated in the transport request including the loading request, and determines, depending on the type of unloading destination, whether to execute normal travel control, which adopts the shortest route from the loading location to the unloading destination as the travel route of the transport vehicle 2, or whether to execute special travel control, which can adopt a detour route other than the shortest route as the travel route of the transport vehicle 2 (see FIG. 8). In this specification, the shortest route may mean the shortest distance, or may mean the shortest time required to arrive at the unloading destination. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the shortest distance and the shortest time have similar values ​​and can select either as appropriate.

[0028] Incidentally, even for a transport request that includes information about the current location (as described above, when the original destination is changed to a new destination while the transport vehicle 2 is carrying an item), the starting point of the travel route becomes the "current location" (instead of the loading location), and the method for setting the travel route is the same. The route search by the route search unit 24, which will be described later, is also the same for the two types of transport requests, and the steps are common to both normal travel control and special travel control. The following explanation will mainly focus on transport requests that include a loading request. With regard to control for a transport request that includes information about the current location, the "loading location" can be read as the "current location" (of the transport vehicle 2) in the explanation of control for a transport request that includes a loading request.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 2, the transport vehicle controller 20 includes a transport vehicle control unit 21, a control method determination unit 23, a route search unit 24, and a memory unit 22. The transport vehicle control unit 21 controls the travel of each transport vehicle 2. The transport command allocation described above is performed by the transport vehicle control unit 21. The control method determination unit 23 determines whether to execute normal travel control or special travel control depending on the type of unloading destination. The route search unit 24 executes a route search to set a travel route for the transport vehicle 2 from the loading position to the unloading destination.

[0030] In normal driving control, the route search unit 24 sets the driving route of the transport vehicle 2 by performing a route search using the above-mentioned predetermined route search algorithm based on the loading and unloading locations and the link costs associated with each route section, branch section 12, and merging section 13.

[0031] In special driving control, the route search unit 24 considers one or more via points in addition to the positions of the loading position and the unloading destination (see FIG. 5). A via point is a point that the guided vehicle 2 must pass through on its way from the loading position to the unloading destination. In special driving control, the route search unit 24 determines the driving route of the guided vehicle 2 by performing a route search using the above-mentioned route search algorithm based on the positions of the loading position, the unloading destination, and one or more via points, and the link costs associated with each route segment, branching section 12, and merging section 13. That is, in special driving control, the route search unit 24 uses the same route search algorithm as in normal driving control.

[0032] The "one or more via points" considered in the special driving control are, for example, set in advance as a plurality of "candidate via routes." The candidate via routes are candidates for portions of the driving route in the special driving control. The route search unit 24 selects one of the candidate via routes using a method (selection method or selection criteria) described below. These multiple candidate via routes are stored in the memory unit 22 of the guided vehicle controller 20.

[0033] The fact that the guided vehicle controller 20 can execute the above two types of travel control will be described with reference to examples in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a travel state in a reference form for a certain transport request. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a plurality of via points set in the travel control of this embodiment for a certain transport request. Also, FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) are diagrams showing examples of a plurality of via route candidates, respectively. The via route candidate can include one or more via points.

[0034] The same transport request is shown in Figures 4 and 5. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the track 10 is made up of multiple intra-bay routes BR1 and multiple inter-bay routes BR2 connecting these intra-bay routes BR1. In a plan view, each intra-bay route BR1 is provided along multiple ports 30 (provided in processing equipment, etc.). Furthermore, a storage device 40 for storing items, for example, is installed to the side of one of the inter-bay routes BR2. In the illustrated transport request, the loading location is the port 30 indicated with a dot. The unloading destination is the storage device 40 indicated with a dot. The storage device 40 is, for example, a stocker, etc. Note that the storage device 40 may also be provided to the side of the intra-bay route BR1.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 4, in the guided vehicle system 100 according to the reference embodiment, for example, a guided vehicle 2 (shown with a dot) located within the same intra-bay route BR1 as the loading location is selected. Meanwhile, concentrated congestion occurs on the inter-bay route BR2 heading toward the unloading destination. In the guided vehicle system 100, a route search is performed using the above-mentioned route search algorithm based on the respective positions of the loading location and the unloading destination and the above-mentioned link costs. As a result, for example, the travel route of the guided vehicle 2 is determined to be the shortest route A shown in FIG. 4. Because the unloading destination is the storage device 40, it is highly likely that the arrival of the goods at the storage device 40 is not urgent. However, the shortest route A overlaps with a congested area, which may cause further congestion.

[0036] 5, in the guided vehicle system 1 of this embodiment, for example, three via points PA, PB, and PC are set. The three via points PA, PB, and PC may be set within any of the inter-bay routes BR2, or within any of the intra-bay routes BR1, or may be set on the border between these. By setting the via points within the intra-bay route BR1, it is possible to control which intra-bay route BR1 the guided vehicle 2 passes through to move between the inter-bay routes BR2, so that a detour route can be selected more reliably (avoiding overlap with the shortest route).

[0037] As described above, the control method determination unit 23 of the transport vehicle controller 20 determines whether to execute normal driving control or special driving control depending on the type of unloading destination. When the unloading destination is a storage device 40, the route search unit 24 of the transport vehicle controller 20 executes special driving control.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 6(a), two via route candidates based on via points PA, PB, and PC are set in table TB1 stored in storage unit 22. As shown in Fig. 6(b), two via route candidates based on via points PA, PB, and PC and a candidate for "no via point" are set in table TB2 stored in storage unit 22. It is determined (or set) in advance whether to use table TB1 or table TB2.

[0039] The route search unit 24 selects one of the candidate via routes in the special driving control and then searches for a detour route. The same route search algorithm as in the normal driving control is used in the special driving control, so the detour route is the shortest route to the unloading destination when the transport vehicle 2 passes through the selected via route (one or more via points).

[0040] When using table TB1, the route search unit 24 sequentially selects each of the via route candidates when performing special travel control for multiple transportation requests. That is, when the unloading destination included in a first transportation request is the storage device 40, the transportation vehicle controller 20 first selects the first via route candidate (i.e., the via route that passes through via points PA and PB in this order). Then, when the unloading destination included in a second transportation request following the first transportation request is the storage device 40, the route search unit 24 selects the second via route candidate (i.e., the via route that passes through via point PC). As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, for the first transportation request, the route search unit 24 determines the travel route of the transportation vehicle 2 to be the detour route B1. Furthermore, for the second transportation request, the route search unit 24 determines the travel route of the transportation vehicle 2 (which is likely to be a different transportation vehicle 2 from the transportation vehicle 2 in the first transportation request) to be the detour route B2. The route search unit 24 repeats the same process for the third transportation request and the fourth transportation request. Table TB1 is a table for selecting a route using a round-robin method.

[0041] Alternatively, when using table TB2, the route search unit 24 selects one of the route candidates according to the ratio set for each route when performing special driving control for multiple transport requests. Each route and each ratio in table TB2 are set taking into consideration traffic congestion (congestion) on the detour route. The route search unit 24 selects one of the route candidates with a probability according to the ratio set for each route. A description of the detour routes that can be determined by the route search unit 24 is omitted here, as it is the same as when table TB1 is used. Note that candidate route No. 3 is selected with a 40% probability, and in that case, the resulting travel route is not a detour route but the shortest route. For example, if there are 10 transport requests with the storage device 40 as the unloading destination, the travel route for six of the transport requests will be a detour route, and the travel route for four of the transport requests will be the shortest route. In other words, the special travel control executed by the transport vehicle controller 20 can be said to be travel control that can adopt a detour route other than the shortest route as the travel route (in the above case, the detour route is adopted with a probability of 60%). Note that the ratios set for each of the route candidates in table TB2 may be changed as needed depending on the situation.

[0042] In a table such as table TB2 in which ratios are defined for each via route, when at least a positive ratio (a ratio greater than 0) is set, the special driving control executed by the transport vehicle controller 20 can be said to be driving control that adopts a detour route other than the shortest route as the driving route.

[0043] Next, referring to FIG. 8, the processing procedure of travel control in the transport vehicle controller 20 will be described. First, the transport vehicle control unit 21 refers to the current position and loading position of each of the multiple transport vehicles 2, and selects one of the multiple transport vehicles 2. The control method determination unit 23 acquires information about the loading position and information about the unloading destination indicated in the transport request (step S01). Next, the control method determination unit 23 determines which control method should be applied, i.e., whether normal travel control or special travel control should be applied, depending on the type of unloading destination (step S02). If the unloading destination is other than the storage device 40, i.e., a port 30 of a processing device, etc., the control method determination unit 23 applies normal travel control, and the route search unit 24 searches for the shortest route (performs normal route search) (step S03). If the unloading destination is a storage device 40, the control method determination unit 23 applies special driving control and determines a via route (step S04), and then the route search unit 24 searches for a detour route (executes a special route search) (step S05) (unless "no via point" is selected, such as the third option in table TB2).

[0044] Then, the guided vehicle control unit 21 transmits a transport command including the determined travel route to the guided vehicle 2. Through the above series of processes, travel control (transport control) is performed by the guided vehicle controller 20.

[0045] Next, with reference to Figures 9 to 11, travel control will be described for the case where the track 10 is wider and consists of multiple areas AA to AH. The track 10 shown in Figure 9 is also composed of multiple intra-bay routes BR1, which include stopping positions for the transport vehicles 2 corresponding to the loading and unloading locations, and multiple inter-bay routes BR3 and BR4, which connect the multiple intra-bay routes BR1. Here, it has been determined from a prior simulation that the inter-bay route BR3 consists of a section that is relatively less congested, and it has been determined from operational experience that the central inter-bay route BR2 includes a section that is relatively prone to congestion.

[0046] In the guided vehicle system 1 shown in Fig. 9, a plurality of via points P1 to P6 are set. The via points P1, P2, and P3 are set on the inter-bay route BR3 at the boundary between areas AA and AB, the boundary between areas AB and AC, and the boundary between areas AC and AD, respectively. The via points P4, P5, and P6 are set on the inter-bay route BR4 at the boundary between areas AE and AF, the boundary between areas AF and AG, and the boundary between areas AG and AH, respectively. The via points (candidate via routes) that can be selected by the control method determination unit 23 are set for each combination of the area where the loading position is located and the unloading destination (port), as shown in Fig. 10. For example, in Fig. 10, when the loading position is in area AA and the unloading destination is each of ports 1 to N, the table TB A1 ~Table TB AN is set.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 11(a), for example, when the loading location is in area AA and the unloading destination is port m, table TB Am In this table, the route points (route candidates) are set on the inter-bay route BR3 and the inter-bay route BR4, excluding the relatively congested inter-bay route BR2. In contrast to this, as shown in Fig. 11(b), for example, when the loading location is in area AE and the unloading destination is port n, the route points (route candidates) are set on the inter-bay route BR3 and the inter-bay route BR4. En In the table T shown in FIG. 11(b), the via points (via route candidates) set on the inter-bay route BR4 are set. En As shown above, the via points set in the table may overlap.

[0048] It should be noted that a via point (a via route candidate) may be set for each combination of an area where a loading position is located and an area where a loading destination is located.

[0049] According to the guided vehicle system 1 of the present embodiment described above, the guided vehicle controller 20 adopts the shortest route in normal travel control, but can adopt a detour route in special travel control. Depending on the type of unloading destination, the arrival of the goods may not be urgent, so the goods are transported along a detour route, and there is no problem even if the goods arrive late. This allows the travel routes of each guided vehicle 2 to be dispersed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the guided vehicles 2 from concentrating on any one route of the track 10 and causing congestion.

[0050] The transport vehicle controller 20 executes special travel control when the unloading destination is a storage device 40 that stores items. There is often no need to rush the transport of luggage that is to be stored in the storage device 40. This control makes it possible to prevent concentrated congestion on some routes while maintaining the completion of transport commands other than those to the storage device 40 (for example, unloading commands or loading commands to a processing device).

[0051] The detour route in special driving control is the shortest route to the unloading destination when the transport vehicle 2 passes through one or more via points set within the track. This makes it possible to prevent concentrated congestion on certain routes while still utilizing the basic logic of searching for the shortest route. The same logic can be used to search for driving routes in both normal driving control and special driving control.

[0052] The via points used for special driving control are set within sections of the inter-bay route that are relatively less congested. Because the detour route passes through sections that are relatively less congested, the driving routes of each transport vehicle can be further dispersed.

[0053] The waypoints are set for each combination of the area where the loading location is located and the unloading destination. This allows the system to set detailed waypoints that are suitable for each combination of the area where the loading location is located and the unloading destination (port, etc.).

[0054] When a via point is set for each combination of an area where a loading location is located and an area where an unloading destination is located, an appropriate via point can be set for each combination of an area where a loading location is located and an area where an unloading destination (port, etc.) is located.

[0055] A plurality of types of candidate via routes including via points are set in advance as candidates for portions of the travel route in the special travel control. The guided vehicle controller 20 selects one of the candidate via routes in the special travel control and then searches for a detour route. For example, even if a route to a specific via point is blocked, another candidate via route that does not include the blocked via point can be selected, thereby ensuring an alternative route in the special travel control.

[0056] When performing special driving control for multiple transportation requests, the transportation vehicle controller 20 selects each of the candidate via routes sequentially, or selects one of the candidate via routes according to a ratio set for each of the candidate via routes. Either of the above selection methods can distribute the via points (candidate via routes) for multiple transportation requests. When selecting according to a ratio, the number of transportation vehicles passing through each via point (candidate via route) can be controlled by appropriately setting the ratio.

[0057] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, if the unloading destination is other than a stocker, a detour route may be searched for when unloading to a device, a buffer, or the like. Even if the unloading command is to a device or a buffer, it is acceptable to use a detour route if it is not urgent.

[0058] A detour route may be searched for without setting a via point.

[0059] A detour route may be searched for on the travel route from the current position of the transport vehicle 2 carrying the article to the unloading position.

[0060] The positions and combinations of the via points may be set manually by an operator or automatically by a controller.

[0061] The positions of the via points may be set according to the layout of the track, loading positions, and unloading locations, or according to actual driving records. The initial positions of the via points may be set before starting up the guided vehicle system 1, and the positions of the via points may be changed according to subsequent driving records.

[0062] In the above embodiment, a layout including a plurality of intra-bay routes and a plurality of inter-bay routes connecting the plurality of intra-bay routes is illustrated, but the layout is not limited to this. For example, a layout in which tracks are arranged in a grid pattern may be used.

[0063] In the above embodiment, a FOUP containing multiple semiconductor wafers is exemplified as the article transported by the transport vehicle 2, but the article is not limited to this and may be, for example, other containers containing glass wafers, reticles, etc., or other articles. Furthermore, the location where the transport vehicle system 1 is installed is not limited to a semiconductor manufacturing factory, and the transport vehicle system 1 may be installed in other facilities. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1...transport vehicle system, 2...transport vehicle, 10...track, 12...branching section, 13...merging section, 20...transport vehicle controller (controller), 40...storage device, A...shortest route, B1, B2...detour route.

Claims

1. a track having a plurality of branching sections and a plurality of merging sections; a transport vehicle that travels along the track and transports an article; a controller that controls the travel of the transport vehicle and sets a travel route from the loading position or the current position of the transport vehicle to the unloading destination, The controller acquires information regarding the loading position or the current position and the unloading destination, and determines, depending on the type of unloading destination, whether to execute normal driving control, which adopts the shortest route from the loading position or the current position to the unloading destination as the driving route, or whether to execute special driving control, which can adopt a detour route other than the shortest route as the driving route.

2. The transport vehicle system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller executes the special travel control when the unloading destination is a storage device that stores the item.

3. The transport vehicle system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the detour route in the special driving control is the shortest route to the unloading destination when the transport vehicle passes through one or more via points set within the track.

4. the track is composed of a plurality of intra-bay routes including stop positions of the transport vehicle corresponding to the loading position or the current position and the unloading destination, and a plurality of inter-bay routes connecting the intra-bay routes; The guided vehicle system according to claim 3 , wherein the via points used in the special driving control are set in sections of the inter-route that are relatively less congested.

5. The guided vehicle system according to claim 3 , wherein the via point is set for each combination of an area where the loading position or the current position is located and the unloading destination.

6. The guided vehicle system according to claim 3 , wherein the via points are set for each combination of an area where the loading position or the current position is located and an area where the unloading destination is located.

7. a plurality of types of candidate route paths are set in advance as candidates for a portion of the travel route in the special travel control; Each of the via route candidates may include one or more of the via points; The guided vehicle system according to claim 3 , wherein the controller selects one of the candidate via routes in the special travel control and then searches for the detour route.

8. The transport vehicle system according to claim 7, wherein when the controller executes the special driving control for a plurality of transport requests, the controller selects each of the candidate route routes sequentially, or selects one of the candidate route routes according to a ratio set for each of the candidate route routes.

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