Driving control method, driving control system, and program

Abstract

The driving control method is a method for controlling the driving of a transport vehicle to which the transported object is swingably connected and which can move along real or virtual guidelines while towing the transported object. [Solution] The driving control method includes the steps of: (S101) moving a transport vehicle with an object to be transported attached to the rear of the transport vehicle from outside the guideline toward the guideline; (S102) rotating the transport vehicle while the transport vehicle or object to be transported is positioned on the guideline; and (S103) moving the transport vehicle backward after the step of rotating the transport vehicle (S102) to position the object to be transported in the target area, wherein in the step of rotating the transport vehicle, the orientation of the transport vehicle on the guideline after the rotation is different from the orientation of the transport vehicle before the rotation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a driving control method, a driving control system, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In the conveyance system described in Patent Document 1, a moving body raises a carriage by positioning the vehicle body under the carriage and raising a lifter on the vehicle body. The carriage is conveyed by the moving body traveling with the carriage lifted by the lifter. Further, when moving the carriage to a specific section, the moving body moves backward toward the specific section.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the conveyance system described in Patent Document 1, the carriage (object to be conveyed) is fixed to the moving body (conveyance vehicle). Therefore, even when the carriage is directly placed in a specific section (target area) by moving backward, the driving control of the moving body is executed relatively smoothly.

[0005] On the other hand, when the carriage is connected to the moving body so as to be swingable, it may be forced to repeatedly move backward and forward, and it may be difficult to smoothly place the carriage in a specific section.

[0006] Therefore, the present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a driving control method, a driving control system, and a program that can smoothly place an object to be conveyed that is swingably connected to a conveyance vehicle in a target area when the conveyance vehicle is moved backward to place the object to be conveyed in the target area. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to this disclosure, a method for controlling the movement of a transport vehicle to which a transport object is swingably connected and which can move along a real or virtual guideline while towing the transport object is provided, the method comprising: a step of a control unit moving the transport vehicle, with the transport object connected to the rear of the transport vehicle, from outside the guideline toward the guideline; a step of the control unit rotating the transport vehicle while the transport vehicle or the transport object is positioned on the guideline; and a step of the control unit reversing the transport vehicle after the step of rotating the transport vehicle to position the transport object in a target area, wherein in the step of rotating the transport vehicle, the orientation of the transport vehicle on the guideline after the rotation is different from the orientation of the transport vehicle before the rotation.

[0008] According to this disclosure, a driving control system is provided for a transport vehicle to which a transport object is swingably connected and which can move along a real or virtual guideline while towing the transport object, the system comprising a control unit that controls the operation of the transport vehicle by controlling the drive unit of the transport vehicle, the control unit moving the transport vehicle with the transport object connected to the rear of the transport vehicle from outside the guideline toward the guideline, rotating the transport vehicle when the transport vehicle or the transport object is positioned on the guideline, and after the rotation of the transport vehicle, reversing the transport vehicle to position the transport object in the target area, wherein the orientation of the transport vehicle on the guideline after the rotation is different from the orientation of the transport vehicle before the rotation.

[0009] According to this disclosure, a program is provided for controlling the movement of a transport vehicle to which a transport object is swingably connected and which is capable of moving along a real or virtual guideline while towing the transport object, wherein a control unit that controls the drive unit of the transport vehicle controls the operation of the transport vehicle, and causes the control unit to perform the following processes: move the transport vehicle, with the transport object connected to the rear of the transport vehicle, from outside the guideline toward the guideline; rotate the transport vehicle while the transport vehicle or the transport object is positioned on the guideline; and after the rotation of the transport vehicle, reverse the transport vehicle to position the transport object in the target area, wherein the orientation of the transport vehicle on the guideline after the rotation is different from the orientation of the transport vehicle before the rotation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to this disclosure, when a transport vehicle is moved in reverse to position an object to be transported in a target area, a travel control method, a travel control system, and a program can be provided that enable the transport object, which is swingably connected to the transport vehicle, to be smoothly positioned in the target area. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a plan view showing an example of a transport vehicle and a trolley according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a plan view showing the preceding flow of the first example of the driving control method according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a plan view showing the subsequent flow of the first example of the driving control method according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a plan view showing the preceding flow of a second example of the driving control method according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a plan view showing the subsequent flow of a second example of the driving control method according to this embodiment. [Figure 6](a) is a plan view showing an example of an auxiliary line adopted in the third example of the traveling control method according to this embodiment. (b) is a plan view showing another example of the auxiliary line adopted in the third example of the traveling control method according to this embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a plan view showing the flow in the previous stage of the third example of the traveling control method according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a plan view showing the flow in the latter stage of the third example of the traveling control method according to this embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a plan view showing the flow in the middle stage of the fourth example of the traveling control method according to this embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a plan view showing the flow in the latter stage of the fourth example of the traveling control method according to this embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a plan view showing an example of a carrier, a cart, and a guideline according to this embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a perspective view showing an example of the hardware configuration of the carrier according to this embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a plan view showing an example of the hardware configuration of the carrier according to this embodiment. [Figure 14] It is a perspective view showing an example of the hardware configuration when the carrier and the cart according to this embodiment are connected. [Figure 15] It is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of the operation area according to this embodiment. [Figure 16] It is a bottom view showing the positional relationship between the guideline and the carrier when the two-dimensional code constituting the guideline is detected by the line detection unit according to this embodiment. [Figure 17] It is a bottom view showing the positional relationship between the guideline and the carrier when the magnetic tape constituting the guideline is detected by the line detection unit according to this embodiment. [Figure 18] It is a view showing an example of the overall configuration diagram of the transport system according to this embodiment. [Figure 19] It is a configuration diagram of the overall control device in this embodiment. [Figure 20] It is a view showing the functional configuration diagram of the carrier according to this embodiment. [Figure 21] It is a flowchart showing an example of a driving control method according to this embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted. In addition, the drawings may show two-dimensional orthogonal coordinates having an X-axis and a Y-axis.

[0013] The driving control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is used, for example, in a manufacturing factory, a logistics warehouse, etc., to control an automated guided vehicle (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "AGV") used to transport various manufactured parts, packages, etc. The driving control system is realized, for example, by a transport system 1000 (FIG. 20) described later. Note that this system is not limited to an automated guided vehicle and can also be applied to other manned and unmanned moving bodies.

[0014] As an example, the AGV has an autonomous driving mode and a guided driving mode. The guided driving mode is a driving mode in which the AGV moves along a real or virtual guideline. The autonomous driving mode is a driving mode in which the AGV can move in an area where no guideline is arranged by estimating its own position.

[0015] In addition, in the autonomous driving mode and the guided driving mode, the AGV pulls the transport object and places the transport object in the target area. The transport object typically has at least one wheel. In this case, the transport object may be, for example, a cart, a conveyor, or a robot (for example, a robot having a robotic arm).

[0016] First, the transport vehicle 10 and the trolley 2000 will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a plan view showing an example of a transport vehicle 10 and a trolley 2000 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the transport device 20 comprises a transport vehicle 10 and a coupling device 21. The transport device 20 transports the trolley 2000 by towing it.

[0017] The transport vehicle 10 includes a control unit 260 and a recording unit 220. The control unit 260 includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The control unit 260 is an example of a computer. The recording unit 220 stores data and computer programs. The recording unit 220 includes a main memory such as semiconductor memory and an auxiliary memory such as semiconductor memory and a hard disk drive. The recording unit 220 may also include removable media such as an optical disc. The recording unit 220 may also include, for example, a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium.

[0018] The coupling device 21 connects the transport vehicle 10 and the trolley 2000 so that the trolley 2000 can swing (rotate) relative to the transport vehicle 10. The trolley 2000 corresponds to an example of the "object to be transported" in this disclosure.

[0019] As an example, the coupling device 21 includes a coupling body 22, a shaft member 23, and a coupling mechanism 24. One longitudinal end of the coupling body 22 is connected to the transport vehicle 10 by the shaft member 23. The shaft member 23 supports the coupling body 22 so that it can rotate (oscillate) around the oscillating axis AX. The oscillating axis AX extends, for example, along the vertical direction. In the example of Figure 1, the shaft member 23 is positioned on the centerline CL1 in the width direction of the transport vehicle 10 in a plan view. The width direction of the transport vehicle 10 is approximately perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the transport vehicle 10.

[0020] A coupling mechanism 24 is attached to the other longitudinal end of the connecting body 22. The coupling mechanism 24 connects to the bogie 2000 at the coupling point P3 of the bogie 2000. In this case, the coupling mechanism 24 connects to the bogie 2000 in such a way that the connecting body 22 cannot swing (rotate) relative to the bogie 2000. As an example, the coupling mechanism 24 connects to the bogie 2000 by gripping a predetermined part of the bogie 2000 at the coupling point P3. In the example in Figure 1, in a plan view, the coupling point P3 is located on the center line CL2 in the width direction of the bogie 2000. The width direction of the bogie 2000 is approximately perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the bogie 2000. The coupling mechanism 24 connects to the bogie 2000 at the coupling point P3 in a non-swingable state, but it may be swingable.

[0021] As a result, the trolley 2000 is connected to the transport vehicle 10 by the coupling device 21 so that it can swing around the pivot axis AX. In the example shown in Figure 1, the trolley 2000 is connected to the transport vehicle 10 at the rear by the coupling device 21.

[0022] Referring to Figure 1, the first specific location P1 and the rotation center P4 of the transport vehicle 10, and the second specific location P2 of the trolley 2000 will be explained. The first specific location P1 indicates the position of the transport vehicle 10. In other words, the position of the transport vehicle 10 is indicated by the position of the first specific location P1. The position of the transport vehicle 10 indicated by the first specific location P1 may be described as "self-position" or "vehicle position". As an example, the first specific location P1 is the center of the line detection unit 16 (Figure 11, which will be described later). The rotation center P4 is the center of rotation when the transport vehicle 10 rotates. Rotation indicates that the transport vehicle 10 rotates around the rotation center P4 while hardly moving forward, backward, left, or right. In the example in Figure 1, the first specific location P1 and the rotation center P4 are located on the center line CL1. The first specific location P1 and the rotation center P4 may be in different positions or they may coincide. The first specific location P1 may or may not be the location of the sensor that detects guideline 111.

[0023] The second specific point P2 on the trolley 2000 indicates the position of the trolley 2000. In other words, the position of the trolley 2000 is indicated by the position of the second specific point P2. For example, the position of the trolley 2000 relative to the guideline 111 is indicated by the distance d2, which is the shortest distance from the guideline 111 to the second specific point P2. Also, in the example in Figure 1, the second specific point P2 is located on the centerline CL2 of the trolley 2000. Furthermore, the orientation of the trolley 2000 is indicated by the relative angle β of the centerline CL2 of the trolley 2000 with respect to the centerline CL1 of the transport vehicle 10.

[0024] Furthermore, guideline 111 is placed on the floor. In the example in Figure 1, guideline 111 is a real guideline. Note that guideline 111 may also be a virtual guideline.

[0025] The transport vehicle 10 can move along real or virtual guidelines 111 while towing the trolley 2000. Real guidelines 111 are signs installed on the floor, wall, or ceiling, or signs rising from these surfaces, to guide the transport vehicle 10, and may be in a continuous linear pattern or signs arranged intermittently in a linear pattern. Guidelines 111 may be made of magnetic tape, for example. Alternatively, guidelines 111 can be made of multiple 2D codes arranged continuously or intermittently. Virtual guidelines 111 can be virtual 2D or 3D guidelines set on 2D or 3D map data corresponding to real space. In any case, the guidelines 111 are set and arranged so that the transport vehicle 10 can be guided to a predetermined location (destination, waypoint) by being referred to when the transport vehicle 10 is operating.

[0026] Figure 1 shows a linear guideline 111. A target area 101 is defined on the guideline 111, for example. The target area 101 is the area where the trolley 2000 is detached from the transport vehicle 10 and placed. Directions D1 and D2 are defined. Direction D1 is approximately parallel to the guideline 111 and indicates a direction away from the target area 101. Direction D2 is approximately parallel to the guideline 111 and is the opposite direction to direction D1, indicating a direction towards the target area 101.

[0027] Furthermore, Figure 1 shows the state in which the transport vehicle 10 enters the guideline 111 at an angle α. Angle α represents the angle of the transport vehicle 10's direction of travel D3 (centerline CL1) relative to the guideline 111. Angle α is, for example, approximately 90 degrees, an acute angle, or an obtuse angle.

[0028] In the following explanation of Figures 2 to 10, as an example, the axle member 23 of the transport vehicle 10 is positioned at the rotation center P4, and the second specific point P2 of the trolley 2000 is set as the coupling point P3.

[0029] Next, with reference to Figures 2 and 3, a first example of a method for controlling the movement of the transport vehicle 10 will be described. Figures 2 and 3 are plan views showing the flow of the first example of the movement control method. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first example of a method for controlling the movement of the transport vehicle 10 includes steps S1 to S5. Steps S1 to S5 are executed when the control unit 260 executes the computer program stored in the recording unit 220. In other words, the computer program product realizes steps S1 to S5 when the computer program is executed by the control unit 260.

[0030] First, in step S1, the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10, with the trolley 2000 attached to its rear, from outside the guideline 111 toward the guideline 111. In the example in Figure 2, the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10 toward the guideline 111 at an angle α. In the example in Figure 2, the angle α is approximately 90 degrees. An angle α of approximately 90 degrees makes it easier to control the positioning of the transport vehicle 10 in the next step S2.

[0031] Next, in step S2 (after step S1 but before step S3), the control unit 260 stops the transport vehicle 10 on the guideline 111. For example, the control unit 260 stops the transport vehicle 10 so that, in a plan view, the rotation center P4 of the transport vehicle 10 is located on the guideline 111. As a result, after the rotation is performed in the next step S3, the forward movement in the next step S4 can be performed smoothly. In other words, forward movement is possible immediately after rotation. In this case, for example, first, the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10 so that the first specific point P1 of the transport vehicle 10 is located on the guideline 111. Next, the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10 in a straight line for a distance L4 so that the rotation center P4 of the transport vehicle 10 is located on the guideline 111. Distance L4 represents the distance between the first specific point P1 and the rotation center P4. Distance L4 is stored in advance in the recording unit 220.

[0032] In the example shown in Figure 1, the rotation center P4 and the shaft member 23 are separated, but as shown in Figure 2, it is preferable that the positions of the rotation center P4 and the shaft member 23 coincide. This is because even when the transport vehicle 10 rotates, the movement of the trolley 2000 is suppressed, allowing the transport vehicle 10 to rotate smoothly.

[0033] Next, in step S3, the control unit 260 rotates the transport vehicle 10 while it is positioned on the guideline 111. In this case, the orientation of the transport vehicle 10 on the guideline 111 after the rotation is different from the orientation of the transport vehicle 10 before the rotation.

[0034] In other words, in step S3, the control unit 260 rotates the transport vehicle 10 on the guideline 111 so that the transport vehicle 10 faces forward on the guideline 111. In this case, "forward" refers to direction D1 (Figure 1). Note that "forward" does not have to strictly refer to direction D1, but may be within a predetermined range relative to direction D1. Rotation corresponds to an example of "rotational motion" in this disclosure. Step S3 also corresponds to an example of "a step of rotating the transport vehicle" in this disclosure.

[0035] Next, in step S4 (after step S3 but before step S5), the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10 forward along the guideline 111. In this case, "forward" indicates that the transport vehicle 10 moves in direction D1.

[0036] Specifically, in step S4, the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10 forward along the guideline 111 until the trolley 2000 satisfies the reverse condition. Then, when the trolley 2000 satisfies the reverse condition, the control unit 260 stops the transport vehicle 10. Therefore, the next step S5 is executed after the reverse condition has been met.

[0037] The reverse condition indicates that the trolley 2000 has an orientation within a first predetermined range on the guideline 111, and that the trolley 2000 is located within a second predetermined range on the guideline. In this embodiment, the orientation of the trolley 2000 is indicated by the relative angle β of the centerline CL2 of the trolley 2000 with respect to the centerline CL1 of the transport vehicle 10. In this case, for example, the first predetermined range of the reverse condition is indicated by the angle with respect to the centerline CL1. For example, the relative angle β of the centerline CL2 of the trolley 2000 with respect to the centerline CL1 of the transport vehicle 10 can be set to be less than or equal to a first specific angle that is stored in advance.

[0038] For example, the orientation of the bogie 2000 may be indicated by the relative angle of the centerline CL2 of the bogie 2000 with respect to the guideline 111. In this example, the first predetermined range is indicated by the angle with respect to the guideline 111. For example, the relative angle of the centerline CL2 of the bogie 2000 with respect to the guideline 111 can be set to or less than a pre-stored first specific angle.

[0039] On the other hand, the position of the trolley 2000 is indicated by the position of a second specific point P2 on the trolley 2000. For example, the position of the trolley 2000 is indicated by the distance d2 from the guideline 111 to the second specific point P2 on the trolley 2000. For example, the second predetermined range for the reverse condition is indicated by the distance to the guideline 111. For example, the distance d2 can be set to be less than or equal to a first specific distance that is stored in advance.

[0040] Next, in step S5, the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10 in reverse along the guideline 111 while maintaining the reverse condition of the trolley 2000, and positions the trolley 2000 in the target area 101.

[0041] As described above with reference to Figures 2 and 3, according to the first example of the travel control method according to this embodiment, the trolley 2000 is positioned in the target area 101 by combining rotational motion (step S3) and linear motion (steps S1, S2, S4, S5). Therefore, compared to the case in which the trolley 2000 is positioned in the target area 101 by directly reversing, the occurrence of repeated forward and reverse movements can be suppressed. As a result, when the trolley 2000 is positioned in the target area 101 by reversing the transport vehicle 10, the trolley 2000, which is swingably connected to the transport vehicle 10, can be smoothly positioned in the target area 101.

[0042] In particular, according to this embodiment, the travel control method includes step S3 of rotating the transport vehicle 10. In this case, since there is no forward movement, the travel distance of the transport vehicle 10 can be shortened.

[0043] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the transport vehicle 10 coming from outside the guideline 111 is stopped on the guideline 111 (step S2). Therefore, the transport vehicle 10 does not pass in a direction intersecting the guideline 111. As a result, the travel distance of the transport vehicle 10 in a direction intersecting the guideline 111 (for example, in the X-axis direction) can be reduced. In addition, in steps S4 and S5, which are performed after step S3, the transport vehicle 10 moves along the guideline 111. Therefore, the travel distance of the transport vehicle 10 in a direction intersecting the guideline 111 can be further reduced. Reducing the travel distance of the transport vehicle 10 in a direction intersecting the guideline 111 allows the trolley 2000 to be easily positioned in the target area 101, even if, for example, there is an object in the area on one side of the guideline 111 boundary (the area to the left of the guideline 111 in Figure 2) and it is difficult to secure space for the transport vehicle 10 to move into that area. For example, the system may determine whether there are obstacles such as objects, walls, or people in the area on one side of the guideline 111 boundary (the area to the left of guideline 111 in Figure 2) based on information from the transport vehicle 10's object detection sensor (e.g., the object position detection unit 12 described later), information received from an external device, etc., and if there are obstacles, it may perform the operation in this example. Alternatively, if there are no obstacles (or they are located at a distance greater than a predetermined distance), it may perform other operations (e.g., the operations illustrated in Figures 4 and 5). In other words, the operation may be switched depending on the presence or absence of obstacles or the location of obstacles, and if any operation is possible, the operation may be determined based on a pre-stored priority order.

[0044] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the trolley 2000 satisfies the reverse condition during the forward movement in step S4, before reversing in step S5. Therefore, in step S5, it is only necessary to reverse while satisfying the reverse condition, making it easy to control the reverse movement of the transport vehicle 10 and the trolley 2000.

[0045] Next, a second example of a method for controlling the movement of the transport vehicle 10 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figures 4 and 5 are diagrams illustrating the second example of a method for controlling the movement of the transport vehicle 10. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the second example of a method for controlling the movement of the transport vehicle 10 includes steps S11 to S16. Steps S11 to S16 are executed when the control unit 260 executes the computer program stored in the recording unit 220. In other words, the computer program product realizes steps S11 to S16 when the computer program is executed by the control unit 260.

[0046] First, in step S11, the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10, with the trolley 2000 attached to its rear, from outside the guideline 111 toward the guideline 111. This is the same as in step S1 in Figure 2.

[0047] Next, in step S12, the control unit 260 causes the transport vehicle 10 to pass through the guideline 111. In this case, the transport vehicle 10 may be controlled so that the entire vehicle passes through the guideline 111, or a portion of the transport vehicle 10 passes through the guideline 111, as long as the next step S13 is feasible.

[0048] Next, in step S13, the control unit 260 stops the transport vehicle 10 when the transport vehicle 10 has passed the guideline 111 and the trolley 2000 is positioned on the guideline 111. Specifically, the control unit 260 stops the transport vehicle 10 so that, in a plan view, the second specific point P2 of the trolley 2000 is positioned on the guideline 111, or so that the second specific point P2 is positioned within a predetermined range that includes a part of the guideline 111. In this case, after the rotational movement in the next step S14, the forward movement in the next step S15 can be executed smoothly.

[0049] As a detailed example, the control unit 260 stops the transport vehicle 10 when the distance d2 (Figure 1) from the guideline 111 to the second specific point P2 of the trolley 2000 becomes approximately zero, or when the distance d2 falls below a predetermined value.

[0050] Next, in step S14, the control unit 260 rotates the transport vehicle 10 while the trolley 2000 is positioned on the guideline 111. In this case, the orientation of the transport vehicle 10 on the guideline 111 after the rotation is different from the orientation of the transport vehicle 10 before the rotation. The control unit 260 also stops the transport vehicle 10 on the guideline 111 after the rotation.

[0051] In other words, in step S14, the control unit 260 rotates the transport vehicle 10 from outside the guideline 111 toward the guideline 111 so that the transport vehicle 10 is positioned on the guideline 111. In this case, the control unit 260 rotates the transport vehicle 10 toward the opposite side of the target area 101, rather than toward the target area 101. Rotational movement corresponds to an example of “rotational motion” in this disclosure. Step S14 also corresponds to an example of “a step of rotating the transport vehicle” in this disclosure.

[0052] Specifically, the control unit 260 rotates the transport vehicle 10 around the second specific point P2 of the trolley 2000 as the center of rotation. In this case, for example, the control unit 260 rotates the transport vehicle 10 so that it traces a roughly arc-shaped trajectory. The angle of rotation when rotating is approximately the same as the angle α (Figure 1) when the transport vehicle 10 enters the guideline 111. Furthermore, it is preferable for the control unit 260 to rotate the transport vehicle 10 while maintaining the position of the second specific point P2 of the trolley 2000 relative to the guideline 111. For example, the control unit 260 rotates the transport vehicle 10 while maintaining the distance d2 (Figure 1) from the guideline 111 to the second specific point P2 within a predetermined range. Moreover, it is preferable for the control unit 260 to rotate the transport vehicle 10 while the trolley 2000 does not move forward or backward on the guideline 111. The control unit 260 may rotate the transport vehicle 10 so that it traces an arc-shaped trajectory centered on a second specific point P2 located on the guideline 111, the center of the trolley 2000, or the center of gravity of the trolley 2000. However, the control unit 260 may also control the transport vehicle 10 so that the forward distance of the trolley 2000 (distance traveled in direction D1) is within a predetermined value from the time the transport vehicle 10 starts rotating until it stops on the guideline 111.

[0053] In addition, the control unit 260 rotates the transport vehicle 10 so that, in a plan view, the rotation center P4 of the transport vehicle 10 is located on the guideline 111. In this case, for example, first, the control unit 260 rotates the transport vehicle 10 so that the first specific point P1 of the transport vehicle 10 is located on the guideline 111. Next, the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10 in a straight line and stops it so that the rotation center P4 of the transport vehicle 10 is located on the guideline 111.

[0054] As a result of step S14, after the rotation in the next step S15, the reverse movement in the next step S16 can be performed smoothly.

[0055] Next, in step S15, the control unit 260 rotates the transport vehicle 10 on the guideline 111 so that the transport vehicle 10 faces forward on the guideline 111. In this case, "forward" is the same as "forward" in step S3 of Figure 1.

[0056] In this case, it is preferable that the control unit 260 performs step S15 without moving forward after the transport vehicle 10 is positioned on the guideline 111 by rotational movement (step S14).

[0057] Next, in step S16, the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10 backward along the guideline 111 to position the trolley 2000 in the target area 101. In this case, it is preferable that the control unit 260 executes steps S15 and S16 without moving forward after the transport vehicle 10 is positioned on the guideline 111 by rotational movement (step S14).

[0058] As described above with reference to Figures 3 and 4, according to the second example of the travel control method according to this embodiment, the trolley 2000 is positioned in the target area 101 by combining rotational motion, which is rotational movement (step S14) and rotation (step S15), with linear motion (steps S11 to S13, S16). Therefore, compared to the case in which the trolley 2000 is positioned in the target area 101 by directly reversing, the occurrence of repeated forward and reverse movements can be suppressed. As a result, when the trolley 2000 is positioned in the target area 101 by reversing the transport vehicle 10, the trolley 2000, which is swingably connected to the transport vehicle 10, can be smoothly positioned in the target area 101.

[0059] In particular, according to this embodiment, in the travel control method, the transport vehicle 10 rotates around the trolley 2000 as the center of rotation (step S14). Therefore, since there is no forward or backward movement of the trolley 2000, or the forward distance of the trolley 2000 is within a predetermined value, the distance traveled by the trolley 2000 in the direction along the guideline 111 can be reduced. In addition, since the transport vehicle 10 rotates rather than moves in a straight line, the distance traveled by the transport vehicle 10 in direction D1 along the guideline 111 can be shortened. As a result, for example, even if there is an object on the side of direction D1 (the upper region of the guideline 111 in Figure 4), making it difficult for the transport vehicle 10 to move forward in direction D1, or if it is difficult to secure the length of the guideline 111 in direction D1, the trolley 2000 can be easily positioned in the target region 101. For example, the system may determine whether there are obstacles such as objects, walls, or people on the side of direction D1 (the area above guideline 111 in Figure 4) based on information from the transport vehicle 10's object detection sensor (e.g., the object position detection unit 12 described later), information received from an external device, etc., and perform the operation in this example if there are obstacles. Alternatively, if there are no obstacles (or they are located at a distance greater than a predetermined distance), other operations (e.g., the operations illustrated in Figures 2 and 3) may be performed. In other words, the operation may be switched depending on the presence or absence of obstacles or the location of obstacles, and if any operation is possible, the operation may be determined based on a pre-stored priority order.

[0060] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, after the rotational movement of the transport vehicle 10 in step S14, it begins to move backward in step S15 without moving forward. Therefore, the distance traveled by the transport vehicle 10 and the trolley 2000 in direction D1 along the guideline 111 can be further reduced. As a result, even if it is more difficult for the transport vehicle 10 to move forward in direction D1, or if it is more difficult to secure the length of the guideline 111 in direction D1, the trolley 2000 can be easily positioned in the target area 101.

[0061] Next, with reference to Figures 6 to 8, a third example of the method for controlling the movement of the transport vehicle 10 will be described. The third example mainly differs from the second example described above in that an auxiliary line 19 is provided that intersects the guideline 111. The differences will be explained below.

[0062] Figure 6(a) is a plan view showing an example of guideline 111 and auxiliary line 19. As shown in Figure 6(a), a real or virtual auxiliary line 19 is positioned together with guideline 111. The auxiliary line 19 is a real or virtual guideline that guides the transport vehicle 10 so that it passes through guideline 111.

[0063] The auxiliary line 19 is straight. The auxiliary line 19 intersects the guideline 111. In the example in Figure 6(a), the auxiliary line 19 is approximately perpendicular to the guideline 111. The angle θ of the auxiliary line 19 with respect to the guideline 111 may be approximately 90 degrees, acute, or obtuse. The auxiliary line 19 may not intersect the guideline 111, but may extend in one direction from the guideline 111.

[0064] Figure 6(b) is a plan view showing another example of guideline 111 and auxiliary line 19. As shown in Figure 6(b), auxiliary line 19 extends toward guideline 111. Auxiliary line 19 is spaced apart from guideline 111. The virtual extension 25 of auxiliary line 19 intersects guideline 111. In the example of Figure 6(b), the virtual extension 25 of auxiliary line 19 is approximately perpendicular to guideline 111.

[0065] Specifically, the auxiliary line 19 includes line 19a and line 19b. Lines 19a and 19b extend toward the guideline 111. Lines 19a and 19b are arranged in a straight line. Lines 19a and 19b are spaced apart from the guideline 111. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the auxiliary line 19 from being falsely detected when the transport vehicle 10 moves along the guideline 111.

[0066] Furthermore, lines 19a and 19b face each other with guideline 111 in between. Note that auxiliary line 19 may consist only of line 19a.

[0067] Figures 7 and 8 are plan views showing the flow of a third example of a method for controlling the movement of the transport vehicle 10. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the third example of a method for controlling the movement of the transport vehicle 10 includes steps S11a to S16a. Steps S11a to S16a are executed when the control unit 260 executes the computer program stored in the recording unit 220. In other words, the computer program product realizes steps S11a to S16a when the computer program is executed by the control unit 260.

[0068] First, in step S11a, the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10 along the auxiliary line 19 from outside the guideline 111 toward the guideline 111.

[0069] Next, in step S12a, the control unit 260 causes the transport vehicle 10 to pass the guideline 111 along the auxiliary line 19. Otherwise, step S12a is the same as step S12 in the second example.

[0070] Next, in step S13a, the control unit 260 stops the transport vehicle 10 on the auxiliary line 19 when the transport vehicle 10 has passed the guideline 111 and the trolley 2000 is positioned on the guideline 111. Otherwise, step S13a is the same as step S13 in the second example.

[0071] In particular, in the third example of the travel control method according to this embodiment, the auxiliary line 19 allows for highly accurate estimation of the transport vehicle's own position (position of the first specific location P1), and therefore, the position of the trolley 2000 (position of the second specific location P2) can be highly accurate based on the transport vehicle's own position. Consequently, in step S13a, it is possible to detect with high accuracy that the trolley 2000 is positioned on the guideline 111. As a result, the burden of adjusting the position of the trolley 2000 after step S14a can be reduced.

[0072] Next, in step S14a, the control unit 260 rotates the transport vehicle 10 from the auxiliary line 19 toward the guideline 111 so that the transport vehicle 10 is positioned on the guideline 111. Otherwise, step S14a is the same as step S14 in the second example.

[0073] Next, steps S15a and S16a are executed. Steps S15a and S16a are the same as steps S15 and S16 in the second example described above, respectively.

[0074] Next, a fourth example of the travel control method for the transport vehicle 10 will be described with reference to Figures 2, 9, and 10. The initial flow of the fourth example of the travel control method is the same as the initial flow of the second example of the travel control method shown in Figure 2. Figure 9 is a plan view showing the middle flow of the fourth example of the travel control method. Figure 10 is a plan view showing the final flow of the fourth example of the travel control method. As shown in Figures 2, 9, and 10, the fourth example of the travel control method for the transport vehicle 10 includes steps S1a to S7a. Steps S1a to S7a are executed when the control unit 260 executes the computer program stored in the recording unit 220. In other words, the computer program product realizes steps S1a to S7a when the computer program is executed by the control unit 260.

[0075] First, as shown in Figure 2, the control unit 260 executes steps S1a to S3a. Steps S1a to S3a are the same as steps S1 to S3 in the first example described above.

[0076] Next, as shown in Figure 9, in step S4a (after step S3a), the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10 forward along the guideline 111. In this case, "forward" indicates that the transport vehicle 10 moves in direction D1.

[0077] Specifically, in step S4a, the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10 forward by a predetermined distance from its position after rotation in step S3a. Therefore, the transport vehicle 10 moves forward by the predetermined distance and stops.

[0078] The predetermined distance is shorter than the distance the transport vehicle 10 travels from the state of step S3a until the trolley 2000 reaches the predetermined state. Therefore, the distance the transport vehicle 10 travels in direction D1 can be shortened. The predetermined state indicates that the trolley 2000 has an attitude within a first predetermined range on the guideline 111, and the trolley 2000 is located within a second predetermined range on the guideline. The attitude of the trolley 2000, the position of the trolley 2000, the first predetermined range, and the second predetermined range are the same as the attitude of the trolley 2000, the position of the trolley 2000, the first predetermined range, and the second predetermined range in step S4 of the first example described above.

[0079] In other words, the control unit 260 can start the reverse movement of the next step S5a before the posture of the trolley 2000 falls within the first predetermined range of the first example, and / or before the position of the trolley 2000 falls within the second predetermined range of the first example. For example, the control unit 260 stops the forward movement of the transport vehicle 10 when the relative angle β of the trolley 2000 is greater than or equal to a second specific angle, which is greater than a first specific angle defined as the first predetermined range of the first example. And / or, for example, the control unit 260 stops the forward movement of the transport vehicle 10 when the distance d2 of the trolley 2000 is greater than or equal to a second specific distance, which is greater than a first specific distance defined as the second predetermined range of the first example.

[0080] Next, in step S5a (after step S4a), the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10 in reverse while moving it away from the guideline 111. In this case, the control unit 260 may move the entire transport vehicle 10 away from the guideline 111, or it may move only a part of the transport vehicle 10 away. Moving only a part of the transport vehicle 10 indicates, for example, that the first specific location P1 of the transport vehicle 10 is located outside a predetermined range relative to the guideline 111.

[0081] Next, as shown in Figure 10, in step S6a (after step 5a and before step S7a), the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10 backward so that the trolley 2000 moves backward along the guideline 111, while returning the transport vehicle 10 from outside the guideline 111 to onto the guideline 111.

[0082] Specifically, the control unit 260 reverses the transport vehicle 10 so that the trolley 2000 satisfies the reverse condition, and returns the transport vehicle 10 from outside the guideline 111 to onto the guideline 111. The reverse condition in this case is the same as the reverse condition in step S4 of the first example described above. The return of the transport vehicle 10 indicates, for example, that the first specific location P1 of the transport vehicle 10 is positioned on the guideline 111.

[0083] Next, in step S7a, the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10 in reverse along the guideline 111 to position the trolley 2000 in the target area 101.

[0084] As explained above with reference to Figures 8 to 10, according to the fourth example of the driving control method according to this embodiment, the trolley 2000 is positioned in the target area 101 by combining rotational motion (step S3a), linear motion (steps S1a, S2a, S4a, S7a), and detachment and return motion (steps S5a, S6a). Therefore, compared to the case in which the trolley 2000 is positioned in the target area 101 by directly reversing, the occurrence of repeated forward and reverse movements can be suppressed. As a result, when the trolley 2000 is positioned in the target area 101 by reversing the transport vehicle 10, the trolley 2000, which is swingably connected to the transport vehicle 10, can be smoothly positioned in the target area 101.

[0085] In particular, according to this embodiment, the travel control method moves the transport vehicle 10 in reverse while moving it away from the guideline 111 (step S5a), and then moves the transport vehicle 10 back onto the guideline 111, thereby positioning the trolley 2000 on the guideline 111 to satisfy the reverse condition. Therefore, the travel distance when the transport vehicle 10 moves forward in step S4a can be shortened. As a result, for example, even if there is an object on the side of direction D1 (the upper area of ​​the guideline 111 in Figure 9) and it is difficult for the transport vehicle 10 to move forward in direction D1, or even if it is difficult to secure the length of the guideline 111 in direction D1, the trolley 2000 can be easily positioned in the target area 101.

[0086] Next, with reference to Figures 1 and 11, we will explain the estimation of the relative position of the trolley 2000 with respect to the guideline 111.

[0087] As shown in Figure 1, the control unit 260 estimates the relative position of the trolley 2000 to the guideline 111 based on the position information and orientation information of the transport vehicle 10 relative to the guideline 111, and the position information and orientation information of the trolley 2000 relative to the transport vehicle 10.

[0088] The positional information of the transport vehicle 10 relative to the guideline 111 is indicated, for example, by the distance d0, which is the shortest distance from the guideline 111 to the first specific point P1 of the transport vehicle 10.

[0089] Figure 11 is a plan view showing an example of a transport vehicle 10, a trolley 2000, and a guideline 111. In the following description, an example is described in which the second specific point P2 of the trolley 2000 is set to the coupling point P3, and the position of the axle member 23 and the rotation center P4 are different.

[0090] As shown in Figure 11, the first specific location P1 on the transport vehicle 10 can be, for example, the center of the line detection unit 16 on the transport vehicle 10. In the example in Figure 11, the line detection unit 16 is positioned on the guideline 111 so that it overlaps with the guideline 111 in a plan view, so the relative distance (difference) of the first specific location P1 to the guideline 111, that is, the distance d0 (Figure 1) from the guideline 111 to the first specific location P1, is 0. Furthermore, if the guideline 111 is composed of a two-dimensional code, the control unit 260 of the transport vehicle 10 can also obtain the position of the guideline 111 in the direction of extension from the code information stored linked to the two-dimensional code. Alternatively, the control unit 260 may estimate the relative position of the transport vehicle 10 (first specific location P1) to the guideline 111 by comparing the position information (coordinate information) of the guideline 111 in the map information of the recording unit 220 with the current position information (coordinate information) of the transport vehicle 10 estimated based on information obtained from sensors and cameras.

[0091] The orientation information of the transport vehicle 10 relative to the guideline 111 is indicated, for example, by an angle α. That is, angle α can be expressed as the relative angle between the extending direction of the guideline 111 and the front-to-back direction of the transport vehicle 10 (centerline CL1 in the example in Figure 11). For example, in the case of an image recognition method in which a camera reads the guideline 111 using a two-dimensional code or barcode, the control unit 260 can generate position information based on the detected code information in addition to the detection signal of the guideline 111, and further generate relative angle information (angle α) between the guideline 111 and the transport vehicle 10 by analyzing the image information of the code.

[0092] The control unit 260 of the transport vehicle 10 estimates the relative position of the shaft member 23 (oscillating axis AX) to the guideline 111 based on the position information and orientation information of the transport vehicle 10 relative to the guideline 111, and the relative position information of the shaft member 23 (oscillating axis AX) relative to the first specific point P1 of the transport vehicle 10. Then, the control unit 260 can control the operation of the transport vehicle 10 based on the estimated relative position of the shaft member 23. With this configuration, the transport vehicle 10 can be controlled to virtually detect and follow the guideline 111 even at locations where there are no actual sensors to detect the guideline 111 (the position of the shaft member 23). As a result, it becomes possible to reduce the number of guideline detection sensors in the transport vehicle 10.

[0093] The relative position information of the shaft member 23 with respect to the first specific point P1 of the transport vehicle 10 may be set to a position L1 behind the center of the line detection unit 16 of the transport vehicle 10 (in the direction toward the rear along the center line CL1 of the transport vehicle 10). The recording unit 220 stores in advance the distance L1 from the first specific point P1 to the shaft member 23.

[0094] In this example, the center point of the line detection unit 16 is set as the first specific location P1, but at least the first specific location P1 is set to a position where the control unit 260 can acquire its position information and orientation information. For example, if the rotation center P4 shown in Figure 13 is set as the first specific location P1, the relative position information of the shaft member 23 with respect to the first specific location P1 may be the distance L2 from the rotation center P4 of the transport vehicle 10, or it may be set to a specific coordinate (x1, y1) in a two-dimensional coordinate system (plane coordinate system) with the rotation center P4 as the origin. The recording unit 220 stores the distance L2 from the rotation center P4 to the shaft member 23 in advance.

[0095] Returning to Figure 11, the distance d1, which is the shortest distance from the guideline 111 to the shaft member 23, can be calculated using, for example, the distance L1 from the line detection unit 16 (first specific location P1) to the shaft member 23 and the angle α mentioned above, as the relative position of the shaft member 23 with respect to the guideline 111. The calculation formula can be d1 = L1 * sin α. Furthermore, from the attitude information of the transport vehicle 10 relative to the guideline 111, it is possible to estimate which side of the guideline 111 the shaft member 23 is located on (for example, whether it is on the left or right side of the guideline 111, based on the left-right direction of the transport vehicle 10).

[0096] As an example, the control unit 260 can control the drive unit (wheel drive unit 280 in Figure 20) of the transport vehicle 10 so that the axle member 23 moves onto the guideline 111 in a plan view. Specifically, in the case of Figure 11, the transport vehicle 10 may rotate until the angle α becomes 0 degrees or until the axle member 23 is positioned on the guideline 111, or it may first move forward so that the rotation center P4 of the transport vehicle 10 is positioned on the guideline 111 and then rotate until the angle α becomes 0 degrees, or it may slowly turn while moving backward so that the axle member 23 is positioned on the guideline 111. When the transport vehicle 10 moves forward so that the rotation center P4 is positioned on the guideline 111, the control unit 260 can calculate the forward distance L4 as the difference between L1 and L2 shown in Figure 13. The recording unit 220 may store the distance L4.

[0097] Returning to Figure 11, if the line detection unit 16 detects the guideline 111, the relative position and orientation of the line detection unit 16 (first specific location P1) with respect to the guideline 111 can be obtained. Based on the relative position and orientation of the line detection unit 16 with respect to the guideline 111 and the relative position of the shaft member 23 with respect to the line detection unit 16 stored in the recording unit 220 (for example, distance L1), the control unit 260 can estimate the relative position of the shaft member 23 with respect to the guideline 111.

[0098] On the other hand, if the line detection unit 16 does not detect the guideline 111 (i.e., the line detection unit 16 is not located on the guideline 111), the control unit 260 can estimate the position of the first specific point P1 of the transport vehicle 10 relative to the guideline 111 by comparing the position information of the guideline 111 included in the map data stored in the recording unit 220 with the self-position information (position of the first specific point P1 of the transport vehicle 10) estimated by the position estimation unit 265 (Figure 20), described later. Based on the position information of the shaft member 23 relative to the first specific point P1 stored in the recording unit 220 (e.g., distance L1), the control unit 260 can estimate the relative position of the shaft member 23 relative to the guideline 111 (e.g., distance d1). As an example, the control unit 260 can move the transport vehicle 10 so that the shaft member 23 approaches the guideline 111 and the shaft member 23 follows the guideline 111 by repeatedly performing this estimation process and controlling the drive unit of the transport vehicle 10 to rotate, move forward, move backward, etc.

[0099] If the line detection unit 16 is not located on the guideline 111, for example, the distance d1 can be determined by adding or subtracting the distance from the guideline 111 to the line detection unit 16 (first specific location P1) (depending on the direction viewed from the guideline 111) to the above "L1*sin α".

[0100] The control unit 260 may, when estimating the relative position of the shaft member 23 with respect to the guideline 111, obtain the relative difference between the position of the guideline 111 and the position of the shaft member 23. This difference can be the distance d1 described above. Alternatively, the control unit 260 may estimate the angle of the direction of travel (forward / backward direction) of the transport vehicle 10 with respect to the extending direction of the guideline 111 as the difference.

[0101] Here, the recording unit 220 (Figure 1) pre-stores map data corresponding to the real space and position data of a virtual guideline 111 set on the map data. The control unit 260 may estimate the relative position information of the first specific point P1 of the transport vehicle 10 with respect to the guideline 111 and the current posture information of the transport vehicle 10 with respect to the guideline 111, based on the position data of the virtual guideline 111 on the map data and the current position information and posture information of the transport vehicle 10. The current position information and current posture information of the first specific point P1 of the transport vehicle 10 can be obtained, for example, by the position estimation unit 265 and posture detection unit 235, which will be described later. The map data and the position information of the guideline 111 may be pre-stored in the recording unit 220, or they may be generated based on sensor data acquired while the transport vehicle 10 is moving. In that case, for example, SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology using sensor data such as LiDAR can be employed.

[0102] For example, when the transport vehicle 10 is moving backward, the control unit 260 may determine whether the shaft member 23 is positioned on the guideline 111 in a plan view, and if the shaft member 23 is positioned on the guideline 111, it may control the operation of the transport vehicle 10 so that the shaft member 23 moves along the guideline 111, and if the shaft member 23 is not positioned on the guideline 111, it may control the operation of the transport vehicle 10 so that the shaft member 23 approaches the guideline 111.

[0103] Furthermore, the control unit 260 may estimate the position of the shaft member 23 relative to the guideline 111 at predetermined intervals. The predetermined interval can be set to any value, such as 0.1 seconds, 1 second, or 5 seconds. Alternatively, the position of the shaft member 23 relative to the guideline 111 may be estimated repeatedly based on other conditions, rather than at predetermined intervals. These other conditions may be based on distance or speed of movement, such as moving a predetermined distance or a change in speed. By repeatedly confirming the position of the transport vehicle 10 relative to the guideline 111, the accuracy of movement can be improved.

[0104] Furthermore, the control unit 260 may acquire the current position of the transport vehicle 10 by scanning a two-dimensional code, which serves as a guideline 111, installed on the road surface, wall surface, or ceiling surface. By using a two-dimensional code such as an AR marker, the estimation accuracy can be improved.

[0105] Continuing with Figure 11, the control unit 260 estimates the relative position of the second specific point P2 of the trolley 2000 with respect to the guideline 111 based on the relative position information and orientation information of the trolley 2000 with respect to the transport vehicle 10.

[0106] For example, the control unit 260 estimates the relative position of the second specific point P2 of the trolley 2000 with respect to the guideline 111 (e.g., distance d2) based on position information (e.g., distance d1) indicating the relative position of the shaft member 23 with respect to the guideline 111, position information (e.g., distance L5) of the second specific point P2 of the trolley 2000 with respect to the shaft member 23, attitude information (e.g., angle β) of the trolley 2000 with respect to the transport vehicle 10, and attitude information (e.g., angle α) of the transport vehicle 10 with respect to the guideline 111. The control unit 260 controls the operation of the transport vehicle 10 based on the relative position of the second specific point P2 of the trolley 2000 with respect to the guideline 111.

[0107] Specifically, if the trolley 2000 is connected to the transport vehicle 10 so as to be able to swing (rotate) with the vertical shaft member 23 as a pivot point, that is, if the relative positional relationship of the trolley 2000 with respect to the transport vehicle 10 changes, it is preferable that the transport vehicle 10 is equipped with a transport object detection unit 237 (Figure 20, described later) that detects the relative posture of the trolley 2000 with respect to the transport vehicle 10. The relative posture of the trolley 2000 with respect to the transport vehicle 10 is indicated, for example, by the angle β of the center line CL2 of the trolley 2000 with respect to the center line CL1 of the transport vehicle 10.

[0108] In this case, the object detection unit 237 includes, for example, an encoder provided on the shaft member 23 to measure the displacement angle (for example, angle β) from a predetermined state. Alternatively, for example, the object detection unit 237 may include a distance measuring sensor to measure the distance from the transport vehicle 10 to specific points on the left and right sides of the trolley 2000 and estimate the relative angle with respect to the transport vehicle 10. In addition, the object detection unit 237 may measure the relative angle by means of, for example, a resolver.

[0109] For example, the control unit 260 calculates distance d12 based on the distance L5 from the axle member 23 to the second specific point P2 of the trolley 2000, the relative angle β of the trolley 2000 with respect to the transport vehicle 10, and the relative angle α of the transport vehicle 10 with respect to the guideline 111. For example, d12 = L5 * sin(α - β). Furthermore, the control unit 260 calculates distance d2 as the position of the second specific point P2 of the trolley 2000 with respect to the guideline 111. For example, d2 = d1 + d12.

[0110] According to this, the control unit 260 can control the transport vehicle 10 based on the position of the second specific point P2 of the trolley 2000 relative to the guideline 111 in steps S4 and S5 in Figure 3, step S13 in Figure 4, steps S14 and S16 in Figure 5, step S13a in Figure 7, steps S14a and S16a in Figure 8, and steps S5a to S7a in Figure 10.

[0111] In any case, the control unit 260 repeatedly estimates the position of the second specific point P2 of the trolley 2000 relative to the guideline 111, and controls the drive unit (wheel drive unit 280 in Figure 20) so that the second specific point P2 of the trolley 2000 is positioned on the guideline 111, thereby enabling each of the above steps S4, S5, S13, S14, S16, S13a, S14a, S16a, S5a to S7a to be realized.

[0112] The control unit 260 may also estimate the position of the second specific point P2 of the trolley 2000 relative to the guideline 111 at predetermined intervals. The predetermined interval can be set to any value, such as 0.1 seconds, 1 second, or 5 seconds. Alternatively, the position of the second specific point P2 relative to the guideline 111 may be estimated repeatedly based on other conditions, rather than at predetermined intervals. Other conditions may include, for example, the timing of the transition between each step of the travel control method (Figures 2 to 10), or conditions based on the distance or speed of travel, such as moving a predetermined distance or a change in speed. By repeatedly confirming the position of the trolley 2000 relative to the guideline 111, the accuracy of the movement can be improved.

[0113] <Transport vehicle configuration> Figure 12 is a perspective view showing an example of the hardware configuration of the transport vehicle 10 according to this embodiment. Although the transport vehicle 10 in this example is an unmanned transport vehicle, it can also be applied to various vehicles that can carry people. The arrow 15 in Figure 12 indicates the direction of travel (forward) of the transport vehicle 10. The direction of travel is basically forward of the transport vehicle 10, but it can also be backward depending on the situation. As shown in Figure 12, the transport vehicle 10 is equipped with an object position detection unit 12 for detecting objects around the transport vehicle 10, drive wheels 13, and non-drive wheels 14. The transport vehicle 10 is also equipped with an axle member 23 of a coupling device 21 (Figure 1) for connecting a trolley 2000.

[0114] The object position detection unit 12 can detect the position and orientation (relative position and angle to the transport vehicle 10) of the trolley 2000 connected to the transport vehicle 10. The object position detection unit 12 can also detect the relative distance and angle from the transport vehicle 10 to an object (including the trolley 2000, a person, etc.). As the object position detection unit 12, a laser distance sensor (such as LiDAR (Light detection and ranging)) that measures the distance and direction to an object by irradiating a laser beam and measuring the time it takes for the beam to hit the object and bounce back, a millimeter-wave radar that detects the distance to an object based on a millimeter-wave transmission signal and a received signal that is reflected back from the object, or a camera-type distance sensor that measures the distance to an object by photographing the object with a camera and analyzing the captured image. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the object position detection unit 12 is placed on the upper surface of the transport vehicle 10 in the direction of travel, but it may be placed on the front side in the direction of travel instead. It may also be placed not only on the front but also on the rear side or both left and right sides in the direction of travel.

[0115] The object position detection unit 12 may be configured to detect objects in a 360-degree radius around the transport vehicle 10, but it is configured to detect objects at least in the direction of travel 15 of the transport vehicle 10. The direction of travel 15 may be either in front of or behind the transport vehicle 10.

[0116] Figure 13 is a bottom view showing an example of the hardware configuration of the transport vehicle 10 according to this embodiment. Drive wheels 13 are provided on the bottom surface of the transport vehicle 10 at positions on both the left and right sides with respect to the direction of travel 15 of the transport vehicle 10, and non-drive wheels 14 are provided in front of and behind each drive wheel 13. The drive wheels 13 are wheels that are driven by being connected to the rotating shaft of a motor, and the right drive wheel 13 and the left drive wheel 13 are controlled individually. The control unit 260 can control the speed of the transport vehicle 10 by controlling the rotational speed of the drive wheels 13. Furthermore, by individually controlling the rotational speed and rotational direction of each drive wheel 13, the control unit 260 can make the transport vehicle 10 curve, rotate in place to change direction, stop, or move in reverse.

[0117] For example, the control unit 260 can make the transport vehicle 10 rotate around the center of rotation P4 by controlling two drive wheels 13 at the same rotational speed and in different rotational directions (for example, step S3 in Figure 2). The midpoint of the pair of drive wheels 13 is the center of rotation P4. For example, the control unit 260 can make the transport vehicle 10 rotate by controlling two drive wheels 13 at different rotational speeds and in the same rotational direction (for example, step S14 in Figure 5).

[0118] The non-driven wheels 14 are wheels that are not driven and rotate passively as the transport vehicle 10 moves due to the drive wheels 13. The non-driven wheels 14 are composed of, for example, forks that fix the wheel to the axle, and the forks are composed of swivel casters that are rotatably connected to the bottom surface member of the transport vehicle 10. Therefore, the direction of rotation of the non-driven wheels 14 changes passively according to the direction of travel and rotational movement of the transport vehicle 10. In other words, the non-driven wheels 14 are swivel wheels that can rotate freely 360 degrees while in contact with the floor surface.

[0119] Figure 13 illustrates a hardware configuration of a transport vehicle 10 having two drive wheels 13 and four non-drive wheels 14 at the four corners. However, this disclosure is not limited to this hardware configuration. It is also possible to adopt a configuration with a total of four wheels, consisting of two drive wheels 13 and two non-drive wheels 14. Furthermore, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the front wheels are steerable in this four-wheel configuration.

[0120] A line detection unit 16 for detecting the guideline 111 is provided on the bottom surface of the transport vehicle 10. Preferably, the line detection unit 16 is provided in front of the drive wheels 13 in the direction of travel of the transport vehicle 10. This makes it easier to follow the guideline 111 when traveling along a curved section of the guideline 111, and also allows for quick execution of stopping or other processing by receiving information from the guideline 111 as soon as the transport vehicle 10 and the towing trolley 2000 move. The line detection unit 16 uses a sensor corresponding to the type of guidance method described above. If an electromagnetic guidance method is used, a pickup coil is used; if a magnetic guidance method is used, a magnetic sensor is used; and if an image recognition method is used, a camera is used as the sensor of the line detection unit 16. The guideline 111 is not limited to the floor surface, but may also be provided on the side walls or ceiling of a building, and the sensors (including cameras) of the transport vehicle 10 can be installed in a position where the guideline 111 can be recognized (such as the bottom, side, or top surface of the transport vehicle 10). Furthermore, the guideline 111 may be a virtual track provided on two-dimensional or three-dimensional map data. The control unit 260 of the transport vehicle 10 may control the movement of the transport vehicle 10 in accordance with the virtual guideline 111 based on map information and track information (movement path information) stored in advance in the recording unit 220, and current self-position information estimated based on information from cameras, sensors, etc.

[0121] Information regarding the position of the shaft member 23 is stored in advance in the recording unit 220. The position of the line detection unit 16 may be set using three-dimensional coordinates. As shown in Figure 13, the center point (midpoint) between the left and right drive wheels 13 is the rotation center P4. In this example, the rotation center P4 coincides with the center of the transport vehicle 10, but it may be offset. Information regarding the relative positional relationship between the rotation center P4, the center of the transport vehicle 10, and the shaft member 23, such as the distance L2 from the rotation center P4 to the shaft member 23 and the distance L3 from the center of the transport vehicle 10 to the shaft member 23, is also stored in advance in the recording unit 220.

[0122] Figure 14 shows an example of the hardware configuration when the transport vehicle 10 and the trolley 2000 are coupled according to this embodiment. The trolley 2000 is connected to the transport vehicle 10 by a coupling device 21 so as to be able to swing (rotate) with the axle member 23 as the pivot point.

[0123] Figure 15 shows an example of the configuration of the operating area 130 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 15, guidelines 131 are laid within the operating area 130, and when a transport vehicle 10 traveling in autonomous driving mode detects the guidelines 131 at a pre-set driving mode switching position 132, the driving control mode is switched from autonomous driving mode to guided driving mode. Conversely, when a transport vehicle 10 traveling in guided driving mode on the guidelines 131 enters a pre-set driving mode switching position 132, the driving control mode is switched from guided driving mode to autonomous driving mode. In order to guide the transport vehicle 10 to a position close to shelves or belt conveyors where goods are stored or to the work positions of workers, the track composed of the guidelines 131 is laid at positions close to the shelves and work positions via multiple branching points.

[0124] When a transport vehicle 10 is traveling in autonomous mode in an autonomous driving area where guideline 131 is not laid, it changes its driving mode to guided driving mode, which follows guideline 131, provided that it enters a driving mode switching position 132 and detects guideline 131. On the other hand, when a transport vehicle 10 traveling in guided driving mode on guideline 131 enters a driving mode switching position 132, the driving control mode switches from guided driving mode to autonomous driving mode, and the transport vehicle 10 leaves guideline 131 and starts autonomous driving.

[0125] As shown in Figure 15, the guideline 131 can be one of various commonly used induction methods, as described later. Specifically, for example, an electromagnetic induction method can be applied, in which a magnetic field generated by passing a weak alternating current through a metal wire installed as the guideline 131 is detected by a pickup coil on the transport vehicle side; a magnetic induction method can be applied, in which a magnetic tape laid on the floor as the guideline 131 is read by a magnetic sensor on the transport vehicle side; or an image recognition method can be applied, in which an image of a code (barcode, two-dimensional code, etc.) laid on the floor as an induction line is captured by a camera on the transport vehicle 10 and image processing is performed.

[0126] Figure 16 shows the positional relationship between the guideline 111 and the transport vehicle 10 when the line detection unit 16 detects the two-dimensional code 1001 that constitutes the guideline 111. The guideline 111 consists of multiple two-dimensional codes 1001, each printed with code information on a two-dimensional plane as shown in the two-dimensional code 1001, and these codes are printed in a line in the direction in which the guideline 111 is laid. When the line detection unit 16 detects a two-dimensional code 1001, it obtains the positional information of the two-dimensional code 1001 based on the code information obtained from the two-dimensional code 1001.

[0127] Figure 17 shows the positional relationship between the guideline 111 and the transport vehicle 10 when the line detection unit 16 detects the magnetic tape constituting the guideline 111. The line detection unit 16 shown in Figure 17 is configured to have multiple magnetic sensors 17 for detecting the magnetic tape, positioned laterally in the direction of travel of the transport vehicle 10. Each of the multiple magnetic sensors 17 provided in the line detection unit 16 outputs a detection signal indicating whether or not it has detected the magnetic tape. In the case shown in Figure 17, the three magnetic sensors 17A located in the center of the line detection unit 16 have detected the magnetic tape, while the two magnetic sensors 17B on each side of the line detection unit 16 have not detected the magnetic tape. This makes it possible to detect where the guideline is located (rightward, leftward, center, etc.) within the range of the line detection unit 16 (the entire area including the multiple magnetic sensors).

[0128] <Configuration of the transport system> Next, the configuration of the transport system 1000 of this embodiment will be described. The transport system 1000 corresponds to an example of a “travel control system” of this disclosure. In other words, the transport system 1000 is a travel control system for a transport vehicle 10 to which a trolley 2000 is swingably connected and which is able to move along a real or virtual guideline 111 while towing the trolley 2000.

[0129] Figure 18 shows an example of an overall configuration diagram of the transport system 1000 according to this embodiment. The transport system 1000 includes a plurality of transport vehicles 10, a trolley 2000 which is the object to be transported, a control unit 3000 which can display the status of the transport vehicles 10 or input commands to the transport vehicles 10, a central control unit 4000 which manages information necessary for the operation of the transport vehicles 10, an input / output device 5000 which displays information from the central control unit 4000 and inputs information to the central control unit 4000, and a communication network 6000 which connects the plurality of transport vehicles 10, the control unit 3000 and the central control unit 4000 so that they can communicate with each other. Various devices such as the control unit 3000, the central control unit 4000 and the input / output device 5000 may be separate devices, or some or all of them may be formed as an integrated device.

[0130] Furthermore, the transport system 1000 can also be connected to an external system 7000 via a communication network 6000. When the transport system 1000 is introduced into a manufacturing plant to transport parts necessary for manufacturing from a storage area to the production line, the transport system 1000 acts as an external system 7000 and performs system-to-system coordination with the manufacturing management system. In this case, by obtaining information on the operational progress of manufacturing work from the manufacturing management system, the transport volume and transport route of the transport vehicle 10 can be dynamically adjusted according to the operational progress of the manufacturing work.

[0131] As another example, if the transport system 1000 is introduced into a logistics warehouse to transport incoming goods from the entrance to the storage area when goods are brought into the warehouse by truck, etc., and transport outgoing goods from the storage area to the exit when goods are shipped from the warehouse, the transport system 1000 will function as an external system 7000 and perform system-to-system integration with the logistics management system. In this case, by obtaining information on incoming goods and outgoing goods from the logistics management system, the transport volume and transport route of the transport vehicle 10 can be changed.

[0132] In facilities where the transport system 1000 is introduced, multiple transport vehicles 10 are generally in operation, and each transport vehicle 10 is connected to other transport vehicles 10 and other components via a communication network 6000 so as to be able to communicate with them. For example, a transport vehicle 10 transmits various detection information and other control information detected by its own detection unit to the control unit 3000, the central control unit 4000, and other transport vehicles 10. The transport vehicle 10 is also electrically connected to the trolley 2000 or connected to it via short-range communication means so as to be able to receive information regarding the connection status and identification information of the trolley 2000 from the trolley 2000.

[0133] The control unit 3000 has the function of displaying status information for each transport vehicle 10 and the function of inputting commands to a designated transport vehicle 10. For example, the status information of the transport vehicles 10 displayed on the control unit 3000 includes the identification information of each transport vehicle 10, its position (coordinates, position on the map), speed, direction, travel history, information on the charge level of the battery installed in the transport vehicle 10 that powers the transport vehicle 10, and the identification information of the trolley 2000 that the transport vehicle 10 transports. Commands to be input to the transport vehicle 10 include, for example, command information regarding the destination (target position) of the transport vehicle 10, commands for coupling and uncoupling with the trolley 2000, commands to start the transport vehicle 10 from moving, commands to stop the transport vehicle 10, and commands to return to the charging station.

[0134] Figure 19 shows a configuration diagram of the central control device 4000 in this embodiment. The central control device 4000 includes a status information recording unit 4010 that records status information of multiple transport vehicles 10 operating in the facility area, an operation scenario management unit 4020 that manages the operation scenarios of the multiple transport vehicles 10, a map management unit 4030 that generates and updates a work area map based on detection information of the transport vehicles 10, including detection information of guidelines 111 acquired by the line detection unit 16 of the transport vehicles 10, an abnormality determination unit 4040 that determines abnormalities in the guidelines 111 and the transport vehicles 10 based on the detection information of the transport vehicles 10, and a communication unit 4050 that communicates with an external input / output device 5000 and a communication network 6000.

[0135] The status information of the transport vehicle 10 recorded by the status information recording unit 4010 includes, for example, the location of obstacles detected by multiple transport vehicles 10 in operation, the location of guideline detection, history information of the transport vehicle 10's travel position, as well as battery charge level information, identification information of the trolley 2000 connected to multiple transport vehicles 10, the operating mode of multiple transport vehicles 10 (guided driving mode or autonomous driving mode, virtual sensor utilization mode), various detection information detected by the detection unit 230 of the transport vehicle 10, and map information of the work area. The operation scenario managed by the operation scenario management unit 4020 includes, for example, information on the destination of each of the multiple transport vehicles 10, multiple operations to be performed to reach the destination, the order of operations for the multiple operations, and the conditions for switching between operations.

[0136] The map management unit 4030 generates a map containing location information of obstacles and guidelines 111 within the work area, based on the obstacle detection locations, guideline detection locations, and historical information of the transport vehicle 10's travel position detected by the transport vehicle 10. Furthermore, the map management unit 4030 updates the information of the guidelines 111 and work area registered in the map based on the guideline detection location information accumulated by one or more transport vehicles 10.

[0137] The abnormality detection unit 4040 determines abnormalities in the guideline 111 and the transport vehicle 10 based on the location information of the guideline 111 registered in the map information and the detection information of the transport vehicle 10, which includes the detected location information of the guideline 111 detected by the transport vehicle 10.

[0138] The input / output device 5000 displays information recorded in the status information recording unit 4010 of the central control unit 4000, map information (including map update information), and the judgment results from the abnormality judgment unit 4040. It also allows the input of new operation scenarios or updates by inputting operation scenarios managed by the operation scenario management unit 4020. The information input to the input / output device 5000 includes, for example, that the destination of any transport vehicle 10 is a work area in the guided driving area, the operation details for entering the guided driving area and reaching the work area, and operation switching conditions.

[0139] <Functions of the transport vehicle> The functions of the transport vehicle 10 will be explained using Figure 20. Figure 20 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the transport vehicle 10 according to this embodiment. The transport vehicle 10 includes a communication unit 210 that communicates with an external trolley 2000 and a communication network 6000, a recording unit 220 (including a storage unit), a detection unit 230 equipped with various sensors described later, a wheel drive unit 280 that drives the drive wheels 13, an input unit 240, a display unit 250, and a control unit 260. The control unit 260 controls the operation of the transport vehicle 10 by controlling the wheel drive unit 280 of the transport vehicle 10. The wheel drive unit 280 corresponds to an example of a "drive unit" in this disclosure.

[0140] The recording unit 220 has the function of recording information received from the outside by the communication unit 210, detection information detected by the detection unit 230, and information generated and output by the control unit 260. The recording unit 220 stores location information of the first specific point P1 of the transport vehicle 10, location information of the second specific point P2 of the trolley 2000, etc. The recording unit 220 can store information such as the destination location, travel route, and travel history of the transport vehicle 10. The recording unit 220 can store speed information corresponding to the distance to the destination location, calculation formula (program) information for calculating said speed information, etc.

[0141] The detection unit 230 includes an object position detection unit 12, a line detection unit 16, a travel distance detection unit 233, a collision detection unit 234, an attitude detection unit 235, a charge level detection unit 236, and a transported object detection unit 237. As mentioned above, the object position detection unit 12 is composed of a laser distance sensor (such as LiDAR (Light detection and ranging)) that measures the distance and direction to an object by irradiating a laser beam and measuring the time it takes for the beam to hit the object and bounce back, a millimeter-wave radar that detects the distance to an object based on a millimeter-wave transmission signal and a received signal that is reflected back from the object, or a camera-type distance sensor that measures the distance to an object by photographing the object with a camera and analyzing the captured image. The control unit 260 can estimate the current position and current speed of the transport vehicle 10 based on the information from the detection unit 230. The detection unit 230 includes a position sensor including GNSS, etc., that detects the current position of the transport vehicle 10, and a speed sensor that detects the speed of the transport vehicle 10.

[0142] As described above, the line detection unit 16 uses sensors according to the type of induction method. When using the electromagnetic induction method, a pickup coil is used as the sensor for the line detection unit 16; when using the magnetic induction method, a magnetic sensor is used; and when using the image recognition method, a camera is used. The line detection unit 16 detects the guideline 111 and outputs a detection signal when it is positioned directly above the guideline 111. In addition, in the case of the image recognition method, which reads the guideline 111 using a two-dimensional code or barcode with a camera, in addition to the detection signal of the guideline 111, position information is generated based on the information of the detected code, and relative angle information (angle α) between the guideline 111 and the transport vehicle 10 can be generated by further analyzing the image information of the code.

[0143] The distance detection unit 233 can detect the rotational speed of the non-driven wheels 14 or the driven wheels 13, and measure the distance traveled and the speed of the transport vehicle 10 based on the detected rotational speed information and the diameter (or circumference) information of the non-driven wheels 14 or the driven wheels 13 (in this case, the distance detection unit 233 can function as a speed sensor). Alternatively, it is also possible to apply a method that detects the speed of the transport vehicle 10 by using a millimeter-wave sensor that irradiates millimeter waves in any horizontal direction (even a wall or floor) and detects the reflected wave, and estimates the distance traveled by integrating the said speed. Furthermore, any method other than those described above for measuring distance traveled or obtaining speed traveled can be applied.

[0144] The collision detection unit 234 has the function of detecting when the transport vehicle 10 collides with an object or a person. Specifically, it can detect acceleration using a gyro sensor or the like, and determine that a collision has occurred when a sudden change in acceleration is detected. As an alternative, it is also possible to apply a means in which a physical switch is installed along with the bumper in the forward direction of travel of the transport vehicle 10, and a collision is determined to have occurred when the physical switch is pressed. In addition, collision detection methods other than those described above can be applied. When the collision detection unit 234 detects a collision, it stops the transport vehicle 10, records at least one of the collision occurrence information and the collision occurrence location information in the recording unit 220, and notifies the overall control unit 4000 and the control unit 3000 of this information. The attitude detection unit 235 detects the orientation (attitude) of the transport vehicle 10 (itself) based on a magnetic compass, information on the rotation speed of the left and right drive wheels, or steering information of the wheels.

[0145] The charge level detection unit 236 detects the charge level of the battery, which is the power source for the transport vehicle 10. If the charge level detected by the charge level detection unit 236 falls below a predetermined value, it is determined that charging is necessary, and the detection information of the decrease in charge level is recorded in the recording unit 220, and this information is notified to the central control unit 4000 and the control unit 3000. Furthermore, if it is detected that the charge level is below a predetermined value, in addition to the above process, the vehicle may be automatically moved to a charging spot to perform charging. The predetermined value for which the charge level detection unit 236 determines that charging is necessary may be a value that is set in advance based on at least one of the distance to the destination set for the transport vehicle 10 and the weight of the trolley 2000 connected to the transport vehicle 10. The transport object detection unit 237 detects the attitude of the trolley 2000 relative to the transport vehicle 10 (for example, angle β in Figure 1).

[0146] The input unit 240 consists of a physical switch or touch panel mounted on the transport vehicle 10, allowing the user to directly input operation commands to the transport vehicle 10. The display unit 250 consists of, for example, an LCD panel mounted on the transport vehicle 10, and can display status information of the transport vehicle 10 (various detection information from the detection unit 230, type of driving mode, currently running operation scenario, etc.).

[0147] The control unit 260 includes an operation determination unit 261, a mode switching unit 262, a coupling control unit 263, a display control unit 264, a position estimation unit 265, and a driving control unit 266. Specifically, the control unit 260 functions as the operation determination unit 261, the mode switching unit 262, the coupling control unit 263, the display control unit 264, the position estimation unit 265, and the driving control unit 266 by executing a computer program stored in the recording unit 220.

[0148] The operation determination unit 261 determines the operation of the transport vehicle 10 based on the operation scenario of the transport vehicle obtained from the operation scenario management unit 4020. The mode switching unit 262 switches the driving mode of the transport vehicle 10 between guided driving mode and autonomous driving mode based on predetermined conditions such as the operation scenario or commands entered in the input unit 240. The coupling control unit 263 controls the operation of the coupling device 21 (Figure 1) to control coupling / uncoupling with the trolley 2000 based on predetermined conditions such as the operation scenario or commands entered in the input unit 240. The display control unit 264 controls the input IF of the input unit 240 and the display unit 250 as described above.

[0149] The position estimation unit 265 can estimate the position and attitude of the vehicle at a predetermined time, including its current position and attitude within the entire driving area, based on the distance traveled detected by the distance traveled detection unit 233, the orientation information of the vehicle detected by the attitude detection unit 235, and the map information of the entire area recorded in the recording unit 220. Alternatively, the position estimation unit 265 can also estimate the position and attitude of the vehicle within the entire driving area based on the distance and direction information from the vehicle to an object measured by the object position detection unit 12, and the map information of the entire area recorded in the recording unit 220. If the map information includes guidelines 111, the position and attitude relative to the guidelines 111 can also be estimated. Alternatively, if the transport vehicle 10 is traveling on guidelines 111 composed of two-dimensional codes, the position and attitude of the vehicle within the entire driving area can also be estimated based on the identification information of the two-dimensional codes and the map information mentioned above. The position estimation unit 265 can also acquire position information using GNSS or the like installed on the transport vehicle 10.

[0150] The position estimation unit 265 can estimate the location of an object based on the estimated self-position information (vehicle position information) and the distance information from the vehicle to the object detected by the object position detection unit 12. It can also estimate the installation position and extension angle of the guideline 111 based on the self-position information (vehicle position information) and attitude information when the line detection unit 16 detects the guideline 111.

[0151] The travel control unit 266 controls the movement of the transport vehicle 10 based on at least one of the determination information from the operation determination unit 261 and the mode switching unit 262. The travel control unit 266 can control the forward, reverse, stop, rotational movement, rotation, straight-line speed, rotational movement speed, and rotation speed of the transport vehicle 10. Specifically, the travel control unit 266 individually controls the right wheel drive unit 281 and the left wheel drive unit 282 of the wheel drive unit 280. The right wheel drive unit 281 and the left wheel drive unit 282 are composed of motors, for example, and by individually controlling the rotational speed and rotational direction of each drive wheel 13, it becomes possible to make the transport vehicle 10 curve and move along an arbitrary trajectory radius, or to rotate the transport vehicle 10 in place to change its direction.

[0152] The driving control unit 266 controls the drive wheels 13 by, for example, controlling the wheel drive unit 280, and executes the first, second, third, and fourth examples of the driving control method described with reference to Figures 1 to 10.

[0153] The control unit 260 can perform a travel control process that controls the travel speed of the transport vehicle 10 based on the difference in distance between the current position of the transport vehicle 10 and the target position in the direction of extension of the guideline 111, for example, when moving along the guideline 111. The travel control unit 266 may perform a distance estimation process that calculates the difference in distance between the current position of the transport vehicle 10 and the target position in the direction of extension of the guideline 111, based on the current position information and target position information of the transport vehicle 10.

[0154] The distance estimation process can estimate the difference between the current position of the transport vehicle 10 and the target position in the direction extending of the guideline 111 by calculating, for example, the position coordinates of the transport vehicle 10 as current position information and the position coordinates of the target position as target position information.

[0155] Furthermore, the control unit 260 may perform travel control processing based on the distance to the target position when the transport vehicle 10 moves forward toward the target position, and if the transport vehicle 10 passes the target position, it may perform travel control processing to control the speed in the reverse direction based on the distance, similar to the case when moving forward. In this case, even if the transport vehicle passes the target position, it can reach the target position efficiently and with high precision while moving backward, just as it does when moving forward.

[0156] The control unit 260 may perform an angle estimation process to estimate the angle of the transport vehicle 10 with respect to the extending direction of the guideline 111 based on information from sensors installed on the transport vehicle 10, a relative position estimation process to estimate the relative position between the guideline 111 and a first specific point P1 of the transport vehicle 10 in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the guideline 111 based on information from sensors installed on the transport vehicle 10, and control the orientation of the transport vehicle 10 based on the angle and relative position of the transport vehicle 10. For example, in the case of an image recognition method in which a camera reads the guideline 111 using a two-dimensional code or barcode, in addition to the detection signal of the guideline 111, position information may be generated based on the information of the detected code, and relative angle information between the guideline 111 and the transport vehicle 10 may be generated by further analyzing the image information of the code. For example, the control unit 260 may control the transport vehicle 10 so that the angle (direction) of the transport vehicle 10 ultimately matches the extending direction of the guideline 111 (or the difference in angle is less than or equal to a predetermined value (e.g., 1°, 3°, 5°, etc.)), and so that the deviation between the guideline 111 and the transport vehicle 10 in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the guideline 111 is less than or equal to a predetermined value. For example, if it is determined that the deviation between the guideline 111 and the transport vehicle 10 in a direction perpendicular to the guideline 111 exceeds a predetermined value, the control unit 260 can control the transport vehicle 10 to move forward or backward, with its direction (angle) facing the guideline 111, so that the transport vehicle 10 approaches the guideline 111. Also, if the deviation between the guideline 111 and the transport vehicle 10 in a direction perpendicular to the guideline 111 is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the control unit 260 can control the transport vehicle 10 to face the same direction as the guideline 111.

[0157] The control unit 260 may calculate the distance from the current position to the target position based on the difference between the current position obtained from the position estimation unit 265 and the target position obtained from the recording unit 220 during the distance estimation process. Alternatively, it may perform image recognition on a 2D code provided on the floor or wall and obtain the distance information (distance from the current position to the target position) associated with the 2D code.

[0158] The control unit 260 may perform driving control processing based on speed information acquired by the speed sensor of the transport vehicle 10. The type of speed sensor is not particularly limited; any sensor, such as a sensor that detects the rotational speed or rotational speed of the drive wheels 13, or a camera can be used as a speed sensor. The control unit 260 can detect the speed of the transport vehicle 10 at predetermined intervals, determine whether the speed matches the target speed, and repeatedly adjust the driving control. That is, the control unit 260 determines whether the difference between the actual speed and the target speed is less than or equal to a predetermined value (a predetermined threshold, etc.), maintains control if it is less than or equal to the predetermined value, and can decelerate or accelerate to approach the target speed if it exceeds the predetermined value. By repeating this speed adjustment processing, deviations from the target speed can be suppressed (reduced).

[0159] The control unit 260 can repeatedly perform distance estimation processing at predetermined intervals. Similarly, it may perform position and orientation estimation processing of the shaft member 23 relative to the guideline 111, or calculate the difference, at predetermined intervals. This further improves the accuracy when the shaft member 23 moves backward while positioned on the guideline 111.

[0160] The control unit 260 may also acquire information such as the current position, the distance to the destination position, and / or the target speed at that point by scanning a 2D code installed on the road surface with a sensor (camera). For example, if target speed information is associated with the 2D code, the transport vehicle 10 can acquire the target speed information from the 2D code and perform the speed control described above.

[0161] Next, an example of a travel control method according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 20 and 21. The travel control method is a method for controlling the travel of a transport vehicle 10, which is swingably connected to a trolley 2000 and can move along a real or virtual guideline 111 while towing the trolley 2000. Figure 21 is a flowchart of an example of a travel control method. As shown in Figure 21, the travel control method for the transport vehicle 10 includes steps S101 to S103. Steps S101 to S103 are executed when the control unit 260 executes a computer program stored in the recording unit 220. In other words, the computer program product realizes steps S101 to S103 when the computer program is executed by the control unit 260.

[0162] First, in step S101, the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10, with the trolley 2000 attached to its rear, from outside the guideline 111 toward the guideline 111. Step S101 is similar to, for example, steps S1 and S1a in Figure 2, step S11 in Figure 4, or step S11a in Figure 7.

[0163] Next, in step S102, the control unit 260 rotates the transport vehicle 10 or trolley 2000 while it is positioned on the guideline 111. The orientation of the transport vehicle 10 on the guideline 111 after the rotation is different from the orientation of the transport vehicle 10 before the rotation. Step S102 is similar to, for example, steps S3 and S3a in Figure 2, step S14 in Figure 5, or step S14a in Figure 8.

[0164] Next, in step S103, the control unit 260 reverses the transport vehicle 10 to position the trolley 2000 in the target area 101. Step S103 is similar to, for example, step S5 in Figure 3, step S16 in Figure 5, step S16a in Figure 8, or step S7a in Figure 10.

[0165] As described above with reference to Figure 21, according to the travel control method of this embodiment, the trolley 2000 is positioned in the target area 101 (Figure 1) by combining rotational motion (step S102) and linear motion (steps S101, S103). Therefore, compared to the case in which the trolley 2000 is positioned in the target area 101 by directly reversing, the occurrence of repeated forward and reverse movements can be suppressed. As a result, when the trolley 2000 is positioned in the target area 101 by reversing the transport vehicle 10, the trolley 2000, which is swingably connected to the transport vehicle 10, can be smoothly positioned in the target area 101.

[0166] (modified version) A modified version of the above embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 20. The main differences will be described below. Based on the object detection result by the object position detection unit 12, the control unit 260 selects one of several reverse control options. The control unit 260 then controls the transport vehicle 10 according to the selected reverse control to position the trolley 2000 in the target area 101.

[0167] Multiple reverse controls refer to two or more reverse controls from among the first reverse control, second reverse control, third reverse control, and fourth reverse control.

[0168] The first reverse control is a control that combines the rotation of the transport vehicle 10 with the reverse movement of the transport vehicle 10 to position the transport object, such as the trolley 2000, in the target area 101. For example, the first reverse control is the control shown by the first example of the travel control method shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0169] The second reverse control is a control that combines the rotational movement of the transport vehicle 10 with the reverse movement of the transport vehicle 10 to position the transport object, such as the trolley 2000, in the target area 101. For example, the second reverse control is the control shown by the second example of the travel control method shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0170] The third reverse control is a control method that combines the movement of the transport vehicle 10 along the auxiliary line 19, the rotational movement of the transport vehicle 10, and the reverse movement of the transport vehicle 10 to position the transport object, such as the trolley 2000, in the target area 101. For example, the third reverse control is the control method shown by the third example of the travel control method shown in Figures 7 and 5.

[0171] The fourth reverse control is a control method that combines the rotation of the transport vehicle 10, the departure from and return to the guideline 111 of the transport vehicle 10, and the reverse movement of the transport vehicle 10 to position the transport object, such as the trolley 2000, in the target area 101. For example, the fourth reverse control is the control method shown by the fourth example of the travel control method shown in Figures 8 to 10.

[0172] The control unit 260 selects the first reverse control when the object position detection unit 12 detects an object in a direction intersecting the guideline 111. This is because the first reverse control does not move the transport vehicle 10 in the direction intersecting the guideline 111. In this case, the control unit 260 may also select the fourth reverse control.

[0173] Furthermore, the control unit 260 selects the first reverse control when the distance from the object detected by the object position detection unit 12 in the direction intersecting the guideline 111 to the transport vehicle 10 is less than or equal to a predetermined distance. In this case, the control unit 260 may also select the fourth reverse control.

[0174] The control unit 260 selects either the second reverse control or the third reverse control when the object position detection unit 12 detects an object in the direction in which the guideline 111 extends. This is because the distance traveled by the transport vehicle 10 along the guideline 111 is shorter in the second and third reverse controls than in the first and fourth reverse controls.

[0175] Furthermore, the control unit 260 may select a second reverse control or a third reverse control when the distance from the object detected by the object position detection unit 12 in the direction in which the guideline 111 extends to the transport vehicle 10 is less than or equal to a predetermined distance.

[0176] For example, the control unit 260 selects one of the first reverse control and the second reverse control based on the object detection result by the object position detection unit 12. Alternatively, for example, the control unit 260 selects one of the first reverse control and the third reverse control based on the object detection result by the object position detection unit 12.

[0177] As described above, in the modified embodiment of this model, the optimal reverse control can be selected from among multiple reverse control options based on the path taken when positioning the trolley 2000 in the target area 101, the presence or absence of objects in its vicinity, or the distance from the transport vehicle 10 to the object.

[0178] Furthermore, for example, the recording unit 220 may pre-store information indicating the priority order of each of the multiple reverse controls. In this case, if any of the multiple reverse controls are possible, the control unit 260 will select one of the multiple reverse controls according to the pre-stored priority order.

[0179] While preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear to any person with ordinary skill in the art of the present disclosure that various modifications or alterations may be conceived within the scope of the technical idea set forth in the claims, and these will naturally also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0180] The devices described herein may be implemented as standalone devices, or they may be implemented by multiple devices (e.g., cloud servers) that are partially or entirely connected via a network. For example, the control unit 260 and recording unit 220 of the transport vehicle may be implemented by different servers connected to each other via a network, or they may be implemented by, for example, the overall control unit 4000 of the transport system 1000. Furthermore, in the transport system 1000 described herein, an example was described in which the pilot 3000, the overall control unit 4000, and the input / output device 5000 are each composed of separate hardware connected via a network, but some or all of the functions of the pilot 3000, the overall control unit 4000, and the input / output device 5000 may be implemented in the transport vehicle 10.

[0181] The series of processes performed by the apparatus described herein may be implemented using software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. Computer programs for implementing each function of the control unit 260 according to this embodiment can be created and implemented on a PC or the like. Furthermore, a computer-readable recording medium containing such a computer program can also be provided. Examples of recording media include magnetic disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, and flash memory. Alternatively, the computer program may be distributed without using a recording medium, for example, via a network.

[0182] Furthermore, the effects described herein are merely descriptive or illustrative and not limiting. In other words, the technology relating to this disclosure may produce other effects that will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description herein, in addition to or in lieu of the effects described herein.

[0183] Furthermore, the following configurations also fall within the technical scope of this disclosure.

[0184] (Item 1) A method for controlling the movement of a transport vehicle, wherein the transport object is swingably connected and the transport vehicle is able to move along real or virtual guidelines while towing the transport object, The control unit moves the transport vehicle, with the object to be transported attached to its rear, from outside the guideline toward the guideline, The control unit performs the steps of rotating the transport vehicle when the transport vehicle or the object to be transported is positioned on the guideline, The control unit includes, after the step of rotating the transport vehicle, the step of moving the transport vehicle backward to position the object to be transported in the target area, A driving control method wherein, in the step of rotating the transport vehicle, the orientation of the transport vehicle on the guideline after the rotational motion is different from the orientation of the transport vehicle before the rotational motion.

[0185] (Item 2) After the step of moving the transport vehicle and before the step of rotating the transport vehicle, the control unit further includes the step of stopping the transport vehicle on the guideline, In the step of rotating the transport vehicle, the transport vehicle is rotated on the guideline so that it faces forward on the guideline. The travel control method according to item 1, wherein the control unit further includes the step of moving the transport vehicle forward along the guideline, after the step of rotating the transport vehicle and before the step of placing the object to be transported in the target area.

[0186] (Item 3) In the step of moving the transport vehicle forward, the transport vehicle is moved forward until the object to be transported satisfies the reverse condition. The reverse condition indicates that the object to be transported is in a position within a first predetermined range on the guideline, and that the object to be transported is located within a second predetermined range on the guideline. The travel control method according to item 2, wherein the step of placing the object to be transported in the target area is performed after the reverse condition is met.

[0187] (Item 4) The control unit performs the step of causing the transport vehicle to pass through the guideline, The control unit further includes the step of stopping the transport vehicle when the transport vehicle has passed the guideline and the object to be transported is located on the guideline, The travel control method according to item 1, wherein in the step of rotating the transport vehicle, the transport vehicle is rotated and moved toward the guideline from outside the guideline so that the transport vehicle is positioned on the guideline.

[0188] (Item 5) The travel control method according to item 4, wherein the step of placing the object to be transported in the target area is performed without the transport vehicle moving forward after it has been positioned on the guideline by rotational movement.

[0189] (Item 6) The driving control method according to item 4 or 5, wherein the step of causing the transport vehicle to pass the guideline involves moving the transport vehicle along a real or virtual auxiliary line that guides the transport vehicle to pass the guideline.

[0190] (Item 7) The aforementioned auxiliary line is spaced apart from the aforementioned guideline. The virtual extension of the auxiliary line intersects the guideline, according to the driving control method described in item 6.

[0191] (Item 8) After the step of rotating the transport vehicle, the control unit performs the step of moving the transport vehicle forward along the guideline, After the step of moving the transport vehicle forward, the control unit performs the step of moving the transport vehicle backward while moving it away from the guideline, The travel control method according to item 1, further comprising the steps of: after the step of detaching the transport vehicle and before the step of placing the object to be transported in the target area, the control unit reversing the transport vehicle so that the object to be transported moves backward along the guideline, and returning the transport vehicle from outside the guideline to onto the guideline.

[0192] (Item 9) A vehicle travel control system in which a transport object is swingably connected and which can move along real or virtual guidelines while towing the transport object, The system includes a control unit that controls the operation of the transport vehicle by controlling the drive unit of the transport vehicle, The control unit, Moving the transport vehicle, with the object to be transported attached to its rear, from outside the guideline toward the guideline, With the transport vehicle or the object to be transported positioned on the guideline, the transport vehicle is rotated. After the rotational movement of the transport vehicle, the transport vehicle is moved in reverse to position the object to be transported in the target area. A travel control system in which the orientation of the transport vehicle on the guideline after rotational motion is different from the orientation of the transport vehicle before rotational motion.

[0193] (Item 10) A program for controlling the movement of a transport vehicle that is swingably connected to an object to be transported and can move along real or virtual guidelines while towing the object to be transported, The control unit controls the operation of the transport vehicle by controlling the drive unit of the transport vehicle, A process of moving the transport vehicle, with the object to be transported attached to the rear of the transport vehicle, from outside the guideline toward the guideline, The process of rotating the transport vehicle while the transport vehicle or the object to be transported is positioned on the guideline, After the rotational movement of the transport vehicle, the process of moving the transport vehicle in reverse to position the object to be transported in the target area is performed. A program in which the orientation of the transport vehicle on the guideline after rotational motion is different from the orientation of the transport vehicle before rotational motion. [Industrial applicability]

[0194] This disclosure provides a method for controlling the movement of a transport vehicle, a transport vehicle movement control system, and a program, and has industrial applicability. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0195] 10 Transport vehicle, 12 Object position detection unit, 13 Drive wheels, 14 Non-drive wheels, 16 Line detection unit, 17 Magnetic sensor, 21 Coupling device, 111 Guideline, 132 Driving mode switching position, 210 Communication unit, 220 Recording unit, 230 Detection unit, 237 Transport object detection unit, 240 Input unit, 250 Display unit, 260 Control unit, 280 Wheel drive unit, 1000 Transport system, 2000 Trolley, 3000 Control device, 4000 Integrated control unit, 5000 Input / output device, 6000 Communication network, 7000 External system

Claims

1. A method for controlling the movement of a transport vehicle, wherein the transport object is swingably connected and the transport vehicle is able to move along real or virtual guidelines while towing the transport object, The control unit moves the transport vehicle, with the object to be transported attached to its rear, from outside the guideline toward the guideline, The control unit performs the steps of rotating the transport vehicle when the transport vehicle or the object to be transported is positioned on the guideline, The control unit includes, after the step of rotating the transport vehicle, the step of moving the transport vehicle backward to position the object to be transported in the target area, A driving control method wherein, in the step of rotating the transport vehicle, the orientation of the transport vehicle on the guideline after the rotational motion is different from the orientation of the transport vehicle before the rotational motion.

2. After the step of moving the transport vehicle and before the step of rotating the transport vehicle, the control unit further includes the step of stopping the transport vehicle on the guideline, In the step of rotating the transport vehicle, the transport vehicle is rotated on the guideline so that it faces forward on the guideline. The travel control method according to claim 1, wherein the control unit further includes the step of moving the transport vehicle forward along the guideline, after the step of rotating the transport vehicle and before the step of placing the object to be transported in the target area.

3. In the step of moving the transport vehicle forward, the transport vehicle is moved forward until the object to be transported satisfies the reverse condition. The aforementioned reverse condition indicates that the object to be transported is in a position within a first predetermined range on the guideline, and that the object to be transported is located within a second predetermined range on the guideline. The travel control method according to claim 2, wherein the step of placing the object to be transported in the target area is performed after the reverse condition is met.

4. The control unit performs the step of causing the transport vehicle to pass through the guideline, The control unit further includes the step of stopping the transport vehicle when the transport vehicle has passed the guideline and the object to be transported is located on the guideline, The travel control method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of rotating the transport vehicle, the transport vehicle is rotated and moved toward the guideline from outside the guideline so that the transport vehicle is positioned on the guideline.

5. The travel control method according to claim 4, wherein the step of placing the object to be transported in the target area is performed without the transport vehicle moving forward after it has been positioned on the guideline by rotational movement.

6. The travel control method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the step of causing the transport vehicle to pass the guideline involves moving the transport vehicle along a real or virtual auxiliary line that guides the transport vehicle to pass the guideline.

7. The aforementioned auxiliary line is spaced apart from the aforementioned guideline. The driving control method according to claim 6, wherein the virtual extension of the auxiliary line intersects the guideline.

8. After the step of rotating the transport vehicle, the control unit performs the step of moving the transport vehicle forward along the guideline, After the step of moving the transport vehicle forward, the control unit performs the step of moving the transport vehicle backward while moving it away from the guideline, The driving control method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: after the step of detaching the transport vehicle and before the step of placing the object to be transported in the target area, the control unit moving the transport vehicle backward so that the object to be transported moves backward along the guideline, and returning the transport vehicle from outside the guideline to onto the guideline.

9. A vehicle travel control system in which a transport object is swingably connected and which can move along real or virtual guidelines while towing the transport object, The system includes a control unit that controls the operation of the transport vehicle by controlling the drive unit of the transport vehicle, The control unit, Moving the transport vehicle, with the object to be transported attached to its rear, from outside the guideline toward the guideline, With the transport vehicle or the object to be transported positioned on the guideline, the transport vehicle is rotated. After the rotational movement of the transport vehicle, the transport vehicle is moved in reverse to position the object to be transported in the target area. A travel control system in which the orientation of the transport vehicle on the guideline after rotational motion is different from the orientation of the transport vehicle before rotational motion.

10. A program for controlling the movement of a transport vehicle that is swingably connected to an object to be transported and can move along real or virtual guidelines while towing the object to be transported, The control unit controls the operation of the transport vehicle by controlling the drive unit of the transport vehicle, A process of moving the transport vehicle, with the object to be transported attached to the rear of the transport vehicle, from outside the guideline toward the guideline, The process of rotating the transport vehicle while the transport vehicle or the object to be transported is positioned on the guideline, After the rotational movement of the transport vehicle, the process of moving the transport vehicle in reverse to position the object to be transported in the target area is performed. A program in which the orientation of the transport vehicle on the guideline after rotational motion is different from the orientation of the transport vehicle before rotational motion.

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