Vehicle management system

Abstract

This vehicle management system prevents vehicles used for transport operations in mines from running out of power while simultaneously improving the overall productivity of the mine. [Solution] The control device 31 includes a charging information calculation unit 312 that calculates the amount of charge of the vehicle 20, the driving speed Vc in the charging section, the time of arrival at the charging section Tca, and the time of departure from the charging section Tcd based on the position of the vehicle 20, the driving instructions to the vehicle 20, and the amount of charge stored in the vehicle 20; a charging section status monitoring unit 313 that detects the occurrence of congestion in the charging section based on the vehicle 20's driving speed in the charging section, the time of arrival at the charging section Tca, and the time of departure from the charging section Tcd; a charging section dispatch management unit 314 that generates congestion avoidance driving instructions for one or more vehicles 20a, 20b involved in the congestion when the charging section status monitoring unit 313 detects the occurrence of congestion; and a driving instruction unit 315 that transmits the congestion avoidance driving instructions to one or more vehicles 20a, 20b.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle management system, and particularly to vehicle management technology at a work site where a vehicle equipped with a power storage device travels.

Background Art

[0002] In a super-large dump truck that transports ore and earth excavated by a loading machine and operates at an open-pit mine or the like, a system that generates electricity using a diesel engine mounted on the vehicle body and drives a motor to travel is widely used. However, since the amount of energy required for the transportation work is extremely large, a problem is that the emission amount of greenhouse gases is large. In order to solve this problem, the development of a battery dump that drives a motor using an in-vehicle battery instead of the conventional power generation by a diesel engine has been promoted.

[0003] In such a battery dump, since the amount of electric power required per transportation cycle for a series of operations of loading, transporting, and discharging earth is extremely large with respect to the capacity of the battery, frequent charging is required, for example, for each transportation cycle. As charging methods, a method of stopping and charging at a charging station installed in or near the transportation route and a method of charging while running using a trolley wire as shown in Patent Document 1 are known. In order to perform continuous transportation work using these charging methods, it is necessary to prevent the occurrence of power failure in which the remaining battery level runs out. For this purpose, it is necessary to always ensure the remaining battery level so that it can return to the charging facility, and it is required to make a travel plan in consideration of the power consumption amount on the travel route in advance and travel according to it.

[0004] In a typical mining environment, there are multiple mining sites and excavation sites, and numerous dump trucks travel between these two points to transport materials. Therefore, when all of these are replaced with battery-powered dump trucks, it is not practical to install enough charging stations to charge all vehicles simultaneously or to lay overhead trolley lines. Thus, there is a need for a vehicle management system that improves the overall productivity of the mine while managing the charging timing based on the amount of charge stored in each vehicle. Examples of vehicle management systems in cases where the number of charging stations is less than the number of vehicles are shown in Patent Document 2, among others. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015 / 0283907 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-90275 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] The method described in Patent Document 2 prioritizes sending vehicles with low battery capacity to charging stations, thereby maintaining the battery capacity of each vehicle and improving transportation efficiency even when there are fewer charging stations than vehicles. However, in the case of overhead trolley lines, there is a limit to the charging speed of the batteries, so vehicles with low battery capacity need to reduce their speed in the overhead trolley line section in order to extend the contact time with the overhead trolley line. Therefore, if vehicles with low battery capacity are prioritized to enter the overhead trolley line section, when vehicles with high battery capacity enter the charging section later, the higher speed of the following vehicles will cause them to catch up with the preceding vehicles, resulting in congestion in the overhead trolley line section. If the congestion expands as more and more following vehicles enter the overhead trolley line, the transportation time for each vehicle increases, and the overall productivity of the mine decreases significantly. On the other hand, if the speed of the preceding vehicle is increased unnecessarily when congestion is likely to occur, the charging time of the preceding vehicle will be shortened, resulting in insufficient battery capacity in the next section of travel and causing a power depletion. When a battery runs out, exceptional battery dump recovery and charging operations become necessary, significantly reducing the overall productivity of the mine.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its objective is to provide a vehicle management system that can improve the overall productivity of a mine while preventing vehicles used for transport work in a mine from running out of power. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a vehicle management system comprising a control control device capable of communicating with a plurality of vehicles traveling on a route including a charging section provided with a power supply device and a non-charging section not provided with the power supply device, wherein each vehicle is equipped with a power receiving device that receives power from the power supply device, a power storage device that is charged by the power received by the power receiving device, a position sensor that acquires the position of the vehicle, and a load sensor that acquires the load of the vehicle, wherein the control control device receives vehicle information from the vehicle including the position of the vehicle, the load of the vehicle, and the amount of charge stored in the power storage device, and transmits driving instructions to the vehicle indicating the driving route and driving speed, wherein the control control device, based on the position of the vehicle, the driving instructions, and the amount of charge stored in the power storage device, The system includes: a charging information calculation unit that calculates the amount of charge in both charging sections, the charging section driving speed of the vehicle in the charging section, the charging section arrival time of the vehicle, and the charging section exit time of the vehicle; a charging section status monitoring unit that detects congestion in the charging section based on the vehicle's charging section driving speed, the charging section arrival time, and the charging section exit time; a charging section dispatch management unit that, when the charging section status monitoring unit detects congestion, generates congestion avoidance driving instructions for one or more of the multiple vehicles involved in the congestion to avoid the congestion; and a driving instruction unit that transmits the congestion avoidance driving instructions to the one or more vehicles. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent vehicles used for transport operations in a mine from running out of power while improving the overall productivity of the mine. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the vehicle management system. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle management system. [Figure 3A]This diagram illustrates the flow of electricity in a vehicle when it is running with the power receiving device not connected to the power supply device. [Figure 3B] This diagram illustrates the flow of electricity in a vehicle when it is running with the power receiving device connected to the power supply device. [Figure 4] This is a diagram illustrating a specific example of vehicle information. [Figure 5A] This is a diagram illustrating a specific example of dispatch information. [Figure 5B] This is a diagram illustrating a specific example of map data. [Figure 6A] This diagram illustrates a specific example of charging interval information. [Figure 6B] This diagram illustrates a specific example of a traffic congestion avoidance driving instruction. [Figure 7] This diagram illustrates the general outline of speed changes, which are part of traffic congestion avoidance driving instructions. [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates the outline of route changes, which are part of traffic congestion avoidance driving instructions. [Figure 9A] This diagram illustrates the outline of traffic congestion avoidance instructions, specifically the use of passing lanes to rearrange the order of driving. [Figure 9B] This diagram illustrates the outline of traffic congestion avoidance instructions, specifically the use of passing areas to rearrange the order of vehicles. [Figure 9C] This diagram illustrates the outline of traffic congestion avoidance driving instructions, specifically the rearrangement of driving order using intersections. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow related to charging section information in the charging information calculation unit of the air traffic control system. [Figure 11] This flowchart illustrates the processing flow related to the determination of congestion in the charging section status monitoring unit of the traffic control system. [Figure 12] This flowchart illustrates the processing flow related to the calculation of traffic congestion avoidance driving instructions in the charging section dispatch management unit of the traffic control system. [Figure 13] This diagram illustrates the movement of a vehicle when changing lanes. [Figure 14] This is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow in the travel instruction unit of the control and control system. [Figure 15] This is a diagram for explaining the outline of speed changes involving charging speed changes among traffic congestion avoidance driving instructions.

Embodiment for Implementing the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each figure, members or elements having the same operation or function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

[0012] <Outline of Vehicle Management System 1> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle management system 1 in this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle management system 1 in this embodiment. In FIG. 2, for the sake of convenience, only one vehicle 20 is shown, but two or more vehicles may exist.

[0013] The vehicle management system 1 is operated at a work site such as a mine. The vehicle management system 1 can communicate with one or more loading machines 10 that perform excavation work and loading work, and one or more vehicles 20 that travel on the transport road 60 at the work site and transport earth and sand loaded from the loading machine 10, and includes a control station 30 that controls and controls the vehicle 20. The loading machine 10 performs a loading operation of excavated earth and sand, etc. onto the vehicle 20 at the loading site 61, and the vehicle 20 performs a dumping operation of the loaded earth and sand, etc. at the dumping site 62.

[0014] The vehicle 20 and the control station 30 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via the wireless communication line 40. Specifically, a plurality of wireless base stations 41 are installed at the work site, and the vehicle 20 and the control station 30 communicate with each other via the wireless base station 41.

[0015] Vehicle 20 is equipped with an energy storage device 29 that can retain electrical energy using batteries or the like. In some sections of the transport route 60, there are charging sections where power supply devices 50 are installed, such as overhead trolley lines and power supply stations that are connected to substations and can receive power from power plants. Vehicle 20 can connect to the power supply devices 50 using a power receiving device 28 such as a pantograph and charge the energy storage device 29.

[0016] <Configuration of loading machine 10> The loading machine 10 is a shovel capable of excavation and loading operations through operator control. The loading machine 10 is equipped with a vehicle control device 11, an operating device 12, a drive device 13, an output device 14, and a wireless communication device 17.

[0017] The drive unit 13 of the loading machine 10 is driven in response to the operation of the control device 12. The drive unit 13 includes, for example, a hydraulic cylinder for controlling the posture of the boom, arm, and bucket of the loading machine 10 for loading work, and a travel motor for moving the position of the loading machine 10.

[0018] The operating device 12 of the loading machine 10 receives input from the operator driving the loading machine 10 and outputs a signal to drive the drive unit 13. The operating device 12 may be, for example, an operating lever, pedal, button, or touch panel located in the driver's seat.

[0019] The wireless communication device 17 of the loading machine 10 is a wireless device for connecting the vehicle control device 11 and the wireless communication line 40. The vehicle control device 11 of the loading machine 10 transmits and receives information and commands to and from the control control device 31 of the control station 30 via the wireless communication device 17 and other means.

[0020] The output device 14 of the loading machine 10 is a device for presenting control information and other data to the operator of the loading machine 10 via screen display or audio. The output device 14 is, for example, an LCD monitor or speaker installed near the driver's seat of the loading machine 10.

[0021] The vehicle control device 11 of the loading machine 10 is composed of a microcomputer that combines, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that performs calculations, a ROM (Read Only Memory) as a secondary storage device that stores the program for calculations, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) as a temporary storage device that stores the progress of calculations and temporary control variables. Functionally, the vehicle control device 11 has a control information management unit 111 and a drive control unit 112.

[0022] The control information management unit 111 of the vehicle control device 11 receives information such as the load capacity of the vehicle 20 currently being loaded and the load capacity limit from the control control device 31, and displays the information to the output device 14.

[0023] The drive control unit 112 of the vehicle control device 11 obtains information on the load capacity and load capacity limit from the control information management unit 111, and sends commands to the drive unit 13 and output unit 14 so that the load capacity of the vehicle 20 does not exceed the load capacity limit.

[0024] <Vehicle configuration 20> Vehicle 20 is a dump truck that can be driven either by an operator on board, at least partially, or autonomously and unmanned, controlled by a control device 31 at the control station 30. Vehicle 20 is equipped with a vehicle control device 21, a driving device 22, a position sensor 23, a speed sensor 24, a load sensor 25, an operating device 26, a wireless communication device 27, a power receiving device 28, and a power storage device 29.

[0025] The vehicle 20's running gear 22 is driven in response to the operation of the control device 26, causing the vehicle 20 to move. The running gear 22 includes, for example, a steering motor for changing the steering angle of the vehicle 20, a running motor for moving the vehicle 20, and brakes, etc.

[0026] The vehicle's position sensor 23 measures the vehicle's (own) position and outputs the measured position to the vehicle control device 21. The position sensor 23 may be, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) that uses signals from satellites 80 to determine its position, a combination of GPS and an inertial measurement unit (IMU), or a system that uses radio waves from a ground base station to determine its position.

[0027] The vehicle 20's speed sensor 24 measures the speed of the vehicle 20 (the vehicle itself) and outputs the measured speed to the vehicle control device 21. The speed sensor 24 may be, for example, a rotary encoder that detects the rotational speed of the wheels, a GPS that measures speed from the change in the vehicle 20's position, an inertial measurement device, or a speed estimation device using a combination of these.

[0028] The load sensor 25 of the vehicle 20 measures the weight of the cargo, such as ore or soil, loaded onto the cargo bed of the vehicle 20 (the vehicle itself), and outputs the measured load to the vehicle control device 21. The load sensor 25 is, for example, a pressure sensor installed under the cargo bed of the vehicle 20 to measure the weight of the cargo bed, or a weight estimation device that uses the pressure of the hydraulic suspension.

[0029] The operating device 26 of the vehicle 20 receives input from the operator driving the vehicle 20 and outputs signals to drive the running gear 22 and the power receiving device 28. The operating device 26 may be, for example, a steering wheel, accelerator, brake, buttons, or touch panel located in the driver's seat.

[0030] The radio communication device 27 of the vehicle 20 is a radio for connecting the vehicle body control device 21 and the radio communication line 40. The vehicle body control device 21 of the vehicle 20 transmits and receives information and commands to and from the control control device 31 of the control station 30 via the radio communication device 27 and other means.

[0031] The power receiving device 28 of the vehicle 20 is driven in response to the operation of the control device 26 and connects to the power supply device 50 to supply power to the energy storage device 29. The power receiving device 28 includes, for example, a pantograph that can be raised and lowered.

[0032] The vehicle 20's energy storage device 29 is a device for storing electrical energy to drive the traction unit 22. The energy storage device 29 includes, for example, multiple lithium-ion batteries and equipment for controlling the voltage and current to them.

[0033] Here, as shown in Figure 3A, for example, when the vehicle 20 is running with the power receiving device 28 not connected to the power supply device 50, the energy storage device 29 discharges to drive the running gear 22. Also, as shown in Figure 3B, for example, when the vehicle 20 is running with the power receiving device 28 connected to the power supply device 50, the energy storage device 29 is charged by the power supplied from the power supply device 50. In this case, the running gear 22 is driven by the power supplied from the power supply device 50. Furthermore, regardless of whether it is connected to the power supply device 50 or not, when the vehicle 20 is decelerating, the power generated by the regenerative braking of the running gear 22 can be supplied to the energy storage device 29 for charging. When the energy storage device 29 is charging, it is possible to charge the battery in a way that takes the battery's lifespan into consideration by utilizing established rapid charging methods in the field of electric vehicles and controlling the magnitude of the current so as not to put a burden on the battery.

[0034] The vehicle body control device 21 of the vehicle 20 is composed of a microcomputer that combines, for example, a CPU for performing calculations, a ROM as a secondary storage device that stores programs for calculations, and a RAM as a temporary storage device that stores calculation progress and temporary control variables. Functionally, the vehicle body control device 21 includes a vehicle body state management unit 211, a control information management unit 212, and a driving control unit 213.

[0035] The vehicle condition management unit 211 of the vehicle control device 21 manages the position information acquired by the position sensor 23, the speed information acquired by the speed sensor 24, the load information acquired by the load sensor 25, the connection status information of the power receiving device 28 to the power supply device 50, and the battery level information of the power storage device 29, and transmits this information as vehicle information to the control control device 31 of the control station 30. Here, the vehicle information is summarized in a table format, for example as shown in Figure 4, and includes the vehicle ID, the current position information of the section currently being traveled, the position information as seen from the starting point of the section, the battery charge level information, and the load information such as the type of load and the load amount. One line of information about itself is output from the vehicle 20, and the control station holds it in a table format as shown in Figure 4. The format of the current location information is not limited to that described in this embodiment. For example, if location information is obtained using a GPS device, any format that allows the vehicle's position at the work site to be identified is acceptable, such as latitude and longitude information, or information converted from these to coordinate positions on a map of the work site where the vehicle is traveling. Similarly, the format of the battery level information is not limited to that described in this embodiment. Any format that allows the amount of charge to be identified is acceptable, such as the percentage of the current charge level relative to the battery's maximum capacity.

[0036] The control information management unit 212 of the vehicle control device 21 receives the target speed for each section of the transport path 60, the switching section ID, the lane change start position, and the waiting time from the driving instruction unit 315 of the control control device 31, and issues instructions to the driving control unit 213.

[0037] The driving control unit 213 of the vehicle control device 21 monitors whether the actual speed exceeds the target speed for each section instructed by the control information management unit 212, based on the position and speed managed by the vehicle condition management unit 211. If the actual speed exceeds the target speed, it sends a control command to the driving device 22 to decelerate to the target speed. Furthermore, if it receives the switching section ID and the lane change start position, it steers the wheels to change lanes from the lane change start position to the siding lane while driving in the relevant section. In addition, if it obtains the switching section ID and waiting time, it stops the vehicle 20 in the relevant section for the duration of the waiting time. Details of the switching section ID, lane change start position, and waiting time will be described later.

[0038] <Configuration of 30 control stations> The control station 30 comprises a control control device 31, a storage device 32, a wireless communication device 33, and an input device 34.

[0039] The control station 30's storage device 32 is a non-volatile storage medium capable of reading and writing information, and stores the OS, various control programs, application programs, databases, etc. The storage device 32 includes a vehicle dispatch information storage unit 321 and a map data storage unit 322.

[0040] The radio communication device 33 of the control station 30 is a radio for connecting the control control device 31 and the radio communication line 40. The control control device 31 of the control station 30 transmits and receives information and commands to and from the vehicle body control device 21 of the vehicle 20 via the radio communication device 33 and other means.

[0041] The input device 34 of the control station 30 is a user interface for operators to operate the control device 31. The input device 34 is, for example, a mouse or keyboard.

[0042] The control control device 31 of the control station 30 is composed of a microcomputer that combines, for example, a CPU that performs calculations, a ROM as a secondary storage device that stores programs for calculations, and a RAM as a temporary storage device that stores calculation progress and temporary control variables. Functionally, the control control device 31 has a dispatch management unit 311, a charging information calculation unit 312, a charging section status monitoring unit 313, a charging section dispatch management unit 314, and a driving instruction unit 315.

[0043] The dispatch management unit 311 of the control control device 31 sets the travel route for vehicle 20 to its destination based on the location information of vehicle 20 received from the vehicle body control device 21 of vehicle 20. For example, if vehicle 20 is at loading area 61, it sets the travel route for vehicle 20 to unloading area 62. Also, for example, if vehicle 20 is at unloading area 62, it sets the travel route for vehicle 20 to loading area 61. The dispatch management unit 311 stores the set travel route for vehicle 20 as dispatch information in the dispatch information storage unit 321 of the storage device 32.

[0044] The dispatch information is compiled in a table format, as shown in Figure 5A, for example, and includes the vehicle ID, which is the identification information for vehicle 20, and the travel route set for each vehicle ID. The travel route is, for example, the route from loading area 1 to unloading area 1, or the route from unloading area 1 to loading area 1. The travel route is similar to the transport route in map data and is composed of sections into which the transport route is divided.

[0045] The map data is organized in a table format, as shown in Figure 5B, for example, and includes the ID of each section, the distance of each section, the standard target speed, the amount of power consumed, and the presence or absence of a power supply device 50 in a transport route divided into multiple sections. It may also include information on the coordinate point sequences that make up each section, which are not shown.

[0046] The charging information calculation unit 312 of the control device 31 acquires dispatch information from the dispatch management unit 311 and map data from the map data storage unit 322 of the storage device 32. From the charging plan described in the acquired dispatch information and the distance information of the charging section of the transport route in the map data, it calculates the driving speed of each vehicle 20 in the charging section (hereinafter referred to as the charging section driving speed). Furthermore, from the charging section driving speed and the driving route in the dispatch information, it calculates the time to arrive at the charging section (hereinafter referred to as the charging section arrival time) and the time to exit the charging section (hereinafter referred to as the charging section exit time). The calculated charging section driving speed, charging section arrival time, and charging section exit time are output as charging section information to the charging section status monitoring unit 313. Details of the process will be described later.

[0047] The charging section information is compiled in a table format, as shown in Figure 6A, for example, and includes information on the charging section ID, charging section speed, charging section arrival time, and charging section exit time for each charging section that each vehicle 20 passes through on its current route. If there are multiple charging sections in the route, columns for the four pieces of information mentioned above are added for each section.

[0048] The charging section status monitoring unit 313 of the control control device 31 acquires charging section information from the charging information calculation unit 312 and determines whether or not congestion occurs in the charging section based on the arrival time and departure time of each vehicle 20 from the charging section. The determination result is output to the charging section dispatch management unit 314. Details of the process will be described later. Congestion refers to a state in which, for example, multiple (two or more) vehicles 20 are traveling in the same direction at speeds below a predetermined speed, with an interval of less than a predetermined distance between them. The interval and speed can be set to different values ​​depending on the mine. The predetermined speed also includes temporary stops. Furthermore, congestion may also refer simply to a state in which a vehicle 20 is traveling at a speed below a predetermined speed (i.e., various intended speeds such as the minimum speed or target speed set for the charging section). Congestion can also be defined by conditions other than speed. For example, congestion may refer to a state in which two adjacent vehicles 20 are traveling or stopped with a distance of less than a predetermined distance between them, a state in which there are more than a predetermined number of vehicles 20 in a charging section, or a state in which vehicles 20 remain in a charging section for longer than the set driving time or exit time for vehicles 20 in that section.

[0049] The charging section dispatch management unit 314 of the control control device 31 acquires the judgment result from the charging section status monitoring unit 313, and uses vehicle information, dispatch information, and charging section information to calculate a traffic congestion avoidance driving instruction that includes information on the speed and driving route to avoid congestion, and outputs it to the driving instruction unit. Details of the process will be described later.

[0050] Traffic congestion avoidance driving instructions are summarized in a table format, for example, as shown in Figure 6B, and for each vehicle 20 subject to traffic congestion avoidance driving instructions, the instruction content and the information necessary for each instruction content are included. Several methods can be considered for the instruction content, such as changing the route, changing the driving order, and changing the driving speed. In this embodiment, as an example of a method of changing speed, we will explain a method in which the driving speed in the charging section of the preceding vehicle 20a, which is the cause of congestion as shown in Figure 7, is increased to a speed at which the following vehicle 20b does not approach below the minimum following distance. Furthermore, as an example of a method of changing the route, we will explain a method in which, among following vehicles 20b and 20c carrying the same amount of cargo as shown in Figure 8, the destination (route) of the vehicle 20b with a closer destination set is swapped. Furthermore, as methods for changing the order of travel, the following will be explained as examples: a method of using the passing lane 70 shown in Figure 9A to allow the following vehicle 20b to overtake; a method of having the preceding vehicle 20a wait at a passing area 71 installed before the charging section shown in Figure 9B; and a method of having the preceding vehicle 20a wait at the intersection 72 before the charging section shown in Figure 9C, allowing the following vehicle 20b to pass first. However, the method of changing the order of travel is not limited to the methods described in this embodiment; any method that can change the order of travel of vehicles 20a and 20b is acceptable, such as a method of delaying the departure timing of the preceding vehicle 20a. In addition, congestion avoidance driving instructions may be generated by combining the above-mentioned methods. For example, if, after changing the route of the preceding vehicle 20a to a shorter route using the route changing method, there is a possibility that the following vehicle 20b will catch up to the preceding vehicle 20a in the charging section, a speed change method that increases the charging section travel speed Vc of the preceding vehicle 20a as long as the amount of charge can be secured can be combined with the route changing method. It should be noted that the traffic congestion avoidance driving instructions are not limited to those shown in this embodiment. For example, if the charging section uses a stationary charging system rather than a trolley overhead line system, any instruction to the vehicle 20 that can avoid traffic congestion caused by charging in the charging section is acceptable, such as a method to shorten the time spent connected to the charging section.

[0051] The charging section dispatch management unit 314, using the above-described methods as constraints that each vehicle 20 does not run out of power and that the cargo to be transported to the destination and its quantity do not change, selects instructions to be transmitted to the vehicle 20 by determining whether they can be executed in a predetermined order of priority, with the view that the time the cargo arrives at the destination will not be delayed as much as possible from the estimated arrival time of the initially given travel route instruction. In this embodiment, an example will be given in which speed change, route change, and travel order rearrangement are set in descending order of priority. The information required for each instruction is, for example, in the case of a speed change, the section ID of the section to be changed and the information of the changed speed; in the case of a route change, the vehicle ID of the vehicle 20 whose route is being changed and the information of the changed route; in the case of changing the order of travel using a passing lane 70, the section ID of the section in which the change will be performed, the starting position of the lane change within that section, and the waiting time in the changed lane; in the case of changing the order of travel using a passing area 71, the section ID of the passing area 71 and the waiting time; and in the case of changing the order of travel using an intersection 72, the section ID of the intersection 72 and the waiting time.

[0052] Returning to Figure 2, the driving instruction unit 315 of the control device 31 receives dispatch information from the dispatch management unit 311 and traffic congestion avoidance driving instructions from the charging section dispatch management unit 314. Based on the traffic congestion avoidance driving instructions, it modifies the route information and target speed for each section, and outputs the target speed for each driving section, the swap section ID included in the traffic congestion avoidance driving instructions, the lane change start position, and the waiting time to the vehicle body control device 21 of the vehicle 20. Details of the process will be described later.

[0053] <Details of the processing by the charging information calculation unit 312> Using Figure 10, the processing flow related to charging section information in the charging information calculation unit 312 of the control device 31 will be explained.

[0054] First, in step S1001, it is determined whether or not a vehicle 20 for which a new route has been set exists. If it is determined that it exists (YES), the process proceeds to step S1002; if it is determined that it does not exist (NO), the process ends.

[0055] Subsequently, in step S1002, for the vehicle 20 with a newly set route, based on the power consumption described in the map data, calculate the sum of the power consumption in each non-charging section (hereinafter referred to as the power consumption Ed).

[0056] Subsequently, in step S1003, calculate the required charging time Tc for obtaining a charging amount more than the power consumption Ed in the non-charging section based on the charging speed Cr of each charging section obtained in advance by the following formula.

[0057] Tc>Ed / Cr (1)

[0058] Subsequently, in step S1004, for each charging section on the route, calculate the passing time from the distance of the charging section and the target speed set in advance, and set the sum as Tcs. Regarding Tcs and the required charging time Tc calculated in step S1003, if Tcs≧Tc, set the target speed set in advance on the route as the charging section driving speed Vc of each charging section. If Tcs<Tc, calculate the charging section driving speed Vc of each charging section from the distance L of each charging section, the target speed V, and the number of charging sections n by the following formula.

[0059] Vc=L / (L / V+(Tc-Tcs) / n) (2)

[0060] Subsequently, in step S1005, calculate the time until reaching each section from the current position of the vehicle 20, the driving route, the distance of each section, and the target speed, and calculate the charging section arrival time Tca by adding it to the current time.

[0061] Subsequently, in step S1006, for each charging section on the route, calculate the time required to pass through the charging section from the distance L of the charging section and the charging section driving speed Vc, and calculate the charging section departure time Tcd by adding the value to the charging section arrival time Tca.

[0062] Next, in step S1007, the calculated charging section driving speed Vc, charging section arrival time Tca, and charging section exit time Tcd are stored in the charging section information table shown in Figure 6A, output to the charging section status monitoring unit 313, and the process ends.

[0063] <Details of the processing by the charging section status monitoring unit 313> Using Figure 11, the processing flow for determining congestion in the charging section status monitoring unit 313 of the control device 31 will be explained. Note that if there are multiple charging sections on the road, this processing will be performed for each charging section.

[0064] First, in step S1101, the vehicle 20a with the charging section arrival time closest to the current time is selected from the charging section information.

[0065] Next, in step S1102, the system checks the charging section information to determine if there is a charging section arrival time Tca' for another vehicle 20b during the time between the charging section arrival time Tca and the charging section exit time Tcd for the selected vehicle 20a. If the answer is YES, the system proceeds to step S1103; otherwise, it proceeds to step S1105.

[0066] Next, in step S1103, it is determined whether another vehicle 20b, extracted in step S1102, approaches the selected vehicle 20a to a minimum following distance Lmin within the charging section. Specifically, first, the following distance between vehicle 20b and vehicle 20a when vehicle 20b reaches the charging section (hereinafter referred to as the initial following distance Ls) is calculated using the following formula.

[0067] Ls = Vc × (Tca' - Tca) (3)

[0068] Next, the distance between vehicles (hereinafter referred to as the approach distance La) that decreases during the time from when vehicle 20b enters the charging section until vehicle 20a exits the charging section is calculated using the following formula. The speed at which vehicle 20b travels through the charging section is denoted as Vc'.

[0069] La = (Vc'-Vc) × (Tcd-Tca') (4)

[0070] Finally, the difference between the initial inter-vehicle distance Ls calculated using equation (3) and the approach distance La calculated using equation (4) (hereinafter referred to as the remaining inter-vehicle distance) is calculated, and if the remaining inter-vehicle distance is less than the minimum inter-vehicle distance Lmin, it is determined that vehicle 20b is approaching to less than the minimum inter-vehicle distance Lmin. If it is determined that it is approaching (YES), proceed to step S1104; if it is determined that it is not approaching (NO), proceed to step S1105.

[0071] Next, in step S1104, the vehicle IDs of the selected vehicle 20a and the approaching vehicle 20b are output to the charging section dispatch management unit 314, and the process ends.

[0072] Finally, in step S1105, the next vehicle 20b whose charging station arrival time is closest to the current time is selected, and the process returns to step S1101. If the process is performed on the vehicle 20b whose charging station arrival time is furthest from the current time among the vehicles 20 on which the current route is set, the process is terminated.

[0073] <Details of processing by the charging section dispatch management unit 314> Using Figure 12, the processing flow for calculating congestion avoidance driving instructions in the charging section dispatch management unit 314 of the control control device 31 will be explained. Note that if there are multiple charging sections on the road, this processing will be performed for each charging section.

[0074] First, in step S1201, it is determined whether vehicle 20a will run out of power when the charging section driving speed Vc of vehicle 20a is increased to a speed that does not bring it closer to vehicle 20b than the minimum following distance (hereinafter referred to as the congestion avoidance speed Vta). Specifically, first, the speed at which vehicle 20a can travel the distance L of the charging section is calculated by the following formula, based on the sum of the time from when vehicle 20a reaches the charging section until vehicle 20b reaches the charging section, and the time it takes for vehicle 20b to travel from the end of the charging section to just before the minimum following distance Lmin, and this is defined as the congestion avoidance speed Vta.

[0075] Vta=L / ((Tca'-Tca)+(L-Lmin) / Vc') (5)

[0076] Next, the sum of the current stored energy Bp of vehicle 20a and the amount of energy to be charged in the charging section (hereinafter referred to as usable energy Eav) is calculated using the following formula.

[0077] Eav = Bp + Cr × (L / Vta) (6)

[0078] Finally, the current position of vehicle 20 and the sum of the power consumption from the current position to the end of the route, calculated from the power consumption of each non-charging section in the map data, are compared with the available power amount Eav. If the available power amount Eav is greater, it is determined that there will be no power depletion (NO), and if the available power amount Eav is smaller, it is determined that there will be power depletion (YES). If it is determined that there will be no power depletion (NO), the process proceeds to step S1202, and if it is determined that there will be power depletion (YES), the process proceeds to step S1203.

[0079] Next, in step S1202, the instructions for speed change, the vehicle ID of vehicle 20, the traffic congestion avoidance speed Vta, and the section ID of the charging section being processed are set as traffic congestion avoidance driving instructions and output to the driving instruction unit 315, ending the process.

[0080] Next, in step S1203, it is determined whether there is a vehicle 20b that can swap destinations with vehicle 20a. Specifically, the charging section information, vehicle information, and dispatch information are first referenced, and a search is conducted to find if there is a vehicle 20b that has the same loading information as vehicle information and a shorter route distance after the charging section, in order of proximity to the charging section arrival time Tca of vehicle 20a. The subsequent processing is repeated until a vehicle 20b that is determined to be able to swap destinations appears, or all searched vehicles 20b are determined to be unable to swap destinations.

[0081] First, the available energy Eav of vehicle 20b at the current charging section speed Vc' is calculated by replacing Vta with Vc' in equation (6).

[0082] Next, for the searched vehicle 20b, the power consumption Ed during the non-charging section is calculated from the route and map data, assuming that the route after the charging section is replaced with the route of vehicle 20a.

[0083] Next, the calculated available power amount Eav is compared with the power consumption Ed to determine whether the available power amount Eav is greater or less. If the available power amount Eav is greater, the next process is carried out; if the available power amount Eav is less, it is determined that the currently processed vehicle 20b cannot be replaced, and the process moves on to determining the next vehicle 20b found.

[0084] Next, if the available power amount Eav is greater, the power consumption Ed of the non-charging section when the route after the charging section of vehicle 20a is changed to the route of vehicle 20b is calculated from the map data, and the new driving speed in the charging section is calculated using equations (1) and (2).

[0085] Next, using the newly calculated charging section driving speed, the charging section status monitoring unit 313 determines whether vehicle 20b approaches vehicle 20a to within Lmin by performing the same process as in step S1103. If it is determined that vehicle 20b will not approach, it is determined that the vehicle 20b currently being processed can be replaced, and the process in step S1203 is terminated, proceeding to step S1204. If it is determined that vehicle 20b will approach, the following process is performed.

[0086] Next, with the routes of vehicle 20a and vehicle 20b swapped, the same process as in step S1201 is performed on vehicle 20a to determine whether vehicle 20a will run out of power when its speed is increased to the congestion avoidance speed Vta. If it is determined that vehicle 20a will not run out of power, it is determined that the currently processed vehicle 20b can be swapped, and the process in step S1203 ends, and the process proceeds to step S1204. If it is determined that vehicle 20b will run out of power, it is determined that the currently processed vehicle 20b cannot be swapped, and the process proceeds to determine the next vehicle 20b found. If all vehicles 20b are determined to be unswappable, the process in step S1203 ends, and the process proceeds to step S1205.

[0087] Next, in step S1204, the traffic congestion avoidance driving instruction is set with the instruction content as "route change," the vehicle ID of vehicle 20a, the route after the swap, the section ID of the charging section, and the traffic congestion avoidance speed Vta. Furthermore, the vehicle ID of vehicle 20b and the route after the swap are set on the next line, and the output is sent to the driving instruction unit 315 to end the process.

[0088] Next, in step S1205, instructions are generated to swap the driving order of vehicles 20a and 20b. Specifically, from three methods of swapping driving order using the passing lane 70, the passing area 71, and the intersection 72, the method that results in the shortest waiting time for vehicle 20 is selected. The details of the congestion avoidance driving instructions and the calculation method of waiting time for each method are explained below.

[0089] <Method for changing the order of travel using passing lane 70> First, as shown in Figure 13, let Lwc be the width of the charging section, Lwa be the width of the passing lane 70, and θ be the angle of the direction of travel relative to the straight direction at the minimum curve radius determined by the vehicle's performance. Assuming that the vehicle 20 moves from the center of the lane in the charging section towards the center of the lane in the passing lane 70 at a speed Vc in the charging section and at an angle θ, the time Tch required for the vehicle 20 to change lanes can be calculated by the following equation.

[0090] Tch=(Lwc / 2+Lwa / 2) / (Vc×sinθ) (7)

[0091] Next, the start time Tas of vehicle 20a changing lanes to the passing lane 70 is calculated using the following formula.

[0092] Tas=Tca'-Tch+(Ls-Lmin) / (Vc'-Vc) (8)

[0093] Next, the lane change starting position Pav of vehicle 20, as seen from the beginning of the charging section, is calculated using the following formula.

[0094] Pav=(Tas-Tca) / Vc (9)

[0095] Next, the following distance Lav between vehicle 20a and vehicle 20b after vehicle 20a has completed its lane change is calculated using the following formula.

[0096] Lav = Ls - (Tas - Tca') × (Vc' - Vc) -Tch×(Vc'-Vc×cosθ) (10)

[0097] Next, the distance Laf required in advance to ensure that the distance between vehicles increases by a minimum distance Lmin during the time between vehicle 20b overtaking and vehicle 20a returning to the charging section is calculated using the following formula.

[0098] Laf=Lmin-Tch×(Vc'-Vc×cosθ) (11)

[0099] Next, the time it takes for vehicle 20b to overtake vehicle 20a (the waiting time Twl for vehicle 20a) is calculated using the following formula.

[0100] Twl=(Lav+Laf) / Vc' (12)

[0101] Finally, the instructions for avoiding congestion are set to include a change in the order of driving (overtaking), the vehicle ID of vehicle 20a, the calculated waiting time Twl, the lane change start position Pav, and the section ID of the charging section.

[0102] <Method for changing the order of trains using a passing area 71> First, the travel times Tpa and Tpa' for vehicles 20a and 20b from their current locations to the passing place 71 are calculated using route information and map data.

[0103] Next, the time Tlm required for vehicle 20b to travel the minimum following distance Lmin after passing the passing area 71 is calculated using map data.

[0104] Next, the waiting time Twp for vehicle 20a is calculated using the following formula.

[0105] Twp = Tpa' - Tpa + Tlm (13)

[0106] Finally, the instructions for avoiding congestion are set to include a change in the order of travel (to a passing place), the vehicle ID of vehicle 20a, the calculated waiting time Twp, and the section ID of passing place 71.

[0107] <Method for rearranging the order of travel using intersection 72> First, using the route information of vehicles 20a and 20b, the section ID of the intersection immediately preceding the one that corresponds to the same section ID is searched for.

[0108] Next, the time Tcp and Tcp' required for vehicles 20a and 20b to travel from their current location to the explored section are calculated from the route information and map data.

[0109] Next, the time Tlm required for vehicle 20b to travel the minimum following distance Lmin after passing through intersection 72 is calculated using map data.

[0110] Next, the waiting time Twc for vehicle 20a is calculated using the following formula.

[0111] Twc = Tcp' - Tcp + Tlm (14)

[0112] Finally, the instructions for avoiding congestion are set to include a change in the order of driving (at intersections), the vehicle ID of vehicle 20a, the calculated waiting time Twc, and the section ID of the passing place 71.

[0113] Next, in step S1206, the method with the smallest waiting time among the three methods Twl, Twp, and Twc calculated in step S1205 is selected, and a traffic congestion avoidance driving instruction for that method is sent to the driving instruction unit 315, ending the process.

[0114] <Details of the processing by the travel instruction unit 315> Figure 14 will be used to explain the processing flow in the travel instruction unit 315 of the control device 31.

[0115] First, in step S1401, dispatch information and map data are obtained from the dispatch management unit 311.

[0116] Next, in step S1402, it is determined whether or not a traffic congestion avoidance driving instruction has been received from the charging section dispatch management unit 314. If it is determined that an instruction has been received (YES), the process proceeds to step S1403; if it is determined that an instruction has not been received (NO), the process proceeds to step S1407.

[0117] Next, in step S1403, the system determines the content of the traffic congestion avoidance instruction. If the instruction is a speed change, the system proceeds to step S1404; if the instruction is a route change, the system proceeds to S1405; and if the instruction is a change of course (overtaking / waiting area / intersection), the system proceeds to step S1406.

[0118] Next, in step S1404, for vehicle 20 that matches the vehicle ID described in the traffic congestion avoidance driving instruction, the target speed for the section described in the traffic congestion avoidance driving instruction is overwritten with the traffic congestion avoidance speed, and the process proceeds to step S1407.

[0119] Next, in step S1405, the driving route of vehicle 20, which matches the vehicle ID described in the traffic congestion avoidance driving instruction, is changed to the route described in the traffic congestion avoidance driving instruction, and the process proceeds to step S1407.

[0120] Next, in step S1406, for vehicle 20 that matches the vehicle ID described in the traffic congestion avoidance driving instruction, the swap section ID, the lane change start position, and the waiting time are output, and the process proceeds to step S1407.

[0121] Next, in step S1407, the target speed for each section included in the route of each vehicle 20 listed in the dispatch information is extracted from the map data and output to each vehicle 20, ending the process.

[0122] <Effects of this embodiment> In the vehicle management system 1 of this embodiment, configured as described above, the control device 31, when a vehicle 20 travels through a charging section on the transport path 60 where a power supply device 50 is installed, takes into account the amount of charge stored in the vehicle 20 and the load status of the vehicle 20, and generates driving instructions to avoid congestion, such as changing the driving speed in the charging section, changing the driving route of the vehicle 20, or swapping the driving order of the charging section with a following vehicle 20b that has a higher charging section driving speed Vc'. The vehicle control device 21 controls the driving device 22 according to these driving instructions. As a result, the vehicle 20 does not run out of power in the non-charging section, and smooth traffic is maintained without congestion in the charging section. Therefore, the productivity of the entire mine can be improved under conditions that allow transport operations to continue.

[0123] It should be noted that the method for generating traffic congestion avoidance driving instructions is not limited to the method shown in this embodiment. For example, in this embodiment, the charging speed Cr was treated as a fixed value for each charging section, but if the charging speed Cr can be treated as a variable value by controlling the current flowing to the energy storage device 29 on the vehicle 20 side, then, as shown in Figure 15, the charging speed Cr can be increased in accordance with the increase in the charging section driving speed Vc of the vehicle 20a, thereby ensuring the amount of charge in the vehicle 20a even when the charging section driving speed Vc is increased. As a result, even if the amount of charge stored in the vehicle 20a is small, it becomes possible to increase the charging section driving speed Vc to avoid traffic congestion while ensuring the amount of charge stored in the vehicle 20a. As a result, the proportion of driving order changes in traffic congestion avoidance driving instructions is reduced, and the frequency of vehicle waiting that leads to a decrease in productivity is reduced, thus improving the productivity of the entire mine. Furthermore, by treating engine-driven vehicles as vehicles with infinite energy storage capacity, the vehicle management system 1 can also be applied to mines where battery-driven vehicles 20 and engine-driven vehicles are mixed.

[0124] (summary) In this embodiment, the vehicle management system 1 comprises a plurality of vehicles 20 that travel along a route including a charging section where a power supply device 50 is provided and a non-charging section where a power supply device 50 is not provided, and a control control device 31 that can communicate with the vehicles 20. Each vehicle 20 is equipped with a power receiving device 28 that receives power from the power supply device 50, a power storage device 29 that is charged by the power received by the power receiving device 28, a position sensor 23 that acquires the position of the vehicle 20, and a load sensor 25 that acquires the load of the vehicle 20. The control control device 31 receives vehicle information from the vehicle 20, including the position of the vehicle 20, the load of the vehicle 20, and the amount of charge stored in the power storage device 29, and transmits a driving instruction to the vehicle 20 that instructs the driving route and driving speed. The vehicle 20 travels according to the driving instruction. The system includes a charging information calculation unit 312 that calculates the amount of charge in the charging section (0), the charging section driving speed Vc which is the driving speed of the vehicle 20 in the charging section, the charging section arrival time Tca which is the time when the vehicle 20 arrives at the charging section, and the charging section exit time Tcd which is the time when the vehicle 20 leaves the charging section; a charging section status monitoring unit 313 that detects the occurrence of congestion in the charging section based on the vehicle 20's charging section driving speed Vc, charging section arrival time Tca, and charging section exit time Tcd; a charging section dispatch management unit 314 that, when the charging section status monitoring unit 313 detects the occurrence of congestion, generates congestion avoidance driving instructions for one or more vehicles 20a, 20b among the multiple vehicles 20 involved in the congestion to avoid the congestion; and a driving instruction unit 315 that transmits the congestion avoidance driving instructions to one or more vehicles 20a, 20b.

[0125] According to this embodiment configured as described above, it is possible to prevent the vehicle 20 performing transport work in the mine from running out of power while improving the overall productivity of the mine.

[0126] Furthermore, the charging information calculation unit 312 in this embodiment calculates the charging section driving speed Vc based on the amount of charge stored in the vehicle 20, the amount of power consumed by the vehicle 20 in the non-charging section Ed, the distance L of the charging section, and the charging speed Cr of the charging section, such that the amount of charge stored immediately after passing through the charging section is greater than the amount of power consumed Ed. This makes it possible to set the charging section driving speed Vc as high as possible while preventing the vehicle 20 from running out of power.

[0127] Furthermore, the charging section status monitoring unit 313 in this embodiment determines whether the time interval from the time Tca to the time Tcd of the first vehicle 20a, which is scheduled to pass through the charging section, includes the time Tca' of the second vehicle 20b, which is scheduled to pass through the charging section, among the multiple vehicles 20. If it is determined that the time interval includes the time Tca' of the second vehicle 20b, it determines whether the distance between the first vehicle 20a and the second vehicle 20b in the charging section will decrease to a predetermined minimum distance Lmin, based on the difference between the time Tca and Tca' of the first vehicle 20a and the second vehicle 20b, and the difference between the driving speeds Vc and Vc' in the charging section. If it is determined that the distance between the vehicles will decrease to the minimum distance Lmin, it detects the occurrence of congestion. This makes it possible to detect the occurrence of congestion in the charging section with high accuracy.

[0128] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the charging section dispatch management unit 314 detects the occurrence of congestion in the charging section status monitoring unit 313, it determines whether the first vehicle 20a will run out of power before completing the route after passing the charging section, when the charging section driving speed Vc of the first vehicle 20a is increased to a congestion avoidance speed Vta that prevents the distance between the first vehicle 20a and the second vehicle 20b from shrinking to the minimum distance Lmin by the time the vehicle exits the charging section. If it is determined that the first vehicle 20a will not run out of power, it generates a congestion avoidance driving instruction to increase the charging section driving speed Vc of the first vehicle 20a to the congestion avoidance speed Vta. This makes it possible to avoid congestion in the charging section.

[0129] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the charging section dispatch management unit 314, when it is possible to control the charging speed of the charging section, generates a traffic congestion avoidance driving instruction to increase the charging speed Cr so that the amount of charge stored in the first vehicle 20a immediately after driving through the charging section at the traffic congestion avoidance speed Vta is greater than the amount of power consumed Ed by the first vehicle 20a until it completes the driving section after passing the charging section. This makes it possible to increase the charging section driving speed Vc of the first vehicle 20a to the traffic congestion avoidance speed Vta while ensuring the amount of charge stored in the first vehicle 20a.

[0130] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the charging section dispatch management unit 314 detects the occurrence of congestion in the charging section status monitoring unit 313, if there is a second vehicle 20b that is carrying the same amount of cargo as the first vehicle 20a and has a shorter travel route after passing the charging section than the first vehicle 20a, the charging section dispatch management unit 314 generates an instruction to swap the travel routes after passing the charging section between the first vehicle 20a and the second vehicle 20b as the congestion avoidance travel instruction. This makes it possible to avoid congestion in the charging section.

[0131] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the charging section dispatch management unit 313 detects the occurrence of congestion, the charging section status monitoring unit 314 generates an instruction to swap the driving order of the first vehicle 20a and the second vehicle 20b in the charging section or the road leading to the charging section, as the congestion avoidance driving instruction. This makes it possible to avoid congestion in the charging section.

[0132] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if a passing lane 70 is provided on the roadway of the charging section, the charging section dispatch management unit 314 generates an instruction as a traffic congestion avoidance driving instruction that, just before the second vehicle 20b approaches the first vehicle 20a to the minimum following distance Lmin, the first vehicle 20a temporarily changes lanes to the passing lane 70, and the second vehicle 20b waits in the passing lane 70 until it overtakes the first vehicle 20a, thereby reversing the driving order of the first vehicle 20a and the second vehicle 20b. This makes it possible to avoid traffic congestion in the charging section.

[0133] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the charging section dispatch management unit 314 generates an instruction to change the driving order of the first vehicle 20a and the second vehicle 20b by having the first vehicle 20a wait at the waiting area 71 when a refuge area 71 is provided before the charging section, as the traffic congestion avoidance driving instruction. This makes it possible to avoid traffic congestion in the charging section.

[0134] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if there is an intersection 72 on the road before the charging section and the first vehicle 20a and the second vehicle 20b are to merge at the intersection 72, the charging section dispatch management unit 314 generates an instruction to change the driving order of the first vehicle 20a and the second vehicle 20b by having the first vehicle 20a wait before the intersection 72 until the second vehicle 20b has passed the intersection 72, as the traffic congestion avoidance driving instruction. This makes it possible to avoid traffic congestion in the charging section.

[0135] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the charging section dispatch management unit 314 generates multiple traffic congestion avoidance driving instructions, it selects the traffic congestion avoidance driving instruction with the shortest waiting time for the first vehicle 20a as the instruction to be transmitted to one or more vehicles 20a, 20b involved in the traffic congestion. This makes it possible to shorten the waiting time for the first vehicle 20a when the driving order of the first vehicle 20a and the second vehicle 20b is changed.

[0136] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and includes various modifications. For example, the embodiments described above have been described in detail for the purpose of explaining the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0137] 1...Vehicle management system, 10...Loading machine, 11...Vehicle body control device, 12...Operating device, 13...Drive device, 14...Output device, 17...Wireless communication device, 20...Vehicle, 20a...Leading vehicle (Vehicle 1), 20b...Following vehicle (Vehicle 2), 21...Vehicle body control device, 22...Running device, 23...Position sensor, 24...Speed ​​sensor, 25...Load sensor, 26...Operating device, 27...Wireless communication device, 28...Power receiving device, 29...Energy storage device, 30...Control station, 31...Control and control device, 32...Memory device, 33...Wireless communication device, 34...Input Device, 40... Wireless communication line, 41... Wireless base station, 50... Power supply device, 60... Transport route, 61... Loading area, 62... Unloading area, 70... Passing lane, 71... Passing area, 72... Intersection, 80... Satellite, 111... Control information management unit, 112... Drive control unit, 211... Vehicle body status management unit, 212... Control information management unit, 213... Driving control unit, 311... Dispatch management unit, 312... Charging information calculation unit, 313... Charging section status monitoring unit, 314... Charging section dispatch management unit, 315... Driving instruction unit, 321... Dispatch information storage unit, 322... Map data storage unit.

Claims

1. A control device is provided that enables communication between multiple vehicles traveling on a route that includes a charging section equipped with a power supply device and a non-charging section not equipped with the power supply device. The vehicle is equipped with a power receiving device that receives power from the power supply device, a power storage device that is charged by the power received by the power receiving device, a position sensor that acquires the position of the vehicle, and a load sensor that acquires the load of the vehicle. In a vehicle management system, the control device receives vehicle information from the vehicle, including the vehicle's position, the vehicle's load capacity, and the amount of energy stored in the energy storage device, and transmits driving instructions to the vehicle specifying the driving route and driving speed, The aforementioned control device is A charging information calculation unit calculates, based on the vehicle's position, the driving instruction, and the amount of charge stored in the power storage device, the amount of charge the vehicle has in the charging section, the driving speed of the vehicle in the charging section, the time the vehicle arrives at the charging section, and the time the vehicle leaves the charging section. A charging section status monitoring unit detects congestion in the charging section based on the vehicle's speed in the charging section, the time of arrival at the charging section, and the time of departure from the charging section. When the charging section status monitoring unit detects the occurrence of congestion, the charging section dispatch management unit generates congestion avoidance driving instructions for one or more vehicles among the multiple vehicles involved in the congestion, in order to avoid the congestion. The vehicle includes a driving instruction unit that transmits the aforementioned traffic congestion avoidance driving instructions to one or more vehicles. A vehicle management system characterized by the following features.

2. In the vehicle management system according to claim 1, The charging information calculation unit calculates the charging section travel speed based on the vehicle's stored energy, the vehicle's power consumption in the non-charging section, the distance of the charging section, and the charging speed of the charging section, such that the amount of stored energy immediately after passing through the charging section is greater than the amount of power consumed. A vehicle management system characterized by the following features.

3. In the vehicle management system according to claim 1, The aforementioned charging section status monitoring unit, It is determined whether the time interval from the time of arrival at the charging section to the time of departure from the charging section of the first vehicle, which is scheduled to pass through the charging section, includes the time of arrival at the charging section of the second vehicle, which is scheduled to pass through the charging section, among the multiple vehicles. If it is determined that the time interval includes the time when the second vehicle arrives at the charging section, then it is determined whether the distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle in the charging section will decrease to a predetermined minimum distance based on the difference in the time when the first vehicle and the second vehicle arrive at the charging section and the difference in the driving speed in the charging section. The system detects the occurrence of traffic congestion when it is determined that the distance between vehicles has decreased to the minimum distance between vehicles. A vehicle management system characterized by the following features.

4. In the vehicle management system according to claim 3, The aforementioned charging section dispatch management unit, When the charging section status monitoring unit detects the occurrence of congestion, it determines whether the first vehicle will run out of power before completing the route after passing the charging section, when the first vehicle's speed in the charging section is increased to a congestion avoidance speed that prevents the distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle from decreasing to the minimum distance before exiting the charging section. If it is determined that the first vehicle will not run out of power, an instruction is generated to increase the first vehicle's speed in the charging section to the speed required to avoid congestion, as the congestion avoidance driving instruction. A vehicle management system characterized by the following features.

5. In the vehicle management system according to claim 4, The charging section dispatch management unit, when it is possible to control the charging speed of the charging section, generates an instruction to increase the charging speed as a traffic congestion avoidance driving instruction, such that the amount of charge stored in the first vehicle immediately after driving through the charging section at the traffic congestion avoidance speed is greater than the amount of power consumed by the first vehicle until it completes the driving section after passing the charging section. A vehicle management system characterized by the following features.

6. In the vehicle management system according to claim 3, When the charging section dispatch management unit detects the occurrence of congestion in the charging section status monitoring unit, if there is a second vehicle that is carrying the same amount of cargo as the first vehicle and has a shorter route after passing the charging section than the first vehicle, the unit generates an instruction to swap the routes after passing the charging section between the first vehicle and the second vehicle as the congestion avoidance driving instruction. A vehicle management system characterized by the following features.

7. In the vehicle management system according to claim 3, When the charging section dispatch management unit detects the occurrence of congestion in the charging section status monitoring unit, it generates an instruction to swap the driving order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle in the charging section or the road leading to the charging section, as the congestion avoidance driving instruction. A vehicle management system characterized by the following features.

8. In the vehicle management system according to claim 7, The charging section dispatch management unit generates a traffic congestion avoidance driving instruction that, when a passing lane is provided on the road of the charging section, causes the first vehicle to temporarily change lanes to the passing lane just before the second vehicle approaches the first vehicle to the minimum following distance, and has the second vehicle wait in the passing lane until it overtakes the first vehicle, thereby reversing the order in which the first and second vehicles travel. A vehicle management system characterized by the following features.

9. In the vehicle management system according to claim 7, The charging section dispatch management unit generates an instruction, as the traffic congestion avoidance driving instruction, to change the driving order of the first vehicle and the second vehicle by having the first vehicle wait at the waiting area when a waiting area is provided before the charging section. A vehicle management system characterized by the following features.

10. In the vehicle management system according to claim 7, The charging section dispatch management unit generates a traffic congestion avoidance driving instruction if there is an intersection on the road before the charging section and the first vehicle and the second vehicle are to merge at the intersection, instructing the first vehicle to wait before the intersection until the second vehicle has passed the intersection, thereby changing the order in which the first and second vehicles travel. A vehicle management system characterized by the following features.

11. In the vehicle management system according to any one of claims 8 to 10, When the charging section dispatch management unit generates multiple traffic congestion avoidance driving instructions, it selects the traffic congestion avoidance driving instruction with the shortest waiting time for the first vehicle as the traffic congestion avoidance driving instruction to transmit to one or more vehicles. A vehicle management system characterized by the following features.

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