Automated guided vehicle (AGV) movement control system
By establishing waiting and escape areas with a control mechanism that directs AGVs to escape areas, the invention simplifies deadlock avoidance in AGVs, reducing processing burden on the control device.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- MEIWA E TEC CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-14
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-26
Smart Images
Figure 2026086008000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a movement control device for an automated guided vehicle, and particularly to a movement control device that avoids deadlocks with simple control.
Background Art
[0002] An example of a device for avoiding deadlocks in an automated guided vehicle (AGV) is described in Patent Document 1. Here, with the intention of resolving deadlock avoidance when a prohibited travel section is set in a grid-shaped travel route, complex movement control processes such as changing the movement priority order of the AGV, searching for a station for evacuation, rewriting an evacuation control table, etc. are performed.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] In the above conventional movement control device, since complex processing is required, the burden on the on-site computer of the control device is large. On the other hand, in an automated guided vehicle system, deadlocks often become a problem locally. In this case, there is a demand to eliminate deadlocks with relatively simple processing without imposing a large burden on the control device.
[0005] Therefore, in view of such a demand, an object of the present invention is to provide a movement control device for an automated guided vehicle that can easily avoid deadlocks without imposing a large processing burden on the control device.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides waiting areas (4A, 4B) set out on both ends of the travel path (1) of an automated guided vehicle (5A~5D) with a passing area (2), and (n-1) escape areas (3A~3C) where the number of automated guided vehicles (5A~5D) using the travel path (1) is n, and where n is the number of automated guided vehicles (5A~5D) using the travel path (1), and a control means (6) that moves the one automated guided vehicle (5B~5D) to one of the available escape areas (3A~3C) when at least one automated guided vehicle (5B~5D) arrives at one of the waiting areas (4B) and at least one other automated guided vehicle (5A) is present at the other waiting area (4A). Preferably, the control means (6) is configured to move the one unmanned transport vehicle (5B to 5D) to the nearest available vacant evacuating area (3A to 3C).
[0007] The symbols in parentheses above are for reference only, indicating the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments described later. [Effects of the Invention]
[0008] According to the present invention, by setting up a refuge area and moving an automated guided vehicle (AGV) that arrives later in one waiting area to the refuge area, and allowing the AGV that arrives earlier in the other waiting area to pass through the travel path preferentially, deadlocks can be reliably avoided. Furthermore, complex movement control processing such as changing the movement priority of AGVs, searching for refuge stations, and rewriting the refuge control table, as in the past, is unnecessary, thus not placing a heavy processing burden on the control device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the AGV's travel path with designated passing areas. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart for the AGV movement control of the control device. [Figure 3]This is a schematic diagram of the travel path showing the movement process of the AGV. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of the travel path showing the movement process of the AGV. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of the travel path showing the movement process of the AGV. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram of the travel path showing the movement process of the AGV. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram of the travel path showing the movement process of the AGV. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0010] The embodiments described below are merely examples, and various design improvements made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention are also included within the scope of the present invention.
[0011] Figure 1 shows a single-line travel path 1 for an automated guided vehicle (AGV) where vehicles cannot pass each other. Depending on the type of AGV, this travel path 1 may be formed by actually laying magnetic tape on the floor, or it may be virtually formed by markers such as QR codes (registered trademarks) placed at intervals on the floor. Furthermore, the AGVs covered by this invention also include autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) that estimate their own position using sensing technology, automatically calculate a route to their destination, and travel autonomously. In this case as well, when passing through a narrow space between obstacles such as walls or equipment, that space becomes the travel path 1, causing a deadlock problem.
[0012] A passing area 2 of a predetermined length is set in part of the travel path 1, and three evacuation areas 3A, 3B, and 3C are set adjacent to the passing area 2. These evacuation areas 3A to 3C are used for the AGV to temporarily exit the travel path 1 in the passing area 2 and then return to the travel path 1.
[0013] Waiting areas 4A and 4B are set up along the travel path 1 at both ends of the long-range direction of passing area 2.
[0014] Figure 1 shows a state where a total of four AGVs 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D, one and three respectively, have entered and arrived at each of the standby areas 4A and 4B. In this embodiment, it is assumed that only the above four AGVs 5A to 5D travel back and forth on the travel route 1, and the evacuation areas 3A to 3C are set at three locations, one less than the total number of four of the AGVs 5A to 5D.
[0015] Each of the AGVs 5A to 5D is controlled to move as described below by performing wireless communication with the control device 6 by a known method. In this case, when any one of the AGVs 5A to 5D is moving through the passing area 2, the remaining three AGVs 5A to 5D are controlled so that they cannot enter the standby areas 4A and 4B.
[0016] Hereinafter, the movement control of the AGVs 5A to 5D by the control device 6 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 2.
[0017] In FIG. 1, when the AGVs 5B to 5D have entered and arrived at the standby area 4B and the AGV 5A has arrived at the standby area 4A earlier, the process proceeds from steps 101 and 102 to step 103 in FIG. 2, and the AGV 5B is evacuated from the travel route 1 to the nearest evacuation area 3C among the three evacuation areas 3A to 3C through the travel route 1 in the passing area 2 (FIG. 3).
[0018] Even after the AGV 5B is evacuated to the evacuation area 3C, since the AGV 5A still exists in the standby area 4A, the above steps 102 and 103 are executed, and the AGV 5C is evacuated to the nearest available evacuation area 3B among the evacuation areas 3A to 3C (FIG. 4).
[0019] Furthermore, even after the AGV 5C is evacuated to the evacuation area 3B, since the AGV 5A is still in the standby area 4A, the above steps 102 and 103 are executed, and the AGV 5D is evacuated to the remaining one 3A among the evacuation areas 3A to 3C (FIG. 5).
[0020] As a result, when there is no AGV in the passing area 2 and the waiting area 4B in step 102 of FIG. 2, the process proceeds from step 102 to step 104, and the AGV 5A stopped in the waiting area 4A is made to enter the passing area 2, and is made to pass through the traveling route 1 to the right side of FIG. 5 via the waiting area 4B, so that there is no AGV in the traveling route 1 of the waiting area 4A and the passing area 2 (FIG. 6).
[0021] At this time, in step 105, since there is an AGV 5B in the evacuation area 3C, the process proceeds from step 102 to step 104 above, and the AGV 5B is returned to the traveling route 1 of the passing area 2 and is made to pass through the traveling route 1 to the left side of FIG. 6 via the waiting area 4A. For the AGVs 5C and 5D existing in the other evacuation areas 3A and 3B, the above procedure is repeated, and the AGVs 5C and 5D are respectively returned from the evacuation areas 3A and 3B to the traveling route 1 and are made to pass through to the left side of FIG. 6. In this way, the deadlock of the AGVs 5A to 5D is avoided.
[0022] Here, in FIG. 1, contrary to the above, when the AGV 5A enters and arrives at the waiting area 4A and the AGVs 5B to 5D have arrived at the waiting area 4B earlier, in steps 102 and 103 of FIG. 2, the AGV 5A is evacuated to the nearest evacuation area 3A among the three evacuation areas 3A to 3C via the traveling route 1 in the passing area 2 (FIG. 7).
[0023] As a result, in step 102 of FIG. 2, since there is no AGV in the traveling route 1 of the waiting area 4A and the passing area 2, the process proceeds to step 104, the AGV 5B stopped in the waiting area 4B is made to enter the traveling route 1 of the passing area 2, and the traveling route 1 is made to pass through to the left side of FIG. 7 via the waiting area 4A.
[0024] Subsequently, in step 105, since there is an AGV 5C in the waiting area 4B, the process proceeds from step 102 to step 104 above, the AGV 5C is made to enter the traveling route 1 of the passing area 2, and the traveling route 1 is made to pass through to the left side of FIG. 7 via the waiting area 4A.
[0025] Next, AGV5D, which is also located in waiting area 4B, is made to enter the travel path 1 in passing area 2, and is made to pass through waiting area 4A and then travel along the travel path 1 to the left in Figure 7.
[0026] Subsequently, since AGV5A is in the evacuation area, the process proceeds from step 105 to steps 102 and 104, returning AGV5A, which is in the evacuation area, to travel path 1 in passing area 2, and then passing through waiting area 4B to the right on travel path 1 in Figure 7. In this way, the deadlock of AGV5A to 5D is avoided.
[0027] As described above, according to the present invention, complex movement control processing such as changing the movement priority of AGVs, searching for evacuation stations, and rewriting the evacuation control table, as in the conventional method, is unnecessary, and deadlocks can be avoided simply and reliably without placing a heavy processing burden on the control device.
[0028] In the above embodiment, the AGV is moved to the nearest evacuation area, but it is not limited to this and may be moved to any available evacuation area. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0029] 1...Travel route, 2...Passing area, 3A, 3B, 3C...Evacuation area, 4A, 4B...Waiting area, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D...Automated guided vehicle, 6...Control device.
Claims
1. An automated guided vehicle (AGV) movement control device comprising: waiting areas set out on both ends of the AGV's travel path, where passing areas are set; (n-1) evacuation areas where AGVs can temporarily move away from the AGV's travel path, where n is the number of AGVs using the travel path; and a control means that, when at least one AGV arrives in one of the waiting areas and at least one other AGV is present in the other waiting area, moves the AGV to one of the empty evacuation areas.
2. The control means is configured to move the first automated guided vehicle to the nearest available evacuation area, as described in claim 1.