AGV management system, AGV management program, AGV, motion control program, and transport system

Abstract

The present invention provides an AGV management system, an AGV management program, AGVs, a motion control program, and a transport system that can identify recommended AGVs for transporting goods along a specific route. [Solution] An AGV management system for managing multiple AGVs that transport cargo using batteries predicts the amount of battery consumption when an AGV transports cargo along a specific route based on the past battery consumption when an AGV transports cargo along a specific route, and identifies a standby AGV whose remaining battery level exceeds the predicted battery consumption when an AGV transports cargo along a specific route as a recommended AGV to transport cargo along that specific route (YES in S181 and S182, and S184 and S186).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an AGV management system for managing a plurality of AGVs, an AGV management program, an AGV, an operation control program, and a transport system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a device for specifying the route of an AGV (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the conventional technology, there is a problem that it is impossible to specify an appropriate AGV for a specific route.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an AGV management system, an AGV management program, an AGV, an operation control program, and a transport system that can specify a recommended AGV for transporting a load on a specific route.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The AGV management system of the present invention is an AGV management system for managing a plurality of AGVs that transport cargo by consuming batteries, characterized in that it predicts the amount of battery consumption when an AGV transports cargo on a specific route based on the past amount of battery consumption when an AGV transports cargo on a specific route, and identifies a standby AGV whose remaining battery level exceeds the predicted amount of battery consumption when an AGV transports cargo on a specific route as the recommended AGV to transport cargo on the specific route.

[0007] With this configuration, the AGV management system of the present invention identifies a standby AGV whose remaining battery level exceeds the expected battery consumption when the AGV transports goods along a specific route as a recommended AGV for transporting goods along that specific route, thus enabling the identification of a recommended AGV for transporting goods along a specific route.

[0008] The AGV management system of the present invention may predict the battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo of a specific weight on the specific route, based on the past battery consumption associated with the weight of the cargo when the AGV transports the cargo on the specific route, and may identify a standby AGV whose remaining battery level exceeds the predicted battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo of a specific weight on the specific route as the recommended AGV for transporting the cargo of a specific weight on the specific route.

[0009] With this configuration, the AGV management system of the present invention identifies a standby AGV whose remaining battery level exceeds the expected battery consumption when the AGV transports a load of a specific weight along a specific route as a recommended AGV for transporting a load of a specific weight along a specific route, thus enabling the identification of a recommended AGV for transporting a load of a specific weight along a specific route.

[0010] The AGV management system of the present invention may identify the standby AGV as the recommended AGV for transporting the cargo along the specific route, where the remaining battery level exceeds the expected battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route, and the AGV with the lowest expected battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route is the recommended AGV for transporting the cargo along the specific route.

[0011] With this configuration, the AGV management system of the present invention can improve energy efficiency by identifying the standby AGV whose remaining battery level exceeds the expected battery consumption when the AGV transports goods along a specific route, and whose expected battery consumption when the AGV transports goods along a specific route is the lowest, as the recommended AGV for transporting goods along a specific route.

[0012] The AGV management system of the present invention may predict the transport time when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route based on past transport times when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route, and may identify the AGV among the waiting AGVs that have the shortest predicted transport time when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route, where the remaining battery level exceeds the predicted battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route, and the predicted battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route is the lowest, as the recommended AGV to transport the cargo along the specific route.

[0013] With this configuration, the AGV management system of the present invention identifies the AGV whose remaining battery level exceeds the expected battery consumption when transporting goods along a specific route, whose expected battery consumption when transporting goods along a specific route is the lowest among the waiting AGVs, and whose expected transport time when transporting goods along a specific route is the shortest, as the recommended AGV for transporting goods along a specific route, thereby shortening the time required for goods to be transported by AGVs.

[0014] The AGV management system of the present invention may identify the AGV that has the fewest battery charging cycles among the waiting AGVs, whose battery remaining charge exceeds the expected battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route, whose battery consumption is the lowest when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route, and whose expected transport time when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route is the shortest, as the recommended AGV for transporting the cargo along the specific route.

[0015] With this configuration, the AGV management system of the present invention identifies the AGV that has the lowest battery charge, the shortest expected delivery time, and the fewest battery charging cycles among the waiting AGVs whose battery charge level exceeds the expected battery consumption when the AGV transports goods along a specific route, as the recommended AGV for transporting goods along a specific route. This reduces the possibility of charging only a specific battery, and as a result, extends the battery life.

[0016] The present invention provides an AGV management program for managing multiple AGVs that transport cargo by consuming batteries, characterized in that it causes a computer to predict the amount of battery consumption when an AGV transports cargo along a specific route, based on the past battery consumption when an AGV transports cargo along a specific route, and causes the computer to identify a standby AGV whose remaining battery level exceeds the predicted battery consumption when an AGV transports cargo along a specific route as the recommended AGV for transporting cargo along the specific route.

[0017] With this configuration, the computer running the AGV management program of the present invention can identify a standby AGV whose remaining battery level exceeds the expected battery consumption when the AGV transports goods along a specific route as a recommended AGV for transporting goods along that specific route.

[0018] The present invention relates to an AGV that transports cargo by consuming a battery, characterized in that it transmits the actual amount of battery consumed when the AGV transports the cargo along a specific route to an AGV management system that manages the AGV.

[0019] With this configuration, the AGV of the present invention transmits the actual battery consumption when the AGV transports cargo along a specific route to the AGV management system that manages the AGV, thereby allowing the AGV management system to identify the recommended AGV for transporting cargo along a specific route.

[0020] The present invention provides an operation control program for transporting a load by consuming a battery, characterized in that it causes the AGV to transmit to an AGV management system that manages the AGV the actual amount of battery consumed when the AGV transports the load along a specific route.

[0021] With this configuration, the AGV executing the operation control program of the present invention transmits the actual battery consumption when the AGV transports cargo along a specific route to the AGV management system that manages the AGV, thereby allowing the AGV management system to identify the recommended AGV for transporting cargo along a specific route.

[0022] The conveying system of the present invention includes a plurality of AGVs that consume batteries to convey luggage, and an AGV management system that manages the plurality of AGVs. The AGV transmits the actual consumption amount of the battery when the AGV conveys the luggage on a specific route to the AGV management system. The AGV management system predicts the consumption amount of the battery when the AGV conveys the luggage on the specific route based on the past consumption amount of the battery when the AGV conveys the luggage on the specific route. The AGV management system identifies a standby AGV whose predicted consumption amount of the battery when the AGV conveys the luggage on the specific route exceeds the remaining amount of the battery as the recommended AGV for conveying the luggage on the specific route.

[0023] With this configuration, the conveying system of the present invention identifies a standby AGV whose predicted consumption amount of the battery when the AGV conveys the luggage on a specific route exceeds the remaining amount of the battery as the recommended AGV for conveying the luggage on the specific route, so that the recommended AGV for conveying the luggage on the specific route can be identified.

Effect of the Invention

[0024] The AGV management system, AGV management program, AGV, operation control program, and conveying system of the present invention can identify the recommended AGV for conveying the luggage on a specific route.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] [Figure 1] It is a block diagram of an example of a conveying system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram of an example of the AGV shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a block diagram of an example of the AGV management system shown in FIG. 1 when it is composed of one computer. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an example of the conveyance history information shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] Figure 3 shows an example of AGV status information. [Figure 6] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an example of a user terminal. [Figure 7] Figure 2 shows a flowchart illustrating the operation of the AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) when transporting cargo. [Figure 8] Figure 2 shows a flowchart of the operation of the AGV when it is being charged by a charging device. [Figure 9] Figure 3 shows a flowchart illustrating the operation of the AGV management system when information is received from an AGV. [Figure 10] Figure 1 is a sequence diagram of the operation of the transport system when assisting users in selecting an AGV. [Figure 11] Figure 10 shows an example of a recommended AGV inquiry page that is displayed during the operation shown in Figure 10. [Figure 12] Figure 10 shows the flowchart for the recommended AGV identification process. [Figure 13] Figure 12 is a flowchart of a specific process. [Figure 14] This is a flowchart of a specific process shown in Figure 12, which is different from the process shown in Figure 13. [Figure 15] This is a flowchart of a specific process shown in Figure 12, which is different from the processes shown in Figures 13 and 14. [Figure 16] This is a flowchart of a specific process shown in Figure 12, which is different from the processes shown in Figures 13, 14, and 15. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0027] First, the configuration of a transport system according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0028] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an example of the transport system 10 according to this embodiment.

[0029] As shown in Figure 1, the transport system 10 is equipped with an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) 20 that automatically transports goods. The transport system 10 may also be equipped with at least one other AGV with a similar configuration to AGV 20. The AGVs in the transport system 10 are operated after being placed by the user along a route laid out inside a building such as a factory or warehouse.

[0030] The transport system 10 includes a charging device 30 for charging the AGV. The transport system 10 may also include at least one other charging device having a similar configuration to the charging device 30.

[0031] The transport system 10 is equipped with an AGV management system 40 for managing AGVs. The AGV management system 40 may be composed of one computer, such as a PC (Personal Computer), or of multiple computers. The AGV management system 40 may be configured on the same LAN (Local Area Network) as the AGVs, or it may be configured on the cloud. For example, the AGV management system 40 may be composed of a server device located on the cloud.

[0032] The transport system 10 includes a user terminal 50 used by the user. The transport system 10 may also include at least one other user terminal with a similar configuration to the user terminal 50. The user terminal may consist of a computer such as a tablet or smartphone.

[0033] The AGVs in the transport system 10 and the AGV management system 40 are connected to each other via a network 11 such as a LAN or the Internet, enabling them to communicate with one another. Similarly, the AGV management system 40 and the user terminals in the transport system 10 are connected to each other via the network 11, enabling them to communicate with one another.

[0034] Figure 2 is a block diagram of an example of AGV20.

[0035] As shown in Figure 2, the AGV 20 includes an operation unit 21, which is an operation device such as a button that receives various inputs; a display unit 22, which is a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) that displays various information; a drive unit 23 that moves the AGV 20; a battery 24 that supplies power to the AGV 20; a battery level sensor 25 that detects the remaining charge of the battery 24; a weight sensor 26 that detects the weight of the load being transported by the AGV 20; a communication unit 27, which is a communication device that communicates with external devices via a network such as a LAN or the Internet, or directly via wired or wireless connection without a network; a storage unit 28, which is a non-volatile storage device such as a semiconductor memory or HDD (Hard Disk Drive) that stores various information; and a control unit 29 that controls the entire AGV 20.

[0036] The memory unit 28 can store an operation control program 28a for controlling the operation of the AGV20. The operation control program 28a may be installed on the AGV20 during the manufacturing stage, or it may be installed on the AGV20 from an external storage medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, or it may be installed on the AGV20 from a network.

[0037] The memory unit 28 stores charge count information 28b, which indicates the number of times the battery 24 has been charged.

[0038] The control unit 29 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores programs and various data, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) used as a working area for the CPU of the control unit 29. The CPU of the control unit 29 executes programs stored in the storage unit 28 or the ROM of the control unit 29.

[0039] The control unit 29 implements a movement control unit 29a that controls the movement of the AGV 20 by the drive unit 23, a charge control unit 29b that controls the charging of the battery 24, and an information transmission unit 29c that transmits information to the AGV management system 40 by executing the motion control program 28a.

[0040] Figure 3 is a block diagram of an example of an AGV management system 40 configured with a single computer.

[0041] As shown in Figure 3, the AGV management system 40 includes an operation unit 41 which is an operation device such as a keyboard or mouse into which various operations are input; a display unit 42 which is a display device such as an LCD that displays various information; a communication unit 43 which is a communication device that communicates with external devices via a network such as a LAN or the Internet, or directly by wired or wireless connection without going through a network; a storage unit 44 which is a non-volatile storage device such as a semiconductor memory or HDD that stores various information; and a control unit 45 which controls the entire AGV management system 40.

[0042] The memory unit 44 can store an AGV management program 44a for managing AGVs. The AGV management program 44a may be installed in the AGV management system 40 during the manufacturing stage, or it may be additionally installed in the AGV management system 40 from an external storage medium such as a USB memory stick, or it may be additionally installed in the AGV management system 40 from a network.

[0043] The memory unit 44 can store transport history information 44b that shows the transport history of the AGV.

[0044] Figure 4 shows an example of transport history information 44b.

[0045] The transport history information 44b shown in Figure 4 includes, for each transport, a history ID as an identification number for the transport history, the start date and time of the transport, the end date and time of the transport, an AGV ID as identification information for the AGV, a route ID as identification information for the transport route, the weight of the transported cargo, and the amount of battery consumed during the transport. Some information is omitted in the transport history information 44b shown in Figure 4.

[0046] As shown in Figure 3, the memory unit 44 is capable of storing AGV status information 44c, which indicates the current state of the AGV.

[0047] Figure 5 shows an example of AGV status information 44c.

[0048] The AGV status information 44c shown in Figure 5 includes the AGV ID, the AGV's operating status (hereinafter referred to as "operating status"), the number of battery charge cycles, and the remaining battery charge for each AGV. Some information is omitted in the AGV status information 44c shown in Figure 5. The AGV's operating status can be, for example, "operating," which indicates a state in which it cannot perform a new transport due to reasons such as transporting a load, or "standby," which indicates a state in which it can perform a new transport.

[0049] The control unit 45 shown in Figure 3 includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM that stores programs and various data, and RAM as memory used as a workspace for the CPU of the control unit 45. The CPU of the control unit 45 executes programs stored in the storage unit 44 or the ROM of the control unit 45.

[0050] The control unit 45 implements an AGV management unit 45a that manages AGVs by executing an AGV management program 44a.

[0051] Figure 6 is a block diagram of an example of a user terminal 50.

[0052] As shown in Figure 6, the user terminal 50 includes an operation unit 51 which is an operation device such as a keyboard or mouse into which various operations are input, a display unit 52 which is a display device such as an LCD that displays various information, a communication unit 53 which is a communication device that communicates with external devices via a network such as a LAN or the Internet, or directly via wired or wireless connection without going through a network, a storage unit 54 which is a non-volatile storage device such as a semiconductor memory or HDD that stores various information, and a control unit 55 that controls the entire user terminal 50.

[0053] The memory unit 54 is capable of storing a web browser program (hereinafter referred to as the "web browser program") 54a. The web browser program 54a may, for example, be installed on the user terminal 50 during the manufacturing stage, or it may be additionally installed on the user terminal 50 from an external storage medium such as a USB memory, or it may be additionally installed on the user terminal 50 from a network.

[0054] The control unit 55 includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM that stores programs and various data, and RAM as memory used as a workspace for the CPU of the control unit 55. The CPU of the control unit 55 executes programs stored in the storage unit 54 or the ROM of the control unit 55.

[0055] The control unit 55 implements a web browser 55a by executing a web browser program 54a.

[0056] Next, the operation of the transport system 10 will be described.

[0057] In the following, AGV20 will be described as a representative of the AGVs. Similarly, user terminal 50 will be described as a representative of the user terminals.

[0058] First, let's explain how the AGV20 operates when transporting cargo.

[0059] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of AGV20 when transporting cargo.

[0060] When a user specifies a route via the control unit 21 and instructs the AGV 20 to transport the cargo, the AGV 20 performs the actions shown in Figure 7.

[0061] As shown in Figure 7, the information transmission unit 29c of the AGV 20 transmits the current date and time, the AGV ID of the AGV 20, the route ID of the route specified by the user, and the weight detected by the weight sensor 26 to the AGV management system 40 as information at the start of transport (hereinafter referred to as "transport start information") (S101).

[0062] When the processing in S101 is completed, the information transmission unit 29c stores the remaining charge detected by the remaining charge sensor 25 as the remaining charge of the battery 24 at the start of transport (S102).

[0063] The mobile control unit 29a starts transporting the luggage along the route specified by the user (S103).

[0064] When the process in S103 is completed, the movement control unit 29a determines whether or not the transport of the cargo has been completed until it determines that the transport of the cargo has been completed (S104).

[0065] When the information transmission unit 29c determines in S104 that the transport of the cargo has been completed, it identifies the remaining charge detected by the remaining charge sensor 25 as the remaining charge of the battery 24 at the end of transport (S105).

[0066] When the processing in S105 is completed, the information transmission unit 29c calculates the amount of battery 24 consumed during transport by subtracting the amount identified in S105 from the amount of battery 24 stored in S102 at the start of transport (S106).

[0067] When the processing in S106 is completed, the information transmission unit 29c transmits the current date and time, the AGVID of AGV20, the consumption amount calculated in S106, and the remaining amount identified in S105 to the AGV management system 40 as information at the end of transport (hereinafter referred to as "transport completion information") (S107), and then terminates the operation shown in Figure 7.

[0068] Next, we will explain the operation of the AGV20 when it is being charged by a charging device.

[0069] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of AGV20 when it is being charged by a charging device.

[0070] When charging by the charging device begins, AGV20 performs the operations shown in Figure 8.

[0071] As shown in Figure 8, the charging control unit 29b of the AGV 20 determines whether or not charging of the battery 24 by the charging device has finished until it determines that charging of the battery 24 by the charging device has finished (S121).

[0072] When the information transmission unit 29c determines in S121 that charging of the battery 24 by the charging device has been completed, it increases the number of charge cycles indicated in the charge cycle information 28b by one (S122).

[0073] When the processing in S122 is completed, the information transmission unit 29c transmits the AGVID of the AGV20, the number of charges indicated in the charge count information 28b, and the remaining charge detected by the remaining charge sensor 25 to the AGV management system 40 as information at the end of charging (hereinafter referred to as "charging completion information") (S123), and ends the operation shown in Figure 8.

[0074] Next, we will explain the operation of the AGV management system 40 when it receives information from an AGV.

[0075] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the AGV management system 40 when it receives information from an AGV.

[0076] The AGV management unit 45a of the AGV management system 40 performs the operation shown in Figure 9 each time it receives information from an AGV.

[0077] As shown in Figure 9, the AGV management unit 45a determines the type of information received from the AGV (S141).

[0078] If the AGV management unit 45a determines in S141 that the type of information received from the AGV is transport start information, it adds a record with a new history ID to the transport history information 44b (S142).

[0079] When the processing in S142 is completed, the AGV management unit 45a writes the "start date and time," "AGVID," "route ID," and "weight" of the record added in S142 to the "start date and time," "AGVID," "route ID," and "weight" respectively, which are included in the transport start information (S143).

[0080] When the processing in S143 is completed, the AGV management unit 45a overwrites the "AGVID" included in the transport start information with "Operating status" in the AGV status information 44c, which is associated with "Operating status" (S144).

[0081] If the AGV management unit 45a determines in S141 that the type of information received from the AGV is information indicating the end of transport, it identifies the latest record associated with the "AGVID" contained in the information indicating the end of transport in the transport history information 44b (S145).

[0082] When the processing in S145 is completed, the AGV management unit 45a writes the "date and time" and "battery consumption" included in the transport completion information to the record identified in S145, respectively (S146).

[0083] When the processing in S146 is completed, the AGV management unit 45a overwrites the "operating status" and "battery level" in the AGV status information 44c, which are associated with the "AGVID" contained in the transport completion information, with "standby" and "remaining charge" contained in the transport completion information, respectively (S147).

[0084] If the AGV management unit 45a determines in S141 that the type of information received from the AGV is charging completion information, it overwrites the "charging count" and "remaining charge" contained in the charging completion information with the "AGVID" contained in the charging completion information, which are associated with the "charging count" and "remaining charge" in the AGV status information 44c (S148).

[0085] When the processing of S144, S147, or S148 is completed, the AGV management unit 45a terminates the operation shown in Figure 9.

[0086] Next, we will describe the operation of the transport system 10 when assisting the user in selecting an AGV.

[0087] Figure 10 is a sequence diagram of the operation of the transport system 10 when assisting the user in selecting an AGV.

[0088] Users can instruct the user terminal 50's web browser 55a to access a web page (hereinafter referred to as the "Recommended AGV Inquiry Page") for inquiring about AGVs recommended by the AGV management system 40 (hereinafter referred to as the "Recommended AGV Inquiry Page") via the user terminal 50's operation panel 51. The Recommended AGV Inquiry Page is provided by the AGV management system 40.

[0089] As shown in Figure 10, when the user terminal 50's web browser 55a is instructed to access the recommended AGV inquiry page provided by the AGV management system 40, it accesses the recommended AGV inquiry page (S161).

[0090] When the AGV management unit 45a of the AGV management system 40 receives an access request in S161, it sends the data for the recommended AGV inquiry page to the web browser 55a (S162).

[0091] When the user terminal 50's web browser 55a receives data transmitted from the AGV management system 40 via S162, it displays a recommended AGV inquiry page on the display unit 22 based on the received data (S163).

[0092] Figure 11 shows an example of the recommended AGV inquiry page 60 displayed during the operation shown in Figure 10.

[0093] The recommended AGV inquiry page 60 shown in Figure 11 includes a dropdown list 61 as a widget for specifying the route ID (hereinafter referred to as "planned route ID") of the route on which the AGV is scheduled to transport the goods (hereinafter referred to as "planned route"), a dropdown list 62 as a widget for specifying the weight (hereinafter referred to as "planned weight") of the goods to be transported by the AGV, and an inquiry button 63 as a widget for inquiring about an AGV recommended by the AGV management system 40.

[0094] As shown in Figure 10, when the inquiry button 63 is pressed, the web browser 55a sends the planned route ID specified in the dropdown list 61 at the time the inquiry button 63 was pressed and the planned weight specified in the dropdown list 62 at the time the inquiry button 63 was pressed to the AGV management system 40 as recommended AGV inquiry information (S164).

[0095] In S164, the AGV management unit 45a of the AGV management system 40 receives recommended AGV inquiry information sent from the web browser 55a and performs a recommended AGV identification process to identify a recommended AGV based on the received recommended AGV inquiry information (S165).

[0096] Figure 12 is a flowchart of the recommended AGV identification process shown in Figure 10.

[0097] As shown in Figure 12, the AGV management unit 45a identifies the AGV whose operating state is standby based on the AGV status information 44c (S181).

[0098] When the processing in S181 is completed, the AGV management unit 45a determines whether a history exists in the transport history information 44b that includes the AGVID of the AGV identified in S181 (hereinafter referred to as "standby AGVID" in the operation description shown in Figure 12) and the planned route ID included in the recommended AGV inquiry information (S182).

[0099] If the AGV management unit 45a determines in S182 that a history including the standby AGV ID and the planned route ID exists in the transport history information 44b, it determines whether a history including the standby AGV ID, the planned route ID, and the planned weight included in the recommended AGV inquiry information exists in the transport history information 44b (S183).

[0100] If the AGV management unit 45a determines in S183 that a history including the standby AGV ID, planned route ID, and planned weight exists in the transport history information 44b, it identifies the AGVs identified by the AGV ID included in the history in the transport history information 44b, which includes the standby AGV ID, planned route ID, and planned weight, and which are expected to have a battery charge that does not reach 0% when transporting a load of the planned weight along the planned route (S184).

[0101] Figure 13 is a flowchart of the process in S184.

[0102] As shown in Figure 13, the AGV management unit 45a identifies the history with the most recent completion date and time for each AGVID included in the history in the transport history information 44b, which includes the standby AGVID, planned route ID, and planned weight (S221).

[0103] When the processing of S221 is completed, the AGV management unit 45a identifies the AGVs identified by the AGVIDs in the transport history information 44b, which includes the standby AGVID, planned route ID, and planned weight, whose battery consumption in the history identified in S221 exceeds the remaining battery level in the AGV status information 44c, as AGVs whose battery level is not expected to reach 0% when transporting a load of the planned weight along the planned route (S222), and then terminates the operation shown in Figure 13.

[0104] As shown in Figure 12, once the processing in S184 is completed, the AGV management unit 45a determines the number of AGVs identified in S184 (S185).

[0105] If the AGV management unit 45a determines in S185 that the number of AGVs identified in S184 is one, it identifies the AGV identified in S184 as a recommended AGV (S186) and terminates the recommended AGV identification process shown in Figure 12.

[0106] If the AGV management unit 45a determines in S185 that there are multiple AGVs identified in S184, it identifies the AGV that is expected to consume the least amount of battery power during transport from among the AGVs identified in S184 (S187).

[0107] Figure 14 is a flowchart of the process in S187.

[0108] As shown in Figure 14, for each AGVID identified in S184, the AGV management unit 45a identifies the history with the most recent completion date and time from the history in the transport history information 44b, which includes the standby AGVID, planned route ID, and planned weight (S241).

[0109] When the processing in S241 is completed, the AGV management unit 45a identifies the AGV identified in S184 by the AGVID with the lowest battery consumption in the history identified in S241 as the AGV that is expected to have the lowest battery consumption due to transport (S242), and then terminates the operation shown in Figure 14.

[0110] As shown in Figure 12, once the processing in S187 is completed, the AGV management unit 45a determines the number of AGVs identified in S187 (S188).

[0111] If the AGV management unit 45a determines in S188 that the number of AGVs identified in S187 is one, it identifies the AGV identified in S187 as a recommended AGV (S186) and terminates the recommended AGV identification process shown in Figure 12.

[0112] If the AGV management unit 45a determines in S188 that there are multiple AGVs identified in S187, it identifies the AGV that is expected to have the shortest transport time among those identified in S187 (S189).

[0113] Figure 15 is a flowchart of the process in S189.

[0114] As shown in Figure 15, for each AGVID identified in S187, the AGV management unit 45a identifies the history with the most recent completion date and time from the history in the transport history information 44b, which includes the standby AGVID, planned route ID, and planned weight (S261).

[0115] When the processing in S261 is completed, the AGV management unit 45a identifies the AGV identified in S187 that has the shortest transport time, calculated by subtracting the start time from the end time in the history identified in S261, as the AGV with the shortest transport time (S262), and then terminates the operation shown in Figure 15.

[0116] As shown in Figure 12, once the processing in S189 is completed, the AGV management unit 45a determines the number of AGVs identified in S189 (S190).

[0117] If the AGV management unit 45a determines in S190 that the number of AGVs identified in S189 is one, it identifies the AGV identified in S189 as a recommended AGV (S186) and terminates the recommended AGV identification process shown in Figure 12.

[0118] If the AGV management unit 45a determines in S190 that there are multiple AGVs identified in S189, it identifies the AGV with the fewest battery charge cycles in the AGV status information 44c among the AGVs identified in S189 as the recommended AGV (S191), and terminates the recommended AGV identification process shown in Figure 12.

[0119] If the AGV management unit 45a determines in S183 that there is no history in the transport history information 44b that includes the standby AGVID, planned route ID, and planned weight, or if it determines in S185 that there are 0 AGVs identified in S184, it identifies AGVs that are likely to not have their battery charge reduced to 0% when transporting a load of the planned weight along the planned route, among the AGVs identified by the AGVID included in the history in the transport history information 44b that includes the standby AGVID and planned route ID (S192).

[0120] Figure 16 is a flowchart of the process in S192.

[0121] As shown in Figure 16, the AGV management unit 45a identifies the history in the transport history information 44b, which includes the standby AGV ID and the scheduled route ID, where the weight of the cargo included in the transport history information 44b, which includes the standby AGV ID and the scheduled route ID, is the largest and is less than or equal to the scheduled weight (S281).

[0122] When the processing of S281 is completed, the AGV management unit 45a identifies the AGVs identified by the AGVIDs in the transport history information 44b, which includes the standby AGVID and the planned route ID, whose battery consumption in the history identified in S281 exceeds the remaining battery level in the AGV status information 44c, as AGVs for which it is expected that the remaining battery level will not reach 0% when transporting a load of the planned weight along the planned route (S282), and then terminates the operation shown in Figure 16.

[0123] As shown in Figure 12, once the processing in S192 is completed, the AGV management unit 45a determines the number of AGVs identified in S192 (S193).

[0124] If the AGV management unit 45a determines in S193 that the number of AGVs identified in S192 is one, it identifies the AGV identified in S192 as a recommended AGV (S186) and terminates the recommended AGV identification process shown in Figure 12.

[0125] If the AGV management unit 45a determines in S193 that there are multiple AGVs identified in S192, it determines whether it is possible to compare the battery consumption during transport among the AGVs identified in S192 (S194).

[0126] For example, if the transport history information 44b shown in Figure 4 only contains history entries with history IDs "1" to "6" for Route A, then there are no records where the weight of the cargo is less than 10 kg. Since the AGV with AGVID "AGV01" consumes the least battery power when the cargo weight is 10 kg, the AGV management unit 45a predicts that the AGV with AGVID "AGV01" will also consume the least battery power when the planned weight is 10 kg or less. In other words, when the planned weight is 10 kg or less, it is possible to determine that the battery power consumption due to transport can be compared between the AGV with AGVID "AGV01", the AGV with AGVID "AGV02", and the AGV with AGVID "AGV03".

[0127] Similarly, for example, if the transport history information 44b shown in Figure 4 only contains history entries with history IDs "1" to "6" for Route A, then there are no records where the weight of the cargo exceeds 20 kg. Since the AGV with AGVID "AGV03" consumes the least battery power when the cargo weighs 20 kg, the AGV management unit 45a predicts that the AGV with AGVID "AGV03" will also consume the least battery power when the planned weight is 20 kg or more. In other words, when the planned weight is 20 kg or more, it is possible to determine that the battery consumption due to transport can be compared between the AGV with AGVID "AGV01", the AGV with AGVID "AGV02", and the AGV with AGVID "AGV03".

[0128] On the other hand, for example, if the transport history information 44b shown in Figure 4 only contains history entries with history IDs "1" to "6" for route A, then if the planned weight is more than 10 kg but less than 20 kg, it can be determined that it is not possible to compare the battery consumption due to transport between the AGV with AGVID "AGV01", the AGV with AGVID "AGV02", and the AGV with AGVID "AGV03".

[0129] If the AGV management unit 45a determines in S194 that it is possible to compare the battery consumption due to transport among the AGVs identified in S192, it identifies the AGV that is expected to have the lowest battery consumption due to transport among the AGVs identified in S192 (S187).

[0130] If the AGV management unit 45a determines in S194 that it is not possible to compare the battery consumption due to transport among the AGVs identified in S192, it identifies the AGV that is expected to have the shortest transport time among the AGVs identified in S192 (S189).

[0131] If the AGV management unit 45a determines in S182 that there is no history in the transport history information 44b that includes the standby AGV ID and the planned route ID, or if it determines in S193 that there are 0 AGVs identified in S192, it identifies that there are no recommended AGVs (S195) and terminates the recommended AGV identification process shown in Figure 12.

[0132] For example, if the transport history information 44b shown in Figure 4 contains only history entries with history IDs "1" to "6" for route A, and the planned route is route A, the planned weight is 20 kg, and the battery levels of the AGV with AGVID "AGV01", the AGV with AGVID "AGV02", and the AGV with AGVID "AGV03" are all 100%, then the AGV management unit 45a identifies the AGV with AGVID "AGV03" as the recommended AGV, as it is expected to have the lowest battery consumption when transporting loads of 20 kg or more (S186).

[0133] Furthermore, for example, if the transport history information 44b shown in Figure 4 contains only histories with history IDs "7" to "9" as the history for Route B, and the planned route is Route B, the planned weight is 30 kg, and the battery level of the AGV with AGVID "AGV01" and the battery level of the AGV with AGVID "AGV02" are all 100%, and the battery level of the AGV with AGVID "AGV03" is 5%, then the AGVID is "AG Regarding the AGV designated as "V01" and the AGV with AGVID "AGV02", it can be predicted that the battery level will not drop to 0% when transporting a load of the planned weight along the planned route (S184). Since it can be predicted that the AGV with AGVID "AGV02" will consume less battery power during transport than the AGV with AGVID "AGV01", the AGV with AGVID "AGV02" is identified as the recommended AGV (S186).

[0134] Furthermore, for example, if the transport history information 44b shown in Figure 4 contains only history entries with history IDs "10" to "12" for Route C, and the planned route is Route C, the planned weight is 10 kg, and the battery levels of the AGV with AGVID "AGV01", the AGV with AGVID "AGV02", and the AGV with AGVID "AGV03" are all 50%, then the AGV management unit 45a can predict that there is a high probability that the battery levels of the AGV with AGVID "AGV02" and the AGV with AGVID "AGV03" will reach 0% when transporting a load of the planned weight along the planned route (S192), and therefore identifies the AGV with AGVID "AGV03" as the recommended AGV (S186).

[0135] As shown in Figure 10, when the recommended AGV identification process in S165 is completed, the AGV management unit 45a notifies the web browser 55a of the result of the recommended AGV identification process in S165 (S166). Here, if the AGV management unit 45a identifies a recommended AGV in the recommended AGV identification process in S165, it notifies the AGVID of the recommended AGV identified in the recommended AGV identification process in S165 as the result of the recommended AGV identification process in S165. On the other hand, if the AGV management unit 45a identifies that no recommended AGV exists in the recommended AGV identification process in S165, it notifies the web browser 55a that no recommended AGV exists as the result of the recommended AGV identification process in S165.

[0136] When the web browser 55a receives notification of a result from the AGV management system 40 in S166, it displays the notification of the result in the display unit 52 (S167).

[0137] Therefore, if the AGVID of a recommended AGV is displayed on the display unit 52, the user can instruct the AGV identified by the AGVID displayed on the display unit 52 to transport the scheduled cargo along the scheduled route.

[0138] As explained above, the AGV management system 40 identifies a standby AGV whose remaining battery level exceeds the expected battery consumption when the AGV transports goods along a specific route as a recommended AGV for transporting goods along that route (YES in S181 and S182, and S184 and S186), thus enabling the identification of a recommended AGV for transporting goods along a specific route. Therefore, the user can place the recommended AGV identified by the AGV management system 40 on that route and put it into operation. As a result, the possibility of delays in goods transport can be reduced, and efficient transport operations can be carried out.

[0139] The AGV transmits the actual battery consumption when transporting cargo along a specific route to the AGV management system 40 (S106-S107), allowing the AGV management system 40 to identify the recommended AGV for transporting cargo along a specific route.

[0140] The AGV management system 40 identifies a standby AGV whose remaining battery level exceeds the expected battery consumption when the AGV transports a load of a specific weight along a specific route as a recommended AGV for transporting a load of a specific weight along a specific route (YES in S181 and S183, and S184 and S186), thus enabling the identification of a recommended AGV for transporting a load of a specific weight along a specific route.

[0141] The AGV transmits the actual weight of the cargo it transports along a specific route to the AGV management system 40 that manages the AGV (S101), so that the AGV management system 40 can identify the recommended AGV for transporting cargo of a specific weight along a specific route.

[0142] The AGV management system 40 identifies the standby AGV whose battery level exceeds the expected battery consumption when the AGV transports goods along a specific route, and whose expected battery consumption when the AGV transports goods along a specific route is the lowest, as the recommended AGV for transporting goods along a specific route (S187), thereby improving energy efficiency.

[0143] The AGV management system 40 identifies the AGV whose battery level exceeds the expected battery consumption when transporting goods along a specific route, whose expected battery consumption when transporting goods along a specific route is the lowest among the waiting AGVs, and whose expected transport time when transporting goods along a specific route is the shortest, as the recommended AGV for transporting goods along a specific route (S189), thereby shortening the time required for goods to be transported by AGVs.

[0144] The AGV transmits the actual transport time when it transports goods along a specific route to the AGV management system 40 that manages the AGV (S101 and S107), allowing the AGV management system 40 to identify the recommended AGV for transporting goods along a specific route.

[0145] Furthermore, the AGV indirectly transmits the transport time to the AGV management system 40 by sending the transport start time and the transport end time to the AGV management system 40, respectively. However, the AGV may also calculate the transport time based on the transport start time and the transport end time and transmit the calculated transport time to the AGV management system 40.

[0146] The AGV management system 40 identifies the AGV with the lowest battery charge, the shortest expected delivery time for transporting goods along the specific route, and the fewest battery charging cycles among the waiting AGVs whose battery charge exceeds the expected battery consumption for transporting goods along the specific route (S191), thereby reducing the possibility of charging only specific batteries and, as a result, extending the battery life.

[0147] The AGV transmits the actual number of battery charge cycles to the AGV management system 40 that manages the AGV (S123), thereby reducing the possibility of charging only certain batteries, and consequently extending the battery life. [Explanation of symbols]

[0148] 10 Conveying Systems 20 AGV 24 batteries 28a Operation control program 40 AGV Management System (Computer) 44a AGV Management Program

Claims

1. An AGV management system for managing multiple AGVs that transport cargo using battery power, Based on the past battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along a specific route, the battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route is predicted. An AGV management system characterized by identifying a standby AGV whose remaining battery level exceeds the expected battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route as the recommended AGV for transporting the cargo along the specific route.

2. Based on the past battery consumption associated with the weight of the cargo when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route, the battery consumption when the AGV transports cargo of a specific weight along the specific route is predicted. The AGV management system according to claim 1, characterized in that the remaining battery level of the AGV exceeds the expected battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo of a specific weight along the specific route, and the AGV in standby is identified as the recommended AGV for transporting the cargo of a specific weight along the specific route.

3. The AGV management system according to claim 1, characterized in that the remaining battery level exceeds the expected battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route, and the AGV in standby mode that has the lowest expected battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route is identified as the recommended AGV for transporting the cargo along the specific route.

4. Based on past transport times when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route, the transport time when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route is predicted. The AGV management system according to claim 3, characterized in that the remaining battery capacity exceeds the expected battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route, the AGV with the lowest expected battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route, and among the waiting AGVs, the AGV with the shortest expected transport time when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route is identified as the recommended AGV for transporting the cargo along the specific route.

5. The AGV management system according to claim 4, characterized in that the remaining battery level exceeds the expected battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route, the AGV with the lowest expected battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route, the AGV with the shortest expected transport time when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route, and the AGV with the fewest battery charging cycles are identified as the recommended AGV for transporting the cargo along the specific route.

6. An AGV management program for managing multiple AGVs that transport cargo using battery power, Based on the past battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along a specific route, the computer is made to predict the battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route. An AGV management program characterized in that it causes the computer to identify a standby AGV as the recommended AGV for transporting the cargo along the specific route, provided that the remaining battery level of the AGV exceeds the expected battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route.

7. An AGV that uses battery power to transport cargo, An AGV characterized by transmitting the actual amount of battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along a specific route to an AGV management system that manages the AGV.

8. This is an operation control program that uses battery power to transport cargo to an AGV. An operation control program characterized by causing the AGV to transmit to the AGV management system that manages the AGV the actual amount of battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along a specific route.

9. Multiple AGVs that use batteries to transport cargo, AGV management system for managing multiple AGVs and Equipped with, The AGV transmits the actual battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along a specific route to the AGV management system. The AGV management system predicts the battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route, based on the past battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route. The AGV management system is characterized by identifying a standby AGV whose remaining battery level exceeds the expected battery consumption when the AGV transports the cargo along the specific route as the recommended AGV for transporting the cargo along the specific route.

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