Driving control method, driving control system, and program

Abstract

The travel control method is a travel control method for a transport vehicle to which an object to be transported is swingably connected and which can move along a real or virtual guideline while towing the object to be transported. The travel control method includes a step (S101) in which a control unit moves the transport vehicle, with the object to be transported connected to the rear of the transport vehicle, toward the guideline from outside the guideline, a step (S102) in which the control unit rotates the transport vehicle while the transport vehicle or the object to be transported is located on the guideline, and a step (S103) in which the control unit moves the transport vehicle backward after the step (S102) in which the control unit rotates the transport vehicle to place the object to be transported in a destination area, and in the step of rotating the transport vehicle, a direction of the transport vehicle on the guideline after the rotational movement differs from a direction of the transport vehicle before the rotational movement.

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In the conveyance system described in Patent Document 1, the moving body positions the vehicle body under the dolly and lifts the dolly by raising a lifter on the vehicle body. The dolly is conveyed by the moving body traveling with the dolly lifted by the lifter. When the dolly is moved to a specific section, the moving body moves backward toward the specific section. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-165189 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the transport system described in Patent Document 1, the carriage (transport object) is fixed to the moving body (transport vehicle). Therefore, even when the carriage is directly moved backward to a specific section (destination area), the travel control of the moving body is performed relatively smoothly.

[0005] In contrast, when the cart is swingably connected to the moving body, it is necessary to repeatedly move backward and forward, which may make it difficult to smoothly position the cart in a specific section.

[0006] Therefore, the present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a driving control method, a driving control system, and a program that can smoothly place an object to be transported, which is swingably connected to the transport vehicle, in a destination area when the object to be transported is placed in the destination area by reversing the transport vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, there is provided a travel control method for a transport vehicle to which an object to be transported is swingably connected and which can move along a real or virtual guideline while towing the object to be transported, the travel control method including the steps of: a control unit moving the transport vehicle, with the object to be transported connected to the rear of the transport vehicle, from outside the guideline toward the guideline; a step of the control unit rotating the transport vehicle while the transport vehicle or the object to be transported is positioned on the guideline; and a step of the control unit rotating the transport vehicle, after the step of rotating the transport vehicle, moving the transport vehicle backwards to place the object to be transported in a destination area, wherein, in the step of rotating the transport vehicle, the orientation of the transport vehicle on the guideline after the rotational movement is different from the orientation of the transport vehicle before the rotational movement.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, there is provided a travel control system for a transport vehicle to which an object to be transported is swingably connected and which can move along a real or virtual guideline while towing the object to be transported, the travel control system including a control unit that controls the operation of the transport vehicle by controlling a drive unit of the transport vehicle, the control unit moves the transport vehicle to which the object to be transported is connected behind the transport vehicle from outside the guideline toward the guideline, rotates the transport vehicle when the transport vehicle or the object to be transported is positioned on the guideline, and after the rotational movement of the transport vehicle, moves the transport vehicle backwards to place the object to be transported in a destination area, and the orientation of the transport vehicle on the guideline after the rotational movement is different from the orientation of the transport vehicle before the rotational movement.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, there is provided a program for controlling the travel of a transport vehicle to which an object to be transported is swingably connected and which can move along a real or virtual guideline while towing the object to be transported, wherein a control unit that controls the operation of the transport vehicle by controlling a drive unit of the transport vehicle executes the following processes: moving the transport vehicle, with the object to be transported connected to the rear of the transport vehicle, from outside the guideline toward the guideline; rotating the transport vehicle while the transport vehicle or the object to be transported is positioned on the guideline; and, after the rotational movement of the transport vehicle, moving the transport vehicle backwards to position the object to be transported in a destination area, wherein the orientation of the transport vehicle on the guideline after the rotational movement is different from the orientation of the transport vehicle before the rotational movement. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a driving control method, a driving control system, and a program that can smoothly place an object to be transported, which is swingably connected to the transport vehicle, in a destination area when the object to be transported is placed in the destination area by reversing the transport vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating an example of a transport vehicle and a dolly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 4 is a plan view showing the flow of the first stage of a first example of a cruise control method according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 3] 4 is a plan view showing the latter stage of the first example of the cruise control method according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the flow of the first stage of a second example of a cruise control method according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 5] 10 is a plan view showing the latter stage of the second example of the cruise control method according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6]10A is a plan view showing an example of an auxiliary line employed in the third example of the cruise control method according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 10B is a plan view showing another example of the auxiliary line employed in the third example of the cruise control method according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the flow of the first stage of a third example of a cruise control method according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the latter stage of the third example of the cruise control method according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the flow in the middle stage of the fourth example of the cruise control method according to the present embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the latter stage of the fourth example of the cruise control method according to the present embodiment. [Figure 11] 2 is a plan view showing an example of a transport vehicle, a dolly, and a guide line according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a hardware configuration of the transport vehicle according to the present embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a hardware configuration of a transport vehicle according to the present embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a hardware configuration when a transport vehicle and a dolly according to the present embodiment are coupled together. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a motion area according to the present embodiment. [Figure 16] 10 is a bottom view showing the positional relationship between the guide line and the transport vehicle when the two-dimensional code constituting the guide line is detected by the line detection unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 17] 11 is a bottom view showing the positional relationship between the guide line and the transport vehicle when the magnetic tape that constitutes the guide line is detected by the line detection unit according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an overall configuration diagram of a conveying system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an overall control device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of a transport vehicle according to the present embodiment. [Figure 21] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a driving control method according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals to avoid repetitive explanation. In addition, the drawings may show a two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system having an X-axis and a Y-axis.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0021] As a result of the above, the cart 2000 is coupled to the transporting vehicle 10 by the coupling device 21 so as to be swingable about the swing axis AX. In the example of Fig. 1, the cart 2000 is coupled to the transporting vehicle 10 by the coupling device 21 at the rear thereof.

[0022] Continuing to refer to FIG. 1, the first specific location P1 and the rotation center P4 of the transport vehicle 10, and the second specific location P2 of the carriage 2000 will be described. The first specific location P1 indicates the position of the transport vehicle 10. That is, the position of the transport vehicle 10 is indicated by the position of the first specific location P1. The position of the transport vehicle 10 indicated by the first specific location P1 may be referred to as the "own position" or the "own vehicle position". As an example, the first specific location P1 is the center of the line detection unit 16 (FIG. 11 described later). The rotation center P4 is the rotation center when the transport vehicle 10 rotates. Rotation indicates that the transport vehicle 10 rotates around the rotation center P4 while hardly moving forward, backward, left or right. In the example of FIG. 1, the first specific location P1 and the rotation center P4 are located on the center line CL1. The first specific location P1 and the rotation center P4 may be different positions or may be the same. The first specific point P1 may be the position of a sensor that detects the guide line 111, or it does not have to be the position of a sensor that detects the guide line 111.

[0023] The second specific point P2 of the trolley 2000 indicates the position of the trolley 2000. That is, the position of the trolley 2000 is indicated by the position of the second specific point P2. For example, the position of the trolley 2000 with respect to the guideline 111 is indicated by a distance d2 that is the shortest distance from the guideline 111 to the second specific point P2. Furthermore, in the example of FIG. 1, the second specific point P2 is disposed on the center line CL2 of the trolley 2000. Furthermore, the attitude of the trolley 2000 is indicated by a relative angle β of the center line CL2 of the trolley 2000 with respect to the center line CL1 of the transport vehicle 10.

[0024] Also, a guide line 111 is placed on the floor surface. In the example of Fig. 1, the guide line 111 is an actual guide line. Note that the guide line 111 may be a virtual guide line.

[0025] The transport vehicle 10 can move along a real or virtual guideline 111 while towing the dolly 2000. The real guideline 111 is a sign that is installed on a floor, wall, or ceiling surface, or on a signboard rising from these surfaces, and is used to guide the transport vehicle 10. The real guideline 111 may be a continuous line or a sign arranged in a discontinuous line. The guideline 111 may be made of, for example, a magnetic tape. Alternatively, the guideline 111 may be, for example, a plurality of two-dimensional codes arranged in a continuous or discontinuous manner. The virtual guideline 111 may be a virtual two-dimensional or three-dimensional guideline set on two-dimensional or three-dimensional map data corresponding to the real space. In either case, the guideline 111 is set and arranged so that the transport vehicle 10 can be guided to a predetermined position (destination, waypoint) by referring to the guideline 111 when the transport vehicle 10 operates.

[0026] 1 shows a linear guideline 111. For example, a destination area 101 is set on the guideline 111. The destination area 101 indicates an area in which the cart 2000 is placed after being separated from the transport vehicle 10. Directions D1 and D2 are defined. The direction D1 is approximately parallel to the guideline 111 and indicates a direction away from the destination area 101. The direction D2 is approximately parallel to the guideline 111, is a direction opposite to the direction D1, and indicates a direction approaching the destination area 101.

[0027] 1 also shows a state in which the guide vehicle 10 enters the guide line 111 at an angle α. The angle α indicates the angle of the traveling direction D3 (center line CL1) of the guide vehicle 10 with respect to the guide line 111. The angle α is, for example, approximately 90 degrees, an acute angle, or an obtuse angle.

[0028] In the following description of Figs. 2 to 10, as an example, the shaft member 23 of the transporting vehicle 10 is disposed at the rotation center P4, and the second specific point P2 of the carriage 2000 is set as the coupling point P3.

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

[0030] First, in step S1, the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10, with the dolly 2000 coupled to the rear of the transport vehicle 10, from outside the guide line 111 toward the guide line 111. In the example of FIG. 2, the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10 toward the guide line 111 at an angle α. In the example of FIG. 2, the angle α is approximately 90 degrees. When the angle α is approximately 90 degrees, it becomes easier to control the positioning of the transport vehicle 10 in the next step S2.

[0031] Next, in step S2 (after step S1 and before step S3), the control unit 260 stops the transport vehicle 10 on the guideline 111. For example, the control unit 260 stops the transport vehicle 10 so that the rotation center P4 of the transport vehicle 10 is located on the guideline 111 in a plan view. As a result, after the rotation in the next step S3, the transport vehicle 10 can smoothly move forward in the next step S4. That is, the transport vehicle 10 can move forward immediately after the rotation. In this case, for example, first, the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10 so that the first specific point P1 of the transport vehicle 10 is located on the guideline 111. Next, the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10 straight by a distance L4 so that the rotation center P4 of the transport vehicle 10 is located on the guideline 111. The distance L4 indicates the distance between the first specific point P1 and the rotation center P4. The distance L4 is pre-stored in the recording unit 220.

[0032] 1, the rotation center P4 and the shaft member 23 are spaced apart from each other, but as shown in FIG 2, it is preferable that the rotation center P4 and the shaft member 23 are approximately aligned in position. This is because, even when the transport vehicle 10 rotates on its axis, the driven motion of the carriage 2000 is suppressed, so that the transport vehicle 10 can rotate smoothly.

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

[0034] That is, in step S3, the control unit 260 rotates the transport vehicle 10 on the guide line 111 so that the transport vehicle 10 faces forward on the guide line 111. In this case, "forward" refers to the direction D1 (FIG. 1). Note that "forward" does not have to strictly refer to the direction D1, and may be within a predetermined range with respect to the direction D1. Rotation on one's own axis corresponds to an example of "rotational motion" in the present disclosure. Also, step S3 corresponds to an example of "step of rotating the transport vehicle" in the present disclosure.

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

[0036] Specifically, in step S4, the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10 forward along the guide line 111 until the carriage 2000 satisfies the reverse condition. Then, when the carriage 2000 satisfies the reverse condition, the control unit 260 stops the transport vehicle 10. Therefore, the next step S5 is executed after the reverse condition is satisfied.

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

[0038] For example, the posture of the dolly 2000 may be indicated by a relative angle of a center line CL2 of the dolly 2000 with respect to the guide line 111. In this example, the first predetermined range is indicated by an angle with respect to the guide line 111. For example, the relative angle of the center line CL2 of the dolly 2000 with respect to the guide line 111 may be equal to or smaller than a first specific angle stored in advance.

[0039] On the other hand, the position of the bogie 2000 is indicated by the position of a second specific point P2 of the bogie 2000. For example, the position of the bogie 2000 is indicated by a distance d2 from the guide line 111 to the second specific point P2 of the bogie 2000. For example, the second predetermined range of the reverse drive condition is indicated by the distance with respect to the guide line 111. For example, the distance d2 can be equal to or less than a first specific distance stored in advance.

[0040] Next, in step S 5 , the control unit 260 causes the transport vehicle 10 to move backward along the guide line 111 while maintaining the reverse condition of the carriage 2000 , and places the carriage 2000 in the destination area 101 .

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

[0042] In particular, according to this embodiment, the travel control method includes step S3 of rotating the guided vehicle 10. In this case, since forward movement is not involved, the travel distance of the guided vehicle 10 can be shortened.

[0043] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the transport vehicle 10 from outside the guideline 111 is stopped on the guideline 111 (step S2). Therefore, the transport vehicle 10 does not pass in a direction intersecting the guideline 111. As a result, the movement distance of the transport vehicle 10 in a direction intersecting the guideline 111 (for example, the X-axis direction) can be reduced. In addition, in steps S4 and S5 executed after step S3, the transport vehicle 10 moves along the guideline 111. Therefore, the movement distance of the transport vehicle 10 in a direction intersecting the guideline 111 can be further reduced. If the movement distance of the transport vehicle 10 in a direction intersecting the guideline 111 can be reduced, for example, even if an object exists in an area on one side of the guideline 111 (the area to the left of the guideline 111 in FIG. 2) and it is difficult to secure a space for moving the transport vehicle 10 in that area, the dolly 2000 can be easily placed in the destination area 101. For example, whether or not there is an obstacle such as an object, wall, or person in an area on one side of the guideline 111 (the area to the left of the guideline 111 in FIG. 2) may be determined based on information from an object detection sensor (e.g., an object position detection unit 12 described later) of the transport vehicle 10, information received from an external device, and the like, and if there is an obstacle, the operation of this example may be performed. Also, if there is no obstacle (or if it is located at a position away by a predetermined distance or more), another operation (e.g., the operation exemplified in FIGS. 4 and 5) may be performed. In other words, the operation may be switched depending on the presence or absence of an obstacle or the position of the obstacle, and if either operation is possible, the operation may be determined based on a priority order stored in advance.

[0044] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the carriage 2000 satisfies the reverse movement condition in the forward movement in step S4 before moving backward in step S5. Therefore, in step S5, it is sufficient to move backward while keeping the reverse movement condition satisfied, so that the reverse movement control of the transport vehicle 10 and the carriage 2000 is easy.

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

[0046] First, in step S11, the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10, to which the dolly 2000 is coupled at the rear, from outside the guide line 111 toward the guide line 111. This is the same as step S1 in FIG.

[0047] Next, in step S12, the control unit 260 causes the transport vehicle 10 to pass through the guide line 111. In this case, as long as the next step S13 can be executed, the control unit 260 may control the transport vehicle 10 so that the entire transport vehicle 10 passes through the guide line 111, or may control the transport vehicle 10 so that only a part of the transport vehicle 10 passes through the guide line 111.

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

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

[0050] Next, in step S14, the control unit 260 rotates the transport vehicle 10 while the dolly 2000 is positioned on the guide line 111. In this case, the orientation of the transport vehicle 10 on the guide line 111 after the rotational motion is different from the orientation of the transport vehicle 10 before the rotational motion. In addition, the control unit 260 stops the transport vehicle 10 on the guide line 111 after the rotational motion.

[0051] That is, in step S14, the control unit 260 rotates the transport vehicle 10 from outside the guideline 111 toward the guideline 111 so that the transport vehicle 10 is positioned on the guideline 111. In this case, the control unit 260 rotates the transport vehicle 10 to the opposite side of the destination area 101, rather than to the side of the destination area 101. The rotational movement corresponds to an example of "rotational movement" in the present disclosure. Also, step S14 corresponds to an example of "a step of rotating the transport vehicle" in the present disclosure.

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

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

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

[0055] Next, in step S15, the control unit 260 rotates the guided vehicle 10 on the guided vehicle 111 so that the guided vehicle 10 faces forward on the guided vehicle 111. "Forward" in this case is the same as "forward" in step S3 of FIG.

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

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

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

[0059] Particularly, in the travel control method according to the present embodiment, the transport vehicle 10 rotates around the carriage 2000 as the center of rotation (step S14). Therefore, the carriage 2000 does not move forward or backward, or the forward distance of the carriage 2000 is within a predetermined value, so that the movement distance of the carriage 2000 in the direction along the guide line 111 can be reduced. In addition, the transport vehicle 10 rotates instead of moving straight, so that the movement distance of the transport vehicle 10 in the direction D1 along the guide line 111 can be reduced. As a result, for example, even if an object exists on the side of the direction D1 (the upper area of ​​the guide line 111 in FIG. 4) and it is difficult for the transport vehicle 10 to move forward in the direction D1, or even if it is difficult to ensure the length of the guide line 111 in the direction D1, the carriage 2000 can be easily placed in the destination area 101. For example, whether or not there is an obstacle such as an object, wall, or person on the side of direction D1 (the upper region of guide line 111 in FIG. 4) may be determined based on information from an object detection sensor (e.g., object position detection unit 12 described later) of transport vehicle 10, information received from an external device, etc., and if there is an obstacle, the operation of this example may be performed. Also, if there is no obstacle (or it is located at a position more than a predetermined distance away), another operation (e.g., the operation exemplified in FIGS. 2 and 3) may be performed. In other words, the operation may be switched depending on the presence or absence of an obstacle or the position of the obstacle, and if either operation is possible, the operation may be determined based on a priority order stored in advance.

[0060] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, after the transportation vehicle 10 rotates in step S14, it starts moving backward in step S15 without moving forward. Therefore, the moving distance of the transportation vehicle 10 and the cart 2000 in the direction D1 along the guide line 111 can be further reduced. As a result, even if it is more difficult for the transportation vehicle 10 to move forward in the direction D1 or if it is more difficult to ensure the length of the guide line 111 in the direction D1, the cart 2000 can be easily positioned in the destination area 101.

[0061] Next, a third example of the travel control method for the carrier 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 6 to Fig. 8. The third example differs from the above-mentioned second example mainly in that an auxiliary line 19 is provided that intersects with the guide line 111. The following mainly describes the difference.

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

[0063] The auxiliary line 19 is linear. The auxiliary line 19 intersects with the guide line 111. In the example of FIG. 6(a), the auxiliary line 19 is approximately perpendicular to the guide line 111. The angle θ of the auxiliary line 19 with respect to the guide line 111 may be approximately 90 degrees, an acute angle, or an obtuse angle. The auxiliary line 19 may extend in one direction from the guide line 111 instead of intersecting with the guide line 111.

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

[0065] Specifically, the auxiliary line 19 includes a line 19a and a line 19b. The lines 19a and 19b extend toward the guide line 111. The lines 19a and 19b are arranged in a straight line. The lines 19a and 19b are spaced apart from the guide line 111. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection of the auxiliary line 19 when the transport vehicle 10 moves on the guide line 111.

[0066] Moreover, the lines 19a and 19b face each other across the guide line 111. The auxiliary line 19 may be composed of only the line 19a.

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

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

[0069] Next, in step S12a, the control unit 260 causes the carrier 10 to pass through the guide line 111 along the auxiliary line 19. Otherwise, step S12a is similar to step S12 in the second example.

[0070] Next, in step S13a, when the transport vehicle 10 passes the guide line 111 and the dolly 2000 is positioned on the guide line 111, the control unit 260 stops the transport vehicle 10 on the auxiliary line 19. Otherwise, step S13a is similar to step S13 in the second example.

[0071] In particular, in the third example of the travel control method according to this embodiment, the self-position of the transporting vehicle 10 (the position of the first specific point P1) can be estimated with high accuracy by the auxiliary line 19, and therefore the position of the cart 2000 (the position of the second specific point P2) can be estimated with high accuracy based on the self-position of the transporting vehicle 10. Therefore, in step S13a, it is possible to detect with high accuracy that the cart 2000 is positioned on the guide line 111. As a result, the burden of adjusting the position of the cart 2000 can be reduced after step S14a.

[0072] Next, in step S14a, the control unit 260 rotates the guided vehicle 10 from above the auxiliary line 19 toward the guided vehicle 111 so that the guided vehicle 10 is positioned on the guided vehicle 111. Otherwise, step S14a is similar to step S14 in the second example.

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

[0074] Next, a fourth example of the travel control method for the transport vehicle 10 will be described with reference to Figs. 2, 9, and 10. The first part of the flow of the fourth example of the travel control method is similar to the first part of the flow of the second example of the travel control method shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 9 is a plan view showing the middle part of the flow of the fourth example of the travel control method. Fig. 10 is a plan view showing the latter part of the flow of the fourth example of the travel control method. As shown in Figs. 2, 9, and 10, the fourth example of the travel control method for the transport vehicle 10 includes steps S1a to S7a. Steps S1a to S7a are executed by the control unit 260 executing a computer program stored in the recording unit 220. That is, the computer program product realizes steps S1a to S7a when the computer program is executed by the control unit 260.

[0075] First, as shown in Fig. 2, the control unit 260 executes steps S1a to S3a. Steps S1a to S3a are similar to steps S1 to S3 in the first example, respectively.

[0076] 9, in step S4a (after step S3a), the control unit 260 moves the guided vehicle 10 forward along the guide line 111. In this case, "forward" indicates that the guided vehicle 10 moves in the direction D1.

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

[0078] The predetermined distance is shorter than the distance traveled by the transport vehicle 10 from when the transport vehicle 10 starts moving forward from the state in step S3a until the trolley 2000 reaches the predetermined state. Therefore, the distance traveled by the transport vehicle 10 in the direction D1 can be shortened. The predetermined state indicates that the trolley 2000 has an attitude within a first predetermined range on the guideline 111, and that the trolley 2000 is located within a second predetermined range on the guideline. The attitude of the trolley 2000, the position of the trolley 2000, the first predetermined range, and the second predetermined range are respectively similar to the attitude of the trolley 2000, the position of the trolley 2000, the first predetermined range, and the second predetermined range in step S4 of the first example above.

[0079] That is, the control unit 260 can start the reverse movement of the next step S5a before the posture of the dolly 2000 becomes a posture within the first predetermined range of the first example, and / or before the position of the dolly 2000 becomes within the second predetermined range of the first example. For example, the control unit 260 stops the forward movement of the transporting vehicle 10 in a state in which the relative angle β of the dolly 2000 is equal to or greater than a second specific angle that is greater than a first specific angle defined as the first predetermined range of the first example. And / or, for example, the control unit 260 stops the forward movement of the transporting vehicle 10 in a state in which the distance d2 of the dolly 2000 is equal to or greater than a second specific distance that is greater than a first specific distance defined as the second predetermined range of the first example.

[0080] Next, in step S5a (after step S4a), the control unit 260 causes the transport vehicle 10 to move backwards while moving away from the guide line 111. In this case, the control unit 260 may move the entire transport vehicle 10 away from the guide line 111, or may move only a part of the transport vehicle 10 away. The part of the transport vehicle 10 moving away indicates, for example, a state in which the first specific position P1 of the transport vehicle 10 is located outside a predetermined range with respect to the guide line 111.

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

[0082] Specifically, the control unit 260 returns the transport vehicle 10 from outside the guideline 111 to onto the guideline 111 while moving the transport vehicle 10 backward so that the carriage 2000 satisfies the reverse condition. The reverse condition in this case is the same as the reverse condition in step S4 of the first example above. In addition, the return of the transport vehicle 10 indicates, for example, that the first specific position P1 of the transport vehicle 10 is positioned on the guideline 111.

[0083] Next, in step S7a, the control unit 260 causes the transport vehicle 10 to move backward along the guide line 111, and places the dolly 2000 in the destination area 101.

[0084] As described above with reference to Figs. 8 to 10, according to the fourth example of the travel control method of this embodiment, the carriage 2000 is placed in the destination area 101 by combining rotation (step S3a), which is a rotational motion, linear motion (steps S1a, S2a, S4a, S7a), and departure and return motion (steps S5a, S6a). Therefore, compared to a case where the carriage 2000 is placed in the destination area 101 by directly moving backward, the occurrence of repeated forward and backward movements can be suppressed. As a result, when the carriage 2000 is placed in the destination area 101 by moving the transporting vehicle 10 backward, the carriage 2000, which is swingably connected to the transporting vehicle 10, can be smoothly placed in the destination area 101.

[0085] In particular, according to this embodiment, the travel control method moves the transport vehicle 10 backward while moving it away from the guide line 111 (step S5a), and then returns the transport vehicle 10 to the guide line 111, thereby placing the dolly 2000 on the guide line 111 so as to satisfy the backward movement condition. Therefore, the moving distance when the transport vehicle 10 moves forward in step S4a can be shortened. As a result, for example, even if an object is present on the side of the direction D1 (the upper area of ​​the guide line 111 in FIG. 9) and it is difficult for the transport vehicle 10 to move forward in the direction D1, or even if it is difficult to ensure the length of the guide line 111 in the direction D1, the dolly 2000 can be easily placed in the destination area 101.

[0086] Next, the estimation of the relative position of the cart 2000 with respect to the guide line 111 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0087] As shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 260 estimates the relative position of the carriage 2000 with respect to the guideline 111 based on position information and attitude information of the carrier 10 with respect to the guideline 111 and position information and attitude information of the carriage 2000 with respect to the carrier 10.

[0088] The position information of the guide vehicle 10 with respect to the guide line 111 is indicated by, for example, a distance d0 which is the shortest distance from the guide line 111 to the first specific point P1 of the guide vehicle 10.

[0089] 11 is a plan view showing an example of the transport vehicle 10, the cart 2000, and the guide line 111. In the following description, an example will be described in which the second specific point P2 of the cart 2000 is set to the joining point P3, and the position of the shaft member 23 and the center of rotation P4 are different.

[0090] As shown in FIG. 11, the first specific point P1 in the transport vehicle 10 can be, for example, the (center of) the line detection unit 16 in the transport vehicle 10. In the example of FIG. 11, the line detection unit 16 is located on the guide line 111 so as to overlap with the guide line 111 in a planar view, so that the relative distance (difference) of the first specific point P1 with respect to the guide line 111, that is, the distance d0 (FIG. 1) from the guide line 111 to the first specific point P1, is 0. In addition, when the guide line 111 is configured with a two-dimensional code or the like, the control unit 260 of the transport vehicle 10 can also acquire the position of the guide line 111 in the extension direction from code information associated with the two-dimensional code and stored. Alternatively, the control unit 260 may estimate the relative position of the transport vehicle 10 (the first specific point P1) with respect to the guide line 111 by comparing the position information (coordinate information) of the guide line 111 in the map information of the recording unit 220 with the current position information (coordinate information) of the transport vehicle 10 estimated based on information acquired from a sensor or a camera.

[0091] The attitude information of the transport vehicle 10 with respect to the guide line 111 is indicated by, for example, an angle α. That is, the angle α can be expressed as a relative angle between the extension direction of the guide line 111 and the front-rear direction of the transport vehicle 10 (center line CL1 in the example of FIG. 11). For example, in the case of an image recognition method in which the guide line 111 using a two-dimensional code or a barcode is read by a camera, the control unit 260 can generate position information based on information on the detected code in addition to a detection signal of the guide line 111, and further generate relative angle information (angle α) between the guide line 111 and the transport vehicle 10 by analyzing image information of the code.

[0092] The control unit 260 of the transport vehicle 10 estimates the relative position of the shaft member 23 with respect to the guide line 111 based on the position information and posture information of the transport vehicle 10 with respect to the guide line 111 and the relative position information of the shaft member 23 (oscillation axis AX) with respect to the first specific point P1 of the transport vehicle 10. Then, the control unit 260 can control the operation of the transport vehicle 10 based on the estimated relative position of the shaft member 23. With this configuration, the transport vehicle 10 can be controlled to virtually detect and follow the guide line 111 at a position (position of the shaft member 23) where a sensor for detecting the guide line 111 is not actually provided. As a result, it is possible to reduce the number of guide line detection sensors of the transport vehicle 10.

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

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

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

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

[0097] Returning to Figure 11, when the line detection unit 16 detects the guideline 111, the relative position and attitude of the line detection unit 16 (first specific location P1) with respect to the guideline 111 can be acquired, and the control unit 260 can estimate the relative position of the shaft member 23 with respect to the guideline 111 based on the relative position and attitude of the line detection unit 16 with respect to the guideline 111 and the relative position of the shaft member 23 with respect to the line detection unit 16 stored in the recording unit 220 (e.g., distance L1).

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

[0099] In addition, when the line detection unit 16 is not located on the guideline 111, the distance d1 can be obtained, for example, by adding or subtracting the distance from the guideline 111 to the line detection unit 16 (first specific point P1) to the above-mentioned "L1*sin α" (depending on the direction as viewed from the guideline 111).

[0100] When estimating the relative position of the shaft member 23 with respect to the guide line 111, the control unit 260 may obtain a relative difference between the position of the guide line 111 and the position of the shaft member 23. The difference may be the above-mentioned distance d1. Furthermore, the control unit 260 may estimate, as the difference, an angle of the traveling direction (front-rear direction) of the transport vehicle 10 with respect to the extension direction of the guide line 111.

[0101] Here, the recording unit 220 (FIG. 1) stores in advance map data (map data) corresponding to the real space and position data of a virtual guide line 111 set on the map data, and the control unit 260 may estimate relative position information of a first specific point P1 of the current transport vehicle 10 with respect to the guide line 111 and attitude information of the current transport vehicle 10 with respect to the guide line 111 based on the position data of the virtual guide line 111 on the map data and the current position information and attitude information of the transport vehicle 10. The current position information and current attitude information of the first specific point P1 of the transport vehicle 10 can be acquired by, for example, a position estimation unit 265 and an attitude detection unit 235 described later. The map data and the position information of the guide line 111 may be stored in the recording unit 220 in advance, or may be generated based on sensor data acquired while the transport vehicle 10 is traveling. In this case, for example, a SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technique using sensor data such as LiDAR can be adopted.

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

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

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

[0105] Continuing to refer to FIG. 11, the control unit 260 estimates the relative position of the second specific point P2 of the cart 2000 with respect to the guide line 111, based on the relative position information and attitude information of the cart 2000 with respect to the transporting vehicle 10.

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

[0107] Specifically, when the cart 2000 is connected to the transport vehicle 10 so as to be swingable (rotatable) about a vertical shaft member 23 as a fulcrum, that is, when the relative positional relationship of the cart 2000 with respect to the transport vehicle 10 changes, the transport vehicle 10 preferably includes a transport object detection unit 237 (FIG. 20 described later) that detects the relative attitude of the cart 2000 with respect to the transport vehicle 10. The relative attitude of the cart 2000 with respect to the transport vehicle 10 is indicated, for example, by an angle β between a center line CL1 of the transport vehicle 10 and a center line CL2 of the cart 2000.

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

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

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

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

[0112] The control unit 260 may estimate the position of the second specific point P2 of the carriage 2000 relative to the guideline 111 at every predetermined fixed period. The fixed period may be set to any value, such as 0.1 seconds, 1 second, or 5 seconds. Alternatively, the position of the second specific point P2 relative to the repeated guideline 111 may be estimated based on other conditions, rather than the fixed period. The other conditions may be, for example, timing of switching between steps (FIGS. 2 to 10) of the travel control method, or conditions based on the distance or speed of movement, such as moving a predetermined distance or changing the speed. The accuracy of movement can be improved by the transport vehicle 10 checking the position of the carriage 2000 relative to the repeated guideline 111.

[0113] <Construction of the transport vehicle> FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an example of the hardware configuration of the transport vehicle 10 according to this embodiment. The transport vehicle 10 in this embodiment is an unmanned transport vehicle, but can also be applied to various vehicles on which people can ride. An arrow 15 in FIG. 12 indicates the traveling direction (forward) of the transport vehicle 10. The traveling direction is basically the forward direction of the transport vehicle 10, but can also be the rear direction depending on the situation. As shown in FIG. 12, the transport vehicle 10 is equipped with an object position detection unit 12 that detects objects around the transport vehicle 10, drive wheels 13, and non-drive wheels 14. In addition, the transport vehicle 10 is provided with an axis member 23 of a coupling device 21 (FIG. 1) for coupling a dolly 2000.

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

[0115] The object position detection unit 12 may detect an object in a 360-degree range around the transport vehicle 10, but is configured to detect an object at least in the traveling direction 15 of the transport vehicle 10. The traveling direction 15 may be either forward or backward of the transport vehicle 10.

[0116] FIG. 13 is a bottom view showing an example of the hardware configuration of the transport vehicle 10 according to this embodiment. Drive wheels 13 are provided on the bottom of the transport vehicle 10 at both the left and right sides with respect to the traveling direction 15 of the transport vehicle 10, and non-driven wheels 14 are provided in front and behind each of the drive wheels 13. The drive wheels 13 are wheels that are connected to the rotating shaft of a motor and driven, and the right drive wheel 13 and the left drive wheel 13 are individually controlled. The control unit 260 can control the speed of the transport vehicle 10 by controlling the rotation speed of the drive wheels 13. In addition, the control unit 260 can control the rotation speed and rotation direction of each drive wheel 13 individually, thereby making it possible to make the transport vehicle 10 run on a curve, rotate the transport vehicle 10 on the spot to change direction, stop it, or move it backward.

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

[0118] The non-driven wheels 14 are configured as wheels that are not driven, and rotate passively as the transport vehicle 10 moves with the driven wheels 13. The non-driven wheels 14 have, for example, a fork that fixes the wheel and the axle, and the fork is configured as a rotating caster that is rotatably connected to the bottom member of the transport vehicle 10. Therefore, the wheel rotation direction of the non-driven wheels 14 changes passively according to the traveling direction and rotational movement of the transport vehicle 10. In other words, the non-driven wheels 14 are free wheels that can rotate 360 ​​degrees while in contact with the floor surface.

[0119] FIG. 13 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of a transport vehicle 10 having two driven wheels 13 and four non-driven wheels 14 at the four corners, but the present disclosure is not limited to this hardware configuration, and it is also possible to adopt a configuration with a total of four wheels, two driven wheels 13 and two non-driven wheels 14, and it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the front wheels are steerable in the four-wheel configuration.

[0120] A line detector 16 for detecting the guideline 111 is provided on the bottom surface of the transport vehicle 10. The line detector 16 is preferably provided ahead of the drive wheels 13 in the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 10. This makes it easier for the transport vehicle 10 to travel along the guideline 111 when traveling along a curved line, and also allows the transport vehicle 10 and the towing dolly 2000 to receive information from the guideline 111 as soon as possible when traveling, thereby enabling them to quickly execute processing such as stopping. The line detector 16 uses a sensor according to the type of induction method as described above. When the induction method is an electromagnetic induction method, a pickup coil is used as the sensor of the line detector 16, when the induction method is an electromagnetic induction method, a magnetic sensor is used as the sensor of the line detector 16, and when the image recognition method is used, a camera is used as the sensor of the line detector 16. The guideline 111 is not limited to a floor surface, but may be provided on a side wall surface, a ceiling surface, or the like of a building, and a sensor (including a camera) of the transport vehicle 10 can be installed at a position where the guideline 111 can be recognized (the bottom surface, side surface, top surface, etc. of the transport vehicle 10). The guide line 111 may be a virtually established track on two-dimensional or three-dimensional map data. The control unit 260 of the transport vehicle 10 may control the travel of the transport vehicle 10 along the virtual guide line 111 based on map information and track information (travel route information) previously stored in the recording unit 220 and current self-position information estimated based on information from a camera, a sensor, etc.

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

[0122] 14 shows an example of a hardware configuration when the transport vehicle 10 according to this embodiment is coupled to the dolly 2000. The dolly 2000 is coupled to the transport vehicle 10 by a coupling device 21 so as to be swingable (rotatable) about an axis member 23 as a fulcrum.

[0123] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the operation area 130 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 15, a guideline 131 is laid in the operation area 130, and when the guideline 131 is detected at a preset travel mode switching position 132 by the guideline 131, the travel control mode is switched from the autonomous travel mode to the guided travel mode. Conversely, when the guideline 131 is detected at the preset travel mode switching position 132 by the guideline 131, the travel control mode is switched from the guided travel mode to the autonomous travel mode. In order to guide the guideline 131 to a position close to the shelf or belt conveyor where the baggage is stored, or the work position of the worker, the track formed by the guideline 131 is laid at a position close to the shelf or work position via multiple branch points.

[0124] The guided vehicle 10 traveling in an autonomous travel area where no guideline 131 is laid in the autonomous travel mode enters the travel mode switching position 132 and changes the travel mode to a guided travel mode that follows the guideline 131 on the condition that the guided travel mode switching position 132 is detected. On the other hand, when the guided vehicle 10 traveling in the guided travel mode on the guideline 131 enters the travel mode switching position 132, the travel control mode is switched from the guided travel mode to the autonomous travel mode, and the guided vehicle 10 leaves the guideline 131 and starts autonomous travel.

[0125] As the guideline 131 shown in Fig. 15, various commonly used guideline induction methods, as described later, can be applied. Specifically, for example, an electromagnetic induction method in which a pickup coil on the transport vehicle detects a magnetic field generated by passing a weak AC current through a metal wire installed as the guideline 131, a magnetic induction method in which a magnetic sensor on the transport vehicle reads a magnetic tape laid on the floor as the guideline 131, or an image recognition method in which a camera on the transport vehicle 10 captures an image of a code (such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code) laid on the floor as a guide line and processes the image can be applied.

[0126] 16 shows the positional relationship between the guideline 111 and the transport vehicle 10 when the two-dimensional code 1001 constituting the guideline 111 is detected by the line detection unit 16. The guideline 111 is formed by printing a plurality of two-dimensional codes 1001, each having code information printed on a two-dimensional plane as shown in the two-dimensional code 1001, lined up in the direction of the guideline 111. When the line detection unit 16 detects the two-dimensional code 1001, it acquires position information of the two-dimensional code 1001 based on the code information acquired from the two-dimensional code 1001.

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

[0128] <Conveyor system configuration> Next, the configuration of the transport system 1000 of this embodiment will be described. The transport system 1000 corresponds to an example of the "travel control system" of the present disclosure. In other words, the transport system 1000 is a travel control system for a transport vehicle 10 to which a cart 2000 is swingably connected and which can move along a real or virtual guide line 111 while towing the cart 2000.

[0129] 18 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the transport system 1000 according to the present embodiment. The transport system 1000 includes a plurality of transport vehicles 10, a dolly 2000 as a transport object, a control device 3000 capable of displaying the state of the transport vehicles 10 or inputting commands to the transport vehicles 10, a general control device 4000 for managing information required for the operation of the transport vehicles 10, an input / output device 5000 for displaying information of the general control device 4000 and inputting information to the general control device 4000, and a communication network 6000 for communicatively connecting the plurality of transport vehicles 10, the control device 3000, and the general control device 4000. The various devices such as the control device 3000, the general control device 4000, and the input / output device 5000 may be separate devices, or may be formed as an integrated device in part or in whole.

[0130] The transport system 1000 can also be connected to an external system 7000 via a communication network 6000. When the transport system 1000 is introduced into a manufacturing factory to transport parts required for manufacturing from a storage facility to a manufacturing line, the transport system 1000 performs inter-system cooperation with a manufacturing management system as the external system 7000. In this case, by acquiring information on the operational progress of the manufacturing work from the manufacturing management system, the transport volume and transport route of the transport vehicle 10 can be dynamically adjusted according to the progress of the manufacturing work.

[0131] As another example, when the conveyance system 1000 is introduced into a logistics warehouse, and when luggage is brought into the warehouse by truck or the like, the conveyance system 1000 conveys the incoming luggage from an inlet to a storage warehouse, and when luggage is shipped from the warehouse, the conveyance system 1000 performs inter-system cooperation with a logistics management system as an external system 7000. In this case, by acquiring information related to the incoming luggage and the outgoing luggage from the logistics management system, the transportation amount and transportation route of the conveyance vehicle 10 can be changed.

[0132] In a facility where the transport system 1000 is installed, a plurality of transport vehicles 10 are generally in operation, and each transport vehicle 10 is communicably connected to the other transport vehicles 10 and other components via the communication network 6000. For example, the transport vehicle 10 transmits various detection information detected by its own detection unit and other control information to the control device 3000, the general control device 4000, and the other transport vehicles 10. The transport vehicle 10 is also electrically connected to the cart 2000 or communicably connected via short-range communication means, and is configured to be able to receive information on the connection state and identification information of the cart 2000 from the cart 2000.

[0133] The controller 3000 has a function of displaying status information of each transport vehicle 10 and a function of inputting commands to a specified transport vehicle 10. For example, the status information of the transport vehicle 10 displayed on the controller 3000 includes the identification information, position (coordinates, position on a map), speed, direction, travel history, information on the charge level of a battery mounted on the transport vehicle 10 and serving as the power source for the transport vehicle 10, and identification information of the cart 2000 transported by the transport vehicle 10. Examples of commands input to the transport vehicle 10 include command information related to the destination (destination position) of the transport vehicle 10, operation commands for coupling and uncoupling with the cart 2000, commands to start traveling for the transport vehicle 10, commands to stop the transport vehicle 10, and commands to return to a charging station.

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

[0135] The status information of the transport vehicle 10 recorded by the status information recording unit 4010 includes, for example, obstacle detection positions detected by the multiple transport vehicles 10 during operation, guideline detection positions, history information of the travel positions of the transport vehicles 10, and further information on the battery charge amount, identification information of the trolley 2000 connected to the multiple transport vehicles 10, operation modes of the multiple transport vehicles 10 (guided travel mode or autonomous travel mode, virtual sensor use mode), various other detection information detected by the detection unit 230 of the transport vehicles 10, map information of the work area, etc. The operation scenario managed by the operation scenario management unit 4020 includes, for example, information on the destination of each of the multiple transport vehicles 10, the contents of multiple operations to be performed until the vehicle reaches the destination, the operation sequence of the multiple operations, and switching conditions for the multiple operations.

[0136] The map management unit 4030 generates a map including the position information of obstacles and the guideline 111 in the work area based on the obstacle detection position, the guideline detection position, and the history information of the traveling position of the guideline 110, which are detected by the guided vehicle 10. Furthermore, the map management unit 4030 updates the information of the guideline 111 and the work area registered in the map based on the information of the detection position of the guideline 111 accumulated by one or more guided vehicles 10.

[0137] The abnormality determination unit 4040 determines abnormalities in the guideline 111 and the guided vehicle 10 based on the position information of the guideline 111 registered in the map information and the detection information of the guideline 111 including the detection position information of the guideline 111 detected by the guided vehicle 10.

[0138] The input / output device 5000 displays information recorded in the state information recording unit 4010 of the overall control device 4000, map information (including map update information), and the determination result by the abnormality determination unit 4040, and can add or update a new operation scenario by inputting an operation scenario managed by the operation scenario management unit 4020. Information input to the input / output device 5000 includes, for example, information that the destination of any transport vehicle 10 is a work area of ​​the guided travel area, operation contents for entering the guided travel area and reaching the work area, operation switching conditions, and the like.

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

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

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

[0142] As described above, the line detection unit 16 uses a sensor according to the type of induction method. When the electromagnetic induction method is used as the induction method, a pickup coil is used as the sensor of the line detection unit 16. When the magnetic induction method is used as the induction method, a magnetic sensor is used as the sensor of the line detection unit 16. When the image recognition method is used as the induction method, a camera is used as the sensor of the line detection unit 16. When the line detection unit 16 is located directly above the guideline 111, the line detection unit 16 detects the guideline 111 and outputs a detection signal. In addition, in the case of an image recognition method in which the camera reads the guideline 111 using a two-dimensional code or a barcode, position information is generated based on information on the detected code in addition to the detection signal of the guideline 111, and further, image information of the code is analyzed to generate relative angle information (angle α) between the guideline 111 and the carrier 10.

[0143] The travel distance detection unit 233 detects the number of rotations of the non-driven wheels 14 or the driven wheels 13, and can measure the travel distance and travel speed of the transport vehicle 10 based on the detected information of the number of rotations and the information of the diameter (or circumference) of the non-driven wheels 14 or the driven wheels 13 (in this case, the travel distance detection unit 233 can function as a speed sensor). As an alternative, it is also possible to apply a means for detecting the travel speed of the transport vehicle 10 using a millimeter wave sensor that irradiates millimeter waves in any horizontal direction (which may be a wall or floor) and detects reflected waves, and integrating the travel speed to estimate the travel distance. Also, any method for measuring the travel distance or acquiring the travel speed other than the above-mentioned methods can be applied.

[0144] The collision detection unit 234 has a function of detecting that the transport vehicle 10 collides with an object or a person. Specifically, it is possible to detect acceleration using a gyro sensor or the like, and determine that a collision has occurred when a sudden change in acceleration is detected. As an alternative, it is also possible to apply a means of providing a physical switch together with a bumper at the front of the transport vehicle 10 in the traveling direction, and determining that a collision has occurred when the physical switch is pressed. In addition, a collision detection method other than the above can be applied. When the collision detection unit 234 detects a collision, it stops the transport vehicle 10, records at least one of the collision occurrence information and the collision occurrence position information in the recording unit 220, and notifies the information to the general control device 4000 and the control device 3000. The attitude detection unit 235 detects the direction (attitude) of the transport vehicle 10 (own vehicle) based on a magnetic compass, information on the rotation speed of the left and right drive wheels, or steering information of the wheels.

[0145] The charge amount detection unit 236 detects the charge amount of the battery which is the power source of the transport vehicle 10. When the charge amount detected by the charge amount detection unit 236 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value, it determines that charging is necessary, records the detection information of the decrease in charge amount in the recording unit 220, and notifies the information to the general control device 4000 and the control device 3000. Furthermore, when it is detected that the charge amount is equal to or less than a predetermined value, in addition to the above processing, it may be configured to automatically move to a charging spot and charge. The predetermined value for the charge amount detection unit 236 to determine that charging is necessary may be a value set in advance based on at least one of the distance to the destination set for the transport vehicle 10 and the weight of the cart 2000 coupled to the transport vehicle 10. The transport object detection unit 237 detects the attitude of the cart 2000 with respect to the transport vehicle 10 (for example, the angle β in FIG. 1).

[0146] The input unit 240 is composed of a physical switch or a touch panel mounted on the transport vehicle 10, and allows a user to directly input operation commands and the like to the transport vehicle 10. The display unit 250 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal panel mounted on the transport vehicle 10, and can display status information of the transport vehicle 10 (various types of detection information by the detection unit 230, the type of driving mode, the currently executed operation scenario, and the like).

[0147] The control unit 260 includes an operation determination unit 261, a mode switching unit 262, a connection control unit 263, a display control unit 264, a position estimation unit 265, and a traveling control unit 266. Specifically, the control unit 260 executes a computer program stored in the recording unit 220 to function as the operation determination unit 261, the mode switching unit 262, the connection control unit 263, the display control unit 264, the position estimation unit 265, and the traveling control unit 266.

[0148] The operation determination unit 261 determines the operation of the guided vehicle 10 based on the operation scenario of the self-guided vehicle acquired from the operation scenario management unit 4020. The mode switching unit 262 switches the travel mode of the guided vehicle 10 between a guided travel mode and an autonomous travel mode based on conditions predetermined by the operation scenario or the like, or a command input by the input unit 240. The connection control unit 263 controls the operation of the coupling device 21 (FIG. 1) based on conditions predetermined by the operation scenario or the like, or a command input by the input unit 240, to control the connection / disconnection with the cart 2000. The display control unit 264 controls the input IF of the input unit 240 and the display unit 250 described above.

[0149] The position estimation unit 265 can estimate the position and attitude of the vehicle at a predetermined time including the current position and current attitude in the entire travel area based on the travel distance detected by the travel distance detection unit 233, the information on the direction of the vehicle detected by the attitude detection unit 235, and the map information of the entire area recorded in the recording unit 220. Alternatively, the position estimation unit 265 can estimate the position and attitude of the vehicle in the entire travel area based on the information on the distance and direction from the vehicle to an object measured by the object position detection unit 12 and the map information of the entire area recorded in the recording unit 220. If the map information includes the guideline 111, the relative position and attitude with respect to the guideline 111 can also be estimated. Alternatively, if the carrier vehicle 10 is traveling on the guideline 111 configured by a two-dimensional code, the position and attitude of the vehicle in the entire travel area can be estimated based on the identification information of the two-dimensional code and the map information. The position estimation unit 265 can also acquire position information by a GNSS or the like provided in the carrier vehicle 10.

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

[0151] The travel control unit 266 controls the travel of the transport vehicle 10 based on at least one of the determination information by the operation determination unit 261 and the mode switching unit 262. The travel control unit 266 can control the forward movement, backward movement, stop, rotational movement, rotation on its own axis, linear speed, rotational movement speed, and rotational speed of the transport vehicle 10. Specifically, the travel control unit 266 individually controls the right wheel drive unit 281 and the left wheel drive unit 282 of the wheel drive unit 280. The right wheel drive unit 281 and the left wheel drive unit 282 are composed of, for example, a motor, and by individually controlling the rotational speed and rotational direction of each drive wheel 13, it becomes possible to make the transport vehicle 10 travel on a curve with an arbitrary trajectory radius or to rotate the transport vehicle 10 on the spot to change its direction.

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

[0153] For example, when moving along the guideline 111, the control unit 260 can execute a travel control process to control the travel speed of the transport vehicle 10 based on the differential distance between the current position of the transport vehicle 10 in the extension direction of the guideline 111 and the destination position. The travel control unit 266 may execute a distance estimation process to calculate the differential distance between the current position of the transport vehicle 10 in the extension direction of the guideline 111 and the destination position based on the current position information of the transport vehicle 10 and the destination position information.

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

[0155] The control unit 260 may execute a travel control process based on the distance to the destination position when the transport vehicle 10 advances toward the destination position, and may execute a travel control process to control the speed in the reverse direction based on the distance in the same way as in the forward direction when the transport vehicle 10 passes the destination position. In this case, even if the transport vehicle 10 passes the destination position, it can reach the destination position while moving backward with high accuracy and efficiency in the same way as when moving forward.

[0156] The control unit 260 may perform an angle estimation process to estimate the angle of the transport vehicle 10 with respect to the extension direction of the guide line 111 based on information from a sensor provided on the transport vehicle 10, a relative position estimation process to estimate the relative position between the guide line 111 and the first specific point P1 of the transport vehicle 10 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the guide line 111 based on information from a sensor provided on the transport vehicle 10, and control the orientation of the transport vehicle 10 based on the angle and relative position of the transport vehicle 10. For example, in the case of an image recognition method in which the guide line 111 using a two-dimensional code or a barcode is read by a camera, position information may be generated based on information on the detected code in addition to a detection signal of the guide line 111, and image information of the code may be analyzed to generate relative angle information between the guide line 111 and the transport vehicle 10. For example, the control unit 260 may control the travel of the transport vehicle 10 so that the angle (direction) of the transport vehicle 10 finally coincides with the extension direction of the guideline 111 (or the difference in angle is equal to or less than a predetermined value (e.g., 1°, 3°, 5°, etc.)) and so that the deviation between the guideline 111 and the transport vehicle 10 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the guideline 111 is equal to or less than a predetermined value. For example, when it is determined that the deviation between the guideline 111 and the transport vehicle 10 in a direction perpendicular to the guideline 111 exceeds a predetermined value, the control unit 260 can drive and control the transport vehicle 10 to move forward or backward by changing the direction (angle) of the transport vehicle 10 toward the guideline 111 so that the transport vehicle 10 approaches the guideline 111. Furthermore, when the deviation between the guideline 111 and the transport vehicle 10 in a direction perpendicular to the guideline 111 is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the control unit 260 can drive and control the transport vehicle 10 to be in the same direction as the guideline 111.

[0157] In the distance estimation process, the control unit 260 may calculate the distance from the current position to the destination position based on the difference between the current position acquired from the position estimation unit 265 and the destination position acquired from the recording unit 220. Alternatively, the control unit 260 may perform image recognition of a two-dimensional code provided on a floor or wall, and acquire information on the distance (the distance from the current position to the destination position) associated with the two-dimensional code.

[0158] The control unit 260 may execute a travel control process based on speed information acquired by a speed sensor of the transport vehicle 10. The type of the speed sensor is not particularly limited, and any sensor such as a sensor that detects the number of rotations or the rotation speed of the drive wheels 13, or a camera can be used as the speed sensor. The control unit 260 detects the speed of the transport vehicle 10 at predetermined intervals, judges whether the speed matches the target speed, and can control the travel while repeatedly adjusting it. That is, the control unit 260 judges whether the difference between the actual speed and the target speed is equal to or less than a predetermined value (predetermined threshold value, etc.), and if it is equal to or less than the predetermined value, maintains control, and if it exceeds the predetermined value, can perform deceleration or acceleration control so as to approach the target speed. By repeating such a speed adjustment process, it is possible to suppress (reduce) deviation from the target speed.

[0159] The control unit 260 can repeatedly execute the distance estimation process at predetermined fixed intervals. Similarly, the control unit 260 may execute the estimation process of the position and attitude of the shaft member 23 relative to the guide line 111 and calculate the difference at fixed intervals. This can further improve the accuracy when the shaft member 23 moves backward while positioned on the guide line 111.

[0160] The control unit 260 may acquire information such as the current position, the distance to the destination position, and / or the target speed at that point, which are associated with the two-dimensional code, by scanning the two-dimensional code with a sensor (camera). For example, if information on the target speed is associated with the two-dimensional code, the carrier 10 can acquire the information on the target speed from the two-dimensional code and execute the above-mentioned speed control.

[0161] Next, an example of a travel control method according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 20 and Fig. 21. The travel control method is a method for controlling travel of a transport vehicle 10, which is connected to a dolly 2000 so as to be swingable and can move along a real or virtual guide line 111 while towing the dolly 2000. Fig. 21 is a flowchart showing an example of the travel control method. As shown in Fig. 21, the travel control method for the transport vehicle 10 includes steps S101 to S103. Steps S101 to S103 are executed by the control unit 260 executing a computer program stored in the recording unit 220. That is, the computer program product realizes steps S101 to S103 when the computer program is executed by the control unit 260.

[0162] First, in step S101, the control unit 260 moves the transport vehicle 10, to which the dolly 2000 is coupled at the rear of the transport vehicle 10, from outside the guide line 111 toward the guide line 111. Step S101 is similar to, for example, steps S1 and S1a in FIG. 2, step S11 in FIG. 4, or step S11a in FIG.

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

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

[0165] As described above with reference to FIG. 21, according to the travel control method of this embodiment, the carriage 2000 is placed in the destination area 101 (FIG. 1) by combining rotational motion (step S102) and rectilinear motion (steps S101, S103). Therefore, compared to placing the carriage 2000 in the destination area 101 by directly moving backward, repeated forward and backward movements can be suppressed. As a result, when placing the carriage 2000 in the destination area 101 by moving the transport vehicle 10 backward, the carriage 2000, which is swingably connected to the transport vehicle 10, can be smoothly placed in the destination area 101.

[0166] (Modification) A modified example of the above embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 20. The differences will be mainly described below. The control unit 260 selects one reverse control from among a plurality of reverse controls based on the object detection result by the object position detection unit 12. Then, the control unit 260 controls the transport vehicle 10 according to the selected reverse control, and places the dolly 2000 in the destination area 101.

[0167] The multiple reverse controls refer to two or more of a first reverse control, a second reverse control, a third reverse control, and a fourth reverse control.

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

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

[0170] The third reverse control is a control for placing an object to be transported, such as the carriage 2000, in the destination area 101 by combining the movement of the transport vehicle 10 along the auxiliary line 19, the rotational movement of the transport vehicle 10, and the reverse movement of the transport vehicle 10. For example, the third reverse control is a control shown by a third example of the travel control method shown in Figs. 7 and 5.

[0171] The fourth backward control is a control for placing an object to be transported, such as the carriage 2000, in the destination area 101 by combining the rotation of the transport vehicle 10, the departure and return of the transport vehicle 10 from the guide line 111, and the backward movement of the transport vehicle 10. For example, the fourth backward control is a control shown by a fourth example of the travel control method shown in Figs. 8 to 10.

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

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

[0174] When the object position detection unit 12 detects an object in the direction in which the guide line 111 extends, the control unit 260 selects the second reverse control or the third reverse control. This is because the moving distance of the carrier 10 along the guide line 111 in the second reverse control and the third reverse control is shorter than that in the first reverse control and the fourth reverse control.

[0175] Furthermore, the control unit 260 may select the second reverse control or the third reverse control when the distance from an object detected by the object position detection unit 12 in the extension direction of the guide line 111 to the transporting vehicle 10 is equal to or shorter than a predetermined distance.

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

[0177] As described above, in a modified example of this embodiment, the optimal reverse control can be selected from among multiple reverse controls based on the path when placing the cart 2000 in the destination area 101 and the presence or absence of objects in the vicinity, or the distance from the transport vehicle 10 to the object.

[0178] Also, for example, the recording unit 220 may store information indicating the priority order of each of the multiple reverse controls in advance. In this case, when any of the multiple reverse controls is possible, the control unit 260 selects one of the multiple reverse controls according to the priority order stored in advance.

[0179] Although the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure has been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field of the present disclosure can conceive of various modified or amended examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0180] The devices described in this specification may be realized as a single device, or may be realized by a plurality of devices (e.g., cloud servers) partially or entirely connected via a network. For example, the control unit 260 and the recording unit 220 of the transport vehicle may be realized by different servers connected to each other via a network, or may be realized by the overall control device 4000 of the transport system 1000. In addition, in the transport system 1000 described in this specification, an example has been described in which the controller 3000, the overall control device 4000, and the input / output device 5000 are configured as separate hardware connected via a network, but some or all of the functions of the controller 3000, the overall control device 4000, and the input / output device 5000 may be implemented in the transport vehicle 10.

[0181] The series of processes performed by the device described in this specification may be realized using any of software, hardware, and a combination of software and hardware. A computer program for realizing each function of the control unit 260 according to this embodiment may be created and implemented in a PC or the like. A computer-readable recording medium in which such a computer program is stored may also be provided. The recording medium may be, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a flash memory, or the like. The above computer program may also be distributed, for example, via a network, without using a recording medium.

[0182] In addition, the effects described in this specification are merely descriptive or exemplary and are not limiting. In other words, the technology according to the present disclosure may achieve other effects that are apparent to a person skilled in the art from the description of this specification, in addition to or in place of the above effects.

[0183] Note that the following configurations also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0184] (Item 1) A travel control method for a transport vehicle to which an object to be transported is swingably connected and which can move along a real or virtual guideline while towing the object to be transported, comprising: a control unit moving the transport vehicle, with the object to be transported coupled to the rear of the transport vehicle, from outside the guide line toward the guide line; a step of the control unit rotating the transport vehicle in a state where the transport vehicle or the transport object is positioned on the guide line; and a step of moving the transport vehicle backward after the step of rotating the transport vehicle by the control unit, to place the transport object in a destination area, A travel control method, wherein in the step of rotating the transport vehicle, a direction of the transport vehicle on the guide line after the rotational motion is different from a direction of the transport vehicle before the rotational motion.

[0185] (Item 2) The method further includes a step of stopping the transport vehicle on the guide line by the control unit after the step of moving the transport vehicle and before the step of rotating the transport vehicle, In the step of rotating the transport vehicle, the transport vehicle is rotated on the guide line so that the transport vehicle faces forward on the guide line; The travel control method described in item 1, further comprising a step in which the control unit moves the transport vehicle forward along the guideline after the step of rotating the transport vehicle and before the step of placing the transport object in the destination area.

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

[0187] (Item 4) a step of causing the transport vehicle to pass through the guideline by the control unit; The control unit further includes a step of stopping the transport vehicle when the transport vehicle passes the guide line and the transport object is positioned on the guide line, 2. The travel control method according to item 1, wherein in the step of rotating the guided vehicle, the guided vehicle is rotated from outside the guideline toward the guideline so that the guided vehicle is positioned on the guideline.

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

[0189] (Item 6) 6. The travel control method according to claim 4, wherein in the step of causing the transport vehicle to pass through the guideline, the transport vehicle is moved along a real or virtual auxiliary line that guides the transport vehicle to pass through the guideline.

[0190] (Item 7) The auxiliary line is spaced apart from the guide line, 7. The cruise control method according to item 6, wherein a virtual extension line of the auxiliary line intersects with the guide line.

[0191] (Item 8) a step of moving the transport vehicle forward along the guide line by the control unit after the step of rotating the transport vehicle; a step of causing the transport vehicle to move backward and away from the guide line by the control unit after the step of moving the transport vehicle forward; The travel control method described in item 1 further includes a step in which, after the step of separating the transport vehicle and before the step of placing the transport object in the destination area, the control unit returns the transport vehicle from outside the guideline to onto the guideline while reversing the transport vehicle so that the transport object moves backward along the guideline.

[0192] (Item 9) A travel control system for a transport vehicle to which an object to be transported is swingably connected and which can move along a real or virtual guideline while towing the object to be transported, a control unit for controlling a drive unit of the transport vehicle to control an operation of the transport vehicle; The control unit is moving the transport vehicle, to which the object to be transported is coupled behind, from outside the guide line toward the guide line; While the transport vehicle or the object to be transported is positioned on the guide line, the transport vehicle is rotated; After the rotational movement of the transport vehicle, the transport vehicle is moved backward to place the transport object in a destination area; A travel control system, wherein an orientation of the transport vehicle on the guide line after the rotational motion is different from an orientation of the transport vehicle before the rotational motion.

[0193] (Item 10) A program for controlling travel of a transport vehicle to which an object to be transported is swingably connected and which can move along a real or virtual guideline while towing the object to be transported, a control unit for controlling a drive unit of the transport vehicle to thereby control an operation of the transport vehicle; A process of moving the transport vehicle, with the object to be transported coupled to the rear of the transport vehicle, from outside the guideline toward the guideline; A process of rotating the transport vehicle while the transport vehicle or the object to be transported is positioned on the guideline; After the rotational movement of the transport vehicle, the transport vehicle is moved backward to place the transport object in a destination area. The orientation of the vehicle on the guideline after the rotational motion is different from the orientation of the vehicle before the rotational motion. [Industrial Applicability]

[0194] The present disclosure provides a method for controlling the travel of a transport vehicle, a system for controlling the travel of a transport vehicle, and a program, and has industrial applicability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0195] 10 transport vehicle, 12 object position detection unit, 13 drive wheel, 14 non-drive wheel, 16 line detection unit, 17 magnetic sensor, 21 coupling device, 111 guide line, 132 driving mode switching position, 210 communication unit, 220 recording unit, 230 detection unit, 237 transport object detection unit, 240 input unit, 250 display unit, 260 control unit, 280 wheel drive unit, 1000 transport system, 2000 cart, 3000 control unit, 4000 overall control device, 5000 input / output device, 6000 communication network, 7000 external system

Claims

1. A travel control method for a transport vehicle to which an object to be transported is swingably connected and which can move along a real or virtual guideline while towing the object to be transported, comprising: a control unit moving the transport vehicle, with the object to be transported coupled to the rear of the transport vehicle, from outside the guide line toward the guide line; a step of the control unit rotating the transport vehicle in a state where the transport vehicle or the transport object is positioned on the guide line; and a step of moving the transport vehicle backward after the step of rotating the transport vehicle by the control unit, to place the transport object in a destination area, A travel control method, wherein in the step of rotating the transport vehicle, a direction of the transport vehicle on the guide line after the rotational motion is different from a direction of the transport vehicle before the rotational motion.

2. The method further includes a step of stopping the transport vehicle on the guide line by the control unit after the step of moving the transport vehicle and before the step of rotating the transport vehicle, In the step of rotating the transport vehicle, the transport vehicle is rotated on the guide line so that the transport vehicle faces forward on the guide line; The travel control method according to claim 1, further comprising a step in which the control unit moves the transport vehicle forward along the guideline after the step of rotating the transport vehicle and before the step of placing the transport object in the destination area.

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

4. a step of causing the transport vehicle to pass through the guideline by the control unit; The control unit further includes a step of stopping the transport vehicle when the transport vehicle passes the guide line and the transport object is positioned on the guide line, 2. The travel control method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of rotating the guided vehicle, the guided vehicle is rotated from outside the guideline toward the guideline so that the guided vehicle is positioned on the guideline.

5. The travel control method according to claim 4 , wherein the step of placing the object to be transported in the destination area is performed without moving the transport vehicle forward after the transport vehicle is positioned on the guide line by a rotational movement.

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

7. The auxiliary line is spaced apart from the guide line, The cruise control method according to claim 6 , wherein an imaginary extension line of the auxiliary line intersects with the guide line.

8. a step of moving the transport vehicle forward along the guide line by the control unit after the step of rotating the transport vehicle; a step of causing the transport vehicle to move backward and away from the guide line by the control unit after the step of moving the transport vehicle forward; The travel control method of claim 1, further comprising a step, after the step of separating the transport vehicle and before the step of placing the transport object in the destination area, of the control unit returning the transport vehicle from outside the guideline to onto the guideline while reversing the transport vehicle so that the transport object moves backward along the guideline.

9. A travel control system for a transport vehicle to which an object to be transported is swingably connected and which can move along a real or virtual guideline while towing the object to be transported, a control unit for controlling a drive unit of the transport vehicle to control an operation of the transport vehicle; The control unit is moving the transport vehicle, to which the object to be transported is coupled behind, from outside the guide line toward the guide line; While the transport vehicle or the object to be transported is positioned on the guide line, the transport vehicle is rotated; After the rotational movement of the transport vehicle, the transport vehicle is moved backward to place the transport object in a destination area; A travel control system, wherein an orientation of the transport vehicle on the guide line after the rotational motion is different from an orientation of the transport vehicle before the rotational motion.

10. A program for controlling travel of a transport vehicle to which an object to be transported is swingably connected and which can move along a real or virtual guideline while towing the object to be transported, a control unit for controlling a drive unit of the transport vehicle to thereby control an operation of the transport vehicle; A process of moving the transport vehicle, with the object to be transported coupled to the rear of the transport vehicle, from outside the guideline toward the guideline; A process of rotating the transport vehicle while the transport vehicle or the object to be transported is positioned on the guideline; After the rotational movement of the transport vehicle, the transport vehicle is moved backward to place the transport object in a destination area. The orientation of the vehicle on the guideline after the rotational motion is different from the orientation of the vehicle before the rotational motion.

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