Information processing system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

An information processing system, an information processing method, and a program are provided that can increase the efficiency of transferring articles between a storage area and an unmanned transport device. [Solution] The information processing system disclosed herein is an information processing system that determines a target position of an unmanned transport device when transferring an item between a storage area where a specific item is placed and an unmanned transport device that transports the item, in which a control unit executes a storage area information acquisition process that acquires storage area information including position information of the storage area, an item information acquisition process that acquires item information including position information of the item to be transported, an opening information acquisition process that acquires opening information including position information of an opening through which an item can be put in and taken out of the unmanned transport device, and a target state determination process that determines a target position of the unmanned transport device based on the storage area information, item information, and opening information so that the opening of the unmanned transport device is at a predetermined specified position.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the use of autonomously driven automated guided vehicles for transporting luggage within facilities such as manufacturing plants and logistics warehouses has been put to practical use (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6310579 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 describes that when a worker loads a package placed on a shelf onto a transport vehicle, the transport vehicle can be moved closer to the worker, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0005] However, when a transport vehicle is towing an item, such as a basket cart, whose opening through which luggage can be loaded and unloaded is positioned in a specific direction, depending on the relative positions of the shelf and the basket cart, it can be difficult to transfer the luggage from the shelf to the cart.

[0006] Therefore, the present disclosure has been made in consideration of at least one of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program that can increase the efficiency when transferring items between a storage area and an unmanned transport device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, An information processing system for determining a target position of an automated guided vehicle when transferring an item between a storage area in which a predetermined item is placed and an automated guided vehicle that transports the item, comprising: The control unit: A storage area information acquisition process for acquiring storage area information including location information of the storage area; An item information acquisition process for acquiring item information including location information of an item to be transported; an opening information acquisition process for acquiring opening information including position information of an opening through which an article can be put in and taken out in the automated guided vehicle; An information processing system is provided that executes a target state determination process to determine a target position of the unmanned transport device based on the storage area information, the item information, and the opening information so that the opening of the unmanned transport device is at a predetermined specified position.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, 1. An information processing method for determining a target position of an automated guided vehicle when transferring an object between a storage area in which a predetermined object is placed and an automated guided vehicle that transports the object, comprising: The control unit: A storage area information acquisition process for acquiring storage area information including location information of the storage area; An item information acquisition process for acquiring item information including location information of an item to be transported; an opening information acquisition process for acquiring opening information including position information of an opening through which an article can be put in and taken out in the automated guided vehicle; An information processing method is provided, which executes a target state determination process to determine a target position of the unmanned transport device based on the storage area information, the item information, and the opening information so that the opening of the unmanned transport device is at a predetermined specified position.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, A program that causes a control unit to execute information processing to determine a target position of an automated guided vehicle when transferring an item between a storage area in which a predetermined item is placed and an automated guided vehicle that transports the item, In the control section, A storage area information acquisition process for acquiring storage area information including location information of the storage area; An item information acquisition process for acquiring item information including location information of an item to be transported; an opening information acquisition process for acquiring opening information including position information of an opening through which an article can be put in and taken out in the automated guided vehicle; A program is provided that executes a target state determination process that determines a target position of the unmanned transport device based on the storage area information, the item information, and the opening information so that the opening of the unmanned transport device is at a predetermined specified position. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program that can increase the efficiency when transferring items between a storage area and an unmanned transport device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a comparative example of an automated guided vehicle and a storage shelf. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a relationship between the automated guided transport device and a storage shelf according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 11 is a plan view showing another example of the relationship between the automatic guided transport device and the storage shelf according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 5] 13 is a plan view showing still another example of the relationship between the automatic guided transport device and the storage shelves according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] 13 is a plan view showing still another example of the relationship between the automatic guided transport device and the storage shelves according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] 13 is a plan view showing still another example of the relationship between the automatic guided transport device and the storage shelves according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an information processing flow of the system according to the embodiment. [Figure 9]1 is a plan view showing an example of an automatic guided transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a hardware configuration of the transport vehicle according to the present embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing an example of a hardware configuration of the transport vehicle according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a motion area according to the present embodiment; [Figure 13] 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 14] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an overall control device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of a transport vehicle according to the present embodiment. [Figure 16] 13 is a plan view showing still another example of the relationship between the automatic guided transport device and the storage shelves according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0013] This embodiment relates to an information processing system that determines a target position of an unmanned transport device when transferring an item between a storage area where a predetermined item is placed and an unmanned transport device that transports the item. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, in a manufacturing plant, a logistics warehouse, etc., a worker W may transfer a baggage L (item) that is placed on a shelf R (storage area) for storing the item to a basket cart C or the like transported by an unmanned transport vehicle 10, and have the unmanned transport vehicle 10 transport the baggage L to a destination position. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, if the basket cart C is placed in front of the baggage L, it is difficult to transport the baggage L from the shelf R to the basket cart C, and the work efficiency is reduced. On the other hand, for example, if the basket cart C is placed in a position where the item L can be easily taken out as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, or if the opening T of the basket cart C faces the direction of the shelf R as shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7, it is easy to transfer the baggage L from the shelf R to the basket cart C, so that the efficiency of the transfer work can be improved compared to the case of FIG. 2. The control unit of this system determines an appropriate target position (stop position) for the automated guided vehicle depending on various conditions. This system is not limited to manufacturing plants and logistics warehouses, but can be applied to any environment where goods are transported.

[0014] Here, the storage area in this disclosure may be a storage shelf where items are temporarily placed, a nester (rack system), a cart, a pallet, or a vehicle such as a truck, or it may be a storage area partitioned off from the ground.

[0015] The unmanned transport device in the present disclosure may include an unmanned transport vehicle and an object to be transported, such as a cart, which is coupled to the unmanned transport vehicle for transport, or may be a transport device in which they are integrally formed. The shape, etc. of the unmanned transport device is not particularly limited as long as it has an opening T through which an item can be put in and taken out. The object to be transported may be, for example, a basket cart C having an opening T through which luggage can be put in and taken out. Note that the opening T is not limited to one direction, and may be open in multiple directions, such as two directions (left and right sides, front and right sides, left and front sides, etc.).

[0016] The system of the present disclosure includes, for example, an information processing device (computer) as a management server. The information processing device may be provided inside the automated guided vehicle (integrated with the automated guided vehicle) or may be an external device capable of communicating with the automated guided vehicle.

[0017] The information processing device includes a control unit. The control unit may be configured, for example, of any one or a combination of a control unit 260 and a general control device 4000 described later. The information processing device may include a storage unit, a communication unit, an input unit, and an output unit. The storage unit may be configured of any one or a combination of a recording unit 220, 4010 described later. The communication unit may be configured of any one or a combination of a communication unit 210, 4050 described later. The input unit may be configured of any one or a combination of an input unit 240 and an input / output device 5000 described later. The output unit may be configured of any one or a combination of a display unit 250 and an input / output device 5000 described later.

[0018] The control unit determines the stopping position of the automatic guided vehicle 10 so that the position of the opening T and the position of the item in the storage area (or the position where the item is to be placed) relatively satisfy a pre-stored condition.

[0019] In the example of FIG. 3, a cage cart C is coupled to the rear of the automated guided vehicle 10, and an opening T faces the left side of the automated guided vehicle 10 (approximately 90° left side in the illustrated example). As shown in FIG. 3, the automated guided vehicle 10 stops so as to be located a predetermined distance ahead of the article L placed on the shelf R. The predetermined distance may be, for example, a distance at which the cage cart C is located ahead of the article L without overlapping with the article L, or a position where the cage cart C partially overlaps with the article L. In addition, since the article L can be taken out from the left side of the shelf R, the automated guided vehicle 10 stops so as to be located on the left side of the shelf R. Note that when the article L is taken out from the right side of the shelf R, it is also possible to stop the automated guided vehicle 10 in the passage on the right side of the shelf R. In this way, the stop position of the automated guided vehicle 10 is determined according to the article position of the shelf R on which the article L is placed (or on which the article of the cart is to be placed). 3 is stopped in a position in which the front-rear direction of the automated guided vehicle 10 is parallel to the extension direction of the shelf R (the up-down direction in FIG. 3) (i.e., perpendicular to the direction in which the article L is taken out). The opening direction of the opening T (the direction in which the article L is taken out) is parallel to the direction in which the article L is taken out of the shelf R.

[0020] In the example of Fig. 4, the automated guided vehicle 10 is stopped at an angle such that the front-rear direction forms an angle α1 with respect to the extension direction of the shelf R. The angle α1 is greater than 0° and less than 90°. For example, the angle α1 can be set to be 20° or more and 70° or less, 30° or more and 60° or less, 40° or more and 50° or less, but is not limited thereto.

[0021] In the example of Fig. 5, a cage cart C is coupled to the rear of the automated guided vehicle 10, and an opening T faces the rear of the automated guided vehicle 10 (at an angle of about 180° from the front). In addition, the opening T is located slightly forward of the article L, making it easy to take the article L from the shelf R and transfer it to the cage cart C. Alternatively, it is also efficient to take the article L from the cage cart C and place it in a predetermined position on the shelf R (the position of the article L shown by the dashed line in Fig. 5).

[0022] In the example of Fig. 6, the opening T faces the shelf R side more than in the position of Fig. 5. In this case, the angle α is greater than 0° and less than 90°. For example, the angle α1 can be, but is not limited to, 20° to 70°, 30° to 60°, 40° to 50°, etc. Angle α2 in Fig. 6 is the relative angle of the extension direction of the shelf with respect to the front-rear direction of the automated guided vehicle, and is also the relative angle of the extension direction of the shelf with respect to the opening direction of the opening T, but is not limited to this.

[0023] In the example of FIG. 7, a cage cart C is coupled to the rear of the automated guided vehicle 10, and an opening T faces the right side of the automated guided vehicle 10 (approximately 90° to the right in the illustrated example). In other words, if the opening T of the cage cart C is the front, the right side of the cage cart C is coupled to the automated guided vehicle. Also, in this example, there is a space (gap) between the automated guided vehicle (automated guided vehicle and cage cart) and the shelf R through which a worker W can pass. Therefore, the worker W can stand between the automated guided vehicle and the shelf R to transfer the article L. Note that, even in the examples of FIGS. 3 to 6, the automated guided vehicle may be stopped so as to leave a space between the automated guided vehicle and the shelf R through which the worker W can pass.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit executes a storage area information acquisition process to acquire storage area information including position information of the storage area (S101). The storage area information may include, for example, information on the position of the shelf where the item is stored, or information on the position of the shelf on which the item carried by the transport device is to be placed. The storage area information may include identification information such as the shelf number and ID, information on the height of the shelf (e.g., which shelf from the top), and the take-out direction (the direction in which the item is taken out from the shelf, which may be front, back, left, right, east, west, north, south, etc.). The storage area information may be, for example, information on the storage area that is prestored in a storage unit according to a predetermined operation scenario, or may be acquired by receiving information transmitted from an external device such as a management system, or may be acquired by detecting the position information of the storage area with a detection unit such as a sensor or camera of the automatic guided vehicle, or may be acquired by acquiring the position information of the storage area input by a user, or may be any combination of these.

[0025] The control unit also executes an item information acquisition process (S102) for acquiring item information related to the item, such as item position information indicating the position of the item placed in the storage area (or the item transported by the transport device). The item position information may include any of coordinate information indicating the current position of the item, and information related to the storage area or transport device in which the item is placed (position information, identification information, etc.). The item position information may be acquired, for example, by receiving a signal transmitted from an external device such as a management system, by detecting the position information of the item with a detection unit such as a sensor or camera of the automated guided vehicle, by acquiring position information input by a user, or by any combination thereof. In the case of a combination, for example, the automated guided vehicle may travel to the position of the first position information (for example, a shelf number) transmitted from an external device, and then the second position information (detailed position coordinates) may be acquired by detecting the item with a sensor or a camera of the automated guided vehicle.

[0026] Here, the item position information may include, for example, coordinate information as the position information of the item. The coordinate information indicates a coordinate position in any coordinate system (real space coordinate system, transport vehicle coordinate system, camera coordinate system, etc.). The coordinate information may be two-dimensional coordinates (e.g., x, y coordinates) that are planar coordinates, or three-dimensional coordinates (e.g., x, y, z coordinates) that include information on the vertical direction (height direction) in addition to the planar direction. The position information may include information on identification information of a storage area such as a shelf (storage area ID, etc.), and information on a position on the shelf (coordinates, number, symbol, longitudinal position, depth position, height position (which shelf level, etc.)).

[0027] In addition to the location information of the item, the item information may also include identification information unique to each item (such as an item ID), type information indicating the type of item, weight information indicating the weight of the item, and destination information regarding the destination location of the item.

[0028] The control unit executes an opening information acquisition process to acquire opening information including position information of an opening through which an article can be put in and taken out in the automatic guided vehicle (S103). The opening information may be acquired from a storage unit in advance, or may be received from an external device or the like, input via an input unit, or may be acquired via a detection unit such as a sensor provided in the automatic guided vehicle. The opening information may include information such as a relative position with respect to the center of the automatic guided vehicle, and a relative orientation (angle) with respect to a specific orientation (forward, backward, etc.) of the automatic guided vehicle. The opening information may include information on the size (width, height, etc.) of the opening. For example, the control unit acquires information on the relative position of the opening of the object to be transported with respect to the automatic guided vehicle. Note that the processes of S101, S102, and S103 can be executed in any order, and all or some of the processes may be executed simultaneously.

[0029] The opening position information may be, for example, information indicating the relative position of a specific point P2 (center of the opening, both ends of the opening, etc.) of the opening T with respect to a specific point P1 (center, center of gravity, connecting axis P3, any other point, etc.) of the automatic guided vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 9. More specifically, for example, it may be the coordinate of the specific point P2 of the opening T in a guided vehicle coordinate system with the specific point P1 of the automatic guided vehicle as the origin. The opening position information may also include information on the opening direction. Specifically, the opening direction information may include, for example, information on the relative angle θ (clockwise angle) of the opening direction (arrow A2) of the opening T with the front of the automatic guided vehicle (arrow A1) as 0°. In the examples of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the top of the figure is the front of the automatic guided vehicle, and the angle of the opening direction can be 270°, in the examples of FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, it can be 180°, and in the example of FIG. 7, it can be 90°.

[0030] 9, the opening position information may change when the cage cart C is rotatable about an axis P3 relative to the automated guided vehicle 10, so it is preferable to provide a camera or a sensor in the automated guided vehicle device to detect the relative angle of the cage cart C with respect to the automated guided vehicle 10. This allows the control unit to constantly obtain the position information of the opening based on the detection information.

[0031] The control unit executes a target state determination process to determine a target position of the unmanned transport device based on the storage area information, the item information, and the opening information so that the opening of the unmanned transport device is at a predetermined position (S104). The travel control unit of the unmanned transport vehicle controls the travel of the unmanned transport vehicle so that the unmanned transport vehicle is in a target state of stopping at the target position. This results in a predetermined positional relationship between the opening of the unmanned transport device and the storage area where the item is placed (or will be placed) (see Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7). As a result, an operator can easily transfer items between the storage area and the unmanned transport device.

[0032] The control unit may further determine a target attitude of the unmanned transport device based on the storage area information, the item information, and the opening information so that the opening of the unmanned transport device is oriented in a predetermined specified direction.

[0033] The control unit determines a target position of the automated guided vehicle so that the position of the opening (a particular point such as the center, corner, end, etc., a line, a surface, etc.) has a predetermined positional relationship relative to the position where the item is placed (or the position where it is planned to be placed) in the storage area. Note that the position may include a point such as the center, corner, end, etc., or a line, a surface, etc. Furthermore, information on the relative relationship between the position of the item in such a storage area and the position of the opening is stored in advance in the memory unit.

[0034] As described above, the present system is an information processing system that determines the target position of the unmanned transport device when transferring an item between a storage area where a predetermined item is placed and an unmanned transport device that transports the item, and the control unit executes a storage area information acquisition process that acquires storage area information including the position information of the storage area, an item information acquisition process that acquires item information including the position information of the item to be transported, an opening information acquisition process that acquires opening information including the position information of an opening through which an item can be put in and taken out in the unmanned transport device, and a target state determination process that determines the target position of the unmanned transport device based on the storage area information, the item information, and the opening information so that the opening of the unmanned transport device is at a predetermined position. This makes it possible to determine the stop position of the unmanned transport device so that it is not difficult to transfer the item between the storage area and the unmanned transport device (selecting positions such as those in FIGS. 3 to 7 based on conditions so as not to be at the position of FIG. 2). Therefore, it is possible to increase the efficiency of transferring items between the storage area and the unmanned transport device.

[0035] In the present embodiment, the control unit may determine the target attitude of the unmanned transport device in the target state determination process based on the storage area information, the item information, and the opening information so that the opening of the unmanned transport device is in a predetermined direction. This allows for further improvement in efficiency when transferring items between the storage area and the unmanned transport device by considering not only the position but also the angle. Information on the suitable conditions for the position and angle of the storage area and the opening may be stored in the storage unit in advance, or may be updated based on information input by the user. For example, when the positional relationship in FIG. 5 is stored in advance as the optimal relative positional relationship, the user may input information on the angle α2, and the information in the storage unit may be updated so that the optimal positional relationship is that the opening stops at an angle as shown in FIG. 6. In this way, the conditions of the relative positional relationship between the unmanned transport device and the storage area (item) can be stored, and the control unit can determine the stop position to match the condition in step S104.

[0036] In the present embodiment, the automated guided vehicle may include an automated guided vehicle and an object to be transported that is coupled to the automated guided vehicle, and the opening may be provided in the object to be transported. The automated guided vehicle may itself be provided with a basket portion for carrying an article, forming the opening. When an object to be transported, such as a basket cart, is coupled to the automated guided vehicle, the object to be transported may rotate relative to the automated guided vehicle, or may be fixed and not rotate.

[0037] In the present embodiment, the control unit may estimate the opening information based on the connection state of the transport object connected to the automated guided vehicle and information on the position of the opening of the transport object. The connection state of the transport object includes information such as whether it is connected or not, and if it is connected, to which position of the transport object it is connected (to the side of the basket cart as in FIG. 3, to the back as in FIG. 5, etc.), and if it is connected, whether it is fixed or rotatable, and if it is rotatable, the relative angle of the transport object to the automated guided vehicle. These pieces of information may be stored in the storage unit in advance, may be acquired based on information from a detection unit provided in the automated guided vehicle, or may be acquired from information input by a user. In either case, the relative position information of the opening to the automated guided vehicle can be estimated. Note that, if a basket cart is not currently connected to the automated guided vehicle, the control unit may determine that it is not possible to receive an article. In that case, the control unit may move to a target position to connect the basket cart. The position of the cart may be received from an external device such as a management system or a user input, or may be detected by a detection unit provided in the automatic guided vehicle.

[0038] In this embodiment, the control unit may further acquire position information of the worker and determine a target position of the unmanned transport device based on the position information of the worker. For example, when there are multiple items to be transported, the control unit may prioritize the position of an item that is close to the worker as the target position, or conversely, may determine a position for receiving an item that is far from the worker as the target position. In addition, the control unit may set the target position at a certain distance from the worker that is stored in advance in the storage unit to avoid contact with the worker.

[0039] In addition, in this embodiment, the control unit may determine the target position of the unmanned transport device so that the position of the worker, the position of the opening, and the position of the item are in a predetermined positional relationship. The predetermined positional relationship may be, for example, a positional relationship in which the opening is located in front of the worker W standing next to the item L (in the direction of the upward arrow in FIG. 5) as shown in FIG. 5, or a positional relationship in which the opening is further diagonally located as shown in FIG. 6, or a positional relationship in which the worker is located between the opening and the item as shown in FIG. 7, and is stored in the storage unit. The information in the storage unit may be updated by information input by the user. For example, the one selected by the user from the options in FIG. 5, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7 (by displaying them on the display unit and having the user select and input) may be stored as the optimal positional relationship.

[0040] In the present embodiment, the control unit further acquires weight information of the item, The target position of the unmanned transport device may be determined based on the weight information of the item. For example, when the control unit determines that the acquired weight value of the item is greater than a value previously stored in the storage unit, the target position may be determined to have the positional relationship shown in FIG. 6 so that the distance to transport the item is shortened, and when the control unit determines that the acquired weight value of the item is greater than a value previously stored in the storage unit, the target position may be determined to have the positional relationship shown in FIG. 5. The weight information may be information from a detection unit such as a weight sensor, information received from an external device such as a management system, information input by a user, or information estimated from information on the type and size of the item. When the control unit estimates the weight, it is preferable that information on the type or size of the item and the weight are stored in advance in the storage unit in association with each other. The size information includes at least one of volume, width, depth, and height information.

[0041] In the present embodiment, the control unit further acquires type information of the item, The target position of the automated guided transport device may be determined based on the type information of the item. For example, the type information may include items that are easily broken (fragile items), items that require temperature control (items that need to be refrigerated), items made of metal, items made of wood, etc. The type information and information on the positional relationship (the positional relationship between the opening and the storage area (items)) may be stored in advance in a storage unit in association with each other, and the control unit may determine the positional relationship from the type information of the items. Alternatively, the type information and information on priority (including weighting information) may be stored in advance in a storage unit in association with each other, and the control unit may determine the priority order for transport (i.e., the order in which items are stopped preferentially) from the type information of the items.

[0042] In the present embodiment, the control unit further acquires size information of the item, The target position of the automated guided vehicle may be determined based on size information of the item. If the size value (volume, width, height, etc.) is larger than a value previously stored in the storage unit, the control unit may select the positional relationship in FIG. 5, and if not, the positional relationship in FIG. 6. When determining the stop position based on a combination of multiple pieces of information such as weight, type, size, etc., weighting may be performed, and one of the pieces of information may be given priority in determining the stop position. In other words, a priority order may also be set in advance for the condition information.

[0043] In the present embodiment, the control unit further acquires information on a next movement target position of the automated guided transport device, The target position of the automated guided vehicle may be determined based on the information on the next movement target position. For example, a stop position candidate (position where an article is located) close to the next movement target position may be determined as the stop position with priority, or a distant position may be determined as the stop position with priority. Also, a position close to the current position of the automated guided vehicle may be determined as the stop position with priority, or a distant position may be determined as the stop position with priority.

[0044] In this embodiment, the control unit further acquires passage travel direction restriction information, The target position of the automated guided vehicle may be determined based on the travel direction restriction information of the passage. For example, if the passage on the left side of the shelf R in Fig. 5 is restricted to one-way traffic from bottom to top in the figure, the automated guided vehicle determines the stop position as shown in Fig. 5, and conversely, if the passage is one-way from top to bottom in the figure, the automated guided vehicle can determine the stop position so as to have the opposite positional relationship as shown in Fig. 16.

[0045] In this embodiment, the control unit may further acquire obstacle information regarding the position of an obstacle in the passage, and determine the target position of the automated guided vehicle based on the obstacle information. For example, when there are multiple stop position announcements, a stop position may be determined by giving priority to a position without an obstacle. Alternatively, when an obstacle exists within a predetermined distance from the stop position determined by the above-mentioned determination method, a position that is a predetermined distance away from the obstacle may be determined as the stop position. The distance condition is also stored in the storage unit, and may be updated by user input.

[0046] In this embodiment, the control unit may further acquire transport device information regarding the positions of other transport devices, and determine the target position of the unmanned transport device based on the transport device information. For example, when another unmanned transport device is detected from the management system or from the detection information of the detection unit, a stop position that does not interfere with the movement of the other unmanned transport device can be determined. For example, by prioritizing the stop position of FIG. 5 over FIG. 6, it becomes easier for other transport devices to pass. Alternatively, when another unmanned transport device is detected, a stop position may be determined by prioritizing a position far from the unmanned transport device, or conversely, a position close to the unmanned transport device. Alternatively, when passing another transport device in the passage on the way to the stop position, another stop position may be selected.

[0047] In this embodiment, the control unit may determine the multiple target positions and the order of movement of each target position based on the position information of multiple items. This allows the stop position to be determined taking into consideration the positions of not only one item but multiple items. For example, the stop position may be determined so that items can be collected in order starting from the closest one.

[0048] In the present embodiment, the object to be transported is connected to the automated guided vehicle so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in a vertical direction, The control unit is The target position information may be updated based on information on the relative angle of the object to be transported with respect to the automated guided vehicle and vehicle position information indicating the current position of the automated guided vehicle. For example, the relative angle of an opening can be estimated based on information on the relative angle of the object to be transported, and the stop position can be repeatedly updated at a predetermined time interval during travel so that the positional relationship between the opening and the storage area is a predetermined positional relationship. This can improve the accuracy of stopping at an appropriate positional relationship.

[0049] In this embodiment, when the object to be transported is connected to the unmanned transport vehicle so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the vertical direction, the control unit may lock the coupling device to lock the rotation of the object to be transported so as to be in a determined stopped state. In this way, the object to be transported does not rotate, so that the accuracy for stopping in an appropriate positional relationship can be improved. For example, a rotatable plate-shaped turntable may be provided on the upper part of the transport vehicle, and the coupling unit may be installed there. In this case, the turntable rotates together with the coupling device, and the rotation of the turntable can be suppressed by suppressing the rotation of the turntable with a disk brake or the like. The rotation of the coupling device may be locked by another known mechanism.

[0050] In addition, in this embodiment, when the object to be transported is connected to the automated guided vehicle so as to be rotatable around an axis extending in the vertical direction, the control unit may adjust the angle of the object to be transported by controlling the rotation angle of the coupling device with a rotation drive unit such as a motor or an actuator. This allows the relative angle of the object to be set to a desired angle with respect to the automated guided vehicle, thereby improving the accuracy with which the opening and the storage area are stopped at an appropriate positional relationship.

[0051] In this embodiment, the control unit may further acquire information on a take-out direction related to a direction in which an article is taken in and out of a storage area, and determine a target position of the automated guided vehicle based on the information on the take-out direction. For example, in the example of Fig. 5, the automated guided vehicle stops on the left side of shelf R, but if the take-out direction is set to the right side of shelf R, the stop position can be determined so that the automated guided vehicle stops on the right side of shelf R.

[0052] In this embodiment, the control unit may further acquire height information regarding the height at which an article is put in and taken out of a storage area, and determine a target position of the automated guided vehicle based on the height information. For example, the stop position may be selected in correspondence with the height, such that if the height is within a predetermined range, the stop position in Fig. 5 is selected, and if not, the stop position in Fig. 6 is selected.

[0053] <Construction of the transport vehicle> FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a transport vehicle 10. The transport vehicle 10 in this example is an unmanned transport vehicle, but can also be applied to various vehicles that people can ride in. An arrow 15 in FIG. 10 indicates the traveling direction of the transport vehicle. The traveling direction is basically the front of the transport vehicle, but it can also be the rear depending on the situation. As shown in FIG. 10, the transport vehicle 10 is equipped with an axle section 11 for connecting the transport object or a connecting device (a device for connecting the transport object), an object position detection section 12 for detecting objects around the transport vehicle, drive wheels 13, and non-drive wheels 14.

[0054] For example, the transport vehicle is equipped with an object position detection unit 12. The object position detection unit 12 is a device that detects the relative distance and angle from the transport vehicle to an object (including other unmanned transport devices, objects, shelves, transport targets, people, etc.). The object position detection unit 12 may be an imaging unit (camera). As an example of 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 top surface of the transport vehicle in the forward direction of travel, but instead of this, it may be disposed on the front side in the forward 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 forward direction.

[0055] The object position detection unit 12 may be configured to detect an object in a 360-degree periphery of the transport vehicle, but is configured to detect an object at least in the traveling direction 15 of the transport vehicle. The traveling direction 15 may be either in front of or behind the transport vehicle.

[0056] FIG. 11 is a bottom view showing an example of the hardware configuration of the transport vehicle according to this embodiment. Drive wheels 13 are provided on the bottom of the transport vehicle at both the left and right sides with respect to the travel direction 15 of the transport vehicle, and non-driven wheels 14 are provided in front of 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 and the left drive wheel are controlled individually. The control unit can control the speed of the transport vehicle by controlling the rotation speed of the drive wheels. In addition, the control unit can control the speed of the transport vehicle by making a curve and running the transport vehicle, rotating the transport vehicle on the spot to change direction, stopping, and moving backward by individually controlling the rotation speed and rotation direction of each drive wheel. The non-driven wheels 14 are wheels that are not driven and passively rotate as the transport vehicle moves due to the drive wheels 13. The non-driven wheels 14 have, for example, a fork that fixes the wheel and the axle, and the fork is made up of a rotating caster that is rotatably connected to the bottom member of the transport vehicle. Therefore, the wheel rotation direction of the non-driven wheels 14 changes passively according to the traveling direction and rotational operation of the transport vehicle. Although Fig. 11 illustrates a hardware configuration of a transport vehicle having two driven wheels and four non-driven wheels at the four corners, the present invention 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 and two non-driven wheels, and it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the front wheels are steerable in the four-wheel configuration.

[0057] A guide line detector 16 for detecting a guide line (guide line) may be provided on the bottom surface of the transport vehicle. The guide line detector 16 is preferably provided ahead of the drive wheels 13 in the traveling direction of the transport vehicle. This makes it easier for the transport vehicle to travel along the guide line when traveling at a curved guide line, and also allows the transport vehicle and the towing cart to receive information from the guide line as soon as possible when traveling, thereby enabling them to perform processing such as stopping as soon as possible. The guide line detector uses a sensor according to the type of guidance method. When the electromagnetic induction method is used as the guidance method, a pickup coil is used as the sensor for the guide line detector. When the magnetic induction method is used, a magnetic sensor is used, and when the image recognition method is used, a camera is used as the sensor for the guide line detector. The guide line is not limited to being provided on the floor surface, but may be provided on the side wall surface or ceiling surface of a building, and the sensor (including a camera) of the transport vehicle can be installed at a position where the guide line can be recognized (the bottom surface, side surface, top surface, etc. of the transport vehicle). The guide line may also be a track virtually provided on two-dimensional or three-dimensional map data. The control unit of the transport vehicle may control the travel of the transport vehicle along virtual guidelines based on map information and trajectory information (travel route information) stored in advance in the memory unit, and current self-position information estimated based on information from cameras, sensors, etc.

[0058] 12 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the operation area 130 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12, a guide line 131 is laid in the operation area 130, and when a guided vehicle traveling in an autonomous traveling mode detects the guide line 131 at a preset traveling mode switching position 132, the traveling control mode is switched from the autonomous traveling mode to the guided traveling mode. Conversely, when a guided vehicle traveling in the guided traveling mode on the guide line enters the preset traveling mode switching position 132, the traveling control mode is switched from the guided traveling mode to the autonomous traveling mode. In order to guide the guided vehicle to a position close to a shelf or a belt conveyor on which luggage is stored, or a work position of a worker, a track formed by the guide line 131 is laid at a position close to the shelf or work position via multiple branch points.

[0059] The guided vehicle 10 traveling in an autonomous travel area where no guide line is laid in the autonomous travel mode changes its travel mode to the guided travel mode in which it follows the guide line on the condition that it enters the travel mode switching position 132 and detects the guide line 131. On the other hand, when the guided vehicle traveling in the guided travel mode on the guide line 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 leaves the guide line and starts autonomous travel.

[0060] As the guide line 131 shown in FIG. 12, various guide methods that have been used conventionally can be applied, as described later. 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 alternating current through a metal wire installed as a guide line, a magnetic induction method in which a magnetic sensor on the transport vehicle reads a magnetic tape laid on the floor as a guide line, or an image recognition method in which a camera on the transport vehicle takes an image of a code (barcode, two-dimensional code, etc.) laid on the floor as a guide line and processes the image can be applied. When the guide line is composed of multiple two-dimensional codes, the guide line is printed with multiple two-dimensional codes, on which code information is printed on a two-dimensional plane as shown in the two-dimensional code, lined up in the guide line laying direction. When the guide line detection unit 16 detects the two-dimensional code, it acquires position information of the two-dimensional code based on the code information acquired from the two-dimensional code. When the guide line is composed of a magnetic tape, the guide line detection unit 16 can be configured to have multiple magnetic sensors that detect the magnetic tape horizontally toward the traveling direction of the transport vehicle. The multiple magnetic sensors provided in the guide line detection unit 16 each output a detection signal indicating whether or not the magnetic tape has been detected. This makes it possible to detect where the magnetic tape is located in the guide line detection unit 16, depending on whether the magnetic sensor located in the center of the guide line detection unit 16 detects the magnetic tape, or whether the magnetic sensors located at the left and right ends detect the magnetic tape, etc.

[0061] <Conveyor system configuration> Next, the configuration of the transport system of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the transport system according to this embodiment. The transport system 1000 includes a plurality of transport vehicles (10a, 10b), a dolly 2000 (which may be a cage dolly) which is a transported object, a control device 3000 which can display the state of the transport vehicle or input commands to the transport vehicle, a general control device 4000 which manages information required for the operation of the transport vehicle, an input / output device 5000 which displays information of the general control device and inputs information to the general control device, and a communication network 6000 which communicably connects the plurality of transport vehicles (10a, 10b), the control device 3000, and the general control device 4000.

[0062] 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 by the transport vehicle can be dynamically adjusted according to the progress of the manufacturing work.

[0063] As another example, in the case where the conveyance system 1000 is introduced into a logistics warehouse and conveys the incoming goods from an entrance to a storage warehouse when the goods are brought into the warehouse by truck or the like, and conveys the goods to be shipped from the storage warehouse to an exit when the goods are 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 goods and the outgoing goods from the logistics management system, the transportation amount and transportation route by the conveyance vehicle can be changed.

[0064] In a facility where a transport system is installed, a plurality of transport vehicles (10a, 10b) are generally in operation, and each transport vehicle is communicatively connected to other transport vehicles and other components via a communication network 6000. For example, the transport vehicle transmits various detection information detected by its own detection unit and other control information to the control device 3000, the overall control device 4000, and the other transport vehicles 10. The transport vehicle 10 is also electrically connected to the cart 2000 or communicatively 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 from the cart.

[0065] The control device 3000 has a function of displaying the status information of each transport vehicle and a function of inputting commands to a specified transport vehicle. For example, the status information of the transport vehicle displayed on the control device can display all information acquired or stored by this system, such as the identification information of each transport vehicle, its position (coordinates, position on a map), speed, direction, running history, transport history of the transport object (including identification information of the transport object transported, transport start position, transport end position, transport time, coupling time, release time, etc.), information on the charge amount of the battery mounted on the transport vehicle and serving as the power source for the transport vehicle, sensor information acquired by the transport vehicle, photographed images, identification information of the transport object (transport object) such as a cart transported by the transport vehicle, information on the coupling device, whether it is in a gripping position or a release position, information on the lock of the coupling device (whether it is in a locked state or not), and rotation angle. The commands to be input to the transport vehicle include, for example, command information regarding the destination (destination position) of the transport vehicle, operational commands to couple and uncouple from the trolley, commands to start the transport vehicle, commands to stop the transport vehicle, commands to return to the charging station, instructions for the object to be transported by the transport vehicle, coupling instructions, uncoupling instructions, rotation lock instructions, unlock instructions, rotation angle instructions, instructions regarding locking conditions (lockable rotation angle), identification information for the object to be transported, and time information such as the transport start position, transport end position, transport time, coupling time, and uncoupling time.

[0066] 14 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 operated in a facility area, an operation scenario management unit 4020 that manages operation scenarios of the multiple transport vehicles, a map management unit 4030 that generates and updates a map of the work area based on detection information of the transport vehicles including detection information of the guide lines acquired by the guide line detection unit of the transport vehicles, an abnormality determination unit 4040 that determines abnormalities of the guide lines and the transport vehicles based on the detection information of the transport vehicles, and a communication unit 4050 that communicates with an external input / output device 5000 and a communication network 6000.

[0067] The status information of the transport vehicles recorded by the status information recording unit 4010 includes, for example, obstacle detection positions detected by the multiple transport vehicles during operation, guide line detection positions, history information of the travel positions of the transport vehicles, and further, information on the battery charge amount, identification information of the dolly connected to the multiple transport vehicles, operation modes (guided travel mode or autonomous travel mode) of the multiple transport vehicles, various other detection information detected by the detection unit 230 of the transport vehicles, 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, the contents of multiple operations to be performed until reaching the destination, the operation sequence of the multiple operations, and switching conditions for the multiple operations.

[0068] The map management unit 4030 generates a map including the position information of obstacles and guide lines in the work area based on the obstacle detection position detected by the guided vehicle, the guide line detection position, and the history information of the travel position of the guided vehicle. Furthermore, the map management unit 4030 updates the information of the guide lines and the work area registered in the map based on the information of the detection position of the guide lines accumulated by one or more guided vehicles.

[0069] The abnormality determination unit 4040 determines abnormalities in the guide lines and the guided vehicle based on the position information of the guide lines registered in the map information and the detection information of the guided vehicle including the detection position information of the guide lines detected by the guided vehicle.

[0070] 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, 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, that the destination of a given transport vehicle is the working area A of the guided travel area 110, operation contents for entering the guided travel area 110 and reaching the working area A, operation switching conditions, and the like.

[0071] <Functions of the transport vehicle> The functions of the transport vehicle will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the transport vehicle according to this embodiment. The transport vehicle 10 is equipped with a coupling device 20, a communication unit 210 that communicates with a dolly 2000 outside the transport vehicle and a communication network 6000, a recording unit 220 (including a storage unit), a detection unit 230 equipped with various sensors described later, a coupling device for coupling with the dolly, a wheel drive unit 280 that drives the wheels, an input unit 240, a display unit 250, a control unit 260 that controls the operations of the wheel drive unit 280, and the like.

[0072] The recording unit 220 has a function of recording information received from the outside by the communication unit 210, detection information detected by the detection unit 230, and information generated and output by the control unit. The recording unit 220 can store information such as the destination position, movement route, and movement history of the transport vehicle. The recording unit 220 can store speed information according to the distance to the destination position, calculation formula (program) information for calculating the speed information, and the like.

[0073] The detection unit 230 includes an object position detection unit 12, a guide line detection unit 16, a travel distance detection unit 233, a collision detection unit 234, a posture detection unit 235, and a charge amount detection unit 236. 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 can estimate information on the current position and current speed of the transport vehicle based on information from the detection unit. The detection unit 230 includes a position sensor including a GNSS or the like that detects the current position of the transport vehicle, and a speed sensor that detects the speed of the transport vehicle.

[0074] As described above, the guide line detection unit 16 uses a sensor according to the type of guide method. When the electromagnetic induction method is used, a pickup coil is used as the guide line detection unit sensor, when the magnetic induction method is used, a magnetic sensor is used, and when the image recognition method is used, a camera is used. When the guide line detection unit is located directly above the guide line, it detects the guide line and outputs a detection signal. In addition to the detection signal of the guide line, in the case of an image recognition method in which a camera reads a guide line using a two-dimensional code or a barcode, position information is generated based on the information of the detected code, and further, by analyzing the image information of the code, relative angle information between the guide line and the carrier can be generated.

[0075] 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 based on the detection information of the number of rotations and the information of the diameter (or circumference) of the non-driven wheels or the driven wheels (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 using a millimeter wave sensor that irradiates millimeter waves in any horizontal direction (may be a wall or floor surface) 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.

[0076] The collision detection unit 234 has a function of detecting that the transport vehicle 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 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, records at least one of the collision occurrence information and the collision occurrence position information in the recording unit, 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 vehicle based on a magnetic compass, information on the rotation speed of the left and right drive wheels, or steering information of the wheels.

[0077] The charge amount detection unit 236 detects the charge amount of the battery, which is the power source of the transport vehicle. 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, 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 and the weight of the transported object coupled to the transport vehicle.

[0078] The input unit 240 is composed of a physical switch or a touch panel mounted on the transport vehicle, and allows the user to directly input operation commands, etc. to the transport vehicle. The display unit 250 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal panel mounted on the transport vehicle, and can display status information of the transport vehicle (various types of detection information by the detection unit 230, the type of driving mode, the currently running operation scenario, etc.).

[0079] 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 travel control unit 266. The operation determination unit 261 determines the operation of the guided vehicle based on the operation scenario of the self-guided vehicle acquired from the operation scenario management unit 4020.

[0080] The mode switching unit 262 switches the travel mode of the transport vehicle between a guided travel mode and an autonomous travel mode based on conditions predetermined by an 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 to control connection / disconnection with a transported object such as a cart based on conditions predetermined by an operation scenario or the like, or a command input by the input unit 240. The display control unit 264 controls the input IF of the input unit 240 and the display unit 250 described above.

[0081] The position estimation unit 265 can estimate the position at a predetermined time including the current position of the vehicle 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, it is also possible to estimate the position 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. Alternatively, when the vehicle is traveling on a guide line formed by a two-dimensional code, it is also possible to estimate the position of the vehicle in the entire travel area 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.

[0082] The position estimation unit 265 can estimate the position where the object exists based on the estimated vehicle position information and the distance information from the vehicle to the object detected by the object position detection unit 12. In addition, based on the vehicle position information when the guide line detection unit 16 detects the guide line, it estimates the installation position of the guide line.

[0083] The travel control unit 266 controls the travel of the transport vehicle 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, stopping, turning, and the moving speed and turning speed of the transport vehicle. Specifically, the travel control unit 266 individually controls the right wheel driving unit 281 and the left wheel driving unit 282 of the wheel driving unit 280. The right wheel driving unit 281 and the left wheel driving unit 282 are composed of, for example, a motor, and by individually controlling the rotation speed and rotation direction of each drive wheel, it becomes possible to make the transport vehicle travel in a curve with an arbitrary trajectory radius or to rotate the transport vehicle to change its direction.

[0084] The direction of the vehicle may be controlled based on the angle and relative position of the vehicle, and the following may be performed: an angle estimation process for estimating the angle of the vehicle relative to the extension direction of the guideline based on information from a sensor installed in the vehicle; a relative position estimation process for estimating the relative position of the guideline and the vehicle in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the guideline based on information from a sensor installed in the vehicle; and the direction of the vehicle may be controlled based on the angle and relative position of the vehicle. For example, in the case of an image recognition method in which a camera reads a guideline using a two-dimensional code or a barcode, position information may be generated based on information on the detected code in addition to the detection signal of the guide line, and further image information of the code may be used to generate relative angle information between the guide line and the vehicle.

[0085] In this embodiment, a rotation state detection unit is provided that detects the rotation angle of the coupling device relative to the transport vehicle. The rotation state detection unit may be configured, for example, by an encoder that converts the rotational displacement into an electrical signal for detection, or may be configured by other sensors (such as an angle sensor). By providing the rotation state detection unit, the position and orientation of the transport object relative to the transport vehicle can be detected.

[0086] In addition, based on the information of the rotation state detection unit, the direction of travel behind the transport object when reversing can be estimated. Specifically, since the transport object travels in the direction of the fixed wheel of the coupling device or the fixed wheel of the transport object when reversing, the travel direction when reversing can be estimated from the angle information of the rotation state detection unit. The control unit of the transport object can safely reversal toward the destination position by controlling the drive unit in real time based on the information of the travel direction and correcting the travel direction. In addition, by estimating the position of the transport object, the transport object can travel while preventing collision with an obstacle during travel forward, backward, etc. In other words, the travel path of the transport object can be estimated from the travel path of the transport vehicle and the information of the position and orientation of the transport object relative to the transporter, so that the presence or absence of an obstacle on the planned travel path of the transport object can be estimated, and if there is an obstacle, the transport object can be stopped or traveled while avoiding it.

[0087] 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.

[0088] 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. In addition, in the transport system 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.

[0089] 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.

[0090] In addition, the processes described herein using flowchart diagrams do not necessarily have to be performed in the order shown. Some process steps may be performed in parallel. Additional process steps may be employed, and some process steps may be omitted.

[0091] 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. Note that the following configurations also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. (Item 1) An information processing system for determining a target position of an automated guided vehicle when transferring an item between a storage area in which a predetermined item is placed and an automated guided vehicle that transports the item, comprising: The control unit: A storage area information acquisition process for acquiring storage area information including location information of the storage area; An item information acquisition process for acquiring item information including location information of an item to be transported; an opening information acquisition process for acquiring opening information including position information of an opening through which an article can be put in and taken out in the automated guided vehicle; and a target state determination process that determines a target position of the unmanned transport device based on the storage area information, the item information, and the opening information so that the opening of the unmanned transport device is at a predetermined specified position. (Item 2) The control unit, in the target state determination process, The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: determining a target attitude of the unmanned transport device based on the storage area information, the item information, and the opening information so that the opening of the unmanned transport device is oriented in a predetermined direction. (Item 3) The automated guided vehicle includes an automated guided vehicle and an object to be transported coupled to the automated guided vehicle, The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the opening is provided in the object to be transported. (Item 4) The control unit is 4. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the opening information is estimated based on a connection state of the transport object connected to the automatic guided vehicle and information on a position of an opening of the transport object. (Item 5) The control unit further acquires location information of the worker, 3. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: a target position of the automated guided vehicle being determined based on position information of the operator. (Item 6) The control unit is 6. The information processing system according to claim 5, wherein a target position of the automated guided vehicle is determined so that a position of the worker, a position of the opening, and a position of the article have a predetermined positional relationship. (Item 7) The control unit further acquires weight information of the item, 3. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: a target position of the automated guided vehicle determined based on weight information of the article. (Item 8) The control unit further acquires type information of the item, 3. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: determining a target position of the automated guided vehicle based on the type information of the article. (Item 9) The control unit further acquires size information of the item, 3. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: a target position for the automated guided vehicle being determined based on size information of the article. (Item 10) The control unit further acquires information on a next movement target position of the automated guided transport device, 3. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: determining a target position of the automated guided vehicle based on information on a next movement target position of the article. (Item 11) The control unit further acquires passage travel direction restriction information, 3. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: determining a target position of the automated guided vehicle based on travel direction restriction information of the passage. (Item 12) The control unit further acquires obstacle information relating to the position of an obstacle in the passage, 3. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: a target position of the automated guided vehicle being determined based on the obstacle information. (Item 13) The control unit further acquires transport device information regarding the positions of other transport devices, 3. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: a target position of the automated guided vehicle determined based on the transport device information. (Item 14) 3. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines the target positions and an order of movement of each of the target positions based on position information of a plurality of articles. (Item 15) The object to be transported is connected to the automated guided vehicle so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in a vertical direction, The control unit is 4. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the information on the target position is updated based on information on a relative angle of the object to be transported with respect to the automatic guided vehicle and vehicle position information indicating a current position of the automatic guided vehicle. (Item 16) 1. An information processing method for determining a target position of an automated guided vehicle when transferring an object between a storage area in which a predetermined object is placed and an automated guided vehicle that transports the object, comprising: The control unit: A storage area information acquisition process for acquiring storage area information including location information of the storage area; An item information acquisition process for acquiring item information including location information of an item to be transported; an opening information acquisition process for acquiring opening information including position information of an opening through which an article can be put in and taken out in the automated guided vehicle; and a target state determination process for determining a target position of the unmanned transport device based on the storage area information, the item information, and the opening information so that the opening of the unmanned transport device is at a predetermined specified position. (Item 17) A program that causes a control unit to execute information processing to determine a target position of an automated guided vehicle when transferring an item between a storage area in which a predetermined item is placed and an automated guided vehicle that transports the item, In the control section, A storage area information acquisition process for acquiring storage area information including location information of the storage area; An item information acquisition process for acquiring item information including location information of an item to be transported; an opening information acquisition process for acquiring opening information including position information of an opening through which an article can be put in and taken out in the automated guided vehicle; A target state determination process that determines a target position of the unmanned transport device based on the storage area information, the item information, and the opening information so that the opening of the unmanned transport device is at a predetermined specified position. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 10 guided vehicle (unmanned guided vehicle), 11 coupling section, 12 object position detection section, 13 drive wheel, 14 non-drive wheel, 16 guide line detection section, 17 magnetic sensor, 130 operating area, 131 guide line, 132 driving mode switching position, 210 communication section, 220 recording section, 230 detection section, 240 input section, 250 display section, 260 control section, 280 wheel drive section, 2000 cart, 2010 coupling receiving section, 3000 control unit, 4000 overall control device, 5000 input / output device, 6000 communication network, 7000 external system

Claims

1. An information processing system for determining a target position of an automated guided vehicle when transferring an item between a storage area in which a predetermined item is placed and an automated guided vehicle that transports the item, comprising: The control unit: A storage area information acquisition process for acquiring storage area information including location information of the storage area; An item information acquisition process for acquiring item information including location information of an item to be transported; an opening information acquisition process for acquiring opening information including position information of an opening through which an article can be put in and taken out in the automated guided vehicle; and a target state determination process that determines a target position of the unmanned transport device based on the storage area information, the item information, and the opening information so that the opening of the unmanned transport device is at a predetermined specified position.

2. The control unit, in the target state determination process, The information processing system according to claim 1 , further comprising: determining a target attitude of the unmanned transport device based on the storage area information, the item information, and the opening information so that the opening of the unmanned transport device is oriented in a predetermined direction.

3. The automated guided vehicle includes an automated guided vehicle and an object to be transported coupled to the automated guided vehicle, The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the opening is provided in the object to be conveyed.

4. The control unit is The information processing system according to claim 3 , wherein the opening information is estimated based on a connection state of the object connected to the automatic guided vehicle and information on a position of an opening of the object.

5. The control unit further acquires location information of the worker, The information processing system according to claim 1 , further comprising: determining a target position of the automated guided vehicle based on position information of the operator.

6. The control unit is 6. The information processing system according to claim 5, wherein a target position of the automated guided vehicle is determined so that a position of the worker, a position of the opening, and a position of the article have a predetermined positional relationship.

7. The control unit further acquires weight information of the item, 3. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: a target position for the automated guided vehicle being determined based on weight information of the article.

8. The control unit further acquires type information of the item, 3. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: a target position for the automated guided vehicle being determined based on the type information of the article.

9. The control unit further acquires size information of the item, The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: determining a target position of the automated guided vehicle based on size information of the article.

10. The control unit further acquires information on a next movement target position of the automated guided transport device, 3. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: determining a target position of said automated guided vehicle based on information on a next movement target position of said article.

11. The control unit further acquires passage travel direction restriction information, 3. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: determining a target position of said automated guided vehicle based on travel direction restriction information of said passage.

12. The control unit further acquires obstacle information relating to the position of an obstacle in the passage, The information processing system according to claim 1 , further comprising: determining a target position of the automated guided vehicle based on the obstacle information.

13. The control unit further acquires transport device information regarding the positions of other transport devices, The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: determining a target position of the automated guided vehicle based on the transport device information.

14. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines the target positions and an order of movement of each of the target positions based on position information of a plurality of articles.

15. The object to be transported is connected to the automated guided vehicle so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in a vertical direction, The control unit is 4. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the information on the target position is updated based on information on a relative angle of the object to be transported with respect to the automated guided vehicle and vehicle position information indicating a current position of the automated guided vehicle.

16. 1. An information processing method for determining a target position of an automated guided vehicle when transferring an object between a storage area in which a predetermined object is placed and an automated guided vehicle that transports the object, comprising: The control unit: A storage area information acquisition process for acquiring storage area information including location information of the storage area; An item information acquisition process for acquiring item information including location information of an item to be transported; an opening information acquisition process for acquiring opening information including position information of an opening through which an article can be put in and taken out in the automated guided vehicle; and a target state determination process for determining a target position of the unmanned transport device based on the storage area information, the item information, and the opening information so that the opening of the unmanned transport device is at a predetermined specified position.

17. A program that causes a control unit to execute information processing to determine a target position of an automated guided vehicle when transferring an item between a storage area in which a predetermined item is placed and an automated guided vehicle that transports the item, In the control section, A storage area information acquisition process for acquiring storage area information including location information of the storage area; An item information acquisition process for acquiring item information including location information of an item to be transported; an opening information acquisition process for acquiring opening information including position information of an opening through which an article can be put in and taken out in the automated guided vehicle; A target state determination process that determines a target position of the unmanned transport device based on the storage area information, the item information, and the opening information so that the opening of the unmanned transport device is at a predetermined specified position.

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