Transport system and transport control method

Abstract

To address a problem that a guide line needs to be provided in a work area of a conveyance system with a guided travel system for traveling along the guide line and operation reproducibility is lower with an autonomous travel system than with the guided travel system.SOLUTION: A conveyance system according to the present disclosure includes: an own vehicle position estimation part which detects at least either of a travel distance of a conveyance vehicle and an own vehicle position; and a control switching part which switches a control mode from travel control performed by an autonomous travel control part to travel control performed by a guided travel control part when the conveyance vehicle is controlled by the autonomous travel control part and when the travel distance or the own vehicle position detected by the own vehicle position estimation part is within a preset range.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a conveyance system and a conveyance control method.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the practical application of using an autonomous mobile robot capable of autonomous driving for transporting goods in facilities such as factories and warehouses has been realized. For example, a control technology of a guidance method for driving an autonomous mobile robot along a predetermined rail track laid in a facility to a predetermined target position is disclosed in Patent Document 1, etc., and a technology of an autonomous driving method for performing driving control to a destination by self-position estimation and environmental map creation is described in Patent Document 2, etc.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] According to the technology of the guidance driving method as described in Patent Document 1, since it is necessary to lay a guidance line over the entire driving area of the transport vehicle, a lot of man-hours are required to introduce the transport system, and also a lot of man-hours are required when making changes such as changing the track of the transport vehicle after laying the guidance line, etc., so there is a problem that the introduction and change of the system are not easy. On the other hand, according to the technology of the autonomous driving method as described in Patent Document 2, there is a problem that the reproducibility of the operation is worse than that of the guidance method.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and its object is to provide a conveyance system and a conveyance control method having the functions of both the guidance driving method and the autonomous driving method.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] According to the present disclosure, there is provided a conveyance system including: a guiding line detection unit that detects a guiding line laid on a traveling path; a guiding travel control unit that causes a carrier vehicle to travel along the guiding line; a host vehicle position estimation unit that detects at least one of a travel distance of the carrier vehicle and a host vehicle position; and an autonomous travel control unit that causes the carrier vehicle to travel to a predetermined target position based on detection information by the host vehicle position estimation unit. When the travel of the carrier vehicle is controlled by the autonomous travel control unit, and when the travel distance or the host vehicle position detected by the host vehicle position estimation unit falls within a preset range, a control switching unit is provided that switches a control mode from the travel control by the autonomous travel control unit to the travel control by the guiding travel control unit.

[0007] Further, according to the present disclosure, there is provided a conveyance system including: a guiding line detection unit that detects a guiding line laid on a traveling path; a guiding travel control unit that causes a carrier vehicle to travel along the guiding line; a host vehicle position estimation unit that detects at least one of a travel distance of the carrier vehicle and a host vehicle position; and an autonomous travel control unit that causes the carrier vehicle to travel to a predetermined target position based on detection information by the host vehicle position estimation unit. The guiding line is composed of a plurality of codes including a two-dimensional code or a bar code. When the travel of the carrier vehicle is controlled by the autonomous travel control unit, the guiding line detection unit detects the guiding line and acquires code information of the code, the host vehicle position estimation unit detects a host vehicle position based on the acquired code information, and the autonomous travel control unit causes the carrier vehicle to travel based on the host vehicle position detected based on the code information.

[0008] Also, according to the present disclosure, there is provided a conveyance control method including: an induction line detection step of detecting an induction line laid on a traveling path; an induction travel control step of causing a carrier vehicle to travel along the induction line; a host vehicle position estimation step of detecting at least one of the travel distance of the carrier vehicle and the host vehicle position; an autonomous travel control step of causing the carrier vehicle to travel to a predetermined target position based on at least one of the travel distance and the host vehicle position detected in the host vehicle position estimation step; and a control switching step of switching a control mode from the travel control by the autonomous travel control step to the travel control by the induction travel control step when the travel distance or the host vehicle position detected in the host vehicle position estimation step is within a preset range while the carrier vehicle is being controlled by the autonomous travel control step.

[0009] Also, according to the present disclosure, there is provided a conveyance control method including: an induction line detection step of detecting an induction line laid on a traveling path; an induction travel control step of causing a carrier vehicle to travel along the induction line; a host vehicle position estimation step of detecting at least one of the travel distance of the carrier vehicle and the host vehicle position; an autonomous travel control step of causing the carrier vehicle to travel to a predetermined target position based on at least one of the travel distance and the host vehicle position detected in the host vehicle position estimation step; further including a step of detecting the host vehicle position based on the code information obtained by detecting the induction line, wherein the induction line is composed of a plurality of codes including a two-dimensional code or a bar code, and in the autonomous travel control step, a conveyance control method of causing the carrier vehicle to travel based on the host vehicle position detected based on the code information is provided.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to relatively easily introduce and change a conveyance system, and to provide a conveyance system and a conveyance control method capable of improving the reproducibility of operations.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[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 configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0013] [Example 1] In a logistics warehouse, a manufacturing factory, etc., in order to cooperate with on-site operations, it is required to stop conveyances such as carts and pallets at a predetermined position and orientation in a predetermined manner. For example, by stopping the cart at a cooperation position with a belt conveyor or by laying it sideways at the working position of the worker, it is required to convey the conveyance so that the worker can take the goods loaded on the conveyance without moving. In order to cooperate with the belt conveyor as described above or to lay it sideways at the working position of the worker, highly accurate conveyance work is required.

[0014] In the conventional autonomous driving method (a method of detecting obstacles with an obstacle detection sensor using laser light or the like and autonomously driving while avoiding obstacles), it is difficult to realize highly accurate conveyance work, and there is a problem that it takes time to introduce a system for stopping at a predetermined position and orientation in a predetermined manner. In addition, in the guidance method (a method of traveling along a guidance line laid on the traveling road surface), it is necessary to lay a guidance line on the traveling road surface, which may interfere with on-site operations when laying the line, or it may be necessary to change on-site operations so as not to damage the laid guidance line. In addition, after laying a type of guidance line in which a magnetic induction line is embedded in the road surface, there is a problem that it is not easy to change the traveling route.

[0015] Therefore, an area where highly accurate conveyance work is required to stop in a predetermined manner or to cooperate with other devices such as a belt conveyor is defined as a guided traveling area, and a guidance line is laid so that the conveyance vehicle can travel in a guided manner. Other areas are defined as autonomous driving areas, and it is desirable to make the conveyance vehicle travel toward a designated destination in an autonomous driving manner based on the map data acquired in advance even without a guidance line.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an operation area of a transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows an example of an operation area of a transport system that enables both improvement in transport control accuracy and ease of introduction of the transport system by defining the operation area of the transport vehicle as a guided travel area and an autonomous travel area as described above. In FIG. 1, areas 110, 130, and 140 are defined as guided travel areas, and areas 121 and 122 are defined as autonomous travel areas.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the guided travel area 110 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, a guide line 111 is laid in the guided travel area 110, and a guided travel mode start area 112 where a transport vehicle that has entered the guided travel area 110 in the autonomous travel mode detects the guide line and switches to the guided travel mode, and work areas 114A, 114B, and 114C are defined. The track composed of the guiding line 111 is arranged to connect from the guiding driving mode start area 112 to the working areas 114A, 114B, and 114C. The track also has a branching point 113 and is provided with post-branching guiding lines 111A, 111B, and 111C that respectively guide to the working areas 114A, 114B, and 114C after branching. The working areas 114A, 114B, and 114C are, for example, three parking positions for coordinating a belt conveyor and a carriage, etc., or three parking positions for workers to pick up the goods placed on the carriage. After the work is completed in the working areas 114A, 114B, and 114C, the transport vehicle moves along the guiding line 111 to the autonomous driving mode start area 115, and switches the driving mode from the guiding driving mode to the autonomous driving mode at the autonomous driving mode start area 115, and then advances into the guiding driving area 110. As an operation after the work is completed in the working areas 114A, 114B, and 114C, in addition to the embodiment where it switches to the autonomous driving mode from the autonomous driving mode start area 115 as described above, it may also switch to the autonomous driving mode in the working areas 114A, 114B, and 114C and then advance into the guiding driving area 110, or move along the guiding line to the guiding driving mode start area 112, and switch to the autonomous driving mode from the guiding driving mode start area 112 and then advance into the guiding driving area 110.

[0018] The carrier traveling in the autonomous driving area 122 in the autonomous driving mode enters the guided driving area 110 shown in the upper part of FIG. 2 on the condition that it has entered the guided driving mode start area 112. That is, it travels upward from the bottom to the top of FIG. 2 within the guided driving mode start area 112 and detects the guide line 111. Here, when the guide line 111 is detected after the carrier reaches the guided driving mode start area 112, the preset traveling direction in which the carrier travels is set such that the relative angle with the laying direction of the guide line 111 laid in the guided driving mode start area 112 is a relative angle of a predetermined angle or more (for example, 20 degrees or more). By setting the traveling direction so that the relative angle is a predetermined angle or more as described above, even when the entry position of the carrier in the left - right direction of FIG. 2 varies, it is to more reliably detect the guide line in the guided driving mode start area 112.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the guided driving area 130 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, in the guided driving area 130, a guide line 131 is laid, and a guided driving mode start area 132 where a carrier traveling in the autonomous driving mode detects the guide line 131 and switches to the guided driving mode, and a work area 133 where work is performed by an operator are defined. The track formed by the guide line 131 is arranged to connect the guided driving mode start area 132, the work area 133, and an autonomous driving mode start area 134 where the switching from the guided driving mode to the autonomous driving mode is performed via a plurality of branch points. In the work area 133, a plurality of guide lines are arranged via branch points so that a plurality of carriers can stop. Similar to the work areas 114A, 114B, 114C in the guided driving area 110, the work area 133 is, for example, a plurality of stop positions for coordinating a belt conveyor and a cart, etc., or a plurality of stop positions for an operator to pick up the load placed on the cart.

[0020] The carrier 10 traveling in the autonomous driving area 121 in the autonomous driving mode enters the guided driving area 130 shown on the right side of FIG. 3 from the autonomous driving area 121 shown on the left side of FIG. 3 on the condition that it enters the guided driving mode start area 132. That is, the carrier 10 travels from left to right in FIG. 3 within the guided driving mode start area 132 and detects the guiding line 131. Here, the guiding line 131 laid in the guided driving mode start area 132 is laid at an angle of a predetermined angle or more (for example, 20 degrees or more) with respect to the preset traveling direction in which the carrier travels when it reaches the guided driving mode start area 112 and detects the guiding line 111. The guiding line 131 is laid at such a predetermined angle in order to more reliably detect the guiding line in the guided driving mode start area 132 even when the vertical entry position of the carrier in FIG. 3 varies.

[0021] As the guiding lines 111 and 131 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, guiding lines of various conventionally used guiding methods as described below can be applied. Specifically, for example, an electromagnetic induction method in which a magnetic field generated by passing a weak alternating current through a metal wire installed as a guiding line is detected by a pickup coil on the carrier side, a magnetic induction method in which a magnetic tape laid on the floor surface is read by a magnetic sensor on the carrier side as a guiding line, an image recognition method in which a two-dimensional code laid on the floor surface is photographed by a camera on the carrier side and image processing is performed, etc. can be applied.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the guided travel area 140 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, a guiding line 141 is laid in the guided travel area 140, and there are guiding travel mode start areas 142 and 144 where a carrier traveling in the autonomous travel areas 121 or 122 in the autonomous travel mode detects the guiding line 141 and switches to the guiding travel mode, and work areas 143A, 143B, 143C, and 143D where work is performed by an operator are defined. The track formed by the guiding line 141 is arranged to connect the guiding travel mode start areas 142 and 144 and the work area 143 through a plurality of branch points. In the work area 143, a plurality of guiding lines are arranged through branch points so that a plurality of carriers can stop. Similar to the work areas 114A, 114B, and 114C of the guided travel area 110, the work areas 143A, 143B, 143C, and 143D are, for example, a plurality of stop positions for coordinating a belt conveyor and a cart, etc., or a plurality of stop positions for an operator to pick up the load placed on the cart.

[0023] Next, the hardware configuration of the carrier and the towed cart will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a hardware configuration example of the carrier according to the present embodiment. Arrow 15 in FIG. 5 indicates the traveling direction of the carrier. As shown in FIG. 5, the carrier includes a connecting portion 11 for switching between the connected and unconnected states with the cart, an object position detecting portion 12 for detecting an object around the carrier, a driving wheel 13, and a non-driving wheel 14.

[0024] FIG. 6 is a top view showing a hardware configuration example of the carrier according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a bottom view showing a hardware configuration example of the carrier according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, on the upper surface side of the carrier, the connecting portion 11 and the object position detecting portion 12 are mounted. The connecting portion 11 is composed of, for example, an actuator. When connecting to the cart, the actuator is extended upward to connect to a connecting receiving portion (not shown) on the cart side, and when releasing the connection, the actuator is contracted so that the connection between the connecting portion and the connecting receiving portion on the cart side can be released. Further, the connecting portion 11 is arranged at four positions surrounding the driving wheel 13 of the carrier on a plane, and can be connected to the cart at four locations.

[0025] The object position detection unit 12 is a device that detects the distance to an object. 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 laser light and measuring the time until it hits the object and bounces back, a millimeter-wave radar that detects the distance to an object based on the transmitted millimeter-wave signal and the received signal reflected from the object, 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 can be applied. In the present embodiment, an example in which the object position detection unit 12 is arranged in front of the upper surface portion of the carrier vehicle in the traveling direction is shown, but instead, it may be arranged on the front side surface in the traveling direction. Further, it may be arranged not only in the front but also on the rear side surface or both left and right side surfaces in the traveling direction.

[0026] The object position detection unit 12 may be configured to detect an object with respect to 360 degrees around the carrier vehicle, but is configured to be able to detect an object at least in front of the traveling direction 15 of the carrier vehicle.

[0027] FIG. 7 is a bottom view showing an example of the hardware configuration of the carrier according to this embodiment. On the bottom surface of the carrier, drive wheels 13 are provided at positions on both the left and right sides with respect to the traveling direction 15 of the carrier, and non-drive wheels 14 are provided at positions before and after each drive wheel 13. The drive wheels 13 are wheels connected to the rotating shaft of the motor and driven. The right drive wheel and the left drive wheel are individually controlled, and by individually controlling the rotation speed and rotation direction of each drive wheel, the carrier can be curved and run, or the carrier can be rotated on the spot to change its direction. The non-drive wheels 14 are wheels that are not driven and rotate passively when the carrier moves by the drive wheels 13. The non-drive wheels 14 have, for example, forks for fixing the wheels and axles, and the forks are composed of rotary casters that are rotatably connected to the bottom member of the carrier. Therefore, the wheel rotation direction of the non-drive wheels 14 changes passively according to the traveling direction and rotation operation of the carrier. In FIG. 7, the hardware configuration of a carrier having two drive wheels and four non-drive wheels at the four corners is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this hardware configuration, and it is also possible to adopt a configuration of a total of four wheels including two drive wheels and two non-drive wheels. Further, in the configuration of the four wheels, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the front wheels can be steered.

[0028] An induction line detection unit 16 for detecting an induction line is provided on the bottom surface of the carrier. The induction line detection unit 16 is preferably provided in front of the carrier in the traveling direction rather than the drive wheels 13. Thereby, when traveling at a position where the induction line is curved, it becomes easier to travel following the induction line, and when the carrier and the cart being towed move forward, information can be received from the induction line earlier, so that processing such as stopping can be executed earlier. As the induction line detection unit, a sensor corresponding to the type of induction method described above is used. When using the electromagnetic induction method as the induction method, a pickup coil is used. When using the magnetic induction method, a magnetic sensor is used. When using the image recognition method, a camera is used as the sensor of the induction line detection unit.

[0029] 8 shows an example of the hardware configuration when the transport vehicle and towing dolly according to this embodiment are coupled, specifically, showing an example in which the transport vehicle 10 is coupled to the dolly while slipping under the dolly to be towed. At this time, a cone-shaped coupling receiver is disposed on the bottom of the dolly at a position corresponding to the cone-shaped coupling part 11, and the dolly can be coupled by extending the coupling part 11 upward, and the coupling part 11 can be released from the dolly.

[0030] FIG. 9 shows another example of the hardware configuration when the transport vehicle and the towing dolly according to this embodiment are coupled. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the transport vehicle is coupled to the dolly while being positioned beside the dolly 2000. The dolly has a coupling receiving part 2010 that couples with at least a part of the coupling part 11 of the transport vehicle, and can be coupled to the dolly by extending the coupling part 11 upward, and can be released from the dolly by contracting the coupling part 11. In FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, an example is shown in which the coupling part 11, which is composed of an actuator or the like on the upper surface of the transport vehicle, is extended in the vertical direction to couple and release the coupling with the dolly, but the coupling method between the transport vehicle and the dolly is not limited to this, and other coupling methods may be used. In addition, the transported object coupled to the transport vehicle is not limited to the dolly, and may be, for example, a pallet or a cabinet without wheels. When transporting a pallet or a cabinet, the transport vehicle slips under the pallet or cabinet and is coupled in a state of lifting the pallet or cabinet.

[0031] Next, an overall configuration diagram of the transport system according to this embodiment will be described. An example of the overall configuration of the transport system is shown in Fig. 10. The transport system 1000 includes a plurality of transport vehicles (10a, 10b), a dolly 2000 which is a transported object, a control device 3000 which can display the state of the transport vehicles or input commands to the transport vehicles, a traffic management device 4000 which manages information required for the operation of the transport vehicles, an input / output device 5000 which displays information of the traffic management device and inputs information to the traffic management device, and a communication network 6000 which communicably connects the plurality of transport vehicles (10a, 10b), the control device 3000, and the traffic management device 4000.

[0032] In addition, 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 plant to transport the parts required for manufacturing from a storage to a manufacturing line, the transport system 1000 performs system - to - system cooperation with a manufacturing management system as the external system 7000. In this case, if information on the progress of the manufacturing operation is obtained 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 operation.

[0033] As another example, when the transport system 1000 is introduced into logistics operations to transport incoming goods from the loading entrance to the storage when goods are brought into a warehouse by a truck or the like, and to transport the goods to be shipped from the storage to the shipping exit when shipping goods from the warehouse, the transport system 1000 performs system - to - system cooperation with a logistics management system as the external system 7000. In this case, if information on incoming and shipping is obtained from the logistics management system, the transport volume and transport route by the transport vehicle can be changed.

[0034] In a facility where a transport system is introduced, generally a plurality of transport vehicles (10a, 10b) operate, and each transport vehicle is communicably connected to other transport vehicles and other components via a communication network 6000. For example, a transport vehicle transmits various detection information detected by its own detection unit and other control information to a control console 3000, an operation management device 4000, or other transport vehicles. Also, the transport vehicle 10 is communicably connected to a cart 2000 by 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.

[0035] The control console 3000 has a function of displaying the status information of a specified transport vehicle and a function of inputting commands to the specified transport vehicle. For example, the status information of the transport vehicle displayed on the control console includes information on the charge level of the battery that powers the transport vehicle and is mounted on the transport vehicle, and identification information of the cart towed by the transport vehicle. Commands input to the transport vehicle include, for example, command information regarding the destination of the transport vehicle, operation commands for connecting and disconnecting from the cart, a travel start command for the transport vehicle, and a stop command for the transport vehicle.

[0036] The operation management device 4000 includes a status information recording unit 4010 that records the status information of a plurality of carrier vehicles operating in a facility area, and an operation scenario management unit 4020 that manages the operation scenarios of the plurality of carrier vehicles. The status information of the carrier vehicles recorded by the status information recording unit 4010 includes, for example, information on the battery charge levels of the plurality of carrier vehicles during operation, identification information of the carts connected to the plurality of carrier vehicles, position information of the plurality of carrier vehicles, the operation modes of the plurality of carrier vehicles (guided driving mode or autonomous driving mode), and other various detection information detected by the detection unit 230 of the carrier vehicle. The operation scenarios managed by the operation scenario management unit 4020 include, for example, information on the destinations of the plurality of carrier vehicles respectively, a plurality of operation contents to be executed until reaching the destination, the operation order of the plurality of operations, and the switching conditions of the plurality of operations.

[0037] The input / output device 5000 can display the information recorded in the status information recording unit 4010 of the operation management device 4000, and can newly add or update an operation scenario by inputting the operation scenario managed by the operation scenario management unit 4020. The information input to the input / output device 5000 includes, for example, that the destination of an arbitrary carrier vehicle is the work area A in the guided driving area 110, the operation contents for entering the guided driving area 110 and reaching the work area A, the operation switching conditions, and the like.

[0038] Next, the functions of the carrier vehicle will be described with reference to FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the functional configuration diagram of the carrier vehicle according to the present embodiment. The carrier vehicle 10 includes a communication unit 210 that communicates with a cart 2000 or a communication network 6000 outside the carrier vehicle, a recording unit 220, a detection unit 230 equipped with various sensors described later, a connection unit 11 for connecting to the cart, a wheel drive unit 280 for driving the wheels, an input unit 240, a display unit 250, and a control unit 260 that controls the operations of the wheel drive unit 280 and the like.

[0039] The recording unit 220 has a function of recording the information received by the communication unit 210 from the outside, the detection information detected by the detection unit 230, and the control information output by the control unit.

[0040] The detection unit 230 includes an object position detection unit 12, a guidance line detection unit 232, a travel distance detection unit 233, a collision detection unit 234, an attitude detection unit 235, and a charge amount detection unit 236. As described above, the object position detection unit 12 measures the distance and direction to an object by measuring the time from when a laser beam is emitted until it hits the object and bounces back, such as a laser distance sensor (LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), etc.), a millimeter-wave radar that detects the distance to an object based on the transmitted millimeter-wave signal and the received signal reflected back from the object, 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.

[0041] As described above, the guidance line detection unit 16 uses a sensor according to the type of guidance method. When using the electromagnetic induction method as the guidance method, a pickup coil is used. When using the magnetic induction method, a magnetic sensor is used. When using the image recognition method, a camera is used as the sensor of the guidance line detection unit. The guidance line detection unit detects the guidance line when it is located directly above the guidance line and outputs a detection signal. Also, in the case of the image recognition method of reading a guidance line using a two-dimensional code or bar code with a camera, in addition to the detection signal of the guidance line, position information is generated based on the information of the detected code, and further, the relative angle information between the guidance line and the carrier vehicle can be generated by performing the image information of the code.

[0042] The travel distance detection unit 233 detects the rotation speed of the non-driving wheel 14 or the driving wheel 13, and measures the travel distance of the carrier vehicle based on the detection information of the rotation speed and the information of the diameter (or circumference) of the non-driving wheel or the driving wheel. As an alternative means, it is also possible to apply a means of detecting the travel speed of the carrier vehicle using a millimeter-wave sensor that irradiates the floor surface with millimeter waves and detects the reflected wave, and estimating the travel distance by integrating the travel speed.

[0043] The collision detection unit 234 has a function of detecting that the carrier vehicle has collided with an object or a person. Specifically, it can detect acceleration by means of a gyro sensor or the like, and when a sudden change in acceleration is detected, it can be determined that a collision has occurred. As an alternative means, it is also possible to apply a means of providing a physical switch together with a bumper in front of the traveling direction of the carrier vehicle and determining that a collision has occurred when the physical switch is pressed. When the collision detection unit 234 detects a collision, the carrier vehicle is stopped, and at least one of the collision occurrence information and the collision occurrence position information is recorded in the recording unit, and the information is notified to the operation management device 4000 and the control unit 3000. The attitude detection unit 235 detects the orientation (attitude) of the own vehicle based on a magnetic compass, information on the rotation speeds of the left and right drive wheels, or steering information of the wheels.

[0044] The charge amount detection unit 236 detects the charge amount of the battery that is the power source of the carrier vehicle. When the charge amount detected by the charge amount detection unit 236 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value, it is determined that charging is necessary, and the detection information on the decrease in the charge amount is recorded in the recording unit, and the information is notified to the operation management device 4000 and the control unit 3000. Further, when it is detected that the charge amount is equal to or less than the predetermined value, in addition to the above processing, it may be configured to automatically move to a charging spot for charging. The predetermined value for the charge amount detection unit 236 to determine that charging is required may be a value preset based on at least one of the distance to the destination set for the carrier vehicle and the weight of the conveyed object connected to the carrier vehicle.

[0045] The input unit 240 is composed of a physical switch or a touch panel mounted on the carrier vehicle, and the user can directly input an operation command or the like to the carrier vehicle. The display unit 250 is composed of a liquid crystal panel or the like mounted on the carrier vehicle, and displays the state information of the carrier vehicle (various detection information in the detection unit 230, the currently executed operation scenario, etc.).

[0046] 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 stop position determination unit 265, a travel control unit 266, and a host vehicle position estimation unit 267. The operation determination unit 261 determines the operation of the carrier vehicle based on the operation scenario of the self-transporting vehicle acquired from the operation scenario management unit 4020. Examples of the operation scenario will be described later with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13.

[0047] The mode switching unit 262 switches the travel mode of the carrier vehicle between the guided travel mode and the autonomous travel mode based on the conditions predefined in the operation scenario or the command input by the input unit 240. The connection control unit 263 controls the operation of the connection unit 11 based on the conditions predefined in the operation scenario or the command input by the input unit 240 to control the connection / disconnection with the transported object such as a cart. The display control unit 264 controls the aforementioned input unit 240 and display unit 250.

[0048] When the host vehicle arrives at the position for performing the stop position determination and the preset position, the stop position determination unit 265 executes a process of determining the stop position of the host vehicle based on the position information of the object detected by the object position detection unit 12. In this embodiment, the stop position determination in the case where the guidance line branches into a plurality of lines and a plurality of work areas 114 as destinations can be set will be described. In this case, the map information including the position information of each work area 114A, 114B, 114C is stored in the storage unit 220, and it is determined which position of each work area 114A, 114B, 114C in the map information the detected position of the object matches. The work area where the object is detected is not set as the stop target position, and any of the work areas where the object is not detected is determined as the stop target position. Here, the object position detection unit 12 can detect the distance and direction to the object based on the carrier vehicle, and further, since the guidance line detection unit acquires the position and orientation information of the carrier vehicle, based on these information, it can be determined which position of each work area 114A, 114B, 114C in the map information the detected position of the object matches.

[0049] The traveling control unit 266 controls the traveling of the carrier vehicle based on at least any one of the determination information from the operation determination unit 261, the mode switching unit 262, and the stop position determination unit 265. Specifically, it individually controls the right wheel drive unit 281 and the left wheel drive unit 282 of the wheel drive unit 280. The right wheel drive unit 281 and the left wheel drive unit 282 are composed of, for example, motors, and by individually controlling the rotational speed and direction of each drive wheel, it is possible to make the carrier vehicle travel along a curve with an arbitrary radius of curvature or to rotate the carrier vehicle to change its direction. The own vehicle position estimation unit 267 estimates the position of the own vehicle in the entire traveling area based on the traveling distance detected by the traveling distance detection unit 233, the information on the direction of the own 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 own vehicle in the entire traveling area based on the information on the distance and direction to the object measured by the object position detection unit 12 and the map information of the entire area recorded in the recording unit 220. Or, when traveling on a guiding line composed of two-dimensional codes, it is also possible to estimate the position of the own vehicle in the entire traveling area based on the identification information of the two-dimensional codes and the above map information.

[0050] Next, an example of an operation scenario when the transport system is introduced into a facility will be described. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a series of operation scenarios by the carrier vehicle according to the present embodiment. Specifically, it shows a series of operation scenarios from starting in the work area 133 to returning to the work area 133 again. The information of the operation scenario is received from the operation management device 4000 and recorded in the recording unit 220.

[0051] A series of operations by the conveying system are composed of a plurality of operation scenarios as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. The operation scenarios are input by the user through the input / output device 5000 and stored in the storage device in the operation management device 4000. For each operation scenario, the completion condition of the operation is predefined. When the completion condition is satisfied based on the information detected by the detection unit of the transport vehicle or the like, the next operation scenario is executed. The plurality of operation scenarios shown in FIG. 12 show operation scenarios for executing a work task that reciprocates between the work area 133 and the work area 114. On the other hand, the plurality of operation scenarios shown in FIG. 13 show operation scenarios for executing a work task that reciprocates between the work area 133 and the work area 143.

[0052] Hereinafter, the contents of the plurality of operation scenarios shown in FIG. 12 will be described. The operation content of Scenario 1 is to stop in the work area 133, and the completion condition is the completion of the work performed in the work area. The work performed in the work area is, for example, the transfer of the goods on the trolley by the operator or the replacement of the trolley connected to the transport vehicle. The operation content of Scenario 2 to be executed next is to travel along the guiding line 131, and the completion condition is the completion of the movement to the autonomous driving mode start area 134. As a means for detecting that the movement to the autonomous driving mode start area 134 is completed, it may be a means for receiving position information by a proximity communication device installed in the autonomous driving mode start area 134, or a two-dimensional code having unique ID information may be used to form a guiding line, and the detection may be performed by reading the two-dimensional code.

[0053] The operation content of Scenario 3 is to travel in the autonomous driving mode and move to the induction driving mode start area 112. Based on the map information of the entire area where the carrier vehicle travels (including the induction driving area and the autonomous driving area) recorded in the recording unit 220 and the own vehicle position information estimated by the own vehicle position estimation unit, it travels without deviating from the autonomous driving area included in the map information. When an object is detected by the object position detection unit, it travels to the induction driving mode start area 112 through a route that avoids the object. The completion condition of Scenario 3 is to detect that the own vehicle position estimated by the own vehicle position estimation unit is within the induction driving mode start area 112, that is, the movement to the induction driving mode start area 112 is completed. The operation content of Scenario 3-2 is to travel in a predetermined traveling direction (the direction from the lower side to the upper side in the drawing of FIG. 2) while searching for the induction line by photographing the floor surface with the camera of the induction line detection unit 16. The completion condition is when the induction line detection unit detects the induction line 111.

[0054] The operation content of Scenario 4 is to travel along the guiding line 111, and the completion condition is that the vehicle has completed moving to the branch point which is the destination determination point. The specific control method for traveling along the guiding line after detecting the guiding line will be described later. The operation content of Scenario 5 is to determine the parking destination and travel to the parking destination, and the completion condition is that the vehicle has completed moving to the said parking destination. The operation content of Scenario 6 is to continue parking in the work area 114 which is the parking destination, and the completion condition is that the work by the operator has been completed. The completion of the work can be detected, for example, by the operator pressing the work completion button provided also on the control machine 3000 or the input unit 240. The operation content of Scenario 7 is to travel along the guiding line, and the completion condition is that the vehicle has completed moving to the autonomous driving mode start area 115. The operation content of Scenario 8 is to travel in the autonomous driving mode and move to the guiding driving mode start area 132. The driving control in the autonomous driving mode is the same as that in Scenario 3 described above. The completion condition is to detect the guiding line 131. The operation content of Scenario 9 is to travel along the guiding line 131, and the completion condition is that the vehicle has completed moving to the work area 133. When the operation of Scenario 9 is completed, it returns to Scenario 1.

[0055] The content of a plurality of operation scenarios shown in FIG. 13 for executing an operation task that reciprocates between the work area 133 and the work area 143 will be described below. Scenarios 1 and 2 are the same as those in FIG. 12, and the work in the work area 133 is completed and the vehicle moves to the autonomous driving mode start area 134. The operation content of Scenario 3 is to travel in the autonomous driving mode and move to the guided driving mode start area 142. Based on the map information of the entire area where the transport vehicle travels (including the guided driving area and the autonomous driving area) recorded in the recording unit 220 and the vehicle position information estimated by the vehicle position estimation unit, it travels without deviating from the autonomous driving area included in the map information. When an object is detected by the object position detection unit, it travels to the guided driving mode start area 142 through a route that avoids the object. The completion condition of Scenario 3 is to detect that the vehicle position estimated by the vehicle position estimation unit is within the guided driving mode start area 142, that is, the movement to the guided driving mode start area 142 is completed. The operation content of Scenario 3-2 is to travel in a predetermined traveling direction (the direction from the right side to the left side of the drawing in FIG. 4) while searching for a guiding line by photographing the floor surface with the camera of the guiding line detection unit 16. The completion condition is when the guiding line detection unit detects the guiding line 141.

[0056] The operation content of Scenario 4 is to travel along the guiding line 141, and the completion condition is that the vehicle has completed moving to the branch point which is the destination determination point. The specific control method for traveling along the guiding line after detecting the guiding line will be described later. The operation content of Scenario 5 is to determine the parking destination from the work areas 143A, 143B, 143C, 143D and travel to the determined parking destination, and the completion condition is that the vehicle has completed moving to the parking destination. The operation content of Scenario 6 is to continue parking in the work area 143 which is the parking destination, and the completion condition is that the work by the operator has been completed. The completion of the work can be detected, for example, when the operator presses the work completion button provided also on the control machine 3000 or the input unit 240. The operation content of Scenario 7 is to travel along the guiding line, and the completion condition is that the vehicle has completed moving to the guiding travel mode start area 142. The operation content and completion conditions of Scenarios 8 to 10 are the same as those shown in FIG. 12.

[0057] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 14 to 18, a specific example of the control from when the carrier vehicle in the present embodiment enters the travel mode start area 112 until it travels along the guiding line will be described. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an operation example when the carrier vehicle detects the guiding line 111. The guiding travel mode start area 112 is defined across both the guiding travel area 110 and the autonomous travel area 122, and the travel direction within the guiding travel mode start area 112 is also defined. The range of the guiding travel mode start area 112 and the above travel direction are preset by the user via the input / output device 5000 and recorded in the operation management device 4000. The carrier vehicle receives information regarding the range of the guiding travel mode start area 112 and the above travel direction via the communication network 6000 and records it in the recording unit 220.

[0058] The transport vehicle travels in the autonomous driving mode based on Scenario 3 of FIG. 12 and moves to the induction driving mode start area 112. When the vehicle position detected by the own vehicle position estimation unit 267 is within the range of the induction driving mode start area 112 recorded in the recording unit in advance, Scenario 3 is terminated and Scenario 3-2 of FIG. 12 is executed. In Scenario 3-2, the vehicle is made to travel in the traveling direction recorded in the recording unit in advance, and the detection operation by the induction line detection unit 16 is executed. Here, the induction line detection unit may not operate while autonomously traveling in the autonomous driving areas 121 and 122, and may start the detection operation by the induction line detection unit when the movement to the induction driving mode start area 112 is completed. Alternatively, regardless of whether the own vehicle is located in the induction driving area or the autonomous driving area, the detection operation by the induction line detection unit is always executed, and when autonomously traveling in the autonomous driving area, the detection result by the induction line detection unit is not used for travel control, and when the own vehicle has completed moving to the induction driving mode start area 112, the information on the induction line detected by the induction line detection unit may be used for travel control. As described above, by starting the operation of the induction line detection unit or starting to use the detection result by the induction line detection unit on the condition that the induction driving mode start area 112 set in advance as the operation scenario has been reached, it is possible to prevent, for example, detecting an unintended induction line by the induction line detection unit and moving to an unintended position when passing through an induction driving area that is not set as a destination, such as the induction driving area 140.

[0059] In Scenario 3-2, as described above, by making the vehicle travel in the traveling direction recorded in the recording unit in advance and executing the detection operation by the induction line detection unit 16, when the induction line 111 is detected, the process proceeds to Scenario 4 and the vehicle travels along the induction line 111. FIGS. 15 to 17 show operation examples of the transport vehicle from when the induction line 111 composed of a plurality of two-dimensional codes is detected by the induction line detection unit 16 until the transport vehicle travels along the induction line.

[0060] FIG. 15 shows the positional relationship between the guiding line and the carrier vehicle when the two-dimensional code constituting the guiding line is detected by the guiding line detection unit 16. The guiding line is formed by a plurality of two-dimensional codes in which code information is printed on a two-dimensional plane as shown in the two-dimensional code 1000, arranged side by side in the laying direction of the guiding line. When the guiding line detection unit 16 detects a two-dimensional code, it acquires the position information of the two-dimensional code based on the code information obtained from the two-dimensional code. Further, based on the image information of the two-dimensional code acquired by the camera, it acquires information on the orientation of the two-dimensional code, that is, the relative angle θ between the laying direction of the guiding line and the carrier vehicle. As described above, the guiding line 111 laid in the guiding travel mode start area 112 is laid at an angle of a predetermined angle or more (for example, 20 degrees or more) with respect to the traveling direction of the carrier vehicle recorded in the recording unit in advance. Therefore, when the guiding line detection unit 16 detects a two-dimensional code constituting the guiding line, there will be a relative angle θ between the traveling direction of the carrier vehicle and the laying direction of the guiding line. When the guiding line detection unit 16 detects the two-dimensional code 1010 constituting the guiding line, it acquires the position information of the two-dimensional code 1010 and the information on the relative angle θ. Then, based on the information on the distance D1 between the guiding line detection unit 16 and the rotation center 18 of the carrier vehicle recorded in the recording unit 220, the host vehicle is advanced by the distance D1. Here, the rotation center 18 indicates, for example, the midpoint of the straight line connecting the drive wheels, and means the rotation center when the carrier vehicle rotates by a plurality of drive wheels.

[0061] FIG. 16 shows the state after the carrier vehicle has advanced by the distance D1. In this state, the two-dimensional code 1010 detected by the guiding line detection unit 16 approximately coincides with the rotation center of the carrier vehicle. In this state, the carrier vehicle rotates the vehicle body in the rotation direction in which the relative angle θ approaches zero based on the information on the relative angle θ detected by the guiding line detection unit, that is, rotates the vehicle body counterclockwise. Then, the rotation operation is continued until the guiding line detection unit detects the guiding line again.

[0062] FIG. 17 shows a state when a carrier performing a rotation operation detects a guiding line. In this state, since the center of rotation is approximately at the position of the two-dimensional code 1010 and the two-dimensional code is within the detection range of the guiding line detection unit, the carrier is in a direction approximately coinciding with the laying direction of the guiding line. When the carrier performing the rotation operation detects the guiding line, the carrier stops the rotation operation and proceeds along the detected guiding line.

[0063] FIG. 18 shows an example of a control flow from when the carrier enters the guiding travel mode start area 112 to when it travels along the guiding line 111 as shown in FIGS. 14 to 17. In step 1800 (S1800), the carrier travels in the autonomous travel mode and the vehicle position estimation unit 267 detects that it has entered the guiding travel mode start area 112. Next, in step 1801 (S1801), based on information in a predetermined direction preset and recorded in the recording unit 220 via the input / output device 5000 or the like, the carrier is made to travel in the predetermined direction. At this time, the carrier travels while performing the detection operation of the guiding line by the guiding line detection unit 16. The detection operation of the guiding line by the guiding line detection unit 16 may continue to be executed while traveling in the autonomous travel area before entering the guiding travel mode start area 112, or the detection operation may be started triggered by entering the guiding travel mode start area 112.

[0064] Next, in step 1802 (S1802), it is determined whether the guidance line is detected by the guidance line detection unit 16. If the guidance line is detected, the process proceeds to step 1803 (S1803). In step 1804 (S1804), it is determined whether the vehicle has entered the induction driving mode start area 112 based on the estimation result of the own vehicle position estimation unit. If it is determined that the vehicle has not entered the induction driving mode start area 112, the process returns to step 1801 (S1801), and the process of driving the carrier vehicle in a predetermined direction is continued. In step 1804 (S1804), if it is determined that the vehicle has entered the induction driving mode start area 112, the step of step 1805 (S1805) is executed. In step 1805 (S1805), a process of returning to the induction driving mode start area 112 is executed based on the estimation result of the own vehicle position estimation unit, and the process proceeds to step 1800 (S1800). By returning to step 1800 (S1800) and redoing the process, the operation for detecting the guidance line is executed again.

[0065] In step 1803 (S1803), an angle θ, which is the relative angle between the guidance line detected by the guidance line detection unit 16 and the own vehicle, is detected, and the vehicle moves straight forward a predetermined distance D1 from the position where the guidance line is detected. Next, in step 1806 (S1806), the own vehicle is rotated in the rotation direction in which the angle θ becomes zero. Here, the rotation direction in which the angle θ becomes zero may be determined based on the information detected by the guidance line detection unit 16, or the rotation direction may be set in advance via the input / output device 5000.

[0066] Next, in step 1807 (S1807), it is determined whether or not the guidance line is detected by the guidance line detection unit 16. If it is determined that the guidance line has been detected, the process proceeds to step 1808 (S1808). On the other hand, if it is determined that the guidance line has not been detected, the process proceeds to step 1809 (S1809). In step 1809 (S1809), based on the detection result of the attitude detection unit 235, it is determined whether or not the rotation angle of the rotation operation started in step 1806 (S1806) exceeds 360 degrees. If it is determined that the rotation angle does not exceed 360 degrees, the process returns to step 1806 (S1806) to continue the rotation operation. On the other hand, if it is determined that the rotation angle exceeds 360 degrees, the process returns to step 1805 (S1805) to execute the guidance line detection operation again. Here, in step 1805 (S1805), in addition to or instead of re-executing the operation for detecting the guidance line from the beginning by returning to the guidance travel mode start area 112, it may be notified to the display unit 250 of the carrier vehicle, the controller 3000 outside the carrier vehicle, the input / output device 5000, and the external system 7000 that the detection of the guidance line has failed.

[0067] Next, in step 1808 (S1808), it is determined whether or not the angle θ of the guidance line detected in step 1807 (S1807) is 90 degrees or less. If it is determined that the angle θ is 90 degrees or less, the process proceeds to step 1810 (S1810). On the other hand, if it is determined that the angle θ is not 90 degrees or less, the process proceeds to step 1811 (S1811). In step 1810 (S1810), the vehicle travels along the guidance line detected by the guidance line detection unit 16. In step 1811 (S1811), since it is considered that the laying line and the direction of the carrier vehicle are in the reverse direction, the vehicle is rotated in the reverse direction and the process returns to step 1807 (S1807).

[0068] In FIGS. 15 to 18, an example of the operation of the carrier until it runs along the guide line was shown. Hereinafter, in FIGS. 19 and 20, another example of the operation from when the guide line detection unit 16 detects the guide line 111 composed of a plurality of two-dimensional codes until the carrier runs along the guide line will be described.

[0069] FIG. 19 shows the positional relationship between the guide line and the carrier when the carrier travels along the laying direction of the guide line after detecting the two-dimensional code constituting the guide line by the guide line detection unit 16 while traveling in a predetermined direction. When the carrier travels in the upward direction (the direction of the arrow in the figure) in FIG. 19 as a predetermined direction and detects the two-dimensional code 1010 by the guide line detection unit 16, it is at the position indicated by the dotted line in the figure, and detects the relative angle θ between the guide line and the own vehicle. Then, the running of the carrier is controlled so that the guide line detection unit 16 continues to detect the guide line (so that the detection range of the guide line detection unit 16 maintains a state including the guide line), and the carrier moves to the position shown by the solid line in the figure and detects the two-dimensional code 1030. Therefore, the carrier runs at a higher rotational speed of the right drive wheel than the left drive wheel, curves to the left in FIG. 19, and controls the running of the carrier so that the relative angle θ approaches zero.

[0070] FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the control flow of the running control of the carrier shown in FIG. 19. In step 2000 (S2000), the carrier runs in the autonomous running mode, and the own vehicle position estimation unit 267 detects that it has entered the induction running mode start area 112. Next, in step 2001 (S2001), based on the information in a predetermined direction preset and recorded in the recording unit 220 via the input / output device 5000 or the like, the carrier is made to run in the predetermined direction. At this time, the running is performed while the guide line detection unit 16 performs the detection operation of the guide line. The detection operation of the guide line by the guide line detection unit 16 may be continuously executed while running in the autonomous running area before entering the induction running mode start area 112, or the detection operation may be started triggered by detecting that the induction running mode start area 112 has been entered.

[0071] Next, in step 2002 (S2002), it is determined whether the guidance line detection unit 16 has detected a guidance line. If a guidance line is detected, the process proceeds to step 2003 (S2003). On the other hand, if no guidance line is detected, the process proceeds to step 2004 (S2004). In step 2004 (S2004), it is determined whether the conveyance vehicle has entered the guidance driving mode start area 112 based on the estimation result of the own vehicle position estimation unit. If it is determined that the conveyance vehicle has not entered the guidance driving mode start area 112, the process returns to step 2001 (S2001), and the process of running the conveyance vehicle in a predetermined direction is continued. In step 2004 (S2004), if it is determined that the conveyance vehicle has entered the guidance driving mode start area 112, the process of step 2005 (S2005) is executed. In step 2005 (S2005), a process of returning to the guidance driving mode start area 112 is executed based on the estimation result of the own vehicle position estimation unit, and the process proceeds to step 2000 (S2000). By returning to step 2000 (S2000) and redoing the process, the operation for detecting the guidance line is executed again.

[0072] In step 2003 (S2003), an angle θ which is the relative angle between the guidance line detected by the guidance line detection unit 16 and the own vehicle is detected. Next, in step 2006 (S2006), while curving the own vehicle in the rotation direction in which the angle θ becomes zero and while the guidance line detection unit 16 continues to detect the guidance line (that is, while maintaining a state where the detection range of the guidance line detection unit 16 includes the laying position of the guidance line), the running of the conveyance vehicle is controlled. In this way, the conveyance vehicle runs along the guidance line while drawing a curve, and the running of the conveyance vehicle is controlled so that the angle θ gradually becomes smaller.

[0073] As described above, after the carrier vehicle detects the guiding line, as a method of reducing the relative angle between the traveling direction of the carrier vehicle and the laying direction of the guiding line and causing the carrier vehicle to travel along the guiding line, in the control flowchart shown in FIG. 18, after detecting the guiding line, it travels straight by a distance D1 and rotates the carrier vehicle on the spot to align the traveling direction of the carrier vehicle with the laying direction of the guiding line. Also, as another method, in the control flowchart shown in FIG. 20, after detecting the guiding line, the carrier vehicle is caused to travel while curving and while the guiding line detection unit 16 continues to detect the guiding line, so as to gradually align the traveling direction of the carrier vehicle with the laying direction of the guiding line. Here, a control example of selecting a method of traveling along the guiding line according to the magnitude of the relative angle between the guiding line and the own vehicle when the carrier vehicle detects the guiding line will be described using the control flowchart of FIG. 21.

[0074] Each control step from step 2100 (S2100) to step 2105 (S2105) shown in FIG. 21 is the same as the control flow shown in FIG. 20, so the description is omitted, and the description will start from the control step of step 2106 (S2106). In step 2106 (S2106), it is determined whether or not the angle θ detected in the process of step 2103 (S2103) is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If it is determined that it is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step 2107 (S2107). If it is determined that it is not equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step 2108 (S2108). In step 2108 (S2108), it travels along the guiding line while curving in the rotation direction in which the angle θ becomes zero. The processing content of this step is the same as the step of step 2006 (S2006) in FIG. 20.

[0075] In step 2107 (S2107), the angle θ of the guiding line is detected, and the own vehicle is caused to travel straight by a distance D1. Next, the process proceeds to step 2109 (S2109). The processing content of each step from step 2109 (S2109) to step 2114 (S2114) is the same as that from step 1806 (S1806) to step 1811 (S1811) shown in FIG. 18.

[0076] In the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the relative angle θ between the carrier vehicle and the guiding line was detected by using a two-dimensional code or a one-dimensional barcode on the guiding line, and the angle information was used for control. However, in the present invention, it is also possible to use a magnetic tape or the like on the guiding line. Hereinafter, an embodiment in which a magnetic tape is used on the guiding line will be described with reference to FIGS. 22 to 25.

[0077] FIG. 22 shows the positional relationship between the guiding line and the carrier vehicle when the magnetic tape constituting the guiding line is detected by the guiding line detection unit 16. The guiding line detection unit 16 shown in FIG. 22 is configured to include a plurality of magnetic sensors 17 for detecting a magnetic tape in the lateral direction toward the traveling direction of the carrier vehicle. The plurality of magnetic sensors 17 provided in the guiding line detection unit 16 each output a detection signal indicating whether or not a magnetic tape has been detected. In the case shown in FIG. 22, the three magnetic sensors 17A located at the center of the guiding line detection unit 16 have detected the magnetic tape, and the two magnetic sensors 17B on each side of the guiding line detection unit 16 have not detected the magnetic tape.

[0078] As described above, the guiding line 111 laid in the guiding travel mode start area 112 is laid at an angle of a predetermined angle or more (for example, 20 degrees or more) with respect to the traveling direction of the carrier vehicle recorded in the recording unit in advance. Therefore, when the guiding line is detected by the guiding line detection unit 16, there will be a relative angle θ between the traveling direction of the carrier vehicle and the laying direction of the guiding line. Thereafter, based on the information on the distance D1 between the guiding line detection unit 16 recorded in the recording unit 220 and the rotation center 18 of the carrier vehicle, the own vehicle is advanced by the distance D1. Here, the rotation center 18 indicates, for example, the midpoint of a straight line connecting the drive wheels, and means the rotation center when the carrier vehicle rotates by a plurality of drive wheels.

[0079] Figure 23 shows the state after the carrier vehicle has advanced by a distance D1. In this state, the guiding line detected by the guiding line detection unit 16 approximately coincides with the center of rotation of the carrier vehicle. In this state, the carrier vehicle rotates itself in a predetermined rotation direction based on the information of the predetermined rotation direction recorded in the recording unit (in Figure 23, an example of rotating the vehicle body counterclockwise is shown). Then, the rotation operation is continued until the guiding line detection unit 16 detects the guiding line again.

[0080] Figure 24 shows the state when the carrier vehicle that has performed the rotation operation detects the guiding line. In this state, the center of rotation is approximately located on the guiding line, and since the guiding line is located within the detection range of the guiding line detection unit, the carrier vehicle is in a direction approximately coinciding with the laying direction of the guiding line. When the carrier vehicle that has performed the rotation operation detects the guiding line by the guiding line detection unit, the carrier vehicle stops the rotation operation and proceeds along the detected guiding line. That is, the carrier vehicle is run while adjusting the traveling direction so that the magnetic tape can be detected by the magnetic sensor at the central part of the guiding line detection unit.

[0081] Figure 25 shows an example of the control flow from when the carrier vehicle enters the guiding travel mode start area 112 to when it travels along the guiding line 111 as shown in Figures 22 to 24. The control contents executed in each of steps 2500 (S2500), 2501 (S2501), 2502 (S2502), 2504 (S2504), and 2505 (S2505) are the same as those in steps 1800 (S1800), 1801 (S1801), 1802 (S1802), 1804 (S1804), and 1805 (S1805) in Figure 18. Therefore, the description is omitted, and the steps after step 2503 (S2503) will be described.

[0082] In step 2503 (S2503), based on the information of the distance D1 between the induction line detection unit 16 recorded in the recording unit 220 and the rotation center 18 of the carrier vehicle, it travels straight forward by a predetermined distance D1 from the position where the induction line was detected. Next, in step 2506 (S2506), based on the rotation direction preset via the input / output device 5000 and recorded in the recording unit 220, it performs an operation of rotating in the rotation direction.

[0083] Next, in step 2507 (S2507), it is determined whether the induction line detection unit 16 has detected the induction line. Specifically, it is determined that the induction line has been detected on the condition that a plurality of magnetic sensors 17 have detected the magnetic tape. If it is determined that the induction line has been detected, the process proceeds to step 2508 (S2508). On the other hand, if it is determined that the induction line has not been detected, the process proceeds to step 2509 (S2509). In step 2509 (S2509), based on the detection result of the attitude detection unit 235, it is determined whether the rotation angle of the rotation operation started in step 2506 (S2506) has exceeded 360 degrees. If it is determined that it has not exceeded 360 degrees, the process returns to step 2506 (S2506) to continue the rotation operation. On the other hand, if it is determined that it has exceeded 360 degrees, the process returns to step 2505 (S2505) to execute the induction line detection operation again. Here, in step 2505 (S2505), in addition to or instead of executing the operation for detecting the induction line from the beginning again by returning to the induction travel mode start area 112, it may notify the display unit 250 of the carrier vehicle, the controller 3000 outside the carrier vehicle, the input / output device 5000, and the external system 7000 that the detection of the induction line has failed.

[0084] Next, in S2508, the rotation operation is stopped, and the vehicle travels along the induction line detected by the induction line detection unit 16. That is, the carrier vehicle is traveled while adjusting the traveling direction so that the magnetic tape can be detected by the magnetic sensor 17 at the center of the induction line detection unit 16.

[0085] Next, in Scenario 3 of FIG. 12, a driving control method when driving in the autonomous driving mode and moving to the induction driving mode start area 112 will be described. FIG. 26 shows an operation example when performing driving control from the induction driving area 130 to the induction driving mode start area 112 in the autonomous driving mode. In this driving control, while driving from the induction driving area 130 to the induction driving mode start area 112, it moves in the autonomous driving mode to the induction driving mode start area 112 passing over the induction line 141 laid in the induction driving area 140.

[0086] In the autonomous driving mode, based on the map information of the entire area (including the induction driving area and the autonomous driving area) where the carrier vehicle recorded in the recording unit 220 travels and the own vehicle position information estimated by the own vehicle position estimation unit 267, it drives so as not to deviate from the autonomous driving area included in the map information. Also, when an object is detected by the object position detection unit 12, it drives to the induction driving mode start area 112 through a route that avoids the object. The completion condition of Scenario 3 is to detect that the own vehicle position estimated by the own vehicle position estimation unit is within the induction driving mode start area 112, that is, the movement to the induction driving mode start area 112 is completed.

[0087] Here, when the induction line is composed of a code such as a two-dimensional code or a barcode, in the autonomous driving mode, the detection operation of the induction line by the induction line detection unit 16 is performed, and by using the obtained code information, it is possible to improve the driving accuracy of the autonomous driving mode.

[0088] As described above, the host vehicle position estimation unit 267 estimates the position of the host vehicle in the entire driving area based on the driving distance detected by the driving distance detection unit 233, the information on the direction of the host vehicle detected by the attitude detection unit 235, and the map information of the entire area recorded in the recording unit 220. Alternatively, the position of the host vehicle in the entire driving area is estimated based on the information on the distance and direction to the object measured by the object position detection unit 12 and the map information of the entire area recorded in the recording unit 220. However, there are detection errors in each of the detection units of the driving distance detection unit 233, the attitude detection unit 235, and the object position detection unit 12, and this detection error becomes an issue for improving the driving accuracy when driving in the autonomous driving mode.

[0089] Here, it is possible to detect the host vehicle position based on the code information obtained by performing the detection operation of the guidance line by the guidance line detection unit 16 and the map information including the arrangement positions of the respective codes recorded in the recording unit. The host vehicle position detected based on the code information of the guidance line is less affected by the above-described detection error, and the host vehicle position can be detected more accurately. Therefore, when driving in the autonomous driving mode while performing the detection operation of the guidance line and the code information is obtained from the guidance line by the guidance line detection unit 16, the information on the host vehicle position detected based on the code information is used for driving control. That is, instead of the estimated information on the host vehicle position based on the detection information of each of the detection units of the driving distance detection unit 233, the attitude detection unit 235, and the object position detection unit 12, the information on the host vehicle position detected based on the code information is used for driving control.

[0090] As described above, by using the information on the host vehicle position detected based on the code information obtained by the guidance line detection unit 16 for the driving control in the autonomous driving mode, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the driving control. In order to further improve the accuracy of the driving control in this autonomous driving mode, guidance lines composed of codes such as two-dimensional codes or barcodes can also be laid at predetermined intervals in the autonomous driving areas 121 and 122 where the autonomous driving mode is performed.

[0091] The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is obvious that those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field of the present disclosure can conceive of various modification examples or correction examples within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and these are also naturally understood to belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0092] The devices described in this specification may be realized as a single device, or may be realized by a plurality of devices (such as a cloud server) partially or entirely connected by 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 by a network. Also, in the transport system described in this specification, an example has been described in which the operator 3000, the operation management device 4000, and the input / output device 5000 are each composed of separate hardware connected via a network. However, part or all of the functions of the operator 3000, the operation management device 4000, and the input / output device 5000 may be implemented in the transport vehicle 10.

[0093] A series of processes by the devices described in this specification may be realized using any of software, hardware, and a combination of software and hardware. It is possible to create a computer program for realizing each function of the control unit 260 according to this embodiment and install it on a PC or the like. Also, a computer-readable recording medium storing such a computer program can be provided. The recording medium is, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a flash memory, or the like. Also, the above computer program may be distributed via a network, for example, without using a recording medium.

[0094] Also, the processes described using flowcharts in this specification do not necessarily have to be executed in the order shown in the figures. Some processing steps may be executed in parallel. Also, additional processing steps may be adopted, and some processing steps may be omitted.

[0095] Also, the effects described in this specification are illustrative or exemplary only and not limiting. That is, the technology according to the present disclosure may exhibit other effects that are apparent to those skilled in the art from the description of this specification, together with or instead of the above effects.

[0096] In addition, the following configurations also belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure. (Item 1) A conveyance system comprising: a guide line detection unit that detects a guide line laid on a travel path; a guided travel control unit that causes a carrier vehicle to travel along the guide line; a host vehicle position estimation unit that detects at least one of the travel distance of the carrier vehicle and the host vehicle position; and an autonomous travel control unit that causes the carrier vehicle to travel to a predetermined target position based on detection information by the host vehicle position estimation unit, wherein when the travel of the carrier vehicle is controlled by the autonomous travel control unit, and when the travel distance or the host vehicle position detected by the host vehicle position estimation unit falls within a preset range, a control switching unit that switches the control mode from the travel control by the autonomous travel control unit to the travel control by the guided travel control unit. (Item 2) When the travel distance or the host vehicle position detected by the host vehicle position estimation unit falls within a preset range, the carrier vehicle is caused to travel in a predetermined direction until the guide line detection unit detects the guide line. (Item 3) When the travel distance or the host vehicle position detected by the host vehicle position estimation unit falls within a preset range, the detection operation by the guide line detection unit is executed. (Item 4) The predetermined direction is set to a direction forming an angle of at least a first predetermined angle from the laying direction of the guide line within the preset range. (Item 5) The control switching unit switches the control mode from the travel control by the autonomous travel control unit to the travel control by the guided travel control unit when the travel distance or the host vehicle position detected by the host vehicle position estimation unit falls within a preset range and the guide line detection unit detects the guide line. (Item 6) When the travel distance or the vehicle position detected by the host vehicle position estimation unit is within a preset range and the guiding line is detected by the guiding line detection unit, the guiding travel control unit advances the host vehicle until the guiding line is positioned at the rotation center of the rotation operation of the host vehicle, and then rotates the host vehicle in a rotation direction in which the laying direction of the guiding line approaches parallel to the traveling direction of the host vehicle. (Item 7) When the travel distance or the vehicle position detected by the host vehicle position estimation unit is within a preset range and the guiding line is detected by the guiding line detection unit, the guiding travel control unit controls the travel of the host vehicle so that the guiding line is within the detection range of the guiding line detection unit. (Item 8) The guiding line detection unit acquires information regarding the relative angle between the traveling direction of the host vehicle on the traveling road plane and the laying direction of the guiding line. When the travel distance or the vehicle position detected by the host vehicle position estimation unit is within a preset range and the guiding line is detected by the guiding line detection unit, and when the relative angle is greater than a second predetermined angle, the guiding travel control unit advances the host vehicle until the guiding line is positioned at the rotation center of the rotation operation of the host vehicle, and then rotates the host vehicle in a direction in which the laying direction of the guiding line approaches parallel to the traveling direction of the host vehicle. When the travel distance or the vehicle position detected by the host vehicle position estimation unit is within a preset range and the guiding line is detected by the guiding line detection unit, and when the relative angle is smaller than the second predetermined angle, the guiding travel control unit controls the travel of the host vehicle so that the guiding line is within the detection range of the guiding line detection unit. (Item 9) The guiding line is composed of a plurality of codes including a two-dimensional code or a bar code. The guiding line detection unit includes a camera that acquires an image of the code, and a code information acquisition unit that acquires information on the laying angle of the guiding line and the direction in which the vehicle should travel based on the image information of the code included in the acquired image. (Item 10) It includes an input / output device through which the user can input at least one of the preset range and the predetermined direction. (Item 11) The guiding line is composed of a plurality of codes including a two-dimensional code or a bar code. When the autonomous driving control unit controls the carrier vehicle, the guiding line detection unit detects the guiding line, acquires the code information of the code, the own vehicle position estimation unit estimates the own vehicle position based on the acquired code information, and the autonomous driving control unit avoids the object based on the own vehicle position estimated based on the code information and drives the carrier vehicle. (Item 12) It includes a guiding line detection unit that detects a guiding line laid on a traveling path, a guiding travel control unit that drives a carrier vehicle along the guiding line, an own vehicle position estimation unit that detects at least one of the traveling distance and the own vehicle position of the carrier vehicle, and an autonomous driving control unit that drives the carrier vehicle to a predetermined target position based on the detection information by the own vehicle position estimation unit. The guiding line is composed of a plurality of codes including a two-dimensional code or a bar code. When the autonomous driving control unit controls the driving of the carrier vehicle, the guiding line detection unit detects the guiding line and acquires the code information of the code, the own vehicle position estimation unit detects the own vehicle position based on the acquired code information, and the autonomous driving control unit drives the carrier vehicle based on the own vehicle position detected based on the code information. (Item 13) A guiding line detection step of detecting a guiding line laid on a traveling path, a guiding travel control step of driving a carrier vehicle along the guiding line, and an own vehicle position estimation step of detecting at least one of the traveling distance and the own vehicle position of the carrier vehicle An autonomous driving control step of driving the carrier vehicle to a predetermined target position based on at least one of the traveling distance and the own vehicle position detected in the own vehicle position estimation step A control switching step of switching the control mode from the driving control by the autonomous driving control step to the driving control by the guiding travel control step when the carrier vehicle is controlled by the autonomous driving control step and the traveling distance or the own vehicle position detected in the own vehicle position estimation step is within a preset range. A carrier control method comprising the steps of: (Item 14) When the travel distance or the vehicle position detected in the vehicle position estimation step is within a preset range, further comprising a step of causing the carrier vehicle to travel in a predetermined direction until the guiding line is detected in the guiding line detection step. (Item 15) When the travel distance or the vehicle position detected in the vehicle position estimation step is within a preset range, execute the detection operation in the guiding line detection step. (Item 16) In the control switching step, when the travel distance or the vehicle position detected in the vehicle position estimation step is within a preset range and the guiding line is detected in the guiding line detection step, switch the control mode from the travel control by the autonomous driving control step to the travel control by the guiding travel control step. (Item 17) When the travel distance or the vehicle position detected in the vehicle position estimation step is within a preset range and the guiding line is detected in the guiding line detection step, in the guiding travel control step, advance the vehicle until the guiding line is located at the rotation center of the rotation operation of the vehicle, and then rotate the vehicle in the rotation direction in which the laying direction of the guiding line and the traveling direction of the vehicle approach parallel to each other. (Item 18) When the travel distance or the vehicle position detected in the vehicle position estimation step is within a preset range and the guiding line is detected in the guiding line detection step, in the guiding travel control step, control the travel of the vehicle so that the guiding line is within the detection range of the guiding line detection operation. (Item 19) The guiding line detection step further includes a step of obtaining information regarding the relative angle between the traveling direction of the host vehicle on the traveling road surface and the laying direction of the guiding line. When the traveling distance or the host vehicle position detected by the host vehicle position estimation step is within a preset range, and the guiding line is detected by the guiding line detection step, and when the relative angle is greater than a second predetermined angle, in the guided driving control step, the vehicle is advanced until the guiding line reaches the rotation center of the rotation operation of the host vehicle, and then the host vehicle is rotated in a direction in which the laying direction of the guiding line approaches parallel to the traveling direction of the host vehicle. When the traveling distance or the host vehicle position detected by the host vehicle position estimation step is within a preset range, and the guiding line is detected by the guiding line detection step, and when the relative angle is smaller than the second predetermined angle, in the guided driving control step, the traveling of the host vehicle is controlled so that the guiding line is within the detection range of the guiding line detection operation. (Item 20) The guiding line is composed of a plurality of codes including two-dimensional codes or barcodes. When controlling the carrier vehicle in the autonomous driving control step, the guiding line detection step detects the guiding line to obtain the code information of the code, and the host vehicle position estimation step estimates the host vehicle position based on the obtained code information. In the autonomous driving control step, the carrier vehicle is made to travel while avoiding the object based on the host vehicle position estimated based on the code information. (Item 21) An induction line detection step for detecting an induction line laid on a traveling path, an induction travel control step for causing a carrier vehicle to travel along the induction line, a self-vehicle position estimation step for detecting at least one of the travel distance of the carrier vehicle and the self-vehicle position, and a self-driving control step for causing the carrier vehicle to travel to a predetermined target position based on at least one of the travel distance and the self-vehicle position detected in the self-vehicle position estimation step. The induction line is composed of a plurality of codes including a two-dimensional code or a bar code, and further includes a step of detecting the self-vehicle position based on the code information obtained by detecting the induction line. In the self-driving control step, a conveyance control method for causing the carrier vehicle to travel based on the self-vehicle position detected based on the code information.

Explanation of symbols

[0097] 10 Carrier vehicle, 11 Connecting part, 12 Object position detection part, 13 Driving wheel, 14 Non-driving wheel, 16 Induction line detection part, 17 Magnetic sensor, 18 Rotation center, 110, 130, 140 Induction travel area, 111, 131, 141 Induction line, 112, 132, 142, 144 Induction travel mode start area, 113 Branch point, 114, 133, 143 Working area, 115, 134 Self-driving mode start area, 116 Magnetic marker, 121, 122 Self-driving area, 210 Communication part, 220 Recording part, 230 Detection part, 240 Input part, 250 Display part, 240 Control part, 280 Wheel drive part, 2000 Trolley, 2010 Connecting receiving part, 3000 Control machine, 4000 Operation management device, 5000 Input / output device, 6000 Communication network, 7000 External system

Claims

1. An induction line detection unit that detects an induction line laid on a travel path, An induction travel control unit that causes a carrier vehicle to travel along the induction line, A host vehicle position estimation unit that detects at least one of the travel distance of the carrier vehicle and the host vehicle position, and an autonomous travel control unit that causes the carrier vehicle to travel to a predetermined target position based on the detection information by the host vehicle position estimation unit, A control switching unit that switches a control mode between the travel control by the autonomous travel control unit and the travel control by the induction travel control unit when the travel of the carrier vehicle is controlled by the autonomous travel control unit and the travel distance or the host vehicle position detected by the host vehicle position estimation unit falls within a preset range, The induction line is composed of a plurality of codes including a two-dimensional code or a bar code, When the autonomous travel control unit controls the carrier vehicle, the induction line detection unit detects the induction line and acquires the code information of the code, and the host vehicle position estimation unit estimates the host vehicle position based on the acquired code information. A transport system.

2. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein during the travel control by the autonomous travel control unit, even when traveling on the induction line, the carrier vehicle passes over the induction line and autonomously travels the carrier vehicle to the predetermined target position.

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