Automated guided vehicle, method and system for controlling an automated guided vehicle, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium

Abstract

An automated guided vehicle (101) related to the technical field of smart devices is disclosed. The automated guided vehicle (101) includes a first receiver (1011) configured to receive a first signal of a first frequency transmitted by a first transmitter (1021) provided on a movable or immovable object, and a controller (1013) configured to control the travel of the automated guided vehicle (101) depending on whether the first receiver (1011) receives the first signal. To control the travel of the automated guided vehicle (101), the automated guided vehicle (101) can determine whether the automated guided vehicle (101) is within a safe travel range relative to a protected object (102) depending on whether the first receiver (1011) receives the signal, thereby preventing the automated guided vehicle (101) from colliding with the protected object (102), such as a person or device, during travel. A method and system for controlling the automated guided vehicle (101) are also disclosed.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is based on and claims priority from Chinese Patent Application No. 202010436900.6, filed on May 21, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of intelligent devices, and in particular to automated guided vehicles and methods and systems for controlling automated guided vehicles. [Background technology]

[0003] Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are highly automated and intelligent, and are therefore widely used in various application scenarios such as warehousing, manufacturing, logistics, and hazardous working environments.

[0004] A worker or other device may enter the working area of ​​the automated guided vehicle. The automated guided vehicle may collide with the worker or other device during its operation, which may result in injury or damage to the device. Therefore, it is an urgent issue to prevent the automated guided vehicle from colliding with a person or other device during its operation. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, an automated guided vehicle is provided, the automated guided vehicle having a first receiver configured to receive a first signal at a first frequency transmitted by a first transmitter provided on a movable or immovable object, and a controller configured to control operation of the automated guided vehicle according to whether the first receiver is receiving the first signal.

[0006] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to control the automated guided vehicle to stop or slow down when the first receiver is receiving the first signal, or to control the automated guided vehicle to operate normally when the first receiver is not receiving the first signal.

[0007] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to: when the first receiver is receiving the first signal, determine a distance between the first transmitter transmitting the first signal and the automated guided vehicle according to the strength of the received first signal; determine an acceleration at which the automated guided vehicle decelerates according to the distance between the first transmitter transmitting the first signal and the automated guided vehicle; and control the automated guided vehicle to decelerate according to the acceleration.

[0008] In some embodiments, the automated guided vehicle further comprises a second receiver configured to receive a second signal at a second frequency transmitted by a second transmitter provided on the movable or immovable object, wherein the first frequency is lower than the second frequency, and the first frequency is lower than the second frequency, and the controller is further configured to control operation of the automated guided vehicle according to whether the second receiver receives the second signal when the first receiver is not receiving the first signal.

[0009] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to control the automated guided vehicle to operate normally when the first receiver is not receiving the first signal and the second receiver is receiving the second signal.

[0010] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to control the automated guided vehicle to operate normally when the first receiver is not receiving the first signal and the second receiver is receiving a second signal transmitted by a second transmitter or forwarded by another automated guided vehicle.

[0011] According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for controlling an automated guided vehicle, the method including the steps of turning on a first receiver provided in the automated guided vehicle, the first receiver being configured to receive a first signal at a first frequency transmitted by a first transmitter provided in a movable or immovable object, and controlling operation of the automated guided vehicle according to whether the first receiver is receiving the first signal.

[0012] In some embodiments, controlling the operation of the automated guided vehicle includes controlling the automated guided vehicle to stop or slow down when the first receiver is receiving the first signal, or controlling the automated guided vehicle to operate normally when the first receiver is not receiving the first signal.

[0013] In some embodiments, the step of controlling the automated guided vehicle to decelerate includes the steps of: determining, when the first receiver is receiving the first signal, a distance between the automated guided vehicle and a first transmitter transmitting the first signal according to the strength of the received first signal; determining an acceleration at which the automated guided vehicle decelerates according to the distance between the first transmitter transmitting the first signal and the automated guided vehicle; and controlling the automated guided vehicle to decelerate according to the acceleration.

[0014] In some embodiments, the method further includes turning on a second receiver provided in the automated guided vehicle, the second receiver configured to receive a second signal at a second frequency transmitted by a second transmitter provided in the movable or immovable object, the first frequency being lower than the second frequency, and controlling operation of the automated guided vehicle includes controlling operation of the automated guided vehicle according to whether the second receiver receives the second signal when the first receiver is not receiving the first signal.

[0015] In some embodiments, controlling the operation of the automated guided vehicle includes controlling the automated guided vehicle to operate normally when the first receiver is not receiving the first signal and the second receiver is receiving the second signal.

[0016] In some embodiments, controlling the operation of the automated guided vehicle includes controlling the automated guided vehicle to operate normally when the first receiver is not receiving the first signal and the second receiver is receiving a second signal transmitted by a second transmitter or forwarded by another automated guided vehicle.

[0017] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program which, when executed by a processor, implements a method for controlling an automated guided vehicle as described in any one of the embodiments.

[0018] According to yet a further embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a system for controlling an automated guided vehicle, the system comprising: a first transmitter provided on a moving or immovable object configured to transmit a first signal at a first frequency; and one or more automated guided vehicles according to any one of the embodiments.

[0019] In some embodiments, the system further comprises a second transmitter provided on the movable or immovable object configured to transmit a second signal at a second frequency, wherein the first frequency is lower than the second frequency.

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are necessary to be used in describing the embodiments or related art, are briefly described below. The present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description proceeding with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] It is apparent that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and other drawings can also be derived by those skilled in the art without expending creative efforts. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a system for controlling an automated guided vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 shows a schematic diagram of an automated guided vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for controlling an automated guided vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure are clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution to prevent automated guided vehicles from colliding with objects, such as people or devices, during their operation.

[0025] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the automated guided vehicle is equipped with a signal receiver and the movable or immovable object to be protected is equipped with a signal transmitter to control the operation of the automated guided vehicle and thereby prevent the automated guided vehicle from colliding with a protected object such as a person or device during operation, and the automated guided vehicle can determine whether the automated guided vehicle is within a safe operating range relative to the protected object according to whether the receiver receives a signal.

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a system for controlling an automated guided vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1 , a system 100 for controlling automated guided vehicles in this embodiment includes one or more automated guided vehicles 101 equipped with signal receivers and a signal transmitter equipped on a protected object 102, such as a movable or immovable object. The signal transmitter includes, for example, a first transmitter 1021. When the automated guided vehicle enters the signal communication range of the first transmitter 1021, it indicates that the automated guided vehicle is close to the protected object equipped with the first transmitter 1021 and is within a dangerous operating range. The signal transmitter further includes, for example, a second transmitter 1022. When the automated guided vehicle has just entered the signal communication range of the second transmitter 1022, it indicates that the automated guided vehicle is far from the protected object equipped with the second transmitter 1022 and is currently within a safe operating range. The signal receiver used in combination with the first transmitter 1021 is designated as a first receiver 1011. The signal receiver used in combination with the second transmitter 1022 is designated as the second receiver 1012 .

[0028] The first transmitter 1021 may be, for example, a signal transmitter provided on an object to be protected, such as a movable object or an immovable object, and is configured to transmit a first signal at a first frequency. For example, the first transmitter 1021 may be provided on a movable object, such as a person or other movable device, or on an immovable object, such as an immovable facility. The first signal is a periodic signal transmitted by the first transmitter 1021, and the data content of the first signal may be, for example, ID (Identity Document) identification information of the first transmitter. The transmitting antenna of the first transmitter may be, for example, an omnidirectional antenna, in order to perform 360-degree protection operation on the object on which the first transmitter is provided.

[0029] When the first frequency is set, the safe braking distance of the automated guided vehicle is taken into consideration so that the transmission distance of the first signal is equal to or greater than the safe braking distance of the automated guided vehicle. In some embodiments, the first frequency is set so that the transmission distance of the first signal is slightly greater than the safe braking distance of the automated guided vehicle. Assuming that the safe braking distance of the automated guided vehicle is 5 meters, the first frequency for transmission is set so that the first signal can reach 5.2 meters to ensure sufficient response time for the automated guided vehicle.

[0030] The automated guided vehicle 101 is configured to receive the first signal transmitted by the first transmitter 1021 via the first receiver 1011, and to control the operation of the automated guided vehicle according to whether the first receiver 1011 receives the first signal. For example, when the receiver 1011 receives the first signal, which indicates that the automated guided vehicle 101 is close to the protected object equipped with the first transmitter 1021 and is in a dangerous operating range, the automated guided vehicle 101 is controlled to stop or slow down, and when the first receiver does not receive the first signal, which indicates that the automated guided vehicle is far from the protected object equipped with the first transmitter 1021 and is currently within a safe operating range, the automated guided vehicle 101 is controlled to operate normally.

[0031] In some embodiments, a method for controlling an automated guided vehicle 101 to decelerate includes, when a first receiver receives a first signal, first determining the distance between a first transmitter 1021 transmitting the first signal and the automated guided vehicle 101 according to the strength of the received first signal, then determining an acceleration at which the automated guided vehicle 101 decelerates according to the distance between the first transmitter 1021 transmitting the first signal and the automated guided vehicle 101, and then controlling the automated guided vehicle 101 to decelerate according to the determined acceleration.

[0032] The step of determining the distance between the first transmitter 1021 transmitting the first signal and the automated guided vehicle 101 according to the strength of the received first signal includes, for example, calculating the distance between the first transmitter 1021 (i.e., the movable or immovable object on which the first transmitter is equipped) and the automated guided vehicle 101 using a Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) method, for example, denoted as S. For example, the acceleration for decelerating the automated guided vehicle can be calculated using the following formula: a=V 2 / (2×(S-S1)) where a denotes the acceleration for the AGV to decelerate (this can also be referred to as the minimum acceleration, i.e., the AGV is allowed to decelerate at an acceleration equal to or greater than a), V is the current speed of the AGV, S is the distance calculated according to the strength of the received first signal, and S1 denotes a safety constant preset for tolerance, for example set to S1=0.5 m.

[0033] In some embodiments, for example, by setting a specific distance interval to correspond to one determined acceleration value, the AGV can decelerate at that acceleration, and can be controlled to stop until a specific distance is reached. For example, when the distance between the AGV and the protected object falls within the distance interval [8, 15), the acceleration value for decelerating the AGV corresponding to that distance interval is a=5 m / s 2 When the distance between the AGV and the protected object is within the distance interval [2, 8], the acceleration value for decelerating the AGV corresponding to that distance interval is a = 10 m / s 2 When the distance between the AGV and the protected object is within the distance interval [0,2), the AGV is controlled to stop. When the distance between the AGV and the protected object is 15 or more, the acceleration value for decelerating the AGV corresponding to that distance interval is a = 0 m / s 2 In other words, the automated guided vehicle is controlled to move normally at a constant speed.

[0034] The second transmitter 1022 may be, for example, a second transmitter provided on a movable or immovable object, and the second transmitter 1022 is configured to transmit a second signal at a second frequency. The second signal is a periodic signal transmitted by the second transmitter 1022, and the data content of the second signal is, for example, ID (Identity Document) identification information of the second transmitter. For example, the second transmitter 1022 may be provided on a movable object such as a person or other movable device, or on an immovable object such as a fixed installation.

[0035] The first frequency is lower than the second frequency, i.e., the second signal uses a higher frequency than the first signal, and therefore the transmission distance of the second signal can be longer. In a system for controlling an automated guided vehicle, the transmission distance of the first signal is related to a set danger distance, and when the automated guided vehicle receives the first signal, it indicates that the distance between the protected object and the automated guided vehicle is dangerous and the automated guided vehicle needs to be controlled to slow down or stop. The transmission distance of the second signal is related to a set safety distance, and when the automated guided vehicle receives the second signal, it indicates that the distance between the protected object and the automated guided vehicle is safe and the automated guided vehicle can be controlled to operate normally. The first signal (having a short transmission distance) is used to detect a danger distance for the operation of the automated guided vehicle, and the second signal (having a long transmission distance) is used to detect a safety distance for the operation of the automated guided vehicle, and by using the first signal and the second signal in combination to prevent the automated guided vehicle from colliding with a protected object such as a person or a device, the reliability of the entire system for safety control of the automated guided vehicle can be improved.

[0036] The automated guided vehicle 101 receives a second signal of a second frequency transmitted by the second transmitter 1022 via the second receiver 1012. When the first receiver 1011 is not receiving the first signal, the operation of the automated guided vehicle 101 is controlled according to whether the second receiver 1012 is receiving the second signal. For example, when the first receiver 1011 is not receiving the first signal and the second receiver 1012 is receiving the second signal, this indicates that the automated guided vehicle is far from the protected object equipped with the second transmitter 1022 and is currently within a safe operating range, and the automated guided vehicle 101 can be controlled to operate normally.

[0037] Receiving the second signal by the second receiver 1012 includes the second receiver 1012 receiving the second signal directly transmitted by the second transmitter 1022. When the distance between the automated guided vehicle 101 and the protected object 102 equipped with the second transmitter 1022 exceeds the maximum distance that can be transmitted by the second signal, the second receiver 1012 of the automated guided vehicle 101 can also determine that the automated guided vehicle is within a safe operating range by receiving a second signal transmitted by another automated guided vehicle 101; if the automated guided vehicle 101 can receive the second signal transmitted by another automated guided vehicle 101, it indicates that the automated guided vehicle 101 is far from the protected object equipped with the second transmitter 1022 and is currently within the safe operating range, and the automated guided vehicle 101 can be controlled to operate normally. To ensure that the second signal can cover as many AGVs as possible, the AGV can not only receive the second signal directly transmitted by the second transmitter, but also receive the second signal forwarded by other AGVs. If the AGV receives the second signal, it indicates that the AGV is far from the protected object equipped with the second transmitter, is currently within the safe operating range, and can be controlled to operate normally, thereby ensuring that the AGV is prevented from colliding with the protected object, such as a person or a device.

[0038] In some embodiments, each protected object may be equipped with multiple first transmitters or multiple second transmitters. Within a certain distance range, any transmitter (first transmitter or second transmitter) on each movable or immovable object can independently transmit a signal to any receiver (first receiver or second receiver) on any automated guided vehicle, and the receiver on each automated guided vehicle can receive the signal transmitted by any transmitter equipped on the movable or immovable object, which improves the reliability of the entire system regarding the safety control of the automated guided vehicles.

[0039] In some embodiments, a detection circuit is added to the first transmitter, and its output port is connected to the enable port of the second transmitter. That is, if the first transmitter cannot transmit the first signal, the second signal cannot be transmitted either. This prevents the automatic guided vehicle from being controlled to operate normally due to an incorrect determination of the automatic guided vehicle caused by a failure of the first transmitter, thereby preventing the automatic guided vehicle from colliding with other objects and ensuring the safe operation of the automatic guided vehicle.

[0040] 2 shows a schematic diagram of an automated guided vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Some exemplary embodiments of an automated guided vehicle 101 are described below in conjunction with FIG.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 2 , the automated guided vehicle 101 of this embodiment includes a signal receiver. The signal receiver includes, for example, a first receiver 1011 and a controller 1013, and may also include a second receiver 1012, where the two receivers can receive signals of different frequencies (or different transmission distances). The number of first receivers 1011 can be set to one or more, or the number of second receivers 1012 can be set to one or more. Within a certain distance range, any first receiver 1011 can receive a signal transmitted by a first transmitter, and any second receiver 1012 can receive a signal transmitted by a second transmitter. Providing two or more signal receivers improves the reliability of the entire system regarding safety control of the automated guided vehicle.

[0042] The first receiver 1011 is configured to receive a first signal at a first frequency transmitted by a first transmitter (e.g., the first transmitter 1021 shown in FIG. 1) provided on a movable or immovable object. The controller 1013 is configured to control the operation of the automated guided vehicle 101 according to whether the first receiver 1011 receives the first signal.

[0043] In some embodiments, the controller 1013 is configured to control the automated guided vehicle 101 to stop or slow down when the first receiver 1011 is receiving the first signal, and to control the automated guided vehicle 101 to operate normally when the first receiver 1011 is not receiving the first signal.

[0044] The step of controlling the automated guided vehicle 101 to decelerate includes, when the first receiver 1011 is receiving the first signal, first determining the distance between the first transmitter transmitting the first signal and the automated guided vehicle 101 according to the strength of the received first signal, for example, by referring to the above-mentioned method for determining the distance between the first transmitter and the automated guided vehicle; then determining the acceleration by which the automated guided vehicle 101 will decelerate according to the distance between the first transmitter transmitting the first signal and the automated guided vehicle 101, for example, by referring to the above-mentioned method for determining the acceleration by which the automated guided vehicle will decelerate; and finally controlling the automated guided vehicle 101 to decelerate according to that acceleration.

[0045] In some embodiments, the second receiver 1012 is configured to receive a second signal at a second frequency transmitted by a second transmitter (e.g., the second transmitter 1022 shown in FIG. 1 ) provided on the moving or immovable object, where the first frequency is lower than the second frequency. The first signal (having a short transmission distance) is used to detect a danger distance for the operation of the automated guided vehicle, and the second signal (having a long transmission distance) is used to detect a safety distance for the operation of the automated guided vehicle. By using the first signal and the second signal in combination, the reliability of the entire system related to the safety control of the automated guided vehicle can be improved, thereby ensuring that the automated guided vehicle is prevented from colliding with protected objects such as people or devices.

[0046] In some embodiments, after the second receiver 1012 of any automated guided vehicle 101 receives the second signal transmitted by the second transmitter 1022, the automated guided vehicle 101 can forward the second signal received by its own second receiver 1012 to other automated guided vehicles, for example, by broadcasting.

[0047] In this case, the controller 1013 is configured to control the operation of the automated guided vehicle 101 according to whether the second receiver 1012 receives the second signal when the first receiver 1011 does not receive the first signal. In some embodiments, the controller 1013 is configured to control the automated guided vehicle 101 to operate normally when the second receiver 1012 receives the second signal when the first receiver 1011 does not receive the first signal. Receiving the second signal by the second receiver 1012 includes receiving a second signal transmitted by a second transmitter by the second receiver 1012 or receiving a second signal forwarded by another automated guided vehicle 101 when the first receiver 1011 does not receive the first signal.

[0048] FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for controlling an automated guided vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 3, the method for this embodiment includes steps 301 to 304.

[0050] In step 301, a first receiver provided on the automated guided vehicle is turned on, and the first receiver is configured to receive a first signal at a first frequency transmitted by a first transmitter provided on a movable or immovable object.

[0051] For example, the first receiver provided in each automated guided vehicle can be turned on by an operator controlling the console commands of all the automated guided vehicles. A plurality of first receivers can be provided so that any one of the first receivers in each automated guided vehicle can receive the first signal transmitted by the first transmitter, thereby improving the reliability of the entire system regarding the safety control of the automated guided vehicles and ensuring the reliability of the entire system.

[0052] In step 302, operation of the automated guided vehicle is controlled according to whether the first receiver receives the first signal.

[0053] The step of controlling the operation of the automated guided vehicle includes a step of controlling the automated guided vehicle to stop or decelerate when the first receiver is receiving the first signal, and a step of controlling the automated guided vehicle to operate normally when the first receiver is not receiving the first signal.

[0054] The step of controlling the automated guided vehicle to decelerate includes, when the first receiver is receiving the first signal, first determining the distance between the first transmitter transmitting the first signal and the automated guided vehicle according to the strength of the received first signal, for example, by referring to the above-mentioned method for determining the distance between the first transmitter and the automated guided vehicle; then determining the acceleration at which the automated guided vehicle will decelerate according to the distance between the first transmitter transmitting the first signal and the automated guided vehicle, for example, by referring to the above-mentioned method for determining the acceleration at which the automated guided vehicle will decelerate; and finally controlling the automated guided vehicle to decelerate according to the acceleration.

[0055] In some embodiments, if the second receiver is provided in an automated guided vehicle, the method further includes steps 303 and 304 .

[0056] The second receivers may be multiple so that any second receiver in each automated guided vehicle can receive the second signal transmitted by the second transmitter, thereby improving the reliability of the entire system regarding safety control of the automated guided vehicles and ensuring the reliability of the entire system.

[0057] In step 303, a second receiver included in the automated guided vehicle is turned on, the second receiver being configured to receive a second signal at a second frequency transmitted by a second transmitter included in the movable or immovable object, the first frequency being lower than the second frequency.

[0058] In step 304, when the first receiver is not receiving the first signal, operation of the automated guided vehicle is controlled according to whether the second receiver is receiving the second signal.

[0059] The step of controlling the operation of the automated guided vehicle includes a step of controlling the automated guided vehicle to operate normally when the second receiver receives the second signal in a state where the first receiver does not receive the first signal, wherein receiving the second signal by the second receiver includes receiving by the second receiver a second signal transmitted by a second transmitter or receiving by the second receiver a second signal transferred by another automated guided vehicle.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the automated guided vehicle is equipped with a first receiver, and the operation of the automated guided vehicle can be controlled according to a first signal received by the first receiver, and the transmission distance of the first signal is related to a set danger distance, and when the automated guided vehicle receives the first signal, it indicates that the distance between the protected object and the automated guided vehicle is dangerous, and the automated guided vehicle needs to be controlled to slow down or stop so that the automated guided vehicle can travel safely, and safe travel can be achieved at a relatively low cost by one group of signal receiver and signal transmitter. Alternatively, the automated guided vehicle may include a first receiver and a second receiver, and the operation of the automated guided vehicle may be controlled according to a first signal and a second signal received by the first receiver and the second receiver, respectively, where the first signal (having a short transmission distance) is used to detect a danger distance for the operation of the automated guided vehicle, and the second signal (having a long transmission distance) is used to detect a safety distance for the operation of the automated guided vehicle. By using the first signal and the second signal in combination, the reliability of the entire system related to the safety control of the automated guided vehicle may be improved, thereby ensuring that the automated guided vehicle is prevented from colliding with a protected object such as a person or a device. In addition, the automated guided vehicle may include multiple first receivers or multiple second receivers so that any first receiver or any second receiver in each automated guided vehicle can receive a signal transmitted by the corresponding first transmitter or second transmitter, thereby improving the reliability of the entire system related to the safety control of the automated guided vehicle.

[0061] It should be understood by those skilled in the art that embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided as a method, a system, or a computer program product. Accordingly, the present disclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk memory, CD-ROM, optical memory, etc.) having computer program code therein.

[0062] The present disclosure will be described with reference to flow diagrams and / or block diagrams of methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that each flow and / or block of the flow diagrams and / or block diagrams, and combinations of flows and / or blocks of the flow diagrams and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to create a machine, such that the instructions, executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device, create means for performing the functions specified in one or more flows of the flow diagrams and / or one or more blocks of the block diagrams.

[0063] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement the functions specified in one or more flows of the flow diagrams and / or one or more blocks of the block diagrams.

[0064] These computer program instructions can also be loaded into a computer or other programmable data processing device such that a series of operational steps are executed on a computer or other programmable device to generate a computer-implemented process, and thus the instructions executing on the computer or other programmable device provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more flows of the flow diagrams and / or in one or more blocks of the block diagrams.

[0065] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure and is not used to limit the present disclosure, and any modification, equivalent, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure should be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 100 system, 101 automated guided vehicle, 102 object, 1011 first receiver, 1012 second receiver, 1013 controller, 1021 first transmitter, 1022 second transmitter

Claims

1. An automated guided vehicle, a first receiver configured to receive a first signal at a first frequency transmitted by a first transmitter provided on a movable or immovable object, the first signal being used to detect a critical distance for operation of the automated guided vehicle; a second receiver configured to receive a second signal of a second frequency transmitted by a second transmitter provided on the movable object or the immovable object, wherein the transmission distance of the second signal is longer than the transmission distance of the first signal, and the second signal is used to detect a safety distance for operation of the automated guided vehicle; and a controller configured to control operation of the automated guided vehicle according to whether the first receiver receives the first signal, to prevent the automated guided vehicle from colliding with the movable object or the immovable object equipped with the first transmitter; Equipped with the controller is further configured to control the operation of the automated guided vehicle according to whether the second receiver receives the second signal when the first receiver does not receive the first signal. Automated guided vehicle.

2. The controller controlling the automated guided vehicle to stop or slow down while the first receiver is receiving the first signal; or controlling the automated guided vehicle to operate normally when the first receiver does not receive the first signal; The automated guided vehicle according to claim 1 , configured as follows:

3. The controller determining a distance between the first transmitter transmitting the first signal and the automated guided vehicle according to the strength of the received first signal while the first receiver is receiving the first signal; determining an acceleration for decelerating the automated guided vehicle according to the distance between the first transmitter that transmits the first signal and the automated guided vehicle; controlling the automated guided vehicle to decelerate in accordance with the acceleration; The automated guided vehicle according to claim 2 , configured as follows:

4. The controller controlling the automated guided vehicle to operate normally when the second receiver receives the second signal while the first receiver does not receive the first signal; The automated guided vehicle according to claim 1 , configured as follows:

5. The controller controlling the automated guided vehicle to operate normally when the second receiver receives the second signal transmitted by the second transmitter or forwarded by another automated guided vehicle in a state where the first receiver does not receive the first signal; The automated guided vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the automated guided vehicle is configured as follows:

6. 1. A method for controlling an automated guided vehicle, comprising: turning on a first receiver provided in the automated guided vehicle, the first receiver being configured to receive a first signal at a first frequency transmitted by a first transmitter provided in a movable or immovable object, the first signal being used to detect a critical distance for operation of the automated guided vehicle; turning on a second receiver provided in the automated guided vehicle, the second receiver being configured to receive a second signal of a second frequency transmitted by a second transmitter provided in the movable object or the immovable object, the transmission distance of the second signal being longer than the transmission distance of the first signal, and the second signal being used to detect a safety distance for operation of the automated guided vehicle; controlling operation of the automated guided vehicle according to whether the first receiver receives the first signal to prevent the automated guided vehicle from colliding with the movable object or the immovable object equipped with the first transmitter; Including, the step of controlling the operation of the automated guided vehicle includes a step of controlling the operation of the automated guided vehicle according to whether the second receiver receives the second signal in a state where the first receiver does not receive the first signal. method.

7. The step of controlling the operation of the automated guided vehicle includes: controlling the automated guided vehicle to stop or slow down while the first receiver is receiving the first signal; or controlling the automated guided vehicle to operate normally when the first receiver is not receiving the first signal; The method of claim 6, comprising:

8. The step of controlling the automated guided vehicle to decelerate includes: determining a distance between the first transmitter transmitting the first signal and the automated guided vehicle according to the strength of the received first signal while the first receiver is receiving the first signal; determining an acceleration rate for decelerating the automated guided vehicle according to the distance between the first transmitter transmitting the first signal and the automated guided vehicle; controlling the automated guided vehicle to decelerate in accordance with the acceleration; The method of claim 7, comprising:

9. The step of controlling the operation of the automated guided vehicle includes:

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising controlling the automated guided vehicle to operate normally when the first receiver is not receiving the first signal and the second receiver is receiving the second signal.

10. The step of controlling the operation of the automated guided vehicle includes:

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising controlling the automated guided vehicle to operate normally when the first receiver is not receiving the first signal and the second receiver is receiving the second signal transmitted by the second transmitter or forwarded by another automated guided vehicle.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program which, when executed by a processor, implements the method for controlling an automated guided vehicle according to any one of claims 6 to 10.

12. a first transmitter mounted on the moving or stationary object, the first transmitter configured to transmit a first signal at a first frequency; One or more automated guided vehicles according to any one of claims 1 to 5; A system for controlling an automated guided vehicle, comprising:

13. a second transmitter provided on the movable object or the immovable object, configured to transmit a second signal at a second frequency, the second signal having a longer transmission distance than the first signal; 13. A system for controlling an automated guided vehicle according to claim 12.

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