Goods transport equipment

Abstract

To improve the conveyance efficiency of an article conveyance facility as a whole.SOLUTION: When a conveyance vehicle 1 passes through a merging point Ij after passing through a branch point Id and is about to pass through a branching-merging area Z, an area control device causes the conveyance vehicle 1 to occupy a target point closest to the branch point Id on a scheduled traveling route Rf and a point closest to the branch point Id on a non-scheduled traveling route Rn, out of an occupying target point P and an auxiliary occupying target point Ps.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an article transport facility that includes a transport vehicle that transports articles, a travel route along which the transport vehicle travels, and an area control device that controls the transport vehicle in a predetermined branching and merging area. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of such an article transport facility is disclosed as a transport vehicle system in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-313463 (Patent Document 1). References in parentheses in the following description of the background art refer to those in Patent Document 1.

[0003] In the system disclosed in Patent Document 1, lock points are set at intersections where the travel routes of the transport vehicle (5) intersect, and the zone where such a lock point is set (hereinafter referred to as the "intersection zone") is used as a unit to determine whether or not the transport vehicle (5) is allowed to pass through the lock point.

[0004] Before entering an intersection zone where a lock point is provided, a guided vehicle (5) issues a blocking request to the zone controller (11) to exclude other guided vehicles (5) from entering the intersection zone. If the zone controller (11) is to allow the guided vehicle (5) that issued the blocking request to pass through the intersection zone, it issues a blocking permission and excludes other guided vehicles (5). This configuration makes it possible to avoid interference between guided vehicles (5) in the intersection zone. After the guided vehicle (5) has passed through, the zone controller (11) releases the blocking in the intersection zone, making it ready to accept other guided vehicles (5). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-313463 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] As described above, in the intersection zone, multiple guided vehicles (5) compete with each other for the zone. Only the guided vehicle (5) that occupies the zone is allowed to pass, and the passage of other guided vehicles (5) is restricted. In this way, in the intersection zone, the guided vehicle (5) is subject to restrictions arising from its relationship with other guided vehicles (5). However, if the restrictions are too great, the travel of the guided vehicle (5) may be hindered more than necessary, which may ultimately reduce the transport efficiency of the entire facility.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, it is desirable to improve the conveying efficiency of the article conveying equipment as a whole. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] a transport vehicle for transporting an article; a travel route along which the transport vehicle travels; an area control device that controls the transport vehicles in a predetermined branching and merging area including a branching point where the travel paths branch off and a merging point where the travel paths merge, an occupation target point that is to be occupied by the transport vehicle is provided at least downstream of the junction; an auxiliary occupation target point that is to be auxiliary occupied by the transport vehicle is provided between the branch point and the junction point on the travel route; When the transport vehicle passes through the junction point and attempts to pass through the junction / merging area after passing through the junction point, the area control device causes the transport vehicle to occupy, among the occupied target points and the auxiliary occupied target points, the target point that branches off from the junction point and is closest to the junction point on the planned driving path that the transport vehicle is intended to travel on after passing the junction point, and the target point that is closest to the junction point on a non-planned driving path that branches off from the junction point on a side different from the planned driving path.

[0009] According to this configuration, the area control device causes a guided vehicle attempting to pass through the junction / merging area to occupy the target occupation point or the auxiliary occupation point closest to the junction point on each of the planned travel path and the non-planned travel path that branch off from the junction point. This reduces the zone occupied by the guided vehicle in the junction / merging area, making it easier to secure a zone that can be occupied by another guided vehicle when that other guided vehicle attempts to pass through the junction / merging area. Therefore, it is easier to achieve simultaneous passage of multiple guided vehicles through the junction / merging area. As described above, this configuration increases the degree of freedom of travel for guided vehicles in the zone where travel paths intersect, thereby improving the conveying efficiency of the entire item conveying facility.

[0010] Further features and advantages of the techniques according to the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, which proceeds with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] Plan view of the goods transport facility [Figure 2] Control Block Diagram [Figure 3] An explanatory diagram showing the occupation and release of occupation of an occupation target point [Figure 4] FIG. 1 shows a comparative example [Figure 5] A diagram showing a competition for an occupied target point or an auxiliary occupied target point by multiple transport vehicles. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the timing of occupation and release of an occupation target point or an auxiliary occupation target point by a transport vehicle. [Figure 7] A diagram showing a case where a transport vehicle stops at a target auxiliary occupation point. [Figure 8] A diagram showing the timing of releasing the occupation of a point subject to auxiliary occupation [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a layout of a travel route in another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an article transport facility will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the item conveying equipment 100 includes a transport vehicle 1 that transports items, a travel route R along which the transport vehicle 1 travels, and an area control device Cz that controls the transport vehicle 1 in a predetermined branching and merging area Z (see Figure 5) that includes a branching point Id where the travel route R branches off and a merging point Ij where the travel route R merges.

[0014] Although detailed illustration is omitted, in this embodiment, the travel route R is divided into multiple control areas. The article transport equipment 100 is equipped with a zone control device Cz corresponding to the number of control areas. In this embodiment, each zone control device Cz is configured to control the transport vehicle 1 in the control area that it is responsible for. The zone control device Cz may be responsible for one or more control areas. For example, one zone control device Cz may be configured to control the transport vehicle 1 in multiple control areas.

[0015] In this embodiment, the article transport facility 100 includes a host controller Ct. The host controller Ct is configured to control a plurality of area controllers Cz. The transport vehicle 1, the plurality of area controllers Cz, and the host controller Ct are configured to be able to communicate with each other.

[0016] In this embodiment, the article transport facility 100 includes a plurality of transport vehicles 1. Each of the plurality of transport vehicles 1 is configured to perform its own task based on a transport command given from a host control device Ct. In this example, the transport vehicles 1 are configured as ceiling transport vehicles that travel near the ceiling. However, the transport vehicles 1 may also be configured as floor transport vehicles that travel along the floor surface, for example.

[0017] Various items are handled by item transport equipment 100. For example, when item transport equipment 100 is used in a semiconductor manufacturing factory, the items include wafer containers (so-called FOUPs: Front Opening Unified Pods) that store wafers and reticle containers (so-called reticle pods) that store reticles. In this case, transport vehicle 1 transports items such as wafer containers and reticle containers along travel path R between each process.

[0018] The host control device Ct and the zone control device Cz each include, for example, a processor such as a microcomputer, peripheral circuits such as memory, etc. Each process or function is realized by cooperation between this hardware and a program executed on the processor of a computer, etc. The article transport facility 100 includes a control system that includes at least the host control device Ct and the zone control device Cz. This control system may include other control devices in addition to the host control device Ct and the zone control device Cz. The host control device Ct and the zone control device Cz may also be software that is realized using the same hardware.

[0019] The host controller Ct is configured to control a plurality of transport vehicles 1 and a plurality of area controllers Cz. For example, the host controller Ct is configured to issue a transport command to each transport vehicle 1 specifying the origin and destination of an article. The host controller Ct is configured to be able to communicate with each transport vehicle 1, and is able to grasp the current position of the transport vehicle 1 by receiving current position information of the transport vehicle 1 from the transport vehicle 1. The host controller Ct is also configured to be able to communicate with each area controller Cz, and is able to grasp the status of each control area by receiving status reports (reports on traffic conditions, etc.) regarding each control area from each area controller Cz.

[0020] Each area control device Cz is configured to control the guided vehicles 1 traveling in the control area that it is responsible for. The control of the guided vehicles 1 by the area control device Cz is performed as follows.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, occupation target points P that are targets for occupation by the guided vehicle 1 are provided at various locations on the travel route R. FIG. 3 illustrates one occupation target point P. The area control device Cz is configured to control each guided vehicle 1 by selectively causing each guided vehicle 1 to occupy the occupation target point P. In this embodiment, a position information holder 2 that holds position information of the occupation target point P is installed at the occupation target point P. The guided vehicle 1 is configured to be able to read the position information holder 2 of the occupation target point P. The guided vehicle 1 is equipped with a reading device that reads the position information holder 2, and is able to determine its own current position by reading the position information from the position information holder 2. Examples of the position information holder 2 include a one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code, and a wireless tag.

[0022] As shown in Figures 3(a) and (b), the area control device Cz causes the transport vehicle 1 to occupy the occupation target point P in response to a request from the transport vehicle 1. Information that the occupation target point P is occupied is sent from the area control device Cz to the transport vehicle 1. The transport vehicle 1 that receives this information is able to pass through the occupation target point P that it occupies. On the other hand, in principle, other transport vehicles 1 other than the transport vehicle 1 occupying the occupation target point P cannot occupy the occupation target point P. Therefore, other transport vehicles 1 cannot pass through the occupation target point P.

[0023] 3(c), in this embodiment, the area control device Cz releases the occupation of the occupation target point P by the transport vehicle 1 in response to a request from the transport vehicle 1. In this example, after the transport vehicle 1 passes through the occupation target point P that it has occupied, the transport vehicle 1 requests the area control device Cz to release the occupation of the occupation target point P.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3(d), when the area control device Cz receives a request from the transport vehicle 1 to release the occupation of the occupation target point P, it releases the occupation of the occupation target point P. This makes the area control device Cz able to accept another transport vehicle 1 at the occupation target point P. After releasing the occupation of the occupation target point P at the request of the transport vehicle 1, the area control device Cz notifies the transport vehicle 1 that the occupation of the occupation target point P has been released.

[0025] In this way, the area control device Cz allows the guided vehicles 1 to occupy the occupation target point P and excludes other guided vehicles 1 from occupying the occupation target point P, thereby allowing the multiple guided vehicles 1 to travel without interfering with each other in the branching and merging area Z (see FIG. 5) of the control area that it is responsible for. Details will be described later.

[0026] Here, the control issues in the branching and merging area Z will be described with reference to a comparative example in FIG.

[0027] 4 shows an example of the layout of a travel route R in a branching and merging area Z. The branching and merging area Z is an area that includes a branch point Id where the travel route R branches off and a merging point Ij where the travel route R merges.

[0028] The branching and merging region Z is provided with a first path R1 and a second path R2 that extend without intersecting each other, a first connecting path Rc1 that connects the first path R1 and the second path R2, and a second connecting path Rc2 that connects the first path R1 and the second path R2 at a location different from the first connecting path Rc1.

[0029] The travel direction of the guided vehicle 1 on the first route R1 and the travel direction of the guided vehicle 1 on the second route R2 are set to be opposite to each other.

[0030] The first connecting path Rc1 branches off from the first path R1 at a first branch point Id1 (branch point Id), and merges with the second path R2 at a second merging point Ij2 (merging point Ij).

[0031] The second connecting path Rc2 branches off from the second path R2 at a second branch point Id2 (branch point Id), and merges with the first path R1 at a first merging point Ij1 (merging point Ij).

[0032] At least downstream of the junction Ij, there is provided an occupation target point P that is to be occupied by the guided vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the occupation target point P is provided upstream of the branch point Id and downstream of the junction Ij. In the example shown in FIG. 4, there are occupation target points P provided upstream of the first branch point Id1, downstream of the first junction Ij1, upstream of the second branch point Id2, and downstream of the second junction Ij2. Note that "upstream" and "downstream" are defined based on the traveling direction of the guided vehicle 1.

[0033] 4 illustrates an example in which transport vehicles A, B, and C are transport vehicles 1 traveling through a junction area Z. In FIG.

[0034] When the transport vehicle A is heading from the first route R1 to the second route R2 via the first connecting route Rc1, the transport vehicle A requests the area control device Cz to occupy the occupation target point P located downstream of the second merging point Ij2 where the first connecting route Rc1 and the second route R2 merge. This is an occupation required for the transport vehicle A to travel along the planned travel route Rf along which the transport vehicle A intends to travel.

[0035] In addition, the guided vehicle A requests the area control device Cz to occupy an occupation target point P that the guided vehicle A will pass through if it travels straight on the first route R1, that is, in this example, the occupation target point P located downstream of the first junction point Ij1. This allows the following guided vehicle B, which is traveling straight on the first route R1, to be stopped at least at the occupation target point P located upstream of the first branch point Id1. In other words, since the following guided vehicle B's next destination is uncertain due to the occupation of the occupation target point P by the preceding guided vehicle A, the guided vehicle B is unable to proceed and stops. This configuration makes it possible to avoid a rear-end collision of the following guided vehicle B, which is traveling straight on the first route R1, with the preceding guided vehicle A on the first route R1 or the first connecting route Rc1.

[0036] In this way, when multiple transport vehicles A and B are traveling on the first route R1, in order to avoid a rear-end collision with the following transport vehicle B, the leading transport vehicle A occupies not only the occupancy target point P on the planned driving route Rf along which it intends to travel, but also the occupancy target point P on the non-planned driving route Rn that branches off to a different side from the planned driving route Rf.

[0037] In the above case, the occupation target point P located downstream of the first merging point Ij1 occupied by the guided vehicle A is also the occupation target point P that the guided vehicle C intending to travel from the second route R2 to the first route R1 via the second connecting route Rc2 must occupy in order to travel. However, because this occupation target point P is occupied by the guided vehicle A, the guided vehicle C cannot proceed and is stopped. In this way, even though the guided vehicle A intending to travel along the first connecting route Rc1 and the guided vehicle C intending to travel along the second connecting route Rc2 are unlikely to interfere with each other, the occupation of the occupation target point P by one of the guided vehicles 1 (guided vehicle A in the example of FIG. 4) prevents the other guided vehicle 1 (guided vehicle C in the example of FIG. 4) from traveling. This is the challenge of control in the diverging and merging area Z.

[0038] 5 shows an example of the layout of the travel route R in the junction area Z in the article conveying facility 100 according to the present disclosure. The layout of the travel route R is the same as that shown in FIG.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 5, auxiliary occupation target points Ps that are targets for auxiliary occupation by the guided vehicle 1 are provided between the branch point Id and the junction Ij on the travel route R. In this example, at least one auxiliary occupation target point Ps is provided between the first branch point Id1 and the first junction Ij1 on the first route R1. Furthermore, at least one auxiliary occupation target point Ps is provided between the second branch point Id2 and the second junction Ij2 on the second route R2. A plurality of auxiliary occupation target points Ps may be provided on each of the first route R1 and the second route R2. The occupation target point P and the auxiliary occupation target points Ps are target points that are targets for occupation by the guided vehicle 1. In other words, the target points include the occupation target point P and the auxiliary occupation target points Ps. The occupation target point P is a point that is a target for occupation by the guided vehicle 1, and the auxiliary occupation target point Ps is a point that is a target for auxiliary occupation by the guided vehicle 1.

[0040] When the transport vehicle 1 passes through the junction point Id and then passes through the junction point Ij to pass through the junction / merging area Z, the area control device Cz causes the transport vehicle 1 to occupy, among the occupation target points P and auxiliary occupation target points Ps, the target point closest to the junction point Id that is on the planned driving path Rf that branches off from the junction point Id and along which the transport vehicle 1 is to travel after passing through the junction point Id, and the target point closest to the junction point Id that is on the non-planned driving path Rn that branches off from the junction point Id to a side different from the planned driving path Rf.

[0041] In the example shown in FIG. 5, the area control device Cz causes the transport vehicle A to occupy both the occupation target point P on the planned travel route Rfa of the transport vehicle A (the planned travel route Rf for the transport vehicle A) and the auxiliary occupation target point Ps on the non-planned travel route Rna of the transport vehicle A (the non-planned travel route Rna for the transport vehicle A). This makes it possible to stop the following transport vehicle B to avoid a rear-end collision with the transport vehicle A, and also makes it possible to make the occupation target point P downstream of the first merging point Ij1 unoccupied for the transport vehicle C that is heading from the second route R2 to the first route R1 via the second connecting route Rc2. Therefore, the transport vehicle C can occupy the occupation target point P on its own planned travel route Rfc (the planned travel route Rf for the transport vehicle C) without being affected by the occupation of the occupation target point P by the transport vehicle A. That is, with this configuration, the zone occupied by the transport vehicle 1 in the junction / merging area Z can be made smaller, and when another transport vehicle 1 attempts to pass through the junction / merging area Z, it is easy to secure a zone that the other transport vehicle 1 can occupy. Therefore, it is easy to realize simultaneous passage of multiple transport vehicles 1 through the junction / merging area Z.

[0042] In this embodiment, the auxiliary occupation target point Ps is set as information indicating the position of the auxiliary occupation target point Ps. In this example, the auxiliary occupation target point Ps does not exist in reality, but is an element that exists only on map data. Compared to the occupation target point P, which has restrictions on its location due to the environment of the travel route R, the auxiliary occupation target point Ps, which is set simply as information, has fewer restrictions on its location. Therefore, using the auxiliary occupation target point P, which has fewer restrictions on its location, can easily contribute to reducing the zone occupied by the guided vehicle 1 in the junction / merging area Z.

[0043] The guided vehicle 1 stores map data of the travel route R in advance, or receives the map data from the higher-level control device Ct or the area control device Cz. Therefore, the guided vehicle 1 can grasp the position of each auxiliary occupation target point Ps set on the travel route R. For example, the guided vehicle 1 is configured to detect its relative position to the auxiliary occupation target point Ps based on its own travel distance from a known position when the position information holder 2 of a specific occupation target point P is read, or based on its own current position identified using a GPS (Global Positioning System) or a beacon. In other words, the guided vehicle 1 is configured to be able to recognize the auxiliary occupation target point Ps based on its own current position.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 6 , in this embodiment, when auxiliary occupation target points Ps and occupation target points P exist on the planned travel route Rf, the guided vehicle 1 requests the area control device Cz to occupy the auxiliary occupation target points Ps and occupation target points P at different times in the order in which the guided vehicle 1 passes through, and also requests the area control device Cz to release the occupation of the auxiliary occupation target points Ps and occupation target points P at different times in the order in which the guided vehicle 1 passed through. In this embodiment, every time the guided vehicle 1 passes an auxiliary occupation target point Ps or an occupation target point P, the guided vehicle 1 requests the area control device Cz to release the occupation of the auxiliary occupation target point Ps or occupation target point P that the guided vehicle 1 has passed. After passing the auxiliary occupation target point Ps or the occupation target point P, preferably immediately after passing the auxiliary occupation target point Ps or the occupation target point P, the guided vehicle 1 requests the area control device Cz to release the occupation of the auxiliary occupation target point Ps or the occupation target point P that the guided vehicle 1 has passed. With this configuration, in the diverging / merging area Z, the guided vehicle 1 can gradually occupy zones in accordance with its own travel and gradually release the occupation of the zones. Therefore, in the junction area Z, it becomes easier to secure a zone that can be occupied by other guided vehicles 1.

[0045] 6 shows a case where the transport vehicle A travels straight along the first route R1. In this case, the planned travel route Rfa of the transport vehicle A is the first route R1. When the transport vehicle A travels along the first route R1, which is its planned travel route Rfa, it first passes through the auxiliary occupation target point Ps on the first route R1, and then passes through the occupation target point P, which is downstream of the first merging point Ij1.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 6(a), the transport vehicle A requests the area control device Cz to occupy the auxiliary occupation target point Ps on the first route R1. The area control device Cz causes the transport vehicle A to occupy the auxiliary occupation target point Ps. In addition, in order to avoid a rear-end collision with another transport vehicle 1 following behind, the transport vehicle A also requests the occupation of an occupation target point P on the non-planned travel route Rna (an occupation target point P downstream of the second merging point Ij2), and the area control device Cz causes the transport vehicle A to occupy the occupation target point P.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 6(b), after the guided vehicle A passes an auxiliary occupation target point Ps on the first route R1, the guided vehicle A requests the area control device Cz to release the occupation of the auxiliary occupation target point Ps. The area control device Cz releases the occupation of the auxiliary occupation target point Ps. Prior to that, the guided vehicle A has requested the area control device Cz to occupy an occupation target point P located downstream of the first merging point Ij1. The area control device Cz has allowed the guided vehicle A to occupy the occupation target point P. Although detailed illustration is omitted, after the guided vehicle A passes an occupation target point P located downstream of the first merging point Ij1, the guided vehicle A requests the area control device Cz to release the occupation of the occupation target point P. The area control device Cz releases the occupation of the occupation target point P. In the example shown in Figure 6(b), after passing the auxiliary occupation target point Ps on the first route R1, the transport vehicle A also requests release of occupation of the occupation target point P on the non-planned driving route Rna, and the area control device Cz releases the occupation of the occupation target point P.

[0048] In this embodiment, the transport vehicle 1 passes through the auxiliary occupation target point Ps downstream of the auxiliary occupation target point Ps that the transport vehicle 1 occupies if the auxiliary occupation target point P is not occupied by another transport vehicle 1.

[0049] In the example shown in FIG. 6(b), the occupation target point P located downstream of the first merging point Ij1 is also the occupation target point P that should be occupied by the guided vehicle C traveling from the second route R2 to the first route R1 via the second connecting route Rc2. However, the occupation target point P has already been occupied by the guided vehicle A and is not currently occupied by the guided vehicle C. Therefore, the guided vehicle A does not stop at the auxiliary occupation target point Ps on the first route R1, but passes through the auxiliary occupation target point Ps and continues traveling toward the occupation target point P located downstream of the first merging point Ij1.

[0050] In this embodiment, when an occupation target point P downstream of the auxiliary occupation target point Ps occupied by the guided vehicle 1 is occupied by another guided vehicle 1, the guided vehicle 1 stops at the auxiliary occupation target point Ps.

[0051] FIG. 7 shows an example in which an auxiliary occupation target point Ps is provided on each of the first connection path Rc1 and the second connection path Rc2. In the example shown in FIG. 7, one auxiliary occupation target point Ps is provided on each of the connection paths Rc1 and Rc2, but multiple auxiliary occupation target points Ps may be provided. As shown in FIG. 7, the occupation target point P located downstream of the second merging point Ij2 is an occupation target point P to be occupied by guided vehicle A, which is heading from the first path R1 to the second path R2 via the first connection path Rc1, and guided vehicle C, which is traveling straight on the second path R2. In the example shown, the occupation target point P is previously occupied by guided vehicle C. That is, guided vehicle A stops at the auxiliary occupation target point Ps because the occupation target point P downstream of the auxiliary occupation target point Ps on the first connection path Rc1, which is the planned traveling path Rfa, is occupied by another guided vehicle C. Then, after the occupation of the occupation target point P by the transport vehicle C is released, the transport vehicle A requests the area control device Cz to occupy the occupation target point P. If the transport vehicle A is able to occupy the occupation target point P, it starts traveling toward the occupation target point P.

[0052] Fig. 8 shows an example in which an auxiliary occupancy target point Ps is provided on each of the first route R1, the second route R2, the first connecting route Rc1, and the second connecting route Rc2. In the example shown in Fig. 8, one auxiliary occupancy target point Ps is provided on each of the first route R1, the second route R2, the first connecting route Rc1, and the second connecting route Rc2, but multiple auxiliary occupancy target points Ps may be provided.

[0053] In this embodiment, when the auxiliary occupation target point Ps and the occupation target point P are arranged in the order described on the planned driving path Rf, and the auxiliary occupation target point Ps and the occupation target point P are arranged in the order described on the non-planned driving path Rn, the transport vehicle 1 requests the area control device Cz to release the occupation of the auxiliary occupation target point Ps on each of the planned driving path Rf and the non-planned driving path Rn after passing the auxiliary occupation target point Ps on the planned driving path Rf.

[0054] 8, the guided vehicle A is traveling from the first route R1 to the second route R2 via the first connecting route Rc1. That is, in this example, the portion of the first connecting route Rc1 and the second route R2 downstream of the first branch point Id1 is the planned travel route Rfa of the guided vehicle A. The portion of the first route R1 downstream of the first branch point Id1 is the non-planned travel route Rna of the guided vehicle A. When the auxiliary occupation target point Ps and the occupation target point P are arranged in the order described above on the planned travel route Rfa of the guided vehicle A, and the auxiliary occupation target point Ps and the occupation target point P are arranged in the order described above on the non-planned travel route Rn, the guided vehicle A requests the area control device Cz to release the occupation of the auxiliary occupation target point Ps on each of the planned travel route Rfa and the non-planned travel route Rna after passing the auxiliary occupation target point Ps on the planned travel route Rfa. In this example, the transport vehicle A requests the area control device Cz to release the occupation of the auxiliary occupation target point Ps on the planned travel route Rfa and the auxiliary occupation target point Ps on the non-planned travel route Rna at the same time as or immediately after passing the auxiliary occupation target point Ps on the planned travel route Rfa. This allows the transport vehicle A to quickly release the occupation of the auxiliary occupation target point Ps on the non-planned travel route Rna, and quickly realizes a state in which the transport vehicle B following the transport vehicle A can travel on the non-planned travel route Rna.

[0055] According to the article conveying equipment 100 described above, the zone occupied by the transport vehicle 1 in the junction / merging area Z can be made smaller, and it is easy to secure a zone that can be occupied by another transport vehicle 1 when the other transport vehicle 1 attempts to pass through the junction / merging area Z. Therefore, the degree of freedom of travel of the transport vehicle 1 in the zone where the travel routes R intersect can be increased, and the conveying efficiency of the article conveying equipment 100 as a whole can be improved.

[0056] Other Embodiments Next, other embodiments will be described.

[0057] (1) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the junction area Z includes a first route R1 and a second route R2 that extend without intersecting each other, a first connecting route Rc1 that connects the first route R1 and the second route R2, and a second connecting route Rc2 that connects the first route R1 and the second route R2 at a location different from the first connecting route Rc1. Such a junction area Z may also exist between bays that connect multiple bays, as shown in FIG. 9 . In the example shown in FIG. 9 , an auxiliary occupancy target point Ps is provided on each of the first route R1, the second route R2, the first connecting route Rc1, and the second connecting route Rc2. However, this is not limited to this example, and the location at which the auxiliary occupancy target point Ps is provided may be set anywhere between the branch point Id and the junction point Ij on the travel route R.

[0058] (2) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the auxiliary occupation target point Ps is set as information indicating the position of the auxiliary occupation target point Ps. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the auxiliary occupation target point Ps may be provided with a position information holder 2 that holds position information of the auxiliary occupation target point Ps, similar to the occupation target point P.

[0059] (3) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which, when there are auxiliary occupation target points Ps and occupation target points P on the planned travel route Rf, the guided vehicle 1 requests the area control device Cz to occupy the auxiliary occupation target points Ps and the occupation target points P at different times in the order in which the guided vehicle 1 passes through. However, without being limited to this example, the guided vehicle 1 may request the area control device Cz to occupy the auxiliary occupation target points Ps and the occupation target points P at the same time.

[0060] (4) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the guided vehicle 1 requests the area control device Cz to release the occupation of the auxiliary occupation target point Ps and the occupation target point P at different times in the order in which the guided vehicle 1 passed through. However, without being limited to this example, the guided vehicle 1 may request the area control device Cz to release the occupation of the auxiliary occupation target point Ps and the occupation target point P at the same time.

[0061] (5) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the guided vehicle 1 requests the area control device Cz to release the occupation of the auxiliary occupation target point Ps on each of the planned travel path Rf and the non-planned travel path Rn after passing the auxiliary occupation target point Ps on the planned travel path Rf. However, without being limited to this example, the guided vehicle 1 may request the area control device Cz to release the occupation of the auxiliary occupation target point Ps on the non-planned travel path Rn before passing the auxiliary occupation target point Ps on the planned travel path Rf. In this case, the timing at which the guided vehicle 1 requests the release of the occupation may be a timing at which a rear-end collision with another guided vehicle 1 following the guided vehicle 1 can be avoided. Specifically, the guided vehicle 1 may request the release of the occupation when the distance between the guided vehicle 1 and the other guided vehicle 1 following it is sufficiently large.

[0062] (6) The configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments may be combined with configurations disclosed in other embodiments as long as no contradictions arise. Regarding other configurations, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples in all respects. Therefore, various modifications may be made as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0063] [Summary of this embodiment] The summary of this embodiment will be described below.

[0064] a transport vehicle for transporting an article; a travel route along which the transport vehicle travels; an area control device that controls the transport vehicles in a predetermined branching and merging area including a branching point where the travel paths branch off and a merging point where the travel paths merge, an occupation target point that is to be occupied by the transport vehicle is provided at least downstream of the junction; an auxiliary occupation target point that is to be auxiliary occupied by the transport vehicle is provided between the branch point and the junction point on the travel route; When the transport vehicle passes through the junction point and attempts to pass through the junction / merging area after passing through the junction point, the area control device causes the transport vehicle to occupy, among the occupied target points and the auxiliary occupied target points, the target point that branches off from the junction point and is closest to the junction point on the planned driving path that the transport vehicle is intended to travel on after passing the junction point, and the target point that is closest to the junction point on a non-planned driving path that branches off from the junction point on a side different from the planned driving path.

[0065] According to this configuration, the area control device causes a guided vehicle attempting to pass through the junction / merging area to occupy the target occupation point or the auxiliary occupation point closest to the junction point on each of the planned travel path and the non-planned travel path that branch off from the junction point. This reduces the zone occupied by the guided vehicle in the junction / merging area, making it easier to secure a zone that can be occupied by another guided vehicle when that other guided vehicle attempts to pass through the junction / merging area. Therefore, it is easier to achieve simultaneous passage of multiple guided vehicles through the junction / merging area. As described above, this configuration increases the degree of freedom of travel for guided vehicles in the zone where travel paths intersect, thereby improving the conveying efficiency of the entire item conveying facility.

[0066] a location information holder that holds location information of the target location is installed at the target location, The auxiliary occupation target point is set as information indicating the position of the auxiliary occupation target point, Preferably, the transport vehicle is configured to be able to read the position information holder of the target occupation point, and is configured to be able to recognize the auxiliary target occupation point based on its own current position.

[0067] According to this configuration, the auxiliary occupation target point is set as information indicating the position of the auxiliary occupation target point. This allows the auxiliary occupation point to be, for example, an element that does not exist in reality and exists only in map data. Compared to occupation target points that have restrictions on their placement due to the environment of the travel route, the placement restrictions of auxiliary occupation points that are set as mere information are smaller. Therefore, using auxiliary occupation points that have fewer restrictions on their placement can easily contribute to reducing the zone occupied by guided vehicles in the junction and merge area.

[0068] Preferably, when the transport vehicle has the auxiliary occupation target point and the occupation target point on the planned route, the transport vehicle requests the area control device to occupy the auxiliary occupation target point and the occupation target point in the order that the transport vehicle passes through, and requests the area control device to release the occupation of the auxiliary occupation target point and the occupation target point in the order that the transport vehicle passes through.

[0069] According to this configuration, in the junction and merge area, the guided vehicle can gradually occupy and release the zone in accordance with its own travel, making it easier to secure a zone that can be occupied by another guided vehicle.

[0070] It is preferable that, when the auxiliary occupation target point and the occupation target point are arranged on the planned driving route in the order described, and the auxiliary occupation target point and the occupation target point are arranged on the non-planned driving route in the order described, the transport vehicle requests the area control device to release the occupation of the auxiliary occupation target point on each of the planned driving route and the non-planned driving route after passing the auxiliary occupation target point on the planned driving route.

[0071] According to this configuration, the occupation of auxiliary occupation target points on the non-planned driving route of the transport vehicle can be released early, and a state in which other transport vehicles can drive on the non-planned driving route can be achieved early.

[0072] Preferably, when the occupation target point downstream of the auxiliary occupation target point occupied by the transport vehicle is occupied by another transport vehicle, the transport vehicle stops at the auxiliary occupation target point.

[0073] According to this configuration, the transport vehicle can proceed to the auxiliary occupation target point on its planned travel route regardless of whether there are other transport vehicles traveling ahead on its planned travel route. Therefore, according to this configuration, it is easy to make the travel of multiple transport vehicles in the branching and merging area smooth. [Industrial Applicability]

[0074] The technology disclosed herein can be used in an item transport facility that includes a transport vehicle that transports items, a travel path along which the transport vehicle travels, and an area control device that controls the transport vehicle in a predetermined branching and merging area. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 100: Goods transport equipment 1: Transport vehicle 2: Location information holder Cz: Area control device R: Travel route Z: Branching and merging area Id: Branch point Ij: Junction P: Occupied point Ps: Auxiliary occupancy point Rf: Planned route Rn: Non-planned route

Claims

1. a transport vehicle for transporting an article; a travel route along which the transport vehicle travels; an area control device that controls the transport vehicles in a predetermined branching and merging area including a branching point where the travel paths branch off and a merging point where the travel paths merge, an occupation target point that is to be occupied by the transport vehicle is provided at least downstream of the junction; an auxiliary occupation target point that is to be auxiliary occupied by the transport vehicle is provided between the branch point and the junction point on the travel route; The area control device, when the transport vehicle passes through the junction point and attempts to pass through the junction / merging area after passing the junction point, causes the transport vehicle to occupy, among the occupied target points and the auxiliary occupied target points, the target point that is closest to the junction point and is on a planned driving path that branches off from the junction point and that the transport vehicle is to drive on after passing the junction point, and the target point that is closest to the junction point and is on a non-planned driving path that branches off from the junction point on a side different from the planned driving path, and is an item transport equipment.

2. a location information holder that holds location information of the target location is installed at the target location, The auxiliary occupation target point is set as information indicating the position of the auxiliary occupation target point, 2. The article transport facility according to claim 1, wherein the transport vehicle is configured to be able to read the position information holder of the target occupation point and to be able to recognize the auxiliary target occupation point based on its own current position.

3. 2. The item transport equipment of claim 1, wherein, when the auxiliary occupation target point and the occupation target point are present on the planned travel route, the transport vehicle requests the area control device to occupy the auxiliary occupation target point and the occupation target point in the order in which the transport vehicle passes through, and requests the area control device to release the occupation of the auxiliary occupation target point and the occupation target point in the order in which the transport vehicle passes through.

4. 2. The article transport equipment of claim 1, wherein, when the auxiliary occupation target point and the occupation target point are arranged on the planned driving path in the order described, and the auxiliary occupation target point and the occupation target point are arranged on the non-planned driving path in the order described, the transport vehicle requests the area control device to release the occupation of the auxiliary occupation target point on each of the planned driving path and the non-planned driving path after passing the auxiliary occupation target point on the planned driving path.

5. 5. An article transport facility as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the transport vehicle stops at the auxiliary occupation target point downstream of the auxiliary occupation target point that it occupies if the auxiliary occupation target point that it occupies is occupied by another transport vehicle.

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