Control system, transport system, and control method

Abstract

To improve the reliability and to prolong the life of a conveyance system by generating a moving path of a conveyance vehicle with a failure risk of the conveyance vehicle taken into consideration.SOLUTION: A control system comprises: a storage unit that records information relating to a failure risk of a conveyance vehicle that can convey an article to be conveyed and information relating to a floor surface state of a traveling area in which the conveyance vehicle can travel; and a control unit that generates a path through which the conveyance vehicle moves on the basis of at least the information relating to the failure risk of the conveyance vehicle and the information relating to the floor surface state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control system for controlling a transport vehicle, a transport system, and a control method. [Background technology]

[0002] Factories, warehouses, container yards, and the like are becoming increasingly automated, and unmanned guided vehicles are being used to move materials. When a guided vehicle travels within a travel area, it places a load on the floor of the travel area. Patent Document 1, for example, describes a technology for equalizing the cumulative load on floor materials. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-186615 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a transport system using transport vehicles in a warehouse, factory, or the like, if the floor surface along which the transport vehicle travels is in poor condition (for example, if the floor is damaged) or if the floor surface is uneven, the transport vehicle may be subjected to vibrations and other shocks as it passes over the floor surface, which can cause wear and tear on the transport vehicle. Furthermore, if such wear and tear accumulates on the transport vehicle, it could pose a risk of breakdown.

[0005] Therefore, a control system, a transport system, and a control method that can improve the reliability of the transport system are provided. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, one of the representative control systems of the present invention is a control system for a transport vehicle capable of transporting a transported object. situationand a control unit that records information about the floor surface condition of the travel area in which the transport vehicle can travel, and the control unit that, when creating a route for the transport vehicle to travel from the first point to the second point, Create multiple route candidates and for each of the multiple route candidates, At least the transport vehicle situation Based on information about the floor condition and A failure risk value when the transport vehicle moves along the route candidate is calculated, the calculated failure risk value is compared with a threshold, and the route is narrowed down from the multiple route candidates based on the comparison result. .

[0007] A typical transport system of the present invention includes a transport vehicle capable of transporting an object, and a situation and a control unit that records information about the floor surface condition of the travel area in which the transport vehicle can travel, and the control unit that, when creating a route for the transport vehicle to travel from the first point to the second point, Create multiple route candidates and for each of the multiple route candidates, At least the transport vehicle situation Based on information about the floor condition and A failure risk value when the transport vehicle moves along the route candidate is calculated, the calculated failure risk value is compared with a threshold, and the route is narrowed down from the multiple route candidates based on the comparison result. .

[0008] Furthermore, one of the representative transport methods of the present invention is a method for controlling a transport vehicle in a control system for controlling a transport vehicle capable of transporting a transported object, the method comprising: situation and information about the floor surface condition of a travel area in which the transport vehicle can travel; and when creating a route for the transport vehicle to move from the first point to the second point, A step of generating a plurality of route candidates, and for each of the plurality of route candidates, At least the transport vehicle situation Based on information about the floor condition and A step of calculating a failure risk value when the transport vehicle moves along the route candidate, a step of comparing the calculated failure risk value with a threshold, and a step of narrowing down the route from the plurality of route candidates based on the comparison result. and controlling the movement of the transport vehicle based on the route. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the reliability of the transport system can be improved. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an overall outline of a guided vehicle control system. [Figure 2]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic diagram of a work station. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a guided vehicle control system. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a configuration of a control system. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an automatic guided vehicle. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of order information. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of inventory information. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of layout information. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of floor information. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of shelf information. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of transportation vehicle information. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a guided vehicle control process. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a travel route creation process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Example]

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The examples are illustrative of the present invention, and for clarity of explanation, appropriate omissions and simplifications have been made. The present invention can be implemented in various other forms. Unless otherwise specified, each component may be singular or plural.

[0012] In order to facilitate understanding of the invention, the position, size, shape, range, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may not represent the actual position, size, shape, range, etc. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the position, size, shape, range, etc. disclosed in the drawings.

[0013] Examples of various types of information may be described using expressions such as "table," "list," and "queue," but the various types of information may also be expressed using data structures other than these. For example, various types of information such as "XX table," "XX list," and "XX queue" may also be expressed as "XX information." When describing identification information, expressions such as "identification information," "identifier," "name," "ID," and "number" are used, but these are interchangeable.

[0014] When there are multiple components with the same or similar functions, they may be described using the same reference numeral with different subscripts. When there is no need to distinguish between these multiple components, the subscripts may be omitted.

[0015] In the embodiments, processing performed by executing a program may be described. Here, a computer executes the program using a processor (e.g., a CPU or a GPU) and performs processing defined by the program using storage resources (e.g., a memory) and interface devices (e.g., a communication port). Therefore, the entity performing the processing by executing the program may be the processor. Similarly, the entity performing the processing by executing the program may be a controller, device, system, computer, or node having a processor. The entity performing the processing by executing the program may be any computing unit, and may include a dedicated circuit that performs specific processing. Here, the dedicated circuit may be, for example, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device).

[0016] A program may be installed on a computer from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a computer-readable storage medium. When the program source is a program distribution server, the program distribution server may include a processor and a storage resource for storing the program to be distributed, and the processor of the program distribution server may distribute the program to be distributed to other computers. In addition, in an embodiment, two or more programs may be realized as one program, or one program may be realized as two or more programs.

[0017] <System configuration> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an overall schematic of a guided vehicle control system 100. A warehouse W has a work area W1 and an item storage area W2. A plurality of storage shelves DS and a battery station are arranged in the storage area W2. Each storage shelf DS stores one or more types of items. A plurality of automated guided vehicles AC are located in the storage area W2. The automated guided vehicles AC have the function of transporting the storage shelves DS. The storage shelves DS are shelves that can be moved by the automated guided vehicles AC and may be called mobile shelves. The items may be, for example, merchandise or parts.

[0018] The floor of storage area W2 is divided into, for example, a two-dimensional grid, and the WMS 401 and operation control device 403 shown in Fig. 3 manage the positions of the automated guided vehicles AC and storage shelves DS using the coordinate values ​​of the center of each grid (i.e., rectangular section). Each grid is managed as a node, and each node is managed by the coordinate values ​​of the grid's center and vertex.

[0019] In this embodiment, the two-dimensional grid is a grid obtained by dividing the floor, which is a two-dimensional plane in the x direction (x-axis direction) and the y direction (y-axis direction) perpendicular to the x direction, in the x and y directions. In this embodiment, when the position (address) of each section is expressed as (α, β), α indicates the x-coordinate value (section position in the x direction) and β indicates the y-coordinate value (section position in the y direction). Furthermore, if the storage area W2 is hierarchical or if there are multiple types of storage area W2, the position of the section may be expressed by adding information about the height of the storage area W2 (for example, the number of floors) or information specifying the type of storage area W2.

[0020] Each grid (section) may have a marker containing position information (e.g., coordinate values) of the section. The marker is, for example, a code (including a two-dimensional code) attached or painted on the section. The marker may contain information for identifying the section's position, and may be, for example, the section's position information (e.g., coordinate values) or information associated with the section's position information (e.g., identification information of section 201). The marker is information that can be read by a sensor (e.g., a camera) 14 included in each automated guided vehicle AC, and may be, for example, a one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark), an RFID (radio frequency identifier) ​​tag, or other information.

[0021] In this embodiment, a QR code (registered trademark) will be described as an example of a marker. For example, when each automated guided vehicle AC passes through each section, it reads the marker in that section. Each automated guided vehicle AC transmits the read marker information together with the identification information of the automated guided vehicle to the operation management device 403. The operation management device 403 identifies the position of each automated guided vehicle AC based on the identification information of the automated guided vehicle AC and the marker information received from each automated guided vehicle AC. Plate-like members are provided throughout the entire section, allowing the automated guided vehicle AC to move from the section to another adjacent section (for example, move straight), and may also be able to turn within each section.

[0022] Furthermore, in the work area W1, there are multiple work stations WSi, including those indicated by the symbols WS1 and WS2. In this embodiment, since picking work is performed at work stations WSi, the work stations may also be called picking stations. Here, i is the number of the work station WS and is an integer satisfying 1≦i≦n. n is an integer equal to or greater than 2 and indicates the total number of work stations WS. In this embodiment, n=2. For example, when a description is given that is common to all work stations WSi, or when no distinction is made between work stations WSi, they will be referred to as work stations WS as appropriate. Note that work stations WS may also perform tasks such as warehousing work, such as replenishing items in storage shelves DS, and inventory counting.

[0023] Each work station WSi has a gate Gij, a terminal Ti, and a sorting shelf SSi. Here, i is the number of the work station WS. The gate Gij is an outlet for taking out items from the storage shelf DS at the work station WS. Furthermore, j in the gate Gij is an integer satisfying 1≦j≦m, and is the number of the gate G installed at each work station WS. In this embodiment, m=2.

[0024] Each work station WSi is equipped with one terminal Ti, one sorting shelf SSi, and m gates G. When there is no need to distinguish between individual gates Gij, terminals Ti, and sorting shelves SSi, they will be referred to as gate G or gate Gij, terminal T or terminal Ti, sorting shelf SS, or sorting shelf SSi as appropriate. The section adjacent to gate Gij in storage area W2 (the section in front of gate Gij) is the section that serves as the destination (arrival point) when an automated guided vehicle AC transports a storage shelf DS to work station WS, and is also the section that serves as the source (departure point) when an automated guided vehicle AC transports a storage shelf DS from work station WS. One gate Gij corresponds to one storage shelf DS.

[0025] A list of sorting destinations for the items to be picked (correspondence information between the items and the sorting shelf sections of the sorting shelf SSi) is displayed on the terminal Ti.

[0026] The sorting shelf SSi provided in the work station WSi is a shelf on which items picked from the storage shelf DS via the gate Gij are placed. Here, the i in the name of the worker Mi is the number of the work station WS. When there is no need to distinguish between the workers Mi, they will be referred to as worker M or worker Mi as appropriate. Note that work at the work station WS may be performed by a work robot (e.g., a picking device) in addition to or instead of the worker M.

[0027] The automated guided vehicle AC transports the storage shelf DS in the following manner in accordance with instructions from the operation control device 403.

[0028] First, the automated guided vehicle AC moves to the position of the storage shelf DS specified by the instruction. The automated guided vehicle AC moves directly under the specified storage shelf DS, and when it receives lift-up instruction information from the operation control device 403 shown in Fig. 3, it raises the lifting mechanism (lifting unit, lifting device) 112 provided on the top surface of the automated guided vehicle AC, thereby lifting the storage shelf DS directly up.

[0029] Then, the automated guided vehicle AC moves to the designated work station WS with the storage shelf DS lifted up. When the automated guided vehicle AC arrives at the work station WS, it lowers the lifting mechanism 112 to lower the storage shelf DS to the floor.

[0030] When worker M has finished picking the items, automated guided vehicle AC raises storage shelf DS by raising lifting mechanism 112, and transports storage shelf DS to the shelf storage section (original position or another section). When automated guided vehicle AC arrives at the shelf storage section, it lowers lifting mechanism 112 to lower storage shelf DS to the floor.

[0031] The automated guided vehicle AC is a transport device that moves within the storage area W2 in accordance with movement instructions from the operation management device 403, and is, for example, an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle) or an AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot). The automated guided vehicle AC moves by rotating and driving the wheels 111 that the automated guided vehicle AC has. In this embodiment, the "movement" or "travel" of the automated guided vehicle AC refers to the general movement of the automated guided vehicle AC, regardless of whether or not a storage shelf DS is loaded. The "movement (travel)" when the automated guided vehicle AC is loaded with an object to be transported is specifically called "transport."

[0032] An example of the transported object (transport target) may be, for example, a storage shelf DS, a tray, a pallet, or a container. If the transported object is capable of carrying one or more items (for example, a storage shelf DS or a pallet), the transported object may be called a storage unit (storage device) or a loading platform. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the transported object is a storage shelf DS.

[0033] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic of a work station WSi. Fig. 2 shows a state in which a storage shelf DS transported by an automated guided vehicle AC arrives at the work station WSi, and a worker Mi picks an item stored in the storage shelf DS through a gate Gi2 and stores it on a sorting shelf SSi.

[0034] The sorting shelf SSi may have multiple levels in the vertical direction, and each level may be divided into multiple columns in the horizontal direction. For example, a worker Mi stores an item picked from a storage shelf DS in the corresponding section of the sorting shelf SSi according to a list displayed on a terminal Ti.

[0035] Each section of the sorting shelf SSi is identified by, for example, a row and column number. As an example, each section is displayed with an identifying number. In this case, the worker Mi refers to the displayed number to identify the storage destination. Alternatively, each section may be provided with a display device Di that indicates whether or not the section is a storage destination for an item. In this case, the display device for the section that will store the next item to be picked operates according to the list displayed on the terminal Ti and the progress of the picking work, and the worker Mi may refer to the display to store the picked item.

[0036] Although a single storage shelf DS may store only one item of goods, it generally stores multiple items. Specifically, each storage shelf DS may have multiple storage compartments, and each storage compartment may store one item of goods. A storage compartment is an area on a storage shelf DS where goods can be stored, and is also called a frontage. For example, a single storage shelf DS may be divided vertically into multiple compartment rows, and each compartment row may be further divided into a section near one side of the storage shelf DS and a section near the other side. The sections near each side of the storage shelf DS will be referred to as the "shelf surface" in the following explanation. Furthermore, each shelf surface may be divided horizontally into multiple compartment rows, and each compartment row may be treated as a single storage compartment.

[0037] For example, the interior of the storage shelf DS shown in Fig. 2 is divided into four compartment levels. The compartment levels inside the storage shelf DS are divided into a portion (shelf surface) close to the side of each compartment level facing the gate Gi2 and a portion (shelf surface) close to the opposite side, and each shelf surface may be further divided into multiple compartment rows in the left-right direction.

[0038] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the guided vehicle control system 100. The guided vehicle control system 100 is also called a transport system.

[0039] The guided vehicle control system 100 includes a control system 400, an automated guided vehicle AC, and a network 410. The control system 400 includes a WMS (Warehouse Management System) 401, an order management device 402, and an operation management device 403. The guided vehicle control system 100 may further include a storage shelf DS, a sorting shelf SS, a terminal Ti, and a gate G.

[0040] The WMS 401 is communicably connected to an order management device 402 and an operation management device 403. The order management device 402, operation management device 403, automated guided vehicles AC, sorting shelves SS, terminals Ti, and gates G are communicably connected to one another via a network 410. At least the automated guided vehicles AC are connected to the operation management device 403 via the network 410 so as to be able to communicate wirelessly.

[0041] The WMS 401 controls the order management device 402 and the operation management device 403. Specifically, the WMS 401 transmits orders and warehousing data for storage shelf DS to the order management device 402. An "order" is information including the item name, quantity, and delivery destination of the item to be picked. "Warehousing data for storage shelf DS" is data related to the storage shelf DS where the item is stored. Specifically, it includes the item name and quantity of the items stored in each storage shelf DS, identification information of the storage shelf DS where the item is stored, and location information of the storage section (frontage) where the item is stored (for example, identification information of the shelf surface, partition level, and partition row to which the storage section belongs).

[0042] Furthermore, the WMS 401 coordinates the processing in the order management device 402 with the processing in the operation management device 403. For example, when the WMS 401 receives a notification of the completion of the item picking work by the worker M, which is input to the terminal Ti and sent via the order management device 402, the WMS 401 instructs the operation management device 403 to return the storage shelf DS to its original position.

[0043] The order management device 402 creates instructions for picking work, etc. for the worker Mi based on the order sent from the WMS 401 and the warehousing data for the storage shelf DS, and sends them to the terminal Ti. The order management device 402 also sends transport instruction information for each transport vehicle storage shelf DS to the operation management device 403 via the WMS 401.

[0044] The operation management device 403 manages the operation of the automated guided vehicle AC (for example, the transportation of storage shelves DS by the automated guided vehicle AC). The automated guided vehicle AC has a reading device (sensor 14) such as a visible light camera or an infrared camera at the bottom of the vehicle body, and scans the floor surface while moving.

[0045] For example, if the markers on the floor are barcodes, the reading device is a barcode reader. When passing through a section with a marker, the reading device scans the barcode indicating the coordinate values, and the automated guided vehicle AC acquires the coordinate values.

[0046] The automated guided vehicles AC transmit the acquired coordinate values ​​to the operation management device 403. In this way, the operation management device 403 manages the current positions of the automated guided vehicles AC.

[0047] When the traffic management device 403 receives transport instruction information for a storage shelf DS from the order management device 402 via the WMS 401, it identifies the storage shelf DS that stores the item to be delivered and the work station WSi where the sorting shelf SSi having the sorting shelf section to which the item to be delivered is located.The traffic management device 403 then acquires the position of the identified storage shelf DS and generates route information from that position to the position of the identified work station WSi.At this time, the traffic management device 403 transmits the route information to a certain automated guided vehicle AC, for example, the automated guided vehicle AC closest to the identified storage shelf DS, and instructs it to move according to the route information.

[0048] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control system 400. In the control system 400, the WMS 401, the order management device 402, and the operation management device 403 may be realized by separate devices, or may be realized as a single device. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration when the control system 400 is realized by one or more computers (computer systems). Note that the control system 400 may also be called a control device or an information processing system.

[0049] The control system (control device) 400 has a control unit (processing device) 501, a memory unit (storage device) 502, an input unit (input device) 503, an output unit (output device) 504, a communication unit (communication device, communication interface) 505, and a bus 506 connecting them.

[0050] The control system 400 may be one or more physical computers having these hardware (computer resources), or may be a system (e.g., a cloud computing system) realized on one or more physical computers (e.g., a cloud infrastructure). Furthermore, each device included in the control system 400 may be located on one physical computer, or may be distributed across multiple physical computers. Each program and each piece of information included in the storage unit 502 may be stored in one storage device, or may be distributed and stored across multiple storage devices. Instead of the input unit 503 and the output unit 504, information may be input / output via a client system that can communicate through a communication unit 505.

[0051] The control unit 501 is configured with a processing device such as a processor (e.g., CPU) or a dedicated circuit (e.g., FPGA or ASIC). The memory unit 502 is configured with a memory device such as a main memory device or an auxiliary memory device. The control unit 501 executes a program (control program 50) stored in the memory unit 502, which is configured with a memory such as DRAM, to realize the functions of an order management unit 510, a route generation unit 511, a failure risk calculation unit 512, a route efficiency calculation unit 513, and an evaluation unit 514, and executes various controls and processes. The memory unit 502 stores the control program 50, order information 20, inventory information 30, layout information 60, floor information 70, shelf information 80, and transport vehicle information 90.

[0052] The input unit 503 is composed of input devices such as a mouse and a keyboard, and is used by the operator to input necessary information and instructions to the control device 4. The output unit 504 is composed of an output device such as a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The output unit 504 has a display device that displays, for example, the route output by the route generation unit 511, the failure risk calculated by the failure risk calculation unit 512, the route efficiency calculated by the route efficiency calculation unit 513, and the evaluation value for the route candidate calculated by the evaluation unit 514. The communication unit 505 may be composed of a device (communication device, communication interface) for communicating with external devices including the automated guided vehicle AC and the terminal T via a predetermined communication method.

[0053] The control program 50 communicates with the automated guided vehicle AC through a communication unit 505 and controls the automated guided vehicle AC. Information regarding the destination position of the automated guided vehicle AC, such as layout information 60 and the position of the work station WSi, may be input from an input unit 503.

[0054] The control program 50 may include a WMS program, an order management program, and an operation management program. The WMS 401 may be realized by executing the WMS program in the control unit 501, the order management device 402 may be realized by executing the order management program in the control unit 501, and the operation management device 403 may be realized by executing the operation management program in the control unit 501. For example, the order management unit 510 may be the order management device 402. For example, the route generation unit 511, the failure risk calculation unit 512, the route efficiency calculation unit 513, and the evaluation unit 514 may be the operation management device 403.

[0055] 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an automated guided vehicle AC. The automated guided vehicle AC includes a drive unit 11, a storage device 12, an interface unit 13, multiple types of sensors 14, a battery 15, and a controller 10 connected to these.

[0056] The controller 10 is a controller that controls the operation of the automated guided vehicle AC in accordance with movement instructions from the control system 400 and the charge state (remaining charge) of the built-in battery 15. In addition to the wheels 111 and the lifting mechanism 112, the drive device 11 includes an actuator (not shown) such as a motor for driving the wheels 111 to rotate, and an actuator (not shown) such as a motor for raising and lowering and rotating the lifting mechanism 112.

[0057] The interface device 13 is a device for communicating with the control system 400 by a predetermined wireless communication method, and may be configured, for example, by a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) device.

[0058] The sensor 14 is a device for collecting information about the floor surface on which the automated guided vehicle AC travels and various information about the automated guided vehicle AC. For example, at least one of the multiple types of sensors 14 is capable of reading information about markers on a section of the floor. The automated guided vehicle AC may be equipped with sensors such as a camera for capturing images of the state of the section, a vibration sensor for detecting vibrations received by the automated guided vehicle AC while it is moving, a speed sensor for measuring the speed of the automated guided vehicle AC, an acceleration sensor for measuring the acceleration of the automated guided vehicle AC, a weight sensor for measuring the weight of the transported object, and a gyro sensor for measuring the orientation of the automated guided vehicle AC, as the sensor 14.

[0059] The storage device 12 stores, for example, route information 121, device information 122, map information 123, measurement information 124, and performance information 125. The controller 10 stores a processing program, and the processing program is executed by the controller 10 to perform various processes (for example, communication, traveling, measurement, position estimation, etc.).

[0060] Route information 121 is information relating to movement instructions received by automated guided vehicle AC from control system 400, and includes, for example, information on the movement route. Device information 122 is information relating to automated guided vehicle AC, and includes the automated guided vehicle AC's device ID, position, remaining battery level, device status (for example, "standby," "moving," "charging," etc.), and whether or not a transported object is loaded. Map information 123 is information on the position and positional relationship of each section (for example, information on coordinates). Measurement information 124 is information measured by multiple types of sensors 14 (for example, speed, acceleration, weight, position (values ​​read from markers), and captured images of the section, etc.). Performance information 125 is information on the movement performance, including the route and date and time traveled by automated guided vehicle AC.

[0061] The automated guided vehicle AC is equipped with a battery 15 as a power source. For example, when the remaining charge of the battery 15 falls below a predetermined value, the automated guided vehicle AC moves to a battery station and automatically charges itself, either at its own discretion or in response to an instruction from the control system 400.

[0062] The controller 10 exchanges commands and information with the control system 400 via the interface device 13. For example, in response to a request from the control system 400 (or without a request), the controller 10 transmits at least a portion of the various information 121 to 125 to the control system 400 at regular or irregular timings (including predetermined timings).

[0063] The controller 10 controls the driving device 11 to move the automated guided vehicle AC, raise and lower the storage shelf DS, etc., in response to instructions received from the control system 400. The controller 10 stores the output (measurement results) of each sensor 14 in measurement information 124. The controller 10 estimates the position of the automated guided vehicle AC based on the markers detected by the sensors 14 of the automated guided vehicle AC.

[0064] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the order information 20. As shown in FIG.

[0065] The order information 20 is information about orders from customers. The order information 20 has a record for each order. Each record holds information such as a processing ID 201, a slip number 202, a store name 203, a store code 204, an item name 205, an item ID 206, a quantity 207, a delivery date 208, a receipt date and time 209, and a work date and time 210.

[0066] For example, even if the slip number 202 is the same, if the type of item (e.g., item name 205 and item ID 206) is different, they may be treated as different orders. One order may be managed as two or more separate orders, or two or more orders may be managed as one order.

[0067] The following explanation will be given using one order (called the "target order") as an example. Processing ID 201 represents the ID of the target order. Invoice number 202 represents the so-called invoice number. Store name 203 represents the name of the store to which the items specified in the target order will be shipped. Store code 204 represents the code for that store. Item name 205 represents the name of the item specified in the target order. Item ID 206 represents the ID of the item, and quantity 207 represents the number of items.

[0068] The delivery date 208 indicates the deadline for the item specified in the target order to be delivered to the customer (typically a customer). The reception date and time 209 indicates the date and time when the target order was received. The work date and time 210 indicates the date and time when the storage shelf 5 containing the item specified in the target order will be transported to the work station WS.

[0069] For example, the order management device 402 calculates the time required for transportation and delivery from the delivery date 208 and calculates the work deadline for actually picking the item at the work station WS. The order management device 402 may determine the work date and time 210 based on the calculated work deadline and the reception date and time 209. For example, an order whose work deadline is approaching may be assigned a higher work priority than an order whose work deadline is within a certain time frame. Furthermore, among multiple orders whose work deadlines are within a certain time frame, an order with an older reception date and time 209 (an order received earlier) may be assigned a higher work priority than an order with a newer reception date and time 209 (an order received later). Note that the method for determining the work date and time 210 is not limited to the above example, and other methods may also be used. Furthermore, the work date and time 210 may be determined by the order management device 402, another device, a manager, or the like.

[0070] The order management device 402 creates and updates order information 20 for each order, including the determined work date and time 210 .

[0071] 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of inventory information 30. The order management device 402 acquires information on the receipt of goods, the picking (shipping) of goods, the replacement of goods, etc., and creates and updates inventory information 30 based on this information.

[0072] Inventory information 30 is information about items. The inventory information 30 has a record for each item. Each record holds information such as item name 301, item ID 302, stock quantity 303, shelf ID 304, item location 305, picking count 306, and item weight 307.

[0073] For example, if the same item is stored on different storage shelves DS, multiple records may exist for the same item. Similarly, if the same item is stored in different item locations on the same storage shelf DS, multiple records may exist for the same item.

[0074] The following explanation will be given using one item (referred to as the "target item") as an example. Item name 301 indicates the name of the target item. Item ID 302 indicates the ID of the target item. Stock quantity 303 indicates the stock quantity of the target item. Shelf ID 304 indicates the ID of the storage shelf DS where the target item is located. Item position 305 indicates the position of the target item on the storage shelf DS. For example, "A-U3R2" means "third from the top (U) and second from the right (R) on shelf surface A" on the storage shelf DS. Picking count 306 indicates the number of times the target item has been picked. Item weight 307 indicates the weight of the item alone (unit: [Kg], for example).

[0075] The number of pickings 306 may be counted per storage shelf DS or may be the number of items picked. The number of pickings 306 may be used for rearranging storage shelves DS or rearranging items within a storage shelf DS. The number of pickings 306 may also be reset or updated at regular intervals, and may be the number of pickings in a predetermined period, for example, and therefore may be called the "picking frequency."

[0076] 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the layout information 60. The layout information 60 includes information about the path along which the automated guided vehicle AC travels or about a plurality of nodes along which the automated guided vehicle AC travels (for example, information about the position of each section, positional relationships, etc.).

[0077] The layout information 60 includes information such as vehicle-accessible nodes (movement sections) 601a indicating locations where the automated guided vehicle AC can pass, storage shelf nodes (shelf storage sections) 601b indicating the locations of storage shelves DS, damaged floor nodes 601c, as well as other nodes indicating the locations of pillars and walls, and nodes indicating the locations of impassable areas. The layout information 60 may be managed on a map as shown in FIG. 8. In the example of FIG. 8, the white areas divided into a grid correspond to vehicle-accessible nodes 601a, the gray areas correspond to storage shelf nodes 601b, and the areas hatched downward to the right correspond to damaged floor nodes 601c. The layout information 60 may be created and updated by an administrator or the traffic management device 403.

[0078] 9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the floor information 70. The operation management device 403 acquires floor information, and creates and updates the floor information 70 based on that information.

[0079] The floor information 70 is information about each section of the floor of the storage area W2. The floor information 70 has a record for each section. Each record holds information such as an address 701, a section setting 702, an unusable flag 703, a direction (no shelf) 704, a direction (shelf present) 705, a status 706, a load (no shelf, straight ahead) 707, a load (no shelf, turning) 708, a load (shelf present, straight ahead) 709, and a load (shelf present, turning) 710.

[0080] The following explanation will be given using one section as an example (referred to as the "target section"). Address 701 indicates the address of the target section (e.g., location information such as x and y coordinate values). Section setting 702 indicates what type of section the target section is set as. For example, a "shelf storage section" is a section where storage shelves DS are stored (placed). A "transfer section" is a section other than a shelf storage section, and is a section through which automated guided vehicles AC can travel. A "transfer section (WS1, G11)" is a section in front of work station WS1 and gate G11, and is the section to which a storage shelf DS is transported when it is transported in front of gate G11 of work station WS1.

[0081] The unusable flag 703 is a flag that indicates whether the target section is unusable (a section that is excluded from the movement route of the automated guided vehicle AC). For example, even if the section setting 702 is a "movement section," if travel is disabled due to repairs, the unusable flag 703 is set to "unusable."

[0082] The direction (no shelf) 704 is the direction in which an automated guided vehicle AC without a shelf (without a storage shelf DS) can move from the target section. The direction (with shelf) 705 is the direction in which an automated guided vehicle AC with a shelf (with a storage shelf DS) can move from the target section. The direction (no shelf) 704 and the direction (with shelf) 705 can be set to logically restrict the directions in which the automated guided vehicle AC can move. For example, movement in some directions can be prohibited, and movement can be restricted to only the remaining directions. For example, one-way traffic can be set. For example, if the direction (no shelf) 704 or the direction (with shelf) 705 of a certain section is "-x, +y," movement from the section to a section in the direction where the x coordinate value decreases and movement to a section in the direction where the y coordinate value increases is possible, but movement in other directions is restricted. The movable directions are expressed as either "+x", "-x", "+y", "-y", "±x", or "±y", or a combination thereof, but may also be expressed in other ways.

[0083] The sections may be set to allow bidirectional movement or to allow movement in only one direction. For example, by setting some sections to allow movement in only one direction, it is expected that congestion of automated guided vehicles AC can be suppressed or reduced, and overall transport efficiency can be improved. However, setting sections to allow movement in only one direction may result in a longer travel route for the automated guided vehicles AC. Therefore, the manager or the operation management device 403 sets the direction (no shelves) 704 and the direction (with shelves) 705 in advance or dynamically so as to improve overall transport efficiency.

[0084] In addition, for an automated guided vehicle AC loaded with a storage shelf DS, the direction (with shelf) 705 may be set so that it cannot travel between shelf storage compartments in order to prevent a collision with another storage shelf DS stored in the shelf storage compartment.

[0085] The state 706 indicates the state of the target section. For example, the state 706 may represent states such as "normal," "small unevenness," "medium unevenness," and "damaged." Here, "normal" indicates that the target section is in a normal state. "small unevenness" and "medium unevenness" indicate that at least a portion of the target section is uneven, and that the automated guided vehicle AC is subjected to vibrations and impacts due to the unevenness when traveling through the target section. The load (vibration and impact) experienced when traveling through a section with "medium unevenness" is greater than the load experienced when traveling through a section with "small unevenness." "Damaged" indicates that the target section is damaged and is in a state where it cannot be traveled through (cannot be used). Furthermore, the "unevenness" state may be expressed in more detail, such as "small unevenness," "medium unevenness," or "large unevenness," depending on the magnitude of the vibrations and impacts experienced when the automated guided vehicle AC travels through the uneven section, or the size of the unevenness itself.

[0086] For example, each automated guided vehicle AC acquires information about the floor surface of each section (such as an image of the floor surface of each section and information about vibrations received while traveling through each section) using sensors (e.g., image sensors, vibration sensors, etc.) 14 possessed by the automated guided vehicle AC, and transmits the information to the traffic management device 403. The traffic management device 403 determines the state of the target section based on the information about the floor surface received from each automated guided vehicle AC, and updates the state 706. For example, if the vibrations received when an automated guided vehicle AC without a storage shelf DS travels through the target section are less than a predetermined threshold T1, the state may be “normal”; if the vibrations are equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold T1 and less than a predetermined threshold T2 (where T2>T1), the state may be “uneven (small)”; if the vibrations are equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold T2 and less than a predetermined threshold T3 (where T3>T2), the state may be “uneven (medium)”; and if the vibrations are equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold T3, the state may be “damaged.” The state of the target section may be determined statistically. The state 706 may also be determined by other methods or set by an administrator.

[0087] Load (no shelf, straight) 707, Load (no shelf, turning) 708, Load (with shelf, straight) 709, and Load (with shelf, turning) 710 are values ​​related to the load that the automated guided vehicle AC receives when it travels (straight or turning) through the target section. These loads 707 to 710 are values ​​used to calculate the risk of failure of the automated guided vehicle AC. The larger the value of these loads 707 to 710, the greater the vibration and impact that the automated guided vehicle AC receives, and the higher the risk of failure.

[0088] Load (no shelf, straight) 707 is a value related to the load that the automated guided vehicle AC receives when it travels straight through the target section without a storage shelf DS loaded. Load (no shelf, turning) 708 is a value related to the load that the automated guided vehicle AC receives when it travels straight through the target section without a storage shelf DS loaded. Load (with shelf, straight) 709 is a value related to the load that the automated guided vehicle AC receives when it travels straight through the target section while it is loaded with a storage shelf DS. Load (with shelf, turning) 710 is a value related to the load that the automated guided vehicle AC receives when it travels straight through the target section while it is loaded with a storage shelf DS.

[0089] When the automated guided vehicle AC travels (straight or turning) in the target section, the load (for example, vibration, shock, etc.) that the automated guided vehicle AC receives becomes greater the heavier the transported object that the automated guided vehicle AC is carrying. For example, when the automated guided vehicle AC travels in the target section, the load that the automated guided vehicle AC receives is greater when it is carrying a storage shelf DS than when it is not carrying a storage shelf DS. Therefore, load (with shelf, straight) 709 is greater than load (without shelf, straight) 707, and load (with shelf, turning) 710 is greater than load (without shelf, turning) 708.

[0090] As the floor information 70, values ​​(predetermined values) of the loads 707 to 710 may be associated with each classification of the status 706 and managed accordingly. For example, when the status 706 is "normal", the load 707 is set to "0.1", the load 708 to "0.3", the load 709 to "1", and the load 710 to "3". Then, after determining the status 706 of each section, the traffic management device 403 sets the values ​​of the loads 707 to 710 to the predetermined values ​​corresponding to the status 706 of the section.

[0091] In addition, the loads 707 to 710 are set to larger values ​​when the state 706 is "uneven (small)" than when it is "normal," and are set to larger values ​​when the state 706 is "uneven (medium)" than when it is "uneven (small)."

[0092] Furthermore, if the floor types differ between the sections of the floor, different values ​​may be set for each type of floor for the loads 707 to 710. For example, the loads 707 to 710 may be set lower for a floor (section) made of a material or structure that has high shock absorption capacity and reduces shock and vibration than for a floor (section) that has relatively or absolutely low shock absorption capacity.

[0093] 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the shelf information 80. The operation management device 403 acquires information such as transportation of the storage shelf DS and changes in the storage position of the storage shelf DS, and creates and updates the shelf information 80 based on this information.

[0094] Shelf information 80 is information related to the storage shelf DS. The shelf information 80 has a record for each storage shelf DS. Each record holds a shelf ID 801, a storage location 802, a shelf weight 803 (unit: for example, [Kg]), a total item weight 804 (unit: for example, [Kg]), and a number of transports 805.

[0095] The following explanation will be given using one storage shelf DS (referred to as the "target shelf") as an example. Shelf ID 801 represents the ID of the target shelf. Storage location 802 represents the location information (for example, coordinates) of the section in which the target shelf is located. Furthermore, if the target shelf is in a state where it is being transported, storage location 802 may represent the state of the target shelf as "in transport". If the target shelf is in a state where it is being picked, storage location 802 may represent the state of the target shelf as "in picking".

[0096] The shelf weight 803 indicates the weight of the target shelf. The total item weight 804 indicates the total weight of all items placed on the target shelf. The total item weight 804 may be calculated by the operation management device 403, for example, based on the inventory quantity 303 of the item corresponding to the shelf ID 304 of the target shelf and the item weight 307 (weight of each item).

[0097] The number of transfers 805 is information that indicates the number of times the transfer task for the target shelf has been executed. Each time a transfer task to a work station WS is executed for the target shelf, the number of transfers 805 corresponding to the target shelf is updated, for example, by the operation management device 403. Note that the "number of transfers" may be reset or updated at regular intervals, and may be the number of transfers in a predetermined period, for example, and therefore may be called the "transfer frequency."

[0098] The operation management device 403 may change the storage position of the storage shelf DS based on the number of transfers 805 (for example, statistics on the number of transfers 805 of all storage shelves DS). For example, a storage shelf DS with a relatively low number of transfers 805 (or compared to a predetermined standard) may be stored in a section with a high transfer cost. For example, a storage shelf DS with a relatively high number of transfers 805 (or compared to a predetermined standard) may be stored in a section with a low transfer cost. This makes it possible to increase the transfer efficiency and improve the picking efficiency.

[0099] 11 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the guided vehicle information 90. The operation management device 403 acquires information about each automated guided vehicle AC, and creates and updates the guided vehicle information 90 based on that information. For example, the operation management device 403 may acquire from each automated guided vehicle AC information about the location of the automated guided vehicle AC, management information about the automated guided vehicle AC (device ID, remaining battery level, device status, shelf transport information, error information, etc.), and information acquired by the sensor 14 of the automated guided vehicle AC, and create and update the guided vehicle information 90 based on that information.

[0100] The guided vehicle information 90 is information relating to the automated guided vehicle AC. The guided vehicle information 90 has a record for each automated guided vehicle AC. Each record holds information such as a device ID 901, a shelf flag 902, a position 903, a remaining battery level 904, a device status 905, a shelf ID 906, a delivery destination 907, an expected arrival date and time 908, and failure risk information 909.

[0101] The following explanation will be given using one automated guided vehicle AC (referred to as the "target automated guided vehicle") as an example. Device ID 901 is the ID of the target automated guided vehicle for uniquely identifying the target automated guided vehicle. Shelf flag 902 indicates whether the target automated guided vehicle is loaded with a storage shelf DS (transported object). Position 903 indicates the position information (e.g., coordinates) of the section where the target automated guided vehicle is located. Battery remaining capacity 904 indicates the remaining capacity of the battery 15 of the target automated guided vehicle.

[0102] The equipment status 905 indicates the status of the target automated guided vehicle. "Moving" means that the target automated guided vehicle is moving. "Free" means that a shelf ID (specifically, a transport task including a shelf ID) has not been assigned to the target automated guided vehicle. The equipment status 905 may include information on the driving status. Examples of the driving status information include information on the straight driving status, turning status, stopped status, accelerating status, decelerating status, status during lifting up of a transported object, and status during lifting down of a transported object, as well as information on speed, acceleration, angular velocity, etc. The equipment status 905 may also include information on the number of changes in the driving status and driving history information (e.g., cumulative driving distance, cumulative driving time, cumulative number of turns, cumulative turning time, etc.).

[0103] The shelf ID 906 represents the shelf ID included in the transfer task assigned to the target automated guided vehicle (i.e., the ID of the storage shelf DS to be transferred specified in the transfer task). The transfer destination 907 represents the location of the destination of the storage shelf DS to which the target automated guided vehicle will transfer, and may be location information such as the address (coordinates) of the destination, or information (ID) that identifies the section of the destination, such as the ID of the destination that can specify the location of the destination. For example, the transfer destination 907 may be the ID or location information of the work station WS, or the storage location of the storage shelf DS.

[0104] The estimated arrival date and time 908 is the estimated date and time when the target automated guided vehicle is to arrive at the destination 907 (for example, a work station WS). The estimated arrival date and time 908 may be, for example, a date and time calculated by the operation management device 403 based on the travel route of the target automated guided vehicle to the destination.

[0105] The failure risk information 909 is information about the failure risk of the target automated guided vehicle. For example, the failure risk information 909 records a failure risk value of the target automated guided vehicle, which may be a cumulative value of the failure risk calculated from the route that the target automated guided vehicle has traveled so far.

[0106] According to the transportation vehicle information 90 illustrated in FIG. 11, for example, the following can be found.

[0107] An automated guided vehicle AC with a shelf flag 902 of "absent" and a device status 905 of "moving" is moving to the storage location 802 of the storage shelf DS in order to transport the storage shelf DS with shelf ID 906. When the automated guided vehicle AC loads the storage shelf DS, the shelf flag 902 is updated to "present."

[0108] The automated guided vehicle AC with the shelf flag 902 “present” and the equipment status 905 “in motion” is currently transporting the storage shelf DS with the shelf ID 906 to the destination 907 .

[0109] 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the vehicle control process by the operation management device 403. The vehicle control process is executed when the automated guided vehicle AC is caused to transport a storage shelf DS from the shelf storage section to a work station WS, and may be executed repeatedly to process an order.

[0110] In step S101, the path generation unit 511 sorts each order (record of the order information 20) in the order information 20 in ascending order of the work date and time 210. The orders may also be sorted in an order other than ascending order of the work date and time 210. S102 to S104 are performed for each sorted order. Alternatively, the path generation unit 511 may combine multiple orders into a single order, and S102 to S104 may be performed for such a combined order. The multiple orders combined into a single order may be orders that share a predetermined type of element, such as orders for items stored on the same storage shelf DS. Here, a single order (referred to as the "target order") will be used as an example for explanation.

[0111] In step S102, the path generation unit 511 identifies, for the target order, the storage shelf DS on which the item to be picked is stored (referred to as the "target shelf") and the location of the target shelf. For example, based on the order information 20 and inventory information 30, the path generation unit 511 identifies the shelf ID 304 corresponding to the item name 301 and item ID 302 that match the item name 205 and item ID 206 specified in the target order. Based on the shelf information 80, the path generation unit 511 identifies the storage location 802 corresponding to the shelf ID 801 that matches the identified shelf ID 304.

[0112] In step S103, the path generation unit 511 selects an automated guided vehicle AC (referred to as a "target automated guided vehicle") that transports the target shelf located at the storage location 802 identified in S102. For example, the path generation unit 511 may refer to the guided vehicle information 90 and select an automated guided vehicle AC whose equipment status 905 is "vacant" based on the distance from the storage location 802 (for example, the automated guided vehicle AC located at the location 903 closest to the storage location 802). Note that if there are multiple types of areas, the path generation unit 511 may select, for example, from automated guided vehicles AC located in the same area as the storage location 802. Furthermore, the path generation unit 511 can be controlled so as not to select an automated guided vehicle AC whose remaining battery power 904 is low (for example, the remaining battery power 904 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold) or an automated guided vehicle AC whose equipment status 905 is in a faulty state.

[0113] Furthermore, for example, even if the equipment status 905 of an automated guided vehicle AC is "in motion," if the expected arrival date and time 908 is close and its destination 907 is close to the storage location 802 of the target shelf, it may be possible to transport the target shelf earlier than other automated guided vehicles AC. In this case, the path generation unit 511 may select the automated guided vehicle AC that is "in motion" as the target automated guided vehicle. In this way, the path generation unit 511 may refer to the guided vehicle information 90 and select the target automated guided vehicle based on the position 903, remaining battery level 904, equipment status 905, destination 907, expected arrival date and time 908, and storage location 802 of the target shelf of each automated guided vehicle AC.

[0114] The path generation unit 511 may calculate the distance between the position 903 of the automated guided vehicle AC whose equipment status 905 is "empty" and the storage position 802 of the target shelf, and the distance between the destination 907 of the automated guided vehicle AC whose equipment status 905 is "moving" and the storage position 802 of the target shelf, by referring to the layout information 60.

[0115] In step S104, the route generation unit 511 executes a travel route creation process to create a travel route. This process will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0116] In step S105, the path generation unit 511 transmits a movement instruction to the target automated guided vehicle via the communication unit 505 to have the target shelf transported to the destination (work station WS) along the movement path created in S104. The movement instruction includes information about the created movement path.

[0117] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the travel route creation process (step S104 in FIG. 12) by the traffic management device 403.

[0118] In step S601, the path generation unit 511 uses a path search algorithm such as Dijkstra's algorithm to generate multiple path candidates from the current position (position 903) of the target automated guided vehicle to the destination (e.g., a work station WS that is the transfer destination) based on the layout information 60 and floor information 70 (e.g., the unusable flag 703 of each section and the directions 704-705, etc.). Here, the path may be, for example, a path from the current position (position 903) of the target automated guided vehicle to the transfer destination (work station WS) via a storage position 802 on the target shelf. Alternatively, the path generation unit 511 may divide the path from the current position of the target automated guided vehicle to the destination into two or more paths, for example, a path from the current position (position 903) of the target automated guided vehicle to the storage position 802 on the target shelf and a path from the storage position 802 to the transfer destination (work station WS), and then generate path candidates for each path.

[0119] The destination of the target shelf may be determined by instructions from the manager or worker M, etc. Alternatively, the path generating unit 511 may assign a work task (such as which item to pick) required at each work station WS based on the order in the order information 20, and determine the work station WS to which the work task of picking the item in the target order is assigned as the destination. Alternatively, the path generating unit 511 may determine the work station WS (for example, the work station WS closest to the storage location 802 of the target shelf, or the work station WS associated with the storage location 802 of the target shelf or the target automated guided vehicle) based on the storage location 802 of the target shelf, etc. Alternatively, when there are multiple candidate work stations WS for the destination, the path generating unit 511 may determine the work station WS with the best work efficiency (picking efficiency) and transport efficiency, taking into consideration the order information 20, the congestion status of the work station WS, the progress of the work task, the relevance to other work tasks, etc.

[0120] The route efficiency calculation unit 513 calculates the route efficiency for each route candidate for the target automated guided vehicle to travel from the current location to the destination, for example, using a route search algorithm. At this time, for example, the number of multiple nodes constituting the route candidate, the distance of the route candidate, or weights set between multiple nodes constituting the route candidate may be used. The route efficiency calculation unit 513 stores the calculated route efficiency for each route candidate in the storage unit 502. Note that the route efficiency may be a travel cost value (for example, travel distance or travel time).

[0121] In step S602, the failure risk calculation unit 512 calculates a failure risk value when the target automated guided vehicle travels along each route candidate based on information such as each route candidate and its efficiency (travel cost), layout information 60, floor information 70, shelf information 80, and guided vehicle information 90. The calculation of the failure risk value may use a value x1 related to the floor condition of each node included in each route candidate (e.g., loads 707 to 710, damage level, etc.), a travel cost x2 of each route candidate (e.g., travel distance, travel time, etc.), a travel condition x3 of the target automated guided vehicle (e.g., speed, acceleration, angular velocity, etc.), transported object information x4 of the target automated guided vehicle (e.g., presence or absence of a transported object, weight of the transported object, etc.), and a number x5 of changes in the travel condition of the target automated guided vehicle. The weight of the transported object is, for example, the sum of the shelf weight 803 of the target shelf and the total weight 804 of the items on the target shelf. The weight of each automated guided vehicle may be stored in the vehicle information 90, and the total weight of the target automated guided vehicle and the transported object may be calculated and used to calculate the failure risk value.

[0122] The layout information 60 used in the calculation of the failure risk value by the failure risk calculation unit 512 includes the damage degree of the floor node 601c. The damage degree may be expressed as a discrete value of X+1 levels, where 0 indicates an undamaged state and an arbitrary value X indicates a completely damaged state in which the transport vehicle cannot pass, or as a continuous value using any real number. The method of expressing the damage degree is not limited to these. Furthermore, the floor information 70 may include information on the damage degree of each section. Note that the values ​​related to the floor surface condition of each section (e.g., loads 707 to 710, damage degree, etc.) used in the calculation of the failure risk value may be those related to all sections included in each route candidate, or may be limited to those related only to sections in a damaged state.

[0123] In this case, for example, the failure risk value y may be calculated using a linear function with the aforementioned x1 to x5 as variables, as follows: a1×x1+a2×x2+a3×x3+a4×x4+a5×x5, where a1 to a5 represent weights. Note that the calculation of the failure risk value is not limited to these methods, and any linear or nonlinear function may be used. The function may also be set by an administrator or determined by a method such as machine learning. Furthermore, in calculating the failure risk value, at least some variables may be excluded, or other variables may be added. The above formula for calculating the failure risk value y may be stored in the storage unit 502 of the control system 400 as at least part of the information related to the failure risk.

[0124] The failure risk calculation unit 512 may calculate the failure risk using failure risk information 909 in the guided vehicle information 90. The failure risk information 909 records a failure risk value for the target automated guided vehicle, and may be a cumulative value of the failure risk value calculated from the routes that have been traveled so far. The failure risk calculation unit 512 may calculate the failure risk value y, for example, by adding the increase in the failure risk value when the target automated guided vehicle travels along each candidate route to the cumulative failure risk value (failure risk information 909) so far.

[0125] The failure risk value (failure risk information 909) of each automated guided vehicle AC is updated by the failure risk calculation unit 512 when the state of each automated guided vehicle AC changes, for example, when one of the route candidates is selected and movement is completed using the selected route. Note that this change in state is not limited to the completion of movement, and may be, for example, a stop to prevent a collision with another automated guided vehicle AC, a stop to change the direction of movement, etc.

[0126] In step S603, the failure risk calculation unit 512 determines whether the failure risk value of each route candidate does not exceed a predetermined threshold, and if there is no route candidate whose failure risk value does not exceed the threshold, proceeds to step S606, and if there is, proceeds to step S604.

[0127] In step S604, the evaluation unit 514 calculates an evaluation value for each route candidate using the route efficiency calculated in step S601 and the failure risk value calculated in step S602. At this time, for example, a linear function with the aforementioned variables w1 (route efficiency) and w2 (failure risk value) may be used to calculate the evaluation value z = b1 × w1 + b2 × w2. The calculation of the evaluation value is not limited to these methods, and any linear or nonlinear function may be used, and the function may also be set by an administrator or obtained by a method such as machine learning.

[0128] In step S605, the route generation unit 511 determines the route with the smallest evaluation value as the final route. In the embodiment, the route with the smallest route evaluation value is determined as the final route, but a route with a larger route evaluation value may be selected depending on the method for calculating the route evaluation value, and the optimal route may be selected as the final route taking into consideration the failure risk value and route efficiency (travel efficiency). After S605, S105 in FIG. 12 is executed.

[0129] The path search algorithm in step S601 may use the Dijkstra algorithm or the A* algorithm, and each path search algorithm may use the distance between nodes, weights set between nodes, etc. Furthermore, the weights set between nodes may be set to any value, and may be changed depending on the presence or absence of an automated guided vehicle AC, for example.

[0130] 12 and 13 has been described using an example in which an automated guided vehicle AC transports a storage shelf DS from a shelf storage section to a work station WS, but the process can also be applied to other cases in which the automated guided vehicle AC moves. Therefore, in the process described in FIGS. 12 and 13, the transport destination is not limited to only the work station WS.

[0131] For example, after work on a storage shelf DS is completed at a work station WS, if the storage shelf DS is to be transported from the work station WS to a shelf storage section, S104 (i.e., the processing of FIG. 13) and S105 in FIG. 12 can be executed. The automated guided vehicle AC that performs the transport may be the automated guided vehicle AC that transported the storage shelf DS to the work station WS, or S103 may be executed if another automated guided vehicle is selected. The shelf storage section that serves as the transport destination may be the original shelf storage section, or another shelf storage section may be designated as the transport destination based on the number of transports 805 in the shelf information 80. For example, a storage shelf DS with a relatively high number of transports may be designated as a shelf storage section with low transport costs (e.g., a section with a short travel distance or travel time to the work station WS), and a storage shelf DS with a relatively low number of transports may be designated as a shelf storage section with high transport costs (e.g., a section with a long travel distance or travel time to the work station WS).

[0132] Furthermore, for example, when an automated guided vehicle AC is to transport a storage shelf DS from one shelf storage section to another shelf storage section in order to change the arrangement of the storage shelf DS (shelf storage section), steps S102 to S105 in Fig. 12 (including the process in Fig. 13 corresponding to S104) can be executed. As described above, the arrangement of the storage shelf DS may be changed based on the number of transports 805 in the shelf information 80. For example, if a storage shelf DS with a relatively high number of transports is located in a shelf storage section with high transport costs, transport may be performed for that storage shelf.

[0133] The control system 400, the transport system 100, and the control method may have the following configurations, for example.

[0134] The control system 400 includes a storage unit 502 and a control unit 501. The storage unit 502 stores the information of a transport vehicle (automated transport vehicle AC) that can transport an object. situation Information about (e.g., transport vehicle information 90 Information contained in ) and information about the floor surface condition of the travel area (storage area W2) in which the transport vehicle can travel (for example, the condition 706 of the floor information 70, the loads 707 to 710). When creating a route for the transport vehicle to travel from the first point to the second point, the control unit 501 Create multiple route candidates and for each of the multiple route candidates,At least the transport vehicle situation Based on information about the floor condition and A failure risk value when the transport vehicle moves along the route candidate is calculated, the calculated failure risk value is compared with a threshold, and the route candidate is narrowed down from the plurality of route candidates based on the comparison result. .

[0135] Since it is possible to create an appropriate route according to the breakdown risk of the transport vehicle and the floor condition, it is possible to improve the reliability of the transport system 100. For example, for a transport vehicle with a high breakdown risk (higher than a predetermined threshold), it is possible to create a route that does not pass through areas with poor floor conditions and instruct it to move, thereby reducing the possibility of the transport vehicle breaking down while moving along the route. It is also possible to extend the life of the transport vehicle.

[0136] Information about the vehicle's status At least Including information on whether or not the transport vehicle is transporting an object on the route .

[0137] The storage unit 502 records information relating to the weight of the transported object (for example, the shelf weight 803 and the total article weight 804 of the shelf information 80). Information about the vehicle's status At least Including information about the weight of the object to be transported by the transport vehicle on the route .

[0138] If the floor surface along which the transport vehicle travels is in poor condition (e.g., damaged) or uneven, the transport vehicle may be subjected to vibrations and other impacts as it passes over the floor, resulting in wear and tear on the transport vehicle. Furthermore, if such wear and tear accumulates on the transport vehicle, it may be at risk of breakdown. Here, when a transport vehicle is carrying an object, the vibrations and impacts on the transport vehicle are greater than when it is not carrying an object. Furthermore, when a transport vehicle is carrying a heavy object, the vibrations and impacts on the transport vehicle are greater than when it is carrying a lighter object. Therefore, the reliability of the transport system 100 can be improved by creating a route for the transport vehicle based on the presence or absence of an object or information regarding the weight of the object. For example, when a transport vehicle with a high risk of breakdown (higher than a predetermined threshold) is carrying an object, or when a heavy object (heavier than a predetermined threshold) is being carried, a route that avoids areas with poor floor conditions can be created and instructed to move, reducing the possibility of the transport vehicle breaking down while traveling along the route.

[0139] When creating a route for the guided vehicle, the control unit 501 creates multiple route candidates. For each of the multiple route candidates, the control unit 501 calculates a failure risk value when the guided vehicle moves along the route candidate, and compares the calculated failure risk value with a threshold. Based on the comparison result, the control unit 501 narrows down the route from the multiple route candidates.

[0140] The control unit 501 calculates a travel cost (e.g., route efficiency) for each of the multiple route candidates. The control unit 501 calculates an evaluation value for each of the multiple route candidates using at least the failure risk value and the travel cost. The control unit 501 determines a route for the transport vehicle to travel from among the multiple route candidates based on at least the evaluation value.

[0141] As a result of comparing the failure risk value with the threshold, if the failure risk value of any of the multiple route candidates exceeds the threshold, the control unit 501 notifies the terminal (for example, the output unit 504).

[0142] The control unit 501 receives information about the floor conditions for each of the multiple route candidates and the travel cost. and the transport vehicle situation Based on the information, a failure risk value is calculated.

[0143] The control unit 501 receives information about the floor conditions for each of the multiple route candidates, Travel costs and the weight of the transported object and the situation Based on the information, a failure risk value is calculated.

[0144] Information about the vehicle's status is at least one of the speed, acceleration, angular velocity, and straight or turning running mode of the transport vehicle. Contains .

[0145] Information about the vehicle's status is the travel time of the transport vehicle at least Contains .

[0146] Information about the vehicle's status is at least the number of times the vehicle's running state has changed. Contains .

[0147] The control unit 501 calculates information regarding the breakdown risk of each of the multiple transport vehicles, including the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle. The control unit 501 determines, for each of the multiple transport vehicles, the floor surface condition on which the transport vehicle can travel based on the information regarding the breakdown risk of the transport vehicle. The control unit 501 creates a route for the transport vehicle to travel based on the determined floor surface condition on which the transport vehicle can travel and the information regarding the floor surface condition. At this time, the floor surface condition on which the first transport vehicle can travel may differ from the floor surface condition on which the second transport vehicle can travel, which has different information regarding the breakdown risk from the first transport vehicle. For example, the control unit 501 may create a route in which the first transport vehicle can only travel on floors whose status 706 is "normal" if the breakdown risk information for the first transport vehicle is higher than a predetermined threshold, and the second transport vehicle can only travel on floors whose status 706 is "normal" and "uneven" if the breakdown risk information for the second transport vehicle is equal to or lower than the predetermined threshold.

[0148] The transport system 100 includes a transport vehicle capable of transporting an object, a storage unit 502, and a control unit 501. The storage unit 502 stores the situation When creating a route for the guided vehicle to travel from the first point to the second point, the control unit 501 records information about the floor surface condition of the travel area where the guided vehicle can travel. Create multiple route candidates and for each of the multiple route candidates, At least the transport vehicle situation Based on information about the floor condition and A failure risk value when the transport vehicle moves along the route candidate is calculated, the calculated failure risk value is compared with a threshold, and the route candidate is narrowed down from the plurality of route candidates based on the comparison result. .

[0149] The transported object may be a shelf (storage shelf DS) on which an article is placed. The transport system 100 may further include a shelf.

[0150] A control method for a transport vehicle in a control system for controlling a transport vehicle capable of transporting a transported object, situation and information about the floor surface condition of a travel area in which the transport vehicle can travel; and when creating a route for the transport vehicle to move from the first point to the second point, A step of generating a plurality of route candidates, and for each of the plurality of route candidates, At least the transport vehicle situation Based on information about the floor condition and a step of calculating a failure risk value when the guided vehicle moves along the route candidate; and a step of comparing the calculated failure risk value with a threshold value. Based on the comparison results, the route is narrowed down from the multiple route candidates. and controlling the movement of the transport vehicle based on the route. [Explanation of symbols]

[0151] AC: Automated guided vehicle DS: Storage shelf SS: Sorting shelf G, Gi: Gate M, Mi: worker Ti: Terminal W: Warehouse W1: Work area W2: Storage area WS: Work Station 100: Transport vehicle control system (transport system) 400: Control System

Claims

1. a storage unit that records information about the state of a transport vehicle that can transport an object and information about the floor state of a travel area in which the transport vehicle can travel; a control unit that creates a route along which the transport vehicle moves, When creating a route for the transport vehicle to move from a first point to a second point, the control unit Create multiple route candidates, For each of the plurality of route candidates, a failure risk value is calculated based on at least information on the state of the transport vehicle and information on the floor surface state when the transport vehicle moves along the route candidate, and the calculated failure risk value is compared with a threshold value; A control system that narrows down the route from the plurality of route candidates based on the results of the comparison.

2. The information about the state of the transport vehicle includes at least information about whether or not the transport vehicle is transporting an object on the route. The control system of claim 1 .

3. the storage unit records information about the weight of the transported object; The information about the state of the transport vehicle includes at least information about the weight of the transported object transported by the transport vehicle along the route. The control system of claim 1 .

4. The control unit calculates a travel cost for each of the plurality of route candidates, calculating an evaluation value for each of the plurality of route candidates using at least the failure risk value and the travel cost; A route along which the transport vehicle will travel is determined from among the plurality of route candidates based on at least the evaluation value. The control system of claim 1 .

5. The control unit compares the failure risk value with the threshold value, and if the failure risk value of any of the plurality of route candidates exceeds the threshold value, notifies the terminal. The control system of claim 1 .

6. The control unit The failure risk value is calculated based on the information on the floor surface condition for each of the plurality of route candidates, the movement cost, and the information on the state of the transport vehicle. The control system of claim 4.

7. The control unit The failure risk value is calculated based on the information on the floor surface condition for each of the plurality of route candidates, the movement cost, the information on the weight of the transported object, and the information on the state of the transport vehicle. The control system of claim 6.

8. The information about the state of the transport vehicle includes at least one of the speed, acceleration, angular velocity, and straight or turning running mode of the transport vehicle. The control system of claim 7.

9. The information about the state of the transport vehicle includes at least the travel time of the transport vehicle. The control system of claim 7.

10. The information about the state of the transport vehicle includes at least the number of times the running state of the transport vehicle has changed. The control system of claim 7.

11. A transport vehicle capable of transporting an object; a storage unit that records information about the state of the transport vehicle and information about the floor surface state of a travel area in which the transport vehicle can travel; a control unit that creates a route along which the transport vehicle moves, When creating a route for the transport vehicle to move from a first point to a second point, the control unit creates a plurality of route candidates, calculates a failure risk value for each of the plurality of route candidates based on at least information on the state of the transport vehicle and information on the floor surface state when the transport vehicle moves along the route candidate, compares the calculated failure risk value with a threshold, and narrows down the route from the plurality of route candidates based on the result of the comparison. Conveying system.

12. The transported object is a shelf on which articles are placed, The shelf further includes The transport system of claim 11.

13. A control system for controlling a transport vehicle capable of transporting a transported object, comprising: acquiring information about the state of the transport vehicle and information about the floor surface state of a travel area in which the transport vehicle can travel; generating a plurality of route candidates when generating a route along which the guided vehicle will move from a first point to a second point; calculating, for each of the plurality of route candidates, a failure risk value when the transport vehicle moves along the route candidate based on at least information on the state of the transport vehicle and information on the floor surface state; comparing the calculated failure risk value with a threshold value; narrowing down the route from the plurality of route candidates based on the comparison result; controlling the movement of the transport vehicle based on the route; A control method comprising:

Images