Transfer control system, transfer control device, and transfer control method

Abstract

A transfer control system (1) or a transfer control device comprises a loading amount acquisition unit (1a), an acquisition unit (1b), a specification unit (1c), and a raising / lowering control unit (1d). The raising / lowering control unit (1d) controls the raising and lowering of a loading unit on which an object is loaded and which is provided to a mobile body for conveying the object. The loading amount acquisition unit (1a) acquires a loading amount of the loading unit. The acquisition unit (1b) acquires information about a first height that is the height of a location to which the object is to be transferred with respect to the loading unit. The specification unit (1c) specifies, on the basis of the first height, a second height that is one of the heights to which the loading unit is to be raised or lowered and which is higher than the first height. The raising / lowering unit (1d) performs first raising / lowering control for raising or lowering the loading unit in accordance with the loading amount at a place above the aforementioned location between the first height and the second height.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a transfer control system, a transfer control device, and a transfer control method. [Background technology]

[0002] There have been proposed methods for determining the installation surface on which a load is to be placed when a forklift truck places the load, and methods for determining the loading surface on which a load is to be loaded when the load is placed on the forks of a forklift truck.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technology that determines the presence of a loading surface based on the measurement value of a rangefinder that rises and falls together with the forks, and controls a hydraulic mechanism to raise the forks a specified amount and then stop the forks. In the technology described in Patent Document 1, when the measurement value of the rangefinder changes in the order of a value equal to or greater than a predetermined first specified value, a value less than the first specified value, and a value equal to or greater than a second specified value, it is determined that a loading surface exists at the height where the value switches from less than the first specified value to a value equal to or greater than the first specified value.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes a forklift equipped with a lifting operation sensor that detects the lifting and lowering operation of the forks, a lifting actuator that performs the lifting and lowering operation of the forks, and a tilting actuator that performs the tilting operation of the forks. The forklift described in Patent Document 2 further includes a load sensor that detects the load on the lifting actuator, a tilt sensor that detects the tilting of the forks, and a control unit. The control unit controls the drive of the tilting actuator based on detection signals from the lifting operation sensor, the load sensor, and the tilt sensor to adjust the levelness of the forks. In the technology described in Patent Document 2, whether a load has landed on the ground is determined by detecting the downward drive pressure of the lifting actuator (lifting hydraulic cylinder) using a load sensor, and the control unit determines that the load has landed on the ground when the downward drive pressure drops below a predetermined value. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-004113 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-043469 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, when the technology described in Patent Document 1 measures the height of the loading surface, it may not be able to respond to situations where the height of the loading surface changes due to the weight of the cargo while it is being loaded. For example, if the height of the loading surface changes due to the weight of the cargo while the cargo is being moved based on the measured height of the loading surface, it is possible that the forks will stop descending and pull out the cargo even though it has not yet left the forks. In that case, the cargo cannot be placed.

[0007] Furthermore, the technology described in Patent Document 2 uses the descent drive pressure to determine whether the load has touched the ground, but this technology may result in poor work efficiency. For example, to avoid damage to the loading platform or the load caused by quickly lowering the forks to a position where the descent drive pressure is equal to or less than a threshold, it is necessary to set the fork descent speed low and check the descent drive pressure.

[0008] As such, the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 cannot efficiently place cargo or load cargo onto forks in situations where the placement surface changes depending on the weight of the cargo, such as on the bed of a truck.

[0009] In view of the above circumstances, the present disclosure aims to provide a transfer control system, a transfer control device, and a transfer control method that are capable of efficiently placing an object or loading the object onto a moving body in a situation where the placement surface changes depending on the weight of the object being transported. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To achieve the above object, the present disclosure provides, as a first aspect, a transfer control system, which includes: a lifting / lowering control means for controlling the lifting / lowering of a loading means for loading an object on a mobile body that transports the object; a load amount acquisition means for acquiring a load amount of the loading means; an acquisition means for acquiring information on a first height that is the height of a location where the object is to be moved between the loading means and the loading means; and an identification means for identifying, based on the first height, a second height to which the loading means is to be lifted / lowered, the second height being higher than the first height, and the lifting / lowering control means performs first lifting / lowering control to lift / lower the loading means between the first height and the second height above the location in accordance with the load amount.

[0011] In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides a transfer control device comprising: a lifting / lowering control means for controlling the lifting / lowering of a loading means for loading an object on a mobile body that transports the object; a load amount acquisition means for acquiring a load amount of the loading means; an acquisition means for acquiring information on a first height that is the height of a location where the object is to be moved between the loading means and the loading means; and an identification means for identifying a second height, which is one of heights to which the loading means is to be lifted / lowered and is higher than the first height, based on the first height, wherein the lifting / lowering control means performs first lifting / lowering control for lifting / lowering the loading means between the first height and the second height above the location in accordance with the load amount.

[0012] The present disclosure provides, as a third aspect, a transfer control method, which includes: a lifting / lowering control for controlling the lifting / lowering of a loading means for loading an object on a mobile body that transports the object; a load amount acquisition process for acquiring a load amount of the loading means; an acquisition process for acquiring information on a first height that is the height of a location where the object is to be moved between the loading means and the loading means; and a specification process for specifying, based on the first height, a second height to which the loading means is to be lifted / lowered, the second height being higher than the first height, and the lifting / lowering control includes a first lifting / lowering control for lifting / lowering the loading means between the first height and the second height above the location in accordance with the load amount. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a transfer control system, a transfer control device, and a transfer control method that can efficiently install or load objects in situations where the installation surface changes due to the weight of the object being transported. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a transfer control system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 2 is a block diagram showing a transfer control device which is one configuration example of the transfer control system of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a flow chart for explaining an example of a transfer control method in the transfer control system of FIG. 1 or the transfer control device of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration example of the transfer control system of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a side view schematically showing an example of a forklift that is a control target of transfer control in the transfer control system of FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a procedure for unloading an object from a fork in the transfer control system of FIG. 4. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flow chart for explaining an example of processing in the transfer control system when an object is unloaded according to the procedure in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a procedure for loading an object onto a fork in the transfer control system of FIG. 4. [Figure 9] 9 is a flowchart for explaining an example of processing in the transfer control system when loading objects according to the procedure in FIG. 8. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flow chart for explaining an example of a transfer control method in the transfer control system according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11]FIG. 10 is a flow chart for explaining another example of the transfer control method in the transfer control system according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a transfer control system according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description and drawings have been omitted and simplified as appropriate for clarity of explanation. In addition, in the following drawings, the same or similar elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0016] (First embodiment) The first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 9. First, the configuration and processing of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a transfer control system according to this embodiment.

[0017] The transfer control system 1 according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is a system that controls a mobile object, such as a lifting device like a forklift, to transfer the object, and can also be called a cargo handling control system. Hereinafter, a forklift will be used as an example of the mobile object, but the mobile object is not limited to this and can be any device that transports objects. Furthermore, the transfer control system 1 can also be configured as a system that includes a mobile object such as a forklift. In this disclosure, "moving an object between a loading means (loading unit)" refers to moving and loading an object, and includes at least one of transferring an object from a mobile object to a transfer location and transferring an object from a placement location to a mobile object.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the transfer control system 1 according to this embodiment may include a load amount acquisition unit (load amount acquisition means) 1a, an acquisition unit (acquisition means) 1b, an identification unit (identification means) 1c, and a lifting / lowering control unit (lifting / lowering control means) 1d. The transfer control system 1 may include the load amount acquisition unit 1a, the acquisition unit 1b, the identification unit 1c, and the lifting / lowering control unit 1d distributed across multiple devices, regardless of the distribution method. For example, the transfer control system 1 may include a device including the load amount acquisition unit 1a, a device including the acquisition unit 1b, a device including the identification unit 1c, and a device including the lifting / lowering control unit 1d. Each device may include, for example, a computer device including hardware including one or more processors and one or more memories. At least some of the functions of the components included in each device may be realized by one or more processors operating in accordance with programs read from one or more memories.

[0019] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the transfer control system 1 can also be configured as a single transfer control device 2 including a load amount acquisition unit 1a, an acquisition unit 1b, an identification unit 1c, and a lifting / lowering control unit 1d. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the transfer control device 2, which is an example configuration of the transfer control system 1 of FIG. 1. The transfer control device 2 can be configured to include a computer device including hardware, for example, one or more processors and one or more memories. At least a portion of the functions of each unit in the transfer control device 2 can be realized by one or more processors operating in accordance with a program read from one or more memories. Furthermore, the transfer control device 2 can also be implemented by distributing the functions of each unit to separate devices, and the distribution method is not important. For example, the transfer control device 2 can be configured to include a device including the load amount acquisition unit 1a, a device including the acquisition unit 1b, a device including the identification unit 1c, and a device including the lifting / lowering control unit 1d.

[0020] Next, the load amount acquiring unit 1a, the acquiring unit 1b, the specifying unit 1c, and the lifting control unit 1d will be described.

[0021] The load amount acquisition unit 1a acquires the load amount of a loading unit (loading means) of a forklift that loads an object to be transported (hereinafter referred to as an object). Here, loading an object can refer to applying a load to the object, such as stacking the object, lifting the object by grasping the underside of a protruding portion or the like of the object, or lifting the object by hanging a hoist on a part of the object. The loading unit refers to the location where the load is applied. In the case of a forklift, loading an object onto the forks refers to loading the object onto the forks, and the loading unit refers to the forks. Other examples will be described later.

[0022] The load amount acquiring unit 1a may be configured to measure the load amount on the loading unit caused by loading an object and obtain the measurement results, or to be capable of obtaining the measurement results. The load amount acquiring unit 1a may calculate the load amount on the fork from the pressure of a hydraulic cylinder that controls the elevation of the fork. As in this example, the load amount on the loading unit can also be detected by another part connected to the loading unit. Furthermore, the load amount acquiring unit 1a may be configured to include a sensor such as a weight sensor and receive the load amount detected by the sensor, but may also be configured not to include the sensor itself. Note that the method of detecting the load amount is not important.

[0023] Furthermore, the loading section can be, for example, a loading section for loading an object, or a support section for supporting an object at multiple points, and can also be referred to as a loading section. The loading section is the part that lifts an object. In the case of a forklift, the loading section corresponds to the forks that load the object, and the following explanation will use forks as an example. When the mobile body is a forklift, the object to be transported can refer to the cargo loading pallet and the cargo loaded on it. The cargo loading pallet can be equipped with a frame that forms a space into which the forks can be inserted horizontally. Note that when transporting without using a cargo loading pallet, the object is the cargo itself.

[0024] Acquisition unit 1b acquires information about a first height, which is the height of a location where an object is to be transferred between the fork and the object. Because this location is where an object is transferred between the fork and the object, this location will be referred to as the "transfer location" in the following description. Acquisition unit 1b may be configured to include a height sensor that detects the height and receive the detection results, but may also be configured not to include the height sensor itself, for example.

[0025] The height of the transfer location can be the height of the surface of the bed if the transfer destination or transfer source is the bed of a truck, or if the cargo loading pallet has a plate-shaped frame on the bottom, the height can be the height plus the height (thickness) of that frame.

[0026] In this embodiment, a situation can be envisioned in which an object is moved from a forklift to a destination such as a truck, and a situation in which an object is moved from a source such as a truck to the forks of the forklift. Of course, the forklift in this embodiment can also be used for moving (transferring) an object to a destination or source whose height above the ground is fixed. However, this embodiment can be effectively applied to transfers to the loading platform of a truck whose height is not fixed, or to transfers to a destination or source where multiple objects are stacked even when the height above the ground is fixed.

[0027] Furthermore, the height sensor may be installed at a high position on a ceiling or wall indoors, or at a high position on a pole or the exterior wall of a building outdoors, or may be installed on a forklift whether indoors or outdoors. The height sensor may be a laser sensor such as LiDAR (registered trademark), or an infrared ToF (Time Of Flight) camera. As can be seen from this example, the height measurement method used by the height sensor is not important.

[0028] Based on the first height, the identification unit 1c identifies a second height, which is one of the heights to which the forks are raised and lowered and is higher than the first height. The first height can be the information acquired by the acquisition unit 1b itself, or can be calculated from that information. As will be understood from the following explanation, the second height is a height that serves as one control target for moving the forks. However, the control target here does not refer to the final control target. Furthermore, moving the forks refers to raising or lowering the forks.

[0029] The lifting / lowering control unit 1d controls the lifting and lowering of the forks. In particular, the lifting / lowering control unit 1d performs first lifting / lowering control to raise and lower the forks between a first height and a second height above the transfer location in accordance with the load amount acquired by the load amount acquisition unit 1a. The upper side of the transfer location refers to the upper side of the truck bed if the transfer destination or transfer source is a truck bed, and the first lifting / lowering control is applied to the lifting and lowering of the forks above the bed. The load amount used can also be the load amount reduction amount. The load amount reduction amount can be calculated by comparing the load amount during transport or at the time of loading onto the forks with the load amount for the current operation. The load amount reduction amount can also be calculated by externally acquiring the load amount of the object being transported and comparing the acquired load amount of the object during transport with the load amount for the current operation.

[0030] Of course, the lift control unit 1d can also perform lift control other than the first lift control depending on the situation, and such lift control will be referred to as the second lift control below. The control method used in the second lift control does not matter, and various known lift control methods can be used.

[0031] Next, a transfer control method in the transfer control system 1 or transfer control device 2 configured as described above will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flow chart for explaining an example of the transfer control method.

[0032] In this transfer control method, the load amount acquisition unit 1a executes a load amount acquisition process to acquire the load amount of a loading unit such as a fork (step S1). Next, the acquisition unit 1b executes an acquisition process to acquire information about a first height (step S2), and the identification unit 1c executes an identification process to identify a second height based on the first height (step S3). The process of step S1 can also be executed after step S2 or step S3. Finally, the lifting / lowering control unit 1d executes a first lifting / lowering control to lift and lower the loading unit between the first height and the second height according to the load amount (step S4). Note that the lifting / lowering control unit 1d can execute a second lifting / lowering control except while the first lifting / lowering control is being executed.

[0033] Detailed examples of the first lifting / lowering control and the second lifting / lowering control will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 9. In this embodiment, by performing such first lifting / lowering control, the following effects are achieved. That is, in this embodiment, even in a situation where the placement surface changes due to the weight of the object, not only the load on the forks but also the height of the placement surface are measured, thereby making it possible to improve the efficiency of the work of unloading the object from the forks (the work of placing the object). Furthermore, in this embodiment, even in a situation where the loading surface changes due to the weight of the object, not only the load on the forks but also the height of the loading surface are measured, thereby making it possible to improve the efficiency of the work of loading the object onto the forks.

[0034] In this way, according to this embodiment, it is possible to efficiently place an object or load the object onto the forks in a situation where the placement surface changes depending on the weight of the object being transported.

[0035] Next, a detailed configuration example of the transfer control system 1 in Fig. 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 4 to Fig. 9. First, an outline of such a configuration example will be described with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration example of the transfer control system 1 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side view schematically showing an example of a forklift that is a control target for transfer control in the transfer control system in Fig. 4.

[0036] The transfer control system 100 illustrated in Fig. 4 can include one or more forklifts F, a remote control device 20 which is an example of the transfer control device 1, and one or more ToF cameras (hereinafter simply referred to as cameras) 30. Also, a truck T in Fig. 4 is a truck having a loading platform which serves as the transfer destination or source illustrated here.

[0037] A camera 30 is connected to the remote control device 20 by wire or wirelessly. The camera 30 can be installed at one or more positions on the ceiling or the like where the first height can be measured. The camera 30 can include a sensor 31 such as a light receiving element, and a communication unit 32 that transmits sensor data detected by the sensor 31 or distance data calculated therefrom to the remote control device 20. Of course, a height sensor other than a ToF camera can also be used instead of the camera 30.

[0038] Furthermore, one or more forklifts F are wirelessly connected to the remote control device 20 as control targets. In the following, one forklift F will be described as a control target, but other forklifts can also be control targets in the same way.

[0039] The forklift F may include a control unit 11 for overall control, a communication unit 12 for wireless communication with a remote control device 20, a wheel drive unit 13 for driving the wheels, a fork drive unit 14 for driving the forks, a weight sensor 15, and an operation unit 16. The control unit 11 may be configured to include a computer device including hardware including, for example, one or more processors and one or more memories. At least some of the functions of the components provided within the forklift F may be realized by the one or more processors operating in accordance with programs read from the one or more memories. The communication unit 12 may also be configured to be able to be directly and wirelessly connected to the camera 30.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 5, the forklift F may include a lift unit Fa, which is part of the fork drive unit 14, attached to the front of the main body, and forks Fb that are movable up and down by the lift unit Fa. The lift unit Fa may be configured with, for example, a lift cylinder, a lift chain, etc., but various existing mechanisms may be applied. Other components of the fork drive unit 14, such as a motor or engine that provides power to the lift unit Fa to lift and lower the forks Fb, may be provided on the main body of the forklift F. In Fig. 5, the forks Fb have a loading surface Fs on which a cargo loading pallet Cp, which is part of the object, is loaded, and the weight sensor 15 may be installed on the loading surface Fs.

[0041] The cargo loading pallet Cp comprises an upper frame, a lower frame, and a pair of side frames connecting them, which can form one or more spaces. By inserting the forks Fb into this space, objects including the cargo loading pallet Cp can be loaded, such as the cargo loading pallet Cp and the cargo Ca loaded thereon in the example of FIG. 5. When the forks Fb load and lift the object, the lower surface Csu of the upper frame comes into contact with the loading surface Fs, allowing the weight sensor 15 to detect the weight. Furthermore, the upper surface Csb of the lower frame is the surface that comes into contact with the lower surface of the forks Fb when they are lowered to the bottom. However, some cargo loading pallets do not include a lower frame.

[0042] The wheel drive unit 13 drives wheels for moving the entire forklift F. As described above, the fork drive unit 14 can include the lift unit Fa and a drive source. The weight sensor 15 is an example of a sensor that detects the load amount.

[0043] The operation unit 16 is an operation unit 16 that accepts operation operations when the forklift F is operated manually, and can be equipped with a handle, a lever, etc. An attachment including an actuator that enables automatic operation can be attached to the operation unit 16, and the actuator can be controlled to operate the operation unit 16, thereby enabling automatic operation. Note that if the forklift F is a forklift dedicated to autonomous movement, the operation unit 16 is not necessary.

[0044] Furthermore, the forklift F may be a counter forklift in which the horizontal position of the forks is fixed, and although such an example is given, it may also be a reach forklift in which the forks extend and retract horizontally.

[0045] The remote control device 20 may include a control unit 21 that controls the entire device, a communication unit 22 that communicates with the camera 30 and the forklift F, a display unit 23 that displays operation images for remote operation, and an operation input unit 24 that operates the operation images.

[0046] The control unit 21 may include a load amount acquiring unit 21a, an acquiring unit 21b, an identifying unit 21c, and an elevation control unit 21d, which correspond to the load amount acquiring unit 1a, the acquiring unit 1b, the identifying unit 1c, and the elevation control unit 1d, respectively. The control unit 21 may be configured to include a computer device including hardware including, for example, one or more processors and one or more memories. At least some of the functions of the components included in the remote control device 20 may be realized by the one or more processors operating in accordance with programs read from one or more memories.

[0047] The load amount acquiring unit 21a acquires the load amount of the forks Fb that carry an object in the forklift F. The load amount acquiring unit 21a can be configured to acquire the load amount, in this example, the weight detected by the weight sensor 15, via the communication unit 22.

[0048] The acquisition unit 21b receives information about a first height (height H1, described later) that is the height of a transfer location where an object is transferred between the forklift Fb and the camera 30 via the communication unit 22. As for which camera 30 to acquire information from, it is possible to specify one or more cameras 30 that can detect the height of the truck bed at a location where the forklift F is to transfer an object, for example. In this way, the first height can be obtained from information obtained from two or more cameras 30.

[0049] When the loading platform of the truck T shown in Figure 4 is used as the destination or source of the transfer, the first height can be the height of the surface Ts of the loading platform, or, if the cargo loading pallet Cp has a plate-shaped frame on the underside as well, as shown in the example, the first height can be the height plus the thickness of the frame.

[0050] In this way, the acquisition unit 21b can acquire, as information about the first height, a measurement value obtained by measuring the height of the surface of the object between which the object is moved and the fork Fb. However, if the current height of the truck bed is available as information, the acquisition unit 21b can also be configured to acquire that information. Also, instead of the camera 30, a height sensor such as the camera 30 can be provided on the top of the lift unit Fa of the forklift F, or a separate height sensor can be provided at a higher position on the forklift F via a pole or the like.

[0051] Based on the first height acquired by the acquisition unit 21b, the identification unit 21c identifies a second height (height H2, described below) that is one of the heights to which the forks are moved (raised and lowered) and is higher than the first height. In particular, the identification unit 21c can identify the second height as a position that is higher than the first height by a predetermined value. The predetermined value can be, for example, 0.2 m, or can be k times the total thickness of the cargo-carrying pallet Cp to be used (k is a real number greater than 1).

[0052] The lifting / lowering control unit 21d controls the lifting / lowering of the forks Fb by controlling the driving of the fork driving unit 14. In particular, the lifting / lowering control unit 21d performs a first lifting / lowering control to lift and lower the forks Fb between a first height and a second height above the transfer location in accordance with the weight acquired by the load amount acquisition unit 21a.

[0053] Next, an example of the procedure for unloading an object from the fork Fb will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. The scene in which the object is unloaded from the fork Fb (hereinafter referred to as Scene A) refers to the case in which the fork Fb transfers the object to a transfer location. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of the procedure for unloading an object from the fork Fb in the transfer control system 100 of Figure 4, and Figure 7 is a flow chart for explaining an example of processing in the transfer control system 100 when the object is unloaded according to the procedure of Figure 6.

[0054] In scene A, first, the movement of forklift F is specified by operation from operation input unit 24 of remote control device 20, and control unit 21 generates a command in accordance with the command and transmits it to forklift F via communication unit 22. Forklift F receives the command via communication unit 12, and control unit 11 controls wheel drive unit 13 to move in accordance with the command and arrive near truck T. This state corresponds to the state shown as forklift F-A1 in the first row of Figure 6.

[0055] Incidentally, if the forklift F is provided with a function for acquiring position information, it can be automatically moved to the vicinity of the truck T. However, here, an example is given in which the operator sequentially remotely controls the forklift F to reach the vicinity of the truck T using the operation input unit 24. This is not limiting, and although a description thereof will be omitted in this disclosure, any control may be performed on the movement of the forklift F to reach the destination.

[0056] Next, an operation to instruct the forklift F to place an object on the truck T is accepted from the operation input unit 24 of the remote control device 20 (step S11). The control unit 21 sequentially generates instructions according to the designation, i.e., commands to instruct the forklift F to unload the object, and transmits them to the forklift F via the communication unit 22. Note that, in the following, processing via the communication units 12, 22, and 23 will be omitted and will be described as exchanges between devices.

[0057] At this time, the acquisition unit 21b of the remote control device 20 instructs the camera 30 capable of measuring the height H1 of the surface Ts of the bed of the truck T to measure the height H1, and receives the value of the height H1 as a result (step S12). Next, the identification unit 21c identifies the height H2 based on the height H1 (step S13).

[0058] The lifting control unit 21d performs the second lifting control by sequentially transmitting commands to the forklift F to perform the second lifting control until the forklift F reaches the second height H2 (step S14). The second lifting control can be, for example, a control to raise the fork Fb at a constant speed. Note that although it is assumed that the fork Fb is originally positioned on the lower side, if the fork Fb is positioned higher than the second height H2, the second lifting control can be a control to lower the fork Fb at a constant speed until the fork Fb reaches the second height H2.

[0059] Upon receiving this command, the control unit 11 of the forklift F successively controls the fork drive unit 14 to raise and lower the forks Fb. At this time, the forklift F feeds back the height of the forks Fb to the remote control device 20 as necessary. Note that if the remote control device 20 knows in advance how the forklift F will operate in response to the issued command, such height feedback is not necessary. The lifting / lowering control unit 21d determines whether the forklift F has reached the second height H2 (step S15), and if not, returns to step S14 to continue performing the second lifting / lowering control.

[0060] If the answer in step S15 is YES, the state is shown as forklift F-A2 in the second row from the top in Fig. 6. In this case, the lift control unit 21d generates a command to temporarily stop the lift control, and the control unit 21 generates a command to move the forklift F to the placement position of the object, and sends these commands to the forklift F. In response to these commands, the control unit 11 controls the fork drive unit 14 to stop the lifting and lowering of the forks Fb, and controls the wheel drive unit 13 to move the forklift F to the placement position of the object (step S16). This state corresponds to the state shown as forklift F-A3 in the third row from the top in Fig. 6.

[0061] At this time, the load amount acquisition unit 21a requests information indicating the weight from the forklift F, and the forklift F acquires the weight using the weight sensor 15 and returns the weight to the remote control device 20 (step S17). Next, the lifting / lowering control unit 21d sequentially generates commands to perform control according to the weight of the fork Fb when the height of the fork Fb is between the second height H2 and the first height H1, that is, first lifting / lowering control, when the fork Fb is above the top surface Ts of the loading platform. Then, the lifting / lowering control unit 21d transmits the sequentially generated commands to the forklift F, thereby performing the first lifting / lowering control (step S18).

[0062] In particular, in this embodiment, in step S18, commands are sequentially generated as the first lifting / lowering control to control the fork Fb according to its weight from the second height H2 until the weight becomes equal to or less than the threshold value. Note that, in theory, the determination that the weight is equal to or less than the threshold value may be determined as the weight becoming zero. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when lowering an object, the first lifting / lowering control may be performed according to its weight until both the condition that the fork Fb reaches the first height H1 and the condition that the weight becomes equal to or less than the threshold value are satisfied. That is, in this embodiment, when lowering an object, the first lifting / lowering control is performed according to its weight until at least one of the conditions that the fork Fb reaches the first height H1 and the weight becomes equal to or less than the threshold value is satisfied. Note that, as described above, the first height H1 may be the height of the surface Ts of the bed of the truck T, or, if the pallet Cp for loading an object also has a plate-like frame on the lower side, as illustrated, the height may be the height obtained by adding the thickness of the frame. However, at least in the former case, it is advisable to set the first height H1 to a height that also includes the thickness of the fork Fb.

[0063] The control unit 11 of the forklift F, which has received this command, successively controls the fork driving unit 14 to lower the forks Fb. At this time, the forklift F successively monitors the weight with the weight sensor 15 and feeds back information indicating the weight to the remote control device 20. When determining the height of the forks Fb, since the forklift F already knows the current height, it is advisable to feed back this height to the remote control device 20 as necessary. The load amount acquisition unit 21a of the remote control device 20 determines whether the weight has fallen below the threshold value (step S19), and if the answer is NO, the process returns to step S17 and the lifting / lowering control unit 21d continues control according to the weight.

[0064] On the other hand, if the answer is YES in step S19, at that point or when the forks Fb have been lowered a predetermined distance thereafter, the remote control device 20 transmits a command to the forklift F to withdraw the forks Fb and move. The forklift F then withdraws and moves in accordance with this command (step S20).

[0065] This control causes the position of the fork Fb to descend according to the weight until the weight falls below the threshold, allowing the fork Fb to come out. This state is shown as forklift F-A4 in the fourth row from the top of Figure 6.

[0066] In this state, it can be seen that the surface Ts of the loading platform of the truck T is at a height H1a, which is lower than the initially measured height H1. This means that the surface Ts of the loading platform has dropped due to the influence of the wheel suspension or the like in response to the weight of the object. The height of the surface Ts of the loading platform gradually decreases from the time the bottom surface of the cargo loading pallet Cp abuts against the surface Ts of the loading platform until the weight falls below the threshold. However, in this embodiment, because the first lifting / lowering control as described above is performed, it is possible to efficiently place the object even in a situation where the placement surface changes depending on the weight of the object being transported.

[0067] Furthermore, by giving the control unit 11 at least some of the functions of the lifting / lowering control unit 21d, it is possible for the control unit 11 to obtain information indicating the weight from the weight sensor 15 and perform the first lifting / lowering control on the fork drive unit 14 without going through the remote control device 20.

[0068] Also, in Figures 6 and 7, an example is given in which the forks Fb are raised to the second height H2 after the forklift F reaches the vicinity of the truck T, but it is also possible to first raise the forks Fb to the second height H2 and then allow them to reach the vicinity of the truck T.

[0069] It is also possible to configure the system so that installation is performed automatically by simply specifying the object to be transported, its location, the forklift F to be used for transport, and the truck where the object will be installed, using the remote control device 20. For example, it is also possible to configure the system so that the remote control device 20 detects the position of the truck using a camera 30 or the like, and the forklift F automatically picks up the object and installs it on the truck bed according to the information from the remote control device 20. It is also possible to configure the system so that such specifications are also performed automatically by introducing a transport management system.

[0070] Next, an example of a procedure for loading an object onto the fork Fb will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. The scene in which an object is loaded onto the fork Fb (hereinafter referred to as scene B) refers to a scene in which the fork Fb picks up the object from the bed of the truck T, and refers to a case in which the fork Fb transfers the object from a transfer location. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a procedure for loading an object onto the fork Fb in the transfer control system 100 of Figure 4, and Figure 9 is a flow chart for explaining an example of processing in the transfer control system when loading an object according to the procedure of Figure 8.

[0071] In scene B, first, the movement of the forklift F is specified by operation from the operation input unit 24 of the remote control device 20, and the control unit 21 generates a command according to the specification and transmits it to the forklift F. The forklift F receives the command, and the control unit 11 controls the wheel drive unit 13 to move according to the command, and arrives near the truck T.

[0072] Next, an instruction to load an object from the truck T by the forklift F, i.e., an instruction to pick up the object, is received from the operation input unit 24 of the remote control device 20 (step S31). The control unit 21 sequentially generates instructions according to the instruction, i.e., commands to instruct loading of the object, and transmits them to the forklift F.

[0073] At this time, the acquisition unit 21b of the remote control device 20 instructs the camera 30, which is capable of measuring the height H1 of the surface Ts of the bed of the truck T, to measure the height H1, and receives the resulting value of the height H1 (step S32). For the same truck T, the value of the height H1 obtained here is smaller than the value obtained in step S12 due to the weight of the object. Next, the identification unit 21c identifies the height H2 based on the height H1 (step S33).

[0074] The lifting control unit 21d performs the second lifting control by sequentially transmitting commands to the forklift F to perform the second lifting control until the first height H1 is reached (step S34). The second lifting control may be, for example, a control to lift the fork Fb at a constant speed. While the fork Fb is originally assumed to be positioned at a lower position, if the fork Fb is positioned higher than the first height H1, the second lifting control may be a control to lower the fork Fb at a constant speed until the first height H1 is reached. As described above, the first height H1 may be the height of the surface Ts of the bed of the truck T. However, since the fork Fb must be inserted into the bed, it is preferable to add the thickness of the fork Fb to the height. Alternatively, if the load-carrying pallet Cp has a plate-shaped frame on the lower side as in the example, the first height H1 may be the height to add the thickness of the frame. In this case, the first height H1 may also be the height to add the thickness of the fork Fb.

[0075] Upon receiving this command, the control unit 11 of the forklift F successively controls the fork drive unit 14 to raise and lower the forks Fb. At this time, the forklift F feeds back the height of the forks Fb to the remote control device 20 as necessary. Note that if the remote control device 20 knows in advance how the forklift F will operate in response to the issued command, such height feedback is not necessary. The lifting / lowering control unit 21d determines whether the forklift F has reached the first height H1 (step S35), and if not, returns to step S34 to continue performing the second lifting / lowering control.

[0076] If the result in step S35 is YES, the lift control unit 21d generates a command to temporarily stop the lift control, and generates a command for the control unit 21 to move the forklift F to the placement position of the object and insert the forks Fb. The control unit 21 then transmits these commands to the forklift F. In response to these commands, the control unit 11 controls the fork drive unit 14 to stop the lifting and lowering of the forks Fb, and controls the wheel drive unit 13 to move the forklift F to the placement position of the object, thereby inserting the forks Fb (step S36). This state corresponds to the state shown as forklift F-B1 in the first row of FIG. 8.

[0077] At this time, the load amount acquisition unit 21a requests information indicating the weight from the forklift F, and the forklift F acquires the weight using the weight sensor 15 and returns the weight to the remote control device 20 (step S37). Next, the lifting / lowering control unit 21d sequentially generates commands to perform control according to the weight of the fork Fb when the height of the fork Fb is between the first height H1 and the second height H2, that is, first lifting / lowering control, when the fork Fb is above the top surface Ts of the loading platform. Then, the lifting / lowering control unit 21d transmits the sequentially generated commands to the forklift F, thereby performing the first lifting / lowering control (step S38).

[0078] In particular, in this embodiment, in step S38, as the first lifting / lowering control, commands are sequentially generated to perform control according to the weight of the fork Fb from the first height H1 until the change in weight becomes equal to or less than the threshold. Theoretically, the determination that the change in weight is equal to or less than the threshold may be determined as zero. The weight change being equal to or less than the threshold indicates that an object is stably loaded on the fork Fb and that the load is not in contact with the truck T. Therefore, the weight change being equal to or less than the threshold excludes cases where the weight is equal to or less than the zero threshold. The lifting / lowering control unit 21d may also determine that the load Ca is loaded onto the fork Fb by using the load weight acquisition unit 21a in advance, and determine that the load Ca is loaded onto the fork Fb when the load on the fork Fb becomes approximately the same as the weight of the load Ca and the load pallet Cp.

[0079] In addition, in this embodiment, when loading an object onto the forks Fb, the first lifting / lowering control may be performed according to the weight until both the condition that the height reaches the second height H2 and the condition that the change in weight is equal to or less than the threshold are satisfied. That is, in this embodiment, when loading an object onto the forks Fb, the first lifting / lowering control may be performed according to the weight until at least one of the conditions that the height reaches the second height H2 and the condition that the change in weight is equal to or less than the threshold is satisfied.

[0080] Upon receiving this command, the control unit 11 of the forklift F successively controls the fork driving unit 14 to raise the forks Fb. At this time, the forklift F successively monitors the weight with the weight sensor 15 and feeds back information indicating the weight to the remote control device 20. When determining the height of the forks Fb, since the forklift F already knows its current height, it is advisable to feed back this height to the remote control device 20 as necessary. The load amount acquisition unit 21a of the remote control device 20 determines whether the change in weight has become equal to or less than the threshold (step S39), and if the result is NO, the process returns to step S37 and the lifting control unit 21d continues control according to the weight.

[0081] On the other hand, if the answer in step S39 is YES, the state will be as shown by forklift F-B2 in the second row from the top in Fig. 8. Therefore, at that point in time or when the fork Fb has been raised by a predetermined value thereafter, the remote control device 20 transmits a command to the forklift F to move. The forklift F then moves in accordance with this command (step S40).

[0082] Through this control, the position of the fork Fb rises in accordance with the weight until the change in weight falls below the threshold, allowing the forklift F to move without the object coming into contact with the bed of the truck T. This state is shown as forklift F-B3 in the third row from the top in Figure 8.

[0083] In this state, it can be seen that the surface Ts of the loading platform of the truck T is at a height H1b, which is higher than the initially measured height H1. This means that the surface Ts of the loading platform had been lowered due to the influence of the wheel suspension and other factors in response to the weight of the object, but has returned to its original state when the object is no longer present. From the state in which the bottom surface of the cargo loading pallet Cp abuts against the surface Ts of the loading platform, the height of the surface Ts of the loading platform gradually increases until the change in weight falls below the threshold. However, in this embodiment, because the first lifting / lowering control as described above is performed, it is possible to efficiently load objects onto the forks Fb even in situations in which the placement surface changes due to the weight of the object being transported.

[0084] After the forklift Fb is separated from the truck T, the remote control device 20 lowers the fork Fb and moves the forklift Fb to the destination. This state is shown as forklift F-B4 in the fourth row from the top of FIG. 8.

[0085] Furthermore, by giving the control unit 11 at least some of the functions of the lifting / lowering control unit 21d, it is possible for the control unit 11 to obtain information indicating the weight from the weight sensor 15 and perform the first lifting / lowering control on the fork drive unit 14 without going through the remote control device 20.

[0086] Also, in Figures 8 and 9, an example is given in which the forks Fb are raised to the first height H1 after the forklift F reaches the vicinity of the truck T, but it is also possible to first raise the forks Fb to the first height H1 and then allow them to reach the vicinity of the truck T.

[0087] Specific examples have been described above with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9, but the present embodiment is not limited to these examples. For example, the remote control device 20 can be configured to automatically pick up the object simply by specifying the location of the truck on which the object to be transported is loaded, the forklift F to be used for the transport, and the location of the destination. For example, the remote control device 20 can be configured to detect the location of the truck using a camera 30 or the like, and the forklift F can automatically pick up the object from the truck bed and place it at the destination location according to the information from the remote control device 20. Furthermore, by introducing a transport management system, it can be configured to automatically perform such specification.

[0088] Furthermore, unlike when lifting an object and manually operating a forklift, this embodiment eliminates the need for skilled operation by the driver. For example, when placing or picking up an object using a forklift, the driver does not need to visually check whether the object has been lifted or placed on the floor or truck, which improves work efficiency compared to visual confirmation, which places emphasis on safety. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the forklift F is operated remotely, eliminating the need for the operator to travel to the location of the forklift F and shortening work time.

[0089] In the above, in this embodiment, the mobile body has mainly been described as a forklift, but the configuration and shape of the forklift are not limited to those exemplified, and the present invention can be applied to mobile bodies other than forklifts as long as a sensor for detecting the load amount can be provided.

[0090] For example, examples of mobile objects include a crane vehicle or robot that suspends an object from a hole or the like provided in the object, a robot that grasps an object by a handle or the like provided on the object in the vertical direction and raises and lowers it with an arm, and a robot that can load an object onto an arm or the like.

[0091] In the case of a robot that suspends an object, the loading unit corresponds to a sling made of a hook and a wire, and the sensor for detecting the load amount in this case can be installed on the winch portion of the hook or wire. In this case, loading an object corresponds to suspending and lifting the object by hooking a sling around a part of the object, for example, a hole or a protrusion in the object, and then lifting the object. In the case of a robot that grasps an object vertically, the loading unit corresponds to a lower member of the grasper, and the sensor for detecting the load amount in this case can be installed on the upper surface of the lower member of the grasper or on the operating part of the arm that lifts the grasper. In this case, loading an object corresponds to placing the object on the lower member of the grasper and clamping it between the upper member of the grasper. In the case of a robot that can load cargo and cargo pallets onto an arm, the loading unit corresponds to the part where the object is loaded, similar to a forklift, and the sensor for detecting the load amount can be installed in the same position as a forklift or on the operating part of the arm. In this case, loading an object refers to loading an object onto an arm or the like, as with a forklift.

[0092] Furthermore, the types of the moving body are not limited to moving bodies that move on land, but can also be objects that move underwater or on water, such as ships and underwater drones, or objects (flying bodies) that move in the air, such as aircraft and flying drones. Furthermore, the moving body can also be a mobile robot, such as an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle).

[0093] Furthermore, it does not matter whether the above-mentioned moving body has a function for moving by autonomous control, a function for moving by operation by an operator, or both functions. If the moving body has a function for moving by autonomous control, it will perform automatic driving (autonomous driving) based on information from various sensors mounted on the moving body. Furthermore, the moving body may be configured to be able to switch between automatic driving and manual driving by a passenger (for example, a driver inside the vehicle in the case of an automatic driving vehicle).

[0094] (Second embodiment) The second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment, but the various examples described in the first embodiment can be applied to this embodiment. Furthermore, since the functions of the transfer control system according to this embodiment are the same as those of the transfer control system 100 in Figure 4, with some exceptions, this embodiment will also be described based on the configuration example in Figure 4 and the height notations in Figures 6 and 8.

[0095] The first lifting control in this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it includes control for changing the speed at which the forks Fb are lifted or lowered in accordance with changes in the load amount.

[0096] First, an example of the first lifting / lowering control in the procedure of scene A, that is, the procedure of unloading the object from the fork Fb, will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flow diagram for explaining an example of the transfer control method in the transfer control system 100 according to the embodiment.

[0097] The lifting / lowering control unit 21d calculates the speed at which the forks Fb are lowered in accordance with the load amount, such as weight (step S51). Next, the lifting / lowering control unit 21d controls the forklift F to lower the forks Fb at the calculated speed (step S52). In other words, the lifting / lowering control unit 21d controls the forklift F to reduce the operating speed of the forks Fb in accordance with the load amount, such as slowly lowering the forks Fb when the load amount becomes lighter. In accordance with this control, the forks Fb of the forklift F are lowered at the calculated speed. Next, the lifting / lowering control unit 21d determines whether the load amount, such as weight, has become equal to or less than a threshold value (step S53). If YES, the process ends, and if NO, the process returns to step S51. The route for acquiring the first height H1 and the load amount, such as weight, is as described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0098] In this example, the fork Fb is controlled by the lifting / lowering control section 21d in the following manner according to the load on the fork Fb.

[0099] If the load on the forks Fb is decreasing or is less than the threshold value (Th1), it is estimated that the object is in contact with the surface Ts of the bed of the truck T, and the forks Fb are lowered at a reduced speed depending on the load. If the load on the forks Fb is equal to or less than a threshold value (Th2) that is smaller than Th1, it is estimated that the object has left the forks Fb, that is, that the object has been placed, and the descent of the forks Fb is stopped and the forks Fb are pulled out. If the change in the load on the forks Fb is equal to or less than a threshold value (Th3), it is estimated that the object is stably resting on the forks Fb, and the forks Fb are lowered. Of course, Th3 may be a value different from Th2 used when determining the load.

[0100] In this way, it can be said that the lift control unit 21d can determine the stability of the load of the object based on the change in the load amount as the first lift control, and control the lifting and lowering of the forks Fb according to the determination result. Here, stability can refer to a state such as whether the object has been separated from the forks Fb or whether it has been successfully placed on the forks Fb.

[0101] Next, an example of the first lifting / lowering control in the procedure of scene B, i.e., the procedure of loading an object onto the fork Fb, will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a flow chart for explaining another example of the transfer control method in the transfer control system 100 according to this embodiment.

[0102] The lifting / lowering control unit 21d calculates the speed at which the forks Fb are raised in accordance with the load amount, such as weight (step S61). Next, the lifting / lowering control unit 21d controls the forklift F to raise the forks Fb at the calculated speed (step S62). In other words, the lifting / lowering control unit 21d controls to increase the operating speed of the forks Fb in accordance with the load amount, such as raising the forks Fb faster when the load amount becomes heavier. In accordance with this control, the forks Fb of the forklift F are raised at the calculated speed. Next, the lifting / lowering control unit 21d determines whether the change in the load amount, such as weight, has become equal to or less than a threshold (step S63), and if YES, ends the processing.

[0103] If the answer is NO in step S63, the lifting / lowering control unit 21d determines whether the load amount is increasing or decreasing (step S64), and if the answer is NO, the process returns to step S61. Note that "increase or decrease" refers to an increase followed by a decrease, or a decrease followed by an increase. Also, in step S64, it can be determined whether the load amount has increased or decreased a predetermined number of times or more. If the answer is YES in step S64, an abnormal state exists, so the lifting / lowering control unit 21d controls to lower the fork Fb (step S65). Furthermore, in this case, the lifting / lowering control unit 21d or the control unit 21 notifies a terminal device or the like pre-registered for the administrator via the communication unit 22 (step S66), and the process ends. The order of steps S65 and S66 does not matter. Note that the route for acquiring the second height H2, weight, and other load amounts is as described in FIGS. 8 and 9.

[0104] As described above, the lift control unit 21d can determine the stability of the load on the object based on the change in the load amount as the first lift control, and can also control the lifting and lowering of the fork Fb in accordance with the determination result. In the example of Fig. 11, the fork Fb is controlled by the lift control unit 21d as follows in accordance with the load amount on the fork Fb.

[0105] If the load on the fork Fb is increasing or is equal to or greater than the threshold value (Th1), it is assumed that an object is placed on the fork Fb, and the fork Fb is raised by increasing the lifting speed in accordance with the load. If the change in the load on the fork Fb is equal to or less than the threshold value (Th3), it is assumed that the object is stably placed on the fork Fb, and the fork Fb is either maintained in this state or raised to a predetermined height. The forklift F is then moved. If the load on the fork Fb is increasing or decreasing, it is assumed that the object is not stably placed on the fork Fb or that the fork Fb is not fully inserted, and the fork Fb is temporarily lowered and a manager is notified.

[0106] As described above, according to this embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, it is possible to perform more precise lift control in a state where the state may become unstable. Note that the various examples described in this embodiment can be applied to the first embodiment either in part or in whole.

[0107] (Third embodiment) The third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment, but the various examples described in the first and second embodiments can be applied to this embodiment. Fig. 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a transfer control system according to this embodiment.

[0108] As shown in Fig. 12, a transfer control system 100a according to this embodiment is a system in which the distribution of functions is different from that of the transfer control system 100 shown in Fig. 4. The transfer control system 100a includes one or more cameras 30, a remote control device 20a, and one or more forklifts Faa.

[0109] The remote control device 20a includes a control unit 21 having a height acquisition unit 21e that acquires a first height from the camera 30, as well as a communication unit 22, a display unit 23, and an operation input unit 24. The forklift Faa is the forklift F in FIG. 4, with the control unit 11 including a load amount acquisition unit 11a, an acquisition unit 11b, an identification unit 11c, and an elevation control unit 11d.

[0110] The load amount acquisition unit 11a acquires information indicating the weight from the weight sensor 15. The acquisition unit 11b acquires the first height acquired from the camera 30 by the remote control device 20a from the remote control device 20a via the communication unit 12. The acquisition unit 11b can also be configured to acquire the first height directly from the camera 30 via the communication unit 12. The identification unit 11c identifies the second height based on the first height. The lifting / lowering control unit 11d performs lifting / lowering control, including first lifting / lowering control, on the fork drive unit 14. For other details of the components of the transfer control system 100a, the explanations in FIG. 4 and the like of the first embodiment can be used, and basically, only the path of information exchange is different.

[0111] As described above, in this embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first or second embodiment, it is possible to realize functions required mainly by the forklift Faa alone. However, as described in the first embodiment, the form of distribution of functions does not matter, and is not limited to the configurations in Fig. 4 or Fig. 12.

[0112] For example, as described in the first and third embodiments, the lifting / lowering control unit and the identification unit can be provided on the remote control device side or the forklift side, but either one can also be distributed between the remote control device side and the forklift side. Also, while the example in which the forklift movement control is also provided on the same side as the fork lifting / lowering control has been given, the forklift movement control and the fork lifting / lowering control can also be distributed. Furthermore, as described above, all components, including the camera 30, can also be mounted on the forklift. Furthermore, functions that can be provided on the remote control device side can also be provided on a cloud server, etc.

[0113] (others) In the present disclosure, the transfer control device, remote control device, forklift control unit, camera, etc. may be configured to include a device such as a computer. Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the device. As shown in Fig. 13, the device 500 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 510 as a control unit, a storage unit 520, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 530, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 540. Furthermore, the device 500 may include a communication interface (IF: Interface) 550 and a user interface 560.

[0114] The device 500 can be used as any of a transfer control device, a remote control device, a control unit for a forklift, a camera, etc. For example, the device 500 can be used as an internal control device for a forklift.

[0115] The communication interface 550 is an interface for connecting the device 500 to a communication network via wired communication means or wireless communication means, etc. The user interface 560 may include a display unit such as a display, etc. The user interface 560 may also include input units such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a touch panel.

[0116] The storage unit 520 is an auxiliary storage device that can store various types of data. The storage unit 520 does not necessarily have to be a part of the device 500, but may be an external storage device or a cloud storage connected to the device 500 via a network.

[0117] The ROM 530 is a non-volatile storage device. For example, a semiconductor storage device with a relatively small capacity, such as a flash memory, is used for the ROM 530. The programs executed by the CPU 510 can be stored in the storage unit 520 or the ROM 530. The storage unit 520 or the ROM 530 stores various programs for realizing the functions of each unit in the device 500.

[0118] The program includes instructions (or software code) that, when loaded into a computer, cause the computer to perform one or more functions described in the embodiments. The program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium or a tangible storage medium. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable media or tangible storage media include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD) or other memory technologies, compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), Blu-ray discs or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tapes, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices. The program may also be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium. By way of example and not limitation, transitory computer-readable media or communication media include electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals.

[0119] The RAM 540 is a volatile storage device. Various semiconductor memory devices such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or a static random access memory (SRAM) are used for the RAM 540. The RAM 540 can be used as an internal buffer for temporarily storing data and the like. The CPU 510 loads a program stored in the storage unit 520 or the ROM 530 into the RAM 540 and executes it. The CPU 510 executes the program, thereby realizing the functions of each unit in the device 500. The CPU 510 may have an internal buffer for temporarily storing data and the like.

[0120] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and changes and modifications to the above-described embodiments that do not deviate from the spirit of the present disclosure are also included in the present disclosure.

[0121] For example, some or all of the above embodiments can be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0122] (Appendix 1) an elevation control means for controlling elevation of a loading means for loading an object in a moving body for transporting the object; a load amount acquiring means for acquiring a load amount of the loading means; an acquisition means for acquiring information about a first height, which is the height of a location where the object is moved between the loading means and the first height; a specifying means for specifying a second height, which is one of heights to which the loading means is to be raised or lowered, based on the first height, and which is higher than the first height; Equipped with the lifting control means performs a first lifting control to lift and lower the loading means between the first height and the second height above the location in accordance with the load amount; Transfer control system. (Appendix 2) When the loading means moves the object to the location, the lifting control means performs a second lifting control to lift the loading means to the second height, and then performs the first lifting control until the load amount becomes equal to or less than a threshold. 10. The transfer control system of claim 1. (Appendix 3) When the loading means moves the object from the location, the lifting control means performs a second lifting control to lift the loading means to the first height, and then performs the first lifting control until the change in the load amount becomes equal to or less than a threshold. 3. The transfer control system according to claim 1 or 2. (Appendix 4) the first lifting / lowering control includes control for changing the speed at which the loading means is lifted / lowered in accordance with a change in the load amount; 4. A transfer control system according to any one of appendixes 1 to 3. (Appendix 5) The specifying means specifies the second height to be higher than the first height by a predetermined value. A transfer control system according to any one of appendixes 1 to 4. (Appendix 6) the loading means is a loading means for loading the object, the object includes a cargo loading pallet having a frame that forms a space into which the loading means is inserted from a horizontal direction, The first height is a height obtained by adding the height of the surface of the object to be moved between the loading means and the lower frame of the luggage loading pallet. 6. A transfer control system according to any one of appendices 1 to 5. (Appendix 7) The acquisition means acquires, as the information regarding the first height, a measurement value obtained by measuring the height of a surface of an object to which the object is moved between the loading means and the object. 7. A transfer control system according to any one of appendices 1 to 6. (Appendix 8) an elevation control means for controlling elevation of a loading means for loading an object in a moving body for transporting the object; a load amount acquiring means for acquiring a load amount of the loading means; an acquisition means for acquiring information about a first height, which is the height of a location where the object is moved between the loading means and the first height; a specifying means for specifying a second height, which is one of heights to which the loading means is to be raised or lowered, based on the first height, and which is higher than the first height; Equipped with the lifting control means performs a first lifting control to lift and lower the loading means between the first height and the second height above the location in accordance with the load amount; Transfer control device. (Appendix 9) When the loading means moves the object to the location, the lifting control means performs a second lifting control to lift the loading means to the second height, and then performs the first lifting control until the load amount becomes equal to or less than a threshold. 9. The transfer control device according to claim 8. (Appendix 10) When the loading means moves the object from the location, the lifting control means performs a second lifting control to lift the loading means to the first height, and then performs the first lifting control until the change in the load amount becomes equal to or less than a threshold. 10. The transfer control device according to claim 8 or 9. (Appendix 11) the first lifting / lowering control includes control for changing the speed at which the loading means is lifted / lowered in accordance with a change in the load amount; 11. The transfer control device according to any one of appendixes 8 to 10. (Appendix 12) The specifying means specifies the second height to be higher than the first height by a predetermined value. 12. The transfer control device according to any one of appendices 8 to 11. (Appendix 13) the loading means is a loading means for loading the object, the object includes a cargo loading pallet having a frame that forms a space into which the loading means is inserted from a horizontal direction, The first height is a height obtained by adding the height of the surface of the object to be moved between the loading means and the lower frame of the luggage loading pallet. 13. The transfer control device according to any one of appendices 8 to 12. (Appendix 14) The acquisition means acquires, as the information regarding the first height, a measurement value obtained by measuring the height of a surface of an object to which the object is moved between the loading means and the object. 14. The transfer control device according to any one of appendixes 8 to 13. (Appendix 15) an elevation control for controlling elevation of a loading means for loading an object in a moving body that transports the object; a load amount acquisition process for acquiring a load amount of the loading means; an acquisition process for acquiring information about a first height, which is the height of a location where the object is moved between the loading means and the object; a process of determining a second height, which is one of heights to which the loading means is to be raised or lowered, based on the first height, and which is higher than the first height; Including, The lifting / lowering control includes a first lifting / lowering control that lifts / lowers the loading means between the first height and the second height above the location according to the load amount. Transfer control method. (Appendix 16) In the lifting / lowering control, when the loading means moves the object to the location, a second lifting / lowering control is performed to lift / lower the loading means to the second height, and then the first lifting / lowering control is performed until the load amount becomes equal to or less than a threshold value. 16. The transfer control method according to claim 15. (Appendix 17) In the lifting control, when the loading means moves the object from the location, a second lifting control is performed to lift the loading means to the first height, and then the first lifting control is performed until the change in the load amount becomes equal to or less than a threshold value. 17. A transfer control method according to claim 15 or 16. (Appendix 18) the first lifting / lowering control includes control for changing the speed at which the loading means is lifted / lowered in accordance with a change in the load amount; 18. A transfer control method according to any one of appendices 15 to 17. (Appendix 19) The specifying process is a process of specifying the second height to be higher than the first height by a predetermined value. 19. A transfer control method according to any one of appendices 15 to 18. (Appendix 20) the loading means is a loading means for loading the object, the object includes a cargo loading pallet having a frame that forms a space into which the loading means is inserted from a horizontal direction, The first height is a height obtained by adding the height of the surface of the object to be moved between the loading means and the lower frame of the luggage loading pallet. 20. A transfer control method according to any one of appendices 15 to 19. (Appendix 21) The acquisition process includes a process of acquiring, as the information regarding the first height, a measurement value obtained by measuring the height of a surface of an object to which the object is moved between the loading means and the loading means. A transfer control method according to any one of appendices 15 to 20. (Appendix 22) On the computer, an elevation control for controlling elevation of a loading means for loading an object in a moving body that transports the object; a load amount acquisition process for acquiring a load amount of the loading means; an acquisition process for acquiring information about a first height, which is the height of a location where the object is moved between the loading means and the object; a process of determining a second height, which is one of heights to which the loading means is to be raised or lowered, based on the first height, and which is higher than the first height; A transfer control including The lifting / lowering control includes a first lifting / lowering control that lifts / lowers the loading means between the first height and the second height above the location according to the load amount. A program that executes transfer control. (Appendix 23) In the lifting / lowering control, when the loading means moves the object to the location, a second lifting / lowering control is performed to lift / lower the loading means to the second height, and then the first lifting / lowering control is performed until the load amount becomes equal to or less than a threshold value. 22. The program of claim 1. (Appendix 24) In the lifting control, when the loading means moves the object from the location, a second lifting control is performed to lift the loading means to the first height, and then the first lifting control is performed until the change in the load amount becomes equal to or less than a threshold value. 24. The program according to claim 22 or 23. (Appendix 25) the first lifting / lowering control includes control for changing the speed at which the loading means is lifted / lowered in accordance with a change in the load amount; A program according to any one of appendices 22 to 24. (Appendix 26) The specifying process is a process of specifying the second height to be higher than the first height by a predetermined value. A program according to any one of appendices 22 to 25. (Appendix 27) the loading means is a loading means for loading the object, the object includes a cargo loading pallet having a frame that forms a space into which the loading means is inserted from a horizontal direction, The first height is a height obtained by adding the height of the surface of the object to be moved between the loading means and the lower frame of the luggage loading pallet. A program according to any one of appendices 22 to 26. (Appendix 28) The acquisition process includes a process of acquiring, as the information regarding the first height, a measurement value obtained by measuring the height of a surface of an object to which the object is moved between the loading means and the loading means. A program according to any one of appendices 22 to 27. [Explanation of symbols]

[0123] Ca: Luggage Cp: ​​Pallet for loading luggage Csb: Top of the lower frame Csu: Underside of upper frame F, Faa: Forklift Fa: Lift section Fb: Fork Fs: Loading surface H1: First height H2: Second height T: Truck Ts: Surface of the loading platform 1, 100, 100a: Transfer control system 2: Transfer control device 20, 20a: Remote control device 11, 21: Control unit 11a, 21a: Load amount acquisition part 11b, 21b: Acquisition part 11c, 21c: Specific part 11d, 21d: Lift control section 12, 22, 32: Communications Department 13: Wheel drive unit 14: Fork drive unit 15: Weight sensor 16:Operation unit 21e: Height acquisition unit 23: Display section 24: Operation input section 30: Camera 31: Sensor 500: Equipment 510:CPU 520: Storage section 530:ROM 540:RAM 550: Communication interface 560: User Interface

Claims

1. an elevation control means for controlling elevation of a loading means for loading an object in a moving body for transporting the object; a load amount acquiring means for acquiring a load amount of the loading means; an acquisition means for acquiring information about a first height, which is the height of a location where the object is moved between the loading means and the first height; a specifying means for specifying a second height, which is one of heights to which the loading means is to be raised or lowered, based on the first height, and which is higher than the first height; Equipped with the lifting control means performs a first lifting control to lift and lower the loading means between the first height and the second height above the location in accordance with the load amount; the first lifting / lowering control includes control for changing a speed at which the loading means is lifted / lowered in accordance with a change in the load amount; Transfer control system.

2. When the loading means moves the object to the location, the lifting control means performs a second lifting control to lift and lower the loading means to the second height, and then performs the first lifting control until the load amount becomes equal to or less than a threshold value. The transfer control system according to claim 1 .

3. When the loading means moves the object from the location, the lifting control means performs a second lifting control to lift the loading means to the first height, and then performs the first lifting control until a change in the load amount becomes equal to or less than a threshold value. The transfer control system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The specifying means specifies the second height to be higher than the first height by a predetermined value. The transfer control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the loading means is a loading means for loading the object, the object includes a cargo loading pallet having a frame that forms a space into which the loading means is inserted from a horizontal direction, The first height is a height obtained by adding the height of a surface of an object to be moved between the loading means and the object and the height of a frame below the cargo loading pallet. The transfer control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. the acquiring means acquires, as the information relating to the first height, a measurement value obtained by measuring the height of a surface of an object to be moved between the object and the loading means. The transfer control system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. an elevation control means for controlling elevation of a loading means for loading an object in a moving body for transporting the object; a load amount acquiring means for acquiring a load amount of the loading means; an acquisition means for acquiring information about a first height, which is the height of a location where the object is moved between the loading means and the first height; a specifying means for specifying a second height, which is one of heights to which the loading means is to be raised or lowered, based on the first height, and which is higher than the first height; Equipped with the lifting control means performs a first lifting control to lift and lower the loading means between the first height and the second height above the location in accordance with the load amount; the first lifting / lowering control includes control for changing a speed at which the loading means is lifted / lowered in accordance with a change in the load amount; Transfer control device.

8. When the loading means moves the object to the location, the lifting control means performs a second lifting control to lift and lower the loading means to the second height, and then performs the first lifting control until the load amount becomes equal to or less than a threshold value. The transfer control device according to claim 7.

9. an elevation control for controlling elevation of a loading means for loading an object in a moving body that transports the object; a load amount acquisition process for acquiring a load amount of the loading means; an acquisition process for acquiring information about a first height, which is the height of a location where the object is moved between the loading means and the object; a process of determining a second height, which is one of heights to which the loading means is to be raised or lowered, based on the first height, and which is higher than the first height; Including, the lifting / lowering control includes a first lifting / lowering control that lifts / lowers the loading means between the first height and the second height above the location in accordance with the load amount; the first lifting / lowering control includes control for changing a speed at which the loading means is lifted / lowered in accordance with a change in the load amount; Transfer control method.

10. When the loading means moves the object to the location, the lifting control performs a second lifting control to lift the loading means to the second height, and then performs the first lifting control until the load amount becomes equal to or less than a threshold value. The transfer control method according to claim 9.

Images