Mobile vehicle control system and command device

Abstract

To provide a mobile body control system capable of controlling a mobile body while adjusting a plurality of operation commands when the operation commands to operate the mobile body are issued from a plurality of command devices operated by an operator.SOLUTION: A mobile body control system includes: a command reception section for receiving operation commands of a mobile body to be an object from a plurality of command devices; a determination section for selecting one operation command from the plurality of operation commands based on information on each one of the received operation commands when the plurality of operation commands are received; a notification section for notifying the respective command devices of a selection result of the selected operation command; and a control section for controlling the operation of the mobile body to be the object based on the selected operation command.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to a mobile body control system for controlling a mobile body, a command device for issuing commands to the mobile body control system, and a mobile body control method. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, with advancements in technologies such as autonomous driving and remote control, the development of mobile vehicles such as electric carts and forklifts that can be operated without a driver has progressed, and control systems that issue operational commands to these vehicles are being considered. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a forklift that controls the automatic operation of cargo handling operations according to a predetermined sequence, and when the operations specified in the sequence have progressed to a predetermined state, it temporarily stops the automatic operation to accept instructions from an operator using an external electronic terminal, thereby enabling safe coordination between manual and automated operations. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-195195 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] However, conventional technology had the challenge of difficulty in coordinating the movement of a mobile device when it received multiple operation commands from multiple external electronic terminals.

[0005] This disclosure is made to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide a mobile body control system, a command device, and a mobile body control method that can control a mobile body while coordinating multiple operation commands when operation commands for operating a mobile body are issued from multiple command devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The mobile body control system according to the present disclosure includes a command reception unit that receives operation commands for a target mobile body from a plurality of command devices, a determination unit that selects one operation command from the plurality of received operation commands based on the information of each of the plurality of received operation commands when receiving the plurality of operation commands, a notification unit that notifies each command device of the selection result of the selected operation command, and a control unit that controls the operation of the target mobile body based on the selected operation command. The determination unit, upon receiving multiple operation commands and if there is an operation command currently in execution, obtains the progress status of the execution command and determines whether or not it can be interrupted. If interruption is possible, it selects one operation command based on the information of each of the received operation commands. If interruption is not possible, it continues the execution command. Furthermore, another mobile body control system relating to this disclosure is a mobile body control system that controls the movement of at least one of a towing trolley and a forklift in accordance with a work plan, comprising: a command receiving unit that receives motion commands for a target mobile body from a plurality of command devices; a determination unit that, when a plurality of motion commands are received, selects one motion command from the plurality of motion commands based on the information of each of the received motion commands; a notification unit that notifies each command device of the selection result of the selected motion command; and a control unit that controls the movement of the target mobile body based on the selected motion command, wherein the determination unit determines the priority of each of the plurality of motion commands based on the information of each of the received motion commands, selects one motion command based on the priority, and when a request to increase the priority of the movement of a mobile body based on a change in the work plan is received from a command device, changes the priority of the motion command for which an increase was requested, and re-selects one motion command based on the priority of each of the changed motion commands. Furthermore, another mobile body control system relating to this disclosure is a mobile body control system that controls the movement of at least one of a towing trolley and a forklift in accordance with a work plan, comprising: a command receiving unit that receives motion commands for a target mobile body from a plurality of command devices; a determination unit that, when a plurality of motion commands are received, selects one motion command from the plurality of motion commands based on the information of each of the received motion commands; a notification unit that notifies each command device of the selection result of the selected motion command; and a control unit that controls the movement of the target mobile body based on the selected motion command, wherein the command receiving unit receives the request priority attached to the motion command based on the change in the work plan from a plurality of command devices, the determination unit determines the priority of each motion command based on the request priority of each motion command, and selects one motion command based on the priority.

[0007] Further, the command device according to the present disclosure includes a command transmission unit that transmits an operation command to a mobile body control system that controls a mobile body, and a required priority setting unit that sets the required priority of its own operation command based on information obtained from the mobile body control system or another command device, and transmits its own operation command to the mobile body control system with the set required priority attached.

[0008] Further, the command device according to the present disclosure includes a communication unit that receives an operation command for a target mobile body from another command device and exchanges information with another command device, a determination unit that selects one operation command from the plurality of operation commands based on the information of each of the plurality of operation commands when receiving a plurality of operation commands including its own operation command, and a command transmission unit that transmits the selected operation command to the target mobile body.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, when operation commands are issued to a mobile body from a plurality of command devices, the mobile body can be controlled while adjusting the plurality of operation commands.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011] [Figure 1] It is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a mobile body control system and peripheral devices according to Embodiment 1. <00,00115>It is a schematic configuration diagram of a mobile body according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] This flowchart shows an example of the processing flow of the mobile control system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] This is an example of a data table according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] This is an example of a data table according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows an example of the processing flow of the mobile control system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a processing circuit that realizes each function of the mobile control system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows an example of the processing flow of the mobile control system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 9] This flowchart shows an example of the processing flow of the mobile control system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 10] This is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the command device and peripheral equipment according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 11] This flowchart shows an example of the processing flow of the mobile control system according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 12] This is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the command device and peripheral equipment according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 13] This flowchart shows an example of the processing flow of the command device according to Embodiment 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Embodiment 1. The mobile control system 10 according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to the figures. Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a mobile control system 10 and peripheral equipment according to Embodiment 1. In Figure 1, the mobile control system 10 includes a command receiving unit 101, a determination unit 102, a notification unit 103, a control unit 104, and a storage unit 105. The mobile control system 10 receives operation commands for the operation of a mobile body M from a plurality of command devices 2, including the command devices 21 and 22 shown in the figure. The mobile control system 10 and the command devices 2 communicate, for example, via a wireless communication channel 31. The communication channel 31 may be wired. The mobile control system 10 transmits one of the operation commands received from the plurality of command devices 2 to the mobile body M. If there are multiple mobile bodies M, for example, the system selects the target mobile body M from mobile bodies M1, M2, and M3 shown in Figure 1, and sends an operation command to the selected mobile body M.

[0013] The mobile control system 10 is installed, for example, in a monitoring room that monitors the operation of the mobile object M. It receives operation commands from multiple command devices 2 via a communication channel 31 and issues operation commands to the target mobile object M. It may also be remotely controlled using a communication network, cloud, etc. If the mobile body M is identified, the mobile body control system 10 may be installed inside the mobile body M and controlled within the mobile body M.

[0014] Command device 2 is, for example, an electronic terminal carried individually by an operator, or an electronic device installed in each work management department. Command devices 21 and 22 each have a command transmission unit 211 and 221, a notification receiving unit 212 and 222, and a communication unit 213 and 223, respectively. There may be more than two command devices 2.

[0015] The mobile unit M is, for example, a towing trolley capable of automatic operation as shown in Figure 2. The mobile unit M consists of, for example, a head unit 1000 and a trolley unit 1001. The head unit 1000 is equipped with a control command receiving unit 1002 that receives control commands from the mobile unit control system 10, a drive mechanism 1003 that drives the mobile unit M according to the commands, etc. The control of the drive mechanism 1003 may be entirely handled by the control unit 104 of the mobile unit control system 10, or it may be performed within the mobile unit M. In addition to a towing trolley, the mobile unit M may be a forklift, or a transport vehicle for transporting people, goods, etc.

[0016] In the mobile object control system 10, processing proceeds according to the processing flow shown in Figure 3. The command receiving unit 101 of the mobile object control system 10 receives operation commands for the target mobile object M from multiple command devices 2 (step S01). When multiple operation commands are received, the determination unit 102 selects one operation command from the multiple operation commands based on the information of each received operation command (step S02). The notification unit 103 notifies each command device 2 of the selection result of the selected operation command (step S03). The control unit 104 controls the operation of the target mobile object M based on the selected operation command (step S04).

[0017] The determination unit 102 can select one operation command from among multiple operation commands using a predetermined priority set for each operation command content, as shown in Figure 4. For example, it can select the operation command with the highest predetermined priority. Alternatively, the ranking of the identification numbers of the command device 2 shown in Figure 5 may be used. For example, if assigning a higher rank to the identification number (ID) of the mobile terminal held by the administrator makes work management easier, then the operation command with the highest rank should be selected. Alternatively, the ID of the mobile terminal held by the worker responsible for the task that needs to be advanced may be assigned a higher rank.

[0018] Alternatively, the system may select the previously received operation command using the time the operation command was received. If the same command device 2 transmits commands multiple times, it may be assumed that the user wants its own operation command selected. For example, the number of times the operation command has been received may be counted, and the command may be selected based on that count. Furthermore, the above-mentioned operation command information may be combined to make the selection.

[0019] The determination unit 102 determines the priority of each of the multiple operation commands based on the information of each received operation command, and can select one operation command based on the priority. For example, the higher the default priority, the higher the priority of each operation command is assigned. Then, the unit selects the operation command with the highest priority. Alternatively, for example, the higher the rank of the identification number of the command device 2, the higher the priority. Alternatively, the priority may be determined using the time the operation command was received, such that the operation command received earlier has higher priority. Furthermore, if there is no clear hierarchy among the priorities determined in this way, a combination of priorities may be used to determine the priority. Information on each operation command, data tables for determining priority, etc., may be stored in the storage unit 105 of the mobile control system 10, or they may be input from a data input unit (not shown). In this way, one action command can be selected from among multiple action commands based on the information of each action command.

[0020] Furthermore, when the decision unit 102 receives multiple operation commands, if there is an operation command already in progress, it obtains the progress status of the operation command in progress from the mobile body M and determines whether or not it can be interrupted. If interruption is possible, it decides to execute the selected operation command; if interruption is not possible, it decides to continue the operation command that is currently in progress.

[0021] Furthermore, the decision unit 102 changes the priority so that it can respond to changes in the plan, such as when it becomes necessary to perform work that was not included in the original work plan. For example, as shown in the processing flow of Figure 6, the mobile control system 10 receives operation commands from multiple command devices 2 at the command reception unit 101 (step S11), determines the priority of each operation command based on the information of each operation command received at the decision unit 102 (step S12), and notifies each command device 2 of the operation command selected based on the determined priority. Then, it receives a request to increase the priority from the command device 2 that sent the operation command that was not selected in this case. If a request to increase the priority is received (Yes in step S13) and there are no conflicting requests from other command devices 2 and no adjustment is needed (No in step S14), the priority of the operation command is changed to a higher priority (step S15). Then, the priority of each operation command is determined, including the changed priority (step S17). Then, one operation command is re-selected based on the determined priority (step S18).

[0022] Although an example has been described in which a request for increased priority is received from the command device 2 that sent the unselected operation command, the command device 2 may make the request for increased priority before receiving notification from the mobile control system 10. Furthermore, if there are requests from multiple command devices 2 to increase priority and adjustment is necessary (Yes in step S14), the priority may be further adjusted and changed using the order of the command device 2's IDs, reception time, reception count, etc. (step S16).

[0023] When the control unit 104 receives an operation command from the determination unit 102, it retrieves the operation details from the storage unit 105 and starts the work related to the retrieved operation details. Once the work is completed, it notifies the notification unit 103 that the work has been completed. When the control unit 104 receives a command X, for example, "move the mobile object M to point P", it receives an operation sequence S corresponding to the command X from the storage unit 105. X Call the operation sequence S X The mobile unit M performs its actions based on the contents of the command. When all executions of the operation sequence S based on the operation command selected and determined by the determination unit 102 are completed, the notification unit 103 is notified that the work of command X has been completed.

[0024] The notification unit 103 notifies the command device 2 of the selection result of the selected operation command. The selection result is, for example, the command device 2 that was received and its operation command. It may also include the result of which command device 2's operation command was put on hold and which command device 2's operation command was rejected. It may also notify that the selected operation command has been completed. It may also include the priority used for selection, the basis for determining the priority, etc. The notification unit 103 may notify either a message or data. Furthermore, the communication units 213 and 223 of the command devices 21 and 22 exchange information necessary for the selection and determination of operation commands in the decision unit 102, but the command reception unit 101 and notification unit 103 may be used to send and receive signals. The signals exchanged may be either messages or data. Messages or other information may be displayed on a display unit such as an LCD panel, and the user may respond by touching the options displayed on the screen.

[0025] Here, each function of the mobile control system 10 is realized by a processing circuit. Figure 7 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a processing circuit that realizes each function of the mobile control system 10. The mobile control system 10 includes a processing unit 40, a plurality of storage devices 41, and a communication device 42.

[0026] The arithmetic processing unit 40 may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit), for example. Multiple storage devices 41 transmit and receive data to and from the arithmetic processing unit 40 and store the data. The communication device 42 communicates with the command device 2 and the mobile device M via the communication channel 31.

[0027] Furthermore, the arithmetic processing unit 40 may include, for example, logic circuits using ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), ICs (Integrated Circuits), DSPs (Digital Signal Processors), FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), and various signal processing circuits. Also, multiple arithmetic processing units 40 of the same or different types may be provided, and each process may be executed by multiple arithmetic processing units.

[0028] The storage device 41 may include, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) configured to allow reading and writing of data from the arithmetic processing unit 40, and a ROM (Read Only Memory) configured to allow reading of data from the arithmetic processing unit 40.

[0029] Each function of the mobile control system 10 is realized by the arithmetic processing unit 40 executing software or programs stored in the storage device 41 and cooperating with the hardware. The setting data to be configured in the mobile control system 10 may be stored in the storage device 41 as part of the software or programs, or it may be made available for user input.

[0030] An example of the specific processing of the movement control system 10 will be described using FIG. 8. In this example, n command devices 1~n (n is a positive number) are provided, and the command reception unit 101 waits for a command from the command device 1~n (step S21). For example, when there is a command from the command device i that commands an operation act i (i is a positive number from 1 to n), the determination unit 102 checks whether there is an operation Act that is being executed (step S22). Hereinafter, the operation that the moving body M is executing among the operations act will be denoted as Act. If there is no existing Act (No in step S22), it is checked whether there is an operation command from a plurality of command devices 2 (step S23). If there is no operation command from a plurality of command devices 2 (No in step S23), Act is set as act i received from the command device i (step S24), and the notification unit 103 notifies the command device 1~n that it has received a command from the command device i , and notifies operation command information such as the priority of the operation command (step S25). Then, Act based on act i is executed (step S26), and when Act is completed (Yes in step S27), the notification unit 103 notifies the command device 1~n that the operation commanded by the command device i has been completed (step S28).

[0031] If there is an existing Act being executed (Yes in step S22), the priorities of the Act being executed and the newly commanded act i are determined based on the operation command (step S29). Then, the priorities of Act and act i are compared (step S30). If the priority of act i is less than or equal to the priority of Act (Yes in step S30), the notification unit 103 notifies the command device i that issued the new command, for example, that Act commanded by the command device h is being executed, and the operation command act i received by the receiving command device iThe system notifies that the priority of the action is less than or equal to the currently running Act (step S31).

[0032] command device i If a request to increase priority is received (Yes in step S32), for example, act i Priority is changed, such as raising the priority of by one rank (Step S33). Then, Act and act again. i Compare the priorities (step S34). act i If the priority of is less than or equal to the priority of Act (Yes in step S34), the notification unit 103 will again command the command device i Notify the selection result.

[0033] act i If the priority of exceeds the priority of Act (No. in step S30 or No. in step S34), the determination unit 102 obtains the progress of the Act currently in execution (step S35), and if interruption is possible, the command device determines whether it is okay to interrupt the Act currently in execution. h Send a message to (step S36). Command device h If a notification is received from the command device allowing the interruption (Yes in step S37), the notification unit 103 will... 1~n Command device h Interrupt the Act and the command device i It notifies that it has received an operation command (step S38). Then it sets Act to act i The command device changes to (step S39) and proceeds to execute Act (step S26). h If the system does not permit the interruption of Act, the Act execution continues as is (step S26).

[0034] Even when there are no Acts currently in execution and operation commands are received from multiple command devices 2 (Yes in step S23), the priority of each operation command can be determined based on the multiple operation commands as described above, and the multiple operation commands can be coordinated. The mobile control system 10 assumes, for example, that the low-priority command device 2 has acknowledged waiting for a command, unless there is a request for increased priority from the low-priority command device 2. The system may also receive notifications from the command device 2 regarding acknowledgment and cancellation of waiting. Some notifications may be omitted.

[0035] Figure 9 shows an example of a processing flow that determines priority based on the number of times an operation command has been received. The command receiving unit 101 is a command device 1~n Waiting for instructions from (step S41). For example, action act j A command device that issues commands. j and action k A command device that issues commands. k When a command is received from (j, k are positive numbers from 1 to n), the determination unit 102 determines the command device j Action from j and command device k Action from k The number of times an instruction has been received is retrieved from the memory unit 105, and the count is increased by 1 for each instruction (step S43). Based on the number of requests received, priority is determined, with the more requests received, the stronger the operator's request (step S44). The number of requests received may be, for example, the number of requests received on the current day, or the number of requests received within the past week. It may also be the number of requests received within a set period.

[0036] And then, act j and act k Compare the priorities (step S45). j The priority of is act k If the priority is exceeded (Yes in step S45), the notification unit 103 will send a command device 1~n to, command device i The system notifies that it has received the instruction (step S46). The system executes the Act. j As (step S47), proceed to Act execution (step S48), and continue to the command device 1~n Wait for instructions from (Step S41).

[0037] act j Priority = act kIf the priority is as specified (Yes in step S49), the priority is determined based on, for example, the order of the identification numbers of the command devices (step S50), and the process returns to the priority comparison (step S45). j Priority <act k If the priority is (No. in step S49), the notification unit 103 will send a command device 1~n to, command device k The system notifies that it has received the command (step S51) and executes the Act. k As a result (step S52), the process proceeds to execute Act (step S48).

[0038] If there are no multiple instructions (No. in step S42), the process proceeds to execute the instructed act as the Act (step S48). In determining the priority in step S50, the priority of the command received earlier may be given higher.

[0039] In this way, by receiving operation commands for the target mobile object M from multiple command devices 2, selecting one operation command from the multiple operation commands based on the information of each received operation command, and controlling the operation of the target mobile object M based on the selected operation command, the mobile object M can be controlled while coordinating the operation commands issued from the multiple command devices 2. Furthermore, by determining the priority of each of the multiple operation commands based on the information of each received operation command, and selecting one operation command based on that priority, it becomes possible to know in advance which operation command of command device 2 has the highest priority, making adjustments easier. Furthermore, if there is an action command in progress, the progress status of the action command in progress is acquired to determine whether or not it can be interrupted. If interruption is possible, one action command is selected based on the information of each of the received action commands. If interruption is not possible, the action command in progress is continued, thus enabling smooth adjustment of action commands and control of the mobile body M. If interruption is possible, permission to interrupt can be requested from the command device 2 that issued the action command, thus reflecting the requests of each command device 2. Furthermore, the command device 2 can request an increase in priority, and when such a request is made, it increases the priority and compares it with the priority of other operation commands. This allows the mobile body M to be controlled while adjusting the operation commands issued from multiple command devices 2, reflecting the wishes of the operator who possesses the command device 2.

[0040] The notification unit 103 may notify each command device 2 of the selection result of the selected operation command, either by notifying all command devices 2, or by identifying a command device 2 that has a work plan, for example, and notifying each of the identified command devices 2.

[0041] Furthermore, the operation of the control unit 104 to control the mobile body M in response to the operation command of the command device 2 may be the execution of the automatic driving operation sequence S, or it may be a command to switch to manual driving. It is also possible to alternate between the actions of the operator controlling the mobile body M and the actions of the control unit 104. The control unit 104 can know the state of the mobile body M, for example, by receiving a brake signal when the operator operates the brakes.

[0042] Embodiment 2. The mobile control system 10 according to Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to the figures. In Embodiment 1, an example was described in which the determination unit 102 of the mobile control system 10 selects one operation command from a plurality of operation commands based on information of each operation command received. In Embodiment 2, however, the command device 2 sets the request priority of its own operation command based on information obtained from the mobile control system 10 or another command device, and transmits its own operation command to the mobile control system 10 with this request priority attached. The rest is the same as in Embodiment 1.

[0043] For example, as shown in Figure 10, the command device 21 receives information from the mobile control system 10 via the notification receiving unit 212, and sets the request priority of its own operation command based on information from other command devices 2 via the request priority setting unit 214. The set request priority is transmitted from the command transmission unit 211 to the command receiving unit 101 of the mobile control system 10, attached to its own operation command. The method for setting the request priority is the same as the priority determination performed by the judgment unit 102 in Embodiment 1.

[0044] The information from the mobile control system 10 includes, for example, the content of the received operation command, the command device 2 that issued the command, and the data table used for priority determination. Necessary information such as the work schedule based on the work plan may also be requested via the communication unit 213. Furthermore, the communication unit 213 may communicate with other command devices 2, such as the command device 22 shown in the figure, to acquire operation command information, and the request priority setting unit 214 may set the request priority of its own operation commands based on the information from the other command devices 2.

[0045] Furthermore, if information on the selected operation command is notified from the mobile control system 10, and it is found that the operation command transmitted by the system itself was not selected, and the system wishes to request an increase in the priority of the operation command that was not selected, the request priority may be increased and set accordingly.

[0046] Figure 11 shows an example of a processing flow for setting request priority in the command device 2. First, the command device 2 calculates its own priority by referring to a predetermined priority set for each operation command (step S61). It also obtains information on what operation commands other command devices 2 are about to issue and similarly calculates the priority of other command devices by referring to a predetermined priority set (step S62). This may include information such as whether the command device 2 is currently executing an operation commanded by another command device 2, waiting for the completion of another command, or being assigned a waiting order with other command devices 2. Then, the calculated priority of the own command device 2 is compared with the priority of the other command device 2 (step S63). If the priority of the own command device 2 is greater than or equal to the priority of the other command device 2 (Yes in step S63), the requested priority is set as the priority of the own operation command (step S64), and the requested priority is attached to the operation command and transmitted to the mobile control system 10 (step S65). The mobile control system 10 is responsible for processing after transmission.

[0047] If the priority of another command device 2 exceeds the priority of its own command device 2 (No in step S63), it determines whether to change the priority of its own command device 2 (step S66). If it decides to change it (Yes in step S66), it changes the priority of its own command device 2 to, for example, a higher priority (step S67). Then it proceeds to compare again with the changed priority (step S63). If it decides not to change it (No in step S66), it uses the requested priority as the priority of its own operation command (step S64), and transmits the requested priority to the operation command to the mobile control system 10 (step S65). The determination made in step S66 may be selected and input by the operator holding the command device 2, or it may be determined automatically using statistical data from which priorities have been determined in the past. If the operation command for its own command device 2 is not urgent, it is possible to lower its priority in order to increase the priority of other command devices 2.

[0048] In this way, by attaching the request priority set on the command device 2 side to the operation command and transmitting it to the mobile body control system 10, the mobile body control system 10 can obtain the request priority considering the status of multiple command devices 2, determine the priority and select one operation command, and control the mobile body while coordinating the operation commands issued from multiple command devices 2. Furthermore, since the command device 2 can take into account information from other command devices 2 and obtain a request priority that reflects the operator's wishes, the mobile body control system 10 can smoothly control the mobile body M.

[0049] Although an example has been shown in which the command device 21 is equipped with a request priority setting unit 214, it may also be provided in other command devices 2, or in multiple command devices 2. The adjustment of multiple request priorities can be performed by the mobile control system 10.

[0050] Embodiment 3. The command device 2 according to Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to the figures. In Embodiment 1, an example was described in which the determination unit 102 of the mobile control system 10 selects one operation command based on information of multiple operation commands received. In Embodiment 3, however, the determination unit 215 of the command device 2 selects one operation command based on information of operation commands received and its own operation commands. The rest is the same as in Embodiment 1.

[0051] As shown in Figure 12, for example, when command device 21 wants to issue an operation command to mobile body M1, it may want to know whether the other command devices 22, 23, and 24 are also about to issue an operation command. In this case, command device 21 exchanges information with the other command devices 22, 23, and 24 in the communication unit 213. Then, in the notification receiving unit 212, it receives the operation command for mobile body M1 from the other command devices 22, 23, and 24.

[0052] If the mobile unit M1 receives multiple operation commands, including its own operation commands, the determination unit 215 selects one operation command from the multiple operation commands based on the information of each received operation command. The selected operation command is then transmitted from the command transmission unit 211 to the target mobile unit M1.

[0053] Here, the determination unit 215, similar to the determination unit 102 of the mobile control system 10 described in Embodiment 1, selects one operation command based on information such as a predetermined priority set in advance for each operation command, the rank of the identification number of the command device 2, the time the operation command was received, and the number of times the operation command has been received. Alternatively, the priority of each operation command may be determined, and one operation command may be selected based on the priority. Alternatively, the information of these operation commands may be combined for selection. Information on each operation command, data tables for determining priority, etc., may be stored in the storage unit 216 of the command device 21, or they may be input from a data input unit (not shown).

[0054] The selected operation command is then executed, for example, by a control unit within the mobile body M1. The control unit may also be provided in the command device 21 or the mobile body control system 10 to control the mobile body M1. As shown in Figure 13, the command device 21 receives operation commands for the target mobile object M from other command devices 2, exchanges information with the other command devices 2 (step S71), and when it receives multiple operation commands, including its own operation command, it selects one operation command from the multiple operation commands based on the information of each operation command (step S72). Then it transmits the selected operation command to the target mobile object M (step S73). In this way, information on multiple operation commands is exchanged between the command devices 2, and an operation command for the mobile body M is selected, allowing the mobile body M to be controlled while coordinating multiple operation commands. Since the command devices 2 can understand each other's information, smooth adjustment is possible.

[0055] Although the example described includes a decision unit 215 within the command device 21, the decision unit 215 may be located in any of the other command devices 22, 23, or 24, or in all of them. The other command devices 2 are not limited to three; there may be one or many. The selection result of the selected operation command may be notified to each command device 2 via the communication unit 213, permission to interrupt if there is an operation command currently in execution may be obtained, and a request for priority increase may be received from the command device 2 that issued the operation command that was not selected, and the priority of the operation command for which an increase request was made may be changed. The selection of an operation command may be determined using the request priority set within each command device 2. In other words, it can be given the same functions as the determination unit 102 of the mobile control system 10 described in Embodiment 1. The functions of the command device 2 described in Embodiment 2 may also be used.

[0056] While this disclosure describes various exemplary embodiments and examples, the various features, aspects, and functions described in one or more embodiments are not limited to the application of a particular embodiment, but are applicable individually or in various combinations to the embodiments. Accordingly, countless variations not illustrated are envisioned within the scope of the technology disclosed herein. For example, these include modifying, adding, or omitting at least one component, or even extracting at least one component and combining it with a component from another embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 10 Mobile control system, 2, 21, 22, 23, 24 Command device, 31 Communication channel, 101 Command reception unit, 102, 215 Judgment unit, 103 Notification unit, 104 Control unit, 105, 216 Storage unit, 211, 221 Command transmission unit, 212, 222 Notification reception unit, 213, 223 Communication unit, 214 Request priority setting unit, 1000 Head unit, 1001 Trolley unit, 1002 Control command reception unit, 1003 Drive mechanism, M, M1, M2, M3 Mobile unit

Claims

1. A command receiving unit that receives operation commands for a target moving object from multiple command devices, A determination unit that, upon receiving multiple operation commands, selects one operation command from the multiple operation commands based on the information of each of the received operation commands, A notification unit that notifies each of the command devices of the selection result of the selected operation command, The system comprises a control unit that controls the movement of the target moving object based on the selected operation command, The determination unit, when it receives multiple operation commands and there is an operation command currently in execution, obtains the progress status of the operation command currently in execution and determines whether or not it can be interrupted. If interruption is possible, it selects one operation command based on the information of each of the multiple operation commands received. If interruption is not possible, it continues the operation command currently in execution.

2. A mobile body control system for controlling the movement of at least one of a towing trolley and a forklift in accordance with a work plan, A command receiving unit that receives operation commands for the target moving object from multiple command devices, A determination unit that, upon receiving multiple operation commands, selects one operation command from the multiple operation commands based on the information of each of the received operation commands, A notification unit that notifies each of the command devices of the selection result of the selected operation command, The system comprises a control unit that controls the movement of the target moving object based on the selected operation command, A mobile body control system in which the determination unit determines the priority of each of the multiple operation commands based on the information of each of the multiple operation commands received, selects one operation command based on the priority, and when the command device receives a request to increase the priority of the movement of the mobile body based on a change in the work plan, changes the priority of the operation command for which an increase was requested, and re-selects one operation command based on the priority of each of the operation commands after the change.

3. A mobile body control system for controlling the movement of at least one of a towing trolley and a forklift in accordance with a work plan, A command receiving unit that receives operation commands for the target moving object from multiple command devices, A determination unit that, upon receiving multiple operation commands, selects one operation command from the multiple operation commands based on the information of each of the received operation commands, A notification unit that notifies each of the command devices of the selection result of the selected operation command, The system comprises a control unit that controls the movement of the target moving object based on the selected operation command, The command receiving unit receives the request priority assigned to the operation command based on the change in the work plan from a plurality of command devices. The determination unit determines the priority of each of the operation commands based on the required priority of each operation command, and selects one of the operation commands based on the priority, in a mobile body control system.

4. A command transmission unit that transmits operation commands to a mobile control system that controls a mobile object, The system includes a request priority setting unit that sets the request priority of its own operation command based on information obtained from the aforementioned mobile control system or other command device, A command device that transmits its own operation command to the mobile body control system, along with the set request priority.

5. A communication unit that receives operation commands for the target mobile object from other command devices and exchanges information with the other command devices, A determination unit that, upon receiving multiple operation commands, including its own operation command, selects one operation command from the multiple operation commands based on the information of each of the multiple operation commands, A command transmission unit that transmits the selected operation command to the target moving object, A command device equipped with the following features.

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