Inspection management system, inspection management method, and inspection management device

Abstract

An inspection management system (10) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: an acquisition unit (11) that acquires first position information indicating the position of a first article and second position information indicating the position of an object which has been inspected; a determination unit (12) that determines the inspection state of the first article on the basis of the first position information and the second position information; and a control unit (13) that controls a moving body so that the first article is conveyed according to the inspection state thereof. This inspection management system (10) enables the conveyance of an article, as necessary, according to the inspection state thereof.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , , , ,

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an inspection management system, an inspection management method, and an inspection management device.

Background Art

[0002] In the distribution field, it is required to efficiently manage articles such as products.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a system in which an automated guided vehicle automatically performs an operation of moving an article stored in a storage area. This system acquires identification information included in an optical symbol in an image captured by a camera, acquires position information of an article to which the optical symbol is attached, and based on the acquired information, executes control to move the article by the automated guided vehicle.

[0004] Also, Patent Document 2 describes an inbound management system for managing the inbound operation of products transported by a truck vehicle to a warehouse. This system grasps the load product information of the truck vehicle and the available status of the temporary storage area, and instructs a handling vehicle in the warehouse to execute a truck unloading task and the temporary storage area as the transfer destination.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] One possible method for managing goods involves inspecting temporarily placed goods sequentially, followed by the transport of inspected goods by an automated guided vehicle (AGV). However, when inspections are performed sequentially, the AGV or its control system cannot determine which goods have been inspected, potentially leading to the inability to transport goods that need to be transported. The technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not take sequential inspections into consideration and therefore cannot solve this problem.

[0007] This disclosure provides an inspection management system, an inspection management method, and an inspection management device that can transport goods as needed depending on the inspection status. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An inspection management system according to one embodiment includes: acquisition means for acquiring first location information indicating the location of a first article and second location information indicating the location of an object that has been inspected; determination means for determining the inspection status of the first article based on the first location information and the second location information; and control means for controlling a moving body to transport the first article according to the inspection status of the first article.

[0009] An inspection management method according to one embodiment is performed by a computer and acquires first position information indicating the position of a first article and second position information indicating the position of an object that has been inspected. Based on the first position information and the second position information, the inspection status of the first article is determined, and a moving body is controlled to transport the first article according to the inspection status of the first article.

[0010] An inspection management device according to one embodiment includes: acquisition means for acquiring first position information indicating the position of a first article and second position information indicating the position of an object that has been inspected; determination means for determining the inspection status of the first article based on the first position information and the second position information; and control means for controlling a moving body to transport the first article according to the inspection status of the first article. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] This disclosure provides an inspection management system, an inspection management method, and an inspection management device that can transport goods as needed depending on the inspection status. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example of an inspection management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This flowchart shows a typical example of the inspection management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing an example of an inspection and management device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing an example of a warehouse management system according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 5] This is a block diagram showing an example of a camera according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram showing an example of a terminal according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a situation in which the camera and terminal according to Embodiment 2 are used. [Figure 8] This is a diagram showing an example of a management server according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the location information of items placed on a map and the location information of items that have been inspected and are in an inspection completion state. [Figure 10] This is a block diagram showing an example of an automated guided vehicle according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 11] It is a flowchart showing an example of typical processing of the management server according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 12] It is a diagram for explaining another method by which the specifying unit specifies those in the inspection-completed state in Embodiment 2. [Figure 13] It is a diagram for explaining another method by which the specifying unit specifies those in the inspection-completed state in Embodiment 2. [Figure 14] It is a block diagram showing an example of the management server according to Embodiment 4. [Figure 15] It is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the device according to each embodiment. [Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description and drawings in the embodiments are appropriately omitted and simplified for clarity of explanation. Also, in this disclosure, unless otherwise specified, when "at least any one of a plurality of items" is defined for a plurality of items, the definition may mean any one item or any plurality of items including all items.

[0014] Also, definitions common to all embodiments will be described below.

[0015] [Explanation of Definitions] In the present disclosure, "article" refers to any tangible object that can be transported, and the size and shape of the article are arbitrary. Examples of "articles" include pharmaceuticals, foods, clothing, daily necessities, materials, etc., but those corresponding to articles are not limited to these. An "article" is something placed in some location, and for example, it may be placed in a storage location such as a warehouse or a materials storage area, but the storage location is not limited to this. At this time, the article may be placed alone or in a packaged state. Also, the article may be placed in a state of being loaded on a pallet for article transportation.

[0016] The "location information" of an object, such as an item, subject, person, or moving object, may represent, for example, a three-dimensional location or a two-dimensional location. Furthermore, the location information of an object can be any information that can identify the object's location. For example, if the space around an object is represented as a mapped data format, the location information of the object may be coordinate information assigned on the map. Alternatively, the location information may be represented by geographic coordinates such as latitude and longitude. The map may be in either a two-dimensional or three-dimensional format.

[0017] Furthermore, "inspection" refers to any kind of inspection or verification performed on the items subject to inspection, and the items subject to inspection are one or more items. The information obtained for inspection may be, for example, information about the items themselves, information about the packaging of the items or the pallet used to transport the items, or identification information displayed on the items, the packaging of the items or the pallet. Information about the items themselves is information that can be obtained simply by the existence of the items, and may include, for example, information about the appearance or feel of the items themselves. Information about the items themselves may include, for example, the number of items, the fact that the items are roughly rectangular in shape, or that the items feel hard. Identification information is information about the items that has been recorded in advance, and can be attached to the items in the form of, for example, a tag. Identification information may be, for example, a string of characters including numbers and symbols, or a one-dimensional or two-dimensional code. Identification information may include, for example, the model number of the items, the name, the number of items contained, and information indicating the nature of the items, but examples of identification information are not limited to these. An example of information indicating the nature of the items is that the items are perishable food or fragile.

[0018] Inspection may be performed, for example, to confirm whether the information obtained in advance about the item to be inspected is the same as the information obtained at the time of inspection. In other words, it may be a confirmation of identity regarding whether the item being inspected is the same as the item indicated by the information obtained in advance. As another example, inspection may involve checking whether there are any defects, stains, or other abnormalities in the item to be inspected or its packaging. Furthermore, inspection may include both the process of confirming identity and checking for abnormalities.

[0019] "Inspection status" is information that represents the status related to the inspection of an item being inspected. For example, "inspection status" may be information indicating whether or not the item has been inspected. Alternatively, "inspection status" may be information that can take on one of the following states related to the inspection: "inspection completed," "inspection failed," or "inspection not completed." Furthermore, "inspection status" may include not only information related to the inspection status, but also information indicating the details of the inspection obtained as a result of the inspection being carried out. Information indicating the details of the inspection may, for example, be information indicating that there is an abnormality in the item being inspected, or information indicating that the identification information of the tag attached to the item being inspected could not be read.

[0020] Here, "inspection completed" refers to a state where, for example, the inspection process described above has been completed. For example, consider a case where the inspection process involves verifying whether the information obtained in advance about the item to be inspected is the same as the information obtained during the inspection. In this case, the "inspection completed" state may be determined if the two are the same, or even if the two are not the same, the "inspection completed" state may be determined once the verification process is complete. As another example, consider a case where the inspection involves checking whether the item to be inspected or its packaging has any defects, stains, or other abnormalities. In this case, the "inspection completed" state may be determined if no abnormalities are found, or even if abnormalities are found, the "inspection completed" state may be determined once the inspection process is complete. Furthermore, if the inspection process includes both identity verification and inspection for abnormalities, the "inspection completed" state may be determined if the information obtained in advance about the item to be inspected is the same as the information obtained during the inspection, and no abnormalities are found. However, as another example, even if the information obtained in advance regarding the item to be inspected is not the same as the information obtained during the inspection, or if there are abnormalities, it may still be determined to be in a "completed inspection state."

[0021] A "failed inspection" state refers to a situation where the inspection process is terminated midway and no judgment is made. For example, consider a case where the inspection process involves verifying whether information obtained beforehand about the item to be inspected is the same as information obtained during the inspection. In this case, even though the inspection process was performed, if it was not possible to confirm whether the two were the same, it may be determined to be a "failed inspection." As another example, consider a case where the inspection involves checking whether there are any abnormalities in the item to be inspected or its packaging. In this case, even though the inspection process was performed, if it was not possible to determine whether there were any abnormalities, it may be determined to be a "failed inspection." Furthermore, if the inspection process involves both identity verification and inspection for abnormalities, if a judgment is not made in at least one of the verification or inspection processes, it may be determined to be a "failed inspection."

[0022] However, the "inspection failure state" may include states where the inspection process has finished but is not the "inspection completion state." For example, consider a case where the inspection process involves verifying whether the information obtained in advance about the item to be inspected is the same as the information obtained during the inspection. When the verification process is completed, if the two are the same, it may be determined as the "inspection completion state," and if they are not the same, it may be determined as the "inspection failure state." As another example, consider a case where the inspection involves checking whether there are any abnormalities in the item to be inspected or its packaging. When the inspection process is completed, if there are no abnormalities, it may be determined as the "inspection completion state," and if there are abnormalities, it may be determined as the "inspection failure state." Furthermore, consider a case where both identity verification and abnormality detection processes are performed during the inspection, and both processes are completed. If the information obtained in advance about the item to be inspected is the same as the information obtained during the inspection, and there are no abnormalities, it may be determined as the "inspection completion state," and otherwise, it may be determined as the "inspection failure state."

[0023] Furthermore, "inspection incomplete state" may refer, for example, to a state where the inspection process has not yet been carried out.

[0024] The "inspection" can be performed by a worker or by an automated device. The automated device may be mounted on a robot such as a drone.

[0025] Furthermore, the "mobile body" that transports goods is any machine that transports goods between two points, and examples of mobile bodies include, but are not limited to, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), autonomous mobile robots, autonomous transport robots, unmanned forklifts, unmanned cranes, and drones. If the "inspection" is performed automatically by the device, the device that performs the inspection may also function as a "mobile body" that transports goods.

[0026] The "destination" of an item indicates the location where the item is transported by a mobile vehicle and placed.

[0027] Embodiment 1 (1A) Embodiment 1 of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. This (1A) describes an inspection management system. The processing performed by the inspection management system in (1A) may be distributed and executed by multiple computers. In other words, the processing of the inspection management system may be implemented in a distributed system. In a distributed system, some or all of the functions of the inspection management system may be implemented on the cloud. However, as shown in (1B) below, the functions of the inspection management system may be installed in a single device.

[0028] [Explanation of the structure] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an inspection management system. The inspection management system 10 comprises an acquisition unit 11, a determination unit 12, and a control unit 13, and each part of the inspection management system 10 is controlled by a hardware controller (not shown). The following describes each part.

[0029] The acquisition unit 11 acquires first location information indicating the location of a certain item and second location information indicating the location of the object that has been inspected. The acquisition unit 11 is capable of acquiring first location information for one or more items, and is also capable of acquiring second location information for one or more objects that have been inspected.

[0030] The acquisition unit 11 may include an interface for acquiring data from a device outside the inspection management system 10, or it may include an interface for acquiring data from memory inside the inspection management system 10. The interface of the acquisition unit 11 allows for the acquisition of at least one of the first location information or the second location information.

[0031] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 11 may include equipment capable of acquiring at least one of the first or second location information. Equipment capable of acquiring location information includes, for example, any optical equipment such as a camera, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), laser sensor, 3D (dimension) sensor, or photoelectric sensor. At least one of the first or second location information can be identified from the optical data acquired by the optical equipment. Optical data includes, for example, captured still images, moving images, and mapping data. Alternatively, the equipment may be capable of identifying at least one of the first or second location information using detection methods other than optics. Examples of equipment using detection methods other than optics include ultrasonic sensors, proximity sensors, and contact-type displacement sensors, but the examples of equipment are not limited to these.

[0032] The acquisition unit 11 may acquire the first location information and the second location information using different interfaces or different methods, or it may acquire them using the same interface or the same method. For example, the acquisition unit 11 may acquire the first location information and the second location information from different devices outside the inspection management system 10, or it may acquire the first location information and the second location information from the same device. The device capable of acquiring location information may be a storage device or one of the above-mentioned devices.

[0033] The determination unit 12 determines the inspection status of the item related to the first location information based on the first location information and the second location information acquired by the acquisition unit 11. The inspection status is information that indicates at least one of the following, for example, "inspection completed," "inspection failed," or "inspection not completed," as defined above. For example, the determination unit 12 may determine the inspection status of the item by comparing the first location information and the second location information and determining whether the first location information is the same as or approximately the same as the second location information. If the first location information is the same as or approximately the same as the second location information, it is determined that the item related to the first location information is an item whose inspection has been completed, that is, the item related to the first location information is in an inspection completed state. The determination method executed by the determination unit 12 is based on the fact that the inspection work is performed in the vicinity of the item to be inspected.

[0034] Furthermore, the statement that the first location information is substantially identical to the second location information means that the location indicated by the first location information is in the vicinity of the location indicated by the second location information. For example, the statement that the location indicated by the first location information is in the vicinity of the location indicated by the second location information may be defined as the distance between the location indicated by the first location information and the location indicated by the second location information being within a predetermined distance. Alternatively, the statement that the location indicated by the first location information is in the vicinity of the location indicated by the second location information may be defined as the distance from the surface of the article relating to the first location information to the location indicated by the second location information being within a predetermined distance.

[0035] Furthermore, it is conceivable that the acquisition unit 11 may acquire the first location information for each of multiple items. Here, it is conceivable that the first location information for the first item is the same as or nearly the same as the second location information, and the first location information for the second item is the same as or nearly the same as the second location information. In this case, the determination unit 12 may identify the item that is closer to the location indicated by the second location information from among the first and second items, and determine that the identified item is the item for which inspection has been completed. That is, the identified item is determined to be in an inspection completion state. Details of the determination will be described later in Embodiment 3.

[0036] As another example, the determination unit 12 may determine whether the position indicated by the second position information corresponds to the position indicated by the first position information. If the position indicated by the second position information corresponds to the position indicated by the first position information, the determination unit 12 determines that the item related to the first position information is in a state of inspection completion. Conversely, if the position indicated by the second position information does not correspond to the position indicated by the first position information, the determination unit 12 determines that the item related to the first position information is not in a state of inspection completion. If the position indicated by the second position information does not correspond to the position indicated by the first position information, the determination unit 12 may determine that the item related to the first position information is in a state of inspection failure.

[0037] For the location indicated by the second location information to correspond to the location indicated by the first location information, this means, for example, that the location indicated by the second location information is a location from which the item related to the first location information can be clearly seen. When the item to be inspected is large, and the inspection is performed by a worker or robot that visually inspects the entire item, it may be easier for the worker or robot to perform the inspection from a position slightly away from the item rather than from a position close to the item. In this case, the location indicated by the second location information may be set to a position slightly away from the item from which the item related to the first location information can be clearly seen, which corresponds to the location indicated by the first location information. However, for the location indicated by the second location information to correspond to the location indicated by the first location information, this also means that the first location information is the same as or substantially the same as the second location information.

[0038] Furthermore, if the acquisition unit 11 acquires second location information for each of the multiple objects that have been inspected, the determination unit 12 may perform the above determination process for one or more of the acquired second location information. The determination process may be performed for some of the multiple objects that have been inspected, or for all of the objects that have been inspected.

[0039] For example, the determination unit 12 may determine whether the item related to the first location information is in an inspection completion state based on the first location information and the second location information for the first object. If it is determined that the item related to the first location information is in an inspection completion state, the determination unit 12 may terminate the determination process at this point. However, even if it is determined that the item related to the first location information is not in an inspection completion state, the determination unit 12 may terminate the determination process. Alternatively, if the determination unit 12 determines that the item related to the first location information is not in an inspection completion state, it may further determine whether the item related to the first location information is in an inspection completion state based on the first location information and the second location information for a second object different from the first object. In this way, when the determination unit 12 sequentially performs the determination process for multiple objects that have been inspected, if it is determined that the item related to the first location information is in an inspection completion state for any one of the objects, the determination unit 12 can terminate the determination process at the stage when it obtains a determination result indicating that the inspection is complete.

[0040] The acquisition unit 11 may acquire the first location information and the second location information as data that the determination unit 12 can directly compare. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 11 may acquire either the first location information or the second location information as data that can be compared with the other information by converting one of the pieces of information. For example, the determination unit 12 can convert the first location information into a format that can be compared with the second location information by referring to conversion information. Details of the conversion process by referring to conversion information will be described later in Embodiment 2.

[0041] The control unit 13 controls the mobile body to transport the item to be inspected according to the inspection status of the item determined by the determination unit 12. For example, if the determination process of the determination unit 12 determines that the item related to the first position information is in an inspection completion state, the control unit 13 may control the mobile body to transport the item that is in an inspection completion state. For the purpose of transporting the item, the control unit 13 causes the mobile body to perform operations at predetermined timings, such as moving the item to be transported horizontally, lifting the item, or loading the item onto the mobile body.

[0042] The control unit 13 may also determine the location of the mobile unit and the location of the item whose inspection status has been determined on the same map, and create a path connecting the two locations on the map. The control unit 13 outputs the created path to the mobile unit, and by moving along the outputted path, the mobile unit can move from its current position to the vicinity of the item and transport the item. Alternatively, the control unit 13 may determine the location of the item whose inspection status has been determined and the destination location of the item on the same map, and create a path connecting the two locations on the map. The control unit 13 outputs the created path to the mobile unit, and by moving along the outputted path, the mobile unit can transport the item whose inspection status has been determined to the predetermined destination.

[0043] Furthermore, the control unit 13 can create both a path connecting the mobile body's position information and the item's position, and a path connecting the item's position and the destination location of the item. This allows the control unit 13 to move the mobile body from its current position to the vicinity of the item, and to transport the item to the predetermined destination.

[0044] In creating the above route, the control unit 13 may further use at least one of the following pieces of information acquired by the acquisition unit 11. (i) First location information of items other than those whose inspection status has been determined (ii) Mobile body position information indicating the position of mobile bodies other than the mobile body being controlled. (iii) Person location information indicating the location of a person (iv) Location information indicating the location of other obstacles This makes it possible to suppress contact between the moving object and objects along its path during movement. Note that the method by which the acquisition unit 11 acquires location information such as the location information of the moving object and the location information of a person is the same as the method for acquiring the first location information of an item, so an explanation is omitted.

[0045] Furthermore, the location information of the destination of the goods may be associated with, for example, the identification information of the goods and stored in internal or external storage of the inspection management system 10. The acquisition unit 11 can refer to the storage and acquire the location information of the destination of the goods using the identification information of the goods acquired by the acquisition unit 11. As another example, the inspection management system 10 may have a destination determination unit. The destination determination unit may determine the destination of the determined goods using the identification information of the determined goods by using a predetermined algorithm according to the inspection status of the goods determined by the determination unit 12. The control unit 13 can create a route using the location information of the destination acquired by the acquisition unit 11 or the location information of the destination determined by the destination determination unit. The identification information of goods used in the above processes may include, for example, information indicating the type of goods.

[0046] The location information of at least one of the articles, moving objects, people, or other obstacles acquired by the acquisition unit 11 may, for example, represent three-dimensional location information or two-dimensional location information. Furthermore, the location information of at least one of the article's locations or destination may include, for example, information that identifies the shelf on which the article is placed. The location information of at least one of the article's locations or destination may further include information that identifies the location within the shelf, for example, the shelf level. For example, if there are three shelves, A, B, and C, at the location where an article is to be transported, the location information of the destination of a certain article may be "the third shelf of shelf A".

[0047] However, the control unit 13 may not create a path for the mobile unit, but instead output the location information of the item whose inspection status has been determined to the mobile unit, thereby instructing the mobile unit to transport the item. The mobile unit sets its own location information and the location information of the acquired item on a map it understands, and creates a path connecting the two locations. Then, it can move the mobile unit from its current location to the vicinity of the item along the created path.

[0048] Furthermore, the control unit 13 may output to the mobile unit the location information of the item whose inspection status has been determined, and the location information of the destination to which the item is to be transported. The mobile unit grasps the location of the item whose inspection status has been determined and the location of the destination on the same map, and creates a path connecting the two locations. By moving along the created path, the mobile unit can transport the item whose inspection status has been determined to the predetermined destination.

[0049] However, a mobile object can also create both a path connecting its own location information to the location of an item, and a path connecting the location of the item to the location of its destination. This allows the mobile object to move from its current location to the vicinity of the item and then transport the item to its predetermined destination.

[0050] Furthermore, the mobile body may create a route using at least one of the information from (i) to (iv) as described above. The information used for route creation may be obtained by the mobile body from the inspection management system 10, or it may be stored in the mobile body's storage beforehand. Alternatively, the mobile body may obtain the information used for route creation by detecting objects around it using any optical device or ultrasonic sensor mounted on the mobile body.

[0051] Furthermore, if the determination unit 12 determines the inspection status for multiple items, the control unit 13 may control a single mobile unit to transport the multiple items whose inspection status has been determined. Here, the mobile unit may transport one item in one transport or multiple items in one transport. If the mobile unit transports one item in one transport, the control unit 13 can determine the order in which to transport the multiple items whose inspection status has been determined, based on predetermined information. Details of the process for determining the order in which to transport the items will be described later in Embodiment 4.

[0052] Here, the "single item" being transported may refer to a single packaged object, or it may refer to a single pallet on which one or more items are loaded.

[0053] Furthermore, if the inspection management system 10 manages multiple mobile units, the control unit 13 may select one of the multiple mobile units and execute the above-mentioned item transport control on the selected mobile unit. For example, the control unit 13 can refer to a stored table to determine whether the multiple mobile units it manages are in an idle state (not transporting items) or in a processing state (transporting items), and if there are any mobile units in an idle state, it can select one of them. The control unit 13 can determine or update whether each mobile unit it manages is in an idle state or in a processing state using at least one of the following pieces of information and store it in a table within the inspection management system 10. • History information of transport control performed by the control unit 13 for each mobile object. • Information indicating that a moving object is in the process of transporting or has completed the process, and which the acquisition unit 11 has acquired from each moving object.

[0054] Furthermore, if there are multiple idle mobile bodies, the control unit 13 may, for example, use the mobile body position information of each mobile body and the first position information of the item whose inspection status has been determined to select a mobile body to transport the item from among the multiple idle mobile bodies. For example, the control unit 13 can calculate the distance or travel path from the current position of each idle mobile body to the position of the item, and select the mobile body with the shortest distance or travel path as the mobile body to transport the item.

[0055] However, as an alternative example, the control unit 13 may calculate the distance and shape of the travel path from the current position of a moving object to the position of an item for multiple moving objects that are in an idle state. Based on the calculated distance and shape of the travel path and the speed at which the moving objects move, the control unit 13 calculates the time it takes for each moving object to travel along the transport path. The transport control unit 136 can then select the moving object with the shortest travel time as the moving object to transport the item.

[0056] The control unit 13 can determine the transport route for the selected mobile body as described above. When calculating the transport route of the mobile body, the route may be created using at least one of the above information items (i) to (iv).

[0057] Furthermore, the inspection management system 10 may also store processing completion information indicating how long it will take for the transport process being performed by the mobile unit to be completed, as part of the processing execution status. When all of the multiple mobile units under its management are in the processing execution status, the control unit 13 can select the mobile unit that is indicated in the processing completion information to be the earliest to complete the transport process among the mobile units in the processing execution status as the mobile unit to move the goods.

[0058] Furthermore, if the determination process of the determination unit 12 determines that the item related to the first location information is not in an inspection completion state, that is, in an inspection failure state or an inspection incomplete state, the control unit 13 may control the mobile unit not to transport the item that is not in an inspection completion state. In this case, the item will remain in its original position. However, if the item related to the first location information is in at least one of the inspection failure state or an inspection incomplete state, and the administrator of the inspection management system 10 gives a specific instruction to the inspection management system 10, the control unit 13 may control the mobile unit to transport the item in the inspection failure state. Here, the control unit 13 may control the mobile unit to transport the item in the inspection failure state or inspection incomplete state to a location different from the destination of the item that will be in an inspection completion state. As another example, the control unit 13 may autonomously control the moving body to transport the item to the first destination if the item related to the first location information is in a state where inspection is complete, and to transport the item to a second destination different from the first destination if the item related to the first location information is not in a state where inspection is complete, even without specific instructions from an administrator or the like.

[0059] [Explanation of the processing flow] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a typical process of the inspection management system 10. The flowchart in Figure 2 explains the general overview of the processes of the inspection management system 10. Details of each process are as described above, so explanations will be omitted as appropriate.

[0060] First, in step S11, the acquisition unit 11 acquires various location information, including first location information indicating the location of an item and second location information indicating the location of the object that has been inspected. The acquisition unit 11 may acquire either the first or second location information first, or it may acquire both location information simultaneously.

[0061] In step S12, the determination unit 12 determines the inspection status of the item corresponding to the first location information based on the first location information and the second location information. In step S13, the control unit 13 controls the moving body to transport the item according to the inspection status of the item.

[0062] For example, if the item related to the first location information is in an inspection completion state, the control unit 13 may control the moving body in step S13 to transport the item related to the first location information. If the item related to the first location information is not in an inspection completion state, the control unit 13 does not have to perform the control in step S13. However, even if the item related to the first location information is not in an inspection completion state, the control unit 13 may control the moving body to transport the item to a different location than the destination to which the item would be transported if the item related to the first location information were in an inspection completion state.

[0063] [Explanation of effects] As described above, the inspection management system 10 can determine the inspection status of an item by using the location information of the item and the location information of the item that has been inspected. Then, the inspection management system 10 can transport the item if necessary, depending on the inspection status. For example, the inspection management system 10 can transport an item that has completed inspection from the location where the item was temporarily placed.

[0064] Furthermore, the inspection management system 10 can also use location information of the inspected items when controlling the moving object. Therefore, the inspection management system 10 can guide the moving object to the location of the items, making it possible to accurately transport the inspected items.

[0065] The method of distributing each part of the inspection management system 10 across multiple computers is arbitrary. For example, the acquisition unit 11 may be installed on a first computer, the determination unit 12 and control unit 13 on a second computer, and the inspection management system 10 may be configured by connecting the first and second computers. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 11, the determination unit 12 and the control unit 13 may be installed on different computers, and the inspection management system 10 may be configured by connecting each computer.

[0066] The inspection management system 10 may have some or all of its components installed on a cloud server built on the cloud, or on other types of virtualized servers created using virtualization technology, etc. Functions other than those installed on servers such as cloud servers or virtualized servers are located at the edge. For example, in a system that monitors video footage taken at a site via a network, the edge is a device located at or near the site, and is also a device close to the terminal in the network layer.

[0067] (1B) The following describes variations of Embodiment 1. This (1B) describes an inspection and management device. Unlike (1A), the processing performed by the inspection and management device in (1B) is performed by a single computer.

[0068] The inspection management device 20 comprises an acquisition unit 11, a determination unit 12, and a control unit 13. Each part of the inspection management device 20 is controlled by a controller of hardware (not shown) within the device. The processing performed by each part of the inspection management device 20 is the same as in (1A), so the explanation is omitted. The inspection management device 20 shown in (1B) also produces the same effect as the one shown in (1A).

[0069] The inspection management system 10 or inspection management device 20 can be applied to situations such as receiving goods in distribution or inspecting products manufactured in a factory. However, the inspection management system 10 or inspection management device 20 can be applied to any situation in which goods are inspected.

[0070] Embodiment 2 Embodiment 2, described below, discloses a specific example of the inspection management method described in Embodiment 1. The inspection management method according to Embodiment 2 relates to the inspection and transportation of goods within a warehouse. However, the specific example of the inspection management method shown in Embodiment 1 is not limited to that shown below. Furthermore, the configurations and processes described below are illustrative and not limited thereto.

[0071] Furthermore, definitions common to Embodiment 2 and subsequent descriptions will be explained below.

[0072] [Explanation of the definition] In this disclosure, "temporary storage area" refers to a predetermined area where goods scheduled to be stored are temporarily placed. In Embodiment 2, the temporary storage area refers to a predetermined area within the warehouse, but the temporary storage area is not limited to being located within the warehouse. After inspection is completed, the goods placed in the temporary storage area are transported by a mobile vehicle to a different area within the warehouse. As will be described later, the area within the warehouse that is the temporary storage area may be pre-set in the warehouse map data. The goods placed within the warehouse are assumed to be loaded onto pallets for transport.

[0073] In Embodiment 2, there are multiple items and objects to be inspected within the warehouse for which location information is acquired. In Embodiment 2, the inspection of items is performed by a worker, and the inspection results are transmitted to the management server described later via a terminal carried by the worker.

[0074] In Embodiment 2, "inspection" may include confirming whether the information obtained during the inspection of an item is included in the information obtained in advance for multiple items subject to inspection, and inspecting whether there are any defects, stains, or other abnormalities in the items subject to inspection.

[0075] In Embodiment 2, "Inspection Complete" indicates that the inspection was successful. For example, if the information obtained during the inspection of an item is included in the information obtained in advance for multiple items to be inspected, and no abnormalities were found in the items to be inspected, the terminal determines that the inspection of the item was successful. The terminal then sets the status of the item that was successfully inspected to "Inspection Complete".

[0076] If the information obtained during the inspection of an item is not included in the information previously obtained for multiple items being inspected, or if it is determined that there is an abnormality in the item being inspected, the inspection of the item is deemed to have failed in at least one of these cases. In other words, the status of an item whose inspection has failed is set to "Inspection Failed". Here, if the information obtained during the inspection of an item is not included in the information previously obtained for multiple items being inspected, this means, for example, that the identification information of a tag attached to the item being inspected could not be read by the terminal, or that an item that is not scheduled to be stored was placed in a temporary storage area. If there is an abnormality in the item being inspected, this means, for example, that the item or the packaging of the item is damaged.

[0077] As described below, the management server obtains information from the terminal indicating whether an item has been inspected as "inspection complete" or "inspection failed." Furthermore, for items for which the management server has not yet received "inspection complete" or "inspection failed" information from the terminal—that is, items that have not yet been inspected—the management server sets the status to "inspection not complete."

[0078] (2A) [Explanation of the structure] The following describes an example of an inbound management system in Embodiment 2. The inbound management system 100 shown in Figure 4 includes a camera 110, a terminal 120, a management server 130, and an automated guided vehicle (AGV) 140. The camera 110 is connected to the management server 130 by wire, and the terminal 120 and AGV 140 are connected to the management server 130 by wireless. However, the method of communication between each device is arbitrary. In Figure 4, only one camera 110 and one terminal 120 are shown, but the inbound management system 100 may have multiple cameras 110 and terminals 120. The following describes each device.

[0079] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a camera. The camera 110 is fixed inside the warehouse and includes a shooting unit 111 and a communication unit 112. The shooting unit 111 includes an image sensor and photographs the warehouse, including the temporary storage area. As described above, items scheduled to be stored are temporarily placed in the temporary storage area, so the shooting unit 111 can photograph the temporarily placed items. The video data captured by the shooting unit 111 is output to the management server 130 by the communication unit 112. As described later, the management server 130 can use the captured images to detect the location information of the placed items.

[0080] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example of a terminal. The terminal 120 comprises a shooting unit 121, a comparison unit 122, a display unit 123, an input unit 124, a positioning unit 125, and a communication unit 126. The shooting unit 121 includes an image sensor that captures identification information of a tag attached to an item to be inspected. The comparison unit 122 compares the identification information captured by the shooting unit 121 with the identification information of an item acquired in advance, and determines whether the captured identification information is included in the identification information of the item acquired in advance. The terminal 120 may store the identification information for comparison with the captured identification information in advance within the terminal 120, or it may acquire it from the management server 130.

[0081] The comparison unit 122 causes the display unit 123 to display information indicating that the inspected item is included in the items scheduled for storage if the previously acquired item identification information includes the photographed identification information. On the other hand, if the comparison unit 122 is unable to read the identification information, it displays information indicating that the identification information could not be read on the display unit 123. Furthermore, if the previously acquired item identification information does not include the photographed identification information, the comparison unit 122 displays information indicating that the inspected item is not included in the items scheduled for storage. The display unit 123 includes, for example, a display.

[0082] The input unit 124 is an interface that can be operated by a worker, such as a button or touch panel. When information indicating that an inspected item is included in the items scheduled for storage is displayed on the display unit 123, the worker may inspect the item for any abnormalities using their own senses, such as visual inspection or touch, or using inspection equipment. If it is determined that there are no abnormalities in the item, the worker inputs via the input unit 124 that the item has been inspected and that the inspection is complete. The information indicating that the inspection is complete and the identification information of the inspected item are transmitted to the management server 130 via the communication unit 126. The communication unit 126 includes, for example, an interface for wireless communication.

[0083] If a worker determines that there is an abnormality in an item, the worker inputs via the input unit 124 that the item to be inspected has failed inspection. Even if the display unit 123 shows that the identification information could not be read, or that the inspected item is not included in the items scheduled for warehousing, the worker inputs information indicating that the item has failed inspection via the input unit 124. The input information is transmitted to the management server 130 via the communication unit 126. Here, if the information entered by the worker indicates that the identification information could not be read, or that the inspected item is not included in the items scheduled for warehousing, the management server 130, upon receiving the transmitted information, may determine that the inspected item has failed inspection. The information indicating that the item to be inspected has failed inspection and the identification information of the item to be inspected are transmitted to the management server 130 via the communication unit 126.

[0084] The positioning unit 125 determines the location of the terminal 120. For example, it may be equipped with a GPS (Global Positioning System, Global Positioning Satellite) receiver and determine the location of the terminal 120 based on signals received from multiple positioning satellites. The positioning unit 125 may use a different type of satellite positioning system instead of GPS. In addition, the positioning unit 125 may further use a gyro sensor and an accelerometer for positioning by dead reckoning, instead of or in addition to the GPS receiver. Thus, the positioning unit 125 has the function of self-position estimation. When the communication unit 126 transmits information indicating that the inspection target has been inspected or has failed, it also transmits the location information of the terminal 120 determined by the positioning unit 125 to the management server 130. This location information of the terminal 120 can be substantially considered as the location information of the inspection target.

[0085] Figure 7 shows an example of a situation in which the camera 110 and terminal 120 are used. As shown in Figure 7, the camera 110 and terminal 120 are used within the warehouse W where goods are stored. On the other hand, the management server 130 may be located at a location away from the warehouse W, which is the site.

[0086] Item G1 with a tag T attached is placed in temporary storage area K of warehouse W. Camera 110 is capturing an area including temporary storage area K, so it can capture item G1. Worker S operates the input unit 124 of terminal 120, which allows the camera unit 121 to capture a photograph of tag T. The comparison unit 122 determines whether the captured identification information is included in the identification information shown on the captured tag T. If the captured identification information is included, the display unit 123 displays information indicating that the inspected item is included in the items scheduled for warehousing. On the other hand, if the identification information cannot be read, the display unit 123 displays information indicating that the identification information could not be read. Furthermore, if the identification information shown on tag T is not included in the previously acquired identification information of the item, information indicating that the inspected item is not included in the items scheduled for warehousing is displayed.

[0087] Figure 7 also shows the state in which the automated guided vehicle (AGV) V is transporting item G2. Based on the control of the management server 130 (described later), the AGV V automatically transports item G2, which has been determined to be in an inspection-completed state, from the temporary storage area K to the destination of item G2. In this way, warehouse W is used for both inspection by workers and transport by AGVs.

[0088] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing an example of a management server. The management server 130 includes a detection unit 131, a map registration unit 132, a storage unit 133, an acquisition unit 134, a specification unit 135, a transport control unit 136, and a communication unit 137. The detection unit 131 and the acquisition unit 134 correspond to the acquisition unit 11 according to Embodiment 1, the specification unit 135 corresponds to the determination unit 12 according to Embodiment 1, and the transport control unit 136 corresponds to the control unit 13 according to Embodiment 1. Each unit will be described below.

[0089] The detection unit 131 uses video footage acquired from the camera 110 to detect the location of items placed in the temporary storage area. The detection unit 131 detects the presence or absence of items in the video footage by using, for example, an AI (Artificial Intelligence) model that has been pre-trained and stored in the memory unit 133. The AI ​​model used for detecting the presence or absence of items is trained by inputting training data into the AI ​​model, which includes information from sample video footage and information indicating the presence or absence of items in the video footage that corresponds to the information from the video footage. The information indicating the presence or absence of items in the video footage is the correct label in the training data. Any technique such as logistic regression or a neural network can be used as the training method. When video footage transmitted by the terminal 120 is input to the AI ​​model trained using the training data, the AI ​​model outputs information indicating the presence or absence of items in the video footage based on this input information. Using the information indicating the presence or absence of items, the detection unit 131 detects where the items are located in the video footage.

[0090] The AI ​​model may perform the determination using images at predetermined timings within the video, or it may perform the determination using video footage extracted over a predetermined period. If video footage extracted over a predetermined period is used, the AI ​​model determines that an item is present in the video footage by determining that the item did not move within a pre-set temporary storage area for a predetermined time.

[0091] However, the determination of whether or not an object is present in the video may be performed by an algorithm based on predefined rules, rather than by an AI model.

[0092] The map registration unit 132 uses the item detection results from the detection unit 131 to register the location information of the items in the map data stored in the storage unit 133. The map data includes the presence or absence of items within the temporary storage area and the location information of the items. The location information is registered in a three-dimensional format on the map. For example, the map registration unit 132 converts the location information of items detected in the video footage into location information on the map, based on information that defines the relationship between the location in the captured video footage and the location on the map, and registers the converted location information in the map data. Information relating the location in the captured video footage to the location on the map is stored in advance, for example, in the storage unit 133. The map registration unit 132 updates the map data to indicate that items exist at the locations on the map identified in this way.

[0093] As time passes, if an item is placed in the temporary storage area, or if an item that has been placed is transported, the detection result of the detection unit 131 changes. The map registration unit 132 reflects the change in the detection result and updates the map data by placing an item in a predetermined location on the map, or deleting an item that has been placed in a predetermined location on the map. If an item is deleted, the location where the deleted item was is represented as an empty space on the map. An empty space indicates a location where an item can be placed.

[0094] Furthermore, the location information of an item detected by the detection unit 131 indicates a predetermined area that reflects the size of the item. Therefore, the location information of an item registered in the map also indicates a predetermined area that reflects the size of the item.

[0095] The storage unit 133 is a storage device that stores map data and information necessary for map registration. The storage unit 133 may also store AI models for various determinations as shown in this disclosure, and destination location information that indicates the location of the destination of an item, associated with the item's identification information. The destination location information is stored as location information on the map in the map data.

[0096] The acquisition unit 134 acquires information from the terminal 120 indicating whether the inspection target is in an inspection completion state or an inspection failure state, as well as the location information of the terminal 120. The acquisition unit 134 outputs the acquired information to the identification unit 135. The acquisition unit 134 is configured, for example, as a wireless communication interface.

[0097] The identification unit 135 converts the acquired location information of the terminal 120 into location information within the map data, based on information that defines the relationship between the acquired location of the terminal 120 and its location within the map. The identification unit 135 then associates the converted location information with information indicating whether the inspection target related to the converted location information is in an inspection completion state or an inspection failure state, and registers this information in the map data.

[0098] Subsequently, the identification unit 135 refers to the map and compares the location information of the placed item with the location information of the item to be inspected, which is in an inspection completion state. If the two compared location information sets are identical or nearly identical, the identification unit 135 identifies the placed item as being in an inspection completion state. The definition of nearly identical is as described in Embodiment 1. When a worker performs an inspection, the terminal 120 does not necessarily transmit information indicating the same location as the item to be inspected as its own location information. Therefore, it is preferable to set a margin that allows the two to be considered to match when comparing location information.

[0099] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the location information of placed items on a map and the location information of items that have been inspected and are in an inspection completion state. In Figure 9, items G11 to G18 are placed in temporary storage area K. In the map shown on the x, y, and z axes, the position of the surface of G11 is (x:850, y:850, z:200), and the position of the item that has been inspected and is in an inspection completion state is (x:825, y:825, z:180).

[0100] The coordinate information (x:850, y:850, z:200) is registered on the map as location information indicating the position of item G11. However, (x:850, y:850, z:200) may be a part of the range of the item indicated by the location information of item G11 registered on the map, and may be a position adjacent to the position of the item to be inspected. The position adjacent to the position of the item to be inspected can be identified by the identification unit 135 based on the range that item G11 occupies on the map and the location information of the item to be inspected. Similarly, for items G12 to G18, the identification unit 135 can identify a position adjacent to the position of the item to be inspected, which is a part of the range that each item occupies on the map. In this case, the location information for each item includes multiple coordinate pieces indicating a part of each item. For example, the location information for an item may include location information indicating the four corners of a face, so that the position of one or more faces of the item can be identified. By identifying the location of one or more faces of the item, the identification unit 135 can determine the area that the entire item occupies on the map.

[0101] The identification unit 135 calculates the position of the inspection target that is in the inspection completion state and the distance between the position of the inspection target that is in the inspection completion state and the nearest point of contact for each item. The identification unit 135 then identifies items that are within a predetermined distance as being in the inspection completion state. In this example, since the distance to item G11 is within the predetermined distance, the identification unit 135 identifies item G11 as being in the inspection completion state. In Figure 9, item G11, which has been identified as being in the inspection completion state, is shown with hatching. The identification unit 135 outputs the position information of item G11, which has been determined to be in the inspection completion state, to the transport control unit 136.

[0102] Furthermore, the identification unit 135 may calculate the position of the inspection target in the inspection failure state and the distance between the position of the inspection target in the inspection failure state and the nearest point of contact for each item. The identification unit 135 then identifies items whose distance is within a predetermined distance as being in the inspection failure state. The identification unit 135 outputs the position information of the items determined to be in the inspection failure state and the identification information of the items in the inspection failure state acquired by the acquisition unit 134 to the transport control unit 136.

[0103] The transport control unit 136 uses the identification information of the item determined to be in an inspection complete state to refer to the storage unit 133 and obtain the destination location information of the item that is in an inspection complete state. Then, using the location information of the item that is in an inspection complete state and the destination location information, it creates a transport path to move the item to the transport destination. Specifically, the transport control unit 136 creates a transport path by connecting the location of the item that is in an inspection complete state and the location of the transport destination that is in an inspection complete state on the map data stored in the storage unit 133. The information of the transport path is represented as continuous location information on the map.

[0104] The transport control unit 136 may create the shortest possible transport path for the automated guided vehicle (AGV) 140 as the transport path for the AGV 140. This allows the AGV 140 to perform transport efficiently.

[0105] Furthermore, the transport control unit 136 may create a transport route to move the inspected items to the transport destination by using one or more of the following pieces of information registered in the map. (v) Location information of items other than the item being transported (vi) Location information of other automated guided vehicles (AGVs) other than the AGV 140 that is being controlled. (vii) Worker location information (viii) Location information of obstacles other than goods, automated guided vehicles, and workers.

[0106] The transport control unit 136 can obtain the information (v) detected by the detection unit 131 by referring to the map data. In addition, the management server 130 can obtain the information (vi) by receiving the position information, which is the result of self-position estimation performed by other automated guided vehicles, from the communication unit 137. The method of self-position estimation is as described for the positioning unit 125 of the terminal 120, so the explanation is omitted.

[0107] Furthermore, if the coordinate system of the automated guided vehicle's (AGV) location information is the same as the coordinate system of the location information on the map, the map registration unit 132 can register the AGV's own position directly into the map data. On the other hand, if the coordinate system of the AGV's location information is not the same as the coordinate system of the location information on the map, the map registration unit 132 converts the received AGV's location information into location information on the map based on information defining the relationship between the AGV's position and its position on the map, and registers the converted location information into the map data.

[0108] Furthermore, the map registration unit 132 converts the location information of the terminal 120 acquired by the acquisition unit 134 into location information within the map data, based on information defining the relationship between the location of the terminal 120 and its location within the map. The location information of the terminal 120 is synonymous with the location information of the worker who possesses it. Then, the map registration unit 132 registers the converted location information into the map data, thereby registering the information in (vii) into the map data.

[0109] Furthermore, the detection unit 131 uses video images acquired from the camera 110 to detect the presence and location of obstacles placed in the temporary storage area. The detection method of the detection unit 131 is the same as the method for detecting objects, so a detailed explanation is omitted. The map registration unit 132 uses the detection results of the detection unit 131 to register the location information of the obstacles in the map data stored in the storage unit 133. In this way, the information in (viii) is registered in the map data.

[0110] Furthermore, since the information in (v) to (viii) may change over time, the map registration unit 132 periodically updates the map data based on the detection results of the detection unit 131, or the location information acquired by the acquisition unit 134 or the communication unit 137. In addition, the location information in (v) to (viii) registered in the map indicates a predetermined area that reflects the size of the object relating to (v) to (viii).

[0111] However, the detection unit 131 may use video footage acquired from the camera 110 to detect information (vi) and (vii) present in the temporary storage area. The detection method of the detection unit 131 is the same as that of (viii), so the explanation is omitted. The map registration unit 132 can use the detection results of the detection unit 131 to register information (vi) and (vii) in the map data stored in the storage unit 133.

[0112] The transport control unit 136 can take into consideration at least one of the information in (v) to (viii) and create a travel path for the automated guided vehicle 140 that does not come into contact with at least one other item, other automated guided vehicles, worker, or obstacle, as a travel path for moving the inspected item to the destination. This allows the transport control unit 136 to suppress contact between the automated guided vehicle 140 and the item during its movement. Furthermore, the transport control unit 136 may create the shortest travel path among the travel paths that do not come into contact with the item during its movement as the travel path for the automated guided vehicle 140.

[0113] The transport control unit 136 transmits the route information thus created to the automated guided vehicle 140 via the communication unit 137. The communication unit 137 includes, for example, a wireless communication interface for communicating with the automated guided vehicle 140.

[0114] Furthermore, the transport control unit 136 controls the automated guided vehicle 140 to prevent the transport of items that have failed inspection until a specific instruction is input from an administrator or other party. Therefore, the management server 130 can transport only items that have passed inspection to their destination. The transport control unit 136 may also receive information about the destination and instructions for transporting items that have failed inspection from an administrator or a device within the inventory management system 100. In response to this, the transport control unit 136 can control the automated guided vehicle 140 to transport the items that have failed inspection as instructed.

[0115] Figure 10 is a block diagram showing an example of an automated guided vehicle (AGV). The AGV 140 comprises a movement control unit 141, a load control unit 142, a storage unit 143, and a communication unit 144. Each of these units will be described below.

[0116] When the movement control unit 141 receives route information for transporting goods via the communication unit 144, it uses the map data of the warehouse stored in the storage unit 143 and the received route information to control the movement of the automated guided vehicle 140 according to the route information. For example, the movement control unit 141 can move the automated guided vehicle 140 in a desired direction by controlling the rotation and direction of the wheels of the automated guided vehicle 140.

[0117] Furthermore, if the coordinate system in the map data stored in the memory unit 143 is the same as the coordinate system in the map data stored in the memory unit 133, the movement control unit 141 can directly apply the received route information to the map data of the warehouse stored in the memory unit 143. However, if the coordinate systems in these two sets of map data are different, the movement control unit 141 converts the route information into route information on the map stored in the memory unit 143, based on information defining the relationship between the map position stored in the memory unit 143 and the map position stored in the memory unit 133. The movement control unit 141 controls movement based on its own position on the map stored in the memory unit 143 and the route information on the map.

[0118] The loading control unit 142 controls the arm of the automated guided vehicle (AGV) 140 when the AGV 140 moves to the vicinity of an item that has been inspected, causing the AGV 140 to load the nearby item onto the AGV 140. The method of loading the item is arbitrary; it may be by loading the item onto a platform provided on the AGV 140, or by connecting the item to the AGV 140 to enable towing of the item.

[0119] Furthermore, the loading control unit 142 determines whether the automated guided vehicle 140 has reached the end point of the transport path for the loaded items, i.e., the destination location, based on its own position on the map and the path information. If the automated guided vehicle 140 has reached the destination location, it can be controlled to unload the loaded items at the destination location.

[0120] The memory unit 143 stores map data of the warehouse used for the movement of the automated guided vehicle 140. The memory unit 143 also stores various parameters used for movement as needed.

[0121] The communication unit 144 includes, for example, an interface for wireless communication with the management server 130.

[0122] [Explanation of the processing flow] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating a typical process of the management server 130. The flowchart in Figure 11 provides an overview of the processes of the management server 130. Details of each process are as described above, and will therefore be omitted in some cases.

[0123] In step S21, the detection unit 131 uses video footage acquired from the camera 110 to detect the location of the items placed in the temporary storage area. In step S22, the map registration unit 132 registers the location information of the detected items into the map data in the storage unit 133.

[0124] In step S23, the acquisition unit 134 acquires the location information of terminal 120 and the inspection status information from terminal 120. Here, the location information of terminal 120 refers to the location information of the item to be inspected. The inspection status information indicates whether the item is in an inspection completion state or an inspection failure state.

[0125] In step S24, the identification unit 135 compares the position information of the placed item with the position information of the item to be inspected that is in an inspection completion state to determine whether the placed item is in an inspection completion state. If the placed item is identified as being in an inspection completion state, the transport control unit 136 controls the automated guided vehicle 140 in step S25 to transport the item that is in an inspection completion state. On the other hand, if the placed item is not in an inspection completion state, the transport control unit 136 does not perform the control in step S25.

[0126] Furthermore, the management server 130 can execute the processes in steps S24 to S25 for each of the multiple items that are placed in the temporary storage area and whose location information has been registered on the map.

[0127] [Explanation of effects] As described above, the management server 130 can determine whether or not the inspection of items placed in the temporary storage area has been completed. The management server 130 can then use the information of items that have been identified as having completed inspection when controlling the automated guided vehicle 140. This makes it possible to accurately transport items that have completed inspection.

[0128] In recent years, technology has advanced to automatically perform inspections of goods based on images captured by cameras and other devices, with the aim of reducing the labor involved in inspection work. However, in some cases, inspections performed by human workers are more accurate than those performed automatically. For example, one inspection process may involve sensing the properties of an item, such as its size or weight, and then determining the correctness of a code on a tag attached to the item or the item's packaging based on this property information. In this inspection process, human workers are likely to be more accurate than systems. For instance, even if there are no problems with the tag or code attached to the item, if the contents of the item are different from what they should be, or if the item is damaged, a human worker is more likely than a system to detect such abnormalities.

[0129] Furthermore, when inspection is performed by a system, it is assumed that the location of the temporary storage area is set as fixed information in advance. However, if the location of the temporary storage area cannot be changed, it may not be possible to meet the practical need to change the location of the temporary storage area, which is the inspection location, according to the amount of goods arriving at the warehouse. In contrast, when an operator performs the inspection work, even if the location of the temporary storage area is changed, the operator can flexibly respond to that change and perform the inspection work.

[0130] Thus, while workers perform the inspection process, which requires high precision, it is envisioned that automated guided vehicles (AGVs) will transport the inspected items to reduce the workload on workers. When AGVs transport items, the AGV or its control system may not be able to determine which items placed in the temporary storage area can be moved. However, the management server 130 in Embodiment 2 can accurately identify items that have completed inspection and provide the AGV 140 with the information necessary for transporting those items. Therefore, the above-mentioned problems can be solved.

[0131] Furthermore, the management server 130 can control the automated guided vehicle 140 to prevent the transport of items in a failed inspection state if it determines that an item has failed inspection. This prevents the accidental transport of items that have failed inspection and allows for accurate management of items. In addition, the management server 130 manages not only items that have completed inspection but also items that have failed inspection. Therefore, if appropriate instructions are given by an administrator or other person, the management server 130 can, in accordance with the instructions, have the automated guided vehicle 140 transport the items it manages that have failed inspection. After transport, the management server 130 can place new items to be inspected in the temporary storage area where the items that failed inspection were located. Therefore, even when there are many items to be inspected, the inspection of all items can be completed efficiently.

[0132] Sections (2B) through (2H) below describe variations of the configuration and processing shown in (2A).

[0133] (2B: Regarding object position detection) In (2A), the items placed in the temporary storage area were captured as moving images by the camera 110, and their positions were identified by the detection unit 131 through analysis. However, the camera 110 may also capture still images. The camera 110 periodically transmits the captured still image data to the management server 130, and the detection unit 131 identifies the positions of the items in the still images in the same manner as described above.

[0134] Alternatively, information indicating the location of items within the temporary storage area may be obtained by a sensor of a different type than the camera 110. For example, optical equipment such as a LiDAR or laser sensor can be fixedly installed inside the warehouse. The optical equipment acquires optical data that includes the temporary storage area within its measurement range before and after a predetermined timing, and transmits the acquired data to the management server 130.

[0135] The detection unit 131 uses the acquired optical data to detect the presence or absence of an object within the measurement range. The map registration unit 132 uses this detection result to register the object's location information in the map data stored in the storage unit 133. The map registration unit 132 converts the object's location information detected in the optical data into location information in the map, for example, based on information that defines the relationship between the location in the acquired optical data and the location in the map. The map registration unit 132 updates the map data to indicate that an object exists at the location in the map thus identified.

[0136] The map registration method described above can also be applied to data acquired by other types of sensors, such as ultrasonic sensors, rather than optical instruments. Furthermore, proximity sensors or contact-type displacement sensors may be provided at each location indicated for the placement of an item in the temporary storage area. The detection unit 131 may detect a change in the sensor's detection result when an item is placed at a location where a displacement sensor is provided. Based on this detection result, the detection unit 131 detects the presence or absence of an item around each sensor. The map registration unit 132 uses this detection result to register the item's location information in the map data stored in the storage unit 133. For example, the map registration unit 132 converts the detected item's location information into map location information based on information defining the relationship between each sensor that detected the presence or absence of an item and each location in the map. The map registration unit 132 then updates the map data to indicate the presence of an item at the location identified in this way.

[0137] Alternatively, a vehicle transporting goods to a temporary storage area and placing the goods may estimate its own position and, upon placing the goods, transmit information regarding the position of the placed goods to the management server 130. The vehicle may be, for example, a manned or unmanned forklift or crane, or an automated guided vehicle. The vehicle transmits its estimated self-position information to the management server 130 when placing the goods. Possible methods for estimating the self-position include satellite positioning systems, Visual SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) using cameras, and dead reckoning. Alternatively, instead of a vehicle, a robot such as a drone may transport the goods and transmit information regarding the position of the goods using a similar self-position estimation method when placing the goods. In this case, the map registration unit 132 can register the position information of the goods in the map data using the detection results.

[0138] (2C: Regarding updates to the temporary storage location for map data) The map registration unit 132 can update information indicating the extent of temporary storage areas in the map data. For example, consider a scenario where items to be temporarily placed in a temporary storage area are transported by a forklift from a truck berth and placed in a location other than the temporary storage area registered on the map.

[0139] At this time, the detection unit 131 may detect that an item has been placed in a location other than the temporary storage area, based on the motion or still image data captured by the camera 110. The map registration unit 132 converts the location information of the item captured by the camera into location information on the map, based on information that defines the relationship between the location in the captured data and the location on the map. The map registration unit 132 registers a predetermined range of the converted location information, including the location of an item not in the temporary storage area on the map, as a new temporary storage area in the map data. The predetermined range is represented by an arbitrary shape configured to include the location of the item. Examples of arbitrary shapes include, but are not limited to, a rectangle on a two-dimensional map or a cuboid on a three-dimensional map. The size of the predetermined range may also change based on the size of the item. The size of the item may be, for example, the volume of the item, the longest side of the item, or the maximum area on each face.

[0140] As another example, the management server 130 acquires location information of an item when the item is placed in a location other than the temporary storage area. For example, a forklift transporting an item may perform self-position estimation and transmit information of its own position when it places the item to the management server 130. Details of self-position estimation and transmission are described in (2B). Even when a forklift transmits its own position information, the map registration unit 132 converts the location information of the item placed by the forklift into location information on the map, based on information that defines the relationship between the position estimated by the forklift and the position on the map. If the location indicated by the converted location information is not included in the temporary storage area on the map, the map registration unit 132 registers a predetermined range including the location indicated by the converted location information as a new temporary storage area in the map data.

[0141] In the cases described above, the map registration unit 132 updates the range of temporary storage areas on the map so that the range including the location information of the newly placed item is set as a new temporary storage area, according to the location information of the item and the range of the set temporary storage area. The predetermined range is a range on a plane or in space that has any shape.

[0142] Furthermore, if the map registration unit 132 determines that the location where new items have been placed outside the temporary storage area is within a predetermined distance Th1 from the area of ​​the existing temporary storage area, it may register the predetermined area including the location where the new items have been placed as a new temporary storage area in the map data. Here, the map registration unit 132 may register the area of ​​the existing temporary storage area and the area of ​​the new temporary storage area as independent areas without connecting them on the map. Alternatively, the map registration unit 132 may register the area of ​​the existing temporary storage area and the area of ​​the new temporary storage area as a connected area on the map. In the latter case, it can be said that the map registration unit 132 expands the area of ​​the existing temporary storage area to include the area of ​​the new temporary storage area. For example, if the distance between the area of ​​the existing temporary storage area and the area of ​​the new temporary storage area is less than or equal to a predetermined distance Th2, the map registration unit 132 may register the area of ​​the existing temporary storage area and the area of ​​the new temporary storage area as a connected area on the map. If the distance between the area of ​​the existing temporary storage area and the area of ​​the new temporary storage area is greater than a predetermined distance Th2 and less than or equal to a predetermined distance Th1, the map registration unit 132 may register the area of ​​the existing temporary storage area and the area of ​​the new temporary storage area as areas that are not connected on the map. However, Th1 > Th2.

[0143] On the other hand, if the map registration unit 132 determines that the location where an item has been newly placed outside the temporary storage area is more than a predetermined distance Th1 from the area of ​​the existing temporary storage area, it does not have to register the predetermined area including the location where the item was newly placed as a new temporary storage area in the map data. This is because if an item is newly placed in a location far from the area of ​​the existing temporary storage area, it may be determined that there is a high probability that the newly placed item is not a temporary item. Here, the map registration unit 132 may acquire location information of the location where the item was newly placed and identification information of the newly placed item, and register the information of both in association with the map. The identification information may include, for example, information indicating that the placed item is not an item that was temporarily placed within the temporary storage area. The map registration unit 132 can acquire the identification information of the newly placed item from, for example, terminal 120, photographic data taken by photographic unit 121, or storage unit 133.

[0144] However, the criteria used by the map registration unit 132 to determine whether or not to register a newly placed item as a new temporary storage area in the map data are not limited to predetermined distances Th1 or Th2. For example, if the floor area where items can be placed around a newly placed item outside of the temporary storage area is greater than or equal to a predetermined value S, the map registration unit 132 may register the predetermined area including the newly placed item as a new temporary storage area in the map data. Here, the floor area where items can be placed refers to the floor area free from obstacles such as shelves and pillars that would hinder the temporary placement of items.

[0145] When placing goods in a warehouse, depending on the arrangement of shelves and other factors, it may not be possible to place all the goods being delivered by truck into the temporary storage area. Even if not all the goods to be delivered can be placed into the temporary storage area, the management server 130 can set the location where the goods are placed as a new temporary storage area. Therefore, the temporary storage area for goods can be set up in a way that suits the actual situation.

[0146] For example, as described in (2D) below, the management server 130 may transmit the information registered in the map data of the storage unit 133 to the terminal 120. At this time, the worker can grasp the location information of the newly added temporary storage area by looking at the display unit 123 of the terminal 120. Therefore, it becomes possible to deploy workers to the new temporary storage area for inspection, and the time required for inspection of all items can be shortened.

[0147] Furthermore, the map registration unit 132 may be configured not to register areas including locations identified as destination location information in the storage unit 133 as new temporary storage locations in the map data. Alternatively, the map registration unit 132 may be configured not to register areas including locations where items are transported and newly placed as new temporary storage locations in the map data for items identified as being in an inspection completion state and controlled for transport by the transport control unit 136. As a result, locations where transported items that are in an inspection completion state are placed are not registered as temporary storage locations, enabling accurate management of temporary storage locations, which are temporary places for items.

[0148] (2D: Regarding the inspection process) In the inspection process shown in (2A), the inspection to determine whether or not there are any abnormalities in the item to be inspected was performed by a worker. However, this inspection may be performed by the terminal 120 instead of a worker. Specifically, when the imaging unit 121 of the terminal 120 photographs the item to be inspected, the communication unit 126 transmits the captured data of the still or moving image to another device.

[0149] Another device stores a pre-trained AI model. The AI ​​model is trained by inputting training data, which includes photographic data of a sample item and information indicating whether or not there is an abnormality in the photographed item, corresponding to the sample photographic data. The information indicating whether or not there is an abnormality in the photographed item is the correct label in the training data, and the same training techniques as described above can be used for training. When photographic data transmitted by terminal 120 is input to the AI ​​model trained using the training data, the AI ​​model outputs information indicating whether or not there is an abnormality in the photographed item based on this input information. By having another device transmit the information indicating whether or not there is an abnormality in the item to terminal 120, terminal 120 can obtain the inspection results for the item to be inspected. However, the determination of whether or not there is an abnormality in the photographed item may be performed by a predefined rule-based algorithm instead of the AI ​​model.

[0150] The other device storing the AI ​​model may be the management server 130 or any other device. If the AI ​​model is stored in the management server 130, the terminal 120 may also transmit the identification information of the item to be inspected, captured by the imaging unit 121, to the management server 130. When the identification information of the item to be inspected is transmitted, the management server 130 performs an inbound determination to determine whether the inspected item is included in the items scheduled for inbound storage, and performs an inspection using the AI ​​model to check for any abnormalities. Based on the inbound determination and the inspection results, the management server 130 then determines whether the item to be inspected is in an inspection completion state or an inspection failure state. Details of this determination method performed by the management server 130 are as described in (2A), and the explanation is omitted here. The detection unit 131 also obtains the location information of the item to be inspected from the terminal 120. The identification unit 135 then uses the location information of the item to be inspected, which has been determined to be in an inspection completion state, and the location information of the map stored in the storage unit 133, to determine whether the placed object is in an inspection completion state as described above.

[0151] When the management server 130 performs the processing described above, the comparison unit 122, display unit 123, and input unit 124 in the terminal 120 do not necessarily need to be provided, thus simplifying the configuration of the terminal 120.

[0152] However, as an alternative example, it is also conceivable that an AI model is stored within terminal 120, and terminal 120 performs inspections using the stored AI model. Based on the receiving judgment and inspection results, terminal 120 determines whether the item to be inspected is in an inspection complete state or an inspection failure state, and transmits the determination result to the management server 130.

[0153] When terminal 120 automatically performs receiving determination and inspection for items subject to inspection, the burden on workers in the inspection process will be reduced.

[0154] Furthermore, when terminal 120 performs inspections, terminal 120 may be mounted on a mobile robot such as a drone. When terminal 120 is mounted on a robot, human workers are not required in the inspection process, leading to labor savings.

[0155] Furthermore, in the inspection process, the determination of whether or not an inspected item is included in the items scheduled for warehousing may be performed by a worker rather than by the terminal 120. Specifically, the worker compares the identification information of the item written on the tag attached to the item to be inspected with the identification information of the item obtained in advance. The identification information of the item obtained in advance is shown on the terminal 120 or on paper, and the worker visually determines whether or not there is any item in the previously obtained identification information that matches the identification information of the item written on the tag. The identification information is something that can be distinguished by a human, and may include, for example, a string of characters containing numbers, symbols, etc.

[0156] If the identification information of an item obtained in advance matches the identification information of an item written on a tag, the worker inspects the item to be inspected to see if there are any abnormalities. Depending on the result of the inspection, information indicating whether the item to be inspected is in an inspected state or an inspected state is sent to the management server 130. Details of the transmission of information regarding the item to be inspected are as described in (2A).

[0157] Furthermore, if an item to be inspected fails, the worker or terminal 120 may create information indicating the specific details of the failure and send it to the management server 130. Examples of specific details include, but are not limited to, cases where the identification information attached to the item to be inspected cannot be read by terminal 120, where an item other than the item scheduled for storage is placed, or where there is an abnormality in the item to be inspected, such as damage to the item. When the management server 130 acquires the transmitted information, the map registration unit 132 registers the information indicating the specific details of the failure in the map data, linking it with the information on the inspection failure status and the location information of the item in the inspection failure status.

[0158] Furthermore, if it is determined that the placed object is in an inspection-completed state, the map registration unit 132 may associate the inspection result information with the location information of the inspected item and register it in the map data. The inspection result information may be, for example, identification information of the item obtained through inspection. As described above, the identification information may include the item's model number, name, the number of items contained within, and information indicating the nature of the item.

[0159] Furthermore, the map registration unit 132 sets the status of items placed in the temporary storage area that have not yet been inspected, that is, items that are neither in an inspected-completed state nor an inspected-failed state, to "inspection incomplete state". The location information of items in the inspection incomplete state may then be associated with the "inspection incomplete state" status and registered in the map data.

[0160] In this way, the map registration unit 132 can manage detailed inspection information in the map data. The information registered in the map data may also be transmitted to the terminal 120. For example, location information of the placed items and information on the inspection status of each item, which are registered in the map data, may be transmitted to the terminal 120 via the communication unit 137. The inspection status information for each item indicates one of the following: "inspection completed," "inspection failed," or "inspection not completed." In addition, for at least one of the "inspection completed" or "inspection failed" states, information on the inspection result or information indicating the specific details of the inspection failure may be further transmitted to the terminal 120. By looking at the display unit 123 of the terminal 120, the worker can confirm this detailed inspection information. Furthermore, by referring to the "inspection not completed" information, the worker can prevent forgetting to inspect items. Moreover, since the worker can immediately refer to the location information of items in the "inspection not completed" state, they can quickly identify the location of any items that were forgotten to be inspected and begin the inspection work on the identified items.

[0161] Furthermore, in the inspection process, the order in which the receiving determination and inspection of the items to be inspected are performed does not matter.

[0162] (2E: Regarding the acquisition of the location of the item to be inspected) In (2A), the management server 130 obtained the location information of the terminal 120, thereby effectively obtaining the location of the item to be inspected. However, this is not the only way to obtain the location of the item to be inspected.

[0163] For example, a worker may have not only the terminal 120 that performs inspection, but also a transmitting device equipped with a positioning unit 125 and a communication unit 126 that transmits their own location information. A specific example of the transmitting device is a beacon, but it is not limited to this. If a worker has a transmitting device, the management server 130 receives information from the terminal 120 regarding the inspection completion status or inspection failure status, while also receiving location information of the transmitting device from the transmitting device. Here, the terminal 120 and the transmitting device held by the worker are pre-associated as a pair. In addition, the signals received from the terminal 120 and the signals received from the transmitting device contain their respective identifiers and transmission time information.

[0164] The management server 130 associates the terminal 120 that transmitted the information about the inspection completion status or inspection failure status with the transmitting device that transmitted the location information by referring to information indicating the correspondence between the identifier of the terminal 120 and the identifier of the transmitting device. The management server 130 then identifies the location information transmitted from the transmitting device at the time the information about the inspection completion status or inspection failure status was transmitted from the terminal 120. This allows the management server 130 to identify the location of the inspection target for which the inspection completion status or inspection failure status has been determined. The processing performed by the management server 130 based on the identified location of the inspection target is as shown in (2A), and the explanation is omitted.

[0165] As another example, at the same time that information regarding the inspection completion status or inspection failure status is transmitted from terminal 120, a transmitting device may transmit its own location information at the operation of a worker. When a transmitting device transmits location information, the management server 130 compares the time when information regarding the inspection completion status or inspection failure status is transmitted from terminal 120 with the time when the transmitting device transmits the location information. If the two times match, or if the difference between the two times is within a predetermined period, the management server 130 identifies the location information transmitted by the transmitting device as the location information of the inspection target indicating the inspection completion status or inspection failure status.

[0166] As yet another example, the management server 130 may use the video footage captured by the camera 110 to determine whether or not there are workers in the video footage, and if there are workers, whether or not the workers have completed the inspection work. Completing the inspection work by a worker means, for example, that the worker has stayed near the item to be inspected for a predetermined period of time, and during that period has been performed actions such as visually inspecting the item or bringing inspection equipment closer to the item, but the definition of completion of the inspection work is not limited to this.

[0167] For example, the memory unit 133 may store a pre-trained AI model. This AI model is trained by inputting training data into the AI ​​model, which includes information from a sample video and corresponding information about the presence or absence of a worker in the video and information about whether or not the worker has completed the inspection work. When a video transmitted by the camera 110 is input to the AI ​​model thus trained, the AI ​​model outputs information about the presence or absence of a worker in the video and information about whether or not the worker has completed the inspection work, based on the input information of the video. Using the output information, the management server 130 identifies the location in the video where the worker has completed the inspection work.

[0168] The identification unit 135 converts information about the location where an employee has completed inspection work in the video into location information in the map, based on information defining the relationship between the location in the captured video and the location in the map. Then, it registers the converted location information in the map and information indicating that the item to be inspected at that location is in an inspection completion state in the map data stored in the storage unit 133. Based on the registered information, the identification unit 135 performs the same determination process as in (2A).

[0169] Furthermore, the management server 130 may perform the above determinations regarding the presence or absence of workers and the completion of inspection work using an algorithm based on predefined rules, rather than an AI model. Alternatively, the management server 130 may perform the above determinations regarding the presence or absence of workers and the completion of inspection work using still images captured by the camera 110. When the determination is performed using still images, the AI ​​model or algorithm that receives the still images may determine that a worker has completed the inspection work for an item being inspected if it determines in the still image that the worker is bringing the inspection tool closer to the item being inspected. The management server 130 identifies the position in the still image where the worker has completed the inspection work. The identification unit 135 then performs the same processing as when a worker completes the inspection work in a moving image.

[0170] In the configuration described above, the terminal 120 does not need to transmit its own position to the management server 130, thus eliminating the need to provide a positioning unit 125 in the terminal 120. Therefore, the configuration of the terminal 120 can be simplified. Furthermore, since the determination of whether the inspection target is in an inspection completion state is made using the data captured by the camera 110, the terminal 120 does not need to transmit information about the inspection completion state or inspection failure state. Therefore, the configuration of the terminal 120 can be further simplified.

[0171] However, a worker or terminal 120 may inspect the inspection target and send information to the management server 130 indicating whether the inspected inspection target is in an inspection complete state or an inspection failure state. The management server 130 compares, for example, the time at which it is determined that the worker has completed the inspection based on the camera 110's captured data with the time at which information regarding the inspection complete state or inspection failure state is sent from terminal 120. The management server 130 performs this time comparison using the time information attached to the camera 110's captured data and the data transmission time information from terminal 120. If the two times match, or if the difference between the two times is within a predetermined period, the management server 130 determines that the inspection target that the worker has completed inspecting based on the captured data has received information regarding an inspection complete state or inspection failure state. The processing performed by the management server 130 based on the determination result is as described above, and further explanation is omitted.

[0172] Furthermore, the camera used to capture the location information of the items to be inspected may be a different camera installed within the warehouse, rather than camera 110.

[0173] (2F: Regarding transport control) The transport control unit 136 may use the position information of the controlled automated guided vehicle 140 when creating a movement path for the automated guided vehicle 140. The position information of the automated guided vehicle 140 may be obtained by the communication unit 137, for example, when the automated guided vehicle 140 performs self-position estimation. The method of self-position estimation is as described in (2B), so the explanation is omitted. If the coordinate system of the position information of the automated guided vehicle 140 is the same as the coordinate system of the position information in the map stored in the storage unit 133, the map registration unit 132 can register the self-position received from the automated guided vehicle 140 directly into the map data. On the other hand, if this is not the case, the map registration unit 132 converts the received position information of the automated guided vehicle 140 into position information in the map based on information that defines the relationship between the position of the automated guided vehicle 140 and the position in the map, and registers the converted position information into the map data.

[0174] The transport control unit 136 uses the location information of the items determined to be in an inspection-completed state and the location information of the automated guided vehicle 140 to create a travel path for the automated guided vehicle 140 to the items. Specifically, the transport control unit 136 creates a travel path to the items by connecting the location of the items in an inspection-completed state and the location of the automated guided vehicle 140 on a map in the map data stored in the storage unit 133.

[0175] The transport control unit 136 may create the shortest possible travel path to the item as the travel path for the automated guided vehicle (AGV) 140. This allows the AGV 140 to perform transport efficiently.

[0176] Furthermore, the transport control unit 136 may create a transport path to an item that has been inspected, by further using one or more arbitrary pieces of information from (v) to (viii) shown in (2A). The process of registering the information from (v) to (viii) into the map data is as shown in (2A), so the explanation is omitted.

[0177] The transport control unit 136 can use at least one of the information from (v) to (viii) to create a travel path for the automated guided vehicle 140 that does not come into contact with at least one other item, other automated guided vehicles, worker, or obstacle, as a travel path to the item that has been inspected. This allows the transport control unit 136 to suppress contact between the automated guided vehicle 140 and the item while it is moving. Furthermore, the transport control unit 136 may create the shortest travel path that does not come into contact with the item while it is moving as the travel path for the automated guided vehicle 140.

[0178] Furthermore, the transport control unit 136 may create both a travel path for the controlled automated guided vehicle 140 to the item that has been inspected, and a travel path for moving the inspected item to the destination. When the created path information is transmitted to the automated guided vehicle 140, the automated guided vehicle 140 can move from its current position to the location of the item, load the item at the item's location, and transport it to the destination.

[0179] In the above explanation, the transport control unit 136 created a movement path for the automated guided vehicle (AGV) 140, and the created path information was transmitted to the AGV 140, which is the controlled object, via the communication unit 137. The AGV 140 then performed an action to move according to the transmitted path information. However, the AGV 140 may create its own movement path instead of the transport control unit 136.

[0180] Specifically, the transport control unit 136 may transmit the location information of the inspected items and the destination location information of the inspected items to the automated guided vehicle 140 via the communication unit 137. The movement control unit 141 uses the received location information of the items and the destination location information to create a movement path on the map stored in the memory unit 143 to move the inspected items to their destination. The movement control unit 141 moves the automated guided vehicle 140 according to the created movement path.

[0181] Furthermore, the location information of the automated guided vehicle (AGV) 140 itself may be registered on the map stored in the memory unit 143. The location information of the AGV 140 may be obtained by the AGV 140 performing self-position estimation, or it may be obtained from the management server 130. Using the location information of the AGV 140, the movement control unit 141 creates a movement path from the current location of the AGV 140 to the item that has been inspected. The movement control unit 141 moves the AGV 140 according to the created movement path.

[0182] Furthermore, the movement control unit 141 may create both a movement path from the current position of the automated guided vehicle 140 to the item that has been inspected, and a movement path to move the item that has been inspected to its destination.

[0183] Furthermore, the management server 130 may transmit one or more arbitrary pieces of information from (v) to (viii) shown in (2A) to the automated guided vehicle 140. The movement control unit 141 can use one or more arbitrary pieces of information from (v) to (viii) to create at least one of the following movement paths: a movement path from the current position of the automated guided vehicle 140 to the item that has been inspected, and a movement path to move the item that has been inspected to the destination. This allows the movement control unit 141 to suppress contact between the automated guided vehicle 140 and the item while it is moving. Furthermore, the movement control unit 141 may create the shortest movement path that avoids contact with the item while it is moving as the movement path for the automated guided vehicle 140.

[0184] If the inspection process is performed automatically by a robot equipped with terminal 120, the robot that performed the inspection may also transport the items that have been inspected. In other words, the robot that performs the inspection and the automated guided vehicle 140 may be the same robot. Assume that the robot determines that an item has been inspected and sends information to the management server 130 indicating that the item has been inspected. If the robot that performs the inspection and the automated guided vehicle 140 are the same robot, immediately after the information regarding the inspection completion status is sent, the robot is controlled by the management server 130 to transport the item that has been inspected to its destination. The management server 130's determination is as described above and will not be explained further. The movement path for transporting the item that has been inspected to its destination is created by either the management server 130 or the robot. The robot transports the item according to the created movement path.

[0185] (2G: Regarding updating map data after transport) In (2A), the map registration unit 132 updated the map data by either placing new items in the map or deleting items that had been placed, based on the detection results of the detection unit 131. However, the method of updating the map data is not limited to this.

[0186] For example, consider a scenario where the transport control unit 136 controls the transport of an item that has been inspected to the automated guided vehicle 140, and route information is transmitted to the automated guided vehicle 140 via the communication unit 137. Once the route information is transmitted to the automated guided vehicle 140, the map registration unit 132 may update the map data to remove the item to be transported from the map. Alternatively, the map registration unit 132 may use the destination location information of the item that has been inspected to update the map data so that the item is placed at the destination location of the item that has been inspected to the map.

[0187] Furthermore, when the automated guided vehicle (AGV) 140 performs self-position estimation and transmits its own position information to the management server 130, the map registration unit 132 may update the position information of the transported items using the position information of the AGV 140. For example, when the loading control unit 142 of the AGV 140 loads an item to be transported, the communication unit 144 transmits a signal to the management server 130 indicating that the item has been loaded. In response, the map registration unit 132 updates the map data so that the position of the item to be transported, i.e., the item that has completed inspection, is the position information of the AGV 140 that has loaded the item. As a result, the management server 130 can grasp the position information of the item being transported by the AGV 140 in real time.

[0188] Furthermore, when the loading control unit 142 controls the unloading of the goods, the communication unit 144 may send a signal to the management server 130 indicating that the goods have been unloaded. In response, the map registration unit 132 updates the map data so that the location of the goods to be transported becomes the destination location information of the goods.

[0189] By performing the above-described processes, the map registration unit 132 can manage the location information of the transported items in more detail.

[0190] (2H: Regarding items that failed inspection) As shown in (2A), the identification unit 135 can register in the map data the location information of the item that has failed inspection and the information indicating that it has failed inspection, for items that have been determined to be in an inspection failure state. At this point, it is also possible for an operator to operate the terminal 120 and perform inspection again on the item that has failed inspection. For example, as shown in (2D), the operator can recognize the item that has failed inspection by looking at the map data transmitted from the management server 130 and perform inspection again on the item that has failed inspection.

[0191] If the inspection is performed again and the result of the inspection is that the inspection is complete, the transport control unit 136 controls the transport of the item that has reached the inspection completion state, as shown in (2A). In this way, it is possible to perform a re-inspection one or more times on an item that has reached the inspection failure state. If the re-inspection results in an inspection completion state, the management server 130 can control the transport of the item that has reached the inspection completion state.

[0192] Embodiment 3 In the following embodiment 3, a detailed process is described in which the specific unit 135 compares the location information of the placed items with the location information of the items to be inspected that are in an inspection completion state.

[0193] (3A) In (2A), the identification unit 135 identifies an item as being in an inspection-completed state if the distance between the position of the item being inspected and the nearest point of contact between that position and the item is within a predetermined distance. At this time, the "predetermined distance," which is the threshold used for identification, can be changed by the identification unit 135 based on the spatial size of the item to be identified.

[0194] For example, the identification unit 135 refers to map data and identifies one or more items that are within a certain threshold distance from the location of the item to be inspected. Then, using one of the volume of the identified item, the longest side of the item, or the maximum area on each face as a parameter, it changes the "predetermined distance," which is the threshold for determining whether the identified item is in an inspection complete state or not, based on that parameter. Here, the "predetermined distance" can be expressed as any function that simply increases when the parameter is a variable.

[0195] The identification unit 135 can use the predetermined distance determined in this way to identify which of the items placed around the location to be inspected are in an inspected state, as shown in (2A). This allows the management server 130 to take the size of the items to be inspected into consideration when determining whether an item is in an inspected state, thereby preventing the incorrect identification of an item that is already in an inspected state.

[0196] For example, if the item inspected by the worker is large, the worker may operate the terminal 120 from a position further away from the item compared to when the item is small, and transmit information about the inspection completion status and location. In this case, the management server 130 can determine that the item being inspected is in an inspection completion state, even if the worker's inspection position is some distance away from the item being inspected.

[0197] (3B) In (3B), another method by which the identification unit 135 identifies items in the vicinity of the location to be inspected that are in an inspected state is explained using Figure 12.

[0198] Figure 12 shows the position information of an item G20 on the xy plane in a map stored in the memory unit 133. Item G20 has a rectangular outline on the xy plane, and the direction in which the sides of the rectangle extend is set as the x-axis or y-axis. Item G20 occupies the region from x1 to x2 on the x-axis and from y1 to y2 on the y-axis. The position information of the outline of item G20 on the xy plane is determined by the detection unit 131 performing detection based on the image data acquired from the camera 110.

[0199] Furthermore, Figure 12 shows P1 and P2 as the locations to be inspected. In this case, P1 is located within the range x1 to x2 on the x-axis, while P2 is not located within either the range x1 to x2 on the x-axis or the range y1 to y2 on the y-axis. In other words, P1 faces item G20 in the y-axis direction, while P2 does not face item G20 in either the x-axis or y-axis direction. Here, P1 facing item G20 means that P1 is included in the region between two straight lines x=x1 and x=x2 that pass through the points at both ends of side H1 of the rectangle and are perpendicular to side H1.

[0200] The identification unit 135 identifies item G20 as being in the inspection completion state if the inspection completion state relates to the location P1 of the item to be inspected. However, the identification unit 135 does not identify item G20 as being in the inspection completion state if the inspection completion state relates to the location P2 of the item to be inspected. This is because it is considered natural for the worker to be positioned within the vicinity of item G20, within the range facing item G20, when inspecting item G20 and transmitting the inspection completion state information by operating the terminal 120. In this way, by determining whether the location of the item to be inspected is facing the item, the identification unit 135 can accurately identify an item that is in the inspection completion state.

[0201] Furthermore, even if the outline of item G20 is a quadrilateral other than a rectangle, or a polygon of any other type, the determination method for the specific part 135 shown in (3B) can be similarly implemented. Here, if the outline of item G20 is a polygon, P1 facing item G20 means that P1 is included in the region between two straight lines that pass through the points at both ends of a side of the polygon and are perpendicular to that side. Also, the determination method for the specific part 135 shown in (3B) can be similarly implemented in a three-dimensional map.

[0202] (3C) In (3C), a detailed process for more accurately determining which items are in an inspection-completed state when there are multiple items placed in a temporary storage area in Embodiment 2 will be explained using Figure 13.

[0203] Figure 13 shows the positional information of two items G21 and G22 on the xy plane in a map stored in the memory unit 133. Items G21 and G22 have rectangular outlines on the xy plane, and the direction in which the sides of the rectangle extend is set as the x-axis or y-axis. Item G21 occupies the area from x3 to x4 on the x-axis and from y3 to y4 on the y-axis. Item G22 occupies the area from x5 to x6 on the x-axis and from y3 to y4 on the y-axis.

[0204] Furthermore, Figure 13 shows P3, P4, and P5 as the locations to be inspected. P3 is located within the range of x3 to x4 on the x-axis, and P4 is located within the range of x5 to x6 on the x-axis. P5 is located within the range of y3 to y4 on the y-axis. In other words, P3 faces article G21 in the y-axis direction, but does not face article G22 in either the x-axis or y-axis direction. Similarly, P4 faces article G22 in the y-axis direction, but does not face article G21 in either the x-axis or y-axis direction. And P5 faces both article G21 and G22 in the x-axis direction. Note that the definition of P1 and P2 facing each article is the same as shown in (3B).

[0205] The identification unit 135 identifies that if the inspection completion status relates to the position P3 of the object to be inspected, then item G21 is in the inspection completion status, and if the inspection completion status relates to the position P4 of the object to be inspected, then item G22 is in the inspection completion status. However, if the inspection completion status relates to the position P5 of the object to be inspected, the identification unit 135 cannot determine whether item G21 or item G22 is in the inspection completion status.

[0206] If the item in the inspection completion state cannot be identified, the identification unit 135 determines which of the items G21 or G22 is closer to position P5. As shown in Figure 13, the distance between item G21 and P5 is shorter than the distance between item G22 and P5, so position P5 is closer to item G21. Therefore, if the inspection completion state relates to position P5 of the item to be inspected, the identification unit 135 identifies that item G21 is in the inspection completion state.

[0207] As described above, the identification unit 135 can accurately identify the item that has completed inspection based on the distance between each of the two or more items and the location of the item to be inspected.

[0208] As a variation, it is conceivable that the location of an item to be inspected, which has been determined to be in an inspection-completed state, may be within a predetermined distance from two or more items. Even in such cases, the identification unit 135 can identify the item that is closest to the location of the item to be inspected among the two or more items as being in an inspection-completed state.

[0209] Embodiment 4 In Embodiment 4 below, we will describe in detail the process for determining the order in which the automated guided vehicle 140 transports multiple items that have reached the inspection completion state, when, in Embodiment 2, there are multiple items that have reached the inspection completion state and the automated guided vehicle 140 transports the items one by one. Points explained in Embodiment 2 will be omitted as appropriate.

[0210] Figure 14 is a block diagram showing an example of a management server according to Embodiment 4. The management server 130 further comprises a determination unit 138 in addition to the detection unit 131 to the communication unit 137. The determination unit 138 will be described below.

[0211] (4A) The determination unit 138 may acquire information regarding the time the inspection of each item was performed for each item that has reached the inspection completion state. In this example, the determination unit 138 acquires the time information when the information indicating the inspection status was transmitted. The inspection status includes information on at least one of the following: inspection completed, inspection failed, or inspection not completed. The time information acquired can be the transmission time information of the data from the terminal 120. This transmission time information can be considered as information on the timing when the inspection status was transmitted. However, instead of the transmission time information, the determination unit 138 may acquire the time information when the management server 130 received the inspection status information, or the time information when the management server 130 acquired the location information of the item to be inspected, as information regarding the time the inspection of the item was performed.

[0212] The decision unit 138 determines the order in which the automated guided vehicle 140 will transport each item based on the inspection status of each item and the transmission time information. For example, the decision unit 138 can determine the transport order of all items installed in the temporary storage area so that items with earlier transmission time information are transported first. The decision unit 138 then determines the transport order of items whose inspection status indicates "inspection completed" according to the determined transport order of all items. However, the decision unit 138 may first select items whose inspection status indicates "inspection completed" and then determine the transport order for the selected items so that items with earlier transmission time information are transported first. This allows the decision unit 138 to transport items whose inspection was completed earlier, in that order.

[0213] As another example, the determination unit 138 can also determine the transport order so that items whose inspection status indicates "inspection completed" are transported before other items, provided that the inspection status transmission time falls within a predetermined time period. This corresponds to cases where items inspected within a predetermined time period are transported with priority over other items. The predetermined time period could range from a few tens of minutes to several days, but is not limited to this range.

[0214] (4B) The decision unit 138 may determine the order in which the automated guided vehicle 140 will transport each item based on its inspection status, location information, and destination location information. For example, the decision unit 138 sets the transport route connecting the location information and destination location information of each item on a map stored in the memory unit 133. The decision unit 138 can then determine the transport order so that items with shorter transport routes are transported first, for items whose inspection status indicates "inspection completed".

[0215] As another example, the decision unit 138 may calculate the time it takes for the automated guided vehicle (AGV) 140 to travel each transport route based on the distance and shape of the transport route set on the map stored in the memory unit 133 and the speed at which the AGV 140 moves. The decision unit 138 can then determine the transport order so that items with shorter travel times are transported first, for items whose inspection status indicates "inspection completed". Comparing a transport route that is long but has a high proportion of straight lines with a transport route that is short but has a low proportion of straight lines, the travel time for the latter may be longer than for the former. Therefore, considering the travel time of the transport route may allow for faster transport of items than considering the distance of the transport route.

[0216] (4C) The decision unit 138 may determine the order in which the automated guided vehicle 140 transports each item based on the inspection status and location information for each item, as well as the worker location information shown in (vii) of (2A). For example, the decision unit 138 determines whether or not a worker is located within a predetermined distance of the location information for each item on the map stored in the memory unit 133. The decision unit 138 can then determine the transport order so that, for items whose inspection status indicates "inspection completed," items for which a worker is not located within a predetermined distance of the location information for each item are transported before items for which a worker is not located.

[0217] As another example, the determination unit 138 may calculate the distance between each item on the map and the worker closest to that item. The determination unit 138 can then determine the transport order for items whose inspection status indicates "inspection completed," such that items with longer calculated distances are transported first.

[0218] (4D) The decision unit 138 may determine the order in which the automated guided vehicle 140 transports each item based on the inspection status, location information, and destination location information of each item, as well as the worker location information shown in (vii) of (2A). For example, the decision unit 138 sets the transport route connecting the location information of each item and the destination location information on a map stored in the memory unit 133. The decision unit 138 can then determine the transport order so that, for items whose inspection status indicates "inspection completed," items for which a worker is not located on the set transport route are transported before items for which a worker is not located.

[0219] As another example, the determination unit 138 may calculate for each item the distance between the item's transport route and the position of the worker closest to that transport route. The determination unit 138 can then determine the transport order for items whose inspection status indicates "inspection completed," such that items with longer calculated distances are transported first.

[0220] As shown in (4A) to (4D), the decision unit 138 can determine the order in which items are transported using predetermined information. The transport control unit 136 then controls the automated guided vehicle 140 to transport the items based on the decision of the decision unit 138. As a result, the management server 130 can transport items in an order appropriate to the situation. For example, in (4A), the management server 130 can implement a first-in, first-out method for inventory management of items. Also, in (4B), the management server 130 can transport as many items as possible at an early stage. In (4C) or (4D), the management server 130 can ensure safe transport by prioritizing the transport of items that are far from workers or items that are less likely to come into contact with workers on the transport route.

[0221] In addition, in (4A) to (4D), the determination unit 138 may determine the transport order in the same manner not only for items whose inspection status is "inspection completed," but also for items whose inspection status is, for example, "inspection failed."

[0222] (4E) In (4B) or (4D), the determination unit 138 may, when setting the transport route for the articles, further use at least one of the information shown in (v), (vi), or (viii) in (2A) to set a transport route that suppresses contact between the automated guided vehicle 140 and the articles while it is moving. Then, as shown in (4B) to (4D), the determination unit 138 can determine the transport order based on the set transport route. This allows the automated guided vehicle 140 to move along a route that is less likely to be stopped during transport.

[0223] (4F) Alternatively, in addition to the order determination methods shown in (4A) to (4E), the determination unit 138 may determine the order in which the automated guided vehicle 140 will transport the items based on the priority set for each item. The priority set for each item is, for example, information registered in the map data in advance.

[0224] The process of determining the transport order by the determination unit 138, as described above (4A) to (4F), may also be performed by the automated guided vehicle 140, which has obtained the information necessary for the determination process from the management server 130, instead of by the determination unit 138.

[0225] In the embodiments described above, this disclosure has been described as a hardware configuration, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. This disclosure can also be realized by having a processor in a computer execute a computer program to perform the processing of each device in the inspection management device or inspection management system described in the embodiments described above.

[0226] Figure 15 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device in which the processing of each embodiment described above is performed. Referring to Figure 15, this information processing device 90 includes a signal processing circuit 91, a processor 92, and a memory 93.

[0227] The signal processing circuit 91 is a circuit for processing signals in accordance with the control of the processor 92. The signal processing circuit 91 may also include a communication circuit for receiving signals from a transmitting device.

[0228] The processor 92 is connected to the memory 93 and performs the processing of the device described in the above embodiment by reading and executing a computer program from the memory 93. As an example of the processor 92, one of the following may be used: CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), DSP (Demand-Side Platform), or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or multiple of these may be used in parallel.

[0229] Memory 93 is composed of volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof. Memory 93 is not limited to one unit, but may be provided in multiple units. Volatile memory may be RAM (Random Access Memory) such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or SRAM (Static Random Access Memory). Non-volatile memory may be ROM (Read Only Memory) such as PROM (Programmable Random Only Memory) or EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), flash memory, or SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0230] Memory 93 is used to store one or more instructions. Here, one or more instructions are stored in memory 93 as a program. The processor 92 can perform the processing described in the above embodiment by reading and executing these programs from memory 93.

[0231] Furthermore, the memory 93 may include not only memory located outside the processor 92, but also memory built into the processor 92. The memory 93 may also include storage located separately from the processors that make up the processor 92. In this case, the processor 92 can access the memory 93 via an I / O (Input / Output) interface.

[0232] As described above, the one or more processors in each of the above embodiments execute one or more programs that include a set of instructions for causing a computer to perform the algorithm described with reference to the drawings. This process enables the information processing described in each embodiment.

[0233] The program, when loaded into a computer, includes a set of instructions or software code for causing the computer to perform one or more of the functions described in the embodiments. The program may be stored on a non-temporary computer-readable medium or a physical storage medium. Examples, but not limited to, include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD) or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD), Blu-ray® disc or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices. The program may be transmitted over a temporary computer-readable medium or a communication medium. Examples, but not limited to, include temporary computer-readable medium or a communication medium that includes electrical, optical, acoustic or other forms of propagating signals.

[0234] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to the following: (Note 1) An acquisition means for acquiring first location information indicating the location of a first item and second location information indicating the location of an object that has been inspected, A determination means for determining the inspection status of the first item based on the first location information and the second location information, Control means for controlling a mobile body to transport the first article according to the inspection status of the first article, A quality control system equipped with the following features. (Note 2) The inspection management system further includes setting means for setting a range including the location indicated by the first location information as a temporary storage area for the items, The acquisition means acquires third location information indicating the location of the second article, The setting means sets the range including the third location information as the second temporary storage area, according to the range of the third location information and the range of the temporary storage area. The inspection management system described in Appendix 1. (Note 3) The acquisition means further acquires the inspection results of the target, The determination means determines the inspection status of the first item based on the first location information, the second location information, and the inspection result. The control means controls the moving body to transport the first article when the inspection of the first article has been completed. The inspection management system described in Appendix 1 or 2. (Note 4) The acquisition means further acquires information regarding the time when the inspection of the target was performed, The inspection management system further includes a determination means for determining the order in which the mobile body transports the plurality of first articles based on the inspection status of the plurality of first articles and information regarding the time at which the inspection of the target articles was performed. The inspection management system described in any one of the items 1 to 3 of the appendix. (Note 5) The inspection management system includes the inspection status of a plurality of the first articles, and a plurality Each of the first articles The system further includes a determination means for determining the order in which the mobile body transports the multiple first articles, based on the first location information and destination location information indicating the destination locations of the multiple first articles. The inspection management system described in any one of the items 1 to 3 of the appendix. (Note 6) The acquisition means further acquires person location information indicating the location of a person, The inspection management system includes the inspection status of a plurality of the first articles, and a plurality Each of the first articles The system further includes a determination means for determining the order in which the mobile body transports a plurality of the first articles based on the first location information and the person location information. The inspection management system described in any one of the items 1 to 3 of the appendix. (Note 7) The acquisition means further acquires person location information indicating the location of a person, The inspection management system includes the inspection status of a plurality of the first articles, and a plurality Each of the first articlesThe system further comprises a determination means for determining the order in which the mobile body transports the multiple first articles based on the first location information, destination location information indicating the destination locations of the multiple first articles, and the person location information. The inspection management system described in any one of the items 1 to 3 of the appendix. (Note 8) First location information indicating the location of the first item and second location information indicating the location of the object that was inspected are obtained. Based on the first location information and the second location information, the inspection status of the first item is determined. The mobile body is controlled to transport the first article according to the inspection status of the first article. A computer-based inspection and management method. (Note 9) The area including the location indicated by the first location information is set as a temporary storage area for the items. A third location information indicating the location of the second item is obtained, Depending on the third location information and the range of the temporary storage area, the range including the third location information is set as the second temporary storage area. The inspection and management method described in Appendix 8. (Note 10) Further obtain the inspection results for the aforementioned target, Based on the first location information, the second location information, and the inspection result, the inspection status of the first item is determined. If the inspection of the first item has been completed, the mobile body is controlled to transport the first item. The inspection and management method described in Appendix 8 or 9. (Note 11) Further information regarding the time when the inspection of the aforementioned items was performed is obtained, Based on the inspection status of the multiple first articles and information regarding the time at which the inspection of the target articles was performed, the order in which the mobile body transports the multiple first articles is determined. The inspection and management method described in any one of the items 8 to 10 of the appendix. (Note 12) The inspection status of multiple first articles, and multiple Each of the first articlesBased on the first position information and destination position information indicating the destination locations of the multiple first articles, the order in which the mobile body transports the multiple first articles is determined. The inspection and management method described in any one of the items 8 to 10 of the appendix. (Note 13) Further acquire location information indicating the person's position, The inspection status of multiple first articles, and multiple Each of the first articles Based on the first location information and the person location information, the order in which the mobile body transports the multiple first articles is determined. The inspection and management method described in any one of the items 8 to 10 of the appendix. (Note 14) Further acquire location information indicating the person's position, The inspection status of multiple first articles, and multiple Each of the first articles Based on the first location information, destination location information indicating the destination locations of the plurality of first articles, and the person location information, the order in which the mobile body transports the plurality of first articles is determined. The inspection and management method described in any one of the items 8 to 10 of the appendix. (Note 15) An acquisition means for acquiring first location information indicating the location of a first item and second location information indicating the location of an object that has been inspected, A determination means for determining the inspection status of the first item based on the first location information and the second location information, Control means for controlling a mobile body to transport the first article according to the inspection status of the first article, A quality control device equipped with the following features. (Note 16) The inspection management device further includes setting means for setting a range including the position indicated by the first position information as a temporary storage area for the items, The acquisition means acquires third location information indicating the location of the second article, The setting means sets the range including the third location information as the second temporary storage area, according to the range of the third location information and the range of the temporary storage area. The inspection and management device described in Appendix 15. (Note 17) The acquisition means further acquires the inspection results of the target, The determination means determines the inspection status of the first item based on the first location information, the second location information, and the inspection result. The control means controls the moving body to transport the first article when the inspection of the first article has been completed. The inspection and management device described in Appendix 15 or 16. (Note 18) The acquisition means further acquires information regarding the time when the inspection of the target was performed, The inspection management device further includes a determination means for determining the order in which the mobile body transports the plurality of first articles based on the inspection status of the plurality of first articles and information regarding the time at which the inspection of the target articles was performed. The inspection and management device described in Appendix 15 or 16. (Note 19) The inspection management device has a plurality of inspection statuses for the first articles, and a plurality Each of the first articles The system further includes a determination means for determining the order in which the mobile body transports the multiple first articles, based on the first location information and destination location information indicating the destination locations of the multiple first articles. The inspection and management device described in Appendix 15 or 16. (Note 20) The acquisition means further acquires person location information indicating the location of a person, The inspection management device has a plurality of inspection statuses for the first articles, and a plurality Each of the first articles The system further includes a determination means for determining the order in which the mobile body transports a plurality of the first articles based on the first location information and the person location information. The inspection and management device described in Appendix 15 or 16. (Note 21) First location information indicating the location of the first item and second location information indicating the location of the object that was inspected are obtained. Based on the first location information and the second location information, the inspection status of the first item is determined. Controlling a moving body to convey the first article according to the inspection state of the first article A program causing a computer to execute the above.

[0235] As described above, the present disclosure has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above. Various changes that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the disclosure.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0236] 10 Inspection management system 11 Acquisition unit 12 Determination unit 13 Control unit 20 Inspection management device 100 Warehousing management system 110 Camera 111 Photographing unit 112 Communication unit 120 Terminal 121 Photographing unit 122 Comparison unit 123 Display unit 124 Input unit 125 Positioning unit 126 Communication unit 130 Management server 131 Detection unit 132 Map registration unit 133 Storage unit 134 Acquisition unit 135 Identification unit 136 Conveyance control unit 137 Communication unit 138 Decision unit 140 Automated guided vehicle 141 Movement control unit 142 Mounting control unit 143 Storage unit 144 Communication unit

Claims

1. An acquisition means for acquiring first location information indicating the location of a first item and second location information indicating the location of an object that has been inspected, A determination means for determining the inspection status of the first article based on the first location information and the second location information, Control means for controlling a mobile body to transport the first article according to the inspection status of the first article, A quality control system equipped with the following features.

2. The inspection management system further includes setting means for setting a range including the location indicated by the first location information as a temporary storage area for the items, The acquisition means acquires third position information indicating the position of the second article, The setting means sets the range including the third location information as the second temporary storage area, according to the range of the third location information and the range of the temporary storage area. The inspection management system according to claim 1.

3. The acquisition means further acquires the inspection results of the target, The determination means determines the inspection status of the first item based on the first location information, the second location information, and the inspection result. The control means controls the moving body to transport the first article when the inspection of the first article has been completed. The inspection management system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The acquisition means further acquires information regarding the time when the inspection of the target was performed, The inspection management system further includes a determination means for determining the order in which the mobile body transports the plurality of first articles based on the inspection status of the plurality of first articles and information regarding the time at which the inspection of the target articles was performed. The inspection management system according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The inspection management system further includes a determination means for determining the order in which the mobile body transports the plurality of first articles based on the inspection status of the plurality of first articles, the first position information of each of the plurality of first articles, and the destination position information indicating the destination location of the plurality of first articles. The inspection management system according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The acquisition means further acquires person location information indicating the location of a person, The inspection management system further includes determination means for determining the order in which the mobile body transports the plurality of first articles based on the inspection status of the plurality of first articles, the first location information of each of the plurality of first articles, and the location information of the person. The inspection management system according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The acquisition means further acquires person location information indicating the location of a person, The inspection management system further includes a determination means for determining the order in which the mobile body transports the plurality of first articles based on the inspection status of the plurality of first articles, the first location information of each of the plurality of first articles, destination location information indicating the destination location of the plurality of first articles, and the person location information. The inspection management system according to claim 1 or 2.

8. First location information indicating the location of the first item and second location information indicating the location of the object that was inspected are obtained. Based on the first location information and the second location information, the inspection status of the first item is determined. The mobile body is controlled to transport the first article according to the inspection status of the first article. A computer-based inspection and management method.

9. An acquisition means for acquiring first location information indicating the location of a first item and second location information indicating the location of an object that has been inspected, A determination means for determining the inspection status of the first article based on the first location information and the second location information, Control means for controlling a mobile body to transport the first article according to the inspection status of the first article, A quality control device equipped with the following features.

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