Conveying equipment

Abstract

To provide a transport facility that is able to achieve excellent transport efficiency when transporting an article by means of a plurality of transport vehicles.SOLUTION: A transport facility includes a plurality of transport vehicles and a control system. When a target article is transported from a transport source (S) to a transport destination (G) via a relay device (4) by using two transport vehicles (21A, 22B), a control system updates an estimated arrival time of the target article at a receiving position (R) of the relay device (4), based on a check-point passage time (Tc) at which the target article has passed through a check point (C); and dispatches a second transport vehicle (22B) to the receiving position (R) in accordance with an updated estimated time (Tu).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to conveying equipment.

Background Art

[0002] Conveying equipment including a plurality of carrier vehicles for conveying articles and a control system for controlling the plurality of carrier vehicles is used. An example of such conveying equipment is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-101846 (Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the conveying equipment of Patent Document 1, the time when the carrier vehicle can convey the target article is predicted, and the carrier vehicle is dispatched so that the carrier vehicle arrives at the target article for receipt at the predicted time. With such a configuration, it is possible to convey immediately after the target article becomes conveyable, and the conveying efficiency is improved.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, after predicting the time when the target article can be conveyed, the actual conveyable time may deviate from the predicted time due to some reasons. For example, traffic congestion or a jam may occur on the moving route of the carrier vehicle, or a part of the moving route may be closed to traffic, etc., so that the actual conveyable time may be delayed from the predicted time. Conversely, the actual conveyable time may be earlier than the predicted time due to the carrier vehicle moving smoothly along the moving route unexpectedly, etc.

[0006] In the former case, the transport vehicle that will receive the item must wait until the item actually arrives, reducing the overall transport efficiency of the system. In the latter case, even if the item has arrived, transport cannot begin until the transport vehicle that will receive it arrives, again reducing transport efficiency.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need for transport equipment that can achieve excellent transport efficiency when transporting goods using multiple transport vehicles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The transport equipment related to this disclosure is A transport system comprising a plurality of transport vehicles for transporting goods, and a control system for controlling the plurality of transport vehicles, The control system, when transporting the target item, which is the target item, from the source to the destination via a relay device using two transport vehicles, A transport vehicle determination process that determines a first transport vehicle for transporting the target item from the transport source to the relay device, and a second transport vehicle for transporting the target item from the relay device to the destination, A path determination process that determines a first movement path which is the path the first transport vehicle takes from its current position to the relay device via the transport source, and a second movement path which is the path the second transport vehicle takes from its current position to the destination via the relay device. An initial prediction process derives an estimated arrival time, which is the predicted time when the target item arrives at the receiving position by the second transport vehicle in the relay device, as an initial prediction time based on the first travel path. An update prediction process that obtains the time when the target item passes through a confirmation point set at at least one location on the first travel path, and derives an updated predicted arrival time based on the time when the item passes through the confirmation point, Before the derivation of the predicted update time, based on the initial predicted time, and after the derivation of the predicted update time, based on the predicted update time, a receiving movement process is performed to move the second transport vehicle so that it arrives at the receiving location in accordance with the predicted time when the target item arrives at the receiving location. ru. child With this configuration, when transporting an item from a source to a destination using two transport vehicles, the initial prediction process and the receiving movement process are executed, allowing the second transport vehicle to be positioned at the receiving location of the relay device in accordance with the initial predicted time when the item will arrive at the receiving location of the relay device. Therefore, the item can be immediately transported by the second transport vehicle as soon as it arrives at the receiving location of the relay device. Furthermore, by executing an updated prediction process and using the resulting updated predicted time to execute the receiving movement process, the second transport vehicle can be positioned at the receiving location in accordance with the updated predicted time. Therefore, if there is a discrepancy between the initial prediction and the time when the first transport vehicle passes the confirmation point, this discrepancy can be corrected, allowing the item to be immediately transported by the second transport vehicle as soon as it arrives at the receiving location of the relay device. As a result, excellent transport efficiency can be achieved when transporting items using multiple transport vehicles.

[0009] [1] The first transport equipment relating to this disclosure is, A transport system comprising a plurality of transport vehicles for transporting goods, and a control system for controlling the plurality of transport vehicles, The control system, when transporting the target item, which is the target item, from the source to the destination via a relay device using two transport vehicles, A transport vehicle determination process that determines a first transport vehicle for transporting the target item from the transport source to the relay device, and a second transport vehicle for transporting the target item from the relay device to the destination, A path determination process that determines a first movement path which is the path the first transport vehicle takes from its current position to the relay device via the transport source, and a second movement path which is the path the second transport vehicle takes from its current position to the destination via the relay device. An initial prediction process derives an estimated arrival time, which is the predicted time when the target item arrives at the receiving position by the second transport vehicle in the relay device, as an initial prediction time based on the first travel path. An update prediction process that obtains the time when the target item passes through a confirmation point set at at least one location on the first travel path, and derives an updated predicted arrival time based on the time when the item passes through the confirmation point, Before the derivation of the predicted update time, based on the initial predicted time, and after the derivation of the predicted update time, based on the predicted update time, the following receiving movement process is performed: the second transport vehicle is moved so that it arrives at the receiving location in accordance with the predicted time when the target item arrives at the receiving location. death, In the receiving and moving process, if the predicted update time is earlier than the initial predicted time, the control system starts moving the second transport vehicle earlier than originally planned. [2] The second transport equipment relating to this disclosure is, A transport system comprising a plurality of transport vehicles for transporting goods, and a control system for controlling the plurality of transport vehicles, The control system, when transporting the target item, which is the target item, from the source to the destination via a relay device using two transport vehicles, A transport vehicle determination process that determines a first transport vehicle for transporting the target item from the transport source to the relay device, and a second transport vehicle for transporting the target item from the relay device to the destination, A path determination process that determines a first movement path which is the path the first transport vehicle takes from its current position to the relay device via the transport source, and a second movement path which is the path the second transport vehicle takes from its current position to the destination via the relay device. An initial prediction process derives an estimated arrival time, which is the predicted time when the target item arrives at the receiving position by the second transport vehicle in the relay device, as an initial prediction time based on the first travel path. An update prediction process that obtains the time when the target item passes through a confirmation point set at at least one location on the first travel path, and derives an updated predicted arrival time based on the time when the item passes through the confirmation point, Before the derivation of the predicted update time, based on the initial predicted time, and after the derivation of the predicted update time, based on the predicted update time, the following receiving movement process is performed: the second transport vehicle is moved so that it arrives at the receiving location in accordance with the predicted time when the target item arrives at the receiving location. death, The relay device is a conveying device that transports the target item from the handover position of the target item from the first transport vehicle to the receiving position. The control system is The initial predicted time is derived based on the travel time of the first transport vehicle moving from its current position to the handover position along the first travel path, and the transport time of the target item from the handover position to the receiving position by the transport device. The predicted update time is derived based on the time of passage through the confirmation point, the travel time of the first transport vehicle moving from the confirmation point to the handover position along the first travel route, and the transport time of the target item from the handover position to the receiving position by the transport device. . [3] The third transport equipment relating to this disclosure is, A transport system comprising a plurality of transport vehicles for transporting goods, and a control system for controlling the plurality of transport vehicles, The control system, when transporting the target item, which is the target item, from the source to the destination via a relay device using two transport vehicles, A transport vehicle determination process that determines a first transport vehicle for transporting the target item from the transport source to the relay device, and a second transport vehicle for transporting the target item from the relay device to the destination, A path determination process that determines a first movement path which is the path the first transport vehicle takes from its current position to the relay device via the transport source, and a second movement path which is the path the second transport vehicle takes from its current position to the destination via the relay device. An initial prediction process derives an estimated arrival time, which is the predicted time when the target item arrives at the receiving position by the second transport vehicle in the relay device, as an initial prediction time based on the first travel path. Obtain the confirmation point passing time, which is the time when the target article passes through a confirmation point set at at least one location on the first movement path, and based on the confirmation point passing time, perform an updated prediction process for deriving an updated prediction time, which is the updated arrival prediction time; Before deriving the updated prediction time, based on the initial prediction time, and after deriving the updated prediction time, based on the updated prediction time, perform a receiving movement process for moving the second carrier vehicle to the receiving position so that the second carrier vehicle arrives at the receiving position at a predicted time when the target article arrives at the receiving position. death, The first transport vehicle transports the target items in the first area, The second transport vehicle transports the target items in the second area. The relay device is an inter-area transport device that transports the target article between the first area and the second area. The control system comprises a first control unit for controlling the transport vehicles in the first area, a second control unit for controlling the transport vehicles in the second area, and a central control unit for controlling the first and second control units. The first control unit acquires the passage time information, which is the information of the time of passage through the confirmation point, and transmits the passage time information to the main control unit. The main control unit performs the update prediction process and notifies the second control unit of the derived update prediction time. The second control unit executes the receiving transfer process based on the notified update prediction time. 。

[0010] Further features and advantages of the technology according to the present disclosure will become clearer from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments described with reference to the drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram showing an overall view of the conveying equipment [Figure 2] Block diagram of the control system [Figure 3] Diagram showing the processing procedure executed in the control system [Figure 4] Flowchart showing the processing procedure of the receiving movement process [Figure 5] Schematic diagram showing an example of the receiving movement process [Figure 6] Schematic diagram showing an example of the receiving movement process [Figure 7] Schematic diagram showing an example of the receiving movement process [Figure 8] Schematic diagram showing an example of the receiving movement process [Figure 9] Schematic diagram showing an overall view of the conveying equipment in another aspect [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] An embodiment of the transport equipment will be described with reference to the drawings. The transport equipment 1 of this embodiment is equipment (item transport equipment) that transports multiple items W. The transport equipment 1 is equipped with multiple transport vehicles 2, each transporting an item W. There are various items W that are handled by the transport equipment 1 and transported by the transport vehicles 2. For example, when the transport equipment 1 is used in a semiconductor manufacturing plant, the items W may include wafer containers (so-called FOUPs: Front Opening Unified Pods) that contain wafers, or reticle containers (so-called reticle pods) that contain reticles.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the transport equipment 1 of this embodiment is configured to transport goods W between multiple areas, including at least a first area A1 and a second area A2. In this embodiment, the transport equipment 1 is installed in a building 60 having multiple floors 70, including a first floor 71 and a second floor 72. In this case, the first area A1 is provided on the first floor 71, and the second area A2 is provided on the second floor 72. In the illustrated example, the second floor 72 is a floor 70 lower than the first floor 71, but the second floor 72 may be a floor 70 higher than the first floor 71.

[0014] The transport vehicle 2 travels along the travel path 3. In this embodiment, the travel path 3 is composed of a travel rail suspended from the ceiling. In other words, the transport vehicle 2 in this embodiment is an overhead transport vehicle. The transport vehicle 2 comprises a travel section that travels along the travel rail and a transfer section suspended from the travel section.

[0015] The transport equipment 1 of this embodiment includes a plurality of first-area transport vehicles 21 that travel along a first-area travel path 31 provided in the first-area A1, and a plurality of second-area transport vehicles 22 that travel along a second-area travel path 32 provided in the second-area A2. The transport equipment 1 also includes an inter-area transport device 40 that transports goods W between the first-area A1 and the second-area A2. As described above, in this embodiment, the first-area A1 is provided on the first floor 71, and the second-area A2 is provided on the second floor 72, and the inter-area transport device 40 of this embodiment is an inter-floor transport device. In this embodiment, the inter-area transport device 40 corresponds to the "transport equipment".

[0016] The inter-area transport device 40 includes a lifting body 41 that holds and moves up and down an item W. The lifting body 41 supports and holds the item W from below and is driven to move up and down by a lifting mechanism (for example, a mechanism that moves the lifting body 41 up and down by winding up or unwinding a belt), thereby holding and moving up and down the item W. The inter-area transport device 40 (lifting body 41) also transports the item W between a first handover position X1 in the first area A1 and a second handover position X2 in the second area A2. In this embodiment, multiple inter-area transport devices 40 are provided to connect the first area A1 and the second area A2 at multiple locations.

[0017] The transport equipment 1 targets one specific item W from among a plurality of items W (referred to as the "target item Ws" in this embodiment) and transports the target item Ws from the transport source S to the transport destination G. At this time, the transport equipment 1 uses two transport vehicles 2 (i.e., one first-area transport vehicle 21 and one second-area transport vehicle 22) to transport the target item Ws from the transport source S to the transport destination G via the relay device 4.

[0018] As described above, the transport equipment 1 comprises a plurality of first-area transport vehicles 21, each transporting articles W in the first area A1, and a plurality of second-area transport vehicles 22, each transporting articles W in the second area A2. Focusing on the target articles Ws among the plurality of articles W, in this embodiment, a specific vehicle among the plurality of first-area transport vehicles 21 that transports the target articles Ws in the first area A1 is referred to as "first transport vehicle 21A". Similarly, in this embodiment, a specific vehicle among the plurality of second-area transport vehicles 22 that transports the target articles Ws in the second area A2 is referred to as "second transport vehicle 22B".

[0019] The source S (the starting point for transporting the target items Ws) and the destination G (the destination for transporting the target items Ws) may be, for example, a section of a storage rack where the items W are stored, or a load port of a processing device, respectively.

[0020] The relay device 4 is a device that relays the transport of the target items Ws by the first transport vehicle 21A and the transport of the target items Ws by the second transport vehicle 22B. In this embodiment, where the first transport vehicle 21A and the second transport vehicle 22B transport the target items Ws on different floors 70, one of the multiple inter-area transport devices 40 becomes the relay device 4. In this case, the relay device 4 (inter-area transport device 40) transports the target items Ws between floors 70, from the handover position D by the first transport vehicle 21A in the first area A1 (first floor 71) to the receiving position R by the second transport vehicle 22B in the second area A2 (second floor 72).

[0021] Furthermore, the handover position D of the target items Ws by the first transport vehicle 21A is the first handover position X1 of the inter-area transport device 40 which serves as the relay device 4, and the receiving position R of the target items Ws by the second transport vehicle 22B is the second handover position X2 of the same inter-area transport device 40.

[0022] The transport equipment 1 includes a control system 5 that controls at least a plurality of transport vehicles 2. In this embodiment, corresponding to the fact that the transport equipment 1 includes a plurality of transport vehicles 2 and a plurality of inter-area transport devices 40, the control system 5 controls the plurality of transport vehicles 2 and the plurality of inter-area transport devices 40. Furthermore, corresponding to the fact that the transport equipment 1 includes a plurality of first-area transport vehicles 21 and a plurality of second-area transport vehicles 22 as the plurality of transport vehicles 2, the control system 5 controls the plurality of first-area transport vehicles 21, a plurality of second-area transport vehicles 22 and a plurality of inter-area transport devices 40.

[0023] Therefore, as shown in Figure 2, the control system 5 includes a first area control unit 52, a second area control unit 53, and an inter-area control unit 54. The first area control unit 52 controls the operation of multiple first area transport vehicles 21. The second area control unit 53 controls the operation of multiple second area transport vehicles 22. In this embodiment, the first area control unit 52 corresponds to the "first control unit," and the second area transport vehicles 22 correspond to the "second control unit." The inter-area transport device 40 controls the operation of multiple inter-area transport devices 40.

[0024] Furthermore, the control system 5 of this embodiment includes a first area control unit 52, a second area control unit 53, and an inter-area control unit 54, as well as a general control unit 51. The general control unit 51 controls the first area control unit 52, the second area control unit 53, and the inter-area control unit 54 in a comprehensive manner.

[0025] When the control system 5 transports the target items Ws from the source S to the destination G via the relay device 4 using two transport vehicles 2, it performs the transport vehicle determination process, route determination process, initial prediction process, updated prediction process, and receiving and moving process, as shown in Figure 3.

[0026] The transport vehicle determination process is the process of determining a first transport vehicle 21A that transports the target item Ws from the transport source S to the relay device 4, and a second transport vehicle 22B that transports the target item Ws from the relay device 4 to the destination G. In the transport vehicle determination process, the control system 5 determines, from among a plurality of first area transport vehicles 21, the one that is optimal for transporting the target item Ws from the transport source S to the relay device 4, as the first transport vehicle 21A. Similarly, the control system 5 determines, from among a plurality of second area transport vehicles 22, the one that is optimal for transporting the target item Ws from the relay device 4 to the destination G, as the second transport vehicle 22B.

[0027] The route determination process determines a first travel route P1, which is the route taken by the first transport vehicle 21A to the relay device 4, and a second travel route P2, which is the route taken by the second transport vehicle 22B to the destination G. In the route determination process, the control system 5 determines the first travel route P1 as the optimal route for the first transport vehicle 21A to move from its current position (referred to as "first current position N1") to the relay device 4 via the transport source S. Similarly, the control system 5 determines the second travel route P2 as the optimal route for the second transport vehicle 22B to move from its current position (referred to as "second current position N2") to the destination G via the relay device 4.

[0028] The first movement path P1 includes a first preparation path P1a for the empty first transport vehicle 21A to move from the first current position N1 to the transport source S in order to receive the target items Ws, and a first transport path P1b for the first transport vehicle 21A, having received the target items Ws, to move from the transport source S to the handover position D in order to hand over the target items Ws to the relay device 4.

[0029] Furthermore, the second movement path P2 includes a second preparation path P2a for the unloaded second transport vehicle 22B to move from the second current position N2 to the receiving position R in order to receive the target items Ws from the relay device 4, and a second transport path P2b for the second transport vehicle 22B, which has received the target items Ws, to move from the receiving position R to the destination G in order to deliver the target items Ws to the destination G.

[0030] The transport vehicle determination process and the route determination process may be performed with one preceding the other, but it is preferable to perform them simultaneously. That is, it is preferable to determine the first transport vehicle 21A and the first travel route P1, and the second transport vehicle 22B and the second travel route P2 all at once, taking into account the position of each transport vehicle 2 and the conditions of the travel route 3 (e.g., congestion level, road closures, etc.) when the source S and destination G of the target item Ws are determined.

[0031] Such a comprehensive vehicle determination and route determination process can be performed by determining the travel route 3 using a set of nodes representing each point and links connecting two nodes, and by storing travel cost information for each node and each link, and then calculating the combination that minimizes travel cost using a method such as Dijkstra's algorithm.

[0032] In this embodiment, the control system 5 also determines an inter-area movement path P3 as the path for moving the target item Ws from the first floor 71 to the second floor 72 during the path determination process. Once the first movement path P1 and the second movement path P2 are determined in a way that minimizes the movement cost, the inter-area transport device 40 to be used is also determined automatically. This inter-area transport device 40 becomes the relay device 4, and the path from the first handover position X1 (handover position D) to the second handover position X2 (receiving position R) of the inter-area transport device 40 is determined as the inter-area movement path P3.

[0033] The transport vehicle determination process and route determination process are performed by the overall control unit 51. The overall control unit 51 transmits the information of the determined first transport vehicle 21A and first travel route P1 to the first area control unit 52, the information of the determined second transport vehicle 22B and second travel route P2 to the second area control unit 53, and the information of the determined relay device 4 to the inter-area control unit 54.

[0034] The initial prediction process is a process that derives an arrival prediction time, which is the predicted time when the target item Ws will arrive at the receiving position R of the relay device 4, as the initial prediction time based on at least the first movement path P1. In this embodiment, in the initial prediction process, the control system 5 derives the initial prediction time based on the first movement path P1 and the inter-area movement path P3. That is, the control system 5 derives the initial prediction time based on the movement time of the first transport vehicle 21A moving from the first current position N1 to the handover position D on the first movement path P1, and the transport time of the target item Ws from the handover position D to the receiving position R by the inter-area transport device 40.

[0035] More specifically, the control system 5 derives the following time as the initial predicted time: the time required for the first transport vehicle 21A to travel from the first current position N1 to the transport source S via the first preparation route P1a and receive the target item Ws at the transport source S (hereinafter referred to as the "first preparation time"), the time required for the first transport vehicle 21A, having received the target item Ws, to travel from the transport source S via the first transport route P1b to the handover position D and hand over the target item Ws to the relay device 4 at the handover position D (hereinafter referred to as the "first transport time"), and the time required for the relay device 4, having received the target item Ws, to transport the target item Ws from the handover position D to the receiving position R (hereinafter referred to as the "inter-area transport time").

[0036] When deriving the initial predicted time, it is advisable to consider, for example, the distance along the travel route 3, the structure of the travel route 3 (straight / curved, branching / merging, etc.), the transfer time of the goods W, and the degree of congestion (number of other first-area transport vehicles 21 on the travel route 3). Depending on the transport equipment 1, a buffer may be provided at the first handover position X1 to temporarily store the goods W received from the first-area transport vehicle 21 until they are transported by the inter-area transport device 40. Also, a buffer may be provided at the second handover position X2 to temporarily store the goods W transported by the inter-area transport device 40 until they are received by the second-area transport vehicle 22. When such buffers (e.g., conveyors) are provided, the degree of congestion of the buffer (number of other goods W on the buffer) may be considered when deriving the initial predicted time.

[0037] The initial prediction process is performed by the central control unit 51. The central control unit 51 acquires information on the passage times associated with multiple nodes and multiple links that constitute the first preparation route P1a and the first transport route P1b, as well as information on the time required to pass through the inter-area transport device 40 that constitutes the relay device 4, and performs the initial prediction process based on this information. The central control unit 51 performs the initial prediction process and notifies the second area control unit 53 of the derived initial prediction time.

[0038] Before explaining the update prediction process, let's first explain the basic process of receiving and moving data.

[0039] The basic receiving and moving process involves moving the second transport vehicle 22B to the receiving position R in accordance with the predicted time when the target item Ws will arrive at the receiving position R, based on the initial predicted time derived in the initial prediction process. In the basic receiving and moving process, the predicted time when the target item Ws will arrive at the receiving position R is the initial predicted time, so the control system 5 moves the second transport vehicle 22B to the receiving position R in accordance with the initial predicted time.

[0040] In the receiving transfer process, the control system 5 derives the time required for the second transport vehicle 22B to arrive at the receiving position R (hereinafter referred to as "preparation time") based on the second preparation route P2a of the second movement path P2 (step #01 in Figure 4). The control system 5 derives the preparation time as the time required for the second transport vehicle 22B to travel from the second current position N2 along the second preparation route P2a and arrive at the receiving position R of the relay device 4. In this embodiment, the preparation time corresponds to the "required time".

[0041] In this embodiment, the calculation of the preparation time is performed by the second area control unit 53. The second area control unit 53 acquires information on the transit times associated with multiple nodes and multiple links that constitute the second preparation route P2a, and calculates the preparation time based on this information.

[0042] The control system 5 directs the second transport vehicle 22B toward the receiving position R based on the fact that the time has changed from the initial predicted time to the time before the preparation time. In other words, when the time has changed from the initial predicted time to the time before the preparation time, the control system 5 starts moving the second transport vehicle 22B from the second current position N2 toward the receiving position R. In this way, if the target items Ws are transported smoothly as initially predicted and arrive at the receiving position R of the relay device 4, the target items Ws can be immediately transported by the second transport vehicle 22B. Therefore, even by simply performing the basic receiving and moving process, it is possible to improve transport efficiency to a certain extent.

[0043] Next, we will describe the update prediction process specific to this embodiment and the improved receiving and moving process in this embodiment.

[0044] The update prediction process obtains the time when the target item Ws passes through a confirmation point C set on the first travel route P1 (hereinafter referred to as the "confirmation point passage time"), and derives an updated predicted arrival time, which is the updated predicted arrival time, based on the confirmation point passage time. Confirmation point C is set at least one location on the first travel route P1. Confirmation point C can be set at a specific point in the first travel route P1, for example, the handover position D of the transport source S or relay device 4, or a branching point or merging point in the first area travel route 31.

[0045] Information on the time of passing a confirmation point (hereinafter referred to as "passing time information") is acquired by the first area control unit 52. Passing time information can be acquired, for example, by reading a location information holder (e.g., a QR code or IC tag) installed at confirmation point C with a corresponding reader installed on the first transport vehicle 21A, or by performing image recognition processing on images captured by a camera installed on the first floor 71. The first area control unit 52 acquires the passing time information and transmits the passing time information to the general control unit 51.

[0046] In the update prediction process, the control system 5 derives the predicted update time based on at least the time of passing the confirmation point and the travel time of the first transport vehicle 21A moving from confirmation point C to handover position D on the first travel path P1 (hereinafter referred to as "post-confirmation transport time"). In the configuration in this embodiment where the transport equipment 1 is equipped with an inter-area transport device 40, the control system 5 derives the predicted update time based on the time of passing the confirmation point, the post-confirmation transport time, and the transport time of the target items Ws from handover position D to receiving position R by the inter-area transport device 40 (i.e., inter-area transport time).

[0047] More specifically, the control system 5 derives the time elapsed from the time of passage through the confirmation point, including the time of transport after confirmation and the time of transport between areas, as the updated predicted time. By performing this update prediction process, even if the time at which the first transport vehicle 21A passes through confirmation point C deviates from the initial predicted time, the predicted time at which the target item Ws arrives at the receiving position R can be corrected to cancel out that deviation. If the first transport vehicle 21A passes through confirmation point C by a predetermined amount of time earlier than scheduled, the updated predicted time derived as a result of the update prediction process will be a predetermined amount of time earlier than the initial predicted time. Conversely, if the first transport vehicle 21A passes through confirmation point C by a predetermined amount of time later than scheduled, the derived updated predicted time will be a predetermined amount of time later than the initial predicted time.

[0048] The update prediction process is performed by the central control unit 51. The central control unit 51 performs the update prediction process and notifies the second area control unit 53 of the derived update prediction time, in the same way as the initial prediction time.

[0049] As described above, in the receiving and moving process, the control system 5 moves the second transport vehicle 22B to arrive at the receiving position R in accordance with the predicted time when the target item Ws will arrive at the receiving position R. At this time, after the updated predicted time is derived by the update prediction process (step #02 in Figure 4: Yes), the updated predicted time is the corrected predicted arrival time to the receiving position R, so the control system 5 moves the second transport vehicle 22B to arrive at the receiving position R in accordance with the updated predicted time.

[0050] Based on the fact that the time has shifted from the predicted update time to the time before the preparation time, the control system 5 directs the second transport vehicle 22B toward the receiving position R (step #03). In other words, when the time has shifted from the predicted update time to the time before the preparation time, the control system 5 starts moving the second transport vehicle 22B from the second current position N2 toward the receiving position R. In this way, even if the target item Ws arrives at the receiving position R of the relay device 4 deviating from the initial prediction, the second transport vehicle 22B can be dispatched accordingly.

[0051] For example, if the target items Ws arrive at the receiving location R earlier than scheduled, the second transport vehicle 22B can be dispatched earlier than originally scheduled, allowing the items Ws to be immediately transported by the second transport vehicle 22B after their arrival at the receiving location R. Conversely, if the target items Ws arrive at the receiving location R later than scheduled, the dispatch of the second transport vehicle 22B can be delayed, allowing the waiting time to be used for other purposes. Therefore, by executing the receiving and moving process, transport efficiency can be significantly improved.

[0052] If the time elapses from the initial predicted time to the time before the preparation time is required before the update predicted time is derived (Step #02: No), the receiving and moving process will be executed according to the basic procedure. In other words, in such a case, the control system 5 directs the second transport vehicle 22B toward the receiving position R based on the fact that the time elapsed from the initial predicted time to the time before the preparation time (Step #04). When the time elapsed from the initial predicted time to the time before the preparation time, the control system 5 starts moving the second transport vehicle 22B from the second current position N2 toward the receiving position R.

[0053] The receiving and moving process (in this case, the dispatching process for the second transport vehicle 22B) is performed by the second area control unit 53. The second area control unit 53 performs the receiving and moving process based on the initial predicted time and / or updated predicted time received from the general control unit 51.

[0054] The following will explain a more specific example of the receiving and moving process with reference to Figures 5 to 8. In Figures 5 to 8, the movement of the target items Ws transported by the first transport vehicle 21A is shown in the upper section, the movement of the target items Ws transported by the relay device 4 is shown in the middle section, and the movement of the target items Ws transported by the second transport vehicle 22B is shown in the lower section. The movement of the first transport vehicle 21A and the second transport vehicle 22B are also shown in the upper and lower sections.

[0055] In these diagrams, "Tp" represents the initial time, "Te" represents the initial predicted time, "Tc" represents the time of passing the confirmation point, "Tu" represents the predicted update time, and "Tm" represents the start time of movement. Also, "T1" represents the first preparation time, "T2" represents the first transport time, "T3" represents the inter-area transport time, and "T4" represents the preparation time. Furthermore, it is assumed that two locations, the transport source S and the handover position D of the relay device 4, are set at confirmation point C.

[0056] Figure 5 shows the movement of the target item Ws, the first transport vehicle 21A, and the second transport vehicle 22B according to the initial prediction after the transport vehicle determination process, route determination process, and initial prediction process. For example, if the initial time is 15:30:00, the first preparation time is 3 minutes 15 seconds, the first transport time is 4 minutes 30 seconds, and the inter-area transport time is 2 minutes 15 seconds, the initial predicted time is derived to be 15:40:00, which is 10 minutes after the first preparation time, first transport time, and inter-area transport time have elapsed from the initial time of 15:30:00. If the preparation time is 2 minutes 00 seconds, then the start time of movement is derived to be 15:38:00, which is 2 minutes 00 seconds before the initial predicted time of 15:40:00, and at that time the second transport vehicle 22B will start moving.

[0057] Figure 6 shows the subsequent movement of the target items Ws, etc., in the example of Figure 5, when the actual arrival of the first transport vehicle 21A at the transport source S was earlier than initially predicted. In the illustrated example, the initial first preparation time was predicted to be 3 minutes and 15 seconds (in other words, arrival at the transport source S at 15:33:15), but the actual time of passing the confirmation point obtained at the transport source S was 15:33:00. In this case, 15:39:45, which is 6 minutes and 45 seconds after the time of passing the confirmation point at the transport source S (15:33:00), is derived as the updated predicted time. Then, 15:37:45, which is 2 minutes and 00 seconds before the preparation time required (15:39:45), is derived as the start time of movement, and at that time, the second transport vehicle 22B begins to move.

[0058] Figure 7 shows the subsequent movement of the target items Ws, etc., in the example of Figure 6, when the actual arrival of the first transport vehicle 21A at the handover location D was also earlier than initially predicted. In the illustrated example, the initial prediction was that the first preparation time would be 3 minutes and 15 seconds and the first transport time 4 minutes and 30 seconds (in other words, arrival at handover location D at 15:37:45). However, the actual time of passing the confirmation point at handover location D was 15:37:00. In this case, 15:39:15, which is 2 minutes and 15 seconds after the time of passing the confirmation point at handover location D (15:37:00), is derived as the latest updated prediction time. Then, 15:37:15, which is 2 minutes and 00 seconds before the latest updated prediction time of 15:39:15, is derived as the start time of movement, and at that time, the second transport vehicle 22B begins to move.

[0059] In the examples in Figures 6 and 7, the time at which the second transport vehicle 22B starts moving is adjusted according to the actual transit time between the transport source S and the handover location D. As a result, when the target items Ws arrive at the receiving location R, the second transport vehicle 22B has already arrived at the receiving location R. Therefore, the target items Ws can be transported by the second transport vehicle 22B immediately after they arrive at the receiving location R. Compared to the case where the receiving movement process is executed based only on the initial predicted time without the update prediction process, the wasted waiting time at the receiving location R can be reduced by 15 seconds in the example of Figure 6 and by 45 seconds in the example of Figure 7, thereby improving the overall transport efficiency of the transport equipment 1.

[0060] Figure 8 shows the movement of the target items Ws, etc., in the example of Figure 5, when the current position of the second transport vehicle 22B (second current position N2) is far from the handover position D of the relay device 4. In this example, it is assumed that the preparation time is 7 minutes and 30 seconds, depending on the distance along the second area travel route 32 from the second current position N2 to the handover position D. In this case, the start time of movement is derived to be 15:32:30, which is 7 minutes and 30 seconds earlier than the initial predicted time of 15:40:00, and the start time of movement occurs earlier than the scheduled arrival time of the first transport vehicle 21A at the transport source S, which is around 15:33:15. In such a case, when the start time of movement arrives, the second transport vehicle 22B starts moving without waiting for the first transport vehicle 21A to arrive at the transport source S, which is the first confirmation point C.

[0061] [Other Embodiments] (1) In the above embodiment, the control system 5 was described as an example in which it starts moving the second transport vehicle 22B toward the receiving position R when the time is before the preparation time from the initial predicted time or the updated predicted time during the receiving movement process. However, the control system 5 is not limited to such an embodiment, and may, for example, start moving the second transport vehicle 22B toward the receiving position R a little before the time is before the preparation time from the initial predicted time or the updated predicted time.

[0062] (2) In the above embodiment, the configuration described mainly assumes that in the transport vehicle determination process, the control system 5 determines the second transport vehicle 22B from among the second area transport vehicles 22 that are stopped at that time. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the control system 5 may also include as candidates for the second transport vehicle 22B second area transport vehicles 22 that are in motion at that time but are scheduled to stop between the initial predicted time and the time before the preparation time.

[0063] (3) In the above embodiment, with reference to Figures 5 to 8, the control system 5 has mainly assumed a configuration in which it performs the update prediction process twice, with two locations, the source S and the handover position D of the relay device 4, as confirmation points C. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the control system 5 may perform the update prediction process only once, or three or more locations may be set as confirmation points C, and the control system 5 may perform the update prediction process three or more times. The setting of confirmation points C is not necessarily limited to the source S or the handover position D, but may also be other singular points (such as branching or merging points in the first area travel route 31), or non-singular points (any point in the first area travel route 31).

[0064] (4) In the above embodiment, the control system 5 was described as an example in which, in the update prediction process, the control system 5 derives the time after which the post-confirmation transport time and the inter-area transport time have elapsed from the time of passage through the confirmation point as the update prediction time. However, the control system 5 is not limited to such a configuration, and may, for example, derive the time difference between the scheduled time of passage through confirmation point C and the actual time of passage through the confirmation point, and add that time difference to the initial prediction time or the previous update prediction time to derive the latest update prediction time. Alternatively, the control system 5 may recalculate the post-confirmation transport time and the inter-area transport time when the target item Ws reaches confirmation point C, and use the time after which the recalculated post-confirmation transport time and the recalculated inter-area transport time have elapsed from the time of passage through the confirmation point as the latest update prediction time.

[0065] (5) In the above embodiment, in the receiving movement process, the control system 5 has described an example configuration in which, after starting the movement of the second transport vehicle 22B based on the initial predicted time, the second transport vehicle 22B proceeds directly to the receiving position R. However, the control system 5 is not limited to such a configuration, and if an updated predicted time is derived after the movement of the second transport vehicle 22B has started based on the initial predicted time, the control system 5 may adjust the movement of the second transport vehicle 22B to the receiving position R based on the updated predicted time. Alternatively, if an updated predicted time is derived after the movement of the second transport vehicle 22B has started based on the initial predicted time, the control system 5 may perform the transport vehicle determination process for the second transport vehicle 22B again.

[0066] (6) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the second area control unit 53 calculates the preparation time was described as an example. However, the system is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, the main control unit 51 may calculate the preparation time at the same time as deriving the initial predicted time.

[0067] (7) In the above embodiment, the control system 5 was described as having a configuration comprising a higher-level overall control unit 51 and lower-level first area control unit 52, second area control unit 53, and inter-area control unit 54. However, the control system 5 is not limited to such a configuration, and may be composed of a single control device as a whole. Alternatively, a control unit may be mounted on each of the multiple transport vehicles 2, and these control units may be connected to each other in a way that allows them to communicate with one another to constitute the control system 5 as a whole.

[0068] (8) In the above embodiment, the transport equipment 1 was installed in a building 60 having multiple floors 70, and the inter-area transport device 40 was described as an inter-floor transport device. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and for example, as shown in Figure 9, the transport equipment 1 may be installed across multiple buildings 60, including the first building 61 and the second building 62. In this case, the inter-area transport device 40 becomes an inter-building transport device, and for example, a conveyor can be used. Alternatively, the transport equipment 1 may be installed across multiple buildings 60, each having multiple floors 70, and the inter-area transport device 40 may be composed of a combination of an inter-floor transport device and an inter-building transport device.

[0069] (9) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the relay device 4 is an inter-area transport device 40 was described as an example. However, the configuration is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, the relay device 4 may be a simple loading device that only places items on it. In such a configuration, the loading position of the item W on the loading device will serve as both the handover position D and the receiving position R.

[0070] (10) In the above embodiment, the transport equipment 1 was described as having a configuration in which it transports the target items Ws from the source S to the destination G via one relay device 4 using two transport vehicles 2. However, the transport equipment 1 is not limited to such a configuration, and may transport the target items Ws from the source S to the destination G using three or more transport vehicles 2. In this case, the number of relay devices 4 is one less than the number of transport vehicles 2.

[0071] (11) The configurations disclosed in each of the above-described embodiments (including the above-described embodiments and other embodiments; the same applies hereinafter) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, insofar as they do not cause a conflict. With respect to other configurations, the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the disclosure.

[0072] [Summary of the Embodiments] In summary, the conveying equipment relating to this disclosure preferably comprises the following components.

[0073] A transport system comprising a plurality of transport vehicles for transporting goods, and a control system for controlling the plurality of transport vehicles, The control system, when transporting the target item, which is the target item, from the source to the destination via a relay device using two transport vehicles, A transport vehicle determination process that determines a first transport vehicle for transporting the target item from the transport source to the relay device, and a second transport vehicle for transporting the target item from the relay device to the destination, A path determination process that determines a first movement path which is the path the first transport vehicle takes from its current position to the relay device via the transport source, and a second movement path which is the path the second transport vehicle takes from its current position to the destination via the relay device. An initial prediction process derives an estimated arrival time, which is the predicted time when the target item arrives at the receiving position by the second transport vehicle in the relay device, as an initial prediction time based on the first travel path. An update prediction process that obtains the time when the target item passes through a confirmation point set at at least one location on the first travel path, and derives an updated predicted arrival time based on the time when the item passes through the confirmation point, Before the derivation of the predicted update time, the receiving movement process involves moving the second transport vehicle to arrive at the receiving location in accordance with the predicted time when the target item will arrive, based on the initial predicted time, and after the derivation of the predicted update time, based on the predicted update time. Execute this.

[0074] With this configuration, when transporting an item from a source to a destination using two transport vehicles, the initial prediction process and the receiving movement process are executed, allowing the second transport vehicle to be positioned at the receiving location of the relay device in accordance with the initial predicted time when the item will arrive at the receiving location of the relay device. Therefore, the item can be immediately transported by the second transport vehicle as soon as it arrives at the receiving location of the relay device. Furthermore, by executing an updated prediction process and using the resulting updated predicted time to execute the receiving movement process, the second transport vehicle can be positioned at the receiving location in accordance with the updated predicted time. Therefore, if there is a discrepancy between the initial prediction and the time when the first transport vehicle passes the confirmation point, this discrepancy can be corrected, allowing the item to be immediately transported by the second transport vehicle as soon as it arrives at the receiving location of the relay device. As a result, excellent transport efficiency can be achieved when transporting items using multiple transport vehicles.

[0075] As one aspect, The control system, in the receiving and moving process, Based on the route from the current position of the second transport vehicle to the relay device within the second movement path, the required time for the second transport vehicle to arrive at the receiving position is derived. If the updated predicted time is derived before the time before the required time has elapsed from the initial predicted time, it is preferable to direct the second transport vehicle toward the receiving position based on the fact that the time before the required time has elapsed from the updated predicted time.

[0076] With this configuration, once the predicted update time is derived, the second transport vehicle can be appropriately started to move so that it is positioned at the receiving location of the relay device in accordance with the time when the target item arrives at the receiving location of the relay device, based on the predicted update time and the required time.

[0077] As one aspect, The control system, in the receiving and moving process, If the time becomes earlier than the required time from the initial predicted time before the update predicted time is derived, it is preferable to direct the second transport vehicle toward the receiving position based on the fact that the time has become earlier than the required time from the initial predicted time.

[0078] With this configuration, if the update prediction time is not derived, the second transport vehicle can be appropriately started to move so that it is positioned at the receiving location of the relay device in accordance with the time when the target item arrives at the receiving location of the relay device, based on the initial prediction time and the required time.

[0079] As one aspect, The relay device is a conveying device that transports the target item from the handover position of the target item from the first transport vehicle to the receiving position. The control system is The initial predicted time is derived based on the travel time of the first transport vehicle moving from its current position to the handover position along the first travel path, and the transport time of the target item from the handover position to the receiving position by the transport device. It is preferable to derive the predicted update time based on the time of passage through the confirmation point, the travel time of the first transport vehicle moving from the confirmation point to the handover position along the first travel route, and the transport time of the target item from the handover position to the receiving position by the transport device.

[0080] With this configuration, if the relay device is a conveying device that transports goods, the initial predicted time and the updated predicted time can be appropriately derived by also considering the transport time of the target goods from the handover point to the receiving point by the conveying device.

[0081] As one aspect, The first transport vehicle transports the target items in the first area, The second transport vehicle transports the target items in the second area. The relay device is an inter-area transport device that transports the target article between the first area and the second area. The control system comprises a first control unit for controlling the transport vehicles in the first area, a second control unit for controlling the transport vehicles in the second area, and a central control unit for controlling the first and second control units. The first control unit acquires the passage time information, which is the information of the time of passage through the confirmation point, and transmits the passage time information to the main control unit. The main control unit performs the update prediction process and notifies the second control unit of the derived update prediction time. It is preferable that the second control unit executes the receiving transfer process based on the notified update prediction time.

[0082] With this configuration, when transporting goods between the first and second areas, the first control unit, the second control unit, and the central control unit cooperate to appropriately control the transport vehicles in each area and the inter-area transport devices. In addition, the first control unit and the central control unit exchange information about the passage time, and the central control unit and the second control unit exchange information about the predicted update time, allowing the central control unit to play a central role in appropriately executing the receiving and moving process by the second control unit.

[0083] The conveying equipment relating to this disclosure only needs to achieve at least one of the effects described above. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0084] 1. Conveying equipment 2 Transport vehicles 4. Relay device 5. Control System 21A First transport vehicle 22B Second transport vehicle 40 Inter-area transport device (transport device) 51. Control Unit 52. First Area Control Unit (First Control Unit) 53. Second Area Control Unit (Second Control Unit) A1 Area 1 A2 Area 2 P1 First movement path P2 Second movement path S Source of transport G Destination N1 First current position (current position of the first transport vehicle) N2 Second current position (current position of the second transport vehicle) D Delivery position R Receiving location C Confirmation Point W Goods Ws Target Items

Claims

1. A transport system comprising a plurality of transport vehicles for transporting goods, and a control system for controlling the plurality of transport vehicles, The control system, when transporting the target item, which is the target item, from the source to the destination via a relay device using two transport vehicles, A transport vehicle determination process that determines a first transport vehicle for transporting the target item from the transport source to the relay device, and a second transport vehicle for transporting the target item from the relay device to the destination, A path determination process that determines a first movement path which is the path the first transport vehicle takes from its current position to the relay device via the transport source, and a second movement path which is the path the second transport vehicle takes from its current position to the destination via the relay device. An initial prediction process derives an estimated arrival time, which is the predicted time when the target item arrives at the receiving position by the second transport vehicle in the relay device, as an initial prediction time based on the first travel path. An update prediction process that obtains the confirmation point passage time, which is the time when the target item passes through at least one confirmation point set on the first travel path, and derives an updated predicted arrival time, which is the updated predicted arrival time, based on the confirmation point passage time. Before the derivation of the predicted update time, a receiving movement process is performed in which the second transport vehicle is moved to the receiving position in accordance with the predicted time when the target item will arrive at the receiving position, based on the initial predicted time, and after the derivation of the predicted update time, based on the predicted update time. The control system is a transport facility that, in the receiving and moving process, starts moving the second transport vehicle earlier than initially planned if the predicted update time is earlier than the initial predicted time.

2. The transport equipment according to Claim 1, wherein the control system, in the receiving and moving process, starts moving the second transport vehicle at a later timing than originally planned if the update prediction time is later than the initial prediction time.

3. The control system, in the receiving and moving process, Based on the route from the current position of the second transport vehicle to the relay device within the second movement path, the required time for the second transport vehicle to arrive at the receiving position is derived. If the updated predicted time is derived before the time before the required time has elapsed from the initial predicted time, the transport equipment according to claim 2 is configured to direct the second transport vehicle to the receiving position based on the fact that the time before the required time has elapsed from the updated predicted time.

4. The control system, in the receiving and moving process, The transport equipment according to claim 3, wherein if the time becomes earlier than the required time from the initial predicted time before the update predicted time is derived, the second transport vehicle is directed to the receiving position based on the fact that the time has become earlier than the required time from the initial predicted time.

5. The relay device is a conveying device that transports the target item from the handover position of the target item from the first transport vehicle to the receiving position. The control system is The initial predicted time is derived based on the travel time of the first transport vehicle from its current position to the handover position along the first travel path, and the transport time of the target item from the handover position to the receiving position by the transport device. The transport equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the predicted update time is derived based on the time of passage through the confirmation point, the travel time of the first transport vehicle moving from the confirmation point to the handover position along the first travel route, and the transport time of the target item from the handover position to the receiving position by the transport device.

6. The first transport vehicle transports the target items in the first area. The second transport vehicle transports the target items in the second area. The relay device is an inter-area transport device that transports the target article between the first area and the second area. The control system comprises a first control unit for controlling the transport vehicles in the first area, a second control unit for controlling the transport vehicles in the second area, and a central control unit for controlling the first and second control units. The first control unit acquires the passage time information, which is the information of the time of passage through the confirmation point, and transmits the passage time information to the main control unit. The main control unit performs the update prediction process and notifies the second control unit of the derived update prediction time. The transport equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second control unit executes the receiving and moving process based on the notified update prediction time.

7. A transport system comprising a plurality of transport vehicles for transporting goods, and a control system for controlling the plurality of transport vehicles, The control system, when transporting the target item, which is the target item, from the source to the destination via a relay device using two transport vehicles, A transport vehicle determination process that determines a first transport vehicle for transporting the target item from the transport source to the relay device, and a second transport vehicle for transporting the target item from the relay device to the destination, A path determination process that determines a first movement path which is the path the first transport vehicle takes from its current position to the relay device via the transport source, and a second movement path which is the path the second transport vehicle takes from its current position to the destination via the relay device. An initial prediction process derives an estimated arrival time, which is the predicted time when the target item arrives at the receiving position by the second transport vehicle in the relay device, as an initial prediction time based on the first travel path. An update prediction process that obtains the confirmation point passage time, which is the time when the target item passes through at least one confirmation point set on the first travel path, and derives an updated predicted arrival time, which is the updated predicted arrival time, based on the confirmation point passage time. Before the derivation of the predicted update time, a receiving movement process is performed in which the second transport vehicle is moved to the receiving position in accordance with the predicted time when the target item will arrive at the receiving position, based on the initial predicted time, and after the derivation of the predicted update time, based on the predicted update time. The relay device is a conveying device that transports the target item from the handover position of the target item from the first transport vehicle to the receiving position. The control system is The initial predicted time is derived based on the travel time of the first transport vehicle from its current position to the handover position along the first travel path, and the transport time of the target item from the handover position to the receiving position by the transport device. A transport device that derives the predicted update time based on the time of passage through the confirmation point, the travel time of the first transport vehicle moving from the confirmation point to the handover position along the first travel route, and the transport time of the target item from the handover position to the receiving position by the transport device.

8. A transport system comprising a plurality of transport vehicles for transporting goods, and a control system for controlling the plurality of transport vehicles, The control system, when transporting the target item, which is the target item, from the source to the destination via a relay device using two transport vehicles, A transport vehicle determination process that determines a first transport vehicle for transporting the target item from the transport source to the relay device, and a second transport vehicle for transporting the target item from the relay device to the destination, A path determination process that determines a first movement path which is the path the first transport vehicle takes from its current position to the relay device via the transport source, and a second movement path which is the path the second transport vehicle takes from its current position to the destination via the relay device. An initial prediction process derives an estimated arrival time, which is the predicted time when the target item arrives at the receiving position by the second transport vehicle in the relay device, as an initial prediction time based on the first travel path. An update prediction process that obtains the confirmation point passage time, which is the time when the target item passes through at least one confirmation point set on the first travel path, and derives an updated predicted arrival time, which is the updated predicted arrival time, based on the confirmation point passage time. Before the derivation of the predicted update time, a receiving movement process is performed in which the second transport vehicle is moved to the receiving position in accordance with the predicted time when the target item will arrive at the receiving position, based on the initial predicted time, and after the derivation of the predicted update time, based on the predicted update time. The first transport vehicle transports the target items in the first area. The second transport vehicle transports the target items in the second area. The relay device is an inter-area transport device that transports the target article between the first area and the second area. The control system comprises a first control unit for controlling the transport vehicles in the first area, a second control unit for controlling the transport vehicles in the second area, and a central control unit for controlling the first and second control units. The first control unit acquires the passage time information, which is the information of the time of passage through the confirmation point, and transmits the passage time information to the main control unit. The main control unit performs the update prediction process and notifies the second control unit of the derived update prediction time. A transport device in which the second control unit executes the receiving and moving process based on the notified update prediction time.

Images