Vehicle and vehicle management system

Abstract

In the present invention, a control device: calculates, on the basis of map data and the amount of a load on a vehicle, a return power amount which is the amount of power required for traveling from each point on a travel route to a charging point which is a point where a power supply device is disposed, such calculation performed before the vehicle begins to travel on the travel route which is from the charging point to a prescribed destination; calculates a predicted power amount which predicts the remaining battery power of a power storage device at each point on the travel route from the current position of the vehicle to the prescribed destination, such calculation performed while the vehicle travels toward the prescribed destination on the travel route; and changes the destination of the vehicle from the prescribed destination to another destination if there is a point, from among the points on the travel route from the current position to the prescribed destination, at which the predicted power amount falls below the return power amount.

Description

Vehicle and fleet management systems

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle management system, and more particularly to a vehicle management technique at a work site where a vehicle equipped with an electricity storage device travels.

[0002] Ultra-large dump trucks that operate in open-cut mines and transport ore and soil extracted by loading machines are widely used, using a diesel engine mounted on the vehicle to generate electricity and drive the motor. However, the amount of energy required for transportation is very large, which poses a problem in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. To solve this problem, development is underway on battery dump trucks that drive the motor with an on-board storage battery instead of the conventional diesel engine.

[0003] In such battery dump trucks, the amount of power required per transport cycle—which involves a series of tasks, including loading, transporting, and dumping—compared to the battery capacity is very large, necessitating frequent charging, such as after each transport cycle. Known charging methods include stopping and charging at a charging station installed on or near the transport route, and charging while traveling using a trolley overhead line, as described in Patent Document 1. To perform continuous transport operations, it is necessary to prevent battery depletion and battery shortages. To achieve this, it is necessary to always ensure sufficient battery power to return to the charging station. Therefore, a travel plan must be developed in advance that takes into account the amount of power consumed along the travel route, and travel according to this plan. Such a travel plan includes the charging time at the charging station to charge the amount of power required for the transport cycle, and the travel speed to ensure sufficient charging time on the trolley overhead line. Insufficient charging time can lead to battery shortages, while excessive charging time increases the required transport cycle time and reduces productivity. Therefore, it is desirable to set a charging time that ensures sufficient charge for the transport cycle.

[0004] However, disturbances during the transport cycle can cause the remaining battery charge to drop below the value assumed in the driving plan. Disturbances include unplanned tasks such as respotting to adjust the loading position, exceptional soil dumping when overloading occurs, and temporary stops and restarts due to rockfalls. They also include interactions with other vehicles, such as dump trucks and bulldozers, at intersections and on the transport route. Depending on the road surface, tire spin in mud or increased wheel torque on uneven terrain can increase power consumption. Furthermore, changes in battery characteristics due to the harsh temperature conditions in mines and changes in the load on auxiliary equipment such as radiator fans can also increase power consumption. Because there are so many disturbances that can increase power consumption at mining sites, even if a driving plan is created that takes charging time into account, as described above, battery insufficiency can easily occur.

[0005] If the remaining battery power drops below the planned level and the vehicle runs out of power before reaching a charging facility, an exceptional battery dump truck will have to be retrieved and recharged, significantly reducing productivity throughout the mine. Therefore, if a battery shortage is predicted, it is desirable to change the driving plan and return to the charging point. To address this issue, Patent Document 2 and other examples disclose a method for displaying information about charging facilities that can be reached with the current remaining battery power in a vehicle powered by an onboard battery when the remaining battery power is low.

[0006] US Patent Publication No. 2015 / 0283907

[0007] By applying the method described in Patent Document 2, even if the remaining battery charge drops below the planned level due to a disturbance, it is possible to determine whether the travel plan to the charging point can be carried out, and if this is not possible, it is possible to change the travel plan to return to the charging point to prevent running out of power. However, in some cases, changing the travel plan may result in returning to the charging point without carrying out loading or unloading work, which can lead to a problem of reduced productivity throughout the mine.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle and vehicle management system that can prevent a battery shortage while suppressing a decrease in productivity when the vehicle's remaining battery power drops below planned due to external disturbances.

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a vehicle including a power receiving device that receives power from a power supply device, a power storage device that stores the power received by the power receiving device, a position sensor that acquires a position, a load sensor that acquires a load amount, and a control device that acquires map data and sets a destination based on the map data. Before the vehicle starts traveling on a travel route from a charging point where the power supply device is installed to a predetermined destination, the control device calculates, based on the map data and the load amount, a feedback energy amount that is the amount of energy required to travel from each point on the travel route to the charging point, and while the vehicle is traveling on the travel route toward the predetermined destination, calculates a predicted energy amount that will be the remaining battery charge of the power storage device at each point on the travel route from the current position of the vehicle, acquired by the position sensor, and when there is a point on the travel route from the current position to the predetermined destination where the predicted energy amount is lower than the feedback energy amount, the control device changes the destination of the vehicle from the predetermined destination to another destination.

[0010] The present invention also provides a vehicle management system including a storage device that stores map data and a control control device that sets a destination of a vehicle based on the map data. Before the vehicle starts traveling along a route from a charging point where a power supply device is installed to a predetermined destination, the control control device calculates, based on the map data and the load capacity of the vehicle, a feedback energy amount that is the amount of energy required to travel from each point on the travel route to the charging point; while the vehicle is traveling along the travel route toward the predetermined destination, the control control device calculates a predicted energy amount that will be the remaining battery charge of the power storage device at each point on the travel route from the current position of the vehicle to the predetermined destination; and if there is a point on the travel route from the current position to the predetermined destination where the predicted energy amount is lower than the feedback energy amount, the control control device changes the destination of the vehicle from the predetermined destination to another destination.

[0011] According to the present invention, even if the remaining battery charge of a vehicle decreases due to the influence of an external disturbance, it is possible to prevent a decrease in productivity and continue operating the vehicle while preventing it from running out of power.

[0012] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle management system. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle management system in a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of vehicle dispatch information. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a specific example of map data. FIG. 4 is a diagram explaining the flow of power in a vehicle. FIG. 5 is a diagram explaining the flow of power in a vehicle. FIG. 6 is a diagram explaining the relationship between the distance from a charging point and the amount of returned power. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing of a control device to determine whether charging is necessary. FIG. 8 is a diagram explaining the relationship between a predicted value of remaining battery power and the amount of returned power. FIG. 9 is a diagram explaining the relationship between a predicted value of remaining battery power and the amount of returned power. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing when a vehicle is dispatched to a charging point. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the processing of a loading amount upper limit instruction in a control device. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the processing when a loading amount is limited in a loading machine. FIG. 13 is a diagram explaining the configuration of a transport route in a second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the processing of vehicle dispatch management in a control device in a second embodiment. FIG. 15 is a diagram explaining the relationship between a predicted value of remaining battery power and the amount of returned power in a second embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram explaining the relationship between a predicted value of remaining battery power and the amount of returned power in a second embodiment. It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle management system in a fourth embodiment. It is a diagram showing a specific example of map data in the fourth embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the processing of updating disturbance information of a control device. It is a flowchart showing the processing of vehicle dispatch management of a control device in the fourth embodiment.

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted as appropriate.

[0014] A first embodiment of the present invention will now be described.

[0015] <Outline of Vehicle Management System> Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle management system in this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle management system in this embodiment. Note that, for convenience, Fig. 2 shows only one vehicle and one loading machine, but two or more vehicles and loading machines may be present.

[0016] The vehicle management system 1 of this embodiment is operated at a work site such as a mine. This vehicle management system 1 includes one or more loading machines 10 that perform excavation and loading work, one or more vehicles 20 that travel on a transport path 60 at the work site and transport earth and sand loaded from the loading machines 10, and a control station 30 that controls the vehicles 20. The loading machines 10 perform loading work of excavated earth and sand onto the vehicles 20 at a loading site 61, and the vehicles 20 perform dumping work of the loaded earth and sand at a dumping site 62.

[0017] The loading machine 10, the vehicle 20, and the control station 30 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a wireless communication line 40. Specifically, a plurality of wireless base stations 41 are installed at the work site, and the loading machine 10, the vehicle 20, and the control station 30 communicate with each other via the wireless base stations 41.

[0018] The vehicle 20 is equipped with a power storage device 29 capable of storing electrical energy using a storage battery or the like. A trolley wire 50-1 connected to a substation and capable of transmitting power from a power generation plant is installed on the transport route 60. The vehicle 20 can connect to the trolley wire 50-1 using a pantograph or the like to charge the power storage device 29. A charging station 50-2 is also installed in a parking area 63 connected to the transport route 60. The vehicle 20 can also connect to the charging station 50-2 using a power supply connector or the like to charge the power storage device 29. Hereinafter, the trolley wire 50-1 and the charging station 50-2 will be collectively referred to as the power supply device 50, and the pantograph, power supply connector, etc. will be collectively referred to as the power receiving device 28. A location where such a power supply device 50 is installed will be referred to as a charging point.

[0019] <Vehicle Configuration> The vehicle 20 is a dump truck that can be driven by an operator. The vehicle 20 includes a vehicle body control device 21, a driving device 22, a position sensor 23, a speed sensor 24, a load sensor 25, an operation device 26, a wireless communication device 27, a power receiving device 28, a power storage device 29, and an output device 201.

[0020] The driving device 22 of the vehicle 20 is driven in response to the operation of the operating device 26 to drive the vehicle 20. The driving device 22 includes, for example, a steering motor for changing the steering angle of the vehicle 20, an electrically driven driving motor for driving the vehicle 20, and a brake.

[0021] The position sensor 23 of the vehicle 20 measures the position of the vehicle 20 (host vehicle) and outputs the measured position to the vehicle body control device 21. The position sensor 23 is, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS) that identifies the position using signals from satellites 70, a combination of a GPS and an inertial measurement unit (IMU), or a sensor that identifies the position using radio waves from a terrestrial base station.

[0022] The speed sensor 24 of the vehicle 20 measures the speed of the vehicle 20 (host vehicle) and outputs the measured speed to the vehicle body control device 21. The speed sensor 24 is, for example, a rotary encoder that detects the rotation speed of the wheels, a GPS that measures the speed from the amount of change in the position of the vehicle 20, an inertial measurement unit, or a speed estimation device that is a combination of these.

[0023] The load sensor 25 of the vehicle 20 measures the weight of loads such as ore, earth, and sand loaded on the bed of the vehicle 20 (host vehicle) and outputs the measured load amount to the vehicle body control device 21. The load sensor 25 is, for example, a pressure sensor installed under the bed of the vehicle 20 to measure the weight of the bed, or a weight estimation device that uses the pressure of a hydraulic suspension that supports the wheels.

[0024] The operation device 26 of the vehicle 20 receives operations from an operator who drives the vehicle 20 and outputs signals to drive the traveling device 22 and the power receiving device 28. The operation device 26 is, for example, a steering wheel, an accelerator, a brake, buttons, a touch panel, etc., provided at the driver's seat.

[0025] The wireless communication device 27 of the vehicle 20 is a radio device for connecting the vehicle body control device 21 to the wireless communication line 40. The vehicle body control device 21 of the vehicle 20 transmits and receives information and commands to and from the control device 31 of the control station 30 via the wireless communication device 27 and the like.

[0026] The power receiving device 28 of the vehicle 20 is driven in response to the operation of the operation device 26, and is connected to the power feeding device 50 to supply power to the power storage device 29. The power receiving device 28 includes, for example, a pantograph that can be raised and lowered.

[0027] The power storage device 29 of the vehicle 20 is a device for storing electrical energy for driving the traveling device 22. The power storage device 29 includes, for example, a plurality of lithium ion batteries and a device for controlling the voltage and current for the batteries.

[0028] Here, as shown in FIG. 4A , for example, when the vehicle 20 is traveling with the power receiving device 28 not connected to the power supply device 50, the power storage device 29 discharges to drive the traveling device 22. Also, as shown in FIG. 4B , for example, when the vehicle 20 is traveling with the power receiving device 28 connected to the power supply device 50, the power storage device 29 is charged with power supplied from the power supply device 50. At this time, the traveling device 22 is driven by power supplied from the power supply device 50. Furthermore, regardless of whether the vehicle 20 is connected to the power supply device 50, when the vehicle 20 decelerates, power generated by regenerative braking of the traveling device 22 can be supplied to the power storage device 29 for charging. When the power storage device 29 is charging, a rapid charging method established in the field of electric vehicles can be utilized to control the magnitude of the current so as not to burden the storage battery, thereby enabling charging that takes into consideration the lifespan of the storage battery.

[0029] The output device 201 of the vehicle 20 is a device for presenting vehicle body status and control information to the operator of the vehicle 20 by screen display or audio. The output device 201 is, for example, a liquid crystal monitor or a speaker installed near the driver's seat of the vehicle 20.

[0030] The vehicle body control device 21 of the vehicle 20 is configured by a microcomputer that combines, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes calculations, a ROM (Read Only Memory) as a secondary storage device that records programs for the calculations, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) as a temporary storage device that stores the calculation progress and temporary control variables. The vehicle body control device 21 has, as its functional components, a vehicle body status management unit 211, a control information management unit 212, and a driving control unit 213.

[0031] The vehicle body status management unit 211 of the vehicle body control device 21 manages position information obtained by the position sensor 23, speed information obtained by the speed sensor 24, load information obtained by the load sensor 25, information on the connection status of the power receiving device 28 to the power supply device 50, and information on the remaining battery capacity of the storage device 29, and transmits this information to the control control device 31 of the control station 30.

[0032] The control information management unit 212 of the vehicle body control device 21 receives destination information and speed limit information from the vehicle dispatch management unit 311 of the vehicle control device 31, and outputs an alarm to the output device 201 and instructs the driving control unit 213 to impose a speed limit.

[0033] The driving control unit 213 of the vehicle body control device 21 receives operations received from the operating device 26 and drives the driving device 22 taking into account the speed limit instruction based on information from the vehicle body state management unit 211 and the control information management unit 212.

[0034] The loading machine 10 is a shovel that can perform excavation and loading work by being operated by an operator. The loading machine 10 includes a vehicle control device 11, an operation device 12, a drive device 13, an output device 14, and a wireless communication device 17.

[0035] The driving device 13 of the loading machine 10 is driven in response to the operation of the operating device 12. The driving device 13 includes, for example, a hydraulic cylinder for controlling the attitude of a boom, an arm, and a bucket used by the loading machine 10 to perform loading work, a travel motor for moving the position of the loading machine 10, and the like.

[0036] The operation device 12 of the loading machine 10 accepts operations by an operator who drives the loading machine 10 and outputs a signal to drive the drive device 13. The operation device 12 is, for example, an operation lever, pedal, button, touch panel, etc. provided at the driver's seat.

[0037] The wireless communication device 17 of the loading machine 10 is a radio device for connecting the vehicle body control device 11 to the wireless communication line 40. The vehicle body control device 11 of the loading machine 10 transmits and receives information and commands to and from the control device 31 of the control station 30 via the wireless communication device 17 and the like.

[0038] The output device 14 of the loading machine 10 is a device for presenting control information and the like to the operator of the loading machine 10 by screen display or voice. The output device 14 is, for example, a liquid crystal monitor or speaker installed near the driver's seat of the loading machine 10.

[0039] The vehicle body control device 11 of the loading machine 10 is configured by a microcomputer that combines, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes calculations, a ROM (Read Only Memory) as a secondary storage device that records programs for the calculations, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) as a temporary storage device that saves the calculation progress and temporary control variables. The vehicle body control device 11 has, as its functional configuration, a control information management unit 111, a loading stop determination unit 112, and a drive control unit 113.

[0040] The control information management unit 111 of the vehicle body control device 11 receives information such as the load capacity of the vehicle 20 currently being loaded and the load capacity upper limit value from the vehicle dispatch management unit 311 of the control device 31, and displays the information on the output device 14.

[0041] The loading stop determination unit 112 of the vehicle control device 11 refers to the information received by the control information management unit 111, determines whether loading should be stopped for the vehicle 20 currently being loaded, taking into account the load capacity upper limit value, and outputs an alarm to the output device 14 if necessary.

[0042] The drive control section 113 of the vehicle body control device 11 controls the drive of the drive device 13 in response to input to the operation device 12 by the operator of the loading machine 10 .

[0043] <Configuration of Control Station> The control station 30 includes a control control device 31, a storage device 32, a wireless communication device 33, and an input device 34.

[0044] The storage device 32 of the control station 30 is a non-volatile storage medium that can read and write information, and stores an OS, various control programs, application programs, databases, etc. The storage device 32 has a dispatch information storage unit 321 and a map data storage unit 322.

[0045] The wireless communication device 33 of the control station 30 is a radio device for connecting the control device 31 to the wireless communication line 40. The control device 31 of the control station 30 transmits and receives information and commands to and from the vehicle body control device 21 of the vehicle 20 via the wireless communication device 33 and the like.

[0046] The input device 34 of the control station 30 is a user interface that allows an operator to operate the control device 31. The input device 34 is, for example, a mouse or a keyboard.

[0047] The control device 31 of the control station 30 is configured by a microcomputer that combines, for example, a CPU that executes calculations, a ROM as a secondary storage device that records programs for the calculations, and a RAM as a temporary storage device that saves the calculation progress and temporary control variables. The control device 31 has, as its functional components, a vehicle dispatch management unit 311, a battery remaining capacity monitoring unit 312, a charging necessity determination unit 313, and a load capacity upper limit indication unit 314.

[0048] The vehicle allocation management unit 311 of the control device 31 sets a travel route for the vehicle 20 to the destination based on the position information of the vehicle 20 received from the vehicle body control device 21 of the vehicle 20. For example, when the vehicle 20 is at the loading site 61, the vehicle allocation management unit 311 sets a travel route for the vehicle 20 to the dumping site 62. Also, when the vehicle 20 is at the dumping site 62, the vehicle allocation management unit 311 sets a travel route for the vehicle 20 to the loading site 61. The vehicle allocation management unit 311 stores the set travel route for the vehicle 20 as vehicle allocation information in the vehicle allocation information storage unit 321 of the storage device 32.

[0049] The vehicle allocation information is in a table format, as shown in FIG. 3A , and includes a vehicle ID, which is identification information for the vehicle 20, a travel route set for each vehicle ID, and a charging plan set for the travel route. The travel route is, for example, a travel route from the loading site 61 to the dumping site 62, or a travel route from the dumping site 62 to the loading site 61. The travel route conforms to the transport route in the map data and is composed of sections into which the transport route is divided. The charging plan includes, for example, charging stations located on or near the travel route and the charging time at the charging stations. Alternatively, it includes trolley wires located on sections of the travel route and a target speed for ensuring the charging time under the trolley wires. The charging time can be calculated, for example, by calculating the power consumption of the entire travel route with reference to the map data described below and taking into account the charging speed of the power storage device 29. Alternatively, such calculations can be performed in advance to provide a charging plan corresponding to each route. If vehicle allocation information for the preceding and following times is available, a charging plan can be calculated that ensures a sufficient amount of charge by taking this information into account.

[0050] The map data is stored in the map data storage unit 322 of the storage device 32, and is in a table format, for example, as shown in FIG. 3B , and includes the ID of each section of a transport route divided into multiple sections, the distance of each section, the target speed, the amount of power consumption, and the presence or absence of a power supply device 50. Here, the target speed for each section is a basic target speed, and if a speed for a specific section is specified in the charging plan of the vehicle dispatch information, the vehicle 20 prioritizes following the speed in the vehicle dispatch information. The amount of power consumption also includes the amount of power consumption according to the load capacity of the vehicle 20, for example, the amount of power consumption when the load capacity is 0% and 100%. The map data may also include information on a sequence of coordinate points that constitute each section (not shown).

[0051] The battery remaining capacity monitoring unit 312 of the control device 31 monitors and predicts the information on the remaining battery capacity of the storage device 29 received from the vehicle body control device 21 of the vehicle 20, and provides the information to the charging necessity determination unit 313 and the load capacity upper limit indication unit 314.

[0052] The charging necessity determination unit 313 of the control device 31 compares the predicted remaining battery charge of the storage device 29 of the vehicle 20 with the return power amount, which is the minimum amount of power required to return from each point on the transport route to the charging point where the power supply device 50 is installed, and if it is predicted that the remaining battery charge will fall below the return power amount if the vehicle 20 continues to travel, it requests the dispatch management unit 311 to change the destination to the charging point.

[0053] When the loading machine 10 performs loading work on the vehicle 20, the load capacity upper limit instruction unit 314 of the control device 31 calculates an upper load capacity limit value so that the feedback power amount falls below the remaining battery power based on the remaining battery power of the vehicle 20's power storage device 29 and the feedback power amount corresponding to the load capacity of the vehicle 20 at the loading point, and instructs the vehicle body control device 11 of the loading machine 10.

[0054] <Explanation of Returned Energy Amount> Next, an example of the returned energy amount, which is the amount of energy required to travel from each point on the transport route to a charging point where a power supply device 50 is installed, will be described using FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a graph with the distance from the charging point on the horizontal axis and the returned energy amount on the vertical axis, showing the relationship according to the load capacity of the vehicle 20. First, regardless of the load capacity, the longer the travel distance, the greater the amount of power consumed for travel, and therefore the greater the amount of returned energy. At this time, the magnitude of the gradient also affects the amount of returned energy. In other words, in sections with an uphill gradient toward the charging point, the amount of power consumed increases by the potential energy.

[0055] Furthermore, the greater the load, the greater the amount of feedback power. That is, when the vehicle 20 is empty (load capacity 0%), the amount of feedback power is small, and when the vehicle 20 is fully loaded (load capacity 100%), the amount of feedback power is large. The amount of feedback power for load capacities between these two, or for overloads greater than full load, can be calculated, for example, by linear interpolation using the values ​​of load capacities 0% and 100%.

[0056] The amount of feedback power can be calculated as the amount of power consumption relative to the distance from the charging point, for example, using the map data shown in Figure 3B. This amount of power consumption can be roughly calculated using physical laws based on the distance, gradient, and running resistance of each section. Alternatively, the amount of change in the remaining battery charge of the power storage device 29 for each section while the vehicle 20 is actually traveling can be measured and registered in the map data.

[0057] <Details of the process of determining whether charging is necessary in the traffic control device> An example of an operation for determining and instructing the vehicle 20 to return to a charging point when it is predicted that the vehicle 20 will run out of power while traveling, using information on the amount of feedback power, will be described below. First, details of the process of determining whether charging is necessary in the traffic control device 31, using the amount of feedback power, will be described using Figures 6, 7A, and 7B.

[0058] First, in step S601, the charging necessity determination unit 313 of the control device 31 determines whether the target vehicle 20 is traveling. If the target vehicle 20 is not traveling (S601 / NO), the process returns to the beginning. If the target vehicle 20 is traveling (S601 / YES), the process proceeds to step S602.

[0059] Next, in step S602, it is determined whether the traveling direction of the target vehicle 20 is a direction away from the charging point. For example, if there is no charging point ahead of the currently traveling section of the travel route set for the vehicle 20 by the vehicle dispatch management unit 311, it can be determined that the traveling direction of the vehicle 20 is a direction away from the charging point. If the traveling direction is not a direction away from the charging point (S602 / NO), the process returns to the beginning. If the traveling direction is a direction away from the charging point (S602 / YES), the process proceeds to step S603.

[0060] Next, in step S603, the battery remaining amount monitoring unit 312 calculates a predicted remaining battery amount on the subsequent travel route of the vehicle 20 based on the information on the current position of the vehicle 20, the information on the remaining battery amount, and the information on power consumption in the map data. This predicted remaining battery amount can be calculated and stored, for example, at regular intervals along the travel route.

[0061] Next, in step S604, the charging necessity determination unit 313 determines whether the predicted remaining battery level exceeds the feedback power amount at all points on the subsequent travel route of the vehicle 20. If the condition is met in step S604 (YES in S604), the process returns to the beginning. If the condition is not met (NO in S604), the process proceeds to step S605.

[0062] This will be described in detail using Figures 7A and 7B. Both Figures 7A and 7B are graphs showing the relationship between the travel distance, the predicted remaining battery power, and the amount of feedback power for the vehicle 20 traveling from its current location to the loading point. As mentioned above, the values ​​of these graphs can be calculated as a series of points spaced at regular intervals, and the calculations are performed so that the predicted remaining battery power and the amount of feedback power can be compared at the same point. Figure 7A shows an example in which the predicted remaining battery power always exceeds the amount of feedback power at each point from the current location to the loading point. In this case, the vehicle 20 can return to the charging point from any point until it reaches the loading point, and there is no risk of the vehicle 20 running out of power even if it continues traveling. On the other hand, Figure 7B shows an example in which the predicted remaining battery power falls below the amount of feedback power on the way to the loading point. In this case, at points where the remaining battery power falls below the amount of feedback power, the vehicle 20 will not be able to return to the charging point and may run out of power along the way. Therefore, when such a situation is predicted, it can be determined that the current remaining battery power is insufficient to continue work.

[0063] Next, in step S605, the charging necessity determination unit 313 cooperates with the vehicle dispatch management unit 311 to set the destination of the target vehicle 20 as a charging point. Then, in step S606, the vehicle dispatch management unit 311 instructs the vehicle 20 of the destination and driving route through the wireless communication line 40. In the vehicle 20, the received information is stored in the control information management unit 212 of the vehicle body control device 21 and output to the output device 201, thereby presenting the information to the operator of the vehicle 20.

[0064] <Details of Vehicle Warning and Speed ​​Limit Processing> Next, with reference to FIG. 8, the details of the processing performed by the vehicle body control device 21 of the vehicle 20 to issue a warning or limit the speed depending on the situation when the destination is a charging point will be described.

[0065] First, in step S801, the control information management unit 212 determines whether the destination set for the vehicle 20 is a charging point. If the destination is not a charging point (S801 / NO), the process returns to the beginning. If the destination is a charging point (S801 / YES), the process proceeds to step S802.

[0066] Next, in step S802, the control information management unit 212 refers to the information of the vehicle body state management unit 211 and determines whether the vehicle 20 is traveling in a direction away from the charging point set as the destination. If the vehicle 20 is not traveling in a direction away from the charging point (S802 / NO), the process returns to the beginning. If the vehicle 20 is traveling in a direction away from the charging point (S802 / YES), the process proceeds to step S803.

[0067] Subsequently, in step S803, the control information management unit 212 issues a return warning to urge the operator to return to the charging point from the output device 201. The return warning is, for example, warning information displayed on a monitor or a warning sound emitted from a speaker.

[0068] Next, in step S804, the control information management unit 212 sets a speed limit for the driving control unit 213. The driving control unit 213 limits the maximum speed to a predetermined value under the set speed limit, regardless of the operation of the operation device 26 by the operator.

[0069] <Details of Load Capacity Upper Limit Instruction Processing by the Control Device> An example of an operation will be described below in which, when the loading machine 10 performs loading work on the vehicle 20, the load capacity is limited based on the remaining battery charge of the vehicle 20 so that the vehicle 20 can return to the charging point. First, details of the load capacity upper limit instruction processing by the control device 31 will be described using Fig. 9 .

[0070] First, in step S901, the load capacity upper limit instructing unit 314 of the control device 31 refers to information received from the vehicle body state management unit 211 of the vehicle 20 and determines whether the target vehicle 20 is currently being loaded. If the target vehicle 20 is not currently being loaded (S901 / NO), the process returns to the beginning. If the target vehicle 20 is currently being loaded (S901 / YES), the process proceeds to step S902.

[0071] Next, in step S902, the load capacity upper limit indicator 314 calculates a load capacity upper limit value that results in a feedback power amount that is less than the remaining battery charge of the vehicle 20. The load capacity upper limit value can be calculated, for example, by determining a load capacity that will result in a feedback power amount that takes the load capacity into consideration and that matches a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined margin from the current remaining battery charge of the vehicle 20. This calculation can be performed using linear interpolation by referring to the power consumption values ​​for each section in the map data when the load is 0% and 100%.

[0072] Subsequently, in step S903, the load capacity upper limit instructing unit 314 instructs the loading machine 10 of the calculated load capacity upper limit value via the wireless communication line 40.

[0073] <Details of Loading Machine Loading Stop Determination Processing> Next, details of loading stop determination processing of the loading machine 10 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0074] First, in step S1001, the control information management unit 111 determines whether or not a load capacity upper limit value has been received from the control device 31. If not (S1001 / NO), the process returns to the beginning. If received (S1001 / YES), the process proceeds to step S1002.

[0075] Subsequently, in step S1002, the control information management unit 111 outputs information on the load capacity upper limit value to the output device 14. For example, the load capacity upper limit value is displayed on a monitor as a number or a meter display so that the operator of the loading machine 10 can check it together with the current load capacity of the vehicle 20.

[0076] Subsequently, in step S1003, the loading stop determination unit 112 calculates a loading stop warning threshold value. The loading stop warning threshold value is a threshold value for issuing a warning to stop the loading operation when the load amount of the vehicle 20 during loading operation exceeds the threshold value, and can be calculated as a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined margin from the load amount upper limit value.

[0077] Next, in step S1004, the loading stop determination unit 112 determines whether the load amount of the vehicle 20 during loading operation is below the loading stop warning threshold. If the load amount is equal to or greater than the loading stop warning threshold (S1004 / NO), the process proceeds to step S1005.

[0078] Subsequently, in step S1005, the loading stop determination unit 112 issues a loading stop warning from the output device 14 to urge the operator of the loading machine 10 to stop the loading operation. The loading stop warning is a warning display on the monitor or an alarm sound output from the speaker.

[0079] In step S1004, if the load amount is below the loading stop warning threshold (S1004 / YES), the process proceeds to step S1006. In step S1006, the loading stop determination unit 112 determines whether loading is complete for the target vehicle 20 based on operation information from the operation device 12. This determination can be made, for example, based on whether the operator of the loading machine 10 has signaled loading completion by pressing a button or touch panel. If loading is complete (S1006 / YES), the process ends. If loading is not complete (S1006 / NO), the process returns to step S1004.

[0080] Effects of First Example In the first example, in the vehicle management system 1 including the storage device 32 that stores map data and the control control device 31 that sets the destination of the vehicle 20 based on the map data, before the vehicle 20 starts traveling along a travel route from a charging point where a power supply device 50 is provided to a predetermined destination, the control control device 31 calculates, based on the map data and the payload of the vehicle 20, a feedback energy amount that is the amount of energy required to travel from each point on the travel route to the charging point; while the vehicle 20 is traveling along the travel route toward the predetermined destination, the control control device 31 calculates a predicted energy amount that will be the remaining battery charge of the power storage device at each point on the travel route from the current position of the vehicle 20 to the predetermined destination; and if there is a point on the travel route from the current position to the predetermined destination where the predicted energy amount is lower than the feedback energy amount, the control control device 31 changes the destination of the vehicle 20 from the predetermined destination to another destination.

[0081] In the first embodiment, the vehicle 20 includes the power receiving device 28 that receives power from the power supply device 50, the power storage device 29 that stores the power received by the power receiving device 28, the position sensor 23 that acquires the position, the load sensor 25 that acquires the load amount, and the control device 21 that acquires map data and sets the destination based on the map data. Before the vehicle 20 starts traveling along a route from a charging point where the power supply device 50 is provided to a predetermined destination, the control device 21 calculates the location of each location on the travel route based on the map data and the load amount. The system calculates a return energy amount, which is the amount of energy required to travel from the specified point to the charging point, and while the vehicle 20 is traveling along the travel route toward the specified destination, calculates a predicted amount of energy that will be the remaining battery charge of the storage device 29 at each point on the travel route from the current position of the vehicle 20 acquired by the position sensor 23 to the specified destination, and if there is a point among the points on the travel route from the current position to the specified destination where the predicted amount of energy is lower than the return energy amount, changes the destination of the vehicle 20 from the specified destination to another destination.

[0082] According to the first embodiment configured as described above, the control control device 31 (or vehicle body control device 21) predicts changes in the remaining battery charge of the storage device 29 while the vehicle 20 is traveling on the transport route 60 that has charging points, and compares this with the amount of return power at each point on the travel route.If it is predicted that the vehicle 20 will run out of power, it issues a dispatch instruction to head to another destination, thereby making it possible to prevent the vehicle 20 from running out of power.

[0083] In addition, the other destination in the first embodiment is a charging point, so that when it is predicted that the vehicle 20 will run out of power, the power storage device 29 can be charged quickly.

[0084] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, when the destination of the vehicle 20 is changed from a predetermined destination to a charging point and the vehicle 20 travels on a route away from the charging point, the traffic control device 31 issues a warning to the vehicle 20 to urge the vehicle 20 to travel to the charging point. Alternatively, in the first embodiment, when the destination of the vehicle 20 is changed from a predetermined destination to a charging point and the vehicle 20 travels on a route away from the charging point, the vehicle body control device 21 issues a warning to urge the vehicle 20 to travel to the charging point. This makes it possible to prevent the vehicle 20 from running out of power.

[0085] Furthermore, the traffic control device 31 in the first embodiment instructs the vehicle 20 to limit its speed when the vehicle 20 changes its destination from a predetermined destination to a charging point and then travels on a route away from the charging point. Alternatively, the vehicle body control device 21 in the first embodiment instructs the vehicle 20 to limit its speed when the vehicle 20 changes its destination from a predetermined destination to a charging point and then travels on a route away from the charging point. This makes it possible to prevent the vehicle 20 from running out of power.

[0086] Furthermore, when the loading machine 10 starts loading work on the vehicle 20, the control device 31 in the first embodiment determines a load amount upper limit value, which is the upper limit of the load amount at which the amount of feedback power falls below the charged amount of the power storage device 29, and instructs the loading machine 10. This makes it possible to prevent the vehicle 20 from running out of power on the travel route from the loading point to the charging point.

[0087] Furthermore, the control device 31 in the first embodiment issues a warning to the loading machine 10 to urge the loading operation to stop when the load amount of the vehicle 20 exceeds a warning threshold set lower than the load amount upper limit value. This makes it possible to prevent the vehicle 20 from running out of power on the route from the loading point to the return to the charging point.

[0088] <Modification of First Embodiment> Note that, in this embodiment, an example of the configuration and operation of the vehicle 20 when driven by an operator is shown, but the means for realizing the present invention is not limited to this method. For example, if the vehicle 20 has a function of autonomously traveling along a travel route in accordance with the dispatch instructions of the traffic control device 31, when it is predicted that the remaining battery charge will fall below the return power amount and the destination is changed to a charging point, the vehicle 20 can immediately return to the charging point by autonomous traveling instead of notifying the operator of the change in destination and issuing a return warning. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the traffic control device 31 is disposed in the control station 30, but the function of the traffic control device 31 may be implemented in the vehicle body control device 21 of the vehicle 20.

[0089] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which, when a vehicle 20 is traveling toward a dump site, the destination is changed to another dump site based on a predicted remaining battery charge. In mines, it is common for there to be multiple dump sites, particularly for dumping soil and sand, and changing the destination can reduce the impact of disturbances on productivity. In this embodiment, parts equivalent to those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted where appropriate.

[0090] <Configuration of Second Example> The configuration of the vehicle management system 1 in this example is entirely the same as that in Example 1. However, the processing content of the charging necessity determination unit 313 of the control device 31 is different, and this content will be described later.

[0091] <Conveyor Path Configuration of Second Example> The configuration of the conveyor path assumed in this example is shown in Figure 11. In this example, it is assumed that the vehicle 20 is traveling on the conveyor path 60 with the soil dumping site 62A as its destination. It is assumed that there is a branch point connected to the soil dumping site 62B on the travel route between the vehicle 20 and the soil dumping site 62A. It is also assumed that the vehicle 20 is traveling in a direction away from the charging point. Here, in the following examples, the charging point is assumed to be a parking lot 63 where a charging station 50-2 is installed, but this may also be a partial section of the conveyor path 60 where the trolley overhead line 50-1 is installed.

[0092] <Details of processing by charging necessity determination unit of control device> Below, using Figures 12, 13A and 13B, we will explain in detail the processing in which the control device 31 uses information on the amount of returned energy and changes the dispatch instruction to another destination when it is predicted that the vehicle 20 will run out of power while traveling toward a certain destination.

[0093] First, in the flowchart of Fig. 12, steps S601 to S604 are the same as those described in Fig. 6 of the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described here. In the processing of the traffic control device 31 in Fig. 6, if the condition that the predicted remaining battery level value exceeds the feedback power amount is not satisfied at all points on the travel route in step S604, the destination is changed to a charging point, but in this embodiment, the processing thereafter is different.

[0094] First, in step S1205, the charging necessity determination unit 313 calculates a predicted remaining battery level for a travel route to a destination different from the current destination. Here, the destination different from the current destination is a dumping site if the vehicle is loaded, or a loading site if the vehicle is unloaded, for example, dumping site 62B in the embodiment of FIG. 11 .

[0095] 12, when the destination is a dump site, the target of calculation of the predicted remaining battery capacity value is a destination where the load of the vehicle 20 can be dumped. For example, when the load of the vehicle 20 is topsoil, the target is a destination where the topsoil can be dumped, and when the load is ore, the target is a destination where the ore can be dumped.

[0096] Next, in step S1206, the charging necessity determination unit 313 determines whether there is a destination at all points on the driving route where the predicted battery remaining amount value exceeds the return power amount. If there is a destination that satisfies the condition (S1206 / YES), the process proceeds to step S1207, where the destination of the target vehicle 20 is set to a destination that satisfies the condition in cooperation with the vehicle dispatch management unit 311. If there is no destination that satisfies the condition (S1206 / NO), the process proceeds to step S1208, where the destination of the target vehicle 20 is set to a charging point.

[0097] Then, in step S1209, the vehicle dispatch management unit 311 instructs the vehicle 20 via the wireless communication line 40 about the destination and the travel route.

[0098] Here, a specific example in which the above processing is effective is shown using FIGS. 13A and 13B. FIGS. 13A and 13B are graphs showing the relationship between the travel distance, the predicted remaining battery level, and the amount of return power for the vehicle 20 traveling from its current location toward the dumping site 62A and the dumping site 62B, respectively. The horizontal axes represent the distance on the travel route toward the dumping site 62A, the current destination. FIG. 13A shows a situation in which the change in the predicted remaining battery level along the travel route toward the dumping site 62A falls below the amount of return power along the way. Therefore, the condition for the determination in step S604 is not satisfied, and the vehicle 20 may run out of power. Therefore, the destination of the vehicle 20 needs to be changed. In contrast, FIG. 13B shows a situation in which the change in the predicted remaining battery level along the travel route toward the dumping site 62B, a destination different from the current one, exceeds the amount of return power at all points. Therefore, in such a situation, changing the destination of the vehicle 20 to the dumping site 62B can prevent the vehicle 20 from running out of power.

[0099] <Effects of the Second Example> When changing the destination of the vehicle 20 from a predetermined destination to another destination, the traffic control device 31 (or the vehicle body control device 21) in the second example selects, as the other destination, a destination candidate that corresponds to a travel route that does not include a point where the predicted amount of power in the storage device 29 is lower than the return power amount, from among each of the travel routes from the current position of the vehicle 20 to a plurality of candidate destinations that are candidates for the other destination.

[0100] According to the second embodiment configured as described above, the control control device 31 (or vehicle body control device 21) predicts changes in the remaining battery charge of the storage device 29 while the vehicle 20 is traveling on the transport route 60 that has a charging point, and compares this with the amount of returned power at each point on the travel route.If it is predicted that the vehicle 20 will run out of power, it issues a dispatch instruction to change the destination to one of the candidate destinations that are different from the current destination depending on the loading status and that is predicted to be one on the travel route where the vehicle 20 will not run out of power.This prevents the vehicle 20 from running out of power and makes it possible to continue transport operations without returning to the charging point.

[0101] Furthermore, the control device 31 (or the vehicle body control device 21) in the second embodiment selects a plurality of candidate destinations that are candidates for other destinations depending on the type of cargo on the vehicle 20. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in productivity throughout the mine.

[0102] <Variation of the Second Example> In this example, the charging necessity determination unit 313 immediately determines whether to change the destination if the predicted battery level on the current driving route is predicted to fall below the return power amount at any point. However, this is not a limitation of the implementation of the present invention. For example, if the destination is a dumping site, the vehicle 20 dumps soil at the dumping site, causing the return power amount at each point to be less than the amount of power it receives. Therefore, even if the predicted battery level is predicted to fall below the return power amount on the outbound journey to the dumping site, if it is determined that the predicted battery level exceeds the return power amount due to the reduced load on the return journey from the dumping site, the vehicle 20 can continue traveling to the destination. This prevents the vehicle 20 from running out of power, eliminates the need to change the original dumping plan, and enables production as planned.

[0103] A third embodiment of the present invention will be described, focusing on differences from the above-described embodiments. In this embodiment, an example of operation when there are multiple charging points on a transport route 60 on which a vehicle 20 travels is shown.

[0104] <Configuration of Third Embodiment> The configuration of the vehicle management system 1 in this embodiment is entirely the same as that in the first embodiment, except for the processing content of the charging necessity determination unit 313 of the control device 31, which will be described later.

[0105] <Conveyance Route Configuration of Third Example> The configuration of the conveyance route assumed in this example is shown in Figure 14. In this example, it is assumed that the vehicle 20 is traveling on the conveyance route 60 with the dumping site 62 as its destination. The vehicle 20 is traveling in a direction away from the parking lot 63A, which is a charging point. It is also assumed that there is a junction on the travel route between the vehicle 20 and the dumping site 62 that is connected to another charging point, parking lot 63B.

[0106] <Details of processing by charging necessity determination unit of control device> Below, using Figure 15, we will explain in detail the processing by the control device 31 to predict when the vehicle 20 will run out of power and issue a dispatch instruction, taking into account the amount of returned power related to multiple charging points.

[0107] First, in the flowchart of Fig. 15, steps S601 to S604 are the same as those described in Fig. 6 of the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described here. In the processing of the traffic control device 31 in Fig. 6, if the condition that the predicted remaining battery level value exceeds the feedback power amount is not satisfied at all points on the travel route in step S604, the destination is changed to a charging point, but in this embodiment, the processing thereafter is different.

[0108] First, in step S1505, the charging necessity determination unit 313 refers to the map data and determines whether there is a charging point on a route different from the current route of the vehicle 20. If there is a charging point (YES in S1505), the process proceeds to step S1506, and if there is no charging point (NO in S1505), the process proceeds to step S1507.

[0109] Next, in step S1506, the charging necessity determination unit 313 determines whether the predicted remaining battery power value at each point on the current driving route of the vehicle 20 exceeds the return power amount for any charging point on a different route obtained in the previous step. Here, the return power amount for a charging point on a different route is the amount of power consumed to travel the shortest route from each point on the driving route of the vehicle 20 to the target charging point. For example, in the example of FIG. 14 , the return power amount on the current driving route of the vehicle 20 to the parking lot 63B, which is the charging point, is smallest at the junction and increases as the distance from the junction increases. Conversely, from the current position of the vehicle 20 in FIG. 14 , the return power amount for the parking lot 63B on the current driving route decreases as the vehicle 20 approaches the junction. In step S1506, if the predicted remaining battery power value on the driving route for any charging point always exceeds the return power amount (S1506 / YES), the process returns to step S601. If the conditions are not satisfied for any of the charging points (S1506 / NO), the process proceeds to step S1507.

[0110] Next, in step S1507, the charging necessity determination unit 313 cooperates with the vehicle allocation management unit 311 to set the destination of the target vehicle 20 to the charging point with the smallest amount of return power from the current position. Then, in step S1508, the vehicle allocation management unit 311 instructs the vehicle 20 on the destination and the driving route via the wireless communication line 40.

[0111] <Effects of the third embodiment> In the third embodiment, when there are multiple charging points, including the charging point, on a driving route from a charging point to a specified destination or on a driving route branching off from the driving route, and there is a point on all driving routes to the multiple charging points where the predicted amount of power is less than the amount of feedback power, the control device 31 (or the vehicle body control device 21) selects the charging point among the multiple charging points with the smallest amount of feedback power as the other destination.

[0112] According to this embodiment configured as described above, the control device 31 (or vehicle body control device 21) predicts changes in the remaining battery charge of the storage device 29 while the vehicle 20 is traveling on the transport route 60 which has multiple charging points, and compares the predicted remaining battery charge value at each point on the travel route with the return power amount to the multiple charging points. If it is predicted that the vehicle 20 will run out of power, the destination of the vehicle 20 can be changed to the charging point with the smallest return power amount, thereby preventing the vehicle 20 from running out of power and reducing the loss of power consumption, i.e., the cost, that would be caused by returning to the charging point.

[0113] A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described, focusing on differences from the above-described embodiments. In this embodiment, actual data on increases in power consumption due to disturbances that actually occurred when the vehicle 20 traveled on the conveying path 60 is utilized to adjust the charging plan in advance.

[0114] <Configuration of the Fourth Embodiment> The configuration of the vehicle management system 1 in this embodiment is shown in Fig. 16. In this embodiment, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment, the traffic control device 31 includes a disturbance information management unit 315. All other components are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0115] The disturbance information management unit acquires information on the remaining battery charge of the power storage device 29 of the vehicle 20, tallying up the amount of change in the remaining battery charge for each section of the transport route 60 and storing the total amount in the map data. The disturbance information management unit also cooperates with the vehicle dispatch management unit to instruct a charging plan for adjusting the amount of charge at the charging points of the vehicle 20.

[0116] An example of map data in this embodiment is shown in Figure 17. In addition to the contents of the first embodiment, the map data also includes information on the amount of disturbance power consumption in each section. The amount of disturbance power consumption is information estimated based on actual data on the amount of power consumption required for normal driving in each section, as well as the amount of additional power consumption caused by various factors such as interactions with other vehicles, unplanned work, and the influence of road surface conditions, as described above. Note that in this embodiment, the amount of disturbance power consumption is stored separately from the amount of normal power consumption, but it is also possible to store the amount of power consumption for each section including the influence of disturbances together.

[0117] <Details of the Disturbance Power Consumption Amount Update Process of the Control Device> Hereinafter, a method for acquiring the disturbance power consumption amount from the performance data and a vehicle dispatch management method including a charging plan using the acquired data will be described.

[0118] First, the details of the disturbance power consumption update process in the control device 31 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0119] First, in step S1801, the disturbance information management unit 315 determines whether any vehicle 20 has passed through any section on the conveyance path 60. This determination can be made based on information on the order of the travel route included in the dispatch information set for the vehicle 20 and on the position information of the vehicle 20. If the vehicle 20 has not passed through any section (S1801 / NO), the process returns to the beginning. If the vehicle 20 has passed through any section (S1801 / YES), the process proceeds to step S1802.

[0120] Next, in step S1802, the disturbance information management unit 315 compares the power consumption amount on the map data for the target section with the actual power consumption amount of the target vehicle 20, and obtains the difference. The actual power consumption amount of the target vehicle 20 can be calculated, for example, by taking the difference between the remaining battery power of the vehicle 20 at the start and end of traveling in the target section.

[0121] Next, in step S1803, the disturbance information management unit 315 calculates an expected value of the disturbance power consumption for the target section by using the difference between the actual power consumption and the power consumption on the map data for the target section. For example, the expected value can be calculated by storing history information of the difference from the power consumption on the map data and taking the moving average of the history information.

[0122] Then, in step S1804, the disturbance information management unit 315 updates the disturbance power consumption amount of the map data with the value calculated in the previous step.

[0123] <Details of Vehicle Allocation Instruction Processing Taking into Account Disturbance Power Consumption Amount in the Traffic Control Device> Next, details of vehicle allocation instruction processing taking into account disturbance power consumption amount in the traffic control device 31 will be described with reference to FIG. 19 .

[0124] First, in step S1901, the vehicle allocation management unit 311 determines whether any vehicle 20 has requested allocation to the next destination. If there is no vehicle 20 requesting allocation (S1901 / NO), the process returns to the beginning. If there is a vehicle 20 requesting allocation (S1901 / YES), the process proceeds to step S1902.

[0125] Next, in step S1902, the vehicle dispatch management unit 311 calculates the total amount of disturbance power consumption to the destination as the charge margin for the target travel route in cooperation with the disturbance information management unit 315. Here, the destination and the travel route to the destination are determined taking into consideration the loading state of the vehicle 20 and the working state of the loading machine 10.

[0126] Next, in step S1903, the vehicle dispatch management unit 311 calculates the charging time that can ensure the required amount of charge for the target driving route, taking into account the charging speed of the storage device 29 and including the charging margin calculated in the previous step.

[0127] Next, in step S1904, the vehicle dispatch management unit 311 determines a charging plan for charging points on the target driving route. The charging plan is information on charging time or driving speed at the charging points, and can be calculated by taking into account a charging margin for the original charging section linked to the target driving route.

[0128] Finally, in step S1905, the vehicle allocation management unit 311 instructs the vehicle 20 that has requested allocation with vehicle allocation information including the determined charging plan.

[0129] <Effects of the Fourth Example> In the fourth example, the control device 31 acquires information on the actual power consumption, which is the amount of power actually consumed by the vehicle 20 in the power storage device 29 in each section of the travel route, estimates the amount of power required for travel along the travel route based on the information on the actual power consumption, determines a charging plan so that the amount of power to be charged at a charging point exceeds the amount of power required for the travel, and instructs the vehicle 20 to do so.

[0130] According to the fourth embodiment configured as described above, the control device 31 can acquire the amount of power consumption due to disturbances that actually occur when the vehicle 20 travels on the conveying route 60 and reflect this in the charging plan. This allows the amount of charge to be secured in advance, taking into account the amount of power consumption due to disturbances, and reduces the possibility of the vehicle having to turn back to the charging point midway through the journey, thereby suppressing the resulting decline in productivity.

[0131] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to add part of the configuration of one embodiment to the configuration of another embodiment, or to delete part of the configuration of one embodiment or replace it with part of another embodiment.

[0132] 1...vehicle management system, 10...loading machine, 11...vehicle body control device, 12...operation device, 13...drive device, 14...output device, 17...wireless communication device, 20...vehicle, 21...vehicle body control device, 22...travel device, 23...position sensor, 24...speed sensor, 25...load sensor, 26...operation device, 27...wireless communication device, 28...power receiving device, 29...power storage device, 30...control station, 31...control control device, 32...storage device, 33...wireless communication device, 34...input device, 40...wireless communication line, 41...wireless base station, 50...power supply device, 50-1...trolley overhead line, 5 0-2...charging station, 60...transport route, 61...loading area, 62, 62A, 62B...discharge area, 63, 63A, 63B...parking area, 70...satellite, 100...payload, 111...control information management unit, 112...loading stop determination unit, 113...drive control unit, 201...output device, 211...vehicle body status management unit, 212...control information management unit, 213...travel control unit, 311...vehicle dispatch management unit, 312...battery remaining capacity monitoring unit, 313...charging necessity determination unit, 314...load capacity upper limit instruction unit, 315...disturbance information management unit, 321...vehicle dispatch information storage unit, 322...map data storage unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: a power receiving device that receives power from a power supply device; a power storage device that stores the power received by the power receiving device; a position sensor that acquires a position; a load sensor that acquires a load amount; and a control device that acquires map data and sets a destination based on the map data, wherein the control device calculates a feedback energy amount, which is the amount of energy required for the vehicle to travel from each point on the travel route to the charging point, based on the map data and the load amount, before the vehicle starts traveling on a travel route from a charging point, which is a point where the power supply device is installed, to a predetermined destination; calculates, while the vehicle is traveling on the travel route toward the predetermined destination, a predicted energy amount that will be the remaining battery charge of the power storage device at each point on the travel route from the current position of the vehicle acquired by the position sensor to the predetermined destination; and changes the destination of the vehicle from the predetermined destination to another destination when there is a point among the points on the travel route from the current position to the predetermined destination where the predicted energy amount is lower than the feedback energy amount.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the other destination is the charging point.

3. A vehicle as described in claim 2, wherein the control device issues a warning to encourage the vehicle to travel to the charging point when the vehicle travels along the driving route in a direction away from the charging point after the destination of the vehicle is changed from the specified destination to the charging point.

4. A vehicle as described in claim 2, characterized in that the control device limits the speed of the vehicle when the destination of the vehicle is changed from the specified destination to the charging point and the vehicle travels along the driving route in a direction away from the charging point.

5. A vehicle as described in claim 1, characterized in that, when changing the destination of the vehicle from the specified destination to another destination, the control device selects, as the other destination, from among each of a plurality of driving routes from the current position to the other destination candidate, a destination candidate corresponding to a driving route that does not include a point where the predicted energy is lower than the return energy.

6. A vehicle as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the control device selects one of the plurality of destination candidates according to the type of cargo of the vehicle.

7. A vehicle as described in claim 2, characterized in that, when there are a plurality of charging points including the charging point on the driving route or on a driving route branching off from the driving route, and there is a point on all driving routes to the plurality of charging points where the predicted energy amount is less than the feedback energy amount, the control device selects as the other destination the charging point among the plurality of charging points where the feedback energy amount is the smallest.

8. A vehicle management system comprising: a storage device that stores map data; and a control device that sets a destination of a vehicle based on the map data, wherein the control device calculates, before the vehicle starts traveling on a travel route from a charging point, which is a point where a power supply device is installed, a return energy amount, which is the amount of energy required to travel from each point on the travel route to the charging point, based on the map data and the load capacity of the vehicle; while the vehicle is traveling on the travel route toward the predetermined destination, calculates a predicted energy amount that will be the remaining battery charge of a power storage device of the vehicle at each point on the travel route from the current position of the vehicle to the predetermined destination; and when there is a point among each point on the travel route from the current position to the predetermined destination where the predicted energy amount is lower than the return energy amount, changes the destination of the vehicle from the predetermined destination to another destination.

9. A vehicle management system according to claim 8, wherein the other destination is the charging point.

10. A vehicle management system as described in claim 9, characterized in that, when the vehicle travels along the driving route in a direction away from the charging point after the destination of the vehicle is changed from the specified destination to the charging point, the control device issues a warning to the vehicle to encourage the vehicle to travel to the charging point.

11. A vehicle management system as described in claim 9, characterized in that the control device instructs the vehicle to limit its speed when the vehicle travels along the driving route in a direction away from the charging point after the destination of the vehicle is changed from the specified destination to the charging point.

12. A vehicle management system as described in claim 8, characterized in that, when changing the destination of the vehicle from the specified destination to another destination, the control control device selects, as the other destination, from among each of the driving routes from the current position to a plurality of candidate destinations that are candidates for the other destination, a destination candidate that corresponds to a driving route that does not include a point where the predicted energy amount is lower than the return energy amount.

13. A vehicle management system according to claim 12, wherein the control device selects one of the plurality of destination candidates according to the type of cargo of the vehicle.

14. A vehicle management system as described in claim 9, characterized in that, when there are multiple charging points including the charging point on the driving route or on a driving route branching off from the driving route, and there is a point on all driving routes to the multiple charging points where the predicted power amount is lower than the return power amount, the control device selects as the other destination a charging point among the multiple charging points where the return power amount is the smallest.

15. A vehicle management system as described in claim 8, characterized in that, when a loading machine starts loading work on the vehicle, the control device determines a load capacity upper limit value, which is the upper limit of the load capacity at which the amount of feedback power falls below the charge capacity of the storage device, and instructs the loading machine.

16. A vehicle management system as described in claim 15, characterized in that the control device issues a warning to the loading machine to urge it to stop loading operations when the load capacity of the vehicle exceeds a warning threshold set lower than the upper load capacity limit value.

17. A vehicle management system as described in claim 8, wherein the control device acquires information on actual power consumption, which is the amount of power actually consumed by the vehicle in the power storage device on each section of the driving route, estimates the amount of power required for driving on the driving route based on the information on actual power consumption, determines a charging plan so that the amount of power to be charged at the charging point exceeds the amount of power required for the driving, and instructs the vehicle to do so.

Images