Conveyance position display method and conveyance system

Abstract

This conveyance position display method displays the conveyance position of a conveyance object conveyed by an unmanned conveyance vehicle in a facility. The method acquires position information of the unmanned conveyance vehicle during conveyance of the conveyance object or position information of a conveyance destination of the conveyance object, totals the acquired position information for each area, and displays the position information for each area in a different display mode according to the number of the totals by superimposing the position information on a map image in the facility.

Description

Delivery position display method and delivery system

[0001] The present specification discloses a delivery position display method and a delivery system.

[0002] Conventionally, systems for displaying the positions of moving objects have been known. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a system that acquires the positions (coordinate values) of multiple moving objects, identifies an area where the density of the moving objects is equal to or greater than a predetermined density as a distribution area, and displays the distribution area on a display device in different display modes (colors, patterns, lines, etc.) depending on the number of moving objects included in the distribution area.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-137589

[0004] In facilities such as stores and warehouses, incoming packages (objects to be transported) are transported by automated guided vehicles to the vicinity of designated shelves, and then workers store the transported packages on the shelves. In this case, if the workers do not know where and how many packages have been transported by the automated guided vehicles, it is difficult to grasp the overall workload and there is a risk that they may overlook packages that should be stored.

[0005] The main object of the present disclosure is to enable an operator to easily grasp the position and quantity of objects transported by an automated guided vehicle.

[0006] The present disclosure has adopted the following means to achieve the above-mentioned main object.

[0007] The transport position display method disclosed herein is a transport position display method for displaying the transport position of an object transported by an automated guided vehicle within a facility, and includes acquiring position information of the automated guided vehicle transporting the object or position information of the destination of the object, aggregating the acquired position information by area, and displaying the position information for each area superimposed on a map image of the facility in a display mode that differs depending on the quantity of the aggregation results.

[0008] In the delivery position display method disclosed herein, the position information of an automated guided vehicle currently transporting an object or the position information of the destination of the object is collected by area, and the position information for each area is displayed superimposed on a map image of the facility in a different display mode depending on the quantity of the collected results. This allows workers to easily grasp the positions and quantity of objects transported by the automated guided vehicle by looking at the displayed map image of the facility.

[0009] The transport system of the present disclosure comprises an automated guided vehicle that transports an object within a facility; a display device that displays map information of the facility; and a display processing unit that acquires position information of the automated guided vehicle transporting the object or position information of the destination of the object, aggregates the acquired position information by area, and displays the position information for each area on the display device superimposed on the map image in a display mode that differs depending on the quantity of the aggregated results.

[0010] The transport system of the present disclosure can achieve the same effects as the transport position display method of the present disclosure.

[0011] 1 is a perspective view of the exterior of a plurality of basket carts placed in a facility and an automated guided vehicle that transports the basket carts. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the exterior of an automated guided vehicle and a basket cart. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the exterior of an automated guided vehicle. FIG. 3 is a side view of an automated guided vehicle. FIG. 4 is a side view of an automated guided vehicle. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which an automated guided vehicle has slipped under a basket cart. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which an automated guided vehicle has been coupled to a basket cart. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a transport system including an automated guided vehicle and a management device. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of package information. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of destination area information. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of obstacle information. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a transport control routine. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a destination area, a destination, and a transport route on a map. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of transport position display processing. FIG. 14 is an example of a heat map showing position information of an automated guided vehicle during transport. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing transport position display processing according to another embodiment. FIG. 16 is an example of a heat map showing position information for each destination area of ​​a basket cart transported by an automated guided vehicle.

[0012] Next, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a plurality of carts 100 placed in a facility and an automated guided vehicle 10 that transports the carts 100. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the carts 100 and the automated guided vehicle 10. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the automated guided vehicle 10. FIGS. 4 and 5 are side views of the automated guided vehicle 10. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the automated guided vehicle 10 has slipped under the cart 100. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the automated guided vehicle 10 is coupled to the cart 100. FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a transport system 1 including the automated guided vehicle 10 and a management device 60.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1 , the transport system 1 of this embodiment is a system used in a facility having a plurality of shelves S, and includes one or a plurality of automated guided vehicles 10 and a management device 60 (see Fig. 8 ) that manages the operation of the automated guided vehicles 10. The automated guided vehicles 10 are autonomously traveling transport robots (AMR: Autonomous Mobile Robot) that are coupled to carts 100 and transport the vehicles to designated shelves S. The facility may be, for example, a logistics center, warehouse, store, or the like, and may be located outdoors rather than indoors.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2 , the basket cart 100 has a rectangular, mesh-shaped platform 101 capable of carrying cargo C, and a plurality of (four) casters 110 rotatably attached to the four corners of the underside of the platform 101. A marker M, such as an AR marker, a two-dimensional code, or a barcode, for identifying the basket cart 100 is provided on the platform 101 of the basket cart 100 (in the present embodiment, the center of the outer edge front end surface of the platform 101). By reading the marker M, the automated guided vehicle 10 recognizes the basket cart 100 to be transported (transport target vehicle) and the type of cargo C loaded on the platform 101. The marker M may be attached to the cargo C loaded on the platform 101. The identification information for identifying the basket cart 100 and the cargo C is not limited to the marker M. For example, the identification information may be a unique ID for identifying the basket cart 100. The identification information may also be identification information (such as letters or a picture) written on the outer box of the package C.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 3 , the automated guided vehicle 10 of this embodiment has a low, flat, rectangular parallelepiped appearance. The automated guided vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body 11, a plurality of (e.g., four) wheels 21 rotatably attached to the bottom surface of the vehicle body 11, and a plurality of (e.g., four) drive motors 22 (see FIG. 8 ) that rotate and drive the corresponding wheels 21. In this embodiment, the wheels 21 are configured as Mecanum wheels, each having a plurality of rollers on its outer periphery that can rotate around an axis inclined at 45 degrees relative to the rotation axis of the wheel. The automated guided vehicle 10 can move the vehicle body 11 in all directions and turn (such as by making a pivot turn, a pivot turn, or a gentle turn) by independently controlling the rotation direction and rotation speed of the corresponding wheels 21 using the plurality of drive motors 22. The wheels 21 may also be configured as omniwheels having a plurality of rollers that can rotate around an axis that intersects the rotation axis of the wheel. That is, the plurality of wheels 21 may be any type of wheels as long as they can move the vehicle body 11 in a plurality of directions and turn.

[0017] 3 to 5, the automated guided vehicle 10 also includes a connecting unit 30 that is provided on the upper surface of the vehicle body 11 and that can be connected to the cart 100 when the vehicle body 11 is positioned below the cart 100. The connecting unit 30 includes a flat lift plate 31, connecting pins 32, 33, and 34 that extend upward relative to the lift plate 31, and a lifting device 35 that raises and lowers the lift plate 31. The lift plate 31 covers the upper surface of the vehicle body 11 and has a width that is approximately the same as the width of the vehicle body 11 and a front-to-rear width that is slightly shorter than the front-to-rear width of the vehicle body 11. The connecting pin 32 is provided at the front of the lift plate 31, the connecting pin 33 is provided at the rear of the lift plate 31, and the connecting pin 34 is provided in an intermediate portion between the front and rear of the lift plate 31. 6 and 7 , when the vehicle body 11 is submerged under the cart 100 and the lifting plate 31 is raised by the lifting device 35, at least one of the connecting pins 32, 33, 34 engages with the back side of the loading platform 101 of the cart 100. This connects the automated guided vehicle 10 and the cart 100, and the automated guided vehicle 10 can transport (tow) the cart 100.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 , contact detection sensors 36 (spring sensors) are provided on both the left and right sides of the lift plate 31 to detect when the connecting portion 30 (connecting pins 32, 33, 34) comes into contact with (connects to) the loading platform 101 of the cart truck 100. The contact detection sensors 36 have a plate that is biased upward by a spring, with its upper end at approximately the same height as the connecting pins 32, 33, 34 relative to the lift plate 31. When the connecting pins 32, 33, 34 engage with the loading platform 101 of the cart truck 100, the plate of the contact detection sensor 36 comes into contact with the loading platform 101, and the spring is compressed as it descends relative to the connecting pins 32, 33, 34. The contact detection sensor 36 detects when the connecting portion 30 comes into contact with (connects to) the loading platform 101 of the cart truck 100 by detecting that the plate has descended relatively.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 8 , the automated guided vehicle 10 further includes a control unit 40 that controls the entire system, a storage unit 41 that stores various information including map information 41a, a communication unit 42 that communicates (wirelessly communicates) with a management device 60, a camera unit 51 as an imaging device, sensors 52 and 53, and a light-emitting unit 54 that illuminates the area ahead of the vehicle body 11. The camera unit 51 is installed on the front of the vehicle body 11 to recognize the area ahead of the vehicle body 11. The sensors 52 and 53 are installed on the front and rear of the vehicle body 11, respectively, to detect surrounding objects. The sensors 52 and 53 detect surrounding objects and the distances to the objects. In this embodiment, the sensors 52 and 53 are LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors that scan the surroundings with laser light, receive each reflected light, and measure the time it takes for the reflected light to be received, thereby measuring distance data for each scan angle and obtaining two-dimensional point cloud data of the surroundings. The light emitting unit 54 is installed on the front of the vehicle body 11 and illuminates the area ahead, making it easier for the camera unit 51 to recognize surrounding objects in dark places.

[0020] The control unit 40 is configured as a microprocessor centered on a CPU, and in addition to the CPU, includes a ROM for storing processing programs, a RAM for temporarily storing data, a timer, etc. As shown in Fig. 8, the control unit 40 receives inputs such as image signals from the camera unit 51, detection signals from the sensors 52 and 53, and detection signals from the contact detection sensor 36. The control unit 40 outputs control signals to the drive motor 22 and the lifting device 35.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 8 , the management device 60 includes a processing unit 61, a memory unit 62, and a communication unit 63 for communicating (wirelessly) with the automated guided vehicle 10 and information terminals (smartphones or tablets) 70 carried by workers working within the facility. The management device 60 is also connected to an input unit 65 (such as a mouse or keyboard), a display unit 66 (such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display), and a printer (not shown). The processing unit 61 is configured as a microprocessor centered around a CPU, and includes, in addition to the CPU, a ROM for storing processing programs and a RAM for temporarily storing data. The memory unit 62 is a storage device such as an HDD or SSD. The memory unit 62 stores various information, such as facility map information 62a, parcel information 62b (see FIG. 9 ), destination area information 62c (see FIG. 10 ), and obstacle information 62d (see FIG. 11 ).

[0022] As shown in FIG. 9 , the package information 62b is information in which the type of package C, the shelf ID that identifies the shelf S on which the package C is placed, and the destination area ID that identifies the destination area of ​​the package C (basket cart 100) are associated with each other, and is registered in advance by the operator. The management device 60 creates a unique marker M for each type of package C at the operator's instruction and prints (issues) the created marker M using a printer. The operator then attaches the printed marker M to a specified location on the basket cart 100 or to the package C loaded on the basket cart 100. In this way, the automated guided vehicle 10 can recognize the type of package C by reading the marker M with the camera unit 51, and can obtain the destination area of ​​the basket cart 100 (transport target cart) loading the package C from the recognized type of package C.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 10 , the destination area information 62c is information that associates a destination area ID, coordinate values ​​of the destination area, and the arrangement direction of the cart 100. The destination area is a rectangular area whose location and size can be specified by an operator on a facility map defined by the map information 62a. The destination area may be specified, for example, by the operator operating the input unit 65 (e.g., a mouse) to specify two diagonal points of the destination area on the map. The coordinate values ​​of the destination area are given, for example, as coordinate values ​​(x, y) of each vertex of the destination area (rectangular area) in an XY Cartesian coordinate system of the map, with a predetermined position (e.g., a corner of the map) as the origin. The destination of the cart 100 is set as a coordinate value within the destination area in the transport control routine described below. The arrangement direction is the arrangement direction in which the carts 100 are arranged in order in the destination area, and can be either front-to-front or back-to-back.

[0024] The obstacle information 62d is information about obstacles arranged on the map. As shown in Fig. 11, the obstacle information 62d associates an obstacle ID that identifies the obstacle, a registration time that is the date and time when the obstacle was registered, and the position (x, y) of the obstacle on the map. The obstacle is set at the position of the destination when the automated guided vehicle 10 transports the cart 100 to the destination by a transport control routine described later.

[0025] Next, the operation of the transport system 1 of this embodiment configured as described above will be described. In particular, as shown in FIG. 1, the operation of the automated guided vehicle 10 when transporting a plurality of basket carts 100 arranged in a cart storage area L one by one to their respective destinations will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a transport control routine executed by the control unit 40 of the automated guided vehicle 10. This process is executed when an instruction to transport a basket cart 100 (baggage) is received from the management device 60. Note that the transport of the basket cart 100 by the automated guided vehicle 10 is performed, for example, at night, and items are placed on the shelves S from the basket carts 100 by an operator the following morning.

[0026] When the transport control routine is executed, the control unit 40 first controls the drive motor 22 so that the automated guided vehicle 10 moves to the cart storage area L (S100). Next, the control unit 40 searches for nearby basket carts 100 (S102). The search for the basket carts 100 is performed, for example, by capturing an image of the area around the vehicle body 11 with the camera unit 51 and processing the captured image to determine whether or not the marker M attached to the basket cart 100 has been recognized. If the control unit 40 determines that it has failed to recognize the marker M (NO in S104), it determines that there is no basket cart 100 to be transported at the cart storage area L, and ends the transport control routine.

[0027] On the other hand, if the control unit 40 determines that the recognition of the marker M was successful (YES in S104), it determines that there is a basket cart 100 to be transported in the cart storage area L, and, with the basket cart 100 as the transport target cart, acquires the destination area and arrangement direction to which the transport target cart should be transported based on the marker ID of the recognized marker M (S106). The destination area and arrangement direction are acquired, for example, by transmitting the marker ID recognized by the control unit 40 to the management device 60, identifying the type of package C from the marker ID received by the management device 60, and deriving the coordinate values ​​and arrangement direction of the corresponding destination area from the package information 62b and the destination area information 62c based on the type of package C, and transmitting them to the control unit 40. Note that the control unit 40 may also identify the type of package C from the marker ID and transmit the identified type of package C to the management device 60. In addition, the control unit 40 may store the luggage information 62b and the destination area information 62c in the memory unit 41, identify the type of luggage C from the marker ID, and obtain the coordinate values ​​and arrangement direction of the corresponding destination area from the luggage information 62b and the destination area information 62c based on the identified type of luggage C.

[0028] Next, the control unit 40 acquires obstacle information 62d from the management device 60 and determines the destination of the target cart based on the obstacle information 62d (the position of the transported cart 100) within the destination area and the arrangement direction of the target cart, and sets the destination as the destination (S108). The obstacle information 62d may be stored in the storage unit 41 of the automated guided vehicle 10. The destination of the target cart is set to the beginning of the arrangement direction when there are no transported carts 100 within the destination area. When there are transported carts 100, the destination is set to be aligned with the transported carts 100 in the arrangement direction with a predetermined clearance from the transported carts 100. The control unit 40 then sets a transport route from the current location to the destination based on the obstacle information 62d so as to avoid obstacles (transported carts 100) located on the map (S110). Figure 13 shows how the destination and transport route are set when the target cart is transported to the destination area. The transport route is set as follows. That is, the control unit 40 recognizes the surrounding shape based on point cloud data measured by the sensors 52 and 53 (LiDAR) and compares (collates) the recognized surrounding shape with the map information stored in the memory unit 41 to recognize the vehicle's current location (self-position). The control unit 40 then searches for a route based on the recognized current location, the set destination, and the map information 41a. Next, the control unit 40 determines whether the automated guided vehicle 10 transporting the cart 100 can travel along each of the searched routes to the destination. In this embodiment, the obstacle information 62d includes the position of the transported cart 100 (obstacle) on the map, and the map information 41a includes road width information. Because the size of the cart 100 is known, the control unit 40 can determine whether the searched route is passable based on the size of the cart 100 transported by the automated guided vehicle 10, the map information 41a, and the obstacle information 62d. The control unit 40 then sets the route that requires the shortest time or travel distance among all possible routes as the transport route, thereby enabling the cart to be transported to the destination in a short time without interfering with the cart 100 that has already been transported.In addition, the control unit 40 of the unmanned guided vehicle 10 may transmit the current location of the vehicle to the management device 60, so that the management device 60 may set a transport route based on the map information 62a and obstacle information 62d and transmit the route to the unmanned guided vehicle 10.

[0029] After setting the destination and transport route of the target vehicle, the control unit 40 couples the automated guided vehicle 10 to the target vehicle (S112). The coupling with the target vehicle is performed by controlling the drive motor 22 so that the vehicle body 11 moves under the target vehicle, and then by raising the coupling pins 32, 33, and 34 with the lifting device 35 so that they engage with the platform 101 of the target vehicle.

[0030] Once coupled with the target vehicle, the control unit 40 begins transporting the target vehicle according to the set transport route (S114). The control unit 40 then acquires its own position (current position) (S116) and transmits the current position to the management device 60 (S118). The control unit 40 then determines whether the target vehicle has arrived at its destination (S120). If the control unit 40 determines that the target vehicle has not arrived at its destination, it returns to S116. As a result, the position information of the target vehicle 10 is transmitted to the management device 60 successively from the time the target vehicle 10 starts transporting until it arrives at its destination. If the control unit 40 determines that the target vehicle has arrived at its destination, it stops traveling (S122). The control unit 40 then releases the coupling with the target vehicle (S124), sets an obstacle at the location (destination) to which the target vehicle has been transported (S126), and then returns to S100. The obstacle is set by the control unit 40 transmitting the coordinate values ​​of the transport target cart to the management device 60, and the management device 60 assigning an obstacle ID and a registration time to the coordinate values ​​of the obstacle (transport target cart) received, and registering them in the obstacle information 62d. As a result, the next time the transport control routine is executed, the obstacle information 62d has been added, so that when the next cart cart 100 is transported to the same destination area, the destination of the next cart cart 100 is set to a position within the destination area that is closer to the cart cart 100 that has already been transported, with a predetermined clearance in the arrangement direction. Furthermore, if there is a cart cart 100 that has already been transported between the current location and the destination, the transport route is set to avoid it.

[0031] Next, a description will be given of the processing of the management device 60 using the position information (self-position) transmitted from the automatic guided vehicle 10. Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of a delivery position display processing executed by the processing unit 61 of the management device 60. This processing is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals (for example, every few seconds).

[0032] In the transfer position display process, the processing unit 61 first determines whether a heat map (described later) has been created (S200). If the processing unit 61 determines that a heat map has not been created, it determines whether position information has been received from the automated guided vehicle 10 (S202). If the processing unit 61 determines that position information has been received, it registers the received position information in the storage unit 62 (S204) and proceeds to S206. If the processing unit 61 determines that position information has not been received, it skips S204 and proceeds to S206. Next, the processing unit 61 determines whether all transfers by the automated guided vehicle 10 have been completed (the transfer control routine described above has been completed) (S206). If the processing unit 61 determines that all transfers have not been completed, it terminates the transfer position display process. On the other hand, if the processing unit 61 determines that all transfers have been completed, it counts the number of registered position information for each divided area on the map (S208), creates a heat map for each area (S210), and terminates the transfer position display process. After the heat map is created, the next time the delivery position display process is executed, the processing unit 61 determines whether a display request has been made by the worker or the like (S212) in order to determine that the heat map has been created in S200. If the processing unit 61 determines that a display request has not been made, it simply ends the delivery position display process. On the other hand, if the processing unit 61 determines that a display request has been made, it displays and outputs the heat map on the display unit 66, superimposed on a map image of the facility (store) (S214), and ends the delivery position display process. Note that the processing unit 61 may also display and output the heat map on an information terminal 70 carried by the worker.

[0033] FIG. 15 is an example of a heat map showing the location information of an automated guided vehicle 10 during transport. The heat map displays each divided area of ​​the map in a different color depending on the number of location registrations, for example, red, yellow, yellow-green, and light blue, in descending order of the number of location registrations. By viewing the heat map overlaid on a map image of the facility, a worker can confirm where and how frequently the automated guided vehicle 10 traveled during transport, and can grasp to some extent the areas and number of carts 100 transported. As a result, for example, when a worker stocks the shelves S from the transported carts 100 the next morning, the worker can grasp the total workload (the number of carts 100 to be stocked) and the areas requiring work, preventing oversight of work. The heat map may also be displayed in different shades of the same color depending on the number of registrations, such as by displaying a darker color for a larger number of registrations. In other words, the heat map may be displayed in different display modes depending on the number of registrations.

[0034] Here, the correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the present disclosure described in the claims will be described. That is, the cart 100 of the present embodiment is an example of a transport object of the present disclosure, and the automatic guided vehicle 10 is an example of an automatic guided vehicle. Furthermore, the display unit 66 and the information terminal 70 are examples of display devices, and the processing unit 61 of the management device 60 that executes the transport position display process is an example of a display processing unit.

[0035] It goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be embodied in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0036] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the processing unit 61 creates a heat map from the position information of the automated guided vehicle 10 during transport and displays it superimposed on a map image of the facility. However, the processing unit 61 may create a heat map from the position information of the cart 100 transported by the automated guided vehicle 10 and display it superimposed on a map image of the facility. Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing a transport position display process according to another embodiment, which is executed by the processing unit 61 of the management device 60. This process is executed repeatedly at predetermined time intervals (for example, every few seconds).

[0037] In the transfer position display process according to another embodiment, the processing unit 61 first determines whether a heat map (described later) has been created (S300). If the processing unit 61 determines that a heat map has not been created, it determines whether the transfer destination area of ​​the transfer target vehicle has been acquired (S302). The transfer destination area of ​​the transfer target vehicle is acquired from the parcel information 62b based on the type of parcel C recognized by the automatic guided vehicle 10 each time the automatic guided vehicle 10 transports the cart 100. If the processing unit 61 determines that the transfer destination area has been acquired, it registers the acquired transfer destination area in the storage unit 62 (S304) and proceeds to S306. If the processing unit 61 determines that the transfer destination area has not been received, it skips S304 and proceeds to S306. Next, the processing unit 61 determines whether all transfers by the automatic guided vehicle 10 have been completed (the transfer control routine described above has ended) (S306). If the processing unit 61 determines that all transfers have not been completed, it terminates the transfer position display process. On the other hand, when the processing unit 61 determines that all deliveries have been completed, it tallies the number of registered delivery destination areas for each delivery destination area (S308), creates a heat map for each delivery destination area (S310), and terminates the delivery position display process. After the heat map is created, the next time the delivery position display process is executed, the processing unit 61 determines that the heat map has been created in S300, and therefore determines whether a display request has been made by the worker or the like (S312). If the processing unit 61 determines that a display request has not been made, it terminates the delivery position display process. On the other hand, if the processing unit 61 determines that a display request has been made, it displays and outputs the heat map on the display unit 66, superimposed on a map image of the facility (store) (S314), and terminates the delivery position display process. The processing unit 61 may also display and output the heat map on an information terminal 70 carried by the worker.

[0038] FIG. 17 is an example of a heat map showing the location information of each destination area of ​​the carts 100 transported by the automated guided vehicle 10. The heat map displays each destination area on the map in different colors depending on the number of registered location information, for example, red, yellow, yellow-green, and no color, in descending order of the number of registered location information. By viewing the heat map overlaid on a map image of the facility, a worker can grasp, to some extent, the number of transported carts 100 for each destination area. As a result, similar to the present embodiment, for example, when a worker stocks the shelves S from the transported carts 100 the next morning, the worker can grasp the total workload and the areas requiring work, preventing oversight of work. Note that, similar to the present embodiment, the heat map may be displayed in different shades of the same color depending on the number of registrations, such as by displaying a darker color for a larger number of registrations. In other words, the heat map for each destination area may be displayed in different display modes depending on the number of registrations.

[0039] In the embodiment described above, the automated guided vehicle 10 engages the connecting pin 34 of the connecting portion 30 with the loading platform portion 101 of the basket cart 100 to tow the basket cart 100. However, the automated guided vehicle 10 may also be configured to lift the basket cart 100 with the connecting portion 30 and transport it.

[0040] In the above-described embodiment, the automated guided vehicle 10 transports the cart 100, but may transport any other transportable object (baggage).

[0041] As described above, the delivery position display method of the present disclosure aggregates the position information of an automated guided vehicle currently transporting an object or the position information of the destination of the object for each area, and displays the position information for each area superimposed on a map image of the facility in a different display mode depending on the quantity of the aggregated result. This allows workers to easily grasp the positions and quantity of objects transported by the automated guided vehicle by looking at the displayed map image of the facility.

[0042] In the delivery position display method of the present disclosure, position information of the automated guided vehicle transporting the object may be sequentially acquired, the sequentially acquired position information may be aggregated by region to create a heat map for each region, and the created heat map may be overlaid and displayed on the map image. This allows a worker or the like to intuitively understand where and how frequently the automated guided vehicle has traveled during transport, and to estimate the area and quantity of the object transported by the automated guided vehicle. Alternatively, when the automated guided vehicle reads the identification information of the object and transports the object to a destination within a predetermined destination area, the destination area of ​​the object may be acquired, the acquired destination area of ​​the object may be aggregated by destination area to create a heat map for each destination area, and the created heat map may be overlaid and displayed on the map image. This allows a worker or the like to intuitively understand the area and quantity of the object transported by the automated guided vehicle.

[0043] In the delivery position display method of the present disclosure, the object to be delivered may be a basket cart loaded with luggage.

[0044] Furthermore, although the present disclosure has been described in the form of a delivery position display method, it may also be described in the form of a delivery system.

[0045] The present disclosure is applicable to industries such as the manufacturing industry of conveyance systems.

[0046] 1 conveying system, 10 unmanned guided vehicle, 11 vehicle body, 21 wheels, 22 drive motor, 30 connecting portion, 31 lifting plate, 32, 33, 34 connecting pin, 35 lifting device, 36 contact detection sensor, 40 control unit, 41 memory unit, 41a map information, 42 communication unit, 51 camera unit, 52, 53 sensor unit, 54 light emitting unit, 60 management device, 61 processing unit, 62 memory unit, 62a map information, 62b luggage information, 62c destination area information, 62d obstacle information, 63 communication unit, 65 input unit, 66 display unit, 70 information terminal, 100 basket cart, 101 loading platform unit, 110 caster, C luggage, L cart storage area, M marker, S shelf.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a conveyance position of an object to be conveyed that is conveyed by an automated guided vehicle in a facility, the method comprising: obtaining position information of the automated guided vehicle while the object to be conveyed is being conveyed or position information of a destination of the object to be conveyed; aggregating the obtained position information for each area; and displaying the position information for each area on a map image of the facility in different display modes according to the quantity of the aggregation result.

2. The method for displaying a conveyance position according to claim 1, the method comprising: sequentially obtaining position information of the automated guided vehicle while the object to be conveyed is being conveyed; aggregating the sequentially obtained position information for each area to create a heat map for each area; and displaying the created heat map on the map image.

3. The method for displaying a conveyance position according to claim 1, the method comprising: when the automated guided vehicle reads identification information of the object to be conveyed and conveys the object to be conveyed to a destination within a predetermined destination area, obtaining the destination area of the object to be conveyed; aggregating the obtained destination areas of the objects to be conveyed for each destination area to create a heat map for each destination area; and displaying the created heat map on the map image.

4. The method for displaying a conveyance position according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the object to be conveyed is a cage cart loaded with luggage.

5. A conveyance system comprising: an automated guided vehicle that conveys an object to be conveyed in a facility; a display device that displays map information of the facility; and a display processing unit that obtains position information of the automated guided vehicle while the object to be conveyed is being conveyed or position information of a destination of the object to be conveyed, aggregates the obtained position information for each area, and displays the position information for each area on the map image on the display device in different display modes according to the quantity of the aggregation result.

Images