Management system

Abstract

A management system disclosed in the present specification includes: an autonomous travel conveyance device that automatically conveys a component between a preparation area in which the component is prepared and a use area in which the component is used; and a management device capable of communicating with the autonomous travel conveyance device. The management device executes: abnormality detection processing for detecting that an abnormality has occurred in the autonomous travel conveyance device; position information display processing for displaying position information indicating a current position of the autonomous travel conveyance device in which the abnormality has been detected by the abnormality detection processing; and work information display processing for displaying work information related to work being executed by the autonomous travel conveyance device when the abnormality occurred.

Description

Management System

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a technology for managing an autonomous transport device.

[0002] Patent Literature 1 discloses an autonomous mobile object control system for controlling an automated forklift. When an abnormality occurs in the automated forklift, the autonomous mobile object control device of the autonomous mobile object control system receives an abnormality signal from the automated forklift, the abnormality signal including the nature of the abnormality and the location of the abnormality. In this case, the autonomous mobile object control device transmits, for example, a maintenance route to the current position of the automated forklift, which is included in the received abnormality signal, to a maintenance terminal carried by a maintenance worker. As a result, the maintenance terminal displays the maintenance route to the current position of the automated forklift where the abnormality occurred.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-175717

[0004] In the autonomous mobile object control system of Patent Document 1, the current location of an automated forklift that has experienced an abnormality and the route to the automated forklift that has experienced the abnormality are displayed on a maintenance terminal. However, there are various situations and causes of an abnormality in an automated forklift, and simply displaying the route does not allow for appropriate action to be taken. For example, an automated forklift may load or unload cargo within a warehouse. When an automated forklift is carrying cargo and moving it to a warehouse, compared with when the automated forklift moves to carry new cargo after moving the cargo to the warehouse, the measures that an operator should take when an abnormality occurs in the automated forklift may differ. This specification provides a technology that enables an operator to take appropriate measures.

[0005] The management system disclosed in this specification includes an autonomous mobile conveying device that automatically transports parts between a preparation area where parts are prepared and a use area where the parts are used, and a management device that can communicate with the autonomous mobile conveying device. The management device executes an abnormality detection process that detects an abnormality in the autonomous mobile conveying device, a position information display process that displays position information indicating the current position of the autonomous mobile conveying device that detected the abnormality by the abnormality detection process, and a work information display process that displays work information related to the work that the autonomous mobile conveying device was performing at the time the abnormality occurred.

[0006] The management system described above displays work information related to the work being performed by the autonomous mobile transport device when the abnormality occurred. This allows the worker to recognize what work the autonomous mobile transport device was performing when the abnormality occurred. This allows the worker to take appropriate measures depending on the work being performed by the autonomous mobile transport device.

[0007] The management device constituting the above management system and the computer program for the management device are also novel and useful.

[0008] 1 is a schematic diagram of a management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a control configuration diagram of the management system; FIG. 3 is a flowchart of AMR control processing; and FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing specific processing.

[0009] The main features of the embodiments described below are listed below. Note that the technical elements described below are independent technical elements that exhibit technical utility alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing.

[0010] (Feature 1) In the above-described management system, the management system may further include at least one second autonomous mobile conveying device that travels parallel to the autonomous mobile conveying device to transport the parts. In this case, the management device may detect that the abnormality has occurred in either the autonomous mobile conveying device or the second autonomous mobile conveying device in the abnormality detection process, and may display, in the position information display process, the position of the autonomous mobile conveying device in which the abnormality has occurred, of the autonomous mobile conveying device and the second autonomous mobile conveying device, in a first manner and further display the positions of the other normal autonomous mobile conveying devices in a second manner different from the first manner.

[0011] With this configuration, the worker can easily identify the autonomous traveling and transporting device in which an abnormality has occurred from among a plurality of autonomous traveling and transporting devices.

[0012] (Feature 2) The management system described above may further include a relay device that relays communication between the management device and the autonomous mobile transport device.

[0013] According to this configuration, the management device can communicate with the autonomous mobile transport device by communicating with the relay device. This simplifies the configuration of the management device. However, in another embodiment, the management device may communicate directly with the autonomous mobile transport device.

[0014] (Feature 3) In the management system described above, the management device may further execute a countermeasure information display process for displaying countermeasure information relating to a process that an operator should perform in response to the abnormality.

[0015] With this configuration, the operator can know the process that should be carried out in response to the abnormality from the displayed response information.

[0016] (Feature 4) In the above-described management system, the management device may further execute a work instruction sending process that sends a work instruction to the autonomous mobile transport device indicating the work that the autonomous mobile transport device should perform, and an abnormality identification process that, when it detects that an abnormality has occurred in the autonomous mobile transport device, identifies the type of the abnormality based on the work indicated by the work instruction sent to the autonomous mobile transport device immediately before the abnormality occurred in the autonomous mobile transport device.

[0017] According to this configuration, the management device can identify the type of abnormality in the autonomous mobile transport device based on the work instruction sent to the autonomous mobile transport device. However, in another embodiment, the management device may receive information indicating an abnormality that has occurred from the autonomous mobile transport device.

[0018] (Feature 5) In the management system described above, the work information may include part information indicating the type of the part transported by the autonomous mobile transport device.

[0019] With this configuration, the worker can learn the type of part that the autonomous mobile transport device that has experienced the abnormality should transport from the part information, and can take appropriate measures depending on the type of part.

[0020] (Feature 6) In the management system described above, the work information may include travel purpose information that indicates a purpose for which the autonomous mobile transport device is traveling.

[0021] With this configuration, the operator can learn the purpose of the autonomous mobile transport device in question from the travel purpose information, allowing the operator to take appropriate measures depending on the purpose.

[0022] (Feature 7) In the above-described management system, the travel destination information may include information indicating that, at the time the abnormality occurred in the autonomous mobile transport device, the autonomous mobile transport device was heading from the preparation area to the use area to supply the part to the use area, and information indicating that, at the time the abnormality occurred in the autonomous mobile transport device, the autonomous mobile transport device was heading from the use area to the preparation area after supplying the part to the use area.

[0023] For example, if an abnormality occurs in an autonomous mobile transport device heading to a use area to supply parts to the use area, the parts may not be supplied to the use area, and work in the use area may be interrupted. In contrast, if an abnormality occurs in an autonomous mobile transport device heading to a preparation area after supplying parts to the use area, work in the use area will not be interrupted. Therefore, the urgency of taking measures against the abnormality changes depending on whether the autonomous mobile transport device was heading to the use area to supply parts at the time the abnormality occurred. This configuration allows workers to know whether the autonomous mobile transport device in question was heading to the use area.

[0024] (Feature 8) In the management system described above, the work information may include urgency information indicating the degree of urgency of measures to resolve the abnormality.

[0025] With this configuration, the worker can determine the priority of taking measures to resolve the abnormality according to the urgency information.

[0026] (Feature 9) In the above-described management system, in the location information display process, the management device may further display, in addition to the location information, information indicating a location to which a worker should first move to resolve the abnormality.

[0027] For example, even if an operator moves to a location where an abnormality has occurred in an autonomous transport device, the operator may not be able to immediately resolve the abnormality. With this configuration, the operator can quickly move to the location where they should first move to resolve the abnormality.

[0028] (Example) Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a management system 100 of this example. The management system 100 is installed in a factory 2. The management system 100 includes a component mounting line 10, a management device 20, two AMRs (short for Autonomous Mobile Robots) 40A and 40B, a supply storehouse 50, a charging device 52, a relay device 54, and a mobile terminal 60. The management system 100 uses the component mounting line 10 to mount components on a board. The components are electronic components, and the board is a circuit board.

[0029] The component mounting line 10 includes component mounters 11 and 12, a storage cabinet 14, and a loader 16. Note that the component mounting line 10 may further include other board work machines such as a solder printing machine and a board inspection machine.

[0030] The component mounter 11 is a device that mounts components onto a board, and is sometimes called a chip mounter. Although not shown, the component mounter 11 includes a mounting head with a nozzle that picks up supplied components, and a movement mechanism that moves the mounting head along the board. Once the component mounter 11 has completed mounting the components onto the board, the board is transported to the component mounter 12. The component mounter 12 has the same configuration as the component mounter 11.

[0031] The storage 14 stores the feeder F1 that supplies components to the component mounters 11 and 12. The feeder F1 is a so-called tape feeder that stores a plurality of components.

[0032] The loader 16 is a device that automatically attaches and detaches the feeder F1 to the component mounters 11 and 12. The loader 16 is movable along a pair of rails between the component mounters 11 and 12 and the storage 14. For example, the loader 16 removes the feeder F1 stored in the storage 14 and supplies it to the component mounter 11. In other words, the component mounting line 10 is an area where components are used to mount boards.

[0033] The AMRs 40A and 40B are autonomous transport devices that automatically transport the feeder F1 between the component mounting line 10 and the supply warehouse 50. The AMRs 40A and 40B run parallel to each other between the component mounting line 10 and the supply warehouse 50 and transport the feeder F1. The AMRs 40A and 40B have the same configuration, but as shown in FIG. 2 , the AMR 40A is assigned an AMRID "A1" and the AMR 40B is assigned an AMRID "A2." The AMRID is unique information for identifying the AMR and is assigned to each AMR 40A, 40B by, for example, the management device 20. In a modified example, the AMRID may be, for example, the serial number of each AMR 40A, 40B.

[0034] This specification will mainly describe the AMR 40A. As shown in FIG. 2 , the AMR 40A includes a camera 42A, a drive unit 44A, a communication I / F (abbreviation of interface) 46A, a battery 48A, and a control unit 80A. The camera 42A captures images of the surroundings of the AMR 40A. The drive unit 44A is a mechanism for moving the AMR 40A and includes, for example, a motor and drive wheels. The communication I / F 46A is an I / F for communicating with the relay device 54 via the LAN 6. The battery 48A stores power to operate the AMR 40A. The battery 48A is, for example, a rechargeable lithium-ion secondary battery. In a modified example, the AMRs 40A and 40B may transport, for example, a mask for a solder printing machine instead of the feeder F1.

[0035] The control unit 80A includes a CPU 82A and a memory 84A. The memory 84A is composed of a non-volatile memory and a volatile memory, and stores a program 86A and map information M1. The map information M1 represents a map of the factory 2 in which the management system 100 is installed. The map information M1 includes, for example, location information of the component mounting line 10, the supply warehouse 50, and the charging device 52, as well as information on the appearance of the component mounting line 10, the supply warehouse 50, and the charging device 52. The map information M1 is created by the operator 70 when the AMR 40A is installed in the factory 2 after shipment and is stored in the memory 84A of the AMR 40A. In a modified example, the map information M1 may be stored in the memory 84A from the time of shipment of the AMR 40A. In a further modified example, the map information M1 may be created by the AMR 40A using the camera 42A and stored in the memory 84A. Alternatively, a laser range sensor may be mounted on the AMR 40A, and the map information M1 may be created and updated by scanning information within the factory 2 with the laser range sensor as the AMR 40A travels within the factory 2.

[0036] The supply storehouse 50 is an area where the worker 70 prepares the feeder F1. For example, the worker 70 creates a new feeder F1 by attaching a tape that stores components to the feeder body.

[0037] The charging device 52 supplies power to the AMRs 40A and 40B. When the remaining power of the batteries (e.g., 48A) of the AMRs 40A and 40B falls below a predetermined value, the AMRs 40A and 40B automatically move toward the charging device 52 and connect to the charging device 52. This charges the batteries of the AMRs 40A and 40B.

[0038] The relay device 54 is a device that executes communication between the management device 20 and the AMRs 40A and 40B. As shown in FIG. 2 , the relay device 54 is connected to the management device 20 via LAN 4, and to the AMRs 40A and 40B via LAN 6. The relay device 54 stores, for example, the IP addresses of the AMRs 40A and 40B. As such, in this embodiment, the management device 20 executes communication with the AMRs 40A and 40B via the relay device 54. This simplifies the configuration of the management device 20 compared to a configuration in which the management device 20 and the AMRs 40A and 40B execute communication directly.

[0039] The mobile terminal 60 is carried by the worker 70. The mobile terminal 60 is typically a terminal device such as a smartphone or a PDA.

[0040] The management device 20 is a computer for managing the management system 100. The management device 20 is, for example, a desktop personal computer. In a modified example, the management device 20 may be a notebook computer or a terminal device such as a smartphone or PDA. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the management device 20 includes a display unit 22, an operation unit 24, a communication I / F 26, and a control unit 30. The display unit 22 displays various information related to the management system 100. The operation unit 24 accepts various instructions from an operator. The communication I / F 26 is an I / F for communication via the LAN 4. In this embodiment, both the LANs 4 and 6 are wireless LANs. The management device 20 is connected to the devices 11, 12, 14, 16, 50, 52, and 60 of the management system 100 via the LAN 4.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 2 , the control unit 30 of the management device 20 includes a CPU 32 and a memory 34. The memory 34 is composed of non-volatile memory and volatile memory and stores a program 36, a work instruction table T1, and an error table T2. Although not shown, the management device 20 receives a production program from a higher-level production management device and stores it in the memory 34. This production program includes, for example, the type and number of components to be mounted on the component mounting line 10. The CPU 32 executes various processes in accordance with the program 36. The CPU 32 generates, for example, job information based on the production program stored in the memory 34 in accordance with the program 36. The job information includes the type, number, and mounting order of components included in the production program. The CPU 32 transmits the job information to, for example, each of the devices 11, 12, 14, 16, and 50. As a result, each of the devices 11, 12, 14, 16, and 50 executes processing based on the job information. For example, each mounter 11, 12 mounts components on a board based on job information. Also, for example, the loader 16 supplies the feeder F1 from the storage 14 to each mounter 11, 12 based on the job information. Furthermore, the CPU 32 generates work instructions based on the production program in the memory 34 in accordance with the program 36 and transmits them to the AMRs 40A, 40B via the relay device 54. The AMRs 40A, 40B move within the factory 2 based on the work instructions received from the management device 20. In this embodiment, the program 36 and the tables T1, T2 are installed in the management device 20 prior to shipping. In a modified example, the program 36 and the tables T1, T2 may be downloaded to the management device 20 from an external server afterward, or may be imported into the management device 20 from media shipped with the management device 20, for example. Furthermore, the tables T1, T2 may be modified by the operator 70 afterward.

[0042] The work instruction table T1 is a table that stores the latest work instructions sent by the CPU 32 of the management device 20 to the AMRs 40A and 40B. The work instruction table T1 stores information included in the work instructions in association with the above-mentioned AMR IDs "A1" and "A2." The work instructions include "work," "destination," and "part ID." The "work" indicates the work performed by the AMRs 40A and 40B, i.e., the purpose of the movement of the AMRs 40A and 40B. In this example, the "work" includes "supply," which refers to movement from the supply warehouse 50 to the storage warehouse 14 to supply the feeder F1 to the storage warehouse 14; "loading," which refers to movement from the storage warehouse 14 to the supply warehouse 50 to load a new feeder F1 after supplying the feeder F1 to the storage warehouse 14; and "charge," which refers to movement toward the charging device 52 to charge a battery (e.g., 48A). "Work" further includes, for example, "movement" in which the AMR 40A or 40B moves from the mounter 11 to the mounter 12 in order to move the feeder F1, and "collection" in which the AMR 40A or 40B moves from the storage 14 to the supply storehouse 50 in order to collect the feeder F1 after it has supplied components. "Destination" indicates the destination to which the AMR 40A or 40B moves. "Destination" includes, for example, the storage 14, the loader 16, the supply storehouse 50, the charging device 52, and the mounters 11 or 12. "Component ID" includes, for example, a component ID (e.g., F10) that identifies the component transported by the AMR 40A or 40B that performs the "work" of supplying components.

[0043] The error table T2 is a table used by the CPU 32 to identify an abnormality that has occurred in the AMRs 40A and 40B. The error table T2 stores an "error," an "urgency," and a "release location" in association with the "task" included in the work instruction. For example, if the AMR 40A is moving from the supply warehouse 50 toward the storage warehouse 14 to supply the feeder F1 to the storage warehouse 14, an error is expected in which the feeder F1 is not properly loaded on the AMR 40A. Therefore, the error table T2 stores an error "improper loading" in association with the task "supply." Furthermore, if the AMR 40A has performed the supply of the feeder F1 to the storage warehouse 14 and is then moving from the storage warehouse 14 toward the supply warehouse 50 to load a new feeder F1, an error is expected in which a foreign object has adhered to the camera 42A, preventing proper image capture. Therefore, the error table T2 stores an error "poor visibility" in association with the task "loading." Furthermore, when the AMR 40A is moving toward the charging device 42 to charge, for example, an error may occur in which power consumption is greater than expected, causing the remaining battery power to be zero before the AMR 40A arrives at the charging device 42. For this reason, the error table T2 stores the error "insufficient power" in association with "charging."

[0044] The "urgency" indicates the degree of urgency for resolving an abnormality that has occurred in the AMRs 40A and 40B. For example, if an abnormality occurs when the AMR 40A moves from the supply warehouse 50 to the storage warehouse 14 to supply feeder F1 to the storage warehouse 14, feeder F1 will not be supplied to the storage warehouse 14. In this case, there is a risk that the storage warehouse 14 will run out of feeder F1. Furthermore, if the mounters 11 and 12 are also short of components stored in feeder F1, there is a risk that component mounting will be interrupted in the mounters 11 and 12. In contrast, even if an abnormality occurs when the AMR 40A moves from the storage warehouse 14 to the supply warehouse 50 after supplying feeder F1 to the storage warehouse 14, there is a low possibility that the storage warehouse 14 will immediately run out of feeder F1. In this way, in this embodiment, the urgency is determined according to the work performed by the AMRs 40A and 40B, the remaining number of components to be transported, etc., and stored in the error table T2. The urgency level includes, for example, "A", which indicates that immediate action is required, and "B", which indicates that action is not as urgent as "A".

[0045] The "resolution location" is information indicating the location to which the worker should first move to resolve the abnormality. For example, if an abnormality occurs in the AMR 40A performing the "supply" operation, it is estimated that the feeder F1 is not properly loaded on the AMR 40A. Therefore, the worker 70 first moves to the supply depot 50 and checks whether the feeder F1 is properly prepared in the supply depot 50. For example, if the feeder F1 is prepared in the supply depot 50 but is not properly loaded on the AMR 40A, the worker 70 can prevent a shortage of the feeder F1 in the storage depot 14 by moving the feeder F1 prepared in the supply depot 50 to the storage depot 14 himself. After supplying the feeder F1 to the storage depot 14, the worker moves near the AMR 40A and checks the status of the AMR 40A where the abnormality occurs. In this way, when the AMR 40A is performing the "supply" operation, the worker 70 should first move to the supply depot 50, not to the current location of the AMR 40A. Therefore, the release location "supply storehouse" is stored in association with the task "supply."

[0046] 3, the AMR control process executed by the CPU 32 of the management device 20 will be described. The AMR control process is a process in which the CPU 32 controls the AMRs 40A and 40B. The CPU 32 receives a production program from the production management device and executes the process in FIG. 3 in response to generating work instructions.

[0047] In S10, the CPU 32 transmits the work instruction to an AMR (for example, 40A) via the relay device 54. Hereinafter, the AMR to which the work instruction is transmitted in S10 may be referred to as a target AMR.

[0048] In S20, the CPU 32 monitors whether a response signal is received from the target AMR. If the CPU 32 does not receive a response signal (NO in S20), it skips S30 and proceeds to S32, and if the CPU 32 receives a response signal (YES in S20), it proceeds to S30.

[0049] In S30, the CPU 32 determines whether the response signal received in S20 includes error information. The error information is information indicating that an abnormality has occurred in the target AMR, but does not include the details of the abnormality. If the response signal includes error information (YES in S30), the CPU 32 proceeds to S32. If the response signal does not include error information (NO in S30), the CPU 32 proceeds to S60.

[0050] Because the response signal does not contain error information (NO in S30), it is assumed that the work instruction transmitted in S10 will be properly executed by the target AMR. Therefore, in S60, the CPU 32 stores the information contained in the work instruction transmitted to the target AMR in S10 in the work instruction table T1 described above. When the processing of S60 ends, the CPU 32 ends the processing of FIG. 3.

[0051] In S32, the CPU 32 identifies an error. Specifically, the CPU 32 uses the work instruction table T1 and the error table T2 to identify information stored in association with the AMRID of the target AMR. For example, if the work instruction table T1 stores the work "supply" in association with the AMRID of the target AMR, the CPU 32 uses the error table T2 to identify the error "improper mounting." Furthermore, if a response signal is not received in S20 (NO in S20), the target AMR is unable to properly receive the work instruction sent in S10 or is unable to properly send a response signal. Therefore, the CPU 32 identifies the error "poor connection" regardless of the work stored in association with the AMRID of the target AMR. Furthermore, if no information is stored in the work instruction table T1 in association with the AMRID of the target AMR, the CPU 32 identifies, for example, a predetermined specific error (e.g., poor connection). In this way, the management device 20 of this embodiment can identify an abnormality in the target AMR based on the work instruction sent to the target AMR.

[0052] In S34, the CPU 32 displays an error screen SC1 on the display unit 22. As shown in FIG. 3 , the error screen SC1 includes an AMR ID (e.g., A1) that identifies the target AMR, an error code (e.g., EC1), and a rectangular light-emitting element that emits red light. This allows a worker (e.g., 70) to know that an abnormality has occurred in the target AMR. Note that in S34, the CPU 32 may display the error screen SC1 on the mobile terminal 60 instead of or in addition to displaying the error screen SC1 on the display unit 22. This allows a worker who is not located near the management device 20 to recognize that an abnormality has occurred in the target AMR.

[0053] In S36, the CPU 32 transmits a location information request to the target AMR via the relay device 54.

[0054] In S38, the CPU 32 receives a URL from the relay device 54. The URL is information indicating the location where a map screen SC3, which will be described later, is stored.

[0055] In S40, the CPU 32 monitors whether a selection operation is received from the operator on the error screen SC1. The selection operation is an operation to select the error code EC1. If the CPU 32 receives a selection operation from the operator (YES in S40), the CPU 32 proceeds to S42.

[0056] In S42, the CPU 32 displays the work screen SC2 on the display unit 22. As shown in FIG. 3 , the work screen SC2 includes an error code, a message indicating details of the error, a message indicating the corrective action the worker should take in response to the error, work information WI1, a position display button B1, and a manual display button B2. The work information WI1 includes objective information PI1, destination information PI2, urgency information UI1, and part information PI3. The message indicating the corrective action displayed on the work screen SC2 allows the worker to know the action to be taken in response to the error. Note that in S42, the CPU 32 may display the work screen SC2 on the mobile terminal 60 instead of or in addition to displaying the work screen SC2 on the display unit 22. This allows the work screen SC2 of the target AMR to be shown to workers who are not located near the management device 20.

[0057] The objective information PI1 indicates the task being performed by the target AMR at the time the abnormality occurred, in other words, the purpose of the target AMR's movement at the time the abnormality occurred. The CPU 32 identifies the task being performed by the target AMR from the work instruction table T1 in the memory 34 and displays it as objective information PI1 in the work information WI1. The objective information PI1 allows the worker to know the purpose of the target AMR's movement. This allows the worker to take appropriate measures depending on the purpose. As described above, the objective information PI1 includes "loading" in addition to "supply." That is, the objective information PI1 includes "supply," which indicates that the target AMR was moving from the supply warehouse 50 to the storage warehouse 14 to supply components to the storage warehouse 14 at the time the abnormality occurred, and "loading," which indicates that the target AMR was moving from the component mounting line 10 to the supply warehouse 50 after supplying the components. Therefore, the objective information PI1 allows the worker to know whether the target AMR was heading to the component mounting line 10 or not. This allows the worker to prioritize taking measures against the abnormality of the target AMR, for example, when the target AMR is heading toward the component mounting line 10.

[0058] The destination information PI2 indicates the location (e.g., storage 14) to which the target AMR was heading at the time the abnormality occurred. The CPU 32 identifies the destination corresponding to the target AMR from the work instruction table T1 in the memory 34 and displays it in the work information WI1. The destination information PI2 allows the worker to know where the target AMR was heading. This allows the worker to take appropriate measures depending on the destination.

[0059] The urgency information UI1 indicates the above-mentioned urgency. The CPU 32 identifies the urgency corresponding to the latest task transmitted to the target AMR based on the error table T2 in the memory 34, and displays the urgency in the task information WI1. Because the urgency information UI1 is displayed in the task information WI1, the worker can determine the priority of implementing measures to resolve the abnormality according to the urgency indicated by the urgency information UI1.

[0060] The part information PI3 indicates a part ID that identifies the type of part being transported by the target AMR. The PU 32 identifies the part ID corresponding to the AMRID of the target AMR from the work instruction table T1 in the memory 34 and displays it in the work information WI1. The part information PI3 allows the worker to know the type of part that should be transported by the target AMR in which the abnormality occurred. This allows the worker to take appropriate measures depending on the type of part.

[0061] The position display button B1 is a button for displaying a map screen SC3, which will be described later. The manual display button B2 is a button for displaying an error countermeasure manual (not shown).

[0062] In S50, the CPU 32 monitors whether the selection of the position display button B1 has been received from the worker. If the selection of the position display button B1 has been received from the worker (YES in S50), the CPU 32 proceeds to S52.

[0063] In S52, the CPU 32 displays a map screen SC3 on the display unit 22. The CPU 32 displays the map screen SC3 by accessing the location indicated by the URL received from the relay device 54 in S38. The map screen SC3 indicates the location of the target AMR in the factory 2. As shown in FIG. 3 , a target AMR in which an abnormality has occurred (e.g., 40A) is displayed in red, and a normal AMR in which no abnormality has occurred (e.g., 40B) is displayed in green. That is, the CPU 32 displays the target AMR in which an abnormality has occurred and normal AMRs in different formats on the map screen SC3. This allows the worker to easily identify the target AMR in which an abnormality has occurred from among multiple AMRs. Note that in S52, the CPU 32 may display the map screen SC3 on the mobile terminal 60 instead of or in addition to displaying the map screen SC3 on the display unit 22. This allows the map screen SC3 to be shown to workers who are not located near the management device 20. Furthermore, on the map screen SC3, in addition to the target AMR, the supply depot 50 is also displayed in red. The supply depot 50 is the "resolution location" described above. This allows, for example, if a worker arrives at the location where the target AMR where an abnormality has occurred is located but is unable to immediately resolve the abnormality, the worker can quickly move to the location (e.g., the supply depot 50) that should be the first to resolve the abnormality. When the processing of S52 is completed, the CPU 32 terminates the processing of FIG. 3.

[0064] 4 will be used to explain the processing executed between the management device 20, relay device 54, and AMRs 40A and 40B by the processing in FIG. 3. In the following, the processing executed by each CPU in the management device 20, etc. will be described as being mainly executed by the management device 20, relay device 54, and AMRs 40A and 40B, rather than by each CPU. Also, although all communications between the devices in FIG. 4 are executed via LANs 4 and 6, the phrase "via LANs 4 and 6" will be omitted below.

[0065] In T10, the management device 20 transmits a work instruction generated based on the production program received from the production management device to the relay device 54 (S10 in FIG. 3). The work instruction includes the AMRID "A1", the work "supply", the destination "storage", and the part ID "F10". In this case, in T12, the relay device 54 transmits the work instruction received from the management device 20 to the AMR 40A identified by the AMRID "A1".

[0066] When AMR 40A receives a work instruction from relay device 54 at T12, it transmits a response signal to relay device 54 at T14. The response signal includes AMRID "A1" that identifies AMR 40A. When relay device 54 receives the response signal from AMR 40A at T14, it transmits the received response signal to management device 20 at T16.

[0067] When the management device 20 receives a response signal from the relay device 54 at T16 (YES at S20 in FIG. 3), it determines that the response signal does not contain error information (NO at S30). In this case, at T18, the management device 20 stores the content of the work instruction sent to the AMR 40A at T10 in the work instruction table T1 in the memory 34 (S60).

[0068] Similarly, at T20 and T22, the management device 20 transmits a work instruction to the AMR 40B via the relay device 54 (S10 in FIG. 3). The work instruction includes the AMRID "A2", the work "loading", and the destination "supply depot".

[0069] When the AMR 40B receives the work instruction from the relay device 54 at T22, it transmits a response signal including the AMRID "A2" to the management device 20 via the relay device 54 at T24 and T26.

[0070] When the management device 20 receives a response signal from the relay device 54 at T26 (YES at S20 in Figure 3), at T28, similar to T18 described above, it stores the contents of the work instruction sent to AMR 40B at T20 in the work instruction table T1 in memory 34 (YES at S20, NO at S30, S60).

[0071] Here, at T29, an abnormality occurs in the AMR 40A.

[0072] In T30, the management device 20 again transmits to the relay device 54 a work instruction generated based on the production program received from the production management device (S10 in FIG. 3). The work instruction includes the AMRID "A1", the work "loading", and the destination "supply depot". In this case, in T32, the relay device 54 transmits the work instruction received from the management device 20 to the AMR 40A identified by the AMRID "A1".

[0073] An abnormality has occurred in AMR 40A (T29). Therefore, when AMR 40A receives a work instruction from relay device 54 at T32, it transmits a response signal including AMR 40 "A1" and error information EI1 to relay device 54 at T34. In this case, relay device 54 transmits the response signal to management device 20 at T36.

[0074] In T36, the management device 20 receives a response signal from the relay device 54 (YES in S20 of FIG. 3 ), and because the response signal includes error information EI1 (YES in S30), in T40, the management device 20 uses the error table T2 in the memory 34 to identify the error that occurred in the AMR 40A, as described above (S32). In this case, in T18, the work instruction table T1 stores the operation "supply," the destination "storage," and the part ID "F10" in association with the AMR ID "A1" of the AMR 40A. Therefore, the error "mounting error" is identified. In T42, the management device 20 displays an error screen SC1 on the display unit 22, including the error code for the identified error "mounting error" (S34).

[0075] Next, in T50, the management device 20 transmits a location information request to the relay device 54 (S36 in FIG. 3). The location information request includes the AMRIDs "A1" and "A2" and the resolution location "supply depot." When the management device 20 receives a response signal containing error information from at least one AMR among the multiple AMRs 40A and 40B (YES in S30), the management device 20 transmits a location information request including all AMRIDs "A1" and "A2" to which work instructions were sent to the relay device 54. This allows the management device 20 to obtain location information not only for the AMR 40A in which an abnormality has occurred, but also for the normal AMRs 40B. The resolution location "supply depot" included in the location information request is the resolution location stored in association with the "improper mounting" error in the error table T2 described with reference to FIG. 2. The location information request also includes information identifying the AMR 40A in which the abnormality has occurred among the multiple AMRIDs "A1" and "A2."

[0076] When the relay device 54 receives the location information request from the management device 20 at T50, it stores the information included in the location information request at T52. Furthermore, the relay device 54 transmits the location information request to the AMR 40A identified by the AMRID "A1" included in the location information request at T54.

[0077] When the AMR 40A receives the location information request from the relay device 54 at T54, the AMR 40A transmits location information PA1 indicating its current location to the relay device 54 at T56. The AMR 40A identifies its current location by comparing an image of the surroundings of the AMR 40A captured by the camera 42A with the characteristics of the factory 2 included in the map information M1. In a modified example, the AMR 40A may identify its current location using a GPS sensor.

[0078] Similarly, at T60, the relay device 54 sends a location information request to the AMR 40B identified by the AMRID "A2" included in the location information request, and at T62 receives from the AMR 40B location information PB1 indicating the current location of the AMR 40B.

[0079] When the relay device 54 receives the position information PB1 from the AMR 40B in T62, it creates map screen data in T70 using the received position information PA1 and PB1. The relay device 54 creates the map screen data using the position information PA1 and PB1, as well as the location information of the resolution location "supply depot" included in the position information request received in T50, and information identifying the AMR 40A where the abnormality has occurred. As a result, as described with reference to the map screen SC3 of FIG. 3 , the AMR 40A where the abnormality has occurred is displayed in red, and the normal AMR 40B is displayed in green. Furthermore, the location of the resolution location "supply depot" is displayed in red. In T72, the relay device 54 generates a URL 80 indicating the location where the created map screen data is stored. Furthermore, in T80, the relay device 54 transmits the created URL 80 to the management device 20.

[0080] When the management device 20 receives the URL 80 in T80 (S38 in FIG. 3), it accepts a selection operation on the error screen SC1 from the worker in T90 (YES in S40). In this case, the management device 20 displays the work screen SC2 on the display unit 22 in T92 (S42). Furthermore, the management device 20 accepts selection of the location display button B1 in T94 (YES in S50). In this case, the management device 20 accesses the location indicated by the URL 80 received in T80 in T96. As a result, the management device 20 displays the map screen SC3 on the display unit 22 in T98 (S52).

[0081] (Effects of this embodiment) In this way, the management system 100 of this embodiment displays the work information WI1 related to the "supply" work that the AMR 40A was performing at the time the abnormality occurred (S42 in FIG. 3). This allows the worker 70 to recognize what work the AMR 40A was performing at the time the abnormality occurred. This allows the worker 70 to take appropriate measures depending on the "supply" work that the AMR 40A was performing.

[0082] The correspondence in this embodiment is as follows: The supply warehouse 50 is an example of a "preparation area." The component mounting line 10 is an example of a "use area."

[0083] The processes of S20 and S30 in FIG. 3 are an example of "abnormality detection processing." The process of S52 is an example of "position information display processing." The process of S42 is an example of "work information display processing" and "handling information display processing." The process of S10 is an example of "work instruction transmission processing." The process of S32 is an example of "abnormality identification processing."

[0084] Points to note regarding the management system 100 described in the embodiment will be described. In the above-described embodiment, the AMR 40A in which an abnormality has occurred transmits error information EI1 included in a response signal to a work instruction, but this is not limited to this. For example, the AMR 40A may transmit the error information EI1 in response to a status request that the management device 20 sends to the AMR 40A to check the status of the AMR 40A after receiving a work instruction from the management device 20. In another modified example, the AMR 40A may transmit the error information EI1 to the management device 20 in response to the occurrence of an abnormality in the AMR 40A.

[0085] The management system 100 may include only one AMR 40A, or may include three or more AMRs. Furthermore, the map screen SC3 may display only the location of an AMR in which an abnormality has occurred, and may not display the locations of AMRs that are functioning normally.

[0086] The management device 20 may communicate directly with the AMRs 40A and 40B without going through the relay device 54.

[0087] The work screen SC2 does not need to include a message containing details of how to deal with the abnormality.

[0088] The AMRs 40A and 40B may transmit error information including the details of the error to the management device 20. The CPU 32 of the management device 20 may not execute the abnormality identification process.

[0089] The work information WI1 does not necessarily have to include at least one of the objective information PI1, destination information PI2, urgency information UI1, and part information PI3.

[0090] The resolution position does not have to be displayed in red on the map screen SC3, in which case the management device 20 does not have to include information on the resolution position in the position information request in T50 of FIG.

[0091] The technical elements described in this specification or drawings exhibit technical utility either alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, the technologies illustrated in this specification or drawings simultaneously achieve multiple objectives, and achieving one of those objectives is itself technically useful.

[0092] For example, this specification also discloses a technical idea in which claim 4 changes "the management system according to claim 1" to "the management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3." Similarly, the specification also discloses a technical idea in which claim 5 changes "the management system according to claim 1" to "the management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4," a technical idea in claim 6 changes "the management system according to claim 1" to "the management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5," a technical idea in claim 7 changes "the management system according to claim 1" to "the management system according to any one of claims 1 to 6," a technical idea in claim 9 changes "the management system according to claim 1" to "the management system according to any one of claims 1 to 8," and a technical idea in claim 10 changes "the management system according to claim 1" to "the management system according to any one of claims 1 to 9."

Claims

1. A management system comprising: an autonomous mobile transport device that automatically transports parts between a preparation area where parts are prepared and a use area where the parts are used; and a management device that can communicate with the autonomous mobile transport device, wherein the management device executes an abnormality detection process that detects that an abnormality has occurred in the autonomous mobile transport device; a position information display process that displays position information indicating the current position of the autonomous mobile transport device that detected the abnormality by the abnormality detection process; and a work information display process that displays work information related to the work that the autonomous mobile transport device was performing at the time the abnormality occurred.

2. The management system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one second autonomous mobile conveying device that travels parallel to the autonomous mobile conveying device to transport the parts, and wherein the management device, in the abnormality detection process, detects that the abnormality has occurred in either the autonomous mobile conveying device or the second autonomous mobile conveying device, and in the position information display process, displays the position of the autonomous mobile conveying device in which the abnormality has occurred in a first manner, and further displays the positions of other normal autonomous mobile conveying devices in a second manner different from the first manner.

3. The management system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a relay device that relays communication between the management device and the autonomous mobile transport device.

4. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the management device further executes a countermeasure information display process for displaying countermeasure information relating to a process that an operator should perform in response to the abnormality.

5. The management system of claim 1, wherein the management device further executes: a work instruction sending process that sends to the autonomous mobile transport device a work instruction indicating the work to be performed by the autonomous mobile transport device; and an abnormality identification process that, when it detects that an abnormality has occurred in the autonomous mobile transport device, identifies the type of the abnormality based on the work indicated by the work instruction sent to the autonomous mobile transport device immediately before the abnormality occurred in the autonomous mobile transport device.

6. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the work information includes part information indicating the type of part transported by the autonomous transport device.

7. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the work information includes travel purpose information indicating the purpose of travel of the autonomous transport device.

8. The management system of claim 7, wherein the travel destination information includes either: information indicating that, at the time the abnormality occurred in the autonomous mobile transport device, the autonomous mobile transport device was heading from the preparation area to the use area in order to supply the part to the use area; or information indicating that, at the time the abnormality occurred in the autonomous mobile transport device, the autonomous mobile transport device was heading from the use area to the preparation area after supplying the part to the use area.

9. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the work information includes urgency information indicating the degree of urgency of measures to resolve the abnormality.

10. The management system according to claim 1, wherein in the location information display process, the management device further displays, in addition to the location information, information indicating the location to which the worker should first move to resolve the abnormality.

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