Mobile body management system, mobile body management method, and program

Abstract

Provided are a mobile body management system, a mobile body management method, and a program, whereby a mobile body is appropriately moved in consideration of multiple operations. A mobile body management system according to the present disclosure comprises: a route search unit that sets a movement route for a mobile body to arrive at a target position from a start position at which the mobile body starts to move; and a determination unit that determines both a travel method indicating the specific orientation of a vehicle body of the mobile body to be set as the travel direction when the mobile body passes through the movement route and a turning method for the mobile body, such that an arrival time until the mobile body arrives at the target position through travel along the movement route is optimized.

Description

MOBILE OBJECT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, MOBILE OBJECT MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND PROGRAM

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a mobile object management system, a mobile object management method, and a program.

[0002] When transporting objects using autonomous mobile units in warehouses, etc., it is necessary to automatically set the optimal travel route and have the mobile unit operate along that route. Factors to be considered in this case include the travel time along the route and interference with other mobile units.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a method and system for calculating work transport time in which, for each route candidate, the travel time through the transport paths that make up the route and the turning time through the branching device are calculated, and for each branching device, the ideal arrival time is calculated by adding the travel time and turning time up to that point, and the actual arrival time is calculated by further adding the total waiting time up to that point, and the difference between the calculated actual arrival time and the reservation cancellation time at the branching device is calculated as the waiting time at that branching device, and this is added up to the total waiting time to calculate the total travel time, total turning time, and total waiting time to the end of each route candidate, and these are then added together to calculate the transport time.

[0004] Patent No. 4463445

[0005] However, in the prior art described in Patent Document 1, the route that results in the shortest transportation time is selected from all route candidates for the transportation vehicle to the destination, and since the transportation vehicle can only perform one type of motion at each motion change point, the transportation vehicle cannot perform various types of motion at each motion change point.In addition, the calculation load is large to simultaneously minimize the shortest route and transportation time for the transportation vehicle.

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present disclosure aims to provide a mobile object management system, a mobile object management method, and a program that can move a mobile object appropriately by taking into account multiple types of actions.

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the mobile body management system of the present disclosure includes a route search unit that sets a travel route from a starting position where a mobile body starts moving to a destination position, and a determination unit that determines a travel method that indicates which direction the body of the mobile body should face as the direction of travel when traveling along the travel route, and a turning method for the mobile body, so that the arrival time for the mobile body to travel along the travel route and reach the destination position is optimized.

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the mobile body management method of the present disclosure includes a step of setting a movement path from a starting position where the mobile body starts moving to a destination position, and a step of determining a driving method indicating which direction the body of the mobile body should face as the direction of travel when traveling along the movement path, and a turning method for the mobile body, so that the arrival time of the mobile body along the movement path to reach the destination position is optimized.

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the program of the present disclosure causes a computer to execute the steps of setting a movement path for a moving body from a starting position where the moving body starts moving to a destination position, and determining a driving method indicating which direction the body of the moving body should face as the direction of travel when traveling along the movement path, and a turning method for the moving body, so that the arrival time for the moving body to travel along the movement path and reach the destination position is optimized.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a mobile object management system, a mobile object management method, and a program that can appropriately move a mobile object by taking into account multiple types of actions.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a mobile object control system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of a mobile object control system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a mobile object according to the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating cornering of a mobile object according to the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a mobile object according to the present disclosure when traveling through a narrow section. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating a turning back of a mobile object according to the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a mobile object according to the present disclosure when performing cargo handling at a destination. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a mobile object according to the present disclosure when performing cargo handling in a narrow section. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a pattern when switching the operation of a mobile object according to the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a first example of a movement path when a mobile object according to the present disclosure performs cargo handling in a narrow section. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a second example of a movement path when a mobile object according to the present disclosure performs cargo handling in a narrow section. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of a logistics management system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of a mobile object management system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a first example of information stored in a required time information storage unit of a mobile object management system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a second example of information stored in a required time information storage unit of a mobile object management system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a first example of information stored in a vehicle body attitude information storage unit of a mobile object management system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a first example of information stored in a path characteristics information storage unit of a mobile object management system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a second example of information stored in a path characteristics information storage unit of a mobile object management system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in a mobile object position information storage unit of a mobile object management system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a directed graph generated by a mobile object management system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of a directed graph correction process performed by a mobile object management system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 22 is a diagram explaining a weight setting process performed by a mobile object management system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of a route determined by a mobile object management system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mobile object control device according to the present disclosure.FIG. 25 is a hardware configuration diagram illustrating an example of a computer that realizes the functions of a mobile object management system according to the present disclosure.

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0013] (Outline of Mobile Object Control System) First, a mobile object control system 1 according to the present disclosure will be described using FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of the mobile object control system according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the mobile object control system 1 according to the present disclosure includes a mobile object 10, a mobile object management system 100, and a logistics management system 300. Note that while FIG. 1 illustrates only one mobile object 10, the mobile object control system 1 may include multiple mobile objects 10.

[0014] The mobile object control system 1 manages the movement of multiple mobile objects 10 by determining the movement routes, driving methods, and operations of the mobile objects 10 belonging to the facility using the mobile object management system 100. The facility to which the mobile objects 10 belong is, for example, a facility that is logistics-managed, such as a warehouse, but may be any facility that operates mobile objects 10. In the mobile object control system 1, the mobile objects 10 pick up and transport objects placed within the facility. In this embodiment, the objects transported by the mobile objects 10 are objects loaded on a pallet. However, the objects are not limited to objects loaded on a pallet and may be in any form, such as objects without a pallet. Furthermore, the mobile objects 10 are not limited to objects that transport objects but may be devices that move within the facility for any purpose. Furthermore, the logistics management system 300 manages information such as the location, content, and storage period of the objects within the facility, and instructs the mobile objects 10 to move the objects via the mobile object management system 100 in response to a request from a client.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1, waypoints W are set for each position (coordinate) within the facility area. Note that the position here refers to a position (coordinate) in a coordinate system on a two-dimensional plane of the area within the facility where the mobile body 10 moves (the area's coordinate system). Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the "attitude (orientation)" of the mobile body 10, etc., refers to the orientation of the mobile body 10, etc., in the area's coordinate system, and refers to the yaw angle (rotation angle) of the mobile body 10 when viewed from the Z direction (vertical direction) perpendicular to the area.

[0016] The travel route of the mobile body 10 is set so as to connect waypoints W. In other words, the route connecting the waypoints W that the mobile body 10 is scheduled to pass through becomes the travel route of the mobile body 10. The waypoints W are set according to the layout of the facility. For example, the waypoints W are set in a matrix pattern within the area. In the example of FIG. 1 , waypoints W1 to W29 are illustrated, and the mobile body 10 moves within the facility area along the waypoints W1 to W29 to perform various tasks.

[0017] (Configuration of Mobile Object Control System) Next, the configuration of a mobile object control system according to the present disclosure will be described using FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a mobile object control system according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, a mobile object control system 1 according to the present disclosure includes mobile objects 10 (10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E, 10F), a mobile object management system 100 (100A, 100B), a logistics management system 300, and a network N (Na, Nb, Nc). Below, these configurations will be briefly described in order.

[0018] The mobile body 10 is a device capable of autonomous movement. In this embodiment, the mobile body 10 is a holonomic system that can move sideways and perform pivot turns, which will be described later, but is not limited to this. In this embodiment, the mobile body 10 is a device capable of transporting a target. Examples of the mobile body 10 include an AGF (Automated Guided Forklift) and an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) that move on a two-dimensional plane. The mobile body 10 may be, for example, a mobile body that autonomously travels on the ground (e.g., an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV)), a mobile body that autonomously flies in the air (e.g., an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)), or a mobile body that autonomously moves through water (an Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV)). Therefore, the mobile body 10 also includes a mobile body that can autonomously move in three-dimensional space. Note that the type of the mobile body 10 is not limited to this and may be any type.

[0019] The mobile object management system 100 is an information processing system that manages multiple mobile objects 10. The mobile object management system 100 sets, for example, a movement route from a starting position (a position where movement starts) of the mobile object 10 to a destination position, a driving method, an operation, etc. The mobile object management system 100 is, for example, a FCS (Fleet Control System), but is not limited thereto and may be any device that processes information related to the movement of the mobile object 10. The mobile object management system 100 may be realized, for example, by a PC (Personal Computer), a WS (Work Station), a computer with server functions, or the like. Note that the number of mobile objects 10 managed by the mobile object management system 100 may be any number, and may be one or any multiple number.

[0020] The logistics management system 300 is an information processing system that manages the logistics of transported goods in a logistics warehouse. The logistics management system 300 is a WCS (warehouse control system) or a WMS (warehouse management system), but is not limited to a WCS or a WMS and may be any system, such as a back-end system such as a production management system. The logistics management system 300 may also manage mechanisms other than the mobile object 10 (e.g., elevators, doors, etc.) installed in a facility such as a warehouse, and may also set information for controlling these mechanisms. The logistics management system 300 may manage any number of mobile object management systems 100 and facilities, and may be one or any number of facilities.

[0021] The networks Na and Nb wirelessly connect the mobile object 10 and the mobile object management system 100 so that they can communicate with each other. The networks Na and Nb may be realized by, for example, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) defined by IEEE802.11, Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), a fifth-generation mobile communication system (5G), or a sixth-generation mobile communication system (6G).

[0022] The network Nc connects the mobile object management system 100 and the logistics management system 300 in a wired or wireless manner so that they can communicate with each other. If the network Nc is wired, it may be realized by, for example, Ethernet (registered trademark) defined in IEEE 802.3, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable, or various control signal cables such as those for serial communication. If the network Nc is wireless, it may be realized by a configuration similar to that of the above-mentioned networks Na and Nb.

[0023] (Regarding the Mobile Body) Next, the mobile body according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of the mobile body according to the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 3, in this embodiment, the mobile body 10 is a forklift, and more specifically, an AGF (Automated Guided Forklift).

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3 , the mobile body 10 includes a vehicle body 20, wheels 20A, straddle legs 21, a mast 22, a fork 24, a sensor 26A, and a control device 200. The straddle legs 21 are a pair of shaft-shaped members provided at one end of the vehicle body 20 in the longitudinal direction and protruding from the vehicle body 20. The wheels 20A are provided at the tip of each straddle leg 21 and on the vehicle body 20. That is, a total of three wheels 20A are provided, but the positions and number of the wheels 20A may be arbitrary. The mast 22 is movably attached to the straddle legs 21 and moves in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 20. The mast 22 extends in an up-down direction (here, the Z direction) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The fork 24 is attached to the mast 22 movably in the Z direction. The fork 24 may also be movable in the lateral direction of the vehicle body 20 (a direction intersecting the up-down and front-rear directions) relative to the mast 22. The fork 24 has a pair of claws 24A, 24B. The claws 24A, 24B extend from the mast 22 toward the front of the vehicle body 20. The claws 24A and 24B are arranged apart from each other in the lateral direction of the mast 22. Hereinafter, in the front-rear direction, the direction (orientation) on the side of the vehicle 10 on which the fork 24 is provided will be referred to as the rear direction (rearward facing), and the direction on the side on which the fork 24 is not provided will be referred to as the front direction (forward facing).

[0025] The sensor 26A detects at least one of the position and posture of an object present around the vehicle body 20. It can also be said that the sensor 26A detects at least one of the position of the object relative to the mobile body 10 and the posture of the object relative to the mobile body 10. In the first embodiment, the sensor 26A is provided at the front end of each straddle leg 21 and on the rear side of the vehicle body 20. However, the positions at which the sensor 26A is provided are not limited thereto, and the sensor 26A may be provided at any position, and the number of sensors provided may also be arbitrary.

[0026] The sensor 26A detects the position and orientation of a surrounding object by detecting (receiving) reflected light from the object. Furthermore, the sensor 26A is a sensor that emits light, and more specifically, it emits pulsed laser light using a semiconductor laser. The sensor 26A detects the position and orientation of the object by detecting the reflected light of the emitted laser light using a photodiode or the like. The sensor 26A emits laser light while scanning in one direction, and detects the position and orientation of the object from the reflected light of the emitted laser light. The sensor 26A may be a 2D-LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor.

[0027] The sensor 26A uses a scanning device such as a polygon laser scanner having an optical system or a galvanometer scanner to scan a laser beam in the horizontal direction, i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the direction Z. However, the sensor 26A is not limited to the above and may be a sensor that detects an object by any method, and may be, for example, a 3D-LiDAR that scans in multiple directions or a camera.

[0028] The control device 200 controls the movement of the moving body 10. The control device 200 will be described in detail later.

[0029] (Regarding Traveling Method and Operation of the Mobile Body) Next, the traveling method and turning method of the mobile body 10 will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0030] (Traveling Method) The traveling method of the mobile body 10 can be selected from forward traveling, in which the forward direction of the vehicle body 20 is the traveling direction; backward traveling, in which the backward direction of the vehicle body 20 is the traveling direction; and sideways traveling, in which the traveling direction is either the left or right direction of the vehicle body 20. In other words, the traveling method here refers to the orientation of the vehicle body 20 in the traveling direction of the mobile body 10. Forward traveling can be said to be a traveling method in which the vehicle body 20 travels while facing forward with respect to the traveling direction, backward traveling can be said to be a traveling method in which the vehicle body 20 travels while facing backward with respect to the traveling direction, and sideways traveling can be said to be a traveling method in which the vehicle body 20 travels while facing sideways with respect to the traveling direction.

[0031] (Turning Method When Traveling Method Is Constant) (Cornering) The mobile body 10 can turn (switch its traveling direction) while keeping its traveling method (the orientation of the vehicle body relative to the traveling direction) constant. For example, when the mobile body 10 enters a second path that intersects with a predetermined first path from the first path, it turns at a corner where the first path and the second path intersect. In this case, if the width of the passage of the traveling path is sufficiently wide for the mobile body 10, the mobile body 10 can perform cornering traveling as shown in FIG. 4 when traveling around a corner. Cornering traveling refers to a turning method in which the orientation of the vehicle body 20 relative to the traveling direction of the mobile body 10 is kept constant (switching the traveling direction). Cornering traveling can also be considered a turning method (normal turning) in which the mobile body 10 turns while the position of the rotation center of the turning is located outside the area occupied by the mobile body 10 (the vehicle body area) when viewed from the Z direction. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating cornering of a mobile body according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, when the mobile body 10 moves from waypoint W21 to waypoint W4 while maintaining forward travel (with the vehicle body 20 facing forward relative to the traveling direction of the mobile body 10), the mobile body 10 can corner by changing the direction of the wheels at the corner of waypoint W2, where the width of the passage is sufficiently wide for the mobile body 10. However, whether or not the mobile body 10 can corner varies depending on the waypoint that is a corner, and there are some places where cornering is not possible.

[0032] (Pivot Turn) The mobile body 10 can also perform a pivot turn when turning while maintaining a constant driving method. For example, the mobile body 10 may be unable to corner even with the minimum turning radius at a corner due to a narrow passageway along its travel path. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 5 , the mobile body 10 can travel straight to the corner and then perform a pivot turn at the corner to align the vehicle body 20 with the next direction of travel of the mobile body 10. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a mobile body according to the present disclosure when traveling through a narrow section. As shown in FIG. 5 , when traveling from waypoint W21 to waypoint W4, the mobile body 10 performs a pivot turn (90°) at the corner of waypoint W17, where the passageway is narrow. That is, the mobile body 10 travels forward from waypoint W21 to waypoint W17, turns the front of the vehicle body 20 toward waypoint W4 at waypoint W17, and continues forward from waypoint W17 to waypoint W4.

[0033] A pivot turn refers to a turning pattern in which the orientation of the mobile body 10 is changed without changing the coordinates of the reference position of the mobile body 10. A pivot turn can also be said to be a turning pattern in which the mobile body 10 is turned while the rotation center of the turn is positioned within the area occupied by the mobile body 10 (the vehicle body area) as viewed from the Z direction. In this embodiment, the pivot turn may be either a first pattern in which the mobile body 10 turns with only some of the wheels steerable, or a second pattern in which the mobile body 10 turns with all of the wheels steerable, or both. The first pattern refers to a pattern (a so-called heel turn in this example) in which the steerable wheels (the wheels 20A provided on the vehicle body 20 in this example) are steered on the spot while the drivable wheels are driven, thereby turning around one of the non-steerable wheels (one of the wheels 20A provided on the straddle leg 21 in this example) as the rotation center. The second pattern refers to a pattern in which the vehicle 10 turns around any position (for example, the center of the vehicle body) within the area occupied by the vehicle 10 (the vehicle body area) by steering all steerable wheels on the spot while driving the drivable wheels (in this example, a so-called super-spin turn).

[0034] (Turning Method When Switching Traveling Methods) (Turning Back) The mobile body 10 can turn to switch traveling methods (the orientation of the vehicle body relative to the traveling direction). For example, the mobile body 10 can change its traveling method by turning back at an intersection (a T-junction or a crossroads) on its travel route. Here, an intersection refers to a waypoint W connected to three or more waypoints W. Furthermore, turning back refers to passing through an intersection while maintaining a constant traveling method (the orientation of the vehicle body 20 relative to the traveling direction), then cornering in the opposite direction from the point where the mobile body 10 passed the intersection, and returning to the intersection. This changes the traveling method. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating turning back of a mobile body according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 6 , when traveling from waypoint W21 to waypoint W4, the mobile body 10 can move from waypoint W21 to waypoint W2, then travel to waypoint W22 and turn back at waypoint W22, i.e., change the traveling direction of the mobile body 10 to the opposite direction. That is, the moving body 10 can travel forward from waypoint W21 to waypoint W22, and then switch to reverse travel at waypoint W22. However, whether or not turning back is possible varies depending on the waypoint, and turning back may not be possible in some locations.

[0035] (Pivot Turn) The mobile body 10 can also perform a pivot turn as a turning method for switching driving modes. For example, when the mobile body 10 cannot turn back, it can travel straight to the corner and perform a pivot turn at the corner to align the direction of the vehicle body 20 with the next traveling direction of the mobile body 10. For example, when performing a pivot turn in Figure 6, the mobile body 10 travels forward from waypoint W21 to waypoint W2, performs a pivot turn at waypoint W2, points the rear of the vehicle body 20 toward waypoint W4, and travels backward from waypoint W2 to waypoint W4.

[0036] (When Loading) For example, when the mobile body 10 performs loading and unloading at a destination location, the mobile body 10 must arrive at the destination location while maintaining an orientation with the forks 24 facing the loading location, i.e., while traveling backward. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7 , while the mobile body 10 is traveling forward on its travel path, it must change its orientation by turning back or pivoting before arriving at the destination location. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a mobile body according to the present disclosure when performing loading and unloading at a destination location. As shown in FIG. 7 , when the mobile body 10 performs loading and unloading at a destination location s1, the mobile body 10 travels forward from waypoint W10 to waypoint W14, then turns back and arrives at the destination location s1 while maintaining an orientation with the forks 24 of the mobile body 10 facing the loading and unloading location, traveling backward. Also, for example, in cases where there is no place to turn around before loading and unloading, the mobile body 10 may move forward from waypoint W10 to waypoint W13, then perform a pivot turn at waypoint W13, orient the forks 24 of the mobile body 10 so that they are facing the loading and unloading location, and then travel backward to the destination position s1.

[0037] Furthermore, if the loading location of the mobile body 10 is located in a narrow passage, there is a risk of contacting a structure if the mobile body 10 makes a pivot turn in the narrow passage. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8 , the mobile body 10 needs to make a pivot turn before entering the narrow passage so that the fork 24 of the mobile body 10 can arrive at the loading location with the fork 24 facing the loading location. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the operation of a mobile body according to the present disclosure when performing loading in a narrow section. As shown in FIG. 8 , when moving from waypoint W6 to waypoint W13, the mobile body 10 needs to make a pivot turn (180°) at waypoint W9 before entering waypoint W13 from waypoint W10 in the narrow passage, and then move sideways to waypoint W12 with the fork 24 of the mobile body 10 facing the direction of the loading location s2.

[0038] (Switching Operation) When switching the orientation of the vehicle body 20 relative to the traveling direction, i.e., when switching between forward traveling, reverse traveling, and sideways traveling, which are driving methods, the vehicle 10 must stop and perform an operation to change the orientation of the wheel axles (stationary steering operation). The vehicle 10 must also perform an operation to change the orientation of the wheel axles (stationary steering operation) when making a pivot turn. On the other hand, when cornering, the vehicle 10 can continue traveling while changing the orientation of the wheel axles, so there is no need to stop. Figure 9 is a diagram showing a pattern of switching the operation of a vehicle according to the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 9, when the vehicle 10 switches from forward traveling and reverse traveling to a pivot turn and sideways traveling, the vehicle 10 must perform these operations in the order of stopping, steering, and stopping.

[0039] (Setting the Vehicle Body Orientation and Turning Method) In this way, the mobile body 10 can select either cornering or pivot turning as the turning method when turning around a corner while maintaining the driving method. Furthermore, the mobile body 10 can select either turning around or pivot turning as the turning method for switching driving methods. As described above, turning around or pivot turning requires stopping and steering, which takes time. Therefore, when appropriately moving the mobile body 10, and particularly in order to quickly get the mobile body 10 to its destination, it is preferable to consider not only the waypoints to be passed through, i.e., the distance to the destination, but also multiple operations such as the turning method of the vehicle body 20.

[0040] For example, as shown in Fig. 10, if the initial position of the mobile body 10 is waypoint W21, which is position (1) shown in Fig. 10, and the destination position of the mobile body 10 is S4, the shortest time required is for the mobile body 10 to travel forward to waypoint W9, stop at waypoint W9, turn on the steering wheel, make a pivot turn (180°), stop, turn on the steering wheel, move sideways, turn on the steering wheel, and travel backward. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a first example of a travel path when a mobile body according to the present disclosure handles cargo in a narrow section.

[0041] 11, when the initial position of the mobile body 10 is waypoint W17, which is position (2), the required travel time can be shortened by having the mobile body 10 travel forward to waypoint W5, stop, turn axle, make a 90° turn, stop, turn axle, and travel backward at waypoint W5, and then stop, turn axle, move sideways, turn axle, and travel backward at waypoint W9. Figure 11 is a diagram showing a second example of a travel path when the mobile body according to the present disclosure handles cargo in a narrow section.

[0042] Thus, when determining the path and operation of the mobile object 10, the rule of traveling along the shortest path using the driving method with the highest travel speed and then performing a turn or a pivot turn when the mobile object reaches a position where a turn or a pivot turn is required cannot minimize the travel time. In contrast, the mobile object management system 100 of the present disclosure sets a path from a start position to a destination position and determines a driving method and a turning method so as to optimize the arrival time to the destination position, thereby making it possible to appropriately move the mobile object by taking into account multiple types of operations. The device configuration of this embodiment, including the mobile object management system 100, and its processing content will be described below.

[0043] (Regarding the logistics management system) Next, a logistics management system 300 according to the present disclosure will be described using FIG. 12. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a logistics management system according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 12, the logistics management system 300 includes a communication unit 310, a storage unit 320, a control unit 330, an input unit 340, and a display unit 350. The configuration of these units will be described in order below.

[0044] The communication unit 310 is a communication module that communicates with external devices such as the mobile object management system 100. The communication unit 310 may be realized by, for example, a wireless local area network (LAN) or an antenna that transmits and receives radio waves such as 5G and 6G. The communication unit 310 communicates with the mobile object management system 100 by wireless communication or wired communication, but the communication method may be arbitrary.

[0045] The storage unit 320 is a memory that stores various information such as the calculation contents and programs of the control unit 330, and includes at least one of a main storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory), and an external storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

[0046] The control unit 330 is a computing device and includes a computing circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). As shown in FIG. 12 , the control unit 330 includes an acquisition unit 331 and a notification unit 332. The control unit 330 realizes and executes these processes by reading and executing programs (software) from the storage unit 320. Note that the control unit 330 may execute these processes using a single CPU, or may be provided with multiple CPUs and execute the processes using the multiple CPUs. Furthermore, at least one of the acquisition unit 331 and the notification unit 332 may be implemented using a hardware circuit.

[0047] The acquisition unit 331 acquires order information including the target object to be transported by the mobile body 10, location information of the origin of the mobile body 10, and location information of the destination of the mobile body 10. For example, the acquisition unit 331 may acquire order information input by the administrator from the input unit 340, or may acquire order information from an external information processing system connected via the communication unit 310.

[0048] The notification unit 332 selects a mobile object 10 to carry out the transport based on the order information, and sets the destination position of the mobile object 10. Then, the notification unit 332 transmits the order information and the identification number of the mobile object 10 to carry out the transport via the communication unit 310 to the mobile object management system 100 to which the mobile object 10 belongs.

[0049] The input unit 340 receives various types of operation information from the administrator. The input unit 340 may receive, for example, the operation details of the mobile object 10 and location information of the destination position as the various types of operation information. The input unit 340 may receive, for example, various operation switches, a keyboard, a mouse, etc. The input unit 340 may also receive various types of operation information via a display surface of a touch panel.

[0050] The display unit 350 displays various types of information. The display unit 350 may display, for example, a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for receiving operation information related to various processes from an administrator, or the results of various processes. The display unit 350 may be realized by a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, a micro LED (Light Emitting Diode) display, or the like. The display unit 350 may also be a touch panel of various types, such as a capacitive type.

[0051] (Regarding the Mobile Object Management System) Next, a mobile object management system 100 according to the present disclosure will be described using FIG. 13. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a mobile object management system according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 13, the mobile object management system 100 includes a communication unit 110, a storage unit 120, a control unit 130, an input unit 140, and a display unit 150. Below, these components will be described in order.

[0052] The communication unit 110 is a communication module that communicates with external devices such as the mobile object 10 and the logistics management system 300. The communication unit 110 may be realized by, for example, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves such as 5G or 6G, or a serial communication interface device such as Ethernet (registered trademark) defined in IEEE 802.3 or USB (Universal Serial Bus). The communication unit 110 communicates with the mobile object 10 via wireless communication, and communicates with the logistics management system 300 via wired communication or wireless communication.

[0053] The storage unit 120 is a memory that stores various information such as the calculation contents and programs of the control unit 130, and includes at least one of a main storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory), and an external storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

[0054] The storage unit 120 includes a route information storage unit 121, a required time information storage unit 122, a vehicle body attitude information storage unit 123, a passage characteristic information storage unit 124, and a mobile object position information storage unit 125. An example of information stored by these components will be described below in order.

[0055] The route information storage unit 121 stores information about the route traveled by the mobile body 10. The route information may include position information of waypoints and information about the connections between waypoints and other waypoints. The route information storage unit 121 may also include information about the distance between one waypoint and other waypoints. In other words, the route information may indicate the connections between waypoints that the mobile body 10 can travel.

[0056] The required time information storage unit 122 stores information related to the travel method of the mobile object 10 and the required time for the operation of the mobile object 10. First, the required time information storage unit 122 stores the required time for each travel method of the mobile object 10. Here, a first example of information stored in the required time information storage unit 122 will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing a first example of information stored in the required time information storage unit of the mobile object management system according to the present disclosure.

[0057] 14, the required time information storage unit 122 stores the required time per unit travel distance for each of forward, backward, and sideways travel, which are types of travel methods of the mobile body 10. Note that the required time shown in FIG. 14 is an example, and may be set arbitrarily depending on the characteristics of the mobile body 10, etc.

[0058] The required time information storage unit 122 also stores information relating to the required time for each action of the mobile object 10. A second example of the information stored in the required time information storage unit 122 will now be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a diagram illustrating a second example of the information stored in the required time information storage unit of the mobile object management system according to the present disclosure.

[0059] 15, the required time information storage unit 122 stores the required time for one execution of each of the following operations of the mobile body 10: turning around, making a 90° pivot turn, making a 180° pivot turn, and turning stationary. Note that the required times shown in FIG. 15 are merely examples, and may be set arbitrarily depending on the characteristics of the mobile body 10, etc.

[0060] The vehicle body attitude information storage unit 123 stores information regarding constraints on the orientation (attitude) of the mobile body 10 when the mobile body 10 passes through waypoint W. Here, a first example of information stored in the vehicle body attitude information storage unit 123 will be described with reference to Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a diagram showing a first example of information stored in the vehicle body attitude information storage unit of the mobile body management system according to the present disclosure.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 16 , when the mobile body 10 passes waypoint W, the vehicle body attitude information storage unit 123 stores information regarding constraints on the attitude of the mobile body 10 according to the direction of advance of the mobile body 10, which is represented by the next waypoint W that the mobile body 10 passes. For example, FIG. 16 shows that the vehicle body attitude information storage unit 123 needs to assume an attitude of −90° when passing waypoint W9 toward W10. That is, for areas where the mobile body 10 cannot turn around or make a sharp turn, such as narrow roads, the vehicle body attitude of the waypoint at the entrance to the area is specified by an angle and stored in the vehicle body attitude information storage unit 123. Note that while FIG. 16 shows angles that define the vehicle body attitude, these are merely examples and may be set arbitrarily.

[0062] The path characteristics information storage unit 124 stores information related to the characteristics of the travel route of the mobile object 10. Specifically, the path characteristics information storage unit 124 may store information related to constraints on the travel method of the mobile object 10 on the travel route of the mobile object 10 that arise due to the characteristics of the travel route of the mobile object 10. Here, a first example of information stored in the path characteristics information storage unit 124 will be described with reference to FIG. 17 . FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a first example of information stored in the path characteristics information storage unit of the mobile object management system according to the present disclosure.

[0063] 17, the path characteristics information storage unit 124 stores information specifying whether the moving body 10 can turn back for waypoints W located at intersections such as T-junctions and crossroads. That is, FIG. 17 shows, as an example, that the moving body 10 can turn back at waypoint W2.

[0064] The passage characteristics information storage unit 124 may also store information specifying whether cornering is possible for each corner and intersection on a passage in the travel route traversed by the mobile object 10, for each direction of entry of the mobile object 10. Fig. 18 is a diagram showing a second example of information stored in the passage characteristics information storage unit of the mobile object management system according to the present disclosure.

[0065] 18, the path characteristics information storage unit 124 stores information specifying whether cornering is possible for each corner and intersection on the travel path traversed by the mobile object 10, for each direction of approach of the mobile object 10. That is, FIG. 18 shows, as an example, that the mobile object 10 is capable of cornering when approaching waypoint W18 from waypoint W2.

[0066] The mobile object position information storage unit 125 stores position information for each mobile object 10. Here, a first example of information stored in the mobile object position information storage unit 125 will be described with reference to Fig. 19. Fig. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of information stored in the mobile object position information storage unit of the mobile object management system according to the present disclosure.

[0067] 19 , the mobile object position information storage unit 125 stores position information for each mobile object 10. The position information for each mobile object 10 stored in the mobile object position information storage unit 125 may be updated as needed.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 19, the moving object position information storage unit 125 stores information relating to the items "moving object ID," "position information," and "posture information."

[0069] The "mobile body ID" is an identifier for identifying the mobile body 10, and is represented by a character string or a number. The "location information" is location information of the mobile body 10 identified by the "mobile body ID", and is represented by, for example, latitude and longitude. The "posture information" is posture information of the mobile body 10 identified by the "mobile body ID", and may be represented by, for example, an azimuth angle.

[0070] That is, FIG. 19 shows an example in which the position information "LC#1" and the attitude information "AG#1" of the moving body 10 identified by the moving body ID "MVID#1" are linked and stored.

[0071] The information stored in the mobile body position information storage unit 125 is not limited to information relating to the items "mobile body ID," "position information," and "posture information," but may also store information relating to the position information and posture information of any other mobile body 10.

[0072] The control unit 130 is a controller that executes various types of arithmetic processing and processing to realize functions. The control unit 130 is realized by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or the like executing various programs stored in the storage unit 120 using RAM as a work area. The control unit 130 may also be realized by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0073] As shown in FIG. 13 , the control unit 130 includes an acquisition unit 131, a route search unit 132, an end point setting unit 133, an initial setting unit 134, a candidate setting unit 135, a weight setting unit 136, a determination unit 137, and an instruction unit 138. The control unit 130 realizes these and performs these processes by reading and executing a program (software) from the storage unit 220. Note that the control unit 230 may perform this process using a single CPU, or may be provided with multiple CPUs and perform the process using the multiple CPUs. Furthermore, at least one of these may be realized by a hardware circuit. These processes will be described later.

[0074] The input unit 140 receives various types of operation information from an administrator. The input unit 140 may receive, for example, the operation details of the mobile object 10 and location information of a destination position as the various types of operation information. The input unit 140 may receive, for example, various operation switches, dials, levers, handles, keyboards, joysticks, mice, etc. The input unit 140 may also receive various types of operation information via a display surface of a touch panel.

[0075] The display unit 150 displays various types of information. For example, the display unit 150 may display a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for receiving operation information related to various processes from an administrator, or the results of various processes. The display unit 150 may be realized by a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, a micro LED (Light Emitting Diode) display, or the like. The display unit 150 may also be a touch panel of various types, such as a capacitive type.

[0076] (Processing of the Mobile Object Management System) Next, a process of setting a route for the mobile object 10 by the mobile object management system 100 will be described.

[0077] (Acquisition of Start Position and Destination) The acquisition unit 131 acquires information on the start position and destination position of the selected mobile object 10 (the mobile object 10 for which route setting is to be performed). The start position refers to the position where the mobile object 10 starts moving, such as the current position of the mobile object 10. The destination position refers to the destination position of the mobile object 10. In this embodiment, the acquisition unit 131 acquires order information from the logistics management system 300 and extracts information on the start position and destination position from the order information. Specifically, the acquisition unit 131 acquires the order information transmitted from the logistics management system 300 via the communication unit 110. The order information includes a target object to be transported by the mobile object 10, location information of the mobile object 10's origin, location information of the mobile object 10's destination, and an identification number of the selected mobile object 10. Based on the identification number of the selected mobile object 10 included in the order information, the acquisition unit 131 reads out the location information of the selected mobile object 10 from the mobile object location information storage unit 125 as the start position. When picking up the target object from the source, the acquiring unit 131 extracts the location information of the source included in the order information as the destination location.When transporting the target object to the destination, the acquiring unit 131 extracts the location information of the destination included in the order information as the destination location.

[0078] (Setting of Travel Path) The route search unit 132 sets a travel path from the start position of the mobile object 10 to the destination position. The route search unit 132 sets a travel path from the start position to the destination position based on the information on the start position and the destination position acquired by the acquisition unit 131. That is, in this embodiment, the route search unit 132 sets each waypoint W to be passed through on the way from the start position to the destination position.

[0079] The route search unit 132 may set any route (waypoint W) from the start position to the destination position as the travel route (waypoint W to be passed through). In this embodiment, the route search unit 132 searches for and determines the travel route by performing an optimization calculation that minimizes the cost of the travel route. The search method may be, for example, the Dijkstra algorithm. Note that the cost here may be, for example, distance, and the route with the shortest distance may be set as the travel route. Alternatively, for example, a weight may be set for each waypoint W, and the distance and weight may be used as the cost. In this case, the weight may be set arbitrarily. For example, a high weight may be set for a waypoint W that is a predetermined distance from an area where a person is working, or a high weight may be set for a waypoint W that another mobile object 10 is scheduled to pass through during the time period in which the selected mobile object 10 is scheduled to pass.

[0080] (Determining Driving Method and Turning Method) The determination unit 137 determines the driving method and turning method of the mobile body 10 when traveling along the travel route (each waypoint W) set by the route search unit 132 so as to optimize the arrival time to the destination position along the travel route. This sets the travel route (waypoints W to be passed through) of the mobile body 10, the driving method (the orientation of the vehicle body 20 relative to the traveling direction), and the turning method at corners and intersections, so that the mobile body 10 can move taking into consideration not only the travel route but also multiple types of operations such as the driving method and the turning method. A specific example of the process of setting the driving method and the turning method will be described below.

[0081] (Setting Travel Methods at Start Position and Destination Position) The endpoint setting unit 133 sets the travel method at the start position and the travel method at the destination position. For example, the endpoint setting unit 133 sets the travel method at the start position based on the orientation of the mobile body 10 at the start position and the travel path (i.e., the waypoint W next to the start position). The orientation of the mobile body 10 at the start position may be read, for example, from the mobile body position information storage unit 125. For example, if there is a path in the forward direction of the start position, the endpoint setting unit 133 specifies the travel method at the start position as forward travel. Furthermore, for example, the endpoint setting unit 133 sets the travel method at the destination position based on the work content at the destination position. For example, if loading and unloading is to be performed at the destination position, the endpoint setting unit 133 specifies the travel method upon arrival at the destination position as reverse travel.

[0082] That is, the end point setting unit 133 determines a travel method at a start position based on the movement direction of the movement start position for the route searched by the route search unit 132. Furthermore, the end point setting unit 133 determines a travel method at a destination position based on the work content at the destination position for the route searched by the route search unit 132.

[0083] (Initial Setting of Travel Method) The initial setting unit 134 initially sets a tentative travel method for each waypoint W included in the travel route. More specifically, the initial setting unit 134 sets a tentative travel method for each waypoint W, for both entering and exiting that waypoint W. The initial setting unit 134 sets all travel methods that can be implemented by the mobile body 10 (that is, in this embodiment, all of forward travel, backward travel, and lateral travel) as tentative travel methods.

[0084] In this embodiment, the initial setting unit 134 sets a tentative travel method for each waypoint W included in the travel route, excluding the start position and the destination position. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the initial setting unit 134 sets a tentative travel method for each waypoint W included in the travel route, that is, for waypoints W located at corners and intersections.

[0085] In this embodiment, the initial setting unit 134 sets the tentative traveling method for each waypoint W as a node, connects the nodes of adjacent waypoints W with edges, and sets a directed graph including these nodes and edges as information indicating the tentative traveling method. More specifically, the initial setting unit 134 connects, with an edge, the node of the tentative traveling method when exiting a waypoint W to the node of the tentative traveling method when entering the waypoint W next to that waypoint W. The initial setting unit 134 also connects, with an edge, the node of the tentative traveling method when entering a waypoint W to the node of the tentative traveling method when exiting that waypoint W. However, it is not essential to represent the tentative traveling method as a directed graph.

[0086] An example of a directed graph generated by the initial setting unit 134 will be described with reference to FIG. 20 . FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating an example of a directed graph generated by a mobile object management system according to the present disclosure. First, the initial setting unit 134 extracts waypoints W at positions where corners and intersections exist from the start position of the travel route to the destination position. Next, the initial setting unit 134 generates nodes representing the driving methods (forward, backward, lateral movement) at the time of entering (arriving) and leaving (departing) the waypoint W. Next, the initial setting unit 134 generates edges connecting the nodes representing the driving methods (forward, backward, lateral movement) at the time of arriving at and departing from the waypoint along the traveling direction of the travel route. Then, the initial setting unit 134 generates a directed graph as shown in FIG. 20 .

[0087] (Setting of Candidate Traveling Methods) The candidate setting unit 135 sets candidate traveling methods for each waypoint W included in the travel route. Furthermore, the initial setting unit 134 sets candidate traveling methods (candidate traveling methods) for each waypoint W, for both entering and exiting the waypoint W. The candidate setting unit 135 sets candidate traveling methods based on the constraints on the orientation of the vehicle body 20 at the waypoint W, more preferably based on the constraints on the orientation of the vehicle body 20 and the direction of travel at the time of exiting (the position of the next waypoint). In other words, the candidate setting unit 135 sets, as candidate traveling methods, a traveling method that satisfies the constraints on the orientation of the vehicle body 20, from among all traveling methods that the mobile body 10 can implement. Note that the constraints on the orientation of the vehicle body 20 may be read out from the vehicle body attitude information storage unit 123.

[0088] The candidate setting unit 135 sets candidate driving methods for each waypoint W included in the travel route, excluding the start position and the destination position. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the candidate setting unit 135 sets candidate driving methods for each waypoint W included in the travel route, the waypoints W located at corners and intersections.

[0089] Specifically, the candidate setting unit 135 excludes, from the provisional driving methods for each waypoint W set by the initial setting unit 134, driving methods that violate the constraint on the orientation of the vehicle body 20, thereby extracting driving methods that do not violate the constraint and setting them as candidate driving methods. That is, in this embodiment, the candidate setting unit 135 removes nodes that violate the constraint on the orientation of the vehicle body 20 and edges connected to those nodes from the directed graph set by the initial setting unit 134 to create a directed graph indicating candidate driving methods. The candidate setting unit 135 corrects the directed graph generated by the initial setting unit 134 based on the information stored in the vehicle body attitude information storage unit 123 and the passage characteristic information storage unit 124. It can be said that the candidate setting unit 135 corrects the generated directed graph based on the characteristics of waypoints on the travel route and the constraints on the movement of the moving object. Specifically, the directed graph may be corrected by the method shown below. However, it is not necessary to represent the candidate driving methods as a directed graph.

[0090] The candidate setting unit 135 identifies a driving method for the waypoint based on the vehicle body attitude at the time of approach specified for each waypoint, and deletes from the directed graph any nodes other than the identified driving method for the waypoint and any edges connected to those nodes. For example, assume that the vehicle body attitude information storage unit 123 stores a vehicle body attitude constraint of −90° when exiting waypoint W9 to waypoint W10. Assume also that the angle from waypoint W9 to waypoint W10 on the travel path is 0°. In this case, the driving method for the mobile body 10 to travel from waypoint W9 to waypoint W10 on the travel path while maintaining a vehicle body attitude of −90° is limited to lateral movement. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 21 , the candidate setting unit 135 deletes the forward and backward nodes from the nodes of waypoint W9 in the directed graph. FIG. 21 illustrates an example of a directed graph correction process performed by a mobile object management system according to the present disclosure.

[0091] Furthermore, when entering waypoint W at the corner or intersection immediately before the start position, the candidate setting unit 135 may set the same driving method as that at the start position as a candidate driving method. In other words, in this case, when entering waypoint W at the next waypoint W after the start position, the candidate setting unit 135 may delete nodes with driving methods different from that at the start position and edges connected to those nodes. Furthermore, when exiting waypoint W at the corner or intersection immediately before the destination position, the candidate setting unit 135 may set the same driving method as that at the destination position as a candidate driving method. In other words, in this case, when exiting waypoint W immediately before the destination position, the candidate setting unit 135 may delete nodes with driving methods different from that at the destination position and edges connected to those nodes.

[0092] (Setting of Turning Method Candidates) For each waypoint W for which a driving method candidate has been set, the weight setting unit 136 sets a turning method candidate (turning candidate) for each driving method candidate based on the driving method candidate for that waypoint W. Furthermore, the weight setting unit 136 sets a turning method candidate for each combination of driving method candidate for entering and exiting waypoint W (for each edge connecting a node at the time of entering waypoint W with a node at the time of exiting the same waypoint W) based on the driving method candidate for entering and exiting the waypoint W. The weight setting unit 136 sets a turning method that allows for entering using the candidate driving method and exiting using the candidate driving method as a turning method candidate. That is, for example, if entering while traveling forward and exiting while traveling backward is a driving method candidate, a turn or a pivot turn, in which switching from forward traveling to reverse traveling, is set as a turning method candidate.

[0093] More specifically, the weight setting unit 136 sets candidate turning methods based on the turning method constraints at waypoint W, more preferably based on the turning method constraints and the traveling direction at the time of entry (the position of the immediately preceding waypoint). That is, among the turning methods that allow entry and exit using the candidate driving methods, the weight setting unit 136 sets, as a candidate turning method, a turning method that can comply with the turning method constraints at waypoint W. That is, for example, if entry by traveling forward and exit by traveling backward is a candidate turning method and turning back is not possible at waypoint W, a pivot turn that switches from forward traveling to reverse traveling is set as a candidate turning method. Note that the turning method constraints may be read out from the path characteristic information storage unit 124.

[0094] (Calculation of First Required Time) For each of the candidate turning methods (edges connecting an entry node and an exit node at the same waypoint W), the weight setting unit 136 calculates, as a weight, a first required time required to execute the turning method specified in the candidate turning method. The weight setting unit 136 calculates the time specified in the candidate turning method from the time required to execute each preset operation, and sets this as the first required time for the candidate turning method. The time required to execute each operation may be read from the required time information storage unit 122. Note that, since there are no particular restrictions, multiple turning methods may be set for one combination of candidate driving methods (one edge connecting an entry node and an exit node). In this case, the weight setting unit 136 may select, as a candidate, the turning method that requires the shortest time to execute the turning method from among the multiple turning methods, and set the time required for that turn as the first required time. That is, if both a turn and a pivot turn are feasible in one combination of candidate driving methods, the turn that takes the shorter time may be selected as the candidate, and the time required for the turn may be set as the first required time.

[0095] For example, if the candidate driving methods when entering and exiting a waypoint are the same and cornering is permitted at the waypoint, the weight setting unit 136 selects cornering as the candidate turning method and sets the time required for cornering as the first required time. The time required for cornering may be zero, for example. Furthermore, if the candidate driving methods when entering and exiting a waypoint are the same and cornering is not permitted at the waypoint, the weight setting unit 136 selects pivot turning as the candidate turning method and sets the time required for pivot turning as the first required time. Specifically, for the weight of an edge connecting a node indicating a driving method when entering a waypoint with a node indicating a driving method when exiting the waypoint, the weight setting unit 136 identifies the next waypoint to be entered from the travel route after the relevant waypoint from the path characteristics information storage unit 124, reads whether cornering is possible from the time of entering the waypoint to the time of exiting the waypoint, and sets a weight such that the first required time is zero if cornering is possible. Furthermore, if cornering is not possible, the weight of the edge is set to the first required time for a pivot turn stored in the required time information storage unit 122.

[0096] In this way, the weight setting unit 136 also sets weights for other waypoints based on whether cornering is possible when heading from the waypoint to the next waypoint.

[0097] Furthermore, if the candidate driving methods for entering and exiting a waypoint are different and a turnaround is possible at the waypoint, the weight setting unit 136 selects turning as a candidate turning method and sets the time required to make the turnaround as the first required time. Furthermore, for example, if the candidate driving methods for entering and exiting a waypoint are different and a turnaround is not possible at the waypoint, the weight setting unit 136 selects pivot turning as a candidate turning method and sets the time required to make the pivot turning as the first required time. Specifically, for the weight of an edge connecting nodes in the directed graph that have different driving methods for entering and exiting the waypoint, the weight setting unit 136 reads whether a turnaround is possible at the waypoint from the path characteristic information storage unit 124, and sets the weight to the first required time for turning if a turnaround is possible, or to the first required time for pivot turning if a turnaround is not possible.

[0098] (Calculation of Second Required Time) For each combination of candidate driving methods between adjacent corner or intersection waypoints W (the edge connecting the node at the exit of the waypoint W and the node at the entry of the next waypoint W), the weight setting unit 136 calculates, as a weight, the second required time required to travel between those waypoints W. In other words, the second required time is the time required to pass through the section from the first waypoint (corner or intersection waypoint W) for which a constraint is set to the next second waypoint (corner or intersection waypoint W after the first waypoint) for which a constraint is set.

[0099] The weight setting unit 136 calculates a second required time based on candidate driving methods when exiting waypoint W (first waypoint) and the distance between waypoints W (the distance from the first waypoint to the second waypoint), and sets the weight of the edge based on this. That is, the weight setting unit 136 calculates the required time to travel between the waypoints as the second required time based on candidate driving methods when exiting waypoint W (first waypoint), the required times for each driving method stored in the required time information storage unit 122, and the distance between waypoints W. That is, the second required time is calculated assuming that the driving method is constant between these waypoints W and that no turns are made, and assuming that the same driving method is used between the waypoints W.

[0100] The processing of the weight setting unit 136 described above will be described using Fig. 22. Fig. 22 is a diagram illustrating the weight setting processing by the mobile object management system according to the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 22, weights (first required time and second required time) are set by the above-described method for each of the following: an edge connecting the driving method when arriving at a waypoint and the driving method when leaving the waypoint when they are the same; an edge connecting the driving method when arriving at a waypoint and the driving method when leaving the waypoint when they are different; and an edge connecting the nodes of the driving method when leaving a waypoint and the driving method when entering the next waypoint.

[0101] (Determining the Traveling Method and Turning Method to be Adopted) The determination unit 137 determines, from the combinations of candidate traveling methods and candidate turning methods for each waypoint W set as described above (combinations of nodes and edges connected without branching from the starting position to the destination position), those that optimize the arrival time from the starting position to the destination position as the traveling method and turning method to be adopted. The arrival time here may refer to the total time of travel between each waypoint from the starting position to the destination position and the time required to turn at each waypoint. That is, the determination unit 137 determines the traveling method and turning method to be adopted based on at least one of the first required time and the second required time (both in this example). Here, optimizing the arrival time may refer, for example, to minimizing the arrival time from the starting position to the destination position. Furthermore, for example, optimizing the arrival time may also be considered to minimize the arrival time while optimizing other factors (such as the degree of power usage) in addition to the arrival time, while also optimizing other factors (for example, minimizing the degree of power usage).

[0102] In other words, the determination unit 137 determines the driving method and turning method of the mobile body 10 at each waypoint on the travel route that will result in the shortest required time, based on the weights set for each edge of the directed graph. That is, the determination unit 137 selects the driving method for the mobile body 10 when entering and exiting a waypoint so that the weights of the edges connecting nodes when entering and exiting the waypoint are minimized. In other words, the determination unit 137 selects the driving method for the mobile body 10 so that the total weight of the route formed by connecting nodes in the directed graph with edges is minimized. For example, the Dijkstra method or the like may be used to optimally calculate the minimum required time. The result is then determined as the driving method for the travel route of the mobile body 10. Next, the operation of the mobile body 10 when switching the driving method of the mobile body 10 is determined based on the operation constraints of the mobile body 10 shown in FIG. 6. For example, if the vehicle 10 is traveling forward when it arrives at waypoint W9, but is traveling backward when it leaves waypoint W9, the vehicle 10 will travel forward, then stop and travel backward.

[0103] Figure 23 is a diagram showing an example of a route determined by a mobile object management system according to the present disclosure. In Figure 23, the determined driving method is represented by an edge indicated by a thick arrow. That is, Figure 23 shows that the mobile object 10 moves forward from waypoint W21 to waypoint W9, stops at waypoint W9, turns left, and stops again, moves laterally from waypoint W9 to waypoint W12, stops at waypoint W12, turns left, and stops again, and moves backward from waypoint W12 to waypoint S.

[0104] (Transmission of Information) The instruction unit 138 transmits instruction information, which is information regarding the determined travel route, driving method, and turning method, to the mobile body 10. That is, the instruction unit 138 transmits information regarding the determined travel route, driving method, and turning method to the mobile body 10 via the communication unit 110. Note that the mobile body 10 to which the instruction information is transmitted may be the mobile body 10 identified by the identification number of the mobile body 10 transmitted together with the order information transmitted from the logistics management system 300.

[0105] According to the mobile object management system 100 described above, a travel route from a start position to a destination position is set, and a driving method and a turning method of the mobile object 10 are set so as to optimize the arrival time to the destination position. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the mobile object 10 can be appropriately moved by taking into account operations such as the driving method and the turning method. That is, according to this embodiment, by setting the driving method and the turning method, the arrival time can be more appropriately optimized, and the mobile object 10 can be appropriately moved. Furthermore, by setting the travel route to be used for setting the driving method and the turning method before setting the driving method and the turning method, it is not necessary to simultaneously optimize the route in addition to the driving method and the turning method, thereby reducing the computational load. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a directed graph is generated, and the driving method and the operation of the mobile object 10 can be appropriately set by taking into account constraints such as vehicle attitude constraints and whether the mobile object 10 can corner at T-junctions and intersections. Therefore, the driving method and the operation can be appropriately set in addition to the travel route of the mobile object 10.

[0106] (Configuration of the Control Device) Next, the control device 200 of the moving body 10 according to the present disclosure will be described using Fig. 24. Fig. 24 is a diagram showing an example configuration of the control device of the moving body according to the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 24, the control device 200 of the moving body 10 according to the present disclosure includes a communication unit 210, a storage unit 220, a control unit 230, a self-position detection unit 240, an obstacle detection unit 250, and a drive signal transmission unit 260. Below, these configurations will be described in order.

[0107] The communication unit 210 wirelessly transmits and receives various information and the like to and from external devices such as the mobile management system 100. The communication unit 210 may be realized by, for example, an antenna for a wireless LAN defined by IEEE 802.11, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) module, a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) module, an antenna for a fifth generation mobile communication system (5G), or a sixth generation mobile communication system (6G).

[0108] The storage unit 220 is a storage device that stores various types of information. The storage unit 220 includes a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. The main storage device may be realized by a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), or a flash memory. The auxiliary storage device may be realized by a hard disk, a SSD (Solid State Drive), an optical disk, or the like.

[0109] The control unit 230 is a controller that executes various types of arithmetic processing and processing to realize functions. The control unit 230 is realized by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or the like executing various programs stored in the storage unit 220 using RAM as a work area. The control unit 230 may also be realized by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0110] The control unit 230 includes a travel path information acquisition unit 231, a self-position information acquisition unit 232, an obstacle information acquisition unit 233, and a drive control signal generation unit 234 as functions realized by the execution of programs stored in the storage unit 220, circuit configuration, etc. Note that the control unit 230 may execute these processes using a single CPU, or may be equipped with multiple CPUs that execute these processes in parallel. Each of these components will be described below in order.

[0111] The travel route information acquisition unit 231 acquires travel route information from the mobile object management system 100. That is, the travel route information acquisition unit 231 acquires the travel route information transmitted from the mobile object management system 100 via the communication unit 210.

[0112] The self-location information acquisition unit 232 acquires self-location information indicating information related to the position and posture of the mobile object 10. That is, the self-location information acquisition unit 232 acquires self-location information detected by the self-location detection unit 240, which will be described later. After acquiring the self-location information, the self-location information acquisition unit 232 may store the acquired self-location information in the storage unit 220. Furthermore, the self-location information acquisition unit 232 may transmit the acquired self-location information to the mobile object management system 100 via the communication unit 210, either based on a request from the mobile object management system 100 or spontaneously.

[0113] The obstacle information acquisition unit 233 acquires obstacle information indicating information related to the position and posture of an obstacle. That is, the obstacle information acquisition unit 233 acquires obstacle information detected by the obstacle detection unit 250, which will be described later. After acquiring the obstacle information, the obstacle information acquisition unit 233 may store the acquired obstacle information in the storage unit 220. Furthermore, the obstacle information acquisition unit 233 may transmit the acquired obstacle information to the mobile object management system 100 via the communication unit 210, either based on a request from the mobile object management system 100 or autonomously.

[0114] The drive control signal generator 234 generates a control signal for driving the power unit of the mobile body 10 based on the instruction information transmitted from the mobile body management system 100. That is, the drive control signal for driving the power unit of the mobile body 10 is generated based on the travel route, driving method, and operation of the mobile body 10 included in the instruction information. The drive control signal generator 234 may also modify the control signal for driving the power unit by reflecting obstacle information. For example, if an obstacle is present on the travel route, the drive control signal may be generated to stop the mobile body in front of the obstacle.

[0115] The self-position detection unit 240 is a device that detects the position and attitude of the moving body 10. The position of the moving body 10 refers to the coordinates at which the moving body 10 is located within the area AR. The attitude of the moving body 10 refers to the direction in which the moving body 10 is facing, and refers to the orientation (rotation angle) of the moving body 10 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the direction X and direction Y. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, "position" and "attitude" have the same meaning.

[0116] The self-position detection unit 240 may detect the position and attitude using any method, but for example, a specific means for realizing the self-position detection unit 240 is a positioning device for detecting the position using a satellite positioning system such as the Global Positioning System (GPS).

[0117] Furthermore, for example, the self-position detection unit 240 may be an inertial measurement unit (IMU) that includes an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor and detects the position and attitude relative to a predetermined origin.

[0118] The obstacle detection unit 250 is a sensor that detects the position and orientation of an obstacle. The obstacle detection unit 250 may be any sensor that can detect the position and orientation of an obstacle. For example, the obstacle detection unit 250 may be the sensor 26 of a moving object. That is, the position and orientation of an obstacle may be detected based on information acquired by 2D-LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), 3D-LiDAR, a camera, or the like.

[0119] The drive signal transmission unit 260 transmits the control signal generated by the drive control signal generation unit 234 to the power unit. The drive signal transmission unit 260 may be realized by various types of cables for transmitting control signals. For example, the drive signal transmission unit 260 may be realized by various types of electrical wiring, such as a control signal cable formed by bundling multiple electric wires, each wire having a conductor such as copper covered with an insulator, and covering the bundled wires with a sheath of electrically insulating polyvinyl chloride (PVC). In other words, the drive signal transmission unit 260 is connected to the power unit by electrical wiring.

[0120] According to the mobile object 10 described above, it is possible to appropriately move the transported goods and to perform the moving work based on the order information acquired from the mobile object management system 100.

[0121] (Hardware Configuration) The mobile object management system 100 according to the above-described embodiment is realized by, for example, a computer 1000 having a configuration as shown in Fig. 25. Fig. 25 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of a computer that realizes the functions of the mobile object management system according to the present disclosure. The computer 1000 is connected to an output device 1010 and an input device 1020, and has a configuration in which a calculation device 1030, a primary storage device 1040, a secondary storage device 1050, an output IF (Interface) 1060, an input IF 1070, and a network IF 1080 are connected via a bus 1090.

[0122] The arithmetic device 1030 operates based on programs stored in the primary storage device 1040 and secondary storage device 1050, programs read from the input device 1020, and the like, and executes various processes. The primary storage device 1040 is a memory device, such as a RAM, that temporarily stores data used by the arithmetic device 1030 for various calculations. The secondary storage device 1050 is a storage device that stores data used by the arithmetic device 1030 for various calculations and various databases, and is realized by a ROM, HDD, flash memory, or the like.

[0123] The output IF 1060 is an interface for transmitting information to be output to an output device 1010 that outputs various types of information, such as a monitor or a printer, and is realized by a connector conforming to a standard such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), DVI (Digital Visual Interface), or HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface). The input IF 1070 is an interface for receiving information from various input devices 1020, such as a mouse, keyboard, and scanner, and is realized by a USB, for example.

[0124] The input device 1020 may be a device that reads information from, for example, an optical recording medium such as a CD (Compact Disc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or a PD (Phase Change Rewritable Disk), a magneto-optical recording medium such as an MO (Magneto-Optical Disk), a tape medium, a magnetic recording medium, or a semiconductor memory. The input device 1020 may also be an external storage medium such as a USB memory.

[0125] The network IF 1080 receives data from other devices via the network N and sends it to the arithmetic device 1030, and also transmits data generated by the arithmetic device 1030 to other devices via the network N.

[0126] The arithmetic unit 1030 controls the output device 1010 and the input device 1020 via the output IF 1060 and the input IF 1070. For example, the arithmetic unit 1030 loads a program from the input device 1020 or the secondary storage device 1050 onto the primary storage device 1040 and executes the loaded program.

[0127] For example, when the computer 1000 functions as the mobile object management system 100, the arithmetic unit 1030 of the computer 1000 realizes the functions of the control unit 130 of the mobile object management system 100 by executing a program loaded onto the primary storage device 1040.

[0128] (Configuration and effects) The mobile body management system 100 for the mobile body 10 relating to the first aspect includes a route search unit 132 that sets a travel route from a starting position where the mobile body 10 starts moving to a destination position, and a determination unit 137 that determines a travel method indicating which direction the body of the mobile body 10 should face as the direction of travel when traveling along the travel route, and a turning method for the mobile body 10, so that the arrival time for the mobile body 10 to travel along the travel route and reach the destination position is optimized.

[0129] According to this configuration, after searching for the movement route of the moving body 10, it is possible to appropriately set the driving method and turning method on the movement route of the moving body 10 so as to optimize the arrival time. Therefore, it is possible to provide a mobile body management system 100 that can appropriately move the moving body by taking into account multiple types of motion.

[0130] The mobile body management system 100 for a mobile body 10 relating to the second aspect is the mobile body management system 100 for a mobile body 10 relating to the first aspect, in which the route search unit 132 sets waypoints through which the mobile body 10 will pass from the start position to the destination position, and further includes a candidate setting unit 135 that sets, for each waypoint, driving candidates that indicate potential driving methods for entering the waypoint and potential driving methods for exiting the waypoint, and a weight setting unit 136 that sets, for each driving candidate, turning candidates that indicate potential turning methods at the waypoint based on the driving candidates, and the determination unit 137 determines, from the combinations of driving candidates and turning candidates for each waypoint, the combination of driving candidates and turning candidates that optimizes the arrival time as the driving method and turning method to be adopted.

[0131] According to this configuration, waypoints through which the mobile object 10 will pass are set, and driving candidates indicating driving method candidates for entering the waypoint and driving method candidates for exiting the waypoint are set for each waypoint, and from among the combinations of driving candidates and turning candidates for each waypoint, the combination of driving candidates and turning candidates that optimizes the arrival time can be determined as the driving method and turning method to be adopted. Therefore, it is possible to provide a mobile object management system 100 that can move a mobile object appropriately by taking into account multiple types of operations.

[0132] The mobile object management system 100 according to the third aspect is the mobile object management system 100 according to the first or second aspect, in which the candidate setting unit 135 sets driving candidates based on constraints on the orientation of the vehicle body at the waypoint, and the weight setting unit 136 sets turning candidates also based on constraints on the turning method at the waypoint.

[0133] According to this configuration, it is possible to set driving candidates based on the constraints on the vehicle's orientation at the waypoint, and to set turning candidates based on the constraints on the turning method at the waypoint, thereby providing a mobile object management system 100 that can move a mobile object appropriately by taking into account multiple types of motion.

[0134] The mobile body management system 100 of the fourth aspect is a mobile body management system 100 of any one of the first to third aspects, in which the weight setting unit 136 calculates, for each of the turning candidates, a first required time required for the turning specified in the turning candidate, and the determination unit 137 determines the driving method and turning method to be adopted based on the first required time.

[0135] According to this configuration, for each of the turning candidates, a first required time required for the turning specified by the turning candidate is calculated, and the driving method and turning method to be adopted can be determined based on the first required time. Therefore, it is possible to provide the mobile object management system 100 that can move the mobile object appropriately by taking into account multiple types of motion.

[0136] The mobile body management system 100 of the fifth aspect is a mobile body management system 100 of any one of the first to fourth aspects, in which the weight setting unit 136 sets the turning candidate to cornering and the first required time to zero if the driving method when entering a waypoint is the same as the driving method when exiting the waypoint and if cornering is permitted under the turning method constraints at the waypoint, and sets the turning candidate to a pivot turn and the time required for the pivot turn to the first required time if cornering is not permitted under the turning method constraints at the waypoint.

[0137] According to this configuration, if the driving method when entering a waypoint and the driving method when exiting the waypoint are the same and cornering is permitted under the constraints on the turning method at the waypoint, the turning candidate is set to cornering and the first required time is set to zero, and if cornering is not permitted under the constraints on the turning method at the waypoint, the turning candidate is set to a pivot turn and the time required for the pivot turn can be set as the first required time. Thus, it is possible to provide a mobile object management system 100 that can move a mobile object appropriately by taking into account multiple types of operations.

[0138] The mobile body management system 100 of the sixth aspect is a mobile body management system 100 of any one of the first to fifth aspects, in which the weight setting unit 136 sets the turning candidate to be a turning candidate and the time required for the turning candidate to be the first required time when the driving method when entering the waypoint is different from the driving method when exiting the waypoint and the constraints on the turning method at the waypoint allow for a turn, and sets the time required for the turning candidate to be a pivot turn and the time required for the pivot turn to be the first required time when the constraints on the turning method at the waypoint do not allow for a turn.

[0139] According to this configuration, if the driving method when entering a waypoint is different from the driving method when exiting the waypoint, and if the constraints on the turning method at the waypoint allow for a turn, the turning candidate can be set as a turn, and the time required for the turn can be set as the first required time, and if the constraints on the turning method at the waypoint do not allow for a turn, the turning candidate can be set as a pivot turn, and the time required for the pivot turn can be set as the first required time. Thus, it is possible to provide a mobile object management system 100 that can move a mobile object appropriately by taking into account multiple types of operations.

[0140] The mobile object management system 100 of the seventh aspect is the mobile object management system 100 of any one of the first to sixth aspects, in which the weight setting unit 136 sets a second required time required to pass through the section from a first waypoint at which a constraint is set to a next second waypoint at which a constraint is set, based on the driving method when exiting the first waypoint and the distance from the first waypoint to the second waypoint, and the determination unit 137 determines the driving method and turning method to be adopted based on the second required time.

[0141] According to this configuration, the second required time required to pass through the section from the first waypoint having the restriction to the next second waypoint having the restriction is set based on the driving method when exiting the first waypoint and the distance from the first waypoint to the second waypoint, and the driving method and turning method to be adopted can be determined based on the second required time. Therefore, it is possible to provide a mobile object management system 100 that can move a mobile object appropriately by taking into account multiple types of motion.

[0142] The mobile object management system 100 according to the eighth aspect is a mobile object management system 100 according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, and the candidate setting unit 135 sets a directed graph as a candidate direction for each waypoint, with nodes representing the driving methods when entering and exiting a waypoint, and edges representing the connection between the node representing the driving method when entering the waypoint and the node representing the driving method when exiting the next waypoint.

[0143] With this configuration, a directed graph can be set as a candidate direction for each waypoint, with nodes representing driving methods when entering and exiting a waypoint and edges connecting the node representing the driving method when entering the waypoint with the node representing the driving method when exiting the next waypoint. Therefore, a mobile object management system 100 can be provided that can move a mobile object appropriately by taking into account multiple types of operations.

[0144] The mobile body management method according to the first aspect includes a step of setting a movement path from a starting position where the mobile body 10 starts moving to a destination position, and a step of determining a driving method indicating which direction the body of the mobile body 10 should face as the direction of travel when traveling along the movement path, and a turning method for the mobile body 10, so that the arrival time of the mobile body 10 along the movement path to the destination position is optimized.

[0145] According to this configuration, after searching for the movement route of the mobile body 10, it is possible to appropriately set the driving method and turning method on the movement route of the mobile body 10 so as to optimize the arrival time. Therefore, it is possible to provide a mobile body management method that can appropriately move a mobile body by taking into account multiple types of motion.

[0146] The program relating to the first aspect causes a computer to execute the steps of setting a movement path from a starting position where the moving body 10 starts moving to a destination position, and determining a driving method indicating which direction the body of the moving body 10 should face as the direction of travel when traveling along the movement path, and a turning method for the moving body 10, so that the arrival time for the moving body 10 to travel along the movement path and reach the destination position is optimized.

[0147] According to this configuration, after searching for a movement route of the mobile object 10, it is possible to appropriately set the traveling method and turning method on the movement route of the mobile object 10 so as to optimize the arrival time. Therefore, it is possible to provide a program that can appropriately move a mobile object by taking into account multiple types of motion.

[0148] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the embodiments are not limited to the contents of these embodiments. Furthermore, the above-described components include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the so-called equivalent range. Furthermore, the above-described components can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the above-described embodiments.

[0149] 1 Mobile object control system 10 Mobile object 100 Mobile object management system 110 Communication unit 120 Memory unit 121 Route information memory unit 122 Required time information memory unit 123 Vehicle body attitude information memory unit 124 Passage characteristic information memory unit 125 Mobile object position information memory unit 130 Control unit 131 Acquisition unit 132 Route search unit 133 End point setting unit 134 Initial setting unit 135 Candidate setting unit 136 Weight setting unit 137 Determination unit 138 Instruction unit 140 Input unit 150 Display unit 200 Control device 210 Communication unit 220 Memory unit 230 Control unit 231 Travel route information acquisition unit 232 Self-position information acquisition unit 233 Obstacle information acquisition unit 234 Drive control signal generation unit 240 Self-position detection unit 250 Obstacle detection unit 260 Drive signal transmission unit 300 Logistics management system 310 Communication unit 320 Storage unit 330 Control unit 331 Acquisition unit 332 Notification unit 340 Input unit 350 Display unit N Network

Claims

1. A mobile object management system comprising: a route search unit that sets a travel route from a starting position where a mobile object starts moving to a destination position; and a determination unit that determines a travel method indicating which direction the body of the mobile object should face as the direction of travel when traveling along the travel route, and a turning method for the mobile object, so that the arrival time for the mobile object to travel along the travel route and reach the destination position is optimized.

2. The mobile body management system of claim 1, wherein the route search unit sets waypoints through which the mobile body will pass from the start position to the destination position, and further includes: a candidate setting unit that sets, for each waypoint, driving candidates indicating candidate driving methods for entering the waypoint and candidate driving methods for exiting the waypoint; and a weight setting unit that sets, for each driving candidate, a turning candidate indicating candidate turning methods at the waypoint based on the driving candidates; and the determination unit determines, from among the combinations of driving candidates and turning candidates for each waypoint, the combination of driving candidates and turning candidates that optimizes the arrival time as the driving method and turning method to be adopted.

3. The mobile management system described in claim 2, wherein the candidate setting unit sets the driving candidates based on constraints on the orientation of the vehicle body at the waypoint, and the weight setting unit sets the turning candidates also based on constraints on the turning method at the waypoint.

4. The mobile management system of claim 3, wherein the weight setting unit calculates, for each of the turning candidates, a first required time required for the turning specified by the turning candidate, and the determination unit determines the driving method and the turning method to be adopted based on the first required time.

5. A mobile object management system as described in claim 4, wherein the weight setting unit: if the driving method when entering the waypoint is the same as the driving method when exiting the waypoint and cornering is permitted under the turning method constraints at the waypoint, sets the turning candidate to cornering and the first required time to zero; if cornering is not permitted under the turning method constraints at the waypoint, sets the turning candidate to a pivot turn and the time required for the pivot turn to be the first required time.

6. The mobile object management system of claim 4, wherein the weight setting unit: if the driving method when entering the waypoint is different from the driving method when exiting the waypoint and the turning method constraints at the waypoint allow for a turn, sets the turning candidate to be a turn and the time required for the turn as the first required time; if the turning method constraints at the waypoint do not allow for a turn, sets the turning candidate to be a pivot turn and the time required for the pivot turn as the first required time.

7. A mobile management system as described in claim 3, wherein the weight setting unit sets a second required time required to pass through the section from a first waypoint for which the constraint is set to a next second waypoint for which the constraint is set, based on the driving method at the time of exiting the first waypoint and the distance from the first waypoint to the second waypoint, and the determination unit determines the driving method and turning method to be adopted based on the second required time.

8. A mobile management system according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the candidate setting unit sets a directed graph as a candidate direction for each waypoint, with the driving methods at the time of entering and exiting the waypoint as nodes and the connection between the node of the driving method at the time of entering the waypoint and the node of the driving method at the time of exiting the next waypoint as edges.

9. A mobile body management method comprising the steps of: setting a movement path from a starting position where the mobile body starts moving to a destination position; and determining a driving method indicating which direction the body of the mobile body should face as the direction of travel when traveling along the movement path, and a turning method for the mobile body, so that the arrival time for the mobile body to travel along the movement path and reach the destination position is optimized.

10. A program that causes a computer to execute the steps of: setting a movement path for a moving body from a starting position where the moving body starts moving to a destination position; and determining a driving method that indicates which direction the body of the moving body should face as the direction of travel when traveling along the movement path, and a turning method for the moving body, so that the arrival time for the moving body to travel along the movement path and reach the destination position is optimized.

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