AGV-Elevator Coordination for Multi-Floor Carriage Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transport management systems face challenges in smoothly coordinating the automatic transportation of components between different floors in a building using automatic guided vehicles and elevators, particularly when components need to be moved between floors with no direct access, leading to inefficiencies in transportation processes.
Innovation Solution
A transport management system that includes a transport object identifying unit to determine which components need to be moved between floors, an automatic guided vehicle management unit to instruct AGVs on the transportation, and an elevator cooperation unit to coordinate with the elevator control device for seamless movement, ensuring efficient loading and unloading of components at the correct floors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If automatic guided vehicles are used to transport components between different floors, then automation level is improved, but coordination complexity with elevator increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the control functions of AGVs and elevator into a single integrated control device. The control device manages both AGV routing and elevator dispatch, merging previously separate control systems into one unified system that coordinates component transportation across multiple floors without requiring complex inter-system communication protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device acts as an intermediary between the AGV system and elevator system. It receives transportation requests, determines optimal routing using Dijkstra's algorithm, and coordinates AGV dispatch with elevator availability, thereby simplifying the interaction between these two automated systems through a central coordinating entity.
2Productivity
If multiple transport objects are moved simultaneously, then productivity is improved, but coordination difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control device performs preliminary routing calculations using Dijkstra's algorithm to determine optimal paths for multiple AGVs before they begin transportation tasks. By pre-computing routes and anticipating elevator availability, the system can coordinate multiple simultaneous transport operations without real-time conflicts, thereby improving productivity while managing coordination complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts AGV routing and elevator dispatch based on real-time system state. When multiple transport objects need to be moved simultaneously, the control device continuously monitors AGV positions, elevator status, and transportation requests, dynamically recalculating routes and dispatch timing to optimize throughput while avoiding conflicts.
3Speed
If waiting time for elevator is reduced, then transportation speed is improved, but coordination precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control device performs preliminary routing calculations using Dijkstra's algorithm to determine optimal paths for multiple AGVs before they begin transportation tasks. By pre-computing routes and anticipating elevator availability, the system can coordinate AGV arrival times with elevator dispatch, minimizing waiting time while maintaining precise coordination through advance planning.
Data Source
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AI summary
To achieve smooth automatic transportation of transport objects with use of an elevator, provided is a transport management system (1), which is a system configured to control transportation of carriages in cooperation with an elevator control device 4 configured to control the elevator. The transport management system (1) includes a carriage identifying unit (23) configured to identify one or a plurality of carriages to be moved to a car (7) of the elevator, an AGV management unit (25) configured to transmit, to one or a plurality of AGVs (6), a transport instruction for moving all the identified carriages to the car 7, and an elevator cooperation unit (24) configured to transmit an entry-to-car completion signal to an elevator control device (4) in response to completion of motion of all the identified carriages to the car (7).