Guided Vehicle Scheduling for Interference Elimination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing guided vehicle systems face challenges in precisely estimating the positions and arrival times of vehicles due to interference on traveling routes, leading to difficulties in controlling the movement of guided vehicles and managing communication loads.
Innovation Solution
A guided vehicle system controller that creates and modifies traveling schedules to eliminate interference between vehicles, using a schedule creating unit to generate routes disregarding interference, an interference eliminating unit to detect and modify schedules, and storage units to manage and update the schedules based on real-time positions, ensuring reliable and efficient vehicle movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the ground controller regularly transmits position instructions to guided vehicles at short time intervals to control positions, then the position control precision is improved, but the communication load and controller burden increase greatly
Solution Approach 1:
The ground controller creates traveling schedules in advance for multiple guided vehicles, assigning target positions and times before the vehicles actually travel. This preliminary scheduling allows the controller to plan routes and positions ahead of time, reducing the need for frequent real-time position instructions during actual travel, thereby lowering communication load while maintaining control precision
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the frequency of communication based on the travel phase. During schedule creation and interference elimination, communication occurs to establish target positions and times. During actual travel, communication frequency is reduced since vehicles follow pre-determined schedules, optimizing the balance between control precision and communication load
2Reliability
If the ground controller assigns traveling routes to each guided vehicle to avoid jamming, then the system reliability is improved, but the ability to precisely control what guided vehicle travels at what position at what time deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The ground controller creates comprehensive traveling schedules in advance that specify exactly which guided vehicle travels to which target position at which target time. By planning routes and timings beforehand, the controller ensures reliable jam-free operation while maintaining precise control over vehicle positions and arrival times through pre-coordinated schedules
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from guided vehicle positions and the pre-created traveling schedules to detect interference and modify schedules accordingly. This feedback mechanism allows the controller to maintain precise position and time control by adjusting target positions and times based on actual vehicle states while preserving the overall reliability of the scheduled operation
3Adaptability or versatility
If the traveling schedule is frequently modified based on real-time positions, then the adaptability to real conditions is improved, but the complexity of schedule management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates complete traveling schedules in advance with all target positions and times determined before vehicle travel begins. This preliminary scheduling provides a stable baseline that reduces the need for frequent modifications during travel, simplifying schedule management while maintaining adaptability through initial comprehensive planning
Solution Approach 2:
The interference elimination unit uses feedback from real-time vehicle positions to detect interference with pre-created schedules and modifies only the specific target positions and times affected by interference. This targeted feedback-based modification approach maintains adaptability to real conditions while minimizing the complexity increase by modifying only necessary portions of the pre-planned schedules
Data Source
AI summary
In a guided vehicle system, articles are transported between load ports by a plurality of guided vehicles traveling with articles carried thereon along a predetermined traveling route. A guided vehicle system controller communicates with a superordinate controller and guided vehicles, and creates traveling schedules representing positions and times at which the guided vehicles travel, disregarding interferences with other guided vehicles. For both newly created traveling schedules and traveling schedules from which interferences have been eliminated, interferences between the guided vehicles are detected, and the traveling schedules of the guided vehicles is modified so as to eliminate the detected interferences. The traveling schedules from which interferences have been eliminated interferences is stored. Also, the positions of the guided vehicles are stored based on data received from the guided vehicles, and the traveling schedules is modified.