Mobile Body Movement Control with Directional Deadlock Exclusion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing techniques for managing mobile bodies to prevent deadlocks are inadequate and require improvement.

Innovation Solution

An information processing method that acquires movement information for a first mobile body, including its scheduled position and travel direction, and sets an exclusive area between this position and a second position on the travel direction side. This exclusive area is set to prevent second mobile bodies from moving through it in a different direction, while allowing movement in the same direction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If an exclusive area is reserved to prevent deadlock, then collision prevention is improved, but movement efficiency deteriorates due to overly restrictive blocking

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision preventionVSAvoidmovement efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating access permissions within the exclusive area based on travel direction. Instead of uniformly blocking all mobile bodies from the exclusive area, the system permits entry only to mobile bodies traveling in the same direction as the reserving mobile body, while blocking those traveling in opposite directions. This directional differentiation resolves the contradiction by maintaining collision prevention for opposite-direction traffic while allowing efficient same-direction movement to continue.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If a blocking area is reserved for a mobile body, then safety is improved, but system throughput deteriorates due to restricted area usage

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidsystem throughput
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamics by making the exclusive area permissions dynamic rather than static. The access rights to the exclusive area are determined in real-time based on the travel direction of incoming mobile bodies relative to the reserving mobile body. Mobile bodies traveling in the same direction are granted permission to enter, while those traveling in opposite directions are blocked. This dynamic permission system maintains safety while maximizing throughput by allowing concurrent same-direction movements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If movement restrictions are imposed to prevent deadlock, then deadlock suppression is improved, but area utilization deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedeadlock suppressionVSAvoidarea utilization
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by implementing direction-specific movement restrictions within the exclusive area. Instead of imposing uniform blocking on all mobile bodies, the system selectively restricts only those traveling in opposite directions while permitting mobile bodies traveling in the same direction to enter and use the area. This selective restriction achieves deadlock suppression while maintaining high area utilization through allowed same-direction movements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4250050B1Information processing method, information processing device, and program
Publication Date: 2025.05.21 MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND LTD
  • EP4250050B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4250050B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Object To suppress a deadlock. Solving Means An information processing method includes a step of acquiring movement information on a first mobile body including information on a first position through which the first mobile body is scheduled to pass in a first time slot and information on a travel direction of the first mobile body and a step of setting, as an exclusive area in the first time slot, an area between the first position and a second position on a travel direction side of the first mobile body from the first position based on the movement information on the first mobile body. The exclusive area is set in a manner that the second mobile body other than the first mobile body is not permitted to move within the exclusive area in the travel direction different from the travel direction of the first mobile body in the first time slot, and the second mobile body is permitted to move within the exclusive area in the same travel direction as the first mobile body in the first time slot.