JPH01199214A - Unmanned carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely avoid collisions of unmanned carriers by securing such a constitution where the control signal of a drive system controller functions to switch a vision sensor to a distance sensor when an unmanned carrier detects the approach to another carrier with reception of an ID number. CONSTITUTION:When an unmanned carrier 11b which usually travels with detection of a drive tape 3 approaches to another unmanned carrier 11a by a fixed distance, an ID device 13 receives an ID number from the carrier 11a as a signal higher than a prescribed level. Thus the approach of the carrier 11b to the carrier 11a is informed to a transport controller 15. The controller 15 switches the control signal that so far controlled a drive system controller 9 to a distance sensor 14 from a vision sensor 8 based on a fact that the carrier 11b serves as a follower station to the carrier 11a. Thus the carrier 11b detours around the carrier 11a. When this detour drive of the carrier 11b is through, the sensor 14 is switched back to the sensor 8. Then the carrier 11b performs its unmanned drive while detecting the tape 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an automatic guided vehicle that transports objects in an automated factory.

[Conventional technology]

FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) are schematic diagrams showing a conventional transport system using an automatic guided vehicle.

In the figure, 1a and 1b are delivery stations 2a to 2.
43 to 4d are communication terminals for communication between the host computer (not shown) and the automatic guided vehicles 1a and 1b; 5m;
, 5b are travel routes of the automatic guided vehicles 1a and 1b.

FIG. 4 is an internal configuration diagram of the automatic guided vehicles 1a and 1b.

In the figure, 7 is the host computer and communication terminals 43 to 4.
8 is a vision sensor that reads the running tape 3; 9 is a drive system control device that controls the drive of the automatic guided vehicle; 10 is a communication device 7. Vision sensor 8
This is a transport control device that analyzes signals from and issues instructions to the drive system control device 9.

Next, the operation of the automatic guided vehicles 1a and 1b will be explained.

In FIG. 3(a), the automatic guided vehicle 1a is initially stopped at the delivery station 2as, and the automatic guided vehicle 1b is stopped at the delivery station 2b, and then when the automatic guided vehicle 1b attempts to move from the delivery station 2b to 20, The automatic guided vehicle 1a becomes a hindrance.

In this case, the host computer first issues an instruction to the automatic guided vehicle 1a via the communication terminal 4a to move to the delivery station 2d. When the automatic guided vehicle 1a receives an instruction from the host computer through the communication device 7, the transfer control device 10 analyzes the instruction, reads the running tape 3 with the vision sensor 8, and sequentially sends instructions to the drive system control device 9. The vehicle proceeds along the travel route 5a to the delivery station 2d.

When the transport control device 10 in the automatic guided vehicle 1a arrives at the delivery station 2d, the communication device 7 reports the completion of the movement to the host computer via the communication terminal 4d. After receiving this report, the host computer issues an instruction to the automatic guided vehicle 1b to move from the delivery station 2b to the delivery station 2c via the communication terminal 4b. Like the automatic guided vehicle 1a, the automatic guided vehicle 1b reads the traveling tape 3 with the vision sensor 8, moves to the delivery station 2C along the traveling route 5b, and then transfers to the communication terminal 4c.
Reports that the migration has been completed from to the host computer.

In addition, as another method for avoiding collisions between automated guided vehicles,
There is a method of making running along the running tape 3 one-way as shown in Fig. 3 et al.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In this way, in the conventional automated guided vehicle described above, collision avoidance between multiple automated guided vehicles is controlled by the host computer, which increases the complexity of the software on the host computer and increases the load on the computer. Furthermore, in terms of operation, there is a drawback that the overall transport efficiency is reduced due to the waiting time required to avoid one automatic guided vehicle. parable,
Even if one-way traffic was adopted for automatic guided vehicles, the waiting time would be reduced because the transportation route would be more circuitous, but the transportation efficiency would be lowered because the transportation time would be longer.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and when avoiding collisions between multiple automatic guided vehicles, reduces the software load on the host computer and improves the transport efficiency of the automatic guided vehicles. The aim is to obtain such an automated guided vehicle.

[Means to solve the problem]

The present invention includes a communication device that communicates with a host computer, a vision sensor that reads a running tape, and an I() number that transmits the IO number of the automatic guided vehicle itself and receives It) numbers from other automatic guided vehicles. An ID signal transmitting/receiving device that receives an ID signal, a distance sensor that measures the distance to another automatic guided vehicle, a drive system control device that drives the automatic guided vehicle using a control signal from a vision sensor or a distance sensor, a communication device, and a vision sensor. sensor.

Analyzes the signals of the ID signal transmitter/receiver and distance sensor,
A conveyance control device that controls the drive system control device is provided.

[For production]

In the present invention, during normal driving, the drive system control device performs drive based on control signals from the vision sensor, approaches other automatic guided vehicles, and! When the reception level of the D number reaches a predetermined level or higher, the transport control device causes the drive system control device to switch the control signal from the vision sensor to the distance sensor,
This allows the vehicle to travel in a detour while maintaining a certain distance from other automated guided vehicles.

〔Example〕

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a transport system using an automatic guided vehicle of the present invention. In the figure, the same or corresponding parts as in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof will be omitted. Reference numeral 11a denotes an automatic guided vehicle that transports the vehicle between the delivery stations 2a to 2C along the traveling tape 3, 11b denotes an automatic guided vehicle, 11b denotes a second automatic guided vehicle that follows the automatic guided vehicle 11a, and 12 denotes an automatic guided vehicle. This is the travel route of the automatic guided vehicle 11b.

FIG. 2 is an internal configuration diagram of the automatic guided vehicles 11a and 11b. In the figure, the same or corresponding parts as in FIG. 4 are given the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

13 transmits the ID number of the automatic guided vehicle itself, and when another automatic guided vehicle approaches, the ID number transmitted from the other automatic guided vehicle
An ID signal transmitting/receiving device (hereinafter referred to as an ID device) that receives the D number, 14 a distance sensor that measures the distance between automatic guided vehicles, 15 a communication device 7, a vision sensor 8, and signals from the ID device 13 and the distance sensor 14. This is a conveyance control device that analyzes and issues instructions to the drive system control device 9.

Next, the operation will be explained. In FIG. 1, it is assumed that the automatic guided vehicle 11a is stopped at the delivery station 2a, and the automatic guided vehicle 11b is stopped at the delivery station 2b. Next, the automatic guided vehicle 11b is delivered to the delivery station 2b.
If you try to move from to delivery station 2C,
The host computer instructs the automatic guided vehicle 11b to move from the delivery station 2b to the delivery station 2C via the communication terminal 4b. This instruction is sent to the communication device T.
The automatic guided vehicle 11b that has received the automatic guided vehicle 11b analyzes the instructions with the internal transport control device 15, reads the running tape 3 with the vision sensor 8, and sequentially sends commands to the drive system control device 9 before proceeding toward the delivery station 2C. I'll go. At this time, when the automatic guided vehicle 11b approaches the automatic guided vehicle 11a to a certain distance, the ID device 13 receives the ID transmitted from the automatic guided vehicle 11a.
The D number is received as a signal of a predetermined level or higher. In addition,
Both the automatic guided vehicles 11a and 11b transmit their own ID numbers from the 1 constant IO device 13. Next, the automatic guided vehicle 11b that has received the ID number of the automatic guided vehicle 11a at a level higher than a predetermined level notifies the transport control device 15 that it has approached the automatic guided vehicle 11a, and the transport control device 15 receives this signal. Then, the automatic guided vehicle 11b is the automatic guided vehicle 11.
Since there is a woman in the slave station for a, the control signal that was previously controlling the drive system control device 9 is transferred to the vision sensor 8.
to the distance sensor 14. And distance sensor 1
4, the drive control device 9 is controlled while keeping the distance between the automatic guided vehicles 11a and 11b constant. By this control, the automatic guided vehicle 11b leaves the traveling tape 3 and travels along the traveling route 12 that detours around the automatic guided vehicle 11a.

After this detour is completed, the vision sensor 8 detects the running tape 3 again.
When detecting the transport control device &15, the drive system control device 9
The control signal for controlling the distance sensor 14 is switched from the distance sensor 14 to the vision sensor 8, and the running tape 3 is detected again and the running tape 3 is caused to run along it. When the automatic guided vehicle 11b arrives at its destination, the delivery station 2C, it reports this to the host computer via the communication terminal 4C.

In this embodiment, the case where the automatic guided vehicle 11a is stopped is shown, but the automatic guided vehicle 11a is the automatic guided vehicle 11b.
Of course, it is possible to move in opposition to the

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when a plurality of automatic guided vehicles approach each other, the transmission/reception level of the ID number exceeds a predetermined level, so the control signal of the drive system control device 90 is switched from the vision sensor 8 to the distance sensor 14. Since the slave station's automatic guided vehicle 11b detours around the main station's automatic guided vehicle 11m, it becomes possible to avoid collisions between automatic guided vehicles without relying solely on the software of the host computer.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, in order to avoid a collision between multiple automatic guided vehicles, when an automatic guided vehicle is traveling and detects the approach of another automatic guided vehicle by receiving an ID number, the drive system control device controls the automatic guided vehicle. Since the configuration is configured so that the signal is switched from the vision sensor to the distance sensor, the slave station's automatic guided vehicle can detour around the main station's automatic guided vehicle, and the software on the host computer side that manages the automatic guided vehicle Since it is possible to reduce the load and eliminate waiting time for automatic guided vehicles to avoid collisions, it has the effect of improving transport efficiency.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a transport system using an automatic guided vehicle of the present invention, Figure 2 is an internal configuration diagram of the automatic guided vehicle, and Figures 3 (a) and (b) are schematic diagrams of a conventional transport system. The perspective view and FIG. 4 are internal configuration diagrams of a conventional automatic guided vehicle. 2a-2c...Delivery L station, 3...
Running tape, 7...Communication device, 8...Vision sensor, 9.φ...Drive system control device, 11a, 11b.
...Automated guided vehicle, 13...IO signal transmitting and receiving device,
14. Distance sensor, 15. Conveyance control device.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] In an automated guided vehicle that performs transportation between a plurality of delivery stations along a running tape for a conveyance path that has been laid down, the following includes: a communication device that communicates with a host computer, and a vision sensor that reads the running tape. an ID signal transmitting/receiving device that transmits the ID number of the automatic guided vehicle itself and receives ID numbers from other automatic guided vehicles; a distance sensor that measures the distance between the automatic guided vehicle and the other automatic guided vehicle; A drive system control device that performs driving using control signals from a vision sensor or a distance sensor; and a transport control device that analyzes signals from a communication device, a vision sensor, an ID signal transmitting/receiving device, and a distance sensor and controls the drive system control device. During normal driving, the drive system control device drives based on the control signal from the vision sensor. An automatic guided vehicle characterized in that the drive system control device switches a control signal from a vision sensor to a distance sensor, thereby causing the automatic guided vehicle to travel in a detour so as to maintain a certain distance from other automatic guided vehicles.