JP2020123196A - Unmanned conveyance system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an unmanned conveyance system capable of easily performing radio communication between a ground facility device including an operation unit and an unmanned carrier.SOLUTION: An unmanned conveyance system comprises: a radio communication device 20 including master units (access points) 40 and 41 and a slave unit (client station) 50 which performs radio communication with the master units 40 and 41; and unmanned carriers 30 and 31 operating on a command. The master units (access points) 40 and 41 are mounted on the unmanned carriers 30 and 31, respectively. The slave unit (client station) 50 is provided on a tablet terminal 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to an unmanned transportation system.

The communication system for a transfer facility disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a plurality of stations, an automated guided vehicle that transports articles between the plurality of stations, and a management device that manages the operation of the automated guided vehicle. Has been. Wireless communication is performed between the automatic guided vehicle and the management device. Communication between the plurality of stations and the management device is performed via the relay device.

Japanese Patent No. 3341884

By the way, a wireless base station must be installed in the management device in order to exchange operation instructions between the management device that manages the operation of the automatic guided vehicle and the automatic guided vehicle. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, a master device (access point) 101 is provided in the management device 100, and a slave device (client station) 103 is installed in the automated guided vehicle 102. Here, it is conceivable to give a command to the automated guided vehicle 102 using the ground equipment 104 such as a tablet terminal or a PC. When the wireless device 105 that is generally used in a tablet terminal, a PC, or the like is a slave device (client station) and the slave device (client station) 103 is mounted on the automated guided vehicle 102, wireless communication between the client stations is performed. Since it is impossible, in order for the operator to give a command to the automatic guided vehicle 102 by using the ground equipment 104 such as a tablet terminal or a PC, it is necessary to perform the command via the management device 100. I could not give. Note that as shown by a phantom line in FIG. 6, if the parent device (access point) 200 is separately installed in the ground equipment 104, a direct command can be given, but in that case, the parent device (access point) 200 is added. There is a need.

An object of the present invention is to provide an unmanned carrier system capable of easily performing wireless communication between a ground equipment having an operation unit and an unmanned carrier.

An unmanned carrier system for solving the above problems, in an unmanned carrier system including a wireless communication device having an access point and a client station that wirelessly communicates with the access point, and an unmanned carrier operating according to a command, The gist is that the access point is mounted on the automated guided vehicle, and the client station is provided in a ground facility apparatus having an operation unit.

According to this, since the access point is mounted on the automatic guided vehicle and the client station is provided in the ground equipment having the operation unit, the operator can directly give a command, and the access point is transferred to the ground equipment. Compared to the case where the client station is installed and the client station is mounted on the automatic guided vehicle, wireless communication between the ground equipment having the operation unit having the client station in the wireless communication device and the automatic guided vehicle equipped with the access point is performed easily. be able to.

In addition, the unmanned transportation system may further include an operation management device that receives equipment information and issues the command.
This is preferable for automation.

In addition, in the unmanned transportation system, the ground facility device provided with the client station may be a portable terminal.
According to this, an instruction such as a transportation instruction can be easily performed.

In addition, in the unmanned transport system, SS wireless communication may be used as the wireless communication.
According to this, the reliability of the system can be improved by using the SS radio when the communication strong against noise or the like is required because the access point moves.

Further, in the unmanned transportation system, it is preferable that there are a plurality of the unmanned transportation vehicles equipped with the access points, and the access points can communicate with each other.
According to this, information can be shared among the automatic guided vehicles by performing communication between the automatic guided vehicles.

According to the present invention, it is possible to easily perform wireless communication between the ground equipment having the operation unit and the automatic guided vehicle.

The top view of the work environment of the unmanned conveyance system in an embodiment. The electric block diagram of an unmanned conveyance system. The figure which shows another example of an unmanned conveyance system. The figure which shows another example of an unmanned conveyance system. The figure which shows another example of an unmanned conveyance system. The block diagram of the unmanned conveyance system for demonstrating a subject.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the unmanned transport system 10 includes unmanned transport vehicles 30 and 31 that transport a load W, and an operation management device 80. The automated guided vehicles 30 and 31 operate according to a command from the operation management device 80. The automated guided vehicles 30 and 31 are, for example, unmanned forklifts, and can carry a load W on a fork and travel in a limited predetermined area in a factory, that is, a premises. As shown in FIG. 2, a base unit (access point) 40 of the wireless communication device 20 is mounted on the automatic guided vehicle 30. A base unit (access point) 41 of the wireless communication device 20 is mounted on the automatic guided vehicle 31.

As shown in FIG. 1, as an example of the work environment of the unmanned transportation system, a transportation/storage area A1 for transporting and storing the load W, a loading area A2 for loading the load W, and an unloading area A3 for loading the load W. Have.

In the carry-in area A2, a conveyor C1 and equipment R1 such as a robot, a conveyor C2 and equipment R2 such as a robot, and an operation management device 80 are arranged. The load W is conveyed by the conveyor C1 and the load W can be mounted on the automated guided vehicles 30 and 31 by the equipment R1 such as a robot. Further, the load W can be carried by the conveyor C2, and the load W can be mounted on the automated guided vehicles 30, 31 by the equipment R2 such as a robot. The operation management device 80 exchanges information with the conveyor C1, the equipment R1 such as a robot, the conveyor C2, the equipment R2 such as a robot, and controls the entire unmanned conveyance system 10 so that the unmanned conveyance system 10 is optimally operated. ..

Then, the load W is conveyed by the conveyors C1 and C2 and transferred to the ends of the conveyors C1 and C2. When the operation management device 80 receives the arrival detection signal of the load W from the conveyors C1 and C2, it calls the unmanned guided vehicles 30 and 31 located nearby to load the load W by the equipment R1 and R2 such as robots. The load W is loaded on 31.

In the transport/storage area A1, two unmanned transport vehicles 30, 31 are arranged. The automated guided vehicles 30 and 31 can transport the load W. Further, shelves Ra1, Ra2, Ra3, Ra4 are arranged in the transport/storage area A1. The load W can be stored in the shelves Ra1, Ra2, Ra3, Ra4. The worker M carries the tablet terminal 60 in the transport/storage area A1. A tablet terminal 60 as a ground facility device having an operation unit has an operation/display unit 61 and a child device (client station) 50. The tablet terminal 60 is a portable information terminal (tablet PC). Note that the number of unmanned guided vehicles and the number of shelves in the present embodiment are examples, and the number and the number thereof are not limited.

Then, the automated guided vehicles 30, 31 on which the load W is placed are transported to the shelves Ra1, Ra2, Ra3, Ra4, and the loads W are stored in the shelves Ra1, Ra2, Ra3, Ra4. The loads W are placed on the automatic guided vehicles 30 and 31 from the shelves Ra1, Ra2, Ra3, and Ra4 in which the loads W are stored.

In the carry-out area A3, there is a parking space for the truck Tr, and a load W can be placed on the truck Tr and carried out.
Then, the automated guided vehicles 30, 31 on which the load W is placed travels from the shelves Ra1, Ra2, Ra3, Ra4 to the carry-out area A3, and the load W is placed on the truck Tr and carried out.

As shown in FIG. 2, the unmanned transfer system 10 includes, as the ground equipment 70, conveyors C1 and C2 and equipment R1 and R2 such as robots.
The conveyor C1 and the operation management device 80 are LAN-connected (or wirelessly possible), and information is sent from the conveyor C1 to the operation management device 80. The conveyor C2 and the operation management device 80 are LAN-connected (or wirelessly possible), and information is sent from the conveyor C2 to the operation management device 80. The facility R1 such as a robot and the operation management device 80 are LAN-connected (or wirelessly possible), and information is sent from the facility R1 such as a robot to the operation management device 80. The facility R2 such as a robot and the operation management device 80 are LAN-connected (or wirelessly possible), and information is sent from the facility R2 such as a robot to the operation management device 80.

The operation management device 80 and the unmanned guided vehicle 30 are connected to each other by SS wireless communication, and a command is sent from the operation management device 80 to the unmanned guided vehicle 30 and the unmanned guided vehicle 30 sends position information and vehicle information to the operation management device 80. Will be sent. Similarly, the unmanned guided vehicle 31 is also SS wirelessly connected to the operation management device 80, and a command is sent from the unmanned guided vehicle 31 to the unmanned guided vehicle 31 to the operation management device 80. Vehicle information is sent.

The operation management device 80 and the worker's tablet terminal 60 are SS wirelessly connected, etc., and operation information and the like are sent from the operation management device 80 to the worker's tablet terminal 60 and the operation management is performed from the worker's tablet terminal 60. The work information and the like are sent to the device 80.

As shown in FIG. 2, the slave unit (client station) 50 of the worker's tablet terminal 60 and the master unit (access point) 40 of the automated guided vehicle 30 are wirelessly connected to each other by SS wireless communication. Direct commands are sent from the child device (client station) 50 of the tablet terminal 60 to the parent device (access point) 40 of the automated guided vehicle 30. The slave unit (client station) 50 of the worker's tablet terminal 60 and the master unit (access point) 41 of the automated guided vehicle 31 are wirelessly connected, and the slave unit of the worker's tablet terminal 60 (SS) by SS wireless communication ( A direct command is sent from the client station) 50 to the base unit (access point) 41 of the automated guided vehicle 31. By the wireless connection of the SS wireless communication, the connection between the parent device (access point) 41 and the child device (client station) 50 can be switched by selecting one from a plurality of existing devices.

In this way, the wireless communication device 20 including the master devices (access points) 40 and 41 and the slave devices (client stations) 50 that wirelessly communicate with the master devices (access points) 40 and 41 is provided. The master units (access points) 40 and 41 are mounted on the automated guided vehicles 30 and 31, respectively. The child device (client station) 50 is provided in the tablet terminal 60. The worker M can use the tablet terminal 60 to operate the automatic guided vehicles 30, 31 according to a command different from the command from the operation management device 80.

Next, the operation will be described.
The operation management device 80 inputs the equipment information from the equipments R1 and R2 such as the conveyors C1 and C2 and the robots and issues a command. Specifically, the work W is conveyed by issuing a work instruction or the like to the unmanned guided vehicles 30 and 31 in response to a request signal from the conveyors C1 and C2.

On the other hand, the worker M can give an instruction such as a conveyance instruction from the tablet terminal 60 provided with the child device (client station) 50.
Details are as follows.

The master units (access points) 40 and 41 are mounted on the automated guided vehicles 30 and 31, and the slave units (client stations) 50 are provided on the tablet terminal 60.
Here, the wireless communication between the access point and the client station in the wireless communication device can be easily performed as compared with the case where the access point is provided on the tablet terminal and the client station is mounted on the automatic guided vehicle. That is, by installing the master units (access points) 40 and 41 as the wireless communication devices of the automated guided vehicles 30 and 31, it is easy to connect the tablet terminal 60, which is a device on which the slave unit (client station) 50 is mounted on the ground side. Can communicate with.

According to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) As a configuration of the unmanned transfer system 10, a wireless communication device 20 having a master device 40, 41 as an access point and a slave device 50 as a client station that wirelessly communicates with the master device 40, 41, and operates according to a command. The automated guided vehicles 30 and 31 are provided. The base units (access points) 40 and 41 are mounted on the automatic guided vehicles 30 and 31, and the handset units (client stations) 50 are provided on a tablet terminal 60 as a ground facility device having an operation unit. Accordingly, since the access point is mounted on the automatic guided vehicle and the client station is provided on the ground facility apparatus having the operation unit, the operator can directly give instructions to the automatic guided vehicles 30 and 31. Therefore, as compared with the case where the access point is installed in the ground equipment and the client station is installed in the automatic guided vehicle, the ground equipment (tablet terminal 60) and the access point having the operation unit provided with the client station in the wireless communication device 20 are connected to each other. It is possible to easily perform wireless communication with the mounted guided vehicles 30 and 31.

Further, in the case of the system configuration having a plurality of ground equipment devices 104 such as a tablet terminal in the case of the configuration of FIG. 6, each ground equipment device 104 is performed via the management device 100, and the automated guided vehicle 102 I couldn't give direct orders. In the present embodiment, each tablet terminal 60 can directly give a command to the automated guided vehicle, so that the communication lag is shortened and the operability of the operator M of the automated guided vehicles 30, 31 is improved.

Further, the base unit (access point) 200 of FIG. 6 can be eliminated.
(2) Equipment information from the conveyors C1 and C2 and equipments R1 and R2 such as robots, for example, presence/absence of a load W (arrival detection signal of the load W provided on the conveyor) and operation management information are input to issue a command. Since the operation management device 80 is further provided, it is preferable for automating the transportation of the load W such that it can be utilized for efficient operation of the unmanned guided vehicles 30, 31.

(3) The tablet terminal 60, which is a ground facility apparatus provided with the slave unit (client station) 50, is a portable terminal, so that it is easy to carry and can easily give instructions such as a transportation instruction.

Particularly, when there are a plurality of tablet terminals, each terminal communicates with the automatic guided vehicle via the management apparatus 100 in the conventional configuration shown in FIG. 6, so that the processing load of the management apparatus 100 is large. In the present embodiment shown in FIG. 2, since the command can be directly given from the terminal to the automatic guided vehicle, the processing load of the operation management device 80 does not increase.

(4) Since wireless communication uses SS wireless communication, the reliability of the system can be improved by using SS wireless when communication that is strong against noise and the like is required because the access point moves. Further, since SS wireless communication is also a widely used communication method, it is easy to connect and disconnect the equipment constituting the unmanned transport system 10 and the tablet terminal 60 of the worker M, and the user is also easy to handle. Further, since the slave unit (client station) 50 for SS wireless connection is widely and generally mounted on a tablet terminal or the like, it is possible to easily update, add, or reduce the equipment constituting the unmanned transfer system 10. ..

The embodiment is not limited to the above, and may be embodied as follows, for example.
○ You may make it as shown in FIG. If communication with the ground equipment is not performed, for example, if the system does not require interlock with the ground equipment (a system in which only transfer is performed and the load W is replaced by human work, etc.), the automatic guided vehicles 30, 31 In the case where the transportation instruction is issued from the tablet terminal 60, the operator M may wirelessly communicate with the automated guided vehicles 30 and 31 from only the tablet terminal 60 of the worker M, as shown in FIG. That is, a person determines that the load W has been carried by the conveyor, and calls the automatic guided vehicle using the tablet terminal 60.

The tablet terminal 60 and the operation management device 80 may be a notebook computer 90 as a ground facility device having an operation unit, that is, a notebook computer, as shown in FIG. That is, the notebook computer 90 may be used in place of the tablet terminal 60 as a device having a child device (client station) 95 on the ground side. The notebook computer 90 has an operation/display unit 91 and a child device (client station) 95. Also, instead of the tablet terminal 60 used by the worker M, a smartphone or a wearable terminal such as a wristwatch type terminal may be used, and the terminal can be appropriately changed to a terminal that is easy for the worker M to use.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the case of a system that requires a plurality of unmanned guided vehicles 35 and 36, a plurality of parent machines (access points) 45 and 46 are installed, and between the parent machines (access points) 45 and 46, , Communication between access points (WDS etc.) may be used for communication.

As described above, there are a plurality of unmanned guided vehicles 35 and 36 equipped with the parent machines 45 and 46 as access points, and the parent machines (access points) 45 and 46 can communicate with each other, thereby providing an unmanned guided vehicle. Information can be shared between the automated guided vehicles 35 and 36 by communicating between the 35 and 36. For example, efficient operation, that is, efficient load transportation can be performed by exchanging the position information of the vehicles with each other. In addition, it is possible to perform an operation such that vehicles do not come into contact with each other.

Although the notebook computer 90 as the ground facility device having the operation unit is used in FIG. 5, a tablet terminal may be used instead of the notebook computer 90.
○ The method of wireless communication does not matter. The SS wireless LAN system, the normal SS wireless system, or the power saving communication system may be used.

10... Unmanned carrier system, 20... Wireless communication device, 30, 31... Unmanned carrier, 35, 36... Unmanned carrier, 40, 41... Master unit (access point), 45, 46... Master unit (access point), 50... Child machine (client station), 60... Tablet terminal (ground equipment having operation section), 80... Operation management apparatus, 90... Laptop computer (ground equipment apparatus having operation section), 95... Child machine (client station) ).

Claims (5)

A wireless communication device having an access point and a client station that performs wireless communication with the access point;
An automated guided vehicle that operates according to commands,
In an unmanned transport system equipped with
The unmanned transport system, wherein the access point is mounted on the unmanned transport vehicle, and the client station is provided in a ground equipment having an operation unit. The unmanned conveyance system according to claim 1, further comprising an operation management device that receives equipment information and issues the command. The unmanned transfer system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ground facility device provided with the client station is a portable terminal. The unmanned carrier system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the wireless communication uses SS wireless communication. The automated guided vehicle system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein there are a plurality of unmanned guided vehicles equipped with the access points, and the access points can communicate with each other.