JP6656296B2 - Controller, automatic traveling vehicle system, control method, and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a standby method for a traveling vehicle in an autonomous decentralized autonomous vehicle system, particularly, in an area where there are a plurality of entry directions such as a merging point and the number of vehicles that can enter at a time is limited, a standby position in front of the area. The present invention relates to a controller, an automatic traveling vehicle system, a control method, and a program that, when instructed, maximize the number of vehicles passing per unit time.

  In recent years, a system that enables the vehicle to maintain a constant speed without the need for the driver to operate the accelerator, and constantly measures the distance to the vehicle in front of the vehicle to automatically maintain the appropriate distance between vehicles Systems and others are being developed. Further, a system has been developed which enables key preft running along a road without depending on a driver's steering operation.

  In factories and warehouses, introduction of an autonomous vehicle system in autonomous decentralized control for driving an unmanned vehicle to a destination is also being studied.

JP 2000-181542 A JP 2009-215032 A

  In the autonomous vehicle system in the autonomous decentralized control, the direction and the number of vehicles that can enter the area at one time are limited in order to avoid collision with other vehicles at the junction, and the flow rate at the junction is limited by the restrictions. As a result, the running efficiency of the entire system decreases.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a controller, an automatic traveling vehicle system, a control method, and a program capable of preventing a decrease in a passing flow rate at a merging point as much as possible and improving traveling efficiency of the entire system.

  According to the embodiment, the controller is a controller that controls whether a traveling vehicle can pass or not in a restricted section for avoiding collision between traveling vehicles, and includes a standby position setting unit. The standby position setting unit sets a standby position for a traveling vehicle existing in the standby section before the restricted section when the restricted section cannot pass.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an automatic traveling vehicle system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a specific configuration of the automatic traveling vehicle system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a state transition diagram of the traveling vehicle according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a restricted section and a standby section according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a limited section controller according to the first embodiment. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a control processing procedure of a limited section controller according to the first embodiment. 5 is a flowchart of updating traffic information according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a traveling vehicle table according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a number table according to the first embodiment. 5 is a flowchart of passability determination according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a passability table according to the first embodiment. 5 is a flowchart of a travel restart setting according to the first embodiment. 4 is a flowchart of setting a standby position according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a limited number table according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a standby permutation table according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a standby position table according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a limited section controller according to the second embodiment. 9 is a flowchart for updating traffic information according to the second embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the congestion degree table of this 2nd Embodiment. 9 is a flowchart of a travel restart setting according to the second embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the congestion degree weight table of a 2nd embodiment. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a specific configuration of a limited section controller according to the third embodiment. 13 is a flowchart for updating the limited number of vehicles according to the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a specific configuration of a limited section controller according to the fourth embodiment. 16 is a flowchart of a running job reallocation according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of a reallocation standby permutation table according to the fourth embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the reallocation vehicle ID table of this 4th Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the automatic traveling vehicle system will be described.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of the automatic traveling vehicle system according to the first embodiment.
This automatic traveling vehicle system includes a host system 1 that controls the entire system in real time, and limited section controllers 2 (# 1) and 2 that control traveling at each junction based on information on traveling vehicles from the host system 1. (# 2), 2 (# 3), and a traveling vehicle 3 (# 1) that automatically travels at the confluence point while receiving instructions from the limited section controllers 2 (# 1), 2 (# 2), 2 (# 3). ), 3 (# 2), 3 (# 3), and a traveling path 4 (# 1) provided with a track for traveling vehicles 3 (# 1), 3 (# 2), 3 (# 3) to travel. ), 4 (# 2) and 4 (# 3). Even if there are subsystems and sub-controllers having different control ranges between the host system 1 and the limited section controllers 2 (# 1), 2 (# 2), 2 (# 3), or at a higher level than the host system 1. good.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the first embodiment using a computer.
The host system 1 includes a CPU 10, a recording medium 11, a RAM 12, a user interface 13, a communication interface 14, and the like.

  The CPU 10 is connected to the above-described hardware units via a bus, controls the hardware units, and sequentially executes computer programs stored in the recording medium 11.

  The recording medium 11 is composed of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD, or the like, and stores a computer program necessary for controlling the automatic traveling vehicle system.

  The RAM 12 includes an SRAM, a DRAM, a flash memory, and the like. When the CPU 10 executes, the RAM 12 reads a computer program or the like stored in the recording medium 11 as necessary and temporarily stores the computer program.

  The user interface 13 includes a display, a keyboard, a mouse, and the like, and enables input from a user and output of information to the user.

  The communication interface 14 is an interface for connecting to a LAN (U) built in a site where the automatic traveling vehicle system is located, and communicates with the restricted section controller 2 and other systems through the LAN (U).

  The limited section controller 2 includes a CPU 20, a recording medium 21, a RAM 22, a communication interface 23, a user interface 24, a wireless communication interface 25, and the like.

  The CPU 20 is connected to the above-described hardware units via a bus, controls them, and sequentially executes computer programs stored in the recording medium 21.

  The recording medium 21 is configured by an HDD, an SSD, or the like, and stores a computer program necessary for controlling the traveling vehicle at the junction.

  The RAM 22 includes an SRAM, a DRAM, a flash memory, and the like. When the CPU 20 executes, the RAM 22 reads a computer program or the like stored in the recording medium 21 as necessary and temporarily stores the computer program.

  The communication interface 23 is for communicating with the host system 1 via the LAN (U).

  The user interface 24 includes a display, a keyboard, a mouse, and the like, and enables input from a user and output of information to the user.

  The wireless communication interface 25 communicates with the traveling vehicle via wireless (V), and transmits and receives position information and status of the traveling vehicle.

  The traveling vehicle 3 is equipped with a controller 30 having a transmission / reception unit for exchanging information with the limited section controller 2 via radio. The controller 30 has information necessary for traveling such as a traveling job, a destination, and a route assigned by the host system 1 and receives control from the restricted section controller 2 at the current position of the traveling vehicle 3 and at the junction. Has the necessary state. Traveling jobs, destinations, and routes will be described later.

  First, the current position of the traveling vehicle 3 is determined by a wireless signal from the transmission unit 40 for integrating the value of a speed sensor mounted on the traveling vehicle 3 or transmitting position information attached to a predetermined position on the traveling road 4. (W) is received and the current position is updated. Next, the state of the traveling vehicle 3 will be described with reference to FIG.

The possible states of the traveling vehicle 3 are any of the following three.
If the vehicle is traveling outside the confluence point, that is, outside the management range of the restricted section controller 2, "normal traveling C1", and if the vehicle is traveling or is scheduled to stop in a standby section before the restricted section, "standby C2" If the vehicle is passing through the restricted section, the state is "C3 during restricted traveling". The restricted section and the standby section will be described later.

  When the traveling vehicle 3 in the normal traveling C1 enters the standby section and receives a standby instruction from the limited section controller 2, the traveling vehicle 3 is switched to the standby C2 and issues an instruction to the servo system of the traveling vehicle 3 so as to be able to stop at the standby position. When the traveling vehicle 3 in the normal traveling C1 or the standby C2 enters the restricted section and receives a signal from the restricted section controller 2, it switches to the restricted traveling C3, and switches to the normal traveling C1 when exiting from the restricted section. .

  As a feature of the traveling method in each state, the traveling vehicle 3 in the normal traveling C1 and the restricted traveling C3 travels along the route toward the destination assigned by the host system 1 while the traveling vehicle 3 is in the standby C2. The traveling vehicle 3 travels so as to stop at the standby position in a form in which the standby instruction from the limited section controller 2 interrupts. In all states, acceleration and deceleration are performed according to relative information such as the distance between the current position and the preceding vehicle.

  The description of the entire automatic traveling vehicle system is as described above. Hereinafter, an example will be described with respect to the limited section controller 2 that performs the control that is the center of the first embodiment.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a confluence point where the traveling vehicle 3 enters from the entry direction A or the entry direction B and exits from the exit direction C or the exit direction D. Hereinafter, based on the example of FIG. 2 will be described. FIG. 4 is only an example of a junction included in the automatic traveling vehicle system, and the present embodiment is not limited to the type of FIG.

  A restricted section 41 for avoiding collision between the traveling vehicles 3 is provided at the intersection of the merging points in FIG. 4. In the restricted section 41, the traveling vehicle 3 enters simultaneously from the approach direction A and the approach direction B. It is restricted not to come. In addition, a waiting section A42a is provided on the approach direction A side before the restriction section 41, and a waiting section B42b is provided on the approach direction B side. It is a section.

The traveling vehicle 3 is divided in the above section.
The vehicle existing in the restricted section 41 is referred to as the traveling vehicle 31, the vehicle existing in the standby section A42a is referred to as the traveling vehicle 32a, the vehicle existing in the standby section A42b is referred to as the traveling vehicle 32b, and the others are referred to as the traveling vehicle 33. Of these, the traveling vehicle 31, the traveling vehicles 32a (# 1), 32a (# 2), 32a (# 3), the traveling vehicles 32b (# 1), 32b (# 2), and 32b (# 3) are limited section controllers. 2 is a control target, and exchanges information via wireless (V).

The state of the traveling vehicle is as follows.
The state of the traveling vehicle 33 is C1 during normal traveling. The state of the traveling vehicle 31 is the restricted traveling C3. The state of the traveling vehicle 32a or the traveling vehicle 32b can be any of the normal traveling C1, the standby C2, and the restricted traveling C3. This depends on the presence or absence of a standby instruction and a retransmission instruction from the restricted section controller 2, and details will be described later. Strictly, the state in each section is not updated from when the traveling vehicle 3 enters or exits each section until the state is updated by the communication between the limited section controller 2 and the traveling vehicle 3. And not as described above.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a computer program and a database stored in the recording medium 21 of the limited section controller 2.

  The database of the recording medium 21 includes a traveling vehicle table D00, a number table D01, a pass / fail table D02, a limited number table D03, a standby permutation table D04, and a standby position table D05. The program of the recording medium 21 is provided with a traffic information update unit P0, a passability determination unit P1, a travel restart setting unit P2, and a standby position setting unit P3.

  The traffic information updating unit P0 is a program that updates the traffic jam information of the traveling vehicles near the junction with reference to the traveling vehicle table D00 and the number table D01. The passability determination unit P1 is a program that determines whether or not the vehicle can pass based on the presence or absence of a traveling vehicle in the restricted section with reference to the number table D01 and the passability table D02.

  The traveling resumption setting unit P2 determines the approach direction to the restricted section for resuming traveling when the passing permission / non-permission determining unit P1 determines that the restricted section is permitted to pass, and determines the approaching traveling vehicle in the standby section in the approach direction. On the other hand, it is a program to restart running. When it is determined that the restricted section is not allowed to pass by the passability determination section P1, the standby position setting section P3 sets the respective standby positions for the traveling vehicles of the limited number or less that exist in the standby section before the restricted section. It is a program.

The operation of the block in FIG. 5 will be described based on the flowchart in FIG.
(Traffic information update step S0 at the junction)
At a predetermined update timing of the restricted section controller 2, the traffic information updating unit P0 performs the traveling vehicle 31 existing in the restricted section 41 and the traveling vehicles 32a (# 1), 32a (# 2), and 32a (# 2) existing in the standby section A42a. # 3), position information and a state are received from the traveling vehicles 32b (# 1), 32b (# 2), 32b (# 3) existing in the standby section A42b via the radio (V), and the position is determined according to the position. The state of the traveling vehicle 3 is calculated, and the traveling vehicle table D00, the number of vehicles table D01, and the congestion degree table D04 are updated. In addition, the state updated via the radio (V) is the traveling vehicle 31, the traveling vehicles 32a (# 1), 32a (# 2), 32a (# 3), 32b (# 1), 32b (# 2), 32b (# 3). It is assumed that the traveling vehicle 33 exists in a section other than the restricted section 41 and the standby sections A42a and 42b.

(Step S1 for judging whether or not to pass through a restricted section)
The passability determination unit P1 acquires the occupation status of the restricted section 41 from the number table D01 and updates the passability table D02.

(Driving restart setting step S2)
When the passage possibility table D02 is passable (step S4), and when the traveling vehicle 3 of the waiting C2 exists in the standby section A42a or A42b (step S5), the traveling restart setting unit P2 performs the following processing. Do.

  The traveling resumption setting unit P2 determines the entry direction in which traveling is to be resumed next from the entry direction in which the vehicle was able to pass the previous time, and updates the passage possibility table D02. Next, the state of the traveling vehicle 3 in the waiting section in the approach direction in which the traveling is restarted is updated, and the traveling vehicle table D00 and the number table D01 are updated. In addition, the state updated via the radio (V) is displayed as traveling vehicles 32a (# 1), 32a (# 2), 32a (# 3), or 32b (# 1), 32b (# 2), 32b (# 3) Send to.

(Standby position setting step S3)
The standby position setting unit P3 determines that the traveling vehicle 3 of the normal traveling C1 exists in the standby section A42a or the standby section A42b for each of the approach direction A and the approach direction B (repetition processing of steps S6 to S9) (step S7). If the number of traveling vehicles 3 in standby C2 is smaller than the limited number in the limited number table D03 (step S8), the following processing is performed.

  The stand-by position setting unit P3 sets the stand-by sequence table D04 and the stand-by position table D05 to the stand-by order table D04 and the stand-by sequence table D05 for the stand-by C2 traveling car 3 and the traveling car 3 which is the normal traveling C1 but should be the stand-by C2. The standby position of the traveling vehicle 3 is obtained. The traveling vehicle table D00 and the number of vehicles table D01 are updated to the state of waiting C2 for the traveling vehicle 3 which is the target of the standby instruction. In addition, the state updated via the radio (V) is displayed as traveling vehicles 32a (# 1), 32a (# 2), 32a (# 3), or 32b (# 1), 32b (# 2), 32b (# 3) Send to.

  Hereinafter, steps S0 to S3 corresponding to the operations of the blocks P0 to P3 will be described in detail with reference to flowcharts and examples of tables. The configuration and data example of each table are merely examples for describing the present embodiment, and are not limited to the present invention. Also, it may be practically necessary to add the data registration time and the registered user name to the configuration of each table and manage it as history data. However, in this embodiment, description is omitted, and only when necessary. Mention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing of the traffic information update step S0 at the junction.
The traffic information update unit P0 updates the traveling vehicle table D00 for the traveling vehicle 3 existing in the restricted section 41, the standby section A42a, and the standby section A42b based on the acquired information (S00). FIG. 8 shows an example of the traveling vehicle table D00. The traveling vehicle table D00 includes information on traveling vehicle ID, state, approach direction, exit direction, traveling job ID, destination ID, route ID, and current position. Here, each information of the traveling vehicle table D00 will be supplemented.

  The traveling vehicle ID is a number or a character string assigned by the host system 1 to identify the traveling vehicle 3, and is acquired from the traveling vehicle 3 via wireless (V). As described above, the state is one of the normal traveling C1, the standby C2, and the restricted traveling C3, and is acquired from the traveling vehicle 3 via radio (V). The approach direction is either A or B, and is specified from a route ID described later. The exit direction is either C or D, and is specified from a later-described route ID as in the entry direction. The traveling job ID is a number or a character string assigned by the host system 1 in accordance with the current traveling purpose of the traveling vehicle 3, and the traveling job ID associated with the traveling vehicle ID in the host system 1 is a LAN ( U).

  Here, the traveling purpose of the traveling vehicle 3 is, for example, in the case of an automatic guided vehicle in a factory, (A) traveling while picking up semi-finished products before processing from a storage shelf, and (B) loading semi-finished products before processing to be processed. (C) running to pick up semi-finished products after processing, (D) transporting semi-finished products to storage shelves, (E) patrol without purpose, etc. It is assumed that the traveling job ID is uniquely assigned to one traveling so that the above purpose can be specified. The route ID is a number or a character string assigned by the host system 1 including information that can specify the traveling route 4 in the traveling job ID, and the route ID associated with the traveling job ID in the host system 1 is a LAN. (U).

  Therefore, based on the route information indicated by the route ID, the entry direction and the exit direction can be specified. The current position indicates the distance from the entry point of the restricted section 41 (the negative value is obtained in the standby section A42a or the standby section A42b, and becomes 0 at the boundary between the standby section A42a or the standby section A42b and the restricted section 41, 41, and is obtained from the traveling vehicle 3 via wireless (V).

  Next, the traffic information updating unit P0 updates the number table D01 based on the traveling vehicle table D00 (step S01). FIG. 9 shows an example of the number table D01. The number table D01 includes information on sections, states, and numbers. Here, the sections represent the restricted section 41, the standby section A42a, and the standby section A42b, and the number of records of the traveling vehicle table D00 that are totaled by section and state is stored in the number of units.

  Finally, the traffic information updating unit P0 transmits the state to the traveling vehicle 3 via the radio (V) based on the traveling vehicle table D00 (step S02). That is, the normal traveling C1 is transmitted to the traveling vehicle 3 detected to have exited from the restricted section 41 or to the traveling vehicle 3 detected to have entered the standby section A42a or A42b. Is updated.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process of determining whether or not to pass through a restricted section in the passability determination unit P1.
The passability determination section P1 determines the occupancy of the restricted section 41 based on the number table D01 (step S10). The simplest example of the occupancy determination in the present embodiment is a method in which the section of the number table D01 = the number of limited sections = 0 is not occupied, and the number is occupied if the number is a positive value. As a slightly more complicated example, based on the traveling vehicle table D00, the state = the number of traveling vehicles 3 in the restricted traveling C3 is one or less, and the current position of the traveling vehicle 3 = the length of the restricted section 41−5,000 mm or more (exit direction = C) or current position = length of restricted section 41 minus 10,000 mm (exit direction = D), non-occupied, etc. The determination method described here is merely an example for describing the present embodiment, and does not limit the present invention.

  Next, the passage possibility determination unit P1 updates the passage possibility table D02 based on the determination result of step S10 (step S11). FIG. 11 shows an example of the pass / fail table D02. The passability table D02 is composed of information on the approach direction and the passability. Here, the approach direction indicates the approach direction of A or B that actually passed when the vehicle was able to pass immediately before, and will be described in detail later. Passability indicates a flag of ○ if passing is possible, and a flag of × if passing is not possible, and is updated to ○ if the determination result in step S10 is not occupied and × if occupied.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the processing of the travel restart setting step S2 in the travel restart setting section P2.
The travel restart setting unit P2 selects a travel restart direction based on the passage availability table D02 (step S20). As a selection method, a direction different from the previous approach direction stored in the approach direction of the passability table D02 is selected. In this way, the traveling vehicle 3 can be passed through in the approach directions A and B alternately.

  Next, the travel resumption setting unit P2 updates the passage availability table D02 with the approach direction selected in step S20 (step S21). That is, the entry direction is changed to the entry direction selected in S20 for the record of the passage possibility table D02, and the passage possibility is updated to x (pass impossibility).

  Next, the traveling restart setting unit P2 updates the traveling vehicle table D00 for the traveling vehicle 3 in standby C2 in the approach direction selected in step S20 (step S22). That is, among the records of the traveling vehicle table D00, the record of the state = standby C2 and the approach direction = the approach direction selected in step S20 is searched and extracted, and the state is updated to the limited travel C3.

  Next, the traveling restart setting unit P2 updates the number table D01 based on the traveling vehicle table D00 (step S23). When the state is changed from the standby state C2 to the limited traveling state C3 by the processing of S22, the total is counted again.

  Finally, the traveling restart setting unit P2 transmits the state to the traveling vehicle 3 via the radio (V) based on the traveling vehicle table D00 (step S24). That is, for the traveling vehicle 3 in which the state of the traveling vehicle table D00 has been changed from the standby C2 to the restricted traveling C3 in step S22, the traveling vehicle 3 that matches the corresponding traveling vehicle ID is detected, and the restricted traveling C3 is detected. Is transmitted, and the state of the traveling vehicle 3 is updated.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the processing of the standby position setting S3 in the standby position setting section P3.
The standby position setting unit P3 updates the permutation state (standby permutation) of the traveling vehicle 3 that is in standby C2 based on the traveling vehicle table D00 and the limited number table D03 (step S30). FIG. 14 shows an example of the limited number table D03. The limited number table D03 includes information on the approach direction and the limited number. The limited number table D03 is a table having two records corresponding to approach directions = A and B. The limited number stores the number of traveling vehicles 3 that can continuously enter the limited section 41 at one time. Hereinafter, the waiting permutation in the approach direction A will be described with an example. Now, it is assumed that there are the following four records in the traveling vehicle table D00 with the entry direction = A and the state = normal traveling C1 or standby C2.
(A1) Traveling vehicle ID = # 0001, state = standby C2, exit direction = D, current position = 0 mm
(A2) Running vehicle ID = # 0002, state = standby C2, exit direction = C, current position = −1000 mm
(A3) Traveling vehicle ID = # 0003, status = normal traveling C1, exit direction = C, current position = −2000 mm
(A4) Traveling vehicle ID = # 0004, status = normal traveling C1, exit direction = D, current position = −3000 mm

  Further, it is assumed that the entry direction of the limited number table D03 = the limited number of A = 3. The standby position setting unit P3 sets the standby vehicles C2 in descending order of the current position for the traveling vehicles 3 that are equal to or less than the limited number. In the above example, three traveling vehicle IDs = # 0001, # 0002, and # 0003 are in standby C2, and the traveling vehicle ID = # 0003 is different from the current state (normal traveling C1). The standby permutation indicates a permutation in which the exit directions are arranged in order from the top with respect to the approach direction and the number of the standby C2s. In the above example, the standby direction is (D, C, C) where the approach direction = A and the number of standby units = 3. The same applies to the approach direction B.

  Next, the standby position setting unit P3 reflects the state of the traveling vehicle 3 updated by the process of step S30 in the traveling vehicle table D00 (step S31). In the above example, the state of the traveling vehicle ID = # 0003 is updated from C1 during normal traveling to C2 during standby.

  Next, the standby position setting unit P3 updates the number table D01 based on the traveling vehicle table D00 (step S32). When the state is changed from the normal traveling state C1 to the standby state C2 by the processing in step S31, the total is counted again.

  Next, the standby position setting unit P3 calculates a standby position based on the standby permutation calculated in step S30, the standby permutation table D04, and the standby position table D05 (step S33). FIG. 15 shows an example of the standby permutation table D04. The standby permutation table D04 includes information on the entry direction, the number of standby units, the standby permutation ID, the standby order, and the exit direction. The approach direction and the number of standby units indicate the approach direction and the number of standby units (in the above example, the approach direction = A, the number of standby units = 3) for defining the standby permutation. It represents a number or a character string assigned by the limited section controller 2 for distinguishing the standby permutation in the number of vehicles. The standby order and the exit direction represent the order from the top and the exit direction in the above-mentioned standby permutation ID.

  FIG. 16 shows an example of the standby position table D05. The standby position table D05 includes information on a standby permutation ID, a standby order, a standby position, and a passage time. The traveling vehicle 3 is specified based on the standby permutation ID and the standby order, and the standby position indicates a stop position in a coordinate system where the entry point of the restricted section 41 is 0 as in the case of the current position of the traveling vehicle 3.

  The passing time is a calculated value of an elapsed time from the start of the restart from the corresponding standby position to the exit of the restricted section 41, and is reference information in the present embodiment (see a fourth embodiment described later). In the process of step S33, a standby permutation ID that matches the standby permutation calculated in step S30 is searched and obtained from the standby permutation table D04, and a record that matches the standby permutation ID is searched and extracted from the standby position table D05. (There are records of the number of standby units), and the standby positions of the extracted records in the standby order are acquired.

  Here, a method of calculating the standby position of the traveling vehicle 3 which is essential for obtaining the effect of the present embodiment will be described. The standby position and the passage time stored in the standby position table D05 are calculated by the following method.

As an example, the equation of motion at time t (t> = 0) of the traveling vehicle 3 in the standby order n (n = 1, 2,..., N; N is the number of standby vehicles) entered from the approach direction A is represented by the following equation. Consider the case given.
Here, X _n (t) is the current position of the traveling vehicle 3 in the waiting order n at the time t, and τ ₁ and τ ₂ are the time delay and the addition of the measurement system until the distance of the traveling vehicle 3 from the vehicle ahead is measured. delay time of the drive system before switching the deceleration, k _n is exit direction of the vehicle 3 of the standby sequence _n (k n = C or D), V _kn (z) is on the travel path 4 until the leaving direction k _n The target control speed according to the inter-vehicle distance z of the argument to be defined, Y _mn (t) is the inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle m at time t of the traveling vehicle 3 in the waiting order n, and A (z) is the target control speed and the actual Represents a control acceleration corresponding to the difference z with respect to the speed.

Here, the forward vehicle in the inter-vehicle distance Y _mn (t) m, if the k _n = k _n-1 is _{m = n-1, Y mn} (t) = X n-1 (t) -X n (t) -l; but given by (l length of the vehicle), for the case of k _n ≠ k _n-1 the running direction divided in the middle of the restriction section 41, m is also not always n-1 For example, Y _mn (t) may be given by an inter-vehicle distance with m = n−2. Here, it is assumed that V _kn (z) in (Equation 1) when n = 1 gives a target control speed corresponding to the maximum inter-vehicle distance. The equation of motion in (Equation 1) is merely an example for describing the present embodiment, and does not limit the present invention.

When it is considered that the equation of motion of (Equation 1) describes the time from when the stopped traveling vehicle 3 resumes traveling and passes through the restricted section 41, the initial condition at that time t (t <= 0) is as follows. Given by the formula.

However, H _n denotes the standby position of the vehicle 3 waiting order n, satisfies the following inequality.

Here, L is a position coordinate indicating the entry point of the standby section A42a. The simultaneous motion equation of (Equation 1) having (Equation 2) as an initial condition can be sequentially obtained by solving in the ascending order of the standby order n from the characteristic determined according to the relative distance to the preceding vehicle. Since it is generally difficult to obtain an exact solution analytically, an approximate solution of (Equation 1) is usually obtained by discretizing the time t of (Equation 1) and solving it by numerical calculation. The solution obtained in this manner is defined as (Equation 4).

(Equation 4) indicates that the solution X _n (t) is obtained as a function of the time t and the standby position H _n . Using (Equation 4), the time T during which the last traveling vehicle 3 (waiting order N) leaves the restricted section 41 is expressed as (Equation 5).
Here, M is a position coordinate indicating the exit point of the restricted section 41 in the exit direction (k _N ) of the traveling vehicle 3 in the standby order N.

Waiting position H _n of the vehicle 3 waiting order n satisfies the constraint of equation (3), to minimize the time T (Equation 5), it is numerically calculated as a solution of the optimization problem. A simplex method, an annealing method, a genetic algorithm, or the like is used as a method for obtaining the optimum solution. The standby position calculated by these methods H _n and time T, in association string corresponding standby permutation ID and the standby order n, is stored in the standby position table D05.

  Finally, the standby position setting unit P3 transmits information to the traveling vehicle 3 via the radio (V) based on the traveling vehicle table D00 and the standby position table D05 (step S34). That is, in step S31, the state of the standby C2, the corresponding standby permutation ID, and the standby position associated with the standby order are transmitted to the traveling vehicle 3 whose standby vehicle table D00 is the standby C2.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, the time when a plurality of traveling vehicles 3 that have restarted traveling in the restricted section 41 pass through the restricted section 41 is minimized, and the number of vehicles passing through the restricted section 41 per unit time is reduced. As a result, traffic congestion in the restricted section 41 can be avoided and eliminated.

(Second embodiment)
Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the automatic traveling vehicle system will be described.

  In the second embodiment, in addition to the above-described first embodiment, when the traveling vehicle that is waiting at the junction is restarted, the approach direction in which the traveling is resumed in consideration of the degree of congestion is determined. This is an embodiment that enables more efficient traveling. Since the first embodiment and the second embodiment are almost the same except for a part that is partially different, only the parts that are different from the first embodiment will be described below.

  FIG. 17 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a computer program and a database of the limited section controller 2 according to the second embodiment. The difference from the first embodiment is that a congestion degree table D06 and a congestion degree weight table D07 are added to the database, and the processing of the traffic information update unit P0 and the driving restart setting unit P2 is partially changed ( (The highlighted portion of FIG. 17).

FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the traffic information update unit P0.
The difference from the first embodiment is that an update (step S03) of the congestion degree table D06 is added between step S01 and step S02 (the highlighted portion in FIG. 18). The traffic information updating unit P0 updates the congestion degree table D06 based on the traveling vehicle table D00 (step S03).

  FIG. 19 shows an example of the congestion degree table D06. The congestion degree table D06 includes information on the approach direction, the queue length, the maximum waiting time, and the average flow rate. Here, each information of the traffic congestion degree table D06 will be supplemented. The congestion degree table D06 is a table having two records of the entry directions A and B. The queue length indicates the number of traveling vehicles 3 in the normal traveling C1 or the standby C2 in the standby section A42a or the standby section A42b, and is calculated based on the traveling vehicle table D00. As the maximum waiting time, the value of the longest elapsed time since the traveling vehicle 3 in the standby C2 becomes the standby C2 is searched and acquired based on the history data in the traveling vehicle table D00. The average flow rate is obtained by searching the number of traveling vehicles 3 that have exited the standby section A42a or the standby section A42b and entered the restricted section 41 based on the history data within a predetermined time of the traveling vehicle table D00. The converted value is obtained.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the traveling restart setting unit P2.
The difference from the first embodiment is that the processing in step S20 is changed, and the calculation of the degree of congestion for each direction (step S25) is added before step 20 (the highlighted portion in FIG. 20). ).

  The travel resumption setting unit P2 calculates the direction-specific congestion degree for each of the approach directions A and B based on the congestion degree table D06 and the congestion degree weight table D07 (step S25). FIG. 21 shows an example of the congestion degree weight table D07. The congestion degree weight table D07 includes information on a queue length weight, a maximum wait time weight, an average flow weight, and a threshold. The congestion degree weight table D07 is a table having only one record. The matrix length weight, the maximum wait time weight, and the average flow rate weight store positive coefficients for calculating the direction-specific congestion degree, which will be described later. Further, the threshold value is a positive value for determining whether or not the vehicle is in an approach direction having a degree of congestion to be passed with priority.

Hereinafter, a method of calculating the degree of congestion for each direction will be described, taking the approach direction A as an example. The queue length of the record with the entry direction = A in the congestion degree table D06 is Q _A , the maximum wait time is W _A , the average flow rate is F _A , the queue length weight of the record in the congestion degree weight table D07 is CQ, the maximum wait time Assuming that the time weight is CW and the average flow weight is CF, the direction-specific congestion degree JA in the approach direction _A is calculated by the following equation.

  The same applies to the approach direction B. In the present embodiment, the degree of congestion in each direction is calculated from the queue length, the maximum waiting time, and the average flow rate. However, the present invention is not limited to the above three, and the congestion of the traveling vehicle 3 in each approach direction. Any index may be used as long as it indicates the condition. In this case, the description of the present embodiment may be read assuming that information necessary for calculating the direction-specific congestion degree is stored in the congestion degree table D06 and the coefficient is stored in the congestion degree weight table D07.

Next, the travel resumption setting unit P2 selects a travel resumption direction based on the congestion degree for each direction calculated in step S25, the passability table D02, and the congestion degree weight table D07 (step S20). The selection method is as follows: when there is a difference in the degree of congestion by the direction of the approach directions A and B greater than or equal to the threshold value, the approach direction with the larger degree of congestion by direction, and when there is no difference, the approach direction different from the approach direction in the passability table D02. It is a method of choosing. Here, the case where the traffic congestion degree for each direction in the approach direction A has a difference greater than or equal to the threshold value as compared to B indicates that the following equation is satisfied, for example.

  Here, TH represents a threshold value of the congestion degree weight table D07. The same applies to the determination formula when the approach direction B is larger than A.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, in the travel restart setting unit P2, not only the traffic jam information to be updated, but also the past traffic stored in the traffic jam degree table D06 and the traffic jam degree weight table D07 can be passed. Since the approach direction in which the traveling is restarted next is determined in consideration of the approach directions and the traffic congestion state of the traveling vehicle in each approach direction, the traffic jam at the junction can be efficiently avoided and eliminated.

(Third embodiment)
Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the automatic traveling vehicle system will be described.
In the third embodiment, in addition to the above-described second embodiment, a more efficient traveling is enabled by dynamically changing the limited number of vehicles passing through the limited section at a time in consideration of the degree of congestion. It is an embodiment to perform. Since the second embodiment and the third embodiment are almost the same except for a part that is partially different, only the parts different from the second embodiment will be described below.

  FIG. 22 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a computer program and a database of the limited section controller 2 according to the third embodiment. The difference from the second embodiment is that a limited number updating unit P4 is added to the computer program (the highlighted portion in FIG. 22).

FIG. 23 is a flowchart illustrating the process of the limited number updating unit P4.
The limited number updating unit P4 calculates the limited number for each approach direction based on the congestion degree table D06 and the congestion degree weight table D07 (step S40). Approach direction A, the direction-specific congestion degree _J A against B, J _B is given by (Equation 6). Approach direction A, restricted to B number N _A, N _B, for example the reference limit number as N, is calculated by the following equation.

  Here, round [•] represents a value obtained by rounding the argument. Here, (Equation 8) is an example for describing the present embodiment, and any formula may be used as long as the limited number is changed in accordance with the degree of congestion for each direction, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

  Next, the limited number updating unit P4 updates the limited number table D03 with the value calculated by (Equation 8) (Step S41).

  Next, the limited number updating unit P4 updates the traveling vehicle table D00 based on the updated limited number (Step S42). That is, with the update of the limited number, the state of the traveling vehicle 3 is also updated.

Hereinafter, an example will be described.
It is assumed that the following four records are stored in the traveling vehicle table D00 before updating.
(B1) Traveling vehicle ID = # 0001, state = standby C2, approach direction = A, exit direction = D, current position = 0 mm
(B2) Traveling vehicle ID = # 0002, state = during normal traveling C1, approach direction = A, exit direction = C, current position = −1000 mm
(B3) Traveling vehicle ID = # 0003, state = standby C2, approach direction = B, exit direction = C, current position = 0 mm
(B4) Traveling vehicle ID = # 0004, state = standby C2, approach direction = B, exit direction = D, current position = −1000 mm

However, the number of pre-limitation updating, and _{N A = 1, N B =} 2. Now, it is assumed that the limited number has been updated to N _A = 2 and N _B = 1 in step 41. In step S42, the state of the record in the traveling vehicle table D00 is updated in accordance with the updated limited number so that the waiting position C2 becomes the normal traveling C1 in descending order of the current position. That is, the above four records are updated as follows.
(C1) Traveling vehicle ID = # 0001, state = standby C2,.
(C2) Running vehicle ID = # 0002, state = standby C2,...
(C3) Running vehicle ID = # 0003, state = standby C2,.
(C4) traveling vehicle ID = # 0004, state = normal traveling C1,.

  Finally, the limited number updating unit P4 updates the number table D01 based on the traveling vehicle table D00 (step S43). That is, when the status is changed by the process of step S42, the total is calculated again.

  As described above, according to the third embodiment, by providing the limited number updating unit P4, the limited number of vehicles that can pass through the limited section 41 at one time can be determined by the traffic congestion degree table D06 and the traffic congestion degree weight table D07. By dynamically changing the degree in consideration of the degree, the traveling vehicle 3 can travel more efficiently at the junction.

(Fourth embodiment)
Hereinafter, a fourth embodiment of the automatic traveling vehicle system will be described.
In the fourth embodiment, in addition to the above-described second embodiment, a part of the role of the traveling vehicle in a standby state is partially replaced to minimize and change the transit time, thereby enabling more efficient traveling. It is an embodiment to perform. Since the second embodiment and the fourth embodiment are almost the same except for a part that is partially different, only the parts different from the second embodiment will be described below.

  FIG. 24 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a computer program and a database of the limited section controller 2 according to the fourth embodiment. The difference from the second embodiment is that a reassignment standby permutation table D08 and a reassignment traveling vehicle ID table D09 are added to the database, and a traveling job reassignment unit P5 is added to the computer program (emphasis in FIG. 24). Part displayed).

FIG. 25 is a flowchart showing the processing of the running job re-allocation unit P5.
The traveling job reallocation unit P5 selects a vehicle to be reallocated from the traveling vehicles 3 of the waiting C2 (step S50). That is, among the records of the traveling vehicle 3 in the state = standby C2 stored in the traveling vehicle table D00, the record in which the traveling job ID can be replaced (the destination ID, the route ID, and the exit direction are also replaced) is extracted. I do.

  Here, an example of an automatic transport vehicle at a factory will be described as the description that “the traveling job ID can be replaced”. As the traveling purpose of the traveling vehicle 3 associated with the traveling job ID, in the case of an automatic carrier in a factory, (A) the traveling semi-finished product is picked up from the storage shelf, and (B) the semi-finished product is loaded. (C) running to pick up the processed semi-finished product, (D) loading the processed semi-finished product to the storage shelf, (E) patrol without purpose, etc. No. Of (A) to (E), other than (B) and (D), the vehicle is traveling without a lot loaded, and it is considered that there is no problem even if the traveling jobs are switched during the traveling. As in this example, in step S50, it is determined whether or not the traveling purpose associated with the traveling job ID can be switched, and a record that can be switched is extracted as a reassignment target.

Hereinafter, an example will be described. It is assumed that the following four records of state = standby C2 stored in the traveling vehicle table D00 are as follows.
(D1) Traveling vehicle ID = # 0001, traveling job ID = C001, approach direction = A, exit direction = D, destination ID = # 01, route ID = R0101, current position = 0 mm
(D2) Traveling vehicle ID = # 0002, traveling job ID = C002, approach direction = A, exit direction = C, destination ID = # 02, route ID = R0202, current position = −1000 mm
(D3) Traveling vehicle ID = # 0003, traveling job ID = C013, approach direction = B, exit direction = C, destination ID = # 03, route ID = R0303, current position = 0 mm
(D4) Traveling vehicle ID = # 0004, traveling job ID = C004, entry direction = B, exit direction = D, destination ID = # 04, route ID = R0404, current position = -1500 mm
Among the running job IDs, C001, C002, and C004 are interchangeable, and C013 is not interchangeable. In this example, the traveling vehicle 3 with traveling vehicle ID = # 0001, # 0002, # 0004 is selected as a vehicle to be reallocated.

  Next, the traveling job reallocation unit P5 generates a standby permutation from the set of vehicles to be reallocated, and updates the reallocation standby permutation table D08 (step S51). FIG. 26 shows an example of the reallocation standby permutation table D08. The reallocation standby permutation table D08 includes information on a standby permutation ID1, a standby permutation ID2, and a passage time. Here, the waiting permutation ID1 is a waiting permutation in the approach direction A, and the waiting permutation ID2 is a waiting permutation in the approach direction B. Represents a combination of

Explaining in the above example, the waiting permutation 1 (entering direction A) and the waiting permutation 2 (entering direction B) before the replacement are as follows.
(E1) Standby sequence 1: (D, C), Standby sequence 2: (C, D)
In addition, when the records of the traveling job IDs = C001, C002, and C004 are exchanged, the following two combinations of waiting permutations are obtained.
(E2) Standby sequence 1: (C, D), Standby sequence 2: (C, D)
(E3) Standby sequence 1: (D, D), Standby sequence 2: (C, C)

  For the combinations of the above three waiting permutations, the passing times associated with the corresponding waiting permutation IDs are stored in the waiting position table D05, and the value obtained by adding the passing times of the waiting permutations 1 and 2 is used as the corresponding waiting permutation. It is stored in the passage time of the reallocation waiting permutation table D08 together with the combination of IDs.

  Next, the traveling job re-allocation unit P5 searches and acquires the combination of the standby permutation IDs having the shortest transit time based on the re-allocation standby permutation table D08, and updates the re-allocated traveling vehicle ID table D09 according to the acquired combination ( Step S52).

FIG. 27 shows an example of the reassigned traveling vehicle ID table D09. The reassigned traveling vehicle ID table D09 includes information on the traveling vehicle ID before reassignment and the traveling vehicle ID after reassignment. First, the traveling job reallocation unit P5 selects a record having the shortest transit time from the reallocation standby permutation table D08. In the above example, for example, it is assumed that the following passage time is the shortest among three combinations.
Waiting permutation 1: (D, D), Waiting permutation 2: (C, C)

  Comparing this combination with the combination before the replacement, it can be seen that the traveling vehicle ID = # 0002 and # 0004 should be replaced. In this example, two records of the traveling vehicle ID before reallocation = # 0002, the traveling vehicle ID after reallocation = # 0004, the traveling vehicle ID before reallocation = # 0004 and the traveling vehicle ID after reallocation = # 0002 are reallocated. It is stored in the traveling vehicle ID table D09.

Next, the traveling job reallocation unit P5 updates the traveling vehicle table D00 based on the reallocated traveling vehicle ID table D09 (step S53). In the traveling vehicle table D00, the information of the traveling job ID, the exit direction, the destination ID, and the route ID of the record that matches the traveling vehicle ID = the traveling vehicle ID before reallocation is changed to the traveling vehicle ID = the traveling vehicle ID after the reallocation. Update with the corresponding value of the matching record. In the above example, two records of traveling vehicle ID = # 0002 and # 0004 are changed as follows.
(F1) Traveling vehicle ID = # 0002, traveling job ID = C004, entry direction = A, exit direction = D, destination ID = # 04, route ID = R0404, current position = −1000 mm
(F2) Traveling vehicle ID = # 0004, traveling job ID = C002, approach direction = B, exit direction = C, destination ID = # 02, route ID = R0202, current position = -1500 mm

  Finally, the traveling job re-allocation unit P5 transmits the re-allocated information to the host system 1 via the LAN (U) (Step S54). That is, information of the traveling job ID, the destination ID, and the route ID associated with the traveling vehicle ID reassigned in step S53 is transmitted to the host system 1, and the information stored in the recording medium 11 of the host system 1 is transmitted. To update.

  As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the traveling job reassignment unit P5 refers to the reassignment standby permutation table D08 and the reassigned traveling vehicle ID table D09 to determine the role of the traveling traveling vehicle. By changing the parts so that the transit time is minimized and changed, more efficient traveling at the junction is enabled.

(Other embodiments)
Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These new embodiments can be implemented in other various forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and their equivalents.
Hereinafter, the inventions described in the claims at the time of the patent appraisal of the original application of the present application are additionally described.
[1] A traveling vehicle that automatically controls traveling of the own vehicle based on traveling information of at least the inter-vehicle distance between the current position and a preceding vehicle;
A traveling path including a junction point and a restricted section for avoiding collision between traveling vehicles;
An automatic traveling vehicle system comprising: a restricted section controller that monitors a congestion state of the traveling vehicle at least near the junction in the restricted section, and controls whether the traveling vehicle can pass.
The limited section controller,
A determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle can pass, based on the presence or absence of the traveling vehicle in the restricted section obtained from the traffic congestion information of the traveling vehicle near the junction;
If the restricted section is not allowed to pass, a standby position setting unit that sets each standby position for the traveling vehicles that are equal to or less than the limited number of vehicles existing in the standby section before the restricted section,
If the restricted section is allowed to pass, determine the approach direction to the restricted section to resume traveling, for the traveling vehicle in standby in the standby section of the approach direction, a traveling restart setting unit to resume traveling,
An autonomous vehicle system comprising:
[2] The standby position setting unit includes:
For the traveling vehicles of the limited number or less that are present in the standby section, each of the standby positions is calculated in order to minimize the time required to start traveling from a stopped state and to complete the last pass through the limited section. The automatic traveling vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein information is transmitted to the traveling vehicle.
[3] The travel restart setting unit includes:
3. The automatic traveling vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the entering direction in which the traveling is restarted next is determined based on the entering directions that were allowed to pass in the past and the traffic congestion state of the traveling vehicle in each of the entering directions. 4.
[4] The limited section controller:
The automatic traveling vehicle system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a limited number updating unit that updates a limited number of vehicles based on a traffic congestion state of the traveling vehicle in the approach direction.
[5] The limited section controller:
When each of the traveling vehicles has information on a destination, a route, and an exit direction in the restricted section, and when the destination, the route, and the exit direction of the traveling vehicle on standby in the restricted section are interchangeable, The automatic traveling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a traveling job reassignment unit that reassigns a destination, a route, and an exit direction so as to minimize a time required to complete the passage of the restricted section. Car system.
[6] A control method used by a restricted section controller that monitors at least the traffic congestion state of a traveling vehicle near a junction in a restricted section for avoiding collision between traveling vehicles and controls whether or not the traveling vehicle can pass. hand,
The restricted section controller, based on the presence or absence of the traveling vehicle in the restricted section obtained from the traffic congestion information of the traveling vehicle in the vicinity of the junction, to determine whether passing is possible,
If the restricted section is not allowed to pass, the restricted section controller sets each standby position for the traveling vehicles of the limited number or less that exist in the standby section before the restricted section,
When the restricted section is allowed to pass, the restricted section controller determines an approach direction to the restricted section to restart traveling, and controls the traveling vehicle in a standby state in the standby section in the entering direction to resume traveling. Method.
[7] In a restricted section for avoiding collision between traveling vehicles, the program is executed by a restricted section controller that monitors at least the traffic congestion state of the traveling vehicles near the junction and controls whether or not the traveling vehicles can pass. A determination unit that determines whether or not the restricted section controller can pass based on the presence or absence of the traveling vehicle in the restricted section obtained from the traffic congestion information of the traveling vehicle near the junction.
If the restricted section is not allowed to pass, a standby position setting unit that sets each standby position for the traveling vehicles that are equal to or less than the limited number of vehicles existing in the standby section before the restricted section,
If the restricted section is allowed to pass, determine the approach direction to the restricted section to resume traveling, for the traveling vehicle in standby in the standby section of the approach direction, a traveling restart setting unit to resume traveling,
Program to run.
[8] In a restricted section for avoiding collision between traveling vehicles, a restricted section controller that monitors at least the traffic congestion state of the traveling vehicles near the junction and controls whether or not the traveling vehicles can pass,
A determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle can pass, based on the presence or absence of the traveling vehicle in the restricted section obtained from the traffic congestion information of the traveling vehicle near the junction;
When the restricted section is not allowed to pass, a standby position setting unit that sets each standby position for the traveling vehicles that are equal to or less than the limited number of vehicles that are present in the standby section before the restricted section,
If the restricted section is allowed to pass, determine the approach direction to the restricted section to resume traveling, for the traveling vehicle in standby in the standby section of the approach direction, a traveling restart setting unit to resume traveling,
A restricted section controller comprising:

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Host system, 2 ... Restricted section controller, 3 ... Traveling vehicle, 4 ... Travel road, P0 ... Traffic information update part, P1 ... Passability determination part, P2 ... Travel restart setting part, P3 ... Standby position setting part, P4 ... Limited number updating unit, P5... Traveling job re-allocation unit, D00... Traveling vehicle table, D01... Number table, D02.. ... Congestion degree table, D07 ... Congestion degree weight table, D08 ... Reassignment standby permutation table, D09 ... Reassignment traveling vehicle ID table, U ... LAN, V ... Wireless.

Claims (14)

A controller that controls whether a traveling vehicle can pass or not in a restricted section for avoiding collision between traveling vehicles,
If the restricted section is not allowed to pass, for one or more traveling vehicles existing in the waiting section before the restricted section , based on the standby sequence of the traveling vehicle and the standby order with respect to the entry and exit directions of the traveling vehicle, A standby position setting unit that sets a standby position corresponding to the standby order of the traveling vehicles and the standby order for each traveling vehicle ;
A controller comprising:   The controller according to claim 1, wherein the standby position setting unit sets the standby position based on travel information of a traveling vehicle existing in the standby section and a vehicle ahead of the traveling vehicle.   3. The controller according to claim 1, further comprising a determination unit configured to determine whether or not there is the traveling vehicle in the restricted section obtained from at least traffic congestion information of a traveling vehicle near the junction in the restricted section. 4.   If the restricted section is permitted to pass, the apparatus further includes a traveling restart setting unit that determines an approach direction to the restricted section to resume traveling, and resumes traveling for the traveling vehicle that is waiting in the standby section in the approach direction. The controller according to claim 1. The standby position setting unit,
For the traveling vehicles of the number of vehicles less than or equal to the limit number existing in the standby section, each of the standby positions is calculated so as to minimize the time from the start of the stop state to the end of the vehicle passing through the limited section. The controller according to claim 1, wherein the controller transmits information to a traveling vehicle. The travel restart setting unit includes:
5. The controller according to claim 4, wherein the controller determines the approach direction in which the vehicle resumes traveling based on the approach directions that were allowed to pass in the past and the traffic congestion state of the traveling vehicle in each approach direction.   The controller according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a limited number updating unit that updates a limited number based on a traffic congestion state of the traveling vehicle in the approach direction.   When each of the traveling vehicles has information on a destination, a route, and an exit direction in the restricted section, and when the destination, the route, and the exit direction of the traveling vehicle on standby in the restricted section are interchangeable, The controller according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a traveling job reassignment unit that reassigns a destination, a route, and an exit direction so as to minimize a time required to complete the passage of the restricted section. A traveling vehicle that automatically controls traveling of the own vehicle based on traveling information of at least the current position and the preceding vehicle;
A traveling path including a junction point and having a restricted section for avoiding collision between traveling vehicles,
An automatic traveling vehicle system including a controller that controls whether or not the traveling vehicle can pass in the restricted section,
The controller is
When the restricted section is not allowed to pass, for one or more traveling vehicles existing in the waiting section before the restricted section , based on the standby permutation of the traveling vehicle and the standby order with respect to the entry and exit directions of the traveling vehicle, A standby position setting unit that sets a standby position corresponding to the standby order of the traveling vehicles and the standby order for each traveling vehicle ;
An autonomous vehicle system comprising: A control method used by a controller that controls whether a traveling vehicle can pass in a restricted section for avoiding collision between traveling vehicles,
When the controller cannot pass through the restricted section, the controller waits for one or more traveling vehicles existing in a waiting section before the restricted section and waits for the traveling permutation of the traveling vehicle and the approach and exit directions of the traveling vehicle. A control method for setting a standby position corresponding to the standby sequence of the traveling vehicles and the standby order for each traveling vehicle based on the order . A program executed by a controller that controls whether a traveling vehicle can pass or not in a restricted section for avoiding collision between traveling vehicles, wherein the controller is configured to control the controller to wait before the restricted section if the restricted section cannot be passed. for one or more vehicle existing in section, on the basis of the waiting order of the waiting permutation of the vehicle relative to the entry and exit direction of the vehicle, the standby position corresponding to the standby permutations and the waiting order of the vehicle A standby position setting unit that is set for each traveling vehicle ;
Program to run.   The standby position setting unit is configured to determine the traveling state of the traveling vehicle based on a traveling state of the traveling vehicle, an entering and exiting direction of the traveling vehicle, a current position of the traveling vehicle, and a limited number of vehicles in a restricted section with respect to an entering direction of the traveling vehicle. The controller according to claim 1, wherein the controller calculates a waiting permutation of the vehicle. The standby position setting unit obtains a standby number and a standby order for the standby sequence and the entry and exit directions, and sets a standby position corresponding to the standby sequence, the standby number and the standby order for each traveling vehicle. The controller according to claim 12. The controller according to claim 1, wherein the standby position setting unit sets the standby position based on an equation of motion of the traveling vehicle.