JP7344373B2 - Board manufacturing system and its autonomous vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate manufacturing system and its autonomous vehicle, and particularly relates to a substrate manufacturing system and its autonomous vehicle provided with a control section that controls a drive section.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a substrate manufacturing system is known that is provided with a control section that controls a driving section. Such a substrate manufacturing system is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-117353.

The above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-117353 discloses a mobile platform system (board manufacturing system) that is provided with a control section that controls a motor (drive section). This mobile platform system includes service equipment and a general-purpose mobile unit.

The service device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-117353 is configured to detect the surrounding situation. The service equipment is configured to notify a command to cause the general-purpose mobile object to perform a predetermined work based on the detected surrounding situation. The general-purpose mobile object includes a battery module and the control section. The control unit is configured to control movement of the general-purpose mobile object using electric power supplied from the battery module, based on a command notified from the service equipment, thereby causing the general-purpose mobile object to perform a predetermined work.

In the mobile platform system disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-117353, when the power of the battery module falls below a threshold value, the battery module is replaced at the charging station.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-117353

Here, in the mobile platform system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-117353, although not specified, it is thought that power is supplied from the battery module to the control unit. In this case, when replacing the battery module at the charging station, the supply of power to the control unit is temporarily stopped, so it is thought that the processing in the control unit is also temporarily stopped. At this time, the control unit is unable to acquire information on the predetermined work based on the surrounding situation detected from the service equipment. Therefore, after replacing the battery, the general-purpose mobile object cannot move according to the surrounding situation unless it acquires information about the above-mentioned predetermined work from the service equipment, and therefore cannot promptly return to the predetermined work. it is conceivable that. For this reason, in the mobile platform system disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-117353, the control unit cannot perform processing when replacing the battery, so it is considered that there is a problem in that work efficiency is poor.

This invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one object of the invention is to improve work efficiency by having the control unit continuously perform processing when replacing a battery. An object of the present invention is to provide a board manufacturing system that can be improved and an autonomous vehicle thereof.

A board manufacturing system according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a mounting line including a component mounting device that mounts components on a board, and an autonomous vehicle that assists mounting work on the mounting line. a control unit that controls the drive unit during autonomous driving; a stationary non-replaceable built-in battery that is built into the autonomous vehicle and supplies power to the drive unit and control unit; Including a replacement battery that is replaceably provided in the autonomous vehicle separately from the non-replaceable built-in battery, and the control unit performs a self-diagnosis to check whether the replaced replacement battery is charged. In addition, the vehicle is configured to control the stationary non-replaceable built-in battery while charging the stationary non-replaceable built-in battery using the replacement battery.

In the board manufacturing system according to the first aspect of the present invention, as described above, the autonomous vehicle has a built-in battery that is built into the autonomous vehicle and supplies power to the drive unit, and a built-in battery that is built into the autonomous vehicle and supplies power to the drive unit, and a built-in battery that is separate from the built-in battery. and a replaceable battery. Thereby, when replacing the replacement battery, the built-in battery can continue to supply power to the control section, so that the processing in the control section can be continued. Therefore, even while the battery is being replaced, the control unit can obtain information on the autonomous vehicle's work to assist the mounting work on the mounting line, so the autonomous vehicle can quickly perform the work after replacing the battery. be able to. As a result, when replacing the battery, the control unit continues to perform the process, thereby improving work efficiency. In addition, even if the replacement battery's remaining battery power decreases and the supply of power from the replacement battery stops, the built-in battery can still supply power to the drive unit, allowing the drive unit to move the autonomous vehicle. can be continued.

In the board manufacturing system according to the first aspect, preferably, the control unit controls the stationary non-replaceable built-in battery using the replacement battery based on the fact that the remaining battery level of the replacement battery becomes less than or equal to a predetermined value. It is configured to stop charging and perform autonomous driving using a stationary non-replaceable built-in battery while controlling operations for replacing the replacement battery. With this configuration, the stationary non-replaceable built-in battery can perform operation control for autonomous driving and replacement battery replacement, so that when the remaining battery power of the replacement battery falls below a predetermined value, However, since there is no need for the operator to manually replace the replacement battery, it is possible to avoid increasing the amount of work for the operator.

In this case, preferably, the board manufacturing system further includes a charging station for charging the replacement battery, and the control unit is configured to control autonomous driving toward the charging station using the stationary non-replaceable built-in battery. At the same time, the charging station is configured to perform operation control for exchanging the replacement battery with a charged replacement battery that has been charged at the charging station. With this configuration, by autonomously driving to a charging station using a stationary non-replaceable built-in battery and replacing the replacement battery, the autonomous vehicle can independently replace the battery when the remaining battery level falls below a predetermined value. Since the battery can be replaced, autonomous operation of the autonomous vehicle can be continued for a long period of time.

In the board manufacturing system including the above-mentioned charging station, preferably, the autonomous vehicle further includes an arm used for carrying the replacement battery into the charging station and carrying out the charged replacement battery charged at the charging station. include. With this configuration, by gripping the replacement battery or a charged replacement battery with the arm, the replacement battery can be carried into the charging station and the charged replacement battery can be taken out from the charging station. Since this can be done more reliably, the reliability of the battery replacement work performed by the autonomous vehicle can be improved. Further, by providing the arm on the autonomous vehicle, there is no need to provide a structure for carrying a replacement battery of the autonomous vehicle into the charging station and carrying out a charged replacement battery. As a result, the configuration of the charging station can be simplified to the extent that the above configuration is not provided.

In the substrate manufacturing system including the arm, preferably, the arm is a replacement arm that replaces the replacement battery with a charged replacement battery that has been charged at a charging station. With this configuration, by using a dedicated replacement arm, it is possible to smoothly replace the replacement battery with a charged replacement battery, thereby increasing the efficiency of battery replacement work by autonomous vehicles. can be improved.

The board manufacturing system according to the first aspect preferably includes a storage unit that stores work contents of an autonomous vehicle that assists mounting work on a mounting line, and further includes a server communicably connected to the autonomous vehicle. The control unit is configured to control transmitting a work consignment signal to receive the work content to the server when the work content transmitted and acquired from the server is executable when replacing the replacement battery. ing. With this configuration, even while the replacement battery is being replaced, the autonomous vehicle can send a work consignment signal to the server, so the autonomous vehicle can immediately start the next task after replacing the battery. It can be carried out. As a result, the work efficiency of the autonomous vehicle can be further improved.

In the board manufacturing system according to the first aspect, preferably, the control unit controls the autonomous vehicle to perform the first work based on the fact that the remaining battery capacity of the replacement battery is equal to or higher than a predetermined remaining capacity. In addition, based on the fact that the remaining battery power of the replacement battery is less than a predetermined remaining power, the control is performed to perform a second work that consumes less power than the first work. There is. With this configuration, the work of the autonomous vehicle can be switched depending on the remaining battery level of the replacement battery, so it is possible to prevent the autonomous vehicle from having to replace the battery in the middle of work. . As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in work efficiency caused by the autonomous vehicle replacing the battery during work.

The board manufacturing system according to the first aspect preferably further includes a power supply unit that is provided separately from the replacement battery and supplies power to the stationary non-replaceable built-in battery . With this configuration, the frequency of charging the stationary non-replaceable built-in battery with the replacement battery can be reduced, so the replacement battery can be used for a longer period of time. As a result, the frequency of replacing the replacement battery can be reduced.

In the board manufacturing system according to the first aspect, preferably, the battery capacity of the replacement battery is larger than the battery capacity of the stationary non-replaceable built-in battery . With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the frequency of replacing the replacement battery, and therefore it is possible to suppress a decrease in the working efficiency of the autonomous vehicle.

An autonomous vehicle according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a drive unit that autonomously travels to assist mounting work on a mounting line including a component mounting device that mounts components on a board, and a drive unit that controls the drive unit during autonomous travel. The control unit, a stationary non-replaceable built-in battery that is built in and supplies power to the drive unit and the control unit, and a replaceable built-in battery that is separate from the stationary non-replaceable built-in battery. When the control unit performs a self-diagnosis to check whether the replaced replacement battery is charged, the control unit charges the non-replaceable built-in battery of the stationary type with the replacement battery while charging the non-replaceable internal battery of the stationary type. The vehicle is configured to be controlled to run using a non-replaceable built-in battery .

As described above, the autonomous vehicle according to the second aspect includes a built-in battery that supplies power to the drive unit, and a replacement battery that is replaceable separately from the built-in battery. Thereby, when replacing the replacement battery, the built-in battery can continue to supply power to the control section, so that the processing in the control section can be continued. Therefore, even while the battery is being replaced, the control unit can obtain information on the autonomous vehicle's work to assist the mounting work on the mounting line, so the autonomous vehicle can quickly perform the work after replacing the battery. be able to. As a result, it is possible to obtain an autonomous vehicle that can improve work efficiency by having the control unit continue to perform processing when replacing the battery.

In the autonomous vehicle according to the second aspect, preferably, the control unit controls the stationary non-replaceable built-in battery using the replacement battery based on the fact that the remaining battery level of the replacement battery becomes less than or equal to a predetermined value. It is configured to stop charging and perform autonomous driving using a stationary non-replaceable built-in battery while controlling operations for replacing the replacement battery. With this configuration, the built-in battery performs operation control for autonomous driving and replacement battery replacement, so even if the remaining battery power of the replacement battery falls below a predetermined value, the operator can manually Since there is no need to replace the replacement battery, the work of the operator can be prevented from increasing.
The board manufacturing system according to the first aspect further includes a plurality of autonomous vehicles that assist the mounting work on the mounting line, and the plurality of autonomous vehicles take out components from a parts warehouse and transfer them to other autonomous vehicles. This includes autonomous vehicles used for loading and unloading .

According to the present invention, as described above, work efficiency can be improved by having the control unit continuously perform processing when replacing the battery.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a substrate manufacturing system according to one embodiment. FIG. 1 is a front view of a charging station of a board manufacturing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state in which an autonomous vehicle of the substrate manufacturing system according to an embodiment runs while charging a built-in battery with a replacement battery. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which an autonomous vehicle of a board manufacturing system according to an embodiment runs on a built-in battery. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a state in which an autonomous vehicle of a board manufacturing system according to an embodiment recognizes an empty charging station. FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating a state in which an autonomous vehicle of the board manufacturing system according to an embodiment has carried a replacement battery into an empty part of a charging station. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a state in which an autonomous vehicle of a board manufacturing system according to an embodiment recognizes a charged replacement battery connected to a charging station. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which the autonomous vehicle of the board manufacturing system according to one embodiment carries out a charged replacement battery from a charging station. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which work details are transmitted from a server in an example of a board manufacturing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a work consignment signal is transmitted to a server in an example of a board manufacturing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which an autonomous vehicle executes work in an example of a board manufacturing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state in which an autonomous vehicle for transfer of a substrate manufacturing system according to an embodiment is performing a first operation. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a state in which an autonomous vehicle for transferring the substrate manufacturing system according to an embodiment is performing a second operation. 3 is a flowchart illustrating autonomous operation processing of an autonomous vehicle in a substrate manufacturing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a power supply unit of a substrate manufacturing system according to a first modified example of an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a power supply unit of a substrate manufacturing system according to a second modification of the embodiment. It is a top view which showed the autonomous vehicle of the board|substrate manufacturing system by the 3rd modification of one embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments embodying the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

(Substrate manufacturing system configuration)
The configuration of a substrate manufacturing system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13.

As shown in FIG. 1, the board manufacturing system 100 is configured to mount components on a board and manufacture products with the components mounted thereon. As shown in FIG. 1, the board manufacturing system 100 includes a mounting line 1, a server 2, a charging station 3, and an autonomous vehicle 4.

A plurality of (two) mounting lines 1 are provided. The mounting line 1 includes a loader 11, a printing machine 12, a print inspection machine 13, a dispenser device 14, a plurality of (three) component mounting devices 15, a visual inspection device 16, a reflow device 17, and a visual inspection device. It includes a device 18 and an unloader 19. Furthermore, the mounting line 1 is configured such that the substrates are transported from the upstream side to the downstream side. Note that one mounting line 1, or three or more mounting lines 1 may be provided. Further, one, two, or four or more component mounting devices 15 may be provided.

Since the two mounting lines 1 in FIG. 1 have the same configuration, only the configuration of one mounting line 1 will be described below. Note that the plurality of mounting lines 1 may have mutually different configurations.

(Configuration of mounting line)
Next, the configuration of each device making up the mounting line 1 will be explained.

The loader 11 has the role of holding a board before components are mounted and carrying the board into the mounting line 1. Note that the components include small piece electronic components such as LSIs, ICs, transistors, capacitors, and resistors.

The printing machine 12 is a screen printing machine, and has a function of applying cream solder onto the mounting surface of the board. The print inspection machine 13 has a function of inspecting the state of the cream solder printed by the printing machine 12. The dispenser device 14 has a function of applying cream solder, adhesive, etc. to the board. The plurality of component mounting devices 15 have a function of mounting (mounting) components at predetermined mounting positions on a board printed with cream solder. The visual inspection device 16 is provided downstream of the plurality of component mounting devices 15. The appearance inspection device 16 has a function of inspecting the appearance of a board on which components are mounted by the plurality of component mounting devices 15. The reflow device 17 has a function of melting solder by performing heat treatment and joining the component to the electrode portion of the board. The reflow apparatus 17 is configured to perform heat treatment while transporting the substrate on the lane. The appearance inspection device 18 is provided downstream of the reflow device 17. The appearance inspection device 18 has a function of inspecting the appearance of the substrate after the heat treatment is performed by the reflow device 17. The unloader 19 has the role of discharging the board on which components have been mounted from the mounting line 1.

The server 2 is a control device that manages information regarding the mounting line 1. The server 2 includes a control section 21, a storage section 22, and the like. The control unit 21 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The storage unit 22 is a storage device having memories such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage unit 22 stores a data management program that manages data related to the type and number of boards, the type of parts to be mounted, the amount of parts in stock, and mounting of manufactured products in which components are mounted on boards by the mounting line 1. There is. Further, the storage unit 22 stores work details 22a of the autonomous vehicle 4 that assists the mounting work on the mounting line 1.

The server 2 is connected to each device of the mounting line 1 (loader 11, printing machine 12, print inspection machine 13, dispenser device 14, component mounting device 15, visual inspection device 16, reflow device 17, visual inspection device 18, unloader 19). Configured to enable communication. Further, the server 2 is communicably connected to the autonomous vehicle 4.

Here, in order to assist the mounting work of the autonomous vehicle 4 on the mounting line 1, the server 2 provides information such as the current location of the autonomous vehicle 4, the location of the charging station 3, the location of the equipment on the mounting line 1, and the location of the parts warehouse. , the location of the assembly parts warehouse, and information on the locations of other autonomous vehicles 4. Furthermore, the server 2 has a function of acquiring information about the target position (work place) of the autonomous vehicle 4. The server 2 has a function of creating a travel route from the current position of the autonomous vehicle 4 to the destination position (work place) of the autonomous vehicle 4.

(charging station)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the charging station 3 has a function of charging a replacement battery 44, which will be described later. That is, the charging station 3 is configured to supply power supplied from the outside to the connected replacement battery 44. Charging station 3 converts power supplied from the outside into power suitable for replacement battery 44 . A plurality of (four) charging stations 3 are arranged around the mounting line 1. Note that one or more charging stations 3, three or less, or five or more charging stations 3 may be arranged around the mounting line 1.

The charging station 3 is configured to be connectable with a plurality of (four) replacement batteries 44 . In addition, in FIG. 2, three replacement batteries 44 are connected to the charging station 3. The charging station 3 has one empty space to which a replacement battery 44 can be connected. In the charging station 3, a replacement battery 44 mounted on the autonomous vehicle 4 is connected to an empty connection point 31.

The charging station 3 does not have a function of communicating with the server 2. Specifically, charging station 3 does not have a control section, a storage section, and a communication section.

The charging station 3 includes a light emitting unit 32 that allows the autonomous vehicle 4 to recognize whether or not the connected replacement battery 44 has been charged. The light emitting section 32 is arranged at each of the connection points of the plurality of replacement batteries 44. In the charging station 3, the light emitting section 32 corresponding to the charged replacement battery 44 emits, for example, green light (indicated by dark hatching in FIG. 2). In the charging station 3, the light emitting unit 32 corresponding to the replacement battery 44 being charged emits, for example, red light (depicted by light hatching in FIG. 2). In addition, in the charging station 3, the light emitting part 32 corresponding to the vacant connection location 31 does not light up, for example.

Note that the charging station 3 may allow the autonomous vehicle 4 to recognize whether the connected replacement battery 44 has been charged or not using another configuration instead of the light emitting unit 32.

(autonomous vehicle)
The autonomous vehicle 4 is configured to assist the mounting work on the mounting line 1.

For example, the autonomous vehicle 4 may be configured to transport and replenish components mounted by the component mounting device 15 (transport autonomous vehicle 4f (see FIG. 9)).

Further, for example, the autonomous vehicle 4 may be configured to take out parts from a parts warehouse (see FIG. 9) and transfer them to a transport autonomous vehicle 4f that transports the parts (transfer vehicle 4f). autonomous vehicle 4a and autonomous vehicle 4b for transfer (see FIG. 9)).

Furthermore, for example, the autonomous vehicle 4 may be configured to take out a component from the autonomous vehicle 4f for transportation and transfer it to the component mounting device 15 (the autonomous vehicle 4c for transfer and autonomous vehicle 4d (see FIG. 9)).

Further, for example, the autonomous vehicle 4 is configured to take out parts from an assembly parts warehouse (see FIG. 9) that stores assembled assembly parts and transfer them to the autonomous vehicle 4 that transports the parts. (Autonomous vehicle 4e for transfer (see FIG. 9)).

Further, for example, the autonomous vehicle 4 may be configured to deliver the replacement battery 44 to another autonomous vehicle 4 (supply autonomous vehicle 4g (see FIG. 9)).

The autonomous vehicle 4 is configured to memorize given roles as described above (for example, transporting parts, taking out parts, etc.).

The autonomous vehicle 4 has a function of acquiring a travel route from the current position to the target position (work place) from the server 2. Note that the autonomous vehicle 4 may be configured to create a driving route by itself without acquiring the driving route from the server 2.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the autonomous vehicle 4 of this embodiment is configured to assist the mounting work using two batteries with different capacities. Note that in the following description, the basic configuration of the autonomous vehicle 4 will be described. Here, the autonomous vehicle 4 can be equipped with external equipment in addition to its basic configuration. For example, the autonomous vehicle 4 becomes an autonomous vehicle 4f for transportation by adding a towing arm and a trolley as external devices. Further, for example, the autonomous vehicle 4 becomes an autonomous vehicle 4a to 4e for transfer by adding a mobile robot equipped with a robot arm as an external device.

Specifically, the autonomous vehicle 4 includes a drive section 41 , an imaging section 42 , a built-in battery 43 , a replacement battery 44 , an arm 45 , and a control section 46 .

The drive unit 41 is a motor. The drive unit 41 is provided for autonomous running. The drive unit 41 drives a plurality of wheels in order to cause the autonomous vehicle 4 to travel autonomously. The imaging unit 42 is a camera. The imaging unit 42 is configured to photograph the surrounding state of the autonomous vehicle 4. The imaging unit 42 is configured to take pictures in order to record the working state. The imaging unit 42 performs imaging in order to obtain information necessary for autonomous driving and work of the autonomous vehicle 4.

The built-in battery 43 has a smaller capacity than the replacement battery 44. The built-in battery 43 is a secondary battery that can be repeatedly charged and discharged. Built-in battery 43 is a lead acid battery. The built-in battery 43 is built into the autonomous vehicle 4 so that it cannot be replaced. Built-in battery 43 supplies power to drive unit 41 . Built-in battery 43 supplies power to control section 46 .

The replacement battery 44 has a larger capacity than the built-in battery 43. That is, the battery capacity of the replacement battery 44 is larger than the battery capacity of the built-in battery 43. It is preferable that the replacement battery 44 has a battery capacity that is about 1.5 times or more and about 3 times or less than the built-in battery 43. In particular, it is more preferable that the replacement battery 44 has a battery capacity approximately twice that of the built-in battery 43. The replacement battery 44 is a secondary battery that can be repeatedly charged and discharged. The replacement battery 44 is a lithium ion battery. The replacement battery 44 is replaceably provided in the autonomous vehicle 4 separately from the built-in battery 43. Replacement battery 44 supplies power to built-in battery 43 and external equipment.

Arm 45 is a robot arm. Arm 45 is controlled by control section 46 . The arm 45 is used to carry the replacement battery 44 into the charging station 3 and to carry out the charged replacement battery 44 that has been charged at the charging station 3 . In this way, the arm 45 is a replacement arm that replaces the replacement battery 44 with a charged replacement battery 44 that has been charged at the charging station 3 .

<Control unit>
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the control unit 46 is configured to control each part of the autonomous vehicle 4. The control unit 46 includes a CPU and a storage unit 46a having a memory. The control unit 46 is configured to control the drive unit 41 to control autonomous travel of the autonomous vehicle 4 . The control unit 46 is configured to control the arm 45 and control the replacement of the replacement battery 44.

The control unit 46 is configured to perform control such that the built-in battery 43 is charged by the replacement battery 44 and the vehicle is driven by the built-in battery 43. That is, in the autonomous vehicle 4, a large-capacity replacement battery 44 is attached in order to increase the travel distance of the drive unit 41 using the small-capacity built-in battery 43. In this way, the control unit 46 is configured to use the replacement battery 44 to control normal running using the built-in battery 43.

Based on the fact that the remaining battery level of the replacement battery 44 has become equal to or less than a predetermined value D1, the control unit 46 stops charging the built-in battery 43 by the replacement battery 44, and also stops charging the built-in battery 43 while performing autonomous driving using the built-in battery 43. , and is configured to perform operation control for replacing the replacement battery 44. That is, the control unit 46 controls autonomous driving toward the charging station 3 by autonomous driving using the built-in battery 43, and at the charging station 3, the replacement battery 44 and the charged replacement battery charged at the charging station 3 are connected to each other. It is configured to perform operation control for replacement with the battery 44.

Specifically, based on the fact that the remaining battery level of the replacement battery 44 has become equal to or less than a predetermined value D1, the control unit 46 determines the driving route to the charging station 3 located closest to the autonomous vehicle 4 to the server 4. The system is configured to control acquisition from The control unit 46 is configured to control the drive unit 41 to be driven by the built-in battery 43 to move to the nearest charging station 3 based on the travel route acquired from the server 2 .

Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the control unit 46 controls the imaging unit 42 to recognize an empty connection location 31 based on the fact that the charging station 3 has moved to the nearest charging station 3. It is configured. The control unit 46 is configured to perform control to carry the replacement battery 44 into the vacant connection location 31 using the arm 45 based on the recognition of the vacant connection location 31 . The control unit 46 is configured to control the movement of the arm 45 until the replacement battery 44 is connected to the empty connection point 31.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the control unit 46 is configured to perform control to recognize the charged replacement battery 44 by the imaging unit 42 based on the connection of the replacement battery 44. has been done. That is, the control unit 46 is configured to control the imaging unit 42 to search for the light emitting unit 32 emitting green light. The control unit 46 is configured to control the arm 45 to carry out the charged replacement battery 44 from the charging station 3 based on recognition of the charged replacement battery 44 .

The control unit 46 is configured to control loading the charged replacement battery 44 into the autonomous vehicle 4 after transporting the charged replacement battery 44 . The control unit 46 is configured to control, based on the fact that a charged replacement battery 44 is loaded, a self-diagnosis to check whether the loaded replacement battery 44 is charged. The control unit 46 is configured to perform control again to charge the built-in battery 43 with the replacement battery 44 and cause the vehicle to run using the built-in battery 43 based on confirming that the replacement battery 44 has been charged. There is.

Next, control of the autonomous vehicle 4 based on the information on the work content 22a transmitted from the server 2 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, when the work content 22a transmitted and acquired from the server 2 is executable, the control unit 46 controls to transmit a work consignment signal that receives the work content 22a to the server 2. is configured to do so.

In detail, the server 2 is configured to perform control to transmit the work details 22a to all of the plurality of autonomous vehicles 4 corresponding to the implementation line 1 when having a plurality of autonomous vehicles 4 perform a task. . The control unit 46 of each of the plurality of autonomous vehicles 4 is configured to perform control to acquire information related to the work content 22a from the server 2 based on the acquisition of the work content 22a transmitted from the server 2. has been done. That is, the information related to the work content 22a indicates the current position of the autonomous vehicle 4, the position of the equipment on the mounting line 1 related to the work content 22a, the position of the parts warehouse related to the work content 22a, and the like.

The control unit 46 of each of the plurality of autonomous vehicles 4 is configured to perform control to determine whether or not to receive the work content 22a based on the given role and information related to the work content 22a. . That is, as an example, among the plurality of autonomous vehicles 4, the autonomous vehicle 4 that is close to the location of the device on the mounting line 1 related to the work content 22a or the location of the parts warehouse related to the work content 22a is It is configured to control sending a work commission signal to the server 2.

Here, FIG. 9 shows, as an example, a first component mounting device 15a, a second component mounting device 15b, and a third component mounting device 15c in the mounting line 1. Further, as an example, a first parts warehouse 5 and a second parts warehouse 6 are shown. Further, as an example, a first assembly parts warehouse 7 and a second assembly parts warehouse 8 are shown. Further, as an example, a first transfer autonomous vehicle 4a, a second transfer autonomous vehicle 4b, a third transfer autonomous vehicle 4c, a fourth transfer autonomous vehicle 4d, and a 5. An autonomous vehicle 4e for transfer is shown. Further, as an example, an autonomous vehicle 4f for transportation is shown. Furthermore, as an example, a first supply autonomous vehicle 4g and a second supply autonomous vehicle 4h are shown. Further, as an example, a first charging station 3a, a second charging station 3b, a third charging station 3c, and a fourth charging station 3d are shown.

9 to 11, an example of control of the autonomous vehicle 4 based on information on the work content 22a transmitted from the server 2 will be shown.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, when the server 2 transmits the work content 22a of supplying parts from the first parts warehouse 5 to the third component mounting apparatus 15c, The self-driving vehicle 4 a transmits a work commission signal to the server 2 . Further, the fourth autonomous vehicle 4d for transfer, which is close to the third component mounting apparatus 15c, transmits a work commission signal to the server 2. Furthermore, the transport autonomous vehicle 4f transmits a work commission signal to the server 2. The server 2 transmits permission signals to the first transfer autonomous vehicle 4a, the second transfer autonomous vehicle 4b, and the transport autonomous vehicle 4f.

Then, as shown in FIG. 11, the parts are transferred from the first transfer autonomous vehicle 4a to the transport autonomous vehicle 4f. The transporting autonomous vehicle 4f transports the components to the third component mounting device 15c. The fourth transfer autonomous vehicle 4d transfers components from the transport autonomous vehicle 4f to the third component mounting device 15c.

Here, even while the autonomous vehicle 4 is replacing the replacement battery 44, the control unit 46 is supplied with power from the built-in battery 43, so it is not possible to receive the work content 22a. be. That is, when replacing the replacement battery 44, the control unit 46 performs control to transmit a work consignment signal to the server 2 to receive the work content 22a, if the work content 22a transmitted and acquired from the server 2 is executable. is configured to do so. Even in this case, the server 2 transmits a permission signal to the autonomous vehicle 4. Based on the acquisition of the permission signal, the autonomous vehicle 4 loads the charged replacement battery 44 and then promptly executes the work content 22a.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, based on the remaining battery level of the replacement battery 44, the control unit 46 performs the first work W1 that consumes a large amount of power, or performs the first work W1 that consumes a small amount of power. 2. The configuration is configured to perform control to select whether to perform work W2. Specifically, the control unit 46 is configured to control the autonomous vehicle 4 to perform the first work W1 based on the fact that the remaining battery level of the replacement battery 44 is equal to or higher than a predetermined remaining capacity D2. There is. The control unit 46 is configured to perform control to perform a second work W2, which consumes less power than the first work W1, based on the fact that the remaining battery power of the replacement battery 44 is less than a predetermined remaining power D2. ing.

Here, as shown in FIG. 12, an example of the first work W1 is a work of transferring bulk parts using the robot arm of the autonomous vehicle 4 for transfer based on learning control. Note that the first work W1 includes tasks such as long-distance travel by the autonomous vehicle 4f for transportation, and travel when heavy parts are loaded by the autonomous vehicle 4f for transportation. As shown in FIG. 13, an example of the second work W2 is a work of transferring aligned parts using the robot arm of the autonomous vehicle 4 for transfer based on edge processing. Here, the processing load placed on the control unit 46 due to edge processing is smaller than the processing load placed on the control unit 46 due to learning control. Note that the second work W2 includes tasks such as short-distance travel by the autonomous vehicle 4f for transportation, and travel with light parts loaded by the autonomous vehicle 4f for transportation.

(autonomous operation processing)
Below, with reference to FIG. 14, autonomous operation processing of the autonomous vehicle 4 by the control unit 46 will be described. The autonomous operation process is a process related to the operation of the autonomous vehicle 4 based on the work content 22a transmitted from the server 2.

As shown in FIG. 14, in step S1, the control unit 46 determines whether the work content 22a has been acquired. If the work content 22a has been acquired, the process advances to step S2; if the work content 22a has not been acquired, the process advances to step S9, where the current work is continued, and then the process advances to step S5. In step S2, the control unit 46 determines whether or not to receive the work content 22a. That is, the control unit 46 determines whether or not to receive the work content 22a based on the role and current position of the autonomous vehicle 4. If the work content 22a is received, the process advances to step S3; if the work content 22a is not received, the process advances to step S9, where the current work is continued, and then the process advances to step S5.

In step S3, the control unit 46 transmits a work commission signal to the server 2. In step S4, the control unit 46 starts work by the autonomous vehicle 4. In step S5, the control unit 46 determines whether the remaining battery level of the replacement battery 44 is less than or equal to a predetermined value D1. If the remaining battery capacity of the replacement battery 44 is less than or equal to the predetermined value D1, the process advances to step S6, and if the remaining battery capacity of the replacement battery 44 exceeds the predetermined value D1, the process advances to step S10 and continues the current work. , return to step S1.

In step S6, the control unit 46 switches the power supply to the control unit 46 and the drive unit 41 to power supply only from the built-in battery 43. In addition, the control unit 46 acquires the driving route from the server 2 to the charging station 3 located closest to the server 2 . In step S7, the control unit 46 determines whether the vehicle has arrived at the nearest charging station 3 or not. If the battery has arrived at the charging station 3, the process proceeds to step S8, where the replacement battery 44 is replaced with a charged replacement battery 44, and then the process returns to step S1. Furthermore, if the vehicle has not arrived at the charging station 3, step S7 is repeated.

(Effects of this embodiment)
In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

In this embodiment, as described above, the built-in battery 43 that is built into the autonomous vehicle 4 and supplies power to the drive unit 41 and the built-in battery 43 are separately replaced by the autonomous vehicle 4. A replacement battery 44 is provided. Thereby, when replacing the replacement battery 44, the built-in battery 43 can continue to supply power to the control unit 46, so that the processing in the control unit 46 can be continued. Therefore, even during battery replacement, the control unit 46 can obtain information on the work of the autonomous vehicle 4 to assist the mounting work on the mounting line 1, so the autonomous vehicle 4 can quickly work can be done. As a result, when replacing the battery, the control unit 46 continues to perform the process, thereby improving work efficiency. Further, even if the remaining battery level of the replacement battery 44 is reduced and the supply of power from the replacement battery 44 is stopped, the built-in battery 43 can supply power to the drive unit 41. The movement of the autonomous vehicle 4 can be continued.

Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, the control unit 46 is configured to perform control to cause the vehicle to travel with the built-in battery 43 while charging the built-in battery 43 with the replacement battery 44. As a result, compared to the case where the autonomous vehicle 4 is driven only by the built-in battery 43, the traveling distance of the autonomous vehicle 4 can be increased by the battery capacity of the replacement battery 44. It is possible to secure a sufficient duration for the work in accordance with step 4.

Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, the control unit 46 stops charging the built-in battery 43 by the replacement battery 44 based on the fact that the remaining battery level of the replacement battery 44 becomes equal to or less than the predetermined value D1. At the same time, the vehicle is configured to perform operation control for replacing the replacement battery 44 while autonomously running using the built-in battery 43. As a result, the built-in battery 43 controls the operation for autonomous driving and replacement of the replacement battery 44, so that even if the remaining battery level of the replacement battery 44 falls below the predetermined value D1, the operator can manually Since there is no need to replace the replacement battery 44, the work of the operator can be prevented from increasing.

Further, in this embodiment, as described above, the board manufacturing system 100 is provided with the charging station 3 for charging the replacement battery 44. The control unit 46 is controlled to autonomously travel toward the charging station 3 by the built-in battery 43, and at the charging station 3, the replacement battery 44 and the charged replacement battery 44 charged at the charging station 3 are controlled. The configuration is configured to perform operation control for exchange with. Thereby, by performing autonomous driving to the charging station 3 using the built-in battery 43 and replacing the replacement battery 44, the autonomous vehicle 4 independently replaces the replacement battery 44 whose remaining battery level has become less than the predetermined value D1. Therefore, the autonomous operation of the autonomous vehicle 4 can be continued for a long time.

Further, in this embodiment, as described above, when carrying the replacement battery 44 into the autonomous vehicle 4 to the charging station 3 and carrying out the charged replacement battery 44 that has been charged at the charging station 3, An arm 45 for use is provided. As a result, by gripping the replacement battery 44 or the charged replacement battery 44 with the arm 45, the replacement battery 44 can be carried into the charging station 3, and the charged replacement battery 44 can be transported from the charging station 3. Since the battery can be carried out more reliably, the reliability of battery replacement work by the autonomous vehicle 4 can be improved. Furthermore, by providing the arm 45 on the autonomous vehicle 4, a configuration is provided in which the replacement battery 44 of the autonomous vehicle 4 is brought into the charging station 3 side, and the charged replacement battery 44 is taken out. There's no need. As a result, the configuration of the charging station 3 can be simplified to the extent that the above configuration is not provided.

Further, in this embodiment, as described above, the arm 45 is provided as a replacement arm for replacing the replacement battery 44 with a charged replacement battery 44 that has been charged at the charging station 3. As a result, by using a dedicated replacement arm, it is possible to smoothly replace the replacement battery 44 with a charged replacement battery 44, thereby increasing the efficiency of battery replacement work performed by the autonomous vehicle 4. can be improved.

Further, in this embodiment, as described above, the board manufacturing system 100 includes the storage unit 22 that stores the work details 22a of the autonomous vehicle 4 that assists the mounting work of the mounting line 1, and A communicably connected server 2 is provided. When replacing the replacement battery 44, the control unit 46 is controlled to send a work entrustment signal to the server 2 to receive the work content 22a if the work content 22a transmitted and acquired from the server 2 is executable. Configure it as follows. As a result, even while the replacement battery 44 is being replaced, the autonomous vehicle 4 can send a work consignment signal to the server 2, so the autonomous vehicle 4 can immediately start the next task after replacing the battery. It can be carried out. As a result, the working efficiency of the autonomous vehicle 4 can be further improved.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, as described above, the control unit 46 causes the autonomous vehicle 4 to perform the first work W1 based on the fact that the remaining battery level of the replacement battery 44 is equal to or higher than the predetermined remaining capacity D2. Configure to control. Further, the controller 46 is controlled to perform a second work W2 that consumes less power than the first work W1 based on the fact that the remaining battery power of the replacement battery 44 is less than a predetermined remaining power D2. Configure. Thereby, the work of the autonomous vehicle 4 can be switched according to the remaining battery level of the replacement battery 44, so that it is possible to suppress the need for the autonomous vehicle 4 to replace the battery in the middle of work. As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in work efficiency caused by the autonomous vehicle 4 replacing the battery during work.

Further, in this embodiment, the battery capacity of the replacement battery 44 is larger than the battery capacity of the built-in battery 43, as described above. Thereby, the replacement frequency of the replacement battery 44 can be suppressed, and therefore, a decrease in the working efficiency of the autonomous vehicle 4 can be suppressed.

[Modified example]
Note that the embodiments disclosed this time should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the description of the embodiments described above, and further includes all changes (modifications) within the meaning and range equivalent to the claims.

For example, in the present embodiment described above, the autonomous vehicle 4 shows an example in which the built-in battery 43 is charged by the replacement battery 44, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the built-in battery 43 of the autonomous vehicle 4 is provided separately from the replacement battery 44, and may be charged by a power supply section that supplies power to the built-in battery 43. That is, as in the first modification shown in FIG. 15, the built-in battery 43 of the autonomous vehicle 4 may be charged by the robot arm battery 210 of the robot arm serving as the power supply unit. Further, as in a second modification example shown in FIG. 16, the built-in battery 43 of the autonomous vehicle 4 may be charged by the non-contact power supply unit 310 as a power supply unit. This makes it possible to reduce the frequency with which the built-in battery 43 is charged by the replacement battery 44, so that the replacement battery 44 can be used for a longer period of time. As a result, the frequency of replacing the replacement battery 44 can be reduced.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment described above, the autonomous vehicle 4 carries the replacement battery 44 into the charging station 3, and also uses the arm 45 used when carrying out the charged replacement battery 44 that has been charged at the charging station 3. Although an example including the above is shown, the present invention is not limited thereto. In the present invention, as in a third modification shown in FIG. 17, the autonomous vehicle 4 may exchange the replacement battery 44 using an arm 445 that grips the trolley. In this case, the autonomous vehicle 4 may be configured to be able to identify the types of parts placed on the trolley, and may also be configured to be able to change its speed depending on the type of parts. Further, in this case, the replacement battery 44 may be provided in the truck instead of the autonomous vehicle 4. Furthermore, in the autonomous vehicle 4, the entire truck provided with the replacement battery 44 may be replaced.

Further, in the present embodiment, the control unit 46 is configured to perform control to select the first work W1 with a large power consumption and the second work W2 with a low power consumption based on the remaining battery level. Although an example has been shown, the present invention is not limited to this example. In the present invention, the control unit may be configured to perform control to normally perform the second work W2 and perform the first work W1 only when necessary, regardless of the remaining battery level.

Further, in the embodiment described above, the control unit 46 performs control to stop charging the built-in battery 43 from the replacement battery 44 based on the fact that the remaining battery level of the replacement battery 44 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value. Although an example configured as above is shown, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the control unit may control the operation for replacing the replacement battery while continuing to charge the built-in battery even after the remaining battery level of the replacement battery becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value.

Further, in the embodiment described above, the built-in battery 43 is a lead-acid battery, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the built-in battery may be a secondary battery such as a lithium battery other than a lead-acid battery.

Further, in the above embodiment, the replacement battery 44 is a lithium ion battery, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the internal battery may be a secondary battery such as a lead acid battery other than a lithium ion battery.

Further, in the above embodiment, the autonomous vehicle 4 has the arm 45, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the charging station may have an arm.

1 Mounting line 2 Server 3 Charging station 4 Autonomous vehicle 15 Component mounting device 22 Storage unit 22a Work details 41 Drive unit 43 Built-in battery 44 Replacement battery 45, 445 Arm 46 Control unit 100 Board manufacturing system 210, 310 Power supply unit D1 Predetermined value D2 Predetermined remaining amount W1 1st work W2 2nd work

Claims (12)

A mounting line including a component mounting device that mounts components on a board,
and an autonomous vehicle that assists the mounting work on the mounting line,
The autonomous vehicle is
A drive unit for autonomous driving,
A control unit that controls the drive unit during autonomous driving;
a stationary non-replaceable built-in battery that is built into the autonomous vehicle and supplies power to the drive unit and the control unit;
a replacement battery replaceably provided in the autonomous vehicle separately from the stationary non-replaceable built-in battery;
When the control unit performs a self-diagnosis to check whether or not the replaced replacement battery is charged, the controller charges the stationary non-replaceable built-in battery with the replacement battery while charging the stationary type non-replaceable internal battery. A board manufacturing system configured to control running using a non-replaceable built-in battery. The control unit is configured to stop charging the non-replaceable built-in battery of the stationary type by the replacement battery based on the fact that the remaining battery level of the replacement battery has become equal to or less than a predetermined value. The board manufacturing system according to claim 1 , wherein the board manufacturing system is configured to perform operation control for replacing the replacement battery while autonomously running using a non-replaceable built-in battery . further comprising a charging station for charging the replacement battery;
The control unit controls the stationary non-replaceable built-in battery to autonomously travel toward the charging station, and at the charging station, the replacement battery and the charge charged at the charging station. The board manufacturing system according to claim 2 , wherein the board manufacturing system is configured to perform operation control for replacing the replacement battery with the used replacement battery. The autonomous vehicle further includes an arm used for carrying the replacement battery into the charging station and carrying out the charged replacement battery charged at the charging station. Board manufacturing system. 5. The board manufacturing system according to claim 4 , wherein the arm is a replacement arm that replaces the replacement battery with a charged replacement battery that has been charged at the charging station. further comprising a storage unit that stores work details of the autonomous vehicle that assists the mounting work of the mounting line, and a server communicably connected to the autonomous vehicle;
When exchanging the replacement battery, the control unit controls to transmit a work consignment signal to receive the work content to the server, if the work content transmitted and acquired from the server is executable. The substrate manufacturing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , configured as follows. The control unit is configured to control the autonomous vehicle to perform a first work based on the fact that the remaining battery capacity of the replacement battery is equal to or higher than a predetermined remaining capacity, and Claims 1 to 6 are configured to perform control to perform a second work that consumes less power than the first work based on the fact that the remaining battery power of the battery is less than the predetermined remaining power. The substrate manufacturing system according to any one of the items. The board manufacturing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , further comprising a power supply section that is provided separately from the replacement battery and supplies power to the stationary non-replacement built-in battery. . 9. The board manufacturing system according to claim 1, wherein the battery capacity of the replacement battery is larger than the battery capacity of the stationary non-replaceable built-in battery . A drive unit that autonomously travels to assist mounting work on a mounting line that includes a component mounting device that mounts components on a board;
A control unit that controls the drive unit during autonomous driving;
a stationary non-replaceable built-in battery that is built-in and supplies power to the drive unit and the control unit;
A replaceable battery provided separately from the stationary non-replaceable built-in battery,
When the control unit performs a self-diagnosis to check whether the replaced replacement battery is charged, the control unit charges the stationary non-replacement built-in battery with the replacement battery while charging the stationary battery. An autonomous vehicle configured to be controlled to run using a non-replaceable built-in battery. The control unit is configured to stop charging the non-replaceable built-in battery of the stationary type by the replacement battery based on the fact that the remaining battery level of the replacement battery has become equal to or less than a predetermined value. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the autonomous vehicle is configured to perform operation control for replacing the replacement battery while autonomously driving with a non-replaceable built-in battery . further comprising a plurality of the autonomous vehicles that assist the mounting work on the mounting line ,
The board manufacturing system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of autonomous vehicles include a transfer autonomous vehicle that takes out parts from a parts warehouse and transfers them to other autonomous vehicles.

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