CN112327820A

CN112327820A - Automatic guided vehicle AGV control method, device and system and storage medium

Info

Publication number: CN112327820A
Application number: CN202010536360.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 商春鹏; 王真
Original assignee: Beijing Jingdong Qianshi Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Beijing Jingdong Qianshi Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-06-12
Filing date: 2020-06-12
Publication date: 2021-02-05

Abstract

The embodiment of the application provides a method, a device and a system for controlling an AGV (automatic guided vehicle) and a storage medium. The method comprises the following steps: receiving a plurality of first positions reported by a plurality of AGV's in a warehouse at a first moment and a second position reported by a mobile terminal held by a user entering the warehouse at the first moment; a first AGV located within the first parking area is controlled to park based on a plurality of first positions and a second position, wherein the second position is within the first parking area. The control method can avoid collision of the AGV to personnel and improve the safety of the system. Compared with the prior art, the method has the advantages that the obstacle avoidance sensors in a plurality of directions do not need to be installed on each AGV, so that the cost for constructing the AGV system is reduced.

Description

Automatic guided vehicle AGV control method, device and system and storage medium

Technical Field

The embodiment of the application relates to the technical field of storage obstacle avoidance, in particular to a method, a device and a system for controlling an Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV) and a storage medium.

Background

An Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) is a battery-powered unmanned automated Guided Vehicle equipped with a non-contact guidance device and an independent addressing system. The system technology and products thereof become important equipment and technology of flexible production lines, flexible assembly lines and warehouse logistics automation systems.

At present, the AGV has mature autonomous navigation technology, and can autonomously execute a part of tasks of carrying and pulling goods. In the process of warehousing management, workers need to enter a working area of the AGV sometimes, in order to prevent the running AGV from colliding with the workers entering the field, the most common technology at present is to install an obstacle avoidance sensor on the AGV, and when an obstacle is identified, the AGV autonomously stops.

In order to improve the obstacle avoidance effect of the AGVs, obstacle avoidance sensors need to be installed in multiple directions of the AGV body, and for a warehouse requiring a large number of AGVs to operate, the cost for constructing the AGV system is very high.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the application provides a method, a device and a system for controlling an AGV (automatic guided vehicle) and a storage medium, so that collision of the AGV to personnel is avoided, and the safety of the system is improved.

In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for controlling an AGV, including:

receiving a plurality of first positions reported by a plurality of AGV's in a warehouse at a first moment and a second position reported by a mobile terminal held by a user entering the warehouse at the first moment;

and controlling a first AGV located in a first parking area to park according to the plurality of first positions and the second position, wherein the second position is in the first parking area.

In one possible embodiment, said controlling parking of a first AGV located in a first parking area based on said first position and said second position comprises:

determining a first parking area which takes the second position as a center and takes a preset distance as a radius in the warehouse according to the second position;

determining a first AGV currently located in the first parking area according to the first parking area and the plurality of first positions;

and sending a parking instruction to the first AGV.

Optionally, the preset distance is greater than or equal to the sum of the maximum parking distance of the AGV and the mobile terminal positioning error value.

In one possible embodiment, the method further comprises:

according to the plurality of first positions and the second position, a second AGV in the warehouse is controlled to avoid the first parking area, the second AGV is located in a preset range outside the first parking area, and a preset running route of the second AGV passes through the first parking area.

In one possible embodiment, said controlling a second AGV in the warehouse to avoid the first parking area based on the plurality of first locations and the second location comprises:

determining a third AGV currently located in a preset range outside the first parking area according to the first parking area and the plurality of first positions, and screening out a second AGV of which the preset running path passes through the first parking area from the third AGV;

and replanning the running path of the second AGV, and sending a new path control instruction to the second AGV.

In one possible embodiment, the method further comprises:

receiving a plurality of third positions reported by a plurality of AGV's in the warehouse at a second moment and a fourth position reported by the mobile terminal at the second moment;

and controlling a fourth AGV located in a second parking area to park according to the plurality of third positions and the fourth position, wherein the fourth position is in the second parking area.

Optionally, the second parking area comprises a first sub-area that does not overlap with the first parking area.

In one possible embodiment, said controlling the parking of a fourth AGV according to said plurality of third positions and said fourth position includes:

determining a second parking area which takes the fourth position as the center and the preset distance as the radius in the warehouse according to the fourth position;

determining a fourth AGV currently located in the first sub-area according to the second parking area, the first parking area and the plurality of third positions;

and sending a parking instruction to the fourth AGV.

Optionally, the first parking area comprises a second sub-area that does not overlap with the second parking area.

In one possible embodiment, the method further comprises:

and controlling a fifth AGV currently positioned in the second sub-area to start.

In a possible implementation manner, if the location update reported by the mobile terminal is not received within a preset time period, the method further includes:

and sending a parking instruction to all online AGVs.

In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an AGV control apparatus, including:

the system comprises a receiving module and a processing module, wherein the receiving module is used for receiving a plurality of first positions reported by a plurality of AGV's (automatic guided vehicles) in a warehouse at a first moment and a second position reported by a mobile terminal held by a user entering the warehouse at the first moment;

and the processing module is used for controlling a first AGV positioned in a first parking area to park according to the plurality of first positions and the second position, and the second position is positioned in the first parking area.

In a possible implementation manner, the processing module is specifically configured to determine, according to the second location, a first parking area in the warehouse, which is centered at the second location and has a preset distance as a radius;

the device further comprises: and the sending module is used for sending a parking instruction to the first AGV.

The preset distance is larger than or equal to the sum of the maximum parking distance of the AGV and the positioning error value of the mobile terminal.

In a possible implementation, the processing module is further configured to:

In a possible implementation manner, the processing module is specifically configured to:

replanning the running path of the second AGV;

and the sending module is further used for sending a new path control instruction to the second AGV.

In a possible implementation manner, the receiving module is further configured to receive a plurality of third locations reported by a plurality of AGVs in the warehouse at a second time, and a fourth location reported by the mobile terminal at the second time;

and the processing module is further used for controlling a fourth AGV located in a second parking area to park according to the plurality of third positions and the fourth position, and the fourth position is located in the second parking area.

and the sending module is further used for sending a parking instruction to the fourth AGV.

In one possible embodiment, the processing module is further configured to control the start of a fifth AGV currently located in the second sub-area.

In a possible implementation manner, if the location update reported by the mobile terminal is not received within a preset time period, the sending module is further configured to send a parking instruction to all online AGVs.

In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a control device for an AGV, including:

at least one processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor; wherein,

the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor to enable the control apparatus to perform the method of any one of the first aspects.

In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a control system for AGC, including: the system comprises an AGV control device, a plurality of online AGVs of a warehouse and a mobile terminal held by a user entering the warehouse, wherein the AGV control device is respectively in communication connection with the AGVs and the mobile terminal;

wherein the control device is configured to execute the method according to any one of the first aspect, and control the plurality of AGVs to stop or start.

In one possible embodiment, the control system further comprises:

the AGV comprises at least three positioning transmitters, wherein the positioning transmitters are used for transmitting broadcast signals, the mobile terminal is used for receiving the broadcast signals transmitted by the at least three positioning transmitters, determining the real-time position of the mobile terminal according to the broadcast signals, and reporting the real-time position to the AGV control device.

In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, including: for storing a computer program which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of any one of the first aspects.

Drawings

FIG. 1a is a schematic diagram of an AGV system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 1b is a schematic diagram of an AGV system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an AGV control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a warehouse at a first time provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method for controlling an AGV according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5 is a top view of a warehouse at a first time provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling an AGV according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a parking area at two consecutive time points according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 8 is a top view of a warehouse at two consecutive times as provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an AGV control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of a hardware configuration of a control device of an AGV according to an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

The terms "first," "second," and the like in the description and in the claims of the present application and in the above-described drawings are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the data so used is interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the application described herein are, for example, capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.

Furthermore, the terms "comprises," "comprising," and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of steps or elements is not necessarily limited to those steps or elements expressly listed, but may include other steps or elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

At present, the electric commercial warehouse uses the AGV to carry out goods handling, and the automation degree is high. However, due to AGV failure or other management requirements of the warehouse, workers sometimes need to enter the AGV working area, and in order to prevent the AGV from colliding with the workers, it is common to install obstacle avoidance sensors on the AGV for identifying obstacles near the AGV, including the workers and other AGVs. In general, an obstacle avoidance sensor is installed in front of an AGV, and the obstacle avoidance effect is poor due to a limited recognition range. In order to enhance the recognition capability of the AGVs, obstacle avoidance sensors can be installed on a plurality of orientations of the AGVs, and the scheme is suitable for scenes with a small number of AGVs. However, for warehouses that require a large number of AGVs to operate, the cost of employing the above scheme is high.

In order to solve the above problem, an embodiment of the present application provides an AGV control method, which is applicable to a control platform of an AGV system, where the platform controls AGVs in a preset range near a position where a worker is located to stop based on a plurality of AGVs and position information reported by a positioning device held by the worker. Above-mentioned scheme can effectively prevent AGV to the staff's that gets into the warehouse collision, improves entire system's security. It should be noted that, the above scheme is suitable for large, medium and small warehouses, and only one low-precision and low-cost obstacle avoidance sensor (for assisting in detecting obstacles or people) needs to be installed on each AGV controlled by the platform, so that the cost for constructing the AGV system is greatly reduced.

First, a system architecture of an AGV control method according to an embodiment of the present application will be described in detail with reference to fig. 1a and 1 b.

Fig. 1a is a schematic diagram of an AGV system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and as shown in fig. 1a, an AGV system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a control platform 110, a plurality of AGVs 120, and a mobile terminal 130 held by a user entering a warehouse. The control platform 110 is communicatively coupled to a plurality of AGVs 120 and a mobile terminal 130, respectively.

Based on the system architecture shown in fig. 1a, the control platform 110 receives the AGVs 120 and the real-time positions reported by the mobile terminal 130 at the same time, the real-time positions reported by the mobile terminal are the real-time positions of the workers in the warehouse, and the control platform 110 determines a part of AGVs having a distance smaller than a preset safety distance from the workers based on the real-time positions reported by the AGVs 120 and the mobile terminal 130, controls the part of AGVs to stop, and prevents the AGVs from colliding with the workers during the operation process. The AGV120 may determine its own position by recognizing the two-dimensional code laid on the warehouse floor, and report the position to the control platform 110 in real time. The mobile terminal 130 may determine its own position by using any indoor positioning technology, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited in any way.

Fig. 1b is a schematic diagram of an AGV system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and as shown in fig. 1b, the AGV system 100 according to this embodiment includes a control platform 110, a plurality of AGVs 120, a mobile terminal 130 held by a user entering a warehouse, and a positioning transmitter 140. The control platform 110 is communicatively coupled to a plurality of AGVs 120 and a mobile terminal 130, respectively. At least 3 positioning transmitters 140 are arranged in the warehouse, the position of each positioning transmitter 140 in the warehouse is fixed, and the positioning transmitters 140 transmit signals through fixed power. In practical application, more positioning transmitters can be arranged according to the size of a warehouse, and full coverage of transmitted signals is realized.

Based on the system architecture shown in fig. 1b, the mobile terminal 130 determines the distance from the mobile terminal 130 to each positioning transmitter 140 by receiving the broadcast signal transmitted by each positioning transmitter 140, and then calculates the real-time position of the mobile terminal 130 in the warehouse through the spatial coordinates. Alternatively, the mobile terminal 130 may calculate the distance to each positioning transmitter 140 by using various methods, such as a Received Signal Strength (RSSI) ranging positioning method or a time arrival method. The control platform 110 receives the real-time positions reported by the AGVs 120 and the mobile terminal 130 at the same time, the real-time position reported by the mobile terminal is the real-time position of the worker in the warehouse, and the control platform 110 determines a part of AGVs which are less than a preset safety distance away from the worker based on the real-time positions reported by the AGVs 120 and the mobile terminal 130, controls the part of AGVs to stop, and prevents the AGVs from colliding with the worker in the running process.

In some embodiments, the control platform 110 may be connected to the wireless access point AP through a router switch, the control platform 110 may communicate with a plurality of AGVs 120 through wifi, and the AGVs 120 receive and execute various instructions sent by the control platform 110 to perform various action processes, such as starting, stopping, accelerating and decelerating, and the like.

The embodiment of the present application does not limit the type of the mobile terminal, as long as the mobile terminal has a positioning function, for example, the mobile terminal 130 may be a smart phone, an IPAD, a portable computer, a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch, a bracelet, and glasses), and the like.

The technical solution of the present application will be described in detail below with specific examples. The following several specific embodiments may be combined with each other, and details of the same or similar concepts or processes may not be repeated in some embodiments.

Fig. 2 is a flowchart of a method for controlling an AGV according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and as shown in fig. 2, the method includes the following steps:

step 210, receiving a plurality of first positions reported by a plurality of AGVs on line in the warehouse at a first time, and a second position reported by a mobile terminal held by a user entering the warehouse at the first time.

Step 220, controlling a first AGV located in the first parking area to park according to the plurality of first positions and the plurality of second positions.

Wherein the second position is within the first parking area. In a possible implementation manner, the second position is used as a center position of the first parking area, and the first parking area may be a circular area with the second position as a center and a preset distance as a radius, may also be a square area with the second position as a center, and may also be an area with other shapes, which is not limited in this application.

In a possible implementation, step 220 specifically includes the following steps: and determining a first parking area which takes the second position as the center and takes the preset distance as the radius in the warehouse according to the second position. And determining a first AGV currently located in the first parking area according to the first parking area and the plurality of first positions. And finally, sending a parking instruction to the first AGV.

The preset distance in this embodiment may be set according to an empirical value, and may also be set in the following manner:

the preset distance is larger than or equal to the sum of the maximum parking distance of the AGV and the positioning error value of the mobile terminal. The maximum parking distance of the AGV is a travel distance from the AGV receiving the parking instruction to the AGV which finally parks the AGV. For example, the maximum parking distance of the AGV is 5m, the positioning error value of the mobile terminal is 0.5m, and the preset distance is greater than or equal to 5.5m, and in order to prevent the AGV from colliding with the worker, the preset distance may be extended, for example, to 8m, that is, the first parking area is an area centered on the second position and having a radius of 8 m.

Fig. 3 is a top view of a warehouse at a first time, as shown in fig. 3, at the first time, a control platform receives a second position 310 reported by a mobile terminal held by a user, two online AGVs, namely an AGV331 and an AGV332, are located in a first parking area 320 with the second position 310 as a center and a preset distance r1 as a radius, and the control platform sends a parking instruction to the two AGVs.

According to the AGV control method provided by the embodiment, the real-time position of the personnel entering the warehouse is obtained through the position reported by the mobile terminal held by the user, and the AGV within the preset range near the position is controlled to stop according to the position, so that collision of the AGV to the personnel is avoided, and the safety of the system is improved. Compared with the prior art, the method has the advantages that the obstacle avoidance sensors in a plurality of directions do not need to be installed for each AGV, and cost for constructing the AGV system is greatly reduced.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart of a method for controlling an AGV according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and as shown in fig. 4, the method includes the following steps:

step 410, receiving a plurality of first positions reported by a plurality of AGVs on the warehouse at a first time and a second position reported by a mobile terminal held by a user entering the warehouse at the first time.

Step 420 controls a second AGV in the warehouse to avoid the first parking area based on the plurality of first positions and the second position.

The second AGV is located in a preset range outside the first parking area, and a preset running route of the second AGV passes through the first parking area. The first parking area is the same as the above embodiment, and is not described herein again.

In one possible embodiment, the first parking area is set as a circular area centered on the second position and having a radius of a preset distance. Step 420, specifically comprising the following steps:

and determining a first parking area which takes the second position as the center and takes the preset distance as the radius in the warehouse according to the second position. And determining a third AGV currently positioned in a preset range outside the first parking area according to the first parking area and the plurality of first positions. And then screening out a second AGV which passes through the first parking area by the preset running path from the third AGV. And finally, replanning the running path of the second AGV, and sending a new path control instruction to the second AGV.

Considering that in the above example, a portion of the third AGVs outside the first parking area within a predetermined range may not pass through the first parking area, no re-routing of these AGCs is necessary. In order to avoid unnecessary path adjustment, the control platform needs to further screen the third AGVs, and finally obtains a second AGV which needs to plan the path again. It should be noted that the first parking area in this embodiment does not change for a certain period of time.

Fig. 5 is a top view of a warehouse at a first time, as shown in fig. 5, at the first time, a control platform receives a second position 310 reported by a mobile terminal held by a user, two online AGVs, namely an AGV331 and an AGV332, are located in a first parking area 320 with the second position 310 as a center and a preset distance r1 as a radius, and the control platform sends a parking instruction to the two AGVs. In addition, within the annular region formed by the two rings of radius r1 and r2, respectively, centered on the second position 310, there are three online AGVs, AGV333, AGV334, and AGV335, respectively. The control platform can determine two AGVs according to the preset running paths of the three AGVs, the preset running paths of the

AGVs

333 and 334 respectively pass through the first parking area 320, and in order to improve the running efficiency of the online AGVs, the control platform can schedule the

AGVs

333 and 334 which are about to enter the first parking area 320, and plan the new paths of the two AGVs so that the AGVs bypass the first parking area 320. Since the AGVs 335 within the loop do not pass through the first parking area 320, the control platform does not need to command control of the AGVs.

According to the AGV control method provided by the embodiment, the real-time position of the personnel entering the warehouse is obtained through the position reported by the mobile terminal held by the user, the AGV within the preset range near the position is controlled to park according to the position, in addition, the running path of the AGV within a certain range outside the preset range can be properly adjusted, the AGV about to enter the preset range can bypass, more AGV parking is avoided, and the running efficiency of the online AGV of the system is improved.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart of a method for controlling an AGV according to an embodiment of the present application. On the basis of the embodiment shown in fig. 2, as shown in fig. 6, the control method provided in this embodiment further includes:

and step 510, receiving a plurality of third positions reported by a plurality of AGVs on the warehouse at the second moment and a fourth position reported by the mobile terminal at the second moment.

In the embodiment of the present application, the second time is a next time that is consecutive to the first time. The AGV and the mobile terminal may report the position to the control platform based on the same reporting period, for example, reporting the position every 2 s. And the reporting period is the time difference between the second moment and the first moment.

And step 520, controlling a fourth AGV located in the second parking area to park according to the plurality of third positions and the fourth positions.

Wherein the fourth position is within the second parking area.

Similar to the first parking area in the embodiment of fig. 2, in a possible implementation manner, the fourth position is used as a center position of the second parking area, and the second parking area may be a circular area with the fourth position as a center and a preset distance as a radius, may also be a square area with the fourth position as a center, and may also be an area with other shapes, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

The first moment and the second moment are two continuous moments, the first moment corresponds to a first parking area, the second moment corresponds to a second parking area, and the first parking area and the second parking area have two position relations: independent of each other, or partially overlapping.

In one possible case, the first parking area and the second parking area are independent of one another.

Step 520, specifically comprising the following steps: and determining a second parking area which is centered at the fourth position and has the preset distance as the radius in the warehouse according to the fourth position, determining a fourth AGV currently positioned in the second parking area according to the second parking area and a plurality of third positions, and finally sending a parking instruction to the fourth AGV.

In one possible case, the first parking area overlaps the second parking area by a partial area. The second parking area comprises a first sub-area which is not overlapped with the first parking area, the first parking area comprises a second sub-area which is not overlapped with the second parking area, the second parking area and the first parking area both comprise a third sub-area, and the third sub-area is an overlapping area.

Step 520, specifically comprising the following steps: and determining a second parking area which is centered at the fourth position and has the preset distance as the radius in the warehouse according to the fourth position, determining a fourth AGV currently positioned in the first sub-area according to the second parking area, the first parking area and a plurality of third positions, and finally sending a parking instruction to the fourth AGV.

Fig. 7 is a schematic view of parking areas at two consecutive moments according to an embodiment of the present application, as shown in fig. 7, a first moment corresponds to a first parking area 320, and a second moment corresponds to a second parking area 350. The second parking area 350 includes an area C (i.e., a first sub-area) that does not overlap with the first parking area 320, and an area B (i.e., a third sub-area) that overlaps with the first parking area 320. The first parking area 320 includes an area a (i.e., a second sub-area) that does not overlap with the second parking area 350, and an area B that overlaps with the second parking area 350.

Fig. 8 is a top view of a warehouse at two consecutive times according to an embodiment of the present application, as shown in fig. 8, at a first time, a control platform receives a second position 310 reported by a mobile terminal held by a user, and two online AGVs, namely an AGV331 and an AGV332, are located in a first parking area 320 with a radius of a preset distance r1 centered on the second position 310, and the control platform sends a parking instruction to the two AGVs. At the second moment, the control platform receives the fourth position 340 reported by the mobile terminal, and there are three AGVs, i.e., AGV332, AGV361, and AGV362, in the second parking area 350 with the fourth position 340 as the center and the preset distance r1 as the radius. Since the control platform has sent the parking instruction to the AGV332 at the last time, the control platform can send the parking instruction only to the AGV361 and the AGV362, reducing the signaling consumption of the control platform.

Optionally, in some embodiments, the control method may further include the steps of:

and controlling the start of a fifth AGV currently positioned in the second sub-area. The method realizes dynamic scheduling of the AGV which stops at the last moment, and if the stopped AGV is not in the current parking area, the control platform can control the AGV to operate again, so that the operating efficiency of the online AGV of the system is improved.

As shown in fig. 8, there is an AGV331 in a second sub-area of the first parking area 320 that does not overlap the second parking area 350, and since the AGV331 is not in the current second parking area 350 (i.e., the updated parking area), the control platform can send a start command to the AGV 331.

Optionally, in some embodiments, the control platform may further include the following steps before controlling the operation of the fifth AGV currently located in the second sub-area:

it is determined whether the preset travel path of a fifth AGV located in the second sub-zone passes through the current second parking zone. Specifically, if the fifth AGV does not pass through the second parking area, a start instruction is sent to the fifth AGV. And if the running path passes through the second parking area, replanning the running path of the fifth AGV, and sending a new path control instruction to the fifth AGV.

The above example realizes dynamic scheduling of the stopped AGVs, and controls the stopped AGVs to continue to operate or operate according to a new path control instruction based on the position relationship between the stopped AGVs and the current parking area, thereby improving the operation efficiency of the online AGVs of the system.

According to the method for controlling the AGVs, the actions of the AGVs in the old parking area and the new parking area are dynamically adjusted according to the change of the parking areas through analyzing the positions of the parking areas at two continuous moments. And if the new parking area and the old parking area have no overlapping area, controlling the AGV in the new parking area to park and controlling the AGV in the old parking area to restart. And if the new parking area and the old parking area have the overlapped area, controlling the AGVs in the new parking area except the overlapped area to park, and controlling the AGVs in the old parking area except the overlapped area to restart. By the scheme, the AGV is dynamically scheduled, and the running efficiency of the online AGV of the system is improved.

Optionally, on the basis of the foregoing embodiments, if the location update reported by the mobile terminal is not received within a preset time period, the control method further includes:

and sending a parking instruction to all online AGVs.

In the above example, if the control platform does not receive the signal of the mobile terminal for a long time, it may be determined that the mobile terminal has a fault, and in order to prevent an accident, the control platform starts an emergency response to control all AGVs in the warehouse to stop so as to ensure the safety of personnel.

Fig. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a control device of an AGV according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in fig. 9, the AGV control apparatus 600 according to the present embodiment includes:

a receiving module 610, configured to receive multiple first locations reported by multiple AGVs in the warehouse at a first time, and a second location reported by a mobile terminal owned by a user entering the warehouse at the first time;

a processing module 620, configured to control a first AGV located in a first parking area to park according to the plurality of first positions and the second position, where the second position is within the first parking area.

In a possible implementation, the processing module 620 is specifically configured to:

a sending module 630, configured to send a parking instruction to the first AGV.

In a possible implementation, the processing module 620 is further configured to:

replanning the running path of the second AGV;

a sending module 630, further configured to send a new path control instruction to the second AGV.

In a possible implementation, the receiving module 610 is further configured to:

the processing module 620 is further configured to control a fourth AGV located in a second parking area to park according to the plurality of third positions and the fourth position, where the fourth position is in the second parking area.

and the sending module is specifically used for sending a parking instruction to the fourth AGV.

In one possible embodiment, the processing module 620 is further configured to control the start of a fifth AGV currently located in the second sub-area.

In a possible implementation manner, if the location update reported by the mobile terminal is not received within a preset time period, the sending module 630 is further configured to send a parking instruction to all online AGVs.

The AGV control device provided in the embodiment of the present application is configured to execute the technical solution in any one of the foregoing method embodiments, and the implementation principle and the technical effect are similar, which are not described herein again.

It should be noted that the division of the modules of the above apparatus is only a logical division, and the actual implementation may be wholly or partially integrated into one physical entity, or may be physically separated. And these modules can be realized in the form of software called by processing element; or may be implemented entirely in hardware; and part of the modules can be realized in the form of calling software by the processing element, and part of the modules can be realized in the form of hardware. For example, the processing module may be a processing element separately set up, or may be implemented by being integrated in a chip of the apparatus, or may be stored in a memory of the apparatus in the form of program code, and a function of the processing module may be called and executed by a processing element of the apparatus. Other modules are implemented similarly. In addition, all or part of the modules can be integrated together or can be independently realized. The processing element described herein may be an integrated circuit having signal processing capabilities. In implementation, each step of the above method or each module above may be implemented by an integrated logic circuit of hardware in a processor element or an instruction in the form of software.

For example, the above modules may be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above methods, such as: one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), or one or more microprocessors (DSPs), or one or more Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), among others. For another example, when some of the above modules are implemented in the form of a processing element scheduler code, the processing element may be a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or other processor that can call program code. As another example, these modules may be integrated together, implemented in the form of a system-on-a-chip (SOC).

Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of a hardware configuration of a control device of an AGV according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in fig. 10, the AGV control apparatus 700 according to the present embodiment includes:

at least one processor 710 (only one processor is shown in FIG. 7); and

a memory 720 communicatively coupled to the at least one processor; wherein,

the memory 720 stores instructions executable by the at least one processor 710, and the instructions are executed by the at least one processor 710 to enable the control device 700 to perform any of the method embodiments described above.

Optionally, the memory 720 may be separate or integrated with the processor 710.

When the memory 720 is a device independent of the processor 710, the control apparatus 700 further includes: a bus 730 for connecting the memory 720 and the processor 710.

The embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, where computer-executable instructions are stored in the computer-readable storage medium, and when the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the computer-readable storage medium is used to implement the technical solution in any one of the foregoing method embodiments.

An embodiment of the present application further provides a chip, including: a processing module and a communication interface, wherein the processing module can execute the technical scheme in any one of the method embodiments.

Further, the chip further includes a storage module (e.g., a memory), where the storage module is configured to store instructions, and the processing module is configured to execute the instructions stored in the storage module, and the execution of the instructions stored in the storage module causes the processing module to execute the technical solution in any one of the foregoing method embodiments.

It should be understood that the Processor may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), other general purpose Processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), etc. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may be any conventional processor or the like. The steps of a method disclosed in connection with the present invention may be embodied directly in a hardware processor, or in a combination of the hardware and software modules within the processor.

The memory may comprise a high-speed RAM memory, and may further comprise a non-volatile storage NVM, such as at least one disk memory, and may also be a usb disk, a removable hard disk, a read-only memory, a magnetic or optical disk, etc.

The bus may be an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, an Extended ISA (EISA) bus, or the like. The bus may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, the buses in the figures of the present application are not limited to only one bus or one type of bus.

The storage medium may be implemented by any type or combination of volatile or non-volatile memory devices, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, magnetic or optical disks. A storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer.

An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium may also be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC). Of course, the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components in the control apparatus.

Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only used for illustrating the technical solutions of the present application, and not for limiting the same; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that: the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments may still be modified, or some or all of the technical features may be equivalently replaced; and the modifications or the substitutions do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions depart from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an AGV (automatic guided vehicle) is characterized by comprising the following steps:

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said controlling parking of a first AGV located within a first parking area based on said first position and said second position comprises:

and sending a parking instruction to the first AGV.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said predetermined distance is greater than or equal to the sum of the maximum stopping distance of the AGV and the value of the mobile terminal positioning error.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said controlling a second AGV in the warehouse to avoid the first parking area based on the plurality of first locations and the second location comprises:

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, further comprising:

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second parking area comprises a first sub-area that does not overlap the first parking area; controlling a fourth AGV to park according to the plurality of third positions and the fourth position, including:

and sending a parking instruction to the fourth AGV.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first parking area includes a second sub-area that does not overlap the second parking area, the method further comprising:

9. The method according to any of claims 1-5, wherein if the location update reported by the mobile terminal is not received within a preset time period, the method further comprises:

and sending a parking instruction to all online AGVs.

10. A control apparatus for an AGV, comprising:

11. A control apparatus for an AGV, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor; wherein,

the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor to enable the control device to perform the method of any one of claims 1-9.

12. A control system for AGC, comprising: the system comprises an AGV control device, a plurality of online AGVs of a warehouse and a mobile terminal held by a user entering the warehouse, wherein the AGV control device is respectively in communication connection with the AGVs and the mobile terminal;

wherein the control means is adapted to perform the method according to any of claims 1-9 for controlling the stopping or starting of the AGVs.

13. The control system of claim 12, further comprising: the AGV comprises at least three positioning transmitters, wherein the positioning transmitters are used for transmitting broadcast signals, the mobile terminal is used for receiving the broadcast signals transmitted by the at least three positioning transmitters, determining the real-time position of the mobile terminal according to the broadcast signals, and reporting the real-time position to the AGV control device.

14. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising: for storing a computer program which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of any one of claims 1-9.