JP2004334724A - Operation control device, program, and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To preferentially travel a carrying truck with high priority in a merging part of tracks. <P>SOLUTION: In a truck monitoring part 13, a competitive section is set based on the position on a track 2 and traveling speed of each carrying truck 30 (S110). The carrying trucks 30 present in the competitive section are monitored, and the priorities of lots carried by the monitored trucks are mutually compared to determine a preferential truck (S120). When a monitored truck traveling ahead this preferential truck is present (S130: YES), the preceding monitored truck is set to the preferential truck (S140). When a plurality of preferential trucks are present (S150: YES), the preferential truck is determined based on the comparison of the priority of the track 2 in which each preferential truck is traveling (S160). A traveling instruction is transmitted to the preferential truck, and a stop instruction is transmitted to the monitored trucks except the preferential truck. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an operation control device, a program, and a method for controlling the operation of a transport trolley traveling on a track.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a transport means in a clean room such as a semiconductor factory, recently, an unmanned transport system using a transport truck traveling on a track represented by OHS (Over Head Shuttle) or OHT (Over Head Housing Transport) has become mainstream. I have.
In particular, an OHS or OHT having a track laid on the ceiling side can lay the track without much restriction on the layout by a device for processing a wafer. In addition, by completely separating the work area where the worker works and the transport area where the transport trolley travels, interference between the worker and the transport trolley can be prevented, thereby ensuring the safety of the worker. can do. Further, by eliminating the interference, it is possible to make the transport vehicle travel at a high speed.
[0003]
The configuration of many semiconductor factories employs a bay system in which each work process is formed by a basic unit called a bay including a plurality of devices and one or a plurality of stockers (storage shelves). In the case of a standard factory, the number of bays is about 20, and in a conventional unmanned transport system, inter-process transport between bays and transport between devices in the bays and stockers. In-process conveyance was separated. However, the inter-process transfer and the intra-process transfer are connected in order to improve the work efficiency, and a direct transfer system for directly transferring to each device and a stocker between bays has been adopted. According to the direct transfer method, the trajectories of the inter-process transfer and the intra-process transfer are connected, so that the trajectory is enlarged and the number of branches and junctions is increased.
[0004]
For this reason, it is important to prevent collision between the transport vehicles, especially at the junction. Therefore, the transport trolley detects whether or not another transport trolley enters the junction where the transport trolley enters, using an obstacle detection sensor or communication means, etc., and the other transport trolley enters the junction where the transport trolley enters. If it is detected that it is approaching, it recognizes the priority of the track on which it runs based on the priority of the track assigned in advance, and if the priority is high, it runs preferentially, and conversely, the priority Is low, a method of prioritizing a transport vehicle traveling on a high-priority track (for example, see Patent Document 1), or a method of determining a priority track based on the congestion state of each track at a junction (for example, Patent Document 2) has been proposed.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-10-301626
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-11-161331
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the method described above, the transport vehicles that travel preferentially are determined based on the state of the track, so that the transport vehicles do not collide with each other at the confluence portion and travel so that the work efficiency of all the transport vehicles is kept constant. Can be. However, in reality, the priorities of all the transport vehicles are not the same, and the priorities of the transport vehicles vary depending on individual situations in order to increase the efficiency of productivity. For example, depending on the priority determined for each lot as a transported object, the priority of the transport vehicle that transports the same may be finely determined as limited express, express, or normal. In the above-described method, even in such a case, the transport vehicle is caused to travel at the junction based on the state of the track, and as a result, it becomes difficult to transport a lot with a higher priority.
For example, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the ordinary transport vehicle # 3 is traveling in front of the express transport vehicle # 1 and competes with the ordinary transport vehicle # 2, the priority of the track is changed to the normal transport vehicle. Assuming that # 2 has, the express transport vehicle # 1 and the ordinary transport vehicle # 3 need to stop immediately before the junction to avoid collision. In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, when the confluence portion is continuous with the traveling trajectory of the express transport vehicle # 1, it is assumed that the normal transport vehicles # 2 and # 3 have the priority of the tracks. Then, at each junction, the express transport vehicle # 1 needs to stop immediately before each junction to avoid collision. In any case, the express transport vehicle # 1 to be preferentially driven is stagnated.
[0007]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a transport vehicle operation control device, a program, and a method that enable a transport vehicle with high priority to travel preferentially at a junction of tracks.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The operation control device according to claim 1, which is an operation control device for controlling the operation of a plurality of transport vehicles supported and guided on a track and traveling, wherein the communication device performs communication with the transport vehicles. Means, a trolley monitoring means for monitoring a state of the transport trolley existing near a junction where the plurality of tracks merge, and the merging based on the state of the transport trolley monitored by the trolley monitoring means. Of the transport vehicles present in the vicinity of the vehicle, priority vehicle determining means for determining a priority vehicle that is the transport vehicle to be traveled preferentially, and preferentially the priority vehicle determined by the priority vehicle determining means. Commanding means for generating an operation command for each of the transport vehicles present near the junction, for traveling, the communication unit is provided by the vehicle monitoring unit. Receiving information regarding some or all condition being viewed from the transport vehicle, and transmits the operation command generated by said command generating unit to the transport carriage.
Further, the program according to claim 9 is a program for controlling the operation of a plurality of transport vehicles that travel while being supported and guided on a track, and a communication unit for performing communication with the transport vehicles, A trolley monitoring means for monitoring the state of the transport trolley present near the junction where the plurality of tracks merge, and present near the junction based on the state of the transport trolley monitored by the trolley monitoring means Priority carriage determining means for determining a priority carriage, which is the transport carriage to be preferentially traveled, among the transport carriages, and for preferentially traveling the priority carriage determined by the priority carriage determination means. And causing a computer to function as an instruction generating means for generating an operation instruction for each of the transport vehicles existing near the junction. Information about the state of some or all monitored by the monitoring means to receive from said transport vehicle, and transmits the operation command generated by said command generating unit to the transport carriage.
An operation control method according to claim 17 is an operation control method for controlling the operation of a plurality of transport vehicles that are supported and guided on a track and travel while traveling, wherein the communication device performs communication with the transport vehicles. A truck monitoring step for monitoring a state of the carrier truck present in the vicinity of a junction where a plurality of the tracks merge, and the merging based on a state of the carrier truck monitored by the truck monitoring step. Part of the transport vehicles existing in the vicinity, a priority vehicle determining step for determining a priority vehicle that is the transport vehicle to be traveled preferentially, and preferentially the priority vehicle determined by the priority vehicle determining step. And a command generation step for generating an operation command for each of the transport vehicles existing near the junction so that the vehicle travels. Some are monitored or information about all of the state received from the transport vehicle, and transmits the operation instruction generated by the instruction generation step to the transport carriage.
According to the first, the ninth and the seventeenth aspects, the priority trolley is determined based only on the priority of the trajectory because the priority trolley is determined based on the state of each transport trolley existing near the junction of the track. In addition, the transporter with a higher priority can be made to travel preferentially at each time, and the transported object can be transported more efficiently.
[0009]
3. The operation control device according to claim 2, wherein the carriage monitoring unit determines at least one of a position of the carriage on the track, a work state, and a priority of a conveyed object. It is characterized in that the state is monitored.
The program according to claim 10, wherein the cart monitoring unit sets at least one of a position of the carrier on the track, a work state, and a priority of a conveyed article in a state of the carrier. It is characterized by being monitored as.
According to the second and tenth aspects, the priority trolley is determined based on at least one condition of the position of the transport trolley on the track, the working state, and the priority of the transported object, and therefore, the priority trolley is determined according to the situation. The transport trolley can be made to travel preferentially based on the priority.
[0010]
4. The operation control device according to claim 3, wherein the bogie monitoring unit is configured to determine at least one of a position of the carrier on the track, a traveling speed, a priority of a conveyed object, experience information, and experiment information. The range of the track to be monitored is determined based on the
The program according to claim 11, wherein the cart monitoring means is configured to store at least one of a position of the carrier cart on the track, a traveling speed, a priority of a conveyed article, experience information, and experiment information. The range of the trajectory to be monitored is determined based on this.
According to the third and eleventh aspects, the range monitored by the bogie monitoring means is different for each condition of the transport bogie. Therefore, while monitoring the minimum state, the prediction range is widened and the priority bogie is given higher priority. It can be made to run, and a conveyed thing can be conveyed more efficiently.
[0011]
The operation control device according to claim 4, wherein the priority trolley determination unit determines an individual priority for the state of the transport trolley, and determines the priority trolley by comparing the priorities. I do.
A program according to a twelfth aspect is characterized in that the priority trolley determining means determines an individual priority for the state of the transport trolley, and determines the priority trolley by comparing the priorities.
According to the fourth and twelfth aspects, the priorities can be determined for all the transport vehicles at the junction, so that the priority vehicles can be determined under more detailed conditions, and the transported object can be transported more efficiently. be able to.
[0012]
The operation control device according to claim 5, wherein the priority trolley determining means determines a plurality of grouped priorities for the state of the transport trolley, and determines the priority trolley by comparing the priorities. It is characterized by the following.
The program according to claim 13, wherein the priority trolley determining means determines a plurality of grouped priorities for the state of the transport trolley, and determines the priority trolley by comparing the priorities. Features.
According to the fifth and thirteenth aspects, priority may be assigned to the state of the transport trolley in units of groups, so that the priority trolley can be quickly determined.
[0013]
The operation control device according to claim 6, wherein the priority trolley determining unit determines that the priority trolley determined by comparing the priority of the state of the transport trolley is preceded by another of the transport trolleys. In this case, the preceding carriage is determined as the priority carriage.
The program according to claim 14, wherein the priority trolley determining means is configured such that when the other transport trolley is ahead of the priority trolley determined by comparing the priority of the state of the transport trolley. And determining the preceding carrier as the priority carrier.
According to Claims 6 and 14, when another transport vehicle is ahead of the priority vehicle, the preceding transport vehicle can be changed to the priority vehicle and run preferentially, The preceding carriage does not obstruct the traveling of the priority carriage, and as a result, the priority carriage can be caused to travel preferentially.
[0014]
The operation control device according to claim 7, wherein the priority trolley determining means is configured to determine the priority trolley from the state of the transport trolley monitored by the trolley monitoring state. The priority vehicle is determined based on the priority of the track on which the vehicle is traveling.
The program according to claim 15, wherein, when the priority trolley determining means cannot determine the priority trolley from the state of the transport trolley monitored by the trolley monitoring state, the transport trolley runs. The priority trolley is determined based on the priority of the trajectory.
According to the seventh and fifteenth aspects, even when it is not possible to determine the priority trolley from the state of the transport trolley, the priority trolley is determined based on the predetermined priority of the track on which the transport trolley is traveling. Therefore, the priority vehicles can be determined even if the transport vehicles have the same priority.
[0015]
The operation control device according to claim 8, wherein the instruction generation unit generates a traveling instruction for the priority trolley determined by the priority trolley determination unit and generates a stop instruction for the transport trolley other than the priority trolley. It is characterized by doing.
The program according to claim 16, wherein the command generation unit generates a traveling instruction for the priority trolley determined by the priority trolley determination unit and generates a stop instruction for the transport trolley other than the priority trolley. It is characterized by.
According to claim 8 and claim 16, since the traveling command is transmitted only to the priority carriage and the stop instruction is transmitted to the other carriages, the collision of the carriages at the junction is reliably prevented. can do.
[0016]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external view of an OHT system 1 including an operation control device 10 according to the present embodiment. The OHT system 1 is an overhead traveling type semiconductor wafer transfer system provided in a semiconductor factory.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 1, the semiconductor factory has a plurality of bays 3 partitioned for each semiconductor wafer processing step. The bay 3 includes a plurality of wafer processing apparatuses 5, and some bays 3 further include a stocker 4. The OHT system 1 includes a track 2, a plurality of transport vehicles 30, and an operation control device 10. The orbit 2 is an inter-process orbit 21 connecting all the bays 3 in a loop, an in-process orbit 22 connecting the wafer processing apparatus 5 and the stocker 4 in each bay 3 in a loop, an inter-process orbit 21 and an in-process orbit. And an entry track 23 for allowing entry of the entry track 22. The track 2 has a junction and a branch of the inter-process track 21 and the entry track 23, and a junction and a branch of the in-process track 22 and the entry track 23, respectively. The transport vehicle 30 is for transporting a semiconductor wafer to be transported by the OHT system 1, and travels independently while being supported and guided by the track 2. The operation control device 10 is for controlling the operation of the carrier 30 traveling on the track 2.
[0018]
The operation control device 10 specifies a transport object to be transported in conjunction with the production management plan of the semiconductor factory, determines a transport vehicle 30 capable of efficiently transporting the identified transport object, and assigns the determined transport vehicle 30 to the transport vehicle 30. An operation command is given to the user. The operation instructions are unloading, unloading, running start, stop, and the like, and further include additional data such as a destination address (an address specifying the stocker 4, the wafer processing apparatus 5, etc.) as necessary. The transport trolley 30 instructed by the operation command from the operation control device 10 executes the operation command independently while checking signals from the track 2 or peripheral devices.
In other words, the operation control device 10 instructs the transport trolley 30 to travel on a specific route of the trajectory 2, and the transport trolley 30 receives this and refers to the map data of the trajectory 2 stored by itself. The traveling control is performed so that the vehicle travels along the instructed route while grasping the surrounding conditions by various sensors provided in itself. The transport trolley 30 basically travels to the front, and if another transport trolley 30 or an obstacle is present in its own traveling direction, it is detected by an obstacle detection sensor or the like and decelerated to a stop. If there is no other transport vehicle 30 or obstacle in its own traveling direction, it travels at the highest possible speed.
[0019]
Next, the structures of the track 2 and the transport vehicle 30 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the track 2 and the transport vehicle 30.
As shown in FIG. 2, the track 2 is an extruded member that is laid on a ceiling 50 of a semiconductor factory, has a gap at a lower portion for suspending the carrier 30, and has a rectangular cross section. And a direction control guide 24a, 24b and a power supply line 26 on the inner side surface. The secondary member 25 is a secondary member of a linear motor that is a drive source for driving the transport vehicle 30. The secondary member 25 transports a large number of permanent magnets processed into a predetermined shape while reversing their polarities. 30 are arranged in order along the traveling direction. The direction control guides 24a and 24b are members laid at a predetermined length substantially in parallel with the inner upper surface of the track 2 at the branching and merging portions of the track 2, and one end thereof is integrated with the inner side surface. The other end has a bent portion formed so as to be bent downward. The power supply line 26 is a primary side for performing non-contact power supply to a traveling unit 31 of the transport vehicle 30 described later, and is connected to a high-frequency power supply (not shown) to which a high-frequency voltage is applied. The power supply line 26 also functions as a communication line for performing communication between the operation control device 10 and the transport vehicle 30.
[0020]
The transport trolley 30 includes a traveling unit 31 and a trolley unit 40. The traveling section 31 travels while being supported and guided by the track 2, and includes a traveling roller 32, a guide roller 33, branch rollers 34 a and 34 b, a branch roller drive section 35, an iron core coil 36, and a primary iron core. 37. The running roller 32 is a roller for running the transport carriage 30 in contact with the inner lower surface of the track 2 in a vertical direction, and two rollers are rotatably arranged coaxially. The guide roller 33 is a roller for horizontally contacting the inside both side surfaces of the track 2 to guide the traveling of the carriage 30 from the horizontal direction. Above the traveling roller 32, both ends in the width direction of the traveling portion 31. It is arranged rotatably.
[0021]
The branch rollers 34a and 34b are horizontally rotatable rollers disposed at both ends in the width direction of the traveling unit 31, respectively. The branch roller driving unit 35 causes the branch roller 34a to be bent inside the end of the direction control guide 24a. In the horizontal direction with respect to the side surface, the branch roller 34b is selectively guided in the horizontal direction with respect to the side surface outside the bending at the end of the direction control guide 24b. The branch roller driving unit 35 is for selectively guiding the branch rollers 34a and 34b to the direction control guides 24a and 24b, respectively. When the branch roller drive unit 35 guides the branch roller 34a to the direction control guide 24a, the transport carriage 30 is guided to the left track 2 with respect to the traveling direction. Conversely, when the branch roller driving unit 35 guides the branch roller 34b to the direction control guide 24b, the transport vehicle 30 is guided to the right track 2 with respect to the traveling direction.
The iron core coil 36 is a non-contact power supply pickup unit, and is formed by winding a secondary coil around an iron core. The iron core coil 36 is provided with two concave portions, and the power supply line 26 is fitted into each of the concave portions and is arranged so as not to contact with a predetermined distance. The primary-side iron core 37 is a primary-side member of a linear motor that is a drive source of the transport trolley 30, and is arranged such that the respective flat portions are parallel to the secondary-side member 25 of the track 2 and maintain a predetermined distance. ing.
[0022]
When high-frequency power is applied to the power supply line 26, which is the primary side of the non-contact power supply, the primary-side high-frequency power is induced in the coil wound around the iron core coil 36, which is the secondary side, and the non-contact power supply is performed. Power is supplied. Such a non-contact power supply method is suitable for a semiconductor factory that requires a high degree of cleanliness because dust is not generated due to sliding between electrodes. A part of the supplied electric power is converted into a direct current by full-wave rectification, further converted into a three-phase alternating current of a PWM system by a power supply controller (not shown), and supplied to the primary core 37. When the three-phase alternating current of the PWM method is supplied to the primary iron core 37, a traveling magnetic field that moves linearly is generated in the primary iron core 37, and the moving magnetic field between the secondary member 25 facing the primary iron core 37 is generated. Propulsion is generated in the primary iron core 37 by the magnetic action.
[0023]
The carriage unit 40 is for storing a cassette 51 in which semiconductor wafers 55 to be transported by the OHT system 1 are stored, is connected to the traveling unit 31 at an upper part thereof, and is held in a suspended state below the track 2. ing. The cassette 51 includes a head 52 for holding the cassette 51, a chamber 53 in which a semiconductor wafer 55 is stored, and a gate 54 for taking out the semiconductor wafer. The inside of the chamber 53 is maintained at a sufficient degree of cleanliness.
The bogie unit 40 includes a horizontal position adjustment mechanism 41 and a hoist unit 42. The horizontal position adjusting mechanism 41 has a traveling unit 31 connected to an upper part thereof, and a hoist part connected to a lower part thereof, and is connected to a lower part when the cassette 51 is transferred to the wafer processing apparatus 5 or the stocker 4 or the like. This is for adjusting the horizontal position of the hoist portion 42 that is present. The hoist unit 42 includes a chuck 44 for holding the head 52 of the cassette 51 and a belt 43 connected to the chuck 44. When the cassette 51 is transferred to or from the wafer processing apparatus 5 or the stocker 4, the belt 43 is used. To move the chuck 44 in the vertical direction by winding up or down.
The wafer processing apparatus 5 includes a port 56 and an apparatus-side gate 57. The port 56 is a seating mechanism for seating the cassette 51. The device side gate 57 is for opening the gate 54 in close contact with the gate 54 of the cassette 51.
[0024]
Normally, the transport trolley 30 travels to a target position (such as the wafer processing apparatus 5 or the stocker 4) upon receiving a command from the operation control device 10 through communication via the power supply line 26. At a part where there is a branch on the way, a route is selected by a method in which one of the left and right direction control guides 24a and 24b laid on the track is guided by the branch rollers 34a and 34b. Next, after the transport trolley 30 reaches the destination, the cassette 51 is transferred. For example, when the loaded cassette 51 is lowered to the port 56, the transport vehicle 30 stops arriving at the transfer position, which is the target position, and then performs position adjustment by the position adjusting mechanism 41. Thereafter, the belt 43 wound up to the uppermost position is sequentially rewound while holding the head 52 of the cassette 51 with the chuck 44, and the cassette 51 is lowered to the port 56 of the wafer processing apparatus 5. When the bottom surface of the chamber 56 of the cassette 51 contacts the surface of the port 56, the limit switch attached to the port 56 is activated. After detecting the seating of the cassette 51 by operating the limit switch of the port 56, the chuck 44 releases the grip of the head 52 and places the cassette 51 on the port 56. After the loading / unloading operation of the cassette 51 is completed, the transport vehicle 30 winds up the belt 43 and, when the chuck 44 reaches the uppermost position, heads to the next destination according to a command from the operation control device 10. The cassette 51 seated on the port 56 is pulled in by the wafer processing apparatus 5 so that the gate 54 and the apparatus-side gate 57 are in close contact with each other, and the gate 54 is opened while the cleanness is maintained, and the wafer 55 is taken out.
[0025]
Next, the configuration of the operation control device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the operation control device 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the operation control device 10 includes an operation management unit (including an instruction generation unit) 11, a communication unit 12, a trolley monitoring unit 13, and a priority trolley determination unit 14. The operation management unit 11 is connected to the network 16, the communication unit 12, the trolley monitoring unit 13, and the priority trolley determination unit 14, and communicates with an instruction from a production management system of a semiconductor factory (not shown) received via the network 16. It manages the operation of the transport trolley 30 in the OHT system 1 based on various information input from the unit 12, the trolley monitoring unit 13, and the priority trolley determination unit 14. Then, the operation management unit 11 outputs to the communication unit 12 an operation command for each transport vehicle 30 generated based on the management result.
[0026]
The communication unit 12 communicates with all the transport vehicles 30 on the track 2 via the power supply line 26. The communication unit 12 receives the information transmitted from each transport trolley 30, outputs the information to the operation management unit 11 or the trolley monitoring unit 13, and receives an operation command for each transport trolley 30 input from the operation management unit 11 or a trolley monitoring unit. An inquiry command of the state input from the controller 13 is transmitted to each carrier 30.
[0027]
The trolley monitoring unit 13 obtains information on a state transmitted based on a state inquiry command for each of the transport trolleys 30 and a database managed by the operation management unit 11 in order to prevent collision between the transport trolleys 30 at the junction. Based on the possible information, a conflicting section is set on the track, and the states of all the transport vehicles 30 existing in the conflicting section are monitored. The range of the competition section monitored by the truck monitoring unit 13 is determined each time based on the position and the traveling speed of each transport truck 30 on the track 2. Note that the competition section may be determined based on actual results or experience values, or may be determined based on other parameters. Further, the competition section may be fixed. The state of the transport trolley 30 (hereinafter, referred to as a monitored trolley) under the monitoring of the trolley monitoring unit 13 is monitored at predetermined intervals by polling from the trolley monitoring unit 13. The information monitored by the trolley monitoring unit 13 is the work state (running, transfer, standby, etc.), position, speed, and the like of the monitored trolley. Then, the trolley monitoring unit 13 outputs the information to the priority trolley determination unit 14, and outputs the changed information to the priority trolley determination unit 14 when polling detects that the information has changed.
[0028]
The priority trolley determination unit 14 determines a priority trolley, which is a transport trolley that preferentially travels the junction, among the monitored trolleys monitored by the trolley monitoring unit 13. The priority trolley is determined by the information on the state of the monitored trolley input from the trolley monitoring unit 13 and the production lot of the semiconductor wafer 55 stored in the cassette 51 that can be obtained from the database managed by the operation management unit 11 (hereinafter, referred to as a production lot). (Abbreviated as a lot) and the priority of the track 2 on which the monitored truck is traveling. The priority of a lot is classified into three levels, express, express, and normal, and the priority is higher in this order. The priority of the trajectory 2 is higher in the order of the inter-process trajectory 3, the intra-process trajectory 4, and the entry trajectory 23.
[0029]
Then, the priority trolley determination unit 14 determines a priority trolley by examining the following three steps in order. First, in the first stage, the priorities of lots carried by the monitored truck are compared. Since the priority of a lot is determined at three levels, express, express, and normal, the monitored vehicle that transports the lot with the highest priority is determined as the priority vehicle by comparing these levels.
[0030]
Next, in the second stage, it is determined whether or not there is a monitored vehicle preceding the priority vehicle determined in the first stage. If there is a preceding monitored vehicle, the preceding monitored vehicle is determined. Change to a priority trolley. Then, it is further determined whether or not there is a preceding monitored truck for the changed priority truck, and if there is a preceding monitored truck, the preceding monitored truck is further changed to the priority truck. Thus, the change of the priority trolley is repeated until the preceding monitored trolley no longer exists. If the preceding monitored truck no longer exists, it is finally determined as a priority truck.
[0031]
Next, in the third stage, when the number of the priority vehicles determined in the first and second stages is two, the priority vehicle is determined based on the priority of the track 2 on which each priority vehicle is traveling. That is, the trajectory 2 has a higher priority in the order of the inter-process trajectory 3, the in-process trajectory 4, and the entering trajectory 23, and the priority trolley is determined accordingly.
[0032]
Next, an operation procedure of the operation control device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure when the operation control device 10 determines the priority trolley. First, when the transport vehicle 30 has entered the vicinity of the junction, the process proceeds to step S110, and the vehicle monitoring unit 13 sets a competition section based on the position on the track 2 and the traveling speed of each transport vehicle 30. Polling is performed at predetermined intervals for the transport vehicles 30 existing in the set competition section as monitored vehicles, and the state is monitored by the vehicle monitoring unit 13. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S120, and the priority of the lot transported by the monitored vehicle is compared to determine the monitored vehicle that transports the lot with the highest priority as the priority vehicle.
[0033]
Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S130, and it is determined whether or not there is a monitored vehicle preceding the priority vehicle determined in step S120. When it is determined that there is a monitored truck preceding the priority truck (S130: YES), the process proceeds to step S140, and the preceding monitored truck is changed to the priority truck. Thereafter, the process returns to step S130 to determine whether there is a monitored truck preceding the priority truck. The above process is repeated until there is no monitored truck preceding the priority truck.
[0034]
When it is determined that there is no monitored truck preceding the priority truck (S130: NO), the process proceeds to step S150, and it is determined whether there is a plurality of priority trucks determined in step S120 or step S140. . If it is determined that there are a plurality of priority vehicles (S150: YES), the process proceeds to step S160, and a priority vehicle is determined based on a comparison of the priority of the track 2 on which each priority vehicle is traveling. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S170. When it is determined that the number of priority vehicles is not plural (S150: NO), the process proceeds to step S170. In step S170, the operation management unit 11 generates a traveling command for the priority trolley and a stop command for the monitored trolley other than the priority trolley in order to cause the priority trolley to travel at the junction with priority. The generated command is transmitted to each carrier 30 by the communication unit 12. In addition, various commands to the peripheral devices necessary for the merge are also transmitted as needed. Thereafter, the process ends when the priority vehicle passes through the merging section and travels out of the competition section.
[0035]
Next, the operation of the OHT system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is an external view showing a merging portion of the track 2. FIG. 5A shows a case where the transport vehicle 30 that transports an express lot and the transport vehicle 30 that transports an ordinary lot at the merging section compete with each other. FIG. FIG. 5C shows a case where the transport vehicle 30 which transports the ordinary lot precedes the transport vehicle 30 which transports the normal lot, and FIG. 5C shows a case where the transport vehicle 30 which transports the express lot competes in FIG. 5B. I have. Here, it is assumed that # 1 to # 3 of the transport vehicles 30 are all traveling in the competition section toward the merging section, and their states are monitored by the vehicle monitoring unit 13 as monitored vehicles. The arrow in the figure indicates the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 30.
[0036]
As shown in FIG. 5 (a), when the # 1 transport vehicle 30 that transports the express lot at the junction and the # 2 transport vehicle 30 that transports the normal lot compete at the junction, the priority truck is used. The determination unit 14 first determines a priority vehicle based on the priority of the lot transported by each transport vehicle 30. Since the priority of the express lot is higher than the priority of the normal lot, the transport vehicle 30 of # 1 is determined as the priority vehicle. Then, since there is no other transport vehicle 30 preceding the priority vehicle, the operation management unit 11 transmits the # 1 transport vehicle 30 via the communication unit 12 so as to give priority to the # 1 transport vehicle 30 as it is. , A stop command is transmitted to the # 2 carrier 30. Upon receiving the stop instruction, the # 2 transport trolley 30 stops at a predetermined position when detecting the junction by communicating with the sensor provided on the track 2. The # 1 transport trolley 30, which is the priority trolley receiving the travel command, branches and joins while communicating with the sensors provided on the track 2, and then passes through the competition section. The # 2 transport trolley 30 starts running after # 1 has passed through the competition section, and passes through the competition section.
[0037]
Next, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the # 1 transport vehicle 30 that transports the express lot at the junction and the # 2 transport vehicle 30 that transports the ordinary lot compete at the junction, When the # 3 transport trolley 30 that transports a normal lot precedes the # 1 transport trolley 30, the priority trolley determination unit 14 first determines the priority of the lot transported by each transport trolley 30. The priority trolley is determined based on the priority trolley. Since the priority of the express lot is higher than the priority of the ordinary lot, the # 1 transport cart 30 is the priority cart. Next, since there is a # 3 transport trolley 30 preceding the priority trolley, the priority trolley is changed to the # 3 transport trolley 30. Then, the operation management unit 11 transmits a traveling command to the # 3 transport vehicle 30 via the communication unit 12 to give priority to the # 3 transport vehicle 30, and transmits a stop command to the # 2 transport vehicle 30. Upon receiving the stop instruction, the # 2 transport trolley 30 stops at a predetermined position when detecting the junction by communicating with the sensor provided on the track 2. The # 3 transport trolley 30, which is the priority trolley receiving the travel command, branches and joins while communicating with the sensor provided on the track 2, and then passes through the competition section.
[0038]
The # 1 transport vehicle travels while maintaining a predetermined distance from the preceding # 3 transport vehicle, but after the # 3 transport vehicle has passed through the competition section, the priority of the lot transported again is determined. Based on this, the # 1 transport vehicle 30 becomes the priority vehicle. Since there is no other transport vehicle 30 preceding the priority vehicle, the operation management unit 11 sends the # 1 transport vehicle via the communication unit 12 so as to give priority to the # 1 transport vehicle 30 as it is. A travel command is transmitted to the # 30, and a stop command is further transmitted to the # 2 transport vehicle 30. The # 2 transport trolley 30, which has received the stop command, continues to stop at a predetermined position. The # 1 transport trolley 30, which is the priority trolley receiving the travel command, branches and joins while communicating with the sensors provided on the track 2, and then passes through the competition section. The # 2 transport trolley 30 starts running after the # 1 transport trolley 30 passes through the competition section, and passes through the competition section.
[0039]
Next, as shown in FIG. 5 (c), when the # 1 transport vehicle 30 and the # 2 transport vehicle 30 that transport the limited express lot at the merge portion compete with each other at the merge portion, the # 1 transport vehicle is used. When the transport trolley 30 of # 3 which transports a normal lot precedes the 30, the priority trolley determination unit 14 first determines the priority trolley based on the priority of the lot transported by each transport trolley 30. Since the priority of the express lot is higher than the priority of the ordinary lot, the # 1 carrier 30 and the # 2 carrier 30 are the priority carts. Next, since there is a # 3 transport trolley 30 preceding the # 1 transport trolley 30, the priority trolley is changed to the # 3 transport trolley 30. Further, since the two transport vehicles 30 of the # 2 transport vehicle 30 and the # 3 transport vehicle 30 are priority vehicles, the priority vehicles are determined based on the priority of the track on which each travels. If the priority of the track 2 on which the # 2 transport vehicle 30 is traveling is higher than the priority of the track 2 on which the # 3 transport vehicle 30 is traveling, the # 2 transport vehicle 30 becomes the priority vehicle. It is determined.
[0040]
Then, the operation management unit 11 transmits a traveling command to the # 2 transport vehicle 30 via the communication unit 12 to give priority to the # 2 transport vehicle 30, and transmits a stop command to the # 3 transport vehicle 30. Upon receiving the stop command, the # 3 transport trolley 30 stops at a predetermined position when detecting the junction by communicating with the sensor provided on the track 2. When the # 3 carrier 30 stops, the # 1 carrier 30 following the # 3 carrier 30 also stops at a predetermined distance from the # 3 carrier. The # 2 transport trolley 30, which is the priority trolley receiving the traveling command, branches and joins while communicating with the sensors provided on the track 2, and then passes through the competition section.
[0041]
After the # 2 transport vehicle has passed through the competition section, the # 1 transport vehicle 30 becomes the priority vehicle based on the priority of the lot being transported again. Since there is a # 3 transport trolley 30 preceding the # 1 transport trolley 30, which is the priority trolley, the priority trolley is changed to the # 3 transport trolley 30. Then, the operation management unit 11 transmits a traveling command to the # 1 transport trolley 30 via the communication unit 12 in order to give priority to the # 3 transport trolley 30 which is the priority trolley. The # 3 transport trolley 30, which is the priority trolley receiving the travel command, branches and joins while communicating with the sensor provided on the track 2, and then passes through the competition section. The # 1 transport trolley 30 similarly passes through the competition section while maintaining a predetermined distance from the # 3 transport trolley.
FIGS. 5A to 5C illustrate a case where an express lot and an ordinary lot are conveyed. However, even if all ordinary lots are express lots, or if the express lot is Even in the case of all express lots, the same operation as described above is performed because there is no change in the priority relationship in each lot.
[0042]
Next, the operation of the OHT system 1 in the case where the merging section is continuous on the track 2 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is an external view showing a trajectory 2 in which the merging portions are continuous. Here, it is assumed that # 1 to # 3 of the transport vehicle 30 are all traveling in the competition section toward the merging section, and the state of the vehicle is monitored by the vehicle monitoring unit 13. The arrow in the figure indicates the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 30.
[0043]
As shown in FIG. 6, even when there are a plurality of merging sections in the competition section set by the carriage monitoring unit 13, the priority carriage is determined in the competition section as in the case of FIG. The transport vehicle 30 for transporting the limited express lot competes with the # 2 transport vehicle 30 for transporting ordinary rods at the first junction, and the # 3 transport vehicle 30 for transporting ordinary rods at the second junction. In the case of conflict, the priority trolley determination unit 14 first determines the priority trolley based on the priority of the lot carried by each transport trolley 30. Since the priority of the express lot is higher than the priority of the ordinary lot, the # 1 transport cart 30 is the priority cart. Then, since there is no other transport vehicle 30 preceding the priority vehicle, the operation management unit 11 travels to the # 1 transport vehicle 30 via the communication unit 12 so as to give priority to the # 1 transport vehicle 30. The command is transmitted, and the stop command is transmitted to the # 2 carrier 30 and the # 3 carrier 30. Upon receiving the stop command, the # 2 transport trolley 30 stops at a predetermined position when it detects the junction at the first junction by communication with the sensor provided on the track 2. Further, the # 3 transport trolley 30, which also receives the stop command, stops at a predetermined position when detecting the junction at the second junction by communicating with the sensor provided on the track 2. The # 1 transport trolley 30, which is the priority trolley that has received the traveling command, performs each convergence sequentially while communicating with the sensor provided on the track 2 at each convergence section, and passes through the competition section. The # 2 carrier and the # 3 carrier start traveling after the # 1 carrier has passed the competing section, and respectively pass through the competing section.
[0044]
In the preferred embodiment described above, the priority trolley is determined based on the priority of the lot transported by each transport trolley 30 existing near the confluence of the track 2, and therefore, the priority trolley is determined only by the priority of the track 2. Is determined, the lot with the higher priority at each time can be transported more efficiently.
[0045]
Further, since the competition section set by the carriage monitoring means 13 differs depending on the conditions of the carriage 30, the state of the carriage 30 can be monitored efficiently, and the lot can be transported more efficiently.
[0046]
In addition, since priority is assigned to lots in the group unit of express, express, and normal, the priority trolley can be quickly determined.
[0047]
Further, when another transporting vehicle 30 is ahead of the priority transporting vehicle, the preceding transporting vehicle 30 can be changed to the priority transporting vehicle and run preferentially. The traveling of the priority trolley is not interrupted, and as a result, the priority trolley can be made to travel preferentially.
[0048]
Further, even when the priority trolley cannot be determined from the priority of the lot transported by the transport trolley 30, the priority trolley can be determined based on the priority of the track on which the transport trolley 30 is traveling. The priority trolleys can be determined even if the transport trolleys have the same priority.
[0049]
In addition, since the operation management unit 11 transmits a traveling command only to the priority trolley and transmits a stop command to the other transport trolleys 30, it is possible to reliably prevent the transport trolleys 30 from colliding with each other at the junction. be able to.
[0050]
The preferred embodiment according to the present invention has been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various design changes can be made within the scope of the claims. is there. For example, in the embodiment, the configuration is such that communication is performed via the power supply line 26 of non-contact power supply. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and wireless communication may be used, or other communication means may be used. Is also good. Further, a configuration in which communication can be performed only within a competition section may be employed.
[0051]
In the embodiment, the priority trolley determination unit 14 determines the priority trolley based on the priority of the lot transported by the transport trolley 30, but is not limited to such a configuration. The configuration may be such that it is determined based on any of the position, speed, and work state of the transport trolley 30, or the configuration may be such that the above conditions are determined in a complex manner. Further, the configuration may be such that it is determined based on the priority directly assigned to the transport vehicle 30.
[0052]
In the embodiment, the priority is grouped into three types, express, express, and normal, to the lot. However, the priority is determined based on each state of the transport vehicle 30 including the lot. A configuration in which each of the carts 30 is individually assigned may be employed. In this case, since the priority trolley can be reliably determined by comparing the priorities, it is not necessary to consider the priority of the track 2 on which the transport trolley 30 travels.
[0053]
Further, in the embodiment, when there is another transport vehicle 30 preceding the priority vehicle, the priority vehicle is changed to the preceding transport vehicle 30. However, a configuration in which the priority vehicle is not particularly changed may be used.
[0054]
Further, in the embodiment, when the priority trolley cannot be determined based on the priority of the lot transported by the transport trolley 30, the priority trolley is determined based on the priority of the track 2. The configuration is not limited to such a configuration, and the configuration may be such that the priority trolley is determined based on another predetermined rule such as left priority.
[0055]
In the embodiment, the operation management unit 11 transmits a traveling command only to the priority trolley and transmits a stop command to the other transport trolleys 30 in order to cause the priority trolley to travel preferentially. As a result, it is only necessary that the priority vehicle can travel preferentially. For example, a configuration in which the traveling speed of another transport vehicle 30 is adjusted may be employed.
[0056]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first, the ninth and the seventeenth aspects, the priority trolley is determined based only on the priority of the trajectory because the priority trolley is determined based on the state of each transport trolley existing near the junction of the track. In addition, the transporter with higher priority can be made to travel preferentially at each time, and the transported object can be transported more efficiently.
[0057]
According to the second and tenth aspects, the priority trolley is determined based on at least one condition of the position of the transport trolley on the track, the working state, and the priority of the transported object, and therefore, the priority trolley is determined according to the situation. The transport trolley can be made to travel preferentially based on the priority.
[0058]
According to the third and eleventh aspects, the range monitored by the bogie monitoring means is different for each condition of the transport bogie. Therefore, while monitoring the minimum state, the prediction range is widened and the priority bogie is given higher priority. It can be made to run, and a conveyed thing can be conveyed more efficiently.
[0059]
According to the fourth and twelfth aspects, the priorities can be determined for all the transport vehicles at the junction, so that the priority vehicles can be determined under more detailed conditions, and the transported object can be transported more efficiently. be able to.
[0060]
According to the fifth and thirteenth aspects, priority may be assigned to the state of the transport trolley in units of groups, so that the priority trolley can be quickly determined.
[0061]
According to Claims 6 and 14, when another transport vehicle is ahead of the priority vehicle, the preceding transport vehicle can be changed to the priority vehicle and run preferentially, The preceding carriage does not obstruct the traveling of the priority carriage, and as a result, the priority carriage can be caused to travel preferentially.
[0062]
According to the seventh and fifteenth aspects, even when it is not possible to determine the priority trolley from the state of the transport trolley, the priority trolley is determined based on the predetermined priority of the track on which the transport trolley is traveling. Therefore, the priority vehicles can be determined even if the transport vehicles have the same priority.
[0063]
According to claim 8 and claim 16, since the traveling command is transmitted only to the priority carriage and the stop instruction is transmitted to the other carriages, the collision of the carriages at the junction is reliably prevented. can do.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external view of an OHT system including an operation control device according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the track and the transport vehicle shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the operation control device shown in FIG.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure when a priority bogie is determined in the operation control device shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is an external view showing a merging portion of a track 2 shown in FIG.
FIG. 6 is an external view showing a trajectory 2 in which the merging section shown in FIG. 1 is continuous.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 OHT system
2 orbit
4 Stocker
5 Wafer processing equipment
10 Operation control device
11 Operation Management Department
12 Communication unit
13 Bogie monitoring unit
14 Priority bogie decision unit
30 transport trolley

Claims (17)

An operation control device for controlling the operation of a plurality of transport vehicles that are guided and run while being supported on a track,
Communication means for performing communication with the carrier trolley,
A trolley monitoring unit for monitoring the state of the transport trolley existing near a junction where the plurality of tracks merges,
A priority vehicle for determining a priority vehicle, which is the transport vehicle to be preferentially driven, among the transport vehicles existing near the junction based on a state of the transport vehicle monitored by the vehicle monitoring means; Means,
Command generating means for generating an operation command for each of the transport vehicles existing in the vicinity of the junction in order to cause the priority vehicle determined by the priority vehicle determining device to travel preferentially. ,
The communication unit receives information on a part or all of the state monitored by the carriage monitoring unit from the carriage, and transmits an operation command generated by the instruction generation unit to the carriage. Operation control device. The cart monitoring means monitors at least one of a position of the carrier on the track, a work state, and a priority of a conveyed article as a state of the carrier. The operation control device according to claim 1. The truck monitoring means determines a range of a track to be monitored based on at least one of a position on the track, a traveling speed, a priority of a conveyed object, experience information, and experiment information of the carrier truck. The operation control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the operation control device performs the operation. The said priority trolley | bogie determination means determines an individual priority with respect to the state of the said conveyance trolley, and determines the said priority trolley | bogie by comparing the said priority, The Claims 1 to 3 characterized by the above-mentioned. The operation control device according to 1. The said priority trolley | bogie determination means determines the priority grouped into several with respect to the state of the said conveyance trolley, and determines the said priority trolley | bogie by comparison of the said priority. The operation control device according to any one of the preceding claims. The priority trolley determining means, when the other trolley is ahead of the priority trolley determined by the comparison of the priority of the state of the transport trolley, the preceding transport trolley The operation control device according to claim 4, wherein the priority trolley is determined. The priority trolley determining means, when the priority trolley cannot be determined from the state of the transport trolley monitored by the trolley monitoring state, determines the priority of the track on which the transport trolley is traveling. The operation control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the priority trolley is determined based on the priority trolley. The said instruction | command generation means produces | generates the driving | running | working instruction | indication with respect to the said priority trolley | bogie determined by the said priority trolley | bogie determination part, and produces | generates the stop instruction | command with respect to the said conveyance trolley other than the said priority trolley | bogie. The operation control device according to any one of the above. A program for controlling the operation of a plurality of transport vehicles that are supported and guided by a track and travel while traveling,
Communication means for performing communication with the transport vehicle,
A trolley monitoring unit for monitoring the state of the transport trolley that is present near the junction where the plurality of tracks merge.
A priority vehicle for determining a priority vehicle, which is the transport vehicle to be preferentially driven, among the transport vehicles existing near the junction based on a state of the transport vehicle monitored by the vehicle monitoring means; Means, and
In order to cause the priority trolley determined by the priority trolley determination means to travel preferentially, a computer functions as instruction generation means for generating an operation instruction for each of the transport trolleys near the junction. ,
The communication unit receives information on a part or all of the state monitored by the carriage monitoring unit from the carriage, and transmits an operation command generated by the instruction generation unit to the carriage. Program to do. The cart monitoring means monitors at least one of a position of the carrier on the track, a work state, and a priority of a conveyed article as a state of the carrier. The program according to claim 9, which performs the program. The truck monitoring means determines a range of a track to be monitored based on at least one of a position on the track, a traveling speed, a priority of a conveyed object, experience information, and experiment information of the carrier truck. The program according to claim 9, wherein the program is executed. The said priority trolley | bogie determination means determines an individual priority with respect to the state of the said conveyance trolley, and determines the said priority trolley | bogie by comparing the said priority, The one of Claim 9 to 11 characterized by the above-mentioned. The program described in. The said priority trolley | bogie determination means determines the priority grouped into several with respect to the state of the said conveyance trolley, and determines the said priority trolley | bogie by comparison of the said priority. The program according to any one of the preceding claims. The priority trolley determining means, when the other trolley is ahead of the priority trolley determined by the comparison of the priority of the state of the transport trolley, the preceding transport trolley 14. The program according to claim 12, wherein the priority trolley is determined. The priority trolley determining means, when the priority trolley cannot be determined from the state of the transport trolley monitored by the trolley monitoring state, determines the priority of the track on which the transport trolley is traveling. The program according to any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein the priority cart is determined based on the program. The said instruction | command production | generation means produces | generates the driving | running | working instruction | command with respect to the said priority trolley | bogie determined by the said priority trolley | bogie determination part, and produces | generates the stop instruction | command with respect to the said conveyance trolley other than the said priority trolley | bogie. The program according to any one of the above. An operation control method for controlling the operation of a plurality of transport vehicles that are guided and run while being supported by a track,
A communication step of performing communication with the transport vehicle,
A trolley monitoring step for monitoring the state of the transport trolley that is present near the junction where the plurality of tracks merges,
A priority trolley for determining a priority trolley, which is the transport trolley to be preferentially driven, among the transport trolleys present in the vicinity of the junction based on a state of the transport trolley monitored in the trolley monitoring step; Process and
A command generating step for generating an operation command for each of the transport vehicles existing in the vicinity of the junction in order to preferentially travel the priority vehicle determined in the priority vehicle determining step. ,
The communication step receives information on a part or all of the state monitored by the carriage monitoring step from the carriage, and transmits an operation command generated by the command generation step to the carriage. Operation control method.

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