JP2010066965A - Transfer system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a transfer system that can streamline transfer by appropriately controlling the traffic of vehicles. <P>SOLUTION: The transfer system includes a track (100), a plurality of vehicles (200) that each run on the track, a transfer preliminary announcement means (310) for issuing a transfer preliminary announcement to call one of the plurality of vehicles to the location of an object (400) to be transferred, a change detection means (320, 360) for detecting a change in the running state of the vehicles other than the one vehicle, a position detection means (330) for detecting the position of a first vehicle (200a), which is the one vehicle, a location (500a) and a second vehicle (200b), whose running state change has been detected, and a control means (340) for controlling the transfer preliminary announcement means to cancel the transfer preliminary announcement to the first vehicle and issue a transfer preliminary announcement to the second vehicle if the second vehicle is closer to the location than the first vehicle. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technical field of a transport system that transports an object to be transported such as a container in which various substrates for manufacturing a semiconductor device are accommodated on a track.

  As this type of transport system, there is a system in which a plurality of transport vehicles travel on a track to transport an object to be transported. The plurality of transport vehicles that have received the transport instruction first travels to the transport source, loads the objects to be transported there, and then travels to the transport destination. Then, the object to be transported is unloaded to the transport destination.

  In such a transport system, a transport instruction is issued to the transport vehicle from a controller or the like that manages the operation of the system. The controller is supposed to control the transport vehicle so that the transported object can be transported in the shortest required time in order to increase the transport efficiency (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2005-45157 A

  However, in the technique as described above, there are a plurality of transport vehicles on the track, and the state of the transport vehicles in the entire system changes with time. For this reason, for example, a transport vehicle that should have been optimal for transport at the time when the transport instruction is given may change to another transport vehicle in a period until it arrives at the transport source. In other words, there is a technical problem that optimum transport cannot be performed unless a transport instruction is issued according to a change in the situation in the system.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the problem mentioned above, for example, and makes it a subject to provide the conveyance system which can convey a to-be-conveyed object efficiently.

  In order to solve the above problems, the transport system of the present invention calls a track, a plurality of transport vehicles respectively traveling on the track, and one of the plurality of transport vehicles to the transport source of the object to be transported. A transport notice unit that performs a transport advance notice on the one transport vehicle, a change detection unit that detects a change in a running state in a transport vehicle other than the one transport vehicle, and a first transport vehicle. Position detection means for detecting the position of the first transport vehicle and the transport source, and the position of the second transport vehicle from which the change in the running state is detected, and the second transport vehicle compared to the first transport vehicle. The transfer notice to the first transfer vehicle is canceled and the second transfer vehicle is newly set as the first transfer vehicle so that the transfer notice is made to the second transfer vehicle. Control means for controlling the notice means.

  According to the transport system of the present invention, during operation, for example, FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) or the like by a transport vehicle such as a vehicle or OHT (Overhead Hoist Transport) that travels on a track such as a rail laid on the ceiling. To-be-conveyed object is conveyed. A conveyance vehicle conveys a to-be-conveyed object between the several storage shelves provided along the track.

  At the time of conveyance, first, a conveyance advance notice is given to one conveyance vehicle by the conveyance advance notice unit, and the one conveyance vehicle is called to the conveyance source of the object to be conveyed. The transported vehicle is instructed to transport the object to be transported from the transport source to the transport destination. The transport vehicle that has received the transport instruction loads the transport object from the transport source and transports the transport object to the transport destination. Note that the conveyance advance notice is typically only for calling the conveyance vehicle to the conveyance source as described above, but may include a conveyance instruction. That is, the conveyance to the conveyance destination may be instructed at the stage of calling the conveyance vehicle. In other words, the transport notice of the present invention may be included in a transport instruction for transporting the transported object from the transport source to the transport destination, and the transport vehicle on which the transported object is loaded is directed to the transport source. If it is a simple control, it can be called a conveyance advance notice. That is, the conveyance advance notice is not limited to the control performed prior to the conveyance instruction. However, for convenience of explanation, in the following description, a case where a conveyance advance notice is performed before a conveyance instruction is performed (that is, a case where a conveyance advance notice and a conveyance instruction are performed separately) will be described as an example. A transport vehicle that has not received a transport notice typically travels on a track. That is, the transport vehicles that are not transporting continue to travel on the tracks.

  When the conveyance advance notice is performed, the change detection means detects a change in the running state in another conveyance vehicle other than the one conveyance vehicle. Here, the “traveling state” is a parameter related to the transport vehicle used when determining one transport vehicle for which the transport advance notice is performed from a plurality of transport vehicles. For example, the travel position of the transport vehicle And whether the transport vehicle is transporting the object to be transported or the like. The conveyance notice unit typically makes the conveyance in the system efficient by giving a conveyance notice to the conveyance vehicle that is closest to the conveyance source and is not conveying the object to be conveyed. That is, the traveling state in the present invention can be said to be information for determining a transport vehicle that can efficiently transport a plurality of transport vehicles. In other words, it can be said that the various types of information that can be used when determining the transport vehicle for which the transport notification is to be performed indicates the traveling state in the present invention.

  When the change in the running state is detected, the position detection unit detects the first and second transfer vehicles, which are a single transfer vehicle, and the position of the second transfer vehicle from which the change in the running state is detected. . Note that a plurality of second transport vehicles may exist for one first transport vehicle. Therefore, the position of the second transport vehicle is typically detected for each of the plurality of second transport vehicles. Since the first transport vehicle and the transport source exist for each transport advance notice, a plurality of first transport vehicles and transport sources may exist in the whole system. For this reason, the positions of the first transport vehicle and the transport source are also detected for each transport advance notice.

  In the present invention, in particular, when the second transport vehicle is closer to the transport source than the first transport vehicle, the control means cancels the transport advance notice for the first transport vehicle, and the second transport vehicle is changed to the first transport vehicle. The transport notice means is controlled so that a transport notice is given to the second transport car after a new transport car is replaced. The positional relationship between the second transport vehicle, the first transport vehicle, and the transport source here is not a straight line distance, but is compared by a travel distance on the track. That is, “the second transport vehicle is closer to the transport source than the first transport vehicle” means that the time until the second transport vehicle travels on the track and reaches the transport source is the first transport vehicle on the track. It means that it is shorter than the time required to travel and reach the transfer source.

  When the conveyance advance notice is inherited from the first conveyance vehicle to the second conveyance vehicle, the first conveyance vehicle goes around on the track. On the other hand, the second transport vehicle is called to the transport source by the transport advance notice. As described above, the second transport vehicle travels closer to the transport source than the first transport vehicle. Therefore, the time until the transport vehicle reaches the transport source can be shortened by performing the transport advance notice on the second transport vehicle. Therefore, it becomes possible to carry out more promptly. In order to prevent the conveyance advance notice from being repeated, it is preferable that the conveyance advance notice for the second conveyance vehicle is performed after the conveyance advance notice for the first conveyance vehicle is canceled. In addition, when there are a plurality of second transport vehicles, a transport advance notice is performed after one transport vehicle is selected from them. For example, the conveyance advance notice is performed for the second conveyance vehicle having the shortest distance to the conveyance source.

  As described above, according to the transport system of the present invention, when the traveling state of the transport vehicle changes, the transport advance notice is performed again for the optimal transport vehicle at that time. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently transport the object to be transported.

  In one aspect of the transport system of the present invention, the change detecting means detects the end of transport of the transported object of the other transport vehicle as a change in the traveling state.

  According to this aspect, the change detection means detects the end of conveyance of the object to be conveyed in another conveyance vehicle as a change in the traveling state. “Transport end” refers to a state in which the transport vehicle has finished transporting and can receive the next transport notice. For example, when the transport vehicle unloads the object to be transported, the detection unit detects a change in the traveling state.

  If comprised as mentioned above, it will detect easily and reliably that the state which can receive a conveyance advance notice from the state (namely, the state which cannot receive a conveyance advance notice) of the other conveyance vehicle is conveyed. it can. That is, it is possible to suitably detect a change in the traveling state of another transport vehicle. Therefore, the conveyance vehicle used as the 2nd conveyance vehicle can be detected suitably.

  In another aspect of the transport system of the present invention, the change detecting means detects passage of a branching point or a joining point in the track of the other transport vehicle as a change in the traveling state.

  According to this aspect, the change detection means detects the passage of the track at the branching point or the joining point as a change in the traveling state. The “branch point” is a point where the trajectory branches into a plurality of branch paths, and the “merge point” is a part where a plurality of branch paths merge. Typically, a plurality of branch points and junction points are provided on the track. In addition, the term “passing” here includes a state where the transport vehicle has passed through a branching point or a joining point, and has reached a branching point or a joining point, or has reached a position at a predetermined distance from the branching point or the joining point. Including state.

  At the branch point, the positional relationship (that is, the traveling state) of the plurality of transport vehicles changes depending on which branch route the transport vehicle has selected. In addition, even when the transport vehicle enters the route joined at the joining location, the mutual positional relationship of the plurality of transport vehicles changes as in the case of the branch location described above. Therefore, if it is detected that the transport vehicle has passed through the branch point or the junction point, it is possible to suitably detect the change in the traveling state. Therefore, it is possible to suitably detect the transport vehicle as the second transport vehicle.

  In another aspect of the transport system of the present invention, the track is configured to have a plurality of areas, and the change detection unit moves the travel between the plurality of areas of the other transport vehicle as the travel. Detect as a change in state.

  According to this aspect, the movement between the plurality of areas by the other transport vehicles is detected as a change in the traveling state by the change detection means. That is, when the transport vehicle moves from one area to another area, a change in traveling state is detected.

  When the track has a plurality of areas, for example, the traveling of the plurality of transport vehicles is managed for each area. The number of transport vehicles in each area is balanced to some extent so that there is no great difference between them. Specifically, the number of transport vehicles is balanced by moving the transport vehicles from an area where the number of transport vehicles is excessive to an area where there are few transport vehicles.

  When the transport vehicle moves between areas, a new transport vehicle suddenly appears in the area where the transport vehicle has moved. For this reason, compared with the transport vehicle heading to the transport source due to the transport advance notice, the transport vehicle may exist at a position closer to the transport source. Therefore, if the movement of the transport vehicle between the areas is detected, a change in the traveling state can be suitably detected. Therefore, it is possible to suitably detect the transport vehicle as the second transport vehicle.

  In another aspect of the transport system of the present invention, the transport system further includes a load detection unit that detects that the other transport vehicle is stacking the object to be transported, and the change detection unit includes the other transport vehicle. A change in the traveling state is detected for a transport vehicle on which the object to be transported is not loaded.

  According to this aspect, before the change detection unit detects a change in the traveling state, the loading detection unit detects whether another conveyance vehicle is loaded with an object to be conveyed. The change detection means detects a change in the running state of a transport vehicle that is not loaded with an object to be transported among other transport vehicles. That is, no change in the running state is detected for a transport vehicle carrying a transported object.

  The transport vehicle loaded with the object to be transported receives a transport advance notice on behalf of the first transport vehicle even if the travel position is detected and the transport vehicle is closer to the transport source than the first transport vehicle. I can't. For this reason, the detection of the traveling state of the transport vehicle carrying the transported object does not affect the control of the transport notice unit by the control unit. Therefore, if a change in the running state is detected for a transport vehicle on which a transported product is not loaded, processing in the system can be lightened, and transport efficiency can be improved more favorably.

  In another aspect of the transport system of the present invention, the transport system further comprises determination means for determining whether or not the second transport vehicle can receive the transport advance notice, and the control means is configured such that the second transport vehicle is transported by the transport vehicle. If it is determined that the advance notice cannot be received, the conveyance advance notice means is not controlled.

  According to this aspect, before the conveyance notice unit is controlled by the control unit, the determination unit determines whether or not the second conveyance vehicle can receive the conveyance notice. For this reason, the 2nd conveyance vehicle can receive the conveyance advance notice performed by the conveyance advance notice means certainly. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the second transport vehicle cannot receive the transport advance notice even though the transport advance notice in the first transport vehicle is cancelled.

  In the aspect including the determination unit described above, the determination unit determines that the second transport vehicle cannot receive the transport notice when the distance from the second transport vehicle to the transport source is shorter than a predetermined distance. You may comprise.

  If comprised in this way, when the distance from the said 2nd conveyance vehicle to the said conveyance origin is shorter than predetermined distance, it will determine with a determination means that the 2nd conveyance vehicle cannot receive conveyance advance notice. The “predetermined distance” is a distance at which the transport vehicle can stop at the transport source after receiving the transport advance notice even if the transport vehicle is close to the transport source. And preset according to the processing capacity of the system.

  If comprised as mentioned above, when the 2nd conveyance vehicle tries to go to a conveyance source, for example because the 2nd conveyance vehicle is too close to a conveyance source, it has passed the conveyance source (namely, stop). Is not in time). Therefore, the second transport vehicle that has received the transport notice can surely head for the transport source.

  In another aspect of the transport system of the present invention, a notice detection unit for detecting whether or not the second transport vehicle receives a transport notice other than the transport notice received by the first transport vehicle is further provided. The position detection means, in addition to the position of the first transport vehicle, the transport source, and the second transport vehicle, when the second transport vehicle has received the other transport advance notice, The position of the other transport source related to the transport advance notice is detected, and the control means detects that the second transport vehicle and the other transport source are both between the first transport vehicle and the transport source. Canceling the conveyance advance notice for the first conveyance vehicle and the other conveyance advance notice for the second conveyance vehicle, and performing the conveyance advance notice for the second conveyance vehicle, The transportation notice means is controlled so as to make a transportation advance notice.

  According to this aspect, before the conveyance notice means is controlled by the control means, whether the second conveyance vehicle receives a conveyance notice other than the conveyance notice received by the first conveyance vehicle by the notice detection means. Whether or not is detected. That is, it is detected that the second transport vehicle is heading for another transport source related to another transport advance notice or that the object to be transported is being transported to another transport destination related to another transport advance notice.

  When the second transport vehicle is notified of another transport, the position detection means detects the positions of other transport sources in addition to the positions of the first transport vehicle and the transport source and the second transport vehicle. The When both the second transport vehicle and the other transport source exist between the first transport vehicle and the transport source, the control means causes the transport advance notice for the first transport vehicle and the other transport to the second transport vehicle. In addition to canceling the advance notice, the advance notice means is controlled so that the advance notice is given to the second delivery vehicle and the other delivery notice is given to the previous delivery vehicle. Note that “between the first transport vehicle and the transport source” refers to a travel route along which the first transport vehicle travels to the transport source. That is, in this aspect, when the first transport vehicle travels to the transport source and the transport source in the second transport vehicle and other transport notices exists on the travel route, the transport that has been performed on the first transport vehicle is performed. The advance notice and the other advance notice for the second transport vehicle are replaced with each other.

  The first conveyance vehicle and the second conveyance vehicle are respectively replaced by the exchange advance notice that has been performed on the first conveyance vehicle and the other conveyance advance notice that has been performed on the second conveyance vehicle. It becomes possible to carry out efficiently. In other words, the second transport vehicle that is closer to the transport source related to the transport advance notice that has been performed on the first transport vehicle is directed toward the transport source, and the first transport vehicle is closer to the transport source that was approaching so far. It is possible to carry out the transfer efficiently by going to another transfer source related to the other transfer notice.

  The operation and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the best mode for carrying out the invention described below.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
First, the overall configuration of the transport system according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a top view schematically showing the overall configuration of the transport system according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a specific configuration of the vehicle.

  In FIG. 1, the transport system according to the first embodiment includes a track 100, a plurality of vehicles 200, a controller 300, and a plurality of stations 500.

  The track 100 is laid on the ceiling, for example, and is made of a metal such as aluminum or stainless steel. Here, for convenience of explanation, the configuration of the track 100 is illustrated as being very simple. However, the actual track 100 has a complicated configuration that branches into, for example, a plurality of branch paths at a branch point. Also good.

  The vehicle 200 is an example of the “transport vehicle” of the present invention, and transports an object to be transported such as a semiconductor substrate by traveling along the track 100. The vehicle 200 travels on the track 100 using, for example, a linear motor as power. Each vehicle 200 is assigned an identification number. For example, it is possible to identify which vehicle 200 is traveling on which position on the track 100 by a controller 300 described later. . Here, only two vehicles 200, the vehicle 200a and the vehicle 200b, are shown here, but typically more (for example, several tens or several hundreds) of vehicles 200 are provided on the track 100. .

  In FIG. 2, the vehicle 200 is attached so as to be suspended from the track 100. When the vehicle 200 transfers the FOUP 400 that is a transported object, the grip unit 240 is lowered from the vehicle body 220 to a position where the FOUP 400 disposed on the station 500 can be gripped. The grip portion 240 is connected to the vehicle body 220 via a plurality of belts 230, and can be raised and lowered by unwinding or winding the belt 230. When the FOUP 400 is gripped by the grip portion 240, the grip portion 240 and the gripped FOUP 400 are raised to the position of the vehicle body 220, and then the vehicle 200 starts to travel.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the controller 300 includes a memory, an arithmetic circuit, and the like, for example, and is a control unit that manages and controls the operation of the entire system. The controller 300 includes a conveyance notice unit 310, a conveyance end detection unit 320, a position detection unit 330, and a control unit 340.

  The conveyance notice unit 310 is an example of the “conveyance notice unit” of the present invention, and controls the vehicle 200 so as to call the vehicle to the station 500 serving as a conveyance source. The conveyance advance notice unit 310 controls the vehicle 200 traveling on the track 100 via, for example, radio, wiring provided on the track 100, or the like.

  The conveyance end detection unit 320 is an example of the “change detection unit” in the present invention, and monitors the conveyance status of the vehicle 200 and detects that the conveyance is completed. The end of conveyance is detected when, for example, the state where the FOUP 400 is loaded is changed to the state where the FOUP 400 is not loaded. In this case, the end of conveyance can be easily detected by using the result in the stack detection unit 350 described above.

  The position detection unit 330 is an example of the “position detection unit” in the present invention, and detects the position of the vehicle 200 and the station 500 serving as the conveyance source. By using the detected position, the position detection unit can also detect the distance between the vehicle 200 and the station 500 serving as the transfer source.

  The control unit 340 is an example of the “control unit” in the present invention, and controls the conveyance notice unit 310 according to the distance detected by the position detection unit 330. Details of the control will be described in the description of the operation of the transport system described later.

  A plurality of stations 500 are provided along the track 100, and each of the stations 500 can store the FOUP 400. As shown in FIG. 2, the station 500 may be a mere shelf for storing the FOUP 400, or may be a work station including devices for performing various operations on the FOUP. Good.

  Next, the operation of the transport system according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the overall operation flow of the transport system according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation during redistribution in the transport system according to the first embodiment. is there.

  In FIG. 3, at the time of operation of the transport system according to the present embodiment, first, the transport notice unit 310 (see FIG. 1) makes a transport notice to one vehicle 200 (step S11). The conveyance advance notice is typically performed for the vehicle 200 that is traveling around the station 500 that is the conveyance source. Note that the conveyance advance notice is not necessarily performed for all the conveyance operations. That is, there may be a case where the conveyance instruction is issued without carrying out the conveyance advance notice. Specifically, if the vehicle 200 is present at a position very close to the station 500 serving as the transfer source, efficient transfer work can be performed without performing a transfer advance notice. The vehicle 200 that has received the transfer notice is called into the station 500 that is the transfer source (step S12), and waits at the called station 500 until a transfer instruction is issued (step S13). That is, when the transport instruction is issued, the FOUP 400 can be quickly loaded.

  After the conveyance notice, a conveyance instruction is given to the vehicle 200 that has given the conveyance notice (step S14). Specifically, the transfer instruction unit 320 transmits to the vehicle 200 the station 500 that is the transfer source and the station 500 that is the transfer destination. The vehicle 200 waiting at the transfer source loads the FOUP 400 stored in the transfer source station 500 in accordance with the transfer instruction (step S15). The vehicle 200 loaded with the FOUP 400 travels to the station 500, which is the transfer destination (step S16), and unloads the FOUP 400.

  By performing a series of processes as described above for each vehicle 200, the FOUP 400 that is the object to be transported is transported between the stations. However, when the conveyance advance notice is performed, not only a call to the conveyance destination but also a conveyance instruction indicating the conveyance destination or the like may be performed.

  During the operation of the transport system according to the first embodiment, if a predetermined condition is satisfied when the end of transport by the vehicle 200 is detected, the vehicle 200 that is heading toward the station 500 serving as a transport source upon receiving a transport notice is received. The transportation advance notice is canceled and the transportation advance notice is performed again for the vehicle 200 for which transportation has ended (hereinafter, such an operation is referred to as “re-distribution” as appropriate).

  In FIG. 4, when the end of transport of the vehicle 200 is detected (step S21), it is determined whether or not the transported vehicle 200 can inherit the transport advance notice for each of the vehicles 200 that have been forwarded. Is done. In this case, first of all, the vehicle 200 whose vehicle number V is “1” among the vehicles 200 that have been subjected to the advance notice of conveyance to be determined (step S22). Here, the vehicle number V is a number assigned to each of the vehicles 200 that has been notified of conveyance. In the following description, it is assumed that the vehicle 200 that has been determined to be transported is the first vehicle, and the vehicle 200 in which the end of transport is detected is the second vehicle.

  When the first vehicle is determined, the position detector 330 detects the positions of the first vehicle, the second vehicle, and the station 500 that is the transfer source (step S23). From the detected position, the distance from the first vehicle to the transfer source station 500 and the distance from the second vehicle to the transfer source station 500 are calculated, and which is closer to the transfer source station 500. It is determined how (step S24).

  Here, when the first vehicle is closer to the station 500 that is the transport source (step S24: NO), the vehicle 200 that is the object of determination (ie, the second vehicle) is selected from among the vehicles 200 that have been predicted to be transported. It will be decided again. Specifically, it is detected whether or not there is a vehicle 200 that has not been determined yet in the vehicle 200 that has been notified of conveyance (step S25), and the vehicle 200 that has not been determined is determined. If it exists (step S25: YES), the target vehicle number is incremented (step S26), and the target vehicle 200 changes. When a new second vehicle is determined, position detection is performed again for each of them (step S23). On the other hand, when there is no conveyance advance noticed vehicle that is not a determination target (step S25: NO), a series of processes related to re-allocation ends.

  When the second vehicle is closer to the station 500 that is the transfer source (step S24: YES), the transfer notice unit 310 is controlled by the control unit 340, and the transfer notice that has been given to the first vehicle is canceled ( Step S27) For the second vehicle, the conveyance advance notice that has been performed on the first vehicle (that is, the canceled conveyance advance notice) is performed (step S28). As a result, the transportation advance notice made on the first vehicle is inherited to the second vehicle closer to the station 500 that is the transportation source. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time until the vehicle reaches the transfer station 500.

  When there is almost no difference between the distance from the first vehicle to the transport source and the distance from the second vehicle to the transport source, typically, the first vehicle described above is closer to the transport source (step S25 and step S26) are performed. However, it is a design matter of the system and can be set as appropriate to determine which process is performed and to what extent a difference is generated.

  Below, the operation | movement which concerns on the above-mentioned reallocation is demonstrated using the specific example shown in FIG.5 and FIG.6. FIGS. 5 and 6 are top views showing examples of the positional relationship of the vehicles in the transport system according to the first embodiment. In FIGS. 5 and 6, for convenience of explanation, only those necessary for explanation among the plurality of stations 500 shown in FIG. 1 are shown.

  In FIG. 5, for example, it is assumed that the first vehicle 200a is moving toward the transfer source station 500a upon receiving the transfer notice, and the second vehicle 200b is transferring the FOUP 400 toward the transfer destination station 500b. .

  In FIG. 6, it is assumed that the first vehicle 200a and the second vehicle 200b shown in FIG. 5 each travel and the conveyance of the second vehicle 200b is completed. Here, the distance from the second vehicle 200b to the station 500a is shorter than the distance from the first vehicle 200a to the station 500a. Therefore, the conveyance advance notice that has been performed on the first vehicle 200a is canceled and performed on the second vehicle 200b. As a result, the first vehicle 200a enters a circulating state that has not received a transportation advance notice, and the second vehicle 200b is called to the station 500a that is the transportation source.

  As described above, according to the transport system according to the first embodiment, the time required for the vehicle 200 that has received the transport notice to reach the station 500a as the transport source can be shortened. Therefore, more efficient conveyance is possible.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, a transport system according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in the configuration relating to relocation and the operation during relocation, and the other configurations and operations are generally the same. Therefore, in the second embodiment, portions different from the first embodiment will be described in detail, and descriptions of other overlapping portions will be omitted as appropriate.

  First, the configuration of the transport system according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a top view schematically showing the overall configuration of the transport system according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 7, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as the components according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

  7, the controller in the transport system according to the second embodiment includes a transport notice unit 310, a position detection unit 330, a control unit 340, a stack detection unit 350, a position change detection unit 360, and a determination unit 370. have.

  The loading detection unit 350 is an example of the “loading detection unit” in the present invention, and detects whether or not the vehicle 200 is loaded with the FOUP 400. The loading detection unit 350 may detect whether or not the FOUP 400 is loaded depending on whether or not the vehicle 200 has performed a loading operation, or may be a sensor that physically detects the FOUP 400. It may be.

  The position change detection unit 360 is an example of the “change detection unit” in the present invention, and detects that the vehicle 200 has passed through a branching point or a joining point on the track 100 as a change in traveling state. In addition to the position change detection 360, the conveyance end detection unit 320 (see FIG. 1) shown in the first embodiment may be provided. That is, in addition to the fact that the vehicle 200 has passed the branching point or the joining point, it may be detected as a change in the traveling state that the conveyance has been completed.

  The determination unit 370 determines whether or not the vehicle 200 is in a state where it can receive a conveyance advance notice based on information obtained from the stack detection unit 350 and the position detection unit 340. The determination unit 370 determines, for example, based on information such as whether the vehicle 200 has received a transportation advance notice, whether or not the FOUP 400 is loaded, and whether the vehicle 200 is too close to the transportation source station.

  Next, the operation of the transport system according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation at the time of redistribution in the transport system according to the second embodiment.

  In FIG. 8, at the time of the operation of the transport system according to the second embodiment, it is detected as a change in the running state that the vehicle 200 has passed the branching or joining point on the track 100 (step S31), and the vehicle is in advance for transportation. For each of 200, it is determined whether or not the vehicle 200 that has been transported can inherit the transport advance notice. However, whether or not the vehicle 200 is loaded with the FOUP 400 is detected by the loading detection unit 350. Here, it is detected that only the vehicle 200 not loaded with the FOUP 400 has passed the branching or joining point. Is done.

  When a change in the running state is detected, the positions of the first vehicle and the second vehicle and the station 500 that is the transfer source are detected as in the first embodiment, and the vehicle 200 that inherits the transfer notice is determined. (Step S32 to step S36). In the second embodiment, in particular, when the second vehicle is closer to the transfer source station 500 than the first vehicle (step S35: YES), is the determination unit 370 ready to transfer the second vehicle? It is determined whether or not (step S37).

  Here, when it is determined that the second vehicle cannot be transported (step S37: NO), the process returns to step S35 and step S36, and a new second vehicle is determined. On the other hand, when it is determined that the second vehicle can be transported (step S37: YES), the transport advance notice performed on the first vehicle is canceled (step S38), and the first vehicle is compared with the second vehicle. The conveyance advance notice (that is, the canceled advance notice) that has been performed in step S39 is performed (step S39).

  Below, the operation | movement which concerns on the re-allocation mentioned above is demonstrated using the specific example shown in FIG.9 and FIG.10. FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 are top views showing examples of the positional relationship of the vehicles in the transport system according to the second embodiment. In FIGS. 9 and 10, for convenience of explanation, only those necessary for explanation among the plurality of stations 500 shown in FIG. 7 are shown.

  In FIG. 9, it is assumed that the first vehicle 200a is traveling toward the station 500a that is the transport source, and the second vehicle 200b is traveling around the position shown in the figure. At this point in time, it is not determined whether the second vehicle 200b goes straight on or travels on the branched route 100a.

  In FIG. 10, when the second vehicle 200b passes through the branched path 100a, the second vehicle 200b passes through the branching point and the joining point, so that the first vehicle 200a and the second vehicle 200b and the station 500a that is the transfer source are connected. Each position is detected (however, even if the second vehicle 200b goes straight ahead, the position is detected because it has passed through a branch point). At this time, as shown in the figure, since the second vehicle 200b is to run in front of the first vehicle 200a, the distance from the second vehicle 200b to the station 500a is from the first vehicle 200a to the station 500a. Shorter than the distance. Therefore, the conveyance advance notice that has been performed on the first vehicle 200a is canceled and performed on the second vehicle 200b. As a result, the first vehicle 200a enters a circulating state that has not received a transportation advance notice, and the second vehicle 200b is called to the station 500a that is the transportation source.

  As described above, according to the transport system according to the second embodiment, the vehicle is relocated according to the change in the travel position of the vehicle 200. Therefore, it is possible to effectively shorten the arrival time of the vehicle to the transportation source. However, the change in the travel position may be detected by a method other than the passage of the branch point and the merge point described above. Below, the modification in the detection of the change of a driving | running | working state is demonstrated with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a top view showing a configuration of a track having a plurality of areas.

  In FIG. 11, when the track 100 has a plurality of areas (first area to sixth area) as shown in the figure, the traveling of the vehicle 200 is managed for each area, for example. That is, the controller 300 controls the travel of each vehicle 200 separately for each area. At this time, the number of vehicles 200 in each area is balanced to some extent so that there is no great difference between them. Specifically, the number of vehicles 200 is balanced by moving the vehicles 200 from an area where the number of the vehicles 200 is excessively large to an area where the number of the vehicles 200 is small.

  When the vehicle 200 moves between areas, in the area where the vehicle 200 has moved, a new vehicle 200 that has not been managed until then appears suddenly. For this reason, the vehicle 200 may exist at a position closer to the transportation source than the vehicle 200 heading toward the transportation source according to the transportation advance notice. Therefore, if the movement of the vehicle 200 between the areas is detected, a change in the running state can be suitably detected.

  As described above, according to the transport system according to the second embodiment, as with the transport system according to the first embodiment described above, the time for the vehicle 200 that has received the transport notice to reach the station 500a that is the transport source. Can be shortened. Therefore, efficient conveyance is possible.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, a transport system according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that the third embodiment is different from the first and second embodiments described above in the configuration relating to relocation and the operation during relocation, and the other configurations and operations are generally the same. Therefore, in the third embodiment, portions different from those in the first and second embodiments will be described in detail, and description of other overlapping portions will be omitted as appropriate.

  First, the configuration of the transport system according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is a top view schematically showing the overall configuration of the transport system according to the third embodiment. In FIG. 12, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components as those according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and FIG.

  In FIG. 12, the controller 300 in the transport system according to the third embodiment includes a transport notice unit 310, a position detection unit 330, a control unit 340, a stack detection unit 350, a position change detection unit 360, and a determination unit 370. And a notice detection unit 380.

  The notice detection unit 380 is an example of the “notice detection unit” of the present invention, and detects whether or not the vehicle 200 is in a state of receiving a conveyance notice. For example, the notice detection unit 380 can detect whether or not the vehicle 200 is in a state of receiving a conveyance notice by managing each of the vehicles 200 for which the conveyance notice part 310 has given the conveyance notice. .

  Next, the operation of the transport system according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the operation at the time of redistribution in the transport system according to the third embodiment.

  In FIG. 13, during the operation of the transport system according to the third embodiment, a change in the traveling state is detected (step S41) as in the second embodiment described above, and the second vehicle to be determined is determined ( Step S42).

  Here, in the third embodiment, in particular, the advance notice (hereinafter, referred to as “first advance notice” as appropriate) other than the advance notice (hereinafter, referred to as “first advance notice”) made by the advance notice detection unit 380 to the first vehicle. It is determined whether or not a “second conveyance notice” is received (step S43). If it is determined that the second vehicle has received the second conveyance advance notice (step 43: YES), the process proceeds to step S44 and subsequent steps. On the other hand, when it is determined that the second vehicle has not received the second conveyance advance notice (step S43: NO), the process proceeds to step S33 (see FIG. 8). That is, in this case, the same processing as that of the transport system according to the second embodiment is performed.

  When it is determined that the second vehicle has received the second conveyance notice, the position detection unit 330 determines that the first vehicle, the second vehicle, and the conveyance source related to the first conveyance notice (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as “first conveyance source”). ) And the position of the transport source (hereinafter referred to as “second transport source” as appropriate) related to the second transport notice (step S44). Then, using the detected positional relationship, it is determined whether or not both the second vehicle and the second transport source exist between the first vehicle and the first transport source (step S45).

  If both the second vehicle and the second transport source exist between the first vehicle and the first transport source (step S45: YES), the process proceeds to step S48 and subsequent steps. On the other hand, when neither the second vehicle nor the second transport source exists between the first vehicle and the first transport source, or only one of them exists (step S45: NO), Proceeding to step S46 and step S47, a new second vehicle is determined.

  If it is determined that both the second vehicle and the second transport source exist between the first vehicle and the first transport source, the determination unit 370 determines whether or not the second vehicle can be transported. Is determined (step S48). Here, if it is determined that the second vehicle cannot be transported (step S48: NO), the process returns to steps S46 and S47, and a new second vehicle is determined. On the other hand, when it is determined that the second vehicle can be transported (step S48: YES), the first transport advance notice performed on the first vehicle and the second transport advance notice performed on the second vehicle are canceled. (Step S49 and Step S50), the first conveyance advance notice is performed for the second vehicle (Step S51), and the second conveyance advance notice is performed for the first vehicle (Step S52). That is, the conveyance notice is changed between the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

  Below, the operation | movement which concerns on the re-allocation mentioned above is demonstrated using the specific example shown in FIG.14 and FIG.15. FIGS. 14 and 15 are top views showing examples of the positional relationship of the vehicles in the transport system according to the third embodiment. 14 and 15, for convenience of explanation, only those necessary for explanation among the plurality of stations 500 shown in FIG. 3 are illustrated.

  In FIG. 14, the first vehicle 200a is traveling toward the first transport source station 500a in response to the first transport notice, and the second vehicle 200b is in response to the second transport notice. It is assumed that the vehicle is traveling toward the station 500b that is the conveyance source. At this stage, the second vehicle 200b does not exist between the first vehicle 200a and the station 500a that is the first transfer source.

  In FIG. 15, if the second vehicle 200b travels on the branched path 100a and travels in front of the first vehicle, the first vehicle 200a and the station 500a that is the first transfer source are Both the second vehicle 200b and the second transfer source station 500b exist. Therefore, in this case, the first conveyance advance notice and the second conveyance advance notice performed on the first vehicle 200a and the second vehicle 200b are canceled respectively, and the first conveyance advance notice is performed on the second vehicle 200b. A second conveyance advance notice is given to one vehicle 200a. As a result, the second vehicle 200b travels toward the station 500a. Further, the first vehicle 200a travels toward the station 500b.

  As described above, the first conveyance notice performed for the first vehicle 200a and the second conveyance notice performed for the second vehicle 200b are replaced with each other, whereby the first vehicle 200a and Each second vehicle 200b can be efficiently transported. Specifically, control is performed so that the second vehicle 200b that is closer to the station 500a that is the first conveyance source toward which the first vehicle 200a is directed is directed toward the first vehicle 200a. Further, control is performed so as to go to the station 500b, which is the second transfer source, which is closer to the station 500a, which is the first transfer source.

  As described above, according to the transport system according to the third embodiment, the first vehicle 500a and the second vehicle 500b are suitably controlled even when the second vehicle 500b has already received a transport advance notice. In addition, it is possible to efficiently carry.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist or concept of the invention that can be read from the claims and the entire specification. Moreover, it is included in the technical scope of the present invention.

It is a top view which shows roughly the whole structure of the conveyance system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the specific structure of a vehicle. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the whole operation | movement of the conveyance system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart shown about the operation | movement at the time of the re-allocation in the conveyance system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a top view (the 1) which shows an example of the positional relationship of the vehicle in the conveyance system concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a top view (the 2) which shows an example of the positional relationship of the vehicle in the conveyance system concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a top view which shows roughly the whole structure of the conveyance system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart shown about the operation | movement at the time of the re-allocation in the conveyance system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a top view (the 1) which shows an example of the positional relationship of the vehicle in the conveyance system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a top view (the 2) which shows an example of the positional relationship of the vehicle in the conveyance system concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a top view which shows the structure of the track | orbit which has several areas. It is a top view which shows roughly the whole structure of the conveyance system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart shown about the operation | movement at the time of the re-allocation in the conveyance system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a top view which shows an example of the positional relationship of the vehicle in the conveyance system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment (the 1). It is a top view which shows an example of the positional relationship of the vehicle in the conveyance system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment (the 2).

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Track, 200 ... Vehicle, 220 ... Vehicle main body, 230 ... Belt, 240 ... Grip part, 300 ... Controller, 310 ... Conveyance advance notice part, 320 ... Conveyance end detection part 320 ... Position detection part 330 ... Control part 340 ... Loading Detection unit, 360 ... Position change detection unit, 370 ... Determination unit, 380 ... Notice detection unit, 400 ... FOUP, 500 ... Station

Claims (8)

Orbit,
A plurality of transport vehicles each traveling on the track;
A conveyance advance notice means for carrying out a conveyance advance notice for calling one conveyance vehicle of the plurality of conveyance vehicles to a conveyance source of the object to be conveyed;
A change detecting means for detecting a change in a running state in another transport vehicle other than the one transport vehicle;
Position detection means for respectively detecting the position of the first transport vehicle and the transport source that are the one transport vehicle, and the position of the second transport vehicle from which the change in the traveling state is detected;
When the second transport vehicle is closer to the transport source than the first transport vehicle, the transport advance notice for the first transport vehicle is canceled and the second transport vehicle is newly set as the first transport vehicle. And a control unit that controls the conveyance notice unit so as to perform the conveyance notice to the second conveyance vehicle.   The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the change detection unit detects the end of transport of the object to be transported by the other transport vehicle as a change in the traveling state.   3. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the change detection unit detects passage of a branching point or a joining point in the track of the other transport vehicle as a change in the traveling state. The trajectory is configured to have a plurality of areas,
4. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the change detection unit detects a movement of the other transport vehicle between the plurality of areas as a change in the traveling state. 5. A load detecting means for detecting that the other transport vehicle is loading the object to be transported;
5. The change detection unit according to claim 1, wherein the change detection unit detects a change in the traveling state of a transport vehicle that is not loaded with the object to be transported among the other transport vehicles. The transport system described. A determination means for determining whether or not the second conveyance vehicle can receive the conveyance advance notice;
6. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit does not control the conveyance notice unit when the second conveyance vehicle cannot receive the conveyance notice. 6. Conveying system.   The determination means determines that the second transport vehicle cannot receive the transport advance notice when a distance from the second transport vehicle to the transport source is shorter than a predetermined distance. The transport system described in 1. Further comprising notice detection means for detecting whether or not the second transport vehicle receives a transport notice other than the transport notice received by the first transport vehicle;
When the second transport vehicle has received the other transport notice, the position detection means is configured to add the other transport in addition to the positions of the first transport vehicle, the transport source, and the second transport vehicle. Detect the location of other transport sources related to the notice,
The control means is configured such that when the second transport vehicle and the other transport source are both present between the first transport vehicle and the transport source, the transport advance notice and the second transport are performed on the first transport vehicle. Canceling the other transportation advance notice for the vehicle, and controlling the transportation advance notice means so as to make the second transportation vehicle make the transportation advance notice, and to make the other transportation advance notice to the first transportation vehicle. The conveyance system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein

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