JPH0498405A - Operation controller for unmanned-forklift - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the operation efficiency of a forklift in a yard by providing a means inputting information on the stock of a pallet, a means deciding the position of the pallet, a means generating control information and a communication means. CONSTITUTION:Information on the stock of the pallet is inputted from the input means 1 for information on stock and the pallet position deciding mean 2 specifies the position of the pallet which is to be warehoused or delivered to 1 from a stock state in a warehouse. The forklift operation control information generation means 3 generates control information for operation-control as against the position of the specified pallet from the present position of the unmanned-forklift. The communication means 4 transmits generated operation control information to the unmanned forklift. Thus, an efficient operation instruction is given to plural unmanned forklifts and labor can be saved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a device for controlling the operation of unmanned forklifts in warehouses, direct-to-pallet inventory systems, and the like.

[Prior art]

In logistics systems such as inventory systems that are placed directly on warehouse pallets, a wireless transmitter is installed on a moving object such as a manned forklift, and information is transferred between the wireless transmitter and the host computer to facilitate warehousing and unloading operations. There is something that manages work. In other words, when receiving warehouse information or warehouse output information from a host computer, it grasps the storage location of the product or whether it can be stored or unloaded, and uses a manned forklift to store or unload the necessary products, and also records inventory data. Inventory management is also performed by wirelessly inputting data to a host computer.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In conventional systems, the operation of a manned forklift is not managed in any way, and is carried out according to the will of the driver. Therefore, when a plurality of manned forklifts move in a yard, it is inevitable that the forklifts may concentrate in a specific location, which may deteriorate the operating efficiency of the forklifts.

Against this background, the present invention aims to improve the operating efficiency of forklifts within a yard.

[Means to solve the problem]

The operation control device for an unmanned forklift according to the present invention includes a first
As shown in the figure, there is a means 1 for inputting pallet storage and retrieval information, and a means 2 for specifying the position of the pallet to be stored and unloaded based on the inventory status in the warehouse based on the input storage and retrieval information.
, means 3 for creating control information for controlling the operation of the pallet from the current position of the unmanned forklift, and communication means 4 for transmitting the operation control information to the unmanned forklift.

[Effect]

Input/output information of pallets is inputted from the in/out information input means 1, and the pallet position determining means 2 specifies the position of the pallet to be in/out from the warehouse based on the inventory status in the warehouse. The forklift operation control information creation means 3 creates control information for controlling the operation of the specified pallet position from the current unmanned forklift position. The communication means 4 is
The created operation control information is sent to the unmanned forklift.

〔Example〕

FIG. 2.3 shows an overview of the stockyard. The stockyard is divided into a plurality of areas 10, and pallets 12 are stacked in an orderly manner in each area. Each pallet 12 stores a predetermined product. Each Elijah 10
A conveyance path 18 is formed between the production process 14 and the shipping area 16, and the unmanned forklift 20 moves between each area 10 along the conveyance path 18, and receives pallets from the production process 14 and from the shipping area 16. Issue the goods. A multi-function control device 22 for an unmanned forklift is connected to an unmanned forklift controller 24 and controls the storage and unloading of pallets 12 by the unmanned forklift 20. Third
In the figure, the control device 22 includes a computer 30, a display device 32 such as a CRT, and a touch panel 34.

The control device 22 is connected to an external data input device 36 such as a barcode reader, external storage devices such as a hard disk device (or SRAM disk device) 38 and a floppy disk device 40, and a printer 42, and is also connected to a host computer 44. be done. The operation of the unmanned forklift controller 24 is controlled by the multifunction control device 22, and upon receiving the control signal, the optical communication device 50 transmits an operation instruction to the unmanned forklift 20.

A front view of the multi-function control device 22 is shown in FIG. 4, and the CRT screen that constitutes the display device 32 constitutes a touch panel 34, and by touching the information on this screen, you can read the information according to the program. The desired function is achieved.

The control device 22 includes a switch panel 62 equipped with switches such as a power switch 54, a continuous/single operation changeover switch 56, an abnormality reset switch 58, and an emergency stop switch 60, each operation indicator lamp 64, and an operation panel display switch. 66, a menu display switch 68, an operation monitor switch 69, a printer operation execution switch 70, an operation panel 72 with other switches, and an execution switch 74 for executing a program.

Next, the operation of the multifunction control device 22 is shown in a flowchart (fifth
10) and screen displays. The multifunction control device 22 basically performs the following functions under multitasking.

Function 1: Operation control of multiple unmanned forklifts.

Function 2: Inventory management in the stockyard where unmanned forklifts carry products in and out.

Function 3: System operation monitoring Function 4: General-purpose operation panel The multi-function control device 22 has software that achieves the above functions 1.2.3.4, and the operations achieved by this software will be described below.

Each function switch (66, 68, 69, . . .) provided on the operation panel 72 of the multi-function control device 22 serves as a trigger switch to start a basic function, and the control device 22 uses these switches. A predetermined operation is achieved by determining which switch is pressed. FIG. 5 explains how function selection is performed in connection with this embodiment. During the execution of the function selection routine, it is determined whether the menu display switch 68 is pressed, whether the operation panel display switch 66 is pressed, and whether the operation monitor switch 69 is pressed; The state of the other unexplained function switch is determined (steps 100, 102, 103), and when it is determined that the menu display switch 68 is pressed, the process proceeds to step 10.
4, menu display processing 104 is executed. In this menu display process, the information displayed on the screen (
By touching a character or icon (picture) and pressing the execution key, a function corresponding to that information is achieved as described later. When the operation panel display switch 66 is ON, the process advances to step 106, and operation panel display processing is executed. The operation panel display function is an operation panel drawn by icons on the CRT screen in addition to the switches indicated by 54 to 6o formed on the front of the control device as hardware. It is configured as appropriate depending on the situation. That is,
Each switch (e.g. power switch, reset switch,
(emergency stop switch, execution switch, etc.) and displays (e.g. normality indicator lamp, communication error lamp, etc.) are stored as parts, and the user can customize the operation panel to match the system by selecting these parts as appropriate. It is now possible to do so. Figure 11 shows an example of an operation panel displayed on the screen, which includes buttons for starting and stopping system operation, as well as operation status (automated transport system (AG)).
V) operation status) display panel and unmanned conveyance device AGV
The operation instruction panel is visible. Since such a customizable operation panel is similar to that disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-240905 filed by the same applicant as this application, detailed explanation will be omitted. In FIG. 5, when the operation monitor switch 103 is operated, the process proceeds to step 107, where an operation monitor display process is performed. The operation monitor display will be explained later.

The menu display (main menu) on the screen obtained by the menu display process 104 executed when the menu display switch 68 is turned on is shown in FIG. This main menu is divided into 1 to 12 display sections, and each display section displays the content of the process that will be executed by touching it. Production plan information can be input by touching (2) production plan information input. In addition, as another input method, production plan information can be input to the host computer 44 or the floppy disk device 4.
You can also do it from ゜. The input production plan information can be displayed by touching the second part of the screen. Hereinafter, 3 indicates warehousing instructions, 4 indicates stock display, 5 indicates shelf monitor, 6 indicates outbound instructions, 7 indicates warehousing reservation monitor, 8 indicates outbound reservation monitor, 9 indicates operation results, 10.11 indicates reserve, and 12 indicates maintenance. Show each.

FIG. 6 conceptually shows how the menu selection is executed for the warehousing instruction 3 and the warehousing instruction 6. When it is determined that the warehousing instruction 3 has been touched on the screen (step 1
If it is determined that the exit instruction 6 has been touched on the screen (Yes at step 114), the exit instruction routine 116 is executed.

When entering the warehousing instruction routine, input instruction data screens as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 appear. The screens in Figures 13 and 14 are selective, and in Figure 13 at the bottom right of the screen, screen selection,
In Figure 4, the product numbers can be displayed alternately by touching them. The screen shown in FIG. 14 shows information input based on production planning information, and constitutes a list of items required to be stocked. Each number consists of information such as product number, loft, hand number, priority (information on priority order of shipping for the same product number), destination, quantity, area, and reserve (preliminary information).

In FIG. 13, information such as product number can be input by touching the keyboard and ten keys. 13th
By touching the confirmation part in the lower right corner of the screen shown in FIGS. 14 and 14 and pressing the execution switch 74, an instruction to store or store the product displayed by the cursor is given. The flowchart in FIG. 7 conceptually shows how the warehousing or cargo storage instructions are performed. By touching the confirmation display and pressing the execution key, it is assumed that a warehousing or cargo storage instruction has been given in step 130. When information is input from the screen shown in FIG. 13, it is determined in step 131 whether the information is included in the production planning information. In step 132, it is determined whether the product of the information can be stored or stored (that is, whether there is a place in the stockyard where the product can be stored).
is determined from an inventory file stored on the hard disk or SRAM disk 38. If stocking is not possible, the process advances to step 134 and error processing is performed. If it is determined that storage is possible, the process proceeds from step 132 to step 133, and the information is stored in a buffer. No. 8-15! J schematically shows the flow of processing for outputting information stored in the buffer to the forklift 20. When the information is stored in the buffer, in step 141, the position of the pallet that stores the item is determined based on the inventory status in the stockyard (
i.e. lanes, rows, columns) is determined, then step 14
In step 2, operation control information is created so that the unmanned forklift moves to the determined position.

Then, in step 143, the determination as to whether or not the warehousing instruction is possible is made based on the current position of the unmanned forklift in operation and the instruction status from the multifunction control device.

For example, if unmanned forklifts 20 are concentrated in the production process 14, transport instructions may be temporarily suspended, continuous transport instructions to the same lane in the stockyard or near that lane may not be issued, or the shipping area 16 may This allows the entire system to operate efficiently by not issuing transport instructions when the tank is full. If the warehousing instruction is not possible, the instruction will be postponed until the warehousing instruction becomes possible. If the warehousing instruction is possible, step 143
The process then proceeds to step 144, where operation control information is output to the controller 24, transmitted from the optical communication device 50 to the unmanned forklift 20, the operation of the unmanned forklift 20 is started, the product is received from the production process 14, and the product is delivered to a predetermined location in the stockyard. is stored in

In step 150 of FIG. 8-2, the unmanned forklift 2
It is determined whether or not the warehousing is completed based on 0, and when the warehousing is completed, the process proceeds to step 151, the inventory file and the performance file are updated, and the information on the warehousing products is registered in the inventory file.

When it is determined that the exit instruction 6 has been touched on the menu screen in FIG. 12 (Yes in step 114 in FIG. 6), the exit instruction routine 116 is executed. When the exit instruction routine is entered, exit instruction data screens as shown in Figures 15 and 16 appear. The screens shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 are selective, and can be displayed by touching the screen selection in FIG. 15 and the product number manual in FIG. 16 at the bottom right of the screen. The screen in Figure 16 shows inventory file information, with number N
It is composed of data on product number and inventory quantity for each O. 1st
When the screen is switched to Figure 5, keyboard and numeric keypad icons appear. By touching the confirmation part in the lower right corner of the screen shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 and pressing the execution switch 74, an instruction for shipping the product displayed by the cursor is issued. The flowchart in FIG. 9 conceptually shows how shipping is performed. By touching the confirmation display and pressing the execution key, it is assumed that the exit instruction has been issued in step 160. In step 162, it is determined whether or not the product of the information can be shipped (that is, whether the product of the information exists in the stockyard) on the hard disk or SRA.
This is determined from the inventory file stored in the M disk 38. If it is not possible to leave the warehouse, the process advances to step 164 and error processing is performed. If it is determined that it is possible to leave the warehouse, the process proceeds from step 162 to step 163, and the information is stored in a buffer. FIG. 10-1 schematically shows the flow of processing for outputting information stored in the buffer to the forklift 20. Once the information is stored in the buffer, in step 171 the position (lane, stage, row) of the object to be transported is determined, and in step 172 operation control information for moving the unmanned forklift from that position to the exit is created. .

Then, the determination in step 173 as to whether or not it is possible to instruct the unmanned forklift to leave the warehouse is made in the same manner as in the case of entering the warehouse based on the current position of the unmanned forklift in operation and the instruction status from the multi-function control device. If it is not possible to instruct the vehicle to leave the warehouse, the instruction will be postponed until it becomes possible to instruct the vehicle to leave the warehouse. If it is possible to instruct the unmanned forklift 20 to leave the warehouse, the process proceeds from step 173 to step 174, where operation control information is output to the controller 24 and transmitted to the unmanned forklift 20 by the optical communication device 50, and the operation of the unmanned forklift 20 is started. The information is transported from the product storage location to the shipping site.

In step 180 of FIG. 10-2, it is determined whether or not the delivery by the unmanned forklift 20 has been completed. When the delivery is completed, the process proceeds to step 181, where the inventory file and the actual record file are updated, and the information on the delivered items is updated from the inventory file. It will be deleted and registered in the achievements file.

FIGS. 17, 18, and 19 show inventory display screens that appear when the inventory display 4 is touched on the main menu screen of FIG. 9. The screen in FIG. 17 shows which products are located in which lanes in the stockyard. Each square section on the screen indicates a section where one pallet is placed, the address of the * position is displayed at the top left, and information about the items stored there is displayed at the bottom of the screen.

Since there is no product in the 1st stage, L3 row, and 6th lane, which is the current position of *, the product number, loft, etc. are displayed blank. FIG. 18 shows another display screen of inventory information, and shows how many items there are for each product number. 19th
The screen shown in the figure shows when and where (lane, stage, row) the specified item was stocked.

The warehousing reservation monitor 7 and the warehousing reservation monitor 8 are provided to monitor the status of the warehousing reservation buffer or the warehousing reservation buffer. That is, when there is a warehousing instruction 3 or a warehousing instruction 6 and the forklift cannot be used, the warehousing process is executed;
As already explained regarding the retrieval process, the items are temporarily stored in the buffer (step 133 in FIG. 7, step 163 in FIG. 9), but the retrieval reservation monitor 7 and the retrieval reservation monitor 8
The current buffer status, that is, the reservation status for warehousing and warehousing can be monitored using Furthermore, it is possible to change the reservation by rewriting this information.

By touching the operation performance display 9, it is possible to display the performance of the amount of goods received and the amount of goods delivered.

The operation monitor switch 69 on the operation panel 72 of the multi-function instruction device visually displays the operation status of each unmanned forklift in the stockyard. That is, when the switch 69 is operated, a screen as shown in FIG. 20 appears. On the screen, the stockyard, each manufacturing process, whether or not there is a transport request in the manufacturing process, the location of the shipping area, the transport path of the unmanned forklift, and the current position of the transport platform of the unmanned forklift appear. Moreover, it is now possible to grasp the operating status of unmanned forklifts in real time. The screen shown in this figure shows a state in which an unmanned forklift has moved to that position for storage due to a transport request in process B.

〔effect〕

Efficient operation instructions can be given to multiple unmanned forklifts, and labor savings can be realized.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the present invention. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the general appearance of the stockyard. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the system configuration of the operation instruction device of this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a front view of the multi-function control device and an enlarged view of the switch portion and the operation panel portion. Figure 5, Figure 6, Figure 7, Figure 8-1, Figure 8-2, Figure 9, Figure 10-1, and Figure 10-2 are the main operational concepts in the multi-function control device. flowchart. FIGS. 11 to 20 are diagrams showing control screens of the multifunction control device. 12... Shelf, 14... Production process, 16... Shipping area, 20... Unmanned forklift, 22... Multi-function control device, 24... Controller,
30... Computer, 32... Display device, 34.
... touch panel, 36 ... external data input device, 38 ... hard disk device, 40 ... floppy disk device, 42 ... printer, 44 ... host computer, 50 ... optical communication device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A means for inputting pallet loading and unloading information, a means for determining the position of the pallet to be loaded and unloaded based on the inventory status in the warehouse based on the input loading and unloading information, and a means for determining the current unmanned forklift for the pallet position. An operation control device for an unmanned forklift, comprising means for creating control information for controlling operation from a position, and communication means for transmitting the operation control information to the unmanned forklift.