JPH10143242A - Traveling device for unmanned vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to receive instruction on traveling route without performing optical communications or radio communications with the ground side, by providing a covered object or an object for placing it with a storage part for storing the traveling route of an unmanned vehicle, and providing the unmanned vehicle with a reader part for reading memory in the storage part. SOLUTION: An unmanned vehicle 1 travelling along a guide line has wheels 1a driven by a motor and a mover 1b for unloading the luggage. A placing object 4 such as a pallet for placing a conveyed object 3 is equipped with an ID tag (or corresponder) 5 and the ID tag 5 stores the traveling route and unloading place of the unmanned vehicle 1. A reader antenna 2 provided on the unmanned vehicle 1 electromagnetically reads the traveling route and unloading place stored on the ID tag 5 and is connected with the control part of the unmanned vehicle 1. Then, the unmanned vehicle 1 is traveled according to the read traveling route.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a traveling device for an unmanned vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an unmanned transport system, a route instruction to an unmanned vehicle has conventionally been performed as follows. That is, first, optical communication is used, and a route instruction is given by optical communication from an optical communication device installed on the ground to an optical communication device mounted on an unmanned vehicle. In addition, a route is instructed from a wireless device installed on the ground to a wireless device mounted on an unmanned vehicle by wireless communication. Further, it is performed manually, that is, by instructing a route number by an operator.

[0003]

However, in the above-described conventional route instruction to an unmanned vehicle, in the case of optical communication, a control panel (equipped with a sequencer, a computer, etc.) for controlling an optical communication device on the ground is required. The installation space has increased. Further, wiring between the control panel and the optical communication device in the unmanned vehicle is required, and the configuration is complicated. Further, in a bad environment with a lot of dust and the like, the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the optical communication device may become dirty and communication may not be performed.

[0004] On the other hand, in the case of wireless communication, a ground-side control panel is also required, so that the installation space on the ground side is increased, and wiring between the unmanned vehicle control panel and the radio is required, which complicates the configuration. Preliminary investigation is required to prevent interference by the same frequency. Furthermore, in the case of a manual instruction by an operator, there is a possibility that an erroneous instruction to an unmanned vehicle may occur due to an input error.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and can perform autonomous driving without receiving a route instruction from the ground. It is an object of the present invention to obtain a traveling device of an unmanned vehicle that does not need to consider the following.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An unmanned vehicle traveling apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a storage section for storing a traveling route on a conveyed article to be unloaded on an unmanned vehicle or on a section on which the conveyed article is placed. The vehicle is provided with a reading unit for reading the storage of the storage unit, and the unmanned vehicle is caused to travel in accordance with the read traveling route.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of a traveling apparatus for an unmanned vehicle according to this embodiment, and 1 is an unmanned vehicle traveling along a guide line, and a wheel 1a driven by a motor.
And a transfer machine 1b for loading and unloading luggage. Reference numeral 3 denotes a load, and 4 denotes a load such as a pallet or a container on which the load 3 is placed. The load 4 is provided with an ID tag (or responder) 5, and the ID tag 5 is used for traveling of the unmanned vehicle 1. The route and the unloading location are stored. Reference numeral 2 denotes a reading antenna provided on the unmanned vehicle 1, which electromagnetically reads a traveling route and a loading / unloading location stored in the ID tag 5, and is connected to a control unit (not shown) of the unmanned vehicle 1. If the ID tag 5 has a large memory capacity,
In addition to the route number, the unloading location can also be stored.

FIG. 2 shows a traveling route NO. 1 to N
O. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the unloading locations HS and ST1 to ST4. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control unit.
The operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to these drawings. First,
At first, the unmanned vehicle 1 is stopped at the unloading place HS, and in step S1, the transported goods 3 are transferred to the conveyor 6 of the unloading place HS.
It is determined whether or not there is any, and if there is a conveyed article 3, step S2
Then, the transported object 3 and the object 4 are loaded on the unmanned vehicle 1 by the transfer machine 1b. The ID tag 5 provided on the mounted object 4 has a travel route such as NO. 1 and an unloading location, for example, ST1, are stored. 1 and the loading / unloading place ST1 are read out. 1 and travels to the unloading location ST1. In step S5, the transported object 3 and the mounted object 4 are unloaded to the conveyor 6.

At step S6, NO. It is determined whether or not there is another unloading place in route 1;
7 returns to the unloading location HS, but actually, the unloading location S
Since there is T2, the vehicle travels to the unloading location ST2 in step S8. In step S9, it is determined whether or not there is a transported object 3, and if not, the vehicle travels to the unloading location HS in step S14. If there is a transported article 3, the transported article 3 is loaded in step S10, the route number and the unloading location are read in step S11, and in step S12, for example, the travel route No.
The vehicle travels through 2 to the unloading location ST3. Step S
At 13, the transported articles 3 and the like are unloaded, and at step S 14, the process returns to the unloading location HS. Of course, depending on the stored data, the traveling route NO. 3 and can be unloaded at the unloading location ST4. Further, after the conveyed articles 3 and the like are unloaded in step S5, the process may return to the unloading location HS.

In the above-described embodiment, the vehicle can travel autonomously without receiving a route instruction from the ground side, and a control panel and a communication device on the ground side are not required, so that the configuration is simple and the cost can be reduced. In addition, since optical communication and wireless communication are not used, there is no influence of a bad environment and no fear of interference. Further, communication with the ground side becomes unnecessary, and the cycle time of the unmanned vehicle can be reduced. In addition,
The ID tag 5 may be provided on the article 3.

[0011]

As described above, according to the present invention, a storage unit for storing a traveling route of an unmanned vehicle is provided on a conveyed object or a mounted object thereof, and a reading unit for reading out the storage of the storage unit is provided on the unmanned vehicle. Therefore, the unmanned vehicle can autonomously travel without receiving a route instruction from the ground side, and a control panel and a communication device on the ground side are not required, so that the configuration is simple and the cost can be reduced. Further, since neither optical communication nor wireless communication is used, there is no need to worry about a bad environment or interference.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a traveling apparatus for an unmanned vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a traveling route and an unloading place of an unmanned vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control unit of the unmanned vehicle according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Unmanned vehicle 1a ... Wheel 1b ... Transfer machine 2 ... Reading antenna 3 ... Conveyed object 4 ... Placed object 5 ... ID tag NO. 1 to NO. 4: Running route HS, ST1 to ST4: Unloading place

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an unmanned vehicle capable of automatically traveling, a storage unit for storing a traveling route is provided on a conveyed product to be unloaded on the unmanned vehicle or on a unit on which the conveyed product is placed, and the storage unit is stored in the unmanned vehicle. A driving unit for an unmanned vehicle, characterized in that a reading unit for reading the vehicle is provided, and the unmanned vehicle travels according to the read traveling route.