JPH11249741A - Integrated control system for automated guided vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an integrated control system of an automated guided vehicle which can reduce the labor of a manager by displaying the charging state of an accumulator, etc., to supply the information necessary for the manager and also performing the integrated operation control, etc., of plural automated guided vehicles. SOLUTION: This system includes plural automated guided vehicles 10 which drive their driving motors by their mounted accumulators, a charger which is removably connected to every accumulator and charges it, and an integrated control panel 60 which performs the integrated operation control of vehicles 10 and also the integrated charging control of accumulators. The panel 60 sets the time when the accumulators are charged by the chargers and displays the using states of chargers and the charging states of accumulators. Meanwhile, the number of vehicles 10 is controlled in a prescribed section of a running path and also these vehicles are started and stopped en bloc. Thus, it is not requited for a manager to go to each relevant place to set the charging time of every accumulator, to confirm the using state of every charger and the charging state of the accumulator, etc.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a centralized control system for centrally controlling the operation of a plurality of automatic guided vehicles and the charging control of a charger, and more particularly to providing a manager with information necessary for the manager. Technology that greatly reduces the labor of

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in a product production factory or the like, the transfer of parts and the like is performed by automated guided vehicles (Automated Guided Vehicles;
AGV). The automatic guided vehicle travels by a traveling electric motor while being guided by a guideway provided on a floor, using a mounted storage battery as a drive source.

[0003] Incidentally, a manager of a production line (hereinafter referred to as a "manager") needs to start or stop the automatic guided vehicle in accordance with the operation of the production line. In addition, the administrator needs to charge or replace the storage battery consumed by traveling. For this reason, conventionally, in order to start or stop the automatic guided vehicle, the administrator goes to the automatic guided vehicle,
It was started or stopped manually. On the other hand, in order to charge or replace the storage battery, the administrator has grasped the state of charge of the storage battery and charged or replaced the storage battery at an appropriate time.

[0004]

However, in the case where the number of the automatic guided vehicles is relatively small, even if the automatic guided vehicle is started or stopped manually, it does not cause a great burden. As the number increases, the burden on the administrator increases. In particular, in a large-scale production line or the like, since unmanned transport vehicles are scattered over a wide area, the labor for moving the vehicle becomes large.

When the number of automatic guided vehicles increases, it becomes difficult to grasp the state of charge of each storage battery, and it becomes impossible to charge or replace the storage battery at an appropriate time. For this reason, the applicant of the present application detects a voltage between terminals of a storage battery of an automatic guided vehicle, determines a state of charge of the storage battery based on the detected voltage between terminals, and automatically performs charging as necessary. Devised. However, there is a demand that the administrator wants to know the state of charge of each storage battery, and such a charging system has not satisfied the demand.

In view of the above problems, the present invention displays the state of charge of a storage battery and the like to provide information necessary for an administrator while controlling the operation of a plurality of automatic guided vehicles. It is an object of the present invention to provide a centralized control system for an automatic guided vehicle, in which the labor of an administrator is greatly reduced by performing the operations in a concentrated manner.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic guided vehicle which travels on a predetermined traveling route by driving a traveling electric motor by a mounted storage battery, and the storage battery. Centralized automatic guided vehicle configured to include a charger that is detachably connected and charges the storage battery, and a centralized control device that centrally performs operation control of the automatic guided vehicle and charging control of the charger. A control system, wherein the centralized control device is a charging time setting unit that sets a charging time of a storage battery by the charger, a usage status display unit that displays a usage status of the charger, and a charging status of the storage battery. Charging state display means for displaying, presence number control means for controlling the number of unmanned guided vehicles in a predetermined section of the traveling route, collective starting means for collectively starting the unmanned guided vehicles, and the unmanned guided vehicle And batch stop means to collectively stop,
.

According to this configuration, in the centralized control device, setting of the charging time of the storage battery, confirmation of the use state of the battery charger, confirmation of the state of charge of the storage battery, control of the number of unmanned guided vehicles in a predetermined section, Collective start or collective stop of the transport vehicles is performed in a concentrated manner. That is, when setting the charging time, it is not necessary to go to the charger and make the setting. Also, when checking the usage status of the charger or checking the state of charge of the storage battery, there is no need to go to the charger or the automatic guided vehicle to check. Furthermore, since the control of the number of automatic guided vehicles present in a predetermined section is performed, efficient operation control of the automatic guided vehicles is performed. In addition, since the start and stop of the automatic guided vehicle are collectively performed by the centralized control device, the labor of the administrator is greatly reduced.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the charging state display means includes a voltage detecting means for detecting a voltage between terminals of the storage battery, and a first transmission for transmitting the detected voltage between terminals to the centralized control device. Means, a charge state determination means for determining a charge state of the storage battery based on the transmitted terminal voltage,
Display means for displaying the determined state of charge.

[0010] According to this configuration, the inter-terminal voltage of the storage battery detected by the voltage detecting means is transmitted to the central control device via the first transmitting means. In the centralized control device, the state of charge of the storage battery is determined by the state-of-charge determining means based on the transmitted terminal voltage. Then, the determined state of charge is displayed by the display means. Therefore, the state of charge of the storage battery of the automatic guided vehicle is displayed on the central control device.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the number-of-occupied vehicles control means counts the number of unmanned guided vehicles in a predetermined section of the traveling route, and the number of unmanned guided vehicles in the predetermined section is different. Means for setting the maximum number of seats, and intrusion prohibiting means for prohibiting the automatic guided vehicle from entering the predetermined section when the counted number of seats reaches the set maximum number of seats. And a configuration including:

According to this configuration, when the number of unmanned guided vehicles in the predetermined section is set by the number of occupied vehicles setting means, the number of unmanned guided vehicles in the predetermined section is counted by the occupied number counting means. When the counted number of occupants reaches the set number of occupants, the intrusion prohibiting means is operated, and the intrusion of the automatic guided vehicle into the predetermined section is prohibited. Therefore, the number of automatic guided vehicles in a predetermined section is always equal to or less than the set number of seats.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the batch starting means includes a start command generating means for generating a start command for the automatic guided vehicle, and a second transmission for transmitting the generated start command to the automatic guided vehicle. And an activation unit for activating the automatic guided vehicle based on the transmitted activation command. According to this configuration, the start command generated by the start command generating means is transmitted to the automatic guided vehicle via the second transmitting means. In the automatic guided vehicle, the starter starts the automatic guided vehicle based on the transmitted start command. Therefore, the start command is transmitted to a plurality of automatic guided vehicles only by generating the start command once, and all the automatic guided vehicles are started at once.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the collective stopping means includes a stop command generating means for generating a stop command for the automatic guided vehicle, and a third transmission for transmitting the generated stop command to the automatic guided vehicle. Means for stopping the automatic guided vehicle based on the transmitted stop command. According to this configuration, the stop command generated by the stop command generator is transmitted to the automatic guided vehicle via the third transmitter. In the automatic guided vehicle, the stopping means stops the automatic guided vehicle based on the transmitted stop command. Therefore, the stop command is transmitted to a plurality of automatic guided vehicles only by generating the stop command once, and all the automatic guided vehicles are stopped collectively.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the first transmitting means transmits the terminal voltage from the automatic guided vehicle to the central control device by optical communication. According to this configuration, even when the automatic guided vehicle and the centralized control device are not electrically connected, the terminal voltage is transmitted from the automatic guided vehicle to the centralized control device by optical communication. Therefore, the number of automatic guided vehicles can be easily increased or decreased, and the flexibility of the system is improved.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the second transmitting means wirelessly transmits a start command from the central control device to the automatic guided vehicle. According to this configuration, the start command is wirelessly transmitted from the central control device to the automatic guided vehicle. Therefore, the start command is transmitted to all the automatic guided vehicles at the same time, and all the automatic guided vehicles are simultaneously started.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the third transmission means wirelessly transmits a stop command from the central management means to the automatic guided vehicle. According to this configuration, the stop command is wirelessly transmitted from the central control device to the automatic guided vehicle. Therefore, a stop command is transmitted to all the AGVs at the same time, and all AGVs are stopped at the same time.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. FIG. 2 shows a plurality of automatic guided vehicles (28
1 shows a layout of an embodiment of an engine assembly line configured by using the same. The engine assembly line includes an automatic guided vehicle 10, an MRG1 process 20, an MRG2 process 22,
TOP1 step 24, TOP2 step 26, TOP3 step 28, final assembly step 30, ENG descending step 34
And a charging step 40.

As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic guided vehicle 10 includes a radio receiver 11 for receiving various control commands by radio, and a control unit 12 for controlling the drive of a traveling electric motor (not shown) in accordance with the received various control commands. A voltage sensor 13 (voltage detecting means) for detecting a voltage V between terminals of a battery (storage battery) not shown, an optical communication transmitter 14 for transmitting the detected voltage V between terminals of the battery to the outside by optical communication, And a toe pin lifting mechanism (not shown). The control unit 12 includes at least a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory, and performs various controls of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to a program on the memory.
The automatic guided vehicle 10 transports the engine and its components to each process, and also functions as a work table in the final assembly process 30.

MRG1 step 20, MRG2 step 22, T
OP1 step 24, TOP2 step 26 and TOP3 step 2
At 8, the engine or component parts are lowered from the automatic guided vehicle 10 to another process (not shown), or the engine assembled in another process is loaded into the automatic guided vehicle 10. In the final assembling step 30, the automatic guided vehicle 10 is run at regular intervals by the conveyor system 31, and the final engine assembly is performed by the worker using the unmanned guided vehicle 10 as a work table. The conveyor system 31 is configured to include a drive chain buried in the floor and a fitting portion to which a toe pin of the automatic guided vehicle 10 fits. The mechanism for moving the automatic guided vehicle 10 causes the toe pins to protrude from the automatic guided vehicle 10 at a predetermined timing at the entrance of the conveyor system 31, and to fit the toe pins into the fitting portions of the conveyor system 31. Then, the automatic guided vehicle 10 is caused to travel by the tow pin that moves together with the drive chain. When the automatic guided vehicle 10 travels to the exit of the conveyor system 31, the tow pins are stored at a predetermined timing, and the automatic guided vehicle 10 starts traveling by itself. As described above, in the final assembling step 30, the automatic guided vehicle 10 is caused to travel by the conveyor system 31 from the viewpoint of the operator performing the final assembly because the automated guided vehicle 10 needs to travel at equal intervals. Because.

In the ENG lowering step 34, the assembled engine is lowered from the automatic guided vehicle 10, and the other steps, for example,
The engine is transported to the engine mounting process by an overhead conveyor or the like. And, on the floor of the factory, MRG1
Step 20, MRG2 step 22, TOP1 step 24, TO
A guideway 50 serving as a traveling route of the automatic guided vehicle 10 is embedded in a loop so as to connect the P2 step 26, the TOP3 step 28, the final assembling step 30, and the ENG descending step 34. As the guide path 50, a guide wire used in an electromagnetic induction system, a route tape used in an optical guide system, or
There is a magnet or the like used in a magnetic tape induction system. In the present embodiment, the magnetic tape guiding system is adopted in consideration of the fact that the floor surface is contaminated with oil or the like and heavy objects are conveyed.

In the charging step 40, the automatic guided vehicle 10
Is charged. The charging process 40 includes a circulating charging process 41 for replenishing power consumed by traveling on the loop-shaped taxiway 50, and a relief charging process 42 to 46 for replenishing power consumed over a predetermined time. It consists of. The circulating charging step 41 is provided only for the guide path 50, and performs rapid charging in a relatively short time (for example, one minute). The relief charging steps 42 to 46 are performed in the taxiway 5
A plurality (5 in this embodiment) is provided by branching 0, and quick charging is performed for a relatively long time (for example, 1 hour). The circulating charger 41a is used in the circulating charging step 41, and the first to fifth chargers 42 are used in the relief charging steps 42 to 46.
a, 43a, 44a, 45a and 46a are provided respectively. Whether the charging is performed in the circulating charging step 41 or the charging in the relief charging steps 42 to 46 is performed by, for example, determining that the inter-terminal voltage V is a predetermined value V based on the inter-terminal voltage V of the battery of the automatic guided vehicle 10. _{If it is 1} or more (V ≧ V ₁ ), charging is performed in the cyclic charging step 41, and if the inter-terminal voltage V is less than the predetermined value V ₁ (V <V ₁ ), the relief charging step 42
The operation of the automatic guided vehicle 10 may be controlled so that charging is performed in steps 46 to 46.

In addition to the configuration described above, MRG1 step 2
0, MRG2 step 22, TOP1 step 24, TOP2 step 26, TOP3 step 28, final assembly step 30, ENG
The lowering step 34 and the charging step 40 include control panels 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 32,
35 and 48 are provided respectively. Each control panel has a control unit with a built-in microcomputer,
And an operation unit for starting each process.
Further, a centralized control panel 60 (centralized control device) for centrally controlling the operation of the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the like is provided. The centralized control panel 60 controls the centralized control system according to the present invention, and wirelessly transmits various control commands to the automatic guided vehicle 10, a control unit 62 with a built-in microcomputer, and the automatic guided vehicle 10. And a monitor 63 (display means) for displaying the operating state of the camera. The control panel 21 for controlling each process and the central control panel 60 are connected via a PC link 70,
It is configured to exchange data with each other.

The radio transmitter 61 and the radio receiver 11
Correspond to the second transmitting means and the third transmitting means. Also, the control unit 6 constituting the central control panel 60
2 and the monitor 63 function as charging time setting means, use state display means, charging state display means, number of occupants control means, collective activation means and collective stop means. Final assembly process 3
The optical communication receiver 72 that receives the terminal voltage V of the battery transmitted from the automatic guided vehicle 10 is provided in each of the chargers in the ENG lowering step 34 and the charging step 40. Then, the terminal-to-terminal voltage V transmitted from the automatic guided vehicle 10 is received by the optical communication receiver 72, and the PC link 7
0 to the centralized control panel 60. Note that the optical communication transmitter 14 and the optical communication receiver correspond to a first transmission unit.

Next, various controls performed in the central control panel 60 will be described. FIG. 3 shows a hierarchical structure of a screen displayed on the monitor 63 of the central control panel 60. When the central control panel 60 is activated, an AGV central management menu 80 as shown in FIG. 4 is displayed. The AGV central management menu 80 includes a “link state” button 81, an “operation state” button 82, a “charge time” button 83, a “section control” button 84, a “charger” button 85, and an “AG” button.
V operation "button 86," production number "button 87,
"Alarm display" button 88 and "Batch start" button 8
9 and a “batch stop” button 90.

When the "link status" button 81 is pressed in the AGV central management menu 80, a data link operation status screen 100 as shown in FIG. 5 is displayed. The data link operation status screen 100 displays the link status between the central control panel 60 and each control panel 21 and the like, and the process enumeration section 10
1, PC operating display section 102, and PC abnormality display section 10
3, a communication error display unit 104, a data link participation display unit 105, a "<" button 106, and a ">" button 1.
07. In the process enumeration unit 101,
Each process name is listed and displayed. The PC running display section 102 and the PC abnormality display section 103 display whether or not the control panel in each process is operating normally. The communication abnormality display section 104 displays that an abnormality has occurred in the PC link 70. The data link participation display section 105 displays whether or not the control panel in each process participates in the data link. The “<” button 106 is pressed when switching to the screen of the upper hierarchy, that is, the AGV central management menu 80. The “>” button 107 is pressed when switching to a screen of a lower hierarchy, that is, a screen for displaying a data link operation status of a process not displayed in FIG. 5.
When the “<” button 106 is pressed on the lowest screen, the screen is switched to the data link operation status screen 100 shown in FIG.

When the "operating state" button 82 is pressed in the AGV central management menu 80, an operating state monitoring screen 110 as shown in FIG. 6 is displayed. The operation status monitoring screen 110 displays the operation status of each process, and displays an operation status enumeration unit 111, a process status display unit 112, a “MENU” button 113, a “<” button 114, and a “>” button 11
5 is comprised. In the operation state enumeration unit 111, various operation states are enumerated and displayed. The operation state display unit 112 displays the operation state in each step, for example, whether or not the automatic operation is being performed. The “MENU” button 113 is pressed when switching to the AGV central management menu 80 shown in FIG. 4 (the same applies hereinafter). The “<” button 114 is pressed when switching to the screen of the upper hierarchy of the upper hierarchy, that is, the AGV central management menu 80.
The “>” button 115 is pressed when switching to a screen of a lower hierarchy, that is, a screen that displays an operation state of a process not displayed in FIG. 6. When the “<” button is pressed on the lowest screen, the screen switches to the operation state monitoring screen 110 shown in FIG.

When the "charge time" button 83 is pressed in the AGV central management menu 80, a charge time setting screen 120 as shown in FIG. 7 is displayed. The charging time setting screen 120 displays a screen for setting the charging time of each of the chargers 41a and the like installed in the charging step 40, and includes digital switches 121 to 126 (charging time setting means) and “MEN”.
A “U” button 127 and a “>” button 128 are included. Digital switches 121 to 126 are operated when the charging time of each charger is set for each digit,
Pressing the "+" button increases the display by one, and pressing the "-" button decreases the display by one. It should be noted that the charging time of the charger is the first to fifth in units of "second" in the circular charger 41a.
The chargers 42a, 43a, 44a, 45a, 46a can be set in "minute" units.

When the ">" button 128 is pressed on the charging time setting screen 120, a first charger use state screen 130 (use state display means) as shown in FIG. 8 is displayed. The first charger usage status screen 130 displays the usage status of the first charger 42a in the relief charging process 42, and includes a charging history display unit 131, a “MENU” button 132, an “all clear” button 133, and “ Next page button 134
And is comprised. In the charging history display section 131,
Based on the data transmitted from the first charger 42a via the PC link 70, which automatic guided vehicle 10 has been charged is displayed as a history. "All clear"
The button 133 is pressed to clear all the displays on the charging history display unit 131. The “next page” button 134 has the same function as the above “>” button 107, and is pressed when switching to a lower layer screen, specifically, the second charger use status screen. Note that the second charger use status screen to the fifth charger use status screen in FIG. 3 have substantially the same configuration as the previous first charger status screen 130, and a description thereof will be omitted.

When the "next page" button 134 is pressed on the fifth charger usage status display screen, the AG shown in FIG.
The V battery information first view screen 140 (charging state display means) is displayed. The AGV battery information list screen 140 indicates the state of charge of the battery in each AGV 10, and includes an identification number display section 141, a charge state display section 142, a “previous page” button 143, and a “MENU” button 144. . In the identification number display section 141, an identification number for distinguishing each automatic guided vehicle 10 is displayed. In the present embodiment, 01 to 28 and a spare SP are displayed. In addition, the display of the identification number display unit 141 can be changed according to the number of automatic guided vehicles 10 used. The charge state display unit 142 displays the charge state of the battery of each automatic guided vehicle 10. That is, the state of charge is determined based on the voltage V between the terminals of the battery in each automatic guided vehicle 10, and the state of charge is indicated by a four-digit number. Specifically, the first digit (the ones digit) indicates the current charge level,
For example, “1” (level 1) when the value is 25.0 [v] or more, “2” (level 2) and 24.3 [v] when the value is more than 24.3 [v] and less than 25.0 [v]. In the following cases, "3" (level 3) is displayed. Note that this determination process corresponds to a charged state determination unit. Also,
In the third digit (the hundreds digit), the number of times that the relief charging steps 42 to 46 in the state of level 3 could not be charged because the seats were full is displayed. The “previous page” button 143 is pressed when switching to a screen of a higher hierarchy, that is, a fifth charger use status screen.

As described above, in the centralized control panel 60, setting of the charging time of each charger, confirmation of the usage status of each charger,
Alternatively, the state of charge of the battery of each automatic guided vehicle can be checked in a concentrated manner, so that the burden on the administrator can be greatly reduced. When the “section control” button 84 is pressed in the AGV central management menu 80, A as shown in FIG.
The GV section number control screen 150 is displayed. The number-of-sections control refers to controlling how many automatic guided vehicles 10 are present in a predetermined section of the taxiway 50, for example, between the TOP2 step 26 and the TOP3 step 28. The AGV section number control screen 150 is a screen for setting the maximum number of seats in the section number control, and the number of seats display section 151
, The number-of-occupancy change digital switch 152, the set number-of-occupancy display section 153, and the number-of-occupancy setting digital switch
54 (number of seats setting means) and "Enter" button 1
55, a “previous page” button 156, and a “next page” button 15
And 7. The number-of-occupancy display section 151 displays the current number of occupants in a predetermined section. The occupancy number change digital switch 152 is operated when an error occurs in the current occupancy number displayed on the occupancy number display section 151 to correct the error to the correct occupancy number. The set number of seats display section 153 displays the number of seats set in the section. The seated number setting digital switch 154 is operated when the set seated number displayed on the set seated number display section 153 is changed. When the “Enter” button 155 is pressed after operating the seated number change digital switch 152 or the seated number setting digital switch 154, the changed or set seated number is stored in the control unit 62. That is, by pressing the “Enter” button 155,
For the first time, the change or setting of the number of occupants is performed. The “previous page” button 156 is pressed when switching to a screen of a higher hierarchy. The “next page” button 157 is pressed when switching to a lower hierarchical screen. The number of AGV section number control screen 150 shown in FIG. 10 is switched and displayed by the number of sections in which the number of seats can be set.

The section number control is performed when the number of the automatic guided vehicles 10 set in a predetermined section of the taxiway 50 is present.
The control is performed so that the automatic guided vehicle 10 does not enter the predetermined section. That is, a photoelectric switch or the like for detecting that the automatic guided vehicle 10 has passed is installed at the entrance and the exit of the predetermined section. In addition, there is prepared a seated number counter (occupied number counting means) for adding “+1” when the automatic guided vehicle 10 passes through the entrance and adding “−1” when the automatic guided vehicle 10 passes through the exit. Then, when the count value of the occupied number counter has reached the set occupied number, the automatic guided vehicle 10 is prevented from entering the predetermined section. Such control is
For example, it can be easily realized by stopping the automatic guided vehicle 10 located at the entrance of the predetermined section. Note that such stop control corresponds to intrusion prohibition means. FIG.
AGV section number control screen 150 shown in FIG.
This corresponds to the number-of-occupancy control means.

When a predetermined section is set between each process, a sensor for detecting whether or not the automatic guided vehicle 10 has transmitted from each process is provided instead of a photoelectric switch or the like.
The presence counter may be operated by the output of the sensor. When a “next page” button 157 is pressed on the AGV section number control screen 150 at the bottom layer, a toe pin insertion timing setting screen 16 as shown in FIG.
0 is displayed. The toe pin insertion timing refers to the timing at the entrance of the conveyor system 31 in the final assembly process 30.
The timing at which the toe pins are projected from the automatic guided vehicle 10 refers to the synchronization timing between the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the conveyor system 31. The toe pin insertion timing setting screen 160 is a screen for setting the insertion timing, and includes a setting timing display section 161, a timing setting digital switch 162, a “previous page” button 163, and a “MENU” button 164. It is comprised including. The set timing display section 161 displays the set toe pin insertion timing. The timing setting digital switch 162 is operated when setting the toe pin insertion timing. "Previous page" button 16
3 is pressed when switching to the upper layer screen, that is, the AGV section number control screen 150.

When the "charger" button 85 is pressed in the AGV central management menu 80, a charger use status screen 170 as shown in FIG. 12 is displayed. The charger usage status screen 170 displays the current usage status of each charger, and includes a charger enumeration unit 171, a charging status display unit 172, a charging elapsed time display unit 173, a “MENU” button 174,
It is comprised including. In the charger listing section 171, a name for distinguishing each charger in the charging step 40 is displayed.
The charging status display section 172 displays whether the charger is operating or stopped. The elapsed charging time display section 173 displays the time elapsed since the start of charging in each charger, and by looking at this display, the time until the charging is completed can be grasped.

By looking at the charger use status screen 170, the administrator can easily grasp which charger is currently in use or how long has elapsed since the start of charging. be able to. Therefore, information regarding charging can be collectively confirmed, and labor of the administrator can be greatly reduced. When the “AGV operation” button 86 is pressed in the AGV central management menu 80, FIG.
Is displayed as shown in FIG.
The AGV operation state screen 180 indicates the current operation state of each automatic guided vehicle 10 and includes an identification number display section 181, an operation state display section 182, and a “MENU” button 183. The identification number display section 181 displays an identification number for distinguishing each automatic guided vehicle 10. In the operation state display unit 182, the operation state of the automatic guided vehicle 10 is displayed as "driving" or "stop".

When the "production quantity" button 87 is pressed on the AGV central management menu 80, a production quantity screen 190 as shown in FIG. 14 is displayed. Production quantity screen 190
Is a date display unit 191, a production quantity display unit 192,
A “MENU” button 193 and a “Reset” button 19
4 and a “next page” button 195.
The date display section 191 displays the current date (year, month, day). In the production quantity display section 192, the production quantity of the engine produced up to the present since the "reset" button 194 was pressed is displayed. The production quantity can be easily counted, for example, by counting the number of engines that have been dropped in the ENG dropping step 34. The “reset” button 194 is pressed to reset the production quantity displayed on the production quantity display section 192 to zero. The “next page” button 195 is pressed when switching to a lower layer screen.

When the "next page" button 195 is pressed on the production quantity screen 190, a conveyor operating time screen 200 as shown in FIG. 15 is displayed. The conveyor operation time screen 200 displays the operation time of the conveyor system 31 in the final assembling process 30, and displays a date display unit 201, an operation time display unit 202, a “MENU” button 203, a “reset” button 204, And a "next page" button 205. The date display section 201 displays the current date (year, month, day). In the operation time display unit 202,
The accumulated operation time of the conveyor system 31 from the time when the "reset" button 204 was pressed until the present time is displayed. The “reset” button 204 is pressed to reset the operation time displayed on the operation time display unit 202 to zero.
A “next page” button 205 is pressed when switching to a lower hierarchical screen.

When the "next page" button 205 is pressed on the conveyor operation time screen 200, a conveyor stop time screen 210 as shown in FIG. 16 is displayed. The conveyor stop time screen 210 displays the stop time of the conveyor system 31 in the final assembly process 30, and the stop time display unit 21
1, "Overview" button 212 and "Previous page" button 2
13 and a “reset” button 214. The stop time display section 211 displays the total time during which the conveyor system 31 has stopped for a predetermined reason.
The “summary explanation” button 212 is pressed when confirming details of the stop time of the conveyor system 31 for a predetermined reason. The “previous page” button 213 is pressed when switching to the screen of the upper hierarchy, that is, the conveyor operating time screen 200. The “reset” button 214 is pressed to reset the total stop time displayed on the stop time display unit 211 to zero. If the entire conveyor stop time cannot be displayed on one screen, the conveyor stop time screen 21
In addition to the hierarchical structure of “0”, the “next page” button may be displayed, and the conveyor stop time screen 210 may be switched and displayed.

When an "alarm display" button 88 is pressed in the AGV central management menu 80, an alarm list display screen 220 as shown in FIG. 17 is displayed. The alarm list display screen 220 displays various errors that have occurred in the centralized control system of the automatic guided vehicle 10, and displays a list display unit 221, a display operation unit 222, and “MENU”.
And a button 223. List display section 2
At 21, various errors that have occurred are displayed in chronological order. The display operation unit 222 provides a function of scrolling various errors displayed on the list display unit 221.

When the "batch start" button 89 is pressed in the AGV central management menu 80, a start command is transmitted from the wireless transmitter 61 of the central control panel 60 to all the automatic guided vehicles 10 (start command generation). means). Each automatic guided vehicle 10 receives a start command transmitted from the centralized control panel 60 via the wireless receiver 11 and controls the control unit 12.
To the start command. Then, the control unit 12 starts the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to the transmitted start command (starting means). Note that the entirety of the control corresponds to a batch activation unit.

When a "collective stop" button 90 is pressed in the AGV central management menu 80, a stop command is transmitted from the wireless transmitter 61 of the central control panel 60 to all the automatic guided vehicles 10 (stop command generation). means). Each automatic guided vehicle 10 receives the stop command transmitted from the central control panel 60 via the wireless receiver 11 and
To the stop command. Then, the control unit 12 stops the automatic guided vehicle 10 in accordance with the transmitted stop command (stop means). Note that the entirety of the control corresponds to a batch stop unit.

Therefore, all the automatic guided vehicles 10 can be started or stopped in the centralized control panel 60 in a lump, and the labor of the administrator can be greatly reduced. This function works more effectively as the number of automatic guided vehicles 10 increases, and is extremely practical. According to the configuration described above, setting of the charging time of the storage battery, confirmation of the usage state of the charger 41a, etc., confirmation of the state of charge of the storage battery, control of the number of unmanned guided vehicles 10 in a predetermined section, unmanned guided vehicle 10 Are collectively started and stopped collectively in the central controller 60. Therefore, the operation control and the like of the plurality of automatic guided vehicles 10 can be performed in a concentrated manner, and the labor of the administrator is greatly reduced. In addition, the state of charge of the storage battery and the like can be displayed collectively, and information necessary for the administrator is provided.

[0043]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to greatly reduce the labor of the administrator while providing information necessary for the administrator in the centralized control device. According to the invention described in claim 2, the state of charge of the storage battery of the automatic guided vehicle can be displayed on the centralized control device.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the number of automatic guided vehicles in a predetermined section can be set to be equal to or less than the set number of seats. According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, a start command can be transmitted to a plurality of AGVs, and all AGVs can be started at once. According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a stop command can be transmitted to a plurality of automatic guided vehicles, and all the automatic guided vehicles can be stopped collectively.

According to the invention described in claim 6, the flexibility of the system can be improved. According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, a start command can be transmitted to all the automatic guided vehicles at the same time, and all the automatic guided vehicles can be started at the same time. According to the invention described in claim 8, a stop command can be transmitted to all the automatic guided vehicles at the same time, and all the automatic guided vehicles can be stopped at the same time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a centralized management system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a layout diagram in which the present invention is applied to an engine assembly process.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a screen displayed on a monitor of a central control panel.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an AGV central management menu in the above.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a data link operation status screen of the above.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of an operation state monitoring screen of the above.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a charging time setting screen in the above.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a first charger use status screen in the above.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of an AGV battery information list screen in the above.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of an AGV section number control screen in the above.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory view of a toe pin insertion timing setting screen in the same as above.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a charger use status screen in the above.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of an AGV operation state screen in the above.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of a production quantity screen in the above.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of a conveyor operation time screen in the above.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of a conveyor stop time screen in the above.

FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram of an alarm list display screen in the above.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 automatic guided vehicle 11 wireless receiver 13 voltage sensor 14 optical communication transmitter 41a circulating charger 42a first charger 43a second charger 44a third charger 45a fourth charger 46a fifth charger 50 taxiway 60 concentration Control panel 61 Wireless transmitter 62 Control unit 63 Monitor 72 Optical communication receiver 121-126 Digital switch 130 First charger use status screen 140 AGV battery information list screen 150 AGV section number control screen 154 Number of seats setting digital switch

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Masahiro Fukasawa 1-chome, Daiichi 1-chome, Ageo-shi, Saitama Prefecture (72) Inventor Toshio Nakajima 1-chome 1, 1-1-chome, Ageo-shi, Saitama Nissan Diesel Kogyo (72) Inventor: Makoto Orihara Nissan Diesel Industry Co., Ltd.

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of automatic guided vehicles that travel on a predetermined traveling route by driving a traveling electric motor with a mounted storage battery, and a charger that is detachably connected to the storage battery and charges the storage battery. A centralized control system for the automatic guided vehicle, comprising: a centralized control device that centrally performs operation control of the automatic guided vehicle and charging control of the charger; and the centralized control device includes the charger. Charging time setting means for setting the charging time of the storage battery according to the following; usage state display means for displaying the usage state of the charger; charging state display means for displaying the charging state of the storage battery; A number-of-occupancy control means for controlling the number of seats of the automatic guided vehicle, a collective start means for collectively starting the automatic guided vehicle, and a collective stop means for collectively stopping the automatic guided vehicle. Centralized control system of the automatic guided vehicle, characterized in that made the. 2. The charge state display means includes: voltage detection means for detecting a voltage between terminals of the storage battery; first transmission means for transmitting the detected voltage between terminals to the centralized control device; The centralized control system for an automatic guided vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a charge state determination unit that determines a charge state of the storage battery based on a voltage between terminals; and a display unit that displays the determined charge state. 3. The number-of-occupied-vehicles control means includes means for counting the number of unmanned guided vehicles in a predetermined section of the travel route, and counting the maximum number of unmanned guided vehicles in the predetermined section. A configuration including a number-of-occupants setting means to be set, and an intrusion prohibiting means for prohibiting the automatic guided vehicle from entering the predetermined section when the counted number of people reaches the set maximum number of people. The centralized control system for an automatic guided vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: 4. The collective starting means includes: starting command generating means for generating a starting command for the automatic guided vehicle; second transmitting means for transmitting the generated starting command to the automatic guided vehicle; The centralized control system for an unmanned guided vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising: starting means for starting the automatic guided vehicle based on a start command. 5. The collective stopping means includes: a stop command generating means for generating a stop command for the automatic guided vehicle; a third transmitting means for transmitting the generated stop command to the automatic guided vehicle; The centralized control system for an unmanned guided vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: a stopping unit configured to stop the automatic guided vehicle based on a stop command. 6. A centralized control system for an automatic guided vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said first transmitting means transmits the voltage between terminals from said automatic guided vehicle to a centralized control device by optical communication. 7. The centralized control system for an automatic guided vehicle according to claim 4, wherein said second transmitting means wirelessly transmits a start command from said centralized control device to the automatic guided vehicle. 8. The centralized control system for an automatic guided vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said third transmitting means is configured to wirelessly transmit a stop command from said centralized management means to said automatic guided vehicle.