JPS6227407B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a crossing control device for an unmanned guided vehicle at an intersection where a taxiway on which the unmanned guided vehicle travels intersects with a traffic road on which cars, people, etc. pass.

Normally, at intersections where the taxiway for unmanned guided vehicles intersects with the traffic route for cars, etc., there are control means (traffic lights, barriers, etc.) to control the passage of cars, etc., and crossing controls to control the passage of unmanned guided cars. A device is provided respectively.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams showing conventional crossing control devices for unmanned guided vehicles at intersections. In Fig. 1, reference numeral 1 indicates a road for automobiles, etc., and a traffic light 2 is installed above this road 1. When the proceeding light (blue) 3 of this traffic light 2 is on, the traffic light A car or the like (not shown) above 1 can cross the intersection, but cannot cross the intersection when the stop indicator light (red) 4 of the traffic light 2 is on. Further, the controller 5 alternately and regularly generates a stop instruction signal and a proceed instruction signal, and supplies the generated stop instruction signal and proceed instruction signal to the traffic light 2. The traffic light 2 is configured such that a stop instruction light 4 is lit while a stop instruction signal is being supplied, and a proceeding indicator light 3 is lit while a proceeding instruction signal is being supplied. Further, the controller 5 generates a stop signal for stopping the unmanned guided vehicle 6 at the same timing as the advance instruction signal described above, and outputs the generated stop signal to the outside from the stop signal output device 7. Further, the unmanned guided vehicle 6 is configured to travel on a guideway 9 along a steering guide line 8 that generates a magnetic field by flowing a high-frequency current.

When the unmanned guided vehicle 6 crosses an intersection, when the stop indicator light 4 of the traffic light 2 is on, the unmanned guided vehicle 6 can cross the intersection.
Naturally, the progress indicator light 3 may turn on during the crossing. In order to prevent this, a passing detector (not shown) is provided to detect when the unmanned guided vehicle 6 begins to cross the intersection and when it completes crossing.
When the unmanned guided vehicle 6 starts crossing, the progress indicator light 3 is not turned on until the crossing is completed. However, in this case, the stop indicator light 4
The lighting time of the traffic light 2 is no longer constant, and the regularity of the instructions from the traffic light 2 is disrupted.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional crossing control device using a barrier. The operation of the crossing control device shown in this figure is such that the crossing gate 10 is raised in response to the lighting of the proceeding indicator light 3 (Fig. 1), and the crossing gate 10 is raised in response to the lighting of the stop indicator light 4 (Fig. 1). Except for getting off, it is the same as the crossing control device shown in FIG.

In this way, the collision between the unmanned guided vehicle traveling on the guideway and the vehicle traveling on the traffic road is prevented, which has the following disadvantages. That is, if the unmanned guided vehicle enters an intersection after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the stop indicator light of the traffic light is turned on, the regularity of the traffic signal instructions will be disrupted, as described above.
In addition, the rules for traffic light instructions change depending on when the unmanned guided vehicle enters the intersection, making control of the traffic light instructions complicated, and when configuring the crossing control device for the unmanned guided vehicle using an existing traffic light system. , it is necessary to modify the controller of the existing traffic light system.

In view of the above-mentioned drawbacks, this invention allows unmanned guided vehicles to cross intersections without disrupting the regularity of traffic light instructions, and when installing a new traffic light system, it can be installed with almost no modification to the controller of the existing traffic light system. This system provides a crossing control device for an unmanned guided vehicle that can control the crossing of an unmanned guided vehicle, in which first and second stop signal output devices are installed before the intersection of the taxiway, and the first or second stop signal output device is installed in front of the intersection of the taxiway. It is characterized in that a stop signal is output from either one of the stop signal output devices.

The present invention will be explained below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, 11 is a stop signal generator that generates a stop signal, and the stop signal generated by this stop signal generator 11 is sent to a common contact 12a of an automatic changeover switch (stop signal switching section) 12 that switches the stop signal. Supplied. Further, 13 alternately sends a proceeding instruction signal and a stop instruction signal, and
The controller regularly generates a proceeding instruction signal and a stop instruction signal, which are supplied to the traffic light 14. This traffic light 14 is installed above a traffic road 15 near an intersection, and when a proceeding instruction signal is supplied, a proceeding indicator light (blue) 16 lights up, and when a stop instruction signal is supplied, a stop indicator light ( Red) 17 is now lit. Further, 18 is a first stop signal output device that outputs a stop signal to the outside, and this first stop signal output device 18 is used for guidance before the intersection with respect to the traveling direction of the unmanned guided vehicle 19 (direction of arrow A). It is located on Road 20 . And this first
The input terminal of the stop signal output device 18 is connected to the first contact 12b of the automatic changeover switch 12 . Further, 21 is a second stop signal output device, and this second stop signal output device 21 is installed on the taxiway 20 at a predetermined distance from the first stop signal output device 18 in the direction opposite to the intersection. The terminal is connected to the second contact 12c of the automatic changeover switch 12 . The automatic changeover switch 12 is switched by a controller 13.
3 is generating a stop instruction signal, common contact 1
When the common contact 12a and the second contact 12b are connected and the controller 13 is generating the advance instruction signal, the common contact 12a and the first contact 12b are connected. Therefore,
The stop signal generated by the stop signal generator 11 is the first one when the proceeding indicator light 16 of the traffic light 14 is on.
When the second stop signal output device 18 outputs the signal and the stop indicator light 17 is on, the second stop signal output device 2
Output from 1. In addition, the unmanned guided vehicle 19 has
A stop signal detector 22 that detects the presence or absence of a stop signal is installed at a position corresponding to the first and second stop signal output devices 18 and 21 installed on the taxiway 20, and this stop signal detector 22 detects the presence of a stop signal. The unmanned guided vehicle 19 is designed to stop when a signal is detected. Further, 23 is a steering oscillator that generates a high frequency current, and supplies the generated high frequency current to the steering guide wire 24.

It should be noted that the steering guide line 24 shown as a solid line in the taxiway 20 is an underground electric wire, while the guide line 24 shown as a broken line on the extension of this taxiway 20 is
4' indicates a ceiling wiring portion when the guideway 20 and the passageway 15 are located in a factory or the like. Further, the time during which the controller 13 generates the stop instruction signal is set to be longer than the time required for the unmanned guided vehicle 19 to cross the intersection. Further, the controller 13 and the traffic light 14 constitute a control means. Further, the first and second stop signal output devices 18 and 21 are each installed at a predetermined interval, and the installation positions will be described later.

Next, the crossing operation of the unmanned guided vehicle 19 will be explained.

The unmanned guided vehicle 19 travels in the direction of arrow A on the taxiway 20 , and the stop signal detector 22 attached to the unmanned guided vehicle 19 and the second stop signal output device 21 installed on the taxiway 20 are located at the same position. For example, when the controller 13 is generating a stop instruction signal, the common contact 12a and the second contact 12c of the automatic changeover switch 12 are connected, and therefore the second stop occurs. A stop signal is output from the signal output device 21. The unmanned guided vehicle 19 detects this stop signal and stops. Thereafter, when the controller 13 generates a proceeding instruction signal, the automatic changeover switch
The 12 common contacts 12a and the second contacts 12b are connected, and thereby the first stop signal output device 18
While the stop signal is output from the second stop signal output device 21, the stop signal output from the second stop signal output device 21 is turned off. When the stop signal from the second stop signal output device 21 is turned off, the stop signal detector 22 of the unmanned guided vehicle 19 no longer detects the stop signal, and the unmanned guided vehicle 19 starts moving.
Then, when the stop signal detector 22 of the unmanned guided vehicle 19 detects a stop signal from the first stop signal output device 18, the unmanned guided vehicle 19 stops again. next,
When the controller 13 generates a stop instruction signal, the stop instruction light 17 of the traffic light 14 lights up, the common contact 12a and the second contact 12c of the automatic changeover switch 12 are connected, and the second stop signal output device 2
While the stop signal is output from the first stop signal output device 18, the stop signal output from the first stop signal output device 18 is turned off. As a result, the unmanned guided vehicle 19 starts moving again and crosses the intersection.

In this way, the unmanned guided vehicle 19 starts crossing the intersection almost simultaneously when the stop indicator light 17 of the traffic light 14 turns on. Therefore, when the unmanned guided vehicle 19 is moving through the intersection, the progress indicator light 16 of the traffic light 14 will not turn on.

Further, the unmanned guided vehicle 19 travels on the taxiway 20 , and the stop signal detector 22 of the unmanned guided vehicle 19 and the second
If the controller 13 is generating a proceeding instruction signal when the first stop signal output device 21 overlaps with the first stop signal output device 21, a stop signal is output from the first stop signal output device 18, and the second stop signal output device 18 outputs a stop signal. A stop signal is not output from the signal output device 21. Therefore, the unmanned guided vehicle 19 does not stop when the stop signal detector 22 and the second stop signal output device 21 overlap, and the stop signal detector 22 and the first stop signal output device 18 overlap. The vehicle will stop when the two are in the same position. Then, when the controller 13 generates a stop instruction signal, that is,
When the stop indicator light 17 of the traffic light 14 lights up, the unmanned guided vehicle 19 starts moving again and crosses the intersection. Incidentally, the installation positions of the first and second stop signal output devices 18 and 21 described above are set so as to satisfy the following conditions (a), (b), and (c). (a) Unmanned guided vehicle 1
When the stop signal detector 22 of No. 9 tries to detect the stop signal of one signal output device, a certain interval is left so that the stop signal of the other signal output device will not be detected by mistake. (b) The interval between the first and second stop signal output devices 18 and 21 should be as short as possible. (c) The first stop signal output device 18 is installed as close to the intersection as possible. The reason for doing (b) here is as follows. That is, when the stop signal of the first stop signal output device 18 is on and the second stop signal output device 21 is off, even if the unmanned guided vehicle 19 passes by the second stop signal output device 21, the above-mentioned If the interval is short, the vehicle can reach the first stop signal output device 18 and stop there before the stop signal of the first stop signal output device 18 changes from on to off. In this case, unfortunately, the stop signal of the first stop signal output device 18 changes from on to off before the unmanned guided vehicle 19 reaches the first stop signal output device 18, and the vehicle does not stop at the intersection. Even if it is necessary to cross the intersection, if the above-mentioned interval is short, the position of the unmanned guided vehicle 19 at that time will be sufficiently close to the intersection, and there will be enough time to cross the intersection.
Also, the reason for (c) is to obtain time margin for crossing the intersection, as mentioned in (b).

Note that the automatic changeover switch 12 may be a contact of a go-instruction signal/stop-instruction signal changeover relay in the controller 13 or a contact of a relay that operates in synchronization with this changeover relay. Moreover, it is of course possible to apply the present invention even when the traffic light 14 is a circuit breaker.

As explained above, this invention installs first and second stop signal output devices in the taxiway before an intersection, and when the proceeding light of the traffic light turns on, the first stop signal output device The signal is output and the second stop signal output device is turned off, while the first stop signal output device is turned off when the stop indicator light of the traffic signal lights up, and instead, the second stop signal output device turns off the stop signal output device. Now that the signal is output, if you set the installation positions of the first and second stop signal output devices correctly as described above, the proceeding indicator light will turn on after the stop indicator light of the traffic light lights up. Since the unmanned guided vehicle can complete crossing the intersection with plenty of time to spare before the light turns on, the unmanned guided vehicle will not proceed through the intersection when the proceeding light of the traffic light is turned on. Therefore, there is no need to intentionally delay the lighting of the traffic light's proceeding light in order to give priority to the unmanned guided vehicle crossing the intersection, so the regularity of the traffic light instructions can be maintained even when the unmanned guided vehicle crosses the intersection. be able to. Further, the unmanned guided vehicle crossing device according to the present invention has the advantage that it can be installed in an existing staggered traffic light system with almost no modification.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams showing a conventional crossing control device for an unmanned guided vehicle, and FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. 11... Stop signal generator, 12 ... Automatic changeover switch, 13... Controller, 14... Traffic light, 1
5... Traffic road, 18... First stop signal output device,
19...Unmanned guided vehicle, 20 ...Taxiway, 21...
A second stop signal output device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An unmanned guided vehicle passing along the taxiway through an intersection of the traffic road and the taxiway, in which a control means for controlling the traffic on the traffic road by a proceeding instruction and a stop instruction is arranged, and a stop signal is detected on the vehicle body. In the crossing control device for an unmanned guided vehicle to which a stop signal detector is attached, a first stop signal detector is installed along a route along which the stop signal detector moves on a taxiway before the intersection into which the unmanned guided vehicle enters. a stop signal output device, and a second stop signal installed along the route along which the stop signal detector moves on the taxiway separated from the first stop signal output device by a predetermined distance in a direction opposite to the intersection. a signal output device, a stop signal generator that constantly generates the stop signal, and an output of the stop signal generator that supplies the output of the stop signal generator to the first stop signal output device in response to a proceeding instruction from the control means;
A crossing control device for an unmanned guided vehicle, comprising: an automatic changeover switch that supplies the output of the stop signal generator to the second stop signal output device in response to a stop instruction from the control means.