KR100890523B1 - System for controlling rail guided vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The RGV (Rail Guided Vehicle) control system is provided to secure the stability of the operation control by accurately sensing the traveling state of each RGV and whole procedure state. The RGV control system(10) comprises the IP camera(200), and the main server(100) and the router(300). The IP camera takes a photograph of the traveling state of the RGV(400) and line(500). The main server stores the status information of RGV. The main server supplies the power source to the line. The router is arranged in the shadow region of the line. The RGV communicates with the main server by the Zigbee communications via the router.

Description

Unmanned Vehicle Control System {System for controlling Rail guided vehicle}

The present invention relates to an unmanned vehicle control system, and more particularly, to perform control between the main server and each unmanned vehicle using Zigbee communication, and to detect the entire process by IP CAM and at the same time self-diagnostic function through a vision camera In addition, the present invention relates to an unmanned vehicle control system that can ensure the stability of the driving control.

In general, unmanned freight vehicles for cargo transportation are divided into rail guided vehicles (RGVs) running along tracks and auto guided vehicles (AGVs) running on trolleyways, which are integratedly controlled by control devices connected by wire or wireless communication. In order to prevent collisions on the path, RGV is more commonly used than AGV, which has a lot of location constraints.

This RGV is a conveying device consisting of a track consisting of two rails installed on the floor and a bogie traveling on it, that is, a truck with a drive, but because of its large structure and suitable for heavy weight transportation, it is a general logistics transportation and factory automation system. Mainly used for

However, such a conventional RGV also has problems such as heavy weights of trucks and cargoes, errors in position control, difficulty in wireless communication, risk of disconnection in wired communication, and errors in various safety devices.

In detail, these limitations are: First, the moving speed decreases due to the increase in the weight of the truck and the cargo, and in particular, the maximum safety speed decreases sharply in the curved portion, and the derailment of the truck and the cargo occurs, thus deforming the cargo safety device. Accidents are increased depending on the weight of the load, such as destructive accidents, safety accidents caused by lane derailment of the truck, and productivity decrease, and noise and vibration are increased due to the increase in speed and weight. do.

Second, if the home position misalignment occurs due to the error of the exact position control, the collision between the trucks and the damage of the cargo will occur. there is a problem.

Third, there is a difficulty in cost reduction and multi-network configuration due to an error in the control system between the whole and each balance due to the communication failure of wireless communication.

Fourth, if the control system is interrupted due to the wire breakage in the wired control system and the work is stopped due to the collision and error between the cars, it must be replaced by manual work and moved to the home position.

Finally, an error or interruption of the control system occurs due to an error in various safety devices, resulting in delay in work, delay in communication, and induction of safety accidents.

The present invention has been proposed to solve the above problems, it is possible to ensure the stability of the communication for the control, to ensure the stability of the operation control by accurately detecting the abnormal situation and the overall process state between the obstacle or unmanned carriage. An object of the present invention is to provide an unmanned vehicle control system.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a control system for a plurality of unmanned vehicles for transporting freight while traveling on a track, wherein the track and the unmanned transport vehicle are disposed at a position capable of detecting the entire track. An IP CAM for photographing the state; Receives driving status information of the track and the unmanned vehicle from the IP CAM, receives and stores the status information from the plurality of unmanned vehicle, supplies power to the track, and sets the plurality of tracks according to preset job information. A main server controlling the driving of the unmanned vehicle; A router disposed in a shaded area of the track to relay communication between the main server and the plurality of unmanned vehicle, wherein the plurality of unmanned vehicle is via the router by Zigbee communication; It communicates with the server, performs self-diagnosis based on the driving information received from the main server and the contact state between the lower wheel part and the track, and transmits and receives the driving information by performing Zigbee communication between each unmanned vehicle. Characterized in that.

Preferably, the main server includes a wired / wireless communication unit for communicating with the IP CAM, a Zigbee communication unit for communicating with the router, and at least one of the router and a plurality of unmanned vans. A central processing unit for setting a communication path and controlling the operation of the plurality of unmanned carriers based on the driving information and the status information received from the IP CAM and the plurality of unmanned vehicle, and the plurality of unmanned vehicle And a database storing driving information including a location on a track, a state information traveling on the track of each of the plurality of unmanned transport vehicles, and work information to be performed by each of the plurality of unmanned transport vehicles. have.

Preferably, each of the plurality of unmanned vehicle, the Zigbee communication unit for communicating with the main server through the router, the photographing unit for photographing the contact state of the wheel and the line, and the normal based on the captured image A control unit for performing self-diagnosis by determining whether the vehicle is driven, driving information including position information of each unmanned vehicle on the track, preset job information to be performed, and state information according to the determination result It may include wealth.

Preferably, each of the plurality of unmanned vehicle further includes a sensor unit for detecting the distance of the front unmanned vehicle, the loading of the cargo, the obstacle of the front, and whether the impact, the control unit is The self-diagnosis may be performed based on the information received from the sensor unit, and if it is determined that there is a risk factor, the alarm may be output through the alarm output unit.

Preferably, each of the plurality of unmanned vehicle further includes an infrared transmitting and receiving unit for communicating with the user's remote control, the control unit traveling on the track based on the operation to be performed and the operation control information received through the remote control Can be controlled.

Preferably, each of the plurality of unmanned vehicle further includes a touch panel for setting work contents by the user and displaying the current status information, wherein the control unit transmits the job information input through the touch panel to the storage unit. And store the result of the self-diagnosis through the touch panel.

Preferably, a bar code including position information is attached to a side of the line, and each of the plurality of unmanned transport vehicles includes a bar code reader for reading the bar code, and may obtain position information of the front through the read bar code. have.

Preferably, the IP CAM may transmit the obtained driving information to the mobile terminal of the user.

Preferably, the track may have a height h of the inner side of the curved portion smaller than the height h ′ of the outer side.

Preferably, the line may have a different line width (L) between the straight section, the curved section, and the extension section of the straight section and the curved section.

The unmanned vehicle control system according to the present invention accurately ensures the stability of the operation control by accurately reducing the overall process state and the driving state of each unmanned vehicle, thereby preventing productivity delays and communication failures and improving productivity while preventing obstacles or unmanned vehicles. It is effective in preventing safety accidents such as collision of the transport vehicle.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a configuration diagram schematically showing an unmanned vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The unmanned vehicle control system 10 is a control system of the RGV 400, which is a plurality of unmanned vehicle transporting cargoes while traveling on the track 500, which performs control of the RGV 400 running on the track 500. IP CAM 200 for photographing the driving state of the main server 100, the line 500 and the RGV 400, and the router 300 for relaying communication between the main server 100 and a plurality of RGV (400) And, the RGV (400) for transporting cargo on the track 500 while performing communication between the main server 100 and each RGV (400) by Zigbee communication, and the track (500) for guiding the running of the RGV (400) And a user terminal 600 for receiving various process states.

The unmanned vehicle control system 10 transmits a message for the control and control of each RGV 400 from the main server 100 through the router 300, and the radio waves arrive at 1-hop. Communication with the RGV 400 located in a difficult area is controlled through the router 300 to which the multi-hop technology is applied.

In addition, the unmanned vehicle control system 10 performs the control of each RGV (400) individually in the main server 100 through the Zigbee communication.

The main server 100 receives the driving state information of the line 500 and the RGV 400 from the IP CAM 200, and receives the status information such as work execution contents and failure or failure detection information from the plurality of RGVs 400. And store the power, supply power to the track 500, and control the driving of the plurality of RGVs 400 according to preset job information.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of the main server of FIG. 1.

The main server 100 is a wired communication unit 110 for communicating with the IP CAM 200, the Zigbee communication unit 120 for communicating with the router 300, IP CAM 200 and RGV (400) It includes a central processing unit 130 for controlling the, and a database 140 for storing a variety of information for the unmanned vehicle control system 10.

The wired communication unit 110 is connected to the IP CAM 200 to perform communication and connected to the Internet network to relay external communication of the IP CAM 200.

The Zigbee communication unit 120 communicates with the Zigbee communication unit 410 of the RGV 400 through the router 300, and divides the frequency domain into 16 steps to minimize the influence of external noise and the most suitable frequency before performing the communication. In other words, it selects the frequency with the least noise and communicates through the frequency. In addition, the Zigbee communication unit 120 minimizes the influence of noise by changing to the optimum frequency when the corresponding frequency falls below a certain level during communication.

The central processing unit 130 receives driving information including the position of the RGV 400 and the situation of the track from the IP CAM 200, receives the state information from each RGV 400, and stores the state information in the database 140. The RGV 400 is controlled according to preset job information based on the information stored in the database 140.

More specifically, the central processing unit 130 may move, decelerate, and stop the RGV 400 based on the state information of the RGV 400 and the position information of each RGV 400 on the line 500. The driving is controlled to actively perform work according to the current track 500 and the RGV 400.

In addition, the central processing unit 130 controls the communication with each RGV (400) through the router 300, and if the communication with the corresponding RGV (400) is not made other routers 300 and a plurality of RGV (400) By setting a communication path as a relay, the wireless communication is prevented from being cut off.

The database 140 stores a driving information DB 142 in which driving information including positions on a track 500 of the plurality of RGVs 400 is stored, and work information to be performed by each of the plurality of RGVs 400. Job information DB 144, and state information DB 146, which stores state information traveling on track 500 of each of the plurality of RGVs 400, and the like.

The database 140 is a database of various information to actively control the RGV (400) in the field environment.

The IP CAM 200 is a kind of camera that is disposed at a position where the entire track 500 can be detected, for example, is disposed on the ceiling of a factory, and photographs by photographing the driving state of the track 500 and each RGV 400. The transmitted data to the main server 100 in real time through wired communication.

The IP CAM 200 detects whether each RGV 400 is positioned on the track 500 or whether an abnormal situation has occurred and transmits it to the main server 100 as driving information of the track.

In addition, the IP CAM 200 may directly transmit the driving information acquired according to the user's setting to the terminal of the user terminal 600. That is, the IP CAM 200 directly photographs the position of each RGV 400 on the line 500 and transmits it directly to the user terminal 600 when an abnormal situation occurs in the RGV 400 as described below.

The router 300 is disposed at a position for relaying communication between the main server 100 and the plurality of RGVs 400, and is particularly disposed in the shaded area of the line 500. The router 300 relays the communication by multi-hop when communicating with the RGV 400 located in an area where radio waves are difficult to reach in 1-hop.

The router 300 eliminates the radio wave shadow area and performs smooth communication with the RGV 400 including the Zigbee communication unit 410, thereby establishing an IEEE 802.15.4 based wireless network.

The RGV 400 transmits status information or failure detection information to the main server 100 via the router 300 by Zigbee communication, and the work and speed to be performed from the main server 100, section control, and control when a failure occurs. Receives a command, and performs self-diagnosis based on the driving information received from the main server 100 and the contact state of the lower wheel (not shown) and the track 500, Zigbee between the other RGV (400) Performs communication to send and receive driving information.

In addition, the RGV 400 drives the inner and outer parts separately on both the main wheel and the auxiliary wheel in the lower part in order to increase the safety speed in the curved line 500, and is equipped with a shock absorbing cushion to reduce vibration and shock. In order to prevent noise and vibration, special bearings and springs may be provided.

In addition, the RGV 400 may be provided with an LED lamp on the bottom surface for lighting effect and safety, a stator to prevent the flow of mounted cargo, and an idle roller to prevent sagging of the cargo. Can be.

3 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the unmanned carrier of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the sensor unit of Figure 3, Figure 5 is different from the example (a) of the unmanned carrier of Figure 1 It is a perspective view of an example (b).

The RGV 400 detects a state of the Zigbee communication unit 410 which communicates with the main server 100 in a Zigbee communication method, a touch panel 420 in which work contents are set by a user, and a line 500. A photographing unit 430, a sensor unit 440 for detecting an obstacle and measuring a distance, a barcode reader 450 for recognizing a barcode attached to the line 500, and an infrared ray for communicating with a user's remote controller Transmitting and receiving unit 460, a control unit 470 for performing self-diagnostics based on the status information, a storage unit 480 is stored a variety of information, a driving motor 490 for driving wheels (not shown), and more And an alarm output unit 495 for outputting a situation.

The Zigbee communication unit 410 communicates with the Zigbee communication unit 120 of the main server 100 through the router 300, and divides the frequency domain into 16 steps similarly to the Zigbee communication unit 120 and the most before performing communication. Select a suitable frequency, that is, the one with the least noise, to communicate over that frequency. In addition, the ZigBee communication unit 410 minimizes the influence of noise by changing to the optimum frequency when the corresponding frequency falls below a certain level during communication.

The touch panel 420 sets a work schedule by the user and displays current status information such as a work status and a self-diagnosis result. In addition, although not shown in the drawing, the touch panel 420 may be equipped with a speaker for outputting various types of information as a function of convenience of the user.

The photographing unit 430 is disposed near the lower wheel (not shown) to photograph the contact state between the wheel (not shown) and the track 500. The captured image is stored under the control of the controller 470. The data is stored at 480 and delivered to the main server 100 in real time.

The sensor unit 440 includes a distance detection sensor 442 for detecting a distance from an unmanned transport vehicle in front of the vehicle, a mounting detection sensor 444 for detecting whether a cargo is loaded, and an obstacle for detecting the presence of an obstacle in front of the vehicle. A detection sensor 446 and a bumper sensor 448 for detecting the impact.

The distance sensor 442 may be installed in front of the RGV 400 to measure the distance. For example, the distance sensor 442 may measure the distance to the RGV 400 or another object existing in front of the track 500. have. This sensor is installed with a vision sensor or a vision device to detect the state of the previous RGV (400) and detect obstacles, etc. Here, the main server 100 and the Zigbee communication unit 410 of each RGV (400) By communicating, the RGV 400 is controlled to be in a safe driving state.

The onboard sensor 444 is disposed at the top of the RGV 400, where the cargo is mounted to detect whether the cargo is correctly seated.

Obstacle detection sensor 446 is a vision (vision) sensor to detect the presence of obstacles, for example, other obstacles on the RGV 400 or the line 500.

The bumper sensor 448 is mounted on a bumper installed at the front of the RGV 400 to operate as an emergency stop switch.

The sensor unit 440 generates safety signals from the control unit 470 before contacting the other RGV 400 or an object, thereby preventing a safety accident.

The barcode reader 450 reads a barcode attached to the side of the line 500, and acquires the position information of the front through the barcode. For example, it is possible to control the exact position of the RGV 400 by receiving the speed of five sections ahead of time at the reading point of the barcode.

The infrared transceiver 460 performs infrared communication with a remote controller (not shown) that performs tasks or various settings by a user.

The controller 470 performs self-diagnosis by determining whether to drive normally based on the image photographed by the photographing unit 430. Preferably, the controller 470 performs self-diagnosis based on the information received from the sensor unit 440 together with the information. Then, the result of the self-diagnosis result is stored in the storage unit 480. In this case, when it is determined that there is a risk factor, the controller 470 controls to output the alarm through the alarm output unit 495.

In addition, the controller 470 controls the driving on the track 500 based on the work information and the driving control information transmitted from the main server 100, and according to the user's setting, that is, infrared transmission and reception from the remote controller (not shown). The driving on the track 500 is controlled based on the task to be performed and the driving control information received through the unit 460.

In addition, the controller 470 stores the job information input through the touch panel 420 in the storage unit 480 and controls the self-diagnosis result to be output through the touch panel 420.

The storage unit 480 includes a driving information storage unit 482 for storing driving information including position information of another RGV 400 on the track 500, and a job information storage unit for storing predetermined job information to be performed. 484 and a state information storage unit 486 for storing state information according to the result of the self-diagnosis.

The driving motor 490 drives the lower wheel (not shown) according to the speed control of the controller 470 so that the RGV 400 travels on the track 500.

The alarm output unit 495 outputs an alarm when an abnormal situation is determined by the control unit 470. For example, the alarm output unit 495 includes a high power LED having multiple colors. It emits light by distinguishing the emitting color.

6 is a cross-sectional view (a) of the line of the unmanned vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present invention, a configuration example (b) of the line, and a diagram (c) for explaining a curved section.

The track 500 is configured in various forms, and is preferably composed of an “I” -shaped rail, and a bar code including position information is attached to a side thereof, where the position information is preferably information on the front section. .

In addition, the line 500 should be designed to be suitable for the RGV 400 in various aspects, such as the safety speed of the RGV 400, the derailment problem, for example, the size and speed of the RGV 400, production time, installation It should be installed considering space and safe speed. For this purpose, the shape is applied differently according to the driving characteristics in the installation area of the track such as the straight part and the curved part. In other words, the line 500 is formed such that the inner height h of the curved portion is smaller than the outer height h '.

In addition, the line 500 is divided into sections, that is, straight sections, curved sections, and extension sections of the straight sections and the curved sections in order to prevent an increase in safety speed and derailment. Therefore, the line width L is formed to be different from each other.

That is, the line 500 is made of a special curve because the physical discontinuity occurs in the loosening curve region extending from the straight line-curve, and is made of a special curve, and the line inside the curved portion is slightly extended to the outside of the gauge, and the height of both lines It is desirable to form a difference. In addition, according to the design of the RGV 400 and the wheels, the widths of the two lines 500 may be configured to be enlarged or reduced in the curved section rather than the straight section.

The user terminal 600 receives image information obtained from the IP CAM 200, and may be, for example, a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone.

By such a configuration, it is possible to accurately reduce the running state of each RGV 400 to ensure the stability of the driving control to improve the productivity and to prevent safety accidents such as obstacles or collision of the unmanned vehicle.

The present invention described above is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings, and it is common in the art that various substitutions, modifications, and changes can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

1 is a schematic view showing an unmanned vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present invention,

2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the main server of FIG.

3 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the unmanned carrier of FIG.

4 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of a sensor unit of FIG. 3.

5 is a perspective view of one example (a) and another example (b) of the unmanned vehicle of FIG.

6 is a cross-sectional view (a) of the line of the unmanned vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present invention, a configuration example (b) of the line, and a diagram (c) for explaining a curved section.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

10: unmanned vehicle control system 100: main server

200: IP CAM 300: Router

400: RGV 500: track

600: user terminal

Claims (10)

In a control system of a plurality of unmanned vans that transport freight while driving on tracks, An IP CAM disposed at a position where the entire track can be detected and photographing a driving state of the track and the unmanned vehicle; Receives driving status information of the track and the unmanned vehicle from the IP CAM, receives and stores the status information from the plurality of unmanned vehicle, supplies power to the track, and sets the plurality of tracks according to preset job information. A main server controlling the driving of the unmanned vehicle; A router disposed in a shaded area of the track to relay communication between the main server and the plurality of unmanned vehicle transports; The plurality of unmanned carriers communicate with the main server via the router by Zigbee communication, and are self-diagnosing based on driving information received from the main server and contact state between the lower wheel part and the track. And Zigbee communication between each unmanned vehicle to transmit and receive driving information. The method of claim 1, The main server Wired and wireless communication unit for communicating with the IP CAM, A Zigbee communication unit for communicating with the router; Establish a communication path with a transmission target unmanned vehicle through at least one of the router and the plurality of unmanned vehicle, and based on the driving information and the state information received from the IP CAM and the plurality of unmanned vehicle A central processing unit for controlling the operation of the unmanned vehicle of Driving information including positions on tracks of the plurality of unmanned carriers, state information traveling on the tracks of each of the plurality of unmanned carriers, and work information to be performed by each of the plurality of unmanned carriers; Unmanned carrier control system comprising a database. The method of claim 1, Each of a number of unmanned carriers, A Zigbee communication unit which communicates with the main server through the router; A photographing unit which photographs the contact state between the wheel and the track; A controller for determining whether to drive normally based on the captured image and performing self-diagnosis; And a storage unit configured to store driving information including position information of each unmanned vehicle on the track, predetermined task information to be performed, and state information according to the determination result. The method of claim 3, wherein Each of the plurality of unmanned carriers further includes a sensor unit for detecting a distance from the unmanned carrier in front of the vehicle, whether the cargo is mounted, whether there is an obstacle in front of the vehicle, and whether there is an impact. The control unit performs a self-diagnostic based on the information received from the sensor unit, if it is determined that there is a risk factor of the self-diagnosis, the unmanned vehicle control system, characterized in that for outputting an alarm through the alarm output unit. The method of claim 3, wherein Each of the plurality of unmanned vehicle further includes an infrared transmitting and receiving unit for communicating with the user's remote control, And the controller controls driving on the track based on a task to be performed and driving control information received through a remote controller. The method of claim 3, wherein Each of the plurality of unmanned vehicle further includes a touch panel for setting work contents by the user and displaying current status information. And the control unit stores the job information input through the touch panel in the storage unit, and controls to output the result of the self-diagnosis through the touch panel. The method of claim 1, A barcode including location information is attached to the side of the track Each of the plurality of unmanned carriers includes a bar code reader for reading the bar code, the unmanned vehicle control system, characterized in that to obtain the position information of the front through the read bar code. The method of claim 1, And the IP CAM transmits the obtained driving information to a mobile terminal of a user. The method of claim 1, And said track has an inner height h at a curved portion less than an outer height h '. The method of claim 1, And said line has a line width (L) of a straight section, a curved section, and an extension section of the straight section and the curved section.

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