KR102507973B1 - Automated guided vehicle and operation method of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an unmanned guided vehicle for transporting cargo using a fork is a vehicle for detecting at least one of the size, position, and attitude of a truck by using a first sensor and generating vehicle detection information. sensing unit; a cargo detecting unit configured to sense at least one of the shape, position, and attitude of the cargo and generate cargo sensing information using the second sensor; a path generator for generating a moving path of the unmanned guided vehicle based on at least one of the truck detection information and the cargo detection information; And based on the cargo detection information, it characterized in that it comprises a posture determining unit for determining the height and insertion angle of the fork.

Description

Unmanned guided vehicle and its operating method {AUTOMATED GUIDED VEHICLE AND OPERATION METHOD OF THE SAME}

An embodiment of the present invention is an unmanned guided vehicle and an operating method thereof, particularly an unmanned guided vehicle capable of transferring or loading cargo by detecting the size, position, and attitude of a truck and the size, type, position, and orientation of cargo, and an operation thereof It's about how.

As the production system of the logistics industry system becomes automated and unmanned, the use of automated guided vehicles responsible for transporting products within buildings or factories is increasing. Autonomous judgment ability and driving ability are required for an unmanned guided vehicle in an arbitrary working environment.

Recently, in order to implement an intelligent unmanned transport vehicle, there is a demand for a technology capable of transporting cargo even when the location of the cargo is not a pre-fixed location.

In order to transport the cargo at a location other than the specific location, a technology for recognizing the exact location of the cargo and loading or relocating the cargo is required.

However, conventional unmanned transport vehicles have a problem in that they cannot load or transfer cargoes of trucks that are not parked in a predetermined position and posture.

In addition, conventional unmanned transport vehicles have a problem in that cargo cannot be loaded or transferred when the location of the cargo is not determined.

In addition, conventional unmanned transport vehicles have a problem in that cargo cannot be properly transferred or loaded when the cargo is not on a pedestal (eg, a pallet).

Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1140839 'Location Recognition Method and Apparatus for Unmanned Guided Vehicle' (registered on April 20, 2012) Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1397342 'Apparatus and method for autonomous pallet unloading of an unmanned forklift' (registered on May 13, 2014)

An object of the present invention is to provide an unmanned guided vehicle and an operating method thereof capable of improving usability.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an unmanned guided vehicle capable of operating in response to various types of trucks and an operating method thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an unmanned guided vehicle capable of adjusting a moving path by detecting the size, position, and posture of a parked truck and an operating method thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an unmanned guided vehicle capable of loading or relocating cargo by detecting the size, type, location, and attitude of cargo even in an environment where the location of cargo is not specified, and an operating method thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an unmanned guided vehicle and an operating method thereof capable of responding to various types of cargo by determining whether cargo is placed on a pallet and appropriately processing according to each case.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an unmanned guided vehicle capable of setting a plurality of cargo areas in a cargo compartment of a truck and loading or transferring cargo corresponding to the plurality of areas, and an operating method thereof.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an unmanned guided vehicle for transporting cargo using a fork is a vehicle for detecting at least one of the size, position, and attitude of a truck by using a first sensor and generating vehicle detection information. sensing unit; a cargo detecting unit configured to sense at least one of the shape, position, and attitude of the cargo and generate cargo sensing information using the second sensor; a path generator for generating a moving path of the unmanned guided vehicle based on at least one of the truck detection information and the cargo detection information; And based on the cargo detection information, it characterized in that it comprises a posture determining unit for determining the height and insertion angle of the fork.

In the present invention, the attitude determination unit may include: a cargo area setting unit for extracting an image of the cargo from the cargo sensing information and setting a cargo area corresponding to the cargo; a pedestal detection unit for determining whether the cargo located in the cargo area is placed on a pedestal; and a first height determining unit configured to determine a height of the fork to correspond to an insertion hole of the support when the cargo is placed on the support.

In the present invention, the position determination unit may include an insertion area setting unit configured to set an insertion area of the fork based on the shape of the cargo included in the cargo detection information when the cargo is not disposed on the pedestal; and a second height determining unit configured to determine a height of the fork to correspond to the insertion area.

In the present invention, the position determination unit is characterized in that it further comprises an angle determination unit for determining the insertion angle of the fork based on the shape of the cargo.

In the present invention, the path creation unit may adjust the movement path so that the fork faces the cargo based on at least one of the truck detection information and the cargo detection information.

In the present invention, the vehicle detecting unit is characterized in that it detects at least one of the size, position, and attitude of the truck by recognizing the shape of the truck using the first sensor.

In the present invention, the cargo sensing unit is characterized in that at least one of the shape, position and attitude of the cargo is sensed using the second sensor disposed on one side of the fork.

In the present invention, the first sensor and the second sensor are characterized in that they include a laser scanner for distance detection.

In the present invention, the path generator changes a rotation start node, a rotation end node, and a stop node included in the movement path based on at least one of the size, position, and attitude of the truck detected by the truck detector. A method of operating an unmanned guided vehicle for transporting cargo using a fork according to an embodiment of the present invention detects at least one of the size, position, and posture of the truck by using a first sensor. and generating truck detection information; detecting at least one of the shape, position, and posture of the cargo loaded in the truck by using a second sensor and generating cargo detection information; generating a movement path of the unmanned guided vehicle based on at least one of the truck detection information and the cargo detection information; determining a height and an insertion angle of the fork based on the cargo detection information; moving according to the movement path; and controlling the fork according to the height and insertion angle of the fork.

In the present invention, the step of determining the height and insertion angle of the fork may include extracting an image of the cargo from the cargo sensing information and setting a cargo area corresponding to the cargo; determining whether the cargo located in the cargo area is placed on a pedestal; and determining a height of the fork to correspond to an insertion hole of the support when the cargo is placed on the support.

In the present invention, the step of determining the height and insertion angle of the fork, when the cargo is not disposed on the pedestal, based on the shape of the cargo included in the cargo detection information, to set the insertion area of the fork doing; and

It characterized in that it further comprises the step of determining the height of the fork to correspond to the insertion area.

In the present invention, the step of determining the height and insertion angle of the fork is characterized in that it further comprises the step of determining the insertion angle of the fork based on the shape of the cargo.

In the present invention, the generating of the movement path may include adjusting the movement path so that the fork faces the cargo based on at least one of the truck detection information and the cargo detection information.

An unmanned guided vehicle and an operating method thereof according to the present invention have an effect of improving usability.

In addition, the unmanned guided vehicle and its operating method of the present invention have the effect of being able to properly operate in response to various types of trucks.

In addition, the unmanned guided vehicle and its operating method according to the present invention have an effect of adjusting a moving path by detecting the position and posture of a parked truck.

In addition, the unmanned guided vehicle and its operating method according to the present invention have an effect of recognizing the size, type, position and posture of cargo and loading or transferring the cargo even in an environment where the location of the cargo is not specified.

In addition, the unmanned guided vehicle and its operating method according to the present invention have an effect of setting a plurality of cargo areas in a cargo compartment and loading or transferring cargo corresponding to the plurality of areas.

In addition, the unmanned guided vehicle and its operating method of the present invention recognizes the size, position and attitude of the truck, then creates a new movement path to accurately move to the location of the cargo, and without a separate installation, the size, type, location and posture of the cargo It has the effect of recognizing the posture and accurately loading or transferring cargo.

In addition, the unmanned guided vehicle and its operating method of the present invention classify cargoes that do not require a pedestal (eg, pallet) and cargoes that require a pedestal, and load or transfer the cargo according to the classification result, thereby effectively using the space of the cargo compartment It works.

1 is a diagram showing a cargo management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a diagram showing an unmanned conveyance device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram illustrating an operation of an unmanned guided vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a view showing a posture determination unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a diagram illustrating an operation of an unmanned guided vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a posture determining unit according to a shape of a cargo according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a posture determining unit according to a shape of a cargo according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a posture determining unit according to a shape of a cargo according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a posture determining unit according to a shape of a cargo according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a diagram illustrating an operation of an unmanned guided vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating an unmanned guided vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating an unmanned guided vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a diagram illustrating a method of operating an unmanned guided vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention is described in more detail.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the present invention and other matters necessary for those skilled in the art to easily understand the contents of the present invention will be described in detail. However, since the present invention can be implemented in many different forms within the scope described in the claims, the embodiments described below are merely illustrative regardless of whether they are expressed or not.

Like reference numerals designate like components. Also, in the drawings, the thickness, ratio, and dimensions of components are exaggerated for effective description of technical content. “And/or” may include any combination of one or more that the associated elements may define.

Terms such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. These terms are only used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, a first element may be termed a second element, and similarly, a second element may be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the present invention. Singular expressions may include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In addition, terms such as "below", "lower side", "above", and "upper side" are used to describe the relationship between components shown in the drawings. The above terms are relative concepts and will be described based on the directions shown in the drawings.

Terms such as "include" or "have" are intended to indicate that a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification exists, but that one or more other features, numbers, or steps are present. However, it should be understood that it does not preclude the possibility of existence or addition of operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

That is, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be implemented in various different forms, and in the following description, when a part is connected to another part, it is directly connected. In addition, it may also include a case where the other element is electrically connected with another element interposed therebetween. In addition, it should be noted that the same reference numerals and symbols refer to the same components in the drawings, even if they are displayed on different drawings.

1 is a diagram showing a cargo management system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1 , the cargo management system 10 may include an unmanned guided vehicle 100 and a truck 200 .

The unmanned guided vehicle 100 may transport cargo using the fork FK. For example, the unmanned transport vehicle 100 may be implemented as an unmanned forklift that moves within a cargo storage area for loading or transferring cargo using a fork FK.

The truck 200 may be parked in the parking area PA to load or transfer cargo. For example, the truck 200 may be implemented as various types of trucks, and may have different specifications depending on the type. That is, the cargo wagon 200 may be designed to have different widths, lengths, and heights of cargo compartments depending on the type.

A plurality of cargoes CG1 and CG2 may be loaded in the truck 200 . For example, a first cargo CG1 and a second cargo CG2 may be loaded in the truck 200 . However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and according to embodiments, three or more cargoes may be loaded in the truck 200 .

The truck 200 may be parked in a parking area PA defined by a parking line. As shown in FIG. 1 , it is preferable that the truck 200 is accurately parked in the parking area PA, but errors in parking may occur due to various reasons. For example, the truck 200 may not be parked in line with the center of the parking area PA, and the truck 200 may be parked at an angle rather than parallel to the parking line.

The unmanned guided vehicle 100 of the present invention can detect its own location and the location of the truck in the cargo storage area, and through this, it can approach the parking area PA where the truck 200 is parked.

As it approaches the truck 200, the automated guided vehicle 100 can detect at least one of the size, position, and attitude of the truck, and can detect at least one of the shape, position, and attitude of the cargo. In addition, the unmanned guided vehicle 100 may modify the movement path or create a new movement path by reflecting the detection result.

The unmanned guided vehicle 100 detects at least one of the shape, position, and posture of the cargo, determines whether the cargo is placed on the pedestal, and varies the height of the fork FK according to the presence or absence of the pedestal and the shape of the cargo. By determining, the cargo can be properly loaded or transferred. Also, the unmanned guided vehicle 100 may differently determine the insertion angle of the fork FK according to the shape of the cargo.

2 is a diagram showing an unmanned guided vehicle 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the unmanned guided vehicle 100 includes a vehicle detecting unit 110, a cargo detecting unit 120, a path generating unit 130, a posture determining unit 140, a traveling unit 150 and A fork control unit 160 may be included.

The vehicle sensor 110 may detect any one of the size, position, and attitude of the truck 200 using the first sensor and generate truck detection information. At this time, the posture of the truck 200 may include a parking angle of the truck, vehicle body inclination according to a difference in air pressure between tires, and the like. According to embodiments, the first sensor may include a laser scanner for distance detection.

The cargo sensor 120 may detect at least one of the shape, position, and attitude of the cargo by using the second sensor, and generate cargo detection information. At this time, the attitude of the cargo may include the angle at which the cargo is placed. Depending on embodiments, the second sensor may be implemented as a vision sensor, a camera device, or a 3D scanner, or integrated with the first sensor to be integrally implemented.

In addition, the cargo sensor 120 may precisely detect at least one of the shape, position, and posture of the cargo by additionally using artificial intelligence or point cloud technology.

The route generator 130 may generate a movement route of the unmanned guided vehicle 100 based on at least one of the truck detection information and the cargo detection information. For example, the path generator 130 sets a moving path of the unmanned guided vehicle 100 using a dynamic path planning method, or reflects the set moving path to the parking angle of the truck, the posture of the cargo, etc. in real time. can be modified to

Also, the path generator 130 may adjust the moving path of the unmanned guided vehicle 100 so that the fork FK faces the cargo based on at least one of the truck detection information and the cargo detection information.

The attitude determination unit 140 may determine the height and insertion angle of the fork based on the cargo detection information. For example, the posture determining unit 140 may determine whether or not the cargo is placed on a pedestal (eg, a pallet), and determine the height in different ways depending on whether or not the pedestal is present. Details related to this will be described in detail in FIG. 4 .

The traveling unit 150 may move according to the movement path created by the path generating unit 130 . For example, the driving unit 150 may be implemented as a main body of the unmanned guided vehicle 100 .

Depending on the embodiment, the driving unit 150 may move using the front and rear wheels, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Within the scope of achieving the objects of the present invention, the driving unit 150 may move in various ways. The driving unit 150 may be driven according to a signal received through wireless communication, but may include a steering wheel unit so that the user can directly drive by riding on the vehicle according to an embodiment.

The fork control unit 160 may control the fork according to the height and insertion angle of the fork determined by the position determining unit 140 .

For example, the fork controller 160 may control the height of the fork using a lift device.

When the unmanned guided vehicle 100 transfers cargo to the truck 200, the fork control unit 160 may move the fork up and down according to the determined height of the fork so that the fork FK is inserted. When the unmanned guided vehicle 100 loads cargo onto the truck 200, the fork controller 160 may use the fork to place the cargo at a desired height.

Although not shown, the unmanned guided vehicle 100 may further include a location detector for detecting a location. The location sensor may determine the location of the unmanned guided vehicle 100 using a reflector disposed in a cargo storage area (eg, a cargo warehouse). In this case, the location sensor may determine the location of the unmanned guided vehicle 100 in real time.

For convenience of description, the vehicle detecting unit 110 and the cargo detecting unit 120 are shown as separate components, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and according to embodiments, the vehicle detecting unit 110 and the cargo detecting unit are not limited thereto. The unit 120 may be integrated and integrally implemented.

3 is a diagram illustrating an operation of an unmanned guided vehicle 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 to 3 , the driving unit 150 of the unmanned guided vehicle 100 may move along the first path P1. In this case, the unmanned guided vehicle 100 may move along the first path P1 by sensing the current location in real time. For example, the first route P1 may refer to an initial route preset based on an approximate location of the truck 200 (eg, location coordinates of the parking area PA).

As the unmanned guided vehicle 100 approaches the truck 200, the vehicle detector 110 of the unmanned guided vehicle 100 measures the size, position, and attitude of the truck 200 using the first sensor SS1. Truck detection information is generated by detecting at least one of the trucks, and the route generating unit 130 may check the size, actual parking position, and posture of the truck through the truck detection information. The path generator 130 may modify the first path P1 to generate a second path P2, and the driving unit 150 may move along the second path P2.

Through this, the unmanned guided vehicle 100 of the present invention can accurately reach a target cargo and can oppose or transfer the cargo even in a situation where the truck is not accurately parked at a predetermined location.

For convenience of description, the unmanned guided vehicle 100 is illustrated as approaching the second cargo CG2, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the unmanned guided vehicle 100 may be transported to any one of a plurality of cargoes. can access

4 is a diagram showing a posture determination unit 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the posture determining unit 140 includes a cargo area setting unit 141, a pedestal detection unit 142, a first height determining unit 143, an insertion area setting unit 144, and a second height determining unit ( 145) and an angle determination unit 146.

The cargo area setting unit 141 may extract an image of cargo from cargo detection information and set a cargo area corresponding to the cargo. That is, the cargo area setting unit 141 may extract an image of the cargo based on the shape, position, and attitude of the cargo, and set a cargo area for each cargo on the image. Through this, the unmanned guided vehicle of the present invention can improve the processing speed by performing image processing for each cargo area.

The pedestal detection unit 142 may determine whether cargo located in the cargo area is placed on the pedestal. That is, the pedestal detection unit 142 may determine whether or not the shape of the pedestal is included in the cargo area, and if the shape of the pedestal is present, it may be determined that the cargo is disposed on the pedestal. For example, the pedestal may refer to a structure having a separate insertion hole, such as a palette.

The first height determining unit 143 may determine the height of the fork to correspond to the insertion hole of the cradle when cargo is placed on the cradle. That is, the first height determining unit 143 may determine the height of the fork by searching for the position of the insertion hole of the pedestal (eg, the hole of the pallet) from the image of the cargo.

The insertion area setting unit 144 may set the insertion area of the fork based on the shape of the cargo included in the cargo detection information when the cargo is not disposed on the pedestal. That is, the insertion area setting unit 144 may set an insertion area suitable for inserting the fork from the image of the cargo to the shape of the cargo. Details related to this will be described in detail in FIGS. 6 to 9 .

The second height determining unit 145 may determine the height of the fork to correspond to the insertion area. That is, the second height determining unit 145 may set the height of the insertion area set by the insertion area setting unit 144 as the height of the fork.

The angle determining unit 146 may determine the insertion angle of the fork based on the shape of the cargo. That is, the angle determining unit 146 may detect the inclination of the cargo from the shape of the cargo, and determine the insertion angle of the fork to correspond to the inclination of the cargo.

5 is a diagram illustrating an operation of an unmanned guided vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. The cargo and the truck shown in FIG. 5 are shown by way of example for convenience of explanation, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Depending on the embodiment, various types of trucks may be applied, and cargoes may also be loaded in various ways.

FIG. 5 illustratively shows an image viewed from the side of the truck 200 from the point of view of the unmanned guided vehicle.

1 to 5, a plurality of cargoes, that is, a first cargo CG1, a second cargo CG2, a third cargo CG3, and a fourth cargo CG4 are loaded in the truck 200. It can be.

The cargo detector 120 may detect at least one of the shape, position, and attitude of each cargo using the second sensor SS2 . At this time, the second sensor SS2 may be provided on one side of the fork FK to better detect the cargo.

According to the embodiment, the second sensor (SS2) is implemented as a plane scanner coupled to the fork (FK), as the fork (FK) is raised and lowered, by moving together in the height direction, to detect the three-dimensional shape of the cargo. can

For example, the first cargo CG1 is disposed on the first pedestal PT1, the second cargo CG2 is disposed on the second pedestal PT2, and the third cargo CG3 is disposed on the first cargo CG1. ), and the fourth cargo CG4 may be disposed adjacent to the second cargo CG2.

Based on the cargo detection information generated by the cargo detection unit 120, the attitude determining unit 140 may determine the height and insertion angle of the fork.

Specifically, the cargo area setting unit 141 determines the first cargo (CG1), the second cargo (CG2), the third cargo (CG3), and the fourth cargo (CG4) loaded in the truck 200 from the cargo detection information. An image of the cargo may be extracted, and a cargo area corresponding to each cargo may be set.

The pedestal detection unit 142 may determine whether cargo located in the cargo area is placed on the pedestal. That is, the pedestal detector 142 detects the shapes of the first pedestal PT1 and the second pedestal PT2 in the cargo area corresponding to the first cargo CG1 and the second cargo CG2, so that the first cargo ( It can be confirmed that CG1) and the second cargo CG2 are placed on the pedestal, and that the third cargo CG3 and the fourth cargo CG4 are not placed on the pedestal.

The first height determining unit 143 may determine the height of the fork to correspond to the insertion hole of the first pedestal PT1 with respect to the first cargo CG1, and with respect to the second cargo CG2, the second pedestal The height of the fork can be determined to correspond to the insertion hole of (PT2).

Meanwhile, the insertion area setting unit 144 may set fork insertion areas for each cargo for the third cargo CG3 and the fourth cargo CG4 that are not disposed on the pedestal, based on the shape of the cargo. At this time, the insertion area setting unit 144 may set the insertion area differently according to the shape of the cargo. Details related to this are described in FIGS. 6 to 9 .

The second height determining unit 145 may determine the height of the fork to correspond to the insertion area of each of the third cargo CG3 and the fourth cargo CG4 .

In addition, the angle determining unit 146 may determine whether the cargo is tilted in a specific direction based on the shape of the cargo, and determine the insertion angle of the fork so that the fork can be properly inserted based on this.

6 and 9 are diagrams illustrating the operation of the attitude determination unit according to the shape of a cargo according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is assumed that none of the cargoes CG shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 are placed on the pedestal.

1 to 9 , the cargo area setting unit 141 may set a cargo area SA corresponding to the cargo CG, and the cargo CG is detected by the pedestal detector 142 as the cargo CG. It can be determined that it is not placed on this pedestal.

The insertion area setting unit 144 may set the insertion area IA for the cargo CG.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, based on the structure of the cargo CG, the insertion area setting unit 144 is inserted into the insertion area at the lower end of the support portion where the fork FK can be inserted and supported. (IA) can be set. Through this, the unmanned guided vehicle 100 of the present invention can appropriately load or transfer the cargo CG without a support based on the structure of the cargo CG.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, when there are two or more supports in the structure of the cargo CG, the insertion area setting unit 144 is inserted into the insertion area (IA) at the lower end of the support portion having a thicker thickness of the support. ) can be set. Through this, the unmanned guided vehicle 100 of the present invention can more stably load or transfer cargoes (CG) having various structures.

10 is a diagram illustrating an operation of an unmanned guided vehicle 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 10 , the cargo sensor 120 may detect at least one of the shape, position, and posture of the cargo CG using the second sensor SS2 . In particular, the cargo sensor 120 may detect a posture of the cargo CG including an inclined angle in the direction in which the fork FK enters.

The angle determining unit 146 determines whether the cargo is tilted in a specific direction based on the shape of the cargo CG, and based on this determines the insertion angle IG of the fork so that the fork FK can be properly inserted. can decide

The fork control unit 160 may load or transfer the cargo CG by controlling the fork FK according to the height HT and the insertion angle IG of the fork determined by the position determining unit 140 .

Through this, the unmanned guided vehicle 100 of the present invention prevents damage to the cargo CG due to the insertion of the fork FK even when the truck 200 tilts due to the difference in air pressure in the tires, and properly transports the cargo CG. can do.

11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating an unmanned guided vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the operating method of the unmanned guided vehicle 100 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11 .

First, the vehicle sensor 110 may detect any one of the size, position, and attitude of the truck 200 using the first sensor SS1 and generate truck detection information (S10). For example, as the unmanned guided vehicle 100 approaches the truck 200, the vehicle sensor 110 detects the truck 200 and provides truck detection information indicating the actual parking position and posture of the truck 200. can create

The cargo sensor 120 may detect at least one of the shape, position, and posture of the cargo using the second sensor SS2 and generate cargo sensing information (S20). For example, as the unmanned guided vehicle 100 approaches the truck 200, the cargo sensor 120 detects the cargo CG and provides cargo detection information representing the shape, position, and attitude of the cargo CG. can create

The path generator 130 may generate a movement path of the unmanned guided vehicle 100 based on at least one of the truck detection information and the cargo detection information (S30). For example, the route creation unit 130 may modify or create a movement route in consideration of the size, actual parking position and attitude of the truck 200 . In addition, the path creation unit 130 may modify or create a movement path in consideration of the shape, position, and attitude of the cargo CG.

The attitude determining unit 140 may determine the height HT and the insertion angle IG of the fork FK based on the cargo detection information (S40). For example, the posture determining unit 140 adjusts the height of the fork FK to the insertion hole of the cradle when the cargo CG is placed on the pedestal, and if not, the insertion area appropriately set according to the shape of the cargo CG. (IA) can adjust the height of the fork (FK). In addition, the attitude determination unit 140 may determine the insertion angle IG by reflecting the degree of inclination of the cargo CG.

The traveling unit 150 may move according to the movement path created by the path generating unit 130 (S50). For example, the driving unit 150 moves according to a movement path modified or created in real time, so that the unmanned guided vehicle 100 can approach the truck 200 and the cargo CG.

The fork control unit 160 may control the fork according to the height HT and insertion angle IG of the fork FK determined by the posture determination unit 140 (S60). For example, after the unmanned guided vehicle 100 approaches the cargo CG, the fork controller 160 may control the fork FK to load or transfer the cargo CG.

12 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating an unmanned guided vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the step (S40) of determining the height (HT) and insertion angle (IG) of the fork (FK) of the present invention with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12 will be described in detail.

First, the cargo area setting unit 141 may extract an image of the cargo CG from cargo detection information and set a cargo area SA corresponding to the cargo (S41). For example, the cargo area setting unit 141 may set a cargo area SA for each cargo.

The pedestal detector 142 may determine whether the cargo CG located in the cargo area SA is placed on the pedestal (S42). For example, the pedestal detector 142 may determine whether or not the cargo CG is disposed on the pedestal by checking whether there is a pedestal in the cargo area SA.

When the cargo is placed on the pedestal (YES in S43), the first height determining unit 143 may determine the height of the fork FK to correspond to the insertion hole of the pedestal (S44). For example, the first height determining unit 143 may determine the height of the fork FK according to the height of the insertion hole based on the structure of the pedestal.

When the cargo is not placed on the pedestal (NO in S43), the insertion area setting unit 144 may set the fork insertion area based on the shape of the cargo included in the cargo detection information (S45). For example, the insertion area setting unit 144 may derive an appropriate support area from the shape of the cargo CG and set the insertion area IA under the support area.

The second height determining unit 145 may determine the height of the fork to correspond to the insertion area IA (S46).

The angle determining unit 146 may determine the insertion angle of the fork based on the shape of the cargo (S47). For example, the angle determining unit 146 determines whether the cargo CG is tilted in a specific direction based on the shape of the cargo, and inserts the fork FK so that the fork FK can be properly inserted based on this. The angle (IG) can be determined.

Through this, the unmanned guided vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention can accurately detect the height of the cargo and raise or lower the fork to accurately load or transfer the cargo.

13 is a diagram illustrating an operating method of the unmanned guided vehicle 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 to 13, the vehicle sensor 110 detects the size (SZ), position (PT), and attitude (AT) of the truck 200 using the first sensor, and generates truck detection information. can do.

For convenience of description, in FIG. 13 , the size (SZ) of the truck 200 is the overall length of the truck 200, the position PT is the center point of the truck 200, and the posture AT is the center of the truck 200. Although shown as a parking angle, the present invention is not limited thereto, and each of the size (SZ), position (PT), and attitude (AT) of the truck 200 represents various information within the scope of achieving the object of the invention, or , can include

The path generator 130 may adjust the moving path of the driving unit 150 based on at least one of the size (SZ), position (PT), and attitude (AT) of the truck detected by the vehicle detector 110. there is.

For example, the path generator 130 sets a moving path of the unmanned guided vehicle 100 by using a dynamic path planning method or reflects the actual size, position, and posture of the truck 200 on the set moving path. and can be modified in real time.

In addition, the route generator 130 directs the fork FK toward the cargo based on the current position of the driving unit 150 and the size, position, and attitude of the truck 200. The movement path of (150) can be adjusted.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13 , the path generator 130 may initially generate a first path P1 indicated by a dotted line or may be set as the first path P1 according to an external input.

At this time, the first path P1 includes a trajectory on a plane along which the traveling unit 150 will move, and includes a first node N1, a second node N2, a third node N3, and a fourth node N4. And the fifth node N5 represents a specific point on the first path P1, respectively. In this specification, a node means a point where the unmanned guided vehicle 100 can be located.

At this time, the third node N3 , the fourth node N4 , and the fifth node N5 refer to nodes that determine the entry of the unmanned guided vehicle 100 into the truck 200 .

For example, the unmanned guided vehicle 100 moves in a straight line along a specific direction to the third node N3, reverses the traveling direction at the third node N3, and then moves to the third node N3 and the fourth node N4. ), it can move along a curved trajectory. In addition, the unmanned guided vehicle 100 may move along the previous trajectory in the section between the fourth node N4 and the fifth node N5 and reach the fifth node N5 where the cargo is located.

In this specification, the third node N3 may be referred to as a rotation start node, the fourth node N4 may be referred to as a rotation end node, and the fifth node N5 may be referred to as a rotation stop node. That is, the path generator 130 may generate a second path P2 by modifying the first path P1 by changing the rotation start node, the rotation end node, and the stop node.

The path generator 130 moves the driving unit 150 along the first path P1, and the driving unit 150 may move from the first node N1 to the second node N2. At this time, the driving unit 150 gradually approaches the truck 200, and the vehicle sensor 110 detects the size (SZ), position (PT), and attitude (AT) of the truck 200 using the first sensor. can detect

The path generator 130 modifies the first path P1 into the second path P2 based on the size (SZ), position (PT), and attitude (AT) detected by the vehicle sensor 110. can For example, the path generator 130 connects the third node N3, the fourth node N4, and the fifth node N5 to the third node N3', the fourth node N4', and the fifth node ( N5'), it is possible to generate the second path P2.

According to the above method, the automatic guided vehicle 100 moves along the third node N3', fourth node N4', and fifth node N5' of the second path P2, and the truck 200 ) can accurately load or transfer cargo.

Through the above method, the unmanned guided vehicle and the operating method thereof according to the present invention have an effect of improving usability.

In addition, the unmanned guided vehicle and its operating method of the present invention have the effect of being able to properly operate in response to various types of trucks.

In addition, the unmanned guided vehicle and its operating method according to the present invention have an effect of adjusting a moving path by detecting the position and attitude of a parked truck.

In addition, the unmanned guided vehicle and its operating method according to the present invention have an effect of recognizing the size, type, position and posture of cargo and loading or transferring the cargo even in an environment where the location of the cargo is not specified.

In addition, the unmanned guided vehicle and its operating method according to the present invention have the effect of setting a plurality of areas in a cargo compartment and loading or transferring cargoes corresponding to the plurality of areas.

In addition, the unmanned guided vehicle and its operating method of the present invention recognizes the size, position and attitude of the truck, then creates a new movement path to accurately move to the location of the cargo, and without a separate installation, the size, type, location and posture of the cargo It has the effect of recognizing the posture and accurately loading or transferring cargo.

In addition, the unmanned guided vehicle and its operating method of the present invention classify cargoes that do not require a pedestal (eg, pallet) and cargoes that require a pedestal, and load or transfer the cargo according to the classification result, thereby effectively using the space of the cargo compartment It works.

The functional operations described in this specification and the embodiments related to the present subject matter are implemented in digital electronic circuits, computer software, firmware, or hardware, or in a combination of one or more of them, including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents. possible.

Embodiments of the subject matter described herein relate to one or more computer program products, that is, one or more computer program instructions encoded on a tangible program medium for execution by or controlling the operation of a data processing device. It can be implemented as a module. A tangible program medium may be a propagated signal or a computer readable medium. A propagated signal is an artificially generated signal, eg a machine generated electrical, optical or electromagnetic signal, generated to encode information for transmission by a computer to an appropriate receiver device. The computer-readable medium may be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a memory device, a combination of materials that affect a machine-readable propagation signal, or a combination of one or more of these.

A computer program (also known as a program, software, software application, script, or code) may be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted language or a priori or procedural language, and may be a stand-alone program or module; It may be deployed in any form, including components, subroutines, or other units suitable for use in a computer environment.

A computer program does not necessarily correspond to a file on a file device. A program may be contained within a single file provided to the requested program, or within multiple interacting files (e.g., one or more of which stores a module, subprogram, or piece of code), or within a file holding other programs or data. may be stored within a part (eg, one or more scripts stored within a markup language document).

A computer program may be deployed to be executed on a single computer or multiple computers located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.

Additionally, the logic flow and structural block diagrams described in this patent document describe corresponding actions and/or specific methods supported by corresponding functions and steps supported by the disclosed structural means. It can also be used to build software structures and algorithms and their equivalents.

The processes and logic flows described herein can be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output.

Processors suitable for the execution of computer programs include, for example, both general and special purpose microprocessors and any one or more processors of any type of digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from either read-only memory or random access memory or both.

The core elements of a computer are one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data and a processor for executing instructions. Also, a computer is generally operable to receive data from or transfer data to one or more mass storage devices for storing data, such as magnetic, magneto-optical disks or optical disks, or to perform both such operations. combined with or will include them. However, a computer need not have such a device.

The present description presents the best mode of the invention and provides examples to illustrate the invention and to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The specification thus prepared does not limit the invention to the specific terms presented.

Although the above has been described with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art or those having ordinary knowledge in the art do not deviate from the spirit and technical scope of the present invention described in the claims to be described later. It will be understood that the present invention can be variously modified and changed within the scope not specified.

Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the contents described in the detailed description of the specification, but should be defined by the claims.

10: Cargo management system
100: unmanned transport vehicle
110: vehicle detection unit
120: cargo detection unit
130: path generation unit
140: posture determining unit
150: driving unit
160: fork control unit
200: truck

Claims (14)

In the unmanned transport vehicle for transporting cargo using a fork,
a vehicle detector for detecting at least one of the size, position, and attitude of the truck by using the first sensor and generating truck detection information;
a cargo detecting unit configured to sense at least one of the shape, position, and attitude of the cargo and generate cargo sensing information using the second sensor;
a path generator for generating a moving path of the unmanned guided vehicle based on at least one of the truck detection information and the cargo detection information; and
Based on the cargo detection information, including a posture determining unit for determining a height and an insertion angle of the fork,
The posture determining unit,
a cargo area setting unit configured to extract an image of the cargo from the cargo detection information and set a cargo area corresponding to the cargo;
a pedestal detection unit for determining whether the cargo located in the cargo area is placed on a pedestal; and
Characterized in that, when the cargo is placed on the pedestal, a first height determining unit for determining the height of the fork to correspond to the insertion hole of the pedestal,
unmanned transport vehicle. delete According to claim 1,
The posture determining unit,
an insertion area setting unit configured to set an insertion area of the fork based on the shape of the cargo included in the cargo detection information when the cargo is not placed on the pedestal; and
Characterized in that it further comprises a second height determining unit for determining the height of the fork to correspond to the insertion area,
unmanned transport vehicle. According to claim 3,
The posture determining unit,
Based on the shape of the cargo, characterized in that it further comprises an angle determining unit for determining the insertion angle of the fork,
unmanned transport vehicle. According to claim 4,
Characterized in that the path creation unit adjusts the movement path so that the fork faces the cargo based on at least one of the truck detection information and the cargo detection information.
unmanned transport vehicle. According to claim 1,
Characterized in that the vehicle detection unit detects at least one of the size, position, and posture of the truck by recognizing the shape of the truck using the first sensor.
unmanned transport vehicle. According to claim 6,
Characterized in that the cargo detection unit detects at least one of the shape, position and posture of the cargo using the second sensor disposed on one side of the fork.
unmanned transport vehicle. According to claim 7,
Characterized in that the first sensor and the second sensor include a laser scanner for distance detection,
unmanned transport vehicle. According to claim 1,
The path generator,
Based on at least one of the size, position, and posture of the truck detected by the cargo sensor, a rotation start node, a rotation end node, and a stop node included in the movement path are changed. Characterized in that,
unmanned transport vehicle. In the operating method of an unmanned transport vehicle for transporting cargo using a fork,
detecting at least one of the size, position, and attitude of the truck by using a first sensor and generating truck detection information;
detecting at least one of the shape, position, and posture of the cargo loaded in the truck by using a second sensor and generating cargo sensing information;
generating a movement path of the unmanned guided vehicle based on at least one of the truck detection information and the cargo detection information;
determining a height and an insertion angle of the fork based on the cargo detection information;
moving according to the movement path; and
Controlling the fork according to the height and insertion angle of the fork,
Determining the height and insertion angle of the fork,
extracting an image of the cargo from the cargo detection information and setting a cargo area corresponding to the cargo;
determining whether the cargo located in the cargo area is placed on a pedestal; and
Characterized in that, when the load is placed on the pedestal, determining the height of the fork to correspond to the insertion hole of the pedestal,
A method of operating an unmanned guided vehicle. delete According to claim 10,
Determining the height and insertion angle of the fork,
setting an insertion area of the fork based on the shape of the cargo included in the cargo detection information when the cargo is not placed on the pedestal; and
Characterized in that it further comprises the step of determining the height of the fork to correspond to the insertion area,
A method of operating an unmanned guided vehicle. According to claim 12,
Determining the height and insertion angle of the fork,
Characterized in that it further comprises the step of determining the insertion angle of the fork based on the shape of the cargo,
A method of operating an unmanned guided vehicle. According to claim 13,
The step of generating the movement path is,
Characterized in that based on at least one of the truck detection information and the cargo detection information, the movement path is adjusted so that the fork faces the cargo.
A method of operating an unmanned guided vehicle.

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