WO2023053645A1 - Transport system, transport method, and control device - Google Patents

Abstract

A transport system comprising a transport device capable of lifting and transporting a moving shelf storing an article, and a control device that controls the movement of the transport device via a network, wherein the transport device has: wheels that can support the weight of the transport device and move on the floor surface; a first sensor that detects the grounding state of the wheels; and a transport control unit that transmits the grounding state of the wheels to the control device. The control device calculates the grounding width of the wheels from the grounding state received from the transport control unit and controls the speed or acceleration of the transport device according to the grounding width of the wheels.

Description

Conveying system, conveying method and control device Import by reference

This application claims the priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-158485 filed on September 28, 2021, and incorporates the contents thereof into the present application by reference.

The present invention relates to a transport system, a transport method, and a control device.

At the distribution warehouse, the delivered items are stored, and when an order is received, the corresponding item is taken out, packed, and shipped to the customer. In recent years, a transport system that transports articles by an unmanned transport vehicle may be adopted. A device that moves using wheels is widely known as an automatic guided vehicle.

As a technology for inspecting the wear of the wheels of an automatic guided vehicle, for example, identification marks are attached to the side surfaces of the wheels of a guided vehicle that runs along a travel rail, and the overall image of the wheels is photographed from the side of the travel route. , there is a technology for inspecting wheel wear and identifying individual wheels by detecting the outer diameter and identification marks of the wheels. For example, there is a technique described in Patent Document 1.

JP 2018-132332 A

The wear of the wheels of automated guided vehicles (conveyance devices) poses the problem of, for example, increasing frictional resistance and reducing vibration absorption capacity, depending on the cross-sectional shape of the wheels.

For example, if the cross-sectional shape of the wheel in the radial direction is arc-shaped or trapezoidal, the contact area increases as the wear progresses, so the running resistance also increases. As the running resistance increases, the running performance of the transporting device deteriorates, the transporting time increases, and the work efficiency of the distribution warehouse decreases.

In addition, in the case where the transportation device uses a battery as a power source, the running resistance of the wheels increases, which increases battery consumption when starting or turning, increasing the frequency of charging and lowering the operation rate of the transportation device. occurs.

In addition, when the wheel is made of a material having elasticity, the radius of the wheel with an arc-shaped cross-section in the radial direction decreases as the wear progresses, resulting in a decrease in the vibration absorption capacity, resulting in a decrease in the ability to absorb vibration during travel. There is a problem that the vibration received by the articles and the conveying device increases, and the load applied to the floor surface by the conveying device also increases.

Therefore, a transport system, a transport method, and a control device capable of suppressing the load on the floor surface by suppressing the vibration of the transported article and the transporting device even when the wear of the wheels of the transporting device progresses. offer.

The present invention is a transport system comprising a transport device capable of lifting and transporting a movable shelf storing articles, and a control device controlling movement of the transport device via a network, wherein the transport device comprises the A wheel capable of supporting the weight of the transport device and capable of moving on a floor surface, a first sensor detecting a ground contact state of the wheel, and a transport control unit transmitting the ground contact state of the wheel to the control device. The control device calculates the contact width of the wheel from the contact state received from the transfer control unit, and controls the speed or acceleration of the transfer device according to the contact width of the wheel.

According to the present invention, even if the wear of the wheels of the conveying device progresses, it is possible to suppress the vibration of the articles to be conveyed and the conveying device, and to suppress the load applied to the floor surface.

The details of at least one implementation of the subject matter disclosed in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the disclosed subject matter will become apparent from the following disclosure, drawings, and claims.

It is a block diagram which shows Example 1 and shows an example of a structure of a conveying system. It is a perspective view which shows Example 1 and shows an example of a conveying apparatus and a shelf. It is a bottom view which shows Example 1 and shows an example of a conveying apparatus. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing Example 1 and showing an example of the outline of the bottom surface of the frame of the conveying device, the drive wheels, and the auxiliary wheels. FIG. 2 shows the first embodiment and is a schematic diagram of the mounting position of a safety wheel monitoring sensor. FIG. 5 shows Example 1 and shows how the training wheels are worn. FIG. 10 shows Example 1 and shows an example of order information; FIG. 10 shows Example 1 and shows an example of inventory information; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing Example 1 and showing an example of shelf information; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the first embodiment and showing an example of device information; FIG. 10 shows the first embodiment and shows an example of a training wheel table; FIG. 10 shows Example 1 and shows an example of a wear degree table; FIG. 10 shows the first embodiment and shows an example of a speed control table; FIG. 10 shows Example 1 and shows an example of map information; It is a figure which shows Example 1 and shows an example of floor information. 5 is a flow chart showing Embodiment 1 and showing an example of processing performed in the transport system. 4 is a flow chart showing Embodiment 1 and showing an example of wear detection processing performed by a warehouse control device. 4 is a flowchart showing Embodiment 1 and showing an example of travel control according to the wear level performed by the warehouse control device. 5 is a flow chart showing Embodiment 1 and showing an example of a movement process performed by a conveying device. 4 is a graph showing Example 1 and showing an example of speed control according to the wear level performed by the warehouse control device. It is a block diagram which shows Example 2 and shows an example of a structure of a conveying system. It is a figure which shows Example 2 and shows an example of vibration data. It is a graph which shows Example 2 and shows an example of a vibration waveform. FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing Example 2 and showing an example of analysis processing performed by a warehouse control device; FIG. FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing Example 2 and showing an example of a totaling process of vibration data among the analysis processes performed by the warehouse control device. FIG. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing Example 2 and showing an example of a damage degree table; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing Example 2 and showing an example of a threshold table; FIG. 12 is a diagram showing Example 2 and showing an example of a floor state visualization screen;

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The examples are exemplifications for explaining the present invention, and are appropriately omitted and simplified for clarity of explanation. The present invention can also be implemented in various other forms. Unless otherwise specified, each component may be singular or plural.

The position, size, shape, range, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may not represent the actual position, size, shape, range, etc. in order to facilitate the understanding of the invention. As such, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the locations, sizes, shapes, extents, etc., disclosed in the drawings.

As examples of various types of information, expressions such as "table", "list", and "queue" may be used for explanation, but various types of information may be expressed in data structures other than these. For example, various information such as "XX table", "XX list", and "XX queue" may be referred to as "XX information". When describing identification information, expressions such as “identification information”, “identifier”, “name”, “ID”, and “number” are used, but these can be replaced with each other.

When there are multiple components that have the same or similar functions, they may be described with the same reference numerals with different suffixes. Further, when there is no need to distinguish between these constituent elements, the subscripts may be omitted in the description.

In the examples, the processing performed by executing the program may be explained. Here, the computer executes a program by means of a processor (eg, CPU, GPU) and performs processing determined by the program while using storage resources (eg, memory) and interface devices (eg, communication port). Therefore, the main body of the processing performed by executing the program may be the processor. Similarly, a main body of processing executed by executing a program may be a controller having a processor, a device, a system, a computer, or a node. The main body of processing performed by executing the program may be an arithmetic unit, and may include a dedicated circuit for performing specific processing. Here, the dedicated circuit is, for example, FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), or the like.

The program may be installed on the computer from the program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a computer-readable storage medium. When the program source is a program distribution server, the program distribution server may include a processor and storage resources for storing the distribution target program, and the processor of the program distribution server may distribute the distribution target program to other computers. Also, in the embodiment, two or more programs may be implemented as one program, and one program may be implemented as two or more programs.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a transport system according to the first embodiment. The transport system of this embodiment includes a warehouse control device 100 , a network 90 , and a plurality of transport devices 1 connected to the warehouse control device 100 via the network 90 . For example, an example in which the warehouse control device 100 transmits to the transport device 1 a transport command designating the shelf 7 to be transported by the transport device 1 and the picking station of the transport destination to cause the transport device 1 to automatically transport is shown.

The warehouse control device 100 is a computer including an arithmetic device 110, a memory 120, an input device 130, an output device 140, a storage device 150, and a communication interface 170.

The storage device 150 has a non-volatile storage medium and stores programs executed by the arithmetic device 110 and data used by the programs. As an example of a program, a route creation program 161, a data input/output program 162, a data analysis program 163, and a transport device control program 164 are stored in the storage device 150, and the arithmetic device 110 loads necessary programs into the memory 120. to run.

Examples of data stored in the storage device 150 include order information 200, inventory information 220, shelf information 230, floor information 240, map information 250, device information 260, route data 270, and measurement data. Data 280, vibration data 290, a speed control table 410 (speed control information), a wear level table (wear level information) 420, and a training wheel table (training wheel information) 430 are stored.

The route creation program 161 calculates the route along which the transport device 1 moves. The route creation program 161 calculates the route along which the conveying device 1 moves from, for example, the position of the article (or product) to be picked and the position of the destination picking station. The data input/output program 162 receives order information, receives sensor data from the conveying apparatus 1, and outputs information on articles to be picked.

When the sensor data is the image data of the auxiliary wheels that support the transport device 1, the data analysis program 163 estimates the contact width of the training wheels of the transport device 1 and updates the device information 260 and the like. Alternatively, the data analysis program 163 analyzes the state of the floor along the path along which the conveying apparatus 1 has moved from the image when the sensor data is floor vibration data or an image or video of the floor, and updates the floor information 240. etc.

The transport device control program 164 selects the shelf 7 to be transported to the available transport device 1 based on the route calculated by the route creation program 161, the floor information 240, the device information 260 storing the state of the transport device 1, and the like. and command the goods and the picking station to which they are to be conveyed.

The order information 200 is information of an order requesting shipment of goods, and stores information of goods to be picked. The inventory information 220 stores information regarding the inventory of articles, such as information on shelves where articles are arranged, arrangement positions within the shelves, quantity, weight, and the like.

The shelf information 230 stores information such as the position and weight of the shelf. The floor information 240 stores information indicating the state of the floor surface for each floor area. The map information 250 stores map information in the warehouse. The device information 260 stores the identification information (identifier), the position, the operating state, the state of the training wheels, and the like for each transport device 1 .

The route data 270 stores route information for each transport device 1 . The measurement data 280 stores sensor data, position information, running state, and the like received from each transport device 1 . The vibration data 290 stores the position where the shock or vibration occurred in the conveying apparatus 1, the magnitude of the shock or vibration, and the running state. Here, in the following description, the shock and vibration received by the conveying device and the floor when the conveying device 1 travels on the floor may be referred to as "vibration".

The input device 130 is composed of a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, or the like. The output device 140 is configured by a display or the like. The communication interface 170 communicates with the transport apparatus 1 and other computers via a wireless network 90 . Note that the network 90 can include a wired network.

The transport device 1 is an autonomous mobile body that automatically transports the shelves 7 containing articles according to commands from the warehouse control device 100 . The transport device 1 is an automatic transport device having a control device (control section) 2 , a storage device 4 , a driving device (driving section) 3 , a sensor 5 and a communication interface 6 . The sensors 5 include, for example, a vibration sensor (acceleration sensor) 51, a forward monitoring sensor 52, and an auxiliary wheel monitoring sensor 53. The forward monitoring sensor 52 and the auxiliary wheel monitoring sensor 53 are configured by image sensors or the like. The auxiliary wheel monitoring sensor 53 is, for example, a sensor capable of acquiring information about a grounding portion (grounding surface), which is a portion of the auxiliary wheel that comes into contact with the floor surface when the transport device 1 travels. The training wheel monitoring sensor 53 is, for example, a sensor capable of acquiring information (for example, an image) of the shape or state of the ground contact portion (ground contact surface) of the training wheel.

The control device 2 includes an arithmetic device 21 and a memory 22. A self-position estimation program 23 , a travel control program 24 , a measurement program 25 and a communication program 26 are loaded into the memory 22 and executed by the arithmetic unit 21 . The arithmetic unit 21 is composed of a microcomputer and a processor.

The self-position estimation program 23 calculates the position of the transport device 1 based on the image data (image or video data) obtained from the forward monitoring sensor 52 or the like. Note that this embodiment shows an example in which markers indicating positions in the warehouse are displayed (installed) in advance on the floor of the distribution warehouse.

The self-position estimation program 23 calculates the position of the transport device 1 from the markers read by the forward monitoring sensor 52 . The markers placed on the floor of the distribution warehouse are information that can be read by the sensor 5 of the transport device 1, such as a QR code (registered trademark). Note that the position estimation of the transport device 1 may be configured such that the image data and the like obtained from the forward monitoring sensor 52 are transmitted to the warehouse control device 100 and the warehouse control device 100 performs the estimation. Markers may also be referred to as marks or fiducial markers.

For example, the floor of a warehouse is managed in multiple compartments, and each of the multiple compartments has a marker indicating the location of that compartment. The conveying device 1 travels on the floor and reads the markers written on the floor of each section when passing over each section to acquire information about the position of the section. The marker may contain information for specifying the position of the section, for example, the position information of the section, or information associated with the position information of the section (for example, the identification information of the section). ).

The travel control program 24 controls the drive device 3 based on the current position of the transport device 1 and the route data 41 received from the warehouse control device 100 . Note that the warehouse control device 100 transmits the route data 270 for each transport device 1 generated by the route creation program 161 to the transport device 1 .

The measurement program 25 acquires the sensor data acquired from the sensor 5, the travel speed and acceleration acquired from the travel control program 24, and the position of the transport device 1 calculated by the self-position estimation program 23, and transmits them to the warehouse control device 100. do.

The sensor data includes vibration data from the vibration sensor 51, image data of the floor surface from the forward monitoring sensor 52, and image data of the training wheels from the training wheel monitoring sensor 53. Moreover, the timing at which the measurement program 25 transmits the sensor data to the warehouse control device 100 may be at a predetermined timing or at a predetermined cycle (for example, every 24 hours).

The timing at which the measurement program 25 captures the image data of the training wheels with the training wheel monitoring sensor 53 may be performed at a predetermined timing, such as when receiving a command from the warehouse control device 100, for example.

The measurement program 25 may store the data acquired from the sensor 5 and each program in the measurement data 43 of the storage device 4 once and then transmit it to the warehouse control device 100 . The communication program 26 communicates with the warehouse control device 100 via the network 90 .

The storage device 4 is composed of a non-volatile storage medium and stores each program and data used by each program. Examples of data include route data 41 , measurement data 43 , device information 44 and floor information 46 .

The route data 41 stores the route data received from the warehouse control device 100. The measurement data 43 stores sensor data acquired by the sensor 5 described above and data acquired or calculated by each program.

Data to be sent to the warehouse control device 100 after being stored in the measurement data 43 include measurement date and time, device ID, vibration data, image data, position information, travel mode, travel speed, travel acceleration, presence/absence of shelf loading, transport A shelf ID is included in one record.

The device information 44 stores the identifier (device ID) of the conveying device 1, the state of the device, information about the presence or absence of loading on the shelf, the position of the device, the remaining battery capacity, the cumulative travel distance, the cumulative number of accelerations, and the like. For example, the device information 44 may be information equivalent to information about the conveying device 1 in the device information 260 (described later).

The floor information 46 stores the floor information 240 received from the warehouse control device 100. By referring to the floor information 46 , the control device 2 can determine acceleration conditions and the like of the transport device 1 based on information on the floor surface on which the transport device 1 moves.

The driving device 3 supplies electric power to the truck 31, the driving wheels 33, the table 32, the auxiliary wheels (casters) 34, the motor 38 as a power source for driving the driving wheels 33 and the table 32, and the motor 38. A battery 39 is included. The configuration of the driving device 3 will be described later. The motors 38 for driving the driving wheels 33 and the table 32 can be composed of independent motors.

The sensor 5 is composed of a forward monitoring sensor 52 (camera) that captures the floor surface, a vibration sensor (acceleration sensor) 51 that detects vibration, and a training wheel monitoring sensor 53 that monitors the contact width of the training wheels 34. .

When position information and route information such as marks are given to the floor surface, the floor surface is photographed by the forward monitoring sensor 52 as the sensor 5, and the current position is specified by identifying the mark with the self-position estimation program 23. be able to. In addition, image data of the floor captured by the forward monitoring sensor 52 can be transmitted to the warehouse control device 100 to analyze the state of the floor. Further, the training wheel monitoring sensor 53 takes an image of the training wheels 34 and the floor surface while the conveying apparatus 1 is moving straight, and monitors the contact width of the training wheels 34 as will be described later. Further, the training wheel monitoring sensor 53 may acquire measurement data (for example, an image) of the contact portion of the training wheels 34 while the conveying device 1 is moving straight ahead, and monitor the contact width of the training wheels 34 . For example, the grounding width of the training wheels 34 may be determined from the image of the grounding portion of the training wheels 34 .

A vibration sensor 51 as the sensor 5 detects vibration (acceleration) generated in the transport device 1 according to the state of the floor surface as the transport device 1 moves on the floor surface. The warehouse control device 100 can be notified of the magnitude of the vibration and the position information of the floor surface where the vibration occurred as the state of .

It should be noted that the movement (running) of the conveying device 1 of this embodiment includes at least straight movement and turning movement in which the vehicle body rotates on the spot. It is assumed that the control device 2 moves along the calculated route data 270 (41) by switching between going straight and turning.

The computing device 21 operates as a functional unit that provides a predetermined function by executing processing according to the program of each functional unit. For example, the arithmetic unit 21 functions as a travel control unit by executing processing according to the travel control program 24 . The same is true for other programs. Further, the arithmetic unit 21 also operates as a functional unit that provides functions of multiple processes executed by each program.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the conveying device 1 and the shelf 7. FIG. The conveying device 1 is an automatic traveling device including a rectangular parallelepiped carriage 31 that can move straight and turn, and a table 32 that is arranged on the upper surface of the carriage 31 and can move up and down and turn. The carrier device 1 may be, for example, an automated guided vehicle (AGV) or an autonomous mobile robot (AMR). A bumper 35 and a forward monitoring sensor 52 are arranged on the forward side of the carriage 31 .

The shelf 7 for storing articles (or products) is composed of a rectangular parallelepiped having a pair of openings on the side surfaces, and includes a bottom plate 72 supported by legs 71 at a predetermined height from the floor surface, and a 1 on which articles are placed. The above shelf board 73 is arranged.

After moving the carriage 31 below the bottom plate 72 of the shelf 7 with the table 32 lowered, the transport device 1 raises the table 32 to lift the shelf 7 . The transport device 1 transports the shelf 7 by causing the cart 31 to travel while the shelf 7 is lifted by the table 32 .

The table 32 can turn with respect to the carriage 31, and when the carriage 31 turns on the floor surface, the orientation of the shelf 7 is maintained by rotating the table 32 relative to the carriage 31. can be used to change the traveling direction of the carriage 31 .

In the illustrated example, the shelf 7 has two opening surfaces, so that by rotating the table 32 by 180°, different openings can be provided to the picking station. The structure of the shelf 7 is not limited to the illustrated example, but may be a box, pallet, or the like having openings on four sides or having a bottom plate 72 on which the table 32 can be lifted. I wish I had. An object to be transported by the transport vehicle is sometimes called a transported object (for example, a shelf, a pallet, etc.).

FIG. 3 is a bottom view showing an example of the transport device 1. FIG. The bumper 35 side of the bottom surface of the carriage 31 faces forward, and drive wheels 33-L and 33-R are arranged on the left and right sides of the bottom surface in the front-rear direction to move the carriage 31 straight or turn. In the following description, when the right and left driving wheels are not specified, the symbol "33" omitting "-" is used. The same applies to the codes of other constituent elements.

Auxiliary wheels 34-FL, 34-RL, 34-FR, and 34-RR are arranged in front and behind the drive wheels 33-L and 33-R, respectively, to support the truck 31. Each auxiliary wheel 34 is rotatably supported around a shaft 36 provided on the bottom surface of the carriage 31 via a holder 37 . Although this embodiment shows an example in which four auxiliary wheels 34 are arranged, the present invention is not limited to this, and one or more auxiliary wheels 34 can be used.

Also, the shafts 36 are attached to the bottom surface of the carriage 31 via the pedestal 62 . Each auxiliary wheel 34 is rotatably supported on the floor surface of the distribution warehouse by a shaft (not shown) supported by a holder 37 .

The conveying device 1 moves straight by arranging the driving wheels 33-L and 33-R in parallel and rotating them at a constant speed, and rotates the driving wheels 33-L and 33-R in opposite directions. By doing so, the truck 31 can be pivoted.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a simplified outline of part of the bottom surface of the frame 61 that constitutes the carriage 31 of the conveying device 1 and an example of the drive wheels 33 and auxiliary wheels 34 . FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the mounting positions of the vibration sensor 51 and the auxiliary wheel monitoring sensor 53. As shown in FIG. A frame 61 of the transport device 1 is configured in a square frame shape. A driving wheel 33 and an auxiliary wheel 34 are attached to the lower part of the frame 61 to run on the floor surface of the distribution warehouse.

A pedestal 62 for mounting the training wheels 34 is provided at the bottom of the four corners of the frame-shaped frame 61 . A shaft 36 for supporting the training wheel 34 is attached to the lower surface of the base 62, and a holder 37 rotatable around the axis of the shaft 36 is mounted, and the holder 37 supports the training wheel 34 rotatably on the floor surface. do.

A load applied to the table 32 is supported by the auxiliary wheels 34 and the driving wheels 33 via the frame 61 and the pedestal 62 . A load applied to the training wheel 34 is transmitted from the frame 61 via the pedestal 62 , the shaft 36 and the holder 37 . A vibration sensor 51 is attached to the upper surface of the pedestal 62 that supports the training wheel 34 .

Also, in front of the pedestal 62 that supports the training wheels 34-RR (bumper 35 side), a training wheel monitoring sensor 53 that captures the training wheels 34 and the contact position is attached. Although this embodiment shows an example in which the training wheel monitoring sensor 53 is installed in front of the training wheel 34-RR, it is not limited to this. An auxiliary wheel monitoring sensor 53 that captures the contact position of at least one auxiliary wheel 34 may be provided.

Also, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which the training wheel monitoring sensor 53 is installed at a location where the installation position of the training wheel 34 is photographed from the front while the conveying device 1 is traveling straight, but the present invention is not limited to this. The position at which the training wheel monitoring sensor 53 is installed may be any position where the width at which the training wheel 34 touches the floor surface can be photographed.

In this embodiment, the front and rear auxiliary wheels 34-FR and 34-RR roll on the same locus when the conveying device 1 moves straight. An auxiliary wheel monitoring sensor 53 is provided to photograph the straight-ahead auxiliary wheel 34-RR from the front, but it may also be photographed from the rear of the auxiliary wheel 34-RR.

In the examples of FIGS. 4 and 5, the training wheel monitoring sensor 53 is arranged on the lower surface of the pedestal 62 supporting the training wheel 34-RR on the right rear of the frame 61, and the vibration sensor 51 is arranged on the upper surface. Although shown, it is not limited to this and may be provided on other pedestals 62 .

By providing the vibration sensor 51 on the upper part of the training wheel 34, more preferably on the pedestal 62 that supports the training wheel 34, the influence of the vibration of the motor 38 that drives the drive wheel 33 and the vibration of the frame 61 can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to accurately measure the vibration from the floor surface.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the training wheels 34 photographed by the training wheel monitoring sensor 53. FIG. In the initial state where the auxiliary wheels 34 are attached to the conveying apparatus 1, the auxiliary wheels 34 roll on the floor with a contact width W0 as shown in (A) in the figure. In this embodiment, the radial cross section of the training wheel 34 is formed in an arc shape or a trapezoidal shape in which the width (dimension of the training wheel 34 in the rotation axis direction) decreases toward the ground contact surface.

When the conveying device 1 is operated after attaching the training wheels 34 and the traveling distance increases, the wear of the outer periphery of the training wheels 34 progresses and the contact width increases, and the training wheels 34 contact the ground as shown in (B) in the figure. It rolls with width W1.

Since the contact width of the auxiliary wheel 34, which has increased the travel distance, increases from the contact width W0 in the initial state to the contact width W0, the contact area also increases, so the resistance required for rotation (running) also increases. In particular, when the conveying apparatus 1 stops from a straight-ahead state and rotates (pivot turn) in which the left and right driving wheels 33 are reversed at a constant speed, the auxiliary wheels 34 in the straight-ahead state shown in FIG. Frictional resistance for turning is increased compared to the straight running state.

That is, when the carrier device 1 is turned from a straight-ahead state, it is turned around the shaft 36 while the auxiliary wheels 34 are rotated. A slowdown occurs. A similar increase in running resistance also occurs when the conveying apparatus 1 is moved straight after being turned.

As the running resistance of the training wheels 34 increases, the running performance of the transport device 1 decreases, and if the transport time increases, the work efficiency of the distribution warehouse will decrease. Alternatively, in order to maintain the running performance of the conveying apparatus 1 in which the running resistance of the auxiliary wheels 34 has increased, the battery consumption increases, so the number of charging times of the conveying apparatus 1 increases (reduces the traveling distance with a full charge). As a result, the operating rate of the transport device 1 decreases.

Furthermore, when the training wheel 34 increases to the contact width W1, the outer diameter of the training wheel 34 also decreases. There is a problem that the vibration absorption capacity decreases due to the reduction of the radius with the progress of the movement, the vibration applied to the article to be conveyed increases, and the load applied to the floor surface by the conveying apparatus 1 also increases.

In this embodiment, in order to solve the above-described problems, when the auxiliary wheels 34 that support the conveying device 1 wear out, the warehouse control device 100 controls the running performance of the conveying device 1 as will be described later. By suppressing the movement of the load to 100 degrees, it is possible to prevent an increase in vibration of the article to be conveyed, and to suppress the damage caused by the training wheels 34 to the floor surface of the distribution warehouse. In addition, since the warehouse control device 100 notifies the output device 140 of the replacement timing of the training wheels 34, maintenance of the transport device 1 can be performed accurately.

<Details of data>
Next, data used by the warehouse control device 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 15. FIG.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the order information 200. FIG. The order information 200 is information received by the warehouse control device 100 from another device.

The order information 200 includes a serial number 201, a slip number 202, a store name 203, a store code 204, a product name 205, a product code 206, a quantity 207, a delivery date 208, and an order reception date and time 209. A work date and time 210 is included in one record.

The serial number 201 is a unique number assigned by the warehouse control device 100. The same applies to serial numbers of other information. The slip number 202 is a number assigned by the warehouse control device 100 to each order. The store name 203 indicates the shipping destination of the article.

In this embodiment, even if the slip number 202 is the same, if the product name 205 and product code 206 are different, different serial numbers 201 are assigned. This is because if the product name 205 and the product code 206 are different, the shelf 7 storing each product may be different.

The quantity 207 indicates the number of ordered products specified by the product name 205 and product code 206 in the slip number 202 of the record. The date and time of work 210 stores the scheduled date and time of the picking work for the product name 205 of the slip number 202 . In addition to the delivery date 208, the work date and time 210 is based on the customer's request (such as a request for early shipment before the delivery date) and the warehouse situation (such as when there is a reason for wanting to ship the product early). ,It is determined.

The work date and time 210 may be determined by other software that cooperates with the warehouse control device 100 (for example, a warehouse management system (WMS: Warehouse Management System)), or may be set by the user.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of inventory information 220. FIG. The inventory information 220 is preset information. The stock information 220 includes a serial number 221, a product name 222, a product code 223, a stock quantity 224, a shelf ID 225, and a shelf arrangement position 226 in one record. The serial number 221, product name 222, product code 223, and inventory quantity 224 are the same as in the order information 200 described above.

The shelf ID 225 stores the identifier of the shelf 7 on which the product is stored. The arrangement position 226 in the shelf stores information used when a person or a robot picks, for example, at the picking station ST (see FIG. 14). For example, in a record that describes "U3R2", the placement position 226 in the shelf is "the third row from the top (U) and the second position from the right (R)" on the shelf 7. Indicates that the product is placed.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the shelf information 230. FIG. The shelf information 230 is preset information. The shelf information 230 includes serial number 231, shelf ID 232, storage position 233, shelf weight 234, and product weight 235 in one record.

A unique identifier given to each shelf 7 is stored in the shelf ID 232 . As the shelf ID 232, for example, the identifier of the shelf 7 given by the warehouse control device 100 may be stored. The storage position 233 stores the information of the storage position of the shelf 7, for example, the coordinates of the map information 250 (described later). When the shelf 7 is being transported, the storage position 233 stores “transporting”.

The shelf weight 234 stores the weight of the shelf 7 itself, and the product weight 235 stores the weight of the goods (products, containers that store the products, etc.) mounted on the shelf 7 . The weight of the goods (shelf + product) transported by the transport device 1 is at least the sum of the "shelf weight" and the "product weight".

For example, in the inventory information 220 of FIG. 8, etc., the weight and inventory number of each product may be recorded, and the weight of the transported item (shelf + product) may be calculated. In addition, when calculating the "weight", if it falls within the allowable range of error between the actual weight of the transported item and the calculated value, the weight of some of the products on the shelf 7 and the products mounted on the shelf 7 , may be excluded from the calculation.

As another example, for example, a weight sensor capable of measuring "the weight of the goods (shelf + product)" transported by the transport device 1 is installed, and after the completion of picking, the shelf 7 is returned to the storage position. Weight may be measured on occasion. At this time, the weight measured by the transport device 1 may be received by the warehouse control device 100 and recorded as the “weight of the transported article (shelf + product)” in the shelf information 230 .

The warehouse control device 100 identifies the storage position 233 of the shelf 7 using the information of the shelf ID 225 obtained from the inventory information 220 of FIG. 8 as a key. For example, the warehouse control device 100 determines the position of the transport device 1 near the storage position of the shelf 7, the storage position 233 of the shelf 7, and the transport of the shelf 7 among the devices in the "standby" state in the transport device 1, for example. The moving route of the transport device 1 is calculated from the information of the picking station ST to be the destination.

It should be noted that the warehouse control device 100 can handle the shelf information 230 as weight information specifying the weight of the article that the transport device 1 transports.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the device information 260. FIG. The device information 260 includes a serial number 261, a device ID 262, a device state 263, presence/absence of a shelf 264, a device position 265, a remaining battery level 266, a cumulative travel distance 267, a cumulative acceleration count 268, and a A training wheel code 269, initial contact width value 2610, current contact width value 2611, contact width increase rate 2612, and wear level 1613 are included in one record.

The device ID 262 stores a unique identifier given to each transport device 1. The status 263 stores information about the status of each transport device 1 . As the status, for example, the status of the transport apparatus 1 such as "standby", "moving", "charging", and "broken" is input.

It should be noted that, for example, when the warehouse control device 100 selects the transport device 1 that processes a certain transport task (instructs transport), the selection can be made based on the transport efficiency or the like. For example, even if the transport device 1 is in the "moving" state, if the current task is completed early and the next transport task (the above-mentioned certain transport task) can be processed earlier than the others. , may be selected.

The presence/absence of shelf 264 stores the presence/absence of the shelf 7 mounted on the transport device 1 . The presence/absence of shelf 264 is information regarding the presence/absence of loading of the shelf 7 in the transport device 1 . The shelf presence/absence 264 is information indicating whether or not the shelf 7 is loaded on the table 32 of the transport device 1 .

The position 265 stores information about the position of each transport device 1 . For example, the transport device 1 uses the forward monitoring sensor 52 to read information (eg, a mark) attached to a predetermined position on the floor surface of each area. The information read by the transport device 1 includes information about the position of the area, and the transport device 1 can specify its own position. Note that the self-position specifying method may be based on other techniques. Each transport device 1 can transmit the specified position and date and time to the warehouse control device 100 , and the data input/output program 162 of the warehouse control device 100 can store it in the device information 260 .

The remaining battery capacity 266 is information about the remaining capacity of the battery 39 of each transport device 1 . The carrier device 1 may go to the charging station for charging when the remaining battery charge 266 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined remaining battery charge.

However, the charging schedule may be determined according to the availability of charging stations (reservation status), the transportation schedule, the remaining battery capacity of each transportation device 1, and the like. For example, if many transport devices 1 are charged at the same timing, the charging station may be crowded and waiting for charging may occur. Therefore, a schedule that takes transport efficiency into consideration is desirable.

The cumulative travel distance 267 stores the distance traveled by the transport device 1 so far. The cumulative acceleration count 268 stores the number of times the conveying device 1 has accelerated (or decelerated) so far. The auxiliary wheel code 269 is an identifier that indicates the type (or model) of the auxiliary wheel 34 and stores a value that is set or updated for each conveying device 1 .

The contact width initial value 2610 stores the value of the contact width W0 at the time when the safety wheels 34 are attached or replaced. As the ground contact width initial value 2610, a value (contact width W0) detected from an image taken by the training wheel monitoring sensor 53 when the conveying device 1 is introduced or after the training wheels 34 are replaced can be input.

The contact width current value 2611 stores the value (contact width W1) detected from the image captured by the auxiliary wheel monitoring sensor 53. The contact width increase rate 2612 stores the percentage of the value obtained by dividing the contact width current value 2611 by the contact width initial value 2610 . The wear level 2613 stores the value determined by the data analysis program 163 based on the contact width increase rate 2612 . As for the value of the wear level 2613, for example, "A" indicates "new", "B" indicates "usable", "C" indicates "inspection required", and "D" indicates "replacement required". show.

Note that the contact width initial value 2610 and the contact width current value 2611 may be detected by analyzing the image received from the transport device 1 by the warehouse control device 100, or by the transport device 1 using the auxiliary wheel monitoring sensor. The contact width detected from the image of 53 may be transmitted to the warehouse control device 100 .

The device information 260 can be handled as state information of the transport device 1 indicating the degree of deterioration over time such as the remaining battery capacity 266, the cumulative travel distance 267, the cumulative number of times of acceleration 268, the wear level 2613, and the frequency of use. .

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the training wheel table 430. FIG. The auxiliary wheel table 430 is preset information. The training wheel table 430 includes training wheel code 431, material 432, hardness 433, ground surface shape 434, deformation amount 435, and correction coefficient 436 in one record.

The auxiliary wheel code 431 stores an identifier that identifies the type of the auxiliary wheel 34. The auxiliary wheel code 431 stores an identifier that specifies the type of the auxiliary wheel 34, and the material 432, which is the value of the auxiliary wheel code 269 of the device information 260, stores the name of the main material that constitutes the auxiliary wheel 34. be.

The hardness 433 stores a value that classifies the hardness of the training wheel 34 into three levels of "large", "medium", and "small". The tread shape 434 stores the shape of the tread in a radial cross-section of the training wheel 34 . The amount of deformation 435 stores values obtained by classifying the value of the spring constant into three levels of "large", "medium", and "small".

The correction coefficient 436 stores a preset value according to the material 432 of the training wheel 34, the amount of deformation 435, and the like. The correction coefficient 436 is set to a value for correcting acceleration (angular acceleration) or speed (angular velocity), which will be described later, according to the characteristics (material and shape) of the auxiliary wheels 34 .

For example, a value such as correction coefficient 436=K4=“0.8” is set for the auxiliary wheel 34 having a moderate hardness 433 and a large amount of deformation 435, and the acceleration or A value obtained by multiplying the speed by a correction coefficient is used as a speed command value for the conveying device 1 . As a result, the warehouse control device 100 can control the transport device 1 in accordance with the wear level by considering the material 432 of the training wheels 34 in addition to the contact width.

As a specific example of the correction coefficient 436, the acceleration or speed can be suppressed by setting the correction coefficient 436 to decrease as the hardness 433 increases.

Also, by setting the correction coefficient 436 to decrease as the R of the ground contact surface shape 434 (the radius of the cross-sectional shape of the training wheel 34) increases, it is possible to set the acceleration or speed to be suppressed. Also, by setting the correction coefficient 436 to decrease as the deformation amount 435 increases, the acceleration or speed can be set to be suppressed.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the wear degree table 420. FIG. The wear degree table 420 is preset information for determining the wear level of the training wheels 34 . A wear degree table 420 includes a contact width increase rate 421 and a wear level 422 in one record.

The contact width increase rate 421 stores the range of values of the contact width increase rate 2612 of the device information 260 . The wear level 422 stores the degree of wear corresponding to the contact width increase rate 421, which is one of "A" to "D".

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the speed control table 410. FIG. The speed control table 410 is information in which the speed or acceleration for driving the conveying device 1 is set in advance according to the traveling mode and wear level.

The speed control table 410 includes mode 411, wear level 412, running speed 413, acceleration 414, angular velocity 415, and angular acceleration 416 in one record.

The mode 411 indicates the running mode of the transport device 1, and stores any one of "turn", "straight ahead", and "acceleration (deceleration)". The wear level 412 stores values “A” to “D” of the wear level 422 determined by the wear level table 420 of FIG. 12 for each running mode of the mode 411 .

The traveling speed 413 stores the speed at which the conveying device 1 is driven. The acceleration 414 stores the acceleration when the transport device 1 is accelerated or decelerated. The angular velocity 415 stores the angular velocity at which the conveying device 1 is turned. The angular acceleration 416 stores the angular acceleration when the conveying device 1 is turned.

In the illustrated example, the driving mode is divided into "straight ahead" and "acceleration/deceleration", but speed and acceleration may be set as a pair such as "turning".

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of map information. The map information 250 is information in which positions within the distribution warehouse are set in advance.

The map information 250 indicates the position and use of the "area" specified by the row number 251 and the column number 252. Each area is a rectangular area, and is set to any one of "passage area", "shelf storage area", and "travel prohibited area" according to area setting 244 of floor information 240 (FIG. 21), which will be described later.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the floor information 240. FIG. The floor information 240 is information specifying the state and position of the floor surface in the distribution warehouse calculated by the data analysis program 163 from the measurement data 280 .

The floor information 240 includes a serial number 241, an area 242, a floor state 243, an area setting 244, and an accumulated load 245 in one record.

The area 242 manages the state of the warehouse floor in units of areas (sections), and stores information identifying each area. For example, (a, A) of the serial number 241=1 indicates the upper left address (a, A) in the map information 250 of FIG.

The floor condition 243 stores information indicating the condition of the floor, especially the damage level. For example, it may be divided into levels such as "normal state", "low damage level", "medium damage level", and "large damage level". In addition, the floor state 243 may be, for example, "normal state", "low damage level", and "medium damage level" as travelable, and "large damage level" as travel disabled (prohibited travel).

When the area setting 244 is "aisle area", it indicates that the transport device 1 can travel, and the shelf 7 can also be transported. When the area setting 244 is “shelf storage area”, it indicates an area where the shelf 7 transported by the transport device 1 is placed or an area secured as a place for placing the shelf 7 .

The transport device 1 in a state where the shelf 7 is not transported can pass under the shelf 7, so it can travel, but the transport device 1 in a state where the shelf 7 is transported cannot move in the area where the other shelf 7 is located. Do not run to avoid collision with 7.

When the area setting 244 is "travel prohibited area", this is an area in which travel of the transport device 1 is restricted. For example, an area with "severe damage" may be set as a "no-driving area". In addition, an area where an obstacle that hinders travel is detected, an area where people or other devices work, and the like may be set as the "no travel area". An area that satisfies a predetermined condition may automatically be set as the "no-travel area", or the user may set the "no-travel area".

The cumulative load 245 is a value obtained by accumulating the load received by the floor of the area from the transport device 1 . The load includes the load when the conveying device 1 passes (the number of passes, the weight when passing, etc.), the load when the conveying device 1 turns (the number of rotations, the weight when rotating), and the acceleration or weight of the conveying device 1. There is a load when decelerating (number of times of acceleration, weight when accelerating, number of times of deceleration, weight when decelerating, etc.).

The cumulative load 245 may be a value calculated based on information on some or all of these loads. For example, it may be a total weight value obtained by accumulating the weight when passing.

<Details of processing>
FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the warehouse control device 100. As shown in FIG. This processing is executed at a predetermined timing such as a predetermined period or timing when an order is received.

In the warehouse control device 100, the route creation program 161 sorts the order information 200 in ascending order of the work date and time 210, and performs the following processing in order from the top record (S1). The route creation program 161 selects the order information 200, searches the inventory information 220 from the product code 206, and determines whether there is an inventory quantity 224 or not. If there is inventory, the route creation program 161 acquires the shelf ID 225 and the arrangement position 226 within the shelf, searches the shelf information 230, and specifies the storage position 233 of the shelf 7 (S2).

The route creation program 161 refers to the map information 250, the area setting 244 of the floor information 240, and the device information 260 to determine the maximum transport efficiency from the storage position 233 of the shelf 7 to the picking station ST as described above. transport device 1 is selected from the device information 260 . Note that the picking station ST as the transport destination may be set in advance according to the shipping destination (the store name 203), or may be set in advance according to the product to be picked and the type of product.

Then, the route creation program 161 creates the transport route of the transport device 1 as route information from the map information 250, the area setting 244 of the floor information 240, the storage position 233 and the picking station ST information (S3).

Next, the transport device control program 164 determines the transport device 1 that transports the shelf 7 on the date and time designated by the work date and time 210 of the order information 200, and determines the route information created above and the wear level of the device information 260. A command to convey at the speed or acceleration of the speed control table 410 corresponding to 412 is transmitted (S4).

The transport device 1, which has received a transport command from the warehouse control device 100, travels along the received route at the specified speed or acceleration, mounts the specified shelf 7 on the table 32, and transports it to a predetermined picking station ST. do.

After the picking work is completed, the transport device 1 loads the shelf 7, transports it to the storage location, and unloads the shelf 7 onto the floor 80. After that, the transport device 1 moves to a predetermined waiting place and ends the transport task. Note that the warehouse control device 100 receives an instruction from the worker at the picking station ST to complete the picking work. Based on this picking operation completion command, the warehouse control device 100 commands the transfer device 1 to move to the storage location.

The position to which the transport device 1 returns the shelf 7 may be the original storage location, or may be stored in a different position based on the frequency of use of the shelf 7 or the like. For example, if the shelf 7 is frequently used, the transport device 1 may place the shelf 7 near the picking station ST.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of wear detection processing performed by the warehouse control device 100. FIG. The data analysis program 163 of the warehouse control device 100 executes analysis processing of the measurement data 280 at a predetermined cycle (for example, every 24 hours) or at a predetermined timing such as an instruction from an administrator, 34 to determine the state of wear.

The data analysis program 163 acquires information indicating the state of the transport device 1 from the device information 260 (S11). For the transport device 1 to be analyzed, for example, the transport devices 1 registered in the device information 260 are sequentially selected from the top. The data analysis program 163 acquires the device ID 262 from the device information 260 of the transport device 1 to be analyzed, and inquires about the running state of the transport device 1 via the network 90 . In addition, referring to the presence/absence of shelf 264 of the selected device information 260, it acquires whether the transport device 1 to be analyzed is transporting the shelf 7 or not.

The data analysis program 163 determines whether or not the transport device 1 to be analyzed is transporting the shelf 7 (S12). If the transport device 1 has not transported the shelf 7, the process proceeds to step S13. If the shelf 7 is being transported, the process returns to step S11 to select the next analysis object.

When the shelf 7 is being conveyed, the weight of the shelf 7 and the weight of the article are added to the training wheels 34 of the conveying device 1, and the contact width increases. exclude.

The data analysis program 163 determines whether the traveling state of the transport device 1 to be analyzed is straight (S13). The data analysis program 163 proceeds to step S15 if the traveling state of the transport device 1 is in a straight running state, and returns to step S11 if not in a straight running state to select the next analysis object.

The data analysis program 163 causes the transport device 1 to be analyzed to acquire an image of the training wheels 34 (S14). The transport device 1 acquires image data of the training wheels 34 in a straight-ahead state with the training wheel monitoring sensor 53 and transmits the image data to the warehouse control device 100 . Store.

The data analysis program 163 acquires the image data of the training wheels 34 of the transport device 1 to be analyzed from the measurement data 280, and calculates the contact width of the training wheels 34 (S15).

It should be noted that the straight-ahead state may be either during movement or while the transport device 1 is stopped, as long as the direction of the training wheels 34 is in the straight-ahead direction. In addition, when the conveying device 1 is moving, it is desirable to avoid a straight-ahead state during acceleration or deceleration. When accelerating or decelerating, the load applied to the front (advance direction side) auxiliary wheel 34 and the rear auxiliary wheel 34 may not be even, so if the vehicle is stopped in a straight line or during uniform motion, the load may not be uniform. It is desirable to capture an image of the training wheels 34 with the wheel monitoring sensor 53 .

Next, the data analysis program 163 acquires the contact width initial value 2610 of the device information 260, and if a value is set in the contact width initial value 2610, the contact width calculated in step S15 is calculated as the contact width current contact width. Store in value 2811. Then, the data analysis program 163 stores the percentage obtained by dividing the contact width current value 2811 by the contact width initial value 2610 in the contact width increase rate 2612 (S16).

It should be noted that the data analysis program 163 stores the contact width calculated in step S15 in the contact width initial value 2810 when no value is set in the contact width initial value 2610 of the device information 260 .

The data analysis program 163 searches the wear degree table 420 shown in FIG. 12 with the contact width increase rate 2612 calculated in step S16, determines the record of the contact width increase rate 421 corresponding to the contact width increase rate 2612, The wear level 412 of the record is determined as the wear level 412 of the training wheels 34 of the transport device 1 (S17).

Next, the data analysis program 163 determines whether the determined wear level 412 is "D"="replacement required" (S18). If the wear level 412 is "D", the process advances to step S19 to output to the output device 140 that the training wheels 34 need to be replaced. On the other hand, if the wear level 412 is between "A" and "C", the process proceeds to step S20 to determine that the degree of wear of the auxiliary wheels 34 is within the usable range.

If the determined wear level 412 is "C", the data analysis program 163 adds the device ID 262 of the transport device 1 to the table (not shown) for managing the reservation of inspection because it is "inspection required". You may make it add.

In step S21, the wear level calculated by the data analysis program 163 is set as the wear level 2613 of the device information 260 and the device information 260 is updated. In step S22, the data analysis program 163 determines whether or not the above processing has been completed for all records of the device information 260. If not completed, the process returns to step 11 to perform the above processing for the device ID 262 of the next transport device 1. is repeated, and if completed, the process ends.

Through the above process, the warehouse control device 100 that has acquired the image data of the training wheels 34 taken while the transport device 1 is moving straight detects the contact width of the training wheels 34 from the image data and calculates the contact width increase rate 2612. Then, the warehouse control device 100 searches the wear degree table 420 with the contact width increase rate 2612 to calculate the wear level 2613 of the training wheels 34 of the transport device 1 .

Although an example in which the warehouse control device 100 sends a command to the transport device 1 to take an image of the training wheels 34 is shown above, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the transport device 1 captures an image of the training wheels 34 with the training wheel monitoring sensor 53 at a predetermined period (for example, once a day) and transmits the image data to the warehouse control device 100 . The warehouse control device 100 accumulates the image data received from the transport device 1 in the measurement data 280, activates the data analysis program 163 at predetermined intervals (for example, every 24 hours), and extracts the image data of the measurement data 280. The contact width increase rate 2612 and the wear level 2613 may be updated for the unprocessed image data.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of travel control performed by the warehouse control device 100. FIG. This processing is executed by the transport device control program 164 of the warehouse control device 100 in step S4 of FIG.

The transport device control program 164 calculates the speed conditions according to the characteristics such as the wear level and material of the training wheels 34 of the designated transport device 1, and transmits the route data and the speed conditions to the transport device 1. Commands the transport of the shelf 7.

The transport device control program 164 causes the route creation program 161 to calculate route data from the information of the rack 7 transported by the transport device 1 and the information of the picking station ST, store it in the route data 270, obtain route data to be used in (S31).

The transport device control program 164 searches the device ID 262 of the device information 260 with the identifier of the transport device 1 that transports the shelf 7, and acquires the wear level 2613 of the corresponding transport device 1 (S32).

The transport device control program 164 searches the speed control table 410 with the acquired wear level 2613, and sets the travel speed 413, acceleration 414, angular velocity 415, and angular acceleration 416 corresponding to the mode 411 from the record of the corresponding wear level 412 as speed conditions. (S33).

Next, the transport device control program 164 acquires a training wheel code 269 by referring to the device information 260 using the identifier of the transport device 1 . Then, the transport device control program 164 searches the auxiliary wheel table 430 with the auxiliary wheel code 269 to obtain the correction coefficient 436 corresponding to the material and characteristics of the auxiliary wheel 34 (S34).

The transport device control program 164 calculates the corrected speed condition by multiplying the speed condition calculated in step S33 by the acquired correction coefficient 436 (S35). The corrected speed condition is calculated by multiplying the speed or acceleration for each mode of the speed condition by a correction coefficient 436 .

The transport device control program 164 transmits the calculated corrected speed condition and the acquired route data to the transport device 1 (S36).

Through the above process, the conveying device 1 that conveys the shelf 7 is commanded with correction speed conditions that take into account the wear level of the training wheels 34 and the characteristics of the training wheels 34 such as the material, and the conveying device 1 receives the specified route data. You can move above with the corrected speed condition.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an example of movement processing performed by the control device 2 of the transport device 1. FIG. This processing is performed by the traveling control program 24 of the conveying device 1 that has received the route data and the corrected speed conditions. FIG. 19 shows an example of control when the conveying device 1 starts from a stopped state.

The control device 2 of the conveying device 1 has two running modes: a straight mode in which the driving wheels 33-L and 33-R are driven at a constant speed, and a turning mode in which the driving wheels 33-L and 33-R are rotated in the opposite direction. (or transport mode) to move the carriage 31 . In the turning mode, the orientation of the shelf 7 can be maintained by turning the table 32 in the direction opposite to the turning direction of the carriage 31 . If the drive wheels 33-L and 33-R are driven at different speeds in the same rotational direction, the truck 31 can be turned while traveling.

The turning mode in which the drive wheels 33-L and 33-R are driven in the opposite direction is the spin turn, and for example, it turns around the center of the bottom surface of the carriage 31. Hereinafter, the pivot turn is simply referred to as a turn.

Based on the route data 41 received from the warehouse control device 100 and the current position of the truck 31 detected by the self-position estimation program 23, the control device 2 determines the above travel mode and controls the drive wheels 33.

The control device 2 determines whether or not the shelf 7 is loaded on the table 32 (S41). Regarding the presence or absence of the shelf 7, for example, a sensor for detecting articles such as the shelf 7 is provided on the table 32, and if the output of the sensor satisfies a predetermined condition, the control device 2 loads the shelf 7 on the table 32. It is determined that it is, and the process proceeds to step S42. On the other hand, if the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the control device 2 determines that the table 32 is not loaded with the shelf 7, and proceeds to step S45.

In step S42, the control device 2 determines whether or not the previous running mode and the next running mode are the same. This determination is made by the control device 2 comparing the previous running mode of the route data 41 with the next running mode. When the immediately preceding driving mode and the next driving mode are the same, the process proceeds to step S43, and when the immediately preceding driving mode and the next driving mode are different, the process proceeds to step S44.

If the shelf 7 in step S45 is not loaded, the control device 2 selects the maximum acceleration A to drive the drive wheels 33 or the table 32. When the conveying device 1 loads the shelf 7 and the traveling mode is the same as before, the control device 2 drives the driving wheels 33 or the table 32 under the corrected speed condition smaller than the acceleration A in step S43. Although the acceleration A is not defined in the speed control table 410 of FIG. 13, it is a value preset as the maximum acceleration (or maximum angular acceleration) when the transport device 1 is not transporting the shelf 7. .

On the other hand, when the transport device 1 loads the shelf 7 and the traveling mode is different from the previous traveling mode, the control device 2 multiplies the corrected speed condition by a predetermined reduction coefficient (for example, 0.7). A second correction speed condition is calculated, and the driving wheels 33 or the table 32 is driven under the second correction speed condition.

According to the above processing, when the traveling mode of the transport device 1 is switched, the control device 2 increases the friction between the floor surfaces due to the rotation of the auxiliary wheels 34 and increases the load on the motor 38 at the start of movement.

Therefore, when the previous traveling mode and the next traveling mode are switched and the shelf 7 is loaded, the conveying device 1 moves (or turns) under the second corrected speed condition in which the acceleration or speed is reduced. By starting, the driving force can be reduced and the consumption of the battery 39 can be suppressed. Moreover, the load applied to the conveying device 1 and the floor surface can be reduced by the above control. When the shelf 7 is not loaded, the movement (or turning) is started with the maximum acceleration A, thereby shortening the time required for movement and improving the efficiency of the transport process.

Although the example in which the transport device 1 controls the acceleration and speed has been described above, it is not limited to this. For example, the warehouse control device 100 can determine whether or not the shelf 7 is loaded on the transport device 1 from the route data or the device information 260, determine the speed condition and the correction speed condition, and issue a command to the transport device 1.

FIG. 20 is a graph showing an example of speed control performed in the conveying device 1, showing the relationship between time and speed. The illustrated example shows an example of speed conditions according to the level of wear of the auxiliary wheels 34 .

At wear level A, where the training wheel 34 is least worn, the acceleration and speed are maximized, and the transport device 1 can be operated efficiently, improving the work efficiency of the distribution warehouse. As the wear of the training wheel 34 progresses to wear level B and wear level C, the acceleration and speed are suppressed, suppressing the increase in battery consumption due to the increase in frictional resistance and suppressing the increase in the load on the floor surface. As a result, it is possible to suppress an increase in vibration of the article due to the reduction in the outer diameter of the auxiliary wheel 34 .

At the wear level D where the wear of the training wheel 34 approaches maximum, the replacement of the training wheel 34 is notified, the acceleration and speed are minimized, and the moderate acceleration reduces the increase in battery consumption due to the increase in frictional resistance. It is possible to suppress an increase in the load on the floor surface and suppress an increase in vibration to the article due to the reduction in the outer diameter of the training wheels 34 .

As described above, the warehouse control device 100 of the present embodiment is capable of controlling the acceleration and By suppressing the speed, it is possible to suppress the increase in battery consumption, the load on the floor surface, and the vibration of the conveyed article.

In the first embodiment, the shape of the auxiliary wheel 34 shows an example in which the contact width W1 increases as the wear progresses, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the contact width of the drive wheel 33 increases as the shape of the drive wheel 33 wears, the contact width of the drive wheel 33 may be monitored to change the speed condition of the transport device 1. The speed conditions can be controlled according to the wear condition of the weight bearing wheels.

Further, in the above-described first embodiment, an example is shown in which the progress of wear is measured from image data of the contact width W1 of the training wheels 34 captured by the training wheel monitoring sensor 53 (image sensor) mounted on the conveying device 1. is not limited to For example, the training wheel monitoring sensor 53 may be arranged at a predetermined position on the floor of the distribution warehouse to measure the contact width W1 of the training wheels 34 . For example, a part of the floor surface is made of a transparent member, the upper surface of the transparent member is moved straight to the transport device 1, and the auxiliary wheel monitoring sensor 53 arranged on the lower surface of the transparent member detects the contact width W1 of the auxiliary wheel 34. can be taken.

Also, in the first embodiment, an example is shown in which the wear level 2613 of the training wheels 34 is calculated by the warehouse control device 100, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the data analysis program 163, the wear degree table 420, and the speed control table 410 may be installed in the transport device 1 so that the transport device 1 calculates the wear level of the training wheels 34 and adjusts the speed conditions.

In the distribution warehouse, the passage, acceleration, deceleration, or rotation of the transport device 1 on which the shelves 7 are mounted may damage or deteriorate the floor surface, and may vibrate the passing transport devices 1 and the articles on the shelves 7. In order to suppress the vibration of the articles on the shelf 7, the state of the floor surface in the distribution warehouse is grasped, and when traveling on a place where the floor surface is in poor condition or where the floor surface is uneven, the transport device It becomes necessary to suppress the speed of the conveying device 1 or to detour the conveying device 1 .

The state of the floor surface in the distribution warehouse is acquired by the vibration sensor 51 and the forward monitoring sensor 52 of the transport device 1 shown in the first embodiment, and the amount of vibration and the presence or absence of damage are accumulated in the floor information 240. When the route creation program 161 calculates the travel route of the conveying device 1, the floor information 240 can be used to specify speed suppression and detour positions.

As described in Embodiment 1 above, the shock absorbing ability of the auxiliary wheels 34 decreases as the wear of the auxiliary wheels 34 progresses. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the floor information 240 is generated, the vibration determination criterion is changed according to the degree of progress of wear of the training wheels 34 to suppress the influence of the progress of wear, thereby obtaining accurate floor information 240. to improve the accuracy of route data generation and travel control of the transport device 1 .

FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the transport system of the second embodiment. The transportation system is obtained by adding a threshold value table 310 and a damage degree table 320 to the warehouse control device 100 of the first embodiment, and the rest of the configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of vibration data 290. FIG. The vibration data 290 stores the vibration data received from the transport device 1 by the data input/output program 162 of the warehouse control device 100, and further stores the vibration data threshold value calculated by the data analysis program 163, which will be described later.

It should be noted that the vibration data 290 regarding the vibration generated in the conveying device 1 during movement has a correlation with the state of the floor surface. As an example of such a correlation, when the transport device 1 travels (including turning) on a floor with a certain floor surface state (for example, a floor surface with a large degree of damage), the vibration applied to the transport device 1 during movement is It has been found that it may be significantly larger compared to different floor conditions (eg, normal floor, less damaged floor, etc.). Note that the specific correlation between the vibration data 290 and the state of the floor surface may change depending on various environmental factors such as the specific design of the transport apparatus 1, the material of the floor surface, and the communication environment.

Vibration data 290 includes serial number 291, vibration data measurement date and time 292, device ID 293, measured vibration data 294, vibration data threshold value 295, device position 296, shelf loading/unloading 297, and transport shelf ID 298. , shelf/commodity weight 299, remaining battery capacity 300, mode 301, running speed 302, running acceleration 303, cumulative running distance 304, and cumulative number of accelerations 305 are included in one record.

The vibration data measurement date and time 292 stores the date and time when the vibration data was measured by the vibration sensor 51 of the transport device 1 . The device ID 293 stores an identifier preset for the transport device 1 . The measured vibration data 294 stores the magnitude of vibration measured by the vibration sensor 51 as acceleration (m/s^2). It should be noted that the format of the measured vibration data 294 is not limited to the example described above, and may be replaced by another index representing the magnitude of vibration.

The vibration data threshold value 295 stores a threshold value calculated by the data analysis program 163 of the warehouse control device 100 based on the running state, transportation state, etc. of the transport device 1, as will be described later. The data analysis program 163 changes the acceleration threshold to be applied according to the running state of the conveying device 1 and the wear level of the auxiliary wheels 34 when the measured vibration data 294 is acquired.

The device position 296 stores the coordinates (position information) of the area on the map information 250 calculated by the self-position estimation program 23 of the transport device 1 . The shelf load presence/absence 297 stores a value indicating whether or not the transport device 1 transported the shelf 7 at the vibration data measurement date/time 292 . A value detected by the conveying device 1 or a value of the device information 260 can be used as the value of the presence/absence of stacking on the shelf 297 .

The transport shelf ID 298 stores the identifier of the shelf 7 designated to be loaded on the transport device 1 . The transport shelf ID 298 is the identifier of the shelf 7 transported by the transport apparatus 1 at the vibration data measurement date and time 292 . The shelf/product weight 299 stores the sum of the shelf weight 234 and the product weight 235 of the shelf information 230 corresponding to the transfer shelf ID 298 .

The remaining battery capacity 300 stores the remaining capacity of the battery 39 measured by the measurement program 25 of the transport device 1 . The mode 301 stores the travel mode of the transport device 1 at the vibration data measurement date and time 292 . As for the travel mode, a value determined by the travel control program 24 of the transport device 1 can be acquired by the measurement program 25 and transmitted to the warehouse control device 100 by being included in the vibration data.

The travel speed 302 stores the travel speed (or angular velocity) detected by the conveying device 1 . The travel acceleration 303 stores the acceleration (or angular acceleration) detected by the transport device 1 . The cumulative travel distance 304 stores the cumulative travel distance detected by the conveying device 1 . The cumulative acceleration count 305 is the cumulative count of acceleration (or deceleration) detected by the transport device 1 .

The cumulative travel distance 304 and the cumulative number of acceleration times 305 are data representing the travel record of the transport device 1 and serve as indicators of the load accumulated in the transport device 1 . Since deterioration of the auxiliary wheels 34 due to load accumulation is predicted for the conveying apparatus 1 in which the cumulative travel distance 304 or the cumulative number of acceleration times 305 exceeds a certain reference value, it may be excluded from the determination of the degree of damage to the floor surface.

The vibration data 290 stores data received from the transport device 1 by the data input/output program 162 of the warehouse control device 100, and data other than the vibration data threshold value 295 are set at the time of storage. The vibration data threshold 295 is set by a process described later. Note that the shelf/merchandise weight 299 may be obtained and set by the data input/output program 162 from the shelf information 230 based on the transfer shelf ID 298 . Also, the cumulative traveled distance 304 and the cumulative number of times of acceleration 305 may be acquired from the device information 260 by the data input/output program 162 based on the device ID 291 .

Although the transportation device 1 adds the traveling state and the transportation state to the vibration data measured by the vibration sensor 51 at a predetermined sampling period and transmits it to the warehouse control device 100, it is not limited to this. For example, statistical values (average value, maximum value, etc.) of vibration data measured by the vibration sensor 51 for a predetermined period may be calculated for each area and transmitted to the warehouse control device 100 .

The data analysis program 163 of the warehouse control device 100 can calculate the degree of damage in each area using only the measured vibration data 294. By also analyzing the transportation state consisting of product weight 299, mode 301, remaining battery capacity 300, traveling speed 302, traveling acceleration 3030, cumulative travel distance 304, and cumulative acceleration times 305, the degree of floor damage can be determined. It is possible to improve the judgment accuracy.

With respect to whether the shelf is loaded or not 297, when the transport device 1 is transporting the shelf 7, the index of vibration detected by the transport device 1 is larger than when the transport device 1 is not transporting. Therefore, when determining the state of the floor surface, if different thresholds are set according to the presence or absence of the shelf 7, the accuracy of determining the degree of damage to the floor surface can be improved. Further, by adding the weight of the shelf/commodity 299, the accuracy of determining the degree of damage to the floor is further improved.

For example, if the decrease in the remaining battery capacity 300 is associated with vibration originating from the device, the vibration data of the transport device 1 in such a state can be excluded from the objects for determining the degree of damage to the floor surface.

The mode 301 is set to any one of "rotation", "acceleration", "deceleration", and "straight ahead" in the case of the transport device 1 of this embodiment. The transport device 1 vibrates more during straight movement than during turning, and during acceleration than during deceleration. Velocity and acceleration are also related to the magnitude of vibration. By setting different thresholds according to the mode 301, the travel speed 302, and the travel acceleration 303 when the transport device 1 detects vibration, the accuracy of the floor determination is further improved.

Also, in the above description, an example is shown in which a record in which the measured vibration data 294 does not exceed the vibration data threshold value 295 is held. However, if the measured vibration data 294 does not exceed the vibration data threshold value 295, the floor information 240 is not updated. Therefore, the data analysis program 163 can delete records in which the measured vibration data 294 do not exceed the vibration data threshold 295 . For example, the record with the serial number 291=3 which is crossed out in FIG. 22 may be deleted because the measured vibration data 294 does not exceed the vibration data threshold value 295 .

FIG. 23 is a graph showing an example of a vibration waveform detected by the vibration sensor 51. FIG. In FIG. 23, the vertical axis indicates acceleration (magnitude of vibration) and the horizontal axis indicates time.

For vibration data, the acceleration (magnitude of vibration) increases or decreases according to the degree of damage to the floor surface. Further, the vibration data threshold value 295 calculated by the data analysis program 163 changes according to the travel speed, acceleration, travel mode, and loading state of the shelf 7, like the threshold value Tha and the threshold value Thb in the figure.

FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing an example of analysis processing performed by the warehouse control device 100. FIG. The data analysis program 163 of the warehouse control device 100 executes analysis processing of the vibration data 290 at a predetermined cycle (for example, every 24 hours) or at a predetermined timing such as a manager's instruction, and determines the degree of damage to the floor surface of the distribution warehouse. is determined for each area through which the conveying apparatus 1 has passed.

The data analysis program 163 acquires data to be analyzed from the vibration data 290 (S51). For data to be analyzed, for example, when processing is executed every 24 hours, the data analysis program 163 extracts data whose vibration data measurement date and time 292 are within 24 hours.

The data analysis program 163 calculates a vibration data threshold value 295 corresponding to the traveling state and the conveying state of the shelf 7 for each vibration data 290 as described later, and stores it in the vibration data 290 . Then, the data analysis program 163 sorts the vibration data 290 by the device position 296 (area) (S52).

In steps S53 to S59, the data analysis program 163 determines the degree of floor damage for each sorted area, and repeats the process for all data.

First, in step S54, the data analysis program 163 compares the measured vibration data 294 and the vibration data threshold 295 to determine whether the measured vibration data 294 exceeds the vibration data threshold 295. If the measured vibration data 294 exceeds the vibration data threshold value 295, the data analysis program 163 proceeds to step S55, otherwise proceeds to step S57.

In step S55, the data analysis program 163 calculates the percentage of the value obtained by dividing the measured vibration data 294 by the vibration data threshold value 295 as the threshold excess rate Ex. Next, the data analysis program 163 retrieves the damage level table 320 (described later) with the threshold excess rate Ex to obtain the damage level 322, which is used as the damage level of the floor surface of the area (S56).

Note that this embodiment shows an example in which the degree of damage is calculated based on the ratio of the measured vibration data 294 exceeding the vibration data threshold value 295, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the data analysis program 163 may calculate the degree of damage using a preset function, table, or the like.

FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an example of the damage level table 320. FIG. The damage degree table 320 is a preset table.

The damage level table 320 includes, in one record, a threshold excess rate 321 that sets the range of the threshold excess rate Ex and a damage level 322 that sets the damage level of the floor according to the range of the threshold excess rate Ex. This embodiment shows an example in which the degree of floor damage is determined in four stages, but the present invention is not limited to this.

The greater the degree of damage to the floor surface, the higher the possibility that a large vibration or impact will occur when the transport device 1 travels on the floor surface and the threshold exceeding rate will increase. Therefore, the damage degree table 320 is also set such that the higher the threshold excess rate, the greater the damage degree. For example, the threshold excess rate is higher for "medium damage" than for "small damage", and the threshold excess rate is higher for "large damage" than for "medium damage". It is set so that the damage level of "repair required" is higher than the threshold exceeding rate.

On the other hand, in step S57 of FIG. 24, the measured vibration data 294 is less than or equal to the threshold, so the data analysis program 163 determines that the damage level of the floor surface in the area is "normal".

In step S58, the data analysis program 163 writes the degree of damage calculated in step S56 or S57 into the floor state 243 of the area currently being processed, and updates the floor information 240.

In step S59, the above process is repeated for all areas to be processed, and then the process proceeds to step S60.

In step S60, the data analysis program 163 generates a floor surface damage visualization map 330 in FIG. 28, which will be described later. Then, in step S61, the data analysis program 163 generates a visualization screen 141 shown in FIG.

As an example, on the floor surface in the distribution warehouse that is divided and managed into the plurality of sections, the state of the floor surface for each section is classified into "normal state", "low damage level", "medium damage level", and " Determination is made in multiple stages such as "extent of damage" and "repair required", and the result is output to the output device 140.

Through the above processing, the warehouse control device 100 generates vibration data 290 collected from a plurality of transport devices 1 based on the running state, the transport state, and the wear level of the training wheels 34 at the time when the vibration sensor 51 measures the vibration data. A threshold 295 is determined.

The data analysis program 163 then calculates the degree of damage for areas where the measured vibration data 294 exceeds the vibration data threshold value 295 and writes it to the floor state 243 to update the floor information 240 .

Based on the updated floor information 240, the administrator or the like of the warehouse control device 100 changes the area setting 244 of the floor information 240 to a no-travel area or the like, or performs repair work so that the transfer device 1 or the floor surface This load can be reduced.

In addition, after updating the floor information 240, the data analysis program 163 generates a visualization screen 141 and displays it on the output device 140, thereby clearly indicating an area that requires repair. Also, on the visualization screen 141, by displaying the degree of damage for each area, it is possible to draw up a repair plan for the floor surface.

In addition, the data analysis program 163 determines that there is damage to the floor surface of the area when a plurality of measured vibration data 294 exceeds the vibration data threshold value 295 when a plurality of vibration data exist for one area. You may Accuracy of the degree of damage can be improved by performing determination using a plurality of vibration data.

In addition, the data analysis program 163 may determine that the floor condition of the area is damaged when the measured vibration data 294 of a plurality of transport devices 1 exceeds the vibration data threshold value 295 for one area. Accuracy of the degree of damage can be improved by performing determination using vibration data measured by a plurality of transport devices 1 .

In addition, the data analysis program 163 may issue an alert when the calculated degree of damage exceeds a predetermined standard. For example, if the damage level is "needs repair," the data analysis program 163 can display the location of the area and an alert for repair to the output device 140 . Also, the alert may be notified to an external party for external maintenance. As a result, the manager or the like can quickly recognize the damage to the floor surface. As a result, it is possible to appropriately change the operation according to the degree of damage to the floor surface.

If there are multiple pieces of vibration data for one area (or point), the data analysis program 163 may calculate the representative value of the area and use this representative value to determine the degree of damage to the floor surface. As the representative value, an average value, a median value, a maximum value, a minimum value, or the like may be appropriately selected.

Next, the vibration data counting process performed in step S52 will be described below. First, FIG. 27 is a diagram showing an example of the threshold table 310. As shown in FIG. The threshold table 310 is a preset table. The threshold table 310 includes travel speed 311, acceleration 312, mode 313, shelf weight 314, wear level 315, and threshold 316 in one record.

For the travel speed 311, the travel speed range of the transport device 1 is set, and the threshold value 316 is set according to the value of the travel speed 302 of the vibration data 290. For example, even when the conveying apparatus 1 travels on the same floor surface, the higher the travel speed, the greater the vibration or impact caused by the floor surface. Therefore, the threshold value table 310 may also be set so that the threshold value increases as the traveling speed increases.

For the acceleration 312, the acceleration range of the transport device 1 is set, and the threshold 316 is set according to the value of the running acceleration 303 of the vibration data 290. For example, even when the conveying apparatus 1 travels on the same floor surface, the greater the acceleration, the greater the vibration or impact caused by the floor surface. Therefore, in the threshold table 310 as well, the threshold may be set to increase as the acceleration increases.

A mode 313 sets a threshold value 316 corresponding to the travel mode of the transport device 1 . In this embodiment, the threshold value 316 is set to 10 m/s^2 when the travel mode is turning. For the shelf weight 314, a threshold 316 corresponding to the total weight of the shelf and the product transported by the transport device 1 is set. For example, even when the conveying apparatus 1 travels on the same floor surface, vibration or impact caused by the floor surface may increase as the weight of the conveyed object (the total weight of the shelf and the product) increases. Therefore, the threshold table 310 may also be set such that the heavier the object to be transported, the larger the threshold.

Similarly, for example, even when the conveying device 1 travels on the same floor surface, the vibration or impact caused by the floor surface is greater when conveying an object than when not conveying an object. can be large. Therefore, in the threshold table 310 as well, the threshold may be set to be larger when the article is being conveyed than when the article is not being conveyed.

The wear level 315 sets the threshold 316 corresponding to the wear level 2613 of the training wheels 34 . For example, when the wear level 315 is "A", the threshold value 316 is set to "0", indicating that the threshold value added by the wear level is "0". On the other hand, when the wear level 315 is "B" and wear has progressed, the threshold value 316 is set to "2", indicating that the threshold value to be added according to the wear level is "2".

In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the traveling speed 311, the acceleration 312, and the shelf weight 314 are classified into three stages, but the classification is not limited to this.

Also, a record in which the column of mode 313 is blank indicates that all driving modes are supported. Therefore, the shelf weight 314 sets the threshold 316 regardless of the travel mode of the transport device 1 . If the mode 313=“acceleration” or “deceleration”, it means that the threshold 316 corresponding to the travel speed 311 and the threshold 316 corresponding to the acceleration 312 are added.

FIG. 25 is a flow chart showing an example of the vibration data aggregation process performed in step S52, among the analysis processes performed by the warehouse control device 100. FIG.

The data analysis program 163 repeats the processing of steps S71 to S77 for each record of the vibration data 290 for the data to be analyzed (S71). The data analysis program 163 acquires the mode 301 of the vibration data 290, searches the mode 313 of the threshold table 310 with the value of the mode 301 when the transport apparatus 1 measured the vibration data, and acquires the corresponding threshold 316. , is set as a threshold value Th1 as a variable (S72).

Next, the data analysis program 163 acquires the running speed 302 of the vibration data 290, searches the running speed 311 of the threshold table 310 with the value of the running speed 302, acquires the corresponding threshold 316, and obtains the threshold 316 as a variable. Th2 is set (S73).

The data analysis program 163 acquires the running acceleration 303 of the vibration data 290, searches the acceleration 312 of the threshold table 310 with the value of the running acceleration 303, acquires the corresponding threshold 316, and sets the threshold Th3 as a variable. (S74).

The data analysis program 163 acquires the shelf/product weight 299 of the vibration data 290, searches the shelf weight 314 of the threshold table 310 with the value of the shelf/product weight 299, acquires the corresponding threshold 316, and uses is set to the threshold value Th4 (S75).

Then, the data analysis program 163 acquires the wear level 2613 of the device information 260, searches the wear level 315 of the threshold table 310 with the value of the shelf/merchandise weight 299, acquires the corresponding threshold 316, and uses A threshold Th5 is set (S76).

Next, the data analysis program 163 calculates the sum of the thresholds Th1 to T5 set in steps S72 to S76, and writes it to the vibration data threshold 295 of the vibration data 290 of the record (S77).

In step S78, after performing the above processing for all the vibration data 290, the process proceeds to step S79. In step S79, the data analysis program 163 sorts the vibration data 290 in the order of the device position 196, rearranges them in order of area, and returns to the process of FIG.

Through the above processing, the data analysis program 163 determines the vibration data threshold value 295 based on the travel state, the transport state, and the wear level of the auxiliary wheels 34 at the time when the vibration sensor 51 of the transport device 1 measures the vibration data. can be done.

FIG. 28 is a diagram showing an example of the visualization screen 141 of the floor surface. The visualization screen 141 includes a damage status visualization map 330 that visualizes the degree of damage to the floor of the distribution warehouse, and a floor status 340 that displays data on the degree of damage to the floor.

The damage visualization map 330 is a diagram in which a pattern corresponding to the value of the floor condition 243 of the floor information 240 updated by the data analysis program 163 is set for each area of the map information 250, and is displayed at the top of the visualization screen 141. be done.

In the damage visualization map 330, the area (row 331 and column 332) specified by the row number 251 and column number 252 of the map information 250 is darkened as the floor condition (floor condition 243 of the floor information 240) deteriorates. A pattern is set and normal areas are displayed in white with no pattern.

The manager of the warehouse control device 100 or the like can easily grasp the areas that require repair or the areas that should be banned from traveling by referring to the damage status visualization map 330 on the visualization screen 141 displayed on the output device 140. be able to.

The floor condition 340 is visualized screen 141 as a table including serial number 341, degree of damage 342, address 343, measured vibration data 344, vibration data threshold 345, and floor information update date 346 in one record. displayed at the bottom of the

For the degree of damage 342 and the address 343, the values of the floor state 243 and area 242 of the floor information 240 are set. For the measured vibration data 344 and the vibration data threshold 345, the measured vibration data 294 and the vibration data threshold 295 of the vibration data 290 of the area are set. As the floor information update date 346, the date and time when the data analysis program 163 updated the floor information 240 is set.

The administrator of the warehouse control device 100 can check the measured vibration data 344 and the vibration data threshold value 345 that determined the degree of damage 342 by referring to the floor condition 340 .

As described above, the warehouse control device 100 of this embodiment determines the vibration data threshold value 295 according to the vibration data collected from the transfer device 1, the traveling state, the transfer state, and the wear level, Calculate the degree of surface damage. The manager of the warehouse control device 100 identifies the position of the floor where the magnitude of the vibration exceeds the threshold as the floor where the transport device 1 vibrates, and suppresses or prohibits the travel of the transport device 1 at that position. By doing so, it becomes possible to suppress the load on the conveying device 1 and the floor surface.

In the above description, by setting the threshold 316 according to the wear level of the training wheels 34 for the vibration data measured by the vibration sensor 51, the degree of damage to the floor surface is calculated taking into account the deterioration of the training wheels 34. It becomes possible to

By using the threshold value 316 according to the wear level of the training wheels 34, it is possible to mitigate the effects of aged deterioration of the transport device 1 and improve the accuracy of determining damage to the floor surface. In addition, in the threshold excess rate 321 of the damage level table 320, the vibration data of a predetermined area (for example, the threshold excess rate 321 is 1000 or more) where the detection value of the vibration sensor 51 is abnormal is used to calculate the degree of floor damage. It is desirable to exclude it from the target. As a result, it is possible to further improve the accuracy of determining damage to the floor surface.

If the wear level of the training wheel 34 exceeds a predetermined threshold value (131%), that is, "D", the deterioration progresses excessively. good too. As a result, the accuracy of determining the degree of damage to the floor can be further improved by excluding the transportation device 1 whose training wheel 34 has reached the replacement time from the calculation target of the degree of damage to the floor.

In addition, the data analysis program 163 detects the status information (apparatus information 260) satisfies a specific condition, it may be excluded from the determination of the degree of damage to the floor surface. Depending on the state information of the transport device 1, the magnitude of the vibration to be measured may differ. Judgment accuracy can be improved.

In addition, in the second embodiment, an example is shown in which the ground contact width W1 increases as the shape of the auxiliary wheel 34 progresses in wear, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if the contact width of the drive wheel 33 increases as the shape of the drive wheel 33 wears, the contact width of the drive wheel 33 is monitored to change the wear level of the conveying device 1 and adjust the threshold value 316. Alternatively, the threshold 316 can be adjusted by changing the wear level according to the wear condition of the wheels that support the weight of the transport device 1 .

Further, in the second embodiment, in addition to the above configuration, the threshold value 316 corresponding to the wear level 315 can be corrected by the correction coefficient 436. By setting the correction coefficient 436 small, the threshold value 316 can be corrected to be small. That is, if the auxiliary wheels 34 are made of a soft material, the vibration will be small even on the same floor surface, so lowering the threshold value can improve the accuracy of determining damage to the floor surface.

<Conclusion>
As described above, the transport system of the above embodiment can be configured as follows.

(1) A transport device (1) capable of lifting and transporting a movable shelf (shelf 7) for storing articles, and a control device (warehouse control device) for controlling the movement of the transport device (1) via a network (90). 100), wherein the transport device (1) includes wheels (reinforcing wheels 34) that can move on the floor while supporting the weight of the transport device (1), and the wheels ( 34), a first sensor (retaining wheel monitoring sensor 53) for detecting the contact state of the wheel (34), and a transport control section (control device 2) for transmitting the contact state of the wheel (34) to the control device (100). The control device (100) calculates the contact width of the wheel (34) from the contact state received from the transport control unit (2), and adjusts the transfer according to the contact width of the wheel (34). A conveying system characterized by controlling the speed or acceleration (speed control table 410) of the device (1).
Further, in the conveying method, a control device controls a conveying device capable of lifting and conveying a movable shelf for storing articles, wherein the control device detects from the conveying device the grounding state of the wheels detected by a first sensor. a receiving step of receiving; and a control step of calculating the contact width of the wheel from the received contact state, and controlling the speed or acceleration of the conveying device according to the contact width of the wheel. It may be a transportation method.
Further, a control device for controlling a conveying device capable of conveying a conveyed object, which receives measurement data of a contact portion of a wheel of the conveying device from the conveying device, and uses the received measurement data of the contact portion to The control device may calculate a contact width and control the speed or acceleration of the conveying device according to the contact width of the wheel.

With the above configuration, by monitoring the contact width (W1) of the wheels (the auxiliary wheels 34) that support the conveying device 1, when the running resistance increases due to the wear of the wheels (the auxiliary wheels 34), the running resistance increases. By controlling the acceleration and speed with the speed control table 410 according to the conditions, it is possible to suppress the damage (for example, load, vibration, impact, damage, etc.) to the conveyed object (for example, article), the conveying device, and the floor surface. It becomes possible.

(2) In the conveying system described in (1) above, the control device (100) notifies the replacement timing of the wheels (34) according to the contact width (W1) of the wheels (34). A transport system characterized by:

Further, a control device for controlling a conveying device capable of conveying a conveyed object, which receives measurement data of a contact portion of a wheel of the conveying device from the conveying device, and uses the received measurement data of the contact portion to The control device may calculate a ground contact width and notify the replacement timing of the wheel according to the ground contact width of the wheel.

With the above configuration, when the contact width (W1) of the wheels (the auxiliary wheels 34) that support the conveying device 1 becomes excessive, maintenance can be performed accurately by notifying the replacement timing.

(3) In the conveying system described in (1) above, the first sensor (53) is an image sensor, and the conveying control section (2) controls the conveying device (1) in a straight advance state. In the case of, the first sensor (53) acquires image data including the ground contact state of the wheel (34) and transmits it to the control device (100), and the control device (100) controls the conveying device ( 1) A conveying system characterized by measuring the contact width of the wheel (34) from the image data including the contact state of the wheel (34) received from 1).

With the above configuration, the training wheel monitoring sensor 53 acquires image data including the grounding state of the training wheels 34 when the transport device 1 is in a straight-ahead state, and the warehouse control device 100 detects the training wheels 34 from the image data including the grounding state. By calculating the contact width W1, it is possible to monitor the contact width W1 with high accuracy.

(4) In the conveying system described in (3) above, the conveying device (1) has a plurality of drive wheels (33) arranged in parallel as the wheels, and the plurality of drive wheels (33) are arranged in parallel. A transport system characterized in that the transport system is driven at a constant speed so as to be in the straight-ahead state.

With the above configuration, the conveying device 1 can be accurately moved straight.

(5) The conveying system described in (4) above, wherein the conveying device (1) has a plurality of drive wheels (33) and one or more auxiliary wheels (34) as the wheels; 1 sensor (53) is arranged at a position capable of photographing the contact position of the auxiliary wheel (34) in the straight-ahead state of the conveying device (1), and the auxiliary wheel (34) is adjusted according to the progress of wear. A conveying system characterized in that the ground contact width (W1) is expanded by

With the above configuration, the training wheel monitoring sensor 53 can photograph the grounding state of the training wheels 34 in a straight-ahead state, and the warehouse control device 100 can accurately calculate the grounding width W1 of the training wheels 34 and measure the progress of wear. can be monitored.

(6) In the transport system according to (1) above, the control device (100) controls the degree of progress of wear of the wheels (34) (a wear level 2613 ), and changes the acceleration or speed (speed control table 410) according to the degree of progress of wear (2613).

With the above configuration, the warehouse control device 100 controls the acceleration and speed according to the increase in running resistance by the speed control table 410 when the running resistance increases due to the wear of the training wheels 34, thereby controlling the goods to be transported and the floor to be transported. It is possible to suppress the damage given to the surface.

(7) In the transport system described in (6) above, the control device (100) stores speed control information (speed control table 410) in which the acceleration or speed is preset according to the degree of progress of the wear. and wherein the speed control information (410) sets the acceleration lower as the wear progresses.

With the above configuration, the warehouse control device 100 suppresses the acceleration of the transport device 1 as the level of wear of the training wheels 34 progresses, thereby reducing the vibration applied to the articles on the shelves 7 and suppressing the load applied to the floor surface. be able to.

(8) In the conveying system described in (6) above, the control device (100) adjusts a preset correction coefficient (436) according to the characteristics (relief wheel table 430) of the wheels (34). A transport system, characterized in that it corrects said acceleration or velocity accordingly.

With the above configuration, by correcting the acceleration or speed with the correction coefficient 436 according to the characteristics such as the material and outer diameter of the training wheel 34, even when the training wheel 34 is replaced, the article can be conveyed while suppressing vibration. becomes possible.

(9) In the transport system described in (6) above, the transport device (1) has a second sensor (vibration sensor 51) that measures vibration of the transport device (1) during movement. , the transport control unit (2) includes a position estimation unit (23) for estimating position information of the transport device (1) based on markers placed on the floor surface, and the second sensor (51). and a communication unit (26) that transmits information on the measured vibration of the conveying device (1) during movement and the position information to the control device (100), wherein the control device (100) at least Vibration data including information on the vibration of the conveying device (1) during movement measured by the second sensor (51) and position information of the conveying device (1) when the vibration was measured is transmitted to the conveying device ( 1), and determines the state of the floor surface at the position of the transport device (1) when the vibration is measured according to the vibration data and the degree of progress of the wear. .

With the above configuration, it is possible to accurately determine the state of the floor surface according to the degree of wear of the wheels by determining damage to the floor surface according to the magnitude of the vibration data value.

(10) In the transport system described in (9) above, the control device (100) includes threshold information (threshold table 310), and when determining the state of the floor surface at the position of the transport device (1) when the vibration is measured, if the value of the vibration data exceeds the vibration threshold value (316) 1. A transport system characterized in that it is determined that there is damage to the floor surface at the position of the transport device (1) when the vibration is measured.

With the above configuration, the warehouse control device 100 can accurately determine the state of the floor surface by applying different threshold values according to the progress of wear of the training wheels 34 .

(11) In the conveying system described in (10) above, the control device (100) adjusts the correction coefficient (438) preset according to the characteristics (relief wheel table 430) of the wheels (34). and correcting said vibration threshold (316) accordingly.

With the above configuration, the warehouse control device 100 can accurately determine the state of the floor surface by correcting the vibration threshold according to the characteristics such as the material and outer diameter of the training wheels 34 .

(12) In the conveying system according to (9) above, when the progression of wear exceeds a predetermined threshold and it is time to replace the wheel (34), the control device (100) A transport system characterized in that the transport device (1) is excluded from the state determination of the floor surface.

With the above configuration, the warehouse control device 100 can accurately determine the degree of damage to the floor surface by excluding the transfer device 1 having the training wheels 34 that have reached the replacement time from the determination of the state of the floor surface.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications. For example, the above embodiments are described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the described configurations. In addition, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. In addition, any addition, deletion, or replacement of other configurations for a part of the configuration of each embodiment can be applied singly or in combination.

In addition, each of the above configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be implemented in hardware, for example, by designing a part or all of them in an integrated circuit. Further, each of the above configurations, functions, etc. may be realized by software by a processor interpreting and executing a program for realizing each function. Information such as programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in a recording device such as a memory, a hard disk, an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.

In addition, control lines and information lines indicate what is considered necessary for explanation, and not all control lines and information lines are necessarily indicated on the product. In practice, it may be considered that almost all configurations are interconnected.

Claims (15)

1. a transport device capable of lifting and transporting a mobile shelf storing articles;
   A transport system comprising a control device that controls movement of the transport device via a network,
   The conveying device is
   wheels capable of supporting the weight of the transport device and moving on the floor;
   a first sensor that detects a ground contact state of the wheel;
   a conveyance control unit that transmits the grounding state of the wheel to the control device;
   The control device is
   A conveying system, wherein a contact width of the wheel is calculated from the contact state received from the conveying control unit, and the speed or acceleration of the conveying device is controlled according to the contact width of the wheel.
2. A transport system according to claim 1, wherein
   The control device is
   A conveying system, wherein notification of a replacement time of said wheel is made according to a contact width of said wheel.
3. A transport system according to claim 1, wherein
   The first sensor is composed of an image sensor,
   The transport control unit
   acquiring image data including the ground contact state of the wheels with the first sensor and transmitting the image data to the control device when the conveying device is in a straight-ahead state;
   The control device is
   A conveying system, wherein the contact width of the wheel is measured from the image data including the contact state of the wheel received from the conveying device.
4. A transport system according to claim 3, wherein
   The conveying device is
   A conveying system, wherein a plurality of drive wheels are arranged in parallel as the wheels, and the straight traveling state is achieved by driving the plurality of drive wheels at a constant speed.
5. A transport system according to claim 4,
   The conveying device is
   Having a plurality of driving wheels and one or more auxiliary wheels as the wheels,
   The first sensor is arranged at a position capable of photographing a contact position of the training wheel in the straight-ahead state of the conveying device,
   The auxiliary wheels are
   A conveying system, wherein the contact width increases as wear progresses.
6. A transport system according to claim 1, wherein
   The control device is
   A conveying system, wherein the degree of progress of wear of the wheels is calculated based on the amount of increase in the contact width, and the acceleration or speed is changed according to the degree of progress of the wear.
7. A transport system according to claim 6, wherein
   The control device is
   Having speed control information that presets the acceleration or speed according to the degree of progress of the wear,
   The speed control information is
   A conveying system, wherein the acceleration is set lower as the wear progresses.
8. A transport system according to claim 6, wherein
   The control device is
   A conveying system, wherein the acceleration or speed is corrected according to a correction coefficient preset according to the characteristics of the wheels.
9. A transport system according to claim 6, wherein
   The conveying device is
   a second sensor for measuring vibrations of the conveying device during movement;
   The transport control unit
   a position estimating unit for estimating position information of the transport device based on markers placed on the floor;
   a communication unit configured to transmit information about the vibration of the conveying device during movement measured by the second sensor and the position information to the control device;
   The control device is
   Vibration data including at least information about the vibration of the transport device during movement measured by the second sensor and position information of the transport device when the vibration was measured is acquired from the transport device, and the vibration data is obtained. and determining the state of the floor surface at the position of the transport device when the vibration is measured according to the degree of progress of the wear.
10. A transport system according to claim 9, wherein
    The control device is
    It has threshold information preset so that the vibration threshold increases as the wear progresses, and when determining the state of the floor surface at the position of the transfer device when the vibration is measured, the vibration is determined. A transport system, wherein when a data value exceeds the vibration threshold, it is determined that there is damage to the floor surface at the position of the transport device when the vibration was measured.
11. A transport system according to claim 10, wherein
    The control device is
    A conveying system, wherein the vibration threshold is corrected according to a correction coefficient preset according to the characteristics of the wheel.
12. A transport system according to claim 9, wherein
    The control device is
    A conveying system, wherein the conveying device is excluded from the state determination of the floor surface when the progress of the wear exceeds a predetermined threshold value and it is time to replace the wheel.
13. A conveying method in which a control device controls a conveying device capable of lifting and conveying a movable shelf storing articles,
    a receiving step in which the control device receives from the conveying device the ground contact state of the wheel detected by the first sensor;
    a control step in which the control device calculates the contact width of the wheel from the received contact state, and controls the speed or acceleration of the conveying device according to the contact width of the wheel;
    A conveying method comprising:
14. A control device for controlling a conveying device capable of conveying a conveyed object,
    Receive measurement data of the contact portion of the wheel of the transport device from the transport device, calculate the contact width of the wheel from the received measurement data of the contact portion, and speed the transport device according to the contact width of the wheel. Or a control device characterized by controlling acceleration.
15. A control device for controlling a conveying device capable of conveying a conveyed object,
    Receiving measurement data of the contact portion of the wheel of the conveying device from the conveying device, calculating the contact width of the wheel from the received measurement data of the contact portion, and replacing the wheel according to the contact width of the wheel. A control device characterized by notifying the

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