WO2024018616A1

WO2024018616A1 - Control method for conveyance system, and conveyance system

Info

Publication number: WO2024018616A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/028470
Authority: WO
Inventors: 久遠藤; 優和青木; 一弘日向; 由和長島
Original assignee: 株式会社日立インダストリアルプロダクツ; 株式会社日立製作所
Priority date: 2022-07-22
Filing date: 2022-07-22
Publication date: 2024-01-25

Abstract

The present invention provides a control method for a conveyance system that comprises a conveyance device and a control device. The conveyance device includes: a secondary battery that supplies electric power for operation; and a drive mechanism that drives wheels by using the electric power supplied from the secondary battery. The control method comprises: an information acquisition step in which the conveyance device acquires, while traveling, position information regarding the position of the conveyance device and management information regarding the conveyance device or the traveling environment of the conveyance device; a first communication step in which the conveyance device transmits the acquired position information to the control device while traveling via a wireless communication network; and a second communication step in which the conveyance device transmits the management information acquired while traveling to the control device while the secondary battery is being charged.

Description

Conveyance system control method and conveyance system

The present invention relates to a transport system using an unmanned transport device and a method of controlling the transport system.

In a logistics warehouse for e-commerce, etc., a transport device (AGV: Automatic Guided Vehicle) transports product shelves to the front of a sorting worker called a picker for product picking, and the worker takes out the products from the shelf. There is a system to do this. A control system that controls the transport device is connected to the transport device via a wireless communication network and instructs the transport device to transport.

Background technology includes a movable mobile shelf, an automatic guided vehicle (AGV) that transports the mobile shelf, an AGV area where the AGV transports the mobile shelf, and a picking operation in which a worker works in contact with the AGV area. There is a picking system that includes an area and two or more picking locations in which the mobile shelves are temporarily installed at positions adjacent to the picking area within the AGV area. For example, there is a technique described in Patent Document 1.

International Publication 2015/097736 Publication

For example, when a transport device (hereinafter also referred to as a transport vehicle) is transporting a product shelf, there is a possibility that the products stored on the shelf may fall onto the travel path, and such falling objects may be removed from the transport work of the transport device. prevent. This process in which the transport work is obstructed is recorded as log data of the operation history of the transport device, so that it can be used for dealing with fallen objects, etc., and efficient operation and maintenance can be performed. By analyzing the log data in this manner, it is possible to detect abnormalities in the transport device and analyze the environment of the transport device (for example, the state of the travel path). In this analysis, image data obtained using the camera of the transport device can be utilized. However, in a transport device that communicates wirelessly, when the amount of data transmitted to a control system (hereinafter also referred to as a control device) increases, the transmission and reception of control data such as priority transport instructions may be delayed.

As described above, when the amount of data that a transport device transmits to the control device that controls the transport device during movement increases for control, operation and maintenance of the transport system, the processing load on the transport device and the load on the wireless communication network increases. increase In addition, when a conveyance system controls multiple conveyance devices, if the amount of communication from the conveyance devices increases and the communication band that can be used for control commands in the conveyance system becomes tight, communication delays and communication errors may occur, resulting in There is a risk that the reliability of the system and the transport efficiency will decrease.

Therefore, the present invention provides a transport system that can reduce the processing load on the transport device and the load on the wireless communication network during communication between the transport device and the control device.

A typical example of the invention disclosed in this application is as follows. That is, a method for controlling a transport system including a transport device and a control device, wherein the transport device includes a secondary battery that supplies power for operation, and drives wheels using the power supplied from the secondary battery. and a drive mechanism, and the control method includes an information acquisition step in which the transport device acquires position information regarding the position of the transport device, a running environment of the transport device, or management information regarding the transport device while traveling. a first communication step in which the conveyance device transmits the acquired position information to the control device while traveling via a wireless communication network; and a first communication step in which the conveyance device transmits the management information acquired while traveling. and a second communication step of transmitting data to the control device while the secondary battery is being charged.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the processing load on the transport device and the load on the wireless communication network during communication between the transport device and the control device in the transport system. For example, it becomes possible to collect management information from a transport device without compressing the control data transmission/reception band in a wireless communication network. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be made clear by the description of the following examples.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a conveyance system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of areas in this embodiment. It is a figure showing the composition in the section of a present example. It is a figure showing the marker of this example. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the conveying device of the present embodiment seen from above. It is a bottom view of the conveyance device of a present Example. It is a figure which shows the conveyance of the shelf by the conveyance apparatus of a present Example. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a conveyance system according to the present embodiment. It is a figure showing the composition of the conveyance device and the charging device of a present example. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a control device and a management device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a picking terminal according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of an order table according to the present embodiment. It is a figure showing an example of composition of an inventory table of a present example. It is a figure showing the example of composition of the shelf table of a present example. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a device management table according to the present embodiment. It is a figure showing an example of composition of a picking table of a present example. It is a figure which shows the floor table of a present Example. It is a flow chart of conveyance control processing of a present example. It is a flowchart of log data collection processing of a present example. It is a flowchart of the charging process of a present Example. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram of a floor surface deterioration diagnosis process when the conveyance device of the present embodiment moves straight. It is a flowchart of the floor surface deterioration diagnosis process when the conveyance device of this embodiment rotates. It is a flowchart of marker abnormality detection processing of a present example. It is a flow chart of shelf shift detection processing of a present example. FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram of foreign object detection processing according to the present embodiment. It is a flowchart of abnormal device diagnosis processing of a present example. It is a figure showing the positional relationship of the shelf and the magnetic sensor of a present example. It is a figure showing the state where the top board of a present example was removed from a conveyance device.

In the following description, an "interface device" may be one or more interface devices. The one or more interface devices may be at least one of the following:
- One or more I/O (Input/Output) interface devices. The I/O (Input/Output) interface device is an interface device for at least one of an I/O device and a remote display computer. The I/O interface device for the display computer may be a communication interface device. The at least one I/O device may be a user interface device, eg, an input device such as a keyboard and pointing device, or an output device such as a display device.
- One or more communication interface devices. The one or more communication interface devices may be one or more of the same type of communication interface device (for example, one or more NICs (Network Interface Cards)) or two or more different types of communication interface devices (for example, a NIC and an HBA (Host)). Bus Adapter)) may also be used.

Furthermore, "memory" refers to one or more memory devices that are an example of one or more "storage devices," and may typically be a main storage device. At least one memory device in the memory may be a volatile memory device or a non-volatile memory device.

Additionally, "persistent storage" may be one or more persistent storage devices that are an example of one or more "storage devices." Persistent storage devices typically may be non-volatile storage devices (e.g. auxiliary storage devices), and specifically include, for example, HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), SSDs (Solid State Drives), NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) drive or SCM (Storage Class Memory).

Also, in the following description, a "processor" may refer to one or more processor devices. The at least one processor device may typically be a microprocessor device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may also be another type of processor device such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). At least one processor device may be single-core or multi-core. The at least one processor device may be a processor core. At least one processor device is a circuit that is a collection of gate arrays (for example, FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), or ASIC (Application It may also be a processor device in a broad sense such as Specific Integrated Circuit).

In addition, in the following explanation, information such as an "xxx table" may be used to explain information that can be output in response to an input, but the information may be data of any structure (for example, It may be structured data or unstructured data), or it may be a learning model such as a neural network, genetic algorithm, or random forest that generates an output based on input. Therefore, the "xxx table" can be called "xxx information." In addition, in the following explanation, the configuration of each table is an example, and one table may be divided into two or more tables, or all or part of two or more tables may be one table. .

In addition, in the following explanation, processing may be explained using "program" as the subject, but a program is executed by a processor to perform a prescribed process using a storage device and/or an interface device as appropriate. The subject of the processing may be a processor (or a device or system including the processor). A program may be installed on a device, such as a computer, from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a computer-readable recording medium (for example, a non-transitory recording medium). Furthermore, in the following description, two or more programs may be realized as one program, or one program may be realized as two or more programs.

Additionally, any information (for example, at least one of "ID", "name", and "number") may be employed as information for identifying an element (identification information, identifier).

In addition, in the following explanation, common reference numerals are used when the same type of elements are described without distinguishing them, and reference numerals are used when the same type of elements are described separately. be.

Furthermore, the unit of "date and time" may be coarser or finer than the year, month, day, hour, and minute.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the transport system of this embodiment. For convenience, one horizontal direction is defined as the x direction, and a direction orthogonal to the x direction is defined as the y direction.

The transport system includes a plurality of transport devices 3 that travel within a warehouse 2 (an example of a storage space), and a control device 4 that remotely controls movement of each transport device 3. In this embodiment, "movement" of the transport device 3 refers to the general movement of the transport device 3 regardless of whether the shelves 5 are loaded or not. "Movement" of the transport device 3 may be translated as "traveling" of the transport device 3. "Movement" in a state where the transport device 3 is loaded with shelves 5 is particularly referred to as "transportation".

The warehouse 2 is, for example, a storage warehouse used by a mail order company or a company in the equipment manufacturing industry to store goods. The articles stored in the warehouse 2 may be products or parts. In this embodiment, an example of a product will be described as an example of the product stored in the warehouse 2.

A plurality of shelves 5 are movably installed in the area 200. Each of the shelves 5 stores one or more articles (for example, products to be sold) at predetermined positions. The shelf 5 is sometimes referred to as a moving shelf.

The area 200 is a part of the floor area of the warehouse 2, and is an area in which the transport device 3 travels. The transport device 3 can travel in the area 200 and transport the shelves 5 to the picking station 6. The picking station 6 is a place where work such as picking is performed. Note that picking is an example of a predetermined work related to transported objects. For example, at the picking station 6, warehousing work such as replenishing products to the shelves 5, inventory work, etc. may be performed, and the picking station 6 may be simply referred to as a station (or work station).

Note that when the transport device 3 transports the shelves 5 to the picking station 6, the transport destination (destination position) is a predetermined position where the worker or the picking device can pick at the picking station 6 (for example, a predetermined position in front of the picking station 6). ) may be used.

Similarly, when the transport device 3 transports the shelves 5 from the picking station 6, the transport source (starting position) is a predetermined position where the operator or the picking device can pick at the picking station 6 (for example, in front of the picking station 6). ) is sufficient.

When each transport device 3 receives a movement instruction associated with a transport task assigned to the transport device 3, it transports the shelf 5 existing in the area 200 in accordance with the movement instruction. According to the example shown in FIG. 1, the following is true.
- After transporting the shelf 5A to the picking station 6, the transport device 3A is waiting for the picking of the products on the shelf 5A to be completed. After the operator or the picking device finishes picking at the picking station 6, the transport device 3A transports the shelf 5A from the picking station 6 to the storage position of the shelf 5A.
- The transport device 3B that transports the shelves 5B to the picking station 6 is waiting for the transport device 3A to move. When the transport device 3A moves from the picking station 6, the transport device 3B can transport the shelf 5B to the picking station 6.
- The transport device 3C is moving to transport the shelf 5C.
- The conveyed object (including the shelf 5) may be a conveyed object with legs (transferred object with legs) or may be a conveyed object without legs (transferred object without legs). A conveyed object without legs is stored, for example, on a pedestal. Whether the object to be transported has legs or is stored on a stand without legs, the transport device 3 can fit under the object, lift the object, and transport it. It is.

FIG. 2A is a diagram showing the configuration of area 200. FIG. 2A schematically illustrates an area 200, and the area 200 illustrated in FIG. 2A does not completely match the area 200 illustrated in FIG.

The control device 4 manages an area (traveling area) 200 in which the transport device travels by dividing it into a plurality of rectangular sections 201 of a predetermined size. The division 201 may be in a coordinate format such as division (α, β, γ), for example. α is the x coordinate (section position along the x direction), β is the y coordinate (section position along the y direction), and γ is the z coordinate (area position in the height direction). For example, if the area 200 includes areas on multiple floors or areas above and below a mezzanine, the area position in the height direction of each area can be expressed using the z coordinate. In addition, when the area 200 extends over a plurality of floors, transport between floors, or when a mezzanine is provided, transport between upper and lower mezzanines may be performed by, for example, a vertical transport machine. At this time, only the shelf 5 may be transported by the vertical transport machine, or the shelf 5 and the transport device 3 may be transported by the vertical transport machine.

In this embodiment, an example will be explained in which the areas 200 have the same height, and the position of each section may be explained using the expression of sections (α, β).

In each section 201, a marker 300 indicating the position of the section 201 may be provided, as shown in FIG. 2B. The marker 300 only needs to include information for specifying the location of the section. For example, the marker 300 may be the location information of the section, or the information associated with the location information of the section (for example, the location of the section 201. identification information from which information can be derived). The marker 300 is information that can be read by the sensor 14 of the transport device 3, and may be information such as a one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark), or an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentifier) tag.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2C, the marker 300 is composed of a plurality of two-dimensional codes (for example, M pieces), and a predetermined number (for example, N pieces, where M>N) or more of two-dimensional codes. If the dimensional code can be read correctly, the partition can be identified. For example, if any N of M two-dimensional codes can be read correctly, the partition can be identified by the read two-dimensional codes. For example, it is assumed that M two-dimensional codes of the same marker 300 each have the same or equivalent information. When the conveyance device 3 reads the marker 300, it determines whether a predetermined number (for example, k) or more of the M two-dimensional codes of the marker 300 have the same or equivalent information. In this case, it may be determined that the two-dimensional code can be read correctly. The number of two-dimensional codes that can be read correctly is sometimes referred to as the "number of two-dimensional codes read" or the "number of readable codes."

Among the two-dimensional codes shown in FIG. 2C, four of the two-dimensional codes, 2-dimensional code 300B in the upper row, 2-dimensional code 300D in the middle left, 2-dimensional code 300E in the middle, and 2-dimensional code 300G in the lower left, are heavily soiled and are not transported. Device 3 cannot read correctly. In addition, the three 2D codes 300A on the upper left, 2D code 300C on the upper right, 2D code 300F on the middle right, 2D code 300H in the lower row, and 2D code 300I on the lower right were not very dirty and were transported. Device 3 can read correctly.

For example, the transport device 3 reads the marker 300 provided in the section 201 that it passes through. While traveling, the transport device 3 transmits the identification information (device ID) of the transport device 3 and the read information of the marker 300 to the control device 4 via the wireless communication network. For example, the transport device 3 may transmit position information represented by the marker 300 or position information derived from the information represented by the marker 300 to the control device 4 as information about the read marker 300. The control device 4 identifies the position of the transport device 3 based on the information of the marker 300 received from the transport device 3. Even if a plate-like member is provided throughout the section 201, the conveying device 3 is movable from the section 201 to another adjacent section 201, and the conveying device 3 is rotatable in the section 201. good.

Area 200 includes shelf storage sections (3, 3), (3, 4), etc. (sections with the same pattern in FIG. 2A), which are sections where shelves 5 are stored (arranged) in plan view, and charging device 7. It includes a section (1, 1) and sections (6, 15) and (13, 15) where the picking station 6 is present. For example, the shelf 5 may have approximately the same size as one compartment 201 or may have a smaller size than one compartment 201. Various modifications may be made to the method of setting the sections, and a section (for example, section (3, 1)) into which the transport device 3 is prohibited may be provided.

For each section 201 of the area 200, the direction in which the transport device 3 can move in each section 201 may be set as indicated by the arrow illustrated in FIG. 2A. For example, all or some of the +x direction, -x direction, +y direction, and -y direction may be set as the directions in which the transport device 3 can move. Between the shelf storage sections, the transport device 3 not loaded with shelves 5 may be movable. On the other hand, the transport device 3 loaded with the shelves 5 may be set not to be moved between shelf storage sections in order to prevent collisions with the shelves 5 stored in the shelf storage sections.

Additionally, the sections 201 may be set to be movable in both directions, or may be set to be movable in only one direction. For example, by setting the sections 201 to be movable only in one direction, it is possible to suppress or reduce the occurrence of traffic jams in the transport device 3 and to improve the overall transport efficiency. In addition, if there are many sections 201 that can only move in one direction, the moving route of the transport devices 3 may become long, so the number of transport devices 3 in the area 200 or the position of each section 201 Depending on the type, etc., the movable direction of the transport device 3 may be set in advance, or such a direction may be dynamically set or changed by the control device 4. Note that the direction in which the transport device 3 can move is preferably set to the floor table 60. The control device 4 controls the movement of the transport device 3 including the direction of movement of the transport device 3 according to the floor table 60 .

Refer to FIG. 1 again. The transport device 3 is a device that moves according to a movement instruction from the control device 4, and typically may be an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle). The shelf 5 is an example of a conveyance target that can be conveyed by the conveyance device 3. Instead of or in addition to the shelves 5, objects such as trays, pallets, or containers may be an example of objects to be transported. When the object to be transported is something that can carry one or more articles (for example, a shelf 5 or a pallet), the object to be transported may be called a storage section (storage device) or a loading platform. In this embodiment, a case of a shelf 5 will be described as an example of a target to be transported by the transport device 3. The object to be transported is sometimes called a transported object.

For example, in accordance with a movement instruction from the control device 4, the transport device 3 lifts the shelf 5 specified in the movement instruction and transports the shelf 5 to the picking station 6 specified in the movement instruction. After the necessary products are taken out by the worker at the picking station 6 (that is, after picking), the shelves 5 transported to the picking station 6 are returned to the original shelf storage section (or another shelf storage section) by the transport device 3. ).

The transport path to the picking station 6 and the movement path from the picking station 6 to the original shelf storage section (or another shelf storage section) of the shelf 5 may be specified in one movement instruction, or may be specified in separate movements. May be specified in the instructions. As an example of this separate shelf storage section, a shelf 5 that stores products that are frequently picked (for example, frequently) and is transported to the picking station 6 frequently (for example, frequently) is placed near the picking station 6. It may be installed in a certain shelf storage compartment. The shelves 5 that are transported to the picking station 6 less frequently may be installed in a shelf storage section located far from the picking station 6. In this way, by changing the installation location of the shelves 5 depending on the number of times the items are transported to the picking station 6, the transport efficiency can be improved.

3A and 3B are diagrams showing the appearance of the conveyance device 3. FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the conveyance device 3 seen from above, and FIG. 3B is a bottom view of the conveyance device 3.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the conveyance device 3 is formed into a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. As shown in FIG. 3B, driving wheels 20D for turning and moving the conveying device 3 forward are disposed on the lower surface (bottom surface) of the conveying device 3, and auxiliary wheels 20D are provided at the four corners of the lower surface of the conveying device 3. 20A is installed. Further, a disk-shaped table 22 is provided at the center of the upper surface of the transport device 3 so as to be able to rise and fall and rotate freely. At least one of the driving wheel 20D and the auxiliary wheel 20A is a "wheel" of the conveyance device 3.

Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the conveying device 3 rotates the driving wheels 20D to move to the lower side of the shelf 5 to be conveyed, and then raises the table 22 to lift the shelf 5. The shelf 5 is conveyed by traveling through an area 200 in the warehouse 2 in a state in which the shelves 5 are kept in the same state. The transport device 3 can change the direction of the shelf 5 by rotating the table 22 with the shelf 5 lifted. The conveyance device 3 can rotate the table 22 in the opposite direction in response to the rotation of the main body, and can rotate the conveyance device 3 without rotating the lifted shelf 5.

The transport device 3 has a charging function and calculates the remaining amount based on the voltage of the mounted battery 80. When the remaining capacity of the battery 80 becomes low, the transport device 3 requests the control device 4 to charge it. Upon receiving the charging request, the control device 4 moves the transport device 3 to the charging device 7, connects it to the charging device 7, and charges the battery 80. During charging, the transport device 3 communicates with the control device 4 via the charging device 7 and transmits management information to the control device 4. Note that the device ID of the transport device 3 may be included as part of the management information. For example, the transport device 3 can communicate with the control device 4 by a signal superimposed on the power supply terminal that connects the transport device 3 and the charging device 7, or by high-speed short-range wireless communication or infrared communication that directly connects the transport device 3 and the charging device 7. High-speed communication is possible without going through the wireless communication network within the warehouse 2. Communication using signals superimposed on a power line can be realized by applying PLC technology, for example.

The transport device 3 is connected to the control device 4 via a wireless communication network provided within the warehouse 2. A movement instruction is transmitted from the control device 4 to the transport device 3 that performs movement (including transportation), and the equipment that has received the movement instruction moves in accordance with the movement instruction. The transport device 3 transmits management information to the control device 4 via a wireless communication network.

Additionally, the control device 4 can process multiple transport tasks in parallel for the transport system as a whole. At the picking station 6, the picking operation may be performed in the order in which the shelves are transported to the picking station 6 (in the order of arrival).

Note that the "movement instruction" sent to the transport device 3 is associated with information representing the transport task assigned to the transport device 3. The transport task is a task that indicates which shelf 5 is to be transported to which section, and the information representing the transport task is, for example, the shelf ID of the shelf 5 to be transported and the route along which the transport device 3 moves. It may include a moving route and a moving direction of the conveying device 3. The movement route includes a route from the current section of the transport device 3 (the section to which the current position belongs) to the shelf section (the section where the shelf 5 to be transported exists), and a route from the shelf section to the destination section (for example, the picking station 6). It may also include a part of the route (for example, the route that is most recently scheduled to be traveled). Further, after the product is picked from the shelf 5 by the worker at the picking station 6, in order to return the shelf 5 to the designated position, the control device 4 gives a "move instruction" to the transport device 3 to the designated position. This movement route may further include a route from the picking station 6 to the specified position. Of the compartments adjacent to the picking station 6 and the battery station, at least the compartment adjacent to the picking station 6 may be an example of a target compartment (a compartment to which the target position belongs).

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the transport system of this embodiment. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the transport device 3 and the charging device 7, FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of the control device 4 and the management device 9, and FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of the picking terminal 710. It is.

The transport system includes a control device 4, a transport device 3, a picking terminal 710, a charging device 7, a management device 9, and a network 551. In addition, the conveying system may further include all or part of other conveying equipment (e.g., a vertical conveyor or conveyor), a multi-level area (e.g., a mezzanine), a trestle, shelves 5, and a picking station 6. good. Each component of the transport system may be one or more. For example, the configuration illustrated in FIG. 1 may be realized by introducing a transportation system into the warehouse 2. Note that some or all of the components of the management device 9 may be located at the same site as the warehouse 2, or may be located at a different site from the warehouse 2 and configured to be remotely maintainable. Furthermore, some or all of the components of the management device 9 may be realized as the control device 4. The configuration of a part or all of the control device 4 and the management device 9 may be referred to as a control system or a control device.

The control device 4 can communicate with the transport device 3, the charging device 7, the management device 9, and the picking terminal 710 via the network 551. The network 551 includes a wireless communication network provided within the warehouse 2 and a wired communication network (wired LAN) that connects fixedly installed devices. The transport device 3 is connected to other devices via a wireless communication network provided in the warehouse 2 while moving within the area 200 .

As shown in FIG. 6, the transport device 3 includes a drive device 11, a storage device 12, an interface device 13, a plurality of types of sensors 14, a battery 80, and a controller 10 connected thereto.

The controller 10 controls the operation of the transport device 3 according to movement instructions from the control device 4, the state of charge of the battery 80, and the like. The drive device 11 has a drive mechanism 20 and a lifting mechanism 21. The drive mechanism 20 includes actuators such as left and right motors 20M for independently rotationally driving each of the left and right drive wheels 20D, and an encoder 20E that detects the operation of each motor 20M. The elevating mechanism 21 includes an actuator such as a motor 21M for raising and lowering the table 22, an actuator such as a motor 21R for rotating the table 22, an encoder 21E that detects the operation of the motor 21M, and an encoder 21E that detects the operation of the motor 21R. It has an encoder 21F.

The interface device 13 is a device for communicating with the control device 4 using a predetermined wireless communication method, and may include, for example, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) card.

The sensor 14 is a device for collecting information on the floor surface on which the transport device 3 runs and various information regarding the transport device 3. For example, the plurality of types of sensors 14 may be cameras that read information from the markers 300 on the sections 201 on the floor. In addition, the sensor 14 includes a camera that images the bottom surface of the shelf 5, a camera that images the surrounding state of the transport device 3, LiDAR, a front camera provided on the front surface of the transport device 3, a distance image camera, LiDAR, etc. Ultrasonic sensors and infrared sensors that detect obstacles in front of the transport device 3; magnetic sensors that detect the distance to the shelf 5 and the structure of the shelf 5; and sensors that detect vibrations of the transport device 3 during movement. A vibration sensor, an acceleration sensor that measures the acceleration of the transport device 3, a weight sensor that measures the weight of the loaded object, a gyro sensor that measures the orientation of the transport device 3, or the like may be used.

The controller 10 has an arithmetic unit that executes arithmetic processing and a memory that stores data and programs. The memory of the controller 10 stores a communication program 29, a movement control program 30, a measurement program 31, and a position estimation program 32. When the arithmetic device executes the communication program 29, the movement control program 30, the measurement program 31, and the position estimation program 32, a communication section, a travel control section, a measurement section, and a position estimation section are respectively realized.

The storage device 12 stores, for example, a route table 23, a device table 24, a map table 25, a measurement table 27, and a performance table 28. The route table 23 is a table in which information representing the movement route specified by the movement instruction received from the control device 4 is stored. and the date and time of the location of the parcel). The device table 24 is a table in which the ID, current position (section), and status (for example, "standby", "moving", or "transporting") of the transport device 3 are stored. The map table 25 is a table in which information representing the position and attributes of each section (for example, which region it belongs to) is stored. Note that as an example of the map table 25, information illustrated in FIG. 2A may be stored. The measurement table 27 is a table in which values measured by a plurality of types of sensors 14 (for example, acceleration, turning, weight, position (value read from marker 300), photographed image of a section, etc.) are stored. The performance table 28 is a table in which movement results including the route and date and time of the transport device 3 are stored.

The communication program 29 is a program that transmits and receives commands and information to and from the control device 4 via the interface device 13. For example, the communication program 29 transmits some or all of the information in the tables 23 to 25, 27, and 28 to the control device 4 in response to a request from the control device 4 (or without a request). Note that the communication program 29 may transmit this information to the control device 4 at regular or irregular timing.

The movement control program 30 is a program that controls movement of the transport device 3 in response to movement instructions received from the control device 4 through the communication program 29. For example, the movement control program 30 controls the drive device 11 to lift a specified shelf 5 and move it to the picking station 6 along a specified movement path in accordance with a movement instruction from the control device 4, or The driving device 11 is controlled to move the shelf 5 to its original position (or another position) along the moving path.

The measurement program 31 registers the output (measurement result) of each sensor 14 in the measurement table 27. The position estimation program 32 estimates the position of the transport device 3 based on the detection result of the marker 300 by the sensor 14.

The battery 80 is a secondary battery that supplies power to each part of the transport device 3, and is connected to

electrodes

83 and 84 connected to the charging device 7 via a charging circuit (not shown). A mixer 81 is provided on the power supply line between the

electrodes

83, 84 and the battery 80, and a modulator 82 is connected to the mixer 81. Data (management information) transferred by the communication program 29 during charging via the charging device 7 is modulated by the modulator 82, superimposed on the power supply line by the mixer 81, and transmitted to the charging device 7. Note that communication between the transport device 3 and the charging device 7 during charging is not limited to the method of superimposing the communication line on the power supply line, but can also be performed by using a communication line provided between the transport device 3 and the charging device 7 separately from the power supply line. The communication may be via a wireless communication network different from the wireless communication network used when the moving transport device 3 communicates with the control device 4 (for example, short-range wireless communication or infrared communication).

The charging device 7 is a device that supplies power supplied from a power supply device 70 installed at the battery station to the transport device 3, and includes a controller 71, a storage device 72, a demodulator 75, and a communication interface 76. The controller 71 has an arithmetic device that executes arithmetic processing and a memory that stores data and programs, and controls supply of power to the transport device 3 and communication between the transport device 3 and the charging device 7 . The storage device 72 provides a non-volatile storage area and stores the management information transmitted from the transport device 3 as an operation log. The communication interface 76 is connected to the network 551 and controls communication with other devices (for example, the control device 4). The signal transmitted from the transport device 3 is extracted from the feeder line by the demodulator 75. The demodulator 75 demodulates the data transmitted from the transport device 3 via the power supply line and stores it in the storage device 72 as an operation log. The operation log stored in the storage device 72 is transferred to the control device 4 at a predetermined timing.

When the charging device 7 receives a command to charge the transport device 3 from the control device 4, it communicates with the transport device 3 that approaches for charging, and the

electrodes

83, 84 of the transport device 3 are connected to the

electrodes

73, 73 of the charging device 7. After the mutual positions are adjusted so as to be connectable to the charging device 74, the

electrodes

83, 84 of the transport device 3 and the

electrodes

73, 74 of the charging device 7 are connected. The transport device 3 and the charging device 7 are connected by a power supply line. Thereafter, the charging device 7 supplies charging power to the transport device 3 via the power supply line, and charges the battery 80. The transport device 3 transmits data (management information) to the charging device 7 via the power supply line (overlaid on the power supply line) during charging. The management information transmitted here is, for example, management information acquired while the transport device 3 is traveling, and is management information regarding the travel environment of the transport device 3 or the transport device 3 . The charging device 7 transmits the management information to the control device 4. Further, the control device 4 associates the data (management information) with the transmitted identification information (device ID) of the conveyance device 3, transmits it to the management device 9, and stores it in the storage device. During charging, data can be transmitted from the transport device 3 to the control device 4 without going through the wireless communication network used when the moving transport device 3 communicates with the control device 4, which can alleviate congestion in the wireless communication network and provide high-speed A large amount of data can be transferred to the control device 4.

Here, the transmission of management information from the charging device 7 to the control device 4 and the transmission of management information from the control device 4 to the management device 9 are performed using wireless communication used when the moving transport device 3 communicates with the control device 4. This is done via a communication network (for example, a wired communication network) that is separate from the network. Furthermore, the transmission of management information from the charging device 7 to the control device 4 and the transmission of management information from the control device 4 to the management device 9 may be performed while the transport device 3 is being charged, or at other timings (e.g. (after charging).

The transport device 3 measures the voltage of the battery 80 being charged, and when the voltage of the battery 80 reaches a predetermined voltage, it stops charging and notifies the control device 4 of the completion of charging. Then, the conveyance device 3 disengages from the charging device 7 in accordance with the command from the control device 4 to return to the conveyance operation, and starts the normal conveyance operation of the shelves 5.

As shown in FIG. 7, the control device 4 is a computer having hardware such as a processor 40, a memory 41, a storage device 42, an input device 43, an output device 44, and an interface device 45. The control device 4 may be composed of one or more physical computers, or may be a virtual computer system (for example, a cloud computing system) implemented on one or more physical computers (for example, a cloud platform). Furthermore, the devices constituting the control device 4 may be placed in one physical computer, or may be distributed and placed in a plurality of physical computers. The programs and data stored in the storage device 42 may be stored in one storage device, or may be distributed and stored in multiple storage devices. Instead of the input device 43 and the output device 44, data input and output may be possible via a client system that can communicate through the interface device 45.

The processor 40 is a device that executes a program and controls the overall operation of the control device 4. Memory 41 is used as a work memory for processor 40. The storage device 42 stores programs and data. The input device 43 includes, for example, a mouse and a keyboard, and is used by the operator to input necessary information and instructions to the control device 4. The output device 44 may be a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The interface device 45 is a device that communicates with the transport device 3 and the picking terminal 710 using a predetermined communication method, and may be configured from, for example, a network interface card.

The storage device 42 stores, for example, a device management table 53, an inventory table 54, a shelf table 57, a map table 56, an order table 55, a picking table 58, and a floor table 60. The map table 56 contains map information of the area 200 (for example, information indicating the position (coordinates) and attributes of each section (for example, whether it corresponds to a shelf storage section, picking station 6, or battery station) for the area 200). (The map table 56 may be distributed to the transport device 3 and stored as the map table 25 in the transport device 3).

The floor table 60 may be an example of area information. The device management table 53 may be an example of transport management information (for example, information representing the assignment relationship between the transport task and the transport device 3).

The storage device 42 stores a storage program 50 and a processing program 51. When the processor 40 executes the storage program 50 and the processing program 51, a storage section and a processing section are realized. The storage program 50 stores these tables 53 to 60 in the storage device 42.

The management device 9 is a computer having hardware such as a processor 90, a memory 91, a storage device 92, an input device 93, an output device 94, and an interface device 95. The management device 9 may be configured with one or more physical computers, or may be a virtual computer system (for example, a cloud computing system) implemented on one or more physical computers (for example, a cloud infrastructure). Furthermore, the devices configuring the management device 9 may be placed on one physical computer, or may be distributed and placed on a plurality of physical computers. The programs and data stored in the storage device 92 may be stored in one storage device, or may be distributed and stored in multiple storage devices. Instead of the input device 93 and the output device 94, data input/output may be possible via a client system that can communicate through the interface device 95.

The processor 90 is a device that executes a program and controls the overall operation of the control device 4. Memory 91 is used as a work memory for processor 90. The storage device 42 stores programs and data. The input device 93 includes, for example, a mouse and a keyboard, and is used by the operator to input necessary information and instructions to the management device 9. The output device 94 may be a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The interface device 95 is a device that communicates with other devices using a predetermined communication method, and may be composed of, for example, a network interface card.

The storage device 92 stores, for example, management data (management information) collected from the transport device 3 as an operation log 99. The storage device 92 also stores an analysis program 96. An analysis section is realized by the processor 90 executing the analysis program 96, and the management device 9 analyzes the management information.

As shown in FIG. 8, the picking terminal 710 is an information processing terminal for managing the picking work at the picking station 6. Picking terminal 710 has an interface device 731, a storage device 732, and a processor 733. Interface device 731, storage device 732, and processor 733 are communicably connected.

The interface device 731 is a device for communicating with the control device 4 using a predetermined communication method, and may be composed of, for example, a wireless LAN card or a network interface card. Storage device 732 stores picking table 770. The picking table 770 is a table containing part or all of the same information as the picking table 58 of the control device 4 (for example, information for identifying orders to be processed, scheduled work time, and actual progress status). Table) is fine. The processor 733 controls the overall operation of the picking terminal 710 based on the picking table 770, for example, by executing the program in the storage device 732.

The picking terminal 710 may have an input device and an output device. The input device receives input of information regarding the picking work by the worker, such as completion of the picking work. The output device outputs instructions regarding picking work to the worker.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the order table 55.

The order table 55 is a table in which various information regarding orders from customers is stored. The order table 55 has a record for each order. Each record holds information such as a process ID 601, a slip number 602, a store name 603, a store code 604, a product name 605, a product ID 606, a quantity 607, a delivery date 608, a reception date and time 609, and a work date and time 610. Let's take one order as an example (referred to as "attention order" in the explanation of FIG. 9). According to the example shown in FIG. 9, even if the slip number 602 is the same, if the types of products (for example, product name 605 and product ID 606) are different, the orders are treated as different orders. One order may be managed as two or more orders, or two or more orders may be managed as one order.

The process ID 601 represents the ID of the order of interest. The slip number 602 represents a so-called slip number.

The store name 603 represents the name of the store to which the product specified in the noted order is shipped, and the store code 604 represents the code of the store.

The product name 605 represents the name of the product specified in the noted order, the product ID 606 represents the ID of the product, and the number 607 represents the number of the product.

The delivery date 608 represents the deadline by which the product specified in the noted order will be delivered to the order destination (typically, the customer). Note that the processing program 51 may calculate the deadline for actual picking at the picking station 6 by counting backwards from the delivery date 608. The processing program 51 may decide the timing to send the movement instruction to the transport device 3 based on the calculated deadline, or specify the date and time when the transport device 3 should arrive at the picking station 6 in the movement instruction. You can.

The reception date and time 609 represents the date and time when the noted order was received. The work date and time 610 represents the date and time when the work of transporting the shelf 5 on which the product specified by the order of interest is placed to the picking station 6 is performed.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the inventory table 54.

The inventory table 54 is a table in which information regarding products is stored. The inventory table 54 has records for each product. Each record holds information such as a product name 701, product ID 702, inventory quantity 703, shelf ID 704, product position 705, and number of times of picking 706. Let's take one product as an example (referred to as "attention product" in the explanation of FIG. 10). Note that if the same product is stored on different shelves, multiple records exist for the same product. Similarly, when the same product is stored in different product positions on the same shelf, multiple records exist for the same product.

The product name 701 represents the name of the product of interest. The product ID 702 represents the ID of the product of interest. The number of items in stock 703 represents the number of items in stock of the item of interest. The shelf ID 704 represents the ID of the shelf 5 on which the product of interest is placed. The product position 705 represents the position of the product of interest on the shelf 5. For example, "U3R2" means the third from the top (U) and the second from the right (R).

The number of picking times 706 represents the number of times the item of interest has been picked. The number of times of picking 706 may be counted on a shelf-by-shelf basis, or may be the number of products picked. The number of times of picking 706 may be used to rearrange the arrangement of the shelves 5, replace products on the shelves 5, and the like. Further, the number of picking times 706 may be reset or updated at regular intervals, for example, the number of pickings in a predetermined period of time, and therefore may be referred to as "picking frequency."

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the shelf table 57.

The shelf table 57 is a table in which information regarding the shelves 5 is stored. The shelf table 57 has a record for each shelf 5. Each record holds a shelf ID 801, a storage position 802, a shelf weight 803 (for example, in [kg]), a product weight 804 (for example, in [kg]), and a number of times of transportation 805. Let us take one shelf 5 as an example (referred to as "attention shelf 5" in the explanation of FIG. 11).

The shelf ID 801 represents the ID of the shelf 5 of interest. The storage position 802 represents the section where the shelf 5 of interest is arranged. When the shelf 5 of interest exists in a buffer section, the storage position 802 represents the position of the buffer section. If the shelf 5 of interest is being transported, the storage position 802 may represent the state of the shelf 5 of interest "transporting". If the shelf of interest 5 is being picked, the storage position 802 may represent the state of the shelf of interest 5 as "picking".

The shelf weight 803 represents the weight of the shelf 5 of interest. The product weight 804 represents the total weight of all products placed on the shelf 5 of interest. The product weight 804 may be calculated by the processing program 51, for example, based on the inventory quantity 703 of the product corresponding to the shelf ID 704 of the shelf 5 of interest and the weight of the individual product.

The number of times of transportation 805 is information representing the number of times the transportation task of the shelf of interest 5 is executed. Every time the transport task for the shelf 5 of interest is executed, the number of transports 805 corresponding to the shelf 5 of interest is updated, for example, by the storage program 50. For example, shelf 5 with shelf ID “S634” is stored in a section where the transportation cost is high because the number of times it is transported 805 is small. The number of times of transportation 805 may be incremented each time the shelf 5 of interest is transported regardless of the destination section, or the number of times of transportation 805 may not be incremented depending on the destination section even if the shelf of interest 5 is transported. For example, the number of times of transportation 805 corresponding to the shelf of interest 5 may be updated each time a transportation task to the picking station 6 as the destination section is executed. Note that the "number of times of conveyance" may be reset or updated at regular intervals, for example, the number of times of conveyance in a predetermined period of time, and therefore may be referred to as the "frequency of conveyance."

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the device management table 53.

The device management table 53 is a table in which information acquired from each transport device 3 is stored. The device management table 53 has a record for each transport device 3. Each record holds information such as a device ID 1101, a shelf flag 1102, a position 1103, a remaining battery level 1104, a device status 1105, a shelf ID 1106, a destination position 1107, and an estimated arrival date and time 1108. One transport device 3 will be taken as an example (in the description of FIG. 12, “target transport device 3”).

The device ID 1101 represents the ID of the transport device 3 of interest. The shelf flag 1102 indicates whether or not the target conveyance device 3 is loading a shelf. The position 1103 represents the coordinates of the section (that is, the current section) in which the conveyance device 3 of interest is located. The battery remaining amount 1104 represents the remaining amount of the battery 80 of the target conveyance device 3.

The device status 1105 represents the status of the target transport device 3. "Moving" means that the target transport device 3 is moving. “Empty” means that a shelf ID (specifically, a transport task including a shelf ID) is not assigned to the transport device 3 of interest. The shelf ID 1106 represents the shelf ID included in the transport task assigned to the transport device 3 of interest (that is, the ID of the shelf 5 to be transported specified by the transport task). The destination position 1107 represents the location of the destination of the shelf 5 transported by the target transportation device 3, and includes location information such as the address (coordinates) of the destination, or an ID of the destination that can specify the location of the destination. It may also be information (ID) that identifies the previous partition. For example, the transport destination of the transport device 3 may be the ID of the picking station 6 (the position (coordinates) corresponding to the picking station 6 may be used) or the ID (or coordinates) of the storage position of the shelf 5.

The scheduled arrival date and time 1108 is the scheduled date and time when the transport device 3 of interest will arrive at the transport destination (for example, the picking station 6). The expected arrival date and time 1108 may be, for example, a date and time calculated by the processing program 51 based on the movement route of the target transport device 3 to the transport destination.

The processing program 51 of the control device 4 refers to the device management table 53 and assigns a transportation task to the transportation device 3 whose device status 1105 is “vacant”. However, for example, even if the transport device 3 is currently in the device status 1105 as "moving", if the scheduled arrival date and time 1108 is near and the destination position 1107 is close to the destination of the next transport task, the next transport task There are times when the transport device 3 can carry out the transport faster than other transport devices 3. In that case, the processing program 51 may refer to the device management table 53 and assign (may reserve or manage) the next transport task to the "moving" transport device 3.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the picking table 58.

The picking table 58 is a table related to picking work. The picking table 58 has a record for each picking operation. Each record holds information such as picking station ID 1401, process ID 1402, device ID 1403, shelf ID 1404, product ID 1405, quantity 1406, scheduled start date and time 1407, scheduled end date and time 1408, and picking status 1409. Let us take one picking operation as an example (referred to as "notable picking operation" in the explanation of FIG. 13).

The picking station ID 1401 represents the ID of the picking station 6 where the picking task of interest is performed. The picking station ID 1401 may not be provided, and a picking table 58 may be provided for each picking station 6.

The process ID 1402 is the process ID of the order corresponding to the picking task of interest. The device ID 1403 is the ID of the transport device 3 that transports the shelves containing the products to be picked in the focused picking operation to the picking station 6.

The shelf ID 1404 represents the ID of the shelf containing the product to be picked in the focused picking task, the product ID 1405 represents the ID of the product, and the quantity 1406 represents the number of products to be picked. According to the table 58 in which the records are arranged in ascending order of the scheduled start date and time 1407, if the same shelf ID 1404 is consecutive, different products corresponding to different processing IDs from one shelf 5 are picked consecutively. It is possible.

The scheduled start date and time 1407 represents the scheduled start date and time of the picking task of interest. The scheduled end date and time 1408 represents the scheduled end date and time of the picking task of interest. The scheduled start date and time 1407 is calculated by the processing program 51 based on the scheduled date and time when the transport device 3 will arrive at the picking station 6 along the movement route and the predicted time length required for the picking task to be performed before the picking task of interest. It's fine. The scheduled end date and time 1408 may be calculated by the processing program 51 based on the scheduled start date and time 1407 and the predicted time length required for the picking operation. The predicted time length required for picking work is based on at least one of the quantity of products to be picked, the average time required for picking work, and the past picking work history of the picking worker, It may be calculated by the processing program 51. Note that the picking work may be performed by a robot instead of or in addition to a worker.

The picking state 1409 represents the state of the picking task of interest. "Before work" means before the transport device 3 with the shelves 5 arrives at the picking station 6 and before the picking work is started. "Work in progress" means that the picking work has started, but the picking work has not been completed. "Complete" means that the picking operation has been completed. Note that the picking state 1409 may be changed based on an input from a picking worker, or may be automatically changed based on a value automatically detected regarding the picking task. For example, when the waiting transport device 3 transports the shelf 5 after the completion of the focused picking task, the picking status 1409 corresponding to the next picking task after the focused picking task changes from "Before work" to "Work in progress". may be changed to

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the floor table 60.

The floor table 60 holds information for each section in the area 200. The floor table 60 has records for each section. Each record holds information such as address 1501, section setting 1502, unusable flag 1503, turnability flag 1506, direction (no shelf) 1508, and direction (with shelf) 1509. Take one section as an example (referred to as "attention section" in the explanation of FIG. 14).

Address 1501 represents the address (location information) of the section of interest. The section setting 1502 indicates what kind of section is set as the section of interest. For example, a "shelf storage section" is a section where shelves are stored (arranged). The "transfer section" is a section in which the transport device 3 travels to transport the shelves. The sections constituting the transport route may mainly be sections for movement.

The unusable flag 1503 is a flag indicating whether the section of interest is unusable (cannot become a component of the transport route). By setting the unusable flag 1503 of the focused section to "unavailable", the control device 4 can lock the focused section so that the transport device 3 does not pass through the focused section.

The turning possibility flag 1506 indicates whether or not the section of interest allows the transport device 3 to turn. If the section of interest cannot be turned, the turning permission flag 1506 is set to "impossible." If the section of interest is turnable, the turnability flag 1506 can be set to "possible". For example, if the attention section is an unusable section, such as a battery station or shelf storage section, and is a section where turning should be prohibited or a section where turning is not desired, the turning permission flag 1506 is set to "unusable". ” may be set.

The transportation cost 1507 is a value set when the attention section is a shelf storage section, and is the travel distance from the attention division to the picking station 6 (or the travel time when the travel speed of the transportation device 3 is set to the standard speed). represents the transportation cost as a value according to .

The transportation cost of the section of interest is, for example, the travel distance to the picking station 6 (for example, the number of sections passed before reaching the picking station 6) X1, the number of turns X2, the number of times the vertical conveyor is used X3, etc. It may be calculated based on In this way, if the factor related to the transportation cost depending on the section of interest is Xi, and the coefficient of each element is Ai, the processing program 51 of the control device 4 calculates the transportation cost C of the section of interest with respect to elements i = 1 to n. It may be calculated using the following formula.
C=A1*X1+A2*X2+A3*X3+...+An*Xn
A1, A2, . . . , An may be coefficients that do not change depending on the section. Note that other factors not mentioned above may be included in the transportation cost (for example, if the path included in the travel route from the section of interest is a path where traffic congestion is likely to occur, the transportation cost may be high). . Alternatively, the distance traveled by the vertical transport machine or the number of floors traveled may be used as a factor related to the transport cost, and the larger the factor, the higher the transport cost. Note that the calculation formula for the transportation cost C is an example, and may be calculated by excluding some elements, for example. Other methods (another calculation formula or simulation) may be used to calculate the transportation cost.

Direction (no shelves) 1508 is the direction in which the transport device 3 without shelves (with no shelves 5 loaded) can move from the target section, and the directions in which the transport device 3 can move are logically restricted. It can be set to Similarly, the direction (with shelves) 1509 is the direction in which the transport device 3 in the state with shelves (loaded with shelves 5) can move from the compartment of interest, and the direction in which the transport device 3 can move is logically Can be set to limit. By setting the direction (without shelf) 1508 or the direction (with shelf) 1509, for example, among the directions in which the transport device 3 can physically move, movement in some directions is prohibited, and movement is performed only in the remaining directions. It is also possible to limit the possibility of traffic, for example, it is possible to set one-way traffic.

In the example of FIG. 14, the movable directions are "+x", "-x", "+y", "-y", "±x", "±y" for the direction (without shelf) 1508 and the direction (with shelf) 1509. or a combination thereof; however, it may be expressed in other ways. For example, for each section, for each of the "+x direction," "-x direction," "+y direction," and "-y direction," the transport device 3 determines whether or not it can move with the shelves 5 loaded. It may also be set whether or not the vehicle can be moved when it is not loaded.

Hereinafter, an example of the processing executed in this embodiment will be described. Note that in this embodiment, the storage program 50 stores the tables 53 to 60 in the storage device 42. The storage program 50 of the control device 4 stores the corresponding portions of the tables 53 to 60 as appropriate based on information (for example, measured values of the sensor 14) received regularly or irregularly from the transport device 3 and each picking terminal 710. Update to.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of the transport control process. The conveyance control process is executed repeatedly (for example, periodically).

In step S1501, the processing program 51 arranges orders (records in the order table 55) in ascending order of work date and time 610. In addition to the ascending order of work date and time 610, orders may be sorted in order of urgency or necessity of work. The processes of steps S1502 to S1504 are executed for each sorted order. Further, the processing program 51 may combine a plurality of orders into one order, and perform the processes of steps S1502 to S1504 on the combined order. The plurality of orders that are combined into one order may be orders that have a predetermined type of element in common, such as orders for products included on the same shelf. Here, one order will be explained as an example.

In step S1502, the processing program 51 identifies the shelf 5 on which the product to be picked is mounted and the position of the shelf 5 based on the order to be processed (order of interest). For example, the processing program 51 selects a shelf ID 704 corresponding to a product name 701 and product ID 702 that match the product name 605 and product ID 606 specified in the noted order, based on the order table 55, inventory table 54, and shelf table 57. The storage position 802 corresponding to the shelf ID 801 that matches the identified shelf ID 704 is identified from the shelf table 57.

In step S1503, the processing program 51 moves the order of interest to the shelf position (storage position 802 of shelf 5) specified in step S1502 based on the map table 56, device management table 53, shelf table 57, and floor table 60. A transport device 3 that transports a certain shelf 5 is selected, and a movement route for transport by the transport device 3 is created. That is, in step S1503, the transport device 3 to which the transport task according to the noted order is assigned is determined. The transport task may be a task of transporting the shelf 5 to be transported along the created movement route. Specifically, in step S1503, for example, the processing program 51 may perform at least one of the following.
- The processing program 51 selects one transport device 3 from one or more transport devices 3 that meet a predetermined condition. The "predetermined condition" may be, for example, that the device status 1105 is "vacant". The transport device 3 is selected based on the device status 1105, shelf flag 1102, position 1103 of each transport device 3, and storage position 802 of the shelf 5 to be transported (distance between the storage position 802 and the position of the destination section). Good. For example, the processing program 51 refers to the device management table 53 and determines, among the transportation devices 3 whose device status 1105 is “vacant,” the transportation device 3 located at the position 1103 closest to the storage position 802 of the shelf 5 to be transported. may be selected.
- The processing program 51 determines the position 1103 of the selected transport device 3, the storage position 802 of the shelf 5 to be transported, the position of the destination section (for example, the position of the picking station 6), and the position and purpose of the selected transport device 3. For each of the plurality of routes connecting the compartment positions, the floor table 60 is referred to, and records for each compartment on the route (for example, unusable flag 1503, turning availability flag 1506, direction (no shelf) 1508, and (with shelves) 1509), a movement route (including movement direction) is created. The movement route may be, for example, a route from the position 1103 of the selected transport device 3 to the storage position 802 of the shelf 5 to be transported, or a route from the storage position 802 of the shelf 5 to be transported to the position of the destination section.
- The processing program 51 may refer to the picking table 58. For example, the processing program 51 identifies a picking station 6 that is relatively vacant (for example, selects a picking station 6 with a small number of records corresponding to the picking table 58), and selects the vacant picking station 6 as a target. As for the division, priority may be given to the transport task to the target division.

In step S1504, the processing program 51 transmits to the transport device 3 selected in step S1503 a movement instruction associated with the transport task assigned to the transport device 3 (transport task according to the order of interest).

In the transport control process shown in FIG. 15, the processing timing of the transport task for each order is determined and the process is executed so as to meet the delivery date 608 of each order.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart of the log data collection process.

When the transport device 3 starts traveling (S2001), the position estimation program 32 reads the marker 300 on the section 201 on the floor and acquires position information (S2002).

Then, the measurement program 31 acquires the driving environment from various sensors (S2003). For example, information about objects around the transport device 3 detected by an infrared sensor that detects obstacles in front is acquired.

Then, the measurement program 31 acquires the voltage value of the battery 80 (S2004), and compares the acquired battery voltage value with a predetermined threshold (S2005).

If the battery voltage value is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold, the communication program 29 transmits the management information via the wireless communication network provided within the warehouse 2 (S2006). On the other hand, if the battery voltage value is smaller than the predetermined threshold, charging processing is executed (S2007). Details of the charging process will be described later with reference to FIG. 17. After that, the process returns to step S2002 and repeats the process.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart of charging process S2007.

The movement control program 30 requests charging to the control device 4 (S2011), and moves the transport device 3 to the battery station according to the movement instruction from the control device 4 (S2012).

When the movement to the battery station is completed, the movement control program 30 connects to the charging device 7 and starts supplying power from the charging device 7 to the transport device 3 (S2013).

The communication program 29 transmits management information through wired communication (S2014). The management information may be transmitted superimposed on the power supply line, or may be transmitted via a communication line separate from the power supply line. The management information during charging may be transmitted not only via wired communication but also via wireless communication other than the wireless communication network provided within the warehouse 2 (for example, short-range wireless communication or infrared communication).

When the communication program 29 completes the transmission of the management information (S2015) and the power supply from the charging device 7 to the transportation device 3 is completed, the movement control program 30 releases the connection between the charging device 7 and the transportation device 3, and disconnects the charging device 7 from the transportation device 3. The transport device 3 is moved so as to separate from the transport device 7 (S2016).

FIG. 18 is a sequence diagram of the floor surface deterioration diagnosis process when the transport device 3 moves straight. FIG. 18 describes the log data collection process (FIG. 16) with respect to measurements of specific items, and the same applies to FIG. 22, which will be described later.

For example, as the transport device 3 repeatedly travels, damage may occur to the floor surface due to the load caused by transport. Depending on the state of damage to the floor surface, the transport device 3 may receive vibrations and shocks caused by the floor when passing through the damaged area, and these vibrations and shocks can cause problems such as malfunctions and poor communication of the transport device 3. There are problems that can cause this. In addition, in order to avoid such problems, if areas where the floor surface is damaged and the floor is in poor condition are designated as no-travel areas, if the number of such no-travel areas increases, the system will detour around the no-travel areas. There is a problem in that the transport efficiency is lowered due to this. Furthermore, if the transport efficiency decreases, there is a possibility that the transport device 3 is waiting for transport at the picking station, and the picking efficiency decreases. The floor surface deterioration diagnosis process explained in Figures 18 and 19 makes it possible to detect floor damage at an early stage, prevent a decline in transport efficiency and picking efficiency, and improve the reliability of the transport system. can.

The measurement program 31 of the conveyance device 3 acquires the rotation speed (number of pulses per unit time) of the drive wheel 20D from the encoder 20E (S2021), and calculates the speed of the conveyance device 3 from the acquired rotation speed (S2022). The measurement program 31 compares the speed difference during a predetermined time (for example, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of speed in the past one second) with a predetermined threshold value 1 (S2023). As a result, if it is determined that the speed difference is smaller than the threshold value, the process returns to step S2021 and repeats the process of measuring the speed of the transport device 3. On the other hand, if it is determined that the speed difference is larger than the threshold value, the communication program 29 transmits management information to the control device 4 via the wireless communication network provided in the warehouse 2 (S2024). The management information transmitted in step S2024 includes the position of the transport device 3 (section 201), the abnormality detection location (section 201), and the abnormality detection time. When the measurement program 31 determines that the speed difference is large, the movement control program 30 determines that an abnormality that is inconvenient to the traveling of the transport device 3 has been detected, and stops the transport device 3 (S2025).

After acquiring the management information, the control device 4 identifies the abnormality detection section that caused the stoppage of the transport device 3 (S2026), and controls the use of the section so that other transport devices 3 do not pass through the abnormality detection section. The disabled flag 1503 is set to "disabled" and the section is locked (S2027). At this time, an image taken of the abnormality detection section may be transmitted from the transport device 3 to the management device 9 via the control device 4. The administrator can check the status of the abnormality detection section by looking at the image of the abnormality detection section. Then, the control device 4 outputs a maintenance instruction (S2028). This maintenance instruction is transmitted to the management device 9, and the manager views the image of the abnormality detection section and performs maintenance work on the floor. Maintenance work may be performed immediately or outside of picking work hours. Furthermore, if the administrator does not operate the management device 9 even after a predetermined period of time has passed since the control device 4 outputs the maintenance instruction, the maintenance work may be performed automatically.

As described above, when the conveyance device 3 detects an abnormality in which the speed difference during a predetermined time when traveling straight is larger than the predetermined threshold value 1 while traveling, the transport device 3 transmits information on the position where the abnormality is detected via the wireless communication network. The information is transmitted to the control device 4 to stop traveling. The control device 4 uses the information on the position where the abnormality is detected to restrict other transport devices from passing through the abnormality detection position that caused the stoppage of the transport device 3 .

On the other hand, when the transport device 3 starts charging (S2031), it transmits management information (driving log) to the control device 4 via the charging device 7 (S2032). The management device 9 acquires the driving log from the control device 4 (S2033). The travel log transmitted during charging includes data on the speed of the transport device 3 over time. Then, the management device 9 selects one speed in time order for each section (S2034). Then, the management device 9 determines the speed difference during a predetermined period of time of the conveyance device 3 that traveled in the section (for example, the difference between the maximum value and minimum speed of the past one second from the time of the selected speed, or the difference between the speeds for a predetermined period of time). (the amount of change in speed) is calculated, and the speed difference is compared with a predetermined threshold value 2 (S2035). As a result, if it is determined that the speed difference is smaller than the threshold value, the process returns to step S2034 and repeats the process of calculating the speed difference of the transport device 3 at the next time and comparing it with the threshold value. On the other hand, if it is determined that the speed difference is larger than the threshold, the management device 9 records the position of the floor-damaged compartment in order to draw attention to the possibility that the floor of the compartment is damaged (S2036). If it is determined that the speed difference is large once, the position of the floor damaged section may be recorded, or if the speed difference is determined to be large for a predetermined number of times or more, the position of the floor damaged section may be recorded. If it is determined that the speed difference is large between several or more different conveyance devices 3, the position of the floor damaged section may be recorded. Furthermore, the position of the floor damaged section may be recorded when the rate of change of the speed difference in the plurality of transport devices 3 exceeds a predetermined threshold. Since the speed difference changes depending on individual differences in the conveyance device 3, damage to the floor can be accurately determined by focusing on the rate of change in the speed difference. By making the determination using the management information of the plurality of transport devices 3, it is possible to reduce erroneous determinations due to individual factors of the transport devices 3 (for example, abnormalities in the transport device 3), and improve the determination accuracy.

Then, the management device 9 determines whether the speed difference determination has been completed for all sections (S2037), and if there is a section for which the speed difference determination has not been completed, the process returns to step S2034, and the speed difference determination for the remaining sections is completed. Repeat the difference determination. On the other hand, if the speed difference judgment has been completed for all sections, the section (position) that satisfies the judgment conditions is recorded as a floor damage section (floor damage position) (S2038), and the recorded floor damage section (floor damage position) is recorded as a floor damage section (floor damage position). For example, a list of damaged floor sections is output as information on the location (S2039). Note that the management device 9 may output a maintenance instruction for the floor-damaged section. Further, if it is determined that the transport device 3 cannot travel through the floor damaged section, the control device 4 may lock the section so that the transport device 3 does not pass through the floor damaged section.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart of the floor surface deterioration diagnosis process when the transport device 3 rotates. Note that FIG. 19 describes the process executed by the management device 9 in the log data collection process (FIG. 16), and the same applies to FIGS. 20 and 21 described later. Note that a marker 300 is provided at a predetermined position on the floor surface around which the transport device 3 rotates, and is located approximately at the center of the revolution of the transport device 3.

The management device 9 acquires from the control device 4 the marker image included in the management information transmitted from the transport device 3 during charging (S2041). The marker image is an image of the marker 300 taken when the conveyance device 3 rotates. The management device 9 selects a group of marker images during one turn (S2042). Note that it is preferable to select an arbitrary marker image group for the first time, and then select marker image groups in a predetermined order (for example, chronological order). The center position of the marker 300 in each marker image is calculated (S2043). For example, a rectangle forming the outline of the marker 300 is extracted from the marker image, and the position where the diagonal lines of the rectangle intersect is calculated as the marker center position. Then, the management device 9 calculates the difference in the center positions of the markers 300 in the group of marker images (the amount of change in the center positions of the markers 300 when the transport device 3 rotates; the center position difference), and calculates the center position difference. and a predetermined threshold (S2044). As a result, if it is determined that the center position difference is smaller than the threshold value, the process returns to step S2042 and repeats the process of comparing the center position difference of the marker 300 at the next time with the threshold value. On the other hand, when it is determined that the center position difference is larger than the threshold, the management device 9 records the determined section (position where the amount of change in the center position is large) as a floor damaged section position (floor damaged position) (S2045 ).

Then, the management device 9 determines whether the determination of the center position difference of the marker 300 has been completed for all marker images (S2046), and if there is any marker image for which the determination of the center position difference has not been completed, the process proceeds to step S2042. Returning, the determination of the center position difference is repeatedly executed for the remaining marker images. On the other hand, if the center position differences have been determined for all marker images, a floor damaged section list, which is a list of sections that satisfy the criteria for determining floor deterioration (floor damage), is output as floor damage position information. (S2047). Note that the management device 9 may output a maintenance instruction for the floor-damaged section. Further, if it is determined that the transport device 3 cannot travel through the floor damaged section, the control device 4 may lock the section so that the transport device 3 does not pass through the floor damaged section.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart of marker abnormality detection processing. For example, if an abnormality occurs in the marker 300 and the marker 300 becomes unreadable, the section where the marker 300 is located becomes impossible to travel, and the transport device 3 may come to an emergency stop due to an error, improving transport efficiency and picking. This results in a decrease in efficiency. The marker abnormality detection process makes it possible to detect abnormalities in the marker 300 at an early stage, thereby preventing a decrease in transport efficiency and picking efficiency. Note that a marker 300 including a plurality of read codes (for example, two-dimensional codes) is provided at a predetermined position on the floor surface on which the transport device 3 runs, in order for the transport device 3 to detect the position.

The management device 9 acquires marker reading data included in the management information transmitted from the transport device 3 during charging from the control device 4 (S2051). The marker read data may include the number of read codes read while the transport device 3 is traveling. The management device 9 selects marker read data of one section (S2052). Note that it is preferable to select arbitrary marker reading data for the first time, and then select marker reading data in a predetermined order (for example, in the order of the identification information of the partition). Then, the number of read two-dimensional codes is compared with a predetermined threshold (S2053). As a result, if the number of read two-dimensional codes is larger than a predetermined threshold, it is determined that the marker 300 is normal, and the process returns to step S2052, where the marker read data of the next section (the read two-dimensional code ) is compared with the threshold value. On the other hand, if the number of two-dimensional codes read is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, it is determined that the marker 300 is abnormal, and the position of the marker (the section where the marker is located) is changed to the marker abnormal section position (marker abnormal position ) (S2054). Note that the position of the marker abnormal section may be recorded when it is determined that the marker is abnormal once, or the position of the marker abnormal section may be recorded when it is determined that the marker is abnormal a predetermined number of times, or If a marker abnormality is determined in a different conveyance device 3, the position of the marker abnormal section may be recorded. By making the determination using the management information of the plurality of transport devices 3, it is possible to reduce erroneous determinations due to individual factors of the transport devices 3 (for example, abnormalities in the transport device 3), and improve the determination accuracy. Note that marker abnormality may occur due to, for example, dirt on the marker or damage to the marker.

Then, the management device 9 determines whether the determination of the number of two-dimensional codes read for the marker read data of all sections has been completed (S2055), and if there is marker read data for which the determination has not been completed, step Returning to S2052, the number of two-dimensional codes read for the remaining marker read data is repeatedly determined. On the other hand, if the number of two-dimensional codes read for all marker read data has been determined, the marker abnormal section list, which is a list of sections that satisfy the marker abnormality judgment conditions, can be used as information on the marker abnormal position. Output (S2056). Note that the management device 9 may output a maintenance instruction for the marker abnormal section. Further, when it is determined that the transport device 3 cannot travel through the marker abnormal section, the control device 4 may lock the region so that the transport device 3 does not pass through the marker abnormal section.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart of the shelf shift detection process. For example, if the position of the shelf 5 deviates significantly from its normal position, there is a possibility that it will collide with the transport device 3 or with other shelves 5 that the transport device 3 transports. In addition, when the transport device 3, which is in the normal position where the shelf 5 should be, lifts and transports the shelf 5 that has deviated greatly from the normal position, the shelf 5 may be transported in an unstable state and the shelf 5 may fall. There is a possibility that the items on the shelf 5 may fall, or there is a possibility that the shelf 5 and surrounding structures (including other shelves 5) collide. That is, if the position of the shelf 5 deviates significantly from its normal position, it may cause a failure of the conveyance system as described above. Through the shelf shift detection process, shelf shifts of a predetermined amount or more can be detected at an early stage, and maintenance to eliminate shelf shifts can be performed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent failure of the conveyance system due to shelf displacement, prevent a decrease in conveyance efficiency and picking efficiency, and improve the reliability of the conveyance system.

The management device 9 acquires from the control device 4 a set of a marker image and a shelf bottom image included in the management information transmitted from the transport device 3 during charging (S2061). The management device 9 selects the next marker image and shelf bottom image taken at the same position (S2062). Note that it is preferable to select a set of a marker image and a shelf bottom image taken at an arbitrary same position for the first time, and then select a set of a marker image and a shelf bottom image in a predetermined order (for example, in chronological order). Then, the marker center position and shelf center position are calculated (S2063). For example, a rectangle forming the outline of the marker 300 is extracted from the marker image, and the position where the diagonal lines of the rectangle intersect is calculated as the marker center position. Similarly, a rectangle forming the outline of the code indicating the shelf ID displayed at the center of the bottom surface of the shelf 5 is extracted from the shelf bottom image, and the position where the diagonal lines of the rectangle intersect is calculated as the shelf center position. The management device 9 then compares the difference between the marker center position and the shelf center position with a predetermined threshold (S2064). As a result, if the difference between the marker center position and the shelf center position is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the position of the shelf 5 is determined to be normal, and the process returns to step S2062 to determine the next position of the shelf 5. repeat. On the other hand, if the difference between the marker center position and the shelf center position is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold, it is determined that the position of the shelf 5 is abnormal, deviating from the normal position, and a misaligned shelf ID is recorded (S2065 ). Note that a misaligned shelf ID may be recorded when a misalignment is determined once, a misaligned shelf ID may be recorded when a misalignment is determined a predetermined number of times, or a misaligned shelf ID may be recorded when a misalignment occurs more than a predetermined number of times. If the conveyance device 3 determines that the shelf is misaligned, the misaligned shelf ID may be recorded. By making the determination using the management information of the plurality of transport devices 3, it is possible to reduce erroneous determinations due to individual factors of the transport devices 3 (for example, abnormalities in the transport device 3), and improve the determination accuracy.

Then, the management device 9 determines whether determination of positional deviation has been completed for all marker images and shelf bottom images (S2066), and if there are marker images and shelf bottom images for which determination has not been completed, the process proceeds to step S2062. Returning, the determination of the positional deviation of the shelf 5 is repeatedly executed for the remaining marker images and shelf bottom images. On the other hand, if the determination of positional deviations has been completed for all marker images and shelf bottom images, a shelf deviation list, which is a list of shelves 5 whose positions have deviated from their normal positions, is output (S2067). The management device 9 may then output a maintenance instruction for shelf shift. For example, the control device 4 instructs the transport device 3 to lift a shelf 5 that is out of position, move the shelf 5 by the difference between the marker center position and the shelf center position, and then lower the shelf 5. Send to. By moving the shelf 5 by the transport device 3, the positional shift of the shelf 5 can be eliminated. Further, the worker who has viewed the output shelf shift list may move the misaligned shelf 5 by the amount of shift using a manned or remote-controlled forklift.

An example of shelf shift detection processing will be described. A conveyance object marker is provided approximately at the center of the bottom surface of the conveyance object conveyed by the conveyance device 3 . A floor marker (marker 300) for detecting the position is provided at a predetermined position on the floor surface of the destination of the conveyance object by the conveyance device 3. The management information transmitted from the transport device 3 to the control device 4 during charging includes an image of the transport object marker and an image of the floor marker taken when placing the transport object at the transport destination. The management device 9 acquires the management information from the control device 4, and uses the acquired management information to calculate the difference between the position of the transported article marker and the position of the floor marker. If the difference in position exceeds a predetermined range, the management device 9 records that the position of the conveyed object for which the difference in position exceeds the predetermined range is shifted, and confirms that the recorded position is Outputs information about misaligned conveyed items.

FIG. 22 is a sequence diagram of foreign object detection processing. For example, if the transport device 3 comes into contact with a foreign object (including collision with a foreign object or getting caught in a foreign object), there is a possibility that an abnormality (including a failure) will occur in the transport device 3 and the transport device 3 will stop or become unusable. There is. Through the foreign object detection process, it is possible to detect foreign objects in the transport device 3 at an early stage and take countermeasures (for example, making the foreign object detection area impossible to drive, removing the foreign objects, etc.). Therefore, the possibility that an abnormality occurs in the transport device 3 and the transport device 3 stops or becomes unusable can be reduced, and a decrease in transport efficiency and picking efficiency can be prevented. Further, when the foreign object is an article (for example, a product) that has fallen from the shelf 5, it is possible to prevent the article from coming into contact with the conveyance device 3 and being damaged. In this way, the reliability of the transport system can be improved. Note that the transport device 3 includes a sensor 14 that can detect surrounding objects.

When the sensor 14 (front camera provided on the front) detects a foreign object on the planned travel route (S2071), the measurement program 31 of the transport device 3 captures an image of the detected foreign object with the front camera 14. The image is stored in the storage device 12 (S2072). Here, the foreign object may be, for example, an article (fallen object) that has fallen from the shelf 5. Then, the measurement program 31 obtains the distance to the foreign object (S2073). For example, the distance to the foreign object is acquired based on the detection results of the distance image camera 14, the ultrasonic sensor 14, and the LiDAR 14. The communication program 29 transmits the management information to the control device 4 via the wireless communication network provided in the warehouse 2 (S2074). The management information transmitted in step S2074 includes the position of the transport device 3 (section 201), the distance to the foreign object, and the foreign object detection time.

Upon acquiring the management information, the control device 4 uses the position and orientation of the transport device 3 and the distance to the foreign object to identify the section where the foreign object has been detected (S2075), and the other transport devices 3 identify the section where the foreign object has been detected. The section is locked so that no one can pass through it (S2076). Then, the control device 4 outputs a maintenance instruction (S2077). This maintenance instruction is transmitted to the management device 9 together with the image of the foreign object detection section, and the administrator views the image of the foreign object detection section and performs maintenance work to remove the foreign object. Maintenance work may be performed immediately or outside of picking work hours. Furthermore, if the administrator does not operate the management device 9 even after a predetermined period of time has passed since the control device 4 outputs the maintenance instruction, the maintenance work may be performed automatically.

Note that the image of the foreign object detection section may be transmitted from the transport device 3 to the control device 4 via a wireless communication network provided within the warehouse 2. The transmission timing may be the timing of S2074 or a subsequent timing (eg, timing after S2076). Furthermore, in order to prevent the image of the foreign object detection section from affecting other communications using the wireless communication network, the image of the foreign object detection section is transferred from the transport device 3 to the charging device 7, as shown in FIG. It may also be transmitted to the control device 4 via. The transmission timing may be a timing after S2074 (for example, a timing after S2076).

As described above, when a foreign object is detected by the sensor 14 while traveling, the transport device 3 transmits positional relationship information including the distance between the detected foreign object and the transport device 3 and the transport device 3 via the wireless communication network. The location information is transmitted to the control device 4. The control device 4 specifies the section where the foreign object has been detected based on at least the positional relationship information and the position information of the transport device 3, and sets the section where the foreign object has been detected so that the transport device 3 cannot run. Further, the transport device 3 may include an image sensor, and the transport device 3 may transmit an image including a foreign object acquired by the image sensor while traveling to the control device 4 via the charging device 7 during charging.

On the other hand, the transport device 3 starts charging (S2081) and transmits management information to the control device 4 via the charging device 7 (S2082). The management device 9 acquires management information (surrounding images) from the control device 4 (S2083). The management information transmitted during charging includes an image of the surroundings of the transport device 3 (for example, an image of the driving environment of the transport device 3 acquired while the transport device 3 is running), and data on a photographing position. Then, the management device 9 acquires one peripheral image (S2084). Note that it is preferable to acquire arbitrary peripheral images for the first time, and then acquire peripheral images in a predetermined order (for example, in chronological order). Then, using the image recognition model, foreign objects that obstruct the movement of the transport device 3 are extracted from the acquired peripheral image (S2085). For example, as the image recognition model, a neural network model learned using images of a foreign object that obstructs the movement of the transport device 3 can be used. Then, the management device 9 determines whether a foreign object is detected in the surrounding image (S2086). As a result, if no foreign object is detected, the process returns to step S2084 and repeats the process of determining a foreign object in the next peripheral image. On the other hand, when a foreign object is detected, the management device 9 uses the position and orientation of the transport device 3 and the distance to the foreign object to identify the section where the foreign object was detected (S2087), and other transport devices 3 The detection section is locked so that it does not pass through it (S2088). Note that the management device 9 may transmit an instruction to lock the section to the control device 4, and the control device 4 may lock the section. In this way, the management device 9 attempts to extract a foreign object from the surrounding image, and restricts other transport devices 3 from passing through the position of the foreign object extracted from the surrounding image.

Then, the management device 9 determines whether foreign object determination has been completed for all peripheral images (S2089), and if there is a peripheral image for which foreign object determination has not been completed, the process returns to step S2084, and for the remaining peripheral images. Repeatedly perform foreign object determination. On the other hand, if the determination of foreign objects has been completed for all peripheral images, a maintenance instruction to remove the foreign objects is output (S2090). The administrator looks at the output maintenance instructions (for example, an image of the foreign object detection section, etc.) and performs maintenance work to remove the foreign object. Maintenance work may be performed immediately or outside of picking work hours. Furthermore, if the administrator does not operate the management device 9 even after a predetermined period of time has passed since the control device 4 outputs the maintenance instruction, the maintenance work may be performed automatically.

Alternatively, the control device 4 may receive a maintenance instruction from the management device 9 and determine whether the transport device 3 can move the foreign object. As a result, if the transport device 3 determines that the foreign object can be moved, the control device 4 instructs the transport device 3 to move the foreign object to a predetermined location that will not impede travel. Note that this transport device 3 only needs to be a device that can move foreign objects according to instructions from the control device 4, and may be a device different from the transport device 3 that transports the shelves 5, and is referred to as a foreign object moving device. You may be

FIG. 23 is a flowchart of abnormal device diagnosis processing. For example, the abnormal device diagnosis process makes it possible to detect an abnormality including deterioration of the transport device 3 at an early stage before the transport device 3 enters a failure state due to deterioration or the like. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the conveyance system from stopping due to a failure of the conveyance device 3 and to prevent a decrease in conveyance efficiency and picking efficiency, and to improve the reliability of the conveyance system.

The management device 9 acquires the device operation log included in the management information transmitted from the transport device 3 during charging from the control device 4 (S2091). The management device 9 selects one device operation log (S2092). Note that it is preferable to select any device operation log for the first time, and then select the device operation logs in a predetermined order (for example, in chronological order). The management device 9 then calculates the response time of the device indicated by the selected device operation log (S2093), and compares the calculated response time with an allowable range (S2094). As a result, if the calculated response time is within the allowable range, the device is determined to be normal, and the process returns to step S2092 to compare the response time calculated from the next device operation log with the allowable range. Repeat the process. On the other hand, if the calculated response time is outside the predetermined allowable range, the device is determined to be abnormal, and the identification information of the device is recorded in the abnormal device list (S2095).

This abnormal device diagnosis process can be applied to devices within the transport device 3, such as actuators such as motors, lighting lamps, and sensors 14. For actuators such as motors, the time from the timing of the operation control command signal until the sensor 14 detects the completion of the operation by the motor is measured, and if the time required to start the operation becomes longer, it is determined that the device has deteriorated. can. For example, the response time is the time from when the table lifting servo motor 22M that lifts and lowers the table 22 starts operating until the magnetic sensor 14 detects the contact of the table 22 with the bottom plate 502 of the shelf 5. Similarly, regarding the rotation of the table 22 and the running drive of the transport device 3, deterioration of the equipment is determined based on the response time from the start of motor operation to the detection of the end of operation. Further, deterioration of the sensor 14 can be determined based on the response time from the operation control command signal of the sensor 14 to the start of operation.

In the above, the operation of the device was determined using the response time, but it may be determined whether the operation of the device is normal by comparing the resistance value, current value, etc. of the device with a predetermined threshold value. For example, if the resistance value of the sensor 14 is greater than a predetermined threshold value, it may be determined to be normal, and if the current value of an actuator such as a motor is greater than a predetermined threshold value, it may be determined to be abnormal.

The management device 9 then determines whether the response time determination has been completed for all device operation logs (S2096), and if there is any device operation log for which determination has not been completed, the process returns to step S2052 and the remaining device operation logs are processed. Repeatedly perform response time determination on logs. On the other hand, if the determination of the number of response times has been completed for all device operation logs, an abnormal device list is output (S2097).

An example of an abnormal device diagnosis process will be described. The management information transmitted from the transport device 3 to the control device 4 during charging includes the response time of the installed equipment. The management device 9 acquires the management information from the control device 4, and uses the acquired management information to record that there is an abnormality in the response time if the response time tolerance value is larger than a predetermined threshold. Outputs information about devices with abnormalities.

In addition, regarding the floor damaged section list in FIGS. 18 and 19, the abnormal marker section list in FIG. 20, the shelf shift list in FIG. 21, and the abnormal equipment list in FIG. By outputting the status of (transport device) and the timing when maintenance or other measures are required, the administrator can create an appropriate maintenance plan. For example, if the target section is in a state that requires repair within three months, it is possible to avoid the busy season for picking work and make a plan to carry out the repair during the off-season. It is possible to create a maintenance plan that has less impact on picking efficiency. Furthermore, if a section that requires repair in one month and a section that requires repair in two months are close to each other, it may be more efficient to repair them all at once. In this way, efficient maintenance becomes possible by outputting the status of the object and the timing when maintenance or other measures are required. In addition, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the transport efficiency of the transport system and improve the reliability of the transport system through maintenance.

For example, in each determination in S2035 in FIG. 18, S2044 in FIG. 19, S2053 in FIG. 20, S2064 in FIG. 21, and S2094 in FIG. You can. For example, in each determination, if the target value (speed difference, center position difference, number of readable codes, response time) to be compared with the threshold value is smaller than the threshold value T1, the management device 9 determines that there is no problem in the state of the target ( If each judgment is Yes), if the target value is T1 or higher and smaller than T2 (threshold value larger than T1), the target state is determined to be "abnormal level small", and if the target value is T2 or higher, the target state is The state may be determined to be "high abnormality level" (if each determination is No).

In addition, the management device 9 determines that maintenance is required by X months if the target status is "low abnormality level", and after Y months (earlier than X months) if the target status is "high abnormality level". ), the state of the object and the time when maintenance is required may be associated and stored for each determination. Then, when outputting the list in S2039 of FIG. 18, S2047 of FIG. 19, S2056 of FIG. 20, S2067 of FIG. 21, and S2097 of FIG. The time when maintenance is required (maintenance deadline) corresponding to the target state may be output.

Note that the management device 9 may be able to determine the state of the target in more detail by increasing the threshold value described above. Further, if the target is a floor (compartment) as shown in FIGS. 18 to 20, the ease with which the partition deteriorates depends on the material and position of the partition. Furthermore, in the abnormal device list shown in FIG. 23, the maintenance timing differs depending on the type of the device. In addition, as shown in Figures 18 to 21 and 23, whether the target is a compartment, shelf, or equipment, the usage environment (for example, in the case of a floor, the load such as the number of passes of a conveyance device; for example, in the case of a conveyance device, The maintenance period differs depending on the load such as transportation distance and transportation weight.) Therefore, a threshold value and a corresponding maintenance deadline may be set depending on the type of target and usage environment. For example, the management device 9 analyzes correlations or trends from statistical data such as the type of object, usage environment, deterioration transition of the object's condition, etc., and determines the type of object based on the analyzed correlation or trend. The maintenance deadline may be determined from information on the usage environment and the state of the target.

In addition, in each of the determinations in S2023 and S2035 in FIG. 18, S2044 in FIG. 19, and S2094 in FIG. You may judge. The traveling of the conveyance device 3 (including straight movement and turning) is affected by the presence or absence of a conveyed object and the weight of the conveyed object. For example, regarding S2044 in FIG. 19, when the transport device 3 rotates, if the loaded objects are unbalanced, there is a possibility that the difference in center position of the marker becomes larger than when no transported objects are loaded. Regarding S2023 and S2035 in FIG. 18, when the conveyance device 3 is loaded with a heavy conveyance object, compared to when the conveyance device 3 is loaded with no conveyance object, when it passes through a damaged part of the floor (for example, an uneven place). The vibrations and shocks received will increase. Therefore, in each of the above-mentioned determinations, it is possible to improve the determination accuracy by making the determination using a threshold value according to the presence or absence of the conveyed object or the weight of the conveyed object at the time of acquiring the target log from the management information.

Furthermore, regarding the above-mentioned determinations, the management device 9 performs each determination in cases where the transport device 3 does not load the transported object and when the weight of the transported object loaded by the transport device 3 is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold. Also good. In addition, the management device 9 determines the balance of the transported object based on the structure and weight of the transported object and the position and weight of the products loaded on the transported object, and determines if the transported object is loaded with an unbalanced object. may be excluded from the scope of Thereby, the influence of the conveyed object can be eliminated or the influence of the conveyed object can be reduced.

Regarding the above-mentioned determinations, the management device 9 performs each determination when the conveyance device 3 loads a conveyed object and when the weight of the conveyed object loaded by the conveyance device 3 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. Also good. For example, damage to the floor surface can be more easily detected when objects are loaded, and the determination accuracy may be improved.

In addition, in the above-described determination, the management device 9 obtains the information on the presence or absence of the transported object or the weight of the transported object at the time of acquiring the target log as management information from the transport device 3 via the charging device, etc., and makes the determination. Good too. In addition, the management device 9 acquires logs regarding the device management table 53 and the shelf table 57 from the control device 4, and determines whether or not there is a transported object or not, and which corresponds to the time of the travel log that is subject to each determination of the transport device 3. The determination may be made by specifying information about the weight of the object.

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the shelf 5 and the magnetic sensor 14, and FIG. 25 is a diagram showing the top plate 22D removed from the transport device 3.

The shelf 5 has a bottom plate 502 supported by legs 501 at a predetermined height from the floor, and one or more shelf boards 503 on which articles are placed. A space into which the transport device 3 enters is provided at the bottom of the bottom plate 502 .

A top plate 22D is rotatably attached to the top surface of the transport device 3. The top plate 22D is disposed on the upper ring 22A in engagement with the upper ring 22A, and the top plate 22D rotates as the upper ring 22A rotates. For example, the top plate 22D and the upper ring 22A are engaged with each other by a convex portion of the top plate 22D and a recessed portion of the upper ring 22A.

That is, when the top plate 22D is removed from the conveyance device 3, the upper ring 22A is visible as shown in FIG. The upper ring 22A is engaged with a table rotation servo motor 22L. For example, a sprocket is provided inside the upper ring 22A, a gear is attached to the shaft of the table rotation servo motor 22L, and the sprocket and the gear are engaged. Therefore, the upper ring 22A rotates due to the rotation of the table rotation servo motor 22L, and the top plate 22D disposed on the upper ring 22A rotates. A proximity sensor 14 is attached to the upper ring 22A. As described above, the proximity sensor 14 is, for example, a magnetic sensor, and observes the bottom plate 502 of the shelf 5 and measures the distance between the top plate 22D and the bottom plate 502.

A lower ring 22C is provided below the upper ring 22A. A rolling bearing 22B is attached to the lower surface of the upper ring 22A, and the rolling bearing 22B supports the load of the upper ring 22A, and the rolling bearing 22B allows the upper ring 22A to rotate smoothly on the lower ring 22C. has been done.

The lower ring 22C is supported by a support column 22E. The support column 22E is moved up and down by the table lifting servo motor 22M, and the lower ring 22C is moved up and down. For example, the support column 22E and the table lifting/lowering servo motor 22M constitute a ball screw. A threaded shaft is formed on the support column 22E, and the threaded shaft is moved relative to the nut by rotating the nut engaged with the threaded shaft by the table lifting/lowering servo motor 22M. In this way, the lower ring 22C, upper ring 22A, and top plate 22D can be moved up and down by the table lift servo motor 22M. The table elevating servo motor 22M may be provided on one ball screw, and the ball screw provided with the table elevating servo motor 22M and other ball screws may be connected with a chain so that multiple ball screws operate synchronously. It is recommended to configure

The conveyance device 3 enters the space under the shelf 5, and lifts the shelf 5 by raising the top plate 22D by the table lifting/lowering servo motor 22M. The proximity sensor 14 provided under the top plate 22D outputs a signal according to the distance to the bottom plate 502 of the shelf 5 (or the beam holding the bottom plate 502), and the output signal of the proximity sensor 14 determines the distance between the top plate 22D and the bottom plate. 502 can be measured, and contact of the top plate 22D to the bottom plate 502 can be detected.

As described above, the conveyance device 3 of this embodiment includes the secondary battery 80 that supplies power for operation, and the drive mechanism 20 that drives the wheels with the power supplied from the secondary battery 80. , acquires positional information regarding the position of the transporting device 3 and management information regarding the running environment of the transporting device 3 or the transporting device 3 while traveling, and transmits the acquired positional information to the control device 4 while traveling via a wireless communication network. Since the management information acquired during driving is transmitted to the control device 4 while the secondary battery 80 is being charged, the band for transmitting and receiving control data in the wireless communication network installed in the warehouse 2 is not compressed. , management information can be collected from the transport device 3.

Further, one of the transport systems of the present embodiment includes a transport device 3 capable of transporting objects, a control device 4 that controls the operation of the transport device 3, and a charging device 7 that supplies charging power to the transport device 3. Equipped with. The transport device 3 includes a secondary battery 80 that supplies power for operation, and a drive mechanism 20 that drives wheels using the power supplied from the secondary battery 80. The transport device 3 acquires position information regarding the position of the transport device 3 and management information regarding the running environment of the transport device 3 or the transport device 3 while traveling. The transport device 3 transmits the acquired position information to the control device 4 while traveling via a wireless communication network. The transport device 3 transmits the management information acquired while traveling to the charging device 7 while the secondary battery 80 is being charged. The charging device 7 transmits the management information to the control device 4. Here, the management information may be transmitted from the charging device 7 to the control device 4 during charging, or at other timings (for example, after charging). Thereby, management information can be collected from the transport device 3 without compressing the band for transmitting and receiving control data in the wireless communication network provided in the warehouse 2.

Although several embodiments have been described above, these are illustrative examples for explaining the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to these embodiments. The present invention can also be implemented in various other forms.

Furthermore, for example, the shape of the partition is not limited to a rectangle, and may be any other shape. Furthermore, sections of different sizes or shapes may coexist. Furthermore, instead of being specified from the two-dimensional barcode on the section, the location of the section may be specified by another type of method.

Furthermore, for example, the storage program 50 and the processing program 51 may be executed by the transport device 3 instead of or in addition to the control device 4. Further, the transport device 3 may also serve as the control device 4.

Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied to a transportation system for transporting articles in factories, workshops, etc. other than storage warehouses used by companies such as online shopping companies to store their products. Specifically, the object to be transported by the transport device 3 may be an object other than the shelf 5, such as a tray, a box, a pallet, or an article. In this case, the trays, boxes, and pallets may or may not contain articles (for example, when the trays, boxes, and pallets themselves are objects to be transported). Note that in this case, it is only necessary to replace "shelf" with "transferred object", so detailed explanation will be omitted. Further, the work on the transported object may be other than picking work, such as processing, assembly, packaging, or inspection. In this case, it is only necessary to replace "picking" or "picking work" with "work", so detailed explanation will be omitted.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and includes various modifications and equivalent configurations within the scope of the appended claims. For example, the embodiments described above have been described in detail to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to having all the configurations described. Further, a part of the configuration of one embodiment may be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment. Further, the configuration of one embodiment may be added to the configuration of another embodiment. Further, other configurations may be added, deleted, or replaced with a part of the configuration of each embodiment.

Further, each of the above-mentioned configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be realized in part or in whole by hardware, for example by designing an integrated circuit, and a processor realizes each function. It may also be realized by software by interpreting and executing a program.

Information such as programs, tables, files, etc. that implement each function can be stored in a storage device such as a memory, hard disk, or SSD (Solid State Drive), or in a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.

In addition, the control lines and information lines shown are those considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily show all control lines and information lines necessary for implementation. In reality, almost all configurations can be considered interconnected.

2

Warehouse

3, 3A, 3B, 3C Transport device 4

Control device

5, 5A, 5B, 5C Shelf 6 Picking station 7 Charging device 9 Management device 10 Controller 11 Drive device 12 Storage device 13 Interface device 14 Sensor 20 Drive mechanism

20A Auxiliary wheel

20D Drive wheel 20E Encoder 20M Motor 21 Lifting mechanism 21E Encoder 21F Encoder 21M Motor 21R Motor 22 Table 22A Upper ring 22B Rolling bearing 22C Lower ring

22D Top plate

22E Support column 22L Table rotation servo motor 22M Table lift servo motor 23 Route table 24 Device table 25 Map table 27 Measurement table 28 Performance table 29 Communication program 30 Movement control program 31 Measurement program 32 Position estimation program 40 Processor 41 Memory 42 Storage device 43 Input device 44 Output device 45 Interface device 50 Storage program 51 Processing program 53 Device management table 54 Inventory table 55 Order table 56 Map table 57 Shelf table 58 Picking table 60 Floor table 70 Power supply 71 Controller 72

Storage device

73, 74 Electrode 75 Demodulator 76 Communication interface 80 Battery 81 Mixer 82

Modulator

83, 84 Electrode 90 Processor 91 Memory 92 Storage device 93 Input device 94 Output device 95 Interface device 96 Change analysis program 97 Difference analysis program 98 Change analysis program 200 Area 201 Section 300 Markers 300A to 300I Two-dimensional code 501 Legs 502 Bottom plate 503 Shelf board 551 Network

Claims

A method for controlling a conveyance system including a conveyance device and a control device, the method comprising:
The transport device includes a secondary battery that supplies power for operation, and a drive mechanism that drives wheels with the power supplied from the secondary battery,
The control method includes:
an information acquisition step in which the conveyance device acquires position information regarding the position of the conveyance device, a running environment of the conveyance device, or management information regarding the conveyance device while traveling;
a first communication step in which the transport device transmits the acquired position information to the control device while traveling via a wireless communication network;
A control method comprising: a second communication step in which the transport device transmits the management information acquired during traveling to the control device while the secondary battery is being charged.
The control method according to claim 1,
The second communication step includes:
a step in which the transport device transmits the management information acquired during traveling to a charging device that supplies charging power to the transport device;
A control method including the step of the charging device transmitting the management information to the control device.
The control method according to claim 2,
In the second communication step,
The transport device and the charging device are connected by a power supply line,
The charging device supplies charging power to the transport device via the power supply line,
In the control method, the transport device transmits the management information acquired during traveling to the charging device via the power supply line.
The control method according to claim 2,
In the second communication step, the transport device wirelessly transmits the management information acquired during traveling to the charging device.
4. The control method according to claim 3,
When the conveyance device detects an abnormality in which a speed difference during a predetermined time when traveling straight is larger than a first predetermined threshold value, the conveyance device transmits information on a position where the abnormality is detected to the control device in a first communication step. , stop running,
A control method in which the control device uses information on the position where the abnormality is detected to prevent other transport devices from passing through the abnormality detection position that caused the stop of the transport device.
6. The control method according to claim 5,
The transport system includes a management device that analyzes the management information,
The management information transmitted from the transport device in the second communication step includes data on the traveling speed of the transport device over time,
The management device includes:
acquiring the management information from the control device;
Calculating the amount of change in the speed of the conveying device using the acquired management information,
When it is determined that the calculated amount of change in speed is larger than a second predetermined threshold, a position where the determined amount of change in speed is large is recorded as a floor damage position,
A control method for outputting information on the recorded floor damage position.
7. The control method according to claim 6,
A marker is provided at a predetermined position on the floor surface around which the conveyance device turns, and is located approximately at the center of the rotation of the conveyance device,
The management information transmitted from the transport device in the second communication step includes an image of the marker taken when the transport device turns,
The management device includes:
acquiring the management information from the control device;
Using the acquired management information, calculate the amount of change in the center position of the marker when the transport device turns;
When it is determined that the calculated amount of change in the center position is larger than a third predetermined threshold, a position where the determined amount of change in the center position is large is recorded as a floor damage position;
A control method for outputting information on the recorded floor damage position.
The control method according to claim 3 or 7,
The transport system includes a management device that analyzes the management information,
A marker including a plurality of read codes is provided at a predetermined position on the floor surface on which the transport device runs, in order for the transport device to detect the position;
The management information transmitted from the conveyance device in the second communication step includes the number of the read codes read while the conveyance device is traveling;
The management device includes:
acquiring the management information from the control device;
Using the acquired management information, if the number of read codes is smaller than a fourth predetermined threshold, record the position of the marker where the number of read codes read is small as a marker abnormal position;
A control method for outputting information on the recorded marker abnormal position.
4. The control method according to claim 3,
The transport system includes a management device that analyzes the management information,
A conveyance object marker is provided approximately at the center of the bottom surface of the conveyance object conveyed by the conveyance device,
A floor marker for detecting the position is provided at a predetermined position on the floor surface of the destination of the conveyance object by the conveyance device,
The management information transmitted from the transport device in the second communication step includes an image of the transport object marker and an image of the floor marker taken when placing the transport object at the transport destination,
The management device includes:
acquiring the management information from the control device;
Using the acquired management information, calculate the difference between the position of the conveyed object marker and the position of the floor marker,
If the difference in position exceeds a predetermined range, recording that the position of the conveyed object for which the difference in position exceeds the predetermined range is shifted;
A control method for outputting information about a conveyed object whose recorded position is shifted.
4. The control method according to claim 3,
The control device manages a travel area in which the transport device travels by dividing it into a plurality of sections,
The transport device has a sensor capable of detecting surrounding objects,
When the conveyance device detects a foreign object with the sensor while traveling, the conveyance device transmits, in the first communication step, positional relationship information including a distance between the detected foreign object and the conveyance device, and position information of the conveyance device. to the control device,
In the control method, the control device specifies a section where the foreign object is detected based on at least the positional relationship information and the position information of the transport device, and the transport device runs through the section where the foreign object was detected. A control method including a step of disabling.
The control method according to claim 10,
The sensor has an image sensor,
In the second communication step, the transport device transmits an image including the foreign object acquired by the image sensor to the control device via the charging device.
The control method according to claim 11,
The transport system includes a management device that analyzes the management information,
The conveying device acquires an image of the traveling environment of the conveying device while traveling,
The management device includes:
acquiring the management information including an image of the driving environment from the control device;
Attempting to extract foreign objects from the image of the driving environment,
A control method for restricting the position of a foreign object extracted from the image so that other conveyance devices do not pass through it.
4. The control method according to claim 3,
The transport system includes a management device that analyzes the management information,
The management information transmitted from the transport device in the second communication step includes the response time of the device to be mounted,
The management device includes:
acquiring the management information from the control device;
Using the acquired management information, if the allowable range value of the response time is greater than a fifth predetermined threshold, record that there is an abnormality in the response time;
A control method for outputting information about the device having the recorded abnormality.
4. The control method according to claim 3,
The control device manages a travel area in which the transport device travels by dividing it into a plurality of sections,
Each of the sections is provided with a marker indicating the position of the section,
The transport device has a sensor capable of reading the marker,
In the first communication step, the transport device transmits position information represented by the marker or position information derived from the information represented by the marker to the control device.
A method for controlling a conveyance system including a conveyance device, a control device, and a management device, the method comprising:
The transport device has a secondary battery that supplies power for operation, and a drive mechanism that drives wheels with the power supplied from the secondary battery,
A marker is provided at a predetermined position on the floor surface around which the conveyance device turns, and is located approximately at the center of the rotation of the conveyance device,
The control method includes:
an information acquisition step in which the conveyance device acquires position information regarding the position of the conveyance device, a running environment of the conveyance device, or management information regarding the conveyance device while traveling;
a first communication step in which the transport device transmits the acquired position information to the control device while traveling via a wireless communication network;
a second communication step in which the transport device transmits the management information acquired while traveling to the control device while charging the secondary battery;
In the second communication step,
The transport device and a charging device that supplies charging power to the transport device are connected by a power supply line,
The charging device supplies charging power to the transport device via the power supply line,
The transport device transmits the management information acquired while traveling to the charging device via the power supply line,
The charging device transmits the management information to the control device,
The management information transmitted from the transport device in the second communication step includes data on the speed of the transport device over time and an image of the marker taken during turning,
When the conveyance device detects an abnormality in which a speed difference during a predetermined time when traveling straight is larger than a first predetermined threshold value, the conveyance device transmits information on a position where the abnormality is detected to the control device in a first communication step. , stop running,
The control device uses information on the position where the abnormality is detected to restrict other transport devices from passing through the abnormality detection position that caused the stop of the transport device,
The management device includes:
acquiring the management information from the control device;
Calculating the amount of change in the speed of the conveying device using the acquired management information,
When it is determined that the calculated amount of change in speed is larger than a second predetermined threshold, a position where the determined amount of change in speed is large is recorded as a floor damage position;
outputting information on the recorded floor damage position;
Furthermore, the management device
Using the acquired management information, calculate the amount of change in the center position of the marker when the transport device turns;
When it is determined that the calculated amount of change in the center position is larger than a third predetermined threshold, a position where the determined amount of change in the center position is large is recorded as a floor damage position;
A control method for outputting information on the recorded floor damage position.
A conveyance system,
A transport device capable of transporting objects;
a control device that controls the operation of the transport device;
A charging device that supplies charging power to the transport device,
The transport device is
It has a secondary battery that supplies power for operation, and a drive mechanism that drives the wheels with the power supplied from the secondary battery,
acquiring positional information regarding the position of the conveyance device, a running environment of the conveyance device, or management information regarding the conveyance device while traveling;
transmitting the acquired position information to the control device while driving via a wireless communication network;
transmitting the management information acquired while driving to the charging device while charging the secondary battery;
The charging device is a transport system that transmits the management information to the control device.