JPH0535882B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical field to which the invention pertains] The present invention relates to a system for controlling the traveling route and starting/stopping of an automatic guided vehicle.

[Conventional technology and its problems] In this type of automatic guided vehicle control system that has been known in the past, optical sensors on the automatic guided vehicle detect markers affixed at each branching point and stopping point on the travel course. It controlled forward and backward movement, left and right turns, stopping, etc. according to a read and pre-entered program.

However, such conventional techniques have the following problems.

When pasting a marker, accuracy is required in the position of the pasting due to the relationship with the position of the optical sensor on the automatic guided vehicle.

Since the amount of information entrusted to the marker is extremely small, the travel program that must be taught to the automatic guided vehicle in advance or at the start of travel becomes complex and large.

Markers pasted on the travel course are easily affected by dirt, etc., and there is a high possibility that the centerless guided vehicle will malfunction.

[Object of the Invention] In view of the above-mentioned points, the object of the present invention is to provide a structure capable of controlling the running of an automatic guided vehicle in a non-contact manner and with high reliability without using optical reading type sensors or the like. The objective is to provide a controlled control system.

[Summary of the Invention] In the present invention, a wireless oscillator is embedded in each traveling section on the traveling course of an automatic guided vehicle, and each wireless oscillator is provided with traveling section information indicating the position where the wireless oscillator is buried and the corresponding traveling section. All traveling section information adjacent to the traveling section is stored in advance,
An automatic guided vehicle control system that controls the traveling of the automatic guided vehicle by transmitting these section information, wherein the automatic guided vehicle is configured to detect the traveling section information transmitted from each of the wireless transmitters. a receiving means for detecting a traveling route from a specific starting point to an end point, a storage means for storing the traveling section information, which is taught in advance or from the outside as a series of said traveling section information, and a traveling route from a specific starting point to an ending point, and is detected by said receiving means. By providing travel control means that compares the travel section information with the storage contents of the storage means and controls the course and start/stop of the automatic guided vehicle, high reliability can be achieved despite simple program control. It is possible to perform certain driving control.

In other words, by teaching only the above-mentioned traveling section information without giving instructions to the automated conveyancer to go forward or backward, turn left or right, or stop, the vehicle can reach the end point based on the traveling section information from the wireless transmitter. The automated guided vehicle independently determines whether to move forward or backward, turn left or right, or stop.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail based on Examples.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an automatic guided vehicle and a wireless transmitter to which the present invention is applied.

This embodiment, as shown in FIG. Radio transmitter 1, ground control
It consists of CPU7.

The CPU 3 installed in the automatic guided vehicle 6 generates a section number string from the starting point to the ending point, or
Only the section number of the end point (however, in this case, it is necessary to store a predetermined traveling section number in the CPU 3 of the automatic guided vehicle 6) from the ground control CPU 7 via the ground communication unit 5, and the vehicle starts traveling. Start.

When traveling, the CPU 3 of the automated guided vehicle 6 embeds the section number in which the automated guided vehicle 6 is currently located and the numbers of all adjacent sections in the floor surface 10 via the wireless transmitter transceiver 2. It sequentially receives signals from the radio transmitter 1, determines whether to move forward or backward, turn left or right, or stop, and outputs a travel control command to the travel control unit 4 as appropriate.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a traveling layout of the automatic guided vehicle 6. This figure shows a plurality of wireless transmitters (small rectangles) buried within the travelable range of the automatic guided vehicle 6, and the code written along with the travel route 20 is the section number for each travel route. It is.
Further, directions A and B indicated by arrows indicate directions in which the automatic guided vehicle 6 moves "forward".

In order to run the automatic guided vehicle 6 from section number R1 to R21, the ground control CPU 7 sends the CPU 3 of the automatic guided vehicle 6 a section number string from the start point to the end point (for example, R1-R5-R9-R1).
3-R17-R21). Then, each time the automatic guided vehicle 6 moves to the next section, the CPU 3 determines whether to turn right or left or go forward or backward based on the travel section information from the wireless transmitter 1, and gives instructions to the travel control 4.
It also gives a stop instruction when it reaches the end point.

The data transmitted from the wireless transmitter 1 needs to have a certain regularity so that the CPU 3 of the automatic guided vehicle 6 can make decisions. For example, the wireless transmitter embedded in section number R9 may store data as shown in FIG. 3 and transmit the data. It is necessary to store section information in the same order for wireless transmitters embedded in other sections.

FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the present system described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. In this figure, 3
0 is a station conveyor, 32 is a light reflection guide tape for approach, and 34 is a running electromagnetic guide wire. In order for the automatic guided vehicle 6 to change direction at the part A shown in the figure, it performs a spin turn at the intersection point. Further, when the automatic guided vehicle 6 approaches the station conveyor 30, it stops at the portion B and performs a horizontal sliding movement according to the approach light reflection guide tape 32.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the computer (CPU) 7 on the ground that manages the travel of the automatic guided vehicle 6 instructs the automatic guided vehicle 6 to move forward and backward,
Since there is no need to output right/left turn or stop instructions every time, the travel management program of the ground computer can be greatly simplified.

Further, since the section number in the wireless transmitter 1 can be wirelessly rewritten, the layout can be easily changed.

[Effects of the Invention] By implementing the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) Unlike conventional markers, the wireless transmitter according to the present invention is not affected by dirt or the like. Furthermore, since the traveling section information stored in the wireless transmitter is an absolute address, highly reliable traveling control can be realized.

(2) The traveling section information stored in the wireless transmitter includes information representing not only the traveling section in which the wireless transmitter is embedded, but also all adjacent traveling sections. You can control the vehicle to move forward and backward, turn left and right, stop, etc. by yourself.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an automatic guided vehicle and a wireless transmitter to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the range in which the automatic guided vehicle can travel, and FIG.
The figure is a diagram for explaining data transmitted from a wireless transmitter, and FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory diagram of this embodiment. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Radio transmitter, 2... Wireless transmitter/receiver, 3... CPU, 4... Travel control unit, 5... Ground communication unit, 6... Automatic guided vehicle, 7... Ground control CPU , 20... driving route.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A wireless oscillator is embedded in each traveling section on the traveling course of the automatic guided vehicle, and each wireless oscillator includes traveling section information indicating the position where the wireless oscillator is buried and the traveling section. An automatic guided vehicle control system that stores information on all traveling sections adjacent to the automatic guided vehicle in advance and controls the traveling of the automatic guided vehicle by transmitting this section information, wherein the automatic guided vehicle has the following features: a receiving means for detecting the traveling section information transmitted from the wireless transmitter of the wireless transmitter;
A storage means that is taught in advance or externally as a series of the traveling section information and stores the traveling section information, and the traveling section information detected by the receiving means and the storage contents of the storage means are compared, and the unmanned vehicle is An automatic guided vehicle control system comprising: travel control means for controlling the course of the guided vehicle and controlling the start and stop of the guided vehicle.