Article transport facility

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10239692-B2
Application number	US-201715685548-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2017
Priority date	Aug 29, 2016
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

A transport vehicle controller causes a travel speed of the corresponding one of the plurality of article transport vehicles to which the transport vehicle controller is provided to be reduced based on position information of corresponding one of the plurality of article transport vehicles to which the transport vehicle controller is provided and the position information on another of the plurality of article transport vehicles if a separation distance between the corresponding one of the plurality of article transport vehicles to which the transport vehicle controller is provided and the another of the plurality of article transport vehicles is less than, or equal to, a set separation distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article transport facility comprising:
a plurality of the article transport vehicles each of which is configured to travel along a track installed to extend by way of a plurality of article transfer locations;
position detectors each of which is configured to detect a position of corresponding one of the plurality of article transport vehicles along the track;
a managing controller configured to control operation of each of the plurality of article transport vehicles based on position information detected by the position detectors,
wherein each of the plurality of article transport vehicles includes a transport vehicle controller configured to cause corresponding one of the plurality of article transport vehicles to travel at least from a transport origin for an article to a transport destination, based on a command from the managing controller,
wherein the track includes a curved section, wherein markers are placed at a plurality of locations along a direction in which the track extends, each of the markers indicating an absolute position along the track,
wherein each of the plurality of article transport vehicles is provided with corresponding one of the position detectors, wherein each of the position detectors is configured to detect an absolute coordinate of corresponding one of the plurality of article transport vehicles along the track based on one or more of the markers, and is configured to provide position information including information on the absolute coordinate to at least other one or more of the article transport vehicles, through a wireless network, and
wherein the transport vehicle controller of a first of the plurality of article transport vehicles is configured to reduce a travel speed of the first of the plurality of the article transport vehicles based on position information of the first of the plurality of article transport vehicles and position information of a second of the plurality of article transport vehicles, if a separation distance between the first of the article transport vehicles and the second of the plurality of article transport vehicles along the track is less than, or equal to, a set separation distance specified in advance.

2. The article transport facility as defined in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of the article transport vehicles are configured to communicate with each other through one wireless network, and wherein each of the plurality of article transport vehicles is configured to communicate with the managing controller through the one wireless network.

3. The article transport facility as defined in claim 1 , wherein the track is of a type with ends including one end and an opposite end.

4. The article transport facility as defined in claim 1 , wherein the transport vehicle controller of the first of the plurality of article transport vehicles is configured to reduce a travel speed of the first of the plurality of article transport vehicles, if a separation distance to another of the plurality of article transport vehicles that is located ahead with respect to a traveling direction of the first of the plurality of article transport vehicles, is less than, or equal to, the set separation distance.

5. The article transport facility as defined in claim 1 , wherein the transport vehicle controller of the first of the plurality of article transport vehicles is configured to stop the first of the plurality of the article transport vehicles, if the separation distance is less than, or equal to, a restricting distance which is set to be less than the set separation distance.

6. The article transport facility as defined in claim 4 , wherein the transport vehicle controller of the first of the plurality of article transport vehicles is configured to stop the first of the plurality of the article transport vehicles, if the separation distance is less than, or equal to, a restricting distance which is set to be less than the set separation distance.

7. The article transport facility as defined in claim 1 , wherein each of the position detectors is configured to provide position information to the managing controller through the wireless network, wherein the managing controller is configured to control operation of each of the plurality of article transport vehicles based on one or more positions of the each of the plurality of article transport vehicles.

8. The article transport facility as defined in claim 1 , wherein each of the markers includes a one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcode which indicates at least the absolute position, and
wherein each of the position detectors includes a camera configured to capture one or more images of one or more of the markers, and an image processor configured to recognize information about one or more absolute positions indicated by the one or more of the markers to detect the absolute coordinate of corresponding one of the plurality of article transport vehicles, based on one or more images taken by the camera.

9. The article transport facility as defined in claim 8 , wherein the absolute coordinate has a resolution that is greater than a resolution that depends on the density of the markers installed at a plurality of locations.

Assignees

• Daifuku Kk

Inventors

• Takagawa Natsuo
• Kato Toshikazu

Classifications

• B65G2203/0283

  Position of the load carrier · CPC title

• B65G2811/093

  Control means for automatic stop, start or warning variation during conveying operations · CPC title

• B65G1/0492 Primary

  with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles · CPC title

• G05B19/41895 Primary

  using automatic guided vehicles [AGV] (control of position or course of AGV's G05D1/00) · CPC title

• B65G2811/0673

  Control of conveying operations · CPC title