Automated warehouse

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10970544-B2
Application number	US-201716336767-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2017
Priority date	Oct 7, 2016
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

An automated warehouse includes a plurality of transfer destinations at which articles can be placed; and a transporter that moves between the plurality of transfer destinations and that transfers the article to the transfer destination, the automated warehouse including: moving-side image capturer provided on the transporter and image-captures the transfer destination and a part or all of an operation of transferring the article to the transfer destination performed by the transporter; and a fixed-side image capturer provided at a predetermined position in the automated warehouse, and image-captures, from a direction different from that of the moving-side image capturer, the transporter and a part or all of the operation of transferring the article to the transfer destination performed by the transporter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An automated warehouse including a plurality of transfer destinations at which articles can be placed and a transporter that moves between the plurality of transfer destinations and transfers the article to the transfer destination, the automated warehouse comprising:
a moving-side image capturer provided on the transporter and image-captures the transfer destination and a part or all of an operation of transferring the article to the transfer destination performed by the transporter; and
a fixed-side image capturer provided at a predetermined position in the automated warehouse, and image-captures, from a direction different from that of the moving-side image capturer, the transporter and a part or all of the operation of transferring the article to the transfer destination performed by the transporter,
wherein the transporter includes: a main body that moves between the plurality of transfer destinations; and a transferer provided on the main body and delivers or receives the article to or from the transfer destination,
the moving-side image capturer is provided on the main body while being oriented in a direction in which the transferer delivers or receives the article, and image-captures the interior of each transfer destination,
the fixed-side image capturer is provided while being oriented toward the interior of the automated warehouse from each traveling end side of the transporter, and image-captures the transporter moving between the plurality of transfer destinations,
the fixed-side image capturer is arranged on an upper side of the automated warehouse and a traveling end side of the transporter, and image-captures, from diagonally above, an interior of the automated warehouse including the transporter, and
an image area of the moving-side image capturer and an image area of the fixed-side image capturer overlap.

2. The automated warehouse according to claim 1 , further comprising a display that displays a motion image or a still image captured by at least one of the moving-side image capturer and the fixed-side image capturer.

3. The automated warehouse according to claim 2 , wherein the display is capable of simultaneously displaying, in a side-by-side manner, motion images or still images captured by the moving-side image capturer and the fixed-side image capturer.

4. The automated warehouse according to claim 2 , further comprising a recorder that records a motion image or a still image captured by at least one of the moving-side image capturer and the fixed-side image capturer.

5. The automated warehouse according to claim 4 , wherein the motion image or the still image is associated with a time of image-capturing and recorded in the recorder.

6. The automated warehouse according to claim 4 , further comprising a display controller that extracts, from the recorder, a motion image or a still image within predetermined time ranges before and after a specified time that is specified by a controller controlling the automated warehouse or by an inputter, and that causes the display to display the motion image or the still image.

7. The automated warehouse according to claim 1 , wherein the moving-side image capturer is supported on an elevation platform lifted or lowered while having the article placed thereon, and image-captures the transfer destination from diagonally above.

8. The automated warehouse according to claim 7 , further comprising an illuminator provided on the elevation platform and illuminates the transfer destination when the moving-side image capturer performs image-capturing.

9. The automated warehouse according to claim 3 , further comprising a recorder that records a motion image or a still image captured by at least one of the moving-side image capturer and the fixed-side image capturer.

10. The automated warehouse according to claim 5 , further comprising a display controller that extracts, from the recorder, a motion image or a still image within predetermined time ranges before and after a specified time that is specified by a controller controlling the automated warehouse or by an inputter, and that causes the display to display the motion image or the still image.

11. The automated warehouse according to claim 2 , wherein the moving-side image capturer is supported on an elevation platform lifted or lowered while having the article placed thereon, and image-captures the transfer destination from diagonally above.

12. The automated warehouse according to claim 3 , wherein the moving-side image capturer is supported on an elevation platform lifted or lowered while having the article placed thereon, and image-captures the transfer destination from diagonally above.

13. The automated warehouse according to claim 4 , wherein the moving-side image capturer is supported on an elevation platform lifted or lowered while having the article placed thereon, and image-captures the transfer destination from diagonally above.

14. The automated warehouse according to claim 5 , wherein the moving-side image capturer is supported on an elevation platform lifted or lowered while having the article placed thereon, and image-captures the transfer destination from diagonally above.

15. The automated warehouse according to claim 6 , wherein the moving-side image capturer is supported on an elevation platform lifted or lowered while having the article placed thereon, and image-captures the transfer destination from diagonally above.

16. The automated warehouse according to claim 2 , wherein the fixed-side image capturer is arranged on an upper side of the automated warehouse and a traveling end side of the transporter, and image-captures, from diagonally above, an interior of the automated warehouse including the transporter.

17. The automated warehouse according to claim 3 , wherein the fixed-side image capturer is arranged on an upper side of the automated warehouse and a traveling end side of the transporter, and image-captures, from diagonally above, an interior of the automated warehouse including the transporter.

18. The automated warehouse according to claim 4 , wherein the fixed-side image capturer is arranged on an upper side of the automated warehouse and a traveling end side of the transporter, and image-captures, from diagonally above, an interior of the automated warehouse including the transporter.

19. The automated warehouse according to claim 5 , wherein the fixed-side image capturer is arranged on an upper side of the automated warehouse and a traveling end side of the transporter, and image-captures, from diagonally above, an interior of the automated warehouse including the transporter.

Assignees

• Murata Machinery Ltd

Inventors

• Adachi Naruto

Classifications

• H10P72/0606

  Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection · CPC title

• H10P72/3404 Primary

  Storage means · CPC title

• G06V20/10 Primary

  Terrestrial scenes (scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59) · CPC title

• B65G1/04

  mechanical · CPC title

• B65G1/137 Primary

  with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed · CPC title