Reconfigurable automated guided vehicle system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9921582-B2
Application number	US-201615133287-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2016
Priority date	Apr 20, 2016
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

An automated guided vehicle system may include a plurality of automated guided vehicles arranged in a predetermined relationship with respect to each other for supporting a payload. Each of the automated guided vehicles has a plurality of rollers extending from the automated guided vehicle and engaging a ground surface. Furthermore, at least one locator extends from the automated guided vehicle and engages the payload. Each of the automated guided vehicles also has an on-board controller arranged within a housing thereof, with one on-board controller acting as a master controller and the remaining of the on-board controllers acting as slave controllers. The master controller communicates with the slave controllers to maintain position and speed control of each automated guided vehicle in both a lateral and a longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the slave controllers send feedback information to the master controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automated guided vehicle system, comprising:
a plurality of automated guided vehicles arranged in a predetermined relationship with respect to each other for supporting a payload and having a mechanical linkage extending between at least two of the plurality of automated guided vehicles, wherein each of the automated guided vehicles includes:
a plurality of rollers extending from the automated guided vehicle and engaging a ground surface;
at least one locator extending from the automated guided vehicle and engaging the payload; and
an on-board controller arranged within a housing of the automated guided vehicle,

wherein one on-board controller is a master controller and the remaining of the on-board controllers are slave controllers, wherein the master controller communicates with the slave controllers to maintain position and speed control of each automated guided vehicle in both a lateral and a longitudinal direction, and wherein feedback information is sent from the slave controllers to the master controller, and wherein the mechanical linkage is a piston-rod assembly extending between at least two of the plurality of automated guided vehicles.

2. The automated guided vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical linkage is movable in a first direction and constrained from movement in a second direction, and wherein the first and second directions are perpendicularly arranged.

3. The automated guided vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rollers are omnidirectional rollers.

4. The automated guided vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of automated guided vehicles includes four automated guided vehicles.

5. The automated guided vehicle system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a force transducer associated with each locator for measuring a force on the associated locator for comparison to a baseline force, wherein when the force exceeds the baseline force, the associated locator or the automated guided vehicle carrying the associated locator is moved in a direction that reduces the force on the locator to less than or equal to the baseline force.

6. The automated guided vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the feedback information sent from the slave controllers to the master controller includes at least one of a system health status, a position and speed measurement, and an obstacle avoidance path.

7. The automated guided vehicle system of claim 6 , wherein the master controller sends a signal to halt the plurality of automated guided vehicles or to provide an alarm when the feedback information from the slave controllers indicates a health status failure.

8. The automated guided vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the master controller reassigns a master status to one of the slave controllers.

9. An automated guided vehicle system, comprising:
at least one automated guided vehicle for supporting a payload, wherein each automated guided vehicle includes:
a plurality of rollers extending from the automated guided vehicle and engaging a ground surface;
at least one locator extending from the automated guided vehicle and engaging the payload; and
a force transducer associated with each of the locators for measuring a force on the associated locator for comparison to a baseline force, wherein when the force exceeds the baseline force, the associated locator or the automated guided vehicle carrying the associated locator is moved in a direction that reduces the force on the locator to less than or equal to the baseline force.

10. The automated guided vehicle system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a master controller that receives the force measurement from the force transducer, the master controller causing movement of the associated locator or the automated guided vehicle carrying the associated locator in the direction that reduces the force on the locator to less than or equal to the baseline force.

11. The automated guided vehicle system of claim 9 , wherein the associated locator is movable in three dimensions.

12. The automated guided vehicle system of claim 9 , wherein the associated locator is movable in a first direction and the automated guided vehicle carrying the associated locator is movable in second and third directions, and wherein the first, second, and third directions are perpendicularly arranged with respect to one another.

13. The automated guided vehicle system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a plurality of automated guided vehicles each including an on-board controller, wherein one on-board controller is a master controller and the remaining of the on-board controllers are slave controllers, wherein the master controller communicates with the slave controllers to maintain position and speed control of each automated guided vehicle in both a lateral and a longitudinal direction, and wherein feedback information is sent from the slave controllers to the master controller.

14. The automated guided vehicle system of claim 13 , further comprising:
a mechanical linkage extending between at least two of the plurality of automated guided vehicles.

15. The automated guided vehicle system of claim 14 , wherein the mechanical linkage secures the plurality of automated guided vehicles for synchronous movement.

16. The automated guided vehicle system of claim 13 , wherein the feedback information sent from the slave controllers to the master controller includes at least one of a system health status, a position and speed measurement, and an obstacle avoidance path.

17. The automated guided vehicle system of claim 13 , wherein the master controller sends a signal to halt the plurality of automated guided vehicles or to provide an alarm when the feedback information from the slave controllers indicates a health status failure.

18. The automated guided vehicle system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of rollers are omnidirectional rollers.

19. A controller arrangement for a plurality of automated guided vehicles, comprising:
a master controller arranged on a first of the plurality of automated guided vehicles; and
a slave controller arranged on each of the remaining of the plurality of automated guided vehicles, wherein the plurality of automated guided vehicles are arranged to support a first payload to be moved from a first location to a second location, and wherein the master controller issues commands to the slave controllers to maintain position and speed control of the plurality of automated guided vehicles in both a lateral and a longitudinal direction for synchronously moving the first payload from the first location to the second location, and wherein the master controller issues commands to the slave controllers to reconfigure the plurality of automated guided vehicles to support a second payload having a different configuration than the first payload.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Spicer John P
• Huang Ningjian
• Vanderheyden Greg
• O'Dell James

Classifications

• B66F7/246

  Wheel supporting trolleys · CPC title

• G05D1/0088 Primary

  characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00) · CPC title

• B62B5/0083

  Wheeled supports connected to the transported object · CPC title

• G05D1/667 Primary

  Delivering or retrieving payloads · CPC title

• G05D1/0295 Primary

  by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet · CPC title