JP7727051B1 - Travel management system and transport robot system - Google Patents

Abstract

A transport robot travel management system is provided that can simplify the configuration of the travel management system by facilitating the management of attributes for generating travel routes.
[Solution] A point data file 22 stores attribute data for each point indicated by two-dimensional coordinates, and the attribute data includes data on the orientation and running speed of the transport robot. For each point ordered in running order on the optimal route from the start point to the goal point, the transport robot is controlled to run on the line to the next point in accordance with the attribute data of the point immediately preceding the next point. The optimal route is determined by comprehensively evaluating the length of the route, the required time, the number of passing points, and the number of turning points.
[Selected Figure] Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a travel path management system that generates travel paths for self-propelled transport robots such as automated guided vehicles (AMRs) used in factories, etc.

Conventionally, a driving route setting device such as that described in Patent Document 1 exists as a device for setting a driving route for a self-propelled vehicle.

The travel route setting device in Patent Document 1 creates and displays a plan view from CAD data, automatically calculates a travel route by inputting the desired cleaning area, cleaning start position, and vehicle data, and converts the travel route data into data usable by the autonomous cleaning vehicle and outputs it.

In contrast, the work transport system described in Patent Document 2 determines the travel route for a transport vehicle by adding up the total route time, total turning time, and total waiting time to the end of each route candidate, so that the transport vehicle reaches its destination in the shortest time possible. The work transport system in Patent Document 2 includes a transport path information data table that stores the length, the number of the connecting branch device, and the speed, acceleration, and deceleration at which the transport vehicle is transported for each transport path, and a branch device information table that records the position coordinates, branch device number, and the angular velocity, angular acceleration, and angular deceleration of the turning part for each branch device.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-212238 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-36117

However, in the work transport system described in Patent Document 2, the transport path information data table manages attributes of the transport path, such as length and speed, while the branching device information table specifies attributes of the branching device, such as angular velocity. This means that attributes must be managed for both the transport path and the branching device, making attribute management for generating travel routes cumbersome and preventing the system from being configured simply.

The present invention aims to provide a driving management system that can be configured simply by facilitating the management of attributes for generating driving routes.

The present invention has been created to solve the above-mentioned problems, and firstly, a travel management system for managing the travel of a transport robot (1000), comprising: a point data storage unit (22) for storing, for each point indicated by two-dimensional coordinates, attribute data including data on the orientation and travel speed of the transport robot , and attribute data indicating that the orientation of the transport robot is one of four orientations of rightward, leftward, upward, and downward in a planar view; a line data storage unit (24) for storing, for each line connecting a pair of points, line data consisting of data indicating the pair of points; and a dimension limit value storage unit (25) for storing limit dimension values in a planar view of an object to be transported by the transport robot. The system includes a data file (26), a display unit (12) for displaying images, an input unit (10) for inputting operations, a communication unit (14) for communicating with a transport robot, and a control unit (16, 40) for controlling the operation of a travel management system, and in a state where a point data input screen (100-1) for inputting point data, on which a layout diagram showing an area in which the transport robot travels, is displayed on the display unit, by inputting an arbitrary position in the layout diagram and attribute data corresponding to the position by the input unit, the control unit stores the coordinate data of two-dimensional coordinates corresponding to the input position and the attribute data in the point data storage unit, and stores the line When a line data input screen (100-2) for inputting data is displayed on the display unit, line data indicating a pair of points is input via the input unit, and the control unit stores the line data for each line in the line data storage unit. When a start point, which is the starting position of the transport robot, and a goal point, which is the goal position of the transport robot, are specified among the points stored in the point data storage unit, the control unit searches for route candidates that can reach the start point to the goal point by connecting lines based on the point data stored in the point data storage unit and the line data stored in the line data storage unit, and then calculates the route candidates by calculating the number of searched candidates. and determining an optimal route from among the route candidates in accordance with an evaluation criterion for determining an optimal route, and when determining the optimal route, the control unit determines whether the longitudinal length of the transported object in a plan view exceeds the limit dimension value stored in the dimension limit value data file, and if the longitudinal length exceeds the limit dimension value, the control unit excludes the route candidate having a turning point from the optimal route, and the control unit controls the travel of the transport robot via the communication unit so that the transport robot travels on a line to the next point at each point ordered in the travel order of the transport robot on the optimal route in accordance with the attribute data of the point immediately preceding the next point.

According to the first configuration of the travel management system, it is sufficient to assign attributes such as the speed and orientation of the transport robot to each point on the transport robot's travel route, eliminating the need to assign attributes to each point and line. This facilitates attribute management for route generation, and allows for a simplified configuration of the travel management system. Furthermore, by storing attribute data for each point, a route can be determined by specifying the line between points and the start and finish points, making it easy to generate a travel route. Furthermore, if the longitudinal length of the transported object in a plan view exceeds a limit value, the control unit excludes route candidates that have a turning point from the optimal route. This prevents the transported object from contacting obstacles when the transport robot turns, allowing the transported object to be transported safely.

Secondly, a running management system for managing the running of a transport robot (1000) includes a point data storage unit (22) for storing attribute data including data on the orientation and running speed of the transport robot for each point indicated by two-dimensional coordinates, the attribute data being one of four orientations of rightward, leftward, upward, and downward in a planar view of the transport robot, a line data storage unit (24) for storing line data consisting of data indicating a pair of points for each line connecting the pair of points, a dimension limit value data file (26) for storing limit dimension values in a planar view of an object to be transported by the transport robot, a display unit (12) for displaying an image, an input unit (10) for performing input operations, a communication unit (14) for communicating with the transport robot, and a control unit (16) for controlling the operation of the running management system. , 40), in which, in a state where a point data input screen (100-1) for inputting point data, displaying a layout diagram showing an area in which the transport robot travels, is displayed on the display unit, an arbitrary position in the layout diagram and attribute data corresponding to the position are input by the input unit, and the control unit stores the coordinate data of two-dimensional coordinates corresponding to the input position and the attribute data in the point data storage unit, and in a state where a line data input screen (100-2) for inputting line data is displayed on the display unit, and line data indicating a pair of points are input by the input unit, the control unit stores the line data for each line in the line data storage unit, and among the points stored in the point data storage unit, a start point which is a starting position of the transport robot and a goal point which is a goal position of the transport robot are input. When a route point is specified, the control unit searches for route candidates that can be reached from the start point to the goal point by connecting lines based on the point data stored in the point data storage unit and the line data stored in the line data storage unit, calculates evaluation points based on each evaluation criterion for each of the searched route candidates, calculates a total point by weighting and adding the calculated evaluation points, and determines an optimal route by comparing the total points for each route candidate, and multiple types of evaluation criteria are provided as evaluation criteria for determining the optimal route, and the multiple types of evaluation criteria include the length of the route from the start point to the goal point, the time required from the start point to the goal point, the number of points passed from the start point to the goal point, and the time required from the start point to the goal point. The optimal route is characterized in that the optimal route is composed of any combination of the number of turning points existing between the start point and the goal point, and the turning points are points at which the orientation of the transport robot changes on each route in the route candidates, the control unit determines whether the longitudinal length of the transported object in a planar view exceeds the limit dimension value stored in the dimension limit value data file, and if the longitudinal length exceeds the limit dimension value, the control unit sets an evaluation point for the number of turning points for the route candidate having a turning point to a value at which the route candidate is excluded from the optimal route, and the control unit controls the travel of the transport robot via the communication unit so that the transport robot travels on the line to the next point at each point ordered in the travel order of the transport robot on the optimal route in accordance with the attribute data of the point immediately preceding the next point .

According to the second configuration of the driving management system, it is sufficient to assign attributes such as speed and direction of the transport robot to each point on the transport robot's driving route, eliminating the need to assign attributes to each point and line. This facilitates attribute management for generating driving routes and simplifies the configuration of the driving management system. Furthermore, by storing attribute data for each point, a route can be determined by specifying the lines between points and the start and finish points, facilitating the operation for generating driving routes. Furthermore, since the optimal route is determined by comparing the total points of each route candidate, it is possible to determine an overall optimal route based on multiple evaluation criteria. Specifically, the evaluation points are multiplied by coefficients set for each evaluation criterion, and the values are summed for all evaluation criteria to calculate weighted total points. The overall optimal route is then determined by comparing the total points of each route candidate. This allows the overall optimal route to be determined based on multiple evaluation criteria. Furthermore, the optimal route is determined by comparing the total points of each route candidate according to evaluation criteria consisting of any combination of the route length, required time, number of points, and number of turning points. This allows the overall optimal route to be determined. In addition, if the longitudinal length of the transported object in a planar view exceeds the limit dimension value, the control unit excludes route candidates that have turning points from the optimal route, thereby preventing the transported object from coming into contact with obstacles when the transport robot turns, and allowing the transported object to be transported safely.

Thirdly, a running management system for managing the running of a transport robot (1000) includes a point data storage unit (22) for storing attribute data including data on the orientation and running speed of the transport robot for each point indicated by two-dimensional coordinates, the attribute data being one of four orientations of rightward, leftward, upward, and downward in a planar view of the transport robot, a line data storage unit (24) for storing line data consisting of data indicating a pair of points for each line connecting the pair of points, a dimension limit value data file (26) for storing limit dimension values in a planar view of an object to be transported by the transport robot, a display unit (12) for displaying an image, an input unit (10) for performing input operations, a communication unit (14) for communicating with the transport robot, and ... image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, an image, and a control unit (16, 40) for inputting point data, in which a point data input screen (100-1) displaying a layout diagram showing an area in which the transport robot travels is displayed on the display unit, by inputting an arbitrary position in the layout diagram and attribute data corresponding to the position by the input unit, the control unit stores coordinate data of two-dimensional coordinates corresponding to the input position and the attribute data in the point data storage unit, and in a state in which a line data input screen (100-2) for inputting line data is displayed on the display unit, by inputting line data indicating a pair of points by the input unit, the control unit stores the line data for each line in the line data storage unit, and among the points stored in the point data storage unit, When a goal point that is the goal position of the transport robot is specified, the control unit searches for route candidates that can reach the goal point from the start point by connecting lines based on the point data stored in the point data storage unit and the line data stored in the line data storage unit, calculates evaluation points based on each evaluation criterion for each of the searched route candidates, calculates a total point by weighting and adding the calculated evaluation points, and determines an optimal route by comparing the total points for each route candidate.A plurality of types of evaluation criteria are provided as evaluation criteria for determining the optimal route, and the plurality of types of evaluation criteria include the length of the route from the start point to the goal point, the time required to get from the start point to the goal point, and the distance from the start point to the goal point. The optimal route is composed of any combination of the number of points that the transport robot must pass through to reach the target point and the number of turning points that exist between the start point and the goal point, and the turning points are points at which the orientation of the transport robot changes on each route in the route candidates, and the control unit determines whether the longitudinal length of the transported object in a planar view exceeds the limit dimension value stored in the dimension limit value data file, and if the longitudinal length exceeds the limit dimension value, the control unit excludes the route candidate having the turning point from the optimal route, and the control unit controls the transport robot to travel via the communication unit so that the transport robot travels on the line to the next point at each point ordered in the order of travel of the transport robot on the optimal route in accordance with the attribute data of the point immediately preceding the next point .

According to the third configuration of the driving management system, it is sufficient to assign attributes such as speed and direction of the transport robot to each point on the transport robot's driving route, eliminating the need to assign attributes to each point and line. This facilitates attribute management for generating driving routes and simplifies the configuration of the driving management system. Furthermore, by storing attribute data for each point, a route can be determined by specifying the lines between points and the start and finish points, facilitating the operation for generating driving routes. Furthermore, since the optimal route is determined by comparing the total points of each route candidate, it is possible to determine an overall optimal route based on multiple evaluation criteria. Specifically, the evaluation points are multiplied by coefficients set for each evaluation criterion, and the values are summed for all evaluation criteria to calculate weighted total points. The overall optimal route is then determined by comparing the total points of each route candidate. This allows the overall optimal route to be determined based on multiple evaluation criteria. Furthermore, the optimal route is determined by comparing the total points of each route candidate according to evaluation criteria consisting of any combination of the route length, required time, number of points, and number of turning points. This allows the overall optimal route to be determined. In addition, if the longitudinal length of the transported object in a planar view exceeds the limit dimension value, the control unit excludes route candidates that have turning points from the optimal route, thereby preventing the transported object from coming into contact with obstacles when the transport robot turns, and allowing the transported object to be transported safely.

Fourthly , in any of the configurations 1 to 3 above, the control unit is characterized in that it transmits route information, which is coordinate data of points ordered in the order in which the transport robot travels on the optimal route, and attribute data of each point to the transport robot via the communication unit.

According to the fourth configuration, the control unit transmits route information of the optimum route and attribute data of each point to the transport robot, so that the transport robot can travel in accordance with the route information and attribute data of each point.

Fifthly , in any of the configurations 1 to 3 above, the control unit is characterized in that, for each line between adjacent points at points ordered in the order in which the transport robot travels on the optimal route, a pair of coordinate data consisting of coordinate data of the point that is the start point of the line and coordinate data of the point that is the end point of the line, and attribute data of the point that is the start point of the line, are transmitted to the transport robot via the communication unit.

According to the fifth configuration, the control unit transmits a pair of coordinate data for each line on the shortest route and attribute data for the point that is the starting point of the line, so that the transport robot can travel in accordance with the pair of coordinate data for each line and the attribute data for the point that is the starting point of the line.

Further, sixthly , there is provided a transport robot system having a travel management system of the fourth configuration and a transport robot (1000), characterized in that the transport robot receives route information and attribute data of each point from the travel management system via a communication unit and travels in accordance with the route information and attribute data of each point.

According to the sixth configuration, it is only necessary to assign attributes such as the speed and orientation of the transport robot to each point on the transport robot's travel route, and there is no need to assign attributes to each point and line, which makes it easy to manage the attributes used to generate travel routes and simplifies the configuration of the travel management system.Furthermore, if attribute data is stored for each point, the route can be determined by specifying the line between points and the start and finish points, which makes it easy to perform operations for generating travel routes.

In addition, the transport robot can be driven according to the optimal route information sent from the driving management system and the attribute data of each point.

Seventh , there is provided a transport robot system having a travel management system of the fifth configuration and a transport robot (1000), characterized in that the transport robot receives route information and attribute data of each point from the travel management system via a communication unit and travels in accordance with the route information and attribute data of each point.

According to the seventh configuration, it is only necessary to assign attributes such as the speed and orientation of the transport robot to each point on the transport robot's travel route, and there is no need to assign attributes to each point and line, which makes it easy to manage the attributes for generating travel routes and simplifies the configuration of the travel management system.Furthermore, if attribute data is stored for each point, the route can be determined by specifying the line between points and the start point and goal point, which makes it easy to perform operations for generating travel routes.

In addition, the transport robot can be controlled to travel according to a pair of coordinate data for each line and attribute data for the point that serves as the starting point of the line, transmitted from the travel management system.

With the travel management system and transport robot system based on the present invention, it is only necessary to assign attributes such as speed and transport robot direction to each point on the transport robot's travel route; there is no need to assign attributes to each point and line. This makes it easy to manage attributes for generating travel routes and allows for a simple configuration of the travel management system. Furthermore, by storing attribute data for each point, the route can be determined by specifying the line between points and the start and finish points, making it easy to perform operations for generating travel routes.

1 is a block diagram showing a travel management system and a transport robot system including the travel management system. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a point data file. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a line data file. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a dimension restriction data file. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a route candidate data file. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the driving management system, and is a flowchart illustrating the operation of registering point data and line data. 1 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the driving management system, and is a flowchart illustrating the operation of determining an optimum route. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the driving management system, and is a flowchart illustrating a subroutine for determining an optimum route. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the driving management system, and is a flowchart illustrating a subroutine for calculating an evaluation value. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the driving management system, and is a flowchart illustrating a subroutine for calculating an evaluation value when taking into consideration exceeding a dimensional limit value. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the driving management system, and is a flowchart illustrating a subroutine for determining an optimal route when taking into consideration exceeding a dimensional limit value. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a point data input screen. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a point data input screen. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a point data input screen. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a line data input screen. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a line data input screen. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a line data input screen. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a start/goal input screen. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an optimum route display screen. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of evaluation criteria and evaluation results for each route candidate. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of travel of a transport robot. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the length and width of a transported object. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a start/goal input screen when taking into consideration exceeding the dimensional limit value. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an optimum route display screen when taking into consideration exceeding the dimensional limit value.

The present invention achieves the objective of providing a driving management system that can be configured simply by facilitating the management of attributes for generating driving routes, as follows:

The transport robot travel management system 5 based on the present invention manages the travel of the transport robot 1000 (particularly, travel path management), and the travel management system 5 and the transport robot 1000 constitute the transport robot system 1.

Here, the driving management system 5 is configured as shown in Figures 1 to 5, and has an input unit 10, a display unit 12, a communication unit 14, a CPU 16, a database 20, and a program storage unit 40.

Here, the input unit 10 is an input device for performing input operations, and the display unit 12 is a display device for displaying images; for example, the images shown in Figures 12 to 19, 23, and 24 are displayed on the display unit 12. The communication unit (transmitter/receiver) 14 is a communication device that communicates with the transport robot 1000. The CPU 16 also performs various processes in accordance with programs stored in the program storage unit 40, for example, performing the processes shown in the flowcharts in Figures 6 to 11. The CPU 16 and program storage unit 40 together constitute a control unit that controls the operation of the driving management system.

The database 20 is a data storage unit that stores various data files, including a point data file 22, a line data file 24, a dimensional restriction data file 26, a route candidate data file 28, and a drawing data file 30.

The point data file (point data storage unit) 22 is configured as shown in Figure 2, and stores coordinates (two-dimensional coordinates) in an image for creating a driving route and the attribute data corresponding to those coordinates for each coordinate. The data in this point data file 22 is stored by performing input operations on the input unit 10 while the point data input screen 100-1 shown in Figures 12 to 14 is displayed on the display unit 12.

The attribute data is driving data for driving the transport robot, and includes information on the point name, the direction and speed (i.e., driving speed) of the transport robot, and the waiting time, and each attribute data is stored in accordance with the input operation.

In Figure 2, P1 to P6 represent point names, P0 and PY represent the direction of the transport robot, and V0.25, V0.5, etc. represent speed. Regarding the direction of the transport robot, PX represents rightward (rightward on the screen), PY represents upward (upward on the screen), NX represents leftward (leftward on the screen), and NY represents downward (downward on the screen). Furthermore, regarding speed, the number following V represents speed per second; for example, V0.25 means 0.25 m per second. Furthermore, regarding waiting time, the number following WT represents the waiting time (in seconds); for example, WT10 means a waiting time of 10 seconds.

For example, in Figure 2, "P0 PX V 0.25" means that the transport robot is facing right at point P0 and moving at a speed of 0.25 m/s; "P1 PX V 0.5" means that the transport robot is facing right at point P1 and moving at a speed of 0.5 m/s; "P2 PY V 0.25" means that the transport robot is facing upward at point P2 and moving at a speed of 0.25 m/s; "P3 PY V 0.5" means that the transport robot is facing upward at point P3 and moving at a speed of 0.5 m/s; "P4・PX・V0.25" means that the transport robot is facing right at point P4 and moving at a speed of 0.25 m/s, "P5・PX・V0.25・WT10" means that the transport robot is facing right at point P5 and moving at a speed of 0.25 m/s with a waiting time of 10 seconds, and "P6・PX・V0.25" means that the transport robot is facing right at point P6 and moving at a speed of 0.25 m/s.

The above point data means that a transport robot moving from the point indicated by the point data (hereinafter referred to as the point in question) will follow the attribute data corresponding to that point until it reaches the next point (in other words, a transport robot that has arrived at or departed from the point in question will follow the attribute data corresponding to that point until it reaches the next point; in other words, when traveling on a line from one point to the next, it will follow the attribute data of the point immediately preceding the next point). This means that when moving from point P0 to another point (e.g., point P1), the transport robot will travel on the line from point P0 to the other point, facing right and at a speed of 0.25 m/s, in accordance with the attribute data of point P0. Note that when that point is designated as the goal, the speed in the attribute data is rewritten to V0.0 (i.e., speed is 0), and the transport robot is controlled to stop.

In addition, since the attribute data includes waiting time information, by entering waiting time information at a point, the transport robot can be made to wait at that point for the time indicated by the waiting time information.

As described above, the point data file 22 stores point data with attribute data including the orientation and running speed of the transport robot for each point indicated by two-dimensional coordinates.

The line data file (line data storage unit) 24 is configured as shown in Figure 3, and stores data on the names of pairs of points (line data) for each line name. The data in this line data file 24 is stored by specifying the points at both ends of each line on the line data input screen shown in Figures 15 to 17.

Figure 3 shows an example in which line L1 between points P0 and P1, line L2 between points P1 and P2, line L3 between points P2 and P3, line L4 between points P3 and P6, line L5 between points P2 and P4, line L6 between points P4 and P6, line L7 between points P1 and P5, and line L8 between points P5 and P6 are stored.

In the example of Figure 3, data (line data) for a pair of point names is provided for each line name, but instead of a pair of point names, the line data may also be coordinate data for a pair of points.

As described above, the line data file 24 stores line data consisting of data indicating a pair of points for each line connecting a pair of points.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the dimension restriction data file (route restriction data storage unit) 26 contains data on the dimensional restrictions of the transported object. The data stored in this dimension restriction data file 26 is used when performing operations (described below) that take into account the dimensions (i.e., length or width) of the transported object. The dimensions (restricted dimensions) registered in the dimension restriction data file are lengths that could cause the transport robot to come into contact with an obstacle (hatched area in layout drawing 102) when it turns; for example, this could be the width of the narrowest point on the transport path in layout drawing 102. In other words, if the length or width of the transported object exceeds the narrowest width of the transport path, it can be assumed that there is a risk of the transport robot coming into contact with an obstacle when it turns, so the restricted dimension is set to the narrowest width.

The route candidate data file (route candidate data storage unit) 28 is configured as shown in Figure 5, and stores data on route candidates created when a starting point (start point) and a finishing point (finish point) are specified. In other words, it stores routes that can be reached from the start point to the finish point. Note that the route candidate data is data that lists the point names in the order in which they are driven, but it may also be data that lists the coordinates of the points in the order in which they are driven.

The drawing data file (drawing data storage unit) 30 stores data on drawings created by the CAD function of the drawing creation unit 50, and stores, for example, data on layout drawings displayed on the point data input screen 100-1, etc.

Next, the program storage unit 40 stores various programs for operating the driving management system 5, and as shown in FIG. 1, is provided with a transmission/reception processing unit 42, an input detection unit 44, a display processing unit 46, a data processing unit 48, a drawing creation unit 50, a route search unit 52, and a route determination unit 54.

Here, the transmission/reception processing unit 42 is a program that primarily controls the operation of the communication unit 14.

The input detection unit 44 is a program that primarily detects the content entered via the input unit 10.

The display processing unit 46 is a program that primarily controls the operation of the display unit 12 and displays, for example, the point data input screen 100-1 (Figures 12 to 14), the line data input screen 100-2 (Figures 15 to 17), the start/goal input screen 100-3 (Figures 18 and 23), and the optimal route display screen 100-4 (Figures 19 and 24).

The data processing unit 48 is a program that performs various data processing operations, and stores data in the point data file 22, line data file 24, etc., according to the input content detected by the input detection unit 44, for example.

The drawing creation unit 50 is a program for creating drawings and is primarily composed of a CAD program. This drawing creation unit 50 creates the layout diagram 102 that is displayed on, for example, the point data input screen 100-1.

The route search unit 52 is a program that searches for a route from the start point to the goal point, and searches for routes that can reach the goal point from the start point as route candidates.

The route determination unit 54 also calculates an evaluation value for each route candidate based on the evaluation criteria and determines the route in accordance with the calculated evaluation value. Details will be provided below.

Next, the specific operation of the driving management system 5 will be explained based on the flowcharts in Figures 6 to 11. It is assumed that a layout drawing created by the drawing creation unit 50 is stored in the drawing data file 30. Note that the layout drawing does not have to be created by the drawing creation unit 50; it may be a layout drawing created externally and imported into the drawing data file 30.

First, the point data input screen 100-1 is displayed on the display unit 12 (S1 in FIG. 6). The point data input screen 100-1 is configured as shown in FIG. 12, and displays a layout drawing 102 and a point data input field 104. In other words, the display processing unit 46 reads and displays the layout drawing 102 from the drawing data file 30, and also displays the point data display field 104.

Note that the hatched areas in the layout diagrams in Figures 12 to 18 and 20 to 23 indicate obstacles, i.e., areas where the transport robot cannot travel, and the white areas inside the hatched areas are the areas where the transport robot can travel.

When the point data input screen 100-1 is displayed, enter point data (S2 in Figure 6). That is, by clicking or otherwise specifying any position (point position) within the drivable area to be used as a point, the attribute data input field 103 is displayed. By entering attribute data in this attribute data input field 103, the coordinates and attribute data of the specified point position are displayed in the point data display field 104. For example, as shown in Figure 13, by entering attribute data "P0, PX, V0.25" into the attribute data input field 103 that is displayed by clicking on a point position within the drivable area, the coordinates of the specified position, "x0, y0," and the entered attribute data are displayed in the point data display field 104.

As described above, the operation of specifying the point position and inputting attribute data for that point is repeated (S2 and S3 in Figure 6).

Figure 14 shows the results of specifying point positions P0 to P6 as points and entering attribute data for each point position. A point position at coordinates "x0, y0" is specified and attribute data "P0, PX, V0.25" is entered; a point position at coordinates "x1, y1" is specified and attribute data "P1, PX, V0.5" is entered; and a position at coordinates "x2, y2" is specified and attribute data "P2, PY, V0.25" is entered. In this example, a point position at coordinates "x3, y3" is specified and attribute data "P3, PY, V0.5" is input, a point position at coordinates "x4, y4" is specified and attribute data "P4, PX, V0.25" is input, a point position at coordinates "x5, y5" is specified and attribute data "P5, PX, V0.25, WT10" is input, and a point position at coordinates "x6, y6" is specified and attribute data "P6, PX, V0.25" is input.

Once you have finished specifying the point position and entering the attribute data, click "Done" to register the entered information in the point data file 22 (S4 in Figure 6). Registration in the point data file 22 is performed by the CPU 16, which serves as the control unit, and the data processing unit 48. In this way, the two-dimensional coordinate data corresponding to the position in the layout drawing 102 and the attribute data are stored in the point data file 22.

Once registration in the point data file 22 is complete, the line data input screen 100-2 is displayed on the display unit 12 (S5 in Figure 6). The line data input screen 100-2 is configured as shown in Figure 15, and displays a layout diagram 102 and a line data input field 106. On this line data input screen 100-2, the specified points P0 to P6 are displayed on the layout diagram 102.

Line data is entered on this line data input screen 100-2 (S6 in Figure 6). That is, by specifying a pair of displayed points to be connected, the point names of the specified pair of points are displayed in the line data input field 106, and the line name is also assigned and displayed.

For example, if you specify that points P0 and P1 should be connected, points P0 and P1 are displayed in the line data input field, and line name L1 is displayed, as shown in Figure 16. A straight line is also displayed between points P0 and P1 in the layout diagram 102. Note that if the line between the two points overlaps a hatched area (i.e., an obstacle), it cannot be input and is not displayed in the line data input field. Repeat the line data input operation as described above (S6 and S7 in Figure 6). Note that line names are assigned in ascending order each time a pair of points is specified, such as L1, L2, L3, etc.

Figure 17 shows the state after inputting line L1 between points P0 and P1, line L2 between points P1 and P2, line L3 between points P2 and P3, line L4 between points P3 and P6, line L5 between points P2 and P4, line L6 between points P4 and P6, line L7 between points P1 and P5, and line L8 between points P5 and P6.

In Figure 17, lines L1 to L8 are straight, lines L1 to L3 are aligned, lines L4, L5, and L7 are perpendicular to lines L1 to L3, and line L8 is parallel to the direction of lines L1 to L3. Line L6 is inclined relative to the direction of lines L1 to L3 and lines L4, L5, and L7.

Once you have finished entering the line data, click "Done" to register the entered information in the line data file 24 (S8 in Figure 6). Registration in the line data file 24 is performed by the CPU 16, which serves as the control unit, and the data processing unit 48. In this way, the line data for each line is stored in the line data file 24.

The layout drawing data stored in the drawing data file 30, the point data file 22, and the line data file 24 are stored in a linked state. In other words, if point data and line data are input as described above for multiple different layout drawings, multiple point data files and multiple line data files will be created, and naturally, the layout drawing data and the corresponding point data files and line data files will be registered in association with each other.

Next, we will explain how to specify the start point and goal point and determine the route from the start point to the goal point.

By performing a predetermined operation using the input unit 10, the start/goal input screen 100-3 shown in FIG. 18 is displayed (S11 in FIG. 7). The start/goal input screen 100-3 displays a layout diagram 102 and a start/goal input field 108. As shown in FIG. 18, the layout diagram 102 displays each point and the lines between the points according to the contents registered in the point data file 22 and line data file 24. The start/goal input field 108 also displays the point names, allowing the start point and goal point to be specified.

Then, input and specify the start point and finish point (S12 in Figure 7). That is, input the start point and finish point in the start/finish input field 108, as shown in Figure 18. In Figure 18, the start point is point P0 and the finish point is point P6.

After specifying the start point and finish point, route candidate data is created by clicking "Search Route" (S13 in Figure 7). Route candidate data is data that indicates possible routes from the start point to the finish point, and route candidate data is created by searching for possible routes from the start point to the finish point based on the content registered in the line data file 24. Route candidate data is created by the route search unit 52 and CPU 16, which serve as control units.

The route candidate data created based on the points and lines between points shown in Figure 18 is structured as shown in Figure 5, and route candidate data for Route A (P0 → P1 → P2 → P3 → P6), route candidate data for Route B (P0 → P1 → P2 → P4 → P6), and route candidate data for Route C (P0 → P1 → P5 → P6) are created. The created route candidate data is stored in the route candidate data file 28.

When creating route candidate data, turning points are searched for and the turning point data is stored in the route candidate data file 28 (see Figure 5). In other words, the point data file 22 stores data on the transport robot's orientation (PX, PY, NX, NY), and turning points are the points at which the transport robot changes orientation when traveling along the searched route. For example, according to the point data file 22 shown in Figure 2, the transport robot faces right (PX) at point P1 and faces upward (PY) at point P2. Therefore, on route A, the transport robot changes orientation at point P2, and point P2 becomes the turning point. Similarly, on route B, point P2 becomes the turning point, and while the robot faces upward (PY) at point P2, it faces right (PX) at point P4, so point P4 also becomes a turning point.

Once the route candidate data has been created, the optimal route is determined (S14 in Figure 7). The optimal route can be determined using the optimal route determination subroutine shown in Figure 8 or the optimal route determination subroutine shown in Figure 11. Note that the optimal route determination subroutine shown in Figure 11 shows a method for determining the optimal route when the dimensions of the transported object are taken into consideration. The optimal route determination in S14 is performed by the route determination unit 54 and CPU 16 as control units.

First, the optimal route determination method shown in Figure 8 will be explained. First, evaluation criteria are identified (S141 in Figure 8). The evaluation criteria are used to determine the optimal route, and include the route length (length from the start point to the finish point), the required time (time required from the start point to the finish point), the number of passing points (number of points passed from the start point to the finish point), and the number of turning points.

Once the evaluation criteria have been identified, an evaluation value for each route candidate is calculated for that evaluation criteria (S142 in Figure 8). The identification of the evaluation criteria and the calculation of the evaluation values are performed by the route determination unit 54 and CPU 16, which serve as control units, and the above multiple evaluation criteria are provided in the route determination unit 54.

The evaluation value calculation subroutine can be shown in either Figure 9 or Figure 10, but we will first explain the case shown in Figure 9.

That is, route candidates are identified (S142-1 in FIG. 9), an evaluation value is calculated for the identified route candidates (S142-2 in FIG. 9), and if there are other route candidates, evaluation values are calculated for those route candidates (S142-3, S142-1, S142-2 in FIG. 9).

In other words, if the evaluation criterion is route length, the route length is calculated for each route. In this case, the route length becomes the evaluation value. Here, if the lengths between points P0-P1, P1-P2, P2-P3, P3-P6, and P1-P5 are 30m, and the length between points P2-P4 is 15m, then the length of route A is 120m, the length of route B is approximately 108.5m, and the length of route C is 120m.

If other evaluation criteria are present, one of the other evaluation criteria is identified and an evaluation value is calculated for each route in the same manner (S143, S141, S142 in Figure 8).

In other words, once the calculation of the evaluation value for the route length has been completed, there are other evaluation criteria (required time, number of passing points, number of turning points), so one of the other evaluation criteria is identified (S141 in Figure 8) and an evaluation value is calculated for each route, and similarly, the evaluation criteria for each of the remaining evaluation criteria are calculated for each route.

Here, if the evaluation criterion is the required time, the speed on each line follows the speed of the point at the start of the line, so according to the point data file 22, line L1 (between P0 and P1) is 0.25 m per second, line L2 (between P1 and P2) is 0.5 m per second, line L3 (between P2 and P3) is 0.25 m per second, line L4 (between P3 and P6) is 0.5 m per second, and line L5 (between P2 and P4) is 0.25 m per second. So, line L6 (between P4 and P6) is 0.25 m/s, line L7 (between P1 and P5) is 0.5 m/s, and line L7 (between P5 and P6) is 0.25 m/s. Furthermore, assuming a turning time of 5 seconds at the turning point, and taking into account waiting time, route A will take 6 minutes and 5 seconds, route B will take approximately 6 minutes and 24 seconds (approximately 6 minutes and 14 seconds + 10 seconds), and route C will take 7 minutes and 10 seconds. In other words, the calculated required time will be the evaluation value.

Furthermore, if the evaluation criterion is the number of passing points, the number of passing points is detected according to the route candidate data file 28, and for Route A it will be three, for Route B it will be three, and for Route C it will be two. In other words, the number of passing points becomes the evaluation value.

Furthermore, if the evaluation criterion is the number of turning points, they are detected according to the data on turning points stored in the route candidate data file 28, and for route A there will be one, for route B there will be two, and for route C there will be zero. In other words, the number of passing points becomes the evaluation value.

Once the evaluation values for each route candidate are calculated for each evaluation criterion in this way, the evaluation values are converted into evaluation points, weighted, and added together to calculate the overall points (S144 in Figure 8).

In other words, in the example shown in Figure 20, the conversion to evaluation points is as follows: first place out of three route candidates receives 10 points, second place receives 6 points, and third place receives 3 points. In the event of a tie, the points are divided equally. Furthermore, the shorter the route length, the higher the evaluation; the shorter the required time, the higher the evaluation; the fewer the number of passing points, since the driving conditions based on the attribute data change frequently, the higher the evaluation; and the fewer the number of turning points for the transport robot, the higher the evaluation, since turning may cause the position of the transported object placed on the transport robot to become unstable.

In other words, in terms of route length, Route B will receive 10 points, Route A and Route C will each receive 4 points; in terms of required time, the shorter the time, the higher the rating, so Route A will receive 10 points, Route B will receive 6 points, and Route C will receive 3 points; in terms of the number of passing points, Route C will receive 10 points, and Routes A and B will each receive 4 points; and in terms of the number of turning points, Route C will receive 10 points, Route A will receive 6 points, and Route B will receive 2 points.

For weighting, the coefficient decreases in the order of route length, required time, number of passing points, and number of turning points; for example, route length is 0.4, required time is 0.3, number of passing points is 0.2, and number of turning points is 0.1. In other words, the more important the evaluation criterion, the larger the coefficient.

Then, for each route candidate, the evaluation points are multiplied by a coefficient and the resulting values are added together to calculate the overall points. In the above example, Route A would get 6.0 points, Route B would get 6.8 points, and Route C would get 5.2 points. In other words, the evaluation points are multiplied by the coefficient set for each evaluation criterion and the values are added together for all evaluation criteria to weight and add up the evaluation points to calculate the overall points.

Once the total points have been calculated, the optimal route is determined based on the calculated total points (S145 in Figure 8). In the above example, Route B has the highest total points, so Route B is determined to be the optimal route.

If there are multiple route candidates with the highest overall points, one method is to prioritize the evaluation criterion with the largest coefficient and select the optimal route according to that evaluation criterion. In other words, if there are multiple route candidates with the highest overall points, the optimal route is determined according to the route length with the largest coefficient (i.e., the highest priority) (i.e., the route candidate with the shortest route length is the optimal route), and if the route lengths are the same, the optimal route is determined according to the required time, which is the next highest priority (i.e., the route candidate with the shortest required time is the optimal route).

Also, if there are multiple route candidates with the highest total points, any of the multiple route candidates may be selected. In this case, the selection may be made by the operator, or automatically by the route determination unit 54.

In the above example, the higher the evaluation, the higher the evaluation point, but the higher the evaluation, the lower the evaluation point. In that case, the coefficient will be smaller the more important the evaluation criterion, and the route candidate with the lowest total point will be determined as the optimal route.

Once the optimal route has been determined, the optimal route display screen 100-4 shown in Figure 19 is displayed. On the optimal route display screen 100-4, the layout diagram 102 displays the optimal route of P0 → P1 → P2 → P4 → P6, and the route display field 110 is displayed. In this route display field 110, route candidates are displayed, along with the total points for each route candidate and the determined optimal route.

Furthermore, once the optimal route has been determined, the transmission/reception processing unit 42 transmits the data necessary for the transport robot 1000 to travel from the start point to the goal point via the communication unit 14 (S15 in Figure 7). This data includes route information for the optimal route and point data (especially attribute data) for points on the optimal route.

In other words, the route information is coordinate data of points ordered in the travel order (or movement order) of the transport robot on the optimal route. If the optimal route is route B, the route information is composed of ordered coordinate data of points on route B. In other words, the route information is information indicating that points P0 (x0, y0) → P1 (x1, y1) → P2 (x2, y2) → P4 (x4, y4) → P6 (x6, y6). Furthermore, if the optimal route is route B, attribute data for points P0, P1, P2, P4, and P6 is transmitted. The route information of the optimal route and point data are transmitted by the transmission/reception processing unit 42 and CPU 16, which serve as the control unit. In this way, the route information, which is coordinate data of points ordered in the travel order of the transport robot 1000 on the optimal route, and the attribute data of each point are transmitted to the transport robot 1000.

The transport robot 1000 travels along the optimal route according to the data transmitted from the communication unit 14. When the transport robot travels, it travels according to the speed, orientation, and standby time specified by the attribute data, and when traveling on a line from one point to the next, it travels according to the attribute data of the point immediately preceding the next point.

In other words, as shown in FIG. 21, the orientation of the transport robot 1000 is such that it travels from point P0 to point P2 facing right, turns upward at point P2 and travels upward to point P4, then turns right at point P4 and travels right to point P6. In other words, the attribute data for points P0 and P1 indicates a rightward orientation (PX), so it travels rightward from points P0 to P1 and from points P1 to P2, the attribute data for point P2 indicates an upward orientation (PY), so it travels upward from points P2 to P4, and the attribute data for point P4 indicates a rightward orientation (PX), so it travels rightward from points P4 to P4.

Furthermore, with regard to the travel speed, the attribute data for point P0 indicates a speed of 0.25 m per second, so the transport robot 1000 travels from point P0 to P1 at 0.25 m per second; the attribute data for point P1 indicates a speed of 0.5 m per second, so the transport robot 1000 travels from point P1 to P2 at 0.5 m per second; the attribute data for point P2 indicates a speed of 0.25 m per second, so the transport robot 1000 travels from point P2 to P4 at 0.25 m per second; and the attribute data for point P4 indicates a speed of 0.25 m per second, so the transport robot 1000 travels from point P4 to P6 at 0.25 m per second. Note that point P6 is the goal point, so the transport robot 1000 stops at point P6 regardless of the speed data in the attribute data.

Next, we will explain the method shown in Figure 10 as another example of an evaluation value calculation subroutine. The method shown in Figure 10 takes into account whether the dimensions of the transported object exceed a limit value.

That is, in S11 of FIG. 7, a start/goal input screen 100-3 such as that shown in FIG. 23 is displayed. This start/goal input screen 100-3 displays a layout diagram 102, a start/goal input field 108, and a dimension input field 109, allowing the user to specify the start point and goal point, as well as input the dimensions (length and width) of the transported object.

In S12 of Figure 7, enter the start point and finish point, as well as the length and width of the transported object, and click "Search Route."

Then, the process moves from creating route candidate data (S13 in Figure 7) to determining the optimal route (S14 in Figure 7). In the route determination subroutine in Figure 8, similar to the above, evaluation criteria are identified (S141 in Figure 8) and an evaluation value is calculated for each route candidate (S142 in Figure 8). The evaluation value calculation subroutine uses the subroutine shown in Figure 10.

That is, the system determines whether the identified evaluation criterion is the number of turning points (S142-11 in FIG. 10). If the evaluation criterion is not the number of turning points, it proceeds to S142-18. If the evaluation criterion is the number of turning points, it determines whether the dimensions of the transported object exceed the limit values (S142-12 in FIG. 10). As shown in FIG. 22, the dimensions of the transported object are the length (total length) a1 and width (total width) a2 of the transported object in a plan view. If at least one of the length a1 and width a2 exceeds the length stored in the dimension limit data file 26 in FIG. 4, a route candidate is identified (S142-13 in FIG. 10). If the identified route candidate has a turning point, the evaluation value is set to a special value (-100 in the example in FIG. 20) (S142-13 to S142-15 in FIG. 10). Note that the length (total length) is generally longer than the width (total width), so ultimately it is sufficient to determine whether the longitudinal length exceeds the length stored in the dimensional restriction data file 26.

On the other hand, if in S142-12 the dimensions of the transported object are below the limit value or if there are no turning points in the route candidate, the evaluation value is set to the number of turning points, as in the case of Figure 9 (S142-16 in Figure 10).

If the evaluation criterion is the number of turning points, steps S142-12 to S142-16 are performed on the remaining route candidates. In the example of Figure 20, turning points exist on routes A and B, so if the dimensions of the transported object exceed the limit, the evaluation value of the turning point will be -100.

If the evaluation criterion is not the number of turning points, an evaluation value is calculated for each route candidate, as in the case of Figure 9 (S142-18 to S142-20 in Figure 10). In other words, route candidates are identified and evaluation values are calculated for all route candidates.

Once the evaluation values have been calculated for all evaluation criteria, they are converted into evaluation points in the same manner as above. However, if a special value was assigned in S142-15 above, that special value will be used as the evaluation point as is.

Therefore, in the example of Figure 20, if special values are assigned to Route A and Route B, the total points for Route A will be -4.6 (= 4 x 0.4 + 10 x 0.3 + 4 x 0.2 - 100 x 0.1), and the total points for Route B will be -3.4 (= 10 x 0.4 + 6 x 0.3 + 4 x 0.2 - 100 x 0.1). The special value is a value that can sufficiently lower the total points, and the evaluation point assigned with the special value (i.e., -100) is a value that will result in the route candidate being excluded from the optimal route. As a result, if the length of the transported object exceeds the limit and the route candidate has a turning point, the route candidate will be excluded from the optimal route by assigning the special value as the evaluation point. In other words, even if the evaluation points for route length, required time, and number of passing points are all 10, adding the values multiplied by each coefficient gives a total score of 9 for the three evaluation criteria. Therefore, by setting the evaluation points to the special value of -100, the total score becomes 9 - 100 x 0.1 = -1, and this route candidate is excluded from the optimal route. The total score for Route C is 5.2, just like in the above case.

As a result, Route C has the highest overall points, so it is determined to be the optimal route.

Once the optimal route has been determined, the optimal route display screen 100-4 shown in Figure 24 is displayed. On this optimal route display screen 100-4, the layout diagram 102 displays the optimal route of P0 → P1 → P5 → P6, and the route display field 110 is displayed. In this route display field 110, route candidates are displayed, along with the total points for each route candidate and the determined optimal route.

Furthermore, once the optimal route has been determined, data necessary for traveling from the start point to the goal point is transmitted to the transport robot 1000 via the communication unit 14. This data includes route information for the optimal route (i.e., coordinate data for points ordered in the order of P0 → P1 → P5 → P6) and point data for points on the optimal route (particularly, attribute data (i.e., attribute data for points P0, P1, P5, and P6)).

The transport robot 1000 travels along the optimal route according to the data transmitted from the communication unit 14. When the transport robot 1000 travels, it follows the speed, orientation, and standby time specified by the attribute data.

Next, we will explain the route determination subroutine shown in Figure 11. That is, we will explain another method for determining the optimal route in S14 of Figure 7. In this case, too, consideration is given to whether the dimensions of the transported object exceed the limit value.

First, it is determined whether the dimensions of the transported object exceed the limit values (S1401 in Figure 11). The dimensions of the transported object are the length a1 and width a2 of the transported object, as shown in Figure 22, and it is determined whether at least one of the length a1 and width a2 exceeds the length stored in the dimension limit data file 26 in Figure 4.

If the dimensions of the transported object do not exceed the limit, the process proceeds to S1406. On the other hand, if the dimensions of the transported object exceed the limit, route candidates that have a turning point are excluded from the route candidates (S1402-S1405). That is, a route candidate is identified (S1402 in FIG. 11), and it is determined whether the route candidate has a turning point (S1403). If a turning route is found, the route candidate is excluded from the route candidates (S1404). If a turning route is not found, the process proceeds to S1406. The above processing is performed for all route candidates (S1405, S1402, S1403, S1404 in FIG. 11).

Then, in S1406, the same processing as in Figure 8 is performed for the route candidates that have not been excluded. That is, the evaluation criteria are identified (S1406 in Figure 11), and an evaluation value is calculated for each route candidate (S1407 in Figure 11). The subroutine for calculating the evaluation value in S1407 follows the subroutine shown in Figure 9. That is, in the example of Figure 20, evaluation values are calculated for the route length, required time, number of passing points, and number of turning points. Note that because a determination has already been made as to whether the transported object exceeds the dimensional limit value (S1401 to S1405 in Figure 11), the subroutine in Figure 10 does not apply.

If other evaluation criteria are available, one of the other evaluation criteria is identified and an evaluation value is calculated for each route in the same manner (S1408, S1406, S1407 in FIG. 11). After calculating an evaluation value for each route candidate for each evaluation criterion, the evaluation values are converted into evaluation points, weighted, and added to calculate an overall point (S1409 in FIG. 11). Once the overall point is calculated, the optimal route is determined according to the calculated overall point (S1410 in FIG. 11).

When the subroutine in Figure 11 is applied to Figure 20, if the transported object exceeds the dimensional limit, route A and route B are excluded from the route candidates (i.e., excluded from the optimal route), and route C is determined to be the optimal route. Once the optimal route is determined, the optimal route display screen 100-4 shown in Figure 24 is displayed, but since route A and route B are excluded from the route candidates, only route C is displayed in the route display field 110.

On the other hand, if the transported object does not exceed the dimensional limit, then, as above, route A will receive 6.0 points, route B will receive 6.8 points, and route C will receive 5.2 points, so route B will be determined to be the optimal route. In this case, the optimal route display screen 100-4 shown in Figure 24 will also be displayed, but the contents displayed in the route display field 110 will be the same as those shown in the route display field 110 in Figure 19.

In the above explanation, point P0 is the start point and point P6 is the goal point, but other points may be used as the start point and goal point. For example, point P6 may be the start point and point P0 the goal point. Even in this case, the transport robot moving from the point indicated by the point data (hereinafter referred to as the point in question) is controlled to travel in accordance with the attribute data corresponding to that point until it reaches the next point (i.e., when traveling on a line from one point to the next point, it is controlled to travel in accordance with the attribute data of that point (i.e., the point immediately preceding the next point)). When moving from point P6 to points P3, P4, or P5, the transport robot follows the attribute data of point P6, so it travels rightward at a speed of 0.25 m per second.

As explained above, the point data shown in Figure 2 means that a transport robot moving from the point indicated by the point data (hereinafter referred to as the point in question) will follow the attribute data corresponding to that point until it reaches the next point. Therefore, for example, when going from point P1 to point P2, or from point P1 to point P5, the attribute data for point P1 (speed: 0.5 m per second, direction of transport robot: rightward) will be followed. However, if you want to change the speed or direction of the transport robot on line L7 from point P1 to point P5, for example, you can simply set a new point near point P1 on line L7 and set the changed speed and direction of the transport robot in the attribute data for that point. Then, the changed speed and direction of the transport robot will be applied from the new point to point P5.

In the above explanation, the data transmitted to the transport robot 1000, i.e., the data necessary for traveling from the start point to the goal point, includes route information for the optimal route and point data (particularly attribute data) for points on the optimal route. However, instead of point data, the data may be converted into data for each line between points on the optimal route and transmitted to the transport robot 1000. In other words, coordinate data for both ends of a line (a pair of coordinate data) and attribute data for that line are transmitted for each line. The attribute data for a line is attribute data for the point that is the starting point of the line (the point on the near side in the direction of travel). Transmission of the pair of coordinate data for each line and the attribute data for the point that is the starting point of the line is performed by the transmission/reception processing unit 42 and CPU 16, which serve as the control unit.

For example, if the optimal route is route B as described above, the coordinates of both ends of each line and attribute data for each line are transmitted for lines L1, L2, L5, and L6. For example, for line L1, coordinate data for points P0 and P1 are transmitted, and attribute data for point P0, the starting point of line L1, is also transmitted as attribute data for line L1 (the data indicates that the transport robot is facing right and its speed is 0.25 m/s). As a result, the transport robot 1000 that receives this data will travel between the starting and ending points of the line in accordance with the attribute data. For line L1, it will travel between points P1 and P1 facing right at a speed of 0.25 m/s.

As described above, with the travel management system 1, it is only necessary to assign attributes such as speed and direction of the transport robot to each point on the transport robot's travel route; there is no need to assign attributes to each point and line. This makes it easier to manage attributes for generating travel routes and allows for a simple configuration of the travel management system.

In particular, speed and transport robot direction can be addressed by assigning attributes to the line. In the work transport system of Patent Document 2, the speed of the transport vehicle is also stored for each transport path. However, in this invention, attributes that can be assigned to each line are assigned to each point. By assigning attributes only to points and managing attributes collectively at the points, attribute management is made easier, and there is no need to manage attributes for each point and file, allowing for a simple system configuration.

Furthermore, if attribute data is stored for each point, a route can be determined by specifying the line between points and the start and finish points, making it easy to perform operations to generate a driving route.

In addition, when determining a route from multiple route candidates, evaluation values are calculated for each of multiple evaluation criteria, and the optimal route is determined by weighting and adding the evaluation points converted from the evaluation values, making it possible to determine the overall optimal route based on multiple evaluation criteria.

Furthermore, as in the subroutines shown in Figures 10 and 11, if consideration is given to whether the dimensions of the transported object exceed a limit value, the transported object can be prevented from coming into contact with obstacles when the transport robot turns, allowing the transported object to be transported safely.

In the above explanation, the evaluation criteria were set to be the route length, the required time, the number of passing points, and the number of turning points, and the optimal route was determined by weighting and adding up the evaluation points based on the evaluation values of each evaluation criterion. However, the optimal route may also be determined based on any one of the above evaluation criteria.

In that case, the optimal route will be the route candidate with the shortest route length, the route candidate with the shortest required time, the route candidate with the fewest number of passing points, and the route candidate with the fewest number of turning points.

When the evaluation criterion is route length and the shortest route candidate is selected as the optimal route, the transport robot's power consumption and other driving loads can be reduced. When the evaluation criterion is required time and the route candidate with the shortest required time is selected as the optimal route, the transported item can arrive earlier. When the evaluation criterion is the number of passing points and the route candidate with the fewest passing points is selected as the optimal route, the frequency of changes in driving conditions based on attribute data, such as changes in speed when passing through points, can be reduced, allowing for stable driving. When the evaluation criterion is the number of turning points and the route candidate with the fewest turning points is selected as the optimal route, the risk of the transported item's placement becoming unstable due to the transport robot turning can be reduced.

In addition, evaluation criteria may be used that are any combination of the four evaluation criteria: route length, required time, number of passing points, and number of turning points.

Furthermore, the user may be allowed to select any combination of the four evaluation criteria - route length, required time, number of passing points, and number of turning points - and the optimal route may be determined by weighting and adding evaluation points based on the evaluation values of each evaluation criterion. For example, an evaluation criterion selection field may be displayed on the start/goal input screen 100-3, allowing the user to select any combination of evaluation criteria from multiple evaluation criteria, calculating evaluation values according to the selected evaluation criteria, and calculating evaluation points based on the evaluation values. The calculated evaluation points are then weighted and added to determine the optimal route.

In addition, in the above explanation, the start point and finish point are specified on the start/finish input screen, but the start point and finish point may also be specified by transmitting information about the start point and finish point from outside the driving management system 5 and receiving it via the communication unit 14.

1 Transport robot system 5 Travel management system 10 Input unit 12 Display unit 14 Communication unit 16 CPU
20 Database 22 Point data file 24 Line data file 26 Dimensional restriction data file 28 Route candidate data file 30 Drawing data file 40 Program storage unit 42 Transmission/reception processing unit 44 Input detection unit 46 Display processing unit 48 Data processing unit 50 Drawing creation unit 52 Route search unit 54 Route determination unit 100-1 Point data input screen 100-2 Line data input screen 100-3 Start/goal input screen 100-4 Optimal route display screen 102 Layout drawing 104 Point data input field 106 Line data input field 108 Start/goal input field 109 Dimension input field 110 Route display field

Claims (7)

A running management system that manages the running of a transport robot (1000),
a point data storage unit (22) for storing attribute data including data on the orientation and running speed of the transport robot for each point indicated by two-dimensional coordinates, the attribute data indicating that the orientation of the transport robot is one of four orientations, i.e., rightward, leftward, upward, and downward, in a plan view;
a line data storage unit (24) for storing, for each line connecting a pair of points, line data consisting of data indicating the pair of points;
a size limit data file (26) for storing size limit values in a plan view of an object to be transported by the transport robot;
a display unit (12) for displaying an image;
an input unit (10) for performing input operations;
a communication unit (14) for communicating with the transport robot;
a control unit (16, 40) for controlling the operation of the driving management system;
In a state where a point data input screen (100-1) for inputting point data is displayed on the display unit, which displays a layout diagram showing an area in which the transport robot travels, an arbitrary position in the layout diagram and attribute data corresponding to the position are input by the input unit, and the control unit stores the coordinate data of the two-dimensional coordinates corresponding to the input position and the attribute data in the point data storage unit,
When a line data input screen (100-2) for inputting line data is displayed on the display unit, line data indicating a pair of points is input through the input unit, and the control unit stores the line data for each line in the line data storage unit,
When a start point, which is the starting position of the transport robot, and a goal point, which is the goal position of the transport robot, are specified among the points stored in the point data storage unit, the control unit searches for route candidates that can reach the goal point from the start point by connecting lines based on the point data stored in the point data storage unit and the line data stored in the line data storage unit, and determines an optimal route from the multiple route candidates searched for in accordance with evaluation criteria for determining an optimal route.When determining the optimal route, the control unit determines whether the length in the longitudinal direction of the transported object in a planar view exceeds the limit dimension value stored in the dimension limit value data file, and if the length in the longitudinal direction exceeds the limit dimension value, the control unit excludes route candidates having a turning point from the optimal route.
A driving management system characterized in that the control unit controls the driving of the transport robot via the communication unit so that the transport robot drives on the line to the next point at each point ordered in the driving order of the transport robot on the optimal route in accordance with the attribute data of the point immediately preceding the next point. A running management system that manages the running of a transport robot (1000),
a point data storage unit (22) for storing attribute data including data on the orientation and running speed of the transport robot for each point indicated by two-dimensional coordinates, the attribute data indicating that the orientation of the transport robot is one of four orientations, i.e., rightward, leftward, upward, and downward, in a plan view;
a line data storage unit (24) for storing, for each line connecting a pair of points, line data consisting of data indicating the pair of points;
a size limit data file (26) for storing size limit values in a plan view of an object to be transported by the transport robot;
a display unit (12) for displaying an image;
an input unit (10) for performing input operations;
a communication unit (14) for communicating with the transport robot;
a control unit (16, 40) for controlling the operation of the driving management system;
In a state where a point data input screen (100-1) for inputting point data is displayed on the display unit, which displays a layout diagram showing an area in which the transport robot travels, an arbitrary position in the layout diagram and attribute data corresponding to the position are input by the input unit, and the control unit stores the coordinate data of the two-dimensional coordinates corresponding to the input position and the attribute data in the point data storage unit,
When a line data input screen (100-2) for inputting line data is displayed on the display unit, line data indicating a pair of points is input through the input unit, and the control unit stores the line data for each line in the line data storage unit,
When a start point, which is the starting position of the transport robot, and a goal point, which is the goal position of the transport robot, are specified among the points stored in the point data storage unit, the control unit searches for route candidates that can reach the start point to the goal point by connecting lines based on the point data stored in the point data storage unit and the line data stored in the line data storage unit, calculates evaluation points based on each evaluation criterion for each of the multiple route candidates found, calculates overall points by weighting and adding the calculated evaluation points, and compares the overall points for each route candidate to determine the optimal route,
a plurality of types of evaluation criteria are provided as evaluation criteria for determining the optimal route, and the plurality of types of evaluation criteria are composed of any combination of the length of the route from the start point to the goal point, the time required from the start point to the goal point, the number of points passed from the start point to the goal point, and the number of turning points existing from the start point to the goal point, and the turning points are points at which the orientation of the transport robot changes on each route in the route candidates;
the control unit determines whether the length of the longitudinal direction of the transported object in a plan view exceeds the limit dimension value stored in the size limit value data file, and if the length of the longitudinal direction exceeds the limit dimension value, the control unit sets an evaluation point for the number of turning points for a route candidate having a turning point to a value at which the route candidate is excluded from the optimum route;
A driving management system characterized in that the control unit controls the driving of the transport robot via the communication unit so that the transport robot drives on the line to the next point at each point ordered in the driving order of the transport robot on the optimal route in accordance with the attribute data of the point immediately preceding the next point. A running management system that manages the running of a transport robot (1000),
a point data storage unit (22) for storing attribute data including data on the orientation and running speed of the transport robot for each point indicated by two-dimensional coordinates, the attribute data indicating that the orientation of the transport robot is one of four orientations, i.e., rightward, leftward, upward, and downward, in a plan view;
a line data storage unit (24) for storing, for each line connecting a pair of points, line data consisting of data indicating the pair of points;
a size limit data file (26) for storing size limit values in a plan view of an object to be transported by the transport robot;
a display unit (12) for displaying an image;
an input unit (10) for performing input operations;
a communication unit (14) for communicating with the transport robot;
a control unit (16, 40) for controlling the operation of the driving management system;
In a state where a point data input screen (100-1) for inputting point data is displayed on the display unit, which displays a layout diagram showing an area in which the transport robot travels, an arbitrary position in the layout diagram and attribute data corresponding to the position are input by the input unit, and the control unit stores the coordinate data of the two-dimensional coordinates corresponding to the input position and the attribute data in the point data storage unit,
When a line data input screen (100-2) for inputting line data is displayed on the display unit, line data indicating a pair of points is input through the input unit, and the control unit stores the line data for each line in the line data storage unit,
When a start point, which is the starting position of the transport robot, and a goal point, which is the goal position of the transport robot, are specified among the points stored in the point data storage unit, the control unit searches for route candidates that can reach the start point to the goal point by connecting lines based on the point data stored in the point data storage unit and the line data stored in the line data storage unit, calculates evaluation points based on each evaluation criterion for each of the multiple route candidates found, calculates overall points by weighting and adding the calculated evaluation points, and compares the overall points for each route candidate to determine the optimal route,
a plurality of types of evaluation criteria are provided as evaluation criteria for determining the optimal route, and the plurality of types of evaluation criteria are composed of any combination of the length of the route from the start point to the goal point, the time required from the start point to the goal point, the number of points passed from the start point to the goal point, and the number of turning points existing from the start point to the goal point, and the turning points are points at which the orientation of the transport robot changes on each route in the route candidates;
the control unit determines whether the length of the longitudinal direction of the transported object in a plan view exceeds a limit dimension value stored in a limit dimension value data file, and if the length of the longitudinal direction exceeds the limit dimension value, the control unit excludes route candidates having a turning point from the optimum route;
A driving management system characterized in that the control unit controls the driving of the transport robot via the communication unit so that the transport robot drives on the line to the next point at each point ordered in the driving order of the transport robot on the optimal route in accordance with the attribute data of the point immediately preceding the next point. The driving management system according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the control unit transmits route information, which is coordinate data of points ordered in the order in which the transport robot travels on the optimal route, and attribute data of each point to the transport robot via the communication unit. 4. The travel management system according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the control unit transmits to the transport robot via the communication unit, for each line between adjacent points in the points ordered in the travel order of the transport robot on the optimal route, a pair of coordinate data consisting of coordinate data of a point that is the start point of the line and coordinate data of a point that is the end point of the line , and attribute data of the point that is the start point of the line. A transport robot system having the travel management system according to claim 4 and a transport robot (1000),
A transport robot system characterized in that a transport robot receives route information and attribute data of each point from a travel management system via a communication unit and travels in accordance with the route information and attribute data of each point. A transport robot system having the travel management system according to claim 5 and a transport robot (1000),
A transport robot system characterized in that a transport robot receives a pair of coordinate data for each line and attribute data of the point that is the starting point of the line from a travel management system via a communication unit, and travels in accordance with the pair of coordinate data for each line and the attribute data of the point that is the starting point of the line.