JP4591714B2 - Spot guided vehicle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a traveling vehicle that travels along a traveling route while being guided by a spot, and particularly relates to storage of spot arrangement data (spot map).

In spot guidance, guidance spots such as magnetic spots and optical spots are provided on the travel route, and the traveling vehicle travels by detecting the spot with a sensor. For traveling, it is necessary to store spot arrangement data on the driving route (Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-42934). However, if the spot arrangement is stored together with the layout of the driving route, spots are added or moved. When doing so, it is necessary to change the layout data, which is inconvenient. The spot arrangement data is stored by the traveling vehicle and is frequently referred to during traveling. Therefore, it is preferable that the storage capacity is small and that the data can be read at high speed.
JP 2001-42934 A

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the need to change the layout data of the travel route when a spot is added or moved, so that the spot arrangement data and the layout data can be changed separately.
An additional problem with the present invention is that the storage capacity for storing spot arrangement data and the following transition data can be reduced, and the spot arrangement data and the following transition data can be easily read out. There is in doing so.
An additional problem in the invention of claim 2 is to facilitate the operation of inserting the traveling vehicle into the traveling route.

The present invention stores spot guidance data and layout data of a travel route, and detects the spot with a spot sensor, thereby traveling along a travel route in which a plurality of spots are disposed. Because
Storage means for layout data of the driving route;
For each street in which the travel route is divided into a plurality, a spot data storage means is provided for storing the number of spots arranged in the street, the spot arrangement data, and the following data that can proceed from the street. With
The spot data storage means stores a street table, a continuous spot registration table, and at least three types of tables as follows:
The continuous spot registration table continuously stores a record for each spot including the spot number or ID and the distance from the previous spot in the order of spot arrangement in each street ,
The following table stores records for each combination of the current street and the next street, and each record detects the movement attribute of which direction the next street is connected to, and the last detected in the current street. A spot number or ID to be detected, a spot number or ID to be detected first as follows, and a distance to the first spot to be detected,
The street table stores a record for each street, and each record has the number or ID of each street, the top address and the number of spots in the continuous spot registration table, and the top address in the table as follows. And the data in the layout storage means and the data in the spot data storage means are separately rewritable.

Particularly preferably , the spot data storage means further includes an insertion table for storing data for the spot guided vehicle inserted in the travel route to start traveling,
The insertion table includes at least data for specifying a spot to be detected first after insertion, data for specifying a traveling direction at the time of insertion, and an inserted street for each insertion point at which the spot guided vehicle is inserted. Remember.

  In the present invention, since layout data and spot data are stored separately, management of these data is easy, and it is not necessary to update layout data when, for example, a spot is added or deleted.

  The number of spots provided on one street is not constant, and the number of the following streets that can be transferred from one street is not constant. Therefore, if the spot placement data and the transition data to the next are directly written in the table, the storage area for the maximum number of spots and the following number are the maximum for each record in the street table. It is necessary to prepare a storage area for time. In this way, the storage area of each record in the table increases, the record has many blanks, and the storage area is wasted.

On the other hand, the spot arrangement data is continuously described in the spot arrangement order in each street in the continuous spot registration table, and the reference range to the continuous spot registration table is described for each street in the street table. Then, the spot arrangement data can be written in the continuous spot registration table, and the storage area is not wasted. In addition, the continuous spot registration table can be easily referred to in accordance with the reference range specified in the street table.
Similarly, in the following table, for each combination of the current street and the following street, the spot arrangement data necessary for the transition to the next street is described. When the reference range to the table is stored, the migration data to the next table can be packed and described as follows, and the storage capacity can be reduced. The table can be easily referred to as follows according to the reference range to the table as specified in the street table.

  In addition, for each insertion point where a spot guided vehicle is inserted, data for specifying the first spot detected after insertion, data for specifying the traveling direction at the time of insertion, and the inserted street are further provided. Is stored, the operator knows in which direction the traveling vehicle should be inserted, and the first spot to be detected after the insertion can be identified, so that the position after insertion is identified in the traveling vehicle and further inserted Also turns out to be a traveling car. For this reason, the traveling vehicle can be easily inserted.

  In the following, an optimum embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be shown.

  1 to 11 show a spot guided vehicle 2 according to the embodiment and a modification thereof. FIG. 1 shows a relationship between the spot guided vehicle 2 and L as a plurality of magnetic spots S1 to S4 are arranged. A plurality of streets L are defined along the travel route. The streets L are in principle straight lines, and the streets are connected via, for example, a curve. There is a point 8 at an appropriate place on the street, and the point 8 is a position where the traveling vehicle 2 stops. A plurality of magnetic spots S1 to S4 and the like are arranged on the street L, and the spot guided vehicle 2 travels while detecting the magnetic spots S1 to S4 with the magnetic sensors 4 and 5.

  For example, if the traveling direction is L from the left to the right in the figure in FIG. 1, the magnetic sensor 4 next detects the magnetic spot S3 and, in addition to this, the rear wheel. Next, the magnetic spot S2 is detected by the magnetic sensor 5 on the side. The coordinates of the traveling vehicle 2 are represented by the coordinates of the vehicle body center 3. For the traveling vehicle 2, the position of the magnetic spot is known from a spot table 32 to be described later. When the magnetic spot is detected by the magnetic sensors 4 and 5, the coordinates of the current position of the traveling vehicle 2 and the posture in the traveling direction are determined.

  FIG. 2 schematically shows a travel route 10 of the traveling vehicle 2. The travel route 10 is divided into, for example, six streets L1 to L6, each street is a straight line, and the streets and streets are connected by a curve section 12 and a branching junction 14. In FIG. 2, the traveling vehicle 2 travels around the streets L1 to L6 in one way. However, in preparation for the layout change, it is preferable to prepare a spot map so that the traveling vehicle 2 can travel bidirectionally in one section. In that case, even if it is physically the same section, it is treated as different if the traveling direction is different, but two traveling directions may be allowed for each street. Reference numeral 16 denotes a ground controller which designates a position for loading and unloading the traveling vehicle 2 and commands to convey the article between them. The traveling vehicle 2 performs guided traveling while determining a traveling route and detecting a magnetic spot in response to the commanded conveyance command.

  FIG. 3 shows an arrangement example of streets and magnetic spots in order to explain the transition to the following. Following the street L1, streets L2 and L3 are connected, and magnetic spots S1 to S16 are arranged as shown. Among these, the magnetic spot S1 is a spot detected first by the traveling vehicle 2 in the street L1, and the spot S8 is a spot detected last in the street L1.

When branching from street L1 to street L2, spot S3 is the last spot detected at street L1, and spot S11 is the first spot detected at street L2 . The magnetic spots S9 and S10 are spots for branching from the street L1 to L2 , and belong to the street L2 . In the branch from street L1 to street L3, spot S5 is the last spot detected in street L1, spot S15 is the first spot detected in street L3, and spots S13 and S14 are special spots for branching.

  The traveling vehicle 2 performs guided traveling by detecting the spots S1 to S16 with the magnetic sensors 4 and 5. When the traveling vehicle 2 detects the spots S1 to S8 in the straight section, the traveling vehicle 2 obtains the current coordinates and posture, and specifies the next spot to be detected from the table. The posture of the traveling vehicle at the branching junction is indicated by 2 '. The traveling vehicle 2 at the branching / merging portion independently performs the steering control based on the current position and posture obtained by the internal sensors such as the encoder and the steering sensor, regardless of the spot, and the first spot S11 on the street L2 Drive to a position where it can be detected. When the traveling vehicle 2 detects the spot S3 to be detected at the end, the traveling vehicle 2 corrects the coordinates and curves by independent traveling, and specifies L2 as follows from the table as follows using the spot S3 detected at the end as a key. At this time, the spot S11 to be detected first at L2 is specified from the table as follows. Then, spot detection is interrupted until the curve traveling is finished, and when straight traveling is started, spot detection is resumed. When spot S11 is detected, the coordinates and posture of the traveling vehicle 2 are corrected.

  FIG. 4 shows the insertion of the traveling vehicle 2 into the traveling route. The insertion is a process for adding the traveling vehicle 2 to the traveling route. One or a plurality of insertion points P are provided at appropriate locations on the travel route, and the traveling vehicle 2 is inserted into the travel route near the insertion point P. The position of the insertion point may be the same as or different from the boundary point between the streets. An insertion direction (arrow direction in the figure) is designated for the insertion point P, and the magnetic spot detected first by the traveling vehicle 2 after insertion is the spot S2. Therefore, for each insertion point P, data for identifying the first spot detected after insertion, here spot S2, the distance to the first spot detected after insertion, the insertion direction, and the inserted street number (here, L1) ) In the insertion table. If it does in this way, when the traveling vehicle 2 is inserted from which insertion point, it will be understood in which way it is inserted, which direction is the insertion direction, and which spot is detected first. In addition, by describing the distance until the spot is detected after insertion, it can also be determined whether or not the spot is correctly detected.

  FIG. 5 shows a control system of the spot guided vehicle 2. Reference numeral 20 denotes a spot map, and its configuration is shown in FIG. Reference numerals 4 and 5 denote the above-described magnetic sensors, and the current position of the traveling vehicle 2 is determined from the magnetic sensors 4 and 5 and the spot map 20. The layout map 21 describes a travel route map. The traveling control unit 22 performs traveling control of the traveling vehicle 2, monitors the speed and traveling distance with the encoder 23, and monitors the direction of the traveling vehicle 2 with the steering sensor 24. Therefore, between the spot detection and the spot detection, the traveling vehicle 2 can travel while recognizing the current position and direction by the encoder 23 and the steering sensor 24.

  The storage format of the data of the layout map 21 is arbitrary, but in the layout map 21, data of points (point numbers, point coordinates) serving as target travel positions of the traveling vehicle, and data of segments connecting the points. (Segment number, segment attribute such as straight / curve to the left / curve to the right) is described. Since the layout map 21 does not include data related to magnetic spots, and the spot map 20 does not include layout map data, these maps are independent of each other. Therefore, even if a spot is added, the layout map 21 does not need to be corrected. Even if the layout is changed, the spot map 20 need not be corrected unless a spot is added.

  FIG. 6 shows the configuration of the spot map 20. The spot map 20 includes five types of tables: a street table 30, a continuous spot registration table 31, a spot table 32, a table 33 as follows, and an insertion table 34. These tables 30 to 34 are composed of tables in which records are continuously arranged, and the data format is literally a table. The record size differs depending on the type of table, and the record size is common in one table. Therefore, for example, when reading five consecutive records, if the table address of the first record is found, the table addresses of the other four records are automatically found.

  A street number may be written in the street table 30, and a street ID may be written instead of the number. In addition, the traveling direction is described as a street attribute. A plurality of magnetic spots are provided in one street, and the number thereof is not constant. A street table record is provided for each street, and for each magnetic spot, the start address (for example, an address in the table) and the number of spots (the number of records) in the continuous spot registration table are described. Similarly, the following data that can branch from one street is described as a continuous record in the table as follows. The street table 30 designates the next street that can be migrated by the start address of the reference range in the table and the number of cases in the table as follows. In addition, enter the street number on the upstream side when the street runs backward by switchback.

  In the continuous spot registration table 31, spot arrangement data is described for each street in the order along the traveling direction, and the unit of the record is a spot. For example, the spot ID such as the spot number and the distance from the previous spot are described in each record. Further, a spot table 32 is provided separately from the continuous spot registration table 31, and records including spot numbers and spot coordinates, for example, x-coordinate and y-coordinate are described. Note that the spot coordinates may be described in each record of the continuous spot registration table 31 with the spot table 32 as a part of the continuous spot registration table. However, when it is assumed that the traveling vehicle passes through one street in both directions, the same spot is described twice in the continuous spot registration table 31 as another street. Therefore, when the spot coordinates are described in the continuous spot registration table, the data capacity increases. On the other hand, in the spot registration table 31, the spot coordinates are described once for one spot.

  In each record of the table 33 as described below, transition data to the next street that can be traveled from the current street is described, and this record is composed of a combination unit of the current street and the next street. Each record of the table 33 as described below includes the following number and movement attribute, and the movement attribute is connected in which direction the next street is connected to the current street, such as straight / left turn / right turn. It shows how. The last spot number data indicates the number of the last magnetic spot to be detected as it is, and a spot ID may be used instead of the spot number. The first spot number describes the spot number to be detected first when moving as follows. The distance is the travel distance to the first spot detected after the transition to the following and the independent travel is completed. For example, in FIG. 3, the distance is a travel distance from the time when the curve travel is finished, the transition to the straight travel is performed and the spot detection is resumed until the spots S11 and S15 are detected.

  The insertion table 34 stores data for newly inserting a traveling vehicle into the traveling route, and a record is provided for each insertion point. Each record contains the number of the insertion point and the ID of the insertion point. The number of the first spot detected after insertion, the distance traveled to the spot, the insertion direction allowed at the time of insertion, and the number as inserted It is described.

  To travel using the spot map 20, data on where the spot exists, data on which spot can be branched to and move to the next, and which of the following is the current one Data such as whether it is street is necessary. The traveling vehicle stores the number of streets that are currently running, and by reading the start address and the number of registrations of the continuous spot registration table from the street table 30, the number and number of corresponding spots from the continuous spot registration table 31 Know the distance from the previous spot. And since the spot number can be converted into spot coordinates, the current position of the traveling vehicle in the street can be grasped as coordinates. Note that the current position is estimated between the spots using data such as an encoder.

  When moving to the next, the start address and the number of registrations in the table 33 are found from the record in the street table 30 as follows, and therefore the read range from the table 33 is found as follows. This tells you which streets can be transferred from the current street, and when moving to that street, which is the last spot on the current street, and which is the first spot on the next street Can know. You can also know if you go straight to the next street, turn right, or turn left. In the case of branching, the vehicle branches by independent running regardless of the spot, and when spot S11 or the like is detected, the autonomous running is terminated. Since the distance between the spots S10 and S11 is described in the table 33 as follows, it can be checked whether or not it has successfully shifted to the following. From the insertion table 34, it is possible to know which way is inserted at each insertion point and which direction the traveling direction is at that time. Then, it is possible to know the spot number and distance to be detected first after insertion.

  As described above, the traveling vehicle can obtain spot data necessary for traveling from the tables 30 to 34. Each record in the tables 30 to 34 is a fixed-length record, and as is apparent from FIG. For this reason, the total capacity of the tables 30 to 34 can be reduced. In the continuous spot registration table 31 and the following table 33, the spot arrangement data and the transition data to the next are continuously arranged for each current one. For this reason, spot arrangement data and data relating to the following can be read out easily and at high speed. For these reasons, the traveling vehicle can reduce the storage capacity of the spot map and can easily read data at high speed.

  FIG. 7 schematically shows the arrangement of records in the continuous spot registration table 31. Since the spot data is continuously arranged in the table 31 in the order according to the traveling direction for each street, when the specified number of tables 31 are sequentially read from the designated head address, You can know the arrangement of spots.

  When a traveling vehicle can travel in one direction of a travel route in both directions, the same section is considered different depending on the travel direction. In this case, the spot data may be described separately in the table 31, and the spot data may be described twice in total according to the traveling direction. Instead, the direction in which the spot data is read from the continuous spot registration table may be changed in the forward and reverse directions depending on the traveling direction. For example, in FIG. 8, it is assumed that street L3 and street L4 are physically the same section. If the continuous spot registration table 41 is read from the left to the right for the street L3 and the table 41 is read from the right to the left for the street L4, one spot may be stored in the continuous spot registration table 41 only once.

  FIG. 9 shows the record arrangement of L3, L4, and L5 as follows with respect to the current L1 in the table 33 as follows. There are three types of L3, L4, and L5 that can be migrated from L1 as they are now, and these three records are sequentially arranged in the order of migration. In this way, by reading out the start address and the number in the table 33 as follows from the street table 30, data necessary for the transition to the next can be read out.

  FIG. 10 shows an algorithm for reading each table of the spot map. The traveling vehicle can check the current street from the insertion table when inserted, and from the street table otherwise. Then, the reading range in the continuous spot registration table is obtained and read from the street table. Thus, the spot number and position that should be detected as described above are obtained. Then, the reading range of the table is obtained from the street table as follows, and the process proceeds to the next according to the data of the table as follows.

  FIG. 11 shows the relationship between the layout map 21 and the spot map side. In the layout map, point data and segment data are described, points are connected by segments, and point data includes point numbers and coordinates, and segment numbers on both sides. The segment data includes a segment number, a segment characteristic such as a straight section / curve section, and a curve direction (curve to the right or curve to the left). The point is a stop position of a traveling vehicle such as a station, and the traveling route from the layout map to the target point is found.

  When the target point is designated, the traveling vehicle can obtain the order of the route to be routed from the traveling route obtained from the layout map, thereby obtaining the following. Next, the traveling vehicle travels on each street while detecting the spot, and when the spot is detected, the coordinates and posture of the traveling vehicle can be obtained. Since the travel route of the traveling vehicle is known from the layout map, when the actual coordinates and posture are obtained, the vehicle travels to the target point along the travel route while correcting these.

In the embodiment, a magnetic spot is used, but the type of the spot is arbitrary. Further, although the type of traveling vehicle is an automatic guided vehicle that travels on the ground without a track, a traveling vehicle with a track may be used.

The figure which shows the relationship between a street magnetic spot and the spot guided vehicle of an Example The figure which shows the travel route in the execution example The figure which shows the arrangement | positioning of the magnetic spot and street in an Example Diagram showing the insertion of a spot guided vehicle into the travel route The block diagram which shows the control system of the spot guided vehicle of an Example The figure which shows the spot map in an Example The figure which shows the structure of the continuous spot registration table in an Example. The figure which shows the structure of the continuous spot registration table in a modification. The figure which shows the structure of a table as follows in an Example. Flowchart showing reading of each table in the embodiment The figure which shows the relationship between a spot map and a layout map in an Example

Explanation of symbols

2 Spot-guided vehicle 3 Car body center 4, 5 Magnetic sensor 8 Point 10 Travel route 12 Curve section 14 Branch / merging section 16 Ground controller 20 Spot map 21 Layout map 22 Travel control section 23 Encoder 24 Steering sensor 30 Street tables 31, 41 Continuous Spot registration table 32 Spot table 33 Table 34 Insertion table as follows

L1-L10 street S1-S16 Magnetic spot P Insertion point

Claims (2)

A spot guidance traveling vehicle that travels along a traveling route in which a plurality of spots are arranged by storing data relating to the arrangement of the spot for guidance and layout data of the traveling route, and detecting the spot with a spot sensor,
Storage means for layout data of the driving route;
For each street in which the travel route is divided into a plurality, a spot data storage means is provided for storing the number of spots arranged in the street, the spot arrangement data, and the following data that can proceed from the street. With
The spot data storage means stores a street table, a continuous spot registration table, and at least three types of tables as follows:
The continuous spot registration table continuously stores a record for each spot including the spot number or ID and the distance from the previous spot in the order of spot arrangement in each street ,
The following table stores records for each combination of the current street and the next street, and each record detects the movement attribute of which direction the next street is connected to, and the last detected in the current street. A spot number or ID to be detected, a spot number or ID to be detected first as follows, and a distance to the first spot to be detected,
The street table stores a record for each street, and each record has the number or ID of each street, the top address and the number of spots in the continuous spot registration table, and the top address in the table as follows. The spot-guided vehicle is characterized in that the data in the layout storage means and the data in the spot data storage means are separately rewritable separately. The spot data storage means further includes an insertion table for storing data for the spot guided vehicle inserted into the travel route to start traveling,
The insertion table includes at least data for specifying a spot to be detected first after insertion, data for specifying a traveling direction at the time of insertion, and an inserted street for each insertion point at which the spot guided vehicle is inserted. The spot guided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

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