Automated-guided vehicle system and method for controlling the same

• US 20020035418A1
• Filed: 02/21/2001
• Published: 03/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Tong-hun
• Granted Patent: US 6,594,560 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31006 Monitoring of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0282 generated in a local control room
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Disclosed is an automated-guided vehicle (AGV) system comprising an AGV travelling on a facility line, having vehicle body, a driver for driving the vehicle body and a transfer device for transferring a wafer to and from a cassette; and a central control device controlling an operation of the AGV, the central control device comprising a central communicator, communicating with the AGV according to a predetermined communication protocol, the AGV comprising a radio communicator, communicating with the central communicator according to the predetermined communication protocol, and a controller activating the transfer device according to a command received by the radio communicator to transfer the wafer and controlling an operation of the driver. With this configuration, an AGV system enables communication between a central control device and an AGV according to the communication protocol, thereby loading and unloading the wafers 30 one by one.

Claims

1. An automated-guided vehicle (AGV) system comprising an AGV travelling on a facility line, having a vehicle body, a driver for driving the vehicle body and a transfer device for transferring a wafer to and from a cassette;

and a central control device controlling an operation of the AGV,

the central control device comprising a central communicator, communicating with the AGV according to a predetermined communication protocol,

the AGV comprising a radio communicator, communicating with the central communicator according to the predetermined communication protocol, and a controller activating the transfer device according to a command received by the radio communicator to transfer the wafer and controlling an operation of the driver.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the central control device transmits a load command to load the wafer in the AGV onto an equipment on the facility line, and the load command is comprised of at least one of a slot number of the wafer received within a slot of the cassette, a rotational position of the wafer, and an information as to whether a charge is given to the AGV.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the central control device transmits a transfer command to transfer the wafer from the equipment on the facility line to the AGV, and the transfer command is comprised of at least one of a slot number of the wafer received within the slot of the cassette, a rotational position of the wafer, and information as to whether a charge is given to the AGV.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the central control device transmits a command requesting to report an operation state of the AGV, the report command being comprised of at least one of an operation mode of the AGV, an operation state of the AGV, a load state of the wafer within the cassette and the consumed amount of a battery of the AGV.

5. A method for controlling an AGV system comprising an AGV travelling on a facility line, having a vehicle body, a driver for driving the vehicle body and a transfer device for transferring a wafer to and from a cassette, and a central control device controlling an operation of the AGV, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a command according to a predetermined communication protocol from the central control device to the AGV; and

activating the transfer device according to the command transmitted from the central control device to transfer the wafer and controlling an operation of the driver.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the command is comprised of at least one of a load command to load the wafer of the AGV onto the equipment on the facility line, a transfer command to transfer the wafer from the equipment to the AGV, and a command requesting to report an operation state of the AGV.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the load command and the transfer command are respectively comprised of at least one of a slot number of the wafer received within the slot of the cassette, a rotational position of the wafer, and an information as to whether a charge is given to the AGV.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the report command is comprised of at least one of an operation mode of the AGV, an operation state of the AGV, a load state of the wafer within the cassette and the consumed amount of a battery of the AGV.