VARIABLE PATH AUTOMATED GUIDED VEHICLE

• US 20070179690A1
• Filed: 01/31/2007
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jervis B Webb Company (Daifuku Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Jervis B Webb Company (Daifuku Company Limited)
• Inventors: Stewart, Brian G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,991,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0265 using buried wires

Abstract

An automated guided vehicle and a method of controlling an automated guided vehicle which are capable of varying the travel path of the automatic guided vehicle in order to reduce wear patterns created in the floor of the material handling facility. The travel path of the AGV is varied by intentionally applying a deviation from a selected predetermined route along which the AGV is traveling.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an automated guided vehicle system having at least one automated guided vehicle (AGV) comprising:

loading at least one predetermined route for the AGV to follow into a controller;

instructing the AGV to follow the at least one predetermined route; and

selectively applying a deviation from the predetermined route so that a travel path of the AGV along the predetermined route varies from the predetermined route.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of selectively applying a deviation from the predetermined route so that an AGV following the previous AGV along the at least one predetermined route has a travel path that varies from the travel path of the previous AGV and from the predetermined route.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of instructing the AGV to follow the at least one predetermined route further includes the step of collecting data from at least one detection system relating to the position of the vehicle relative to the at least one predetermined route.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said step of selectively applying a deviation from the predetermined route is based upon data collected from the detection system and the controller.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said travel path only deviates from the predetermined route for a portion of the predetermined route.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said travel path includes a portion of the route that is the same as the predetermined route.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said deviation is random.

8. The method of claim 1 further including the step of ensuring the AGV stays within a selected distance range of the predetermined route after the deviation from the predetermined route is applied.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the selected distance range may vary along the predetermined route.

10. The method of claim 8 further including the step of correcting the travel path when the AGV is outside the selected distance range.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the deviation may include a varying of the radius of a turn along the predetermined path, angling the travel path relative to the predetermined route, offsetting the travel path from the predetermined route, varying the expected distance of travel along the predetermined route before performing a directional operation with the AGV, or a combination of the foregoing.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the system includes a destination station to which the predetermined route extends and wherein said method further includes the step of correcting the travel path of the AGV to substantially match the predetermined route before the AGV reaches the destination station.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the controller is located on the AGV

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the controller is centrally located and in communication with a plurality of AGVs.

15. A method of controlling a plurality of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) between stations along predetermined routes, said method comprising:

instructing a first AGV to follow a predetermined route to a destination station;

applying a deviation to the travel path of the first AGV so that the travel path of the first AGV does not match the predetermined route;

instructing a second AGV to follow said predetermined route to said destination station; and

applying a deviation to the travel path of the second AGV so that the travel path of the second AGV does not match the travel path of the first AGV.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said applied deviations are random.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said applied deviations include deviations in the turning radius of a vehicle, deviations in the distance traveled before performing a directional control operation with the AGV, an offset distance from the predetermined route, angling of the travel path relative to the predetermined route, or combinations of the above.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of applying a deviation includes applying multiple minor deviations along the predetermined route to vary the travel path from the predetermined route.

19. The method of claim 15 further including the step of correcting the travel path if the AGV is displaced from the predetermined route by a greater than allowed range.

20. The method of claim 15 further including the step of matching the travel path to the predetermined route before the AGV reaches the station.

21. An automatic guided vehicle including a guidance system for guiding a vehicle along a route comprising:

a detection system for detecting data relating to the route;

a controller for using said data to selectively calculate a travel path having at least a portion different from the route.