Work transfer system, route setting method, and route setting program

• US 20090099686A1
• Filed: 02/10/2006
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hirata Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hirata Corporation, Hirata Software Technology Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kandabashi, Tsugumitsu, Uchimura, Keiichi, Hu, Zhencheng, Yoshikawa, Takeru
• Granted Patent: US 7,801,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/228
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0478 for matrix-arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 37/02 Flow-sheets for conveyor combinations in warehouses, magazines or workshops
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 43/10 Sequence control of conveyors operating in combination
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41895 using automatic guided vehicles [AGV] control of position or course of AGV's G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/135 Associated with semiconductor wafer handling

Abstract

A route setting method according to the present invention sets, in a work transfer system including a plurality of work transfer units which connect a plurality of loading places to a plurality of unloading places, a route of the work transfer units to pass a work between a planned loading place and a planned unloading place which are required to transfer the work in the plurality of loading places and the plurality of unloading places. The route setting method includes the steps of setting, based on layout information representing a layout of the plurality of work transfer units, a plurality of candidates of the route between the planned loading place and the planned unloading place, and selecting, based on a predetermined condition, one route from the plurality of candidates of the route set in the candidate setting step.

Claims

1. A work transfer system including a plurality of work transfer units which connect a plurality of loading places to a plurality of unloading places, the system comprising:

a layout information database which stores layout information representing a layout of the plurality of work transfer units; and

route setting means for setting, based on the layout information, a route of the work transfer units to pass a work between a planned loading place and a planned unloading place which are required to transfer the work in the plurality of loading places and the plurality of unloading places,

wherein said route setting means comprising;

candidate setting means for setting a plurality of candidates of the route between the planned loading place and the planned unloading place; and

route selection means for selecting, based on a predetermined condition, one route from the plurality of candidates of the route set by said candidate setting means.

2. The work transfer system according to claim 1, wherein said candidate setting means sets, as a via point, each of the plurality of work transfer units capable of passing the work between the planned loading place and the planned unloading place and sets a shortest route as the candidate of the route for each via point.

3. The work transfer system according to claim 1, wherein said route selection means selects one route based on a transfer time of the work.

4. The work transfer system according to claim 1, wherein said route selection means calculates a route selection evaluated value based on a transfer time without interference with another work and a transfer time including a wait time for avoiding interference with another work which has an already set route, and

selects one route based on the route selection evaluated value.

5. The work transfer system according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising determination means for determining whether to start transferring the work at a planned transfer start time through the route set by said route setting means,

said determination means calculating a transfer start evaluated value based on a transfer time without interference with another work and a transfer time including a wait time for avoiding interference with another work which has an already set route when the work is transferred through the route set by said route setting means, and

determining whether to start transferring the work at the planned transfer start time based on the transfer start evaluated value.

6. The work transfer system according to claim 1, wherein said layout information database stores a work transfer time of each of the work transfer units.

7. The work transfer system according to claim 1, further comprising a database which stores, for each work whose route is set by said route setting means, a planned transfer start time of the work and a planned passage time of the work in each of the work transfer units on the route.

8. The work transfer system according to claim 1, further comprising control means for controlling the work transfer units to transfer the work through the route set by said route setting means.

9. The work transfer system according to claim 8, wherein said control means controls the work transfer units to transfer a work having a route that is early set by said route setting means with a higher priority than a work having a route that is set later.

10. The work transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of work transfer units comprise a plurality of work transfer units which transfer the work in one direction and a plurality of work transfer units capable of changing a work transfer direction.

11. The work transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the layout information represents each of the work transfer units and a work transfer direction between the work transfer units.

12. A route setting method of, in a work transfer system including a plurality of work transfer units which connect a plurality of loading places to a plurality of unloading places, setting a route of the work transfer units to pass a work between a planned loading place and a planned unloading place which are required to transfer the work in the plurality of loading places and the plurality of unloading places, the method comprising the steps of:

setting, based on layout information representing a layout of the plurality of work transfer units, a plurality of candidates of the route between the planned loading place and the planned unloading place; and

selecting, based on a predetermined condition, one route from the plurality of candidates of the route set in the candidate setting step.

13. A route setting program which causes a computer to execute a process of, in a work transfer system comprising a plurality of work transfer units which connect a plurality of loading places to a plurality of unloading places, setting a route of the work transfer units to pass a work between a planned loading place and a planned unloading place which are required to transfer the work in the plurality of loading places and the plurality of unloading places, the process comprising the steps of:

setting, based on layout information representing a layout of the plurality of work transfer units, a plurality of candidates of the route between the planned loading place and the planned unloading place; and

selecting, based on a predetermined condition, one route from the plurality of candidates of the route set in the candidate setting step.