METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING CHARGE OF AUTOMATED GUIDED VEHICLE

• US 20100308769A1
• Filed: 12/15/2008
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Baba, Hiroyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,288,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/38 with automatic control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/44 Industrial trucks or floor conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/063 Automatically guided
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31004 Move vehicle to battery charge or maintenance area
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

While construction is easily applied to a line, a main route and a charge route can always be managed so as to accommodate a fixed number of vehicles without delaying conveyance along the main route even if the number of fully-charged AGVs (automated guided vehicles) is large or zero, whereby smooth operation of the line is not hampered. A method for managing charge of a plurality of battery-driven AGVs circulating on the main route provided with an automatic charge station includes: a first step of detecting, using an AGV, a marker for battery voltage check provided on a main route to measure the voltage of a battery of the AGV; a second step of changing the route of the AGV to advance it into a charge route provided in an automatic charge station, stopping the AGV in a charging position, and charging the battery automatically by using an automatic charger, if the measured battery voltage has lowered to a level requiring charging; and a third step of conveying the AGV that has been automatically charged to a standby place provided in the automatic charge station to make the AGV stand by at the standby place, and restoring the AGV with charged battery that is waiting at the standby place back to the main route.

Claims

1. A method for managing charge of automated guided vehicles that manages charge of each of a plurality of automated guided vehicles circulating, driven by power of a battery, on a loop-shaped main route provided with an automatic charge station therein, the method comprising:

a first step of detecting, using the automated guided vehicle, a marker for battery voltage check provided in a desired position on the main route to measure the voltage of the battery built into the automated guided vehicle;

a second step of changing the route of the automated guided vehicle to advance it into a charge route provided in the automatic charge station, stopping the automated guided vehicle in a predetermined charging position, and charging the battery of the automated guided vehicle automatically by using an automatic charger, if the battery voltage measured in the first step has lowered to a level requiring charging; and

a third step of conveying the automated guided vehicle that has been automatically charged in the second step to a fully-charged AGV standby place the automated guided vehicle with charged battery provided in the automatic charge station, to make the automated guided vehicle stand by at the standby place, and restoring the automated guided vehicle with charged battery that is waiting at the standby place back to the main route,

wherein the automatic charge station is provided with the plurality of automatic chargers;

in the second step, the automated guided vehicle that has changed the route so as to advance into the charge route is adapted to stop at the charging position of the automatic chargers that are not in use among the plurality of the automatic chargers, so that battery of the automated guided vehicle is automatically charged with the unused automatic charger; and

in the third step, in case that the automated guided vehicle with charged battery is not placed at the standby place, and there are the plurality of the automated guided vehicles during charge at the plurality of automatic chargers, the automated guided vehicles that need more time for charge than the others will advance first, and

wherein the automated guided vehicle is of a tractor type optionally separated from or connected to a conveying carriage, and the automated guided vehicle is separated from the conveying carriage when advanced by changing a route from the main route into the charge route, and

the automated guided vehicle to be restored back to the main route is connected to the conveying carriage left on the main route and returned to normal travel along the main route.

2. The method for managing charge of automated guided vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the automated guided vehicle currently being automatically charged in the second step is restored back to the main route without making the automated guided vehicle stand by at the standby place, if no automated guided vehicle with charged battery is waiting at the standby place in the third step.

3. A system for managing charge of automated guided vehicles that manages charge of each of a plurality of automated guided vehicles circulating, driven by power of a battery, on a loop-shaped main route provided with an automatic charge station therein, wherein:

the system comprises a marker for battery voltage check that is optionally detected by the automated guided vehicle while traveling along the main route;

the automatic charge station comprises a charge route branching from the main route, forming a loop, and returning to the main route, the charge route having therein an automatic charger that automatically charges the battery of the automated guided vehicle that has advanced into the charge route and stopped in a predetermined charging position, and a standby place in which the automated guided vehicle with charged battery stands by between the automatic charger and a return port to the main route;

the automated guided vehicle comprises a battery voltage measuring device that measures the voltage of the battery built into the automated guided vehicle by detecting the marker;

the system further comprises a control means device that, if the battery voltage measured by the battery voltage measuring device has lowered to a level requiring charging, changes the route of the automated guided vehicle to advance it into the charge route provided in the automatic charge station, stops the automated guided vehicle in the charging position, conveys the automated guided vehicle that has been automatically charged to the standby place, makes the automated guided vehicle stand by at the standby place, and restores the automated guided vehicle with charged battery that is waiting at the standby place back to the main route;

the automatic charge station is provided with the plurality of automatic chargers;

the control device makes the automated guided vehicle that has changed the route so as to advance into the charge route to stop at the charging position of the automatic chargers that are not in use among the plurality of the automatic chargers so that the batteries of the automated guided vehicles are automatically charged with the unused automatic chargers, and in case that the automated guided vehicle with charged battery is not placed at the standby place, and there are the plurality of the automated guided vehicles during charge at the plurality of automatic chargers, the automated guided vehicles that need more time for charge than the others will advance first;

the automated guided vehicle is of a tractor type optionally separated from or connected to a conveying carriage, and the automated guided vehicle is separated from the conveying carriage when advanced by changing a route from the main route into the charge route; and

the automated guided vehicle to be restored back to the main route is connected to the conveying carriage left on the main route and returned to normal travel along the main route.

4. The system for managing charge of automated guided vehicles according to claim 3, wherein the control device restores the automated guided vehicle currently being charged back to the main route without making the automated guided vehicle stand by at the standby place, if no automated guided vehicle with charged battery is waiting at the standby place.