Automatic guided vehicle system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An automatic guided vehicle (AGV) system, that is expandable by means of a hierarchy of command sectors, said AGV system having vehicles guided along a pathway between pick-up and delivery stations within a facility, comprising:
- means defining a guide path for automatic guided vehicles;
a plurality of pick-up and delivery stands disposed along said guide path;
means defining a plurality of intersections disposed along said guide path;
a plurality of automatically guided vehicles for movement along said guide path;
a host computer for controlling and guiding the automatically guided vehicles along said guide path;
at least one control box of a plurality of control boxes for communicating with and controlling said plurality of automatically guided vehicles within said pick-up and delivery stands;
a hyper driver for passing information between said plurality of control boxes and a local area controller means;
a local area controller means which interfaces with said host computer and controls pick-up and delivery within said plurality of pick-up and delivery stands via said control boxes; and
a plurality of intersection controllers operatively associated with each intersection of said plurality of intersections for maintaining traffic flow within each intersection, each of said intersection controllers operatively and communicatively connected to said local area controller means via said hyper driver and a respective control box to provide traffic information to said local area controller means and said host computer.
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Abstract
An AGV and guidance system for transporting material between at least two pickup and delivery stands. The AGV has a chassis for carrying objects. A computer processor is supported by the chassis for controlling and monitoring AGV operation. An interactive display is connected to the computer processor and mounted on the chassis for displaying status, current assignment and diagnostic information relating to AGV operation.
122 Citations
27 Claims
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1. An automatic guided vehicle (AGV) system, that is expandable by means of a hierarchy of command sectors, said AGV system having vehicles guided along a pathway between pick-up and delivery stations within a facility, comprising:
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means defining a guide path for automatic guided vehicles; a plurality of pick-up and delivery stands disposed along said guide path; means defining a plurality of intersections disposed along said guide path; a plurality of automatically guided vehicles for movement along said guide path; a host computer for controlling and guiding the automatically guided vehicles along said guide path; at least one control box of a plurality of control boxes for communicating with and controlling said plurality of automatically guided vehicles within said pick-up and delivery stands; a hyper driver for passing information between said plurality of control boxes and a local area controller means; a local area controller means which interfaces with said host computer and controls pick-up and delivery within said plurality of pick-up and delivery stands via said control boxes; and a plurality of intersection controllers operatively associated with each intersection of said plurality of intersections for maintaining traffic flow within each intersection, each of said intersection controllers operatively and communicatively connected to said local area controller means via said hyper driver and a respective control box to provide traffic information to said local area controller means and said host computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An automatic guided vehicle (AGV) system being expandable by virtue of a hierarchy of command architecture, and having vehicles guided along a pathway between pick-up and delivery stations within a facility, comprising:
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means defining a guide path for automatically guided vehicles, including a number of intersections; a plurality of pick-up and delivery stands disposed along said guide path; a plurality of automatically guided vehicles for movement along said guide path, each automatically guided vehicle having an on-board computer; a host computer for controlling and guiding the automatically guided vehicles along said guide path; control means disposed along said guide path and operatively connected to said host computer for controlling pick-up and delivery within said plurality of pick-up and delivery stands, said control means further including a local area controller that interfaces with said host computer, and a plurality of pick-up and delivery control boxes, each pick-up and delivery control box of said plurality of pick-up and delivery control boxes disposed between said local area controller and said pick-up and delivery stands for communicating information to said host computer with respect to availability of said pick-up and delivery stands; and traffic control mean disposed along said guide path and operatively connected to said host computer for maintaining traffic flow within each intersection. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification