AGV control system and method

• US 7,305,287 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2004
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Tae-Eun
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CUONG H
• Application Number:
  US10/767,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20050080524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23- 24, 701/27, 180/168, 318/587, 340/988
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0289 with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

An automated guided vehicle control system and method which allows overall conveying time to be reduced by simultaneously moving a plurality of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) to working locations without interfering with each other. For this purpose, when there is a conveyance request, one of a plurality of the AGVs operated on a single guide path is assigned work. Further, it is determined whether another automated guided vehicle moving to a working location exists on the guide path. Also information on current and working locations of the automated guided vehicles is read if the automated guided vehicle moving to the working location exists on the guide path. Further, it is determined whether simultaneous movements are possible based on the read information. The automated guided vehicle waiting for work is moved if the simultaneous movements are possible. Accordingly, the overall convey time is reduced by simultaneously moving the AGVs to working locations or by previously moving the AGVs to optimal locations without interfering with each other, so that conveying efficiency of the AGVs is improved.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a plurality of automated guided vehicles operated on a single guide path, comprising:

assigning work to another automated guided vehicle waiting for work when there is a conveyance request;

determining whether an automated guided vehicle moving to a working location exists on the guide path;

reading information on respective current and working locations of the automated guided vehicle and the other automated guided vehicle if the automated guided vehicle moving to the working location exists on the guide path;

determining whether movement along the guide path by the other automated guided vehicle to perform the work assigned thereto can be conducted concurrently with the movement along the guide path by the automated guided vehicle based on the read information; and

moving the other automated guided vehicle along the guide path if the movements can be conducted concurrently.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the automated guided vehicle and the other automated guided vehicle would interfere with each other on the single guide path based on the read information; and

determining whether the movements can be conducted concurrently according to the respective current locations and working locations of the automated guided vehicle and the other automated guided vehicle, a distance between the working locations of the automated guided vehicle and the other automated guided vehicle, and respective moving directions of the automated guided vehicle and the other automated guided vehicle.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein it is determined that the movements can be conducted concurrently if the distance between the working locations of the automated guided vehicle and the other automated guided vehicle is longer than a predetermined distance, the moving directions of the automated guided vehicle and the other automated guided vehicle are the same, and the working location of the automated guided lies on a path of movement of the other automated guided vehicle.

4. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the automated guided vehicle waiting for work is moved to a predetermined location if it is determined that the movements cannot be conducted concurrently.

5. An automated guided vehicle control system, comprising:

a plurality of automated guided vehicles operated on a single guide path;

a host computer to transmit a conveyance request to move articles from a predetermined loading location to a predetermined unloading location; and

a control unit to assign work to an automated guided vehicle waiting for work according to the conveyance request from the host computer, to read information on respective current locations and working locations of the automated guided vehicles if the automated guided vehicles are moving to respective working locations on the single guide path, to determine if movements by the automated guided vehicle waiting for work may be conducted on the single guide path concurrently with movements along the single guide path by the automated guided vehicles based on the read information, and to move the automated guided vehicle waiting for work along the single guide path to a working location thereon if the movements of the automated guided vehicles and the automated guided vehicle waiting for work can be conducted concurrently.

6. The automated guided vehicle control system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the control unit determines whether the movements can be conducted concurrently based on the read information on the respective current locations and working locations of the automated guided vehicles and the automated guided vehicle waiting for work and respective moving directions of the automated guided vehicles and the automated guided vehicle waiting for work.

7. The automated guided vehicle control system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the control unit determines that the simultaneous movements can be conducted concurrently if the respective distance between the working locations of the automated guided vehicles and the automated guided vehicle waiting for work is longer than a predetermined distance, the respective moving directions of the automated guided vehicles and the automated guided vehicle waiting for work are the same, and the working location of the automated guided vehicle moving to the working location lies on a path of movement of the automated guided vehicle waiting for work.

8. The automated guided vehicle control system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the control unit moves the automated guided vehicle waiting for work to a location spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the working location thereof if it is determined that the movements of the automated guided vehicles and the automated guided vehicle waiting for work cannot be conducted concurrently.

9. A method of controlling a plurality of automated guided vehicles operated on a single guide path, comprising:

assigning work to an automated guided vehicle waiting for work on the guide path while at least one other automated guided vehicle moving to a working location exists on the guide path; and

moving the automated guided vehicle waiting for work along the guide path to perform the assigned work whenever it is determined that movements of both the automated guided vehicle waiting for work and the automated guided vehicle moving to a working location can be conducted concurrently on the guide path without interference between the two automated guided vehicles.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the determining operation includes reading information on respective current and working locations of the two automated guided vehicles if the automated guided vehicle moving to the working location exists is present on the guide path.

11. An automated guided vehicle control system, comprising:

a plurality of automated guided vehicles operated on a single guide path;

a host computer to transmit a conveyance request to move articles from a predetermined loading location to a predetermined unloading location on the single guide path; and

a control unit to assign work to one of the automated guided vehicles waiting for work according to the conveyance request from the host computer upon a positive determination that an automated guided vehicle is moving on the single guide path and to move the automated guided vehicle waiting for work along the single guide path toward the unloading location whenever it is determined that movements along the single guide path of the automated guided vehicle waiting for work and the automated guided vehicle already moving along the single guide path can be conducted concurrently without interference between the two automated guided vehicles.

12. The automated guided vehicle control system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the control unit determines whether the movements can be conducted concurrently based on respective current locations and working locations of the automated guided vehicles and moving directions of the automated guided vehicles.

13. The automated guided vehicle control system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the control system determines that the movements can be conducted concurrently if the distance between the respective working locations of the two automated guided vehicles is longer than a predetermined distance, the respective moving directions of the two automated guided vehicles are same, and the working location of the automated guided vehicle moving to the working location lies on a path of movement of the automated guided vehicle waiting for work.

14. The automated guided vehicle control system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the control unit moves the automated guided vehicle waiting for work to a location spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the working location if it is determined that the movements cannot be conducted concurrently.

15. A method of controlling automated guided vehicles comprising:

assigning a work task to an idle automated guided vehicle, the work task to be performed on a single guide path;

determining a presence of a working automated guided vehicle moving on the single guide path to perform another work task; and

receiving respective instructions by the idle automated guided vehicle and the working automated guided vehicle from a central controller upon a positive determination that the working automated guided vehicle is present on the single guide path such that respective movement along the single guide path of the idle automated guided vehicle and the working automated guided vehicle is conducted concurrently to perform the work task and the other work task.