Carriage system

• US 7,522,989 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2006
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Original Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Inventors: Matsuda, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Application Number:
  US11/368,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20060253244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701 23- 24, 701300-302, 701/205, 701/207, 701/210, 701/214, 701/117, 307/9.1, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions

Abstract

The present invention provides a carriage system which, to choose one of a plurality of running routes, can appropriately determine the congestion statuses of the running routes to choose one of them along which a carriage can reach its destination earliest. In a carriage system 10, each carriage 1 is provided with running status reporting means 1b for reporting a running status based on a running speed to a zone controller 3. The zone controller 3 is provided with congestion information generating means 3b for generating congestion information by putting together reports from the running status reporting means 1b of the carriages 1.

Claims

1. A carriage system comprising:

a plurality of carriages;

a conveyance path along which the plurality of carriages move, the conveyance path including a plurality of running routes for the carriages; and

a controller controlling the carriages,

wherein each carriage is provided with running status reporting means for evaluating its running status as the carriage travels along a particular route and reporting the running status to the controller, the running status being evaluated based on the carriage running speed along the particular route as a percentage of a standard speed specified for the particular route, and

the controller is provided with congestion information generating means for generating congestion information by putting together reports from the running status reporting means of the carriages.

2. A carriage system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is provided with congestion information transmitting means for transmitting the congestion information generated to the carriages, and each carriage is provided with running route re-searching means for re-searching for a running route on the basis of the congestion information received from the congestion information transmitting means.

3. A carriage system according to claim 2, wherein depending on the congestion level in the congestion information, the running route re-searching means re-searches a running route at an earlier encountered branch point on the basis of the congestion information.

4. A carriage system according to claim 2, wherein the running route re-searching means re-searches for a running route taking into account the weight of each route corresponding to the congestion level in the congestion information.