Article transport facility and article transporting method
First Claim
1. An article transport facility comprising:
- a travel path including at least a first path and a second path, the travel path being defined by a rail;
a plurality of movable bodies which travel along the travel path for transporting articles;
a communication relay device for communicating wirelessly with a movable body communication device provided to each of the plurality of movable bodies;
managing device for issuing operation command information to each of the plurality of movable bodies through wireless communication between the communication relay device and the movable body communication device to manage operations of the plurality of movable bodies at a merging portion at which the first path and the second path merge with each other;
wherein each of the plurality of movable bodies includes a travel controller for controlling travel of the movable body based on the operation command information from the managing device received by the movable body communication device, whereinthe communication relay device is individually provided to each of a first merging path that extends from the first path to the merging portion, a second merging path that extends from the second path to the merging portion, and a post-merging path that includes the merging portion and extends subsequent to merging at the merging portion, whereineach said communication relay device includes an antenna portion that is provided along the first merging path, the second merging path, or the post-merging path and that is capable of communicating information wirelessly with the movable body communication device, and a relay device main body to which the antenna portion is connected through a connection line and which is capable of communicating information with the managing device through a communication line, whereinthe antenna portion is a sheet-shaped antenna that is formed to be long and to have a sheet-shape and a flat plate shaped cross-section and that forms a communication enabled region over an entire surface of the antenna portion wherein the antenna portion is arranged along a longitudinal direction of the rail such that the antenna portion is supported by the rail, whereinthe relay device main body is configured to associate movable body information obtained using the antenna portion through communication with the movable body communication device with identification information that indicates which one of the first merging path, the second merging path, and the post-merging path the antenna portion that received the movable body information is provided to, and to communicate information thus obtained to the managing device, and whereinthe managing device is configured to determine which one of the first merging path, the second merging path, and the post-merging path the movable body exists in, based on the movable body information and the identification information which are received from the relay device main body to control operations of the plurality of movable bodies.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An article transport facility in which movable bodies can merge into a merging portion while preventing collisions between the movable bodies. A communication relay device is provided to each of the first merging path, the second merging path, and the post-merging path. Each communication relay device includes an antenna portion, a relay device main body that associates movable body information obtained by communicating with the movable body communication devices using the antenna portion with identification information which indicates which one of the paths the antenna portion that received the movable body information is provided to, and that is capable of communicating the information thus obtained to the managing means. The managing means determines in which path the movable body exists to manage operations of a plurality of movable bodies based on said body information and identification information which are received from said main body.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. An article transport facility comprising:
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a travel path including at least a first path and a second path, the travel path being defined by a rail; a plurality of movable bodies which travel along the travel path for transporting articles; a communication relay device for communicating wirelessly with a movable body communication device provided to each of the plurality of movable bodies; managing device for issuing operation command information to each of the plurality of movable bodies through wireless communication between the communication relay device and the movable body communication device to manage operations of the plurality of movable bodies at a merging portion at which the first path and the second path merge with each other; wherein each of the plurality of movable bodies includes a travel controller for controlling travel of the movable body based on the operation command information from the managing device received by the movable body communication device, wherein the communication relay device is individually provided to each of a first merging path that extends from the first path to the merging portion, a second merging path that extends from the second path to the merging portion, and a post-merging path that includes the merging portion and extends subsequent to merging at the merging portion, wherein each said communication relay device includes an antenna portion that is provided along the first merging path, the second merging path, or the post-merging path and that is capable of communicating information wirelessly with the movable body communication device, and a relay device main body to which the antenna portion is connected through a connection line and which is capable of communicating information with the managing device through a communication line, wherein the antenna portion is a sheet-shaped antenna that is formed to be long and to have a sheet-shape and a flat plate shaped cross-section and that forms a communication enabled region over an entire surface of the antenna portion wherein the antenna portion is arranged along a longitudinal direction of the rail such that the antenna portion is supported by the rail, wherein the relay device main body is configured to associate movable body information obtained using the antenna portion through communication with the movable body communication device with identification information that indicates which one of the first merging path, the second merging path, and the post-merging path the antenna portion that received the movable body information is provided to, and to communicate information thus obtained to the managing device, and wherein the managing device is configured to determine which one of the first merging path, the second merging path, and the post-merging path the movable body exists in, based on the movable body information and the identification information which are received from the relay device main body to control operations of the plurality of movable bodies. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An article transporting method for an article transport facility that includes:
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a travel path including at least a first path, a second path, and a merging portion at which the first path and the second path merge with each other, the travel path being defined by a rail; a plurality of movable bodies which are configured to travel along the travel path to transport articles, and each of which includes a vehicle communication device and a travel controller; managing device for managing operation of each of the plurality of movable bodies in order to manage operations of the plurality of movable bodies at least at the merging portion; a communication relay device individually provided to each of a first merging path that extends from the first path to the merging portion, a second merging path that extends from the second path to the merging portion, and a post-merging path that includes the merging portion and extends subsequent to merging at the merging portion;
wherein each said communication relay device includes an antenna portion that is provided along the first merging path, the second merging path, or the post-merging path and that is capable of communicating information wirelessly with the movable body communication device, and a relay device main body to which the antenna portion is connected through a connection line and which is capable of communicating information with the managing device through a communication line, wherein the antenna portion is a sheet-shaped antenna that is formed to be long and to have a sheet-shape and a flat plate shaped cross-section and that forms a communication enabled region over an entire surface of the antenna portion wherein the antenna portion is arranged along a longitudinal direction of the rail such that the antenna portion is supported by the rail,the article transporting method comprising the steps of; causing the relay device main body to associate movable body information obtained using the antenna portion through communication with the movable body communication device with identification information that indicates which one of the first merging path, the second merging path, and the post-merging path the antenna portion that received the movable body information is provided to, and to communicate information thus obtained to the managing device; causing the managing device to determine which one of the first merging path, the second merging path, and the post-merging path the movable body exists in, based on the movable body information and the identification information which are received from the relay device main body, to generate operation command information, and to issue operation command information to at least one of the plurality of movable bodies through wireless communication between the said communication relay device and the said movable body communication device; and causing the travel controller to control travel of at least one of the movable bodies based on the operation command information from the managing device received by the movable body communication device. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification