Automated guided vehicle, system comprising a computer and an automated guided vehicle, method of planning a virtual track, and method of operating an automated guided vehicle

• US 9,410,811 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2014
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KUKA Laboratories GmbH (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Original Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Inventors: Pfaff, Patrick, Klein, Bjorn
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US14/263,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20150285644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 701/25, 701/23, 701/409, 701/438
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31007 Floor plan, map stored in on-board computer of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40298 Manipulator on vehicle, wheels, mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40446 Graph based
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0217 in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The invention relates to an automated guided vehicle, a system with a computer and an automated guided vehicle, a method of planning a virtual track and a method of operating an automated guided vehicle. The automated guided vehicle is to move automatically along a virtual track within an environment from a start point to an end point. The environment comprises sections connecting the start point the end point, and the intermediate point. A graph is assigned to the environment.

Claims

1. A method for planning a virtual track, along which an automated guided vehicle is to move automatically within an environment from a start point to an end point, the environment comprising intermediate points and sections connecting the intermediate points, the start point and the end point, the method comprising:

providing a graph assigned to the environment, the graph comprising nodes assigned to the intermediate points, a start node assigned to the start point, an end node assigned to the end point, and edges connecting the start node, the end node and the nodes, and being assigned to the corresponding sections, wherein information about the course of the relevant virtual track section is assigned to each of the edges, the relevant virtual track section being assigned to the corresponding sections of the environment, wherein the course of the relevant virtual track section is how the virtual track section changes with progress along the virtual track section,

automatically planning a path within the graph, the path connecting the start node and the end node, and

automatically merging virtual track sections assigned to the edges of the graph that are associated with the planned path in order to obtain the virtual track.

2. The method according to claim 1, in which the only edges considered in automatically planning the path are those associated with virtual track sections that the automated guided vehicle is able to move along automatically.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein information on at least one characteristic of the relevant section is assigned to the edges, the path being planned depending on the information on the at least one characteristic of the relevant section.

4. The method according to claim 3, in which the characteristic of the corresponding section comprises at least one of:

a length of the relevant section, a minimum width of the relevant section, a minimum height of the relevant section, the maximum permissible total mass of a vehicle travelling on the relevant section, or the maximum permissible speed of a vehicle travelling on the relevant section.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein planning the path is based on information about at least one of:

the travel behaviour or the travel ability of the automatic guided vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein possible virtual junctions between the courses of the corresponding virtual track sections are assigned to the start node, the end node and the individual nodes, the method further comprising automatically merging the virtual track sections assigned to the edges of the planned path and the relevant virtual junctions assigned to the nodes of the planned path in order to obtain the virtual track.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining the virtual track based on at least one constraint.

8. A method of operating an automated guided vehicle, configured to move automatically within an environment from a start point to an end point, comprising:

planning a virtual track, along which the automated guided vehicle should move automatically from the start point to the end point according to the method of claim 1, and

automatically moving the automated guided vehicle along the virtual track from the start point to the end point.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

automatically modifying the virtual track during the automatic movement of the automated guided vehicle from the start point to the end point based on the graph and based on detecting that a section to be driven on is impassable, and

automatically moving the automated guided vehicle along the modified virtual track to the end point.

10. An automated guided vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle base body,

a plurality of wheels rotatable mounted relative to the vehicle base body for moving the automated guided vehicle,

at least one drive coupled to at least one of the wheels to drive the corresponding wheel, and

a control unit connected to the at least one drive, in which a virtual map of an environment is stored, within which the automated guided vehicle controlled by its control unit is to move automatically from a start point along a virtual track to an end point, the environment comprising intermediate points and sections connecting the intermediate points, the start point and the end point, the control unit being configured to plan the virtual track, whereby the control unit includes program code stored on a non-transitory machine readable storage medium that, when executed by the control unit, causes the control unit to;

provide a graph assigned to the environment, the graph comprising nodes assigned to the intermediate points, a start node assigned to the start point, an end node assigned to the end point, and edges connecting the start node, the end node and the nodes, and being assigned to the corresponding sections, wherein information about the course of the relevant virtual track section is assigned to each of the edges, the relevant virtual track section being assigned to the corresponding sections of the environment, wherein the course of the relevant virtual track section is how the virtual track section changes with progress along the virtual track section,

automatically plan a path within the graph, the path connecting the start node and the end node, and

automatically merge virtual track sections assigned to the edges of the graph that are associated with the planned path in order to obtain the virtual track.

11. A system, comprising:

an automated guided vehicle, comprising;

a vehicle base body,

a plurality of wheels rotatable mounted relative to the vehicle base body for moving the automated guide vehicle,

at least one drive coupled to at least one of the wheels to drive the corresponding wheel, and

a control unit connected to the at least one drive, in which a virtual map of an environment is stored, within which the automated guided vehicle controlled by its control unit is to move automatically from a start point along a virtual track to an end point, the environment comprising intermediate points and sections connecting the intermediate points, the start point and the end point, and

a computer configured to determine the virtual track and to convey a specification of the determined virtual track to the automated guided vehicle, whereby the computer includes program code stored on a non-transitory machine readable storage medium that, when executed by the computer, causes the computer to;

provide a graph assigned to the environment, the graph comprising nodes assigned to the intermediate points, a start node assigned to the start point, an end node assigned to the end point, and edges connecting the start node, the end node and the nodes, and being assigned to the corresponding sections, wherein information about the course of the relevant virtual track section is assigned to each of the edges, the relevant virtual track section being assigned to the corresponding sections of the environment, wherein the course of the relevant virtual track section is how the virtual track section changes with progress along the virtual track section,

automatically plan a path within the graph, the path connecting the start node and the end node, and

automatically merge virtual track sections assigned to the edges of the graph that are associated with the planned path in order to obtain the virtual track.