Automatic traveling vehicle system, control method and program

• US 9,703,292 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2015
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Takufumi, Urayama, Keiichiro, Tanaka, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Oh, Harry
• Application Number:
  US14/656,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20150260535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 701 25
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/00 Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function for propulsion of purely electrically-propelled vehicles with power supplied within the vehicle B60L50/00 - B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a limited section controller includes a traffic information update unit, a determination unit, a standby position setting unit, and a traveling restart setting unit. The traffic information update unit updates delay information of the traveling vehicle near the junction. The determination unit determines whether to permit the traveling vehicle to pass based on whether there is the traveling vehicle in the limited section. The standby position setting unit sets a standby position of each of the traveling vehicles of a limited number or less present in a standby section. The traveling restart setting unit determines an approach direction into the limited section.

Claims

1. An automatic traveling vehicle system comprising:

a plurality of traveling vehicles each having a controller which automatically controls traveling of a respective one of the traveling vehicles based on respective traveling information, the traveling information indicating at least a distance between a current position and a forward vehicle;

a traveling path including a junction provided with a limited section to avoid a collision between traveling vehicles; and

a limited section controller which exercises control to determine whether to permit at least one of the traveling vehicles to pass by monitoring delay conditions of the at least one of the traveling vehicles at least near the junction in the limited section, wherein

the limited section controller comprises

a traffic information update unit configured to update delay information of the at least one of the traveling vehicles near the junction,

a determination unit configured to determine whether to permit the at least one of the traveling vehicles to pass based on whether there is another traveling vehicle in the limited section obtained from the updated delay information,

a standby position setting unit configured to set a standby position of each of a limited number or less of traveling vehicles present in a standby section before the limited section, when the limited section is not passable,

a traveling restart setting unit configured to determine an approach direction into the limited section for which traveling is restarted and causes a traveling vehicle on standby in the standby section in the approach direction to restart to travel, when the limited section is passable, and

a reallocation unit configured to partially interchange at least one of a destination, a route and a leaving direction of traveling vehicles on standby such that a time needed to finish passing through the limited section is minimized, using stored information of each of the traveling vehicles including the destination, the route, and the leaving direction of the limited section.

2. The automatic traveling vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the standby position setting unit calculates the standby position of each of the limited number or less of traveling vehicles present in the standby section and transmits information to the limited number or less of traveling vehicles.

3. The automatic traveling vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the traveling restart setting unit determines the approach direction in which traveling should be restarted next based on an approach direction passable in a past and the delay conditions of at least one of the traveling vehicles traveling in a respective one of a plurality of approach directions.

4. The automatic traveling vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the limited section controller comprises a limited number of vehicles update unit configured to update a limited number for the limited number or less of the traveling vehicles based on the delay conditions of traveling vehicles in the approach direction.

5. A control method of an automatic traveling vehicle system comprising a limited section controller which exercises control to determine whether to permit a traveling vehicle to pass by monitoring delay conditions of a plurality of traveling vehicles at least near a junction in a limited section to avoid a collision between traveling vehicles, the method comprising using the limited section controller to:

update delay information of at least one of the traveling vehicles near the junction,

determine whether to permit the at least one of the traveling vehicles to pass based on whether there is another traveling vehicle in the limited section obtained from the updated delay information,

set a standby position of each of a limited number or less of traveling vehicles of the traveling vehicles present in a standby section before the limited section, when the limited section is not passable,

determine an approach direction into the limited section for which traveling is restarted and instruct at least one of the traveling vehicles on standby in the standby section in the approach direction to restart to travel, when the limited section is passable, and

partially interchange at least one of a destination, a route, and a leaving direction of traveling vehicles on standby such that a time needed to finish passing through the limited section is minimized, using stored information on the traveling vehicles including the destination, the route, and the leaving direction of the limited section.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a computer program which is executed by a limited section controller, wherein the limited section controller exercises control to determine whether to permit a traveling vehicle to pass by monitoring delay conditions of a plurality of traveling vehicles, at least one of which is near a junction in a limited section, to avoid a collision between traveling vehicles, the computer program controlling the limited section controller to execute functions of:

updating delay information of a traveling vehicle near a junction,

determining whether to permit at least one of the traveling vehicles to pass based on whether there is another traveling vehicle in the limited section obtained from the updated delay information,

setting a standby position of each of a limited number or less of traveling vehicles of the traveling vehicles present in a standby section before the limited section, when the limited section is not passable,

determining an approach direction into the limited section for which traveling is restarted and instructing a traveling vehicle on standby in the standby section in the approach direction to restart to travel, when the limited section is passable, and

partially interchanging at least one of a destination, a route, and a leaving direction of traveling vehicles on standby such that a time needed to finish passing through the limited section is minimized, using stored information of the traveling vehicles including the route, and the leaving direction of the limited section.