Automated guided vehicle system

• US 9,864,371 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2015
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John Bean Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: John Bean Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Douglas, Barry, Weninger, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Application Number:
  US14/664,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20160266578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 701117, 701 23, 701 25, 701410
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0231 using optical position detecting means position-fixing by using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. optical position detecting means G01S5/16
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0282 generated in a local control room
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room

Abstract

AGVs receive instructions regarding tasks to be performed via localized wireless I/O communication devices (604) onboard the AGVs from localized wireless communications units (600) positioned about the facility, for example, at conveyors (202). The wireless communications units (600) utilize I/O devices (604) which have a limited range so as to be truly localized in their operation. The AGVs have a sophisticated onboard control system (130) that includes a destination determination system (140), a routing system (142), a navigation system (144), and a crash avoidance system.

Claims

1. A decentralized automated guided vehicle (AGV) system for a facility operating without a centralized host control system, comprising:

a. one or more AGVs into which functionalities of a facilities host control system have been incorporated;

b. a control system onboard the AGV, said control system comprising;

a computer processor;

a memory unit;

a limited operating distance communications unit utilizing wireless input/output (“

I/O”

) for receiving and sending limited operating distance communications, including task(s) and instruction(s) to be performed to the AGV;

a routing system for determining travel routes for the AGV to perform the required task; and

a navigation system to direct the AGV along the determined travel route while avoiding other AGVs and impediments along the travel route; and

c. a plurality of limited operating distance facility communications units positioned at locations about the facility where tasks are to be performed, comprising utilizing limited operating distance wireless I/O to provide instructions directly to AGVs within the operating distance of the wireless I/O for tasks to be performed by the AGVs, and also to receive instructions or information directly from the AGVs regarding the tasks being performed by the AGVs.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the onboard communications unit of the control system and/or the facility communications unit utilizes digital signals and comprising a processor or programmable logic controller (“

PLC”

) to interpret signals and logically filter signals to facilitate communications between the communications unit onboard the AGV and the communications unit of the facility.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the onboard communications unit and/or facility communications unit utilizes serial wireless I/O communications employing a predetermined messaging protocol.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said onboard control system further comprises a destination determination system to determine one or more destinations to which the AGV needs to travel to perform assigned task(s).

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the destination determination system determines the one or more destinations to which the AGV needs to travel to perform designated tasks, by one or more of the following:

a. using the destination information provided in the instructions sent to the AGV communications unit by the facility communications unit;

b. using a look-up table stored in the memory of the AGV control system that provides corresponding destination(s) based on the task communicated to the AGV;

or

c. querying a facility communications unit that has the capacity to provide the required destination information to the AGV.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the facility communications units are operably connected to one or more of the following facility locations or functions:

a manually operable control wireless I/O unit;

production machinery;

conveyor;

storage location;

loading dock;

battery charging station;

battery exchange station;

door;

elevator;

ramp; and

gate.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the communications unit of the AGV control system optionally comprises a wireless local area network (LAN) receiver/transmitter capable of communicating with the facility wireless LAN (WLAN).

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said routing system comprises a collision avoidance procedure, whereby an AGV broadcasts a coded signal via its wireless I/O communications unit while traveling in a restricted area to enable other AGVs in the vicinity to receive the coded signal and thereupon refrain from entering the restricted area during the transmission of the coded signal by the AGV traveling through the restricted area.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the navigation system of the control system comprises one or both:

a. a laser navigation that transmits signals that are reflected back to the navigation system by targets positioned at known locations about the facility; and

b. a natural navigation system using existing facility features that are mapped by the natural navigation system and then sensed by the natural navigation system during travel of the AGV, thereby to determine the location of the AGV.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the AGV control system is adapted to receive data pertaining to the task being performed from the facility wireless I/O communications unit when task instructions are provided to the AGV, said task data being stored onboard the AGV and then the AGV transmitting the stored task data to a facility wireless I/O communications unit at the location of the completion of the task.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the task being performed is the pick and drop of a load, and the task instructions providing information about the load being transported.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless I/O used by the communications units operates in a radio frequency range.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the radio frequency ranges is between 3 KHz and 300 GHz.

26. The method according to claim 13, wherein the wireless frequency of the I/O communications unit operates within a radio frequency range.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the radio frequency ranges from 3 kHz to 300 GHz.

14. A method of operating a decentralized materials handling system at a facility operating without a centralized host control system utilizing one or more automated guided vehicles (AGVs), into which functionalities of a facilities host control system have been incorporated, the method comprising:

using facility based, limited operating distance wireless I/O communications units to communicate to the AGVs instructions for tasks to be performed by the AGVs, said AGVs fitted with wireless I/O communication units;

receiving the task instructions by the AGV through the AGV'"'"'s limited operating distance wireless I/O communications units;

using a route determination system onboard the AGV to determine a travel route for the AGV if the AGV is required to travel to one or more locations to perform the assigned task;

using a navigation system onboard the AGV during travel to the one or more required locations via the determined route and avoiding other AGVs or other impediments along the determined route; and

communicating via the wireless I/O communication unit of the AGV the completion of the assigned task.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the wireless I/O communications unit of the AGV or the wireless I/O communications unit of the facility utilizes digital signals and a processor or PLC to interpret said signals and logically filter said signals to facilitate communication between the wireless I/O communications unit on the AGV and the wireless I/O communications unit located at the facility.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the wireless I/O communications units onboard the AGV and/or the wireless I/O communications units located at the facility utilizes serial wireless communications employing predetermined messaging protocol.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising using a destination determining system onboard the AGV to determine the one or more destinations that the AGV needs to travel to perform its tasks.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the destination determining system determining the one or more destinations by:

a. using the destination information provided with the task instructions sent to the AGV by the wireless I/O communications unit of the facility;

b. utilizing a look-up table stored on the AGV that provides destinations corresponding to specified task; and

c. querying a facility wireless I/O communications unit that is capable of providing the required destination information for the AGV.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the one or more facility based wireless I/O communications units are operationally connected to one or more of the following:

a control wireless I/O unit manually operable to send instructions to the AGV;

facility production machinery;

facility conveyor;

facility storage location;

loading dock;

facility battery charging station;

facility battery exchange station;

facility doors;

facility elevator;

facility gate; and

facility powered ramp.

20. The method according to claim 14, further comprising transmitting communications from the AGV via the wireless I/O communications unit onboard the AGV to one or more locations at the facility associated with the AGV traveling to a destination to perform an assigned task.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the locations at the facility are selected from the group consisting of production units, manufacturing equipment, conveyors, doors, elevators, drop locations, storage locations, loading docks, powered ramps, and gates.

22. The method according to claim 14, wherein the AGV avoids collisions with other AGVs by broadcasting a coded signal via the AGV'"'"'s wireless I/O communications units while traveling around a corner or in a restricted area, thereby to enable other AGVs in the vicinity to receive the coded signal and thereupon not enter the corner or the restricted area during the transmission of the coded signal by the AGV traveling around the corner or through the restricted area.

23. The method according to claim 14, wherein the AGV navigates along a determined travel route by use of one or both:

a laser navigation system that receives signals transmitted by the laser system that are reflected from targets positioned about the facility at known locations; and

a natural navigation system using existing facility features that the navigation system has mapped so that the navigation system can determine the location of the AGV by recognizing the mapped facility features during the travel of the AGV.

24. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the AGV receiving data about the task being performed from the pickup instructions sent to the AGV by the facility wireless I/O communications unit, the AGV storing the task data onboard the AGV and the AGV transmitting the task data to the facility wireless I/O communications unit at the location of the completion of the task.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the task being performed is the pick and drop of a load, and the task instructions providing information about the load being transported.