# US 10,479,613 B2 · Transport system and transport method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,479,613 B2 - Document ID: US10479613B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/776,796 - Filed: 2016-10-13 - Published: 2018-12-27 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-27 - Assignees: Murata Machinery, Ltd. - Applicants: Murata Machinery, Ltd. - Inventors: Kazumi Harasaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10479613B2 ## CPC - B65G 43/10: Sequence control of conveyors operating in combination - B65G 1/0457: {with suspended load carriers} - G05D 1/02: Control of position or course in two dimensions - H10P 72/0608: {of substrates stored in a container, a magazine, a carrier, a boat or the like} - H10P 72/0612: {Production flow monitoring, e.g. for increasing throughput} - H10P 72/3202: {Mechanical details, e.g. rollers or belts} - H10P 72/3208: {Changing the direction of the conveying path} - H10P 72/3214: {by means of a cart or a vehicle} - H10P 72/3218: {Conveying cassettes, containers or carriers} - H10P 72/3221: {Overhead conveying} - B65G 35/06: comprising a load-carrier moving along a path, e.g. a closed path, and adapted to be engaged by any one of a series of traction elements spaced along the path (effecting drive at two or more points spaced along the length of an endless conveyor B65G23/32) - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A transport system includes a track, overhead transport vehicles, and a controller. The controller provides a traveling command to travel to a destination point, to a first overhead transport vehicle that is able to receive a transport command to acquire a FOUP from a station and that is less than a first distance from the station. When a second of the overhead transport vehicles that is able to receive the transport command and is less than the first distance from the station, is detected before providing the transport command to the overhead first transport vehicle, the controller provides the traveling command to the second overhead transport vehicle. Then, the controller provides the transport command to the one of the first and second overhead transport vehicles that first passes through the destination point. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A transport system comprising: a track; a plurality of transport vehicles that travel along the track and convey a transported object to at least a station; and a controller configured or programmed to perform communication with and control behavior of respective transport vehicles of the plurality of transport vehicles; wherein in a case that a grip-load request to acquire the transported object from the station is present, the controller is configured or programmed to: detect that a first transport vehicle of the plurality of transport vehicles is able to receive a transport command corresponding to the grip-load request and is closest to the station, and provide to the first transport vehicle a traveling command to travel to a destination point that is a junction closest to the station among a plurality of junctions on an upstream side of the station; before providing the transport command, detect that a second transport vehicle of the plurality of transport vehicles is able to receive the transport command and is closest to the station, and provide the traveling command to the second transport vehicle; and provide the transport command to one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle that first reaches the destination point. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured or programmed to transmit a delete command to one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle that is not closest to the station to delete the traveling command. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured or programmed to monitor states of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle, and transmit a delete command to one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle that satisfies a deletion condition to delete the traveling command. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The transport system according to claim 1, wherein one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle transmits a just-before-arrival report to the controller upon reaching a just-before-arrival point that is at a second distance from the destination point; and the controller provides the transport command to the one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle that transmitted the just-before-arrival report. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The transport system according to claim 4, wherein the one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle to which the traveling command has been provided transmits to the controller, from an upstream side of the destination point, a passage permission request to request a permission to pass through the destination point; the controller, upon receiving the passage permission request, transmits a passage permission to the one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle that transmitted the passage permission request when the one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle that transmitted the passage permission request is able to pass through the destination point; and the one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle that transmitted the passage permission request transmits the just-before-arrival report to the controller upon reaching the just-before-arrival point. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The transport system according to claim 4, wherein, in a case where the traveling command has been provided to only one of the plurality of transport vehicles, the controller provides the transport command to at least one of the plurality of transport vehicles other than the only one of the plurality of transport vehicles when the just-before-arrival report is not received from the only one of the plurality of transport vehicles despite reaching the just-before-arrival point. ### Claim 7 A transport method executed in a transport system including a track, a plurality of transport vehicles that travel along the track and convey a transported object to at least a station, and a controller configured or programmed to perform communication with and control behavior of respective transport vehicles of the plurality of transport vehicles, the transport method comprising: determining that a grip-load request to acquire the transported object from the station is present; detecting that a first transport vehicle of the plurality of transport vehicles is able to receive a transport command corresponding to the grip-load request and is closest to the station, and providing to the first transport vehicle a traveling command to travel to a destination point that is a junction closest to the station among a plurality of junctions on an upstream side of the station; before providing the transport command, detecting that a second transport vehicle of the plurality of transport vehicles is able to receive the transport command and is closest to the station, and providing the traveling command to the second transport vehicle; and providing the transport command to one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle that first reaches the destination point. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The transport method according to claim 7, further comprising transmitting a delete command to one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle that is not closest to the station to delete the traveling command. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The transport method according to claim 7, further comprising monitoring states of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle, and transmitting a delete command to one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle that satisfies a deletion condition to delete the traveling command. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The transport method according to claim 7, wherein one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle transmits a just-before-arrival report to the controller upon reaching a just-before-arrival point that is at a second distance from the destination point; and the controller provides the transport command to the one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle that transmitted the just-before-arrival report. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The transport method according to claim 10, wherein the one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle to which the traveling command has been provided transmits to the controller, from an upstream side of the destination point, a passage permission request to request a permission to pass through the destination point; the controller, upon receiving the passage permission request, transmits a passage permission to the one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle that transmitted the passage permission request when the one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle that transmitted the passage permission request is able to pass through the destination point; and the one of the first transport vehicle and the second transport vehicle that transmitted the passage permission request transmits the just-before-arrival report to the controller upon reaching the just-before-arrival point. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The transport method according to claim 10, wherein, in a case where the traveling command has been provided to only one of the plurality of transport vehicles, the controller provides the transport command to at least one of the plurality of transport vehicles other than the only one of the plurality of transport vehicles when the just-before-arrival report is not received from the only one of the plurality of transport vehicles despite reaching the just-before-arrival point.