# US 11,440,734 B2 · Article transport system

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,440,734 B2
- Document ID: US11440734B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/810,195
- Filed: 2020-03-05
- Published: 2020-09-24
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2019-03-18
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Yukihiro Kobayashi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440734B2

## CPC

- B65G 1/1378: {the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas}
- B65G 1/1371: {with data records}
- B65G 1/1373: {for fulfilling orders in warehouses}
- G06K 7/10445: {the record carriers being fixed to further objects, e.g. RFIDs fixed to packages, luggage, mail-pieces or work-pieces transported on a conveyor belt}
- G06K 7/1417: {2D bar codes}
- G06K 19/0723: {the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs}
- G06Q 10/083: Shipping
- G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
- G06Q 10/0877: {by inventory control or reporting using inventory tracking or counting}
- B23P 2700/50: Other automobile vehicle parts, i.e. manufactured in assembly lines
- B65G 2203/046: RFID
- 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)
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q)

## Abstract

With a parts supply system in which a plurality of parts boxes is transported by a trolley while the parts boxes are unloaded from the trolley at respectively corresponding part-supply places provided on a parts transport route, progress status of supply of the parts boxes to respective unloading places is determined. Information of RFID tags T1 to T10 respectively applied to a plurality of parts boxes B1 to B10 is read by ID tag reading devices 4A, 4B and 4C respectively mounted on trolleys 21, 22 and 23. Thus, the respective parts boxes B1 to B10 that exist on the trolleys 21, 22 and 23 are identified, and information is generated on the progress status of supply of the respective parts boxes B1 to B10 to the part-supply places. Thus, the progress status of the supply of the parts boxes B1 to B10 to the part-supply places is recognized.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An article transport system, comprising:
at least one transport vehicle configured to transport a plurality of articles along a transport route, the plurality of articles being unloaded from the at least one transport vehicle at respective unloading places along the transport route, each article of the plurality of articles corresponding to a respective unloading place of the unloading places along the transport route;
a plurality of tags, each tag of the plurality of tags being applied to a corresponding article of the plurality of articles, each tag configured to individually identify the corresponding article of the plurality of articles;
a tag reading device mounted on the at least one transport vehicle configured to read tag information of the plurality of tags; and
a progress management section configured to determine a progress status of a supply of the plurality of articles at each of the unloading places, wherein the determining of the progress status comprises determining whether the tag information, read by the tag reading device, matches an expected set of tags, based on a location of the at least one transport vehicle and a relationship between locations of the at least one transport vehicle and respective sets of tags from the plurality of tags that are to exist on the at least one transport vehicle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The article transport system according to claim 1, wherein
each tag of the plurality of tags applied to the corresponding article of the plurality of articles is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, and
the tag reading device is an ID tag reading device configured to read RFID information of the plurality of tags.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The article transport system according to claim 1, wherein
each tag of the plurality of tags applied to the corresponding article of the plurality of articles is a two-dimensional code, and
the tag reading device is a camera configured to capture an identification image of the two-dimensional code.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The article transport system according to claim 1, further comprising an information storage section configured to store an indication of the progress status determined by the progress management section.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The article transport system according to claim 4, wherein
each tag of the plurality of tags applied to the corresponding article of the plurality of articles is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, and
the tag reading device is an ID tag reading device configured to read RFID information of the plurality of tags.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The article transport system according to claim 4, wherein
each tag of the plurality of tags applied to the corresponding article of the plurality of articles is a two-dimensional code, and
the tag reading device is a camera configured to capture an identification image of the two-dimensional code.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The article transport system according to claim 1, wherein
the at least one transport vehicle is a self-propelled vehicle
that includes a control section for controlling travel of the at least one transport vehicle,
on the progress status determined by the progress management section.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The article transport system according to claim 7, wherein
each tag of the plurality of tags applied to the corresponding article of the plurality of articles is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, and
the tag reading device is an ID tag reading device configured to read RFID information of the plurality of tags.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The article transport system according to claim 7, further comprising an information storage section configured to store an indication of the progress status determined by the progress management section.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The article transport system according to claim 9, wherein
each tag of the plurality of tags applied to the corresponding article of the plurality of articles is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, and
the tag reading device is an ID tag reading device configured to read RFID information of the plurality of tags.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The article transport system according to claim 9, wherein
each tag of the plurality of tags applied to the corresponding article of the plurality of articles is a two-dimensional code, and
the tag reading device is a camera configured to capture an identification image of the two-dimensional code.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The article transport system according to claim 7, wherein
each tag of the plurality of tags applied to the corresponding article of the plurality of articles is a two-dimensional code, and
the tag reading device is a camera configured to capture an identification image of the two-dimensional code.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The article transport system according to claim 1, wherein
the at least one transport vehicle comprises at least one trolley that is towed by a tow vehicle that is driven by a worker, the at least one trolley being transported on the transport route, and
the article transport system further comprises a display device that is carried by the worker or is mounted on the tow vehicle, and is configured to display a status image based on the progress status determined by the progress management section.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The article transport system according to claim 13, wherein
each tag of the plurality of tags applied to the corresponding article of the plurality of articles is a two-dimensional code, and
the tag reading device is a camera configured to capture an identification image of the two-dimensional code.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The article transport system according to claim 13, wherein
the display device is further configured to display information of one or more articles of the plurality of articles that are to be unloaded at each respective unloading place of the unloading places along the transport route.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The article transport system according to claim 15, wherein
each tag of the plurality of tags applied to the corresponding article of the plurality of articles is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, and
the tag reading device is an ID tag reading device configured to read RFID information of the plurality of tags.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The article transport system according to claim 13, wherein
each tag of the plurality of tags applied to the corresponding article of the plurality of articles is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, and
the tag reading device is an ID tag reading device configured to read RFID information of the plurality of tags.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The article transport system according to claim 13, further comprising an information storage section configured to store an indication of the progress status determined by the progress management section.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The article transport system according to claim 18, wherein
each tag of the plurality of tags applied to the corresponding article of the plurality of articles is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, and
the tag reading device is an ID tag reading device configured to read RFID information of the plurality of tags.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The article transport system according to claim 18, wherein
each tag of the plurality of tags applied to the corresponding article of the plurality of articles is a two-dimensional code, and
the tag reading device is a camera configured to capture an identification image of the two-dimensional code.