US 2011/0178657 A1 · GUIDED VEHICLE SYSTEM

Abstract

A guided vehicle system that achieves a higher conveyance efficiency by manipulating an exclusion control executed with respect to a junction section includes a traveling path, a plurality of guided vehicles, and a guided vehicle controller. The traveling path includes a linear section, an exit-side connecting path, and a second junction section where the linear section and the exit-side connecting path converge. The guided vehicles travel along the traveling path. The exit-side connecting path includes a standby section. The guided vehicle controller controls the movement of the guided vehicles. During a period until a prescribed number of guided vehicles has stopped in the standby section of the exit-side connecting path, the guided vehicle controller allows guided vehicles to pass from the linear section to the second junction section continuously while making guided vehicles wait at the standby section of the exit-side connecting path.

Claims21

Dependent claims

1-11. (canceled)

A guided vehicle system, comprising:

a traveling path including a first path, a second path, and a junction section where the first path and the second path merge;
a plurality of guided vehicles arranged to travel along the traveling path;
a controller arranged and programmed to control the travel of the guided vehicles;
wherein
the controller switches between a first mode, in which the controller only allows guided vehicles from the first path to travel through the junction section, and a second mode, in which the controller only allows guided vehicles from the second path to travel through the junction section;
and
in at least one of the modes, the controller switches modes when the number of guided vehicles stopped on one of the first path and the second path, from which traveling to the junction section is not permitted, reaches a prescribed number.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

13/120,944Filed 4 Sep 2009

Priority

JP 2008-24902026 Sep 2008

Published

21 Jul 2011

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

G05D 1/0272
Using internal positioning means: comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels
G05B 19/41895
Characterised by the transport system: using automatic guided vehicles [AGV]
G05D 1/0274
Using internal positioning means: using mapping information stored in a memory device
G05B 2219/31003
From computer integrated manufacturing till monitoring: supervise route, reserve route and allocate route to vehicle, avoid collision

Guided vehicle system

Life of this patent

Guided vehicle system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21