Sorting facility and status checking method for traveling carriage

A status checking method for a traveling carriage, the traveling carriage traveling along a closed path and sorting an article using a sorter device in a sorting facility for sorting articles,

• the traveling carriage including a driving device driving the sorter device,
• the sorting facility including a control device controlling the driving device wirelessly,
• the driving device including a control unit controlling the sorter device based on an instruction from the control device,
• the status checking method comprising:
• an information response instructing step of wirelessly instructing, by the control device, a control unit of a traveling carriage traveling on the path to send information about a control status of the sorter device as a response;
• an information responding step of wirelessly sending, by the control unit, information about the control status of the sorter device to the control device as a response, according to an instruction from the control device in the information response instructing step;
• a control status determining step of determining, by the control device, a control status of the sorter device by the control unit based on whether information about the control status has been sent from the control unit as a response in the information responding step and based on content of the information about the control status;
• an abnormality record retaining step of retaining, by the control unit, when the control device determines in the control status determining step that the control status of the sorter device by the control unit is abnormal, the abnormality as an abnormality record;
• a loading prohibition controlling step of performing, by the control device, when the control device determines in the control status determining step that the control status of the sorter device by the control unit is abnormal, control for prohibiting loading an article onto a traveling carriage including the control unit determined to have the abnormality;
• a reset instructing step of providing, by the control device, an instruction to reset the control unit on which the control for prohibiting loading an article is performed in the loading prohibition controlling step;
• a record acquiring step of acquiring, when the control device determines that the control status of the sorter device by the control unit is normal after the traveling carriage including the control unit subjected to the reset instruction in the reset instructing step makes a round of the path, the abnormality record retained in the control unit;
• an abnormality record acquiring step of performing, when the control device determines again that the control status of the sorter device by the control unit is abnormal after the traveling carriage including the control unit reset in the reset instructing step makes a round of the path, control for prohibiting loading an article onto the traveling carriage including the control unit, and acquiring the abnormality record retained in the control unit;
• and
• an abnormality determining step of determining, by the control device, an abnormality of the sorter device based on the abnormality record acquired in the record acquiring step and the abnormality record acquiring step.