US 12,339,663 B2
Method and system for guiding autonomous mobile vehicles within a logistic facility
Xinping Deng, Lancaster, PA (US); Swapnilsinh Solanki, Harrisburg, PA (US); and Roberto Francisco-Yi Lu, Bellevue, WA (US)
Assigned to TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH, (CH)
Filed by TE Connectivity Services GmbH, Schaffhausen (CH)
Filed on Jul. 20, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/932,994.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/923,899, filed on Oct. 21, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0116928 A1, Apr. 22, 2021
Int. Cl. G05D 1/02 (2020.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC G05D 1/0217 (2013.01) [G05D 1/0022 (2013.01); G05D 1/0225 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An autonomous mobile vehicle system for moving one or more autonomous mobile vehicles within a structure of a parts processing facility used for manufacturing parts and having one or more rooms within the structure defining a location within the facility, the facility being one of a warehouse, a distribution center, and manufacturing plant, or a retail facility, the autonomous mobile vehicle system comprising:
part manufacturing machines for performing manufacturing processes on the parts to transform physical characteristics of the parts, the part manufacturing machines located within the location within the structure of the facility;
a docking station within the location within the structure of the facility;
an autonomous mobile vehicle movable within the location within the structure of the facility between the part manufacturing machines and the docking station to pick up the parts processed by the part manufacturing machines and drop off the parts at a drop off location;
a monitoring station in the location within the structure of the facility to monitor operation of the autonomous mobile vehicle; and
a system control module for guiding the autonomous mobile vehicle within the location within the structure of the facility between the part manufacturing machines and the docking station to pick up and drop off the parts, the system control module includes a system communication module communicatively coupled to the monitoring station and the autonomous mobile vehicle, the system control module located within the structure to communicate wirelessly with the autonomous mobile vehicle as the autonomous mobile vehicle moves within the structure to control movement of the autonomous mobile vehicle within the structure, the system control module including a system controller comprising:
one or more processors configured to determine a finishing time of a machine process of a first machine of the part manufacturing machines within the location within the structure of the facility, the finishing time being a time of completion of the machine process of the first machine;
one or more processors configured to determine a travel time of the autonomous mobile vehicle within the location within the structure of the facility to the first machine;
one or more processors configured to send a request to the autonomous mobile vehicle based on the finishing time of the machine process of the first machine and the travel time of the autonomous mobile vehicle to the first machine and placing the request in the queue of the autonomous mobile vehicle;
one or more processors configured to sort the queue of the autonomous mobile vehicle, wherein the request is initially sorted into the queue based on the finishing time of the machine process of the first machine and wherein the request is moved higher in the queue to control the autonomous mobile vehicle based on priority of the pick up of the part or drop off of the part associated with the first machine.