US 12,139,377 B2
Control system
Takeshi Abe, Hinocho (JP); and Yoshitaka Tanaka, Hinocho (JP)
Assigned to Daifuku Co., Ltd., Osaka (JP)
Filed by Daifuku Co., Ltd., Osaka (JP)
Filed on May 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/827,317.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-090502 (JP), filed on May 28, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0380183 A1, Dec. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. B66C 13/46 (2006.01); B66C 13/22 (2006.01); H01L 21/677 (2006.01)
CPC B66C 13/22 (2013.01) [B66C 13/46 (2013.01); H01L 21/6773 (2013.01); H01L 21/67733 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A control system for controlling an article transport vehicle configured to travel along a predetermined travel route and transport an article, the control system comprising:
a stop position indicator at a position corresponding to a stop site provided for the article transport vehicle on the travel route; and
a superordinate control unit communicably connected to the article transport vehicle and configured to output an operation command for the article transport vehicle;
wherein the article transport vehicle comprises:
a travel unit configured to travel along the travel route;
a transfer unit configured to hold the article and transfer the article to and from a transfer target location at the stop site;
an indicator detection unit configured to detect the stop position indicator; and
a control unit configured to control the travel unit and the transfer unit,
wherein the stop position indicator comprises:
a stop position indicator section indicating a stop position for the article transport vehicle; and
a stop notice indicator section on an upstream side of the stop position indicator section, the upstream side is a rearward side in a travel direction of the article transport vehicle traveling along the travel route,
wherein:
the stop notice indicator section has on the upstream side an end apart from the stop position indicator section to the upstream side by a predetermined notice distance,
in response to the indicator detection unit detecting the stop notice indicator section and then detecting the stop position indicator section, the control unit performs a travel stop process for stopping travel of the travel unit, and performs, after the travel of the travel unit is stopped as a result of the travel stop process, a transfer process for causing the transfer unit to transfer the article,
the article transport vehicle further comprises a travel distance detection unit configured to detect a travel distance of the travel unit, and
the control unit performs, instead of the transfer process, an anomaly notification process for providing a notification of an occurrence of an anomaly to the superordinate control unit, after the travel of the travel unit is stopped by the travel stop process, in response to: (i) determining that the travel distance, from a position at which the indicator detection unit has detected the stop notice indicator section, is smaller than a determination distance smaller than the notice distance, and (ii) the indicator detection unit detecting the stop position indicator section.