JP7708683B2 - Transport system and transport control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a conveying device, a conveying system, and a conveying control method.

For example, in a logistics warehouse, there is a transport system that transports transported objects to a destination via a transport path. In this type of transport system, in order to grasp the transport status of the transported objects, the transport system detects the entry of the transported objects into the transport path and the presence of the transported objects, and takes images of the transported objects. Based on these detection results, the transport system detects the size of the transported objects and the distance between the transported objects transported on the transport path, etc.

Patent Application No. 2013-237562 Special Publication No. 2010-517148 JP 2000-171215 A

However, the above-mentioned conventional technology can detect the position of the transported object but not its posture, and although it has a simple configuration, it has the problem of being unable to accurately recognize the transport status of the transported object. In addition, when a camera is used to photograph the transported object during transport, the transport status of the transported object can be accurately recognized, but the configuration is large-scale, which leads to an increase in costs. Thus, with the above-mentioned conventional technology, it is difficult to achieve both a simple configuration of the transport device and recognition accuracy while recognizing the transport status of the transported object.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and one of its objectives is to achieve both a simple configuration of the transport device and high recognition accuracy, thereby recognizing the transport status of the transported object.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in one aspect of the present invention, a conveying device has a conveying surface for conveying an object, and is arranged in parallel with another conveying device having a conveying surface to form a conveying path for the object by the conveying surface, the conveying device having a first sensor for detecting that the object has entered the conveying surface, a second sensor for detecting that the object is present on the conveying surface, a speed sensor for detecting the conveying speed at which the object is conveyed on the conveying surface, and a determination unit for determining the position and posture of the object on the conveying surface based on sensor information obtained by detection by the first sensor, the second sensor, and the speed sensor, and the second sensor detects the presence of the object on the conveying surface with a detection axis that is not parallel to the conveying direction of the object.

According to one aspect of the present invention, for example, it is possible to recognize the transport status of a transported object by achieving both a simple configuration of the transport device and high recognition accuracy.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a transport system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of an arrangement of sensors of a transport unit constituting the transport system according to the first embodiment. 4 is a plan view for explaining an example of calculation of the posture of a transported object transported on a transport unit constituting the transport system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a plan view for explaining an example of calculating the sign of the posture of a transported object transported on a transport unit constituting the transport system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a plan view for explaining a first example of calculation of a position of a transported object transported on a transport unit constituting the transport system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a plan view for explaining Example 2 of calculation of the position of a transported object transported on a transport unit constituting the transport system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a plan view for explaining Example 3 of calculation of the position of a transported object transported on a transport unit constituting the transport system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a plan view for explaining Example 4 of calculation of the position of a transported object transported on a transport unit constituting the transport system according to the first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 11 is a plan view for explaining Example 5 of calculation of the position of a transported object transported on a transport unit constituting the transport system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a plan view for explaining Example 6 of calculation of the position of a transported object transported on a transport unit constituting the transport system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a plan view for explaining Example 7 of calculation of the position of a transported object transported on a transport unit constituting the transport system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a plan view for explaining Example 8 of calculation of the position of a transported object transported on a transport unit constituting the transport system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a first modification of the arrangement of sensors in the transport unit constituting the transport system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a second modification of the arrangement of sensors in the transport unit constituting the transport system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a transport unit included in the transport system according to the first embodiment. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a transport control process according to the first embodiment. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of an attitude error detection process according to the first embodiment. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a position error detection process according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing an example of an arrangement of sensors of a transport unit constituting a transport system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a modified example of the arrangement of sensors in the transport unit constituting the transport system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a modified example of the arrangement of sensors in the transport unit constituting the transport system according to the second embodiment.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below, including the drawings, is merely an example and does not limit the technology disclosed in this application. Furthermore, not all of the elements and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. Furthermore, illustrations and explanations of configurations that are essential to the configuration of the invention but are well known may be omitted. Furthermore, the number of each element shown in each figure is an example and is not limited to the number shown in the figures.

In the following description, processing function units such as a "determination unit" are realized by the execution of a program by a processor. The processor is, for example, one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units). The processor is not limited to a microprocessor such as a CPU, but may be other types of processors such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The CPU may be single-core or multi-core. The CPU can also be replaced by a broader processor such as a hardware circuit (for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit)) that performs part or all of the processing.

In the following description, when elements of the same type are described without distinction, common reference symbols are used, and when elements of the same type are described with distinction, reference symbols with subnumbers added to the common reference symbols are used.

[Embodiment 1]
(Configuration of the transport system 1 according to the first embodiment)
1 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a transport system 1 according to a first embodiment. The transport system 1 has a carry-in/out mechanism 4 that carries a transported object 3 into a movable shelf 2 and carries it out of the movable shelf 2. The transported object 3 carried out from the movable shelf 2 by the carry-in/out mechanism 4 is transported to a destination on a transport path R formed by a plurality of transport units 5a, 5b arranged side by side so as to be connected to each other. The transport system 1 transports the transported object 3 along the transport path R formed by the transport units 5a, 5b, with the destination being, for example, an installation location of a robot arm 6. The transported object 3 is an item to be transported by the transport system 1 or a box in which the item is packed.

The transport unit 5a transports the object 3 transported from one of the adjacent transport units 5 to the other adjacent transport unit 5 without changing its orientation by rotating the conveyors in both directions. The transport unit 5b transports the object 3 transported from one of the adjacent transport units 5 to the other adjacent transport unit 5 without changing its orientation or by changing its orientation by 90° by rotating the conveyors in both directions in a cross shape.

The transported object 3 that arrives at the transport unit 5 near the robot arm 6 is picked up by the robot arm 6.

(Arrangement of sensors in transport unit 5)
2 is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement of sensors of each transport unit 5 constituting the transport system 1 according to the first embodiment. Each transport unit 5 has a rectangular transport area R2 constituting the transport path R, an entrance sensor 211, a light receiving unit 221, and a presence sensor 212 and a light receiving unit 222. The transport directions d1 and d2 in the transport area R2 are defined as the X-axis direction, and the width direction of the transport area R2 is defined as the Y-axis direction. The X-axis is taken on the lower side of the transport direction d1 and d2 of the transport area R2 facing the paper. The Y-axis is taken on the left side of the transport area R2 facing the paper in a direction perpendicular to the transport directions d1 and d2 of the transport area R2. The origin of the coordinate system formed by the X-axis and the Y-axis is the position of the entrance sensor 211 and the presence sensor 212.

The entrance sensor 211 and the light receiving unit 221 are provided upstream of the transport area R2 in the transport direction d1, d2 so that their detection axes span two sides of the transport area R2 parallel to the transport directions d1, d2. The presence sensor 212 and the light receiving unit 222 are provided with their detection axes rotated +α° clockwise with respect to the detection axes of the entrance sensor 211 and the light receiving unit 221 so that their detection axes span two sides of the transport area R2 parallel to the transport directions d1, d2. The detection axes of the presence sensor 212 and the light receiving unit 222 are not parallel to the transport directions d2, d2 of the transport area R2. In other words, 0°<α<90°. In the following, an example in which α=45° is used is shown to simplify the calculation.

In addition, instead of the entry sensor 211 and the light receiving unit 221, a means for detecting the entry of the transported object 3 may be used, such as a camera or other means.

The determination unit 11 is provided for each transport unit 5. The determination unit 11 detects that the transported object 3 has entered the transport area R2 when the light emitted by the entry sensor 211 toward the light receiving unit 221 is blocked by the transported object 3 and not received by the light receiving unit 221. The determination unit 11 also detects that the transported object 3 is present in the transport area R2 when the light emitted by the presence sensor 212 toward the light receiving unit 222 is blocked by the transported object 3 and not received by the light receiving unit 222. The determination unit 11 stores the detection results of the entry sensor 211 and the presence sensor 212 in chronological order in the memory unit 12. The detection results of the entry sensor 211 and the presence sensor 212 are the times when the entry sensor 211 and the presence sensor 212 started detecting the transported object 3 and the times when they finished detecting it.

The determination unit 11 also detects the driving speed of the conveyor using the speed sensor 23 as the conveying speed of the transported object 3 transported through the transport area R2 by driving the conveyor of the transport unit 5.

As shown in Figure 2, the center of the transported object 3 is O, and the coordinate positions of the four vertices when the transported object 3 on the transport region R2 is viewed in a plane at time t are A(t), B(t), C(t), and D(t). In addition, as the attitude of the transported object 3, the clockwise rotation of θ [°] with respect to the transport direction d2, d2 of the transported object 3 with the center O as the rotation center is represented by +θ, and the counterclockwise rotation of θ is represented by -θ.

Furthermore, the transported object 3 is assumed to be rectangular in plan view, and the lengths of two pairs of opposing sides of the rectangle are Lh and Lv. The length Lh is the length of the side perpendicular to the transport directions d1, d2 when the attitude θ of the transported object 3 is 0. The length Lv is the length of the side parallel to the transport directions d2, d2 when the attitude θ of the transported object 3 is 0. Furthermore, the length of the transport directions d1, d2 (positive direction of the X-axis) of the transport region R2 is assumed to be L0x, and the length of the transport path width direction (positive direction of the Y-axis) of the transport region R2 is assumed to be L0y.

(Calculation of the attitude θ of the transported object 3)
3A is a plan view for explaining an example of calculation of the attitude of the transported object 3 transported on the transport unit 5 constituting the transport system 1 according to the embodiment 1. A method of calculating the attitude θ will be described below.

For example, Figure 3A shows an example in which the transported object 3 is transported in the transport area R2 in the transport direction d1. In this example, of the four vertices A(t), B(t), C(t), and D(t) of the transported object 3, the vertex of the transported object 3 whose entry into the transport area R2 is detected by the entry sensor 211 at the earliest time t = t1 is vertex B(t). Furthermore, at time t = t2, detection of the entry of the transported object 3 into the transport area R2 by the entry sensor 211 ends at vertex D(t).

The transport distance d of the transported object 3 in the transport area R2 between vertex B (t1) at time t = t1 and vertex D (t2) at time t = t2 is approximated by equation (1) using the driving speed V of the conveyor at time t = t1.
d = (t1 - t2) V ... (1)
Here, d is the transport distance of the transported object 3, and V in formula (1) is the driving speed of the conveyor of the transport unit 5 at time t=t1.

Furthermore, the X-coordinate X(t) of the center O of the transported object 3 transported on the transport region R2 at time t is X=0 at time (t1+t2)/2, which corresponds to the midpoint between time t=t1 and time t=t2, and is expressed as in formula (2). V in formula (2) is the driving speed of the conveyor of the transport unit 5 at time t=t1.
X(t)={t-(t1+t2)/2}V・・・(2)

In addition, the transport distance d by which the transported object 3 is transported in the transport directions d1 and d2 on the transport region R2 between time t = t1 and time t = t2 can also be expressed as shown in equation (3) using a = Lv cos θ and b = Lh | sin θ | as shown in Figure 3A.
D=a+b=Lv・cosθ+Lh・|sinθ|・・・(3)

From equations (1) and (3), equation (4) is obtained.
Lv・cosθ+Lh・|sinθ|=(t1-t2)V・・・(4)

FIG. 3B shows the positions at which the transported object 3 passes the load sensor 212 and the light receiving unit 222 when the rotation angle θ of the transported object 3 is negative (FIG. 3B(a)), 0 (FIG. 3B(b)), and positive (FIG. 3B(c)). When the rotation angle θ of the transported object 3 is 0°, the travel distance in the forward direction required to pass the load sensor 212 and the light receiving unit 222 is D ₀ = Lh + Lv. On the other hand, when the rotation angle θ of the transported object 3 shown in FIG. 4-2(a) is negative, the travel distance D _n < D ₀ , and when the rotation angle θ of the transported object 3 shown in FIG. 3B(c) is positive, the travel distance D _n > D _0. Therefore, the time D/V at which the transported object 3 passes the load sensor 212 and the light receiving unit 222 changes depending on the rotation angle θ of the transported object 3, and the positive or negative of the rotation angle θ can be determined from the following formula (4-2).
When t3-t1≧(Lh+Lv)/V, θ≧0
When t3-t1<(Lh+Lv)/V, θ<0...(4-2)

Equation (4) holds true regardless of the positional relationship between the entrance sensor 211 and the light receiving unit 221, and between the presence sensor 212 and the light receiving unit 222. If Lv and Lh are known, the attitude θ of the transported object 3 can be found from equations (4) and (4-2).

(Calculation of Position (X(t), Δh) of Carried Object 3)
4 to 11 are plan views for explaining examples of calculation of the position of the load 3 transported on the transport unit 5 constituting the transport system 1 according to the first embodiment. The position of the load 3 (X(t), Δh) is coordinate information of the center O of the load 3. X is the X coordinate of the center O of the load 3. Δh is the deviation of the Y coordinate of the center O of the load 3 from the center Y=L0y/2 in the transport direction d1, d2 of the transport region R2.

When Δh>0, the Y coordinate of the center O of the transported object 3 is displaced by Δh in the positive direction of the Y axis from the center Y=L0y/2 of the transport path parallel to the transport directions d1 and d2 of the transport area R2. When Δh=0, this indicates that the Y coordinate of the center O of the transported object 3 is not displaced from the center Y=L0y/2 of the transport path. When Δh<0, this indicates that the Y coordinate of the center O of the transported object 3 is displaced by Δh in the negative direction of the Y axis from the center Y=L0y/2 of the transport path.

4 shows an example in which detection of the transported object 3 entering the transport region R2 in the transport direction d1 is first started by the entrance sensor 211 from a certain vertex, and then detection is started by the presence sensor 212 from a different vertex from the certain vertex. As shown in FIG. 4, the entrance sensor 211 detects the vertex B (t1) at the earliest time t=t1, and the presence sensor 212 detects the vertex C (t3) at time t=t3. Since the attitude θ≧0, the deviation Δh of the center O can be obtained from the formula (5). Note that V in the formula (5) is the driving speed of the conveyor at the time t=t1.
b+x'=Lh・|sinθ|+Δh+(L0y/2-Lh/2)-{(Lv/2)・sinθ-(Lh/2)・(1-cosθ)}
=(t1-t3)V...(5)

5 shows an example in which detection of a conveyed object 3 entering the conveying region R2 in the conveying direction d1 is first started from a certain vertex by the entry sensor 211, and then detection is started from the same certain vertex by the presence sensor 212. As shown in Fig. 5, the entry sensor 211 detects the vertex C (t1) at the earliest time t = t1, the presence sensor 212 detects the vertex C (t3) at time t = t3, and since the attitude θ is < 0, the deviation Δh of the center O can be obtained from the formula (6). Note that V in the formula (6) is the driving speed of the conveyor at the time t = t1.
x''=Δh+(L0y/2-Lh/2)-{(Lv/2)・sinθ-(Lh/2)・(1-cosθ)}=(t1-t3)V・・・(6)

Figures 6 and 7 show an example in which the transported object 3 is transported in the transport direction d2, which is opposite to that in Figures 4 and 5.

D(t2) in FIG. 3A is replaced with D(t1), and B(t1) is replaced with B(t2). In this case, the entrance sensor 211 detects the apex D(t1) at time t=t1 and the apex B(t2) at time t=t2. The X coordinate of the center O of the transported object 3 transported on the transport region R2 at time t becomes X=0 at time (t1+t2)/2, which corresponds to the midpoint between time t=t1 and time t=t2. The distance {t-(t1+t2)/2}V calculated from this is converted into the distance from the detection axis of the entrance sensor 211 of the transport unit 5 adjacent to the transport unit 5 immediately before in the transport direction d2 of the transported object 3, as shown in formula (7). However, V in formula (7) is the driving speed of the conveyor at time t=t1.
X(t)=L0x-{t-(t1+t2)/2}V...(7)

Figure 6 shows an example in which the load 3 entering the transport area R2 in the transport direction d2 is first detected by the load sensor 212 from a certain vertex, and then the entry sensor 211 detects a different vertex from the certain vertex.

6, at time t=t1, apex A (t1) is detected by the presence sensor 212, and at time t=t3, apex D (t3) is detected by the entry sensor 211. Since the attitude θ≧0, the deviation Δh of the center O can be calculated from the formula (8). Note that V in the formula (8) is the driving speed of the conveyor at time t=t1.
x'-b=Δh+(L0y/2-Lh/2)+{(Lv/2)・sinθ-(Lh/2)・(1-cosθ)}-Lh・|sinθ|
=(t1-t3)V...(8)

7 shows an example in which detection of a conveyed object 3 entering the conveying region R2 in the conveying direction d2 is first started from a certain vertex by the entry sensor 211, and then detection is started from the same certain vertex by the presence sensor 212. As shown in Fig. 7, the vertex A (t1) is detected by the presence sensor 212 at the earliest time t = t1, the vertex A (t3) is detected by the entry sensor 211 at time t = t3, and since the attitude θ is < 0, the deviation Δh of the center O can be obtained from equation (9). Note that V in equation (9) is the driving speed of the conveyor at time t = t1.
x''=Δh+(L0y/2-Lh/2)+{(Lv/2)・sinθ-(Lh/2)・(1-cosθ)}=(t1-t3)V・・・(9)

Figures 8 and 9 show an example in which the transported object 3 enters an adjacent transport unit 5 from the side of the transport unit 5.

In Figure 3A, D(t2) is replaced with D(t1) and B(t1) is replaced with B(t2). First, the entrance sensor 211 of the immediately preceding transport unit 5 detects vertex D(t1) at time t=t1 and vertex B(t2) at time t=t2. The X coordinate of the center O of the transported object 3 transported through the transport region R2 at time t becomes X=0 at time (t1+t2)/2, which corresponds to the midpoint between time t=t1 and time t=t2. The distance {t-(t3+t3)/2}V calculated from this can be converted into the distance from the detection axis of the entrance sensor 211 of the immediately preceding adjacent transport unit 5, as shown in equation (7).

Figure 8 shows an example in which the transported object 3 entering the transport area R2 of the transport unit 5 is first detected from a certain vertex by the entry sensor 211 of the previous transport unit 5, and then detected from a certain vertex by the presence sensor 212 of the transport unit 5.

8, the apex D(t1) is detected by the presence sensor 212 at time t=t1, the apex D(t3) is detected by the entry sensor 211 at time t=t3, and since the attitude θ≧0, the deviation Δh of the center O is calculated from the formula (10). Note that V in the formula (10) is the driving speed of the conveyor at time t=t1.
x''=-Δh+(L0y/2-Lh/2)+{(Lv/2)・sinθ-(Lh/2)・(1-cosθ)}=(t1-t3)V・・・(10)

9 shows an example in which the transported object 3 entering the transport region R2 in the transport direction d2 of the transport unit 5 is first detected from a certain vertex by the entrance sensor 211 of the previous transport unit 5, and then the presence sensor 212 of the transport unit 5 starts detection from the same certain vertex. As shown in Fig. 9, the entrance sensor 211 detects the vertex A (t1) at the earliest time t = t1, and the presence sensor 212 detects the vertex D (t3) at time t = t3. Since the attitude θ ≧ 0, the deviation Δh of the center O can be obtained from the formula (11). Note that V in the formula (11) is the driving speed of the conveyor at the time t = t1.
x'+b=-Δh+(L0y/2-Lh/2)-{(Lv/2)・sinθ-(Lh/2)・(1-cosθ)}+Lh・cosθ
=(t1-t3)V...(11)

Figures 10 and 11 show another example in which the transported object 3 enters an adjacent transport unit 5 from the side of the transport unit 5.

Figure 10 shows an example in which the transported object 3 entering the transport area R2 of the transport unit 5 is first detected from a certain vertex by the entry sensor 211 of the previous transport unit 5, and then detected from a certain vertex by the presence sensor 212 of the transport unit 5.

10, the apex B (t1) is detected by the presence sensor 212 at time t=t1, the apex B (t3) is detected by the entry sensor 211 at time t=t3, and since the attitude θ≧0, the deviation Δh of the center O is calculated from the formula (12). Note that V in the formula (12) is the driving speed of the conveyor at time t=t1.
x'=Δh+(L0y/2-Lh/2)+{(Lv/2)・sinθ-(Lh/2)・(1-cosθ)}=(t1-t3)V・・・(12)

11 shows an example in which the transported object 3 entering the transport region R2 in the transport direction d2 of the transport unit 5 is first detected from a certain vertex by the entrance sensor 211 of the previous transport unit 5, and then the presence sensor 212 of the transport unit 5 starts detection from the same certain vertex. As shown in Fig. 11, the entrance sensor 211 detects the vertex C (t1) at the earliest time t = t1, and the presence sensor 212 detects the vertex B (t3) at time t = t3. Since the attitude θ ≧ 0, the deviation Δh of the center O can be obtained from the formula (13). Note that V in the formula (13) is the driving speed of the conveyor at the time t = t1.
x'+b=Δh+(L0y/2-Lh/2)-{(Lv/2)・sinθ+(Lh/2)・(1-cosθ)}+Lh・cosθ
=(t1-t3)V...(13)

(Modification of Sensor Arrangement in the First Embodiment)
12 and 13 are plan views showing modified examples of the arrangement of sensors of the transport unit constituting the transport system according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 12, the load sensor 212 and the light receiving unit 222 may be provided with their detection axes rotated by (90+α)° clockwise with respect to the detection axes of the entrance sensor 211 and the light receiving unit 221. Also, as shown in Fig. 13, the load sensor 212 and the light receiving unit 222 may be provided with their detection axes rotated by (360-α)° clockwise with respect to the detection axes of the entrance sensor 211 and the light receiving unit 221.

(Configuration of the transport unit 5 having the posture control walls 71a and 71b in the first embodiment)
Fig. 14 is a plan view showing a configuration example in which the transport unit 5 constituting the transport system 1 according to the embodiment 1 has posture control walls 71a, 71b. Some or all of the multiple transport units 5 may have posture control walls 71a, 71b on one side or both sides in the transport directions d1, d2, as shown in Fig. 14. The transport units 5 having the posture control walls 71a, 71b can drive the conveyor in the direction of the posture control walls 71a, 71b.

The determination unit 11 drives the conveyor toward either of the posture control walls 71a and 71b depending on the positive or negative attitude θ, the positive or negative deviation Δh, and the installation status of the posture control walls 71a and 71b, to move the transported object 3 toward the posture control walls 71a and 71b. When only one of the posture control walls 71a and 71b is installed, the determination unit 11 uses this posture control wall to correct the positive or negative attitude θ and deviation Δh of the transported object 3. When both posture control walls 71a and 71b are installed, the determination unit 11 moves the transported object 3 toward the posture control wall with the smaller amount of conveyor drive, to correct the positive or negative attitude θ and deviation Δh of the transported object 3.

The determination unit 11 moves the transported object 3 and presses it against the posture control walls 71a and 71b so that the posture of the transported object 3 becomes θ = 0°. The determination unit 11 then drives the conveyor to move the transported object 3, whose posture has been corrected to posture θ = 0°, in the direction opposite to the direction in which it is pressed against the posture control walls 71a and 71b, and moves the transported object 3 to the center in the width direction of the transport path R so that the deviation Δh = 0.

The determination unit 11 and memory unit 12 of each of the multiple transport units 5 are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via the communication unit 13. If necessary, the determination unit 11 acquires the detection result of the transported object 3 by the entry sensor 211 or presence sensor 212 of the adjacent transport unit 5 from the memory unit 12 of the adjacent transport unit 5 via the communication unit 13. The determination unit 11 calculates the attitude θ and position (X(t), Δh) of the transported object 3 using the detection result acquired from the adjacent transport unit 5 and the detection result of the entry sensor 211 or presence sensor 212 of its own transport unit 5 for the transported object 3.

In addition, each judgment unit 11 and memory unit 12 of the multiple transport units 5 are communicatively connected to an integrated judgment unit 110 and memory unit 120 that oversees these judgment units 11 and memory units 12. The integrated judgment unit 110 collects time series data of the posture θ or position (X(t), Δh) of the transported object 3 judged by each judgment unit 11 of each transport unit 5 and stored in each memory unit 12, and stores it in the memory unit 120. The integrated judgment unit 110 statistically analyzes the time series data of the posture θ or position (X(t), Δh) of the transported object 3 acquired from each transport unit 5 and stored in the memory unit 120. The statistical analysis, for example, calculates the deviation of each individual value from the average of the posture θ or position (X(t), Δh) of the transported object 3 acquired from each transport unit 5, and estimates and outputs the possibility of an abnormality in an individual transport unit 5 that outputs an outlier value of the posture θ or position (X(t), Δh) of the transported object 3 where the deviation is greater than a predetermined value. Anomalies include, for example, breakdowns such as a drop in the driving force of the conveyor due to a voltage drop, a tilted floor surface at the installation location, and design problems inherent in the layout of the transport path R. Based on the results of the judgment by the integrated judgment unit 110, the manager of the transport system 1 can take measures such as repairing or replacing the transport unit 5, changing its position, or changing the layout of the transport path R.

(Transportation control process according to the first embodiment)
Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of a transport control process according to embodiment 1. The flowchart in Fig. 15 is executed for each determination unit 11 of each transport unit 5.

First, in step S11, the determination unit 11 determines whether a detection signal of the next transported object 3 has been received by the entry sensor 211 or the presence sensor 212. If the determination unit 11 has received a detection signal of the next transported object 3 by the entry sensor 211 or the presence sensor 212 (step S11 YES), the process proceeds to step S12. If the determination unit 11 has not received a detection signal of the next transported object 3 by the entry sensor 211 or the presence sensor 212 (step S11 NO), the determination unit 11 repeats step S11.

In step S12, the determination unit 11 determines whether the detection signal received in step S11 is a detection signal from the entry sensor 211. If the detection signal received in step S11 is a detection signal from the entry sensor 211 (step S12 YES), the determination unit 11 proceeds to step S13, and if the detection signal received in step S11 is a detection signal from the presence sensor 212 (step S12 NO), the determination unit 11 proceeds to step S18.

In step S13, the determination unit 11 resets the counter for measuring the time it takes for the transported object 3 to pass the entry sensor 211 and starts counting. Next, in step S14, the determination unit 11 determines whether a detection signal from the load sensor 212 has been received. If the determination unit 11 has received a detection signal from the load sensor 212 (step S14 YES), it proceeds to step S19, and if not (step S14 NO), it proceeds to step S15.

In step S15, the determination unit 11 determines whether the counter value that started counting in step S13 is greater than the specified passing time. If the counter value that started counting in step S13 is greater than the specified passing time (step S15 YES), the determination unit 11 proceeds to step S16, and if the counter value is equal to or less than the specified passing time (step S15 NO), the determination unit 11 returns to step S14.

In step S16, the determination unit 11 determines that a transport delay has occurred because the time it takes for the transported object 3 to pass the entry sensor 211 exceeds a specified passing time, and outputs a notification of the occurrence of an error from the output unit. In step S17 following step S16, the determination unit 11 determines whether to end the transport control process, and if so (step S17 YES), ends the transport control process, and if not (step S17 NO), returns the process to step S11.

On the other hand, in step S18, the determination unit 11 determines that the conveying direction of the conveyed object 3 is the backward direction (conveying direction d2 shown in Figure 2, etc.) because the load sensor 212 detected the presence of the conveyed object 3 before the entry sensor 211, and obtains the detection signal of the entry sensor 211 of the adjacent conveying unit 5 that is one unit before in the backward direction.

In step S19 following step S18, the determination unit 11 calculates the attitude θ of the transported object 3 described with reference to Figures 3A and 3B, and then calculates the position (X(t), Δh) of the transported object 3 described with reference to Figures 3A to 11 according to the sign of the attitude θ and the connection relationship with the adjacent transport unit 5. This X is calculated by equation (2). Note that the transport unit 5 stores information on the connection relationship with the adjacent transport unit 5 in the memory unit 12. The information on the connection relationship is, for example, the relationship between the orientation of the entrance sensor 211 and the load sensor 212 of its own transport unit 5 and the orientation of the entrance sensor 211 and the load sensor 212 of the adjacent transport unit 5.

In step S20 following step S19, the determination unit 11 executes an attitude error detection process. Details of the attitude error detection process will be described later with reference to FIG. 16. In step S21 following step S20, the determination unit 11 executes a position error detection process. Details of the position error detection process will be described later with reference to FIG. 17. When step S21 ends, the determination unit 11 proceeds to step S17.

(Details of Attitude Error Detection Process According to the First Embodiment)
16 is a flowchart showing an example of the attitude error detection process according to the first embodiment. First, in step S20a, the determination unit 11 determines whether |θ|>threshold, that is, whether the magnitude of the attitude θ exceeds the allowable range. If |θ|>threshold (YES in step S20a), the determination unit 11 proceeds to step S20b, and if |θ|≦threshold (NO in step S20a), the determination unit 11 ends the attitude error detection process and proceeds to step S21 ( FIG. 15 ).

In step S20b, the determination unit 11 determines whether either or both of the attitude control walls 71a, 71b exist. If either or both of the attitude control walls 71a, 71b exist (step S20b YES), the determination unit 11 proceeds to step S20c. If neither of the attitude control walls 71a, 71b exist (step S20b NO), the determination unit 11 ends the attitude error detection process and proceeds to step S21 (Figure 15).

In step S20c, the determination unit 11 moves and presses the transported object 3 against the posture control wall 71 if only one of the posture control walls 71a, 71b exists, or against one of the posture control walls 71 if both posture control walls 71a, 71b exist, and corrects the posture θ to within the allowable range (e.g., 0°). When selecting the posture control wall 71 to press the transported object 3, the determination unit 11 selects the posture control wall 71 that reduces the amount of conveyor drive depending on the posture θ and position (X(t), Δh) of the transported object 3.

Next, in step S20d, the determination unit 11 moves the conveyor that was moved when correcting the attitude θ of the transported object 3 in step S20c in the opposite direction, thereby moving the transported object 3 to the center Y of the transport path Y = L0y/2. When step S20d ends, the determination unit 11 moves the process to step S21 (Figure 15).

(Details of Position Error Detection Process According to the First Embodiment)
FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of a position error detection process according to the first embodiment. First, in step S21a, the determination unit 11 determines whether the position error is greater than the threshold (at least one of the error in the X coordinate in the conveying direction (X-axis direction) and the deviation Δh in the Y-axis direction among the positions (X(t), Δh) exceeds the allowable range). The presence of an error in the X coordinate in the conveying direction (X-axis direction) means that the distance between the conveyed object 3 conveyed before and after the conveyed object 3 deviates from the expected distance. That is, the determination unit 11 determines that the position error exceeds the allowable range when the difference between the position of the conveyed object 3 and the coordinate information where the conveyed object 3 is expected to be located based on the sensor information obtained by the speed sensor 23 exceeds the threshold. If the position error is greater than the threshold (YES in step S21a), the determination unit 11 moves the process to step S21b, and if the position error is less than or equal to the threshold (NO in step S21a), the position error detection process is terminated and the process moves to step S17 (FIG. 15).

Next, in step S21b, the determination unit 11 determines whether the conveyor can be driven and controlled in the direction in which the position error exists (X-axis direction and/or Y-axis direction). If the conveyor can be driven and controlled in the direction in which the position error exists (step S21b YES), the determination unit 11 proceeds to step S21c. If the conveyor cannot be driven and controlled in the direction in which the position error exists (step S21b NO), the determination unit 11 ends the position error detection process and proceeds to step S17 (Figure 15).

Next, in step S21c, the determination unit 11 determines whether the determination result of step S21a contains a position error in the transport direction (an error in the X coordinate in the transport direction (X-axis direction)). If there is a position error in the transport direction (YES in step S21c), the determination unit 11 proceeds to step S21d, and if there is no position error in the transport direction (NO in step S21c), the determination unit 11 proceeds to step S21f.

In step S21d, the determination unit 11 calculates the conveying speed for correcting the position error of the conveyed object 3 in the conveying direction based on the detection result of the speed sensor 23. The conveying speed for correcting the position error of the conveyed object 3 in the conveying direction is the conveying speed changed to correct the error of the X coordinate in the conveying direction (X axis direction) of the conveyed object 3. Next, in step S21e, the determination unit 11 adjusts the conveying speed to speed up the conveying speed if the X coordinate in the conveying direction (X axis direction) is a position that is delayed more than expected (the conveyed object 3 is slipping on the conveying path R and conveying is delayed), and to slow down the conveying speed if the position is more advanced than expected (the conveying path R is inclined in the conveying direction and the conveying path R is blocked by the conveyed object 3). As a result, each position and conveying interval of the conveyed object 3 conveyed on the conveying path R are corrected to within the allowable range.

Next, in step S21f, the determination unit 11 determines whether the determination result of step S21a contains a position error (deviation Δh) in the width direction of the conveying path. If there is a deviation Δh (step S21f YES), the determination unit 11 proceeds to step S21g, and if there is no deviation Δh (step S21f NO), the position error detection process ends and the process proceeds to step S17 (Figure 15).

In step S21g, the determination unit 11 calculates the position error correction amount for correcting the deviation Δh of the transported object 3. Next, in step S21h, the determination unit 11 temporarily stops the transport of the transport unit 5 and drives the conveyor to correct the deviation Δh. Note that if the attitude θ has been corrected in step S20 (Figure 15), steps S21f to S21h can be omitted because the deviation Δh has already been corrected. When step S21h is completed, the determination unit 11 ends the position error detection process and proceeds to step S17 (Figure 15).

In the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the posture and position of the transported object are calculated based on an entry sensor that detects the entry of the transported object onto the transport surface, a presence sensor that detects the presence of the transported object on the transport surface with a detection axis that is not parallel to the transport direction of the transported object, and the transport speed of the conveyor of the transport unit. Therefore, the posture and position of the transported object can be calculated accurately with a simple configuration.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, a plurality of the above-mentioned conveying devices can be arranged side by side to form a conveying system in which a conveying path for the conveyed object is formed by the conveying surface.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the posture of the transported object is the angle that the orientation of the transported object makes with respect to the transport direction, so it is simply expressed by one parameter, making it easy to handle posture control of the transported object.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, if the presence sensor does not detect that the transported object is on the transport surface even after a predetermined time has elapsed after the entry sensor detects that the transported object has entered the transport surface, a notification of the occurrence of an error is output. Therefore, a delay in the transport of the transported object can be quickly recognized.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, sensor information is sent and received between other conveying devices, and the position and posture of the conveyed object on the conveying surface is determined based on the sensor information of the conveying device itself and the sensor information of other adjacent conveying devices. Therefore, by having adjacent conveying devices cooperate in using sensors, the posture and position of the conveyed object can be calculated in response to conveying in any direction.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the conveying device has a posture control member on at least one of both sides of the conveying surface in the conveying direction, which controls the posture of the conveyed object, and when the posture is outside the allowable range, the conveying surface is controlled to move and press the conveyed object against the posture control member, thereby correcting the posture to within the allowable range. Therefore, the posture of the conveyed object can be corrected with a simple configuration.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the conveying device has posture control members on both sides of the conveying surface in the conveying direction, and controls the conveying surface to move and press the conveyed object toward one of the posture control members depending on the magnitude of the posture θ and its positive or negative sign, thereby correcting the posture within the allowable range. Therefore, by moving the conveyed object toward the posture control member side where the conveyor moves less, the posture correction time can be shortened.

In addition, in the above-described first embodiment, when the position error of the transported object exceeds the allowable range, the transport surface is controlled to change the transport speed or move the transported object in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction, thereby correcting the position error to within the allowable range. Thus, the position error of the transported object in the transport direction and in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction can be corrected.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the position of the transported object is coordinate information where the center of the transported object is actually located, which is calculated based on sensor information obtained by the entry sensor and the presence sensor. If the difference between this position and the coordinate information where the transported object is assumed to be located, which is calculated based on sensor information obtained by the speed sensor, exceeds a threshold value, it is determined that the position error exceeds the allowable range. Therefore, since the two pieces of coordinate information to be compared are sensor information derived from different sensors, it is possible to ensure the ability to detect when an error exceeds the allowable range.

Furthermore, in the above-described first embodiment, there is an integrated judgment unit that controls multiple transport devices, and the integrated judgment unit receives the attitude and position from each transport device and stores them in a memory unit, and estimates the transport device in the transport system in which an abnormality has occurred based on the attitude and position stored in the memory unit. Therefore, it is possible to estimate with a high likelihood that an abnormality will occur in the transport devices that make up the transport system based on the stored data.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the integrated judgment unit estimates that a transport device that corresponds to an outlier in the results of statistical analysis of the attitude and position stored in the memory unit is abnormal, so that it is possible to estimate with a statistically high likelihood that a transport device has an abnormality, even without preparing individual indicators for diagnosis.

[Embodiment 2]
In the above-described first embodiment, it is assumed that the shape (lengths Lh, Lv) of the transported object 3 is known and used when calculating the attitude θ and position (X(t), Δh) of the transported object 3. However, when the shape of the transported object 3 is not known or when transporting a mixture of transported objects 3 of various shapes, it is necessary to measure the shape of the transported object 3.

(Arrangement of sensors in transport unit 5a1 according to embodiment 2)
18 to 20 are plan views showing examples of the arrangement of sensors in the transport unit 5a1 constituting the transport system 1 according to the second embodiment.

Figure 18 shows an example in which distance sensors 231, 232 are provided near the exit of the most downstream transport area R2 on the transport direction d1 side of the transport unit 5a1. The determination unit 11 and the distance sensors 231, 232 constitute a shape measurement means for measuring the planar shape of the transported object 3. The determination unit 11 calculates the shape of the transported object 3 based on the manner in which the distance to the transported object 3 measured by the distance sensors 231, 232 in both the positive and negative directions of the Y axis changes as the transported object 3 is transported. For example, in the example of Figure 18, the distance to the transported object 3 measured by the distance sensor 231 gradually shortens from the start of detection at vertex B as the transported object 3 is transported, becomes extremely small at vertex C, and then gradually lengthens, with the detection ending at vertex D. In addition, the distance to the transported object 3 measured by the distance sensor 232 gradually shortens from the start of detection at vertex B as the transported object 3 is transported, becomes minimal at vertex A, then gradually lengthens, and ends at vertex D, obtaining a detection result similar to that of the distance sensor 231. From such detection results of the distance to the transported object 3 by the distance sensors 231 and 232, the determination unit 11 can calculate that the transported object 3 is a rectangle, and that the lengths Lv and Lh of the two pairs of opposing sides of the rectangle are calculated.

Figure 19 shows an example of a transport unit 5a2 in which distance sensors 231 and 232 are provided near the entrance of the transport region R2, which is the most upstream on the transport direction d1 side of the transport unit 5. The distance detection results of the distance sensors 231 and 232 are the same as those described in Figure 18.

Figure 20 shows an example in which a camera 241 is provided above the transport unit 5a3. The camera 241 can capture an image of the transported object 3 at any position within the transport area R2. The determination unit 11 can measure the shape (lengths Lv, Lh) of the transported object 3 using the image distance at which the transported object 3 is captured by the camera 241.

When measuring the shape of the transported object 3, it is sufficient to install one of the transport units 5a1, 5a2, or 5a3 at the position of the transport unit 5ax (Figure 1) located most upstream of the transport path R. On the other hand, when calculating and correcting the attitude θ and position (X(t), Δh) of the transported object 3 in real time, it is necessary for both transport units to be either the transport units 5a2 or 5a3.

In the above-mentioned second embodiment, the conveying device determines the position and posture of the conveyed object on the conveying surface based on sensor information obtained by the entry sensor, the load sensor, the speed sensor, and the distance sensor for measuring the shape of the non-conveyed object, so that the position and posture of the conveyed object can be determined even if the shape of the conveyed object is unknown.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all of the configurations described. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment, so long as there is no contradiction. It is also possible to add, delete, replace, integrate, or distribute part of the configuration of each embodiment. Furthermore, the configurations and processes shown in the embodiments can be appropriately distributed, integrated, or replaced based on processing efficiency or implementation efficiency.

1: conveying system, R2: conveying area (conveying surface), 3: conveyed object, 5, 5a, 5a1, 5a2, 5a3, 5b: conveying unit (conveying device), 11: judgment unit, 13: communication unit, 23: speed sensor, 71, 71a, 71b: attitude control wall (attitude control member), 110: integrated judgment unit, 211: entry sensor (first sensor), 212: presence sensor (second sensor), 231, 232: distance sensor, 241: camera.

Claims (10)

A conveying system in which a plurality of conveying devices each having a conveying surface for conveying an object to be conveyed and arranged in parallel with another conveying device each having a conveying surface to form a conveying path for the object to be conveyed by the conveying surface are arranged in parallel, and the conveying path for the object is formed by the conveying surface ,
The conveying device is
a first sensor that detects that the transported object has entered the transport surface;
a second sensor that detects whether the transported object is present on the transport surface;
a speed sensor that detects a conveying speed at which the conveyed object is conveyed on the conveying surface;
a determination unit that determines a position and a posture of the transported object on the transport surface based on sensor information obtained by detection by the first sensor, the second sensor, and the speed sensor;
a communication unit that transmits and receives the sensor information between the other transport apparatus,
The second sensor includes:
detecting the presence of the transported object on the transport surface with a detection axis that is not parallel to a transport direction of the transported object;
The determination unit is
A conveying system comprising: a conveying apparatus that determines a position and a posture of the conveyed object on the conveying surface based on the sensor information of the conveying apparatus itself and the sensor information of another adjacent conveying apparatus. A conveying system in which a plurality of conveying devices each having a conveying surface for conveying an object to be conveyed and arranged in parallel with another conveying device each having a conveying surface to form a conveying path for the object to be conveyed by the conveying surface are arranged in parallel, and the conveying path for the object is formed by the conveying surface ,
The conveying device is
a first sensor that detects that the transported object has entered the transport surface;
a second sensor that detects whether the transported object is present on the transport surface;
a speed sensor that detects a conveying speed at which the conveyed object is conveyed on the conveying surface;
a determination unit that determines a position and a posture of the transported object on the transport surface based on sensor information obtained by detection by the first sensor, the second sensor, and the speed sensor,
The second sensor includes:
detecting the presence of the transported object with a detection axis that is not parallel to a transport direction of the transported object on the transport surface;
the position is coordinate information of an actual position of a center of the transported object, the coordinate information being determined based on sensor information obtained by the first sensor and the second sensor;
The determination unit is
determining whether the position error exceeds an allowable range, and if it exceeds the allowable range, controlling the conveying surface to change the conveying speed or move the conveyed object in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction to correct the position error to within the allowable range;
a conveying system characterized in that, when a difference between the position and coordinate information where the conveyed object is assumed to be located, which is obtained based on sensor information obtained by the speed sensor, exceeds a threshold value, the conveying system determines that the position error exceeds an allowable range. A conveying system in which a plurality of conveying devices each having a conveying surface for conveying an object to be conveyed and arranged in parallel with another conveying device each having a conveying surface to form a conveying path for the object to be conveyed by the conveying surface are arranged in parallel, and the conveying path for the object is formed by the conveying surface ,
The conveying device is
a first sensor that detects that the transported object has entered the transport surface;
a second sensor that detects whether the transported object is present on the transport surface;
a speed sensor that detects a conveying speed at which the conveyed object is conveyed on the conveying surface;
a determination unit that determines a position and a posture of the transported object on the transport surface based on sensor information obtained by detection by the first sensor, the second sensor, and the speed sensor;
a communication unit that transmits and receives the sensor information between the other transport apparatus,
The second sensor includes:
detecting the presence of the transported object on the transport surface with a detection axis that is not parallel to a transport direction of the transported object;
At least one of the transport devices is
Further, a third sensor is provided for measuring a shape of the transported object,
Transmitting sensor information obtained by the third sensor to another of the transport devices via the communication unit;
The determination unit of the other transport device is
a conveying system that determines a position and a posture of the conveyed object on the conveying surface based on sensor information obtained by the first sensor, the second sensor, the speed sensor, and the third sensor. A conveying system in which a plurality of conveying devices each having a conveying surface for conveying an object to be conveyed and arranged in parallel with another conveying device each having a conveying surface to form a conveying path for the object to be conveyed by the conveying surface are arranged in parallel, and the conveying path for the object is formed by the conveying surface ,
The conveying device is
a first sensor that detects that the transported object has entered the transport surface;
a second sensor that detects whether the transported object is present on the transport surface;
a speed sensor that detects a conveying speed at which the conveyed object is conveyed on the conveying surface;
a determination unit that determines a position and a posture of the transported object on the transport surface based on sensor information obtained by detection by the first sensor, the second sensor, and the speed sensor;
An integrated determination unit that controls a plurality of the transport devices, and a communication unit that allows the integrated determination unit to communicate with the transport devices,
The second sensor includes:
detecting the presence of the transported object on the transport surface with a detection axis that is not parallel to a transport direction of the transported object;
Each of the transport devices is
a communication unit that transmits and receives the sensor information between the other transport device and the integrated determination unit,
The determination unit transmits the attitude and the position to the integrated determination unit;
The integrated determination unit is
storing the attitude and the position received from each of the transport devices in a storage unit;
a transport device in which an abnormality has occurred in the transport system is estimated based on the attitude and the position stored in the memory unit. 5. The transport system according to claim 4 ,
The integrated determination unit is
the transport system further comprising: a storage unit that stores the posture and the position of the transport device; a storage unit that stores the posture and the position of the transport device; A transport control method performed by a transport system in which a plurality of transport devices are arranged side by side, each of which has a transport surface for transporting an object, and which is arranged in parallel with another transport device having a transport surface to form a transport path for the object by the transport surface, and the transport path for the object is formed by the transport surface, comprising:
Each of the conveying devices is
A first sensor detects that the transported object has entered the transport surface;
a second sensor detects that the transported object is present on the transport surface;
A speed sensor detects a conveying speed at which the conveyed object is conveyed on the conveying surface;
determining a position and a posture of the transported object on the transport surface based on sensor information obtained by the first sensor, the second sensor, and the speed sensor;
The sensor information is transmitted and received between the other transport device and the transport device.
Each process has
The second sensor comprises:
detecting the presence of the transported object on the transport surface with a detection axis that is not parallel to a transport direction of the transported object;
Each of the conveying devices is
The position and posture of the transported object on the transport surface are determined based on the sensor information of the transport device itself and the sensor information of the other adjacent transport devices.
A transport control method comprising: A transport control method performed by a transport system in which a plurality of transport devices are arranged side by side, each of which has a transport surface for transporting an object, and which is arranged in parallel with another transport device having a transport surface to form a transport path for the object by the transport surface, and the transport path for the object is formed by the transport surface, comprising:
Each of the conveying devices is
A first sensor detects that the transported object has entered the transport surface;
a second sensor detects that the transported object is present on the transport surface;
A speed sensor detects a conveying speed at which the conveyed object is conveyed on the conveying surface;
The position and the attitude of the transported object on the transport surface are determined based on sensor information obtained by detection by the first sensor, the second sensor, and the speed sensor.
Each process has
The second sensor comprises:
detecting the presence of the transported object with a detection axis that is not parallel to a transport direction of the transported object on the transport surface;
the position is coordinate information of an actual position of a center of the transported object, the coordinate information being determined based on sensor information obtained by the first sensor and the second sensor;
Each of the conveying devices is
determining whether the position error exceeds an allowable range, and if it exceeds the allowable range, controlling the conveying surface to change the conveying speed or move the conveyed object in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction to correct the position error to within the allowable range;
When a difference between the position and coordinate information of the assumed position of the transported object, which is obtained based on the sensor information obtained by the speed sensor, exceeds a threshold value, it is determined that the error in the position exceeds an allowable range.
A transport control method comprising: A transport control method performed by a transport system in which a plurality of transport devices are arranged side by side, each of which has a transport surface for transporting an object, and which is arranged in parallel with another transport device having a transport surface to form a transport path for the object by the transport surface, and the transport path for the object is formed by the transport surface, comprising:
Each of the conveying devices is
A first sensor detects that the transported object has entered the transport surface;
a second sensor detects that the transported object is present on the transport surface;
A speed sensor detects a conveying speed at which the conveyed object is conveyed on the conveying surface;
determining a position and a posture of the transported object on the transport surface based on sensor information obtained by detection by the first sensor, the second sensor, and the speed sensor;
The sensor information is transmitted and received between the other transport device and the transport device.
Each process has
The second sensor comprises:
detecting the presence of the transported object with a detection axis that is not parallel to a transport direction of the transported object on the transport surface;
At least one of the conveying devices is
measuring a shape of the transported object by a third sensor;
Transmitting sensor information obtained by the third sensor to another of the transport devices;
The other conveying device is
The position and the attitude of the transported object on the transport surface are determined based on sensor information obtained by the first sensor, the second sensor, the speed sensor, and the third sensor.
A transport control method comprising: A transport control method performed by a transport system in which a plurality of transport devices are arranged side by side, each of which has a transport surface for transporting an object, and which is arranged in parallel with another transport device having a transport surface to form a transport path for the object by the transport surface, and the transport path for the object is formed by the transport surface, comprising:
Each of the conveying devices is
A first sensor detects that the transported object has entered the transport surface;
a second sensor detects that the transported object is present on the transport surface;
A speed sensor detects a conveying speed at which the conveyed object is conveyed on the conveying surface;
determining a position and a posture of the transported object on the transport surface based on sensor information obtained by detection by the first sensor, the second sensor, and the speed sensor;
Communicating with an integrated judgment unit that controls the plurality of transport devices
Each process has
The second sensor comprises:
detecting the presence of the transported object with a detection axis that is not parallel to a transport direction of the transported object on the transport surface;
Each of the conveying devices is
Transmitting and receiving the sensor information between the other transport device and the integrated determination unit;
Transmitting the determined attitude and position to the integrated determination unit;
The integrated determination unit
storing the attitude and the position received from each of the transport devices in a storage unit;
The transport device in the transport system in which an abnormality has occurred is estimated based on the posture and the position stored in the storage unit.
A transport control method comprising: The transport control method according to claim 9,
The integrated determination unit
The transport device corresponding to an outlier in the result of statistically analyzing the posture and the position stored in the storage unit is estimated to be abnormal.
A transport control method comprising :