JP7735170B2 - Automated guided vehicle management system - Google Patents

Description

The technology disclosed in this specification relates to an operator detection system and an automated guided vehicle management system.

Conventionally, when supplies to be supplied to equipment are automatically transported by an automated guided vehicle in a factory or the like, obstacles (such as an operator or some other object) on the transport path are detected by a sensor (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Specifically, Patent Document 1 describes a method in which a number of cameras are arranged to monitor an area that will be traversed by a planned route of an autonomous vehicle, and while the autonomous vehicle is moving along the planned route within the area, the cameras are used to detect the presence of an object within the area, and if an object at the current position is obstructing the planned route of the autonomous vehicle, the movement of the autonomous vehicle is changed.

JP 2019-109879 A

The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 describes that cameras are installed on the interior walls, ceilings, pillars, floors, etc. of a factory. However, if cameras are installed on the interior walls, ceilings, pillars, floors, etc. of a factory, when the layout of the equipment is changed and the planned route is changed, the positions and angles of the cameras will no longer be appropriate, and work to change them will be required.
This specification discloses a technology that, when a sensor is used to detect an operator around a board work device performing work on a board, can minimize the need for work to change the position or angle of the sensor even if the placement of the board work device is changed.

An operator detection system that detects an operator around a substrate work device performing work on a substrate, comprising a sensor for detecting the operator and an operator detection device that detects the operator based on the detection signal of the sensor, the sensor being disposed on the substrate work device.

With the above configuration, when a sensor detects an operator near a board work device performing work on a board, even if the placement of the board work device is changed, it is possible to minimize the need for work to change the position or angle of the sensor.

Schematic diagram of a manufacturing factory according to the first embodiment A block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a board working device. Schematic diagram of the board work device, operator detection sensor, and equipment operator viewed from above Block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the automated guided vehicle management device Schematic diagram of the operator detection system (also serves as an automated guided vehicle management system) Sequence chart for creating a route plan Schematic diagram showing a specific example of creating a route plan Schematic diagram of an operator detection system (also serving as an automated guided vehicle management system) according to a second embodiment. Schematic diagram of the board work device, operator detection sensor, and equipment operator viewed from above Schematic diagram of a 360-degree image captured by an omnidirectional camera Schematic diagram of a 360-degree image captured by an omnidirectional camera Schematic diagram of an operator detection system according to a third embodiment. Schematic diagram of an operator detection system (also serving as an automated guided vehicle management system) according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific example of a route plan according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a specific example of an instruction to transport supplies to a board working device according to a sixth embodiment; FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a board working device according to a seventh embodiment.

(Outline of this embodiment)
(1) The operator detection system according to the present disclosure is an operator detection system that detects an operator present around a substrate work device that performs work on a substrate, and includes a sensor for detecting the operator and an operator detection device that detects the operator based on a detection signal from the sensor, and the sensor is disposed on the substrate work device.

In the above-mentioned operator detection system, a sensor is installed on the board work device, so if the placement of the board work device is changed, the position and angle of the sensor also change. Therefore, when using a sensor to detect an operator around the board work device, even if the placement of the board work device is changed, construction work to change the position and angle of the sensor can be minimized.

(2) The operator detection system disclosed herein is an operator detection system that detects an operator present around a board work device performing work on a board, and includes the board work device, a sensor for detecting the operator, and an operator detection device that is communicatively connected to the board work device and detects the operator based on a detection signal from the sensor, the sensor being disposed on the board work device, and the detection signal from the sensor being transmitted to the operator detection device via the board work device.

According to the above-described operator detection system, since the sensor is disposed on the board work device, the position and angle of the sensor are changed when the position of the board work device is changed. Therefore, when the sensor is used to detect an operator around the board work device, even if the position of the board work device is changed, construction work to change the position and angle of the sensor can be minimized.
Furthermore, in the above-described operator detection system, the detection signal of the sensor is transmitted to the operator detection device via the board working device, which simplifies the configuration of the operator detection system compared to a case in which the detection signal of the sensor is transmitted to the operator detection device using a signal line separate from the communication line that communicatively connects the operator detection device and the board working device.

(3) The operator detection system disclosed herein is an operator detection system that detects an operator present around a board work device performing work on a board, and includes the board work device and a sensor for detecting the operator, the sensor being disposed on the board work device, and the board work device also functions as an operator detection device that detects the operator based on a detection signal from the sensor.

According to the above-described operator detection system, since the sensor is disposed on the board work device, the position and angle of the sensor are changed when the position of the board work device is changed. Therefore, when the sensor is used to detect an operator around the board work device, even if the position of the board work device is changed, construction work to change the position and angle of the sensor can be minimized.
Furthermore, according to the above-described operator detection system, the board work device also functions as an operator detection device, so the configuration of the operator detection system can be simplified compared to when a device that detects an operator based on a sensor detection signal is provided separately from the board work device.

(4) The above-mentioned operator detection system may include a plurality of the sensors, and may detect the position of the operator based on the detection signals of the plurality of sensors.

The operator detection system described above uses detection signals from multiple sensors to not only determine whether an operator is present, but also detects the operator's position (direction and distance) if an operator is present. In other words, when multiple sensors are provided, the operator's position can be detected by integrating the detection signals from those sensors and performing stereo processing.

(5) The sensor may be a camera.

When cameras are used as sensors, the direction in which the operator is located from the camera's perspective is determined based on the operator's position on the images captured by each camera, and the intersection of the directions in which the operator is located determined for each camera is detected as the operator's position (azimuth and distance). This makes it possible to detect not only whether an operator is present, but also the operator's position if present.

(6) The operator detection system may include multiple sensors of different types.

If there is only one type of sensor, it may not be possible to distinguish between the operator and objects other than the operator. If multiple different types of sensors are used, the accuracy of distinguishing between the operator and objects other than the operator is improved compared to when there is only one type of sensor.

(7) An automated guided vehicle management system according to the present disclosure is an automated guided vehicle management system that manages automated guided vehicles that automatically transport supplies to board work devices that perform work on boards, and includes an operator detection system described in any one of (1) to (6) and a management device, and the management device executes predetermined processing to efficiently operate the automated guided vehicle based on the detection results of the operator detection system.

The above-mentioned automated guided vehicle management system allows automated guided vehicles to be operated efficiently based on the detection results of the operator detection system.

(8) The predetermined process may be a process of instructing the automated guided vehicle to transport supplies to the board work device, and the management device may instruct the automated guided vehicle to transport supplies to a board work device other than the board work device in the vicinity of the operator detected by the operator detection system during the predetermined process.

If an operator is performing some kind of work on a board processing device, the operator is detected near the board processing device. In this case, when an automatic guided vehicle is instructed to transport supplies to the board processing device, the automatic guided vehicle must detect the operator and wait until the operator leaves the vicinity of the board processing device for safety reasons.
According to the above-mentioned automatic guided vehicle management system, an instruction is given to transport supplies to a board work device other than the board work device near the detected operator (in other words, the board work device on which the operator is working), so that the automatic guided vehicle can be operated more efficiently than if supplies were transported to the board work device on which the operator is working.

(9) The predetermined process may be a process of creating a route plan for the automated guided vehicle, and the management device may create the route plan in the predetermined process so that the automated guided vehicle travels along a transport route that avoids operators detected by the operator detection system.

When transporting supplies to a substrate processing device, it is desirable to transport them via the shortest route, but if the shortest route is used even when an operator is on the shortest route, the automated guided vehicle will have to wait until the operator leaves the shortest route.
According to the above-mentioned automated guided vehicle management system, a route plan is created to travel along a transport route that avoids operators detected by the operator detection system, allowing the automated guided vehicle to operate more efficiently than if it were to wait until the operator was no longer on the transport route.

(10) The predetermined process may be a process for creating a route plan for the automated guided vehicle, and the management device may, in the predetermined process, determine the number of operators for each transport route based on the detection results of the operator detection system, and create a route plan so that the automated guided vehicle travels along the transport route with the fewest number of operators.

If there is an operator on the transport route, the automated transport vehicle must wait until the operator leaves the transport route, so if there are many operators on the transport route, it takes longer to transport the item than if there are only a few operators on the transport route.
According to the above-described automated guided vehicle management system, a route plan is created so that the automated guided vehicle travels along a transport route with the fewest number of operators, allowing the automated guided vehicle to operate more efficiently than when traveling along a transport route with a large number of operators.

(11) The predetermined process may be a process of notifying an operator detected by the operator detection system that the operator is on the transport path of the automated guided vehicle.

If an operator is present on the transport route, the automated guided vehicle must wait until the operator leaves the transport route, which causes a waiting time for the automated guided vehicle.
According to the above-described automated guided vehicle management system, the notified operator moves off the transport route, thereby reducing the waiting time of the automated guided vehicle, thereby enabling the automated guided vehicle to operate efficiently.

[Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure]
The present disclosure will be described below with reference to exemplary embodiments. The present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the scope of the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.
The embodiments of the present disclosure can be realized in various forms, such as an apparatus, a method, a computer program for realizing the functions of these apparatuses or methods, and a recording medium on which the computer program is recorded.

<Embodiment 1>
The first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. In the following description, the front-rear direction and left-right direction refer to the front-rear direction and left-right direction shown in Figure 1. In the following description, the reference numerals in the drawings may be omitted for the same components, with some exceptions.

(1) Manufacturing Factory A manufacturing factory 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 . The manufacturing factory 1 is a factory that manufactures mounting boards on which components are mounted. The manufacturing factory 1 is equipped with a plurality of mounting lines L (L1, L2, L3) that mount components on boards, a storage facility 10 that stores supplies to be supplied to board work devices M (described later) that constitute the mounting lines L, one or more automated guided vehicles 11 that transport the supplies, a plurality of operator detection sensors 12 (an example of a sensor) that detect equipment operators 17 (an example of an operator), and an automated guided vehicle management device 13 (an example of an operator detection device and a management device).
The board working device M, the automated guided vehicle 11, and the automated guided vehicle management device 13 are communicably connected via a communication network (not shown). The automated guided vehicle 11 is wirelessly connected to the communication network via an access point (not shown).

1 , a setup area 14 is a place where supplies are loaded onto the automated guided vehicle 11 (in other words, stowed). A storage warehouse 10 is arranged in the setup area 14. A waiting area 15 is a place where the automated guided vehicle 11 waits. The waiting area 15 is arranged near the setup area 14.
The setup area operator 16 is an operator who loads supplies onto the automatic guided vehicle 11 in the setup area 14. The equipment operator 17 is an operator who performs work that occurs on the mounting line L (such as attaching supplies that have been transported to the board work device M by the automatic guided vehicle 11 to the board work device M, and dealing with errors in the board work device M).

(1-1) Mounting Line As shown in Fig. 1, the mounting line L1 is equipped with multiple board working devices M (loader M11, screen printing machine M12, print inspection machine M13, dispenser M14, surface mounting machine M15, post-mounting appearance inspection machine M16, reflow machine M17, post-cure appearance inspection machine M18, and unloader M19), which are lined up in a row via multiple conveyors (not shown). The same is true for mounting lines L2 and L3.

The supplies supplied to the board work device M vary depending on the board work device M. For example, in the case of the screen printer M12, solder paste for printing circuit patterns on the board is supplied as a supply item. In the case of the dispenser M14, adhesive to be applied to the board is supplied as a supply item. In the case of the surface mounter M15, reels on which component tape is wound, component trays on which components are arranged in rows, etc. are supplied as supplies.

2, a description will be given of the electrical configuration common to each board work apparatus M. The board work apparatus M includes a control unit 20, a storage unit 21, a communication unit 22, a work unit 23, and an operation panel 24.
The control unit 20 includes a CPU 20A, a RAM 20B, etc. The memory unit 21 stores various programs and data executed by the control unit 20. The communication unit 22 is a communication circuit for connecting the board work apparatus M to a communication network. The configuration of the working unit 23 differs depending on the board work apparatus M. For example, the working unit 23 of the screen printing machine M12 performs the work of printing a circuit pattern on a board using a mask. The working unit 23 of the surface mounting machine M15 performs the work of mounting components on a board on which a circuit pattern has been printed.
The operation panel 24 is composed of a liquid crystal display, a touch panel, various operation buttons, etc. The equipment operator 17 can perform various settings for the board working device M by operating the operation panel 24.

(1-2) Operator Detection Sensor As shown in Fig. 2, the operator detection sensor 12 according to the first embodiment is electrically connected to the control unit 20 of the board working apparatus M. The operator detection sensor 12 according to the first embodiment is an ultrasonic sensor. Two operator detection sensors 12 are connected to one board working apparatus M. Two is just an example, and the number of operator detection sensors 12 may be one, or three or more.

The arrangement of the operator detection sensors 12 will be explained with reference to Figure 3. For convenience, Figure 3 shows only four board work devices M. The two operator detection sensors 12 arranged on one board work device M are provided on both the left and right sides of the top surface of the board work device M. The fan-shaped area 30 indicated by the dashed dotted line in Figure 3 indicates the detection range of the operator detection sensors 12. As shown in Figure 3, the detection ranges of the operator detection sensors 12 of adjacent board work devices M partially overlap.

In embodiment 1, it is assumed that no objects other than the equipment operator 17 exist within the detection range of the operator detection sensor 12 (i.e., the ultrasonic sensor). Although the automated guided vehicle 11 may also be present around the board work device M, it is assumed that the automated guided vehicle 11 does not enter the detection range of the operator detection sensor 12 because it is generally shorter than the board work device M. For this reason, in this embodiment, when an object is detected by the operator detection sensor 12, it is assumed that the object is the equipment operator 17.

(1-3) Automated Guided Vehicle The automated guided vehicle 11 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The automated guided vehicle 11 is a vehicle that automatically transports supplies from the setup area 14 to the board working device M. The automated guided vehicle 11 is, for example, an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle). The automated guided vehicle 11 may also be an AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) in which a robot is mounted on an AGV. When the automated guided vehicle 11 is an AMR, the supply of supplies to the board working device M is automatically performed by the automated guided vehicle 11.

The automated guided vehicle 11 is equipped with a control unit, a wireless communication unit, a sensor for detecting its own position, and a sensor for detecting obstacles on the transport route (such as the equipment operator 17 or some other object). If the automated guided vehicle 11 detects an obstacle on the transport route while traveling, it will stop for safety reasons and wait until the obstacle is clear from the transport route. Therefore, if there is an obstacle on the transport route of the automated guided vehicle 11, the automated guided vehicle 11 will have to wait.

(1-4) Automated Guided Vehicle Management Device The automated guided vehicle management device 13 is a device that creates a route plan when the automated guided vehicle 11 transports supplies from the setup area 14 to the board working device M. Creating a route plan can also be described as determining a transport route or selecting a transport route.

4, the electrical configuration of the automated guided vehicle management device 13 will be described. The automated guided vehicle management device 13 is a so-called personal computer, and includes a control unit 40, a storage unit 41, a communication unit 42, an input unit 43, and an output unit 44.
The control unit 40 includes a CPU 40A, a RAM 40B, etc. The storage unit 41 stores various programs and data executed by the control unit 40. The communication unit 42 is a communication circuit for connecting the automated guided vehicle management device 13 to a communication network. The input unit 43 is an input device such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel. The output unit 44 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display.
The programs stored in the storage unit 41 include an automated guided vehicle management program that causes the personal computer to function as the automated guided vehicle management device 13 .

(1-5) Operator Detection System and Automated Guided Vehicle Management System As shown in FIG. 5, the operator detection system 60 according to the first embodiment is composed of a plurality of operator detection sensors 12, a plurality of board working devices M, and an automated guided vehicle management device 13. The automated guided vehicle management device 13 is an example of an operator detection device. That is, in the first embodiment, the automated guided vehicle management device 13 also functions as the operator detection device. In the first embodiment, since the automated guided vehicle management device 13 also functions as the operator detection device, the operator detection system 60 is also an example of an automated guided vehicle management system according to the first embodiment. The automated guided vehicle management device 13 and the operator detection device may be configured as separate devices.

(2) Creation of a Route Plan for an Automated Guided Vehicle Creation of a route plan for an automated guided vehicle, which is executed by the automated guided vehicle management device 13, will be described with reference to FIG.
The board work device M predicts the time when the supply will run out based on the remaining number (or remaining amount) of supplies and the usage status of the supplies. The board work device M stores the time until the supply will run out. When the time until the supply will run out falls below the time, the board work device M transmits a supply request for supplies to the automatic guided vehicle management device 13.

When the automated guided vehicle management device 13 receives a replenishment request from the board working device M, it creates a route plan for the automated guided vehicle 11 based on the detection signal of the operator detection sensor 12. The process by which the automated guided vehicle management device 13 creates a route plan based on the detection signal of the operator detection sensor 12 is an example of a predetermined process for efficiently operating the automated guided vehicle.
Here, the sequence for creating a route plan will be explained first, and then a specific example will be explained.

(2-1) Sequence for Creating a Route Plan The sequence for creating a route plan will be described with reference to FIG.
In S101, a replenishment request is sent from any one of the board work devices M to the automatic guided vehicle management device 13.
In S102, the automated guided vehicle control device 13 requests each board work device M to transmit a detection signal from the operator detection sensor 12.
In S<b>103 , each board working device M acquires a detection signal from the operator detection sensor 12 .

In S<b>104 , each board work device M transmits a detection signal from the operator detection sensor 12 to the automated guided vehicle management device 13 .
In S105, the automated guided vehicle management device 13 detects the equipment operators 17 around the board work devices M based on the detection signals received from each board work device M.
In S106, the automated guided vehicle management device 13 creates a route plan so that the automated guided vehicle travels along a transport route that avoids the detected equipment operator 17.

In S107, the automatic guided vehicle management device 13 transmits to the automatic guided vehicle 11 transport information indicating the board work device M that is the source of the supply request (in other words, the destination of the supply items) and the route plan created in S106.
In S108, the automated guided vehicle 11 travels along the transport route indicated by the received transport information and transports the supplies to the board working device M indicated by the transport information.

(2-2) Specific Example of Creation of Path Plan A specific example of creation of a path plan will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The example shown in FIG. 7 shows a case where a replenishment request is received from the board work device M29. The transport route R2 shown in FIG. 7 is the shortest route to the board work device M29. Normally, it would be preferable to travel along the shortest route R2, but in the example shown in FIG. 7, an equipment operator 17 is located on the shortest route R2. For this reason, the automated guided vehicle management device 13 creates a route plan to travel along a transport route that avoids the detected equipment operator 17.

Specifically, in the example shown in Figure 7, there are transport routes R1, R3, and R4 that avoid the detected equipment operator 17. If there are multiple transport routes that can transport supplies while avoiding the detected equipment operator 17, it is preferable for the automated guided vehicle management device 13 to select the shortest transport route of those multiple transport routes (transport route R1 in the example shown in Figure 7).

(3) Effects of the Embodiment According to the operator detection system 60 of the first embodiment, the operator detection sensor 12 is disposed on the board work device M, and therefore, when the location of the board work device M is changed, the position and angle of the operator detection sensor 12 are also changed. Therefore, when the operator detection sensor 12 detects the equipment operator 17 around the board work device M, even if the location of the board work device M is changed, construction work to change the position, angle, etc. of the operator detection sensor 12 can be minimized.

According to the operator detection system 60, the detection signal from the operator detection sensor 12 is transmitted to the automated guided vehicle management device 13 (an example of an operator detection device) via the board work device M. This allows for a simpler configuration of the operator detection system 60 than when the detection signal from the operator detection sensor 12 is transmitted to the automated guided vehicle management device 13 using a signal line separate from the communication line (i.e., communication network) that communicatively connects the automated guided vehicle management device 13 and the board work device M.

The automated guided vehicle management system 60 creates a route plan to travel along a transport route that avoids the equipment operator 17 detected by the operator detection system 60, allowing the automated guided vehicle 11 to operate more efficiently than if it were to wait until the equipment operator 17 was no longer on the transport route.

<Embodiment 2>
An operator detection system 260 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Similar to the first embodiment, the operator detection system 260 according to the second embodiment is configured with a plurality of operator detection sensors 212, a plurality of board work devices M, and an automated guided vehicle control device 13. The operator detection sensors 212 are also connected to the board work devices M. In the second embodiment as well, the automated guided vehicle control device 13 also serves as the operator detection device.
The operator detection sensor 212 according to the second embodiment is an omnidirectional camera (an example of a camera) that captures 360-degree images. In the second embodiment, one omnidirectional camera 212 is disposed for each board working apparatus M, approximately at the center of the top surface of the board working apparatus M.

Figure 9A shows a situation where three equipment operators 17 are positioned around the mounting line. Image 70 shown in Figure 9B is a schematic representation of a 360-degree image captured by the omnidirectional camera 212 arranged on board work device M11 in the situation shown in Figure 9A. Image 71 shown in Figure 9C is a schematic representation of a 360-degree image captured by the omnidirectional camera 212 arranged on board work device M12.

When the automated guided vehicle management device 13 receives a 360-degree image (an example of a detection signal) from each board work device M, it detects the equipment operator 17 on the received 360-degree image. Methods for detecting the equipment operator 17 on the image include face detection using Haar-like features and human silhouette detection using HOG (Histograms of Oriented Gradients) features. Additionally, since the equipment operator 17 typically wears a work cap, the work cap may be detected as a feature. Alternatively, the equipment operator's 17 clothing may be detected as a feature.

As shown in Figure 9A, when the automated guided vehicle management device 13 detects an equipment operator 17 on a 360-degree image, it determines the angular orientation of the equipment operator 17 relative to the omnidirectional camera 212 that captured the 360-degree image. Then, for each omnidirectional camera 212, the automated guided vehicle management device 13 sets a straight line extending in the above-mentioned angular direction from that omnidirectional camera 212 as the starting point, and detects the position (XY coordinates) of the intersection of the lines set for each omnidirectional camera 212 as the position (orientation and distance) of the equipment operator 17.

Calibration of multiple omnidirectional cameras 212 can be performed in the same way as calibration of stereo cameras. Generally, when calibrating stereo cameras, a calibration jig is placed in a position that is commonly visible to all cameras, and each camera captures an image of the jig to adjust the resolution and positional relationship. Calibration of multiple omnidirectional cameras 212 can also be performed in a similar way.

The operator detection system 260 according to the second embodiment is equipped with multiple omnidirectional cameras 212. For each omnidirectional camera 212, the direction in which the equipment operator 17 is located is determined from the perspective of that omnidirectional camera 212. The intersection of the directions in which the equipment operator 17 is located determined for each omnidirectional camera 212 is detected as the position of the equipment operator 17. This makes it possible to detect not only whether or not an equipment operator 17 is present, but also the position of the equipment operator 17 if present. In other words, when multiple omnidirectional cameras 212 are provided, the position of the equipment operator 17 can be detected by integrating the detection signals from the multiple omnidirectional cameras 212 and performing stereo processing.

Normally, multiple board work devices M are guaranteed to be arranged in a linear fashion based on a conveyor (not shown). Therefore, when an omnidirectional camera 212 is arranged on the board work device M, the relative positions of the multiple omnidirectional cameras 212 are unlikely to change even if the position of the board work device M is changed. Therefore, when an omnidirectional camera 212 is arranged on the board work device M, when the position of the equipment operator 17 is detected based on the detection signals of the multiple omnidirectional cameras 212, there is also the advantage that the position of the equipment operator 17 can be detected without adjusting the relative positions of the multiple omnidirectional cameras 212 (or with minimal adjustment) even if the position of the board work device M is changed.

<Embodiment 3>
10 , an operator detection system 360 according to the third embodiment is composed of an operator detection sensor 12 and a board work device M. In the third embodiment, each board work device M also functions as an operator detection device that detects an equipment operator 17 based on a detection signal from the operator detection sensor 12. Each board work device M transmits the detection result to the automated guided vehicle management device 13.

In the operator detection system 360 according to embodiment 3, the board work device M also functions as an operator detection device, so the configuration of the operator detection system 360 can be simplified compared to when a device that detects the equipment operator 17 based on the detection signal of the operator detection sensor 12 is provided separately from the board work device M.

When the automated guided vehicle management device 13 detects the equipment operator 17 based on the detection signals transmitted from each board work device M, the load is concentrated on the automated guided vehicle management device 13. In contrast, in the operator detection system 360 according to embodiment 3, the process of detecting the equipment operator 17 is distributed among multiple board work devices M, which has the advantage of avoiding the load being concentrated on the automated guided vehicle management device 13.

Furthermore, when the automated guided vehicle management device 13 detects the equipment operator 17 based on the detection signal transmitted from each board work device M, the detection signal is transmitted via the communication network, which increases the load on the communication network. In contrast, when the board work device M detects the equipment operator 17, it only needs to transmit the detection result to the automated guided vehicle management device 13, which has the advantage of reducing the load on the communication network compared to transmitting a detection signal.

<Fourth Embodiment>
11 , an operator detection system 460 according to the fourth embodiment is made up of a plurality of operator detection sensors 12 and an automated guided vehicle management device 13. In the fourth embodiment, the automated guided vehicle management device 13 also serves as the operator detection device. In the fourth embodiment, the board working device M does not constitute the operator detection system 460.

The operator detection sensor 12 in embodiment 4 is also arranged on the board work device M, but is not electrically connected to the board work device M, and is instead connected directly to the automated guided vehicle management device 13 via a signal line 61. Therefore, the detection signal from the operator detection sensor 12 is sent to the automated guided vehicle management device 13 without passing through the board work device M.

According to the operator detection system 460 of embodiment 4, when an equipment operator 17 in the vicinity of a board work device M is detected by an operator detection sensor 12, even if the placement of the board work device M is changed, the need for work to change the position or angle of the operator detection sensor 12 can be minimized.

<Embodiment 5>
In the above-described first embodiment, the automated guided vehicle management device 13 executes a process of creating a route plan as a predetermined process for efficiently operating the automated guided vehicle so that the automated guided vehicle travels along a transport route that avoids the detected equipment operators 17. In contrast, in the fifth embodiment, the automated guided vehicle management device 13 determines the number of equipment operators 17 for each transport route based on the detection results of the operator detection system 60, and creates a route plan so that the automated guided vehicle travels along a transport route with the fewest number of equipment operators 17.

A specific example of creating a route plan according to embodiment 5 will be described with reference to Figure 12. In the example shown in Figure 12, there are four transport routes R1, R2, R3, and R4 that transport supplies to the board working device M29. In the example shown in Figure 12, there are three equipment operators 17 on transport route R1, two equipment operators 17 each on transport routes R2 and R3, and one equipment operator 17 on transport route R4. In this case, since transport route R4 has the fewest number of equipment operators 17, the automated guided vehicle management device 13 creates a route plan to travel along transport route R4.

According to the automated guided vehicle management system 60 of embodiment 5, a route plan is created to travel along a transport route with the fewest number of equipment operators 17, allowing the automated guided vehicle 11 to operate more efficiently than when traveling along a transport route with a large number of equipment operators 17.

<Embodiment 6>
The specified processing in embodiment 6 is a processing to instruct the automatic guided vehicle 11 to transport supplies to a board work device M, and instructs the transport of supplies to a board work device M other than the board work device M near the operator detected by the operator detection system.

A specific example of a predetermined process according to embodiment 6 will be described with reference to FIG. 13. In the example shown in FIG. 13, it is assumed that board work apparatus M26 and board work apparatus M34 send supply requests to the automated guided vehicle management device 13. In the example shown in FIG. 13, an equipment operator 17 is performing some kind of work on board work apparatus M26. As a result, the equipment operator 17 is detected near board work apparatus M26. In this case, when the automated guided vehicle 11 is instructed to transport supplies to board work apparatus M26, the automated guided vehicle 11 will have to wait until the equipment operator 17 leaves the vicinity of board work apparatus M26. As a result, the automated guided vehicle management device 13 instructs the automated guided vehicle 11 to transport supplies to board work apparatus M34, for which an equipment operator 17 is not detected nearby.

The automated guided vehicle management system 60 according to the sixth embodiment instructs the detected equipment operator 17 to transport supplies to a board work device M34 other than the board work device M26 in the vicinity thereof, thereby enabling the automated guided vehicle 11 to operate more efficiently than if the equipment operator 17 transported supplies to a nearby board work device M26.

Seventh Embodiment
The predetermined process according to the seventh embodiment is a process of notifying the equipment operator 17 detected by the operator detection system 60 that he or she is on the transport route of the automatic guided vehicle 11 .
14 , the board work device M according to the seventh embodiment is equipped with a sound generation unit 25 such as a buzzer or speaker. In the seventh embodiment, the automated guided vehicle management device 13 creates a route plan so that the automated guided vehicle 11 travels to the board work device M via the shortest route. When an equipment operator 17 is detected on the shortest route, the automated guided vehicle management device 13 instructs the board work device M closest to the detected equipment operator 17 to emit an alarm sound. The board work device M instructed to emit an alarm sound uses the sound generation unit 25. The automated guided vehicle management device 13 may instruct not only the board work device M closest to the equipment operator 17 to emit an alarm sound, but also the surrounding board work devices M.

With the automated guided vehicle management system 60 according to embodiment 7, the notified equipment operator 17 can move off the transport route, thereby reducing the waiting time of the automated guided vehicle 11. This allows the automated guided vehicle 11 to operate efficiently.

<Other Embodiments>
The technology disclosed in this specification is not limited to the embodiments described above and in the drawings, and for example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope disclosed in this specification.

(1) In the above embodiment, an ultrasonic sensor and an omnidirectional camera are used as examples of operator detection sensors, but the operator detection sensor is not limited to these. For example, the operator detection sensor may be a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a digital camera (an example of a camera), or a human presence sensor (an infrared sensor).
LiDAR is a sensor that detects objects using light. Generally, LiDAR can detect in all directions, so when using LiDAR, only one LiDAR may be provided in the center of the top surface of the substrate working device M. In the case of LiDAR, the sensor alone can detect the position (direction and distance) of the equipment operator 17.

When a digital camera is used as the operator detection sensor, the position (orientation and distance) of the equipment operator 17 may be detected by integrating the detection signals from multiple digital cameras and performing stereo processing, as in the case of the omnidirectional camera 212.
Here, we have explained the case where the position of the equipment operator 17 is detected by integrating the detection signals of the omnidirectional camera 212 and the digital camera, but the position of the equipment operator 17 may also be detected by integrating the detection signals of sensors other than the omnidirectional camera 212 and the digital camera.

(2) In the above embodiments, the equipment operator 17 is detected using one type of operator detection sensor (an ultrasonic sensor in the first embodiment and an omnidirectional camera in the second embodiment). However, the operator detection sensor used for detection is not limited to one type, and multiple types of sensors may be combined. For example, ultrasonic sensors and LiDAR can detect objects, but cannot determine whether the object is a person. For this reason, a human presence sensor may be combined with the ultrasonic sensor, and if the temperature of the detected object is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, it may be determined that the object is the equipment operator 17.
In this way, when a plurality of different types of operator detection sensors 12 are provided, the accuracy of distinguishing between the operator and objects other than the operator is improved compared to when only one type of operator detection sensor 12 is provided.

(3) In the above second embodiment, an omnidirectional camera 212 is used as the operator detection sensor. However, two 180-degree cameras may be used to capture 360 degrees, or 360 degrees may be divided into n equal parts and n cameras may be used to capture 360 degrees.

(4) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the operator detection sensor was located on the top surface of the board working device M. However, the operator detection sensor may also be located on the left or right side of the board working device M.

(5) In the above embodiment, an operator detection sensor is provided for each of the multiple board work devices M. However, an operator detection sensor may be provided for only one of the board work devices M. Alternatively, an operator detection sensor does not necessarily have to be provided for every board work device M, such as providing an operator detection sensor for every other board work device M.

(6) In the above seventh embodiment, an example was described in which an equipment operator 17 on the shortest route was notified. In contrast, when a route plan is created to travel along a transport route with the fewest number of equipment operators 17, as in the fifth embodiment, an equipment operator 17 on the transport route with the fewest number of equipment operators 17 may be notified.

11: Automatic guided vehicle 12: Operator detection sensor (an example of a sensor)
13: Automatic guided vehicle management device (an example of an operator detection device and management device)
17: Equipment operator (an example of an operator)
60: Operator detection system (automated guided vehicle management system)
212: Operator detection sensor, omnidirectional camera (example of sensor)
260: Operator detection system (automated guided vehicle management system)
360: Operator detection system 460: Operator detection system (automated guided vehicle management system)
M (M11 to M19, M21 to M29, M31 to M39): Board working device R1 to R4: Transport path

Claims (6)

An automatic guided vehicle management system that manages automatic guided vehicles that automatically transport supplies to a board work device that performs work on a board,
an operator detection system for detecting an operator around the substrate processing device;
A management device;
Equipped with
the operator detection system
a sensor for detecting an operator;
an operator detection device that detects an operator based on a detection signal from the sensor;
Equipped with
The sensor is disposed in the substrate working device,
the management device executes a predetermined process for efficiently operating the automated guided vehicle based on the detection result of the operator detection system;
the predetermined process is a process of creating a route plan for the automated guided vehicle,
In the predetermined processing, the management device determines the number of operators for each transport route based on the detection result of the operator detection system, and creates a route plan so that the vehicle travels along the transport route with the fewest number of operators. An automatic guided vehicle management system that manages automatic guided vehicles that automatically transport supplies to a board work device that performs work on a board,
an operator detection system for detecting an operator around the substrate processing device;
A management device;
Equipped with
the operator detection system
the substrate working device;
a sensor for detecting an operator;
an operator detection device that is communicatively connected to the substrate working device and detects an operator based on a detection signal from the sensor;
Equipped with
The sensor is disposed in the substrate working device, and a detection signal from the sensor is transmitted to the operator detecting device via the substrate working device;
the management device executes a predetermined process for efficiently operating the automated guided vehicle based on the detection result of the operator detection system;
the predetermined process is a process of creating a route plan for the automated guided vehicle,
In the predetermined processing, the management device determines the number of operators for each transport route based on the detection result of the operator detection system, and creates a route plan so that the vehicle travels along the transport route with the fewest number of operators. An automatic guided vehicle management system that manages automatic guided vehicles that automatically transport supplies to a board work device that performs work on a board,
an operator detection system for detecting an operator around the substrate processing device;
A management device;
Equipped with
the operator detection system
the substrate working device;
a sensor for detecting an operator;
Equipped with
The sensor is disposed in the substrate working device,
the substrate working device also functions as an operator detection device that detects an operator based on the detection signal of the sensor;
the management device executes a predetermined process for efficiently operating the automated guided vehicle based on the detection result of the operator detection system;
the predetermined process is a process of creating a route plan for the automated guided vehicle,
In the predetermined processing, the management device determines the number of operators for each transport route based on the detection result of the operator detection system, and creates a route plan so that the vehicle travels along the transport route with the fewest number of operators. An automatic guided vehicle management system that manages automatic guided vehicles that automatically transport supplies to a board work device that performs work on a board,
an operator detection system for detecting an operator around the substrate processing device;
A management device;
Equipped with
the operator detection system
a sensor for detecting an operator;
an operator detection device that detects an operator based on a detection signal from the sensor;
Equipped with
The sensor is disposed in the substrate working device,
the management device executes a predetermined process for efficiently operating the automated guided vehicle based on the detection result of the operator detection system;
The predetermined process is a process of notifying an operator detected by the operator detection system that the operator is on a transport route of the automated guided vehicle. An automatic guided vehicle management system that manages automatic guided vehicles that automatically transport supplies to a board work device that performs work on a board,
an operator detection system for detecting an operator around the substrate processing device;
A management device;
Equipped with
the operator detection system
the substrate working device;
a sensor for detecting an operator;
an operator detection device that is communicatively connected to the substrate working device and detects an operator based on a detection signal from the sensor;
Equipped with
The sensor is disposed in the substrate working device, and a detection signal from the sensor is transmitted to the operator detecting device via the substrate working device;
the management device executes a predetermined process for efficiently operating the automated guided vehicle based on the detection result of the operator detection system;
The predetermined process is a process of notifying an operator detected by the operator detection system that the operator is on a transport route of the automated guided vehicle. An automatic guided vehicle management system that manages automatic guided vehicles that automatically transport supplies to a board work device that performs work on a board,
an operator detection system for detecting an operator around the substrate processing device;
A management device;
Equipped with
the operator detection system
the substrate working device;
a sensor for detecting an operator;
Equipped with
The sensor is disposed in the substrate working device,
the substrate working device also functions as an operator detection device that detects an operator based on the detection signal of the sensor;
the management device executes a predetermined process for efficiently operating the automated guided vehicle based on the detection result of the operator detection system;
The predetermined process is a process of notifying an operator detected by the operator detection system that the operator is on a transport route of the automated guided vehicle.