초록 ▼

A system for controlling the travel path of an automated guided vehicle (AGV) from a first location to a second location includes assigning a virtual penalty for impediments in the potential travel path of the AGV, for each turn required to be made by the AGV in the potential travel path, and for tr

A system for controlling the travel path of an automated guided vehicle (AGV) from a first location to a second location includes assigning a virtual penalty for impediments in the potential travel path of the AGV, for each turn required to be made by the AGV in the potential travel path, and for transfers from one elevator to another. The determined virtual penalties are factored in determining the most expeditious travel path from the first location to the second location. The virtual penalty may be a virtual distance penalty or a virtual time penalty composed of one or more of the distance of alternative travel paths available to avoid the impediment(s), the time required to remove or move the impediment(s), or the time required to wait for the impediment(s) to be removed.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system for selecting the travel path of a wheeled automated guided vehicle from a first location to a second location among available travel paths and controlling the travel of the wheeled automated guided vehicle along the selected travel path, comprising: (a) assigning a time or distance virt

1. A system for selecting the travel path of a wheeled automated guided vehicle from a first location to a second location among available travel paths and controlling the travel of the wheeled automated guided vehicle along the selected travel path, comprising: (a) assigning a time or distance virtual penalty for each turn required to be made by the automated guided vehicle wheels in a potential travel path from a first location to a second location, each turn causing scrubbing of the wheels of the automated guided vehicle on the surface on which the wheeled automated guided vehicle is traveling;(b) assigning a time or distance virtual penalty for the following impediments encountered in the potential travel path of the wheeled automated guided vehicle, comprising: (i) inventory locations that will require the wheeled automated guided vehicle to avoid;(ii) locations occupied by inventory requiring such inventory to be moved to clear the travel path for the wheeled automated guided vehicle;(iii) locations that are too narrow for the wheeled automated guided vehicle or its load to pass by;(iv) locations in which there is insufficient clearance for passage of the wheeled automated guided vehicle or its load;(v) locations of at least one of shelving storage racks, storage stands, and storage trays for products or inventory at an elevation above the floor;(vi) the location of other automated guided vehicles; and(vii) an obstruction;(c) a controller taking into consideration the assigned virtual penalties for each turn required to be made by the wheeled automated guided vehicle and for the impediments encountered in the potential travel path of the wheeled automated guided vehicle, in determining the most expeditious travel path from available travel paths between a first location and a second location; and(d) the controller, using the determined most expeditious travel path to control the wheeled automated guided vehicle during travel from the first location to the second location. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual penalty is based on one or more of: the distance of alternative travel paths available to avoid the impediment(s);the time required to remove or move the impediment(s); andthe time required for waiting for the impediment(s) to be removed. 3. The system according to claim 1, wherein an infinite virtual distance is assigned for: (a) another automated guided vehicle in the pathway; and(b) a pathway being not large enough to permit the wheeled automated guided vehicle and/or its load to pass by. 4. The system according to claim 1: wherein if the travel path requires that the wheeled automated guided vehicle use elevators to travel from one floor to another floor and the elevators have more than one crossover floor in common: (a) identifying each crossover floor;(b) determining if the travel path from one elevator to the other elevator on a crossover floor is obstructed, and if so, virtually removing such obstruction(s) from the crossover path; and(c) determining if a new route exists that is free of obstructions; andassigning a time or distance virtual penalty for traveling from one elevator to another on a crossover floor and for virtually removing obstructions from the crossover path. 5. The system according to claim 4, wherein if multiple viable crossover floors exist, the system selects a crossover floor with the shortest virtual distance or which requires the shortest virtual travel time between the applicable elevators on the crossover floor. 6. A method for selecting the travel path of a wheeled automated guided vehicle from a first location to a second location among available travel paths and controlling the travel of the wheeled automated guided vehicle along the selected travel path, comprising: (a) assigning a time or distance virtual penalty for each turn required to be made by the wheeled automated guided vehicle wheels in the potential travel path from a first location to a second location, each turn causing scrubbing of the wheels of the automated guided vehicle on the surface on which the wheeled automated guided vehicle is traveling;(b) assigning a time or distance virtual penalty for the following impediments encountered in the potential travel path of the wheeled automated guided vehicle, comprising: (i) inventory locations that will require the wheeled automated guided vehicle to avoid;(ii) locations occupied by inventory requiring such inventory to be moved to clear the travel path for the wheeled automated guided vehicle;(iii) locations that are too narrow for the wheeled automated guided vehicle or its load to pass by;(iv) locations in which there is insufficient clearance for passage of the wheeled automated guided vehicle or its load;(v) locations of at least one of shelving storage racks, storage stands, and storage trays for product of inventory at an elevation above the floor;(vi) the location of other wheeled automated guided vehicles; and(vii) an obstruction;(c) using a controller to take into consideration the assigned virtual penalties for each turn required to be made by the wheeled automated guided vehicle and for the impediments encountered in the potential travel path of the wheeled automated guided vehicle in determining the most expeditious travel path from available travel paths between a first location and a second location; and(d) controlling the wheeled automated guided vehicle to travel from the first location to the second location along the determined most expeditious travel path. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the virtual distance penalty is based on the distance of alternative travel paths available to avoid the impediment(s). 8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the virtual time penalty is biased on one or more of: the time required to travel to avoid any impediments;the time required to remove or move the impediment; andthe time required for waiting for the impediment to be removed. 9. The method according to claim 6, wherein, in taking into consideration the determined virtual penalties in determining the most expeditious path from the first location to the second location, comprising determining the availability of alternative travel paths having a distance that is shorter than the determined travel path or having a travel time shorter than the determined virtual travel time. 10. The method of claim 6, wherein the impediments comprise an obstruction selected from the group of: (a) walls;(b) doors;(c) furniture;(d) work stations;(e) restricted zones;(f) contaminated zones;(g) danger zones; or(h) security zones. 11. The method according to claim 6, wherein an infinite virtual distance is assigned for: (a) another automated guided vehicle in the pathway; and(b) a pathway being not large enough to permit the wheeled automated guided vehicle and/or its load to pass by. 12. The method of claim 6, further comprising assigning a time or distance virtual penalty for transfer of the wheeled automated guided vehicle from one elevator to another. 13. The method according to Claim 12, wherein if the travel path requires that the automated guided vehicle use elevators to travel from one floor to another floor and the elevators have more than one crossover floor in common: (a) identifying each crossover floor;(b) determining if the travel path from one elevator to the other elevator on a crossover floor is obstructed, and if so, virtually removing such obstruction(s) from the crossover path; and(c) determining if a new route exists that is free of obstructions. 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein if multiple viable crossover floors exist, the method selecting a crossover floor with the shortest virtual distance or which requires the shortest virtual travel time between the applicable elevators on the crossover floor. 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein if different viable candidate crossover floors are associated with different candidate elevator banks, selecting the candidate elevator bank that best fulfills the other standard elevator bank selection criteria.