Work vehicle, control device, control method, and system

1 . A work vehicle capable of autonomously moving in a work area, the work vehicle comprising:

a positioning sensor configured to detect a position of a manned forklift stopped in the work area;

a communication device configured to communicate with the manned forklift; and

at least one processor circuit with a memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor circuit, cause the at least one processor circuit to at least:

align the work vehicle with the manned forklift by moving the work vehicle forward, backward, or forward and backward based on the position of the manned forklift detected by the positioning sensor such that a cargo is capable of being loaded and unloaded between the manned forklift and the work vehicle, wherein

the alignment is performed in a positional relation in which the work vehicle and the manned forklift are in a state in which a movement direction of the work vehicle and a movement direction of the manned forklift are orthogonal to each other,

the instructions causing the at least one processor circuit to at least:

start the alignment in response to a request for the alignment from the manned forklift acquired via the communication device,

determine whether or not the positional relation between the work vehicle and the manned forklift is in the state before starting the alignment, and

notify the manned forklift that the movement direction of the work vehicle and the movement direction of the manned forklift are not orthogonal to each other via the communication device, when the positional relation between the work vehicle and the manned forklift is not in the state.

2 . The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor circuit to at least notify the manned forklift of completion of the alignment via the communication device.

3 . The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the manned forklift maintains a stopped state in the work area during the alignment.

4 . The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning sensor

includes a camera that images a marker provided on the manned forklift to acquire an image, and

detects the position of the manned forklift by performing image processing on the image acquired by the camera to recognize the marker.

5 . The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the cargo is placed on a pallet,

the work vehicle further includes a cargo bed on which the pallet on which the cargo is placed is loaded,

the manned forklift includes a fork that is insertable into and removable from a hole provided in the pallet and is movable up and down in an up-and-down direction, and

the instructions further cause the at least one processor circuit to at least perform the alignment such that a position of the hole provided in the pallet loaded on the cargo bed is matched with a position of the fork.

6 . A control device for a work vehicle capable of autonomously moving in a work area, the control device comprising:

a positioning sensor configured to detect a position of a manned forklift stopped in the work area;

a communication device configured to communicate with the manned forklift; and

at least one processor circuit with a memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor circuit, cause the at least one processor circuit to at least:

align the work vehicle with the manned forklift by moving the work vehicle forward, backward, or forward and backward based on the position of the manned forklift detected by the positioning sensor unit such that a cargo is capable of being loaded and unloaded between the manned forklift and the work vehicle, wherein

the alignment is performed in a positional relation in which the work vehicle and the manned forklift are in a state in which a movement direction of the work vehicle and a movement direction of the manned forklift are orthogonal to each other,

the instructions causing the at least one processor circuit to at least:

start the alignment in response to a request for the alignment from the manned forklift acquired via the communication device unit,

determine whether or not the positional relation between the work vehicle and the manned forklift is in the state before starting the alignment, and

notify the manned forklift that the movement direction of the work vehicle and the movement direction of the manned forklift are not orthogonal to each other via the communication device, when the positional relation between the work vehicle and the manned forklift is not in the state.

7 . A method for controlling a work vehicle capable of autonomously moving in a work area, the method comprising:

a first step of detecting a position of a manned forklift stopped in the work area;

a second step of communicating with the manned forklift; and

a third step of aligning the work vehicle with the manned forklift by moving the work vehicle forward, backward, or forward and backward based on the position of the manned forklift detected in the first step such that a cargo is capable of being loaded and unloaded between the manned forklift and the work vehicle, wherein

the alignment is performed in a positional relation in which the work vehicle and the manned forklift are in a state in which a movement direction of the work vehicle and a movement direction of the manned forklift are orthogonal to each other, and

the third step includes

starting the alignment in response to a request for the alignment from the manned forklift acquired in the second step,

determining whether or not the positional relation between the work vehicle and the manned forklift is in the state before starting the alignment, and

notifying the manned forklift that the movement direction of the work vehicle and the movement direction of the manned forklift are not orthogonal to each other, when the positional relation between the work vehicle and the manned forklift is not in the state.

8 . A system including a work vehicle capable of autonomously moving in a work area and a server managing movement of the work vehicle, wherein

the work vehicle includes

a positioning sensor detection unit detecting a position of a manned forklift stopped in the work area, and

a communication device unit communicating with the manned forklift,

the server includes at least one processor circuit with a memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor circuit, cause the at least one processor circuit to at least:

align the work vehicle with the manned forklift by moving the work vehicle forward, backward, or forward and backward based on the position of the manned forklift detected by the positioning sensor unit such that a cargo is capable of being loaded and unloaded between the manned forklift and the work vehicle,

the alignment is performed in a positional relation in which the work vehicle and the manned forklift are in a state in which a movement direction of the work vehicle and a movement direction of the manned forklift are orthogonal to each other,

the instructions causing the at least one processor circuit to at least:

start the alignment in response to a request for the alignment from the manned forklift acquired via the communication device, unit,

determine whether or not the positional relation between the work vehicle and the manned forklift is in the state before starting the alignment, and

notify the manned forklift that the movement direction of the work vehicle and the movement direction of the manned forklift are not orthogonal to each other via the communication device, when the positional relation between the work vehicle and the manned forklift is not in the state.

9 . The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein during the alignment, the instructions further cause the at least one processor circuit to repeatedly detect the position of the manned forklift and moves the work vehicle forward and/or backward until the detected position of the manned forklift matches a reference position.