Granted Patent B2

US 12,410,017 · App. 18/268,776 · Granted Sep 9, 2025

Inventor: Nobutaka Kimura (Tokyo, JP)

Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.

B65G43/10B65G43/08

Abstract

Claims (78)

1. A computer system comprising a conveyance system, and a control system communicably connected to the conveyance system, wherein

the conveyance system includes a plurality of conveyance modules each having a conveyance means for conveying an article,

the control system includes at least one computer having an arithmetic device, a storage device connected to the arithmetic device, and a communication device connected to the arithmetic device,

the conveyance system transmits, to the control system, interconnection information regarding connection between the conveyance modules of each of the plurality of conveyance modules forming a conveyor line, and

the control system controls the conveyance system on a basis of a plurality of pieces of the interconnection information,

wherein

the interconnection information includes identification information of a first conveyance module, identification information of a second conveyance module connected to the first conveyance module, a connection direction of the second conveyance module to the first conveyance module, and a connection direction of the first conveyance module to the second conveyance module, and

wherein the control system

holds conveyance module basic information for managing a structure of the plurality of conveyance modules, and

generates conveyor line model information for managing a structure of the conveyor line constructed in the conveyance system using the conveyance module basic information and the plurality of pieces of interconnection information.

2. A computer system comprising a conveyance system, and a control system communicably connected to the conveyance system, wherein

the conveyance system includes a plurality of conveyance modules each having a conveyance means for conveying an article,

the control system includes at least one computer having an arithmetic device, a storage device connected to the arithmetic device, and a communication device connected to the arithmetic device,

the conveyance system transmits, to the control system, interconnection information regarding connection between the conveyance modules of each of the plurality of conveyance modules forming a conveyor line, and

the control system controls the conveyance system on a basis of a plurality of pieces of the interconnection information,

wherein

the interconnection information includes identification information of a first conveyance module, identification information of a second conveyance module connected to the first conveyance module, a connection direction of the second conveyance module to the first conveyance module, and a connection direction of the first conveyance module to the second conveyance module, and

wherein

the control system

holds conveyance module basic information for managing a structure of the plurality of conveyance modules, and

generates a conveyance route in the conveyor line constructed in the conveyance system using the conveyance module basic information and the plurality of pieces of interconnection information.

3. The computer system according to claim 2 , wherein

basic control logic that defines a basic control method of the conveyance means is set up in each of the plurality of conveyance modules,

the control system

identifies at least one of the conveyance module that requires additional control logic to be set up in addition to the basic control logic on a basis of the conveyance route among the plurality of conveyance modules,

generates special control logic to be set up in the conveyance module identified, and

sets up the special control logic in the identified conveyance module.

4. A computer system comprising a conveyance system, and a control system communicably connected to the conveyance system, wherein

the conveyance system includes a plurality of conveyance modules each having a conveyance means for conveying an article,

the control system includes at least one computer having an arithmetic device, a storage device connected to the arithmetic device, and a communication device connected to the arithmetic device,

the conveyance system transmits, to the control system, interconnection information regarding connection between the conveyance modules of each of the plurality of conveyance modules forming a conveyor line, and

the control system controls the conveyance system on a basis of a plurality of pieces of the interconnection information,

wherein

the interconnection information includes identification information of a first conveyance module, identification information of a second conveyance module connected to the first conveyance module, a connection direction of the second conveyance module to the first conveyance module, and a connection direction of the first conveyance module to the second conveyance module, and

wherein

each of the plurality of conveyance modules

includes an acquisition means that acquires the interconnection information,

acquires the interconnection information in which the first conveyance module is set as an own-conveyance module using the acquisition means, and

transmits the interconnection information to the control system.

5. A computer system comprising a conveyance system, and a control system communicably connected to the conveyance system, wherein

the conveyance system includes a plurality of conveyance modules each having a conveyance means for conveying an article,

the control system includes at least one computer having an arithmetic device, a storage device connected to the arithmetic device, and a communication device connected to the arithmetic device,

the conveyance system transmits, to the control system, interconnection information regarding connection between the conveyance modules of each of the plurality of conveyance modules forming a conveyor line, and

the control system controls the conveyance system on a basis of a plurality of pieces of the interconnection information,

wherein

the interconnection information includes identification information of a first conveyance module, identification information of a second conveyance module connected to the first conveyance module, a connection direction of the second conveyance module to the first conveyance module, and a connection direction of the first conveyance module to the second conveyance module, and

wherein

the plurality of conveyance modules include a moving conveyance module that can autonomously travel between the conveyance modules forming the conveyor line for conveying the article,

the moving conveyance module

includes an acquisition means that acquires the interconnection information,

travels in a space in which the plurality of conveyance modules are arranged and acquires the interconnection information of each of the plurality of conveyance modules using the acquisition means, and

transmits the interconnection information of each of the plurality of conveyance modules to the control system.

6. A computer communicably connected to a conveyance system including a plurality of conveyance modules each having a conveyance means for conveying an article, the computer comprising

an arithmetic device, a storage device connected to the arithmetic device, and a communication device connected to the arithmetic device, wherein

the arithmetic device

acquires interconnection information regarding connection between the conveyance modules of each of the plurality of conveyance modules forming a conveyor line from the conveyance system via the communication device, and

controls the conveyance system on a basis of a plurality of pieces of the interconnection information,

wherein

the interconnection information includes identification information of a first conveyance module, identification information of a second conveyance module connected to the first conveyance module, a connection direction of the second conveyance module to the first conveyance module, and a connection direction of the first conveyance module to the second conveyance module, and

wherein

the storage device stores conveyance module basic information for managing a structure of the plurality of conveyance modules, and

the arithmetic device generates conveyor line model information for managing a structure of the conveyor line constructed in the conveyance system using the conveyance module basic information and the plurality of pieces of interconnection information, and stores the conveyor line model information in the storage device.

7. A computer communicably connected to a conveyance system including a plurality of conveyance modules each having a conveyance means for conveying an article, the computer comprising

an arithmetic device, a storage device connected to the arithmetic device, and a communication device connected to the arithmetic device, wherein

the arithmetic device

acquires interconnection information regarding connection between the conveyance modules of each of the plurality of conveyance modules forming a conveyor line from the conveyance system via the communication device, and

controls the conveyance system on a basis of a plurality of pieces of the interconnection information,

wherein

the interconnection information includes identification information of a first conveyance module, identification information of a second conveyance module connected to the first conveyance module, a connection direction of the second conveyance module to the first conveyance module, and a connection direction of the first conveyance module to the second conveyance module, and

wherein

the storage device stores conveyance module basic information for managing a structure of the plurality of conveyance modules, and

the arithmetic device generates a conveyance route in the conveyor line constructed in the conveyance system using the conveyance module basic information and the plurality of pieces of interconnection information, and stores information about the conveyance route in the storage device.

8. The computer according to claim 7 , wherein

basic control logic that is a basic control method of the conveyance means is set up in each of the plurality of conveyance modules,

the arithmetic device

identifies the conveyance module that requires additional control logic to be set up in addition to the basic control logic on a basis of the information about the conveyance route,

generates special control logic set up in the conveyance module identified, and

sets up the special control logic in the identified conveyance module.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (15)