Granted Patent B2

US 12,339,669 · App. 17/633,633 · Granted Jun 24, 2025

Inventors: Ryusuke Tsushima (Tokyo, JP); Junichiro Tsuchiya (Tokyo, JP); Hiroshi Yoshida (Tokyo, JP); Shinya Yasuda (Tokyo, JP); Taichi Kumagai (Tokyo, JP)

Assignee: NEC Corporation

G05D1/0291B65G1/1371

Abstract

Claims (68)

1. A transport system comprising:

a transport robot configured to transport an article;

a control apparatus configured to control the transport robot; and

a terminal configured to receive an identity of the article to be transported and transmit to the control apparatus, first position information for a position that the article is located and second position information for a position that the article is to be transported, wherein

the control apparatus is comprising:

a memory storing instructions; and

one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to:

identify a transport destination of the article, based on the information related to the transport obtained from the terminal;

perform control of the transport robot to transport the article to the identified transport destination; such that the article existing in a place corresponding to the first position information is transported to a place corresponding to the second position information; and

control, in a case where the article is already placed in the place corresponding to the second position information, the transport robot such that the article is transported to a place different from the place corresponding to the second position information.

2. The transport system according to claim 1 , wherein

the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to:

calculate a transport route which is a route for transporting the article to the identified transport destination; and

control the transport robot, based on the transport route calculated.

3. The transport system according to claim 1 , wherein

the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to calculate a degree of congestion at the transport destination of the article, and determine the transport destination of the article according to the degree of congestion calculated.

4. The transport system according to claim 1 , wherein

the terminal comprises a storage section configured to manage the transport destination of the article and position information for a position of transport destination in association with each other, and the terminal is configured to identify the position information, based on the transport destination, and transmit the position information identified to the control apparatus.

5. The transport system according to claim 1 , wherein

the transport system comprises a plurality of the transport robots, and

the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to control the plurality of the transport robots such that the plurality of the transport robots cooperate to transport the article.

6. A control apparatus connected to a transport robot configured to transport an article and a terminal configured to receive an identity of the article to be transported and transmit to the control apparatus, first position information for a position that the article is located and second position information for a position that the article is to be transported, wherein

the control apparatus comprising:

a memory storing instructions; and

one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to:

identify a transport destination of the article, based on the information related to the transport obtained from the terminal;

perform control of the transport robot to transport the article to the identified transport destination such that the article existing in a place corresponding to the first position information is transported to a place corresponding to the second position information; and

control, in a case where the article is already placed in the place corresponding to the second position information, the transport robot such that the article is transported to a place different from the place corresponding to the second position information.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein

the terminal is configured to transmit to the control apparatus, first position information for a position that the article is located and second position information for a position that the article is to be transported, and

the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to control the transport robot such that the article existing in a place corresponding to the first position information is transported to a place corresponding to the second position information.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 6 wherein

the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to:

calculate a transport route which is a route for transporting the article to the identified transport destination; and

control the transport robot, based on the transport route calculated.

9. The control apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein

the terminal comprises a storage section configured to manage the transport destination of the article and position information in association with each other, and is configured to identify the position information of the transport destination, based on the transport destination, and transmit the position information identified to the control apparatus, and

the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to receive the position information identified from the terminal.

10. The control apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein

a plurality of the transport robots are included, and

the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to control the plurality of the transport robots such that the plurality of the transport robots cooperate to transport the article.

11. A transport method performed in a transport system provided with

a transport robot configured to transport a first article,

a control apparatus configured to control the transport robot, and

a terminal configured to receive an identity of the first article to be transported and transmit to the control apparatus, first position information for a position that the first article is located and second position information for a position that the first article is to be transported, the transport method comprising:

identifying a transport destination of the first article, based on the information related to the transport obtained from the terminal;

performing control of the transport robot to transport the first article to the identified transport destination such that the first article existing in a place corresponding to the first position information is transported to a place corresponding to the second position information; and

controlling, in a case where a second article is already placed in the place corresponding to the second position information, the transport robot such that the first article is transported to a place different from the place corresponding to the second position information.

12. The transport method according to claim 11 , further comprising

transmitting to the control apparatus, first position information for a position that the first article is located and second position information for a position that the first article is to be transported, wherein

the performing control controls the transport robot such that the first article existing in a place corresponding to the first position information is transported to a place corresponding to the second position information.

13. The transport method according to claim 12 , wherein

in the performing control, in a case where the first article is already placed in the place corresponding to the second position information, the transport robot is controlled such that the first article is transported to a place different from the place corresponding to the second position information.

14. The transport method according to claim 11 , further comprising

calculating a transport route which is a route for transporting the first article to the identified transport destination, wherein

the performing control controls the transport robot, based on the transport route calculated.

15. The transport method according to claim 11 , further comprising

calculating a degree of congestion at the transport destination of the first article, and determining the transport destination of the first article according to the degree of congestion calculated.

16. The transport method according to claim 11 , wherein

the terminal comprises a storage section configured to manage the transport destination of the first article and position information in association with each other, and

the transport method further comprises:

identifying the position information of the transport destination, based on the transport destination; and

transmitting the position information identified to the control apparatus.

17. The transport method according to claim 11 , wherein

a plurality of the transport robots are included, and

the performing control controls the plurality of the transport robots such that the plurality of the transport robots cooperate to transport the first article.

18. The transport method according to claim 11 , wherein

the information related to the transport includes a state of the transport destination.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (11)