Transport vehicle system

Abstract

A transport vehicle system includes a controller that controls transport vehicles that are able to travel along a track. When a travelling transport vehicle approaches a push out target vehicle, the controller performs push out control of transmitting a travel command to the push out target vehicle. In push out control, a push out point off planned travelling routes of all transport vehicles in a jurisdiction area is searched, and a command to travel to the push out point is transmitted as a travel command.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A transport vehicle system comprising:
 a controller that controls a plurality of transport vehicles capable of travelling along a predetermined route; wherein   when one of the plurality of travelling transport vehicles approaches another one of the plurality of transport vehicles that is stopped, the controller performs push out control of transmitting a travel command to the another one of the plurality of transport vehicle that is stopped; and   in the push out control:
 a push out point off planned travelling routes of all transport vehicles in a predetermined area is searched; and 
 a command to travel to the push out point is transmitted as the travel command. 
   
     
     
         2 . The transport vehicle system according to  claim 1 , wherein the push out point is a point before a branch point in the route. 
     
     
         3 . The transport vehicle system according to  claim 1 , wherein in the push out control:
 a return route to return from the searched push out point to a stop point of the another one of the plurality of transport vehicles is acquired;   a score evaluating ease with which the acquired return route returns to the stop point is calculated based on at least one of a distance, a required travel time, and a route cost of the return route; and   a command to travel to the push out point when the calculated score is less than a threshold is defined as the travel command.   
     
     
         4 . The transport vehicle system according to  claim 1 , wherein in the search for the push out point in the push out control:
 a route in the predetermined area is traced frontward in a travelling direction from a stop point of the another one of the plurality of transport vehicles;   when a point off planned travelling routes of all transport vehicles in the predetermined area is found, a point based on the found point is set as the push out point; and   when the point off the planned travelling routes of all the transport vehicles in the predetermined area is not found within a predetermined distance from the stop point, a point based on a point that is a predetermined distance away from the stop point is defined as the push out point.