This application is a 371 of PCT Application No. PCT/CN2018/103641, filed Aug. 31, 2018, which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201711038463.7, filed before the National Intellectual Property Administration, PRC on Oct. 30, 2017 and entitled with “LOADING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATED GUIDED VEHICLE, CONTROL METHOD, AND CONTROL SYSTEM FOR SAME”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a loading device for an automated guided vehicle, and a method and system for controlling the same.

BACKGROUND

For improving transport efficiency of cargo, an automated guided vehicle (AGV) is generally used to transport cargo in a logistics system.

In the related art, an operator may manually place a cargo onto the AGV, and the AGV may travel along a predetermined trajectory to transport the cargo to a designated destination. The process of placing the cargo onto the AGV is loading.

However, manual loading consumes more labor and time, and loading efficiency is low.

SUMMARY

According to a first aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, a loading device for an automated guided vehicle is provided. The loading device includes a loading transport platform and a control assembly, the loading transport platform including a cargo support platform and a driver configured to drive the cargo support platform to run; wherein

the cargo support platform is provided with a cargo entrance and a cargo exit, and the cargo support platform is configured to convey a cargo from the cargo entrance to the cargo exit, the cargo exit is disposed over a running passage of the vehicle; and

the control assembly is connected to the driver, and the control assembly is configured to control the driver to drive the cargo support platform to run.

Optionally, the loading device further includes:

a detection assembly arranged at the cargo entrance and the detection assembly includes at least one of: a weigher, a dimension detector and a code scanner.

Optionally, the cargo support platform includes an acceleration conveyor belt, and an exit of the acceleration conveyor belt is the cargo exit.

Optionally, the cargo support platform further includes an adjacent conveyor belt adjacent to the acceleration conveyor belt; and

the driver includes a driving assembly configured to drive the adjacent conveyor belt and the acceleration conveyor belt respectively.

Optionally, the adjacent conveyor belt is a buffer conveyor belt, and the cargo support platform further includes a detection conveyor belt, the detection conveyor belt, the buffer conveyor belt, and the acceleration conveyor belt are adjacently arranged in sequence, and an entrance of the detection conveyor belt is the cargo entrance; and

the driver further includes a driving assembly configured to drive the detection conveyor belt or the adjacent conveyor belt is a detection conveyor belt, and an entrance of the detection conveyor belt is the cargo entrance.

Optionally, the loading device further includes a cargo identification sensor arranged on either side of each conveyor belt; and

wherein the cargo identification sensor is connected to the control assembly.

Optionally, the loading device further includes a plurality of speed measurement sensors that are arranged in sequence on the running passage or on either side of the running passage along an extending direction of the running passage;

wherein each of the plurality of speed measurement sensors is connected to the control assembly, and a distance between each of the plurality of speed measurement sensors and the cargo exit is greater than a first distance threshold.

Optionally, the loading device further includes:

a vehicle identification sensor arranged on the running passage or arranged on either side of the running passage; and

wherein the vehicle identification sensor is connected to the control assembly, and a distance between the vehicle identification sensor and the cargo exit is greater than a second distance threshold.

According to a second aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a loading device is provided. The method is applied for controlling the loading device as defined in the first aspect. The method includes:

acquiring a motion parameter of a target vehicle moving on a running passage; and

according to the motion parameter of the target vehicle, controlling a cargo support platform of a loading transport platform to drive a cargo to be loaded to move and conveying the cargo to be loaded to the target vehicle via the cargo exit when the target vehicle moves to a position, which corresponds to the cargo exit of the cargo support platform, on the running passage.

Optionally, according to the motion parameter of the target vehicle, controlling the cargo support platform of the loading transport platform to drive the cargo to be loaded to move includes:

adjusting a conveying speed of the cargo support platform according to the motion parameter of the target vehicle, wherein the cargo to be loaded is driven to move to the cargo exit by the cargo support platform, when the cargo support platform runs at the adjusted conveying speed and the target vehicle moves to the position, which corresponds to the cargo exit, on the running passage.

Optionally, the motion parameter includes a moving position and a moving speed of the target vehicle, and adjusting the conveying speed of the cargo support platform according to the motion parameter of the target vehicle includes:

if it is detected that the target vehicle moves to a first designated position on the running passage, calculating a moving duration required for the target vehicle to move to the position, which corresponds to the cargo exit, on the running passage according to the moving speed of the target vehicle, a distance between the first designated position and the cargo exit being greater than a first distance threshold; and

adjusting the conveying speed of the cargo support platform according to the moving speed and the moving duration, the adjusted conveying speed of the cargo support platform being equal to the moving speed of the target vehicle after the moving duration.

Optionally, adjusting the conveying speed of the cargo support platform according to the moving speed and the moving duration includes:

if it is detected that the target vehicle moves to the first designated position, determining a spacing distance between the cargo to be loaded and the cargo exit; and

adjusting the conveying speed of the cargo support platform according to the moving duration and the spacing distance; wherein the cargo to be loaded is driven by the cargo support platform to move for a distance that is equal to the spacing distance after the cargo support platform runs at the adjusted conveying speed for the moving duration.

Optionally, before acquiring the motion parameter of the target vehicle moving on the running passage, the method further includes:

acquiring a characteristic parameter of the cargo to be loaded, the characteristic parameter including at least one of a weight, a size, and a distribution mark; and

determining the target vehicle matching with the cargo to be loaded according to the characteristic parameter.

Optionally, after acquiring the characteristic parameter of the cargo to be loaded, the method further includes:

detecting whether the target vehicle with a transport parameter matching with the characteristic parameter is present according to a pre-stored transport parameter of at least one vehicle; and

sending an alarm signal or moving the cargo to be loaded away from the cargo support platform if the target vehicle with the transport parameter matching with the characteristic parameter is not detected.

Optionally, determining the target vehicle matching with the cargo to be loaded according to the characteristic parameter includes:

acquiring a mark of a vehicle passing by a second designated position on the running passage, a distance between the second designated position and the cargo exit being greater than a second distance threshold;

acquiring a transport parameter of the vehicle according to the mark of the vehicle;

judging whether the transport parameter of the vehicle matches with the characteristic parameter of the cargo to be loaded; and

determining the vehicle as the target vehicle if the transport parameter of the vehicle matches with the characteristic parameter of the cargo to be loaded.

Optionally, the cargo support platform includes an acceleration conveyor belt, an exit of the acceleration conveyor belt being the cargo exit; and

controlling the cargo support platform of the loading transport platform to drive the cargo to be loaded to move according to the motion parameter of the target vehicle includes:

controlling the acceleration conveyor belt to drive the cargo to be loaded to move according to the motion parameter of the target vehicle.

Optionally, the cargo support platform further includes an adjacent conveyor belt adjacent to the acceleration conveyor belt; and the method further includes:

if it is detected that a cargo to be loaded remains on the adjacent conveyor belt but no cargo to be loaded remains on the acceleration conveyor belt, controlling the adjacent conveyor belt to convey the cargo to be loaded to the acceleration conveyor belt.

Optionally, the adjacent conveyor belt is a buffer conveyor belt, and the cargo support platform further includes a detection conveyor belt, the detection conveyor belt, the buffer conveyor belt, and the acceleration conveyor belt being adjacently arranged in sequence, and an entrance of the detection conveyor belt being the cargo entrance, and the method further includes:

if it is detected that a cargo to be loaded remains on the detection conveyor belt but no cargo to be loaded remains on the buffer conveyor belt, controlling the detection conveyor belt to convey the cargo to be loaded to the buffer conveyor belt.

Optionally, acquiring the motion parameter of the target vehicle moving on the running passage includes:

acquiring the motion parameter of the target vehicle by a speed measurement sensor; or

receiving the motion parameter sent by the target vehicle.

According to a third aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, a system for controlling a loading device is provided. The system includes: a running site having at least one running passage, at least one vehicle moving on the at least one running passage, and at least one loading device arranged at the running site, each of the at least one loading device being the loading device as defined in the first aspect;

wherein a cargo exit of a cargo support platform in each of the at least one loading device is disposed over one of the at least one running passage.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

