Load transport system and transporter

{
  "publication_number": "US12416501B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Load transport system and transporter",
  "abstract": "A load transport system includes multiple transporters transporting a load. The transporters include a first transporter and a second transporter. The second transporter measures a size of the first transporter and outputs size information on the size of the first transporter to outside. The first transporter acquires the size information and makes a travel plan of the first transporter in accordance with the size information.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A load transport system comprising a plurality of transporters transporting a load, respectively, and including a first transporter and a second transporter, wherein, when the first transporter is located in a travel route of the second transporter, the second transporter measures a size of the first transporter and outputs, to outside, size information on the size of the first transporter, wherein the first transporter acquires the size information on the size of the first transporter output from the second transporter, acquires size information on a size of the second transporter by measuring the size of the second transporter, and makes a travel plan of the first transporter in accordance with the size information on the first transporter and the size information on the second transporter.",
    "2. The load transport system according to claim 1, wherein the first transporter makes the travel plan in response to a passageway width of a travel route of the first transporter and the size information.",
    "3. The load transport system according to claim 1, wherein the second transporter measures the size of the first transporter after acquiring from the outside a travel instruction signal of the second transporter generated in response to position information on the first transporter and traveling in response to the travel instruction signal.",
    "4. The load transport system according to claim 3, further comprising a management apparatus that manages the first transporter and the second transporter, wherein the first transporter transmits to the management apparatus a measurement request signal requesting the size of the first transporter to be measured, and wherein the management apparatus transmits the travel instruction signal to the second transporter if the measurement request signal is received from the first transporter.",
    "5. The load transport system according to claim 4, wherein the first transporter transmits the measurement request signal to the management apparatus if the passageway width of the travel route of the first transporter is narrower than a predetermined width.",
    "6. The load transport system according to claim 4, wherein the first transporter comprises a measurer that measures a size of another transporter different from the first transporter, a communicator that communicates with the different transporter and the management apparatus and a controller that controls the measurer and the communicator and makes the travel plan.",
    "7. The load transport system according to claim 1, wherein the second transporter directly transmits the size information to the first transporter.",
    "8. The load transport system according to claim 1, wherein the first transporter makes the travel plan in accordance with the passageway width of the travel route of the first transporter, the size information on the second transporter and the size information on the first transporter.",
    "9. The load transport system according to claim 1, wherein the second transporter further outputs weight information on a weight of the second transporter to the outside, and wherein the first transporter makes the travel plan in accordance with the weight information output from the second transporter and weight information on a weight of the first transporter.",
    "10. The load transport system according to claim 9, wherein the first transporter modifies a travel track of the first transporter if the first transporter determines that the weight of the first transporter is lighter than the weight of the second transporter.",
    "11. The load transport system according to claim 9, wherein the transporter comprises a first measurer that measures a size of another transporter different from the transporter, a second measurer that measures a weight of the transporter, and a communicator that communicates with the different transporter.",
    "12. The load transport system according to claim 9, wherein the second transporter directly transmits the size information and the weight information to the first transporter.",
    "13. The load transport system according to claim 1, wherein the size comprises a size of the load transported by the transporter.",
    "14. The load transport system according to claim 13, wherein the first transporter makes the travel plan with a margin accounted for in the size.",
    "15. The load transport system according to claim 1, wherein the travel plan comprises at least one piece of information on a track of the transporter, information on a speed of the transport or the size information.",
    "16. A method implemented by a load transport system including a plurality of transporters transporting a load, respectively, and including a first transporter and a second transporter, the method comprising: upon determining that the first transporter is located in a travel route of the second transporter, measuring, by the second transporter, a size of the first transporter and outputting, to outside, size information on the size of the first transporter; acquiring, by the first transporter, the size information on the size of the first transporter output from the second transporter; acquiring, by the first transporter, size information on a size of the second transporter by measuring the size of the second transporter; and making, by the first transporter, a travel plan of the first transporter in accordance with the size information on the first transporter and the size information on the second transporter.",
    "17. The load transport system according to claim 1, wherein the second transporter measures a size of the first transporter upon receiving a request signal requesting the size of the first transporter to be measured output from the first transporter.",
    "18. The method of the load transport system according to claim 16, wherein the second transporter measures a size of the first transporter upon receiving a request signal requesting the size of the first transporter to be measured output from the first transporter."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "1. Technical Field The present disclosure relates to a load transport system, transporting a load, and a transporter. 2. Description of the Related Art Load transport systems including an unmanned transporter transporting a load are disclosed. For example, Japanese Patent No. 5255366 discloses a transporter in a load transport system that measures a load placed on the transporter with a sensor secured on the transporter and makes a travel plan thereof. Japanese Patent No. 5255366 also discloses a transporter that measures a load placed on the transporter with a sensor, mounted on the transporter during traveling, and makes a travel plan thereof.\n\nIf the transporter measures a load placed thereon using the sensor mounted on the transporter or using the sensor mounted on the transporter during traveling, a size of the load may be difficult to measure precisely. If the size of the load is difficult to measure precisely, the transporter may be unable to appropriately travel through the travel route. One non-limiting and exemplary embodiment provides a load transport system that allows a transporter transporting a load to appropriately travel through a travel route.",
  "cpc": [
    "G01C 21/206",
    "B65G 1/00",
    "G05D 1/0214",
    "G05D 1/0289",
    "G05D 1/0297",
    "G05D 1/693",
    "G05D 1/6987"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G01C 21/20",
    "G05D 1/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "PANASONIC IP MAN CO LTD"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "KIKUCHI KOHEI",
    "KATO YUMIKO",
    "INADA YASUHISA",
    "HISADA KAZUYA"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2023-08-10",
  "publication_date": "2025-09-16",
  "grant_date": "2025-09-16",
  "priority_date": "2021-03-09",
  "application_number": "US-202318447359-A",
  "family_id": "83227716",
  "citations": [
    "JP2010044530A",
    "JP2019131392A",
    "JP2019529277A",
    "JP2020038631A",
    "US2019243374A1",
    "US2020073399A1",
    "US2020333789A1",
    "US2022317704A1",
    "WO2018022264A1"
  ]
}