Patent ID: 8768545
Filing Date: 2014-07-01
Classification: B61B,B61L,H01L,H01Q

Abstract:
1. An article transport facility comprising: a travel path including at least a first path and a second path, the travel path being defined by a rail; a plurality of movable bodies which travel along the travel path for transporting articles; a communication relay device for communicating wirelessly with a movable body communication device provided to each of the plurality of movable bodies; managing device for issuing operation command information to each of the plurality of movable bodies through wireless communication between the communication relay device and the movable body communication device to manage operations of the plurality of movable bodies at a merging portion at which the first path and the second path merge with each other; wherein each of the plurality of movable bodies includes a travel controller for controlling travel of the movable body based on the operation command information from the managing device received by the movable body communication device, wherein the communication relay device is individually provided to each of a first merging path that extends from the first path to the merging portion, a second merging path that extends from the second path to the merging portion, and a post-merging path that includes the merging portion and extends subsequent to merging at the merging portion, wherein each said communication relay device includes an antenna portion that is provided along the first merging path, the second merging path, or the post-merging path and that is capable of communicating information wirelessly with the movable body communication device, and a relay device main body to which the antenna portion is connected through a connection line and which is capable of communicating information with the managing device through a communication line, wherein the antenna portion is a sheet-shaped antenna that is formed to be long and to have a sheet-shape and a flat plate shaped cross-section and that forms a communication enabled region over an entire surface of the antenna portion wherein the antenna portion is arranged along a longitudinal direction of the rail such that the antenna portion is supported by the rail, wherein the relay device main body is configured to associate movable body information obtained using the antenna portion through communication with the movable body communication device with identification information that indicates which one of the first merging path, the second merging path, and the post-merging path the antenna portion that received the movable body information is provided to, and to communicate information thus obtained to the managing device, and wherein the managing device is configured to determine which one of the first merging path, the second merging path, and the post-merging path the movable body exists in, based on the movable body information and the identification information which are received from the relay device main body to control operations of the plurality of movable bodies.