Abstract: A communication method of a transport system including of transport carriages each transporting a transported object, and communication devices connected one-to-one with loading ports onto which the transported objects are loaded. The communication devices are communicably connected to each other in advance. The communication method includes transmitting, from a specific transport carriage to the communication devices, a first signal having a specific communication as a final transmission destination, and receiving, in the specific communication device, the first signal from the specific transport carriage through a communication channel that passes through another communication device. The first signal is a signal communicated for the specific transport carriage to transfer the transported object to and from a specific loading port connected one-to-one with the specific communication device.

Abstract: A traveling vehicle travels along a traveling path and includes a main body, a traveler to allow a main body to travel along the traveling path, an LED array provided at the main body to switch a display manner according to a state of the traveling vehicle, an imager to capture an image of the LED array at a traveling vehicle located ahead of the traveling vehicle, and a controller configured or programmed to acquire a state of the traveling vehicle ahead based on the display manner captured by the imager, and to control the traveler of the traveling vehicle based on the acquired state.

Abstract: A method of recognizing a specific image includes detecting image features from the specific image and storing in a memory each of detected relevant image features, detecting relevant image features from an input image and selecting from the memory a portion corresponding to each of the detected relevant image features, generating a restoration image using portions selected in the selecting, and determining whether the generated restoration image matches with the input image by a matching process and recognizing that, when it is determined that the restoration image matches with the input image, the input image is the specific image.

Abstract: A communication apparatus includes a wide-area wireless communicator to transmit and receive information to and from a transport vehicle via a wireless access point through wide-area wireless communication, a short-range wireless communicator to transmit and receive information to and from a communication device through short-range wireless communication with a communication range narrower than a communication range of the wide-area wireless communication, and a controller configured or programmed to convert the information received by the wide-area wireless communicator from wide-area wireless communication information into short-range wireless communication information, and output the short-range wireless communication information to the short-range wireless communicator, and convert the information received by the short-range wireless communicator from short-range wireless communication information into wide-area wireless communication information, and output the wide-area wireless communication informatio

Abstract: A main body portion of a traveling vehicle includes large area symbols and a small area symbol having an area smaller than an area of each of the large area symbols which each have a size that does not entirely fit within an image capturing range of an imager located on a following traveling vehicle at a position less than a predetermined distance from the traveling vehicle. The small area symbol has a size that entirely fits within the image capturing range of the imager located on the following traveling vehicle even if the distance between the traveling vehicle and the following traveling vehicle is less than the predetermined distance. A determiner determines that, when at least one of the entire large area symbols and the entire small area symbol is extracted from a captured image, a preceding traveling vehicle is present.

Abstract: A method of recognizing a specific image includes detecting image features from the specific image and storing in a memory each of detected relevant image features, detecting relevant image features from an input image and selecting from the memory a portion corresponding to each of the detected relevant image features, generating a restoration image using portions selected in the selecting, and determining whether the generated restoration image matches with the input image by a matching process and recognizing that, when it is determined that the restoration image matches with the input image, the input image is the specific image.

Abstract: A traveling vehicle travels along a traveling path and includes a main body, a traveler to allow a main body to travel along the traveling path, an LED array provided at the main body to switch a display manner according to a state of the traveling vehicle, an imager to capture an image of the LED array at a traveling vehicle located ahead of the traveling vehicle, and a controller configured or programmed to acquire a state of the traveling vehicle ahead based on the display manner captured by the imager, and to control the traveler of the traveling vehicle based on the acquired state.

Abstract: In a control method, a controller obtains equipment specifying information that specifies an equipment to which a transportable object is to be delivered, and a transport carriage obtains carriage position information indicating the position of the transport carriage. Any one of the transport carriage, a specific communication device, and the controller calculates the distance between the transport carriage and the specific communication device based on delivery position information indicating the position of a specific equipment and the carriage position information, and determines whether the distance is not more than a predetermined distance.

Abstract: A communication method of a transport system including transport carriages each transporting a transported object, and communication devices connected one-to-one with loading ports onto which the transported objects are loaded. The communication devices are communicably connected to each other in advance. The communication method includes transmitting, from a specific transport carriage to the communication devices, a first signal having a specific communication as a final transmission destination, and receiving, in the specific communication device, the first signal from the specific transport carriage through a communication channel that passes through another communication device. The first signal is a signal communicated for the specific transport carriage to transfer the transported object to and from a specific loading port connected one-to-one with the specific communication device.

Abstract: An elevation conveyor 5 includes a turntable 17 and a roller conveyor 18. The roller conveyor 18 is supported onto the turntable 17. A turntable controller 7 turns the turntable 17 so that the roller conveyor 18 matches with a carrying direction of a conveyor rail for receiving or delivering a load and then drives the conveyor rail and the roller conveyor 18 to receive or deliver an FOUP 8. An elevation conveyor 5 is held in a cable 20a installed in an elevation space 9 through a coupling member 20b of a cableveyor 20, and can freely elevate and stop at a port 21 installed on each floor while being interlocked with motion of the cableveyor 20 caused by reciprocating circulation of the cableveyor 20 in a vertical direction by an elevation conveyor controller 4.

Abstract: An elevation conveyor 5 includes a turntable 17 and a roller conveyor 18. The roller conveyor 18 is supported onto the turntable 17. A turntable controller 7 turns the turntable 17 so that the roller conveyor 18 matches with a carrying direction of a conveyor rail for receiving or delivering a load and then drives the conveyor rail and the roller conveyor 18 to receive or deliver an FOUP 8. An elevation conveyor 5 is held in a cable 20a installed in an elevation space 9 through a coupling member 20b of a cableveyor 20, and can freely elevate and stop at a port 21 installed on each floor while being interlocked with motion of the cableveyor 20 caused by reciprocating circulation of the cableveyor 20 in a vertical direction by an elevation conveyor controller 4.