Mover system

• US 10,108,193 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dexterity, Inc. (Wave Sync Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Glen C. Wernersbach
• Inventors: Wernersbach, Glen C
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Shardul D
• Application Number:
  US15/166,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20170344009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2, 701 20, 701 23, 705 715, 901 1, 700230
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/00 Devices for lifting or lowering bulky or heavy goods for loading or unloading purposes mobile or transportable lifts in, or associated with, buildings and specially adapted to be shifted from one part of a building or other structure to another part or to another building or structure B66B9/16; cranes B66C
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/00 Traffic control systems for road vehicles arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 ; automatic vehicle control B62D
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]

Abstract

A moving system comprising a master controller for monitoring and controlling a master operation comprising one or more individual movers such that each mover arrives at predefined end point at selected times. Each mover includes a mover control system that interacts with the master controller and has a predefined virtual vector path with one or more defined end points. The predefined virtual vector path comprises a plurality of discrete points, wherein each discrete point has a vector axis for use by the master controller and the mover control system to direct the mover to move such that it arrives at each defined end point at a selected time. In operation, the master controller functions to modify the predefined virtual path and sends commands to the mover control system in response to changes in the master operations.

Claims

1. A trackless mover system for transporting objects from a start point to an end point, the mover system comprising:

a mover having a mover control system that operates to direct said mover to follow a predefined virtual vector path comprising discrete points, each point utilizing motion plan parameters for directing said mover between said discrete points;

a master controller that provides motion commands that provide motion plan parameters at said discrete points, wherein said motion plan parameters include two-dimensional trajectory information to said mover control system for said mover to follow between said discrete points;

a communication network in communication with said master controller and said mover control system;

wherein said master controller operates to determine a calculated position of said mover and transmits motion commands using said communication network to said mover control system to modify said motion plan parameters at one or more of said discrete points to move said mover so that said calculated position matches a scheduled position for said mover.

2. The mover system of claim 1 wherein said master controller operates to periodically adjust said motion plan parameters at said discrete points so that said mover arrives at the end point at a predetermined specified time.

3. The mover system of claim 1 wherein said master controller further operates to control the mover system and secondary equipment by a master axis such that the mover system is synchronized with the operation of secondary equipment by said master axis.

4. The mover system of claim 1 further comprising a detection system in communication with said mover control system such that if said detection system detects an obstruction, said mover control system operates to modify said motion plan parameters to create a new defined virtual vector path and transmits mover control commands to a propulsion system that operates to move said mover along said new defined virtual vector path.

5. The mover system of claim 1 further comprising a path tracking system that operates to identify specific locations along said predefined virtual vector path.

6. The mover system of claim 5 wherein said path tracking system comprises one or more navigation devices that operate to provide information to said mover control system which operates to determine the actual position of said mover and further operates to create a comparison of said actual position with a scheduled position and uses said comparison to modify or create a new predefined virtual vector path and/or to modify said motion plan parameters so that said mover arrives at an end point at a predetermined specified time.

7. The mover system of claim 5 wherein said path tracking system comprises navigation devices in the form of magnetic or inductive markers that operate to provide location information to said mover control system when detected by tracking sensors positioned on said mover and wherein said tracking sensors are angled magnetoresistive or inductive sensors arranged in a pattern on said mover and operate to provide said mover control system with direction of travel of said mover.

8. The mover system of claim 5 wherein said path tracking system comprises navigation devices in the form of radio frequency identification tags positioned within a control area and operate to transmit absolute location coordinates to said mover control system.

9. The mover system of claim 1 wherein said mover comprises a pair of coaxially aligned wheels and at least one steering wheel and a cover having a bumper assembly and an indented section configured to mate with a bumper assembly of another mover to minimize pitch between movers.

10. The mover system of claim 1 further comprising a propulsion system that operates to move said mover along said predefined virtual vector path using magnetic levitation and propulsion.

11. The mover system of claim 10 wherein said propulsion system comprises a plurality of electromagnetic propulsion coils arranged to permit said mover to move in two dimensions.

12. The mover system of claim 10 wherein said propulsion system comprises a plurality of electromagnetic propulsion coils arranged to permit said mover to move in three dimensions.

13. The mover system of claim 1 wherein said predefined virtual vector path includes one or more curves in the form of clothoid or approximate clothoid arcs.

14. The mover system of claim 1 wherein said predefined virtual vector path includes one or more curves, wherein said one or more curves are banked such that centripetal force acting on said mover traveling along said one or more curves is minimized.

15. The mover system of claim 1 further comprising a track having a bottom wall and a pair of parallel side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, wherein said bottom wall having at least one electromagnetic levitation coil that cooperate with one or more magnets mounted to said mover that operate to levitate said mover above said bottom wall and wherein said parallel side walls each having a plurality of side electromagnetic levitation coils and a plurality of proximity sensors that cooperate to prevent said mover from contacting said side walls.

16. The mover system of claim 1 further comprising one or more battery charging stations that operate to charge a battery on said mover while said mover continues to follow said predefined virtual vector path.

17. The mover system of claim 1 further comprising a propulsion system and wherein said mover includes wheels such that said propulsion system operates to rotate at least one of said wheels to direct said mover'"'"'s direction of travel.

18. The mover system of claim 1 wherein said predefined virtual vector path includes a plurality of wheels for supporting said mover thereon, wherein each wheel is coupled to a motorized rotary servomotor that operates to drive each said wheel and to change wheel angle of each wheel to move said mover such that it follows said predefined virtual vector path.

19. The mover system of claim 1 wherein said communication network uses multiple wireless frequencies bands to communicate for control and feedback in areas where high amounts of radio transmission interference (RTI) is present.

20. The mover system of claim 1 wherein said communication network uses wireless communication for communicating with said mover in heavy RTI environments such that control commands are repeated using one or more wireless frequency bands to insure that communication packets are received by said mover control system.

21. The mover system of claim 1 wherein said communication network comprises multiple antennas positioned around a control area for receiving tracking signals and whereby said master controller operates to measure the strength of said tracking signals and uses triangulation to determine the position of said mover in a global coordinate system.

22. The mover system of claim 1 wherein said communication network uses one or more visual cameras that operate with said mover control system of said mover to identify key parts of a control area and transmit information to said master controller that functions to calculate an actual position of said mover and compares said actual position with a calculated position of said mover and adjusts said calculated position to correspond to said actual position and uses the comparison to determine if said actual position is outside an acceptable error tolerance.

23. The mover system of claim 1 wherein said master controller operates to vary said motion plan parameters of said mover as it follows said predefined virtual vector path to reposition and resynchronize said mover in relation to other movers.

24. The mover system of claim 1 wherein said master controller calculates if said mover will arrive at an end point at a specified time and what changes in said motion plan parameters needed to ensure said mover arrives at the end point at the specified time and determines based on the changes the probability that one or more of the wearable parts on said mover needs maintenance.

25. A mover system for transporting objects from a start point to an end point such that the mover arrives at the end point at a specified time, the mover system comprising:

a mover having a mover control system that operates to direct said mover to follow a predefined virtual vector path having a plurality of discrete points, each discrete point and a vector axis utilizing motion plan parameters for directing the movement of said mover;

a propulsion system;

a master controller for monitoring the movement of said mover;

a communication network in communication with said master controller and said mover control system;

a detection system in communication with said mover control system such that if said detection system detects an obstruction, said mover control system operates to create a new defined virtual vector path for said mover and transmits mover control commands to said propulsion system to move said mover such that it follows said new defined virtual vector path;

a path tracking system having navigation devices that operate to provide location information to said mover control system for determining an actual position of said mover and transmitting said actual position to said master controller;

wherein said master controller cooperates with said path tracking system to determine a calculated position of said mover and transmits motion commands using said communication network to said mover control system that modifies said motion plan parameters to move said mover at one or more of said plurality of discrete points so that said calculated position matches said actual position of said mover and wherein said mover control system further operates to transmit mover control commands to said propulsion system so that said mover arrives at the end point at the specified time.

26. The mover system of claim 25 wherein said propulsion system comprises a plurality of electromagnetic propulsion coils that cooperate with propulsion magnets mounted to said mover.

27. The mover system of claim 25 further comprising one or more levitation coils that cooperate with levitation magnets mounted to said mover that operate to levitate said mover about a platform.

28. The mover system of claim 25 further comprising a track having a plurality of rollers for supporting said mover, wherein each roller is swiveled mounted to said track and connected to rotary servomotors that operate to rotate and swivel to direct said mover along said rollers following said predefined virtual vector path.

29. The mover system of claim 28 wherein said rotary servomotors operate to change the angle of said plurality of rollers and the rotational speeds of said rollers.

30. The mover system of claim 25 wherein said mover includes a bumper assembly and an indented section configured to mate with a bumper assembly of another mover to minimize pitch between movers.

31. A trackless mover system for transporting objects from a start point to an end point, the mover system comprising:

a mover having a mover control system that operates to direct said mover to follow a predefined virtual vector path comprising discrete points wherein motion plan parameters are utilized for directing said mover between said discrete points;

a master controller that provides motion commands that provide motion plan parameters to said mover control system for said mover to follow between said discrete points; and

a communication network in communication with said master controller and said mover control system that operates to send said motion commands to said mover control system;

wherein said master controller operates to determine a calculated position of said mover for directing the mover to arrive at a location at a selected time; and

wherein master control system operates to modify said motion plan parameters at one or more of said discrete points to move said mover so that said calculated position stays within about 5 mm of a scheduled position for said mover.

32. A mover system for transporting objects from a start point to an end point, the mover system comprising:

a mover having a mover control system that operates to direct said mover to follow a predefined path comprising discrete points wherein motion plan parameters are utilized for directing said mover between said discrete points; and

a master controller that provides motion commands that provide motion plan parameters to said mover control system for said mover to follow between said discrete points;

one or more battery charging stations that operate to charge a battery on said mover while said mover is following said predefined path;

a communication network in communication with said master controller and said mover control system that operates to send said motion commands to said mover control system;

wherein said master controller operates to determine a calculated position of said mover for directing the mover to arrive at a location at a specified time; and

wherein master control system operates to modify said motion plan parameters at one or more of said discrete points to move said mover so that said calculated position matches a scheduled position for said mover.

33. A mover system for transporting objects from a start point to an end point, the mover system comprising:

a mover having a mover control system that operates to direct said mover to follow a path comprising discrete points wherein motion plan parameters are utilized for directing said mover between said discrete points;

a master controller that provides motion commands that provide motion plan parameters to said mover control system for said mover to follow said path; and

a communication network in communication with said master controller and said mover;

wherein said master controller operates to determine a calculated position of said mover for directing the mover to arrive at a location at a specified time; and

wherein master control system operates to determine a calculated position of said mover and transmits said motion commands using said communication network to modify said motion plan parameters to move said mover so that said calculated position matches a scheduled position for said mover.

34. The mover system of claim 33 wherein said wireless communication network uses multiple wireless frequency bands for transmitting between said mover control system and said master controller for control and feedback in areas where high amounts of radio transmission interference (RTI) is present.

35. The mover system of claim 33 wherein said wireless communication network that operates to communicate between said mover control system and master controller in areas where high amounts or radio transmission interference (RTI) is present whereby motion control commands are repeatedly transmitted to said mover control system such that communication packets are received by said mover control system.

36. A mover system for transporting objects from a start point to an end point, the mover system comprising:

a mover having a mover control system that operates to direct said mover to follow a predefined path comprising discrete points wherein motion plan parameters are utilized for directing said mover between said discrete points; and

a master controller that provides motion commands that provide motion plan parameters to said mover control system for said mover to follow between said discrete points;

a communication network in communication with said master controller and said mover control system that operates to send said motion commands to said mover control system;

wherein said master controller operates to determine a calculated position of said mover for directing the mover to arrive at a location at a specified time;

wherein master control system operates to modify said motion plan parameters at one or more of said discrete points to move said mover so that said calculated position matches a scheduled position for said mover; and

wherein if the difference between said calculated position and said scheduled position is outside a predefined tolerance, said master controller operates to send motion commands to said mover control system to direct said mover to follow an alternate path for servicing of said mover.

37. A mover system for transporting objects from a start point to an end point, the mover system comprising:

a mover having a mover control system that operates to direct said mover to follow a predefined path comprising discrete points wherein motion plan parameters are utilized for directing said mover between said discrete points; and

a master controller that provides motion commands that provide motion plan parameters to said mover control system for said mover to follow between said discrete points;

a communication network in communication with said master controller and said mover control system that operates to send said motion commands to said mover control system;

wherein said master controller calculates if said mover will arrive at an end point at a specified time and what changes in said motion plan parameters are needed to ensure said mover arrives at the end point at a specified time and determines based on the changes to said motion plan parameters the probability that one or more of the wearable parts on said mover needs maintenance.