Process for dynamic automation with collaborative elements and control system therefor

• US 20060155406A1
• Filed: 12/05/2003
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logobject AG
• Original Assignee: Logobject AG
• Inventors: Rossi, Roberto, Wullschleger, Felix H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,904,191 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/99
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32388 Autonomous flexible system, cells and agv autonomous
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33006 Ama allocation manual automatic work between machine, manipulator and man
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33008 Operate manually only in defined, limited zone area
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for dynamic automation, in which collaborative elements, such as essentially humans and mobile robots, but also machines, co-operate, in order to carry out tasks as efficiently as possible. Each of said collaborative elements carries out exactly the part of a working process which exploits the concept of collaboration the most in terms of efficiency, flexibility, quality and performance. In each working step, the collaborative elements (KE(I), KE(II)) are guided by a control system (2) into an execution zone (3) where they carry out the working step by means of communication media (4) static resources (5) and possibly machines (KE(III)). The next working process, the next working step, and the distribution of the resources in the area (1) are dynamically determined by the control system, each allocation being carried out at the last possible moment, additionally taking into account the current state of the collaborative system. The invention also relates to a control system for carrying out said method. The inventive method can be applied in logistics, especially storage logistics, such as commissioning.

Claims

1. Process for dynamic automation, wherein in a space with resources for handling at least one working step or one task item, at least one collaborative element of type I is controlled by means of a control system into an execution zone, the collaborative element of type I communicating with at least one collaborative element of type II and/or type III, wherein the collaborative element of type II is controlled into the execution zone by means of the same control system, wherein after arrival of the collaborative elements in the execution zone the collaborative element of type II and/or of type III is instructed by the collaborative element of type I via communications media to carry out the partial article-forming step, the execution being monitored by the collaborative element of type I, wherein upon execution a partial article is formed on the collaborative element of type I as the origin, and wherein after execution all collaborative elements are cleared for the next working step.

2. Process as claimed in claim 1, wherein static, mobile and/or fixed resources are used as the resources.

3. Process as claimed in claim 2, wherein the choice of the execution zone is made depending on the static and mobile resources which are required for the working step.

4. Process as claimed in claim 1, wherein an operation is formed by a sequence of at least two working steps and in this way the task is described.

5. Process as claimed in claim 4, wherein at least two operations are carried out in parallel, its being determined by the control system which sequence of operations is carried out with which collaborative elements of type I and which working step is carried out next by at least one collaborative element of type II and/or type III, and wherein the performance of the totality of all collaborative elements is maximized in this way.

6. Process as claimed in claim 5, wherein the performance is maximized by the criteria—

maximization of the number of operations which are carried out per unit of time,—

minimization of all throughput times of the individual operations, and—

uniform capacity utilization of all collaborative elements of type II.

7. Process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the collaborative elements communicate with the control system by means of communications media bidirectionally and preferably continuously.

8. Process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locations of all collaborative elements are continually determined by the control system and in this way are currently known at any time.

9. Process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the next operation, the next working step and the distribution of resources in space are dynamically determined by the control system, each assignment taking place at the latest possible instant with additional consideration of the current state of the collaborative system.

10. Process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the static resources are distributed in space such that the operations are distributed as uniformly as possible both in time and also in space.

11. Process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the probable state at the instant of execution is used for computation.

12. Process as claimed in claim 1, wherein different partial spaces of the space, especially warehouse zones, are assigned to the collaborative elements of type II.

13. Process as claimed in claim 12, wherein the collaborative elements of type I move in a partial space only in one direction of travel, the direction of travel to be taken being exactly established when a first collaborative element of type I arrives in the partial space, wherein this direction of travel remains fixed as long as a collaborative element of type I is still in the partial space, and wherein any additional collaborative element of type I is moving in the partial space which is occupied in this way with a predetermined direction of travel;

this leads to the formation of a combination of at least two collaborative elements of type I.

14. Process as claimed in claim 12, wherein the collaborative elements of type I move in two adjacent partial spaces in the opposite direction of travel, where they are serviced by at least two different collaborative elements of type II, wherein a carousel is formed by the directions of travel and in it the collaborative elements of type I and type II move in opposite directions.

15. Application of the process as claimed in claim 1 in logistics.

16. Application of the process as claimed in claim 1 in warehouse logistics, especially in commissioning.

17. Control system for executing the process as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are segmentation of the operations and coordination of all collaborative elements, by which all operations are optimally carried out.

18. Control system as claimed in claim 17, wherein it has communications media via which there is currently knowledge of the locations of all collaborative elements at any time.

19. Control system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the communications media are bidirectionally and preferably continuously in operation.

20. Control system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the determination of the next operation and of the next working step and the distribution of resources in space are dynamically provided, each assignment taking place at the latest possible instant with additional consideration of the current state of the collaborative system.

21. Control system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the probable state at the instant of execution is provided for computation.