Security point mode

Abstract

The invention provides a method of operating a dispensing system (110), where the dispensing system (110) comprises:-a plurality of carriers (112) configured for carrying one or more objects (114),-a transport plane (122) configured for supporting the carriers (112), where the transport plane (122) comprises a plurality of transport modules (124) configured for supporting the carriers (112), wherein a grid (126) of logical positions (128) is defined on the transport plane (122),-a drive system (130) configured for moving the carrier (112) between the logical positions (128) on the transport plane (122),-a control system (136) configured for controlling the drive system (130), where the control system (136) comprises a route planning system (138) configured for planning a route of the carrier (112) between the logical positions (128) on the transport plane (122). The route planning system is configured for calculating a route for the carrier (112) wherein the method comprises the steps of: a) defining a global pattern of safety points (148) by using the route planning system (138) and applying the global pattern on the transport plane (122), wherein the safety point (148) is a logical position (128) selected taking into account the range of movement of the carrier (112) occupying the logical position (128), such that the carrier (112) can be placed and removed again at the safety point (148), and wherein the global pattern is applied to the transport plane (122) without being affected by module boundaries; b) calculating partial routes for the carrier (112) by using the route planning system (138) such that the end position of each partial route is one of the safety points (148) or has a free path to one of the safety points (148) that is reachable in the next partial route. Furthermore, the invention discloses a distribution system (110) for carrying out the method according to the invention, as well as a computer program and a computer-readable storage medium.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of operating a dispensing system and to a dispensing system. As an example, the method and system of the present invention can be used to control the movement of a carrier that transports sample containers, in particular: sample tubes filled with biological fluids or reagents to be analyzed; and / or boxes filled with reagents, sample slides, tissue materials, waste, disposables (such as pipette tips or tube caps); and / or empty tubes, which are used for subpackaging, especially in the field of diagnostic laboratories. The method and system can also be used to transport these goods within diagnostic instruments or other applications that require the control of the movement of carriers on a transport plane, such as carriers that transport payloads (such as goods, warehouse goods, products to be manufactured at a manufacturing site or other objects). Background Art

[0002] In the field of diagnostic laboratories, a plurality of samples, for example liquid samples, must often be processed automatically. The automated processing of samples may include the automated transport of sample containers, in particular sample containers containing samples to be processed, via carriers in the diagnostic laboratory by means of one or more dispensing systems.

[0003] For example, EP 3 095 739 A1 describes a method for operating a laboratory sample distribution system. The laboratory sample distribution system comprises: a plurality of sample container carriers, wherein the sample container carriers are adapted to support one or more sample containers, wherein the sample containers comprise samples to be analyzed by means of a plurality of laboratory stations; a transport plane, wherein the transport plane is adapted to support the sample container carriers, wherein the transport plane comprises a plurality of transfer positions, wherein the transfer positions are assigned to corresponding laboratory stations; and a drive member, wherein the drive member is adapted to move the sample container carrier on the transport plane. The method comprises the following steps: during initialization of the laboratory sample distribution system, precalculating a route according to the transfer positions; and after initialization of the laboratory sample distribution system, controlling the drive member so that the sample container carrier moves along the precalculated path.

[0004] EP 3 537 159 A1 discloses a method of operating a laboratory sample dispensing system. The laboratory sample dispensing system comprises: a plurality of sample container carriers, wherein the sample container carriers are adapted to support laboratory sample containers; a transport plane, wherein the transport plane is adapted to support the sample container carriers; and a plurality of drive elements, wherein the drive elements are adapted to move the sample container carriers on the transport plane. The method includes the following steps: a) planning a movement path for one of the sample container carriers from a starting point on a transport plane to a target, wherein the transport plane is logically modeled by multiple nodes, wherein the node is idle within at least one time window or is reserved within at least one time window, wherein the plan includes analyzing the accessibility from the idle time window of one of the nodes to at least one next node and at least one idle time window of at least one next node, so that the planned movement of the one sample container carrier is uninterrupted from the one node through the next node to the at least one next node, and reserving a planned movement path including a time window sequence of nodes; and b) executing by controlling at least one of the drive elements so that the one sample container carrier moves along the reserved movement path on the transport plane.

[0005] US10,006,927B2 discloses a method for operating a laboratory automation system. The laboratory automation system includes a plurality of laboratory stations and a plurality of sample container carriers. The sample container carrier carries one or more sample containers. The sample container includes a sample to be analyzed by the laboratory station. The system also includes a transport plane. The transport plane supports the sample container carrier. The system also includes a drive device. The drive device moves the sample container carrier on the transport plane. The method includes: during the initialization of the laboratory automation system, logically reserving at least one buffer area on the transport plane, and after the initialization of the laboratory automation system, buffering the sample container carrier carrying the sample container in the at least one buffer area, the sample container containing the sample awaiting the analysis result. Based on the analysis result, the sample is further processed.

[0006] US2018 / 0348244 A1 describes a method of operating a presented laboratory sample distribution system. The system comprises: a sample container carrier comprising a magnetically active device and configured to support a sample container; interconnected transport plane modules configured to support the carrier; and an electromagnetic actuator arranged in rows and columns below each transport plane module and configured to move the carrier on top of the transport plane module by applying a magnetic force to the carrier. The method comprises assigning the transport plane module to a route category. At least two transport lanes are formed on the route-classified transport plane module. The carrier moves along a transport direction within each transport lane. The transport directions are opposite to each other. The method also comprises assigning another transport plane module to a waypoint category. A change from one transport direction to an opposite transport direction is possible on the waypoint-classified transport plane module.

[0007] WO 2022 / 063760 A1 discloses a method for operating a distribution system. The distribution system comprises a plurality of carriers, wherein the carriers are adapted to carry one or more goods. A transport plane of the distribution system supports the carriers. A control device controls a drive device. During initialization of the distribution system, the control device predefines a pattern of safety points on the transport plane, at which the carriers can be placed. After the initialization of the distribution system, the control device calculates partial routes of the carriers so that the end position of each partial route is one of the safety points or has a free path to one of the safety points reachable in the next partial route.

[0008] US11,092,613B2 discloses a method for operating a laboratory sample distribution system. The laboratory sample distribution system includes a plurality of sample container carriers. The sample container carrier is adapted to carry one or more sample containers. The sample container includes samples to be analyzed by a plurality of laboratory stations. The laboratory sample distribution system also includes a transport plane. The transport plane is adapted to support the sample container carrier. The method includes allocating an area of ​​the transport plane as a buffer area. The buffer area is adapted to store a variable number of sample container carriers. The method also includes controlling the buffer area using a puzzle-based control scheme or using an aisle-based control scheme as a function of the storage density of the buffer area.

[0009] US2016 / 0341750 A1 discloses a method for operating a laboratory automation system. The laboratory automation system includes a plurality of laboratory stations and a plurality of sample container carriers. The sample container carrier carries one or more sample containers. The sample container includes a sample to be analyzed by the laboratory station. The system also includes a transport plane. The transport plane supports the sample container carrier. The system also includes a drive device. The drive device moves the sample container carrier on the transport plane. The method includes: during the initialization of the laboratory automation system, logically reserving at least one buffer area on the transport plane, and after the initialization of the laboratory automation system, buffering the sample container carrier carrying the sample container in the at least one buffer area, the sample container containing the sample awaiting the analysis result. Based on the analysis result, the sample is further processed.

[0010] Although the known methods and devices have many advantages, there are still several technical challenges. Using the known methods and devices, deadlock problems may still occur and the system performance may still not be optimal. In particular, deadlock problems may occur if the carriers block each other on the transport plane, especially so that the blocked carriers cannot move.

[0011] Issues to be resolved

[0012] Therefore, it is desirable to provide methods and devices that at least partially solve the above technical challenges. In particular, a method for operating a dispensing system and a dispensing system should be proposed, which allow deadlock prevention and enhance system performance. Summary of the invention

[0013] This problem is solved by a method of operating a dispensing system and a dispensing system having the features of the independent claims. In the dependent claims and throughout the description, advantageous embodiments are listed which can be realized individually or in any combination.

[0014] As used below, the terms "having", "comprising" or "including" or any grammatical variations thereof are used in a non-exclusive manner. Thus, these terms may refer to the absence of other features in the entity described in this context in addition to the features introduced by these terms, or the presence of one or more other features. As an example, the expressions "A has B", "A includes B" and "A contains B" may refer to the absence of other elements in A in addition to B (i.e., the presence of A solely and exclusively consisting of B); or to the presence of one or more other elements in entity A in addition to B (such as element C, element C and element D, or even other elements).

[0015] Further, it should be noted that the terms "at least one", "one or more" or similar expressions indicating that a feature or element may be present once or more than once are usually used only once when introducing the corresponding feature or element. In the following, in most cases, when referring to the corresponding feature or element, the expression "at least one" or "one or more" will not be repeated despite the fact that the corresponding feature or element may be present once or more than once.

[0016] Moreover, as used hereinafter, the terms "preferably", "more preferably", "particularly", "more particularly", "specifically", "more specifically" or similar terms are used in conjunction with optional features without limiting the possibilities of alternatives. Therefore, the features introduced by these terms are optional features and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims in any way. As the skilled person will recognize, the present invention can be implemented by using alternative features. Similarly, the features introduced by "in one embodiment of the present invention" or similar expressions are intended to be optional features without any limitation on alternative embodiments of the present invention, without any limitation on the scope of the present invention, and without any limitation on the possibility of combining the features introduced in this manner with other optional or non-optional features of the present invention.

[0017] In a first aspect of the present invention, a method of operating a dispensing system is disclosed. The dispensing system comprises

[0018] - a plurality of carriers configured to carry one or more objects,

[0019] a transport plane configured to support the carrier, wherein the transport plane comprises a plurality of transport modules, wherein a grid of logical positions is defined on the transport plane,

[0020] a drive system configured to move the carrier between the logical positions on the transport plane,

[0021] a control system configured to control the drive system, wherein the control system comprises a route planning system configured to calculate a route for the carrier,

[0022] As used herein, the term "system" is a broad term and is to be given the ordinary and customary meaning to those of ordinary skill in the art and is not limited to a special or customized meaning. The term may specifically refer to, but is not limited to, a set of any interacting or interdependent components that form a whole. Specifically, the components may interact with each other to achieve at least one common function. At least two components may be processed independently, or may be coupled or connectable.

[0023] As used herein, the term "distribution system" is a broad term and is given a common and customary meaning to a person of ordinary skill in the art, and is not limited to a special or custom meaning. The term specifically may refer to, but is not limited to, a system configured to distribute carriers from an initial position to a target destination. A distribution system may be an element of a laboratory automation system that allows carriers to be distributed to a target destination within the laboratory automation system. A distribution system may be used for a laboratory automation system, including a plurality of laboratory stations, such as a pre-analysis station, an analysis station, and / or a post-analysis station. Distribution systems are generally known to those skilled in the art, such as from EP 3 095 739 A1 or WO2012 / 158541.

[0024] As used herein, the term "operation" is a broad term and will be given the ordinary and customary meaning to those of ordinary skill in the art and is not limited to a special or customized meaning. The term may specifically refer to, but is not limited to, the process of controlling, specifically automatically controlling and / or controlling by manual interaction a distribution system and / or components of the distribution system. As an example, operating a distribution system may include controlling a distribution system such as a drive system of the distribution system via the control system to distribute carriers from an initial position to a target destination. For example, operating a distribution system may include controlling the distribution system to distribute carriers, and further monitoring the distribution of the carriers, and, if necessary, adjusting or changing the distribution of the carriers.

[0025] As used herein, the term "carrier" is a broad term and will be given the common and customary meaning to those of ordinary skill in the art, and is not limited to a special or customized meaning. The term specifically may refer to, but is not limited to, a support structure configured to support and transport a payload. The carrier may be equipped with appropriate retaining devices to support the payload and, if necessary, to secure the payload in a desired manner and orientation. The carrier may be self-propelled. Additionally or alternatively, the carrier may be propelled by using an actuator such as an electromagnetic coil arranged below the surface of the transport plane. Exemplary embodiments of the carrier are described in, for example, WO 2011 / 138448 A1, WO 2013 / 064665A1, or WO 2017 / 144219A1.

[0026] As used herein, the term "object" is a broad term and is to be given the ordinary and customary meaning to one of ordinary skill in the art and is not limited to a special or customized meaning. The term may specifically refer to, but is not limited to, any payload. The object may be at least one sample container, such as a laboratory diagnostic container or vessel.

[0027] As outlined above, the distribution system includes a conveying plane. As used herein, the term "conveying plane" is a broad term, and will be given to ordinary and customary meanings for those of ordinary skill in the art, and is not limited to special or customized meanings. The term specifically may refer to but is not limited to any type of two-dimensional plane, bed, layer, platform or flat base configured to convey a carrier. The conveying plane may be configured so that the carrier can be positioned on the conveying plane, particularly positioned on the surface of the conveying plane, so that the carrier can move above the conveying plane in at least two dimensions. For example, the conveying plane can be a sliding surface installed in a diagnostic laboratory or in a floor at a manufacturing site or in a laboratory, hospital, storage room or manufacturing workshop. The conveying plane can be installed vertically or horizontally, including a ramp. A curved conveying plane may also be possible. The conveying plane refers not only to the plane itself, but also to the actuator elements and electronic devices therein or below. The conveying plane may include actuators, sensors and / or electronic devices for moving the carrier.

[0028] The transport plane may be configured to provide movement of the carrier by contact. The transport plane may constitute a coordinate system, wherein movement of the carrier may occur on the transport plane in the x and y directions. The transport plane may be configured so that the carrier may contact the surface of the transport plane, so that friction may be used to brake and control the movement of the carrier. The transport plane may be configured for contactless movement of the carrier. The transport plane may be configured so that the carrier may move contactlessly, for example by providing a small gap between the carrier and the surface, by air or magnetic suspension. For three-dimensional space, the transport plane may form corresponding restrictions on up and down slopes, or may be installed with some kind of suspension mechanism, such as magnetic suspension or air cushion technology, with corresponding restrictions on the height that can be reached without losing control. For vertical transport in the third dimension, a lift or paternoster mechanism may also be installed.

[0029] As outlined above, the transport plane includes a plurality of transport modules. As used herein, the term "transport module" is a broad term and will be given a common and customary meaning for a person of ordinary skill in the art, and is not limited to a special or custom meaning. The term may specifically refer to, but is not limited to, a separate construction unit and / or subunit of the transport plane including at least one logical position. The transport module may include a plurality of logical positions. The transport modules may be constructed identically or may be different from one another. The transport plane may be a modular transport plane formed by interconnected transport modules. The transport modules may be interconnected so that the carrier may be moved directly or indirectly from each of the transport modules to each of the other modules. The interconnected transport modules may form a continuous transport plane, which may also be represented as a transport surface. Under each transport module, a plurality of electromagnetic actuators may be fixedly arranged in rows and columns. The electromagnetic actuator may be configured to move the carrier along rows in the rows or along columns in the columns on the top surface of the transport module by applying a magnetic moving force to the carrier. Each of the transport modules may be limited by module boundaries. The transport modules may have different shapes and / or sizes. For example, the transport modules may be square modules. At least one of the transport modules may be a non-square transport module. The present invention provides a method for adapting the safety point pattern to mixed geometric shapes (including rectangular and non-rectangular transport modules) relative to the transport module dimensions.

[0030] As used herein, the term "logical position" is a broad term and will be given the common and customary meaning to a person of ordinary skill in the art and is not limited to a special or customized meaning. The term may specifically refer to, but is not limited to, any position of a transport plane adapted to support a carrier. A logical position may be a position at which a carrier of the transport plane can but does not necessarily have to stop. The carrier may be stationary at a logical position, move through several logical positions and / or stop at a final logical position of movement. The representation of the transport plane may be a graph with logical positions or logical positions and allowed connections between them, also referred to as a "grid". The transport plane may be mathematically mapped to a graph of logical positions or logical positions and allowed connections between them. The graph may be used for route planning of carriers at logical positions, such as route finding. The drive system is configured to move the carrier between logical positions on the transport plane. Movement between logical positions may include following logical positions.

[0031] Logical positions can be defined by hardware design and / or by software on the transport plane. As an example, logical positions can be defined by hardware design and by software, wherein the software can determine that not all logical hardware positions can be used. For example, the software can reduce multiple logical positions defined by the hardware design. Logical positions can be imaginary positions in the route planning algorithm and / or positions on the real transport plane. For example, logical positions can be defined on the transport plane as positions where the carrier can stop, start and / or change direction. In systems such as those described in EP2 566 787 or WO 2013 / 098202, the drive device can define these logical positions by its hardware limitations. Logical positions can be defined above electromagnetic actuators. At these positions, the carrier can be stopped and its direction can be changed with the next movement. Logical positions can be defined as needed or required to form a set of useful intersections, joints, starting positions and stop positions. Logical positions can be discrete positions where the carrier can stop. Specifically, logical positions can be defined by at least one physical entity (such as an electromagnetic coil) of the drive system or the intersection of possible paths (such as tracks).

[0032] Each of the logical positions can be configured to be occupied by only one carrier. Thus, two carriers cannot simultaneously share a logical position. The allocation system can be configured to move a plurality of carriers on the transport plane via a corresponding calculated partial route, wherein the corresponding route can lead from a first logical position to a second logical position, i.e., the end position of the corresponding partial route.

[0033] A logical location may be any location that a carrier can reach, or any location where a carrier can change direction, can be parked, or can be identified by an identification or registration system.

[0034] The identification and registration system can be a camera system or an optical sensor and scanner, such as a laser scanner, which recognizes any optical signature on the carrier or object, such as its size, its type, or a barcode or QR code, a Hall sensor, a capacitive sensor, etc. Alternatively or in addition, an RFID reader system that reads a unique RFID of a carrier or an object on the carrier or a sensor inside the transport plane can be used to identify the position and to locate the carrier. The identification of the position can include using a sensor to identify the position where the carrier is moving or stationary. For example, a sensor inside the transport plane can be configured to identify whether there is a carrier at a position or between positions. This can be used to control the drive system, for example to understand whether the carrier needs to be dragged longer by magnetic force and / or needs to be stopped, etc. Another option can be a high-precision GPS, which is particularly enhanced by one or more of local beacons, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GSM signals and acceleration sensors.

[0035] As further outlined above, the distribution system includes a drive system. As used herein, the term "drive system" is a broad term and is given a common and customary meaning to a person of ordinary skill in the art, and is not limited to a special or custom meaning. The term specifically refers to, but is not limited to, a system configured to move a carrier on a conveying plane. The drive system can be implemented in a carrier (e.g., a wheel connected to an electric motor with a connected battery and electronic device) itself. Another possibility is a linear motor. It may also be a passive carrier. For example, a magnetic device may be fixed in a carrier, and a magnetic force is provided by a magnetically active and drivable element such as an electromagnetic actuator to cause the carrier to move by generating an electromagnetic field. The coil may be installed below, above, beside or inside the conveying plane. For example, the arrangement of a magnetic coil below the conveying plane is described in, for example, EP 2 566 787 or WO2013 / 098202.

[0036] As used herein, the term "control system" is a broad term and is given a common and customary meaning to a person of ordinary skill in the art, and is not limited to a special or custom meaning. The term may specifically refer to, but is not limited to, any system configured to perform a specified operation, preferably by using at least one data processing device, and more preferably by using at least one processor and / or at least one application-specific integrated circuit. Thus, as an example, at least one control system may include at least one data processing device having a software code stored thereon, the software code including a plurality of computer commands. The control system may provide one or more hardware elements for performing one or more of the specified operations, and / or may provide one or more processors with software running thereon for performing one or more of the specified operations. The control system may include one or more programmable devices, such as one or more computers, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), which are configured to perform steps b) and c). However, additionally or alternatively, the control system may also be implemented in whole or in part by hardware. The control system may include a route planning system for calculating a route and at least one execution unit for executing the movement of a carrier according to a planned route. The control system may include a plurality of route planning systems and a plurality of execution units. For example, the transport plane can be divided into a plurality of subsystems, each of which is individually route-planned and executed, wherein there are interfaces between the subsystems for transferring the carriers.

[0037] As used herein, the term "route" is a broad term, and will be given the common and customary meaning for those of ordinary skill in the art, and is not limited to a special or custom meaning. The term may specifically refer to, but is not limited to, a set of partial routes from a starting position to a final destination position calculated, planned or assigned with respect to a carrier. The route may be divided into one or more partial routes to an intermediate destination. The starting position may be a logical position where the carrier is located on the transport plane when the algorithm starts calculating the route. The final destination position may be a logical position on the transport plane where the carrier needs to arrive. The final destination position is a logical position specifically having a special function on the transport plane, for example, at these logical positions, a sample tube, a portion of a sample, a complete carrier or consumables with a payload are transferred from the transport plane to, for example, an analyzer or a pre-analysis system or a post-analysis system or a storage system, or are transferred from them to the transport plane. For example, in the case where the sample transport technology is also used inside the analyzer, a complete carrier with a payload may be transferred. For a manufacturing site, the final destination position may specifically correspond to a logical position of a machine station that performs certain manufacturing processes on a semi-finished product. The starting position of a carrier may also be in particular the final destination position of another carrier, or more in particular the final destination position of the same carrier. For a storage system, the final destination position may be a position at which goods transported by the carrier can be stored or a carrier including or excluding its load can be positioned for being stored. Inside an instrument, the final destination may be a processing unit, such as, for example, a pipetting, mixing, incubation or detection unit.

[0038] As used herein, the term "route planning system" is a broad term and is given a common and customary meaning to a person of ordinary skill in the art, and is not limited to a special or custom meaning. The term may specifically refer to, but is not limited to, any system configured to calculate the route of a carrier moving on a transport plane. The route planning system may include at least one data processing device. The route planning system may be configured to use at least one algorithm, in particular an algorithm represented as a route planning algorithm. The route planning algorithm may be an algorithm that calculates the route of each carrier on the transport plane from a starting position to an intermediate destination position toward a final destination position. The route planning algorithm may calculate several straight-line moves to the intermediate destination position for each route with the current position of the carrier at the logical position as the starting position. The planned route (also referred to as a route planning plan) may include all moves or only the next few moves to be performed until the second final destination is reached. After the final destination has been reached, a new destination with a new partial route may be assigned to the carrier, or the carrier may be parked while waiting for a new assignment.

[0039] Calculation of the route may include determining the shortest path for the carrier across the transport plane from a starting location to a final destination location. A route planning algorithm may be used to determine the shortest path for the carrier across the transport plane. The shortest path may include individual shortest paths such as the shortest path for each individual carrier, and / or collaborative shortest paths such as a path that is not necessarily the shortest path for each individual carrier, but the path of all carriers together tends to be the shortest possible path. The algorithm may be selected from the group consisting of: A*-algorithm; Windowed Hierarchical Cooperative A*-algorithm (WHCA*); D*-algorithm; Dijkstra algorithm.

[0040] As used herein, the term "path" (also denoted "free path") is a broad term and is to be given the ordinary and customary meaning to a person of ordinary skill in the art and is not limited to a special or customized meaning. The term may specifically refer to, but is not limited to, a possible route for moving a carrier on a transport plane. Thus, the path may include the possibility of moving a carrier on a transport plane, however, this does not necessarily have to be performed. As used herein, the term "path" may be used synonymously with the term "channel" or "transport channel" as outlined below.

[0041] For example, the WHCA* search algorithm can be used to calculate a route. For the WHCA* algorithm, for example, refer to Silver, D., 2005, "Cooperative pathfinding", Young, RM and Laird, JE (eds.), AIIDE, 117-122. AAA I Press and reference WO 2021 / 228733A1. The WHCA* search algorithm can be a heuristic search algorithm, such as an A* or D* search algorithm. For each carrier with a final destination, the search algorithm calculates the route from the starting position to the intermediate destination position toward their corresponding final destination position at the nodes within the collaborative search window of time length T. The search is collaborative because the route can only pass through the idle time windows of the logical positions, which means that these logical positions may not be reserved by other carriers at the time. For logical positions with required idle time windows, the required duration of the idle time window will change from "idle" to "reserved" for the required time slot of the corresponding logical position. Therefore, the idle time window will be divided into a reserved time window and one or two additional idle time windows. Therefore, the search is cooperative for the cooperation time window T by considering the time windows reserved for other carriers of the logical location. The WHCA* algorithm can be designed to plan routes for each carrier individually, where the reservation table can be used to obtain coordination.

[0042] As outlined above, the route planning system can be configured to calculate routes for all carriers on the transport plane by modeling the transport plane with a graph of nodes. To this end, the route planning system can be configured to determine the reserved time window and the free time window of each node. In order to calculate the route of the carrier, the route planning system can use a windowed hierarchical collaborative heuristic search algorithm with a collaborative time window T. Specifically, the collaborative heuristic search algorithm is a Dijkstra-algorithm, a Bellman-Ford-algorithm, or more specifically an A*-algorithm. T is typically in the range of 1 second to 300 seconds, specifically in the range of 1 second to 60 seconds, and more specifically 10 seconds. The route planning system can be configured to allocate a separate reserved length as the number of nodes for the next move on the logical position where each carrier has a free time window, so that the carrier starts and stops separately. The execution unit can be configured to execute a method for planning a route for transporting the carriers from their respective starting positions to their respective final positions.

[0043] The calculation of the route may include planning the route. The route planning system may be configured to determine an optimal route for the carrier across the transport plane. The optimal route may be determined based on at least one optimization objective, such as one or more of time, resource consumption, cost, wear balance, and good overall transport performance. Since the route planning algorithm used may be collaborative, the route planning system may take care that all carriers find their way in a net efficient manner, if necessary sacrificing the shortest time to the final destination of some individual carriers. The optimal route for the corresponding carrier may be a route selected from a plurality of possible routes that minimizes an optimization objective, such as the time required to reach its final destination location.

[0044] The control system may include at least one execution unit configured to execute the calculated route. The execution unit may be configured to execute the movement of the carrier taking into account the calculated route. The term "movement" may refer to "action" and may not include a waiting time before the next movement occurs. A movement may be defined as a movement of the carrier along a straight line, starting from one logical position and stopping at a second different logical position. A movement may include a displacement of the carrier through one or more logical positions. The length of the movement may be the number of logical positions for each movement. For example, the movement may be a straight line displacement, and the carrier does not stop in between. The movement from a first final destination to a second final destination may be implemented in one or more movements with intermediate destinations. The intermediate destinations may also be logical positions. Each movement has a start and a stop at a logical position. The stop of the last movement of the route is an intermediate destination or a final destination.

[0045] The method comprises the following steps, which may be performed in a given order. However, it should be noted that different orders are also possible. In addition, it is also possible to perform one or more of the method steps once or repeatedly. In addition, it is possible to perform two or more of the method steps simultaneously or in a temporally overlapping manner. The method may include other method steps that are not listed.

[0046] The method comprises the following steps:

[0047] a) defining a global pattern of safety points using a route planning system and applying the global pattern to the transport plane, wherein a safety point is a logical position selected taking into account the range of motion for a carrier occupying said logical position, so that at the safety point a carrier can be placed and removed again, wherein the global pattern is applied to the transport plane independently of module boundaries;

[0048] b) Calculating partial routes for the carrier by using a route planning system so that the end position of each partial route is one of the safety points or has a free path to one of the safety points that is reachable in the next partial route.

[0049] The method may be computer-implemented. As used herein, the term "computer-implemented method" is a broad term and will be given the common and customary meaning to a person of ordinary skill in the art and is not limited to a special or customary meaning. The term may specifically refer to, but is not limited to, a method involving at least one computer and / or at least one computer network. The computer and / or computer network may include at least one processor configured to perform at least one of the method steps of the method according to the present invention. For example, each of the method steps is performed by a computer and / or a computer network. The method may be performed fully automatically (e.g., without user interaction).

[0050] The term "safety point" is a broad term and is given a common and customary meaning for a person skilled in the art and is not limited to a special or custom meaning. The term may specifically refer to a logical position selected taking into account the range of motion of the carrier occupying the logical position, but is not limited thereto. The range of motion may be such that the carrier can be placed on the safety point and can be moved away again, in particular in the next partial route. Although the safety point and the path to the safety point may be reserved for the carrier, other carriers may still pass through the safety point. However, these carriers may not be allowed to stay at the safety point. The safety point may be a logical position different from the transport position. In particular, a grid of logical positions defined on the transport plane may include safety points and transport positions, wherein the logical positions of the grid may be safety points or transport positions. The safety points may be linked to each other by one or more connected transport positions, in particular providing at least one path from one safety point to another safety point via one or more connected transport positions. The safety point may provide a resting or stopping position for the carrier, in particular so that the carrier resting or stopping at the safety point may not interfere with the movement of other carriers moving on the transport plane.

[0051] By using safety points, it is possible to provide at least one free logical position to a stopped and / or waiting carrier, for example so that there will always be at least one logical position to which the next move will be made. This can provide a situation in which the carriers can never completely block each other and thus avoid a deadlock situation. A deadlock situation may refer to a situation in which the carriers block each other in such a way that some or all of the carriers will never be able to move forward again to reach their destination position. With regard to safety points, reference is made to WO 2021 / 228733A1. The term "deadlock" is a broad term and will be given the ordinary and customary meaning for a person of ordinary skill in the art and is not limited to a special or customized meaning. The term may specifically refer to, but is not limited to, any situation in which no carrier in an area of ​​the transport plane can move forward because each carrier is waiting for another carrier to move and / or in which all reachable logical positions are occupied.

[0052] The term "pattern" is a broad term and will be given the common and customary meaning for ordinary technicians in the field and is not limited to a special or customized meaning. The term may specifically refer to, but is not limited to, a template that includes any selection of logical positions. The term "global pattern" is a broad term and will be given the common and customary meaning for ordinary technicians in the field and is not limited to a special or customized meaning. The term may specifically refer to, but is not limited to, a pattern that is not affected by the boundaries of the transport module. The global pattern may extend over the entire transport plane or over a defined area of ​​the transport plane and / or may include logical positions of at least two different transport modules. The global pattern may not be defined by transport module. The global pattern may be a pattern template that can be applied separately on the entire transport surface or on a defined area of ​​the transport plane without being affected by the boundaries of the transport module. The global pattern may include a repeating pattern of safety points that can be projected and / or covered on the entire transport plane or on a defined area of ​​the transport plane.

[0053] The global pattern of security points may be selected such that it is possible to move a carrier from the security point even if all security points of the pattern are occupied by carriers. The global pattern of security points may be selected such that each of the security points has at least one adjacent position on the transport plane that is not a security point. For example, the global pattern of security points may be selected such that each of the security points has at least two adjacent positions on the transport plane that are not security points. Other embodiments are possible.

[0054] For example, a safety point may have one or more safety points as neighboring points. For example, at least one point surrounding a safety point may not be a safety point. A safety point may not be completely surrounded by other safety points on each side.

[0055] For example, the global pattern of safety points may be selected such that the safety points are not adjacent logical locations on the transport plane. For example, the global pattern of safety points may be selected such that the safety points are separated by at least one logical location that is not a safety point.

[0056] For example, a pattern of security point patterns may be used where some security points are completely surrounded by other security points. For example, for "O" being a non-security point and "X" being a security point, an exemplary embodiment may be

[0057] OOOOOO

[0058] OXXXOO

[0059] OXXXOO

[0060] OXXXOO

[0061] OOOOOOO.

[0062] A safe spot in the center of a 3x3 square of safe spots may be surrounded by non-safe spots. Even if safe spots are occupied, they should eventually clear, and then the safe spot in the center should be able to leave.

[0063] A global pattern of safety points may be selected so that each of the safety points has at least one path to one or more of the final or intermediate destination locations of the carrier, or another safety point has at least one path to the final destination of the carrier. Thus, even if all safety points in the neighborhood of the carrier on the safety point are occupied, movement of the carrier may still be possible to the final destination of the carrier or to a safety point closer to the final destination. Thus, even if all safety points in the neighborhood of the safety point are occupied by other carriers, the carrier on the safety point may be removed from the safety point. The control system may be configured to calculate a partial route with boundary conditions (i.e., all carriers may only stop at safety points and may not stop in corridors and / or empty spaces) or at least a free path to a safety point in the next partial route. The control system may be configured to calculate a partial route with boundary conditions, i.e., all carriers are at a safety point for each movement before the carrier can start moving. The control system may be configured to calculate partial routes with boundary conditions that safety points are defined for each partial route and must be reachable, so that in case of high traffic only safety points are occupied.

[0064] Various global patterns of security points are possible. For example, the global pattern of security points may be direction-dependent, e.g., for a specific direction of travel. An advantage of having direction-dependent security points may be that two carriers placed on two adjacent security points will not have opposite directions. One of the carriers will have to move around the other to continue moving. A pattern may include multiple clusters of security points. A transport channel along a preferred direction of travel may be arranged around each cluster of security points.

[0065] For example, the global pattern can be a repeating pattern. For example, the pattern can repeat in a period of three positions, such as in the x and y directions. However, other non-repeating patterns are also possible, such as adding or eliminating additional safety points. A constant number or a different number of safety points can be used for each transport module.

[0066] The definition of the global pattern may include selecting a predefined global pattern from one or more global patterns. For example, the route planning system may include at least one database, folder or hard-coded information containing a plurality of predefined global patterns, for example, for different transport modules and / or applications.

[0067] The definition of a global pattern may include optimizing by logical location, whether that logical location should be a safety point or a transport location. The term "optimize" is a broad term and will be given the ordinary and customary meaning to one of ordinary skill in the art, and is not limited to determining the "best" solution for a particular criterion or metric. The term "transport location" is a broad term and will be given the ordinary and customary meaning to one of ordinary skill in the art, and is not limited to a special or customized meaning. The term may specifically refer to, but is not limited to, a logical location other than a safety point, which may be used for route planning and / or movement, for example, without constraints on safety points. Optimizing by logical location can be complex because location types are optimized separately for each location.

[0068] The optimization may be performed by simulating the performance for each optimization iteration. The optimization may be performed by optimizing a cost function incorporating one or more of the following rules, for example:

[0069] -Preventing patterns that cause zigzag movement of carriers between carriers on safety points.

[0070] - More alternative transport channels are preferred over fewer channels to reach at least each side of the transport plane without passing through a safety point.

[0071] - Perpendicular to the channels, ideally as many connecting channels as possible are positioned to enable switching between all transport channels, for example, at least one connecting transport channel should be positioned after every 2, 3 or more safety points.

[0072] - Basic rules for valid global patterns, such as one or more of the following

[0073] - at least one delivery location adjacent to, for example directly adjacent to, each security point;

[0074] - at least one adjacent delivery location for each mode of secure point; and

[0075] - At least one path to one or more of the final or intermediate destination locations of the carrier for each security point, or another security point has at least one path to the final destination of the carrier.

[0076] - There are no safety points at special functional locations, such as at the start of a route, the end of a route or the location of a connected instrument.

[0077] - Matching of the global pattern with an existing pattern at the interface with another transport plane with a ready-defined pattern and / or at manually defined points or areas.

[0078] As used herein, the term "lane" (also referred to as "transport lane") is a broad term and is to be given the ordinary and customary meaning to one of ordinary skill in the art and is not limited to a special or customized meaning. The term may specifically refer to, but is not limited to, a plurality of connected transport locations on a transport plane. The lane may provide at least one path for moving a carrier from a starting location to a final destination location. The lane may include transport locations that provide at least one path for moving a carrier from each input location to each output location. The lane may include at least one path that does not include a logical location of any safety point from each input location to each output location.

[0079] The optimization may be performed using at least one optimization algorithm, in particular a genetic algorithm, simulated annealing, or a Monte Carlo search. As an example, a Monte Carlo search may use random shifts of the global pattern and determine whether the shifted global pattern will result in a higher score and / or a lower score than the previous best fit. Simulated annealing may include small shifts that approach a nearly optimal best fit, and if no further improvements can be found, a random large shift is made.

[0080] The transport plane can be divided into multiple domains. Multiple domains can be defined independently of the transport module. Multiple domains can be optimized separately. Multiple domains can be optimized in parallel, also expressed as concurrent processing, or sequentially with the condition of valid pattern fit at the interface between global patterns or where the logical position at the intersection is fixedly defined with the condition of being a safe point or transport position. A separate global pattern can be applied to each of the multiple domains.

[0081] The method includes applying a global pattern to a transport plane by using a route planning system. The term "applying a global pattern" is a broad term and will be given a common and customary meaning to a person of ordinary skill in the art, and is not limited to a special or customary meaning. The term may specifically refer to, but is not limited to, fitting and / or projecting and / or transferring and / or printing and / or aligning a defined global pattern on a transport plane. The global pattern may constitute a coordinate system of a logical position. The application of the global pattern may include transferring the coordinate system of the global pattern to the coordinate system of the transport plane. The global pattern may be applied to the entire transport plane or to a defined area of ​​the transport plane. The global pattern is applied to the transport plane without being affected by module boundaries. The term "not affected by module boundaries" is a broad term and will be given a common and customary meaning to a person of ordinary skill in the art, and is not limited to a special or customary meaning. The term may specifically refer to, but is not limited to, inter-module and / or cross-module.

[0082] Applying the global pattern to the transport plane may include positioning the global pattern on the transport plane. Positioning the global pattern may include defining an origin of the global pattern at a logical location on the transport plane. The upper leftmost location of the transport plane may automatically be equal to the (0,0) coordinate of the global pattern. Alternatively, a user (e.g., a designer or configuration expert) may manually apply the global pattern and define where the (0,0) coordinate should be, for example, using a software tool such as a CAD program to find the best alignment of the global pattern to the logical location of the transport plane.

[0083] Applying the global pattern to the transport plane may include determining the best fit of the global pattern to the grid of logical positions. The determination of the best fit may include using at least one algorithm to optimize the alignment. For example, applying the global pattern to the transport plane may include defining an offset in one or more directions of the origin of the global pattern and / or defining a rotation of the global pattern relative to the origin and / or relative to the orientation of the transport plane. The best fit may be, for example, an alignment of the global pattern with a specific offset and / or a specific rotation that produces the best performance and / or the least problems in dense transportation situations. The determination of the best fit may include simulation-based pattern fitting. For example, if the pattern is repeated, such as repeating in a cycle of 3 positions in the x and y directions, only a limited number of unique patterns fit, such as 9. The best fit may be determined by trying all unique fits and running a simulation of the transport plane to check which (some) fits give the best transport performance and / or the least problems, for example, in dense transportation situations. In addition to the best fit, different predefined patterns may also be used. Additionally or alternatively, rule-based optimization may be used to fit the global pattern to the logical positions. The global pattern matching on the transport plane can be done in different ways, resulting in different symmetries and / or asymmetries and different numbers of safe points. The determination of the best fit of the global pattern to the grid of logical positions can be made taking into account hardware conditions (e.g., the location of connected instruments and / or the performance of the distribution system). The determination of the best fit of the global pattern to the grid of logical positions can be made using simulations of the performance of the distribution system. For example, if the pattern is repetitive, there are a finite number of different fits, which makes a "brute force" simulation of all possibilities a feasible approach.

[0084] Applying the global pattern to the transport plane may include locally adapting the global pattern to the transport plane, such as by changing one or more safety points to a transport position or vice versa. Applying the global pattern may include eliminating and / or manually changing the global pattern in an area that will not benefit from the method or a position where a safety point or a transport position is not needed. The control system may consider that defining many safety points also increases the "storage" capacity during congestion. The adaptation may include changing one or more safety points to a transport position. Safety points at the input position or output position of the transport plane and / or at the intersection position and / or in the case of a narrow transport plane may be changed to a transport position. The input position may include one or more logical positions on the transport plane, at which the carrier is transferred out of the connected instrument to arrive in the transport plane. The output position may include one or more logical positions on the transport plane, at which the carrier is transferred from the transport plane to the connected instrument. The input position and the output position may include a transfer position, at which the carrier is transferred into or out of the transport plane. The input position and the output position may include a logical position, for example, a portion of a sample inside a sample container is sucked out by a transfer station. For example, a safety point at an input position or output position of a transport plane may be changed into a transport position in order to avoid blocking connected instruments. For example, a safety point at an intersection position may be changed into a transport position in order to prevent dense transport congestion caused by transport in one direction from blocking cross transport. Therefore, the control system may decide to reduce the number of safety points at the intersection. For example, a safety point in the case of a narrow transport plane may be changed into a transport position, such as a surface having only one or several position widths. Such safety points may cause transport obstructions to be too large. A narrow transport plane may refer to a transport area of ​​one or several logical position widths, such as a transport area equal to or less than five logical position widths, such as a transport area equal to or less than three logical positions, specifically one to five logical position widths, more specifically two or three logical position widths.

[0085] Applying the global pattern on the transport plane may include automatically adapting the global pattern, such as via software, for example, fully automatically, or semi-automatically via software that optimizes the global pattern for the transport plane. Automatically adapting the global pattern may include using a computer algorithm to find the best positioning of the pattern on the transport surface.

[0086] The method's step a) of defining a global pattern may be performed during initialization of the distribution system, and the step b) of calculating partial routes may be performed after initialization of the distribution system.

[0087] The method may include using a computer algorithm to analyze the transport load in at least one area of ​​the transport plane. The method may include determining at least one optimized mode. The term "optimized mode" is a broad term and is to be given the ordinary and customary meaning to a person of ordinary skill in the art and is not limited to a mode that best meets the safety point of at least one predefined criterion. The method may include, for example, presenting the optimized mode to an operator, for example, by using a user interface. The method may include automatically changing the global mode to an optimized global mode for this area.

[0088] The method may include reapplying at least one of the global modes, for example if the control system detects that the initially applied global mode results in inefficiencies and should be replaced. Additionally or alternatively, the method may include making local changes to some of the mode positions.

[0089] In another aspect, a dispensing system is disclosed. The dispensing system includes

[0090] - a plurality of carriers configured to carry one or more objects,

[0091] a transport plane configured to support the carrier, wherein the transport plane comprises a plurality of transport modules, wherein a grid of logical positions is defined on the transport plane,

[0092] a drive system configured to move the carrier between the logical positions on the transport plane,

[0093] A control system configured to control the drive system, wherein the control system comprises a route planning system configured to calculate a route for the carrier, wherein the control system is configured to carry out the method according to the invention.

[0094] For details, options and definitions, reference may be made to the description as discussed above or to the method as described in more detail below.

[0095] The method and the distribution system according to the invention may provide a number of advantages. In particular, the method and the distribution system according to the invention may avoid deadlock problems and improve system performance. For example, by using any of the methods according to the invention, it is possible to modify the global pattern of safety points, for example when a device failure disables a particular safety point, for example in order to maintain corridor movement between safety points. Furthermore, it is possible to adapt the global pattern of safety points to geometries other than square geometries, for example to a mix of different transport module sizes, shapes or dimensions, in particular including rectangular transport modules.

[0096] This article further discloses and proposes a computer program including computer executable instructions, which, when executed on a computer or computer network, are used to perform the method according to the present invention in one or more embodiments disclosed herein. Specifically, the computer program can be stored on a computer readable data carrier and / or a computer readable storage medium.

[0097] As used herein, the terms "computer-readable data carrier" and "computer-readable storage medium" may specifically refer to a non-transitory data storage device, such as a hardware storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon. A computer-readable data carrier or storage medium may specifically be or may include a storage medium such as a random access memory (RAM) and / or a read-only memory (ROM).

[0098] Thus, in particular, one, more than one or even all method steps as indicated above may be performed by using a computer or a computer network, preferably by using a computer program.

[0099] This article further discloses and proposes a computer program product with program code tools, so that when the program is executed on a computer or a computer network, the method according to the present invention is performed in one or more embodiments attached to this article. Specifically, the program code tools can be stored on a computer-readable data carrier and / or on a computer-readable storage medium.

[0100] The present invention further discloses and proposes a data carrier having a data structure stored thereon, which, after being loaded into a computer or a computer network, such as after being loaded into a working memory or a main memory of the computer or the computer network, can execute a method according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein.

[0101] This article further discloses and proposes a computer program product having a program code tool stored on a machine-readable carrier, so that when the program is executed on a computer or computer network, a method according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein is performed. As used herein, a computer program product refers to a program that is a tradable product. The product can generally exist in any format (such as in paper format) or on a computer-readable data carrier and / or on a computer-readable storage medium. Specifically, the computer program product can be distributed on a data network.

[0102] Further disclosed and proposed herein is a modulated data signal containing instructions readable by a computer system or a computer network for performing a method according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein.

[0103] With reference to the computer-implemented aspects of the present invention, one or more method steps or even all method steps of the method according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein can be performed using a computer or a computer network. Therefore, generally speaking, any method step including providing and / or manipulating data can be performed using a computer or a computer network. Generally speaking, these method steps can include any method step other than the method step that usually requires manual operation (such as providing samples and / or performing certain aspects of actual measurement).

[0104] Specifically, this article further discloses the following:

[0105] - a computer or a computer network comprising at least one processor, wherein the processor is adapted to perform a method according to one of the embodiments described in this specification,

[0106] - a computer-loadable data structure adapted to carry out a method according to one of the embodiments described in this specification when the data structure is executed on a computer,

[0107] - a computer program, wherein the computer program is adapted to carry out a method according to one of the embodiments described in the present description when the program is executed on a computer,

[0108] - a computer program comprising program means for carrying out a method according to one of the embodiments described in the present description when the computer program is executed on a computer or on a computer network,

[0109] - a computer program comprising program means according to the preceding embodiment,

[0110] The program device is stored on a computer-readable storage medium.

[0111] a storage medium, on which a data structure is stored and on which the data structure is suitable, after being loaded into a main memory and / or a working memory of a computer or a computer network, for carrying out a method according to one of the embodiments described in the present description, and

[0112] A computer program product having program code means, wherein the program code means can be stored or are stored on a storage medium for carrying out a method according to one of the exemplary embodiments described in the present description if the program code means is executed on a computer or a computer network.

[0113] To summarize and without excluding other possible embodiments, the following embodiments may be envisaged:

[0114] Embodiment 1. A method of operating a dispensing system, wherein the dispensing system comprises:

[0115] - a plurality of carriers configured to carry one or more objects,

[0116] a transport plane configured to support the carrier, wherein the transport plane comprises a plurality of transport modules, wherein a grid of logical positions is defined on the transport plane,

[0117] a drive system configured to move the carrier between the logical positions on the transport plane,

[0118] a control system configured to control the drive system, wherein the control system comprises a route planning system configured to calculate a route for the carrier,

[0119] The method comprises the following steps:

[0120] a) defining a global pattern of safety points using a route planning system and applying the global pattern to the transport plane, wherein a safety point is a logical position selected taking into account the range of motion for a carrier occupying said logical position, so that at the safety point a carrier can be placed and removed again, wherein the global pattern is applied to the transport plane independently of module boundaries;

[0121] b) Calculating partial routes for the carrier by using a route planning system so that the end position of each partial route is one of the safety points or has a free path to one of the safety points that is reachable in the next partial route.

[0122] Embodiment 2. The method according to the preceding embodiment, wherein the global pattern is a repeating pattern.

[0123] Embodiment 3. The method according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein step a) is performed during initialization of the dispensing system and step b) is performed after initialization of the dispensing system.

[0124] Embodiment 4. A method according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the control system comprises at least one execution unit configured to execute the calculated route.

[0125] Embodiment 5. The method according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein at least one of the transport modules is a non-square transport module and / or the transport modules have different sizes.

[0126] Embodiment 6. A method according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein applying the global pattern to the transport plane includes positioning the global pattern on the transport plane, wherein positioning the global pattern includes defining an origin of the global pattern at a logical position on the transport plane.

[0127] Embodiment 7. The method according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein applying the global pattern to the transport plane comprises determining a best fit of the global pattern to a grid of logical locations.

[0128] Embodiment 8. A method according to the preceding embodiment, wherein the determination of the best fit of the global pattern to the grid of logical locations is performed taking into account hardware conditions and / or performance of the distribution system.

[0129] Embodiment 9. A method according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein applying the global pattern on the transport plane comprises locally adapting the global pattern to the transport plane, for example by changing one or more safety points into transport locations or vice versa.

[0130] Embodiment 10. A method according to the preceding embodiments, wherein the adaptation comprises changing to a transport position at one or more safety points, wherein safety points at an input position or an output position of the transport plane and / or at an intersection position and / or in the case of a narrow transport plane are changed to a transport position.

[0131] Embodiment 11. The method according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein applying the global pattern to the transport plane comprises automatically adapting the global pattern.

[0132] Embodiment 12. A method according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein defining the global pattern comprises selecting a predefined global pattern from one or more global patterns.

[0133] Embodiment 13. A method according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein defining the global pattern comprises optimizing by logical location, whether the logical location should be a secure point or a shipping location.

[0134] Embodiment 14. The method according to the preceding embodiment, wherein the optimization is performed by simulating the performance for each optimization iteration and / or utilizing one or more of the following rules:

[0135] -Preventing patterns that cause zigzag movement of carriers between carriers on safety points.

[0136] - More alternative transport channels are preferred over fewer channels to reach at least each side of the transport plane without passing through a safety point.

[0137] - Perpendicular to the channels, ideally as many connecting channels as possible are positioned to enable switching between all transport channels, for example, at least one connecting transport channel should be positioned after every 2, 3 or more safety points.

[0138] - Basic rules for valid global patterns, such as one or more of the following

[0139] - at least one delivery location adjacent to, for example directly adjacent to, each security point;

[0140] - at least one adjacent delivery location for each mode of secure point; and

[0141] - At least one path to one or more of the final or intermediate destination locations of the carrier for each security point, or another security point has at least one path to the final destination of the carrier.

[0142] - There are no safety points at special functional locations, such as at the start of a route, the end of a route or the location of a connected instrument.

[0143] - Matching of the global pattern with an existing pattern at the interface with another transport plane with a ready-defined pattern and / or at manually defined points or areas.

[0144] Embodiment 15. The method according to any one of the two preceding embodiments, wherein the optimization is performed by using an optimization algorithm, in particular a genetic algorithm, simulated annealing or a Monte Carlo search or the like.

[0145] Embodiment 16. The method according to any one of the three preceding embodiments, wherein the transport plane is divided into a plurality of domains, and a separate global mode is applied to each of the plurality of domains.

[0146] Embodiment 17. A method according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the method is computer-implemented.

[0147] Embodiment 18. A method according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the method comprises using a computer algorithm to analyze the transport load in at least one area of ​​the transport plane, wherein the method comprises determining at least one optimized mode, wherein the method comprises, for example, proposing the optimized mode to an operator by using a user interface, and / or automatically changing the global mode to an optimized global mode for this area.

[0148] Embodiment 19. A method according to any of the preceding method embodiments, wherein the method comprises reapplying at least one of the global patterns and / or making local changes to some of the pattern positions.

[0149] Embodiment 20. A dispensing system comprising:

[0150] - a plurality of carriers configured to carry one or more objects,

[0151] a transport plane configured to support the carrier, wherein the transport plane comprises a plurality of transport modules, wherein a grid of logical positions is defined on the transport plane,

[0152] a drive system configured to move the carrier between the logical positions on the transport plane,

[0153] - a control system configured to control the drive system, wherein the control system comprises a route planning system configured to calculate a route for the carrier, wherein the control system is configured to perform a method of operating a distribution system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 19.

[0154] Embodiment 21. A computer program comprising instructions, when the program is executed by the dispensing system according to the preceding embodiment, the instructions cause the dispensing system to perform the method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 19.

[0155] Embodiment 22. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by the dispensing system according to embodiment 20, cause the dispensing system to perform the method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 19. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0156] Other optional features and embodiments will be disclosed in more detail in the subsequent description of embodiments, preferably in conjunction with the dependent claims. Wherein, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, each optional feature can be implemented in a separate manner and in any arbitrarily feasible combination. The scope of the present invention is not limited by the preferred embodiments. Embodiments are schematically depicted in the accompanying drawings. Wherein, the same reference numerals in these drawings refer to the same or functionally equivalent elements.

[0157] In the attached picture:

[0158] Figure 1 One embodiment of a dispensing system is shown schematically;

[0159] Figure 2 A flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a method of operating a dispensing system;

[0160] Figure 3 An example of a module-based pattern for a safepoint is shown;

[0161] Figure 4A and Figure 4B An example of the fitting of the global pattern of safety points is shown;

[0162] Figure 5 An example of a global mode is shown; and

[0163] Fig. 6A , Figure 6B , Fig. 7A , Figure 7B Additional examples are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0164] Figure 1 An exemplary embodiment of a dispensing system 110 is shown schematically. The dispensing system 110 includes a plurality of carriers 112 configured to carry one or more objects 114. Figure 1 In the example of the present invention, the dispensing system 110 can be an element of a laboratory automation system 116 that allows the carrier 112 to be dispensed to a target destination within the laboratory automation system 116. The dispensing system 110 can be used in the laboratory automation system 116, which includes a plurality of laboratory stations 118, such as a pre-analysis station, an analysis station, and / or a post-analysis station. Thus, as an example, the object 114 can be at least one sample container 120, such as a laboratory diagnostic container or vessel.

[0165] The distribution system 110 further includes a transport plane 122 configured to support the carrier 112. The transport plane 122 includes a plurality of transport modules 124. A grid 126 of logical locations 128 is defined on the transport plane 122. Figure 1 As can be seen in FIG. 1 , the transport modules 124 are indicated by dotted lines and the grid 126 of logical locations 128 is indicated by dashed lines. The transport plane 122 may be a modular transport plane 122 formed by interconnected transport modules 124. The transport modules 124 may be interconnected so that the carrier 112 may be moved directly or indirectly from each of the transport modules 124 to each of the other modules 124. The interconnected transport modules 124 may form a continuous transport plane 122, which may also be denoted as a transport surface. Under each transport module 124, a plurality of electromagnetic actuators ( Figure 1 The transport modules 124 may be fixedly arranged in rows and columns. The electromagnetic actuator may be configured to move the carrier 112 along the rows or along the columns on the top surface of the transport module 124 by applying a magnetic moving force to the carrier 112. Each of the transport modules 124 may be limited by a module boundary. The transport modules 124 may have different shapes and / or sizes. Figure 1 In the image segment shown, the transport modules 124 may include only square modules. However, at least one of the transport modules 124 may be a non-square transport module.

[0166] The dispensing system 110 includes a drive system 130 configured to move the carrier 112 between logical positions 128 on the transport plane 122. The drive system 130 may be implemented at least partially in the carrier 112 itself. Figure 1 In the example shown, the carrier 112 can be a passive carrier. For example, a magnetic device can be fixed in the carrier 112, and the magnetic force provided by the magnetically active and drivable element (such as the electromagnetic actuator below the conveying module 124) applies an electromagnetic force to the carrier 112 so that they will move by the generated electromagnetic field. The coil can be installed below, above, beside or inside the conveying plane 122. For example, the arrangement of magnetic coils below the conveying plane 122 is described in, for example, EP 2 566 787 or WO 2013 / 098202. In these systems, the drive system 130 can define the logical position 128 by its hardware limitations. The logical position 128 can be defined above the electromagnetic actuator. At these positions, the carrier 112 can be stopped and its direction can be changed with the next movement.

[0167] Each of the logical positions 128 may be configured to be occupied by only one carrier 112. Thus, two carriers 112 cannot simultaneously share a logical position 128. The allocation system 110 may be configured to move the plurality of carriers 112 on the transport plane 122 via a corresponding calculated partial route, wherein the corresponding route may lead from a first logical position 128 to a second logical position 128, i.e., the end position of the corresponding partial route.

[0168] The logical position 128 may be any position that the carrier 112 can reach, or any position where the carrier 112 can change direction, can be parked, or can be identified by the identification or registration system 132. The identification and registration system 132 may be a camera system 134 or an optical sensor and scanner, such as a laser scanner, which recognizes any optical signature on the carrier 112 or the object 114, such as its size, its type, or a barcode or QR code, a Hall sensor, a capacitive sensor, etc. Alternatively or in addition, an RFID reader system that reads a unique RFID of a sensor inside the carrier 112 or the object 114 on the carrier 112 or the transport plane 122 may be used to identify the position and for locating the carrier 112. The identification of the position may include the use of sensors to identify the position where the carrier 112 is moving or stationary. Another option may be a high-precision GPS, which is enhanced in particular with one or more of local beacons, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GSM signals, and acceleration sensors.

[0169] The distribution system 110 further comprises a control system 136 configured to control the drive system 130. The control system 136 comprises a route planning system 138 configured to calculate a route for the carrier 112. The control system 136 is configured to carry out the method according to the invention, for example as described in reference Figure 2 and Figure 5 The control system 136 may include at least one execution unit 140 configured to execute the calculated route. The execution unit 140 may be configured to execute the movement of the carrier 112 taking into account the calculated route.

[0170] Figure 2 1 shows a flow chart of an exemplary embodiment of a method of operating the dispensing system 110. As an example, the dispensing system 110 may be as follows: Figure 1 1. The dispensing system 110 is embodied as shown. Specifically, the dispensing system 110 includes a plurality of carriers 112 configured to carry one or more objects 114. A transport plane 122 is configured to support the carriers 112. The transport plane 122 includes a plurality of transport modules 124. A grid 126 of logical positions 128 is defined on the transport plane 122. A drive system 130 is configured to move the carriers 112 between the logical positions 128 on the transport plane 122. A control system 136 is configured to control the drive system 130. The control system 136 includes a route planning system 138 configured to calculate a route for the carriers 112.

[0171] The method comprises the following steps, which may be performed in a given order. However, it should be noted that different orders are also possible. Further, one or more method steps may also be performed once or repeatedly. Further, two or more method steps may be performed simultaneously or in a timely overlapping manner. The method may include other method steps not listed.

[0172] The method comprises the following steps:

[0173] a) (indicated by reference numeral 142) defining a global pattern of safety points by using the route planning system 138 and applying the global pattern to the transport plane 122, wherein the safety points are logical positions 128 selected taking into account the range of motion for a carrier 112 occupying the logical position 128, so that at the safety points the carrier 112 can be placed and can be removed again, wherein the global pattern is applied to the transport plane 122 independently of module boundaries;

[0174] b) (indicated by reference numeral 144) by using the route planning system 138 to calculate partial routes for the carrier 112 so that the end position of each partial route is one of the safety points or has a free path to a safety point among the safety points that is reachable in the next partial route.

[0175] This approach may be particularly advantageous for dispensing systems 110 that include non-square conveyor modules 124 and / or conveyor modules 124 of varying sizes. Figure 3 An example of a module-based model 146 of a safety point 148 is shown. Figure 3 In the example of FIG. 1 , the transport plane 122 includes a first non-square transport module 150 and a second non-square transport module 152, each of which is composed of a grid 126 of 6 by 7 logical locations 128. A module-based pattern 146 of safety points 148 and transport locations 154 can be defined for each of the transport modules 150, 152. In particular, these module-based local patterns 146 can be the same for each of the transport modules 150, 152. Figure 3 As highlighted in the incorrect safety mode caused by handing over the mode 156 defined by two local modules, the module-based mode 146 of the safety point 148 may lead to an invalid and / or inefficient mode. Figure 3 As can be seen in FIG. 1 , too many logical locations 128 may be allocated as safety points 148 in area 156 , specifically at the boundary of first non-square conveyor module 150 and second non-square conveyor module 152 .

[0176] This problem can be avoided by using a global pattern of safety points 148, which may not be specifically defined per transport module 124, but may be a global pattern that is applied to the transport plane 122 regardless of the transport module boundaries, such as applied to the entire transport plane 122 or to a defined area of ​​the transport plane 122. See again Figure 2 In this method, various global patterns of safety points 148 are possible. For example, the global pattern can be a repeating pattern. For example, the pattern can repeat in a cycle of three positions in the x and y directions, for example. However, other non-repeating patterns are also possible, such as adding or eliminating additional safety points. A constant number or a different number of safety points 148 can be used for each transport module 124.

[0177] like Figure 2 As shown, the definition of a global pattern may include selecting a predefined global pattern (indicated by reference numeral 158) from one or more global patterns. For example, the route planning system 138 may include at least one database with a plurality of predefined global patterns, for example, for different transport modules 124 and / or applications.

[0178] The definition of a global pattern may include optimizing by logical location 128, whether that logical location should be a safe point 148 or a transport location 154 (indicated by reference numeral 160). The optimization may be performed by simulating the performance for each optimization iteration. The optimization may be performed by optimizing a cost function incorporating, for example, one or more of the following rules:

[0179] - Preventing a pattern that causes a zigzag movement of the carriers 112 between the carriers 112 on the safety points 148 .

[0180] - More alternative transport channels are preferred over fewer channels to reach at least each side of the transport plane without passing through a safety point.

[0181] - Perpendicularly to the channels, ideally as many connecting channels as possible are positioned to enable switching between all transport channels, for example, at least one connecting transport channel should be positioned after every 2, 3 or more safety points 148.

[0182] - basic rules for a valid global pattern, such as one or more of the following: proximity to, for example, directly adjacent to, at least one delivery location for each safety point;

[0183] - at least one adjacent delivery location for each mode of secure point; and

[0184] - At least one path to one or more of the final or intermediate destination locations of the carrier for each security point, or another security point has at least one path to the final destination of the carrier.

[0185] - There is no safety point 148 at special functional locations, such as at the start of a route, at the end of a route or at the location of a connected instrument, etc.

[0186] - Matching the global pattern with an existing pattern at the interface with another transport plane 122 with a ready-defined pattern and / or at manually defined points or areas.

[0187] The optimization may be performed using at least one optimization algorithm, in particular a genetic algorithm, simulated annealing, or a Monte Carlo search. As an example, a Monte Carlo search may use random shifts of the global pattern and determine whether the shifted global pattern will result in a higher score and / or a lower score than the previous best fit. Simulated annealing may include small shifts that approach a nearly optimal best fit, and if no further improvements can be found, a random large shift is made.

[0188] The transport plane 122 may be divided into multiple domains. Multiple domains may be defined independently of the transport module 124. Multiple domains may be optimized individually. Multiple domains may be optimized in parallel, also denoted as concurrent processing, or sequentially with conditions of valid pattern fit at the interface between global patterns or where the logical position 128 at the junction is fixedly defined with conditions of being a safe point or transport position. A separate global pattern may be applied to each of the multiple domains.

[0189] In addition, applying the global pattern to the shipping plane 122 may include positioning the global pattern on the shipping plane 122. Positioning the global pattern may include defining an origin of the global pattern at a logical position 128 of the shipping plane 122 (indicated by reference numeral 162). The upper leftmost position of the shipping plane 122 may be automatically equal to the (0,0) coordinate of the global pattern. Alternatively, a user (e.g., a designer or configuration expert) may manually apply the global pattern and define where the (0,0) coordinate should be, for example, using a software tool such as a system configuration or CAD program to find the best alignment of the global pattern with the logical position 128 of the shipping plane 122.

[0190] Applying the global pattern to the transport plane 122 may include determining a best fit of the global pattern to the grid 126 of logical locations 128 (indicated by reference numeral 164). Defining the origin of the global pattern and determining the best fit may be performed in a common step, for example, by shifting and / or rotating the global pattern to obtain the best fit. For example, the results may include information that the global pattern needs to be shifted by +X positions and -Y positions relative to the origin of the transport plane 122 and rotated by, for example, +Z degrees. The determination of the best fit may include using at least one algorithm to optimize the alignment. The effect of fitting the global pattern to the grid 126 of logical locations 128 is shown in FIG. Figure 4A and 4B , where examples of different fits of a global pattern of safety points 148 onto a grid 126 of logical locations 128 are shown. Figure 4A and 4B In FIG. 1 , by way of example, the fitting of the global pattern template 166 to the 7×8 logical positions 128 on the transport plane 122 including the 4×7 logical positions 128 is shown. Figure 4A and 4B As can be seen from the comparison, for different fits of the global pattern to the grid 126 of logical locations 128, the plurality of safety points 148 may be different, resulting in different "packing" densities of the carriers 112 in the event of congestion. Figure 4B The fitting shown includes two delivery channels 168, and Figure 4A The fit in FIG. 1 shows only one delivery channel 168 and therefore, Figure 4BThe fit in may show better performance and may be more robust in the case of extreme transport densities. In addition, the location of the safety point 148 is Figure 4A and 4B The fits shown are different. The consequences of the different models are Figure 5 , visualized in Figures 6 and 7.

[0191] The determination of the best fit may include pattern fitting based on simulation. For example, if the pattern is repeated, such as repeating in a cycle of 3 positions in the x and y directions, only a limited number of unique pattern fits, such as 9. The best fit can be determined by trying all unique fits and running a simulation of the transport plane 122 to check which (some) fits give the best performance and / or the least problems, for example, in dense transportation situations. In addition to the best fit, different predefined patterns can also be used. Additionally or alternatively, rule-based optimization can be used to fit the global pattern to the logical position 128. Global pattern matching on the transport plane 122 can be done in different ways, resulting in different symmetries and / or asymmetries and different numbers of safety points 148. The best fit of the global pattern to the grid 126 of the logical position 128 can be determined by considering hardware conditions (such as the location of the connected instrument and / or the performance of the distribution system 110). The best fit of the global pattern to the grid 126 of the logical position 128 can be determined using a simulation of the performance of the distribution system 110. Specifically, if the pattern is repetitive, there are a finite number of different fits, which makes a "brute force" simulation of all possibilities a feasible approach.

[0192] See also Figure 2, applying the global pattern to the transport plane 122 may include locally adapting the global pattern to the transport plane 122 (indicated by reference numeral 170), such as by changing one or more safety points to a transport position or vice versa. Applying the global pattern may include eliminating and / or manually changing the global pattern in areas that will not benefit from the method or where safety points 148 or transport positions 154 are not desired. The control system 136 may consider that defining many safety points 148 also increases the "storage" capacity during congestion. The adaptation may include changing to a transport position 154 at one or more safety points 148. Safety points 148 at the input position or output position of the transport plane 122 and / or at intersection positions and / or in the case of a narrow transport plane 122 may be changed to a transport position 154. For example, a safety point 148 at an input position or output position of the transport plane 122 may be changed to a transport position 154 to avoid blocking connected instruments. For example, a safety point 148 at an intersection position may be changed to a transport position 154 to prevent dense transportation congestion caused by transportation in one direction from blocking cross transportation. Therefore, the control system 136 may decide to reduce the number of safety points 148 at the intersection. For example, the safety points 148 in the case of a narrow conveying plane 122 may be changed to conveying positions 154, such as a surface having only one or a few positions of width. Such safety points 148 may cause transport obstructions that are too large.

[0193] Applying the global pattern on the transport plane 122 may include automatically adapting the global pattern, such as fully automatically or semi-automatically, such as via software optimizing the global pattern for the transport plane 122 .

[0194] Figure 5 An example of a global pattern is shown. The figure shows the final move or partial plan that is allowed by 2 or not allowed by 1. The white carrier has no plan to make a new move (yet). The black carriers 1 and 2 are positioned at a valid point because carrier 1 is stopped at a safe position and carrier 2 can directly enter a safe position. However, carrier 3 is not in a safe position and cannot enter an adjacent safe position. Therefore, the route planning plan of 3 is invalid.

[0195] Fig. 6A , Figure 6B , Fig. 7A , Figure 7B Further examples are shown. These figures show two examples of different modes. Fig. 6A The example in shows that mode A only provides 1 free corridor when the safe position is already occupied by a white carrier. Figure 6B In , there are two corridors and therefore the performance is better, although the packing density of the carriers that do not have a plan for the next move is higher for mode A. Fig. 7A and 7BAs shown, if in these cases the transport position would fail or the carrier would get stuck, the system using mode A would be blocked ( Fig. 7A ),and Figure 7B The system in will provide a connection to the second corridor and thus provide redundancy for continued delivery.

[0196] Reference numerals list

[0197] 110 Distribution System

[0198] 112 Vehicles

[0199] 114 Objects

[0200] 116 Laboratory Automation System

[0201] 118 Laboratory Station

[0202] 120 Sample Container

[0203] 122 Transport plane

[0204] 124 Transmission Module

[0205] 126 Grid

[0206] 128 logical positions

[0207] 130 Drive system

[0208] 132 Identification and registration systems

[0209] 134 Camera System

[0210] 136 Control System

[0211] 138 Route Planning System

[0212] 140 Execution Units

[0213] 142 Defining and Applying Global Patterns

[0214] 144 Calculate partial route

[0215] 146 Module-based model

[0216] 148 Safe Point

[0217] 150 First non-square transport module

[0218] 152 Second non-square transport module

[0219] 154 Delivery Location

[0220] 156 Wrong safety mode due to linking 2 local module defined modes

[0221] 158 Select a predefined global pattern

[0222] 160 Optimize logical position

[0223] 162 Define the origin of the global pattern

[0224] 164 Determine the best fit for the global pattern

[0225] 166 Global Pattern Template

[0226] 168 Transport Channel

[0227] 170 Adapting to global mode

Claims

1. A method of operating a dispensing system (110), wherein the dispensing system (110) comprises - a plurality of carriers (112) configured to carry one or more objects (114), a transport plane (122) configured to support the carrier (112), wherein the transport plane (122) comprises a plurality of transport modules (124), wherein a grid (126) of logical positions (128) is defined on the transport plane (122), a drive system (130) configured to move the carrier (112) between the logical positions (128) on the transport plane (122), a control system (136) configured to control the drive system (130), wherein the control system (136) comprises a route planning system (138) configured to calculate a route for the carrier (112), wherein the route comprises a set of partial routes from a starting location to a final destination location calculated, planned or assigned with respect to the carrier (112), wherein the route is divided into one or more partial routes to intermediate destinations, The method comprises the following steps: a) defining a global pattern of safety points (148) by using the route planning system (138) and applying the global pattern to the transport plane (122), wherein the safety points (148) are logical positions (128) selected taking into account the range of motion of a carrier (112) occupying the logical position (128), so that at the safety points (148) a carrier (112) can be placed and removed again, wherein the global pattern is applied to the transport plane (122) independently of module boundaries; b) calculating the partial routes for the carrier (112) by using the route planning system (138) so that the end position of each partial route is one of the safety points (148) or has a free path to a safety point among the safety points (148) that is reachable in the next partial route.

2. The method according to the preceding claim, wherein the global pattern is a repeating pattern.

3. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the transport modules (124) is a non-square transport module and / or the transport modules (124) have different sizes.

4. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein applying the global pattern to the transport plane (122) includes positioning the global pattern on the transport plane (122), wherein positioning the global pattern includes defining an origin of the global pattern at a logical position (128) of the transport plane (122).

5. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein applying the global pattern to the transport plane (122) includes determining a best fit of the global pattern to the grid (126) of logical positions (128), wherein determining the best fit of the global pattern to the grid (126) of logical positions (128) is performed taking into account hardware conditions and / or performance of the distribution system (110).

6. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein applying the global pattern on the conveying plane (122) comprises locally adapting the global pattern to the conveying plane (122).

7. A method according to the preceding claim, wherein the adaptation comprises a change to a transport position (154) at one or more safety points (148), wherein a safety point (148) at an input position or an output position of the transport plane (122) and / or at an intersection position and / or in the case of a narrow transport plane (122) is changed to a transport position (154).

8. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein applying the global pattern on the transport plane (122) comprises an automated adaptation of the global pattern.

9. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein defining the global pattern comprises selecting a predefined global pattern from one or more global patterns.

10. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein defining the global pattern comprises optimizing by logical location (128), whether the logical location should be a safety point (148) or a shipping location (154).

11. The method according to the preceding claim, wherein the transport plane (122) is divided into a plurality of domains, a separate global pattern being applied to each of the plurality of domains.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding method claims, wherein the method is computer-implemented.

13. A method according to any one of the preceding method claims, wherein the method comprises using a computer algorithm to analyze the transport load in at least one area of ​​the transport plane (122), wherein the method comprises determining at least one optimized pattern, wherein the method comprises proposing the optimized pattern and / or automatically changing the global pattern to an optimized global pattern for this area.

14. The method according to any of the preceding method claims, wherein the method comprises reapplying at least one of the global patterns and / or making local changes to some of the pattern positions.

15. A dispensing system (110), comprising - a plurality of carriers (112) configured to carry one or more objects (114), a transport plane (122) configured to support the carrier (112), wherein the transport plane (122) comprises a plurality of transport modules (124), wherein a grid (126) of logical positions (128) is defined on the transport plane (122), a drive system (130) configured to move the carrier (112) between the logical positions (128) on the transport plane (122), - a control system (136) configured to control the drive system (130), wherein the control system (136) comprises a route planning system (138), the route planning system (138) being configured to calculate a route for the carrier (112), wherein the route comprises a set of partial routes from a starting position to a final destination position calculated, planned or assigned with respect to the carrier (112), wherein the route is divided into one or more partial routes to intermediate destinations, wherein the control system (136) is configured to perform a method of operating a distribution system (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

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