Automatic system carrying path determination method and automatic process control method

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides an automatic system carrying path determination method and an automatic process control method. The determination method comprises the following steps: creating a virtual device corresponding to an original device in an automatic system according to a consumable receiving direction; based on the layout association relationship of the original equipment and the consumable receiving direction, constructing a layout connection diagram of the virtual equipment; based on the layout connection diagram of the virtual devices, a virtual carrying path between a first virtual device corresponding to a starting device in the carrying instruction and a second virtual device corresponding to a target device in the carrying instruction is determined, and the starting device and the target device are both contained in the original device; and analyzing the virtual carrying path into a real carrying path based on the corresponding relationship between the virtual equipment and the original equipment. Therefore, the correctness of the consumable direction in the carrying process can be ensured, and the test failure probability is reduced.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of automatic control, and more particularly to a method for determining a carrying path in an automation system, an automation process control method, a device for determining a carrying path in an automation system, an automation process control device, an electronic device, and a storage medium. BACKGROUND

[0002] At present, many fields are constantly being automated, so as to achieve the purpose of liberating manpower and improving efficiency. Whether it is automated manufacturing, automated detection, or automated testing, etc., an automation system will be used a lot. Generally, a user can build an automation process on an interface provided by the automation system. For example, the arrangement order of each operation in the process and the device for performing each operation are specified, so that each device can complete its own work according to the requirements.

[0003] However, as the coverage of automation requirements continues to expand, a very large number of devices and steps will be involved in a set of automation processes. For example, for an experimental process, a robot arm picks up a consumable from a device A, and then places the consumable on a device B. In this process, it may also need to go through operations such as code scanning, capping, or uncapping. Different experimental devices support different consumable placement directions. The automation system needs to calculate a series of steps to ensure that the consumable can be carried from one device to another device in the correct direction, and complete additional operations such as code scanning and capping. This process not only needs to consider how the consumable is carried from one device to another device, but also needs to ensure the correctness of the consumable direction, so as to avoid experimental failure.

[0004] In the prior art, it is usually determined that the consumable enters two devices in the same direction at the beginning, that is, only when this requirement is met, the subsequent experiment will be performed. Obviously, this way is very limited. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application is proposed in view of the above problems. According to one aspect of the present application, a method for determining a carrying path in an automation system is provided, comprising:

[0006] creating a virtual device corresponding to an original device in the automation system according to a consumable receiving direction;

[0007] constructing a layout connection graph of the virtual device based on a layout association relationship of the original device and the consumable receiving direction;

[0008] determine a virtual carrying path between a first virtual device corresponding to a starting device in the carrying instruction and a second virtual device corresponding to a target device in the carrying instruction based on a layout connection graph of the virtual devices, wherein the starting device and the target device are both included in the original devices;

[0009] resolve the virtual carrying path into a real carrying path based on a correspondence between the virtual devices and the original devices.

[0010] Exemplarily, the virtual carrying path is a shortest virtual path between the first virtual device and the second virtual device; wherein the shortest carrying path is a path containing least original devices among all paths capable of completing the carrying instruction;

[0011] resolve the virtual carrying path into a real carrying path based on a correspondence between the virtual devices and the original devices, comprising:

[0012] resolve the shortest virtual path into a shortest real path based on a correspondence between the virtual devices and the original devices.

[0013] Exemplarily, create the virtual devices corresponding to the original devices in the automation system according to the material receiving directions, comprising:

[0014] in a case that the original devices support n material receiving directions, create n corresponding virtual devices, wherein each virtual device has a unique identifier, and n is a natural number greater than 0.

[0015] Exemplarily, the original devices include a mechanical arm and a swap site device, the swap site device is used to adjust a material receiving direction of the material from a first direction to a second direction, the first direction is the material receiving direction when the swap site device receives the material, the second direction is the material receiving direction when other devices receive the material from the swap site device, and the material receiving directions of the mechanical arm and the swap site device are omnidirectional directions, the omnidirectional directions including material receiving directions of all original devices in the automation system.

[0016] Exemplarily, construct the layout connection graph of the virtual devices based on the layout association relationship of the original devices and the material receiving directions, comprising:

[0017] determine original devices having the same material receiving direction;

[0018] connect the virtual devices corresponding to each two original devices having the same material receiving direction.

[0019] Exemplarily, the original devices include a swap site device, construct the layout connection graph of the virtual devices based on the layout association relationship of the original devices and the material receiving directions, comprising:

[0020] In the case that the exchange station device supports m receiving directions of consumables, m corresponding exchange station virtual devices are created, wherein the ith exchange station virtual device is connected with the i+1th exchange station virtual device, m is a natural number greater than 0, i≥1, i+1≤m.

[0021] Illustratively, based on the correspondence between the virtual device and the original device, the virtual carrying path is parsed into the real carrying path, including:

[0022] Based on the correspondence between the virtual device and the original device, a variable is created for the virtual carrying path, wherein the variable includes a plurality of virtual devices and corresponding operation instructions through which the carrying instruction is sequentially executed;

[0023] Based on the virtual carrying path, the created variable is sequentially analyzed to obtain the real carrying path.

[0024] Illustratively, based on the virtual carrying path, the created variable is sequentially analyzed to obtain the real carrying path, including:

[0025] Based on the plurality of virtual devices in the virtual carrying path, a first variable is obtained, and a second variable is determined based on the first variable, wherein the first variable is used to represent the current virtual device, and the second variable is used to represent the previous virtual device of the current virtual device;

[0026] When the second variable is empty, the second variable is set to the first variable, and then based on the plurality of virtual devices in the virtual carrying path, a new first variable is obtained.

[0027] Illustratively, based on the virtual carrying path, the created variable is sequentially analyzed to obtain the real carrying path, including:

[0028] When the second variable is not empty, the first device type of the current virtual device and the second device type of the previous virtual device are obtained to determine the operation instruction of the current virtual device based on the first device type and / or the second device type, wherein the operation instruction includes mechanical arm information and carrying sub-path information from the previous virtual device to the current virtual device, the carrying sub-path information includes source device information and terminal device information, and the mechanical arm information includes a clamping direction of the consumable and a mechanical arm serial number when the carrying sub-path is completed;

[0029] Based on the virtual carrying path and the operation instruction, the real carrying path is determined.

[0030] Illustratively, the first device type of the current virtual device and the second device type of the previous virtual device are obtained to sequentially determine the operation instruction of the current virtual device based on the first device type and / or the second device type, including:

[0031] In a case that the current virtual device is determined to be a mechanical arm based on the first device type, a first instruction is created according to the second device type, wherein the first instruction comprises determining the mechanical arm as a carrying device and determining the previous virtual device as a source device;

[0032] In a case that the previous virtual device is determined to be a mechanical arm based on the second device type, end device information is added in the first instruction, wherein the end device is the current virtual device.

[0033] Exemplarily, the first device type of the current virtual device and the second device type of the previous virtual device are obtained, so as to determine an operation instruction of the current virtual device based on the first device type and / or the second device type, comprising:

[0034] In a case that the current virtual device is determined to be not a mechanical arm based on the first device type, and the previous virtual device is determined to be a mechanical arm based on the second device type, a second instruction is created, wherein the second instruction comprises action information of the current virtual device.

[0035] Exemplarily, the method further comprises:

[0036] In a case that the current virtual device or the previous virtual device is a cap adding / removing device, a third instruction is created based on a carrying instruction, wherein the carrying instruction comprises cap adding / removing position information, and the third instruction comprises creating a new mechanical arm and performing a cap adding / removing operation by the new mechanical arm at a position corresponding to the cap adding / removing position information.

[0037] Exemplarily, before the created variable is analyzed in sequence based on the virtual carrying path, the method further comprises:

[0038] The variable is initialized.

[0039] According to another aspect of the present application, there is also provided an automatic process control method, comprising:

[0040] The method for determining the carrying path as described above;

[0041] The determined real carrying path is inserted into steps of the automatic process, so as to perform step planning and scheduling execution based on the inserted steps.

[0042] Exemplarily, before the real carrying path is determined, the method further comprises:

[0043] The already built automatic process is parsed to obtain steps of the automatic process.

[0044] According to still another aspect of the present application, there is also provided a device for determining a carrying path in an automatic system, comprising:

[0045] a virtual device creation module configured to create a virtual device corresponding to the original device in the automation system according to the consumable receiving direction;

[0046] a layout construction module configured to construct a layout connection graph of the virtual device based on the layout association relationship of the original device and the consumable receiving direction;

[0047] a virtual path determination module configured to determine a virtual carrying path between a first virtual device corresponding to a starting device in the carrying instruction and a second virtual device corresponding to a target device in the carrying instruction based on the layout connection graph of the virtual device, wherein the starting device and the target device are both included in the original device;

[0048] a path analysis module configured to analyze the virtual carrying path into a real carrying path based on the correspondence between the virtual device and the original device.

[0049] According to still another aspect of the present application, there is further provided an automation process control device, comprising:

[0050] a carrying path determination device in an automation system as described above, configured to determine a real carrying path;

[0051] an insertion planning module configured to insert the determined real carrying path into a step of an automation process, so as to perform step planning and scheduling execution based on the step after insertion.

[0052] According to another aspect of the present application, there is further provided an electronic device comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores computer program instructions, and the computer program instructions are used to execute the carrying path determination method in an automation system and / or the automation process control method as described above when executed by the processor.

[0053] According to still another aspect of the present application, there is further provided a storage medium, wherein the storage medium stores program instructions, and the program instructions are used to execute the carrying path determination method in an automation system and / or the automation process control method as described above when executed.

[0054] According to the above technical solution, according to different consumable receiving directions supported by different original devices, a plurality of virtual devices can be created correspondingly, so as to determine the association between the virtual devices according to the association architecture of the original devices, and then determine the virtual carrying path according to the carrying instruction. The virtual carrying path can be analyzed to restore it to the real carrying path corresponding to the real original device. Thus, the correctness of the consumable direction in the carrying process can be ensured, and the probability of test failure can be reduced. At the same time, since this way does not initially concern whether the consumables enter two devices in the same direction, the application range is relatively wide.

[0055] The above description is only a summary of the technical solutions of the present application. In order to enable one skilled in the art to better understand the technical means of the present application and to implement the same according to the contents of the description, and in order to make the above and other purposes, characteristics and advantages of the present application more apparent and easy to understand, the specific embodiments of the present application are described below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0056] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present application will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0057] Figure 1 A schematic flow chart of a method for determining a transport path in an automated system is shown according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0058] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a layout association relationship of original devices is shown according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] Figure 3 A layout association diagram of virtual devices is shown according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0060] Figure 4 A schematic flow chart of virtual transport path analysis is shown according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0061] Figure 5 A schematic flow chart of an automated process control method is shown according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0062] Figure 6 A schematic block diagram of a device for determining a transport path in an automated system is shown according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] Figure 7 A schematic block diagram of an automated process control device is shown according to an embodiment of the present application; and

[0064] Figure 8 A schematic block diagram of an electronic device is shown according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more obvious, the following will describe the example embodiments according to the present application in detail with reference to the drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments of the present application, and it should be understood that the present application is not limited to the example embodiments described herein. Based on the embodiments of the present application described in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor should fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0066] In order to at least partially solve the above technical problems, the embodiment according to the present application provides a method for determining a conveying path in an automation system. Figure 1 A schematic flow chart of the method 100 for determining a conveying path in an automation system according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. As shown in the figure, the method 100 can include, but is not limited to, the following steps S110 to S140. Figure 1

[0067] Step S110, according to the receiving direction of consumables, creating a virtual device corresponding to an original device in the automation system.

[0068] Exemplarily, a plurality of original devices such as a mechanical arm, a code scanner, a switching position device, a pipetting workstation, an enzyme marker, etc. can be included in an automation system. These original devices have a specific layout relationship in the laboratory space, and each has different requirements for the receiving direction of consumables. For the mechanical arm, the receiving direction of consumables can be the direction in which the mechanical arm picks up the consumables. For other devices other than the mechanical arm, the receiving direction of consumables can represent the direction of the consumables in and out of the device. According to the different requirements of different original devices for the receiving direction of consumables, a corresponding virtual device can be created respectively.

[0069] ​In an embodiment, a corresponding number of virtual devices can be created according to the number of consumable receiving directions supported by the original device. Specifically, in the case where the original device supports n consumable receiving directions, n corresponding virtual devices are created, where each virtual device has a unique identifier, and n is a natural number greater than 0. For example, the original device contains two mechanical arms, namely mechanical arm 1 and mechanical arm 2. Taking mechanical arm 1 as an example, in the case where there are 4 sides of consumables such as hole plates, mechanical arm 1 has 4 directions for grabbing consumables, namely narrow (abbreviated as N), wide (abbreviated as W), reverse narrow (abbreviated as RN), and reverse wide (abbreviated as RW), and in this embodiment, n = 4. Therefore, in the case where mechanical arm 1 supports 4 directions for grabbing consumables, 4 virtual devices are created, and unique identifiers 56, 57, 58, and 59 are set respectively, which are named as mechanical arm 1-N, mechanical arm 1-W, mechanical arm 1-RN, and mechanical arm 1-RW, respectively. For the code scanner, the pipetting workstation, and the enzyme marker, they can each receive consumables in one direction. For example, the code scanner only receives N-direction consumables; the pipetting workstation only receives W-direction consumables; and the enzyme marker only receives RN-direction consumables. Therefore, the above three original devices can each correspond to the creation of a virtual device, and unique identifiers 64, 69, and 70 are set respectively, which are named as code scanner-N, pipetting workstation-W, and enzyme marker-RN, respectively. In the case where the exchange site device supports m consumable receiving directions, m corresponding exchange site virtual devices are created, where the i-th exchange site virtual device is connected to the i+1-th exchange site virtual device, m is a natural number greater than 0, i ≥ 1, and i+1 ≤ m. For the exchange site device, in the case where m = 4, i.e., it supports 4 consumable receiving directions, 4 virtual devices of exchange site-N, exchange site-W, exchange site-RN, and exchange site-RW are created, and the identifiers are 65, 66, 67, and 68, respectively. Among them, the first exchange site virtual device is exchange site-N, the second exchange site virtual device is exchange site-W, the third exchange site virtual device is exchange site-RN, and the fourth exchange site virtual device is exchange site-RW. The exchange site device is used to adjust the consumable receiving direction of the consumable from a first direction to a second direction, the first direction being the consumable receiving direction when the exchange site device receives the consumable, and the second direction being the consumable receiving direction when other devices receive the consumable from the exchange site device. That is, the exchange site device can receive consumables in any one direction, and rotate the consumables to other directions for subsequent devices to receive the consumables from the exchange site device. For example, the exchange site device can receive consumables in the N direction, and then rotate the consumables to the W direction. In this way, the creation of all virtual devices corresponding to the original devices in the entire automation system is completed, laying a foundation for subsequent path planning.

[0070] It should be noted that the above identifier is only exemplary and does not mean the limitation of the virtual device identifier. This identifier is unique in the entire automation system, which can be a number, a combination of letters and numbers, or other symbols with clear identification meaning. Through this unique identifier, the system can quickly and accurately identify each virtual device, whether in the process of creating a virtual device layout connection graph or in the subsequent determination of the carrying path and the analysis path, it can ensure that the operation and processing of the virtual device are accurate and accurate.

[0071] In step S120, a layout connection graph of the virtual device is constructed based on the layout association relationship of the original device and the consumable receiving direction.

[0072] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the layout association relationship of the original device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. As shown in the automation system, the system includes a mechanical arm 1, a mechanical arm 2, a code scanner, a switching position device, a pipetting workstation and an enzyme marker. Figure 2 As shown in the automation system, the system includes a mechanical arm 1, a mechanical arm 2, a code scanner, a switching position device, a pipetting workstation and an enzyme marker. Figure 2, the mechanical arm 1 is connected with the code scanner and the pipetting workstation, only to facilitate the representation that the mechanical arm 1 has a correlation with the code scanner and the pipetting workstation, and does not represent that the mechanical arm 1 has a real physical connection with the code scanner and the pipetting workstation. This correlation can be represented as the code scanner and the pipetting workstation can be accessed by the mechanical arm 1, that is, the code scanner and the pipetting workstation can receive consumables from the mechanical arm 1. The enzyme marker can be accessed by the mechanical arm 2, that is, the enzyme marker can receive consumables from the mechanical arm 2. The exchange site device can be accessed by the mechanical arm 1 and the mechanical arm 2, that is, the exchange site device can receive consumables carried by the mechanical arm 1 and the mechanical arm 2. The correlation between the connected devices can be understood in combination with the foregoing description. The layout correlation of the original device and the different original devices supporting different consumable receiving directions can be combined to construct the layout connection diagram of the virtual device. Preferably, first, determine the original devices with the same consumable receiving direction. First, sort all original devices in the automation system, and analyze the consumable receiving directions supported by each of them. For example, in a system containing multiple original devices, the code scanner only receives N-direction consumables, and the pipetting workstation also only receives N-direction consumables, so the code scanner and the pipetting workstation belong to original devices with the same consumable receiving direction (N direction). For another example, there are two different experimental devices, device X supports W direction and RN direction consumable receiving, and device Y also supports W direction and RN direction consumable receiving, so device X and device Y belong to original devices with the same consumable receiving direction in W direction and RN direction respectively. Then, connect the virtual devices corresponding to each two original devices with the same consumable receiving direction, and the layout connection diagram of the virtual device can be obtained. Taking the code scanner and the pipetting workstation as an example, the virtual device corresponding to the code scanner is the code scanner-N, and the virtual device corresponding to the pipetting workstation is the pipetting workstation-N, at this time, the code scanner-N and the pipetting workstation-N are connected. Figure 3 The layout connection diagram of the virtual device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. As Figure 3As shown, for the code scanner, as it can only be accessed by the mechanical arm 1 in the N direction, the code scanner-N and the mechanical arm 1-N are connected. This connection reflects the working relationship between the mechanical arm 1 and the code scanner in the case of clamping the consumables in the N direction, i.e., the mechanical arm 1 can grasp the consumables in the N direction and carry them to the code scanner for the code scanning operation. For the pipetting workstation, it only receives the consumables in the W direction, so the pipetting workstation-W and the mechanical arm 1-W are connected. This connection represents the working relationship between the mechanical arm and the pipetting workstation in the case of clamping the consumables in the W direction, i.e., the mechanical arm 1 can grasp the consumables in the W direction and carry them to the pipetting workstation for the experimental operation such as pipetting. For the exchange site device, it can receive consumables in four directions from the mechanical arm 1 and the mechanical arm 2 respectively, so the exchange site device-N is connected with the mechanical arm 1-N and the mechanical arm 2-N respectively; the exchange site device-W is connected with the mechanical arm 1-W and the mechanical arm 2-W respectively; the exchange site device-RW is connected with the mechanical arm 1-RW and the mechanical arm 2-RW respectively; and the exchange site device-RN is connected with the mechanical arm 1-RN and the mechanical arm 2-RN respectively. The above connections can represent the working relationship between the mechanical arm and the exchange site device in the case of clamping the consumables in the N, W, RW or RN direction, for example, the mechanical arm 1 can grasp the consumables in the N direction and carry them to the exchange site device-N for the rotation operation, and rotate them to the W direction for the mechanical arm 1-W or the mechanical arm 2-W to clamp the consumables from the exchange site device-W.

[0073] Through such a connection mode, a virtual device layout connection diagram under the laboratory layout is constructed, which clearly shows the correlation of each device in different clamping directions, and lays a foundation for subsequent determination of the carrying path.

[0074] In step S130, based on the layout connection diagram of the virtual devices, a virtual carrying path between a first virtual device corresponding to a starting device in the carrying instruction and a second virtual device corresponding to a target device in the carrying instruction is determined, wherein the starting device and the target device are both included in the original devices.

[0075] Exemplarily, the carrying instruction can be to carry the consumables from the pipetting workstation to the enzyme marker, and to perform the code scanning operation in the carrying process. Referring to FIG. 6, the starting device is the pipetting workstation, and the target device is the code scanner. The virtual carrying path between the first virtual device corresponding to the pipetting workstation and the second virtual device corresponding to the code scanner is determined. Figure 3, in response to the carrying instruction, a virtual device corresponding to the starting device, i.e., the pipetting workstation, pipetting workstation-W, and a virtual device corresponding to the target device, i.e., the enzyme marker, enzyme marker-RN, can be found first. Then, based on the constructed virtual device layout coupling graph, a virtual carrying path from the pipetting workstation-W to the enzyme marker-RN can be determined, and the path contains the virtual device barcode scanner-N. After calculation, the obtained virtual carrying path can be: pipetting workstation-W, mechanical arm 1-W, exchange site device-W, exchange site device-RN, exchange site device-W, exchange site device-N, mechanical arm 1-N, barcode scanner-N, mechanical arm 1-N, exchange site device-N, exchange site device-W, exchange site device-RN, mechanical arm 2-RN, enzyme marker-RN. This path is obtained by considering the coupling relationship between the virtual devices and the receiving direction of the consumables, and it represents one of the carrying path planning from the pipetting workstation to the enzyme marker and meeting the scanning requirements at the virtual device level. Other virtual carrying paths that meet the carrying instruction can also be obtained according to the above scheme, which are not listed one by one here.

[0076] In step S140, the virtual carrying path is parsed into a real carrying path based on the correspondence between the virtual device and the original device.

[0077] Exemplarily, for the first virtual equipment pipetting workstation-W in the virtual transport path in step S130, the corresponding original equipment is the pipetting workstation. This indicates that the starting original equipment for transport is the pipetting workstation, and the robot arm 1 needs to pick up the consumable from the pipetting workstation in the W direction. Then it is the robot arm 1-W, which corresponds to the original equipment robot arm 1, and the consumable receiving direction is W, indicating that the robot arm 1 starts to transport after picking up the consumable in the W direction. Then it is the exchange site equipment-W, the exchange site equipment-RN, the exchange site equipment-W, and the exchange site equipment-N, which correspond to the original equipment exchange site equipment. In this process, the consumable receiving direction is finally rotated from W to N. Then it is the robot arm 1-N, which means that the robot arm 1 picks up the consumable from the exchange site equipment in the N direction. Then it is the code scanner-N, which corresponds to the original equipment code scanner, indicating that the robot arm 1 transports the consumable to the code scanner in the N direction for code scanning operation. Then it is the robot arm 1-N, the exchange site equipment-N, the exchange site equipment-W, and the exchange site equipment-RN. The robot arm 1 picks up the consumable from the code scanner in the N direction and transports it to the exchange site equipment. The exchange site equipment adjusts the consumable receiving direction from N to RN. Then it is the robot arm 2-RN, which corresponds to the original robot arm 2, and the consumable receiving direction is RN, indicating that the robot arm 2 picks up the consumable from the exchange site equipment in the RN direction. Finally, it is the enzyme marker-RN, and the robot arm 2 transports the consumable to the enzyme marker in the RN direction for related experimental operation. Through such an analysis process, the virtual transport path is converted into a specific and actually executable real transport path, that is, the robot arm 1 first picks up the consumable from the pipetting workstation in the W direction, then adjusts the consumable receiving direction through the exchange site equipment during the transport process, and then the robot arm 1 transports the consumable to the code scanner in the N direction for code scanning. After the code scanning is completed, the robot arm 1 transports the consumable back to the exchange site equipment in the N direction. The exchange site equipment adjusts the consumable receiving direction to RN, the robot arm 2 picks up the consumable from the exchange site equipment in the RN direction and transports it to the enzyme marker. This real transport path not only meets the requirements of the equipment for the consumable receiving direction, but also completes the code scanning operation, and realizes the accurate execution of the transport instruction.

[0078] According to the above technical solution, according to the different consumable receiving directions supported by different original equipment, a plurality of virtual equipment can be correspondingly created, so as to determine the association between the virtual equipment according to the association architecture of the original equipment, and then determine the virtual transport path according to the transport instruction. Then the virtual transport path is analyzed to restore it to the real transport path corresponding to the real original equipment. Thus, the correctness of the consumable direction during the transport process can be ensured, and the probability of test failure can be reduced. At the same time, since this way does not initially pay attention to whether the consumable enters two equipment in the same direction, the application range is wider.

[0079] Preferably, the virtual carrying path can be the shortest virtual path between the first virtual device and the second virtual device. Illustratively, the shortest virtual path between the first virtual device and the second virtual device can be determined by using a related algorithm in graph theory, such as Dijkstra algorithm, etc. Similarly, the carrying instruction can be to carry the consumables from the pipetting workstation to the enzyme marker, and to perform the code scanning operation during the carrying process. Correspondingly, the shortest virtual path obtained according to the algorithm can be: pipetting workstation-W, mechanical arm 1-W, exchange site device-W, exchange site device-N, mechanical arm 1-N, code scanner-N, mechanical arm 1-N, exchange site device-N, exchange site device-W, exchange site device-RN, mechanical arm 2-RN, enzyme marker-RN.

[0080] In this embodiment, step S140 resolves the virtual carrying path into the real carrying path based on the correspondence between the virtual device and the original device, comprising: step S141, resolving the shortest virtual path into the shortest real path based on the correspondence between the virtual device and the original device.

[0081] For the first virtual device in the shortest virtual path, the corresponding original device is the pipette workstation. This indicates that the starting original device for the transfer is the pipette workstation, and the robot arm 1 needs to pick up the consumable from the pipette workstation in the W direction. Then it is the robot arm 1-W, which corresponds to the original device robot arm 1, and the consumable receiving direction is W, indicating that the robot arm 1 starts the transfer after picking up the consumable in the W direction. Then it is the exchange site device-W, the exchange site device-N, which corresponds to the original device exchange site device, and the consumable receiving direction is rotated from W to N during this process. Then it is the robot arm 1-N, which means that the robot arm 1 picks up the consumable from the exchange site device in the N direction. Then it is the code scanner-N, which corresponds to the original device code scanner, indicating that the robot arm 1 transfers the consumable to the code scanner in the N direction for code scanning operation. Then it is the robot arm 1-N, the exchange site device-N, the exchange site device-W, the exchange site device-RN, and the robot arm 1 picks up the consumable from the code scanner in the N direction and transfers it to the exchange site device. The exchange site device rotates the consumable receiving direction from N to RN. Then it is the robot arm 2-RN, which corresponds to the original robot arm 2, and the consumable receiving direction is RN, indicating that the robot arm 2 picks up the consumable from the exchange site device in the RN direction. Finally, it is the enzyme marker-RN, and the robot arm 2 transfers the consumable to the enzyme marker in the RN direction for related experimental operation. Through such an analysis process, the virtual transfer path is converted into a specific and actually executable real transfer path, i.e., the robot arm 1 first picks up the consumable from the pipette workstation in the W direction, then the exchange site device rotates the consumable receiving direction to N during the transfer process, then the robot arm 1 transfers the consumable to the code scanner in the N direction for code scanning, after the code scanning is completed, the robot arm 1 transfers the consumable back to the exchange site device in the N direction, the exchange site device rotates the consumable receiving direction to RN, the robot arm 2 picks up the consumable from the exchange site device in the RN direction and transfers it to the enzyme marker.

[0082] Thus, in the process of calculating the consumable transfer step, the shortest virtual path is selected, which can significantly improve the transfer efficiency, save the computing power of the automation system, and save resources. This real transfer path perfectly meets the transfer instruction requirements under complex laboratory layout, fully embodies the effectiveness and superiority of the method in complex scenarios.

[0083] By way of example, step S140 of analyzing the virtual transfer path into a real transfer path based on the correspondence between the virtual device and the original device can include steps S142 and S143.

[0084] Step S142, based on the correspondence between the virtual device and the original device, creates a variable for the virtual transfer path, wherein the variable includes a plurality of virtual devices and a plurality of operation instructions corresponding thereto that the completed transfer instruction passes through in sequence.

[0085] Exemplarily, the virtual carrying path is device A-X, device C-Z, and device B-Y, and the created variable contains information of the three virtual devices, and space is reserved for operation instructions corresponding to each virtual device. For example, the variable corresponding to the multiple virtual devices through which the carrying instruction passes in sequence can be set as PreEquip and Equip. Equip can represent the variable of the current virtual device, and PreEquip can represent the variable of the previous virtual device of the current virtual device. The variable of the multiple operation instructions corresponding to the multiple virtual devices is set as CurrentArm.

[0086] In step S143, based on the virtual carrying path, the created variable is analyzed in sequence to obtain a real carrying path.

[0087] Exemplarily, according to the sequential relationship between each virtual device in the virtual carrying path, the operation instruction corresponding to each virtual device is determined in sequence, and the corresponding operation instruction is executed in sequence according to the sequential relationship between each virtual device, that is, a real carrying path.

[0088] Therefore, the virtual devices and related operations involved in the virtual carrying path can be parsed in sequence through the created variable to obtain an accurate real carrying path.

[0089] Exemplarily, before the created variable is analyzed in sequence based on the virtual carrying path, the method further includes initializing the variable.

[0090] Exemplarily, before the created variable is analyzed, the variable can be initialized to ensure that the variable is in the correct initial state before use. For example, the variable representing the current virtual device can be initialized to empty, and the variable representing the previous virtual device can also be initialized to empty. In this way, when the virtual carrying path is analyzed subsequently, the real carrying path can be gradually constructed from the initial state, ensuring the accuracy of the parsed real carrying path.

[0091] Exemplarily, step S143 analyzes the created variable in sequence based on the virtual carrying path to obtain a virtual carrying path, which can include step S143a and step S143b.

[0092] In step S143a, based on the multiple virtual devices in the virtual carrying path, a first variable is obtained, and a second variable is determined based on the first variable, wherein the first variable is used to represent the current virtual device, and the second variable is used to represent the previous virtual device of the current virtual device.

[0093] For example, assuming that the third device in the virtual device sequence, i.e., device C-Z, is currently analyzed, the first variable is device C-Z, and if the second device is device D-W, the second variable is device D-W. When the first virtual device is analyzed, there is no device in front of it, and thus the second variable is empty. Figure 4 A schematic flowchart of virtual carrying path analysis is shown according to an embodiment of the present application. For example, in the carrying path from the liquid handling workstation to the microplate reader described above, when the path is started to be analyzed, the first virtual device is the liquid handling workstation-W (with identifier 69), which is assigned to the first variable, and since it is the starting device, the second variable is empty.

[0094] In step S143b, when the second variable is empty, the second variable is set to the first variable, and then a new first variable is obtained based on the plurality of virtual devices in the virtual carrying path.

[0095] Continuing with the example described above, referring to Figure 4 When the second variable is empty, the second variable is set to the liquid handling workstation-W, and then the next virtual device in the path, i.e., the robotic arm 1-W (with identifier 57), is obtained, which is assigned to the new first variable. Thus, based on the virtual carrying path and the relationship between the first variable and the second variable, the first variable and the second variable can be assigned respectively, laying a foundation for the accuracy of the subsequent path analysis result.

[0096] For example, based on the virtual carrying path, the created variables are analyzed in sequence to obtain the virtual carrying path, which can further include step S143c and step S143d.

[0097] In step S143c, when the second variable is not empty, the first device type of the current virtual device and the second device type of the previous virtual device are obtained to determine the operation instruction of the current virtual device based on the first device type and / or the second device type, wherein the operation instruction includes robotic arm information and carrying sub-path information from the previous virtual device to the current virtual device, the carrying sub-path information includes source device information and terminal device information, and the robotic arm information includes the clamping direction of the consumable when completing the carrying sub-path and the serial number of the robotic arm.

[0098] Exemplarily, when the second variable is not empty, the first variable is also not empty, at this time, the first device type corresponding to the current virtual device of the first variable and the second device type corresponding to the previous virtual device of the second variable can be acquired respectively. Wherein, the first device type and the second device type can include execution devices and operation devices, the execution devices can include mechanical arms, exchange position devices and other devices used for transporting consumables in the experimental process, and the operation devices can include, for example, code scanners, pipetting workstations and enzyme markers and other devices used for performing experimental operations in different experimental processes in the laboratory. After acquiring the first device type and the second device type, the operation instruction of the current virtual device can be determined according to the device type. Wherein, the operation instruction can include, for example, information such as that the mechanical arm 1-W clamps the consumables in the W direction and transports the consumables from the device A to the device B.

[0099] In step S143d, the real transport path is determined based on the virtual transport path and the operation instruction.

[0100] As described in step S143c, the operation instruction of all virtual devices contained in the virtual transport path can be determined in sequence until the virtual device in the virtual transport path is empty, that is, the operation instruction of the last virtual device is determined to be completed. Therefore, based on the sequential relationship of the virtual devices passed through in the virtual transport path, the operation instructions of the virtual devices can be concatenated to determine the real transport path.

[0101] Therefore, the accuracy and robustness of the determined real transport path can be guaranteed, and the transport instruction can be successfully completed.

[0102] Exemplarily, step S143c acquires the first device type of the current virtual device and the second device type of the previous virtual device to determine the operation instruction of the current virtual device based on the first device type and / or the second device type in sequence can include step S143c1 and step S143c2.

[0103] In step S143c1, in the case where the current virtual device is determined to be a mechanical arm based on the first device type, a first instruction is created according to the second device type, wherein the first instruction includes determining the mechanical arm as a transport device and determining the previous virtual device as a source device.

[0104] If the current virtual device is determined to be a mechanical arm based on the first device type, for example, the current virtual device is a mechanical arm 1-W, and the second device type determines that the previous virtual device is another device, such as a pipetting workstation-W. At this time, according to the second device type, a first instruction is created, which includes determining the mechanical arm 1-N as a transport device and determining the previous virtual device pipetting workstation-W as a source device. That is, the first instruction can be expressed as clamping the consumables in the pipetting workstation-W with the mechanical arm 1-W in the W direction.

[0105] Step S143c2, in the case that the previous virtual device is determined to be a robot arm based on the second device type, adding end device information in the first instruction, wherein the end device is the current virtual device.

[0106] If the previous virtual device is determined to be a robot arm based on the second device type, for example, the previous virtual device is a robot arm 1-W and the current virtual device is a device E-W, the end device information can be added in the first instruction created before, i.e., the end device is the current virtual device E-W.

[0107] Since the robot arm plays an important role in the entire experimental process, it has a correlation with most devices in the system. Therefore, the robot arm related instructions can be created in priority, so that the subsequent transfer instructions can be smoothly performed.

[0108] Exemplarily, the step S143c acquires the first device type of the current virtual device and the second device type of the previous virtual device, to determine the operation instruction of the current virtual device based on the first device type and / or the second device type. The step S143c can further include:

[0109] Step S143c3, in the case that the current virtual device is determined not to be a robot arm based on the first device type, and the previous virtual device is determined to be a robot arm based on the second device type, creating a second instruction, wherein the second instruction includes action information of the current virtual device.

[0110] Referring to Figure 4 , in combination with the foregoing, in the case that the current virtual device is a swap site device and the previous virtual device is a robot arm, a second instruction can be created, i.e., the instruction after adding the end device information in the first instruction. In the case that the current virtual device is a code scanner and the previous virtual device is a robot arm, a second instruction can also be created, which can include action information of the code scanner performing a code scanning operation.

[0111] Thus, different operation instruction information of the current virtual device can be obtained according to different first device types, improving the generalization and applicability of the parsing method.

[0112] Exemplarily, the method further includes: in the case that the current virtual device or the previous virtual device is a cap adding / removing device, creating a third instruction based on the transfer instruction, wherein the transfer instruction includes cap adding / removing position information, and the third instruction includes creating a new robot arm and the new robot arm performing a cap adding / removing operation at a position corresponding to the cap adding / removing position information.

[0113] As Figure 4As shown, in the case where the current virtual device is a mechanical arm, when it is determined according to the second device type that the previous virtual device is a cap removal device, or in the case where the current virtual device is a cap removal device, the corresponding cap removal operation information can be determined according to the position information of the cap removal operation in the carrying instruction. For example, when the position of the cap removal operation is at the cap station, no operation can be performed. When the position of the cap removal operation is in situ cap removal, i.e., the cap removal operation is performed at the starting position of the carrying instruction, in the above embodiment, the position of the cap removal operation is the position of the pipetting workstation. In this case, a third instruction can be created, and the third instruction can include creating a new mechanical arm to perform the cap removal operation at the starting position of the carrying instruction.

[0114] Therefore, the cap removal operation can be performed at different positions according to the carrying instruction, various needs of different users can be met, and user experience can be improved.

[0115] According to another aspect of the present application, an automated process control method is also provided. Figure 5 A schematic flowchart of an automated process control method 500 according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. The method 500 can include a step S510 and a step S520.

[0116] The step S510 is the carrying path determination method 100 as described above.

[0117] Exemplarily, in actual applications, an automated system can call a carrying path determination method according to a carrying instruction input by a user. For example, the user sets in the system that a certain consumable needs to be carried from a device A to a device B, and other devices that need to be passed through during the carrying process and related operation requirements (such as code scanning, cap removal, etc.) are specified. After the system receives these instructions, the system first creates virtual devices and constructs a virtual device layout connection graph according to device layout and consumable receiving direction, etc., then determines a virtual carrying path by using a shortest path algorithm, and finally parses the virtual carrying path into a real carrying path. Through this series of operations, the system can plan an optimal carrying route for the mechanical arm, and ensure that the consumable can be accurately and correctly carried from the starting device to the target device according to the requirements.

[0118] The step S520 inserts the determined real carrying path into the steps of the automated process, so as to perform step planning and scheduling based on the inserted steps.

[0119] For example, each step in the actual transport path can be inserted sequentially into a pre-defined automated workflow. For instance, an automated experimental workflow may include multiple stages such as consumable preparation, transport, experimental operation, and result detection. Once the actual transport path of consumables from the pipetting workstation to the microplate reader is determined, the system accurately inserts the following steps into the transport stage: the robotic arm picking up the consumables from the pipetting workstation, adjusting its orientation at the exchange point, scanning the barcode, and finally placing the consumables into the microplate reader. Then, the system performs detailed step planning based on these inserted steps. This includes determining the execution time, execution order, required resources (such as the robotic arm and device interfaces), and coordination with other stages for each step. Reasonable step planning ensures the efficient and stable operation of the entire automated workflow, avoiding operational conflicts and resource waste. After completing the step planning, the execution of each step can be controlled according to the planned scheduling scheme, ensuring that the robotic arm and other equipment accurately complete the transport of consumables and related operations according to the predetermined path and time.

[0120] For example, before determining the actual transport path, the automated process control method may further include: parsing the established automated process to obtain the steps of the automated process.

[0121] For example, automated processes may be built by users themselves based on experimental needs and equipment configurations, or they may be standard processes pre-set by the system. For instance, for a user-defined automated experimental process, relevant information in the process file can be read, including the sequence of each experimental step, the equipment involved in each step, and the operational requirements for that equipment. By analyzing the automated process, the function of each piece of equipment, the connection relationships between equipment, and the order of operations can be clearly understood. In-depth analysis of this information provides comprehensive background data and constraints for subsequently determining the transport path, enabling the determination of the transport path to better integrate with the entire automated process, thereby improving the overall operational efficiency and coordination of the system.

[0122] According to another aspect of the present invention, a device for determining a transport path in an automated system is also provided. Figure 6 A schematic block diagram of a transport path determination device 600 in an automated system according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 6 As shown, the determining device 600 may include: a virtual device creation module 610, a layout construction module 620, a virtual path determining module 630, and a path parsing module 640.

[0123] The virtual device creation module 610 is used to create virtual devices corresponding to the original devices in the automation system according to the consumable receiving direction;

[0124] The layout construction module 620 is configured to construct a layout connection graph of the virtual device based on the layout association relationship of the original device and the receiving direction of the consumable;

[0125] The virtual path determination module 630 is configured to determine a virtual carrying path between a first virtual device corresponding to a starting device in the carrying instruction and a second virtual device corresponding to a target device in the carrying instruction based on the layout connection graph of the virtual device, wherein the starting device and the target device are both included in the original device;

[0126] The path analysis module 640 is configured to analyze the virtual carrying path into a real carrying path based on the correspondence between the virtual device and the original device.

[0127] According to still another aspect of the present application, there is also provided an automated process control device. Figure 7 A schematic block diagram of an automated process control device 700 according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. As Figure 7 shown, the control device 700 can include the carrying path determination device 600 in an automated system and an insertion planning module 710.

[0128] The carrying path determination device 600 in an automated system as described above is configured to determine a real carrying path;

[0129] The insertion planning module 710 is configured to insert the determined real carrying path into a step of an automated process, so as to perform step planning and scheduling based on the step after insertion.

[0130] According to another aspect of the present application, there is also provided an electronic device. Figure 8 A schematic block diagram of an electronic device 800 according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. As Figure 8 shown, the electronic device 800 can include a processor 810 and a memory 820, wherein the memory 820 stores computer program instructions, and the computer program instructions are used to execute the carrying path determination method 100 in an automated system as described above and / or the automated process control method 500 as described above when executed by the processor 810.

[0131] According to still another aspect of the present application, there is also provided a storage medium having stored thereon program instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of determining a handling path in an automated system and / or the method of controlling an automated process as described above. The storage medium can include, for example, a memory component of a tablet computer, a hard disk of a personal computer, a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a USB memory, or any combination of the above storage media. The computer readable storage medium can be any combination of one or more computer readable storage media.

[0132] Those skilled in the art can understand the specific implementation of the device for determining a handling path in an automated system, the device for controlling an automated process, the electronic device and the storage medium and their beneficial effects by reading the above description of the method of determining a handling path in an automated system and the method of controlling an automated process. For brevity, they will not be described here again.

[0133] Although the example embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the example embodiments are only exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application thereto. Those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the scope and spirit of the present application. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present application as claimed in the appended claims.

[0134] Those skilled in the art can appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be realized by electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether the functions are performed by hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of the present application.

[0135] In several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative, for example, the division of the units is only a logical function division, and actual implementation can have another division manner, for example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another device, or some features can be ignored or not executed.

[0136] In the specification provided herein, a large number of specific details are described. However, it can be understood that the embodiments of the present application can be practiced without these specific details. In some examples, well-known methods, structures and techniques are not described in detail in order not to obscure the understanding of the present specification.

[0137] Similarly, it is to be understood that the features of the present application that are of a proprietary nature are set forth in the appended claims. Those skilled in the art will realize that the various features of the present application are capable of being combined in other manners to achieve various aspects and advantages of the application. For instance, the application's aspects and features can be combined in any manner to achieve further embodiments of the application.

[0138] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that all features described herein (including all features of the accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) can be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Each feature disclosed in this specification, including any "preferred" features, can be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0139] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that references in the specification to "one embodiment", "an embodiment", "an example embodiment" etc. mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the application. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are they necessarily referring to a single, "one embodiment".

[0140] Various component embodiments of the application can be implemented in hardware, or as software modules running in one or more processors, or in combinations thereof. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that some or all of the functionality of some of the modules of the determination means of the handling path and the automation flow control means in the automated system according to embodiments of the application can be implemented in practice using a microprocessor or a digital signal processor (DSP). The application can also be implemented as a program (for example, computer program and computer program product) for performing some or all of the methods described herein. Such program implementing the application can be stored on a computer readable medium, or can have one or more signals. Such signal can be downloaded from an Internet website, or provided on a carrier signal, or in any other form.

[0141] It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the application, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in a claim. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The application can be implemented by means of both hardware and software, and any combination thereof. In a unitary claim, several devices or sub-claims can be joined by means of the expression "and / or". The use of the term "at least" followed by a list of one or more items should be interpreted as including at least one of the items but it does not exclude the presence of others not listed. The use of the term "one" followed by a list of one or more items should be interpreted as including at least one of the items but it does not exclude the presence of others not listed. It is appreciated that certain features of the application, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, can also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the application, which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, can also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination. None of the use of any of the following either: (1) "includes", "including", "has", "contains", "containing", "consisting of", "consists", "consists of", (2) "comprising", "comprise", "comprised of", "comprising of", or (3) "having", "has", "contains", "containing", shall be construed as excluding the presence of other elements or steps in the claimed application.

[0142] The above description is only specific embodiments of the present application or specific explanations of specific embodiments, and the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical range disclosed by the present application, and all of them should be covered in the protection scope of the present application. The protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method of determining a transport path in an automated system, characterized by, The method comprises the following steps: According to the receiving direction of the consumables, a virtual device corresponding to an original device in the automation system is created; Based on the layout association relationship of the original device and the receiving direction of the consumables, a layout connection graph of the virtual device is constructed; Based on the layout connection graph of the virtual device, a virtual transport path between a first virtual device corresponding to a starting device in a transport instruction and a second virtual device corresponding to a target device in the transport instruction is determined, wherein the starting device and the target device are both included in the original device; Based on the correspondence between the virtual device and the original device, the virtual transport path is parsed into a real transport path.

2. The determination method of claim 1, wherein, The virtual transport path is the shortest virtual path between the first virtual device and the second virtual device; wherein the shortest transport path is a path that contains the least original devices among all paths that can complete the transport instruction; The virtual transport path is parsed into a real transport path based on the correspondence between the virtual device and the original device, comprising: The shortest virtual path is parsed into the shortest real path based on the correspondence between the virtual device and the original device.

3. The determination method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method comprises the following steps: In the case that the original device supports n receiving directions of the consumables, n corresponding virtual devices are created, wherein each virtual device has a unique identifier, and n is a natural number greater than 0.

4. The determination method of claim 3, wherein, The original device comprises a mechanical arm and a switching station device, the switching station device is used to adjust the receiving direction of the consumables from a first direction to a second direction, the first direction is the receiving direction of the consumables when the switching station device receives the consumables, the second direction is the receiving direction of the consumables when other devices receive the consumables from the switching station device, the receiving direction of the mechanical arm and the switching station device is a full-direction, and the full-direction includes the receiving direction of all original devices in the automation system.

5. The determination method of claim 1, wherein, The method comprises the following steps: Determine the original devices with the same receiving direction of the consumables; Connect the virtual devices corresponding to each two original devices with the same receiving direction of the consumables.

6. The determination method of claim 5, wherein, The original device comprises a switching station device, and the method comprises the following steps: In the case that the switching station device supports m receiving directions of the consumables, m corresponding switching station virtual devices are created, wherein the ith switching station virtual device is connected with the i+1th switching station virtual device, m is a natural number greater than 0, i≥1, and i+1≤m.

7. The determination method of claim 1, wherein, The virtual transport path is parsed into a real transport path based on the correspondence between the virtual device and the original device, comprising: create a variable for the virtual carrying path based on the correspondence between the virtual device and the original device, wherein the variable includes a plurality of the virtual devices and corresponding operation instructions through which the carrying instruction is completed in sequence; analyze the created variable in sequence based on the virtual carrying path to obtain the real carrying path.

8. The determination method of claim 7, wherein, The analyzing the created variable in sequence based on the virtual carrying path to obtain the real carrying path includes: based on a plurality of the virtual devices in the virtual carrying path, obtaining a first variable, and determining a second variable based on the first variable, wherein the first variable is used to represent a current virtual device, and the second variable is used to represent a previous virtual device of the current virtual device; when the second variable is empty, setting the second variable to the first variable, and then based on a plurality of the virtual devices in the virtual carrying path, obtaining a new first variable.

9. The determination method of claim 8, wherein, The analyzing the created variable in sequence based on the virtual carrying path to obtain the real carrying path includes: when the second variable is not empty, obtaining a first device type of the current virtual device and a second device type of the previous virtual device, to determine the operation instruction of the current virtual device based on the first device type and / or the second device type, wherein the operation instruction includes mechanical arm information and carrying sub-path information from the previous virtual device to the current virtual device, the carrying sub-path information includes source device information and terminal device information, and the mechanical arm information includes a clamping direction of the consumable and a mechanical arm serial number when completing the carrying sub-path; determine the real carrying path based on the virtual carrying path and the operation instruction.

10. The determination method of claim 9, wherein, The obtaining a first device type of the current virtual device and a second device type of the previous virtual device to determine the operation instruction of the current virtual device based on the first device type and / or the second device type in sequence includes: in a case where the current virtual device is determined to be a mechanical arm based on the first device type, creating a first instruction according to the second device type, wherein the first instruction includes determining the mechanical arm as a carrying device and determining the previous virtual device as the source device; in a case where the previous virtual device is determined to be the mechanical arm based on the second device type, adding the terminal device information in the first instruction, wherein the terminal device is the current virtual device.

11. The determination method of claim 9, wherein, The obtaining a first device type of the current virtual device and a second device type of the previous virtual device to determine the operation instruction of the current virtual device based on the first device type and / or the second device type includes: In a case where it is determined based on the first device type that the current virtual device is not the mechanical arm and based on the second device type that the previous virtual device is the mechanical arm, a second instruction is created, wherein the second instruction comprises action information of the current virtual device.

12. The determination method of claim 10, wherein, The method further comprises: In a case where the current virtual device or the previous virtual device is a capping and decapping device, based on the carrying instruction, a third instruction is created, wherein the carrying instruction comprises capping and decapping position information, and the third instruction comprises creating a new mechanical arm and the new mechanical arm performing a capping and decapping operation at a position corresponding to the capping and decapping position information.

13. The determination method of claim 7, wherein, Before the analyzing the created variable based on the virtual carrying path, the method further comprises: The variable is initialized.

14. An automated process control method, characterized by, Comprise: The method for determining the carrying path according to any one of claims 1-13; The determined real carrying path is inserted into a step of the automation process, so that step planning and scheduling execution are performed based on the step after the insertion.

15. The control method according to claim 14, characterized by, Before the determining the real carrying path, the method further comprises: The automation process that has been built is parsed to obtain steps of the automation process.

16. A device for determining a transport path in an automation system, characterized in that Comprise: A virtual device creation module is configured to create a virtual device corresponding to an original device in the automation system according to a consumable receiving direction; A layout construction module is configured to construct a layout connection graph of the virtual device based on a layout association relationship of the original device and the consumable receiving direction; A virtual path determination module is configured to determine a virtual carrying path between a first virtual device corresponding to a starting device in a carrying instruction and a second virtual device corresponding to a target device in the carrying instruction based on the layout connection graph of the virtual device, wherein the starting device and the target device are both included in the original device; A path analysis module is configured to analyze the virtual carrying path into a real carrying path based on a correspondence relationship between the virtual device and the original device.

17. An automated process control device, characterized by Comprise: The device for determining the carrying path in the automation system according to claim 16 is configured to determine the real carrying path; An insertion planning module is configured to insert the determined real carrying path into a step of the automation process, so that step planning and scheduling execution are performed based on the step after the insertion.

18. An electronic device comprising a processor and a memory, wherein, The memory stores computer program instructions, and the computer program instructions are run by the processor to execute the method for determining the carrying path in the automation system according to any one of claims 1-13 and / or the automation process control method according to claim 14 or 15.

19. A storage medium, wherein program instructions are stored on the storage medium, and the program instructions are run to execute the method for determining the carrying path in the automation system according to any one of claims 1-13 and / or the automation process control method according to claim 14 or 15.

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