Method for operating an automation system, control system and automation system

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating an automation system (1). This automation system comprises a drive system and an optical projection unit (100). The drive system comprises a movable rotor (50), wherein the rotor (50) can be driven by a driver (6). A control system (30) of the automation system (1) carries out the following steps: determining position information of the rotor (50); associating the object to be displayed with the mover (50); rendering the projection to be displayed by the optical projection unit (100) in combination with the mover (50) and the position information of the object to be displayed; outputting the rendered projection to an optical projection unit (100) in such a way that the optical projection unit (100) outputs the rendered projection on a surface (7) and / or on a rotor (50) of the drive system or on a superstructure thereof and / or on transported goods. The invention further relates to the automation system (1) and to the control system (30).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a method for operating an automation system, a control system and an automation system.

[0002] This patent application claims priority from German patent application DE 10 2022 111 680.8 filed on May 10, 2022, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by retroactive reference into the present application. Background Art

[0003] The automation system may comprise a drive system for moving objects. A movable element of a device, a machine, a building or a stage can be moved or positioned in at least one direction by means of the drive system. The drive system may comprise a permanently excited electromagnetic motor with a stator and a mover that can be moved on the stator in at least one direction. The drive system may in particular be a planar drive system, wherein the stator is planar and the mover can be moved in at least two directions. Furthermore, the drive system described above can be used in automation technology, in particular in production technology, handling technology, process technology, stage and show technology or construction and catering technology.

[0004] In a permanently excited electromagnetic planar motor, the energized coil group of the stator unit interacts magnetically with the driving magnets of the multiple magnet assemblies of the mover, thereby applying a driving force to the mover. Planar drive systems with rectangular and longitudinally stretched coil groups and rectangular and longitudinally stretched magnet assemblies of the mover are known from the prior art. Such a planar drive system is described, for example, in the publication DE 102017131 304A1. With the aid of such a planar drive system, in particular, linear and translational motion of the mover can be achieved. This means that, with such a planar drive system, the mover can freely move on the stator surface parallel to the stator surface and move perpendicularly to the stator surface at least at different spacings from the stator surface, and these rectangular and longitudinally stretched coil groups are arranged below this stator surface. In addition, the prior art has also disclosed linear drive systems.

[0005] If such drive systems, in particular planar drive systems, are used in automation technology, in particular in manufacturing technology, handling technology, process technology, stage and performance technology, or construction and catering technology, information related to the operation of the drive system can be displayed to an operator or a monitoring person via a screen or a display. However, this means that the operator or the monitoring person must often take his or her eyes away from the drive system in order to observe the screen or the display. As a result, the operator or the monitoring person may not be able to perceive all relevant information in time and may not have enough time to react to the information displayed via the screen or the display. Summary of the invention

[0006] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved automation system. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for operating such an automation system. Another object of the present invention is to provide a control system for implementing said method. In this case, it should be possible to perceive information without taking the eye off the drive system.

[0007] The invention achieves the above-mentioned object by providing a method for operating an automation system, a control system and an automation system in the independent patent claims. Advantageous developments are given in the dependent claims.

[0008] According to one aspect, the invention comprises a method for operating an automation system. The automation system comprises a drive system and an optical projection unit. The drive system comprises a movable mover, which can be driven by a drive. The control system of the automation system implements the steps described below.

[0009] The position information of the mover is determined. Furthermore, the object to be displayed is associated with the position of the mover. Then, the projection to be displayed by the optical projection unit is rendered in combination with the position information of the mover and the object to be displayed. Finally, the rendered projection is output to the optical projection unit, so that the optical projection unit outputs the rendered projection on a surface and / or outputs it as a hologram in a manner adjacent to the drive system and / or the mover of this drive system.

[0010] The first two steps, namely determining the position information of the mover and associating the object to be displayed with the mover, can be performed in any order or simultaneously. The rendering can in particular include combining the position information and the object to be displayed to form a projection to be displayed.

[0011] The object to be displayed may include display information, for example, wherein the display information may include information relevant to an operator or a monitoring person. Since the object to be displayed is output on a surface and / or output as a hologram in the vicinity of the drive system, the operator or the monitoring person can perceive the relevant information without having to remove his or her sight from the drive system.

[0012] In this case, the drive system can be either a linear drive system or a planar drive system. If the drive system is a planar drive system, the surface for outputting the object to be displayed can at least partially include the stator surface of the planar drive system.

[0013] According to a second aspect, the invention comprises a control system for an automation system. The control system is adapted to implement the steps of the method according to the invention. That is, the control system is adapted to determine position information of a mover and to associate an object to be displayed with the position of the mover. Furthermore, the control system is adapted to subsequently render a projection to be displayed by an optical projection unit in combination with the position information of the mover and the object to be displayed. Furthermore, the control system is adapted to output the rendered projection to the optical projection unit. The optical projection unit can then output the rendered projection on a surface and / or as a hologram in a manner adjacent to the drive system and / or a mover of this drive system.

[0014] In this case, the control system may include at least one computing unit. The control system may also include a first control unit having a first computing unit and a second control unit having a second computing unit as required. In this case, the first control unit may in particular be used to control the drive system and provide position information of the mover, while the second control unit reads the position information, associates the object to be displayed with the mover, renders the projection to be displayed in combination with the position information of the mover and the object to be displayed, and outputs the rendered projection to the optical projection unit.

[0015] The second control unit with the second computing unit may further include an additional control unit and an additional computing unit as needed. The additional another control unit transmits information about the projection part on the mover to the second control unit and obtains adaptation information of the projection part from the second projection unit. The additional another computing unit is responsible for rendering the projection part and transmitting the rendered projection to the other projection unit.

[0016] According to a third aspect, the invention comprises an automation system having a drive system and an optical projection unit. The drive system comprises a movable mover. The mover can be driven by a drive. In addition, the automation system comprises a control system according to the invention.

[0017] In one embodiment of the method, the position information is determined in conjunction with the position of the mover relative to the automation system and / or the drive system. This can include, for example, determining the position of the mover relative to a stator unit of the drive system, in particular by means of a position sensor. If the mover includes a magnet unit, the position sensor can include a magnetic field sensor. In this way, the object to be displayed can be output in a manner coordinated with the position of the mover.

[0018] In one embodiment of the method, the position of the mover is determined at least twice, in particular three times, the frequency at which the projection to be displayed is rendered. This allows the object to be displayed to be output sufficiently quickly in a manner coordinated with the position of the mover and the projection to be displayed to move with the mover without shaking or disruptive effects.

[0019] In one embodiment of the method, the communication within the control system is real-time. This means, in particular, that information can be exchanged quickly within the control system so that even with fast movements of the mover, the object to be displayed can be tracked and moved with the mover without being offset.

[0020] In one embodiment of the method, the projection to be displayed is first calculated in the virtual graphic space in conjunction with the virtual object, and then rendered in the real space in conjunction with the window of the graphic space. The outputted rendered projection of the window enhances the detection and / or perception of the mover or its superstructure and / or the transported goods and / or the surface (7) with the aid of information from the graphic space. In this way, the object to be displayed can be efficiently calculated and rendered.

[0021] The real space can be associated with the multidimensional graphics space through association rules. Objects arranged in the real space (such as components of the drive system) can be assigned to graphics in the graphics space through assignment rules. With the help of the association rules between the real space and the graphics space, it can be determined how to project the virtual objects in the graphics space into the real space so that the rendered window can be output.

[0022] The movement of an object arranged in real space, such as a mover, can be transferred to the graphic space. In this case, a virtual object assigned to the object in real space can also be moved in the graphic space. Then, the projection to be displayed can also be changed according to the position of the virtual object, so that it can also be moved in the rendered projection to be displayed.

[0023] By associating the real space with the graphic space, a higher level of abstraction can be achieved, which enables the method according to the invention to be adapted to a plurality of application instances.

[0024] This graphic space can contain, for example, 3D models (or parts thereof) of machines, equipment, buildings, stages, etc. Real objects can be connected to virtual images in the graphic space by means of a control unit. If interaction with the virtual space occurs, the corresponding real objects and their possible virtual extensions react in a corresponding manner.

[0025] The position and size of the graphic space and the graphics assigned to the object to be controlled can be automatically determined based on the measured position and size of the object to be moved. This helps to generate a graphic space corresponding to the real space.

[0026] In one embodiment, the position information is determined according to the position of the mover relative to the graphic space.

[0027] In one embodiment of the method, the graphic space contains different elements. One of these elements is selected as the object to be displayed in conjunction with information from the control system and / or the automation system and is taken into account when rendering the projection to be displayed. It may be advantageous if a plurality of elements can contain different information and thus also display different information.

[0028] In one embodiment of the method, the object to be displayed is assigned a property in the graphics space, and the element is selected based on the property.

[0029] In one embodiment of the method, the virtual object is moved in the graphic space in conjunction with the position information of the mover, so that the object to be displayed can be easily tracked when the mover moves.

[0030] In one embodiment of the method, the projection to be displayed is rendered in a certain way so that the object to be displayed moves with the mover and the relative position between the mover and the object to be displayed is fixed. In this way, the object to be displayed can be easily tracked when the mover moves.

[0031] In one embodiment of the method, the object to be displayed is projected onto the mover. In one embodiment of the method, the object to be displayed is projected next to the mover at a predetermined distance from the mover. In both cases, an operator or monitoring person can easily recognize that the information forwarded by the object to be displayed simply corresponds to a specific mover.

[0032] In one embodiment of the method, at least after each position change of the mover, the position information is re-determined, the projection to be displayed is rendered and the rendered projection is output. This allows a simple tracking of the object to be displayed even when the mover is moving.

[0033] In one embodiment of the method, the object to be displayed is associated with an actual measured variable, in particular an actual measured variable of the drive system. In this case, the actual measured variable may be in particular a temperature, energy consumption, a force or a weight of at least one mover or at least one motor element of the drive.

[0034] In one embodiment of the method, the display information is read via the interface and the object to be displayed is set in conjunction with this display information. For example, the actual measured variable or other information to be displayed can be read via the interface, which is otherwise not available to the control system. This makes it possible to make the information to be displayed more flexible and, for example, to read additional information relevant to the operator or monitoring personnel.

[0035] In one embodiment of the method, the position information includes the distance between the mover surface and the surface. This distance is taken into account when rendering the projection to be displayed. If the drive system is a planar drive system, the distance can be determined in particular as a function of the flight height of the mover. In this way, the projection to be displayed can be adjusted as a function of the distance, for example by focusing on the mover surface.

[0036] In one embodiment of the method, the automation system includes a further optical projection unit. Before rendering the projection to be displayed, it is determined in conjunction with the position information whether the rendered projection should be projected by the optical projection unit and / or by a further optical projection unit. This information is taken into account during the rendering process. This also allows for more complex displays with the aid of multiple optical projection units.

[0037] In one specific embodiment of the method, a rendering projection is projected in the transition region by the optical projection unit and the further optical projection unit.

[0038] In one embodiment of the automation system, the drive system is a planar drive system. This planar drive system includes at least one stator unit having a plurality of coil groups for generating a stator magnetic field, a stator surface located above the stator unit, and a mover. This surface corresponds to the stator surface. In addition, the mover has a plurality of magnet units for generating a mover magnetic field. These coil groups and these magnet units form a drive. Through the interaction between the stator magnetic field and the mover magnetic field, the mover can move above the stator surface parallel to the stator surface.

[0039] In one embodiment of the automation system, the data link between the drive system, the control system and the optical projection unit is provided by a real-time communication bus. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] Figure 1 is a cross section of the automation system;

[0042] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A top view of the automation system shown;

[0043] Figure 3After the mover moves Figure 1 and 2 Another top view of the automation system shown;

[0044] Figure 4 for Figures 1 to 3 Another top view of the automation system shown;

[0045] Figure 5 is a side view of another automated system; and

[0046] Figure 6 The view for creating a rendered projection. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] In the following descriptions of the figures, like elements are labeled with like reference numerals. Reference numerals shown in individual figures may not be described in conjunction with such figures. In such cases, the description of these reference numerals in conjunction with other figures may be used to describe the elements labeled with these reference numerals. In addition, in the descriptions of the figures, features and characteristics may be considered optional. In such cases, these features and characteristics considered optional are not required and may be omitted as appropriate.

[0048] Figure 1 A cross section of an automation system 1 is shown with a drive system 5 and an optical projection unit 100, wherein the drive system 5 comprises a movable mover 50. The mover 50 can be driven by means of a drive 6. In addition, the automation system 1 also has a control system 30. The control system 30 is suitable for implementing the steps described below. The control system 30 is suitable for determining the position information of the mover 50 and associating the object to be displayed with the mover 50. In addition, the control system 30 is suitable for rendering the projection to be displayed by the optical projection unit 100 in combination with the position information of the mover 50 and the object to be displayed. In addition, the control system 30 is suitable for outputting the rendered projection to the optical projection unit 100, so that the optical projection unit 100 outputs the rendered projection on the surface 7 and / or outputs it as a hologram 8 on the mover 50 of the drive system 5 in a manner adjacent to the mover.

[0049] In this case, the object to be displayed can in particular include the information to be displayed together with the display type, wherein the position at which the object to be displayed is to be displayed has not yet been determined. In addition to the object to be displayed, the projection to be displayed can also include the position in the automation system at which the object to be displayed is to be displayed.

[0050] The optical projection unit 100 may, for example, include a projector to output a two-dimensional multi-color image with a preset resolution. As an alternative or supplementary solution, the optical projection unit 100 may include a laser source to output a two-dimensional monochrome or multi-color image. As an alternative or supplementary solution, the optical projection unit 100 may also generate a three-dimensional multi-color image by holographic projection, also referred to as a hologram 8.

[0051] Optionally, but also as Figure 1 As shown, the drive system 5 is a planar drive system 10. The planar drive system 10 includes at least one stator unit 13 each having a plurality of coil groups 14 for generating a stator magnetic field, a stator surface 15 located above the stator unit 13, and a mover 50. In this case, the surface 7 corresponds to the stator surface 15. The mover 50 has a plurality of magnet units 51 for generating a mover magnetic field. The coil group 14 and the magnet unit 51 form a drive 6. Through the interaction between the stator magnetic field and the mover magnetic field, the mover 50 can move above the stator surface 15 parallel to the stator surface 15. The stator unit 13 having a plurality of coil groups 14 for generating a stator magnetic field is shown only for one stator module 12, wherein the planar drive system 10 includes a plurality of stator modules 12. Each stator module 12 can be constructed in exactly the same manner. In addition, a plurality of stator units 13 having coil groups 14 can be arranged in one stator module 12. More magnet units 51 and more coil groups 14 can also be arranged as appropriate, so that Figure 1 The mover 50 in the drawing can be moved to the right and to the left, and can also be moved into or out of the drawing plane.

[0052] replace Figure 1 The drive system 5 may include another drive system, such as a linear conveyor system, in the planar drive system 10 shown. All properties and features explained below for the planar drive system 10 may also be used in a linear conveyor system or a drive system 5 of a different design.

[0053] The stator module 12 may optionally include a magnetic field sensor 16, wherein the position of the magnet unit 51 and thus the position of the mover 50 may be detected by means of the magnetic field sensor 16. An alternative position sensor may also be provided, which can detect the position of the mover 50 based on another measurement principle. The magnetic field sensor 16 may be a Hall sensor, in particular a 3D Hall sensor.

[0054] The control system 30 may optionally include a first control unit 31 having a first calculation unit 33 and a second control unit 32 having a second calculation unit 34. In this case, the first control unit 31 may in particular be used to control the drive system 5 and provide position information of the mover, for example via a magnetic field sensor 16. The second control unit 32 may read the position information, associate the object to be displayed with the mover 50, render the projection to be displayed in combination with the position information of the mover 50 and the object to be displayed, and output the rendered projection to the optical projection unit 100. To this end, the first control unit 31, the second control unit 32, the stator module 12 and the optical projection unit 100 are interconnected via a communication bus 35. The communication bus 35 may optionally be real-time so as not to interrupt the method steps. In addition, the communication bus 35 may also include a known bus, such as EtherCAT. Figure 1 It is also shown that the communication bus 35 is connected to all stator modules 12. As an alternative, if the stator modules 12 also have a communication link with each other, it is also possible to connect the communication bus 35 to only one stator module 12. Figure 1 ), the control system 30 may also include only one computing unit, wherein this computing unit may assume the tasks of the first computing unit 33 and the second computing unit 34 in this case.

[0055] As Figure 1As an alternative to the illustrated embodiment, the stator module 12 can include four stator units 13, wherein the four stator units 13 are arranged in pairs in a square in the stator module 12. In addition, the stator unit 13 can include a coil group 14, wherein the coil group 14 can be arranged in different orientations. The coil group 14 is used to generate a stator magnetic field. The coil group 14 can be designed as a rectangular and longitudinally stretched coil group 14. Three individual rectangular and longitudinally stretched coils of the coil group 14 can be arranged in each stator unit 13 of the stator module 12. In another embodiment, another number of individual rectangular and longitudinally stretched coils can also form a coil group 14. In addition, multiple coil groups 14 can be stacked on top of each other, and these coil groups have a 90° rotation orientation relative to their longitudinal extension. This grid composed of the individual rectangular and longitudinally stretched coils of the coil group 14 can be constructed multiple times. After being energized accordingly, the coil group 14 can interact with the magnet unit 51, thereby moving the mover 50 on the stator surface 15 in the planar drive system 10. The plane of movement of the mover 50 is thus defined by the stator surface 15. The coil assembly 14 can be arranged parallel to the outer edge of the stator module 12. If the outer edges of the stator module 12 are at an angle of 90° to each other, two different orientations of the coil assembly 14 can be adopted and required for the movement of the mover 50. The magnet unit 51 can be arranged parallel to the outer edge of the mover 50. In addition, the magnet unit 51 can also be arranged in the mover 50 in a circumferential manner at the outer edge of the mover and interact with the coil assembly 14 so that the mover moves parallel to the outer edge of the stator module 12. In addition, two movements parallel to the outer edge can be superimposed, so that the mover 50 can move in all directions parallel to the stator surface 15. The arrangement of the four stator units 13 in the stator module 12 corresponds to the stator module 12 for the planar drive system 10 sold by Beckhoff Automation GmbH & Co KG under the name XPlanar. As an alternative, more or fewer stator units 3 can also be arranged in one stator module 2. Each stator module 2 may, for example, include only one stator unit 3 or include more than four stator units 3 , as described, for example, in publication DE 10 2017 131 304 A1.

[0056] Other schemata may include combinations Figure 1 In the further description, these reference numerals may not be mentioned again, because the components of the planar drive system 1 described with the aid of these reference numerals have already been combined. Figure 1 Explained.

[0057] Figure 2 for Figure 1A top view of an automation system 1 is shown, wherein the optical projection unit 100 is not shown. A rendering projection 110 in the form of a rectangle is shown on the mover surface 52 or its superstructure and / or the transported goods, wherein the rectangle is intended to represent a wildcard for the information to be output. In addition, an alternative rendering projection 111 is shown on the stator surface 15. The rendering projection 110 and the alternative rendering projection 111 can be output. In addition, the stator surface 15 also includes six stator modules 12, wherein another number of stator modules 12 can also be provided.

[0058] The rendering projection 110 and the alternative rendering projection 111 can be rendered in such a way that the object to be displayed is associated with the actual measured variable, in particular the actual measured variable of the drive system 5. The rendering projection 110 and / or the alternative rendering projection 111 can, for example, display the load of the mover 50, for example, in that the rendering projection 110 and / or the alternative rendering projection 111 contain a numerical value of the mover mass, or the rendering projection 110 and / or the alternative rendering projection 111 contain a color coding for the load of the mover 50 (for example: green for no load, red for full load, yellow for load but not reaching the capacity limit). An operator or supervisor of the automation system 1 can easily perceive the information reproduced by the rendering projection 110 or the alternative rendering projection 111 without taking their eyes away from the automation system 1.

[0059] Figure 2 Another optional display scheme is shown. The stator surface 15 is divided into a first area 21 and a second area 22, wherein the first area 21 can be illuminated, for example, with a different color than the second area 22. This can, for example, reflect the temperature of the stator module 12 or a part of the stator module 12. The temperature in the first area 21 may, for example, increase, so the first area can be illuminated in red. The temperature of the second area does not increase, so it can be illuminated in green or even not illuminated. In this case, the mover 50 can move mainly in the second area 22, which facilitates the operator or monitoring personnel to check without having to take their eyes away from the automation system 1.

[0060] The objects to be displayed can be, in particular, physical measured variables, such as the temperature of the stator module 12 or the coil assembly 14, the energy consumption during the driving of the mover 50, the forces acting on the mover 50 or the load weight of the mover 50. Furthermore, the objects to be displayed can also include values ​​calculated from the physical measured variables.

[0061] In addition or as an alternative to the first area 21 or the second area 22, an overview image or boundaries can be projected onto the stator surface 15 by means of the optical projection unit 100. In this case, an operator or a monitoring person can easily check whether these boundaries or the boundaries predetermined by the overview image are being observed. In addition, the operator or the monitoring person can also operate an input device and thereby control the movement of the mover 50 to comply with these boundaries or the boundaries predetermined by the overview image, because these boundaries or boundaries can be visually perceived.

[0062] As Figure 1 and 2 The automation system 1 designed in the manner shown can be operated in the following manner: First, the position information of the mover 50 is determined and the object to be displayed is associated with the position of the mover 50. These steps can be implemented simultaneously or successively in any order. Subsequently, the projection to be displayed by the optical projection unit 100 is rendered in combination with the position information of the mover 50 and the object to be displayed, and the rendered projection 110 or the alternative rendered projection 111 is output to the optical projection unit 100, so that the optical projection unit 100 outputs the rendered projections 110, 111 on the surface 7 and / or on the mover 50 or its upper structure and / or the transported goods of the drive system 5.

[0063] Position information can optionally be determined in conjunction with the position of the mover 50, for example by means of a magnetic field sensor 16. In this case, the position of the mover 50 can be determined relative to the automation system 1 or relative to the drive system 5 (for example the planar drive system 10) and in particular relative to a component of the drive system 5 (for example the stator unit 13).

[0064] In one embodiment, the position of the mover 50 is determined at least twice, in particular three times, the frequency of rendering the rendered projections 110, 111. This allows a real-time conversion, since the position information is determined with a higher temporal resolution than the image reproduction rate of the optical projection unit 100. In this way, in particular, all movements of the mover 50 can be converted into an adapted rendered projection 110 or an alternative rendered projection 111, wherein the objects to be displayed move directly with the mover 50.

[0065] In one embodiment, the rendering projection 110 or the alternative rendering projection 111 is rendered in a certain manner so that the object to be displayed moves with the mover 50, and the relative position between the mover 50 and the object to be displayed is fixed. Figure 2 In the illustrated representation, the stator surface 15 can be moved, and the rendered projection 110 or the alternative rendered projection 111 moves with the mover 50 in such a way that the rendered projection 110 or the alternative rendered projection 111 is always in the same position relative to the mover 50 .

[0066] Figure 3 for Figure 1 and 2 Another top view of the automation system 1 is shown, in which the mover 50 is moved and the rendered projection 110 or the alternative rendered projection 111 is moved along with the mover 50 , so that the relative position remains the same.

[0067] exist Figure 2 and 3 In the illustrated illustration, the object to be displayed and the rendering projection 110 are projected onto the mover 50 or its superstructure and / or the transported goods, or the object to be displayed and the alternative rendering projection 111 are projected next to the mover 50 at a predetermined distance from the mover 50. As described above, it is also possible to project only the rendering projection 110 or the alternative rendering projection 111.

[0068] In one embodiment of the method, at least after each position change of the mover 50 , the position information is re-determined, the projection to be displayed is rendered, and the rendered projection 110 or the alternative rendered projection 111 is output.

[0069] In addition, Figure 3 In the embodiment, the first region 21 and the second region 22 are Figure 2 This may be caused, for example, by a change in the temperature distribution of the stator module 12 , since other areas of the stator surface 15 may have an increased temperature.

[0070] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the display information is read through the interface 36 and the object to be displayed is set in combination with the display information.

[0071] In one embodiment, the position information includes the distance between the mover surface 52 and the surface 7. This distance is taken into account when rendering the projection to be displayed. This can, for example, take into account the flying height of the mover 50 in the planar drive system 10. The higher the mover 50 flies, the smaller the rendered projection 110 is in order to be displayed on the mover 50 or the mover surface 52 or its superstructure and / or a transported object of the same size.

[0072] Figure 4 for Figures 1 to 3 The top view of the automation system 1 is shown, and Figure 2 The diagrams shown correspond to the diagrams shown in FIG. 1 , as long as no differences are described below. In this example, the first area 21 and the second area 22 are again arranged in the same manner as in FIG. Figure 2 and 3The illustration shown is arranged in a different way. For the mover 50, only a rendering projection 110 is shown, which is displayed on the mover surface 52 or its upper structure and / or the goods being transported. In addition, another mover 60 is arranged above the stator surface 15, and its structure is equivalent to that of the mover 50. Therefore, this other mover 60 has another mover surface 62 including the upper structure and / or the goods being transported, and other magnet units that can be driven by the coil group 14. However, in Figure 4 In the illustration shown, these other magnet units are not visible. Another rendering projection 120 is arranged on another mover surface 62 or its superstructure and / or the transported goods. All features and method steps described in conjunction with the rendering projection 110 of the mover 50 can be repeated for another mover 60, so that another rendering projection 120 can be created and displayed.

[0073] exist Figure 4 In the illustration shown, the further mover 60 is arranged partially in the first region 21 of the stator surface 15. If the first region 21 is colored red, for example due to its temperature, this can be immediately recognized by an operator or a monitoring person. In this case, the operator or the monitoring person can decide whether intervention is necessary or whether a movement of the further mover 60 in the first region can (still) be tolerated. This can be done without taking the eye away from the automation system 1.

[0074] Figure 5 is a side view of another automation system 1, which is Figures 1 to 4 The automation system 1 shown is comparable, unless any differences are described below. The drive system 5 is again a planar drive system 10 and has three stator modules 12 arranged side by side. It is not yet determined how many stator modules 12 are arranged in succession in the drawing plane. Furthermore, a mover 50 with a rendered projection 110 and a further mover 60 with a further rendered projection 120 are shown. The control system 30 is shown in a simplified manner and can be combined with Figure 1 Designed in the manner described.

[0075] The automation system 1 comprises a further optical projection unit 101. This further optical projection unit is also connected to the control system 30 via this or another communication bus 35. Before rendering the projection to be displayed, it is determined in conjunction with the position information whether the rendered projection 110, 120 should be projected by the optical projection unit 100 and / or the further optical projection unit 101. Figure 5For the illustration shown, the rendering projection 110 must be displayed by the optical projection unit 100 because the mover 50 is located outside the display area (shown by dashed lines) of the other optical projection unit 101. The other rendering projection 120 can be displayed by the optical projection unit 100 and the other optical projection unit 101, so the optical projection unit 100 and / or the other optical projection unit 101 can be selected to display the other rendering projection 120. This should be taken into account when rendering the projection to be displayed. In this case, the other optical projection unit 101 can be designed in a similar manner to the optical projection unit 100.

[0076] In one embodiment, Figure 5 As shown, in the automation system 1, another rendering projection 120 is projected in the transition area 102 by the optical projection unit 100 and the other optical projection unit 101. If the mover 50 is located in the transition area 102 instead of the other mover 60, the rendering projection 110 can also be projected by the optical projection unit 100 and the other optical projection unit 101. In this way, the transition of the mover 50 or the other mover 60 between the display areas of the optical projection units 100 and 101 can be achieved without interrupting the projection.

[0077] If a plurality of optical projection units 100, 101 are provided, the calculations for all optical projection units 100, 101 can be undertaken by the second control unit 32, or a dedicated second control unit 32 can be used for each optical projection unit 100, 101. Furthermore, the optical projection unit 100 or another optical projection unit 101 can have another number of stator modules 12 in the respective display area.

[0078] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of an automation system 1, wherein the drive system 5 can be a planar drive system 10 with a mover 50 or a further mover 60, wherein the control system 30 has a first control unit 31 and a second control unit 32, and wherein an optical projection unit 100 and a possible further optical projection unit 101 are provided. In addition, the automation system 1 also has a virtual graphics space 200, which can be realized by means of a third control unit 37. As an alternative, the virtual graphics space 200 can also correspond to the first control unit 31 or the second control unit 32.

[0079] First, a projection to be displayed is calculated in the virtual graphic space 200 in combination with the virtual object 201, and then rendered for the real space. The virtual object 201 may include a mover 50 or another mover 60, and in addition to the physical design of the mover 50 or another mover 60, it may also include information to be displayed in combination with the mover 50 or another mover 60. The real space can be designed, for example, as a virtual window 202 on the graphic space 200. The detection and / or perception of the mover 50 or another mover 60 and / or the surface 7 can be enhanced by the output rendering projections 110, 111 of the window 202. The virtual window 202 can be forwarded to the second control unit 32 so as to generate a rendering projection 110 or an alternative rendering projection 111 or another rendering projection 120 in combination with the virtual window 202. The position of the mover 50 or another mover 60 relative to the graphic space 200 can be determined.

[0080] In this case, the graphics space is used to merge the display of the actual drive system 5 with other information that is also to be displayed, and thus can include an adaptation or augmented reality (AR) of the automation system 1 .

[0081] In one embodiment, the graphic space 200 includes different elements. With the help of information from the control system 30 and / or the automation system 1, one of these elements is selected as the object to be displayed and the selected element is taken into account when rendering the projection to be displayed. In this way, a plurality of elements to be displayed can be taken into account in the graphic space 200, of which only one is ultimately selected for display. This allows an efficient calculation method to be implemented when the selected element is to be changed, since sufficient information is available for all elements.

[0082] In one embodiment, the object to be displayed has a property associated with it in the graphic space 200. The elements are selected according to this association. This can further simplify the calculation. In this case, this property can be related to the display type. For example, the object to be displayed can have a "load" property associated with it, wherein this load should be output as a numerical value. In another example, the object to be displayed has a "temperature" property associated with it, which can be displayed in different colors with the help of the above-mentioned lighting.

[0083] In one embodiment, the virtual object 201 is moved in the graphic space 200 in combination with the position information of the mover 50 or another mover 60. This can also further simplify the calculation.

[0084] If a plurality of optical projection units 100 , 101 are provided, the calculations for all optical projection units 100 , 101 can be performed by the second control unit 32 , or a dedicated second control unit 32 connected to the graphics space 200 can be used for each optical projection unit 100 , 101 .

[0085] The first control unit 31 can send at least one data about the speed and / or position preset value to the drive system 5. After moving the mover 50 in combination with this speed and / or position preset value, the drive system can send the current speed and / or position data of the mover 50 to the first control unit 31. In this case, for example, the speed and / or position data of the mover 50 can be determined with the help of a magnetic field sensor 16 or other position sensor, or these speed and / or position data can be calculated based on the data of such position sensor or magnetic field sensor. The communication between the drive system 5 and the first control unit 31 can be realized via a communication bus 35, which can be realized, for example, in the form of a real-time field bus (such as EtherCAT).

[0086] A bus driver (e.g. a fieldbus driver) of the automation system 1 associated with the communication bus 35 can forward the data received from the drive system 5 as properties of the virtual object 201 directly to a software module of the graphic space 200 via a computing unit that calculates and manages the graphic space. This software module can run, for example, on the third control unit 37 or, as an alternative, on the second control unit 32. If the speed and / or position data have changed since the last reception, the virtual object 201 will move in the graphic space 200 directly according to the speed and / or position data.

[0087] The optical projection unit 100 projects information from the graphic space 200 at a predetermined repetition frequency, which in particular does not interfere with the natural perception of the drive system 5 or the movers 50 and 60. The communication speed and data rate of the communication bus or the further communication bus 35 between the second control unit 32 and the optical projection unit 100 can be at least equivalent to the predetermined repetition frequency. If the repetition rates of the optical projection unit 100 and the further optical projection unit 101 are different, a dedicated second control unit 32 can be provided for the optical projection unit 100 and the further optical projection unit 101, respectively. In this case, the rendering projection 110 or the alternative rendering projection 111 or the further rendering projection 120 is outputted taking into account the repetition frequency of the relevant optical projection unit 100 or the further optical projection unit 101.

[0088] The second control unit 32 can receive data from the graphics space 200 at least at the repetition rate of the optical projection unit 100 or the further optical projection unit 101 , render an image data stream accordingly and transmit it directly to the optical projection unit 100 or the further optical projection unit 101 , wherein a predetermined communication protocol can be used for this purpose.

[0089] The application program can be used in an industrial environment (for example as a machine, a process line, a processing system), in a building and / or on stage and be connected to the automation system 1 .

[0090] The examples described below can be used in conjunction with Figure 6 In the case of the illustrated graphic space 200 and for Figures 1 to 5 The technical solution shown is used.

[0091] In addition, the object to be displayed may include at least one photo file, wherein the rendering projection 110 or the alternative rendering projection 111 or the other rendering projection 120 may include an image of this photo file. As an alternative, the object to be displayed may include a video file, wherein the rendering projection 110 or the alternative rendering projection 111 or the other rendering projection 120 may include a video sequence of this video file. In addition, the object to be displayed may also include a graphic file, in which case this graphic file may also be displayed in the rendering projection 110 or the alternative rendering projection 111 or the other rendering projection 120. In addition, the object to be displayed may also include a file or database containing table data. In this case, the rendering projection 110 or the alternative rendering projection 111 or the other rendering projection 120 may contain a table or a chart, wherein this chart may be created based on the table data.

[0092] The object to be displayed can contain Boolean information, for example determined from data of the automation system 1. In this case, the rendered projection 110 or the alternative rendered projection 111 or the further rendered projection 120 can contain a glossy surface for displaying the Boolean information. Furthermore, the object to be displayed can contain digital or text information from the automation system 1, which can be reproduced in the rendered projection 110 or the alternative rendered projection 111 or the further rendered projection 120 in the form of a code or a barcode or a QR code.

[0093] In conjunction with the fault information from the automation system 1, the objects to be displayed can be changed in a targeted manner. This can include in particular the projection content to be displayed and its properties, such as size, position, orientation, color and / or focus. As an alternative or in addition, the objects to be displayed can be changed in a targeted manner in conjunction with the date of production data from the automation system 1 or at least one corporate resource planning system (enterprise resource planning system, ERP system). This can also include the projection content and its properties, such as size, position, orientation, color and / or focus.

[0094] With the aid of at least one production information of the automation system 1 or at least one ERP system, the projection to be displayed can include these data. This information can also be provided in a machine-readable manner for external systems by coding. In addition, the color and / or size and / or transparency and / or font form and / or graphic content of the rendered projection 110 or the alternative rendered projection 111 or the further rendered projection 120 can be adjusted based on these data.

[0095] With the aid of at least one position information of at least one mover 50 or of another mover 60, the projection to be displayed can contain the upcoming and / or past route usage on at least one stator module 12 or part of the stator surface 15. This can be similar to Figure 2 The first area 21 and the second area 22 described in the figure are displayed in a color-coded manner. In addition, the rendering projection 110 or the alternative rendering projection 111 or the further rendering projection 120 can display the initialization position and / or the setting position on at least one stator module 12 by at least one position information of at least one mover 50 or another mover 60.

[0096] The projection to be displayed can contain route restrictions and / or route guidance with the aid of at least one Boolean and / or digital information item from the automation system 1. In this case, an operator or supervisor of the automation system 1 can easily visually check whether these route restrictions and / or route guidance are being observed without having to take his eyes off the automation system 1.

[0097] With the aid of at least one piece of position information of at least one mover 50 or of a further mover 60 , the projection to be displayed can include at least one optimized path on at least one stator module 12 .

[0098] The object to be displayed can include a remaining time for a mover 50 or a further mover 60 of the automation system 1 calculated from the speed information and the route distance. This remaining time can in particular represent the time required to travel through a predetermined stator module 12. The projection to be displayed can contain the remaining time in the form of a color and / or text and / or graphic code.

[0099] With the aid of at least one Boolean and / or numerical information item from at least one automation system 1 , the rendered projection 110 or the alternative rendered projection 111 or the further rendered projection 120 can contain a safety-related area, such as the first area 21 or the second area 22 .

[0100] With the aid of at least one Boolean and / or digital information from at least one automation system 1, the rendering projection 110 or the alternative rendering projection 111 or another rendering projection 120 can include the current state and / or operating state of at least one automation system 1 and / or an element of the automation system 1 (e.g. the stator module 12 and / or the mover 50 or another mover 60).

[0101] The rendered projection 110 or the alternative rendered projection 111 or the further rendered projection 120 may contain at least one coordinate by means of at least one digital information item from at least one automation system 1 .

[0102] With the aid of at least one Boolean information from at least one automation system 1 , the rendered projection 110 or the alternative rendered projection 111 or the further rendered projection 120 can contain a graphical grouping, for example by edging at least two movers 50 , 60 and / or two stator modules 12 .

[0103] With the aid of at least one thermal information from at least one drive element of the drive system 5 (e.g. a stator module 12 and / or at least one mover 50, 60 or at least one automation system 1), the rendered projection 110 or an alternative rendered projection 111 or another rendered projection 120 can include at least one piece of temperature information displayed in the form of color and / or text.

[0104] With the aid of at least one energy information from at least one drive element of the drive system 5 (e.g. a stator module 12 and / or at least one mover 50, 60 or at least one automation system 1), the rendered projection 110 or an alternative rendered projection 111 or another rendered projection 120 can include the current energy consumption and / or energy reserves for moving and / or carrying the mover 50 and / or mover 60.

[0105] With the aid of at least one Boolean and / or digital information from at least one automation system 1, the rendered projection 110 or the alternative rendered projection 111 or the further rendered projection 120 can include motion parameters, such as tracking error and / or absolute position and / or relative position and / or velocity and / or acceleration and / or shake of the mover 50 or the further mover 60.

[0106] With the aid of at least one digital information from at least one automation system 1, the rendering projection 110 or the alternative rendering projection 111 or another rendering projection 120 may include force parameters, such as a force acting on the mover 50 or the mover 60 or a drive element of the drive system 5 (such as the stator module 12) and / or a torque acting on the mover 50 or the mover 60 or a drive element of the drive system 5 (such as the stator module 12) and / or a centrifugal force acting on the mover 50 or the mover 60 or a drive element of the drive system 5 (such as the stator module 12).

[0107] With the aid of at least one digital information item from at least one automation system 1 , the rendered projection 110 or the alternative rendered projection 111 or the further rendered projection 120 can contain movement parameters, such as forces and / or torques and / or centrifugal forces.

[0108] The rendered projection 110 or the alternative rendered projection 111 or the further rendered projection 120 can contain at least one target position of the mover 50 or of the further mover 60 by means of at least one digital information item from the at least one automation system 1 .

[0109] With the aid of at least one digital or textual information from at least one automation system 1 , the rendered projection 110 or the alternative rendered projection 111 or the further rendered projection 120 can contain at least one processing station and / or parking station and / or loading station for the mover 50 or the further mover 60 .

[0110] The rendered projection 110 or the alternative rendered projection 111 or the further rendered projection 120 may contain at least one map and / or a navigation route via digital coordinate information, for example via x- and y-coordinates or x-, y- and z-coordinates of the automation system 1 and / or information from at least one external data source.

[0111] With the aid of at least one digital information from at least one automation system 1, the rendered projection 110 or the alternative rendered projection 111 or the further rendered projection 120 can include at least one drive element of the drive system 5, such as the stator module 12 and / or the mover 50 and / or the further mover 60, wherein the movement of the rendered projection 110 or the alternative rendered projection 111 or the further rendered projection 120 can be output in real time or at a reduced or accelerated speed with respect to position data and / or orientation data.

[0112] List of Reference Numerals

[0113] 1 Automation system

[0114] 5. Drive system

[0115] 6 Drivers

[0116] 7 Surface

[0117] 8 Hologram

[0118] 10 Planar drive system

[0119] 12 Stator module

[0120] 13 Stator unit

[0121] 14 Coil Assembly

[0122] 15 Stator surface

[0123] 16 Magnetic Field Sensor

[0124] 21. Area 1

[0125] 22 Second Area

[0126] 30 Control System

[0127] 31 First control unit

[0128] 32 Second control unit

[0129] 33 First computing unit

[0130] 34 Second computing unit

[0131] 35 Communication bus

[0132] 36 Interface

[0133] 37 Third control unit

[0134] 50 mover

[0135] 51 Magnet unit

[0136] 52 Movers surface

[0137] 60 Another mover

[0138] 62 Another moving surface

[0139] 100 Optical projection unit

[0140] 101 Another optical projection unit

[0141] 102 Transition Zone

[0142] 110 Rendering Projection

[0143] 111 Alternative Rendering Projections

[0144] 120 Another Rendering Projection

[0145] 200 Graphics Space

[0146] 201 Virtual Object

[0147] 202 Windows.

Claims

1. A method for operating an automation system (1), wherein the automation system (1) comprises a drive system (5) and an optical projection unit (100), wherein the drive system (5) comprises a movable mover (50), wherein the mover (50) can be driven by a drive (6), wherein a control system (30) of the automation system (1) performs the following steps: - Determine the position information of the mover (50); - associating the position of the mover (50) with the object to be displayed; - rendering the projection to be displayed by the optical projection unit (100) in combination with the position information of the mover (50) and the position information of the object to be displayed; - outputting the rendering projection (110, 111) to the optical projection unit (100), so that the optical projection unit (100) outputs the rendering projection (110, 111) on the surface (7) and / or on the mover (50) of the drive system (5) or its upper structure and / or the transported goods.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position information is determined in conjunction with a position of the mover (50) relative to the automation system (1) and / or the drive system (5). 3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the position of the mover ( 50 ) is determined at least twice, in particular three times, the frequency of rendering the projection to be displayed.

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the projection to be displayed is first calculated in a virtual graphic space (200) in combination with at least one virtual object (201), and then rendered for real space in combination with a window (202) of the graphic space (200), wherein the rendered projection (110, 111) output by the window (202) enhances the detection and / or perception of the mover (50) or its superstructure and / or the transported goods and / or the surface (7) with the help of information from the graphic space (200).

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the position information is determined according to the position of the mover (50) relative to the graphic space (200).

6. A method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the graphic space (200) contains different elements, wherein one of the elements is selected as the object to be displayed with the help of information from the control system (30) and / or the automation system (1) and the selected element is taken into account when rendering the projection to be displayed.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the object to be displayed corresponds to a characteristic in the graphic space (200), and the element is selected according to the characteristic.

8. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the virtual object (201) is moved in the graphic space (200) in combination with position information of the mover (50).

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the projection to be displayed is rendered so that the object to be displayed moves with the mover (50), and the relative position between the mover (50) and the object to be displayed is fixed.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the object to be displayed is projected onto the mover (50) or is projected next to the mover (50) at a predetermined distance from the mover (50).

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein at least after each position change of the mover (50), the position information is re-determined, the projection to be displayed is rendered, and the rendered projection is output.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the object to be displayed is associated with an actual measured variable, in particular an actual measured variable of the drive system (5).

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein display information is read via an interface (36) and the object to be displayed is set in combination with the display information.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the position information comprises a distance between the mover surface (52) and the surface (7), and wherein the distance is taken into account when rendering the projection to be displayed.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the automation system (1) comprises a further optical projection unit (101), wherein before rendering the projection to be displayed, it is determined in conjunction with the position information whether the rendered projection should be projected by the optical projection unit (100) and / or the further optical projection unit (101), and the information is taken into account when rendering the projection to be displayed.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the rendering projection is projected in a transition region by the optical projection unit (100) and the further optical projection unit (101).

17. A control system (30) for an automation system (1), which is configured to carry out the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. An automation system (1) having a drive system (5) and an optical projection unit (100), wherein the drive system (5) comprises a movable mover (50), wherein the mover (50) can be driven by a drive (6), and wherein the automation system (1) further comprises a control system (30) according to claim 17.

19. An automation system (1) according to claim 18, wherein the drive system (5) is a planar drive system (10), the planar drive system (10) comprising at least one stator unit (13) each having a plurality of coil groups (14) for generating a stator magnetic field, a stator surface (15) located above the stator unit (13), and a mover (50), wherein the surface (7) corresponds to the stator surface (15), wherein the mover (50) has a plurality of magnet units (51) for generating a mover magnetic field, the coil groups (14) and the magnet units (51) form the drive (6), wherein through the interaction between the stator magnetic field and the mover magnetic field, the mover (50) can move above the stator surface (15) parallel to the stator surface (15).

20. The automation system (1) according to claim 18 or 19, wherein a data link between the drive system (5), the control system (30) and the optical projection unit (100) is provided by a real-time communication bus.

Images