Material handling system and abnormality control method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a material handling system and an abnormality control method thereof. The abnormality control method comprises the following steps: pre-storing at least one set of non-interfering passable direction groups for a target control area, wherein the passable direction groups are one or more driving directions that can be simultaneously authorized for the overhead traveling crane to pass through and no path conflict occurs in the control area when the area controller fails; in response to the target area controller being in an abnormal state, starting temporary takeover control of the control area corresponding to the target area controller; receiving a pass request of the overhead traveling crane at a stop point at the entrance of the control area, wherein the pass request contains the driving direction of the overhead traveling crane; and judging whether the driving direction belongs to the first passable direction group currently activated. The abnormality control method of the material handling system can not only effectively alleviate the influence of abnormal conditions on the handling efficiency, but also ensure the timeliness of handling and the stability and reliability of the material handling system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated material handling systems, and in particular to a material handling system and its abnormality control method. Background Technology

[0002] In high-precision industries such as semiconductor manufacturing, automated material handling systems (AMHS) are core infrastructure ensuring the efficient and stable operation of production lines. The transport control system (TCS), acting as the "nerve center" of the AMHS, is responsible not only for the path planning and driving control of the overhead hoist transport (OHT), but also for real-time monitoring of the track and surrounding equipment's operating status. In linear track scenarios, zone control units (ZCUs) deployed at track branching and merging points establish communication authorization mechanisms with the overhead hoist to precisely schedule material transport.

[0003] Current technologies for handling ZCU (Zone Control Unit) malfunctions typically employ a strategy of cutting off upstream access and requiring remote manual intervention to remove the overhead crane from the affected area before maintenance. While this approach can temporarily resolve the issue, in the complex network topology of an Automated Material Handling System (AMHS), if the malfunction occurs in the central section or the only access route, it will directly lead to a break in the material transport chain, causing a sharp drop in handling efficiency. Furthermore, the extended dwell time of materials on the overhead crane (OHT) significantly increases the risk of spoilage due to environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and cleanliness.

[0004] Another Chinese patent application, CN114755992A, entitled "Transportation System and Abnormal Control Method Thereof," proposes a redundancy configuration strategy to reduce the impact of failures. However, in the context of ultra-long track layouts in wafer fabs, often spanning tens of kilometers, a large number of ZCU hardware and supporting software controllers need to be deployed. This large-scale redundancy configuration not only significantly increases the costs of equipment procurement, installation, and maintenance but also exacerbates the complexity of system management, posing a dual challenge to enterprise cost control and operational efficiency improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a material handling system and an anomaly control method thereof. This anomaly control method can not only effectively mitigate the impact of abnormal situations on handling efficiency, but also ensure the timeliness of handling and ensure the stability and reliability of the material handling system.

[0006] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0007] An anomaly control method for a material handling system, applied to a conveying control system, the method comprising:

[0008] S100: Pre-store at least one set of non-interfering passable directions for the target control area. The passable direction set is one or more travel directions that can be simultaneously authorized for crane passage without causing path conflicts in the control area when the area controller fails.

[0009] S200: In response to the target area controller being in an abnormal state, initiate temporary takeover control of the control area corresponding to the target area controller;

[0010] S300: Receive a passage request from a crane located at a stop point at the entrance of the control area, the passage request including the crane's direction of travel;

[0011] S400: Determine whether the driving direction belongs to the currently active first passable direction group;

[0012] If so, S500: Send an authorization passage command to the crane;

[0013] If it does not belong to the group, S600: In response to meeting the preset switching conditions, the currently active first passable direction group is switched to the second passable direction group. The second passable direction group is other pre-stored passable direction groups that do not interfere with each other, and includes the corresponding driving direction.

[0014] In one embodiment, the abnormal state of the abnormal control method of the material handling system includes one or more of the following abnormal states: the heartbeat connection between the transport control system and the target area controller is interrupted or the connection times out; the transport control system receives an error status report from the target area controller; the transport control system receives abnormal information related to the target area controller reported by the overhead crane at the stop point at the entrance of the target control area, the abnormal information including information that the overhead crane failed to communicate with the target area controller and / or that the overhead crane received an error response from the target area controller.

[0015] In one embodiment, step S500 of the abnormal control method of the material handling system includes: authorizing the current overhead crane to pass; in response to the current overhead crane's travel direction being a straight travel direction, after authorizing the current overhead crane to pass, authorizing the passage request of overhead cranes in the same straight travel direction does not require waiting for the current overhead crane to leave the control area; in response to the current overhead crane's travel direction being a curved travel direction, after authorizing the current overhead crane to pass, authorizing the passage request of overhead cranes in the same curved travel direction is executed after confirming that the current overhead crane has left the control area or has passed the release point of the curve.

[0016] In one embodiment, the abnormal control method of the material handling system confirms that the current overhead crane has left the control area or has passed the release point of the bend by at least one of the following: the conveying control system receives a departure notification actively sent by the current overhead crane; and the conveying control system determines that the current overhead crane has left the boundary of the control area or has passed the release point of the bend by monitoring the position reporting information of the current overhead crane.

[0017] In one embodiment, the preset switching conditions in step S600 of the abnormal control method of the material handling system include one or more of the following preset switching conditions: the currently activated first passable direction group has not received a new pass request within a preset time period; the transport control system receives a switching instruction; and it is confirmed that there are currently no overhead cranes in the control area.

[0018] In one embodiment, the abnormal control method of the material handling system further includes, after step S100: in response to the target area controller being in an abnormal state, the conveying control system sets a crane entry restriction at the upstream entrance of the control area, the crane entry restriction being used to prevent new cranes from entering the control area; after the conveying control system confirms that all cranes in the control area have left, in response to the target area controller returning to normal from the abnormal state, the conveying control system releases the crane entry restriction.

[0019] In one embodiment, the pre-stored non-interfering passable direction group of the abnormal control method of the material handling system is analyzed and determined based on the track layout structure of the target control area.

[0020] A material handling system includes a transport control system, a plurality of overhead cranes running along tracks, and a plurality of area controllers located at track intersections and / or merging points. The area controllers are responsible for managing the access authorization of the overhead cranes within their respective control areas. The transport control system includes a controller for executing anomaly control methods of the material handling system.

[0021] In one embodiment, the control area of ​​the material handling system includes several inlet areas and several outlet areas. The inlet areas are equipped with sensing devices for communicating with the overhead crane and a first sensor for confirming that the overhead crane has entered the control area. The outlet areas are equipped with a second sensor for detecting whether the overhead crane has left.

[0022] In one embodiment, the material handling system has an inlet area with a stop point for the overhead crane to wait, and an outlet area with a release point for the overhead crane to depart.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention include at least the following:

[0024] This application provides an anomaly control method for a material handling system. By pre-setting at least one set of non-interfering travel directions, when the area controller malfunctions, the transport control system temporarily manages the abnormal control area, authorizing the overhead crane to travel in one or more of the pre-set travel directions. This anomaly control method not only effectively mitigates the impact of abnormal situations on handling efficiency but also ensures the timeliness of handling, while simultaneously guaranteeing the stability and reliability of the material handling system. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of an abnormality control method for a material handling system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a system diagram of the abnormal control method of the material handling system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a timing diagram of the abnormal control method of the material handling system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the diversion area of ​​the control area of ​​the material handling system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the confluence area of ​​the control area of ​​the material handling system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the first type of multiple entrances and exits in the control area of ​​the material handling system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a second type of multiple entrances / exits in the control area of ​​the material handling system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the third type of multiple entrances / exits in the control area of ​​the material handling system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the fourth type of multiple entrances and exits in the control area of ​​the material handling system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided to make the invention more comprehensive and complete, and to fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore repeated descriptions of them will be omitted.

[0035] The terms used to express position and direction in this invention are illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, but changes can be made as needed, and all such changes are included within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0036] Material handling systems can be automated material handling systems (AMHS). When the transport control system (TCS) plans the path for the overhead crane, it monitors the status of the track and surrounding equipment in real time. If any anomalies occur, it takes appropriate action based on the severity of the impact. The TCS also divides the track and surrounding facilities into several zones for differentiated management and monitoring. For example, the working range of the contactless power supply (CPS) system is divided into CPS zones, the working area of ​​the maintenance lift (MTL) is divided into MTL zones, and the area controlled by the zone controller is the ZCU zone, etc.

[0037] The overhead crane moves along a strip track on the ceiling of the wafer fab, forming a transport vehicle for wafers between hundreds of processing steps. During its movement, the crane constantly receives transport or movement commands from the transport control system. The crane travels unidirectionally on the strip track and also needs to interact with other hardware devices along the track. The crane enters and exits the production line via the MTL (Mechanical Transport Link). The crane uses CyberPower System (CPS) technology to drive its wheels. When the crane reaches a target control area, it needs to interact with the area controller to obtain authorization before proceeding, to prevent collision risks.

[0038] like Figure 1 As shown, an embodiment of this application provides an abnormal control method for a material handling system, applied to a conveying control system, the method comprising: S100-S600.

[0039] S100: At least one set of non-interfering passable direction groups for the target control area is pre-stored. These passable direction groups represent one or more travel directions that can be simultaneously authorized for crane passage without path conflicts within the control area in the event of a zone controller failure. Based on the track layout structure of the target control area, multiple non-interfering passable direction groups are pre-set. Each passable direction group includes one or more travel directions accessible to the crane. These multiple passable direction groups are designated as a first passable direction group and a second passable direction group. The first and second passable direction groups are non-interfering. When the target zone controller malfunctions, the crane can request passage through the pre-set multiple passable direction groups. This step ensures that the crane can still pass within the target control area, reducing the impact of a single point of failure in the zone controller.

[0040] S200: In response to the target area controller being in an abnormal state, a temporary takeover control of the control area corresponding to the target area controller is initiated. When the heartbeat connection between the transport control system and the target area controller is interrupted or times out; or when the transport control system receives an error status report from the target area controller; or when the transport control system receives abnormal information associated with the target area controller reported by the overhead crane at the stop point at the entrance of the target control area, the transport control system manages the target control area. This step, where the transport control system temporarily takes over the abnormal control area, avoids track connectivity failure and overhead crane congestion.

[0041] S300: Receive a passage request from a crane located at a stop point at the entrance of the control area. The passage request includes the crane's travel direction. When the transport control system temporarily takes over an abnormal control area, upon receiving a passage request from a crane located at a stop point at the entrance of the control area, the transport control system determines whether the crane's travel direction belongs to the active group of passable directions. This step facilitates the transport control system in determining the crane's travel direction.

[0042] S400: Determine whether the travel direction belongs to the currently active first passable direction group. For example, multiple pre-set passable direction groups are designated as the first passable direction group, the second passable direction group, the third passable direction group, and so on. These passable direction groups do not interfere with each other. The first passable direction group is the currently active passable direction group. The transport control system determines whether the crane's requested travel direction belongs to the activated first passable direction group. This step facilitates the transport control system's determination of the crane's travel direction, ensuring crane passage efficiency.

[0043] If the direction requested by the overhead crane belongs to the first passable direction group, S500: Send an authorization passage command to the overhead crane. The transport control system further determines the direction of travel of the overhead crane. If the current direction of travel of the overhead crane is a straight line, the transport control system authorizes the current overhead crane to pass and then authorizes the passage request of the next overhead crane without waiting for the current overhead crane to leave the control area. If the current direction of travel of the overhead crane is a curved line, after authorizing the current overhead crane to pass, the transport control system confirms that the current overhead crane has left the control area or passed the release point of the curve before authorizing the passage request of the next overhead crane. This step authorizes and controls overhead cranes traveling in straight lines and curved lines respectively, which can avoid the risk of collisions of overhead cranes traveling in curved lines and ensure the smooth passage of overhead cranes.

[0044] If the crane requests to travel in the second passable direction group, S600: In response to meeting the preset switching conditions, the currently active first passable direction group is switched to the second passable direction group. The second passable direction group is other pre-stored non-interfering passable direction groups, and includes the corresponding travel direction. The transport control system determines whether the preset switching conditions are met. When the preset switching conditions are met, the first passable direction group is switched to the second passable direction group, and the crane is authorized to pass through the second passable direction group. The system also determines the crane's travel direction. If the current crane's travel direction is a straight travel direction, the transport control system authorizes the current crane to pass and then authorizes the next crane's passage request without waiting for the current crane to leave the control area. If the current crane's travel direction is a curved travel direction, the transport control system authorizes the current crane to pass, and then authorizes the next crane's passage request after confirming that the current crane has left the control area or passed the release point of the curve. This step enables the conveying control system to switch between multiple passable directions, thereby fulfilling the overhead crane's passage requests in different groups of passable directions.

[0045] The aforementioned anomaly control method, through at least one pre-set group of non-interfering travel directions, allows the transport control system to temporarily manage the abnormal control area when the area controller malfunctions, authorizing the overhead crane to travel in one or more of the pre-set travel direction groups. This anomaly control method not only effectively mitigates the impact of abnormal situations on transport efficiency but also ensures the timeliness of transport, while guaranteeing the stability and reliability of the material handling system.

[0046] like Figure 1As shown, in one embodiment, the abnormal state of the abnormal control method of the material handling system includes one or more of the following abnormal states: the heartbeat connection between the transport control system and the target area controller is interrupted or the connection times out; the transport control system receives an error status report from the target area controller; the transport control system receives abnormal information related to the target area controller reported by the overhead crane at the stop point at the entrance of the target control area, the abnormal information including information about communication failure between the overhead crane and the target area controller and / or the overhead crane receiving an erroneous response from the target area controller. When the transport control system detects an interruption or timeout in the heartbeat connection with the target area controller, or receives an error status report from the target area controller, or receives abnormal information related to the target area controller reported by the overhead crane, the transport control system temporarily takes over the target control area. The transport control system can monitor and receive abnormal information from the area controller from multiple aspects to ensure timely temporary takeover of the abnormal control area and avoid overhead crane blockage caused by track connectivity failure.

[0047] In one embodiment, step S500 of the abnormal control method of the material handling system includes: authorizing the current overhead crane to pass; in response to the current overhead crane's travel direction being a straight travel direction, after authorizing the current overhead crane to pass, authorizing the passage request of overhead cranes in the same straight travel direction does not require waiting for the current overhead crane to leave the control area; in response to the current overhead crane's travel direction being a curved travel direction, after authorizing the current overhead crane to pass, authorizing the passage request of overhead cranes in the same curved travel direction is executed after confirming that the current overhead crane has left the control area or has passed the release point of the curve.

[0048] Because the area controller manages various types of control areas, there are multiple types of intersections and / or merging points depending on the track layout. The following are some common control area types and the control methods used by the transport control system for managing these areas.

[0049] Type 1:

[0050] like Figure 4As shown, the control area is divided into straight line 1 and curved line 2. There is one entrance and two exits. A stop point 1001 is set at the entrance, a release point 1004 is set at the exit of straight line 1, and a release point 1002 is set at the exit of curved line 2. If the area controller malfunctions and the overhead crane is traveling in the direction of line 1, the transport control system allows all cranes traveling along straight line 1 to pass. However, when a crane requests to travel along curved line 2, it must wait at stop point 1001 at the entrance. Once there are no cranes on straight line 1, the transport control system closes straight line 1 and opens curved line 2 for passage. To avoid collisions between adjacent cranes, if a crane traveling along curved line 2 has not passed release point 1002, the next crane traveling along curved line 2 is not authorized to pass. If the cranes are equipped with obstacle avoidance radar sensors, they can fully detect potential collision risks without causing missed or false detections. The transport control system can continuously authorize the crane traveling along curve 2 to pass through without waiting for the crane to pass release point 1002. It can also simultaneously authorize the crane traveling along straight line 1 or curve 2 to pass through at the same time.

[0051] like Figure 5 As shown, the merging areas of the control zone are straight line 1 and curved line 2, with two entrances and one exit. A stop point 1001 is set at the entrance of curved line 2, a stop point 1003 is set at the entrance of straight line 1, and a release point 1002 is set at the exit. When the area controller malfunctions, the transport control system only opens one of the lines. When straight line 1 is open, the transport control system continuously authorizes the overhead crane without waiting for it to pass release point 1003. When curved line 2 is open, the transport control system waits for the overhead crane to leave release point 1002 before authorizing the next crane to pass, preventing collision risks.

[0052] Type Two:

[0053] The controlled area has two entrances and two exits. Stop point 1001 is set at one entrance, stop point 1003 is set at the other entrance, and release point 1002 and release point 1004 are set at one exit.

[0054] Example 1: such as Figure 6 As shown, there are three drivable routes in this controlled area: straight route 1, straight route 2, and curved route 3. Curved route 3 interferes with both straight route 1 and straight route 2. There are four routes that do not interfere with each other: straight route 1, straight route 2, curved route 3, straight route 1, and straight route 2.

[0055] Example 2: such as Figure 7As shown, there are four drivable routes in this controlled area: straight route 1, straight route 2, curved route 3, and curved route 4. The combinations of non-interfering drivable routes can be divided into six routes: straight route 1, straight route 2, curved route 3, straight route 1 and straight route 2, curved route 3 and curved route 4.

[0056] Example 3: such as Figure 8 As shown, there are three drivable routes in this controlled area: straight route 1, curved route 2, and curved route 3. The combinations of non-interfering drivable routes can be divided into four routes: straight route 1, curved route 2, curved route 3, curved route 2, and curved route 3.

[0057] Example 4: Figure 9 As shown, there are four drivable routes in this controlled area: straight route 1, curved route 2, curved route 3, and curved route 4. The combinations of non-interfering drivable routes can be divided into six routes: straight route 1, curved route 2, curved route 3, curved route 4, curved route 2 and curved route 3, and straight route 1 and curved route 4.

[0058] In Examples 1-4, when the crane's passable direction is a straight line, the transport control system can continuously authorize the crane to pass without waiting, as straight-line travel does not cause interference. However, when the crane's passable direction is a curve, the obstacle detection sensors on the crane at curves are prone to false detections. For example, if the crane ahead is on a curve but still occupies part of the straight track space, the obstacle detection sensors on the following vehicles are prone to missing detections, thus posing a collision risk. Therefore, authorization must be granted one at a time.

[0059] In Example 2, when the passable route combination is straight line 1 and straight line 2, the transport control system can authorize all cranes traveling on either straight line 1 or straight line 2 to pass. When the passable route combination is curved line 3 and curved line 4, when two cranes pass through curved line 3 or curved line 4 in sequence, they must wait for the crane in front to leave the control area before being authorized to pass.

[0060] Depending on the track layout, the passable direction groups in Type 1 and Type 2 can be combined into multiple non-interfering passable direction groups. The transport control system determines the passable direction group that the current crane can traverse based on its current travel request, then further determines whether the crane's travel direction is a straight line or a curved line, and then authorizes the crane according to the rules in the example above. This setting not only enhances the feasibility of path planning and ensures the safety of system operation, but also improves the efficiency of the transport control system in handling anomalies, greatly reducing the impact of area controller malfunctions.

[0061] like Figure 1 As shown, in one embodiment, the abnormal control method of the material handling system confirms that the current overhead crane has left the control area or has passed the release point of the bend by at least one of the following: the conveying control system receives a departure notification actively sent by the current overhead crane; and the conveying control system determines that the current overhead crane has left the boundary of the control area or has passed the release point of the bend by monitoring the position reporting information of the current overhead crane.

[0062] like Figure 1 As shown, in one embodiment, the preset switching conditions in step S600 of the abnormal control method of the material handling system include one or more of the following preset switching conditions: the currently activated first passable direction group has not received any new passage requests within a preset time period; the transport control system receives a switching instruction issued by the operator; and it is confirmed that there are currently no overhead cranes in the control area. When one or more of the above preset switching conditions are met, the transport control system switches the different passable directions requested by the overhead cranes to ensure the smooth passage of overhead cranes in the control area.

[0063] like Figure 1 As shown, in one embodiment, the abnormal control method of the material handling system further includes, after step S100: in response to the target area controller being in an abnormal state, the conveying control system sets a crane entry restriction at the upstream entrance of the control area, the crane entry restriction being used to prevent new cranes from entering the control area; after the conveying control system confirms that all cranes in the control area have left, in response to the target area controller returning to normal from the abnormal state, the conveying control system releases the crane entry restriction. During the failure of the target area controller, the conveying control system or operator selects an appropriate time to set a crane entry restriction at the upstream entrance of the control area to prevent new cranes from entering; after confirming that all cranes in the control area have left, the faulty area controller is repaired; after the repair is completed, the crane entry restriction is released, and normal control by the area controller is restored. This step, by setting a crane entry limit, enables the repair of the abnormal area controller and ensures the normal control of the area controller. The setting of this crane entry restriction not only allows maintenance personnel to repair the faulty area controller at an appropriate time, but also does not affect the normal passage of cranes.

[0064] In one embodiment, the pre-stored non-interfering traversable direction groups in the anomaly control method of the material handling system are analyzed and determined based on the track layout structure of the target control area. According to the track layout structure of the target control area, traversable direction groups from Type 1 and Type 2 can be combined into multiple non-interfering traversable direction groups. This setup not only improves anomaly handling efficiency, ensures system operational safety, enhances the feasibility of path planning, and optimizes overall system stability, but also facilitates system maintenance and expansion.

[0065] like Figure 3 As shown, the preferred embodiment is:

[0066] Anomaly control methods include the following steps:

[0067] S01: The overhead crane receives a transport or movement command from the transport controller;

[0068] S02: The overhead crane travels along the planned route;

[0069] S03: The overhead crane stops at the entrance of the controlled area;

[0070] S04: The overhead crane requests to communicate with the area controller of the control area;

[0071] S05: When the overhead crane receives a communication connection timeout or an error message from the area controller, the overhead crane determines that the area controller is faulty and sends the feedback to the transport controller.

[0072] S06: The transport controller monitoring area controller is disconnected or has an error status;

[0073] S07: The material handling controller temporarily takes over the abnormal control area;

[0074] S08: The overhead crane establishes a communication connection with the transport controller and requests other travel directions;

[0075] S09: The transport controller monitors the real-time position of all overhead cranes and ensures that there are no overhead cranes in the abnormal control area. If there are overhead cranes in the abnormal control area, it waits for them to leave and then judges the subsequent overhead crane passage request.

[0076] S10: The control steps for the material handling controller in the abnormal control area are as follows:

[0077] S101: The transport controller queries the entrance and exit information of the control area and reads the pre-configured authorized passage direction;

[0078] S102: When the passable direction is a straight line, the transport controller can authorize the overhead crane to pass one after another; when the passable direction is a curve, the transport controller authorizes the overhead crane one by one.

[0079] S11: Feedback the passage result to the overhead crane;

[0080] S12: When the crane leaves the controlled area, notify the transport controller so that the transport controller can authorize the next crane to pass. If no departure message is received, the transport controller monitors the crane and reports the location message. After the crane leaves, clear the "passing" message and then authorize the next crane to pass.

[0081] Among them, S05 and S06 are not in any particular order, and S08 and S09 are not in any particular order.

[0082] Because area controllers manage various types of control areas, and there are multiple types of intersections depending on the track design, the following are some common control area types and the control methods of transport controllers for these areas.

[0083] like Figure 2 As shown, embodiments of this application also provide a material handling system, including a conveying control system, a plurality of overhead cranes running along tracks, and a plurality of area controllers disposed at track intersections and / or merging points. The area controllers are responsible for managing the passage authorization of the overhead cranes within their respective control areas. The conveying control system includes a controller used to execute the abnormal control method of the material handling system. By integrating the abnormal control method, the controller of this material handling system achieves control over abnormal control areas, ensuring the normal passage of the overhead cranes and reducing the impact of area controller abnormalities.

[0084] In one embodiment, the control area of ​​the material handling system includes several entrance areas and several exit areas. Sensors for communication with the overhead crane and a first sensor for confirming the crane's entry into the control area are installed in the entrance areas. Second sensors for detecting whether the crane has left are installed in the exit areas. The sensors in the entrance areas communicate with the entering crane via optical communication or Near Field Communication (NFC). The area controller then communicates with the sensors to obtain and confirm the crane's ID (identification number), waiting time, transport priority, and other necessary information. When the crane passes the first sensor in the entrance area, the first sensor confirms that the crane has entered the control area. When the crane leaves the exit area, the second sensor confirms that the crane has left. This dual-sensor setup enables accurate detection of the crane's entry and exit, thereby confirming the crane's subsequent passage.

[0085] In one embodiment, the material handling system has a stop point in the entrance area for the overhead crane to wait, and a release point in the exit area for the overhead crane to depart. This release point ensures that the overhead crane departs quickly when conditions are met, reducing the time the exit area is occupied, improving exit efficiency, and enabling the system to complete more handling tasks.

[0086] All or part of the steps in the above-described method embodiments can be implemented by hardware related to program instructions. The aforementioned program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it performs the steps of the above-described method embodiments; and the aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as ROM, RAM, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0087] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the invention without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, and all such changes should fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An anomaly control method for a material handling system, characterized in that, Applied to a conveying control system, the method includes: S100: Pre-store at least one set of non-interfering passable directions for the target control area. The passable direction set is one or more travel directions that can be simultaneously authorized for crane passage without causing path conflicts in the control area when the area controller fails. S200: In response to the target area controller being in an abnormal state, initiate temporary takeover control of the control area corresponding to the target area controller; S300: Receive a passage request from a crane located at a stop point at the entrance of the control area, the passage request including the crane's direction of travel; S400: Determine whether the driving direction belongs to the currently active first passable direction group; If so, S500: Send an authorization passage command to the crane; If it does not belong to the group, S600: In response to meeting the preset switching conditions, the currently active first passable direction group is switched to the second passable direction group. The second passable direction group is other pre-stored passable direction groups that do not interfere with each other, and includes the corresponding driving direction.

2. The abnormal control method for a material handling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The abnormal state includes one or more of the following abnormal states: The heartbeat connection between the transport control system and the target area controller is interrupted or the connection times out. The conveying control system receives an error status report from the target area controller; The transport control system receives abnormal information reported by the overhead crane at the stop point at the entrance of the target control area, which is associated with the target area controller. The abnormal information includes information about the overhead crane failing to communicate with the target area controller and / or the overhead crane receiving an erroneous response from the target area controller.

3. The abnormal control method for a material handling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step S500 includes: Authorize the current overhead crane to pass; In response to the current crane's travel direction being a straight travel direction, after authorizing the current crane to pass, authorization for cranes in the same straight travel direction to pass does not need to wait for the current crane to leave the control area; In response to the current crane's travel direction being a curve travel direction, after authorizing the current crane to pass, the authorization for cranes traveling in the same curve travel direction to pass is executed after confirming that the current crane has left the control area or has passed the release point of the curve.

4. The abnormal control method for a material handling system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method of confirming that the current overhead crane has left the control area or has passed the release point of the curve includes at least one of the following: The transport control system receives a departure notification actively sent by the current overhead crane; as well as The transport control system monitors the current position of the overhead crane and reports information to determine whether the crane has left the boundary of the control area or passed the release point of the curve.

5. The abnormal control method for a material handling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset switching conditions mentioned in step S600 include one or more of the following preset switching conditions: The currently active first passable direction group has not received any new pass requests within the preset time period; The conveying control system received a switching command; and It has been confirmed that there are currently no overhead cranes within the controlled area.

6. The abnormal control method for a material handling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process following step S100 also includes: In response to the target area controller being in an abnormal state, the conveying control system sets a crane entry restriction at the upstream entrance of the control area to prevent new cranes from entering the control area; After the conveying control system confirms that all overhead cranes have left the control area, in response to the target area controller returning to normal from an abnormal state, the conveying control system removes the overhead crane entry restriction.

7. The abnormal control method for a material handling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pre-stored group of non-interfering passable directions is analyzed and determined based on the track layout structure of the target control area.

8. A material handling system, characterized in that, The system includes a transport control system, several overhead cranes running along tracks, and several area controllers located at track intersections and / or merging points. The area controllers are responsible for managing the passage authorization of the overhead cranes within their respective control areas. The transport control system includes a controller for executing the abnormal control method of the material handling system according to any one of claims 1-7.

9. The material handling system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The control area includes several entrance areas and several exit areas. In the several entrance areas, there are sensing devices for communicating with the overhead crane and a first sensor for confirming that the overhead crane has entered the control area. In the several exit areas, there are second sensors for detecting whether the overhead crane has left.

10. The material handling system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The entrance area is equipped with a stop point for the overhead crane to wait, and the exit area is equipped with a release point for the overhead crane to depart.

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