Intelligent rack control system with high compatibility and easy maintenance

Abstract

The invention provides an intelligent rack control system with high compatibility and easy maintenance, and relates to the technical field of intelligent warehousing, the intelligent rack control system comprises a central control board and at least one signal acquisition board, the central control board and the signal acquisition board are communicated through a CAN bus, and the central control board integrates dual-mode network communication, multifunctional peripheral control and a power management module. A photoelectric transistor detector integrated with an infrared light source is used for carrying out storage position induction, and AD analog-to-digital conversion and triple anti-interference design of optical filtering, dynamic threshold adjustment and multi-stage self-correction are fused, so that high-precision material detection is realized; after the signal acquisition board is accessed, the signal acquisition board automatically requests the central control board and obtains a unique logic address, a physical dial switch is completely replaced, plug and play is realized, the system supports remote firmware upgrading and parameter correction, integrates voice prompt, multicolor light control and fool-proof processes, and is convenient to use. The technical problems that an existing intelligent material frame is tedious in hardware configuration, poor in anti-interference capacity and high in maintenance cost are solved, and the compatibility, reliability and maintainability of the system are remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of industrial automation and intelligent warehousing technology, specifically to an intelligent rack control system for material storage and picking in warehouses and production lines, and its core hardware implementation scheme. Background Technology

[0002] In modern warehousing and logistics and intelligent manufacturing, intelligent racking is key to improving material management efficiency and reducing human error.

[0003] Traditional material racks rely on manual identification and recording, which is inefficient and prone to errors. While some existing smart material racks have implemented basic indicator light functions, their core hardware systems have significant flaws, mainly in the following aspects:

[0004] The hardware configuration and maintenance are cumbersome: Signal acquisition boards (or I / O boards) typically rely on physical DIP switches to set addresses. This method is prone to communication failures due to incorrect DIP switches or poor switch contact. When replacing or adding boards, manual DIP switch settings are required, which is inconvenient and difficult to implement in densely packed racks, resulting in high maintenance costs.

[0005] Poor detection reliability: Material detection often uses simple photoelectric switches, which can only judge high and low levels. They are easily affected by changes in ambient light (especially natural light), light reflection, dust, and other factors, resulting in high false alarm and false negative rates. There is a lack of compensation mechanism for the degradation of the sensor's own performance (such as the aging of the infrared light source), and the detection accuracy decreases after long-term use.

[0006] Low system integration and scalability: The system is limited in functionality, often only providing a light-up function. To add features such as voice prompts, multi-color alarms, or integration with new picking labels (e.g., light-up button labels), external independent modules are required, resulting in system complexity, messy wiring, and poor compatibility.

[0007] Poor network adaptability: The communication method is limited, usually only supporting wired or single wireless connection, which cannot adapt to dynamic scenarios such as moving material carts, and the stability is insufficient in complex industrial wireless environments.

[0008] Outdated maintenance methods: Firmware upgrades and parameter calibrations must be performed via local USB flash drive or cable, making remote batch operations impossible and resulting in low efficiency in equipment maintenance and function iteration.

[0009] Therefore, developing a core hardware system for an intelligent material rack that is highly compatible, highly reliable, easy to maintain, and feature-rich is of great practical significance. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The problem addressed by this application in the prior art is:

[0011] The aim is to overcome the shortcomings of existing intelligent material rack control systems, such as complex hardware configuration, weak anti-interference ability, poor functional expandability, and inconvenient maintenance, and to provide an intelligent material rack control system and method based on modular hardware design, with trigger-based automatic address registration and high anti-interference detection capability.

[0012] The solution to the technical problem of this invention is:

[0013] A highly compatible and easy-to-maintain intelligent material rack control system is provided, including a central control board and at least one signal acquisition board that communicates with the central control board via a CAN bus. The central control board includes: a power management module for multi-stage conversion and voltage regulation of external input power to supply power to the system; a dual-mode network communication module integrating a wired network interface and a wireless WIFI module for data interaction with a host server; and a peripheral control module for controlling alarm lights, audio output devices, multi-channel LED indicators, and picking labels. The signal acquisition board includes: a storage location sensing module using a phototransistor detector with an integrated infrared light source for detecting the material status of the corresponding storage location; an address registration module for sending an address registration request to the central control board after the signal acquisition board is powered on and connected to the CAN bus, and for automatically acquiring and storing its unique logical address in response to a trigger signal issued by the central control board; and a lighting control module for controlling the on / off state, color, and flashing state of the corresponding storage location indicator light according to the instructions of the central control board. The output signal of the storage location sensing module is processed by an AD analog-to-digital converter circuit and then transmitted to the microcontroller of the signal acquisition board.

[0014] Preferably, the storage space sensing module further includes an anti-interference unit, which includes: an optical filter lens disposed on the receiving path of the phototransistor detector for filtering the ambient natural light frequency band; the microcontroller of the signal acquisition board stores a dynamic threshold adjustment program and a multi-level self-correction processing algorithm for distinguishing between valid sensing signals and interference signals at the software level and for real-time calibration of sensor parameters.

[0015] Preferably, the execution logic of the address registration module is a three-step mechanism of "request-trigger-confirmation": After the signal acquisition board is powered on, it sends an address request frame containing its physical identifier to the central control board via the CAN bus; the central control board responds to the address request frame, generates an unoccupied logical address, encapsulates it in a trigger frame, and sends it to the corresponding signal acquisition board; the signal acquisition board receives the trigger frame, writes the logical address into its non-volatile memory, and returns a confirmation frame to the central control board to complete the registration.

[0016] Preferably, the central control board further includes a parameter management module, used to: receive remote parameter calibration instructions or upgrade firmware packages from the host server; and send the calibration instructions or upgrade firmware packages to designated or all signal acquisition boards via the CAN bus to achieve remote batch calibration and firmware upgrade.

[0017] Preferably, the audio output control unit in the peripheral control module integrates an AI voice chip, which can trigger preset or dynamically synthesized voice broadcasts according to the system status. The voice broadcast content includes at least operation prompts, success confirmations, and fault alarms.

[0018] Preferably, the power management module includes a DC24V to DC5V circuit, a DC5V to DC3.3V circuit, a reverse connection protection circuit, and a power-on delay start circuit connected in sequence.

[0019] Preferably, the picking label control interface supports both illuminated picking labels and tapped picking labels; wherein, when controlling the tapped picking label, it can receive the physical pressing trigger signal fed back by the label and upload it to the central control board via the CAN bus to confirm the completion of the picking operation.

[0020] Preferably, the control method corresponding to the control system includes the following steps: System initialization step: The signal acquisition board is connected to the CAN bus and powered on, and completes logical address registration through a trigger-based automatic address encoding mechanism; The central control board establishes a network connection with the host server; Storage location status monitoring step: Each signal acquisition board periodically detects the material status through its storage location sensing module, and after AD conversion and anti-interference processing, the status data is aggregated to the central control board through the CAN bus, and then reported by the central control board to the host server; Operation guidance and execution step: The central control board receives the operation instructions issued by the host server, parses them, and issues light control instructions to the signal acquisition board corresponding to the target storage location through the CAN bus, and coordinates audio and alarm light prompts through its peripheral control module to complete the material loading or unloading guidance; Abnormal handling step: When unscanned material loading, illegal material retrieval, or network failure is detected, the system alarms through a specific color indicator light flashing mode and voice broadcast, and locks or records the abnormal status.

[0021] Preferably, before the system initialization step, a factory pre-configuration step is also included: when the equipment leaves the factory, the reference parameters of the sensors on all signal acquisition boards are collected and stored, and the logical addresses are pre-registered, so that it can be put into use after on-site installation only requires powering on.

[0022] Preferably, in the storage location status monitoring step, the anti-interference processing includes: filtering out ambient light through hardware optical filtering, judging the validity of the signal through software dynamic threshold algorithm, and compensating for parameter deviations caused by factors such as light source attenuation through multi-level self-correction algorithm.

[0023] The technical effects achieved by this application in solving the technical problem are as follows:

[0024] Compared with existing technologies, this invention provides a highly compatible and easy-to-maintain intelligent material rack control system. It employs a central control board and at least one signal acquisition board, which communicate via a CAN bus. The central control board integrates dual-mode network communication, multi-functional peripheral control, and power management modules. The core innovation of the signal acquisition board lies in its use of a phototransistor detector with integrated infrared light source for storage position sensing, and its integration of AD analog-to-digital conversion with a triple anti-interference design of "optical filtering + dynamic threshold adjustment + multi-level self-correction" to achieve high-precision material detection. It also features a pioneering trigger-based automatic address encoding mechanism. After the signal acquisition board is connected, it automatically requests and obtains a unique logical address from the central control board, completely replacing physical DIP switches and achieving "plug and play." The system supports remote firmware upgrades and parameter correction, and integrates voice prompts, multi-color light control, and error-proofing procedures. This invention solves the technical problems of cumbersome hardware configuration, poor anti-interference capabilities, and high maintenance costs of existing intelligent material racks, significantly improving the system's compatibility, reliability, and ease of maintenance. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the central control board (CCS) hardware structure of a highly compatible and easy-to-maintain intelligent material rack control system according to the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 Layout diagram of SCB terminals on the signal acquisition board;

[0027] Figure 3: Overall connection diagram of the intelligent material rack control system;

[0028] Figure 3-A Hardware and software architecture diagram;

[0029] Figure 3-B : Connection structure diagram of CCS and SCB;

[0030] Figure 3-C Diagram showing the connection between the server and the smart shelf;

[0031] Figure 3-D Schematic diagram of CCS and SCB modules;

[0032] Figure 4: Schematic diagram of the core circuit of the central control board;

[0033] Figure 4-A DC5V to 3.3V circuit;

[0034] Figure 4-B DC24V to 5V circuit diagram;

[0035] Figure 5: Schematic diagram of the signal acquisition board sensing and lighting control circuit;

[0036] Figure 5-A Infrared sensing circuit schematic diagram;

[0037] Figure 5-B Lighting control circuit schematic diagram;

[0038] Figure 6 : Core circuit diagram of the central control board MCU;

[0039] Figure 7 Wireless network module circuit diagram;

[0040] Figure 8 Warning light circuit diagram; Detailed Implementation

[0041] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0042] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely for explaining the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0043] Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0044] It should be noted that when a component is said to be "fixed" to another component, it can be directly on the other component or it can be in a middle component. When a component is said to be "connected" to another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or it may be in a middle component.

[0045] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0046] The terminology used herein in the specification of this invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0047] The following detailed description of some embodiments of the present invention is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0048] Please see Figures 1 to 8This invention discloses a highly compatible and easy-to-maintain intelligent material rack control system 1. The core of this system lies in the collaborative design of the central control board and the signal acquisition board. The central control board, acting as the system's brain, is responsible for communicating with the upper-level server, coordinating all peripherals, and managing the lower-level signal acquisition board. Its key modules include: a dual-mode network communication module: integrating an RJ45 wired network port and a WIFI module supporting 2.4G / 5G dual-band and network roaming functions. This module can automatically select or switch the optimal network connection based on the site environment, ensuring stable communication links, and is particularly suitable for mobile material cart scenarios.

[0049] Multifunctional peripheral control module: Highly integrated design, unified control of two alarm lights, audio output unit with integrated AI voice chip, multi-channel LED light control unit supporting color effect, and dedicated control interface compatible with light-up / tap-light picking labels, realizing multi-dimensional operation guidance and feedback through sound, light, and touch.

[0050] Power management module: It adopts a multi-stage conversion and regulation circuit of DC24V→DC5V→DC3.3V, with built-in filtering, reverse connection protection and power-on delay mechanism, to provide clean and stable operating power for each chip and peripheral device, and improve the overall reliability of the system.

[0051] The signal acquisition board, acting as the "nerve endings" of the system, is responsible for the status perception and command execution of specific storage locations. Its core innovations include:

[0052] High anti-interference storage level sensing module: The core detection element adopts a phototransistor detector with an integrated infrared light source. This solution integrates hardware-level anti-interference (adding optical filters to filter natural light), software-level intelligent processing (dynamic threshold adjustment algorithm to distinguish valid signals), and adaptive calibration (multi-level self-correction algorithm to compensate for light source attenuation) for triple protection. Simultaneously, the sensing signal is first digitized by an AD analog-to-digital converter circuit before subsequent processing. Compared with traditional analog signal comparison, this greatly improves detection accuracy and anti-interference capability, accurately capturing minute changes in light intensity caused by material obstruction.

[0053] Triggered Automatic Address Encoding Module: This is one of the key innovations of this invention. The signal acquisition board abandons the traditional DIP switch, instead automatically initiating an address registration request to the central control board upon initial power-on and connection to the CAN bus. The central control board responds and assigns a unique logical address. Once this address is written to the signal acquisition board's non-volatile memory, it becomes permanently effective, achieving "plug and play" and greatly simplifying the installation, replacement, and maintenance process.

[0054] Remote maintenance support: The central control board can receive remote commands from the server to perform parameter correction or firmware upgrades on specific or all signal acquisition boards, and reliably transmit the commands via the CAN bus, realizing remote and batch operation and maintenance.

[0055] Based on the above system, the present invention also provides a control method, including steps such as factory pre-configuration, trigger-based address registration initialization, high-precision anti-interference status monitoring, multi-modal operation guidance and intelligent anomaly handling, forming a complete automated material management process.

[0056] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0057] Revolutionary ease of use and maintainability: Through the "trigger-based automatic encoding address mechanism", the DIP switch is completely eliminated, making the installation and replacement of the signal acquisition board as simple as installing ordinary electrical appliances, reducing the manpower and time costs of on-site configuration by more than 80%, and achieving true debugging-free installation and maintenance.

[0058] Excellent detection reliability: The "AD conversion + triple anti-interference design" constitutes a hardware and software collaborative detection defense line, enabling the system to maintain a detection accuracy of over 99.9% even in harsh industrial environments such as complex lighting and dust, greatly reducing false alarms and missed alarms.

[0059] High integration and scalability: The central control board integrates multiple control functions such as sound, multi-color light, and interactive tags. Through modular design and standard CAN bus interface, it is easy to expand other functional modules to meet the customized needs of different scenarios.

[0060] Robust network adaptability and remote maintenance capabilities: Dual-mode network and intelligent roaming ensure continuous communication. Remote upgrade and calibration functions eliminate the need for on-site intervention for equipment maintenance and performance optimization, significantly reducing total lifecycle maintenance costs.

[0061] Comprehensive process error prevention and user-friendly interaction: Combining light, voice, and light-tapping feedback, a full-process error prevention design is constructed from guidance and operation to confirmation and abnormal alarm, which effectively reduces the error rate of human operation and improves the safety and efficiency of operation.

[0062] Example 1: System Hardware Configuration

[0063] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown in Figure 3, the intelligent material rack control system of the present invention mainly consists of a central control board, several signal acquisition boards, a host server, and various peripherals (LED lights, alarm lights, speakers, picking labels).

[0064] Central control board: Based on a high-performance ARM Cortex-M series microcontroller (see...) Figure 6 Power management circuit (see) Figure 4-A , Figure 4-BThis module converts the input DC24V industrial power supply to stable DC5V and DC3.3V. The network communication module includes an Ethernet PHY chip and a dual-band WIFI module supporting roaming (see [link]). Figure 7 The peripheral control interface uses GPIO, PWM, and dedicated driver chips (such as...). Figure 8 The warning light driver circuit is connected to various terminals.

[0065] Signal acquisition board: Based on a low-cost MCU. Its storage level sensing circuit (see...) Figure 5-A The core is a phototransistor detector with an integrated infrared light source (such as Vishay's TCST series), with a specific wavelength filter installed in front of the receiver tube. The analog current signal output by the detector is conditioned by an operational amplifier and then sent to the MCU's built-in ADC for sampling and digitization. (See the lamp control circuit for details.) Figure 5-B A PWM driver chip is used to control the RGB LEDs to achieve multi-color indication. A CAN transceiver is used for bus communication.

[0066] Example 2: Triggered Automatic Address Registration Process

[0067] Connect a new signal acquisition board to the CAN bus of the powered system.

[0068] After the board is powered on, the MCU detects that it has not stored a valid logical address, and then broadcasts a frame of "address registration request" data via the CAN bus. This data contains its unique physical ID (such as chip ID).

[0069] After receiving the request, the CAN communication program of the central control board allocates an idle logical address (such as 0x101) from the address pool, and then sends an "address allocation trigger" command to the signal acquisition board corresponding to the physical ID.

[0070] After receiving the trigger command, the signal acquisition board writes the logical address (0x101) contained in the command into its own EEPROM and replies with a "registration confirmation" frame to the central control board.

[0071] The central control board binds and records the logical address 0x101 with the physical ID of the signal acquisition board. Thereafter, all commands sent to address 0x101 will be responded to by this board, achieving precise control.

[0072] Example 3: High Anti-interference Detection and Remote Calibration Process

[0073] Routine inspection: The signal acquisition board periodically drives the infrared detector to emit light and reads the ADC value. This value is first compared with a dynamic threshold (dynamically calculated based on the ambient light ADC baseline value) to determine if there is material obstruction. Simultaneously, a software debouncing algorithm ensures signal stability.

[0074] Self-correction: The system periodically (e.g., once a day) samples a baseline value in a material-free state and compares it with the factory baseline value. Through multi-level self-correction algorithms (e.g., linear compensation), the detection threshold is fine-tuned to compensate for the slight attenuation of the infrared light source over time.

[0075] Remote forced calibration: When the server detects an abnormally high false alarm rate for a storage location through data analysis, it can send a remote calibration command to the central control board. The central control board then uses the CAN bus to command the corresponding signal acquisition board to perform a complete self-calibration process and report the new baseline value, without requiring on-site personnel intervention.

[0076] Example 4: Workflow Example

[0077] The warehouse clerk submits a material requisition form via PDA. After receiving the form, the server parses it to determine that the material is stored in storage location A.

[0078] The server sends a command to the central control board of the corresponding material rack via the MQTT protocol: "Light up storage position A, green light remains on".

[0079] The central control board sends a light control command to the signal acquisition board corresponding to logical address A via the CAN bus.

[0080] The lighting control module of the signal acquisition board drives the LED light in storage position A to light up green.

[0081] The warehouse clerk retrieved the materials based on the lights.

[0082] When the storage level sensor module on the signal acquisition board detects the disappearance of material and the ADC value changes beyond the threshold, after confirmation by debouncing, it reports the "storage level A empty" status to the central control board via the CAN bus.

[0083] After summarizing the status, the central control board reports it to the server and controls the signal acquisition board to turn off the light at storage location A. At the same time, it plays "Material retrieval successful" through the audio module.

[0084] If a warehouse clerk mistakenly takes storage location B, which is not illuminated, its signal acquisition board will detect the change in status and immediately report the anomaly. The central control board will then control the red light in storage location B to flash and trigger a voice alarm "Unauthorized material removal," while simultaneously sending an alert to the server.

[0085] Core technical solution: The core hardware of this intelligent material rack control system includes a central control board (CCS, where "S" stands for System) and a signal acquisition board (SCB). The two communicate efficiently via a CAN bus and, together with multiple interface modules, achieve integrated functions such as power management, network communication, status monitoring, and function control. The specific solution is as follows:

[0086] 3.2.1 Central Control Board CCS Technical Solution – System Control Core

[0087] The central control board (CCS), as the core control unit of the material rack, undertakes core functions such as power conversion, network communication, peripheral control, and data processing. Its hardware structure and functional implementation are as follows:

[0088] Power Management Module: Integrates multi-stage power conversion circuits to convert DC24V input to DC5V, and then from DC5V to DC3.3V, providing stable and clean power to onboard chips and peripherals. The circuit has built-in filtering and voltage regulation units to effectively suppress the impact of power grid fluctuations and electromagnetic interference on power quality. The power input has reverse connection protection to prevent damage to the equipment from reverse connection. A power-on delay start-up mechanism is added to prevent damage to peripherals caused by instantaneous current surges during power-on, comprehensively ensuring the stability of the equipment's power supply and the lifespan of core components.

[0089] Network communication module - MQTT communication: Communicates with the server using the MQTT protocol, supporting dual-mode network connection (RJ45 Ethernet port + WIFI module). The WIFI module supports dual-band and network roaming functions.

[0090] Peripheral Control Modules: Alarm Light Control: Equipped with two alarm light module interfaces, supporting differentiated alerts for different fault types, using DC5V common anode power supply, with a maximum single-channel output power of 10W; Audio Output Control: Based on optimized control logic of the voice prompt module, integrating a DC5V audio USB power supply interface (maximum output power 5W), a 3.5mm audio signal interface, and an AI voice chip, enabling human voice alarms / prompts, and providing accurate voice broadcasts such as "Parameter adjustment complete," "Fault alarm," and "Accidental removal / placement alarm," preventing maintenance personnel from missing critical operations; Multi-Channel LED Control: Based on the multi-channel control capability of the main controller, supporting independent control of multiple LEDs to meet the needs of multiple storage locations. Precise indication of needs; LED lights support both flashing and constant-on guidance modes; the core adopts a single-line zeroing control method to achieve a colorful light effect, which can be customized with any color to adapt to the indication needs of different scenarios; picking label control: supports precise control of lit picking labels and tap-light picking labels, and realizes functions such as label lighting, color switching (red / green / blue), and flashing frequency adjustment through a dedicated control interface (compatible with 5V power supply and signal transmission); the tap-light picking label adds a trigger feedback function. After the warehouse manager completes the picking, he presses the label, and the trigger signal is fed back to the central control board via the CAN bus to realize the confirmation of picking operation and process closure, which is suitable for the efficient operation needs of sorting scenarios such as sorting walls and sorting walls.

[0091] Data Interaction and Configuration Module: USB Interface: Equipped with two USB 2.0 interfaces, each serving a different function—the upper USB is used for configuration via USB flash drive (supports FAT / FAT32 file system), enabling rack type switching (inductive), network parameter modification, firmware upgrades, etc.; the lower USB is used for serial port debugging and operational status monitoring.

[0092] 3.2.2 Signal Acquisition Board SCB Technical Solution – Storage Level Sensing and Execution Unit

[0093] The Signal Acquisition Board (SCB) serves as the direct sensing and control unit for the storage rack positions. It achieves touchless sensing, storage position light control, and status reporting through photoelectric sensing and CAN communication. Its hardware structure and functions are as follows:

[0094] Power conversion module: integrates DC24V to DC5V circuit to power onboard sensors, control chips, etc.

[0095] Storage position sensing module: Utilizing a phototransistor detector with an integrated infrared light source as its core detection component, this module achieves high-precision and stable material detection through infrared light emission and reception. The detector works as follows: the internally integrated infrared light source emits infrared light. When material is present, it blocks the infrared light propagation path, reducing the amount of infrared light received by the detector. The phototransistor within the detector senses the weakening light, causing a change in its collector current. This change is then converted into a voltage signal by a simple external circuit, ultimately achieving photoelectric detection. It features high speed, low dark current, and reliable packaging, exhibiting strong anti-interference capabilities, making it highly suitable for industrial applications such as object detection and position sensing. Combining storage position detection stability algorithms and natural light anti-interference design—at the hardware level, a dedicated optical filter lens filters the natural light frequency band to avoid ambient light interference; at the software level, dynamic threshold adjustment and signal feature recognition distinguish effective sensing signals from interference signals, combined with a multi-level self-correction processing algorithm for real-time parameter calibration; and the addition of hardware + software dual de-jitter processing and a "three consecutive detection confirmation" mechanism further ensures accurate material status identification and improves detection stability under complex lighting conditions.

[0096] Lighting control module: Through PWM waveform signal output, it can accurately control the lighting color, brightness and flashing status of the storage space lights, and complete the storage space indication in conjunction with the central control board instructions.

[0097] Communication and Registration Module: The host (central control board CCS) and the signal acquisition board SCB communicate via CAN bus to complete the reporting of storage status and the reception of light control commands; the core improvement is a trigger-based automatic address encoding mechanism: after the signal acquisition board is connected to the system, it sends an address registration request via CAN bus. The central control board sends a trigger signal, and after the acquisition board responds, it completes the automatic writing and registration of a unique address without manual intervention, solving the problems of easy error and cumbersome replacement of traditional DIP switches.

[0098] Parameter calibration module: Deeply integrated with the sensor's multi-level self-calibration processing algorithm, it supports remote parameter calibration to eliminate parameter deviations caused by hardware attenuation; at the remote level, when the server detects a decrease in detection accuracy, it can issue a calibration command to trigger forced calibration without on-site operation, thus extending the equipment's usability and the stability of detection accuracy.

[0099] Status indicators and terminal interfaces: Onboard red power indicator (solid light indicates normal power supply) and green communication indicator (flashing light indicates normal communication); equipped with two sets of terminals to realize power input and CAN communication connection.

[0100] 3.2.3 System Collaboration Workflow

[0101] Initialization: During the factory initialization phase, the equipment supports one-click issuance of global calibration commands to complete the calibration of sensor reference values ​​for all signal acquisition boards. Address registration adopts a simplified trigger mechanism, automatically registering the addresses of all signal acquisition boards through a preset simple trigger method, without complex operations. After the material rack is powered on at the site, the central control board (CCS) completes power conversion and network connection (automatically connecting to the preset WIFI or accessing the wired network via the Ethernet port). The signal acquisition boards that have completed factory registration directly establish communication with the central control board without the need for repeated registration. Through the pre-configured settings of the factory initialization, it is ensured that after the goods are transported to the site, they can be put into use directly after being powered on, without the need for additional on-site adjustments.

[0102] Status monitoring: The signal acquisition board (SCB) sequentially activates the detection modules of each storage location to complete the material status detection one by one (the detection results are fed back to the MCU after AD analog-to-digital conversion). After all storage location detections are completed, the data is summarized and uploaded to the central control board via the CAN bus. The central control board further summarizes the data and uploads it to the server via the network.

[0103] Core operating procedures (starting with loading guidance, including unloading guidance and abnormal response): I. Loading guidance process: Employees first scan the material information through the smart terminal, and then place the material into the detection position corresponding to any empty storage location; when the storage location sensing module detects the material being placed, the LED light of the corresponding storage location immediately lights up, and at the same time uploads the status information "material placed" to the central control board, which then synchronizes it to the server; after the server receives and confirms the status information, it issues a delayed light-off command, and the storage location LED light turns off 3 seconds after detecting the material being placed, while simultaneously announcing "loading successful" via voice, completing the loading process.II. Material Retrieval Guidance Process: Warehouse staff upload material requisition forms via smart terminals, or other systems push documents to the control system; the control system analyzes the material information in the documents, matches the corresponding material storage locations, and sends a light-up command to the central control board, causing the LED light at the target storage location to remain on to guide material retrieval; if multiple work orders are running concurrently, the system uses different colored LED lights to distinguish the material storage locations of different work orders; after the warehouse staff completes material retrieval under the guidance of the lights, the storage location sensing module detects the "material retrieved" status, simultaneously sends feedback to the server, the LED light immediately turns off, and a voice announcement "material retrieval successful" is broadcast; III. Abnormal Response Handling: Material Loading Abnormalities: ① If material information is not scanned ① If materials are placed directly into the storage location, the system will immediately upload the information "material placed but not scanned" to the server. The server will determine that the material information has not passed the scanning verification and will then send a voice prompt command to the central control board, triggering the voice broadcast "Please scan the code to put it away!", while the corresponding storage location's LED light flashes as a reminder. If the employee takes the material from the flashing storage location, the storage location sensor module will detect that the material has been taken out, and the LED light will automatically turn off, allowing the employee to re-scan the material information and put it away normally. ② If the material information is scanned and then placed into an occupied storage location, the storage location sensor module will detect "storage location is not empty" and immediately trigger a voice alarm "storage location is occupied, please change to an empty storage location". If a location is selected where the LED light is off, the system will report a "Material Loading Abnormality - Location Occupied" status to the server. For unloading abnormalities (unauthorized material removal): if a location with an off light is selected, the system will detect that the material was retrieved without authorization and trigger an exception handling process—the corresponding location's LED light will flash red, the top navigation indicator light will flash red simultaneously, and a voice alarm will be triggered: "Unauthorized material removal, please scan the barcode and return." Employees must rescan the material's barcode and then return it to any empty location on the shelf, following the same procedure as normal shelving. After the material is returned, the storage location sensor module will detect the material being placed, and the corresponding location's LED light will immediately illuminate. The LED lights up and synchronizes its status to the server. After the server confirms, it issues a 3-second delay command to turn off the LED. The LED then turns off after a delay and announces "Material returned, operation successful," completing the error correction. Network Failure: If a network-related failure occurs during loading / unloading, the system will provide precise voice prompts based on the failure type: If it is a router connection problem, it will announce "Router connection failed"; if it is a network link interruption, it will announce "Network connection failed"; if it is a server communication interruption, it will announce "Server connection failed." During the failure, the corresponding storage location's LED light remains in its current state. After the failure is resolved, the equipment will automatically re-transmit the status information and complete the subsequent operations (lighting on / off) according to the normal procedure.

[0104] Command execution: The server sends commands such as light control and parameter adjustment. After receiving the commands, the central control board sends them via the CAN bus (control signal acquisition board) or directly (to control warning lights, etc.) to execute the corresponding operations.

[0105] Configuration and Upgrade: The configuration file or firmware upgrade is sent to the central control board via USB flash drive or remote server. After the central control board completes its own configuration / upgrade, it simultaneously sends the firmware of the signal acquisition board through the CAN bus to achieve a full system upgrade.

[0106] 3.3 Beneficial Effects: Compared with the prior art, the core advantages of this invention are as follows:

[0107] Innovative board address management significantly reduces operation and maintenance costs: It is the first to use a trigger-based automatic address coding mechanism to replace the traditional DIP switch positioning. After the signal acquisition board is connected to the system, it automatically completes address registration, realizing plug and play. It solves the industry pain points of DIP switch errors and reconfiguration required when replacing boards in the existing technology, reduces labor costs by more than 80%, and significantly improves production and maintenance efficiency.

[0108] Dual-mode network + intelligent roaming adapts to all communication needs: It adopts dual-mode network connection with RJ45 network port and WIFI. The WIFI module supports 2.4G / 5G dual frequency band and network roaming function; the new automatic reconnection logic after network disconnection can automatically detect the signal strength of the preset SSID list and select the best to connect, which solves the problems of single network connection and poor dynamic scene adaptation of traditional equipment, and ensures stable and uninterrupted communication with the server in dynamic scenarios such as moving material carts.

[0109] Integrated multi-functional design covering the entire warehousing chain: It integrates functions such as sensor-activated lighting, multi-color warnings, audio prompts, battery status monitoring, and lighting / tap-to-picture picking label control. Compared with existing single-function smart racks, it can adapt to the material management needs of multiple scenarios such as industrial production lines, e-commerce sorting, pharmaceutical warehousing, and sorting walls, improving the practicality and scenario adaptability of the rack.

[0110] Highly interference-resistant photoelectric detection enables accurate material identification: It innovatively adopts a collaborative architecture of "integrated infrared light source phototransistor detector + AD conversion + triple anti-interference design." The core logic is as follows: the detector emits infrared light; material obstruction weakens the light; the phototransistor converts the light signal into an electrical signal, which is then digitally processed via AD conversion. Combined with a triple anti-interference design of "optical filtering (hardware filtering out natural light interference) + dynamic threshold adjustment (software distinguishing valid signals) + multi-level self-correction algorithm (hardware and software collaborative parameter calibration)," and further enhanced by hardware and software dual de-jitter and a "continuous multiple detection confirmation" mechanism, it completely solves the shortcomings of traditional photoelectric sensors, such as poor sensitivity, susceptibility to natural light interference, and high false alarm rate. It can accurately capture minute changes in light signal caused by material obstruction, achieving an accuracy rate of over 99.9% in complex lighting environments, significantly improving the accuracy and reliability of warehouse management.

[0111] The remote operation and maintenance system reduces on-site maintenance costs: It supports remote batch firmware upgrades and remote parameter calibration functions. Combined with the local periodic self-correction mechanism, it solves the industry pain points of existing products not supporting sensor calibration and being prone to failure after light attenuation. Equipment calibration and function upgrades can be completed without on-site operation; it reduces on-site operation and maintenance workload and extends the equipment's detection accuracy stability cycle and service life.

[0112] High reliability and safety design to extend equipment lifespan: Integrated safety features include reverse power connection protection, graded power conversion, and CAN communication verification and retransmission mechanisms; the power input has reverse connection protection to prevent equipment damage; CAN bus communication supports check bits and retransmission to ensure reliable communication in harsh industrial environments, thereby improving equipment operational stability and lifespan.

[0113] Modular architecture with strong scalability: It adopts a modular design for the central control board and signal acquisition board, and new functional modules can be directly connected to the system via the CAN bus; with remote upgrade function, it can quickly adapt to future business needs without replacing the entire equipment, extending the product life cycle and reducing enterprise upgrade costs.

[0114] The end-to-end error-proof design improves operational accuracy: It integrates an end-to-end error-proof mechanism of "light-up guidance + alarm for mis-picking and mis-placing + automatic termination upon timeout". Both loading and unloading are matched with the optimal storage location through intelligent terminal and server collaboration, and the guidance status is distinguished by different lighting modes; voice alarms are triggered for misoperation, which effectively reduces the human error rate, is suitable for novice warehouse managers and improves the efficiency and accuracy of warehouse operations.

[0115] 4.1 Hardware Selection

[0116] Central Control Board (CCS): Includes core components such as main controller, WIFI module, USB module, power management chip, and CAN transceiver;

[0117] Signal Acquisition Board (SCB): Includes core components such as microcontrollers, photoelectric sensors, and CAN transceivers; the core selection principle is to balance industrial environment adaptability, cost control, and functional compatibility to ensure the feasibility and economy of the hardware solution.

[0118] Power supply circuit: Includes a graded power supply module, a power-on delay protection module, and a reverse connection protection module; built-in filtering and voltage regulation unit realizes the conversion from DC24V input to DC5V, and then from DC5V to DC3.3V graded power supply, ensuring stable and clean power supply, avoiding power grid fluctuation interference, and ensuring smooth power-on without impact, avoiding damage to equipment due to reverse power connection.

[0119] Detection circuit: It integrates an infrared detection module and an AD analog-to-digital converter module. The infrared detection module emits and receives infrared light signals, and the AD analog-to-digital converter module realizes the digital processing of photoelectric signals. The two work together to accurately capture the slight changes in infrared light caused by material obstruction, complete high-precision signal detection, and then compare the digital signal with the system preset parameters to finally realize accurate detection of storage location and identification of material status.

[0120] AD analog-to-digital conversion acquisition: As the core digital processing unit of the detection circuit, it converts the analog signal output by the infrared detection module into a digital signal, realizing the digital representation of the detection signal; the digital signal can be directly and accurately compared with the system's preset standard parameters, effectively avoiding interference problems in the analog signal transmission process, ensuring detection accuracy, and ensuring that minute signal changes caused by material obstruction can be accurately identified, thereby achieving accurate detection of storage position.

[0121] 4.3 Software Integration: Firmware development is based on the C language, and the development environment supports mainstream embedded development platforms such as Keil. The core software logic is as follows:

[0122] PWM dimming algorithm: The core adopts a single-line zeroing control method to uniformly control the color of all LED beads, ensuring that the brightness of all LED beads is consistent, forming a unified visual sensory experience; at the same time, it supports collecting the color parameters of the top navigation indicator light, writing its RGB reference value into the global color mapping table, and achieving precise synchronization of the colors of the storage lights and the top navigation indicator light through the single-line zeroing control logic.

[0123] Sensor-related detection algorithms: At the factory, we perform real-time detection on the electrical characteristics of all sensors. The detected parameters are stored in the system as reference values ​​so that the device can achieve accurate detection through internal detection algorithms without calibration after leaving the factory.

[0124] CAN communication protocol details: It adopts a custom frame structure. The frame ID includes the board type (central control board / acquisition board) and device number. The data segment distinguishes between status reporting, command issuance, registration request and other types. It supports check bits and retransmission mechanism. Communication parameters can be configured according to requirements to ensure communication reliability in harsh industrial environments.

[0125] Automatic address encoding logic: The signal acquisition board registration process adopts a three-step mechanism of "request-trigger-confirmation". After the signal acquisition board is powered on, it sends an address request frame. The central control board returns a trigger frame with unique address information. After receiving the trigger frame, the signal acquisition board writes the address into the non-volatile storage area and returns a confirmation frame. After registration is completed, the address information is permanently saved and no further registration is required.

[0126] The embodiments of the present invention described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A highly compatible and easy-to-maintain intelligent material rack control system, characterized in that: The system includes a central control board and at least one signal acquisition board connected to the central control board via a CAN bus. The central control board includes: a power management module for multi-stage conversion and voltage regulation of external input power to supply power to the system; a dual-mode network communication module integrating a wired network interface and a wireless WIFI module for data interaction with a host server; and a peripheral control module for controlling alarm lights, audio output devices, multi-channel LED indicators, and picking labels. The signal acquisition board includes: a storage location sensing module using a phototransistor detector with an integrated infrared light source for detecting the material status of the corresponding storage location; an address registration module for sending an address registration request to the central control board after the signal acquisition board is powered on and connected to the CAN bus, and for automatically acquiring and storing its unique logical address in response to a trigger signal issued by the central control board; and a lighting control module for controlling the on / off state, color, and flashing state of the corresponding storage location indicator light according to the instructions of the central control board. The output signal of the storage location sensing module is processed by an AD analog-to-digital converter circuit and then transmitted to the microcontroller of the signal acquisition board.

2. The highly compatible and easy-to-maintain intelligent material rack control system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The storage space sensing module also includes an anti-interference unit, which includes an optical filter lens disposed on the receiving path of the phototransistor detector to filter the ambient natural light frequency band; the microcontroller of the signal acquisition board stores a dynamic threshold adjustment program and a multi-level self-correction processing algorithm to distinguish between valid sensing signals and interference signals at the software level and to calibrate the sensor parameters in real time.

3. The highly compatible and easy-to-maintain intelligent material rack control system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The execution logic of the address registration module is a three-step mechanism of "request-trigger-confirmation": After the signal acquisition board is powered on, it sends an address request frame containing its physical identifier to the central control board via the CAN bus; the central control board responds to the address request frame, generates an unoccupied logical address, encapsulates it in a trigger frame, and sends it to the corresponding signal acquisition board; the signal acquisition board receives the trigger frame, writes the logical address into its non-volatile memory, and returns a confirmation frame to the central control board to complete the registration.

4. The highly compatible and easy-to-maintain intelligent material rack control system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The central control board also includes a parameter management module, which is used to: receive remote parameter calibration instructions or upgrade firmware packages from the host server; and send the calibration instructions or upgrade firmware packages to designated or all signal acquisition boards via the CAN bus to realize remote batch calibration and firmware upgrade.

5. The highly compatible and easy-to-maintain intelligent material rack control system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The audio output control unit in the peripheral control module integrates an AI voice chip, which can trigger preset or dynamically synthesized voice broadcasts according to the system status. The voice broadcast content includes at least operation prompts, success confirmations, and fault alarms.

6. The highly compatible and easy-to-maintain intelligent material rack control system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The power management module includes a DC24V to DC5V circuit, a DC5V to DC3.3V circuit, a reverse connection protection circuit, and a power-on delay start circuit connected in sequence.

7. The highly compatible and easy-to-maintain intelligent material rack control system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The picking label control interface supports both illuminated picking labels and tapped picking labels. When controlling the tapped picking label, it can receive the physical press trigger signal from the label and upload it to the central control board via the CAN bus to confirm the completion of the picking operation.

8. The highly compatible and easy-to-maintain intelligent material rack control system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The control method corresponding to the control system includes the following steps: System initialization step: The signal acquisition board is connected to the CAN bus and powered on, and completes logical address registration through a trigger-based automatic address encoding mechanism; The central control board establishes a network connection with the host server; Storage location status monitoring step: Each signal acquisition board periodically detects the material status through its storage location sensing module, and after AD conversion and anti-interference processing, the status data is aggregated to the central control board through the CAN bus, and then reported by the central control board to the host server; Operation guidance and execution step: The central control board receives the operation instructions issued by the host server, parses them, and issues light control instructions to the signal acquisition board corresponding to the target storage location through the CAN bus, and coordinates audio and alarm light prompts through its peripheral control module to complete the material loading or unloading guidance; Abnormal handling step: When unscanned material loading, illegal material retrieval, or network failure is detected, the system alarms through a specific color indicator light flashing mode and voice broadcast, and locks or records the abnormal status.

9. The highly compatible and easy-to-maintain intelligent material rack control system as described in claim 8, characterized in that: Before the system initialization step, there is also a factory pre-configuration step: when the equipment leaves the factory, the reference parameters of the sensors on all signal acquisition boards are collected and stored, and the logical addresses are pre-registered, so that it can be put into use after on-site installation only needs to be powered on.

10. The highly compatible and easy-to-maintain intelligent material rack control system as described in claim 8, characterized in that: In the storage location status monitoring step, the anti-interference processing includes: filtering out ambient light through hardware optical filtering, judging the validity of the signal through software dynamic threshold algorithm, and compensating for parameter deviations caused by factors such as light source attenuation through multi-level self-correction algorithm.

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