Control method and apparatus for terminating automated process, electronic device, and storage medium

Abstract

A control method and apparatus for terminating an automated process, an electronic device, and a storage medium. The method comprises: acquiring the current positions of all consumables in an automated process; on the basis of the current position of each consumable, dividing all of the consumables into a first group and a second group, the consumables in the first group being allowed to be located on paths from other consumables to specified positions, and the consumables in the second group being forbidden from be located on the paths from other consumables to the specified positions; on the basis of preset information, determining the path and time of each consumable to a respective specified position, the consumables in the first group going to the respective specified positions before the consumables in the second group; and, on the basis of the determined paths and times, controlling an actuator in an automated system to convey each consumable to the respective specified position.

Description

Control method, device, electronic device and storage medium for automated process termination

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application with application number 202311781049.0 filed with the China Patent Office on December 22, 2023, and application name “Control method, device, electronic device and storage medium for automated process termination”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of automation, and more specifically, to a control method for terminating an automation process, a control device for terminating an automation process, an electronic device, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0003] Currently, many fields are continuously transforming themselves into automated processes, freeing up manpower and improving efficiency. Whether it's automated manufacturing, automated testing, or automated testing / experiments, automated systems are widely used. Within these systems, automated operations can be performed on various consumables, enabling automated processes.

[0004] Often, automated processes need to be terminated due to issues with individual devices within the system or a user's desire to temporarily stop the process. After the process is terminated, consumables typically need to be moved to a pre-defined location. Specifically, when an automated process is terminated, termination planning is performed to complete the termination process. Existing control schemes for automated process termination utilize a full-throughput scheduling approach for consumables.

[0005] However, the above-mentioned conventional control scheme for terminating an automated process requires full-throughput scheduling, which is not only logically complex and time-consuming, but also prone to errors, which can easily cause failures in the automated system. Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present application, the present application discloses a method for controlling the termination of an automated process, comprising: obtaining the current position of all consumables in the automated process in an automated system, wherein the consumables are used to carry processing objects of the automated process; dividing all consumables into a first group and a second group according to the current position of each consumable, wherein, in the automated system, consumables in the first group are allowed to be located on a path for other consumables to go to a designated location, and consumables in the second group are prohibited from being located on a path for other consumables to go to the designated location; determining the path and time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location according to pre-set information of the automated process, wherein the consumables in the first group go to their respective designated locations before the consumables in the second group; and

[0007] According to the determined path and time, the actuators in the automation system are controlled to transport each consumable to its designated location.

[0008] In one possible embodiment, all consumables are divided into a first group and a second group according to the current position of each consumable, including: determining the consumables at the transfer position in the automation system as the first group; and determining the consumables outside the first group among all consumables as the second group, wherein the transfer position is the position where consumables are exchanged between robotic arms in the automation system or between robotic arms and other equipment.

[0009] In one possible embodiment, the path and time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location are determined based on the preset information of the automated process, including: based on the preset information, determining that the blocking consumables in the first group go to their respective designated locations before the blocked consumables in the first group go to their respective designated locations, wherein the blocking consumable blocks at least one consumable from going to the designated location, and there is at least one blocking consumable on the path of the blocked consumable to the designated location.

[0010] In one possible embodiment, the path and time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location are determined based on preset information of the automated process, including: based on the preset information, determining that the free consumables in the first group go to their respective designated locations before the other consumables in the first group go to their respective designated locations, wherein the free consumables are consumables whose paths to the designated locations do not intersect with the paths of the other consumables in the first group to the designated locations.

[0011] In one possible embodiment, the time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location is determined based on the preset information of the automated process, including: determining the actuator for transporting each consumable to its respective designated location based on the preset information; determining the end time of the preceding step for each consumable to go to its respective designated location based on the preset information, wherein the preceding step is a step that is executed before the step in which the consumable leaves its current location in time; and determining the time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location based on the determined actuator and the end time of the preceding step.

[0012] In one possible embodiment, the time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location is determined based on the determined actuator and the end time of the previous step, including: generating a step execution schedule based on the determined actuator and the end time of the previous step; and determining the time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location based on the step execution schedule.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the control method further includes: checking, according to the step execution schedule, whether there is a conflict in equipment position in the automation system when transporting each consumable to its respective designated location based on the determined path and time.

[0014] In one possible embodiment, the time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location is determined based on the preset information of the automated process, including: for each consumable, determining one or more steps required for the consumable to go to its designated location based on the preset information; for consumables that require multiple steps, determining that the execution mode of multiple steps is continuous execution.

[0015] In one possible embodiment, the time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location is determined based on the preset information of the automated process, including: for each consumable, determining the steps required for the consumable to go to its designated location based on the preset information; and determining whether the steps required for different consumables should be executed sequentially based on the preset information.

[0016] The second aspect of the present application also discloses a control device for terminating an automated process, including: a position acquisition module, used to obtain the current position of all consumables in the automated process in the automated system, wherein the consumables are used to carry the processing objects of the automated process; a grouping module, used to divide all consumables into a first group and a second group according to the current position of each consumable, wherein the current position of the consumables in the first group is located between the starting position and the designated position of other consumable paths, and the other consumable paths are used to transport other consumables from the starting position to the designated position; and a planning module, used to determine the path and time for each consumable to go to its respective designated position according to pre-set information of the automated process, wherein the consumables in the first group go to their respective designated positions before the consumables in the second group; and a control module, used to control the actuator in the automated system to transport each consumable to its respective designated position according to the determined path and time.

[0017] According to a third aspect of the present application, an electronic device is also disclosed, including a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores computer program instructions, and the computer program instructions are used by the processor to execute the above-mentioned control method for terminating the automated process when the processor is running.

[0018] According to a fourth aspect of the present application, a storage medium is further disclosed, on which program instructions are stored. The program instructions are used to execute the above-mentioned control method for terminating the automated process when running.

[0019] This technical solution determines whether there are any obstructions between consumables based on their current locations and prioritizes the delivery of consumables that could potentially block other consumables to their designated locations. Compared to full-throughput scheduling, this solution is not only simpler and less time-consuming, but also avoids interlocking consumables, ensuring the automation system can successfully terminate the process and effectively preventing system failures.

[0020] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present application. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present application, it can be implemented in accordance with the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are listed below.

[0021] The advantages and features of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The following drawings of this application are hereby incorporated as part of this application for understanding this application. The drawings show the embodiments of this application and their descriptions, and are used to explain the principles of this application. In the drawings,

[0023] FIG1 shows a schematic flow chart of a control method for terminating an automated process according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of an automation system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] FIG3 shows a schematic diagram of an automation system according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0026] FIG4 shows a schematic block diagram of a control device for terminating an automated process according to an embodiment of the present application; and

[0027] FIG5 shows a schematic block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In the following description, a large amount of details are provided so that the present application can be thoroughly understood. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the following description is merely illustrative of preferred embodiments of the present application. In addition, in order to avoid confusion with the present application, some technical features well known in the art are not described in detail.

[0029] As previously mentioned, existing control schemes for automated process termination utilize a full-throughput scheduling approach for consumables. Specifically, in automated systems used to execute automated processes, upon process termination, consumables typically need to be de-stacked. Upon receiving a "terminate" command, the automated system will plan the automated process termination to obtain a planned schedule for the final steps following process termination and complete the termination process. Traditional process termination planning methods utilize full-throughput scheduling and obtain a corresponding schedule. For example, in an automated system, two consumables of different throughputs exist: a first consumable and a second consumable. When a "terminate" command is received, the first consumable is incubating in an incubator within the automated system, while the second consumable is at the incubator entrance. During process termination planning, both consumables must be de-stacked to corresponding locations, such as pre-specified plate positions. The specific steps for de-stacking each consumable are determined during process analysis, so full-throughput scheduling must be considered based on this. Specifically, upon process termination, the order in which the two consumables are de-stacked must be specified to obtain a corresponding schedule. However, the above-mentioned traditional process termination planning method is logically complex and time-consuming because it requires full-throughput scheduling. In addition, there is a possibility that the consumables that are removed from the dislocation first will be blocked by the consumables that are removed from the dislocation later during the process of removing the dislocation. That is, the path of the consumables that are removed from the dislocation first will be temporarily used by the consumables that are removed from the dislocation later, resulting in consumable interlocking, making it impossible for the automation system to successfully execute the "terminate" command.

[0030] In order to at least partially solve the above technical problems, according to the first aspect of the present application, a control method for terminating an automated process is provided. In this control method, based on the position and relative relationship of the consumables, the consumables with different blocking conditions are treated differently to achieve interlocking decoupling of the consumables. The control method according to the embodiment of the present application can be applied to automated processes for various suitable processing objects in various fields. For simplicity, the following explanation will be made using the automated process in the automated system in the field of biochemistry as an example.

[0031] Figure 1 shows a schematic flow chart of a control method 1000 for terminating an automated process according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1 , the control method 1000 may include the following steps: step S1100, step S1200, step S1300, and step S1400.

[0032] Step S1100: Obtain the current positions of all consumables in the automation process in the automation system. Consumables can be used to carry processing objects of the automation process.

[0033] Illustratively, the processing object of an automated process can be any suitable target, as needed. For example, for an automated process in the field of biochemistry, the processing object can be various substances in solid, liquid, or gaseous form. Consumables are used to carry the processing object. Specifically, consumables can be pipette tips, centrifuge tubes, syringes, beakers, funnels, filter paper, culture bottles, test tubes, culture plates, cuvettes, etc. Of course, for automated processes in other fields, consumables can also be other items depending on the processing object.

[0034] As mentioned above, the automation process may be terminated due to reasons of the automation system itself or due to reasons of the user. After the automation process is terminated, the current positions of all consumables in the automation process in the automation system can be obtained. For example, in response to receiving a "terminate" command, the automation system can obtain the current position of the consumables. It can be understood that during the execution of the automation process, different consumables can be located at different positions of the automation system. According to an example of the present application, the automation system may include positions such as pipetting stations, incubators, high content, and misalignment. Consumables can be transported between different workstations by actuators such as robotic arms, for example, from a pipetting station to a high content. After receiving the "terminate" command, the current position of each consumable can be obtained according to the pre-set automation process.

[0035] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of an automation system according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 2, five consumables are included in the automation process: consumable 1, consumable 2, consumable 3, consumable 4 and consumable 5. In response to receiving a "terminate" command, the current position information of the above consumables in the automation process can be obtained. For example: the current positions of consumable 1, consumable 2, consumable 3, consumable 4 and consumable 5 are position 1, position 2, position 3, position 4 and position 5 respectively. When the automation process terminates, all consumables go to their respective error positions, that is, designated positions. It can be understood that the error positions shown in Figure 2 include positions for accommodating all consumables respectively, in other words, including N error positions, where N is greater than or equal to 5.

[0036] In step S1200, all consumables may be divided into a first group and a second group based on the current location of each consumable. In the automated system, consumables in the first group are allowed to be on the path of other consumables to the designated location, while consumables in the second group are prohibited from being on the path of other consumables to the designated location.

[0037] For example, the automated system may include a location where the consumables ultimately arrive upon termination of the automated process, i.e., the designated location. It is understood that the designated locations for different consumables may be the same or different. In one specific example, the automated system includes a staggered position for placing the corresponding consumables upon termination of the automated process.

[0038] In this step S1200, for each consumable, the consumable path of the consumable to the misplaced (specified position) can be determined. The consumable path is used for the consumable to move from its starting position (current position) in the automation system to its end position (specified position). It can be understood that for each consumable, the consumable path between its starting position and end position in the automation system is determined. Then, for each consumable, it can be divided into the first group or the second group according to whether the current position of the consumable is likely to block other consumables from going to their specified positions. That is to say, the consumables in the first group include two parts of consumables, one part of the consumables is that its current position will block other consumables from going to their specified positions, that is, the current position of this part of the consumables is between the starting position and the end position of the consumable path of other consumables, and therefore it will be divided into the first group; although the other part of the consumables in the first group may block other consumables from going to their specified positions due to the attribute of their current position, at the current moment (when the termination command is received), this part of the consumables will not block other consumables from going to their specified positions. The current position of the consumables in the second group cannot block any other consumables from going to their designated positions. In short, if the consumables may block other consumables from going to their designated positions, the consumables are classified into the first group. The blocking situation of the consumables in the first group on other consumables depends on whether the other consumables are located on the path between their starting position and the current position of the consumables in the first group. If the other consumables are located on the path between their starting position and the current position of the consumables in the first group, the consumables in the first group block the other consumables; otherwise, vice versa. If the current position of the consumable is not between the starting position and the end position of the consumable path of any consumable, the consumable is classified into the second group.

[0039] In the embodiment shown in FIG2 above, in step S1100, it is determined that the current positions of consumables 1, consumables 2, consumables 3, consumables 4 and consumables 5 are position 1, position 2, position 3, position 4 and position 5, respectively. Consumables 1 and consumables 5 cannot block any other consumables from going to their misaligned positions, that is, consumables 1 and consumables 5 are not located on the path of other consumables to their misaligned positions, and consumables 1 and consumables 5 are divided into the second group. If consumable 1 is transported to its corresponding first misaligned position, it needs to pass through position 2, that is, position 2 is located on the consumable path of consumable 1. Assuming that consumable 1 is transported to its misaligned position first, a system conflict will occur, and consumable 1 cannot be smoothly transported to the misaligned position. At this time, since consumable 2 blocks the path of consumable 1 to its misaligned position, consumable 2 can be divided into the first group. As shown in FIG2 , consumable 3 is similar to consumable 2. It blocks consumable 4 from going to the misaligned position and is also included in the first group. For consumable 4, if the consumable at position 6 goes to its misaligned position, it will pass through position 4 where consumable 4 is located. Although there is no consumable at position 6 at the moment when the automation process terminates, for example, in the following embodiment, the consumable at position 4 will block the consumable at position 6 from going to the designated position: In one embodiment, position 4 is the entrance and exit of the device, and position 6 is a position inside the device. If there is a consumable at position 6 inside the device when the "terminate" command is received, then when going to the designated position, the consumable 4 at the entrance and exit of the device will inevitably block the consumables inside the device. Therefore, consumable 4 may block the consumable at position 6 from going to its misaligned position. Based on this, although in this embodiment, consumable 4 does not actually block other consumables, consumable 4 is still classified into the first group.

[0040] In summary, the consumables in the second group cannot block any other consumables from reaching their designated locations. The consumables in the first group may block other consumables from reaching their designated locations. The consumables in the first group may be consumables that have actually blocked other consumables from reaching their designated locations, or they may be consumables that have not actually blocked other consumables from reaching their designated locations.

[0041] Step S1300 , determining the path and time for each consumable to reach its respective designated location based on pre-set information of the automation process, wherein the consumables in the first group reach their respective designated locations before the consumables in the second group.

[0042] It can be understood that the automated process is planned, which includes preset information. The preset information may include information about each step in the automated process, such as the actuator information of the step, the execution time information of the step, etc. In the automated process, the actuator can transport the consumables from one position to the next position or the actuator can perform corresponding processing on the consumables at the current position according to the preset steps. When the "terminate" command is received, no matter where the consumables are located, the actuator can be controlled according to the preset information to transport the consumables from the current position to the error position corresponding to the current position. It should be understood that when the automated process terminates, the steps it executes are different from the steps executed during normal operation.

[0043] In step S1200, each consumable is grouped into either the first or second group, thereby obtaining grouping information for all consumables. In step S1300, based on the pre-set information for the automated process and the grouping information, the path and time for each consumable to reach its designated location are determined. Based on the pre-set information for the automated process, consumables in the first group are controlled to reach their designated locations before consumables in the second group.

[0044] Still taking the automation system shown in Figure 2 as an example, for the consumable located at position 1, the pre-set steps to its misaligned position are: Robot Arm No. 2 transports the consumable from position 1 to position 2, and then Robot Arm No. 1 transports the consumable from position 2 to the misaligned position. For the consumable located at position 2, the pre-set steps to its misaligned position are: Robot Arm No. 1 transports the consumable from position 2 to the misaligned position. For the consumable located at position 3, the path to its misaligned position is: Robot Arm No. 1 transports the consumable from position 3 to the misaligned position. For the consumable located at position 4, the path to its misaligned position is: Robot Arm No. 1 transports the consumable from position 4 to misaligned position 4. For the consumable located at position 5, the generated path to remove the misalignment is: Robot Arm No. 2 transports the consumable from position 5 to misaligned position 5. The consumables at positions 4 and 5 are classified as the second group of consumables. The transportation of the second group of consumables may be blocked by the consumables of the first group. Therefore, the consumables at positions 1, 2, and 3 can be transported to their respective offset positions first, and then the consumables at positions 4 and 5 can be transported. If there are no consumables at a certain position, the transportation steps corresponding to the consumables at that position will not be executed. The automation system can also obtain the time information at the current moment. In addition to sorting according to the above priority, the time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location can be determined based on the execution duration information of each step in the pre-set information and the time information at the current moment.

[0045] Step S1400 : Controlling the actuators in the automation system to transport each consumable to its designated location according to the determined path and time.

[0046] The actuator may include the aforementioned robotic arm, and may also include equipment such as a conveyor belt. The actuator may be used to transport consumables between different locations, for example, transporting consumable 1 from location 1 to location 2.

[0047] In step S1400, the actuators may be controlled to transport all consumables according to the path and time determined in step S1300. At this point, all consumables are located at their designated locations, automatically achieving the expected termination of the automation process.

[0048] This technical solution determines whether there are potential obstructions between consumables based on their current locations and prioritizes the delivery of consumables that could potentially block other consumables to their designated locations. Compared to full-throughput scheduling, which requires considering all consumables, this solution is not only simpler and less time-consuming, but also avoids interlocking consumables, ensuring that the automation system can successfully terminate the automated process and generate an independent schedule for planning, successfully avoiding system failures.

[0049] Illustratively, step S1200 divides all consumables into a first group and a second group according to the current position of each consumable, and includes the following steps S1210 and S1220.

[0050] In step S1210, the consumables on the transfer position in the automation system are determined to be the first group. The transfer position is the position where consumables are exchanged between robotic arms or between robotic arms and other equipment in the automation system. For example, the transfer position can be used to temporarily store consumables that the robotic arm has taken out from, for example, an incubator, and then another robotic arm transports the consumables temporarily stored in the transfer position to a high-content instrument. Since the transportation of consumables between two devices requires temporary storage of consumables through the transfer position, when consumables are temporarily stored in the transfer position, there is a greater risk that other consumables will be hindered from passing through this transfer position to their designated positions. Therefore, in order to simplify the control logic, all consumables on the transfer position are determined to be the first group and are given priority in planning.

[0051] In step S1220, the consumables outside the first group among all consumables are determined to be a second group. According to an embodiment of the present application, only the first group and the second group are set in the automation system, so all consumables except the first consumable are classified into the second group.

[0052] FIG3 shows a schematic diagram of an automation system according to another embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG3 , in the automation system, there are a total of 9 different locations, all of which can be used to store or process consumables. In other words, when the automation system executes the automation program, the consumables used to carry the processing object may be located in one of these 9 locations. For the sake of simplicity of description, it is assumed that the automation system includes 5 fluxes, each of which corresponds to a consumable. Specifically, if the automation process is executed normally, the consumables will go from the starting position to the end position via the pipetting workstation, incubator, and high-content instrument in sequence. When the automation process terminates, all consumables go to their respective misalignment positions, i.e., designated positions. It will be understood that the misalignment positions shown in FIG3 include a plurality of positions for accommodating corresponding consumables respectively, wherein each consumable has its own misalignment position. For example, the misalignment position can be a pre-specified plate position.

[0053] For example, in this automation system, transfer position 1, transfer position 2 and transfer position 3 are respectively provided between the starting position, the pipetting workstation, the incubator and the high-content instrument. According to the automation process of one embodiment of the present application, the consumables pass through transfer position 1 during the process of being transported from the starting position to the pipetting workstation; transfer position 2 is provided between the pipetting workstation and the incubator, and the consumables pass through transfer position 2 during the process of being transported from the pipetting workstation to the incubator; and so on...the consumables at the starting position need to pass through transfer position 1 to go to the misalignment position. The consumables at transfer position 1 need to pass through transfer position 2 to go to the misalignment position. The consumables at transfer position 3 can go directly to the misalignment position. The consumables at the pipetting workstation, the incubator and the high-content instrument can also go directly to the misalignment position respectively. It can be understood that although in the automation process of this embodiment, the consumables located in the incubator can go directly to the misalignment position, the automation system can also support the automation process of the consumables in the incubator going to the misalignment position via transfer position 3. Therefore, based on the above-mentioned automated system, there is a possibility that consumables in the intermediate transfer position will block other consumables from reaching the misplaced position. Therefore, the consumables in intermediate transfer positions 1, 2, and 3 are all classified into the first group. For consumables in positions other than the intermediate transfer position, although they may be on the path of other consumables to the end position, they are not on the path of other consumables to the misplaced position. Therefore, these consumables can be classified into the second group.

[0054] The above technical solution fully considers the special characteristics of the transfer station in the automation system and the fact that consumables in other locations will not block any consumables from reaching the designated location. The consumables at the transfer station are directly assigned to the first group, while all other consumables are assigned to the second group. This approach is not only simple in logic and easy to implement, but also prevents any consumables from being mistakenly assigned to the second group, ensuring that no consumables in the first group are missed. This ensures the smooth execution of the automation process.

[0055] Exemplarily, step S1300 determines the path and time for each consumable to reach its respective designated location based on the preset information of the automated process, including: determining, based on the preset information of the automated process, that the blocking consumables in the first group reach their respective designated locations before the blocked consumables in the first group reach their respective designated locations.

[0056] The blocking consumables prevent at least one consumable from reaching the designated location, and there is at least one blocking consumable on the path of the blocked consumable to the designated location. The consumables in the first group may also block each other. The consumables in the first group may block the consumables in the second group, or they may block the consumables in the first group. Based on the pre-set information of the automation process, the blocking relationship between each position in the automation system can be obtained, that is, the blocking relationship of the consumables located at these positions. In this step, for any pair of consumables in a blocking relationship, the blocking consumable is made to reach its respective designated location before the blocked consumable.

[0057] In the automated system shown in FIG3 , according to an embodiment of the present application, consumables at transfer station 1 must pass through transfer station 2 before they can reach their staggered positions. The consumables at transfer station 2 not only block the consumables at the starting position from reaching the staggered position, but also block the consumables at transfer station 1 from reaching the staggered position.

[0058] In the automated process described above, the steps for consumable 1 to move to the offset position are: a. Robot arm 2 moves the consumable from intermediate transfer position 1 to intermediate transfer position 2; b. Robot arm 1 moves the consumable from intermediate transfer position 2 to offset position 1. Consumable 2 at intermediate transfer position 2 blocks consumable 1 from step a. Therefore, consumable 2 can be moved to offset position 2 first, followed by consumable 1 to offset position 1. This allows the obstructing consumable (consumable 2) to make way for the blocked consumable (consumable 1).

[0059] In the above technical solution, the consumables in the first group are processed according to their conditions, and the obstructing consumables are preferentially transported to the misaligned position, and then the blocked consumables are transported to the misaligned position. This ensures that the consumables in the first group will not block each other, thereby ensuring the smooth progress of the automation process.

[0060] Exemplarily, step S1400 determines the path and time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location based on the preset information of the automated process, including: determining, based on the preset information, that the free consumables in the first group go to their respective designated locations before other consumables in the first group go to their respective designated locations.

[0061] A free consumable is one whose path to its designated location doesn't intersect with the paths of other consumables in the first group. Based on pre-configured information in the automated process, it's possible to determine which consumables are free. A free consumable doesn't block other consumables from reaching their designated location, nor will it be blocked by other consumables on its way to its designated location.

[0062] Continuing with the embodiment shown in FIG3 , consumable 3 in the first group is a free consumable. Consumable 3 does not affect the transport of consumables 1 and 2 to their respective offset locations, and consumable 3 is not blocked by any other consumables on its way to its offset location. Therefore, consumable 3 first travels to offset location 3, and then consumable 1 and consumable 2 travel to offset locations 1 and 2, respectively. As previously described, consumable 2 can travel to offset location 2 first, and then consumable 1 travels to offset location 1.

[0063] In the above technical solution, the free consumable is first set to go to its designated location, and then the other consumables are arranged to go to their respective designated locations. Because the path of the free consumable does not intersect with the paths of other consumables, the path of the free consumable can be planned independently without considering conflicts and interlocking with other consumables, simplifying the complexity of path planning.

[0064] Exemplarily, step S1400 determines the path and time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location according to pre-set information of the automation process, including the following steps.

[0065] In step S1410 , the actuator for transporting each consumable to its designated location is determined according to the preset information.

[0066] When designing an automated process, the actuators that transport consumables between different locations are determined. Pre-configured information can be used to determine the current location of the consumables and the next location they will be destined for. This in turn determines the actuators that will transport the consumables from one location to the next, such as a specific robotic arm or conveyor mechanism.

[0067] Referring to Figure 3 again, in the automated process shown in Figure 3, the actuator that transports consumable 1 from the transfer position 1 to the misaligned position includes robot arm No. 2 and robot arm No. 1 that perform the transport operation successively; the actuator that transports consumable 2 from the transfer position 2 to the misaligned position includes robot arm No. 1.

[0068] Step S1420 determines the end time of the preceding step of each consumable going to its respective designated location according to the preset information, wherein the preceding step is a step executed before the consumable leaves the current location in terms of time.

[0069] It can be understood that the automation process is a systematic project, and different steps will affect each other. Due to different reasons such as the actuator, the execution object, etc., there is an execution order between the steps. For example, for an actuator, it can only execute its steps in series, and only after the previous step is completed can the next step be executed. For another example, for a consumable that carries the execution object, the operation steps for it can generally only be executed in series. For a consumable, only after the operation of the current actuator is completed can the next actuator be controlled to perform an operation on the consumable. For the latter step, the step that must be executed before it is executed is the predecessor step of the latter step.

[0070] After the automated process terminates, each consumable must be transported to its designated location. The consumable transport step can only be executed after the automated process completes the current step for the execution object carried by each consumable. Therefore, the preceding steps of the consumable transport step include the steps that the automated process was currently executing for the execution object at the time the automated process terminated. It is understood that there may be one or more preceding steps before the consumable is transported to its designated location. Based on the pre-set information of the automated process, all preceding steps before each consumable leaves its current location can be determined, and the execution time of these preceding steps can then be determined.

[0071] Referring again to Figure 3, when the "Terminate" command is received, consumable 5 may be incubating in the incubator. In this scenario, the preceding step before consumable 5 leaves the incubator and goes to the misplaced position is the incubation step. The end time of the incubation step can be determined based on the pre-set information of the automated process.

[0072] Step S1430 determines the time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location based on the determined execution mechanism and the end time of the previous step.

[0073] Based on the end times of the actuators and the preceding steps determined in step S1410 and step S1420, respectively, consumables whose actuators are available and whose preceding steps end earlier can be prioritized. Specifically, the latest end time of the preceding steps of each step can be obtained as the earliest start time of each step.

[0074] In the above description of step S1400, step S1410 is executed before step S1420. However, it is understood that the execution order of step S1410 and step S1420 is only an example. In practice, the two steps can be executed in parallel, or step S1420 can be executed before step S1410.

[0075] In the above technical solution, while ensuring that the actuator for transporting consumables is available, the consumables that were completed earlier in the previous step can be given priority to go to the designated location, rather than having the entire system wait for the consumables that were completed relatively later in the previous step, thereby reducing wasted time and further speeding up the termination of the entire process.

[0076] Exemplarily, step S1400 determines the time for each consumable to reach its designated location based on pre-set information of the automated process, including: step 1440, for each consumable, determining one or more steps required for the consumable to reach its designated location based on the pre-set information. Step S1450, for consumables requiring multiple steps, determines that the multiple steps are to be executed consecutively after the end time of the preceding step.

[0077] For any consumable, it may take one or more steps to go from its current location to a specified location. Based on the pre-set information, the above-mentioned related step information can be determined. For example, continuing to refer to the automation system shown in Figure 3, Table 1 shows the consumables and related execution steps when the automation process according to an embodiment of the present application is terminated in the automation system shown in Figure 3. As shown in Table 1, the path of each consumable to the misplaced position can be divided into independent step groups.

[0078] Table 1

[0079] As shown in Figure 3, consumable 1 is currently located at transfer position 1, consumable 2 is currently located at transfer position 2, and consumable 3 is currently located at transfer position 3. When consumable 1 reaches its designated position, misaligned position 1, it needs to first perform step 12: go from transfer position 1 to transfer position 2, and then perform step 13: go from transfer position 2 to misaligned position 1. Consumable 2 can go directly to its designated position, misaligned position 2 from its current position, transfer position 2, i.e., step 11. Consumable 3 can also go directly to its designated position, misaligned position 3, from its current position, transfer position 3, i.e., step 10. Consumables 4 and consumables 5 are similar to consumables 2 and consumables 3, and will not be described in detail for the sake of brevity. Therefore, it takes two steps for consumable 1 to go to misaligned position 1; consumables 2 and consumables 3 each require one step. Consumables 2 to consumables 5 only need one step to go to their respective misaligned positions, and will no longer be associated with other consumables after arriving at the misaligned positions. For consumables that require multiple steps, such as consumable 1, the execution method of multiple steps is to execute them continuously after the end time of the previous step, that is, the above-mentioned steps 12 and 13 are executed continuously. And if consumable 1 passes step 12 and turns to perform other tasks, it may happen that, for example, consumable 4 needs to pass through the transfer position 2, resulting in the path being blocked at this time. Therefore, steps 12 and 13 of transporting consumable 1 to the error position 1 are executed continuously until consumable 1 reaches the error position 1. At this time, consumable 1 is no longer associated with other consumables. This can avoid interlocking of consumables. In addition, the continuous execution of steps 12 and 13 of consumable 1 can also avoid wasting time.

[0080] As shown in Table 1 and described above, from the start of execution of a step group to the completion of the steps of the step group, the actions of other step groups will not be involved in the middle. The steps in each step group are executed serially and continuously. Step 13 is executed immediately after step 12 is completed until all the steps in the step group are completed. In order to ensure the continuous execution of the steps in the step group, the earliest start time of each step group can be obtained. The order of the steps to which the consumables go, that is, the order of the above-mentioned steps 12 and 13, is determined according to the pre-set information of the automation process, and will not change due to factors such as grouping or preceding steps in this application.

[0081] In the above technical solution, the steps required for each consumable to move to its designated location are executed continuously. This not only simplifies the processing logic, but also avoids system self-locking and improves the time efficiency of the automated process termination.

[0082] Exemplarily, step S1400 determines the time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location based on the preset information of the automated process, including: step 1460, for each consumable, determining the steps required for the consumable to go to its designated location based on the preset information; step S1470, determining whether the steps required for different consumables should be executed in sequence based on the preset information.

[0083] Step S1460 is similar to step S1440 and will not be described here for the sake of brevity. In step S1470, it is determined whether different consumables are processed one by one. Referring again to Table 1, the step groups in Table 1 are for different consumables, and different step groups are executed in sequence. That is, after completing step group 1, step group 2 is executed, and after step group 2 is completed, step group 3 is executed, and so on. Different step groups may not be executed continuously. For example, there may be a time interval between the execution times of step group 1 and step group 2.

[0084] In this example, the steps of different step groups for different consumables are not executed in a crossover manner. As previously mentioned, if step 11 in step group 2 is executed between steps 12 and 13 in step group 3, it is possible that consumable 4 needs to pass through transfer station 2, resulting in a situation where the path of consumable 4 is blocked, i.e., a consumable conflict at transfer station 2. Therefore, step groups 2 and step groups 3 are executed sequentially, i.e., the steps for consumable 2 to pass to transfer station 2 and the steps for consumable 1 to pass to transfer station 1 are executed sequentially.

[0085] In the above technical solution, the steps required for different consumables to reach their designated locations are executed sequentially. That is, after one consumable has been delivered to its designated location, the next consumable is transported to its designated location. This prevents consumables from interlocking and ensures the smooth termination of the automated process.

[0086] Exemplarily, the aforementioned step S1430 determines the time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location based on the determined execution mechanism and the end time of the previous step, including: step S1431, generating a step execution schedule based on the determined execution mechanism and the end time of the previous step; step 1432, determining the time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location based on the step execution schedule.

[0087] As previously mentioned, the consumables do not move until the preceding steps for moving them to the designated location are completed. The remaining time for completing the preceding steps may vary for different consumables. Table 2 shows the preceding steps for moving the consumables shown in Table 1 to the misaligned locations. As shown in Table 2, steps 7-9 are the preceding steps.

[0088] Table 2

[0089] The execution schedule for each step in the consumables' delivery to their designated locations can be configured based on the end time of the preceding step, prioritizing consumables with earlier end times for delivery to the designated location. Of course, the order in which the consumables are delivered also needs to consider their grouping, which will not be discussed here. The actuator takes time to deliver the consumables to the designated location, so generating the step execution schedule also requires considering the actuator's action time.

[0090] Table 3 shows the execution schedule for the steps in Table 1 as the consumables move to their designated locations. The "n#" in the first column of Table 3 indicates that the step is executed by robotic arm number n. For example, "1# Step 10" indicates that step 10 is executed by robotic arm number 1. As shown in Table 3, step 10 can be scheduled immediately at 10:05:20, the time step 9 completes. Step 10 takes 20 seconds to complete, and after completion, step 11 is executed, and so on. This allows the time required for each consumable to reach its designated location to be calculated, avoiding waiting between consumables and wasting resources.

[0091] Table 3

[0092] In the above technical solution, by generating a step execution schedule, the system can rationally schedule the execution time of each step based on predetermined time requirements and execution mechanisms, avoiding conflicts between steps and interlocking issues between consumables. This improves the efficiency and accuracy of process execution. It also helps the system automatically control the execution time and sequence of each step during runtime, eliminating the need for real-time decision-making and adjustments. This simplifies the complexity of process control and reduces the need for manual intervention. As a result, the system can rationally schedule the execution time and resource utilization of each step, thereby optimizing task scheduling.

[0093] Exemplarily, the control method further includes step S1500 of checking, according to the step execution schedule, whether there is a conflict in the equipment position in the automation system when transporting each consumable to its respective designated location based on the determined path and time.

[0094] Specifically, you can generate board and cover activities through the step execution schedule. Iterate through all fluxes and all step board activities to check if there are any board conflicts. Iterate through all fluxes and all step cover activities to check if there are any cover conflicts.

[0095] The plate position and the cover position are both positions of a type of equipment. An equipment position conflict refers to the situation where the same position is occupied by different consumables at the same time. In an automated system, the same position needs to be released before it can be occupied again. If the position can only hold one consumable, occupying it before it is released will cause a conflict and a collision. For example, the cover position can only accommodate one cover, and there is currently a cover in the cover position, that is, the cover position is occupied. If the automated program controls the actuator to place another cover in the cover position, a conflict will occur and the two covers will collide. If you want to place another cover in the cover position, you need to transfer the cover in the cover position first, that is, release the cover position.

[0096] Before controlling each consumable to arrive at its designated position according to the step execution schedule, first check whether there is a conflict in the board position or cover position in the automation system. This can provide an early warning to prompt personnel to modify the conflicting position to avoid collision accidents when starting execution, and the need to temporarily adjust the step execution schedule after a conflict occurs, so as to ensure the smooth termination of the automation process.

[0097] A second aspect of the present application further provides a control device for terminating an automated process. Figure 4 shows a schematic block diagram of a control device 400 for terminating an automated process according to one embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 4 , the device 400 includes a location acquisition module 410 , a grouping module 420 , a planning module 430 , and a control module 440 .

[0098] The position acquisition module 410 is used to acquire the current positions of all consumables in the automation process in the automation system, wherein the consumables are used to carry the processing objects of the automation process.

[0099] The grouping module 420 is used to divide all consumables into a first group and a second group according to the current position of each consumable, wherein, in the automation system, the consumables in the first group are allowed to be located on the path of other consumables to the specified location, and the consumables in the second group are prohibited from being located on the path of other consumables to the specified location.

[0100] The planning module 430 is used to determine the path and time for each consumable to reach its respective designated location based on the preset information of the automation process, wherein the consumables in the first group reach their respective designated locations before the consumables in the second group.

[0101] The control module 440 is used to control the actuators in the automation system to transport each consumable to its respective designated location according to the determined path and time.

[0102] According to a third aspect of the present application, an electronic device is also provided. Figure 5 shows a schematic block diagram of an electronic device 500 according to one embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 5, the electronic device 500 includes a processor 510 and a memory 520, wherein the memory 520 stores computer program instructions, which, when executed by the processor 510, are used to execute the above-mentioned control method 1000 for terminating an automated process.

[0103] According to the fourth aspect of the present application, a storage medium is also provided, on which program instructions and parameters required for the program are stored. The program instructions are used to execute the corresponding steps of the control method 1000 for terminating the automated process of the embodiment of the present application when running. The storage medium may include, for example, a storage component, a hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a portable read-only memory (CD-ROM), a USB memory, or any combination of the above storage media.

[0104] A person skilled in the art can understand the specific implementation scheme of the control device, electronic device and storage medium for terminating an automated process by reading the above description of the control method for terminating an automated process. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0105] Example

[0106] Example 1. A method for controlling the termination of an automated process, comprising:

[0107] Obtaining the current positions of all consumables in the automation process in the automation system, wherein the consumables are used to carry processing objects of the automation process;

[0108] Dividing all consumables into a first group and a second group based on the current position of each consumable, wherein, in the automated system, consumables in the first group are allowed to be located on a path of other consumables to the designated position, and consumables in the second group are prohibited from being located on the path of other consumables to the designated position;

[0109] Determining, based on pre-set information of the automated process, a path and time for each consumable to reach its respective designated location, wherein the consumables in the first group reach their respective designated locations before the consumables in the second group; and

[0110] According to the determined path and time, the actuators in the automation system are controlled to transport each consumable to its respective designated location.

[0111] Embodiment 2. The control method according to embodiment 1, wherein the step of dividing all consumables into a first group and a second group according to a current position of each consumable comprises:

[0112] Determining the consumables on the transfer position in the automation system as the first group; and

[0113] The consumables outside the first group among all the consumables are determined to be a second group, wherein the transfer position is a position where the consumables are exchanged between robotic arms in the automation system or between robotic arms and other equipment.

[0114] Embodiment 3. The control method according to embodiment 1 or 2, wherein determining the path and time for each consumable to reach its respective designated location based on pre-set information of the automated process comprises:

[0115] According to the preset information, it is determined that the blocking consumables in the first group go to their respective designated locations before the blocked consumables in the first group go to their respective designated locations,

[0116] The blocking consumable material blocks at least one consumable material from going to the designated location, and there is at least one blocking consumable material on the path of the blocked consumable material going to the designated location.

[0117] Embodiment 4. The control method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 3, wherein determining the path and time for each consumable to reach its respective designated location based on pre-set information of the automated process comprises:

[0118] According to the preset information, it is determined that the free consumables in the first group go to their respective designated positions before the other consumables in the first group go to their respective designated positions, wherein the free consumables are consumables whose paths to the designated positions do not intersect with the paths of the other consumables in the first group to the designated positions.

[0119] Embodiment 5. The control method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4, wherein determining the time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location based on pre-set information of the automated process comprises:

[0120] Determining, based on the preset information, an actuator for transporting each consumable to its respective designated location;

[0121] Determining, based on the preset information, an end time of a preceding step for each consumable to move to its respective designated location, wherein the preceding step is a step executed before the consumable leaves its current location;

[0122] The time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location is determined based on the determined actuator and the end time of the previous step.

[0123] Embodiment 6. The control method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 5, wherein determining the time for each consumable to reach its respective designated location based on the determined actuator and the end time of the preceding step comprises:

[0124] Generate a step execution schedule based on the determined execution agencies and the end time of the preceding steps;

[0125] According to the steps of executing the timetable, the time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location is determined.

[0126] Example 7. The control method according to any one of Examples 1 to 6, wherein the control method further comprises:

[0127] According to the step execution schedule, it is checked whether there is a conflict in the equipment position in the automation system when delivering each consumable to its respective designated location based on the determined path and time.

[0128] Embodiment 8. The control method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 7, wherein determining the time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location based on pre-set information of the automated process comprises:

[0129] For each consumable, determining one or more steps required for the consumable to move to its designated location based on the preset information;

[0130] For consumables that require multiple steps, determine that the execution mode of the multiple steps is continuous execution.

[0131] Embodiment 9. The control method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 8, wherein determining the time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location based on pre-set information of the automated process comprises:

[0132] For each consumable, determining the steps required for the consumable to move to its designated location based on the preset information;

[0133] According to the preset information, it is determined that the execution mode of the steps required for different consumables is to execute them in sequence.

[0134] Example 10. A control device for terminating an automated process, comprising:

[0135] a position acquisition module, configured to acquire the current positions of all consumables in the automation process in the automation system, wherein the consumables are used to carry processing objects of the automation process;

[0136] a grouping module, configured to group all consumables into a first group and a second group based on the current position of each consumable, wherein the current position of the consumables in the first group is between the starting position and the designated position of other consumable paths, and the other consumable paths are used to transport the other consumables from the starting position to the designated position;

[0137] a planning module, configured to determine, based on pre-set information of the automated process, a path and time for each consumable to reach its respective designated location, wherein the consumables in the first group reach their respective designated locations before the consumables in the second group; and

[0138] The control module is used to control the actuator in the automation system to transport each consumable to its respective designated location according to the determined path and time.

[0139] Embodiment 11. An electronic device comprises a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores computer program instructions, and the computer program instructions are used by the processor to execute the control method for terminating an automated process as described in any one of Embodiments 1 to 9 when the processor is running.

[0140] Embodiment 12. A storage medium having program instructions stored thereon, wherein the program instructions are used to execute the control method for terminating an automated process as described in any one of Embodiments 1 to 9 when running.

[0141] Although example embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the above example embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application. Various changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present application. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present application as required by the appended claims.

[0142] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0143] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of the units described is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, other division methods may be used, such as combining or integrating multiple units or components into another device, or ignoring or not performing some features.

[0144] In the description provided herein, a large number of specific details are described. However, it is understood that the embodiments of the present application can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques are not shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this description.

[0145] Similarly, it should be understood that in order to streamline the present application and aid in understanding one or more of the various inventive aspects, in the description of the exemplary embodiments of the present application, the various features of the present application are sometimes grouped together into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. However, this approach of the present application should not be interpreted as reflecting the intention that the application claimed for protection requires more features than those explicitly recited in each claim. More precisely, as reflected in the corresponding claims, the inventive point is that the corresponding technical problem can be solved with fewer features than all the features of a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim itself serving as a separate embodiment of the present application.

[0146] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, except where mutually exclusive, all features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) and all processes or units of any method or apparatus disclosed herein may be combined in any combination. Unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by an alternative feature providing the same, equivalent, or similar purpose.

[0147] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that although some embodiments described herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not other features, combinations of features from different embodiments are intended to be within the scope of this application and to form different embodiments. For example, in the claims, any of the claimed embodiments may be used in any combination.

[0148] The various component embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware, or in a software module running on one or more processors, or in a combination thereof. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a microprocessor or a digital signal processor (DSP) can be used in practice to implement some or all of the functions of some modules in the control device according to the automation process termination of the embodiment of the present application. The application can also be implemented as a part or all of a device program (e.g., a computer program and a computer program product) for performing the method described herein. Such a program realizing the present application can be stored on a computer-readable medium, or can have the form of one or more signals. Such a signal can be downloaded from an Internet website, or provided on a carrier signal, or provided in any other form.

[0149] It should be noted that the above embodiments illustrate rather than limit the present application, and that a person skilled in the art may devise alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference symbols placed between brackets should not be construed as limiting the claims. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps not listed in the claims. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The present application may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several different elements and by means of appropriately programmed computers. In a unit claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by the same item of hardware. The use of the words first, second, and third etc. does not indicate any order. These words may be interpreted as names.

[0150] The above description is merely a specific embodiment or illustration of a specific embodiment of the present application, and the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. The scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A control method for terminating an automated process, characterized in that: include: Obtaining the current positions of all consumables in the automation process in the automation system, wherein the consumables are used to carry processing objects of the automation process; According to the current position of each consumable, all consumables are divided into a first group and a second group, wherein in the automation system, consumables in the first group are allowed to be located on the path of other consumables to the designated position, and consumables in the second group are prohibited from being located on the path of other consumables to the designated position; Determining the path and time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location according to the preset information of the automated process, wherein the consumables in the first group go to their respective designated locations before the consumables in the second group; and According to the determined path and time, the actuators in the automation system are controlled to transport each consumable to its respective designated location.

2. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method of dividing all consumables into a first group and a second group according to the current position of each consumable includes: Determine the consumables on the transfer position in the automation system as the first group; and The consumables outside the first group among all the consumables are determined as a second group, wherein the transfer position is a position where the consumables are exchanged between robot arms in the automation system or between the robot arm and other equipment.

3. The control method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Determining the path and time for each consumable to go to the respective designated location according to the preset information of the automation process includes: According to the preset information, it is determined that the blocking consumables in the first group go to their respective designated positions before the blocked consumables in the first group go to their respective designated positions, The blocking consumable blocks at least one consumable from going to the designated location, and there is at least one blocking consumable on the path of the blocked consumable to the designated location.

4. The control method according to claim 3, characterized in that: Determining the path and time for each consumable to go to the respective designated location according to the preset information of the automation process includes: According to the preset information, it is determined that the free consumables in the first group go to their respective designated positions before other consumables in the first group go to their respective designated positions, wherein the free consumables are consumables whose paths to the designated positions do not have any intersection with the paths of other consumables in the first group to the designated positions.

5. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: Determining the time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location according to the preset information of the automated process includes: Determining, based on the preset information, an actuator for transporting each consumable to its respective designated location; Determine, according to the preset information, the end time of a preceding step for each consumable to go to its respective designated location, wherein the preceding step is a step executed before the consumable leaves the current location in terms of time; The time for each consumable to reach its respective designated location is determined based on the determined actuator and the end time of the preceding step.

6. The control method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The step of determining the time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location according to the determined actuator and the end time of the preceding step includes: Generate a step execution schedule based on the determined execution agencies and the end time of the preceding steps; According to the steps, a timetable is executed to determine the time when each consumable goes to its respective designated location.

7. The control method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The control method further comprises: According to the step of executing the time table, it is checked whether there is a conflict of equipment positions in the automation system when delivering each consumable to the respective designated location based on the determined path and time.

8. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: Determining the time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location according to the preset information of the automated process includes: For each consumable, determining one or more steps required for the consumable to move to its designated location according to the preset information; For consumables that require multiple steps, determine that the execution mode of the multiple steps is continuous execution.

9. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: Determining the time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location according to the preset information of the automated process includes: For each consumable, determining the steps required for the consumable to move to its designated location according to the preset information; According to the preset information, it is determined that the execution mode of the steps required for different consumables is to execute them in sequence.

10. A control device for terminating an automated process, characterized in that: include: A position acquisition module, used to acquire the current position of all consumables in the automation process in the automation system, wherein the consumables are used to carry the processing objects of the automation process; A grouping module, used for dividing all consumables into a first group and a second group according to the current position of each consumable, wherein the current position of the consumables in the first group is located between the starting position and the designated position of other consumable paths, and the other consumable paths are used for transporting other consumables from the starting position to the designated position; a planning module, configured to determine a path and time for each consumable to go to its respective designated location according to preset information of the automated process, wherein the consumables in the first group go to their respective designated locations before the consumables in the second group; and The control module is used to control the actuator in the automation system to transport each consumable to its respective designated location according to the determined path and time.

11. An electronic device comprising a processor and a memory, characterized in that: The memory stores computer program instructions, which are used by the processor to execute the control method for terminating an automated process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 when the processor is running the computer program instructions.

12. A storage medium having program instructions stored thereon, characterized in that: The program instructions are used to execute the control method for terminating an automated process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 when running.

Images