Industrial Facility Map Overlay for Accurate Mobile Route Updates

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Solution Overview

Problem

Industrial systems, such as production plants, often face discrepancies between planned and actual layouts due to immovable objects being offset from designated positions, leading to inaccuracies in accessible and closed areas for mobile systems like autonomous vehicles.

Innovation Solution

A method that generates a base map using CAD systems and a correction map through sensor detection, overlaying similarities to correct metric features and transfer route parameters, allowing for quick error recognition and correction in the base map.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If a base map is created using a CAD system during planning, then the planned layout is documented, but discrepancies arise between the planned and actual positions of immovable objects

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of accessible and closed areasVSAvoidposition accuracy of immovable objects
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by creating a correction map before finalizing the base map for mobile system operation. Sensors are deployed to detect actual positions of immovable objects and generate correction data that is applied in advance to correct the base map, ensuring accurate navigation paths before the mobile system begins operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback by using sensors to detect the actual positions of immovable objects in the technical installation and comparing them with the planned positions in the CAD base map. This feedback loop identifies discrepancies and generates correction data that is used to update the base map, ensuring continuous improvement of positional accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If manual correction of base map errors is performed, then accuracy can be improved, but the process becomes time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemap accuracyVSAvoidcorrection time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical correction processes with automated sensor-based detection and computational algorithms. Sensors automatically detect object positions, and processing units algorithmically compare detected positions with planned positions, generating corrections without manual intervention. This substitution dramatically reduces correction time while maintaining high accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-correction by automatically detecting discrepancies between planned and actual object positions using sensors and autonomously generating correction data. The base map updates itself through this self-service mechanism without requiring manual intervention, reducing both time and human resources needed for correction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If the base map is updated frequently to reflect actual conditions, then navigation accuracy improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenavigation reliabilityVSAvoidmap generation and correction system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the map system into two distinct components: a base map containing planned layout information from CAD systems, and a correction map containing sensor-detected deviations. This segmentation allows each component to serve its specific function independently, simplifying the overall system architecture while enabling frequent updates to the correction map without complicating the base map structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by updating only the necessary portions of the base map using correction data. Instead of completely regenerating the entire base map, the system selectively applies corrections to specific areas where discrepancies were detected, reducing system complexity and computational overhead while maintaining navigation reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4100810B1Method for operating an industrial facility
Publication Date: 2024.03.27 SEW EURODRIVE GMBH & CO KG
  • EP4100810B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4100810B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4100810B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for operating an industrial facility which has at least one mobile system, wherein: a base map of the industrial facility is produced which has information about at least one region (20) accessible by vehicle and at least one blocked region (30); a correction map of the industrial facility is produced which has information about at least one (20) region accessible by vehicle and at least one blocked region (30); the base map is overlaid with the correction map; and at least one metric feature on the base map is replaced by a metric feature on the correction map when a difference between a metric feature on the base map and a metric feature on the correction map is detected.