Carrier Routing with Reserved Wait Times for Delay Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing distribution systems in diagnostic laboratories face challenges in managing unexpected time delays, which can disrupt the movement of carriers and affect the routing of other carriers, requiring new planning that is computationally intensive and often results in system performance reduction.
Innovation Solution
A distribution system and method that include a control system with a routing system capable of calculating routing plans considering moving and waiting time periods, allowing for the assignment of waiting time periods based on reservations of logical positions by other carriers. If a carrier experiences a time delay, the system shifts this delay to an upcoming waiting time period of another carrier, thereby compensating for the delay without requiring new planning for unaffected carriers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a carrier experiences a time delay during execution of a move, then the routing plan of other carriers must be recalculated to avoid conflicts, but this recalculation is computationally intensive and reduces system performance
Solution Approach 1:
The routing system pre-calculates and assigns waiting time periods to carriers as part of the initial routing plan. These waiting periods are strategically positioned at logical positions where carriers may need to pause. When a time delay occurs, the system can simply shift the delayed carrier's timeline to utilize these pre-assigned waiting periods, avoiding the need for computationally intensive recalculation of other carriers' routes while maintaining safe passage.
2Reliability
If the routing system recalculates routes for all carriers when a time delay occurs, then carrier conflicts are avoided, but the computational complexity and time required increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The routing system segments the carrier coordination problem by treating waiting time periods as independent, pre-assigned resources at specific logical positions. Instead of recalculating entire routing plans when a delay occurs, the system only needs to adjust the delayed carrier's timeline to align with these segmented waiting periods, dramatically reducing computational complexity while maintaining proper coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
Waiting time periods are pre-calculated and assigned to carriers during the initial routing planning phase. These waiting periods are positioned at logical positions where carriers may need to pause. When a time delay occurs, the system can simply shift the delayed carrier's timeline to utilize these pre-assigned waiting periods, avoiding the need for computationally intensive recalculation of other carriers' routes while maintaining safe passage.
3Loss of time
If waiting time periods are assigned to carriers based on reservations of logical positions, then time delays can be shifted to waiting times, but this requires advance planning and reservation management
Solution Approach 1:
The routing system pre-calculates and assigns waiting time periods to carriers as part of the initial routing plan. These waiting periods are strategically positioned at logical positions where carriers may need to pause. When a time delay occurs, the system can simply shift the delayed carrier's timeline to utilize these pre-assigned waiting periods, avoiding the need for computationally intensive recalculation of other carriers' routes while maintaining safe passage.
Data Source
AI summary
A distribution system for distributing carriers has a transport plane with logical positions. The carriers transport objects and a drive system moves the carriers on the transport plane between the logical positions. A controller moves the carriers on a planned route from a start position to a final destination on the transport plane. The planned route is made up of partial routes, and a routing system calculates routing plans for carriers on the transport plane by modeling the transport plane with graphs of nodes. The routing plans are calculated considering moving time periods and waiting time periods. The waiting time periods are assigned based on a reservation of logical positions of the partial routes of other carriers. Thus, if a carrier experiences a time delay during execution of a move, the routing system shifts the experienced time delay to an upcoming waiting time period of a carrier.