Conveyor Priority Control for Robot and Human Service Calls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyor systems, such as elevators, face challenges in efficiently serving both human and robotic passengers, as existing systems do not adequately account for the different priorities and needs of various types of passengers, leading to frustration and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that generate a control signal for conveyor systems to prioritize service calls based on the priority of robots, determined by their tasks, allowing the conveyor system to manage and allocate resources effectively among multiple passengers, including humans, robots, and other entities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the conveyor system serves human passengers first, then human passenger satisfaction is improved, but robot service efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the service parameter from fixed human-priority to dynamic priority assignment based on robot task urgency. The control entity assigns different priority levels to robot service calls depending on task characteristics, allowing urgent robot tasks to preempt less urgent ones, thereby resolving the contradiction between human satisfaction and robot efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The priority assignment mechanism transforms the static service order into a dynamic system where priorities are assigned and can be adjusted based on real-time task requirements. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt service allocation to current needs, balancing human and robot service requirements
2Device complexity
If the conveyor system uses a fixed service order, then system simplicity is improved, but service allocation efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces priority level parameters to service calls, transforming the simple first-come-first-served model into a parameter-based allocation system. This allows multiple service calls to be differentiated by urgency without requiring complex real-time negotiation, achieving efficient allocation with moderate complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The data center automatically assigns priority levels to robot service calls based on task information, eliminating the need for manual priority setting or complex human judgment. The system self-regulates service allocation based on pre-defined priority criteria, improving efficiency while keeping control mechanisms relatively simple
3Speed
If the conveyor system prioritizes urgent robot tasks, then robot task completion speed is improved, but overall system waiting time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial priority boosting to only those robot tasks that are genuinely urgent, rather than giving all robots equal priority or universal priority to all robot tasks. This selective approach ensures that urgent tasks are expedited without causing unnecessary disruptions to the overall service flow, minimizing total waiting time while still achieving fast completion for critical tasks
Data Source
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Figure 2
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for generating a control signal to a conveyor system (100), the conveyor system (100) configured to serve at least a plurality of robots (150A, 150B), the method comprising: receiving, in a control entity (110), a service call for a first robot (150A), the service call is associated with a priority of the first robot (150A); determining, by the control entity (110), the priority of the first robot (150A); and generating, by the control entity (110), a control signal to the conveyor system to serve the service call for the first robot (150A) in accordance with the determined priority of the first robot (150A). Some aspects of the invention relate to a control entity (110), a robot (150A, 150B) and a system.