Data Transmission System for Automated Material Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
In automated material handling systems for semiconductor and liquid crystal display manufacturing, communication disruptions between unmanned automatic transfer vehicles and manufacturing stations lead to operation errors, and existing technologies face limitations in communication distance, data storage, and error analysis due to reliance on IR communication and non-volatile memory.
Innovation Solution
A data transmission system with master and slave devices equipped with IR and RF transmission and reception circuits, processors, and volatile memory, allowing for switching between communication modes and real-time data transmission to a main controller, enabling efficient error handling and data analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If optical communication (IR) is used between the unmanned automatic transfer vehicle and the manufacturing station, then communication can be established at aligned locations, but communication disruptions occur due to surrounding noise and timing errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the communication parameter from optical (IR) to wireless electromagnetic (RF) communication. This parameter change allows the system to operate without line-of-sight alignment and reduces susceptibility to optical noise interference while maintaining communication reliability between the transfer vehicle and manufacturing stations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical alignment requirement of optical communication with wireless RF communication that does not require precise physical alignment. This substitution eliminates the need for aligned locations and reduces communication disruptions caused by timing errors and surrounding optical noise.
2Reliability
If non-volatile memory is used for data storage in the communication system, then data can be retained without power, but data deletion and rewriting become time-consuming operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the memory parameter from non-volatile memory to volatile memory (RAM). This allows the system to store communication logs and operation data with much faster write and delete speeds, reducing the time loss associated with data management while maintaining sufficient data retention during system operation.
3Loss of information
If the system uses aligned location communication between master and slave devices, then data transmission can occur, but communication failures occur due to timing errors and adjacent device interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical alignment-based optical communication system with wireless RF communication. This substitution eliminates the need for aligned locations and reduces communication failures caused by timing errors and interference from adjacent master/slave devices, thereby improving communication stability and data transmission completeness.
4Reliability
If optical communication is used for data transmission, then communication can be established, but the communication distance is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the communication parameter from optical (IR) to wireless electromagnetic (RF) communication. This parameter change extends the communication distance capability while maintaining reliable data transmission between the unmanned transfer vehicle and manufacturing stations, overcoming the distance limitation of optical communication.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This system ensures continuous operation by switching communication modes and facilitates rapid error analysis and data logging, improving response times and reducing downtime in manufacturing processes.
Implementation Method 1
an IR transmission and reception circuit... for transmitting and receiving the data between the master device and the slave device
Implementation Method 2
a RF transmission and reception circuit... for transmitting and receiving the data between the master device and the slave device
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a data transmission system for automated material handling system in that, in the automated material handling system for transferring the products in course of manufacturing in the semiconductor manufacturing process or the liquid crystal display manufacturing process etc. to each manufacturing station, it switches the communication between the unmanned automatic transfer vehicle and the manufacturing station to the optical communication or the RF communication in readiness for the communication failure between the unmanned automatic transfer vehicle for master and the manufacturing station for slave, it transmits various input and output state data including the communication log data to the higher control system for master or the management computer system of slave/wireless data transmitter-receiver for slave by means of the master and/or slave device through the wire and wireless transmission and reception communication, thereby quickly coping with the operation error through the data analysis.