Digital Twin Control for Mixed-Protocol Goods Carriers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing picking systems face challenges in effectively managing communication and control between diverse, often proprietary and non-standardized, article carriers from different manufacturers, limiting their operational efficiency and flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that decouples communication between article carriers by using digital twins to exchange status information and changes, enabling communication across carriers with different protocols, and facilitating comprehensive control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If proprietary and non-standardized control protocols are used for article carriers from different manufacturers, then each carrier can maintain its own control characteristics and functionality, but communication and control between diverse carriers become problematic and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a central control unit that acts as an intermediary between article carriers with different proprietary protocols. The control unit receives status information from various carriers through their respective protocols, standardizes the data format, and distributes it to other carriers. This mediator approach enables communication between diverse carriers without requiring them to directly support each other's protocols, thus improving compatibility while managing complexity centrally.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit is designed with universal functionality to handle multiple proprietary protocols simultaneously. It can interface with different types of article carriers (from various manufacturers with different protocols) through a single standardized interface, making the system universally compatible. This multi-functional design allows the same control unit to manage diverse carriers without requiring separate control mechanisms for each protocol type.
2Adaptability or versatility
If digital twins are used to exchange status information between article carriers, then communication across carriers with different protocols is enabled, but the system requires generating and maintaining virtual models of physical carriers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates digital twins (virtual copies) of physical article carriers that contain their status information and control interfaces. These digital models allow the system to interact with carriers through standardized digital representations rather than direct proprietary protocol communication. The copying approach enables protocol independence because the digital twin translates between different proprietary protocols and the standardized internal system interface, while the complexity of maintaining multiple protocol mappings is centralized in the control unit.
3Productivity
If comprehensive control of highly diverse means is implemented, then operational efficiency improves, but the distribution of information inside the system becomes problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the information distribution function into a centralized control unit that consolidates status information from all article carriers into a unified data structure. This centralization ensures that all carriers and the control system have access to the same standardized information, preventing information loss or inconsistency. The merged approach maintains operational efficiency by providing comprehensive system-wide visibility while ensuring reliable information distribution through a single authoritative source.
Data Source
AI summary
In a method for the computer-aided processing of a status change of an article carrier in a picking system, a storage and conveying region of the picking system, along with article carriers located thereupon, are virtualized in a computer. Pieces of status change information relating to a change in a physical status of an article carrier and/or relating to a change in a status of a control program for the article carrier are provided by an assigned digital twin of the article carrier and for digital twins of other article carriers. Further, a picking system carries out the method.