Elevator Car Priority Control for Multi-Robot Boarding Delays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current elevator systems are inefficient in managing the movement of robots between floors, leading to unnecessary stops and increased standby time, as existing techniques fail to optimize elevator operation scheduling for robots, resulting in reduced efficiency and increased congestion.
Innovation Solution
An elevator control method and apparatus that determines the priority of board-standby and on-board robots based on various factors such as destination floors, type of freight, standby time, and exit-standby time, using a communication unit, priority determination unit, and control unit to optimize elevator operations and reduce congestion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional elevator control systems are used for robot transportation, then the elevator can operate with basic functionality, but the standby time for robots increases and operation efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The elevator control system dynamically adjusts the priority of robots based on real-time factors such as freight type, destination floor, and current elevator status. The priority determination unit continuously updates robot priorities rather than using fixed priority assignments, allowing the system to adapt to changing conditions and optimize transportation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of robot priority based on multiple variables including freight type (passenger, food, parcel, waste), destination floor, and elevator operation state. By varying the priority parameter according to these inputs, the system optimizes elevator scheduling to reduce robot standby time and improve overall productivity.
2Productivity
If elevator operations are optimized for high-priority robots, then transportation efficiency improves, but congestion may increase in the elevator car
Solution Approach 1:
The control system determines robot priorities in advance before elevator boarding, allowing the elevator car to be pre-planned for optimal robot arrangement. High-priority robots are identified and prepared for boarding, while the system anticipates potential congestion issues and adjusts scheduling to prevent overcrowding.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors elevator car status and robot priorities, providing feedback to the control unit. When congestion is detected or anticipated, the feedback mechanism allows the system to adjust priority assignments and boarding sequences to maintain efficient transportation while preventing excessive congestion in the elevator car.
3Productivity
If robots with low initial priority wait for elevator boarding, then high-priority robots can board first, but low-priority robots experience excessive delay
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic re-evaluation of robot priorities during the waiting and boarding process. Rather than maintaining fixed priority assignments, the control unit periodically updates priorities based on current system state, allowing low-priority robots to potentially increase their priority over time if conditions change, thus preventing excessive delays while maintaining high throughput.
Data Source
AI summary
An elevator control method is implemented by a computer and comprises: receiving a board request from a board-standby robot; determining a priority of the board-standby robot based on information relating to the board-standby robot and operation information of the elevator; and controlling operation of an elevator car based on the priority of board-standby robots and the priority of on-board robots within the elevator car.