Motor Roller Controller Communication for Conveyor Merging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional conveyor systems face complexities and errors in merging and diverting products due to wiring constraints and serial communication bus limitations, which lead to indirect and error-prone communication between controllers, especially when a merger or diverter is involved.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a conveyor system with both wired and wireless communication interfaces between motor roller controllers and a dedicated merger/diverter controller, allowing direct wireless communication to simplify and enhance the merging and diverting operations, reducing the need for central control detours and improving communication efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wired serial communication bus is used for controller communication, then stable communication is achieved, but communication complexity and error probability increase in merging and diverting operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines wired and wireless communication interfaces in the motor roller controller. The wired interface provides stable power and data transmission, while the wireless interface enables direct peer-to-peer communication between controllers. This merging of communication methods allows the system to maintain reliability through wired connections while reducing complexity for merging/diverting operations through simplified wireless coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless communication interface acts as an intermediary that enables direct communication between motor roller controllers without requiring detours through the central control. This intermediary wireless channel simplifies the coordination of merging and diverting operations by allowing controllers to exchange information directly, reducing the overall communication complexity.
2Ease of operation
If direct wireless communication is implemented between controllers, then communication efficiency and ease of operation improve, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The motor roller controller is designed with multi-functionality, incorporating both wired and wireless communication capabilities in a single device. This universal controller can handle routine operations through the wired interface while enabling direct peer-to-peer communication for merging and diverting operations through the wireless interface, simplifying operations without requiring separate dedicated devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication system dynamically switches between wired and wireless interfaces based on operational requirements. For routine operations, the stable wired interface is used, while for merging and diverting operations, the wireless interface is activated to enable direct controller communication, thereby simplifying these specific operations without permanently increasing system complexity.
3Reliability
If wired communication detours through central control are used, then communication stability is maintained, but operation time and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The communication system is segmented into two independent channels: wired communication for stable data transmission and wireless communication for time-critical coordination. By segmenting the communication functions, the system can maintain stability through wired connections while improving productivity through direct wireless communication for merging and diverting operations, eliminating the need for detours through central control.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless communication interface is pre-configured and available in the motor roller controller, ready to enable direct peer-to-peer communication when merging or diverting operations are initiated. This preliminary preparation allows controllers to immediately exchange information without waiting for central control mediation, thereby reducing operation time and improving productivity while maintaining stability through the established wired interface.
Data Source
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AI summary
Conveyor system, for instance for conveying goods, packages and the like comprising at least two wired motor-roller controllers, wherein each wired motor-roller controller has at least one motor-roller control port and at least one wired signal bus port, at least two wireless motor-roller controllers, wherein each wireless motor-roller controller has at least on motor-roller control port and a wireless port, and wherein the two wired motor-roller controllers are connected in series along the signal bus via the signal bus port, characterized in that at each wired motor-roller controller senses a signal strength of wireless signals of the wireless motor-roller controllers, and the wired motor-roller controllers exchange information about the sensed signal strengths.