Movement Planner Activation Checks for Collision-Space Errors

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Solution Overview

Problem

Movement planners for machines often require long computing times or fail to find collision-free trajectories, making it difficult to identify and address parameterization errors without expert knowledge during activation.

Innovation Solution

A method for computer-aided user assistance that analyzes parameterization data for a movement planner to identify potential errors by determining collision-free and collision-prone movement spaces and providing warning messages via a user interface, allowing users to adjust settings before machine operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If parameterization data are specified during movement planner activation, then the movement planner can be adapted to current machine and environment conditions, but errors or problems in the parameterization data may go undetected until planning requests are executed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliability of movement planningVSAvoiddifficulty of detecting parameterization errors

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of parameterization data during the activation phase of the movement planner, before any actual movement planning requests are executed. This advance checking identifies errors in machine models and environment models early, preventing problematic planning requests later. The analysis includes computing collision-free and collision-prone movement spaces and evaluating features against plausibility criteria before the planner is activated for use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If expert knowledge is used to identify causes of slow or failing planning requests, then planning problems can be diagnosed, but the process is difficult and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprecision of problem identificationVSAvoidtime for identifying planning problems

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The movement planner system performs self-diagnosis by automatically analyzing its own parameterization data during activation. The system computes movement spaces, evaluates features, checks plausibility criteria, and generates warning messages about potential errors without requiring external expert intervention. This self-service approach eliminates the need for time-consuming expert analysis while maintaining high precision in problem identification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If the movement planner is activated without preliminary error detection, then activation is faster, but planning requests may require very long computing times or fail completely

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproductivity of movement planningVSAvoidcomputing time for planning requests

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides warning messages during activation that cushion against future planning failures by alerting users to potential errors in parameterization data. These warnings allow users to correct issues before they cause planning requests to fail or require excessive computing time, thus protecting the productivity of the movement planning system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

4Reliability

If detailed analysis of parameterization data is performed during activation, then errors can be identified early, but the activation process becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliability of movement planningVSAvoidcomplexity of activation process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides feedback to users during activation by generating warning messages that communicate the results of the detailed parameterization analysis. Instead of silently failing later, the system feeds back information about potential errors in machine models and environment models, allowing users to understand and correct issues. This feedback mechanism maintains reliability while managing complexity through clear communication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11654560B2Method for computer-aided user assistance during the activation of a movement planner for a machine

Publication Date: 2023.05.23 SIEMENS HEALTHINEERS AG

AI summary

Provided is a method for computer-aided user assistance during the activation of a movement planner for a machine, in which:a user interface is provided and can be used by a user to specify parameterization data for the movement planner, wherein the parameterization data comprise a machine model and an environment model;the collision-free movement space and the collision-prone movement space of the machine in the configuration space are determined on the basis of parameterization data specified via the user interface; one or more features with respect to the collision-free and/or collision-prone movement space are determined;a predefined plausibility criterion is checked for a respective feature of at least some of the features, wherein, if the plausibility criterion has not been satisfied, an output in the form of a warning message is produced via the user interface.