Planar Magnetic Drive Path Planning With Priority-Based Collision Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing planar drive systems face challenges in avoiding collisions between movers on a drive surface, particularly when multiple movers with varying priorities need to navigate complex routes without intersecting or colliding.
Innovation Solution
A device and method that utilize a control unit to assign priorities to movers, ensuring that higher-priority movers are given right of way by planning routes that avoid collisions, with the control unit using magnetic field generators to guide movers along determined paths, considering factors like speed, distance to targets, and operational states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple movers are allowed to operate on the drive surface simultaneously, then productivity increases, but the risk of collision between movers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs preliminary path planning for multiple movers before they start moving, calculating collision-free trajectories in advance. This preliminary action ensures that even though multiple movers operate simultaneously (increasing productivity), their paths are pre-coordinated to avoid collisions (maintaining reliability).
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the paths and timing of movers based on real-time conditions. The control unit continuously monitors mover positions and recalculates paths if potential collisions are detected, allowing flexible coordination that maintains both high productivity and collision avoidance.
2Reliability
If complex path planning is performed to avoid collisions between multiple movers, then collision avoidance improves, but computation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive surface is divided into multiple sectors, and path planning is performed separately for each sector or for groups of movers operating in different sectors. This segmentation reduces the computational complexity compared to planning all paths globally, while still ensuring collision avoidance through coordinated sector-level planning.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit applies different path planning strategies to different movers or sectors based on local conditions. High-priority movers or critical sectors receive more detailed planning, while less critical areas use simplified planning, optimizing the balance between collision avoidance and computation time.
3Reliability
If priority-based path planning is implemented, then collision avoidance improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each mover is assigned a priority level, and the control unit automatically resolves path conflicts based on these priorities without requiring complex real-time negotiation between movers. The higher-priority mover's path is established first, and lower-priority movers automatically adjust their paths to avoid conflicts, simplifying the control logic while ensuring reliable collision avoidance.
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
Effectively prevents collisions by prioritizing movers based on their operational conditions and properties, optimizing route planning to ensure safe and efficient movement of all movers on the drive surface.
Implementation Method 1
the device has several sectors, the sectors having magnetic field generators for generating magnetic fields
Implementation Method 2
a driving force is exerted on the mover by the magnetic interaction of current-carrying conductors with drive magnets of a magnetic arrangement
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device and a method for preventing a collision when determining driving paths for at least two moving elements (5, 200, 513, 514) on a driving surface (510), wherein each moving element (5, 200, 513, 514) has at least one second magnetic field generator (250), wherein the device has multiple sectors (501), wherein the sectors (501) have magnetic field generators (127) for generating magnetic fields, wherein the sectors (501) form the driving surface (510), wherein a driving path planning is carried out for at least two moving elements (5, 200, 513, 514), wherein at least the two moving elements (5, 200, 513, 514) are assigned a priority level, wherein the priority levels of the moving elements (5, 200, 513, 514) are taken into consideration in the driving path planning of the driving paths of the moving elements (5, 200, 513, 514) in such a way that a driving path of a moving element (5, 200, 513, 514) with a higher priority level is given precedence over a driving path of a moving element (5, 200, 513, 514) with a lower priority level, such that a collision of the moving elements (5, 200, 513, 514) is prevented.