Transport Vehicle Path Synchronization on Shared Storage Routes

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Solution Overview

Problem

In storage facilities, collisions between transport vehicles can lead to damage and decreased operational efficiency, with existing methods either resulting in suboptimal paths or delayed movements, which negatively impact throughput and revenue.

Innovation Solution

A method and system where a server communicates with transport vehicles to determine and synchronize their paths, identifying a common path and safe distance to maintain, allowing vehicles to follow each other in a leader-follower configuration to prevent collisions while optimizing throughput.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If paths for transport vehicles are determined to avoid overlap, then collision between vehicles is prevented, but throughput and operational efficiency decrease due to suboptimal paths

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollision preventionVSAvoidthroughput

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts vehicle movement parameters (speed, stopping, resuming) based on real-time conditions on common paths. Instead of static path assignment, the server continuously monitors and controls vehicle behavior to maintain safe distances while optimizing throughput, allowing vehicles to adapt their motion dynamically rather than following fixed predetermined paths

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The server implements continuous feedback control by monitoring vehicle positions, calculating safe distances, and sending control signals to adjust vehicle movement. The system receives status information from vehicles, processes it to determine appropriate spacing, and provides real-time feedback commands to maintain optimal throughput while preventing collisions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If transport vehicle movement is delayed to avoid collision, then safety is improved, but operational throughput and revenue decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollision avoidanceVSAvoidoperational delay

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The server calculates safe distances and determines control signals in advance based on predicted vehicle positions and velocities. By performing preliminary calculations of required spacing and control actions, the system can smoothly adjust vehicle movement without abrupt delays, maintaining throughput while ensuring safety through pre-planned control sequences

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes motion parameters (velocity, acceleration, stopping timing) dynamically based on real-time conditions. Instead of fixed delays, the server adjusts speed and positioning parameters continuously to maintain safe distances while minimizing operational disruption and maximizing throughput

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If multiple transport vehicles operate simultaneously, then throughput is improved, but collision risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational throughputVSAvoidcollision risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The server acts as an intermediary control system between multiple vehicles, coordinating their movements on shared paths. It calculates safe distances between vehicles and issues control signals to each vehicle to maintain appropriate spacing, enabling high-density vehicle operation while preventing collisions through centralized mediation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11163315B2Method and system for synchronizing movement of transport vehicles in a storage facility

Publication Date: 2021.11.02 GREY ORANGE PTE LTD

AI summary

A method for synchronizing movement of transport vehicles in a storage facility is provided. A server determines first and second paths in the storage facility to be traversed by first and second transport vehicles, respectively. The server identifies a common path that corresponds to an overlap between the first and second paths. The server determines a safe distance to be maintained between the first and second transport vehicles, for avoiding a collision therebetween, when the first and second transport vehicles traverse the common path in the same direction. The server communicates a message, indicative of the safe distance, to the second transport vehicle for synchronizing movement of the first and second transport vehicles. Based on the message, the second transport vehicle follows the first transport vehicle along the common path and maintains a distance greater than or equal to the safe distance from the first transport vehicle.