Industrial Vehicle Tag Layout Handling for Malfunctioning Sequenced Tags
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial vehicle navigation systems using radio frequency identification tags face challenges in managing malfunctioning tags within a tag layout, which can disrupt the precise control and operation of vehicles in industrial settings.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an industrial vehicle system that includes a tag reader, a reader module, and a vehicle controller, which identifies individual tags along an aisle path, correlates vehicle functionality with tag-dependent positional data, and adjusts operations based on user input, while also detecting and managing malfunctioning tags by advancing or retarding memory locations to ensure continuous operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the system uses a fixed memory location mapping for sequenced tags, then the tag layout is simple and easy to implement, but the system cannot adapt to malfunctioning tags causing navigation errors
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts memory location mapping based on detected tag malfunctions. When a malfunctioning tag is identified through distance measurement errors, the reader module dynamically remaps subsequent tag memory locations to compensate for the malfunction, allowing the system to adapt to failures without manual intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback through distance measurement sensors that continuously monitor tag positions. When measurement errors indicate a malfunctioning tag, this feedback triggers automatic memory location adjustments, creating a closed-loop system that maintains navigation accuracy despite tag failures
2Reliability
If the system continuously monitors tag positions to detect malfunctioning tags, then navigation reliability is improved, but energy consumption and processing load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses distance measurement data to skip detailed verification processes when tags are confirmed to be malfunctioning. Once a malfunction is detected through initial distance checks, the system rapidly remaps memory locations without continuous detailed monitoring of each subsequent tag, reducing processing load while maintaining detection accuracy
3Productivity
If the system remaps memory locations to compensate for malfunctioning tags, then continuous operation is maintained, but the system complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary remapping actions immediately when a malfunctioning tag is detected, rather than waiting for navigation errors to occur. This proactive approach maintains operational continuity by pre-adjusting memory locations before the malfunction can disrupt vehicle operation
Solution Approach 2:
The tag layout is segmented into independent sections with individual memory location mappings. When a malfunction is detected in one segment, only that specific segment's memory locations are remapped, rather than requiring system-wide remapping, thus reducing processing complexity while maintaining operational continuity
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
This solution enables the industrial vehicle to maintain precise control and operation even when malfunctioning tags are present, ensuring efficient storage and retrieval operations by correlating vehicle functionality with correct positional data and adapting to tag layout irregularities.
Implementation Method 1
a tag reader, a reader module, and a vehicle controller, which identifies individual tags along an aisle path
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
An industrial vehicle comprises industrial vehicle hardware, a tag reader (30), a reader module (35), a user interface, and a vehicle controller (40). The industrial vehicle hardware comprises storage and retrieval hardware (20), a vehicle drive mechanism (25) and a travel distance sensor (43). The tag reader (30) and the reader module (35) cooperate to identify individual tags of a tag layout (50, 50'). The individual tags of the tag layout (50, 50') comprise a plurality of sequenced tags (130). The plurality of sequenced tags (130) are sequenced along an aisle path (70) in accordance with a sequence list that is accessible to the reader module (35). The reader module (35) comprises a reader memory (205) coupled to a reader processor (208). Each individual tag of the tag layout (50) corresponds to a memory location (200) in the reader memory (205). The memory locations (200) in the reader memory (205) are stored in a known order corresponding to the sequence of the sequenced tags. The travel distance sensor (43) measures a tag distance from an identified sequence tag. The reader module (35) advances or retards the reader memory (35) one memory location (200) to a new memory location (200) from the memory location (200) corresponding to the identified sequence tag when an error distance measurement threshold is exceeded by the tag distance measurement, wherein the advancement or retardation from the memory location (200) corresponding to the identified sequence tag is dependent on a travel direction of the industrial vehicle (10) along the aisle path (70), and correlates vehicle functionality corresponding to the new memory location (200) with a current location of the industrial vehicle (10). The vehicle controller (10) controls operational functions of the industrial vehicle hardware in response to (i) the correlation of vehicle functionality with the new memory location (200), (ii) the correlation of vehicle functionality with an identified tag in the tag layout, tag-dependent positional data, or both, (iii) user input at the user interface of the industrial vehicle, or (iv) combinations thereof.