Visible-Light Vehicle Relay Communication for Plant Transport Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for vehicle control and communication in plant environments face challenges in reducing the number of stationary light sources, overcoming obstacles, and ensuring precise vehicle positioning and collision avoidance, while maintaining a high transmission range and improving safety.
Innovation Solution
A method and system where vehicles equipped with transceiver modules and position-determination devices use visible light for bidirectional communication, allowing vehicles to forward driving orders and position data, and enabling vehicles to determine their positions independently, reducing collision risks and enhancing safety by using LEDs and photodiodes for data transmission and reception.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If stationary light sources are used for data transmission, then transmission range is limited, but the number of stationary light sources must be reduced to lower system complexity and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the transmission network into stationary transceiver modules and mobile vehicles, each equipped with transceiver modules. This segmentation allows multiple distributed transmission points without requiring a single complex centralized system, reducing overall device complexity while extending coverage area.
Solution Approach 2:
Vehicles serve multiple functions: they perform delivery tasks and simultaneously act as mobile transceiver modules for data transmission. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate stationary light sources, lowering system complexity while maintaining or extending transmission range.
2Length of stationary object
If vehicles are used to forward driving orders, then transmission range is extended beyond stationary transceiver areas, but communication reliability must be maintained through bidirectional channels
Solution Approach 1:
Vehicles act as intermediary nodes that receive driving orders from stationary transceiver modules within range and forward them to other vehicles outside the stationary transmission area. This intermediary approach extends transmission range while maintaining reliability through structured bidirectional communication protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements bidirectional communication channels where vehicles can send status information and acknowledgments back to the central control unit and other vehicles. This feedback mechanism ensures communication reliability by confirming message delivery and enabling error correction.
3Measurement precision
If vehicles determine positions independently using position-determination devices, then positioning precision is improved, but the system requires more sensors and increased device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
Each vehicle is equipped with its own position-determination device (odometric sensors, GPS sensors) that independently determines its position without requiring constant external reference. This self-service approach improves positioning precision while distributing the computational burden, reducing central system complexity.
4Reliability
If relative position data of vehicles is determined and transmitted, then collision risk is reduced, but data transmission requirements increase system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
Vehicles continuously determine and transmit relative position data of nearby vehicles to the central control unit and peer vehicles. This feedback loop enables real-time collision avoidance by allowing the central control unit to calculate safe driving routes that account for all vehicle positions.
Solution Approach 2:
Vehicles serve as intermediary information sources, providing relative position data of neighboring vehicles to both the central control unit and other vehicles. This distributed information sharing improves collision avoidance reliability without requiring direct sensing between all vehicle pairs, reducing overall system complexity.
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
The system reduces the number of stationary light sources, increases transmission range, and improves safety by enabling precise vehicle positioning and collision avoidance, allowing vehicles to operate effectively within and outside the spatial transmission areas of stationary transceivers, and automatically return to starting points when necessary.
Implementation Method 1
the respective transceiver module has at least one controllable light source and a light sensor, in particular a light source of visible light and a light sensor for visible light
Implementation Method 2
a light source of visible light and a light sensor for visible light
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes vehicles, a central control unit, and a stationary transceiver module connected to the central control unit via a bidirectional communications channel. Each has a transceiver module for bidirectional communication with the stationary transceiver module and/or a vehicle. The transceiver module has a controllable light source and a light sensor. The central control unit transmits driving orders to the vehicles via the stationary transceiver module. A first vehicle that is located within the spatial transmission area of the stationary transceiver module forwards a driving order to a second vehicle that is located outside the spatial transmission area of the stationary transceiver module, and the second vehicle transmits data via the first vehicle and the stationary transceiver module to the central control unit.