Tiered control architecture for material handling
US6951274B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 6, 2002 |
| Grant date | Oct 4, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 4, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02P90/02
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A control architecture for material handling includes multiple tiers of controllers, such as three. The lowest-level controllers interact directly with sensors and actuators used in the material handling system, such as photo-eyes and motors used with conveyors. The lowest-level controllers receive higher level commands from one or more mid-level controllers. The mid-level controllers, in turn, receive still higher level commands and information from at least one upper level controller. Each mid and low level controller is designed to include sufficient intelligence to deal with many of the signals and messages it receives without having to forward those signals or messages to the next higher level controller and await instructions from that higher level controller. The system thus distributes intelligence amongst the controllers. The system is well-adapted for application to conveyor control systems.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.