Control unit for a conveyor with hardware detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11358803-B2
Application number	US-201615571887-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2016
Priority date	May 7, 2015
Publication date	Jun 14, 2022
Grant date	Jun 14, 2022

Abstract

A method for configuring a control unit in a conveyor, wherein a control unit controls one or more conveyor segments comprising a conveyor drive in signal communication with the control unit via a motor connection socket, and a sensor for detecting an object at a position within the conveyor segment. The conveyor is in signal communication with the control unit via a sensor connection socket. The control unit self-configures itself by: (i) activating a configuration mode in the control unit, (ii) receiving a signal from each motor connection socket or sensor connection socket, (iii) comparing the received signal(s) with a comparative value stored in the control unit, and (iv) determining whether a conveyor drive or a sensor is connected to a motor connection socket or a sensor connection socket of the control unit, respectively, based on the comparison of the signal(s) with the comparative value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for configuring a control unit in a conveyor, wherein a control unit controls one or more conveyor segments and each conveyor segment comprises:
a. a conveyor drive for conveying an object through the conveyor segment, said conveyor drive being in signal communication with the control unit via a motor connection socket, and
b. a sensor for detecting an object at a position within the conveyor segment, said conveyor being in signal communication with the control unit via a sensor connection socket,
wherein the control unit self-configures itself, said self-configuration comprising the steps of:
(i) activating a configuration mode in the control unit,
(ii) receiving a signal from each motor connection socket or sensor connection socket of the control unit in a processor unit of the control unit,
(iii) comparing the received signal(s) with a comparative value stored in the control unit, and
(iv) determining whether a conveyor drive or a sensor is connected to a motor connection socket or a sensor connection socket of the control unit, respectively, based on the comparison of the signal(s) with the comparative value; and
wherein:
each motor connection socket is polled in step (ii) by the processor unit for the signal, the signal comprising an interference signal;
a comparison is made in step (iii) to determine whether the interference signal has been received or whether the interference signal has not been received, and it is determined in step (iv) for each motor connection socket that a conveyor drive is connected to the motor connection socket if the interference signal has not been received, and that the conveyor drive is not connected to the motor connection socket if the interference signal is received; or
all the conveyor drives connected to the control unit are activated in step (i), an activity signal, comprising a motor operating current or a signal from a gyro sensor mechanically coupled to the conveyor drive, is received at each motor connection socket in the processor unit as the signal in step (ii), the received activity signal is compared in step (iii) with a reference value as the comparative value, and, in step (iv), if the activity signal is present, it is determined that a conveyor drive is connected to the motor connection socket, and if there is no activity signal it is determined that the conveyor drive is not connected to the motor connection socket.

2. A method for configuring a control unit in a conveyor, wherein a control unit controls one or more conveyor segments and each conveyor segment comprises:
a. a conveyor drive for conveying an object through the conveyor segment, said conveyor drive being in signal communication with the control unit via a motor connection socket, and
b. a sensor for detecting an object at a position within the conveyor segment, said conveyor being in signal communication with the control unit via a sensor connection socket,
wherein the control unit self-configures itself, said self-configuration comprising the steps of:
(i) activating a configuration mode in the control unit,
(ii) receiving a signal from each motor connection socket or sensor connection socket of the control unit in a processor unit of the control unit,
(iii) comparing the received signal(s) with a comparative value stored in the control unit, and
(iv) determining whether a conveyor drive or a sensor is connected to a motor connection socket or a sensor connection socket of the control unit, respectively, based on the comparison of the signal(s) with the comparative value; and
wherein the control unit has a plurality of motor connection sockets and that an assignment plan for the motor connection sockets is calculated after step (iv) and compared with a reference assignment plan comprising a reference assignment pattern for every possible number of connected conveyor drives, and that in the event of any divergence from the reference assignment plan, a visual or acoustic signal error message is outputted by the control unit.

3. A method for configuring a control unit in a conveyor, wherein a control unit controls one or more conveyor segments and each conveyor segment comprises:
a. a conveyor drive for conveying an object through the conveyor segment, said conveyor drive being in signal communication with the control unit via a motor connection socket, and
b. a sensor for detecting an object at a position within the conveyor segment, said conveyor being in signal communication with the control unit via a sensor connection socket,
wherein the control unit self-configures itself, said self-configuration comprising the steps of:
(i) activating a configuration mode in the control unit,
(ii) receiving a signal from each motor connection socket or sensor connection socket of the control unit in a processor unit of the control unit,
(iii) comparing the received signal(s) with a comparative value stored in the control unit, and
(iv) determining whether a conveyor drive or a sensor is connected to a motor connection socket or a sensor connection socket of the control unit, respectively, based on the comparison of the signal(s) with the comparative value; and
wherein:
each sensor connection socket is polled in step (ii) by the processor unit for an interference signal as the signal, a comparison is made in step (iii) to determine whether the interference signal has been received or whether the interference signal has not been received, and it is determined in step (iv) for each sensor connection socket that a sensor is connected to the sensor connection socket if the interference signal has not been received, and that no sensor is connected to the sensor connection socket if the interference signal is received; or
in step (i), all the sensors connected to the control unit are activated, in step (ii), a sensor signal is received at each sensor connection socket in the processor unit, in step (iii), the received sensor signal is compared with a reference value as the comparative value, and in step (iv), if the sensor signal is present, it is determined that a sensor is connected to the sensor connection socket and, in the absence of the sensor signal, it is determined that no sensor is connected to the sensor connection socket.

4. A method for configuring a control unit in a conveyor, wherein a control unit controls one or more conveyor segments and each conveyor segment comprises:
a. a conveyor drive for conveying an object through the conveyor segment, said conveyor drive being in signal communication with the control unit via a motor connection socket, and
b. a sensor for detecting an object at a position within the conveyor segment, said conveyor being in signal communication with the control unit via a sensor connection socket,
wherein the control unit self-configures itself, said self-configuration comprising the steps of:
(i) activating a configuration mode in the control unit,
(ii) receiving a signal from each motor connection socket or sensor connection socket of the control unit in a processor unit of the control unit,
(iii) comparing the received signal(s) with a comparative value stored in the control unit, and
(iv) determining whether a conveyor drive or a sensor is connected to a motor connection socket or a sensor connection socket of the control unit, respectively, based on the comparison of the signal(s) with the comparative value; and
wherein the control unit has a plurality of sensor connection sockets and that an assignment plan for the sensor connection sockets is calculated after step (iv) and compared with a reference assignment plan comprising a reference assignment pattern for every possible number of connected sensors, and that in the event of any divergence from the reference assignment plan, an error message, comprising a visual or

Assignees

• Interroll Holding Ag

Inventors

• Henze Herbert

Classifications

• G05B19/4189

  characterised by the transport system · CPC title

• G05B2219/45054

  Handling, conveyor · CPC title

• B65G43/08 Primary

  Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged {(and controlling the discharging devices B65G47/42)} · CPC title

• B65G2203/0233

  Position of the article · CPC title

• B65G13/06

  Roller driving means · CPC title