System, in particular a manufacturing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11537113-B2
Application number	US-202016951189-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2020
Priority date	Jan 21, 2013
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

A system, in particular a manufacturing system, the system including machines, especially stationary and mobile machines, and at least one vehicle and a control, the vehicle having at least one sensor for ascertaining the relative position of a person, in particular a sensor for ascertaining the distance between the vehicle and the person, and for ascertaining the angle between the driving direction of the vehicle and the connecting line between the person and the vehicle, the vehicle having a position acquisition means for sensing the position of the vehicle, in particular a GPS system or a triangulation system for ascertaining the position of the vehicle, the control including a means for ascertaining the safety zone around the person and the machines situated therein, a data transmission channel being provided between the control and the machines.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a plurality of machines;
a data transmission channel in communication with the machines;
a sensor; and
a controller adapted to ascertain a position of a movable object relative to the machines based on signals generated by the sensor, to ascertain a safety zone area around the movable object based on the ascertained relative position of the movable object and positions of the machines, to ascertain a safety zone area around the movable object and the machines situated therein based on the ascertained relative position of the movable objected and the positions of the machines, and to place the machines located in the safety zone area into a safety-directed state.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the machines is arranged as a stationary machine.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is adapted to ascertain the safety zone area around the movable object based on the ascertained relative position of the movable object and a predetermined position of the stationary machine.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the machines is arranged as a movable machine.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is adapted to ascertain a position of the movable machine based on the signals generated by the sensor, and the controller is adapted to ascertain the safety zone area around the movable object based on the ascertained relative position of the movable object and the ascertained position of the movable machine.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the machines is arranged as a stationary machine and at least one of the machines is arranged as a movable machine.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is adapted to ascertain a position of the movable machine based on the signals generated by the sensor, and the controller is adapted to ascertain the safety zone area around the movable object based on the ascertained relative position of the movable object, the ascertained position of the movable machine, and a predetermined position of the stationary machine.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is arranged as a stationary sensor.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the movable object includes a person.

10. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a movable vehicle.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the vehicle includes the sensor.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the controller is adapted to sense a position of the vehicle and to ascertain the safety zone area around the movable object based on the sensed position of the vehicle.

13. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the vehicle includes a position acquisition device adapted to sense a position of the vehicle.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the position acquisition device includes a GPS system and/or a triangulation system.

15. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the vehicle is adapted to maintain a constant distance to the movable object and/or to maintain at least a minimum distance value to the movable object.

16. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the vehicle includes a daylight camera, an infrared camera, and/or a microphone adapted to ascertain a relative position between the vehicle and the movable object.

17. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the vehicle includes a brake device, the vehicle adapted to reduce a vehicle speed so that a brake travel of the vehicle is shorter than a distance to the movable object.

18. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of movable vehicles.

19. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is adapted to ascertain a distance between the movable object and the machines and to ascertain an angle between a moving direction of the movable object and a connecting line between the movable object and the machines.

20. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the safety-directed state includes a reduced-speed state and/or a stopped state.

21. A system, comprising:
a plurality of machines;
a data transmission channel in communication with the machines;
a sensor; and
at least one controller adapted to ascertain a position of a movable object relative to the machines based on signals generated by the sensor, to ascertain a safety zone area around the movable object based on the ascertained relative position of the movable object and positions of the machines, to ascertain a safety zone area around the movable object and the machines situated therein based on the ascertained relative position of the movable objected and the positions of the machines, and to place the machines located in the safety zone area into a safety-directed state.

Assignees

• Sew Eurodrive Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Schmidt Josef
• Sliskovic Maja

Classifications

• G05B19/41895 Primary

  using automatic guided vehicles [AGV] (control of position or course of AGV's G05D1/00) · CPC title

• Y02P90/02

  Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] · CPC title

• G05B2219/50193

  Safety in general · CPC title

• Y02P90/60

  Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes · CPC title

• G05B2219/50393

  Floor conveyor, AGV automatic guided vehicle · CPC title