Conveyor speed control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9738455-B2
Application number	US-201414298165-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2014
Priority date	Jun 7, 2013
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

Systems, methods, devices, and non-transitory processor readable media of the various embodiments enable intelligent speed control of conveyors (e.g., singulator conveyors, sortation conveyors, etc.) in a material handling system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating a material handling system including a conveyor system, comprising:
determining whether a material handling system state input meets a speed change requirement for the conveyor system;
determining a new speed for the conveyor system in response to determining the material handling system state input meets the speed change requirement for the conveyor system; and
operating the conveyor system at the new speed,
wherein:
the conveyor system is a sortation system; and
determining whether a material handling system state input meets a speed change requirement for the conveyor system comprises:
determining a maximum throughput value of the sortation system at a first run rate;
monitoring an actual throughput value of the sortation system at the first run rate;
comparing a ratio of the actual throughput value to the maximum throughput value with a first threshold; and
determining the material handling system state input meets the speed change requirement in response to the ratio being greater than the first threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
comparing the ratio with a second threshold that is lower than the first threshold; and
determining the material handling system state input meets the speed change requirement in response to the ratio being less than the second threshold,
wherein determining a new speed for the conveyor system in response to determining the material handling system state input meets the speed change requirement for the conveyor system comprises:
determining a new speed for the sortation system that is greater than the first run rate in response to the ratio being greater than the first threshold; and
determining a new speed for the sortation system that is less than the first run rate in response to the ratio being less than the second threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring an actual throughput value of the sortation system at the first run rate comprises monitoring the actual throughput value of the sortation system at the first run rate for a time period greater than one minute.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the material handling system state input is selected from the group consisting of a labor input, a current work input, an estimated completion time, a work characteristic, and an electric pricing period.

5. A material handling system comprising:
a conveyor system; and
a controller, comprising:
an interface in communication with the conveyor system; and
a processor coupled to the interface, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
determining whether a material handling system state input meets a speed change requirement for the conveyor system;
determining a new speed for the conveyor system in response to determining the material handling system state input meets the speed change requirement for the conveyor system; and
operating the conveyor system at the new speed,

wherein:
the conveyor system is a sortation system; and
the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that:
determining whether a material handling system state input meets a speed change requirement for the conveyor system comprises:
determining a maximum throughout value of the sortation system at a first run rate;
monitoring an actual throughput value of the sortation system at the first run rate;
comparing a ratio of the actual throughput value to the maximum throughput value with a first threshold; and
determining the material handling system state input meets the speed change requirement in response to the ratio being greater than the first threshold.

6. The material handling system of claim 5 , wherein: the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:
comparing the ratio with a second threshold that is lower than the first threshold; and
determining the material handling system state input meets the speed change requirement in response to the ratio being less than the second threshold; and
the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that determining a new speed for the conveyor system in response to determining the material handling system state input meets the speed change requirement for the conveyor system comprises:
determining a new speed for the sortation system that is greater than the first run rate in response to the ratio being greater than the first threshold; and determining a new speed for the sortation system that is less than the first run rate in response to the ratio being less than the second threshold.

7. The material handling system of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that monitoring an actual throughput value of the sortation system at the first run rate comprises monitoring the actual throughput value of the sortation system at the first run rate for a time period greater than one minute.

8. The material handling system of claim 5 , wherein:
the conveyor system is a sortation system; and
the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that:
determining whether a material handling system state input meets a speed change requirement for the conveyor system comprises:
monitoring an unavailability value of aftersort destinations of the sortation system; and
determining the material handling system state input meets the speed change requirement in response to the unavailability value exceeding a first recirculation threshold or a second recirculation threshold; and
determining a new speed for the conveyor system in response to determining the material handling system state input meets the speed change requirement for the conveyor system comprises:
determining a new speed for the sortation system that is less than a current speed in response to the unavailability value exceeding the first recirculation threshold; and
reducing indications to the sortation system in response to the unavailability value exceeding the second recirculation threshold.

9. The material handling system of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that the material handling system state input is selected from the group consisting of a labor input, a current work input, an estimated completion time, a work characteristic, and an electric pricing period.

10. A non-transitory processor readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor to perform operations comprising:
determining whether a material handling system state input meets a speed change requirement for a conveyor system;
determining a new speed for the conveyor system in response to determining the material handling system state input meets the speed change requirement for the conveyor system; and
operating the conveyor system at the new speed,
wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations such that: the conveyor system is a sortation system; and determining whether a material handling system state input meets a speed change requirement for the conveyor system comprises:
determining a maximum throughput value of the sortation system at a first run rate;
monitoring an actual throughput value of the sortation system at the first run rate;
comparing a ratio of the actual throughput value to the maximum throughput value with a first threshold; and
determining the material handling system

Assignees

• Intelligrated Headquarters Llc

Inventors

• Neiser Raymond R
• Koch Jerome F
• Kelly Andrew John
• Sollenberger Matt
• Johnson Jason A
• Napoli Daniel Raymond

Classifications

• B65G43/08 Primary

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