# US 2014/0156061 A1 · Accumulation control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0156061 A1 - Document ID: US20140156061A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/093,454 - Filed: 2013-11-30 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: Intelligrated Headquarters, LLC - Applicants: Intelligrated Headquarters, LLC - Inventors: Raymond R. Neiser; Jason A. Johnson; Brian J. Resnick; Christopher S. Anderson; Kevin L. Klueber; Jeffrey S. Turner; Matthew S. Wicks - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156061A1 ## CPC - B65G 47/268: {by means of belt or chain conveyor} - B65G 43/10: Sequence control of conveyors operating in combination - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) ## Abstract Zones of an accumulation conveyor are controlled using a look ahead approach. The speed and article presence conditions of downstream and upstream zones are used to assess the condition of article flow in the neighborhood of a particular zone. The respective speeds of individual zones are then selected and implemented based on the assessment. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling an accumulation conveyor, the accumulation conveyor comprising a plurality of zones, the method comprising: receiving, at a controller, data indicating conditions for each zone of the plurality of zones; and setting, at the controller, an operating speed for a first zone of the plurality of zones based on at least one of said conditions selected from the group consisting of a condition of an upstream zone of the plurality of zones, and a condition of a downstream zone of the plurality of zones, the condition of the downstream zone being a speed of the downstream zone. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein setting the operating speed for the first zone based on the condition of the downstream zone comprises setting, at the controller, the operating speed for the first zone based on determining, at the controller, whether the downstream zone is occupied by an article. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein setting the operating speed for the first zone based on the condition of the downstream zone comprises determining, at the controller, a potential speed of the first zone based on the speed of the downstream zone. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the speed of the downstream zone comprises a potential speed of the downstream zone. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein setting the operating speed for the first zone based on the condition of the downstream zone comprises setting, at the controller, the operating speed for the first zone equal to the potential speed of the first zone. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein setting the operating speed for the first zone equal to the potential speed of the first zone is based on the condition of the upstream zone. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein setting the operating speed for the first zone based on the condition of the downstream zone comprises setting, at the controller, the operating speed for the first zone based on a deceleration rate of the first zone. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein setting the operating speed for the first zone based on the condition of the downstream zone comprises setting, at the controller, the operating speed of the first zone based on a length of the first zone. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein setting the operating speed for the first zone based on the condition of the downstream zone comprises setting, at the controller, the operating speed for the first zone based on a characteristic of an article being moved by the accumulation conveyor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein setting the operating speed for the first zone based on the condition of the downstream zone comprises setting, at the controller, the operating speed for the first zone equal to (2|DLZ|*LLZ+(VLZ+1)2)1/2 where DLZ is a deceleration rate of the first zone, LLZ is a length of the first zone, VLZ+1 is the speed of the downstream zone. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the operating speed for the first zone is limited by a maximum speed for the first zone. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein setting the operating speed for the first zone based on the condition of the upstream zone comprises setting, at the controller, the operating speed for the first zone based on whether the upstream zone is occupied by an article. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein setting the operating speed for the first zone based on the condition of the upstream zone comprises setting, at the controller, the speed for the first zone based on determining, at the controller, whether a speed of the upstream zone is at least a first speed. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the first speed is a maximum speed of the upstream zone. ### Claim 15 A material handling system, comprising: an accumulation conveyor comprising a plurality of zones; and a controller in communication with the accumulation conveyor to perform operations to: receive data indicating conditions for each zone of the plurality of zones, and set an operating speed for a first zone of the plurality of zones based on at least one of said conditions selected from the group consisting of a condition of an upstream zone of the plurality of zones, and a condition of a downstream zone of the plurality of zones, the condition of the downstream zone being a speed of the downstream zone. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The material handling system of claim 15, wherein to set the operating speed for the first zone based on the condition of the downstream zone further comprises the controller to perform operations to determine a potential speed of the first zone based on the speed of the downstream zone. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The material handling system of claim 16, wherein to set the operating speed for the first zone based on the condition of the downstream zone further comprises the controller to perform operations to set the operating speed for the first zone equal to the potential speed of the first zone. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The material handling system of claim 15, wherein to set the operating speed for the first zone based on the condition of the downstream zone further comprises the controller to perform operations to set the operating speed for the first zone based on a deceleration rate of the first zone. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The material handling system of claim 15, wherein to set the operating speed for the first zone based on the condition of the downstream zone further comprises the controller to perform operations to set the operating speed for the first zone based on a length of the first zone. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The material handling system of claim 15, wherein to set the operating speed for the first zone equal based on the condition of the downstream zone further comprises the controller to perform operations to set the operating speed for the first zone based on a characteristic of an article being moved by the accumulation conveyor. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The material handling system of claim 15, wherein to set the operating speed for the first zone equal based on the condition of the downstream zone further comprises the controller to perform operations to to determine a potential speed of the first zone based on the speed of the downstream zone, and based on the condition of the upstream zone, to set the operating speed for the first zone equal to the potential speed. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) The material handling system of claim 15, wherein to set the operating speed for the first zone equal based on the condition of the downstream zone further comprises the controller to perform operations to set the operating speed for the first zone equal to (2|DLZ*LLZ+(VLZ+1)2)1/2 where DLZ is a deceleration rate of the first zone, LLZ is a length of the first zone, VLZ+1 is the speed of the downstream zone. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) The material handling system of claim 15, wherein to set the operating speed for the first zone equal based on the condition of the upstream zone further comprises the controller to perform operations to set the operating speed for the first zone based on whether the upstream zone is occupied by an article. ### Claim 24 (depends on 15) The material handling system of claim 15, wherein to set the operating speed for the first zone equal based on the condition of the upstream zone further comprises the controller to perform operations to set the operating speed for the first zone equal based on whether a speed of the upstream zone is at least a first speed. ### Claim 25 A controller comprising: an interface to an accumulation conveyor; at least one processor; and a memory, wherein the at least one processor is coupled to the memory and the interface and configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations to: receive data indicating conditions for each zone of the plurality of zones, and set an operating speed for a first zone of the plurality of zones based on at least one of said conditions selected from the group consisting of a condition of an upstream zone of the plurality of zones, and a condition of a downstream zone of the plurality of zones, the condition of the downstream zone being a speed of the downstream zone. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The controller of claim 25, wherein the processor-executable instructions to perform operations to set the operating speed for the first zone based on the condition of the downstream zone further comprises said at least one processor configured with processor-executable instructions to determine a potential speed of the first zone based on the speed of the downstream zone. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The controller of claim 26, wherein the processor-executable instructions to perform operations to set the operating speed for the first zone based on the condition of the downstream zone further comprises said at least one processor configured with processor-executable instructions to set the operating speed for the first zone equal to the potential speed of the first zone. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The controller of claim 25, wherein the processor-executable instructions to perform operations to set the operating speed of the first zone based on the speed of the downstream zone further comprises said at least one processor configured with processor-executable instructions to set the operating speed for the first zone based on a deceleration rate of the first zone. ### Claim 29 (depends on 25) The controller of claim 25, wherein the processor-executable instructions to perform operations to set the operating speed of the first zone based on the speed of the downstream zone further comprises said at least one processor configured with processor-executable instructions to set the operating speed for the first zone based on a length of the first zone. ### Claim 30 (depends on 25) The controller of claim 25, wherein the processor-executable instructions to perform operations to set the operating speed for the first zone based on the condition of the downstream zone further comprises said at least one processor configured with processor-executable instructions to set the operating speed for the first zone based on a characteristic of an article being moved by the accumulation conveyor. ### Claim 31 (depends on 25) The controller of claim 25, wherein the processor-executable instructions to perform operations to set the operating speed for the first zone based on the condition of the downstream zone further comprises said at least one processor configured with processor-executable instructions to to determine a potential speed of the first zone based on the speed of the downstream zone, and based on the condition of the upstream zone, to set the operating speed for the first zone equal to the potential speed. ### Claim 32 (depends on 25) The controller of claim 25, wherein the processor-executable instructions to perform operations to set the operating speed for the first zone based on the condition of the downstream zone further comprises said at least one processor configured with processor-executable instructions to set the operating speed for the first zone equal to (2|DLZ*LLZ+(VLZ+1)2)1/2 where DLZ is a deceleration rate of the first zone, LLZ is a length of the first zone, VLZ+1 is the speed of the downstream zone. ### Claim 33 (depends on 25) The controller of claim 25, wherein the processor-executable instructions to perform operations to set the operating speed for the first zone based on the condition of the upstream zone further comprises said at least one processor configured with processor-executable instructions to set the operating speed for the first zone based on whether the upstream zone is occupied by an article. ### Claim 34 (depends on 25) The controller of claim 25, wherein the processor-executable instructions to perform operations to set the operating speed for the first zone based on the condition of the upstream zone further comprises said at least one processor configured with processor-executable instructions to set the operating speed for the first zone equal based on whether a speed of the upstream zone is at least a first speed.