Sensor station and method for predicting vehicle malfunction
AssigneeAutostore Technology AS
InventorsAsheesh Saraswat, JØrgen Djuve HeggebØ
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sensor station for an automated vehicle operating in an automated storage and retrieval system, in the form of a walled enclosure or supports into or under which the vehicle may drive. The enclosure or supports have connection points for the attachment of sensors and/or one or more compartments for the insertion of modules containing sensors. The station is mountable at a position on rail system of the storage system that minimizes interference with the operation of other vehicles in the automated storage and retrieval system. Data collected by the sensors is used in a method for predicting malfunctions, by comparing the collected data to baseline values and/or historical maintenance data.
Claims16
A sensor station for an automated vehicle operating in an automated storage and retrieval system, the sensor station comprising:
- a walled enclosure or supports and cross beams into or under which the vehicle may drive,
- the sensor station having connection points for the attachment of one or more sensors and/or one or more compartments for the insertion of modules containing sensors,
- the sensor station being arranged at a position on a rail system of an automated storage and retrieval system such that the vehicle may drive directly into the sensor station while operating on the rail system,
- the sensor station being provided with a wheel rotation device arranged in tracks of the rail system in order to permit rotation of the wheels of the vehicle while the vehicle remains stationary in the sensor station, and
- wherein the sensors are arranged to collect data regarding vehicle parameters while the vehicle simulates vehicle operation while in the sensor station.
A method for detecting or predicting a malfunction in an automated vehicle operating in an automated storage and retrieval system, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. establishing for a vehicle a baseline set of normal values for various vehicle parameters,
- b. establishing historical maintenance data and/or experimental data for the vehicle, or for a fleet of vehicles, the historical maintenance data and/or experimental data comprising correlations between observable vehicle parameters and an occurrence of malfunctions of a vehicle,
- c. driving the vehicle into a sensor station of the automated storage and retrieval system,
- d. using sensors of the sensor station to collect data regarding vehicle parameters while the vehicle simulates tasks the vehicle performs during normal operation in the automated storage and retrieval system,
- e. comparing the data collected by the sensors with the baseline set of normal values and/or the historical maintenance data and/or experimental data, and
- f. based on the comparison, making a prediction of a vehicle malfunction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.