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US 4,926,753 AGranted
Flexible material transport system
AssigneeProgrammation, Inc.
InventorMitchell Weiss
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeProgrammation, Inc.
InventorMitchell Weiss
Estimating the term…
A computer controlled transport system for carrying materials, such as semiconductors, to various work stations at spaced apart locations within a common facility. The system comprises a routing controller, a monorail track extending past the work stations and consisting of a plurality of modular track sections. The track sections are interconnected to one another by at least one routing module, such as a turntable, transfer station, etc., to establish plural paths along the track. Plural cars are provided for supporting the materials and carrying them along the track. The cars are battery powered. The system also includes plural control modules located adjacent the track at spaced locations. Each car is individually identifiable and includes control circuitry and communication circuitry. Each of the control modules also includes control circuitry and communication circuitry. The control modules are connected to the routing controller by a local area network. Each of the cars are arranged to communicate with respective ones of the control modules via infrared signals when the car is located at the control module. The control modules, routing controller, and car control circuits cooperate with one another and with the routing module(s) to control the movement of the cars along the monorail track in a predetermined one of the plural paths so that the car can move to selected work stations.
A computer controlled transport system for carrying materials to various workstations at spaced apart locations within a common facility, said system comprising at least one self-powered carrier for supporting said materials thereon, routing controller means having intelligence for determining a route to be followed by each carrier in moving to desired workstations, a track extending past said workstations and comprising a plurality of modular elongated sections interconnected to one another and at least one routing module to establish plural paths along said track, each self-powered carrier being mounted on said track for movement therealong, plural control module means located adjacent to and independent of said track at spaced locations therealong, said plural control module means having intelligent controller means and communication means for transmitting information to and from said intelligent controller means, said carriers including intelligent controller means thereon and communication means for transmitting information to and from said intelligent controller means on the carriers, each of said control module means being coupled to said routing controller means for receiving routing instructions for each car approaching each of said control module means, a communication link between the communication means of the plural control module means and the communication means on each carrier for transmitting information and instructions between the intelligent controller means of each said plural control module means and the intelligent controller means of each carrier via signals when said carrier is adjacent to a respective one of said control module means, whereupon the intelligent controller means of said control module means, said routing controller means, and said intelligent controller means on each of said carriers cooperate with one another and with said routing module to control the path of movement of said carrier along said track in a selected one of said plural paths to move to selected ones of said workstations.
A transport system for carrying material to various workstations at spaced-apart locations within a common facility, said transport system comprising a track extending past said workstations and at least one self-powered carrier for support said material thereon, said at least one carrier including a rechargeable battery means for powering it, characterized in that said carrier includes a charging means for the battery means, intelligent controller means for monitoring information indicative of the condition of the battery means and for providing instructions via signals to said charging means for controlling charging of said batter means, said intelligent controller means being powered by said battery means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.