Controlled architecture for transport systems
AssigneeRockwell Automation Limited
InventorsGlen C. Wernersbach, Keith G. Jacobs
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Control architecture for use with transport systems, such as linear drive systems, rotary drive systems, or a combination thereof, comprising a computer system having a controller for operating control system software for receiving input commands and protocols for creating a motion profile for each transport element, and a gateway for receiving the motion profile from the control system software and for operating gateway drive software that functions to select the appropriate drives to move each transport element along one or more tracks in accordance with their motion profiles.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a plurality of linear motor track sections interconnected to form a continuous track, each linear motor track section comprising a respective linear motor drive circuit;
- a plurality of linear motor disposed on and movable along the continuous track;
- and
- control circuitry coupled to the linear motor track sections and configured to receive operator-defined motion profiles for each linear motor mover as an independent control axis, and to select and apply control signals to selected linear motor drive circuits to control movement of the linear motor movers as independent control axes along the continuous track.
A system comprising:
- a plurality of linear motor track sections interconnected to form a continuous track, each linear motor track section comprising a linear motor drive circuit;
- a plurality of linear motor movers disposed on and movable along the continuous track;
- control circuitry coupled to the linear motor track sections and configured to select and apply control signals to selected linear motor drive circuits to control movement of the linear motor movers, each as an independent control axis, along the continuous track;
- and
- a gateway in communication with the control circuitry for directing control signals to the selected linear motor drive circuits.
A method comprising:
- accessing operator-defined motion profiles for a plurality of linear motor movers along a continuous track formed by interconnection of a plurality of motor track sections, each linear track section comprising a respective linear motor drive circuit;
- determining a desired location of a linear motor mover along the continuous track formed by interconnection of a plurality of linear motor track sections, each linear motor track section comprising a respective linear motor drive circuit;
- selecting linear motor track sections and associated linear motor drive circuits based upon motion profiles of the linear motor movers;
- and
- applying control signals to the selected linear motor drive circuits to control movement of the linear motor movers along the selected linear motor track sections as an independent control axes in accordance with the motion profiles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.