Conveyor controllers

A controller for a conveyor, the controller comprising:

• a processing unit;
• a memory coupled to the processing unit;
• and
• program code resident in the memory and configured to, when executed by the processing unit, cause the controller to:
• operate a motorized roller to rotate in a first direction corresponding to a direction of travel for moving an article on the at least a portion of the conveyer;
• detect that a jam has occurred by evaluating indications from a sensor that an article is present on the at least a portion of the conveyor;
• in response to detecting that a jam has occurred, operate the motorized roller to rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction;
• operate the motorized roller to again rotate in the first direction following rotation in the second direction;
• if the indication from the sensor still indicates that the article is present on the at least a portion of the conveyor, then repeat the operation of the motorized roller to rotate in the first direction for a plurality of times and increment a count;
• if the count reaches a target value, then stop the motorized roller.

A program product comprising:

• a non-transitory computer readable storage medium;
• and
• program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium, the program instructions configured to, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
• operate a motorized roller to rotate in a first direction corresponding to a direction of travel for moving an article on the at least a portion of the conveyer;
• detect that a jam has occurred by evaluating indications from a sensor that an article is present on the at least a portion of the conveyor;
• in response to detecting that a jam has occurred, operate the motorized roller to rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction;
• operate the motorized roller to again rotate in the first direction following rotation in the second direction;
• if the indication from the sensor still indicates that the article is present on the at least a portion of the conveyor, then repeat the operation of the motorized roller to rotate in the first direction for a plurality of times and increment a count;
• if the count reaches a target value, then stop the motorized roller.

A method of controlling a first conveyor of a conveyor system including the first conveyor and a second conveyor located downstream of the first conveyor, the method comprising:

• sending a first message by a first controller controlling the first conveyor to a second controller controlling the second conveyor, the first message requesting data to determine whether at least a portion of the second conveyor is occupied by a first article;
• in response to determining the at least a portion of the second conveyor is not occupied by the first article, operating, by the first controller, a motorized roller of the first conveyor to convey an incoming second article at a target speed;
• and
• in response to determining the at least a portion of the second conveyor is occupied by the first article, operating, by the first controller, the motorized roller of the first conveyor to convey the second article at an adjusted target speed that is slower than the target speed.

A first controller for controlling a first conveyor of a conveyor system including the first conveyor and a second conveyor located downstream of the first conveyor, the first controller comprising:

• a processing unit;
• a memory coupled to the processing unit;
• and
• program code resident in the memory and configured to, when executed by the processing unit, cause the first controller to:
• send a first message to a second controller controlling the second conveyor, the first message requesting data to determine whether at least a portion of the second conveyor is occupied by a first article;
• in response to determining the at least a portion of the second conveyor is not occupied by the first article, operate a motorized roller of the first conveyor to convey an incoming second article at a target speed;
• and
• in response to determining the at least a portion of the second conveyor is occupied by the first article, operate the motorized roller of the first conveyor to convey the second article at an adjusted target speed that is slower than the target speed.

A program product, comprising:

• a non-transitory computer readable storage medium;
• and
• program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium, the program instructions configured to, when executed by a processor, cause a first controller controlling a first conveyor to:
• send a first message to a second controller controlling a second conveyor downstream of the first conveyor, the first message requesting data to determine whether at least a portion of the second conveyor is occupied by a first article;
• in response to determining the at least a portion of the second conveyor is not occupied by the first article, operate a motorized roller of the first conveyor to convey an incoming second article at a target speed;
• and
• in response to determining the at least a portion of the second conveyor is occupied by the first article, operate the motorized roller of the first conveyor to convey the second article at an adjusted target speed that is slower than the target speed.