METHOD FOR A DATA TRANSMISSION BETWEEN A FIRST AND A SECOND MODULE AND SYSTEM INCLUDING MOBILE PARTS FOR CARRYING OUT THE METHOD

Abstract

In a method for a data transmission between first and second modules, and a system having mobile parts for performing the method: the time bases of the first and second modules are synchronized; transmitters of the first module emit a light signal pulse individually one after the other and/or in numbered order in a respective time range; the particular receiver of the second module at which the strongest receive signal occurs is determined, the particular time range and/or the number of the particular time range being determined in which the strongest receive signal occurs; the determined time range and/or the determined number is/are transmitted from the second module to the first module; and the transmitter of the first module associated with the determined time range and/or to the determined number is determined and used for the subsequent data transmission from the first module to the second module.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A method for a data transmission between a first module and a second module, the first module including transmitters, the second module including transmitters, comprising: (a) synchronizing a time basis of the first module with a time basis of the second module; (b) emitting, by the transmitters of the first module, a light signal pulse individually one after the other and/or in numbered order in a respective time range; (c) determining a particular receiver of the second module at which a strongest receive signal occurs and determining a particular time range and/or a number of the particular time range in which the strongest receive signal occurs (d) transmitting the determined time range and/or the determined number from the second module to the first module; and (e) determining the transmitter of the first module associated with the determined time range and/or the determined number and using the determined transmitter of the first module for subsequent data transmission from the first module to the second module.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the transmitters of the first and second modules are arranged as light transmitters, the first module includes light-sensitive receivers, and the second modules include light-sensitive receivers.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the time range includes a time slot.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the determining in (c) is performed by a control electronics of the second module while executing the emitting in (b).

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the determining in (e) is performed by a control electronics of the first module.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein at least the emitting in (b), the determining in (d), and the determining in (e) are performed recurrently over time.

18. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: (f) emitting, by the transmitters of the second module, a light signal pulse individually one after the other and/or in numbered order in a respective time range; (g) determining a respective receiver of the first module at which a strongest receive signal occurs and determining a particular time range and/or a number of the particular time range in which the strongest receive signal occurs; (h) transmitting the determined time range and/or the determined number from the first module to the second module; and (i) determining the transmitter of the second module associated with the determined time range and/or the determined number and using the determined transmitter of the second module for subsequent data transmission from the second module to the first module.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the emitting in (f), the transmitting in (h), and the determining in (i) are performed recurrently over time.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the determining in (g) is performed while executing the emitting (f).

21. The method according to claim 12, wherein the transmitters of the first module have a preferred direction for light emitted thereby and are arranged with different and non-parallel orientations, light cones emitted by the transmitters of the first module not being aligned in parallel, the transmitters of the second module have a preferred direction for light emitted thereby and are arranged with different and non-parallel orientations, light cones emitted by the transmitters of the second module not being aligned in parallel.

22. The method according to claim 12, further comprising transmitting a message after the determining in (e).

23. The method according to claim 18, further comprising transmitting a message after the determining in (e) and/or after the determining in (i).

24. The method according to claim 13, wherein the transmitters include LEDs and the receivers include a light-sensitive component, a photo transistor, and/or a photodiode.

25. The method according to claim 12, wherein the second module is located within a transmission range of at least one transmitter of the first module, and the first module is located within a transmission range of at least one transmitter of the second module.

26. The method according to claim 12, wherein light signal pulses emitted by the transmitters in (b) are all modulated in the same manner so that each light signal pulse includes a same message.

27. A system adapted to perform the method recited in claim 12, comprising: a plurality of mobile parts, each mobile part including at least one module, each module including a control electronics, transmitters connected to the control electronics of the module, and receivers connected to the control electronics of the module.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein the transmitters are arranged as light transmitters, and the receivers are arranged as light sensitive receivers.

29. The system according to claim 27, wherein the mobile parts are adapted to be moved on a driving surface of the system, and each module has a same distance from the driving surface.

30. The system according to claim 27, wherein the transmitters of each module are arranged along a flat, bent curve and are adapted to emit light cones having different orientations.

31. The system according to claim 27, wherein a first one of the mobile parts and a third one of the mobile parts are arranged so that no signal transmission is performable between the first one of the mobile parts and the third one of the mobile parts, the first one of the mobile parts and a second one of the mobile parts being arranged to perform a data transmission between the first one of the mobile parts and the second one of the mobile parts, the second one of the mobile parts and the third one of the mobile parts being arranged to perform a data transmission between the second one of the mobile parts and the third one of the mobile parts.

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein the first one of the mobile parts, the second one of the mobile parts, and the third one of the mobile parts are adapted to perform the method recited in claim 12 between the modules of the first one of the mobile parts and the second one of the mobile parts and between the modules of the second one of the mobile parts and the third one of the mobile parts.

33. The system according to claim 31, wherein an obstacle interposed between the first one of the mobile parts and the third one of the mobile parts and/or and excessive distance between the first one of the mobile parts and the third one of the mobile parts prevents the signal transmission between the first one of the mobile parts and the third one of the mobile parts.

34. A system, comprising: a plurality of mobile parts, each mobile part including at least one module, each module including a control electronics, transmitters connected to the control electronics of the module, and receivers connected to the control electronics of the module; wherein the system is adapted to perform the method recited in claim 12.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a first module 1 and a, e.g., identically configured second module 4.

[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates the transmitted and received signal characteristics in a schematic representation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] As schematically illustrated in the Figures, first module 1 has four transmitters, e.g., LEDs, whose emittable light cone is aligned in different directions.

[0027] Assigned to each transmitter is a respective receiver, e.g., a photodiode or photo transistor, whose sensitive range has a shape similar to the corresponding light cone and thus also has a preferred direction. In the simplest case, the preferential direction of the light cone of the respective transmitter is parallel to the preferred direction of the respective receiver.

[0028] The transmitters are, for example, situated along a flat curve, e.g., a circular path, and are set apart from one another at regular intervals along this curve.

[0029] The arrangement of second module 4 is, for example, identical with that of first module 1.

[0030] First module 1 is situated on a first mobile part and second module 4 is situated on a second mobile part, which moves independently, e.g., in an automatically guided manner, relative to the first mobile part in a system.

[0031] To carry out the communication, the best transmission channel is determined in a recurrent manner over time in that the transmitters of first module 1 emit light pulses and the respective receiver that detects the greatest receive amplitude is determined. Thus, a transmission channel is set up between this receiver and the strongest transmitter for this receiver. This determination and setup are repeated in time.

[0032] This is described in greater detail in the following text.

[0033] In a chronologically deterministic raster, signals are transmitted from first module 1 and received by second module 4, or vice versa.

[0034] To this end, a training signal characteristic is appended to a respective message, characterized by time range t_TX_DATA.

[0035] The training signal includes four consecutive time segments, e.g., time slots, and another LED of first module 1 emits a light signal pulse in each one of the time slots. The energy and time period of each of the light pulse signals are of the same magnitude.

[0036] According to FIG. 1, a first transmitter of first module 1 thus emits a light signal pulse in a first time slot t_int1, a second transmitter of first module 1 emits a light signal pulse in a second time slot t_int2, a third transmitter of first module 1 emits a light signal pulse in a third time slot t_int1, and a fourth transmitter of first module 1 emits a light signal pulse in a fourth time slot t_int4.

[0037] Signal E received by one of the receivers of second module 4 is illustrated in FIG. 2 and exhibits a maximum in the third light signal pulse. The setup of a communications channel between the third transmitter and the receiver would therefore be possible. However, the receive signals of the other receivers of second module 4 are evaluated as well. The communications channel is then set up between the third transmitter and the particular receiver that has received the strongest signal. If need be, a different transmitter is used instead of the third transmitter if it has induced a stronger signal in one of the receivers.

[0038] Put another way, the particular transmitter-receiver pair that is able to generate the strongest receive signal is determined.

[0039] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the first message packet that is sent from first module 1 to second module 4 is therefore followed by a first training signal with the four light signal pulses of the transmitters of first module 1.

[0040] In the process, the particular receiver whose receive signal had the highest amplitude is determined. The transmitter associated with this highest amplitude is then determined, which is the third transmitter in FIG. 2, and this information pertaining to the identity of the associated transmitter, i.e., the third transmitter, is transmitted to first module 1 in the next message packet that is sent from the second to the first module 1.

[0041] The corresponding communications channel for the transmission of the messages from the first to the second module is set up in this manner. In the example, the third transmitter of first module 1 and the determined receiver of second module 4 are thus used for the message transmission from the first to the second module.

[0042] The pair to be used for the return channel is determined next:

[0043] To this end, second module 4 also emits a training signal, which includes the light signal pulses to be sent individually by the transmitters.

[0044] Now, the particular receiver of first module 1 that has received the strongest amplitude may then be determined again in this manner. At the same time, the particular transmitter of second module 4 that has emitted this strongest signal is able to be determined in the process.

[0045] The best transmitter-receiver pair is thereby also determined for the return channel.

[0046] In the example, this is the second transmitter of second module 4 and the particular receiver of first module 1 that detects the strongest receive signal.

[0047] The pairs determined in this manner are used for the subsequent transmission of the messages until the currently best transmitter-receiver pairs are determined again with the aid of training signals.

[0048] Only the determined transmitters and receivers are used when transmitting the messages. The other transmitters and receivers remain unused. Interference effects on other mobile parts or from other mobile parts are preventable as a result. This is because only the particular light cone 3 that has been generated by the transmitter and is directed toward the receiver of the other module (1, 4) is used for the message transmittal. The transmitter thus radiates into as few other spatial areas as possible in which further modules of other mobile parts are being moved, for example.

[0049] In further exemplary embodiments, the light signal pulses themselves are also modulated so that the same message is transmitted by each one of the light signal pulse signals in the training signal characteristic, but, e.g., into different preferred directions. The receivers thus receive this message with more or less noise depending on the receive amplitude. However, after the strongest receive signal has been determined, even the message transmitted with this particular signal can be detected with few errors.

[0050] In further exemplary embodiments, each transmitted message is followed by a training signal so that an optimal updating takes place when the currently best transmitter-receiver pairs are determined.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0051] 1 first module [0052] 2 light transceiver, e.g., LED with a photodiode or photo transistor [0053] 3 light cone [0054] 4 second module [0055] E reception [0056] t_TX_DATA message transmission [0057] t_int1 first time slot [0058] t_int2 second time slot [0059] t_int1 third time slot [0060] t_int4 fourth time slot