METHOD FOR MAINTAINING SYSTEMS, IN PARTICULAR MACHINES IN WAREHOUSES

Abstract

A method for maintaining, commissioning and checking systems in warehouses, where a service technician has sight of the system in question and, by way of a mobile computer, makes wireless contact with the controller of the system in order to take control thereof, where taking control by the mobile computer is permitted by a central controller only if the service technician can have sight contact with the corresponding system, for which purpose localization services of a local radio network are used for the determination of the position and/or of the orientation of the mobile computer of the service technician.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining, commissioning and checking systems in warehouses, wherein a service technician has sight of a system in question and, by means of a mobile computer, makes wireless contact with a controller of the system in order to take control thereof, said method comprising: determining the position and/or the orientation of the mobile computer of the service technician by way of localization services of a local radio network; and permitting the taking control of the system by the mobile computer by a central controller only if the service technician can have sight contact with the corresponding system based on the determination of the position and/or of the orientation of the mobile computer of the service technician.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a suitable position of the mobile computer whereby the service technician can have sight contact with the system in question is assumed when it is determined that the mobile computer is located in the proximity of the system in question and possibly is additionally oriented accordingly.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein a suitable position of the mobile computer whereby the service technician can have sight contact with the system in question is assumed further based on a determined orientation of the mobile computer.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the localization is carried out by a locating service on the mobile computer in the local radio network, and the central controller permits or denies the taking of control on the basis of the result.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising determining a selection of reachable systems for maintenance based on said determining the position and/or the orientation of the mobile computer of the service technician by way of localization services of the local radio network.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising proposing the selection of reachable systems determined in said determining a selection of reachable systems for maintenance.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the local radio network is a private local radio network.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the private local radio network is a radio network according to the 5G mobile telephony standard and higher or is WiFi-6 and higher or UWB standard or GNSS.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the systems in the warehouse comprise conveying systems, warehousing systems, order-picking systems and/or sorting systems.

10. A method for maintaining, commissioning and checking systems in warehouses, wherein a service technician has sight of a system in question and, by means of a mobile computer, makes wireless contact with a controller of the system in order to take control thereof, said method comprising: determining the position of the mobile computer of the service technician by way of localization services of a local radio network; and permitting the taking control of the system by the mobile computer by a central controller only if the service technician can have sight contact with the corresponding system based on the determination of the position of the mobile computer of the service technician.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein a suitable position of the mobile computer whereby the service technician can have sight contact with the system in question is assumed when it is determined that the mobile computer is within a predetermined proximity of the system in question.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising determining the orientation of the mobile computer by way of the localization services of the local radio network, and wherein said permitting the taking control of the system by the mobile computer is further based on the determination of the orientation of the mobile computer.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the localization is carried out by a locating service on the mobile computer in the local radio network, and the central controller permits or denies the taking of control on the basis of the result.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising determining a selection of reachable systems for maintenance based on said determining the position and/or the orientation of the mobile computer of the service technician by way of localization services of the local radio network.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising proposing the selection of reachable systems determined in said determining a selection of reachable systems for maintenance.

16. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the local radio network is a private local radio network.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the private local radio network is a radio network according to the 5G mobile telephony standard and higher or is WiFi-6 and higher or UWB standard or GNSS.

18. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the systems in the warehouse comprise conveying systems, warehousing systems, order-picking systems and/or sorting systems.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a warehouse with a plurality of conveying technology machines and a maintenance technician.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a warehouse designated as a whole by 1. The warehouse 1 comprises a superordinate controller 2 and a plurality of machines 3A, B, C, D connected thereto and a private local radio network 4 according to the 5G mobile telephony standard, which is accessed via routers 5 and covers the warehouse 1, i.e. the machines 3A, B, C, D are within the coverage of the 5G radio network. The routers 5 are connected to the superordinate controller 2. In the illustrated embodiment machines 3A, B, C, D comprise warehousing material conveying technology machines or machine systems.

[0031] A maintenance technician 6 works with the aid of a tablet computer 7 to do maintenance tasks on the conveying technology machines 3A, B, C, D. The tablet 7 also comprises, in addition to the maintenance software, a corresponding radio modem according to the 5G mobile telephony standard in order to be able to log into the radio network 4 and to communicate therein. By means of the superordinate controller 2 and the position data—provided by the 5G radio network 4 via the routers 5—of the tablet 7 which is logged into same, the location of the maintenance technician 6 and/or of his tablet 7 can be determined precisely.

[0032] Thus, when the technician 6 wishes to obtain access to the conveying technology machine 3D or the controller thereof, he must not only authenticate his identity and request access but also be located in a range which permits sight contact to the conveying technology machine 3D. In the present case, this is available only when he is located in the immediate proximity or surroundings of the machine 3D.

[0033] This checking and subsequent granting is effected via the superordinate controller 2 by means of the position data of the tablet 7 logged into the radio network 4. Only when the tablet 7 is subsequently located directly next to the machine 3D in question is maintenance access granted.