Positioning System And Method For Determining The Position Of Fans

Abstract

A method for determining the positions of a number of fans (V.sub.n,m) for generating an air flow in a preferably enclosed space. The fans (V.sub.n,m) have an acceleration sensor to determine their position. The fans (V.sub.n,m) are arranged in rows (R.sub.1, R.sub.2, . . . , R.sub.n) and columns (S.sub.1, S.sub.2, . . . , S.sub.m). At least the position (i, j) of one fan (V.sub.i,j) is known.

Claims

1. A method for determining the positions of a number of fans for generating an air flow in a preferably enclosed space, that have an acceleration sensor for determining their position, the fans are arranged in rows and columns, wherein at least the position (i, j) of one fan (V.sub.i,j) is known, the method comprising the following steps: a) driving the at least one fan (V.sub.i,j), the position of which is known, in order to initiate an attenuated oscillation of at least those fans (V.sub.n,m) that are arranged in an adjacent row or column position, respectively; b) detecting the attenuated oscillation of the fans (V.sub.n,m) that are oscillating in this manner by a mechanical coupling using a detector and controller and determining the potential neighborhood positions of these fans based on an iterative exclusion algorithm; c) repeating the steps a) and b) for the fans (V.sub.n,m) determined, respectively, according to step b) until all positions (n,m) of the fans have been determined.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fan (V.sub.i,j), with a known position, is driven in step a) at a predetermined, preferably maximum, degree of activation and the position (i,j) of the fan (V.sub.i,j) is set to the known position (i,j).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein measuring the oscillation in step b) of the fans (V.sub.n,m) oscillating due to the generated attenuated oscillation and transmission of the data to the controller is performed by the acceleration sensors.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining of those positions (n, m) of all fans (V.sub.n,m) having an unknown position in a row and/or column position immediately adjacent to the fan (V.sub.i,j) is implemented in step b) based on the position of the excitatory fan (V.sub.i,j).

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fan (V.sub.i,j) with a known position, is switched to idling by the controller after step b).

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein driving of at least two of the fans (V.sub.n,m) detected in step b) is performed at a predetermined, preferably maximum, degree of activation.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the unknown positions (n+1, m; n, m+1) of fans (V.sub.n+1,m; V.sub.n,m+1) located immediately adjacent to the fan (V.sub.n,m) driven in step b) are marked with the position of the excitatory fan (V.sub.n,m).

8. The method according to claim 8, wherein the driven fan (V.sub.n,m) is switched to idling in step b) after marking the adjacent fans (V.sub.n+1,m; V.sub.n,m+1) having an unknown position, and one of the other marked fans (V.sub.n+1,m; V.sub.n,m+1) is driven at a predetermined, preferably maximum, degree of activation.

9. The method according to claim 9, wherein, in step b), the oscillation of the adjacent fans (V.sub.n+2,m; V.sub.n,m+2) having an unknown position, that are oscillating due to the fan (V.sub.n+1,m; V.sub.n,m+1), is determined by the acceleration sensors, and the data is transmitted to the controller.

10. The method according to claim 10, wherein the positions (n+2, m; n, m+2) of the adjacent fans, having an unknown position, are marked in step b) with the position (V.sub.n+2,m; V.sub.n,m+2) of the excitatory fan (V.sub.n+1,m; V.sub.n,m+1).

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, if a fan (V.sub.n+1,m; V.sub.n,m+1; V.sub.n+2,m; V.sub.n,m+2) is already marked, the position (n+1, m; n, m+1; n+2, m; n, m+2) of the fan is set to a unique specific position (i, j).

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein driving one of the marked fans (V.sub.n+1,m; V.sub.n,m+1) is continued until all fans (V.sub.n,m) are determined.

13. The method for determining the positions of a number of fans (V.sub.n,m) for generating an air flow in a preferably enclosed spaces, the fans have an acceleration sensor for position determination, the fans (V.sub.n,m) are arranged in rows and columns, wherein at least the position (i, j) of one fan (V.sub.i,j) is known, a controller is provided that is configured to activate and determine the positions of the fans (V.sub.n,m), wherein each of the fans (V.sub.n,m) can be indirectly set into oscillation by a fan (V.sub.n+1,m; V.sub.n,m+1) in an adjacent row and column position, the method comprising the following steps: a. driving the fan (V.sub.i,j) having a known position at a predetermined, preferably maximum, degree of activation and setting the position (i, j) of the fan (V.sub.i,j) to the known position (i, j); b. measuring the attenuated oscillation of the fans (V.sub.n,m) oscillating due to mechanical coupling and transmitting the data to the controller by the acceleration sensors; c. determining those positions (n, m) of all fans (V.sub.n,m) having unknown positions in a row and/or column position immediately adjacent to the fan (V.sub.i,j) based on the position of the excitatory fan (V.sub.i,j); d. switching the fan (V.sub.i,j), having a known position, to idling by the controller, e. driving one of at least two of the detected fans (V.sub.n,m) at a predetermined, preferably maximum, degree of activation; f. marking the positions (n+1, m; n, m+1) of fans (V.sub.n+1,m; V.sub.n,m+1), having unknown positions located immediately adjacent to the fan (V.sub.n,m) driven in step f) with the position of the excitatory fan (V.sub.n,m); g. switching the driven fan (V.sub.n,m) to idling and driving at least the second marked fan (V.sub.n,m) at a predetermined, preferably maximum, degree of activation; h. determining the speed of the adjacent fans (V.sub.n+1,m; V.sub.n,m+1) having unknown positions, oscillating due to the second fan (V.sub.n,m) by the acceleration sensors and transmitting the data to the controller; i. marking the positions (n+1, m; n, m+1) of fans (V.sub.n+1,m; V.sub.n,m+1), having unknown positions, located immediately adjacent to the fan (V.sub.n,m) driven in step i) with the position of the excitatory fan (V.sub.n,m; V.sub.n,m); j. if a fan (V.sub.n+1,m; V.sub.n,m+1) has already been marked in step g) or step j), respectively, determining and setting the position (n, m) of the fan (V.sub.n+1,m; V.sub.n,m+1) to a unique, specific position (n, m); and k. driving one of the fans marked in step g) or j), respectively, and repeating the steps f) to k) until all fans (V.sub.n,m) are determined.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the position (n, m) of the fan (V.sub.n+1,m; V.sub.n,m+1) in step k) is determined by comparing the indices n and m of an existing marking to the newly created marking, wherein the respective higher index represents the index for the determined position (n, m).

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the position (i, j) of the fan (V.sub.i,j) is set to the value 0,0, and if the positions (n+1, m; n,m+1) of two immediately adjacent fans (V.sub.n+1,m; V.sub.n,m+1) are known for a fan (V.sub.n,m) and the position (n+1, m; n,m+1) of another immediately adjacent fan (V.sub.n+1,m; V.sub.n,m+1) is unknown, and if a marking of the unknown position has the value 0,0, the marking not equal to 0,0 is subsequently incremented by 1.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein only the fans (V.sub.n+1,m; V.sub.n,m+1) having the highest attenuated oscillation are considered in step i) if more than the immediately adjacent fans (V.sub.n+1,m; V.sub.n,m+1) are set into oscillation in steps f) and l).

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the acceleration sensor for determining the attenuated oscillation of a fan (V.sub.n,m) is a MEMS acceleration sensor.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein at least two fans (V.sub.n,m) must be indirectly set into oscillation for exact positioning in steps f) to l).

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fans have a sound transducer for determining their position instead of, or in addition to, an acceleration sensor and a sound pressure generated by the at least one driven fan (V.sub.i,j) is detected by the sound transducer.

Description

DRAWINGS

[0050] Embodiment examples of the disclosure are described below in reference to the drawings. The disclosure is not limited to these embodiment examples. The drawings, in reference to figures, shows the basic design of the present, namely:

[0051] FIG. 1 to FIG. 6 are schematic views of an exemplary positioning system with a driven fan with a known position and two fans externally set into oscillation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an exemplary positioning system with a driven fan V.sub.i,j with a known position and two fans V.sub.n,m externally set into oscillation. Idling of the fans V.sub.n,m is activated by the controller for performing automatic position determination. In addition, the fans V.sub.n,m are arranged in a rectangular or square array of rows and columns. The maximum distance between the two fans is such that it is only possible to induce oscillation in them. Position determination is started based on a fan V.sub.i,j, that is located in one of the four corners of the system. The position of this fan V.sub.i,j is known. The fan V.sub.i,j is further driven at a maximum degree of activation. Thus, the fans V.sub.n,m located at the smallest distance from the positionally known fan V.sub.i,j are externally set into oscillation.

[0053] FIG. 2 shows a preliminarily determined position for the fans V.sub.n,m externally set into oscillation. Since other fans V.sub.n,m are in the environment at this point in time, that are also externally set into oscillation, unambiguous position determination is not yet possible. The positionally known fan V.sub.i,j is located in a corner of the system. Since the system in the first step is underdetermined, including one fan V.sub.i,j with a known position and two fans V.sub.n,m with unknown positions, an assumption must be made regarding their propagation direction. One fan V.sub.n,m is assigned the index 1,0 and the other fan V.sub.n,m is assigned the index 10. The assignment is random and describes the propagation in n- or m-direction, similar to a Cartesian coordinate system. Since, as in error propagation, this assumption is carried along through the entire method, a correction may be required at the end by switching the indices n,m to n,m.

[0054] FIG. 3 shows that the newly determined fans V.sub.n,m are alternately also set to their own drive in the further steps of the method. This results in externally setting adjacent fans V.sub.n+1,m; V.sub.n,m+1 into oscillation. Each fan externally set into oscillation is once again assigned a marking that defines the fan V.sub.n,m that caused the external oscillation.

[0055] This results in the one interface shown in FIG. 4. For position determination, both markings are placed on top of each other, and the respective higher value of the respective index n,m is carried over.

[0056] FIG. 5 shows renewed self-driving of the previously driven fans V.sub.n,m. With this new determination, the fans on the edge can be determined uniquely based on the newly known fan V.sub.n,m. A condition for an edge fan is defined in that two positions are known and one is unknown. But the required condition for an edge fan is that the unknown position n,m is marked 0,0. If both conditions are met, the marking not equal to 0,0 is simply incremented. The new index in this case is 0,2 or 2,0, respectively.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 6, the preceding steps of the method are repeated with the previously determined fans V.sub.n,m to determine all positions.

[0058] The figures also unambiguously show what is meant by the term immediately adjacent. It refers to a fan the row or column index of which is offset by one position with respect to the adjacent fan, thus the positions n1, m, n, m1, n1, m1, n+1, m+1 with respect to the position n,m.

[0059] The implementation of the disclosure is not limited to the preferred embodiments described above. Instead, a plurality of variants is conceivable where the solution described is used for completely different designs.

[0060] The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.