METHOD FOR OPERATING AN INDUSTRIAL FACILITY

Abstract

In a method for operating an industrial facility which has at least one mobile system, a base map of the industrial facility is generated, which has information about at least one vehicle-accessible region and at least one closed region; a correction map of the industrial facility is generated, which has information about at least one vehicle-accessible region and at last one closed region; the base map is overlaid with the correction map; at least one metric feature of the base map is replaced by a metric feature of the correction map when a difference between a metric feature of the base map and a metric feature of the correction map is detected.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A method for operating an industrial facility including at least one mobile system, comprising: generating a base map of the industrial facility including information about at least one vehicle-accessible region and at least one closed region; generating a correction map of the industrial facility including information about at least one vehicle-accessible region and at last one closed region; overlaying the base map with the correction map; and replacing at least one metric feature of the base map by a metric feature of the correction map in response to a difference between a metric feature of the base map and a metric feature of the correction map being detected.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the base map of the industrial facility has information about at least one planned route for the at least one mobile system, the correction map of the industrial facility has information about at least one planned route for the at least one mobile system, the base map is overlaid with the correction map, and at least one parameter of the at least one planned route of the base map is transferred to a corresponding planned route of the correction map.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the base map and the correction map are each generated as a graph that describes the vehicle-accessible region, the graph includes a first node point, a second node point, and a connection between the first node point and the second node point as topological features, the connection has a connection direction and a connection length, and the graph of the base map is overlaid with the graph of the correction map.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein, in the overlaying of the graph of the base map with the graph of the correction map, the connection length and a difference of the connection directions between corresponding node points are used.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising initially incorporating the correction map and/or the base map as an original grid cell map that extends in a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and that has a plurality of individual cells; characterizing the cells that describe the one vehicle-accessible region as free, the free cells forming a free region; characterizing the cells that describe the closed region as occupied, the occupied cells forming an occupied region; generating, from the original grid cell map, a reduced grid cell map; characterizing the cells of the free region of the original grid cell map whose distance in the longitudinal direction and/or in the transverse direction and/or in a straight line to at least one cell of the occupied region is smaller than a safe distance as occupied; performing a thinning of the free region of the reduced grid cell map; characterizing the cells of the free region that in the longitudinal direction and/or in the transverse direction adjoin at least one occupied region as occupied, until the free region is in the form of a skeleton that includes at least one linear sequence of individual free cells; and generating, from the skeleton of the free region, the graph of the correction map and/or of the base map.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein, before generating the graph of the correction map and/or of the base map, a smoothing of the skeleton of the one free region is performed, and the cells of the occupied region which in the longitudinal direction and in the transverse direction adjoin the free region are characterized as free, until each cell of the free region which in a diagonal direction adjoins another free cell additionally in the longitudinal direction or in the transverse direction adjoins another free cell which in the longitudinal direction or in the transverse direction adjoins the other free cell.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein, in the reduced grid cell map, at least one charging point for charging the mobile system is provided, and the thinning of the free region of the reduced grid cell map is performed such that the charging point is part of the skeleton.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the graph includes at least one charging point as a node point, and the graph is generated in that, for each of the charging points, connections to other node points are detected, a connection includes a sequence of individual free cells between two node points, and for each connection detected, a connection direction and a connection length are determined.

24. The method according to claim 19, wherein the graph includes at least one intersection as a node point, and the graph is generated in that the cells of the free region which in the longitudinal direction and in the transverse direction adjoin at least three other free cells are characterized as intersections, for each of the intersections, connections to other node points are detected, a connection includes a sequence of individual free cells between two node points, and for each connection detected, a connection direction and a connection length are determined.

25. The method according to claim 18, wherein the graph includes at least one end point as a node point, and the graph is generated in that the cells of the free region which in the longitudinal direction and in the transverse direction adjoin exactly one free cell are characterized as end points, for each of the endpoints, connections to other node points are detected, a connection includes a sequence of individual free cells between two node points, and for each connection detected, a connection direction and a connection length are determined.

26. The method according to claim 18, wherein the graph includes at least one curve point as a node point, and the graph is generated in that the cells of the free region which in the longitudinal direction adjoin exactly one free cell that is part of a linear sequence of a minimum number of free cells in the longitudinal direction, and which in the transverse direction adjoin exactly one free cell that is part of a linear sequence of a minimum number of free cells in the transverse direction, are characterized as curve points, for each of the curve points, connections to other node points are detected, a connection includes a sequence of individual free cells between two node points, and for each connection detected, a connection direction and a connection length are determined.

27. The method according to claim 18, wherein a connection has a connection width, and the graph of the correction map and/or of the base map is generated in that, in addition to each connection detected, a respective connection width is determined in that, from each free cell of the connection, on both sides, a respective connection distance, in a direction perpendicular to the connection direction, to the respective closest closed region is determined, a path width, which is calculated as a sum of the two determined connection distances, is associated with the free cell, and the connection width is determined to be a smallest path width of all the free cells of the connection.

28. The method according to claim 18, wherein for each connection detected, the respective connection direction is determined in that a principal direction which comes closest to an exact connection direction is associated with the connection direction.

29. The method according to claim 18, wherein the mobile system includes a pick-up for contactless reception of energy, and the industrial facility has at least one charging point for inductive transfer of energy, the pick-up adapted to inductively couple to the charging point, and the charging point is arranged at a node point.

30. The method according to claim 18, wherein the mobile system includes a pick-up for contactless reception of energy, and the industrial facility has at least one conductor loop for inductive transfer of energy, the pick-up adapted to inductively couple to the conductor loop, and the conductor loop is arranged along a connection between two node points.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] FIG. 1 illustrates a correction map of an industrial facility in the form of an original grid cell map.

[0042] FIG. 2 illustrates the correction map illustrated in FIG. 1 in the form of a reduced grid cell map.

[0043] FIG. 3 illustrates the correction map illustrated in FIG. 2 with a skeleton.

[0044] FIG. 4 illustrates a section of a skeleton before smoothing.

[0045] FIG. 5 illustrates the section of the skeleton illustrated in FIG. 4 after smoothing.

[0046] FIG. 6 illustrates a section of a skeleton with a curve point.

[0047] FIG. 7 illustrates a correction map of another industrial facility with a skeleton.

[0048] FIG. 8 illustrates a portion of a graph of the correction map illustrated in FIG. 7.

[0049] FIG. 9 illustrates the determination of connection parameters.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] FIG. 1 illustrates a correction map of an industrial facility in the form of an original grid cell map 10. The original grid cell map 10 has a two-dimensional configuration and extends in a positive longitudinal direction +X, in a negative longitudinal direction −X antiparallel thereto, in a positive transverse direction +Y perpendicular thereto, and in a negative transverse direction −Y antiparallel thereto. The positive longitudinal direction +X and the negative longitudinal direction −X are also jointly referred to as longitudinal direction X. The positive transverse direction +Y and the negative transverse direction −Y are also jointly referred to as transverse direction Y. The longitudinal direction X and the transverse direction Y thus define a two-dimensional cartesian coordinate system.

[0051] The industrial facility is an industrial application, for example, a production plant. The mobile system of the industrial facility is an autonomously driving vehicle. The mobile system is used, e.g., for transporting objects within the industrial facility. The industrial facility has regions 20 which are accessible to the mobile system, for example, empty areas and paths. The industrial facility also has regions 30 which are closed to the mobile system, for example, assembly stations, work benches, or similar objects.

[0052] The original grid cell map 10 has a plurality of individual cells which are arranged next to one another in longitudinal direction X as well as in transverse direction Y. Cells which describe a region 20 which is accessible to the mobile system are characterized as free cells. Cells which describe a region 30 which is closed to the mobile system are characterized as occupied. The free cells form a free region 22, and the occupied cells form an occupied region 32.

[0053] FIG. 2 illustrates the correction map illustrated in FIG. 1 in the form of a reduced grid cell map 12. The reduced grid cell map 12 is formed from the original grid cell map 10 in that certain free cells are characterized as occupied. In particular, the cells of the free region 22 whose distance in longitudinal direction X and/or in transverse direction Y to at least one cell of an occupied region 32 is smaller than a safe distance are characterized as occupied. Alternatively, the cells of the free region 22 are characterized as occupied when the distance in the form of a straight line to the occupied region is smaller than a safe distance. For example, the safe distance can be freely selected. In selecting the safe distance, a required distance of the mobile system from objects of the closed regions 30 and a width of the mobile system are to be taken into consideration.

[0054] FIG. 3 illustrates the correction map illustrated in FIG. 2 with a skeleton 24 of the free region 22. The skeleton 24 of the free region 22 is formed in that, starting from the reduced grid cell map 12, a thinning of the free region 22 is carried out. For example, cells of the free region 22 which in longitudinal direction X and/or in transverse direction Y adjoin an occupied region 32 are characterized as occupied. This process is continued until the free region 22 is in the form of a skeleton 24. The skeleton 24 includes only a thin, e.g., linear, sequence of individual free cells.

[0055] FIG. 4 illustrates a section of a skeleton 24 of the free region 22 before smoothing. The skeleton 24 has free cells which adjoin other free cells exclusively in diagonal direction but not in longitudinal direction X and not in transverse direction Y. Therefore, a smoothing of the skeleton 24 is carried out in that occupied cells of the occupied region 32 which in longitudinal direction X and in transverse direction Y adjoin the free region 22 are characterized as free until each cell of the free region 22 which in diagonal direction adjoins another free cell in addition adjoins in longitudinal direction X or in transverse direction Y another free cell which in longitudinal direction X or in transverse direction Y adjoins said other free cell. FIG. 5 illustrates the section of the skeleton illustrated in FIG. 4 after smoothing.

[0056] FIG. 6 illustrates a section of a skeleton 24 of a free region 22 with a curve point 43. The curve point 43 in negative longitudinal direction −X adjoins a free cell of the free region 22 and in positive longitudinal direction +X adjoins an occupied cell of the occupied region 32. In longitudinal direction X, the curve point 43 thus adjoins exactly one free cell, in which the free cell is part of a linear sequence of a minimum number of free cells in longitudinal direction X. In negative transverse direction −Y, the curve point 43 also adjoins a free cell of the free region 22 and in positive transverse direction +Y adjoins an occupied cell of the occupied region 32. Thus, in transverse direction Y, the curve point 43 adjoins exactly one free cell, in which the free cell is part of a linear sequence of a minimum number of free cells in transverse direction Y. As a value of the minimum number of free cells in longitudinal direction X as well as in transverse direction Y, the number of five cells is selected, for example.

[0057] FIG. 7 illustrates the correction map illustrated in FIG. 3 with the skeleton 24 of the free region 22. The skeleton 24 has multiple intersections 41 and multiple end points 42. However, the skeleton 24 has no curve point 43. Intersections 41 are the cells of the free region 22 which in longitudinal direction X as well as in transverse direction Y adjoin three or four other free cells of the free region 22. End points 42 are the cells of the free region 22 which in longitudinal direction X as well as in transverse direction Y adjoin exactly one free cell of the free region 22.

[0058] All the intersections 41, all the end points 42, and, to the extent present, all the curve points 43 represent node points of a graph of the correction map, which is to be generated. The skeleton 24 includes a first node point 1, a second node point 2, a third node point 3, a fourth node point 4, a fifth node point 5, a sixth node point 6, a seventh node point 7, an eighth node point 8, and a ninth node point 9. The eighth node point 8 and the ninth node point 9 are end points 42; the remaining node points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 are intersections 41.

[0059] For each node point 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, that is to say for each intersection 41, for each end point 42, and, to the extent present, for each curve point 43, connections V to other node points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 are detected. Such a connection V includes a sequence of individual free cells between each two node points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Such a connection V has a connection direction R, a connection length L, and a connection width B.

[0060] For example, all the sequences of individual fee cells adjoining the respective node point 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 are passed through until an end point 42 is reached, until a curve point 43 is reached, or until an edge of the contour map is reached. For example, at a curve point 43 a significant direction change occurs. A direction change is considered to be significant if, thereafter, a linear sequence of the minimum number of free cells in the same direction follows. When a non-significant direction change is reached, the sequence of individual free cells continues to be passed through.

[0061] When an intersection 41 is reached during a passage through a sequence of individual free cells, first the connection V to this intersection 41 is detected. Subsequently, to the extent possible, starting from the intersection 41 on, a further passage through a sequence of individual free cells in the same direction occurs until the next node point 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 is reached, and the connection V to this intersection 41 is detected. All the node points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 which can be reached from a node point 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 without significant direction change, that is to say also through another intersection 41, thus have a connection V to the node point 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.

[0062] For each connection V detected between in each case two node points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, in each case a connection direction R, a connection length L, and a connection width B are determined. Thus, which node points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 the currently investigated node point 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 has a connection V to and which respective connection direction R, which connection length L, and which connection width B this connection V has are retained.

[0063] From the node points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and determined connections V of the skeleton 24 of the free region 22, a graph of the correction map is prepared. FIG. 8 illustrates a portion of the prepared graph of the correction map illustrated in FIG. 7. In order to increase the clarity, only the connections V associated with the third node point 3 are illustrated in the graph.

[0064] For example, the third node point 3 has connections V to the first node point 1, the fourth node point 4, the fifth node point 5, the sixth node point 6, the seventh node point 7, and the eighth node point 8. For example, the third node point 3 has no connections V to the second node point 2 and to the ninth node point 9.

[0065] FIG. 9 illustrates a representation for the determination of connection parameters, namely the connection direction R, the connection length L and the connection width B of a connection V between a first node point 1 and a second node point 2, with the help of an original grid cell map 10. In the original grid cell map 10, for example, the first node point 1 has the coordinates (X1/Y1), and the second node point 2 has the coordinates (X2/Y2).

[0066] The connection length L is determined, for example, in that all the free cells passed through along the connection V between the first node point 1 and the second node point 2 are counted.

[0067] For example, the result is: L=11

[0068] Alternatively, the connection length L in the form of a straight line between the first node point 1 and the second node point 2 is determined. For example, the connection length L is calculated according to the relationship:

L=√{square root over ((X2−X1).sup.2+(Y2−Y1).sup.2)}

[0069] For example, the result is: L=10.05

[0070] If a high resolution of the connection direction R is desired, the connection direction R is determined, for example, as an angle with respect to the positive longitudinal direction +X.

[0071] For example, the connection direction R is calculated according to the relationship:

[00001]$R=\mathrm{atan}\left(\frac{Y2-Y1}{X2-X1}\right)$

[0072] For example, the result is: R=−5.7°

[0073] If a low resolution of the connection direction R is desired, the connection direction R which comes closest to the exact connection direction R, that is to say the positive longitudinal direction +X, the negative longitudinal direction −X, the positive transverse direction +Y or the negative transverse direction −Y, is associated with the connection direction.

[0074] For example, the result is: R=+X

[0075] For the determination of the connection width B, for example, from each free cell of the connection V, a first connection distance d1, in a direction perpendicular to the connection direction R, to the closest closed region 30 is determined, and a second connection distance d2, in an opposite direction perpendicular to the connection direction R, to the closest closed region 30 is determined. A path width, which is calculated as the sum of the two determined connection distances d1, d2, is associated with the free cell. The connection width B is determined as the smallest path width of all the free cells of the connection V.

[0076] For example, the result is: B=5

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0077] 1 First node point [0078] 2 Second node point [0079] 3 Third node point [0080] 4 Fourth node point [0081] 5 Fifth node point [0082] 6 Sixth node point [0083] 7 Seventh node point [0084] 8 Eighth node point [0085] 9 Ninth node point [0086] 10 Original grid cell map [0087] 12 Reduced grid cell map [0088] 20 Vehicle-accessible region [0089] 22 Free region [0090] 24 Skeleton [0091] 30 Closed region [0092] 32 Occupied region [0093] 41 Intersection [0094] 42 End point [0095] 43 Curve point [0096] V Connection [0097] R Connection direction [0098] L Connection length [0099] B Connection width [0100] d1 First connection distance [0101] d2 Second connection distance [0102] X Longitudinal direction [0103] +X Positive longitudinal direction [0104] −X Negative longitudinal direction [0105] Y Transverse direction [0106] +Y Positive transverse direction [0107] −Y Negative transverse direction