KR20180036089A - Dynamic plug and play type logistic automatization equipment system and executing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dynamic plug and play (PnP) type distribution automation equipment system, which enables free use of distribution equipment regardless of manufacturer of the equipment through a dynamic PnP after registering the distribution equipment by integrating a warehouse control system (WCS) that manages automation equipment within a distribution warehouse with an equipment control system (ECS) that monitors control of each single equipment and an operating status, and a method thereof. The dynamic PnP type distribution automation equipment system comprises: at least one automation equipment in which a programmable logic control (PLC) map for driving and a shuttle control program for driving control are installed; database in which message pool information and driver pool information according to a dynamic PnP protocol of the automation equipment are stored; and an ECS which retrieves the message pool information and the driver pool information from the database according to the PnP protocol to register or control the automation equipment when the automation equipment is registered or used, and which communicates with the shuttle control program according to the PLC map to control the same.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a dynamic plug and play type logistics automation equipment system and a method thereof,

The present invention relates to a dynamic plug-and-play type logistics automation equipment system and method, and more particularly, to a warehouse control system (WCS) for managing automation equipment in a warehouse, (ECS) to register logistics equipment and to enable the free use of logistics equipments regardless of the manufacturer of the equipment through dynamic plug and play, Dynamic plug-and-play type logistics automation equipment system and method.

Conventional warehouse automation collects data automatically by real-time tracking (real-time tracking) about the process from warehousing or warehousing to warehousing and warehousing to warehouse, Control and management of the system, it is aimed to reduce manpower, reduce inventory of stacked products, improve efficiency of operation, and increase productivity. However, since the operation of the transfer device and the position of the product are performed under the intervention of the operator, There was a problem.

In addition, the conventional logistics equipment control software has only the function of driving the equipment because there is only the equipment control software, and it does not support the free association with other manufacturers' controllers, which causes the problem of the versatility and expandability .

Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1992-0002445 (published on February 28, 1992)

It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a warehouse control apparatus (WCS) for managing automation equipment in a warehouse and an equipment control apparatus (ECS) And to provide a dynamic plug-and-play logistics automation equipment system and method that allows the equipment to be registered and to freely use the logistics equipment regardless of the manufacturer of the equipment through dynamic plug and play.

In order to achieve the above object, a dynamic plug and play type logistics automation equipment system according to the present invention includes a PLC (Programmable Logic Control) map for driving and a Shuttle control program for driving control, One or more automated equipment; A database (DataBase) storing message pool information and driver pool information according to a dynamic plug and play protocol of the automation equipment; And registering or controlling the automation equipment by bringing the message pool information and the driver pool information from the database according to the dynamic plug and play protocol when registering or using the automation equipment, And an equipment control device (ECS) that communicates with and controls the control program.

Here, the shuttle control program may be configured to interface with the associated automated equipment utilizing the driver pool information, and write the same information in the memory so that the equipment control unit (ECS) And may include a charge program.

In addition, the shuttle control program may include a user viewer program that reads information of the memory, interprets the information, and provides the information as information that the user can recognize.

The dynamic plug and play protocol may use the message pool information through a user protocol and use the driver pool information through a maker protocol, And a shared memory map (Shared Memory Map) that defines operation and structure information of a device defined by a manufacturer of the automation equipment, and the driver pool information includes information of all the drivers provided by the controller manufacturer of the automation equipment .

In the shared memory map, memory information of a controller defined to control the automation equipment may be recorded, and the PLC (Programmable Logic Control) map and the shuttle control program may be set.

In addition, when performing the PLC communication with the automation equipment based on the shared memory map, the equipment control device (ECS), based on the information of the maker protocol and the user protocol, It reads and writes the information of a specific buffer.

In addition, when the apparatus control unit (ECS) communicates with the shuttle control program of the automation equipment based on the shared memory map, information of a specific buffer can be exchanged based on information of a user protocol.

The shared memory map includes an operation relating to a job number and a destination block number in a specific buffer area (D buffer address), an alarm relating to a timeout warning, a drive signal relating to driving, and alarm information relating to a motor overload warning A shuttle presence / absence signal, a switch signal, a movement instruction signal relating to a lifter moving destination position, an entry prohibition signal relating to lifter lifting / lowering prohibition, a lifter lifting / A movement signal, and a workable signal relating to the motion of the robot can be recorded.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dynamic plug-and-play method of a logistics automation equipment system including a PLC (Programmable Logic Control) map for driving, a Shuttle control program for driving control, Installed, one or more automated equipment; A database (DataBase) storing message pool information and driver pool information according to a dynamic plug and play protocol of the automation equipment; And an equipment control device (ECS) for controlling operation of the at least one equipment, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing the equipment control device (ECS) with a registration Receiving information on an automation equipment of a target; (b) retrieving message pool information and driver pool information from the database in accordance with a dynamic plug and play protocol; (c) setting and registering a message and a driver based on the information on the automation equipment to be registered using the message pool information and the driver pool information, by the equipment control apparatus (ECS); And (d) directly communicating with the registered automation equipment in accordance with a PLC map and a shuttle control program of the registered automation equipment in accordance with the dynamic plug-and-play protocol by the equipment control unit (ECS) have.

Here, the shuttle control program may be configured to interface with the associated automated equipment utilizing the driver pool information, and write the same information in the memory so that the equipment control unit (ECS) And may include a charge program.

In addition, the shuttle control program may include a user viewer program that reads information of the memory, interprets the information, and provides the information as information that the user can recognize.

The dynamic plug and play protocol may use the message pool information through a user protocol and use the driver pool information through a maker protocol, And a shared memory map (Shared Memory Map) that defines operation and structure information of a device defined by a manufacturer of the automation equipment, and the driver pool information includes information of all the drivers provided by the controller manufacturer of the automation equipment .

In the shared memory map, memory information of a controller defined to control the automation equipment may be recorded, and the PLC (Programmable Logic Control) map and the shuttle control program may be set.

In the step (d), when performing the PLC communication with the automation equipment based on the shared memory map, the equipment control device (ECS) acquires information of a maker protocol and a user protocol The information of the specific buffer is read and written according to the PLC map.

In addition, in the step (d), when performing communication with the shuttle control program of the automation equipment based on the shared memory map, the equipment control device (ECS) You can send and receive.

In the shared memory map, an operation relating to a job number and a destination block number in a specific buffer area (D buffer address), an alarm relating to a timeout warning, a drive signal relating to driving, and alarm information concerning a motor overload warning are recorded A shuttle presence / absence signal, a switch signal, a movement instruction signal relating to a lifter moving destination position, an entry prohibition signal relating to lifter lifting / lowering prohibition, a lifter lifting / A movement signal, and a workable signal relating to the motion of the robot can be recorded.

According to the present invention, it is possible to freely connect and use the logistics equipment through dynamic plug-and-play regardless of the manufacturer of the equipment in the warehouse, thereby improving the versatility over the existing warehouse control system.

In addition, through the equipment control system (ECS), detailed information on the operation of the equipment can be collected, and functions and external software services can be supported. Thus, the efficiency of the warehouse operation can be increased.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a general configuration of a dynamic plug and play type logistics automation equipment system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example in which an ECS and a WCS are linked according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram illustrating an example in which ECS according to an embodiment of the present invention performs PLC communication or shuttle communication with an automation apparatus.
4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a menu configuration of a WCS according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a menu configuration of an ECS according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a dynamic plug-and-play control method of a logistics automation equipment system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a diagram illustrating an example in which ECS according to an embodiment of the present invention receives and registers equipment information.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. The present invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

In order to clearly illustrate the present invention, parts not related to the description are omitted, and the same or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when a part is referred to as being "connected" to another part, it includes not only "directly connected" but also "electrically connected" with another part in between . Also, when an element is referred to as "comprising ", it means that it can include other elements as well, without departing from the other elements unless specifically stated otherwise.

If any part is referred to as being "on" another part, it may be directly on the other part or may be accompanied by another part therebetween. In contrast, when a section is referred to as being "directly above" another section, no other section is involved.

The terms first, second and third, etc. are used to describe various portions, components, regions, layers and / or sections, but are not limited thereto. These terms are only used to distinguish any moiety, element, region, layer or section from another moiety, moiety, region, layer or section. Thus, a first portion, component, region, layer or section described below may be referred to as a second portion, component, region, layer or section without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. The singular forms as used herein include plural forms as long as the phrases do not expressly express the opposite meaning thereto. Means that a particular feature, region, integer, step, operation, element and / or component is specified and that the presence or absence of other features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / It does not exclude addition.

Terms indicating relative space such as "below "," above ", and the like may be used to more easily describe the relationship to other portions of a portion shown in the figures. These terms are intended to include other meanings or acts of the apparatus in use, as well as intended meanings in the drawings. For example, when inverting a device in the figures, certain parts that are described as being "below" other parts are described as being "above " other parts. Thus, an exemplary term "below" includes both up and down directions. The device can be rotated by 90 degrees or rotated at different angles, and terms indicating relative space are interpreted accordingly.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms including technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Commonly used predefined terms are further interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the relevant technical literature and the present disclosure, and are not to be construed as ideal or very formal meanings unless defined otherwise.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a general configuration of a dynamic plug and play type logistics automation equipment system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

1, a dynamic plug and play type logistics automation equipment system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes at least one automation equipment 110 to 130, an equipment control system (ECS) 140 A database (DataBase) 142, and a warehouse control system (WCS) 150.

The at least one automation apparatus 140 is provided with a PLC (Programmable Logic Control) map for driving and a Shuttle control program for driving control.

Here, the shuttle control program may include a communication charge program and a user viewer program. The communication charge program uses the driver pool information to interface with the associated automation equipment to perform the communication by writing the same information to the memory so that the ECS recognizes the memory status. The user viewer program reads the information of the memory, interprets it, and provides it as information that the user can recognize.

The one or more automated devices 110-130 may include a GDS (Goods to Destination System) 110, an APS (Automatic Picking System) 120, a Box Erector 130, a palletizer Palletizer) and the like.

The database 142 stores message pool information and driver pool information according to the dynamic PnP protocol of the automation equipment. Here, the database 142 may be implemented as a separate device or a DB server, and may also be referred to as a firmware data repository.

The ECS 140 registers the message pool information and the driver pool information from the database 142 according to the dynamic plug-and-play protocol to register or control the automation equipment when registering or using the automation equipment, And is controlled by communicating with the program.

The ECS 140 directly controls each of the automation devices based on the information received from the WCS 150 and registers the message pool information and the message pool information according to the dynamic Plug and Play protocol The memory address of the driver pool information is shared with the WCS 150 and each automation equipment.

In the present invention, the ECS 140 is a system in which the HMI (Human Machine Interface), which is a system screen used by users, is modified and applied to the logistics equipment, and the operation and management of the single logistics equipment can be facilitated. Thus, the ECS 140 may also be referred to as Smart Equipment Control (Smart ECS) or 'Smart HMI-ECS'.

The WCS 150 integrally manages and monitors the automation equipment in the warehouse, and communicates information received from the host system to the ECS 140 in association with the host system.

The WCS 150 also includes an individual warehouse control unit (Edge WCS) that integrally manages all the automated equipment in the warehouse as shown in FIG. 2 and delivers a logistics work order to the ECS 120; And a central warehouse control unit (Center WCS) that integrates an individual warehouse control unit (Edge WCS) to monitor information occurring in all warehouses and does not perform direct control. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example in which an ECS and a WCS are linked according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In addition, the WCS 150 is connected to the upper system via a basic connection (Basic Connect) for connection through a central warehouse control device (Center WCS) as shown in FIG. 2, ) To connect to the parent system through Edge Connect. Here, the upper system may be an enterprise resource management (ERP) system or a warehouse management system (WMS), for example.

The DB 140 stores a message pool information and a driver pool information according to a dynamic plug and play protocol of each automation equipment as a firmware data storage.

Here, the message pool information includes a shared memory map (Shared Memory Map) defining the operation and structure information of equipment defined by the manufacturer of each automation equipment, and the driver pool information includes driver .

In addition, the dynamic plug-and-play protocol uses the message pool information through the user protocol and uses the driver pool information through the maker protocol.

Memory information of a controller defined to control each of the automation devices is recorded in the shared memory map. A PLC (Programmable Logic Control) map and a Shuttle Control program Is set.

3, when the ECS 140 performs PLC communication with each of the automation devices based on the shared memory, the ECS 140 performs a PLC communication based on the maker protocol and the user protocol information, The information of a specific buffer (D buffer or M buffer) is read and written according to the PLC map defined in the equipment. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example in which ECS according to an embodiment of the present invention performs PLC communication or shuttle communication with an automation apparatus.

In addition, when the ECS 140 performs communication with the shuttle control program of the corresponding automation equipment based on the shared memory as shown in FIG. 3, information of a specific buffer is exchanged based on information of a user protocol.

Further, in the shared memory map, an operation relating to the operation number and the destination block number in the specific buffer area (D buffer address), an alarm relating to the timeout warning, a drive signal relating to driving, and alarm information concerning the motor overload warning are recorded A shuttle presence / absence signal, a switch signal, a movement instruction signal relating to a lifter movement target position, an entry prohibition signal relating to lifter up / down prohibition, a lifter up / A movement signal, and a workable signal may be recorded.

In addition, the WCS 150 may receive information including order information, article information, and worker information necessary for the operation of each automation equipment in the warehouse from the host system, and may transmit the received information to the ECS 140.

In addition, the WCS 150 may divide the order information received from the upper-level system into pieces for each piece of equipment, and receive the completed job from the ECS 140 and perform reassembly.

The WCS 150 collects events occurring in each automation equipment in real time to monitor the operation status and the equipment status of the processes in the warehouse and transmits the status information of the equipment received from the ECS 140 to the upper system And sends it to the system.

4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a menu configuration of a WCS according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the WCS 150 according to the present invention may include an operation, a management, and a system menu.

The operation menu includes a home menu including a dashboard, a monitoring menu for equipment monitoring and operation monitoring, a control menu for equipment control, a history search menu for operation history, equipment history, and maintenance history do.

Users can view summarized information about the equipment through the Dashboard.

The dashboard is the initial screen configuration of the system, and briefly shows the equipment list, communication status, work list, work throughput, and reporting information. The Dashboard displays four user-selected components and a task list (summary). You can set up three dashboards for each user. Dashboard settings are made by selecting a specific area of the Dashboard and then selecting the component from the list of components.

The monitoring menu is a function for monitoring the overall status of the warehouse and consists of equipment monitoring and job monitoring. Equipment monitoring provides users with an integrated monitoring that provides the layout of the entire warehouse as an image, detailed information about each equipment, and individual monitoring of the location, operation status, and consumables status of individual automation equipment used in each logistics process. . Job monitoring is a function to grasp the amount of operation of the equipment, the volume of the work, and whether or not the work is processed.

The control menu is a function to directly turn on / off the automated logistics equipment. It is composed of integrated control, transport equipment control and individual control in detail. Integrated control is the ability to turn on and off all equipment connected to Smart Warehouse Control (SMART WCS) or Smart Equipment Control (Smart ECS). Transport equipment control is a function to control the transport equipment such as AGV and conveyor, and individual control functions to turn on / off a single logistics equipment. Emergency stop is a function that emergency stop to be.

The history inquiry menu provides the history of maintenance for the maintenance and repair of the individual equipment and the detailed equipment that has been operated to date, and it is a function to browse related reports. It consists of job history management, equipment history management, and maintenance history management. The history of the work is the history management of the work performed on the individual equipment so far. The history of the equipment is the history management of the operation history of the individual equipment which has been operated until now. The maintenance history is the history of maintenance of the individual equipment and the detailed configuration equipment Management. The report can be output from the work history and equipment history, and the collected information about the work performed so far can be analyzed through various statistical analysis techniques.

In addition, the management menu includes sub-menus including stock and data, work, equipment, and user menus.

The integrated inventory inquiry function in the inventory menu is a function to inquire about the inventory status managed by the operating system of the individual logistics equipment.

The data menu consists of data management, code management and master data management. It provides registration, inquiry, modification and deletion functions for code management and master data management. Code management consists of basic data necessary for the operation of WCS or ECS. Master data management is a function that manages essential data necessary for work using code.

The task menu consists of task split that divides tasks by equipment based on order information that was received from the parent system and task merge function that reassembles them by order. Job split and job merge are functions that general users and administrators can register, view, modify and delete rules, have a verification function, and provide output information on invoices and labels after a merge. It is possible to assign a virtual zone to help the user merge work. The user alarm management consists of a basic alarm that provides an alarm for a specific event received to the user and a personal alarm that sets an alarm for a user-defined event, and includes alarm generation, registration, inquiry, modification, and deletion functions.

The equipment management of the equipment menu is more versatile than the existing WCS (interworking between different types), so it can link equipment regardless of the supplier of the logistics equipment. Dynamic Plug & Play Can be improved. Equipment management is possible to register equipment based on master data, and provides functions to inquire, modify, and delete. In case of equipment management, basic information of equipment is input in step 1. In step 2, detailed configuration equipment to be used for master data is selected in step 2. In step 3, detailed information of monitoring screen configuration and detailed configuration equipment is inputted.

In the user menu, user management is a function of registering user information and setting authority according to users by managing direct user of WCS or ECS. User management provides functions for user registration, inquiry, modification and deletion.

And, the system menu includes system setting, account, Help and logout function. System setting menu provides task window management, language setting and time setting function, and the account menu provides personal information modification function.

The Help function consists of a function that provides help to the user of WCS. In addition to WCS, manuals related to individual equipment and maintenance are also provided. Web-based electronic manuals are available when linked to the SMART Maintenance Cloud.

System setting is for SMART WCS internal setting, and it can manage task window, language setting and time setting. Task window management is a function that allows the user to edit the SMART WCS by unlocking the screen. The language setting is a function that enables foreigners to conveniently use SMART WCS through multi-national language support. The time setting is a function that synchronizes the system time with the server.

5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a menu configuration of an ECS according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, an ECS 140 according to the present invention includes an operation and a system menu.

The operation menu includes a home menu including a dashboard, a monitoring menu for equipment monitoring and operation monitoring, a control menu for unit operation control, a history search menu for operation history and equipment history and maintenance history, And an operation menu related to the operation.

Users can view summary information about the equipment through the Dashboard. The verifiable summary information provides job information, integrated inventory information, and status information of the equipment.

The ECS 140 may perform monitoring based on information received from the WCS 150. Monitoring provides equipment operation, status, operation, and monitoring of consumables, and if there is no activity through the SMART HMI-ECS for a period of time, the system is locked.

The control function of SMART HMI-ECS can be controlled by the user by the unit operation definition defined for each equipment, so that the user can check the equipment and operate it manually.

The alarm function provides an alarm function that notifies the user of the alarm that the user has specified in the SMART WCS, and can inquire information about the user alarm defined in SMART WCS.

The history inquiry function is composed of job history, equipment history, and maintenance history. It has the same concept as SMART WCS, but provides a table or graph form of a brief comparison of the collected information on the same day as the reporting and reference information collection period of the same day.

System setting is for SMART HMI-ECS internal setting. It can manage task window, language setting, time setting and personal information modification through SMART HMI-ECS.

Help can provide detailed manuals on whether or not SMART Maintenance Cloud is used in the same way as SMART WCS. If you are a SMART Maintenance Cloud user, you can use the web-based electronic manual.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a dynamic plug-and-play control method of a logistics automation equipment system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, the dynamic plug-and-play type logistics automation equipment system 100 according to the present invention receives information about the automation equipment to be registered among the at least one automation equipment (S602).

That is, when a new equipment is to be used, the ECS 140 receives information on the corresponding automated equipment to register new equipment as shown in FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example in which ECS according to an embodiment of the present invention receives and registers equipment information.

The ECS 140 then retrieves the message pool information and driver pool information from the database 142 according to the dynamic plug and play protocol (S604).

Here, the dynamic plug-and-play protocol can use the message pool information through the user protocol and use the driver pool information through the maker protocol.

Then, the ECS 140 sets and registers a message and a driver based on the information on the automation equipment to be registered using the message pool information and the driver pool information (S606).

That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the ECS 140 selects messages and drivers suitable for the automation equipment to be registered in the message pool information and the driver pool information based on the input information of the automation equipment to be registered, It is to set the equipment to be able to control or operate.

Next, the ECS 140 communicates with the shuttle control program of the registered automation equipment according to the dynamic plug-and-play protocol to directly control the registered automation equipment according to the PLC map (S608).

That is, when the WCS 150, which integrally manages and monitors the automation equipment in the warehouse in cooperation with the host system, transmits information received from the host system to the ECS 140, the ECS 140 analyzes the corresponding It controls the automation equipment through messages and drivers set for the automation equipment.

At this time, the WCS 150 is connected to the parent system through a basic connection (Basic Connect) connecting through a central warehouse control device (Center WCS) and an edge connection (Edge Connect) to connect to the parent system.

Also, the ECS 140 can communicate with the shuttle control program of the corresponding automation equipment and control the corresponding automation equipment to operate according to the PLC map.

At this time, when the ECS 140 performs communication with the shuttle control program of the corresponding automation equipment based on the shared memory map, information of the specific buffer is exchanged based on information of the user protocol.

On the other hand, the ECS 140 sends the memory address of the message pool information and the driver pool information to the WCS 150 according to the dynamic PnP protocol based on the information about the automation equipment. And can be shared with registered automation equipment.

That is, the ECS 140 transmits message pool information and driver pool information according to a dynamic plug and play protocol of a shared memory address based on information received from the WCS 150, And the corresponding automation equipment can be controlled directly.

Here, the message pool information includes a shared memory map (Shared Memory Map) defining the operation and structure information of equipment defined by the manufacturer of each automation equipment, and the driver pool information includes driver .

In the shared memory map, memory information of a controller defined to control each of the automation equipments is recorded, and a PLC (Programmable Logic Control) map and a shuttle control program are set in the detailed equipments constituting each automation equipments .

When the ECS 140 performs PLC communication with the corresponding automation equipment based on the shared memory map, the ECS 140 reads the information of the specific buffer according to the PLC map defined in the PLC equipment based on the manufacturer protocol and the user protocol information It is written.

In the shared memory map, an operation related to the operation number and the destination block number in the specific buffer area (D buffer address), an alarm relating to the time-out warning, a drive signal related to driving, and alarm information concerning the motor overload warning are recorded A shuttle presence / absence signal, a switch signal, a movement instruction signal relating to a lifter movement objective position, an entry inhibition signal relating to lifter lifting / lowering prohibition, a lifter lifting / A movement signal, and a workable signal may be recorded.

Meanwhile, SMART HMI-ECS is attached to each equipment for manual control of individual equipment and monitoring of work status, and connects the equipment and users through a visual interface.

SMART WCS divides the order information received from the upper software according to each equipment, transmits and receives the completed work, collects the events occurring in each equipment in real time, It performs monitoring role.

SMART WCS receives status information of equipment received from SMART HMI-ECS and provides it to external system.

As described above, according to the present invention, the warehouse control device (WCS) for managing the automated equipment in the warehouse and the equipment control device (ECS) for monitoring the operation of each single equipment are integrated to register the equipment Dynamic type plug-and-play logistics automation equipment system and method that enables the free use of logistics equipment regardless of the manufacturer of the equipment through dynamic plug and play.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims and their equivalents. Only. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the detailed description and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents are to be construed as being included within the scope of the present invention do.

100: Dynamic plug-and-play type logistics automation equipment system
110: GDS
120: APS
130: Ship equipment
140: Equipment control unit (ECS)
142: Database (DB)
150: Warehouse Control Unit (WCS)

Claims (16)

One or more automation equipment provided with a PLC (Programmable Logic Control) map for driving and a Shuttle control program for driving control;
A database (DataBase) storing message pool information and driver pool information according to a dynamic plug and play protocol of the automation equipment; And
And registering or controlling the automation equipment by bringing the message pool information and the driver pool information from the database according to the dynamic plug and play protocol when registering or using the automation equipment, An equipment control unit (ECS) for communicating with and controlling the program;
Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > plug & play < / RTI > type logistics automation equipment system.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the shuttle control program intercommunicates with the associated automated equipment by utilizing the driver pool information and writes the same information in the memory so that the equipment control device (ECS) can recognize the memory state, A dynamic plug-and-play type logistics automation equipment system.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the shuttle control program includes a user viewer program for reading and interpreting the information of the memory and providing the information as a form recognizable by the user.
The method according to claim 1,
The dynamic plug and play protocol uses the message pool information through a user protocol and uses the driver pool information through a maker protocol,
Wherein the message pool information includes a shared memory map (Shared Memory Map) defining operation and structure information of equipment defined by the manufacturer of the automation equipment, and the driver pool information includes a driver Wherein the information is a collection of all of the information about the logistics information.
The method of claim 4,
Characterized in that memory information of a controller defined for controlling the automation equipment is recorded in the shared memory map and the PLC (Programmable Logic Control) map and the shuttle control program are set. Equipment system.
The method of claim 4,
The apparatus control device (ECS), when performing PLC communication with the automation equipment on the basis of the shared memory map, generates a specific buffer according to the PLC map based on information of a maker protocol and a user protocol, Read and write of the information of the automatic plug-and-play type logistics automation equipment system.
The method of claim 4,
Wherein the apparatus control unit (ECS) exchanges information of a specific buffer based on information of a user protocol when communicating with a shuttle control program of the automation equipment based on the shared memory map. And play type logistics automation equipment system.
The method of claim 4,
The shared memory map includes:
An operation concerning a job number and a destination block number, an alarm regarding a time-out warning, a drive signal during driving, and alarm information concerning a motor overload warning are recorded in a specific buffer area (D buffer address)
A shuttle presence / absence signal, a switch signal, a movement instruction signal relating to a lifter movement target position, an entry prohibition signal relating to lifter up and down prohibition, a movement relating to lifting up or down, Signal, and a workable signal are recorded.
One or more automation equipment provided with a PLC (Programmable Logic Control) map for driving and a Shuttle control program for driving control; A database (DataBase) storing message pool information and driver pool information according to a dynamic plug and play protocol of the automation equipment; And a device control device (ECS) for controlling operation of the at least one device, the dynamic plug-and-play method of a logistics automation equipment system comprising:
(a) receiving information about the automation equipment to be registered among the at least one automation equipment by the equipment control unit (ECS);
(b) retrieving message pool information and driver pool information from the database in accordance with a dynamic plug and play protocol;
(c) setting and registering a message and a driver based on the information on the automation equipment to be registered using the message pool information and the driver pool information, by the equipment control apparatus (ECS); And
(d) directly communicating with the registered automation equipment shuttle control program according to the dynamic plug-and-play protocol to control the registered automation equipment according to the PLC map;
A dynamic plug-and-play method of a logistics automation equipment system, comprising:
The method of claim 9,
Wherein the shuttle control program intercommunicates with the associated automated equipment by utilizing the driver pool information and writes the same information in the memory so that the equipment control device (ECS) can recognize the memory state, A dynamic plug-and-play type logistics automation equipment system.
10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the shuttle control program includes a user viewer program for reading and interpreting information of the memory and providing the information as a form that the user can recognize.
The method of claim 9,
The dynamic plug and play protocol uses the message pool information through a user protocol and uses the driver pool information through a maker protocol,
Wherein the message pool information includes a shared memory map (Shared Memory Map) defining operation and structure information of equipment defined by the manufacturer of the automation equipment, and the driver pool information includes a driver A dynamic plug-and-play method of a logistics automation equipment system.
The method of claim 12,
Wherein the shared memory map includes memory information of a controller defined for controlling the automation equipment and a dynamic plug and play method of the logistics automation equipment system in which the PLC (Programmable Logic Control) map and the shuttle control program are set .
The method of claim 12,
In the step (d), when performing the PLC communication with the automation equipment based on the shared memory map, the equipment control device (ECS) performs the PLC communication based on the maker protocol and the user protocol A dynamic plug-and-play method of a logistics automation equipment system that reads and writes specific buffer information according to a PLC map.
The method of claim 12,
In the step (d), when the apparatus control unit (ECS) communicates with the shuttle control program of the automation equipment based on the shared memory map, information of a specific buffer is exchanged Dynamic plug and play method of logistics automation equipment system.
The method of claim 12,
In the shared memory map,
A task relating to the job number and the destination block number, an alarm relating to a time-over warning, a drive signal relating to driving, and alarm information relating to a motor overload warning are recorded in a specific buffer area (D buffer address) a shuttle presence / absence signal, a switch signal, a movement instruction signal relating to a lifter moving destination position, an entry prohibition signal relating to lifter lifting / lowering prohibition, a movement signal during lifting or lowering of the lifter, Recorded, dynamic plug and play method of a logistics automation equipment system.

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