| CPC G06Q 10/087 (2013.01) | 11 Claims |
|
1. A method for packaging products into containers, the method comprising:
directing carrier devices to move along tracks between stations where different tasks associated with packing the products into the containers carried by the carrier devices are performed, the tracks forming a primary loop and secondary loops with the secondary loops connected with the primary loop by switches, the stations disposed in the secondary loops and connected with the primary loop by the switches, the carrier devices including carriages having platforms on which the containers are carried, the stations including an insert station having a robotic insert transporter with a first multi-axis robot arm that performs the task of placing inserts into the containers for forming one or more compartments within the containers, a syringe station having a robotic syringe transporter with a second multi-axis robot arm that performs the task of placing syringes into the containers, a dosing cup station having a robotic dosing cup transporter with a third multi-axis robot arm that performs the task of placing dosing cups into the containers, and an unloading station having a robotic box transporter with a fourth multi-axis robot arm that performs the task of removing the containers from the carriages;
determining whether a first carrier device of the carrier devices is at a first station of the stations that is assigned to a same task category as a first task that is assigned to the first carrier device and determining whether a queue of other carrier devices of the carrier devices waiting in the first station for completion of the first task is longer than a designated threshold, the designated threshold being (a) a queue length threshold indicative of a number of the carrier devices waiting for performance of the task at the first station or (b) a throughput threshold indicative of a rate, speed, or frequency at which the carrier devices move through the first station;
responsive to determining that the first station is assigned to the same task category as the first task and that the queue of the first station is no longer than the designated threshold, sending a signal to one or more of the switches to change a position of the one or more switches and direct the first carrier device into the first station via the one or more of the switches for performance of the first task;
assigning an additional task to the first carrier device and directing the first carrier out of the first station and to an additional station of the stations;
determining whether the additional station is assigned to the same task category as the additional task and determining whether the queue of the other carrier devices waiting in the additional station for completion of the additional task is longer than the designated threshold;
responsive to determining that the additional station is assigned to the same task category as the additional task and that the queue of the additional station is no longer than the designated threshold, directing the first carrier device into the additional station for performance of the additional task;
repeating assigning the additional task, determining whether the additional station is assigned to the same task category as the additional task, determining whether the queue of the other carrier devices waiting in the additional station for completion of the additional task is longer than the designated threshold, and directing the first carrier device into the additional station for performance of the additional task responsive to determining that the additional station is assigned to the same task category as the additional task and that the queue of the additional station is no longer than the designated threshold until a set of tasks associated with the first carrier device is completed, wherein the category of tasks completed by the at least one of the stations is changeable between two or more of inspecting contents of the container carried by the first carrier device, correcting the contents in the container carried by the first carrier device, or placing the contents inside the container carried by the first carrier device, wherein the tasks assigned to the at least one of the stations that are changeable are automatically performed by robotic machinery;
determining whether a rate, speed, or frequency at which the carrier devices move through the first station is slower than a throughput threshold; and
directing one or more additional carrier devices to bypass the first station and move to a second station responsive to determining that the rate, the speed, or the frequency at which the carrier devices move through the first station is slower than the throughput threshold.
|