Ats Automation Tooling Systems Inc.

Ats, Inc.

Cisco Technology, Inc.

Cisco Systems Canada Co.

John Ditner

Albert Kleinikkink

Graham Knap

Ryan Chubb

Don Mowat

Ryan Scott

Marc Morin

Darragh Staunton

Javan Taylor

Scott Charles Lindsay

Roger Hogan

Steve Aikens

Allan Dubeau

Graham Richard Knap

Scott Lindsay

A control system for an electric motor in a manufacturing environment, the control system including: a safety relay; and a power reduction circuit, wherein, when the safety relay is triggered, the power reduction circuit automatically limits the power supplied to the electric motor from a main power source such that the electric motor operates in a predetermined safe mode. A method for controlling an electric motor in a manufacturing system, the electric motor having a main power supply, the method including: monitoring the manufacturing system associated with the electric motor for a change in condition; on detecting a change in condition: limiting a power supplied to the electric motor, via a power reduction circuit, such that the electric motor operates in a predetermined safe mode. The power reduction circuit includes a reduced power supply and a means of dropping the power supplied to the electric motor quickly.

System and method for electric motor control in a manufacturing environment

A system and method for tracking a location of a moving element on a conveyor system. The system including: magnetic sensors; a magnetic encoder strip that is readable by the magnetic sensors; and a processor for receiving and processing the sensor readings to determine a location of the moving element. The method including: sensing a current location of the moving element, wherein at least one of the magnetic sensors and magnetic encoder are associated with the moving element; and providing a current location to a conveyor system controller. The system may further include: color sensors; and a color gradient encoder strip that is readable by the color sensors, wherein the color gradient encoder strip and color sensors provide moving element location at start up and the magnetic sensors and magnetic encoder strip track moving element location during operation. In this case, the method is adjusted accordingly.

System and method for tracking a moving element in a conveyor system

A curvilinear track section of a linear motor system for use with a moving element including a machine readable medium, the track section including: a curvilinear track portion having a predetermined curved shape; a plurality of sensors provided to the track portion such that each of the plurality of sensors is oriented perpendicular to the direction of motion while the plurality of sensors are placed along the direction of motion and the plurality of sensors are configured such that the machine readable medium will overlap at least two of the plurality of sensors at the same time; and a processor configured to determine a position of the moving element on the curvilinear track section based on the readings from the sensors.

Curvilinear track sections having position sensors

A method for manufacturing a curvilinear track section including: forming a curvilinear track portion; cutting out a first slot grouping from an exterior edge of the curvilinear track portion, wherein the first slot grouping is at a first predetermined angle; cutting out a second slot grouping from the exterior edge of the curvilinear track portion, wherein the second slot grouping is at a second predetermined angle; and inserting motor units into the first and second slot groupings. A curvilinear track section having: a curvilinear track portion; a first slot grouping formed in an exterior edge of the curvilinear track portion, wherein the first slot grouping is at a predetermined angle relative to the exterior edge; a second slot grouping formed in the exterior edge of the curvilinear track portion, wherein the second slot grouping is at a second predetermined angle; and motor units inserted into the first and second slot groupings.

Method for manufacturing a curvilinear track section

A system and method for providing power to a plurality of moving elements in a transport system that include: tracking a position of each of the plurality of moving elements in the transport system; and selectively operating a power system provided to the transport system based on the position of each of the plurality of the moving element such that power is independently transferred to each of the plurality of moving elements. In another embodiment, the system and method include: adapting the plurality of moving elements to receive power from a drive component used to drive the plurality of moving elements along the transport system; and controlling the drive component to provide power to the plurality of moving elements, and, in particular, while the moving elements are moving.

System and method for providing power to a moving element

Linear motor system with powered curvilinear track sections

A system for tracking position and identification of a moving element on a conveyor system having a track, the system including: a machine readable medium provided to one of the moving element or the track, wherein the machine readable medium is configured with at least two channels with a predetermined phase difference therebetween; a sensor provided to the other of the moving element or the track, wherein the sensor is configured to read the at least two channels; and a controller configured to receive data from the sensor and determine a position and/or identification of the moving element on the track based on the phase difference.

A system for controlling moving elements including: a zone controller; a first network and a second network; at least one first motor gateway associated with a portion of the conveyor and assigned to the first network; and at least one second motor gateway associated with a different portion of the conveyor and assigned to the second network; wherein the zone controller and the motor gateways are configured to: communicate data to control the moving elements via the first and second networks in a structured manner to compensate for network or processing timing. A method for controlling moving elements including: communicating data related to control of the moving element conveyor, in a structured manner to compensate for network or processing timing, between a zone controller and first and second motor gateways.

System and method for controlling a moving element in a linear motor conveyor

A system and method for the switching of control between redundant controllers is presented. The status of the redundant controllers is monitored to determine if switching of control between controllers is required. The monitoring and switching system is hardware based with control being implemented via a state machine.

System and method of operation of dual redundant controllers

A system and method of operation for connecting at least one USB function to at least two USB hosts is presented. The system of provides a USB tree between each USB host and the at least one USB function. The system further contains provisions for isolating a given USB host from the at least one USB function.

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New Hamburg, Canada

John Ditner