IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,748,402
Granted Patent B2
US 12,748,402 · App. 18/477,017 · Granted Sep 29, 2026

Controlling an industrial mover system based on sustainability factors

Inventors: Yuhong Huang (Acton, MA); Alexandra L. Schwertner (Cleveland, OH); Andrea Ruotolo (Ontario, CA); Kyle Crum (Bayside, WI); Joshua W. Connor (Sussex, WI); Jason R. Mannion (Havertown, PA); Sinethemba Zulu (Johannesburg, ZA)
Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
G05B19/4155G05B2219/31266
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,748,402
App. No.
18/477,017
Granted
Sep 29, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A mover system includes a track, a plurality of movers configured to move along the track, and one or more processors configured to determine a first amount of energy consumption associated with a first portion of the plurality of movers and a second amount of energy consumption associated with a second portion of the plurality of movers and determine a first emissions per unit for each of the first portion of the plurality of movers based on the first amount of energy consumption and a second emissions per unit for each of the second portion of the plurality of movers based on the second amount of energy consumption. The one or more processors are also configured to determine one or more operating settings for the mover system based on the first emissions per unit, the first emissions per unit, or both and send one or more commands to the first number of the plurality of movers, the second number of the plurality of movers, or both based on the one or more operating settings.

Claims (49)

1 . A mover system comprising:

a track;

a plurality of movers configured to move along the track, the plurality of movers comprising a first number of movers corresponding to a first fleet size and a second number of movers corresponding to a second fleet size; and

one or more processors configured to:

determine a first amount of energy consumption associated with the first fleet size and a second amount of energy consumption associated with the second fleet size;

determine a first time of day that the first number of movers are in use and a second time of day that the second number of movers are in use;

determine a first emissions per unit for each mover of the first number of movers based on the first amount of energy consumption and the first time of day and a second emissions per unit for each mover of the second number of movers based on the second amount of energy consumption and the second time of day;

determine one or more operating settings for the mover system based on the first emissions per unit, the second emissions per unit, or both; and

send one or more commands to the first number of movers, the second number of movers, or both based on the one or more operating settings, wherein the one or more commands cause at least one of the plurality of movers to be powered down, powered up, parked, or any combination thereof.

2 . The mover system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive data indicative of one or more operational parameters of each of the plurality of movers, a length of the track, a layout of the track, or any combination thereof.

3 . The mover system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine a maximum number of the plurality of movers used in the mover system based on the one or more operational parameters, the length of the track, the layout of the track, or any combination thereof.

4 . The mover system of claim 3 , wherein the one or more operational parameters comprise a minimum throughput of the mover system, a maximum throughput of the mover system, a maximum amount of electrical power per unit produced, a maximum cost for electrical power per unit produced, a number of movers of the plurality of movers to be used, or any combination thereof.

5 . The mover system of claim 3 , comprising an electronic display configured to display the one or more operational parameters for the mover system.

6 . The mover system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate one or more graphs based on the first emissions per unit, the second emissions per unit, or both.

7 . The mover system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more graphs are indicative of carbon emissions per part produced with respect to the first number of movers, the second number of movers, or both.

8 . The mover system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

determine a maximum number of movers of the mover system based on the one or more graphs;

determine one or more minimal carbon emission points based on the one or more graphs; and

determine the one or more commands based on the maximum number of movers, the one or more minimal carbon emission points, or both.

9 . The mover system of claim 1 , wherein the track comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein the one or more operating settings comprise a number of the plurality of movers to be parked in the second portion.

10 . The mover system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive:

a user input indicative of a minimum value and a maximum value of emissions per unit, a minimum value and a maximum value of energy consumption, a minimum number and a maximum number of movers, a minimum value and a maximum value of acceleration, a minimum value and a maximum value of velocity, or any combination thereof; and

determine the one or more commands based on the user input.

11 . The mover system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

aggregate the emissions per unit data for each of a plurality of time periods; and

store the aggregated emissions per unit data for each of the plurality of time periods.

12 . The mover system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more commands cause at least one mover of the first number of movers or at least one mover of the second number of movers to be powered down, powered up, parked, or any combination thereof.

13 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

determine a first amount of energy consumption associated with a first fleet size of movers comprising a first number of movers of a plurality of movers and a second amount of energy consumption associated with a second fleet size of movers comprising a second number of movers of the plurality of movers;

determine a first time of day that the first number of movers are in use and a second time of day that the second number of movers are in use;

determine a first emissions per unit for each of the first number of movers based on the first amount of energy consumption and the first time of day and a second emissions per unit for each of the second number of movers based on the second amount of energy consumption and the second time of day;

determine one or more operating settings for the plurality of movers based on the first emissions per unit, the second emissions per unit, or both; and

send one or more commands to the first number of movers, the second number of movers, or both based on the one or more operating settings, wherein the one or more commands cause at least one mover of the plurality of movers to be powered down, powered up, parked, or any combination thereof.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to receive data indicative of one or more operational parameters of each of the plurality of movers, a length of a track, a layout of the track, or any combination thereof.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to determine a maximum number of the plurality of movers used based on the one or more operational parameters, the length of the track, the layout of the track, or any combination thereof.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to generate one or more graphs based on the first emissions per unit, the second emissions per unit, or both.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

aggregate the emissions per unit data for each of a plurality of time periods; and

store the aggregated emissions per unit data for each of the plurality of time periods.

18 . A method, comprising:

determining, via processing circuitry, a first amount of energy consumption associated with a first number of movers corresponding to a first fleet size of a plurality of movers and a second amount of energy consumption associated with a second number of movers corresponding to a second fleet size of the plurality of movers;

determining, via the processing circuitry, a first time of day that the first number of movers are in use and a second time of day that the second number of movers are in use;

determining, via the processing circuitry, a first emissions per unit for each mover of the first number of movers based on the first amount of energy consumption and the first time of day and a second emissions per unit for each mover of the second number of movers based on the second amount of energy consumption and the second time of day;

determining, via the processing circuitry, one or more operating settings for the plurality of movers based on the first emissions per unit, the second emissions per unit, or both; and

sending, via the processing circuitry, one or more commands to the first number of movers, the second number of movers, or both based on the one or more operating settings, wherein the one or more commands cause at least one of the plurality of movers to be powered down, powered up, parked, or any combination thereof.

19 . The method of claim 18 , comprising generating, via the processing circuitry, one or more graphs based on the first emissions per unit, the second emissions per unit, or both.

20 . The method of claim 18 , comprising:

aggregating, via the processing circuitry, the emissions per unit data for each of a plurality of time periods; and

storing, via the processing circuitry, the aggregated emissions per unit data for each of the plurality of time periods.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 4, 2023
From: HUANG, YUHONG; SCHWERTNER, ALEXANDRA L.; RUOTOLO, ANDREA; CRUM, KYLE; CONNOR, JOSHUA W.; MANNION, JASON R.; ZULU, SINETHEMBA
To: ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 065126/0470 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250110476A1 · Apr 3, 2025
References Cited (37)
US 7479751B2 · Sladek et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 8321187B2 · Kaufman et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8648708B2 · Lombardi et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8670962B2 · Kaufman et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8738190B2 · Pai et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8831927B2 · March · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8892540B2 · Walker et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 9129231B2 · Kaufman et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9274518B2 · Pai et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9304963B2 · Xiao et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9354651B2 · Schmidt et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9395704B2 · Pai et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9406036B2 · Kaufman et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9423848B2 · Keller et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9501804B2 · Kaufman · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9684288B2 · Schmidt et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9785126B2 · Kaufman · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9798343B2 · Kaufman · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9842372B2 · Kaufman · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9911163B2 · Kaufman · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10013666B2 · Walker et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10223167B2 · Kaufman et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10726026B2 · Walker et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 11715559B2 · Naik et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20090281677A1 · Botich · 2009 [cited by examiner]
US 20100274377A1 · Kaufman · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 20100274602A1 · Kaufman · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 20160147242A1 · Kaufman · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20170226764A1 · Nussbaum · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20180031533A1 · Rawat · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180370734A1 · Ziegler · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20230236559A1 · Kumar et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230238799A1 · Pan et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20240388130A1 · Rajan · 2024 [cited by examiner]
CN 116207844A · 2023 [cited by applicant]
CN 219368457U · 2023 [cited by applicant]
KR 20230105983A · 2023 [cited by applicant]