Patent ID: 11971420
Assignee: ROCHE DIAGNOSTICS OPERATIONS, INC.
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A method of operating a laboratory sample distribution system, wherein the laboratory sample distribution system comprises
a plurality of sample container carriers, wherein the sample container carriers are configured to carry a laboratory sample container,
a transport plane, wherein the transport plane is configured to support the sample container carriers, and
a plurality of drive elements, wherein the drive elements are configured to move the sample container carriers on the transport plane, the method comprising:
a) planning a movement path (MP) for one of the sample container carriers from a start (ST) to a goal (GA) on the transport plane,
wherein the transport plane is logically modelled by a plurality of nodes,
wherein the nodes are free for at least one time-window (fTW) or reserved for at least one-time window (rTW),
wherein the planning comprises analyzing a reachability out of a free time-window (fTW) of one of the nodes (ni) to free time-windows (fTW) of at least one next node (nj) and at least one at least over-next node (nk) such that a planned movement of the one sample container carrier is nonstop from the one node (ni) over the next node (nj) to the at least one at least over-next node (nk), and
reserving the planned movement path (MP) comprising a sequence of time-windows (TW) of nodes (ni, nj, nk), the reserving comprising saving the planned movement path to a memory; and

b) executing, by controlling at least one of the drive elements, such that the one sample container carrier moves along the reserved movement path (MP) on the transport plane.