Intelligent clamping jaw control system and method for gift machine

Abstract

The invention provides a gift machine intelligent clamping jaw control system and method. The gift machine intelligent clamping jaw control system comprises a control chip, a detection module and a driving module used for driving a clamping jaw to be opened or tightened. The driving module at least comprises a driving coil; the clamping jaw comprises a plurality of clamping rods; the detection module used for detecting the moving distance of the clamping rods and the temperature of the driving coil in real time is in communication connection with the control chip; the control chip determines the opening size of the clamping jaw according to the moving distance of the clamping rod and the temperature of the driving coil, and the voltage and / or current of the driving coil are / is adjusted. According to the invention, the voltage and current values required by the opening position of the object grabbed by the clamping jaw are determined based on the opening size, the voltage and current values are secondarily adjusted based on the temperature of the driving coil, and the voltage and / or current of the driving coil is adjusted, so that the dynamic adjustment of the opening size of the clamping jaw is realized; and the gripping force cannot be attenuated even if the temperature of the driving coil is increased, so that the output consistency of the gripping force is ensured, and the prize yield is prevented from being influenced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of gift machines, and in particular to a gift machine intelligent gripper control system and method. Background Art

[0002] With the development of the leisure and entertainment industry, claw machines (gift machines) have gradually become an important entertainment device, attracting a large number of consumers. However, there are generally some technical bottlenecks in the existing gift machines on the market, especially in the gripper control, which limits their gripping performance and user experience.

[0003] Currently, claw machines on the market usually use electromagnetic coils as the mechanism for generating claw force. The working principle of this mechanism is to use the magnetic field generated by the electromagnetic coil to adsorb the iron rod on the clamp rod, thereby achieving the grasping of the object. However, the claw force of the electromagnetic coil is not constant, but is affected by many factors, especially temperature changes. As the number of grasping increases, the temperature of the electromagnetic coil will gradually increase, and the increase in temperature will lead to an increase in resistance. This change in resistance directly affects the flow of current, resulting in the attenuation of the claw force.

[0004] In actual operation, when the temperature of the electromagnetic coil rises, the claw force will gradually weaken with the same voltage and current output, resulting in a lower grasping success rate. This phenomenon is particularly obvious in high-frequency use, and users may feel that the grasping force is insufficient during the game, which affects the gaming experience and satisfaction. In addition, since the claw force of existing claw machines is fixed and cannot be dynamically adjusted according to gifts of different weights, the claw force may not meet the needs when grasping different types of items. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a control system and method for an intelligent gripper of a gift machine, which realizes the dynamic adjustment of the opening size of the gripper, ensures that the gripping force will not decay even if the temperature of the driving coil rises, thereby ensuring the output consistency of the gripper force, avoiding affecting the prize-giving rate, and improving the adaptability of the gripper.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned invention object, the present invention provides a gift machine intelligent gripper control system, comprising a control chip, a detection module and a drive module for driving the gripper to open or tighten;

[0007] The driving module at least includes a driving coil;

[0008] The clamping jaw includes a plurality of clamping bars;

[0009] The detection module for detecting the moving distance of the plurality of clamping rods and the temperature of the driving coil in real time is communicatively connected with the control chip;

[0010] The control chip determines the opening size of the clamping jaws according to the moving distance of the clamping rod and the temperature of the driving coil, and adjusts the voltage and / or current of the driving coil.

[0011] According to a technical solution of the present invention, the detection module includes a displacement sensor for detecting the distances moved by the plurality of clamping rods in real time and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the driving coil;

[0012] The displacement sensor is fixedly arranged on the corresponding clamping rod;

[0013] The temperature sensor is arranged inside the clamping jaw and close to the driving coil.

[0014] According to a technical solution of the present invention, it also includes:

[0015] A time crystal oscillator for providing a time reference for the control chip, electrically connected to the control chip;

[0016] A chip crystal oscillator for providing a clock signal for the control chip is electrically connected to the control chip.

[0017] According to a technical solution of the present invention, it also includes:

[0018] The communication module is used for communication between the control chip and the host computer.

[0019] According to a technical solution of the present invention, the control chip is also connected to the server module through the communication module to upload the detection data of the corresponding gripper to the server module;

[0020] The server module is configured with a data analysis module for statistically analyzing the detection data.

[0021] According to a technical solution of the present invention, the control chip also uploads prize information to the server module through the communication module, and the prize information at least includes prize status and gift weight;

[0022] The data analysis module determines the popularity of different types of gift machines by analyzing the prize information.

[0023] According to a technical solution of the present invention, the displacement sensor is an ultrasonic sensor or a laser sensor.

[0024] According to a technical solution of the present invention, the control chip is also configured with a fault self-diagnosis module.

[0025] According to a technical solution of the present invention, it also includes a power conversion module.

[0026] According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a gripper control method implemented by an intelligent gripper control system of a gift machine based on any one of the above-mentioned technical solutions, wherein the opening size of the gripper is determined by the distance moved by the gripper rod and the temperature of the drive coil, and the voltage and / or current of the drive coil is adjusted.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0028] According to one concept of the present invention, a control system and method for an intelligent gripper of a gift machine are proposed, wherein a detection module can detect in real time the distances moved by multiple gripper rods and the temperature of the drive coil, and a control chip determines the opening size of the gripper required to be opened by the distance moved by the gripper rod, and determines the voltage and current values ​​required for the gripper to open to grasp an object based on the opening size, and then adjusts the voltage and current values ​​for a second time based on the temperature of the drive coil, thereby adjusting the voltage and / or current of the drive coil, thereby realizing dynamic adjustment of the opening size of the gripper, and ensuring that the gripping force will not decay even if the temperature of the drive coil rises, thereby ensuring the consistency of the gripper force output, avoiding affecting the prize-giving rate, and helping to accurately control the opening size of the gripper, thereby improving the success rate of grasping gifts, avoiding grasping failure due to excessive opening of the gripper, ensuring the prize-giving rate of the gift machine, and improving the user experience.

[0029] Furthermore, by adjusting the claw force based on the distance sensor and temperature sensor, the gripper can adapt to gifts of various sizes. Players are no longer restricted by the problem of a single gift and unreasonable grasping difficulty. Every time the game is started, the gripper will adaptively adapt to gifts of different sizes. Users do not need to adjust the claw force based on the gift, which greatly improves convenience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic diagram schematically shows the composition of an intelligent gripper control system for a gift machine according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 The figure schematically shows a schematic diagram of a clamping jaw structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The description of the embodiments of this specification should be combined with the corresponding drawings, which should be considered as part of the complete specification. In the drawings, the shape or thickness of the embodiments may be enlarged and indicated for simplification or convenience. Furthermore, the parts of each structure in the drawings will be described separately. It is worth noting that the elements not shown in the drawings or not described in words are in a form known to ordinary technicians in the relevant technical field.

[0034] The description of the embodiments herein and any reference to directions and orientations are only for the convenience of description and are not to be construed as any limitation on the scope of protection of the present invention. The following description of the preferred embodiments may involve combinations of features, which may exist independently or in combination, and the present invention is not particularly limited to the preferred embodiments. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims.

[0035] When describing the embodiments of the present invention, the orientation or positional relationship expressed by the terms "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside" and "outside" are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the relevant drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, the above terms should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0036] The present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The embodiments cannot be described one by one here, but the embodiments of the present invention are not therefore limited to the following embodiments.

[0037] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the present invention provides a gift machine intelligent gripper control system, comprising a control chip, a detection module and a driving module for driving the gripper to open or tighten;

[0038] The driving module at least includes a driving coil;

[0039] The clamping jaw includes a plurality of clamping bars;

[0040] A detection module for real-time detection of the moving distance of the plurality of clamping rods and the temperature of the driving coil is communicatively connected with the control chip;

[0041] The control chip determines the opening size of the clamping jaws according to the moving distance of the clamping rod and the temperature of the driving coil, and adjusts the voltage and / or current of the driving coil.

[0042] The present invention is applicable to the gift machine clamp that uses the magnetic flux axis and the driving coil to open or tighten the clamp. When the electromagnetic is turned on, the iron rod will rise and the claw will tighten. When the electromagnetic is not turned on, the claw will automatically open due to the weight of the iron rod. Figure 2 As shown, when the driving coil 1 is energized, the driving coil 1 cooperates with the magnetic flux axis 2, and the magnetic flux axis 2 can move up along the inner side of the driving coil 1. When the magnetic flux axis 2 moves up, it drives the clamping rod connecting platform 3 to move up synchronously. With the assistance of the clamping rod connecting rod 4 and the linkage rod 5, the three groups of clamping rods 6 and the clamping claw body below can be driven to move synchronously to the center position. The three groups of clamping rods 6 and the clamping claw body cooperate to perform the clamping operation of the doll.

[0043] The greater the distance the jaws open, the higher the voltage and current required. At the same time, the voltage and current required for the different sizes of jaw opening are also different. Different voltages and currents can be output through the distance feedback of the distance sensor.

[0044] The higher the temperature of the driving coil, the more serious the claw force attenuation.

[0045] In the present invention, the detection module and the driving module of the clamp are both electrically connected to the control chip. The detection module can detect in real time the moving distances of multiple clamp rods and the temperature of the driving coil. The control chip determines the opening size of the clamp that needs to be opened through the moving distances of the clamp rods, and determines the voltage and current values ​​required for the clamp to open to grasp the object based on the opening size. The voltage and current values ​​are adjusted for a second time based on the temperature of the driving coil to adjust the voltage and / or current of the driving coil, thereby realizing dynamic adjustment of the opening size of the clamp, ensuring that the gripping force will not decay even if the temperature of the driving coil rises, thereby ensuring the output consistency of the claw force and avoiding affecting the prize-giving rate. This helps to accurately control the opening size of the clamp, improve the success rate of grasping gifts, avoid grasping failure due to excessive opening of the clamp, ensure the prize-giving rate of the gift machine, and improve the user experience.

[0046] Furthermore, by adjusting the claw force based on the distance sensor and temperature sensor, the gripper can adapt to gifts of various sizes. Players are no longer restricted by the problem of a single gift and unreasonable grasping difficulty. Every time the game is started, the gripper will adaptively adapt to gifts of different sizes. Users do not need to adjust the claw force based on the gift, which greatly improves convenience.

[0047] The intelligent gripper control system of the gift machine of the present application can be integrated on a PCB board, which has the advantages of low cost, small size and easy installation. Figure 2 The PCB can be set to a circular shape and installed in the idle space directly above the magnetic flux axis 2.

[0048] In some embodiments of the present invention, the detection module includes a displacement sensor for detecting the distances moved by the plurality of clamping rods in real time and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the driving coil;

[0049] The displacement sensor is fixedly arranged on the corresponding clamping rod;

[0050] The temperature sensor is arranged inside the clamping jaw, close to the driving coil.

[0051] The displacement sensor can be an ultrasonic sensor or a laser sensor. An ultrasonic sensor or a laser sensor is selected as a displacement sensor and fixed on the corresponding clamp rod. When the clamp rod moves, the ultrasonic sensor measures the change in distance to the target object (such as the reference point of the grabbing area in the gift machine) by emitting ultrasonic waves and receiving reflected waves, thereby determining the distance the clamp rod moves; the laser sensor uses the reflection principle of laser to accurately measure the displacement of the clamp rod by detecting parameters such as the time difference between the emitted laser and the reflected laser.

[0052] For example, the displacement sensor can choose the VL53L0 distance sensor, which monitors the movement distance of the gripper in real time and continuously transmits distance data to the control chip, laying a solid foundation for subsequent voltage and current regulation.

[0053] Usually, the temperature sensor is placed inside the clamp and close to the driving coil. It can sense the heat emitted by the driving coil in real time during operation, and then accurately obtain the temperature value of the driving coil. The temperature sensor can be fixed on the driving coil, but in order to ensure the heat dissipation effect of the driving coil, it is preferred to set the temperature sensor close to it. The temperature sensor can be a thermistor of a suitable model.

[0054] As for the temperature sensor, it can detect the temperature of the drive coil. On the one hand, it can use the temperature of the drive coil to ensure the consistency of the claw force output. On the other hand, real-time monitoring of the drive coil temperature can promptly detect whether the coil has abnormal conditions such as overheating, so as to take measures in advance, such as adjusting the drive parameters or performing heat dissipation treatment, etc., effectively extending the service life of the drive coil and ensuring the stable operation of the entire gripper control system.

[0055] In some embodiments of the present invention, the gift machine intelligent gripper control system further includes:

[0056] A time crystal oscillator used to provide a time reference for the control chip is electrically connected to the control chip; the time crystal oscillator is electrically connected to the control chip through the corresponding circuit pins, so that it can provide an accurate time reference signal for the control chip according to its own stable oscillation frequency, for example, it can generate a stable second pulse signal, etc., to provide a basis for the timing-related operations of the system.

[0057] The time crystal oscillator provides an accurate time reference, which facilitates the precise statistics and control of time-related data such as the working time of the gripper and the gift grabbing interval, thus facilitating a more reasonable grabbing process planning.

[0058] The chip crystal oscillator used to provide a clock signal for the control chip is electrically connected to the control chip. Similarly, the chip crystal oscillator is connected to the control chip in a suitable electrical connection manner, and continuously provides a stable clock signal to the control chip at its specific frequency, ensuring that each circuit module inside the control chip can perform data processing, instruction execution and other operations in an orderly manner according to a unified and coordinated beat.

[0059] The chip crystal oscillator ensures the stability of the clock signal of the control chip, allowing all parts of the entire control system to work together in an orderly manner, avoiding problems such as data processing errors and chaotic instruction execution due to unstable clock signals, thereby improving the overall reliability and stability of the system.

[0060] In some embodiments of the present invention, the gift machine intelligent gripper control system further includes:

[0061] Communication module: the control chip is connected to the host computer through the communication module.

[0062] Select the communication module corresponding to the appropriate communication protocol (such as RS485, Ethernet, USB, etc.), connect it to the communication pin of the control chip, and configure the communication parameters (such as baud rate, IP address, etc.) according to the requirements of the corresponding communication protocol. The same protocol and parameters are also configured on the host computer side to establish a stable communication link between the two and realize data interaction between the control chip and the host computer.

[0063] Through the communication module, new control programs, parameters, etc. can be easily downloaded from the host computer to the control chip, which is conducive to functional upgrades and debugging of the gripper control system and improves the adaptability and scalability of the system.

[0064] The host computer can remotely send control instructions to the control chip to realize remote monitoring and operation of the gift machine's gripper, making it convenient for staff to manage and maintain it in the background without having to be on duty next to the gift machine all the time. At the same time, the host computer is used to control the prize rate, thereby improving the fun of the gift machine. For example:

[0065] The most common claw machine on the market requires four levels of claw force to grab the doll and give out the prize:

[0066] 1. The first section is claw force 1: the claw force when grabbing the doll;

[0067] 2. The second section is the claw force 2: the gripping force when rising to grab the doll;

[0068] 3. The third section is claw force 3: the gripping force when moving after grabbing the doll;

[0069] 4. The fourth section is claw strength 4: the gripping force that ensures the doll can be grabbed to the prize outlet.

[0070] For example, when the host computer informs that the prize-giving method this time is not to give out prizes and the prize-giving method is to move and drop, the smart gripper will output grip force one and grip force two according to the information fed back by the host computer to ensure that the grip force is sufficient to grab the doll, and when it reaches grip force three, it will start to fine-tune the grip force to make the doll slide slowly.

[0071] In some embodiments of the present invention, the control chip is also connected to the server module through the communication module to upload the corresponding gripper detection data to the server module; the control chip sends the collected gripper-related detection data (such as the clamping rod movement distance, the drive coil temperature, etc.) to the server module through the communication module in accordance with the established data format and communication protocol, and the server module receives and stores these data through the corresponding network interface.

[0072] The server module is configured with a data analysis module for statistically analyzing the detection data.

[0073] A data analysis module is built on the server side using data analysis software or algorithms. This module can perform operations such as data cleaning, feature extraction, and statistical analysis on the large amount of received and stored detection data.

[0074] By analyzing a large amount of gripper detection data accumulated over a long period of time, we can discover various working rules and potential problems of the gripper, such as the performance of the gripper in different time periods, differences in working conditions under different environments, etc., thereby providing strong data support for optimizing the parameter settings of the gripper control system, improving and maintaining the hardware structure, etc., and improving the performance of the entire gift machine gripper system.

[0075] Based on data analysis, the tendency of possible failure of the gripper can be discovered in advance, such as the gradual decline in the performance of a certain component, so that maintenance measures can be taken in advance, reducing the probability of the gift machine being unable to operate normally due to gripper failure and improving operational efficiency.

[0076] In some embodiments of the present invention, the control chip also uploads prize information to the server module through the communication module, and the prize information at least includes prize status and gift weight;

[0077] The data analysis module determines the popularity of different types of gift machines by analyzing the prize information.

[0078] After the gift machine completes a prize-giving action, the control chip transmits the prize-giving information (including prize-giving status, gift weight, etc.) to the server module through the communication module in the set format and communication method. The data analysis module on the server side performs classification statistics and correlation analysis on these large amounts of prize-giving information, such as which type of gift machine is more popular. Operators can reasonably adjust the placement and gift configuration of gift machines based on the analysis results of the popularity of different types of gift machines, place more popular gift machines in more conspicuous locations with high traffic, and replace unpopular gifts to improve the overall attractiveness and profitability of gift machines, help understand the market's preference for different gifts and gift machine gameplay, and provide valuable market feedback information for subsequent gift machine research and development, improvement, and gift selection, to better meet user needs and enhance market competitiveness.

[0079] In addition, the server module can also synchronize the parameters of the same gift machine with each other.

[0080] In some embodiments of the present invention, the control chip is further configured with a fault self-diagnosis module.

[0081] When a system failure occurs, it can quickly and automatically determine the location or link where the problem may occur, reducing the time and workload of manual troubleshooting. Maintenance personnel can quickly locate and solve the problem based on the fault prompt information, improve maintenance efficiency, and shorten the time the gift machine is shut down due to failure. By promptly discovering and handling potential fault hazards, small faults can be avoided from gradually turning into big problems, ensuring that the gift machine gripper control system can operate stably and reliably for a long time, improving user experience and reducing operating costs.

[0082] In some embodiments of the present invention, the gift machine intelligent gripper control system further includes a power conversion module for providing a stable output voltage.

[0083] According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for controlling a jaw of a gift machine intelligent jaw control system based on any one of the above-mentioned technical solutions, in which the opening size of the jaw is determined by the distance moved by the clamp rod and the temperature of the drive coil, and the voltage and / or current of the drive coil is adjusted.

[0084] A large amusement park introduced 50 gift machines based on this system. After one month of operation, the player complaint rate dropped from 10% to 3%, and the replenishment frequency of popular gifts increased by 50%. Background data showed that the average prize-winning rate of the equipment was within 3%, and revenue increased by 25% month-on-month, with remarkable results.

[0085] In summary, the invention can ensure the grasping accuracy, and the real-time distance control can reduce the positioning error of the gripper to the millimeter level. The deviation of the grasping prize rate of various items in the adaptive gift machine is within 3%;

[0086] The performance is stable and long-lasting. The temperature compensation mechanism ensures that the jaw force is constant throughout the entire process. The failure rate of the equipment is reduced by 40% during continuous operation, extending its service life.

[0087] Significant operational benefits: The data analysis module of the server module can achieve accurate product selection and optimize parameters.

[0088] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A gift machine intelligent gripper control system, characterized in that: It includes a control chip, a detection module and a driving module for driving the clamping jaws to open or tighten; The driving module at least includes a driving coil; The clamping jaw includes a plurality of clamping bars; The detection module for detecting the moving distance of the plurality of clamping rods and the temperature of the driving coil in real time is communicatively connected with the control chip; The control chip determines the opening size of the clamping jaws according to the moving distance of the clamping rod and the temperature of the driving coil, and adjusts the voltage and / or current of the driving coil.

2. The intelligent gripper control system of the gift machine according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The detection module includes a displacement sensor for detecting the distances moved by the plurality of clamping rods in real time and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the driving coil; The displacement sensor is fixedly arranged on the corresponding clamping rod; The temperature sensor is arranged inside the clamping jaw and close to the driving coil.

3. The intelligent gripper control system of the gift machine according to claim 1 is characterized in that: Also includes: A time crystal oscillator for providing a time reference for the control chip, electrically connected to the control chip; A chip crystal oscillator for providing a clock signal for the control chip is electrically connected to the control chip.

4. The intelligent gripper control system of the gift machine according to claim 1 is characterized in that: Also includes: The communication module is used for communication between the control chip and the host computer.

5. The intelligent gripper control system for gift machines according to claim 4 is characterized in that: The control chip is also connected to the server module through the communication module to upload the detection data of the corresponding gripper to the server module; The server module is configured with a data analysis module for statistically analyzing the detection data.

6. The intelligent gripper control system for gift machines according to claim 5 is characterized in that: The control chip also uploads prize information to the server module through the communication module, and the prize information at least includes prize status and gift weight; The data analysis module determines the popularity of different types of gift machines by analyzing the prize information.

7. The intelligent gripper control system of the gift machine according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The displacement sensor is an ultrasonic sensor or a laser sensor.

8. The intelligent gripper control system of the gift machine according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The control chip is also equipped with a fault self-diagnosis module.

9. The intelligent gripper control system of the gift machine according to claim 1 is characterized in that: A power conversion module is also included.

10. A gripper control method based on the gift machine intelligent gripper control system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The opening size of the clamping jaws is determined by the moving distance of the clamping rod and the temperature of the driving coil, and the voltage and / or current of the driving coil is adjusted.

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