Air blower sorting apparatus and control method for controlling discharge holes based on object characteristic information

Abstract

A spray-type sorting device having a plurality of spray holes linearly arranged along the width direction of a conveyor and a control method thereof are disclosed. The present specification acquires an object image to detect a rotating bounding box, and calculates a shape ratio (horizontal length in the width direction / vertical length in the travel direction) based thereon, an inclination formed by the conveyor width direction and the object centerline, and weight information based on material information. Based on the calculated information, the spraying of the spray holes is controlled by setting a spraying duration, a spraying method (simultaneous spraying or sequential spraying), a spraying sequence, a spraying interval, and a range of spray holes to be operated according to the center spray hole and offset.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] This specification relates to a technology for sorting recyclable materials (or general objects) transported along a conveyor by fluid injection, and more specifically, to a method for controlling the injection of injection holes. Background Technology

[0002] Conventional air blower (air nozzle) based sorting devices have mainly used a method of controlling the spray hole corresponding to that point in time based on the distance (or travel time) of the object moving on the conveyor.

[0003] In addition, it is common practice not to control the injection holes in detail according to the direction (tilted direction) or shape of the object placed on the conveyor, or to control only some injection holes corresponding to the object's center coordinates; therefore, when the object is placed at an angle, the injection timing and injection sequence may deviate from the actual arrival pattern of the object, which can reduce sorting accuracy. The problem to be solved

[0004] Accordingly, it is difficult to sufficiently reflect the placement direction of objects using only axis-aligned bounding box (AABB) center-based control without angle information, and for objects placed with a predetermined inclination, precise control such as sequentially spraying from the side that arrives first may be required.

[0005] The present specification aims to solve the aforementioned problem by providing a sorting device and a control method that can more accurately set the spray duration of a spray hole, the spraying method (simultaneous / sequential), and the range of the spray hole to be operated by reflecting the shape ratio, tilt, and material-based weight information of an object based on image analysis results.

[0006] The present specification provides a sorting device and a control method that improves the consistency of spray control for an inclinedly placed object by recognizing the outer edge of an object as a rotating bounding box containing angle information, determining the inclination of the object (including the placement direction) using the tilted angle of the rotating bounding box, and enabling sequential spray control based on the time when the object reaches the spray hole.

[0007] The technical problems that this specification aims to solve are not limited to those mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which this specification belongs from the detailed description of the invention below. means of solving the problem

[0008] A spray-type sorting device according to one embodiment of the present specification includes a processor that acquires an image of an object being transported along a conveyor, and controls the spraying of at least one of a plurality of spray holes arranged along the width direction of the conveyor based on the shape ratio of the object acquired through analysis of the image, the inclination formed by the width direction of the conveyor and the centerline of the object, and material information of the object.

[0009] A control method for a spray-type sorting device according to another embodiment of the present specification comprises: a step of acquiring an image of an object being transported along a conveyor; a step of detecting an oriented bounding box corresponding to the object in the image; a step of calculating the shape ratio of the object and the inclination formed by the width direction of the conveyor and the centerline of the object based on the oriented bounding box; a step of acquiring material information of the object obtained through analysis of the image; and a step of controlling the spraying of at least one of a plurality of spray holes arranged along the width direction of the conveyor based on the shape ratio, the inclination, and the material information. Effects of the invention

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present specification, by performing spray control by utilizing object characteristic information from various perspectives based on a rotation bounding box detected in an image, the screening accuracy and control consistency can be improved compared to control based on simple center coordinates and / or travel distance.

[0011] In addition, according to one embodiment of the present specification, when the slope is included within a predetermined slope range, the spraying can be controlled to sequentially spray from the tilted direction of the object, so that the spraying order and spraying timing can be optimized for tilted objects according to the object arrival pattern. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0012] The accompanying drawings, included as part of the detailed description to aid in understanding the present specification, provide embodiments of the present specification and explain the technical features of the present specification together with the detailed description. FIG. 1 is an exemplary drawing of a spray-type sorting device according to one embodiment of the present specification. FIG. 2 is an exemplary device block diagram of a spray-type sorting device according to one embodiment of the present specification. FIG. 3 is an exemplary flowchart of a control method for a spray-type sorting device according to one embodiment of the present specification. FIG. 4 is an exemplary drawing for illustrating a rotating bounding box according to one embodiment of the present specification. FIG. 5 is an exemplary drawing for explaining a method for calculating the shape ratio of an object and the slope formed by the width direction of the conveyor and the centerline of the object according to one embodiment of the present specification. FIG. 6 is an exemplary drawing for explaining the process of determining the target injection hole for operation according to one embodiment of the present specification. FIG. 7 is a table for explaining an example of setting injection control parameters based on object characteristic information according to one embodiment of the present specification. FIG. 8 is a drawing for explaining injection control according to the fourth example of FIG. 7, and is a drawing that exemplarily shows the injection sequence and injection direction of injection holes to be operated. FIG. 9 is a drawing for explaining injection control according to the ninth example of FIG. 7, and is a drawing that exemplarily shows the injection sequence and injection direction of injection holes to be operated. The accompanying drawings, included as part of the detailed description to aid in understanding the present specification, provide embodiments of the present specification and explain the technical features of the present specification together with the detailed description. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Identical or similar components regardless of drawing symbols are assigned the same reference number, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. The suffixes "module" and "part" used for components in the following description are assigned or used interchangeably solely for the ease of drafting the specification and do not inherently possess distinct meanings or roles. Furthermore, in describing the embodiments disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that a detailed description of related prior art could obscure the essence of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, such detailed description will be omitted. Additionally, the attached drawings are intended only to facilitate understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification; the technical concept disclosed in this specification is not limited by the attached drawings, and it should be understood that they include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and technical scope of the invention.

[0014] Terms including ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but said components are not limited by said terms. These terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

[0015] When it is stated that one component is "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that while it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, there may also be other components in between. On the other hand, when it is stated that one component is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

[0016] Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0017] In this application, terms such as “comprising” or “having” are intended to specify the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0018] The following terms may be defined and used in this specification as follows.

[0019] A "spray sorting device" is a device that performs object sorting by spraying a fluid containing air or liquid. A spray sorting device refers to a device that separates and sorts objects by changing the movement path (trajectory) of objects moving along a conveyor or falling through multiple spray holes (nozzles / discharge ports, etc.) by selectively spraying a fluid. A spray sorting device may include a fluid supply unit, a spray module including spray holes, and a valve driving unit that controls the opening and closing of the spray holes, and an air blower sorter that sprays air may be an example of a spray sorting device. For convenience of explanation below, the spray sorting device may be described as being an air blower sorter.

[0020] "Injection hole" includes a discharge port through which fluid is injected, and "injection hole array" may refer to a set of multiple injection holes arranged linearly along the width direction of the conveyor.

[0021] "Operation target injection hole" may refer to an injection hole selected to perform injection among a plurality of injection holes included in an injection hole array.

[0022] "Center injection hole" refers to an injection hole corresponding to the center of the object's width component, and "offset value" can be defined as a value representing the number (range) of injection holes to be excluded based on the center injection hole to determine the injection hole to be operated on, and the offset value may vary depending on weight information (lightweight or heavy).

[0023] "Oriented Bounding Box (OBB)" is distinguished from an axis-aligned bounding box and can refer to a bounding box that includes angle information.

[0024] FIG. 1 is an exemplary drawing of a spray-type sorting device according to one embodiment of the present specification.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 1, objects to be sorted (11, 12) are loaded and transported on a conveyor (10), and an image acquisition unit (20) for acquiring images of the objects (11, 12) may be placed on the upper part (or at a predetermined position) of the conveyor (10). The image acquisition unit (20) may include a camera, lighting, etc., and the acquired images may be analyzed by a processor to produce object characteristic information such as the position and posture (tilt, etc.) of the objects.

[0026] At the end of the conveyor (10), a spray hole array (NA) is provided, comprising a plurality of spray holes arranged linearly along the width direction of the conveyor. The width direction of the conveyor may refer to a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the conveyor. The spray hole array (NA) serves to change the movement trajectory of an object by spraying air from a selected spray hole (a spray hole to be operated) at the time when the object reaches the end. By spray control, the object can be selectively dropped / discharged into a first collection container (C1) or a second collection container (C2) and separated according to material information. The arrangement of the first collection container (C1) and the second collection container (C2) is an example, and depending on the installation environment and the sorting target, the first collection container (C1) and the second collection container (C2) may be arranged parallel to the spray hole array (NA) or arranged in different directions.

[0027] FIG. 2 is an exemplary device block diagram of a spray-type sorting device according to one embodiment of the present specification.

[0028] Referring to FIG. 2, the spray-type sorting device (100) may include a communication unit (110), a memory (120), and a processor (130), and may perform spray control for an object being transported along a conveyor in conjunction with a fluid spray module (10).

[0029] The communication unit (110) performs data transmission and reception with an external device. For example, the communication unit (110) can be used to receive an image of an object captured from an image acquisition unit (e.g., a camera) or to transmit a spray control signal to a fluid spray module (10). The communication unit (110) can be implemented in a wired or wireless manner, and can use a wired interface such as Ethernet, RS-232 / RS-485, CAN, USB, or a wireless interface such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, LTE / 5G.

[0030] The memory (120) stores programs and data for operations and control performed by the processor (130). The memory (120) may store various control parameters such as image processing, object detection (including bounding box detection) programs, algorithms for calculating the shape ratio and inclination of objects, weight classification criteria by material, a predetermined inclination range, an offset value, total sequential spraying time, and spray duration (short time / long time). Here, the spray duration (short time / long time) may have a preset value corresponding to the shape ratio of the object (the direction in which the object is placed). For example, if the number of spray holes is determined based on the size of an object placed long in the direction of travel of the conveyor, the spray time may be determined by dividing by the number of spray holes based on the preset value (e.g., 10ms). The preset value may be set differently according to direction and time conditions, such as, for example, 10ms for short time in the direction of travel of the conveyor, 15ms for long time in the direction of travel of the conveyor, 8ms for short time in the direction of width of the conveyor, and 12ms for long time in the direction of width of the conveyor.

[0031] The processor (130) can perform spray control based on the image obtained from the communication unit (110) and the program / data stored in the memory (120). For example, the processor (130) can obtain an image of an object being transported along a conveyor, and control the spraying of at least one of the multiple spray holes based on the shape ratio of the object obtained through image analysis, the inclination formed by the width direction of the conveyor and the centerline of the object, and weight information classified according to the material information of the object. In addition, the processor (130) can set the spray duration based on the shape ratio, and control the spraying in a simultaneous spraying or sequential spraying method depending on whether the inclination is included in a predetermined slope range, and in the case of a sequential spraying method, set the driving time interval and driving order of the spray holes to be operated. In addition, the processor (130) can determine a center spray hole corresponding to the center of the width direction component of the object through image analysis, determine an offset value based on weight information, and set the range of the spray holes to be operated based on the offset value relative to the center spray hole.

[0032] The fluid injection module (10) can perform sorting by changing the movement path of an object by injecting a fluid, such as air, under the control of the processor (130). The fluid injection module (10) may include a plurality of injection holes arranged linearly along the width direction of the conveyor, and may be implemented to include, for example, a compressed air supply unit, a manifold, a valve (such as a solenoid valve), and injection holes. The selected injection holes may be driven according to the injection method, injection duration, driving time interval, and driving sequence set by the processor (130).

[0033] FIG. 3 is an exemplary flowchart of a control method for a spray-type sorting device according to one embodiment of the present specification. Each operation of FIG. 3 is described assuming that it is implemented by the processor (130) of FIG. 2.

[0034] The processor (130) can acquire an image of an object being transported along a conveyor (S300). The processor (130) can receive frame-unit image data from an image acquisition unit via wired / wireless communication or an internal bus, or load and use image data stored in memory (120).

[0035] The processor (130) can detect an oriented bounding box corresponding to the object in the image (S310). The oriented bounding box is a bounding box generated based on the rotation and placement direction of the object, and the processor (130) can calculate an oriented bounding box corresponding to each of the multiple objects using an object detection model or an image processing algorithm.

[0036] The processor (130) can calculate the shape ratio of the object and the slope formed by the width direction of the conveyor and the centerline of the object based on the rotating bounding box (S320). For example, the processor (130) can calculate the length of the width direction component and the length of the travel direction component by projecting the rotating bounding box onto the width direction and the travel direction of the conveyor, respectively, and calculate the shape ratio as the ratio of the length of the width direction component and the length of the travel direction component. However, the method of calculating the shape ratio is not limited thereto and may be implemented to calculate the shape ratio or a corresponding shape parameter based on geometric parameters of the rotating bounding box, such as the length of the major axis and the length of the minor axis (or the ratio thereof).

[0037] The process of calculating the shape ratio and slope according to one embodiment of the present specification is explained in more detail with reference to Fig. 5, which is described later.

[0038] The processor (130) can obtain weight information classified according to the material information of the object obtained through analysis of the image (S330). For example, the processor (130) can estimate material information by image analysis and generate weight information by classifying the object as light or heavy according to pre-stored weight classification criteria by material.

[0039] The processor (130) can control the injection of at least one of the plurality of injection holes based on the shape ratio, the slope, and the weight information (S340).

[0040] For example, the processor (130) may set the injection duration to a short duration when the shape ratio is greater than or equal to a first reference value (e.g., when the horizontal length of the width direction component is relatively larger than the vertical length of the movement direction component), and may set the injection duration to a long duration when the shape ratio is less than or equal to a second reference value (e.g., when the vertical length of the movement direction component is relatively larger than the horizontal length of the width direction component). When the shape ratio is less than the first reference value and greater than the second reference value (e.g., when the width direction component and the movement direction component are similar and the difference in length according to the arrangement direction is not large), the processor (130) may select and set a short duration or a long duration based on weight information, etc.

[0041] Additionally, the processor (130) can control the injection holes to be operated by driving them at substantially the same time when the slope is not included in a predetermined slope range using a first injection method (simultaneous injection method), and by driving them sequentially at different times using a second injection method (sequential injection method) when the slope is included in a predetermined slope range.

[0042] In the case of a sequential injection method, the processor (130) can set a driving time interval based on a value obtained by dividing the total sequential injection time by the number of injection holes to be operated, and can set a driving order to sequentially operate starting from the injection hole on the side corresponding to the end that reaches the injection hole first along the conveyor direction among the ends of the object centerline. In addition, the processor (130) can determine an offset value based on weight information and set the range of injection holes to be operated according to the offset value based on the center injection hole corresponding to the center of the object's width direction component.

[0043] Meanwhile, each step of FIG. 3 is an example for convenience of explanation, and the order of some steps may be changed, steps may be merged, or additional steps may be included. For example, when multiple objects are detected simultaneously, rotation bounding box detection (S310) and object characteristic information calculation (S320) may be performed in parallel for each object.

[0044] FIG. 4 is an exemplary drawing for illustrating a rotating bounding box according to one embodiment of the present specification.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 4, the method of representing objects detected in an image as bounding boxes may include an axis-aligned bounding box (AABB) as in (a) and an oriented bounding box (OBB) as in (b).

[0046] In Fig. 4(a), AABB is a method of surrounding an object with a rectangle parallel to the image coordinate axes (horizontal axis, vertical axis). Therefore, even if the object is positioned tilted within the image, the bounding box itself is displayed in a form aligned with the coordinate axes, and it is difficult to directly express the object's positioning direction (angle information) or major axis direction using only the bounding box. While such AABB is useful for indicating the approximate location and area of ​​an object, it may have limitations when control based on the object's tilt or direction is required.

[0047] In FIG. 4(b), the OBB is a bounding box generated based on the rotation and placement direction of the object, and is displayed in a rotated form according to the actual placement direction of the object. Therefore, the OBB can be used to calculate the major axis direction (the direction in which the object centerline can be defined) and the inclination (e.g., the angle formed between the width direction of the conveyor and the object centerline). Additionally, geometric parameters such as the center point, vertex, major axis length, and minor axis length of the OBB can be used to calculate characteristic information of the object (e.g., shape ratio, inclination) or to set reference coordinates required for spray control, as described in the embodiments below.

[0048] FIG. 5 is an exemplary drawing for explaining a method for calculating the shape ratio of an object and the slope formed by the width direction of the conveyor and the centerline of the object according to one embodiment of the present specification.

[0049] Referring to FIG. 5, the processor (130) can detect a rotation bounding box (OBB1) corresponding to an object in an image. OBB1 is a bounding box that surrounds the outer edge of an object, including angle information, and can subsequently be used as a standard for calculating shape ratios and slopes.

[0050] The processor (130) detects a rotating bounding box (e.g., OBB1, OBB2) corresponding to an object, and can define the length of the side more parallel to the conveyor width direction (CW) of the two sides of the rotating bounding box as the horizontal length and the length of the side more parallel to the conveyor travel direction (CP) as the vertical length. For example, for OBB1, reference numeral 51 is defined as the component of the horizontal length and reference numeral 52 is defined as the component of the vertical length, so that the shape ratio R=51 / 52 can be calculated, and for OBB2, reference numeral 54 is defined as the component of the horizontal length and reference numeral 53 is defined as the component of the vertical length, so that the shape ratio R=54 / 53 can be calculated. Accordingly, the length of the component in the conveyor travel direction and the length of the component in the vertical direction of the conveyor travel direction can be compared to determine the longitudinal arrangement of the object in the image plane.

[0051] Regarding the calculation of the inclination (direction angle), the processor (130) can define an object center line (OC) in the direction of the major axis of OBB1. Additionally, the processor (130) can set a virtual line (WV) parallel to the conveyor width direction (CW), for example, WV can be set as a straight line parallel to the width direction (CW). Subsequently, the processor (130) can calculate the inclination of the object with respect to the conveyor width direction by calculating the angle (A) formed by the object center line (OC) and the virtual line (WV).

[0052] FIG. 6 is an exemplary drawing for explaining the process of determining the target injection hole for operation according to one embodiment of the present specification.

[0053] Referring to FIG. 6, the processor (130) can detect a rotating bounding box (OBB1) corresponding to an object in an image. Additionally, the processor (130) can generate an axis-aligned bounding box (AABB1) surrounding the OBB1 based on the vertex coordinates of the OBB1 and calculate the center coordinates (CP) of the AABB1. Here, since the injection hole array (NA) is a structure arranged linearly along the width direction of the conveyor, the processor (130) can more easily determine the center injection hole (CH) corresponding to the center position of the object relative to the width direction of the conveyor by using the center coordinates (CP) of the axis alignment reference.

[0054] The processor (130) can determine the center injection hole (CH) by setting orthogonal virtual lines (AL1, AL2) passing through the center coordinates (CP) and vertically aligning the orthogonal virtual lines (AL1, AL2) in the direction of the injection hole array (NA).

[0055] Additionally, the processor (130) can calculate a candidate range for injection by setting the ends (OBE1, OBE2) of an object in a rotating bounding box (OBB1) and vertically matching the ends (OBE1, OBE2) in the direction of the injection hole array (NA). In the example of FIG. 6, the candidate range for injection can be set to injection holes H1 to H20.

[0056] The processor (130) can determine an offset value based on weight information, etc., and determine a final target injection hole (TH) by excluding some injection holes located at both ends of the candidate range according to the offset value based on the center injection hole (CH). In the example of FIG. 6, the target injection hole (TH) can be set as injection holes H4 to H16, and injection holes H1 to H3 and H18 to H20 can be excluded from injection by applying the offset value.

[0057] Meanwhile, the processor (130) can easily determine the center injection hole (CH) using the center coordinates (CP) of the object based on the position of the object on the conveyor, the speed of movement of the conveyor, and the distance to the injection hole array (NA), and can calculate the injection candidate range.

[0058] FIG. 7 is a table for explaining an example of setting injection control parameters based on object characteristic information according to one embodiment of the present specification.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 7, the processor (130) can set spray control parameters including a spray duration (e.g., short time / long time), a spray method (e.g., simultaneous / sequential), and an offset value for determining the range of the spray hole to be operated, by using as inputs a shape ratio calculated through image analysis, an inclination (e.g., horizontal / slanted / vertical), and weight information classified according to material information (e.g., light / heavy). Each numerical value, interval, and value described in FIG. 7 is an example according to one embodiment and may be changed according to the conveyor speed, the spacing of the spray hole arrangement, the sorting target, and the operating conditions.

[0060] For example, the processor (130) can set the spray duration based on the shape ratio. In some examples of FIG. 7 (e.g., the first to fourth examples), the spray duration may be set to a short duration when the shape ratio is relatively large (1.5 or more). This is a case where the arrangement direction of the object is arranged in the conveyor width direction, and the spray section targeting the same object can be formed relatively wide, thereby preventing excessive spraying while ensuring sorting performance.

[0061] Meanwhile, in some examples of FIG. 7 (e.g., Examples 7 to 10), the shape ratio is relatively small (0.5 or less), so the spray duration may be set to a long duration. This is because the arrangement direction of the object is arranged in the direction of conveyor movement, and the way the object passes through the spray position changes, so a relatively sufficient spray duration may be required.

[0062] Additionally, the processor (130) can set the spraying method based on the slope. For example, if an object is positioned horizontally or vertically and the slope falls within a first slope range (e.g., horizontal positioning in the range of 0° to 20°, vertical positioning in the range of 70° to 90°), the spraying method can be controlled by a simultaneous spraying method in which multiple target spray holes are driven substantially at the same time. On the other hand, if an object is positioned at an angle and the slope falls within the second slope range (e.g., angled positioning in the range of 20° to 70°), since one side of the object may reach the spraying position before the other side, the spray holes can be driven sequentially at different times. Examples corresponding to the slope conditions of FIG. 7 indicate that such a selection of the spraying method can be linked to the slope.

[0063] Additionally, the processor (130) can determine an offset value based on weight information classified according to material information. For example, if the weight information is heavy, the offset value can be set relatively large (e.g., offset 3) so that a wider range of injection holes based on the center injection hole are included in the target for operation to transmit injection force, and if the weight information is light, the offset value can be set relatively small (e.g., offset 1) to reduce unnecessary over-injection.

[0064] Meanwhile, the shape example item is an exemplary shape shape intended to intuitively explain the meaning of shape ratio and slope, and the present specification is not limited to the shape shape described in FIG. 7.

[0065] In the following, injection control (injection direction and injection sequence) according to some examples shown in FIG. 7 (e.g., the 4th example and the 9th example) will be described in detail.

[0066] FIG. 8 is a drawing for explaining injection control according to the fourth example of FIG. 7, and is a drawing that exemplarily shows the injection sequence and injection direction of injection holes to be operated. FIG. 9 is a drawing for explaining injection control according to the ninth example of FIG. 7, and is a drawing that exemplarily shows the injection sequence and injection direction of injection holes to be operated.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 8, the processor (130) can control the sequential injection method when the inclination of the object (OB1) falls within a predetermined inclination range. Additionally, the processor (130) can set an offset value based on weight information and determine the range of target injection holes based on the offset value relative to the center injection hole. For example, if the offset value is set to 3, the number of target injection holes can be set to 13 (e.g., H1 to H13). The processor (130) can set an injection interval (e.g., about 1.53 ms) based on a value obtained by dividing the preset total sequential injection time (e.g., 20 ms) by the number of target injection holes (e.g., 13).

[0068] Additionally, when the object (OB1) is positioned at an angle, the processor (130) can set the injection order to sequentially drive the injection holes on the side corresponding to the end that first reaches the injection hole array (NA) along the conveyor's direction of travel (CP) among the first and second ends of the object's centerline. In the example of FIG. 8, since the right end of the object (OB1) may reach the injection hole array (NA) first, the processor (130) can set the injection holes on the side corresponding to the right (e.g., H1 side) to drive sequentially.

[0069] At this time, based on the set injection sequence and injection direction (DD1), the actual object (OB1) can be predicted to have an injection trajectory of RD1, for example.

[0070] Referring to FIG. 9, the processor (130) can set the injection method to drive the target injection hole in a sequential injection manner when the inclination of the object (OB2) is included in a predetermined inclination range. Additionally, the processor (130) can determine the range of the target injection hole (TH) based on weight information and offset values, and in the example of FIG. 9, the target injection hole (TH) can be set to H1 to H6.

[0071] The processor (130) can set a spray interval (e.g., 3.3 ms) based on a value obtained by dividing a preset total sequential spray time (e.g., 20 ms) by the number of spray holes to be operated (e.g., 6). Accordingly, the processor (130) can sequentially operate the spray holes to be operated H1 to H6 at different times according to the set spray interval.

[0072] Additionally, the processor (130) can set the injection order to sequentially drive the injection holes on the side corresponding to the end that first reaches the injection hole array (NA) along the direction of travel of the conveyor among the first and second ends of the object centerline. In the example of FIG. 9, since the left end of the drawing may reach the injection hole array (NA) first due to the inclined arrangement of the object (OB3), the processor (130) can set the injection holes corresponding to the left side (e.g., H1) to be driven sequentially, and then H2, H6, and so on.

[0073] At this time, based on the set injection sequence and injection direction (DD2), the actual object (OB3) can be predicted to have an injection trajectory of RD2 as an example.

[0074] Meanwhile, the total time, injection interval, driving sequence, and RD2 indications described in FIG. 9 are examples according to one embodiment and may be varied depending on the conveyor speed, injection hole spacing, object posture, and operating conditions.

[0075] Additionally, according to one embodiment of the present specification, the processor (130) can control the injection of the target injection hole of the object to be stopped if the degree of overlap of the object based on the width of the rotating bounding box is greater than a predetermined range.

[0076] For the understanding of this specification, reference numerals have been used in the preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific terms have been used to describe the embodiments; however, the invention is not limited by these specific terms, and the invention may include all components that are conventionally conceivable by those skilled in the art.

[0077] The present specification may be represented by functional block configurations and various processing steps. These functional blocks may be implemented by various numbers of hardware and / or software configurations that execute specific functions. For example, the present specification may employ direct circuit configurations such as memory, processing, logic, look-up tables, etc., which can execute various functions by the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices. Similar to how the components of the present invention may be implemented as software programming or software elements, the present invention may be implemented in programming or scripting languages ​​such as C, C++, Java, assembler, etc., including various algorithms implemented as combinations of data structures, processes, routines, or other programming configurations. Functional aspects may be implemented as algorithms executed on one or more processors. Additionally, the present invention may employ prior art for electronic configuration, signal processing, and / or data processing, etc. Terms such as "mechanism," "element," "means," and "configuration" may be used broadly and are not limited to mechanical and physical configurations. The above terms may include the meaning of a series of software processes (routines) in conjunction with processors, etc.

[0078] The specific embodiments described herein are examples and do not limit the scope of this specification in any way. For the sake of brevity, descriptions of conventional electronic configurations, control systems, software, and other functional aspects of said systems may be omitted. Additionally, the connections of lines or connecting members between components depicted in the drawings are illustrative of functional connections and / or physical or circuit connections, and may be replaced or additionally represented as various functional connections, physical connections, or circuit connections in actual devices. Furthermore, unless specifically stated as "essential," "importantly," etc., a component may not be strictly necessary for the application of the present invention.

[0079] In this specification (particularly in the claims), the use of the term "above" and similar descriptive terms may be in both singular and plural. Furthermore, where a range is described in the invention, it is implied to include the invention to which individual values ​​belonging to said range are applied (unless otherwise stated), and this is equivalent to describing each individual value constituting said range in the detailed description of the invention. Finally, regarding the steps constituting the method according to this specification, unless explicitly stated in a specific order or otherwise stated, said steps may be performed in a suitable order. This specification is not necessarily limited by the order in which said steps are described.

Claims

Claim 1 A device comprising: a processor that, in a spray-type sorting device, acquires an image of an object being transported along a conveyor, and controls the spraying of at least one of a plurality of spray holes arranged along the width direction of the conveyor based on material information of the object acquired through analysis of the image, a shape ratio of the object calculated based on an oriented bounding box corresponding to the object, and an inclination formed by the width direction of the conveyor and the center line of the object. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor controls the injection holes to be operated among the plurality of injection holes by driving them at the same time when the slope is included in a first slope range, and controls the injection holes to be operated by driving them sequentially at different times when the slope is included in a second slope range. Claim 4 In claim 3, the device is characterized by the processor setting the driving order of the injection holes to be operated in such a way that, in the case of the second injection method, the injection holes are driven sequentially starting from the side corresponding to the end that first reaches the injection hole among the first end and the second end of the object centerline. Claim 5 In claim 3, the device is characterized in that, in the case of the second injection method, the processor sets the driving time interval of the target injection hole based on a value obtained by dividing the preset total sequential injection time by the number of target injection holes. Claim 6 An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the shape ratio is the ratio of the horizontal length of the width-direction component of the conveyor and the vertical length of the travel-direction component of the conveyor among the rotating bounding boxes. Claim 7 An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor sets the injection duration of the at least one injection hole to a short duration when the shape ratio is greater than or equal to a first reference value, and sets the injection duration to a long duration when the shape ratio is less than or equal to a second reference value that is smaller than the first reference value. Claim 8 In claim 7, the device is characterized in that, when the shape ratio is less than the first reference value and exceeds the second reference value, the processor selects and sets the spray duration to either the short duration or the long duration based on weight information classified according to the material information of the object. Claim 9 A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the inclination is the angle formed by the object centerline defined in the direction of the major axis of the rotating bounding box and the width direction of the conveyor. Claim 10 A device according to claim 1, wherein the processor obtains weight information classifying the object into light or heavy based on the material information according to a pre-stored weight classification standard by material. Claim 11 In claim 10, the device is characterized in that the processor determines a center injection hole corresponding to the center of the width direction component of the object through the analysis of the image among the plurality of injection holes, determines an offset value based on the weight information, and sets the range of the target injection hole for operation according to the offset value based on the center injection hole. Claim 12 A device according to claim 11, wherein the processor sets the offset value by selecting either a first offset value when the weight information is light or a second offset value when the weight information is heavy. Claim 13 A method for controlling a spray-type sorting device, comprising: a step of acquiring an image of an object being transported along a conveyor; a step of detecting an oriented bounding box corresponding to the object in the image; a step of calculating the shape ratio of the object and the inclination formed by the width direction of the conveyor and the centerline of the object based on the oriented bounding box; a step of acquiring material information of the object obtained through analysis of the image; and a step of controlling the spraying of at least one of a plurality of spray holes arranged along the width direction of the conveyor based on the shape ratio, the inclination, and the material information. Claim 14 A device comprising: a processor that acquires an image of an object being transported along a conveyor, and controls the injection of at least one of a plurality of injection holes arranged along the width direction of the conveyor based on the shape ratio of the object acquired through analysis of the image, the inclination formed by the width direction of the conveyor and the centerline of the object, and the material information of the object; wherein the processor controls the injection of the target injection holes among the plurality of injection holes by driving them at the same time when the inclination is included in a first inclination range, and controls the injection of the target injection holes by driving them sequentially at different times when the inclination is included in a second inclination range.

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