Modular system for automated hard drive handling and verification

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a modular system for automated hard disk handling and verification. A method of using a conveyor system includes: capturing a first image of a server tray and a plurality of hard disks received along a first conveyor belt of the conveyor system using a first camera of the conveyor system; checking a first serial number associated with the server tray and a second set of serial numbers associated with the plurality of hard disks against a serial number reference list using one or more processors of the conveyor system; capturing a second image of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks using a second camera of the conveyor system; and verifying the integrity status of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks based on the second image.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 066,529, filed on August 17, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a modular system for automated hard drive processing and verification. Background Art

[0004] Proper maintenance of a data center is critical to ensuring that the data center operates efficiently. This maintenance includes the ongoing replacement of data center components, such as hard drives that fail, become too full, etc. Once a hard drive has been identified as requiring replacement, the server tray containing the hard drive is removed from the server rack so that the hard drive can be removed from the server tray. The serial numbers assigned to each hard drive and server tray are then checked to ensure that the correct server tray is selected for replacement. The current practice of replacing data center components, including checking the serial numbers assigned to these data center components, is resource inefficient. Summary of the invention

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for using a conveyor system, the method comprising: capturing a first image of a server tray and a plurality of hard disks received along a first conveyor belt of the conveyor system using a first camera of the conveyor system; checking a set of a first serial number associated with the server tray and a second serial number associated with the plurality of hard disks against a serial number reference list using one or more processors of the conveyor system; capturing a second image of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks using a second camera of the conveyor system; and verifying the integrity status of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks based on the second image. Identifying the set of the first serial number and the second serial number may include: identifying a first barcode on the server tray and a plurality of barcodes on the plurality of hard disks in the first image using one or more processors of the conveyor system; and retrieving a first serial number corresponding to the first barcode and a second plurality of serial numbers corresponding to the plurality of barcodes using one or more processors of the conveyor system. Verifying the integrity status of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks may include: receiving the server tray and the plurality of hard disks at an exit station along the conveyor system; identifying an image portion corresponding to at least one of the following in the second image: the server tray and the plurality of hard disks; and comparing the image portion with a reference image to determine whether a defective image portion exists on at least one of the first image portion or the second image portion. A plurality of hard disks and a server tray may be received along a platform at an exit station, the method further comprising: before the second camera captures a second image, raising the platform so that the plurality of hard disks and the server tray are positioned. The method may further comprise: transferring the server tray and the plurality of hard disks to a first unloading station of a conveyor system when the image portion includes a defective image portion; classifying the defect type of the defective image portion; and marking the location of the defective image portion along the image portion. The method may further comprise: transferring the server tray and the plurality of hard disks to a disassembly station of a conveyor system when the image portion does not include a defective image portion. The method may further comprise: removing the plurality of hard disks from the server tray; and transferring the plurality of hard disks to a second unloading station of the conveyor system. The method may further comprise: removing at least one of the plurality of hard disks from the server tray without removing a collection of the plurality of hard disks from the server tray; and transferring at least one hard disk instead of the collection of hard disks to a second unloading station. The method may also include: capturing a third image of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks using a third camera coupled to the disassembly station; identifying a first barcode on the server tray and a plurality of barcodes on the plurality of hard disks in the third image; retrieving a first serial number based on the first barcode and retrieving a second serial number based on the second barcode; and checking the first serial number and the second serial number against a serial number reference list to ensure that the first serial number and the second serial number are on the reference list.

[0006] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a conveyor system, the conveyor system comprising: a first conveyor belt coupled to a first camera, a second camera coupled to the first camera; a memory configured to store at least one of instructions or data; and one or more processors operatively coupled to the memory, the one or more processors configured to capture a first image of a server tray and a plurality of hard disks received along the first conveyor belt using the first camera; check a first serial number associated with the server tray and a second serial number set associated with the plurality of hard disks against a serial number reference list based on the first image; capture a second image of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks; and verify the integrity status of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks based on the second image. The one or more processors may also be configured to, when identifying the first serial number and the second serial number set: identify a first barcode on the server tray and a plurality of codes on the plurality of hard disks in the first image; and retrieve a first serial number corresponding to the first barcode and a second plurality of serial numbers corresponding to the plurality of barcodes. The conveyor system may further include: an exit station coupled to the first conveyor belt; and a second camera, the second camera coupled to one of the first camera or the exit station, wherein the second camera is configured to capture a second image of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks received along the exit station, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: identify an image portion corresponding to at least one of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks in the second image; and compare the image portion with a reference image to determine whether a defective image portion exists on the image portion when verifying the integrity status of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks. The exit station may include a platform configured to receive the server tray and the plurality of hard disks, the exit station including an actuator operatively coupled to the platform, the actuator configured to raise the platform before the second camera captures the second image. The conveyor system may further include a first unloading station coupled to the exit station, the exit station including a platform, the platform configured to transfer the server tray and the plurality of hard disks to the first unloading station when the image portion includes a defective image portion; and the one or more processors are further configured to classify a defect type of the defective image portion; and mark the location of the defective image portion along the image portion. The conveyor system may include a disassembly station coupled to the exit station and the exit station including a platform, the platform being configured to transfer the server tray and the plurality of hard disks to the disassembly station when the image portion does not include a defective image portion. The conveyor system may also include a second unloading station coupled to the disassembly station and a second conveyor belt coupled to the disassembly station, the disassembly station including a disassembler configured to remove the plurality of hard disks from the server tray; and transfer the plurality of hard disks to the second unloading station. The disassembly station may include a disassembler configured to remove at least one hard disk of the plurality of hard disks from the server tray without removing a collection of hard disks of the plurality of hard disks from the server tray; and transfer the at least one hard disk instead of the collection of hard disks to the second unloading station.The conveyor system may further include a second conveyor belt, wherein the disassembly station includes a pusher configured to transfer the server tray to the second conveyor belt. The conveyor system may further include a third camera coupled to the disassembly station, the third camera configured to capture a third image of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks using the third camera, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to identify a first barcode on the server tray and a plurality of barcodes on the plurality of hard disks in the third image; retrieve a first serial number based on the first barcode, and retrieve a second serial number based on the second barcode; and check the first serial number and the second serial number against a serial number reference list to ensure that the first serial number and the second serial number are on the reference list.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a method, the method comprising: receiving a first image including a server tray and a plurality of hard disks; checking, by one or more processors, a first serial number associated with the server tray and a set of second serial numbers associated with the plurality of hard disks against a serial number reference list based on the first image; receiving a second image including the server tray and the plurality of hard disks; verifying, by one or more processors, the integrity status of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks based on the second image; and classifying a defect type of a defective image portion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1A is an isometric view of a conveyor system according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0009] Figure 1B-1C is a cross-sectional view of a first camera and a second camera according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 2 is an isometric view of an exit station according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 3 is an isometric view of a disassembly station according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 4 is a functional diagram of an example system according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 5 is an example flow chart depicting a method according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 6 is an isolated view of the conveyor system of FIG. 1 performing a portion of a method according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 7 is an isometric view of a first image captured by a camera according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 8is an isolated view of the conveyor system of FIG. 1 performing a portion of a method according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0017] Fig. 9 is an isometric view of an image captured by a camera according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0018] Fig.10 is an isolated view of the conveyor system of FIG. 1 performing a portion of a method according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0019] Fig.11 is an isolated view of the conveyor system of FIG. 1 performing a portion of a method according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0020] Fig.12 is an isolated view of the conveyor system of FIG. 1 performing a portion of a method according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0021] Fig.13 is an isolated view of the conveyor system of FIG. 1 performing a portion of a method according to aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] When replacing a component in a data center, a command may be issued manually by an operator or automatically by a robot to a computing device in the data center to replace the component in the data center with a new component. For example, one or more hard disks contained in a server tray may be identified as needing to be replaced. This may occur when the hard disk is marked as failed, full, performing less than optimally, etc. In this case, the command may include a list of serial numbers associated with the server tray and the hard disks contained in the server tray.

[0023] The disclosed technology relates to a conveyor system for automatically checking whether a server tray and a hard disk are the correct server tray and hard disk that need to be replaced according to an initial command. In addition, before removing the hard disk from the server tray, the conveyor system can automatically verify the integrity status of the server tray and the hard disk by detecting whether such data center components have any defects such as physical abnormalities of the data center components.

[0024] Figure 1AAn isometric view of a conveyor system 1000 is depicted having a first conveyor belt 100, an exit station 200, a first unloading station 300, a disassembly station 400, a second unloading station 500, a second conveyor belt 600, and a computing device 710. Each station of the conveyor system 1000 includes a start point and an end point and a path defined between the start point and the end point. In this way, objects (not shown) such as components of a data center (e.g., a server tray housing a plurality of hard disks) or other data center components can be transported from a start point to an end point along a path defined between these two points by a station of the conveyor system 1000. In addition, each end point of each station can be coupled to a start point of an adjacent station, or coupled along the length of an adjacent station.

[0025] The conveyor belt 100, 600 may be any type of conveying system known in the art that is capable of supporting and transporting objects along a path defined between a start point and a destination, such as a linear path along an X-axis. Figure 1A As described in. For example, as further described below, the first conveyor belt 100 and the second conveyor belt 600 can be made of a plurality of cylindrical rollers that are aligned along the same plane and offset from each other at the same time. The conveyor belts 100, 600 can additionally include a belt covering the top of the roller, however, in other examples, the conveyor only includes a belt without any roller. In other examples, the conveyor belts 100, 600 can be a collection of linkages, tiles or plates that engage with each other and form a surface to support objects during transportation. The rollers, belts or linkages of any example of the conveyor belts 100, 600 can be free to move or can be moved by motorized actuation. For example, in the case where the conveyor belts 100, 600 include rollers, such rollers can rotate freely so that an object can slide on the rollers by an external force that pushes the object. Alternatively, the rollers can be motorized by making the rollers rotate continuously by motorized operations known in the art so that the object can be transported along the rollers without external forces. The path defined by the conveyor belts 100, 600 may be of any shape, including straight or curved.

[0026] Figure 1B-1C A cross-sectional representation of cameras 800, 810 and an object 1001 is depicted being transported from the first conveyor belt 100 to the exit station 200. The cameras 800, 810 may be any type of image capture device known in the art. Figure 1B As depicted in FIG. 1 , a first camera 800 may be coupled to an end point of a conveyor belt 100 such that a first camera direction 801 faces the conveyor belt to capture a first image of an object 1001 as it is transported toward the end point of the conveyor belt, similar to FIG. Figure 7800 may face downwardly toward the first conveyor belt 100 along a first camera direction 801 so that when the object is transported along the first conveyor belt, the first image may be a perspective view or a view from downwardly in the Z direction, along the XZ plane, toward the object 1001. As further described below, the first image may be sent to the computing device 710 to be scanned, for example, for a barcode corresponding to a component serial number located on the object.

[0027] The second camera 810 may be coupled to the first camera 800 such that the second camera direction 811 faces in a direction opposite to the first camera direction 801 of the first camera 800 along the X-axis. Figure 1C As depicted in FIG. 1 , once the object is transferred to platform 220, second camera 810 may face second camera direction 811 oriented toward exit station 200 to capture a second image of object 1001, similar to FIG. Fig. 9 1400 shown in FIG. 1400. Similar to camera 800, when the object is transferred to the exit station, the second camera direction 811 of the second camera 810 can face the object and the exit station 200 in a downward direction in the Z direction along the XZ plane. In this way, the camera 800 can capture a second image to send to the computing device 710 to, for example, perform a physical defect analysis on it, as discussed further below.

[0028] Figure 2 An exit station 200 is depicted coupled to a first conveyor belt 100 and may include a first stop 230, a platform 220, and a second actuator 210 operatively coupled to a pusher 240. Although the platform 220 is depicted as having a plurality of legs with rollers along its length, the platform may be any shape capable of receiving an object from the conveyor belt 100, such as a flat surface, etc. In this manner, an object (not shown) may be conveyed along the conveyor belt 100 in the X direction until the object reaches the end of the conveyor belt, at which point the conveyor belt transfers the object to the platform 220 of the exit station 200.

[0029] The export station 200 includes a third camera 250 similar to the cameras 800, 810, except that the third camera faces along the X direction. In this way, once an object is received on the platform 220, the platform can be raised so that the object faces substantially orthogonal to the third camera 810. The third camera 810 can then capture a profile view of the object, such as a front view and / or side view of a server tray and a plurality of hard disks. This profile view of the object allows the image captured by the third camera 250 to include a normalized view of the object received along the platform 220 so that a computing device such as the computing device 710 can more consistently analyze the objects received on the platform for certain physical defects, as discussed further below.

[0030] In other examples, the first camera 800 may be attached to the conveyor belt 100, and the second camera 810 may be attached to the exit station 200. In yet another example, there may be two cameras attached to the exit station 200. In yet another example, there may be more than two cameras 800, 810, such as three, four, etc. In addition, in other examples, the first direction and the second direction may face in any direction. For example, the first direction of the first camera 800 may face substantially parallel to the plane defined by the conveyor belt 100, and the second direction of the second camera 810 may face downwardly toward the platform 220 of the exit station 200.

[0031] The platform 220 may be operatively coupled to a first actuator (not shown), such as a pneumatic motor, a hydraulic motor, a servomotor, or any other motorized device that can move the platform, and the pusher 240 may be operatively coupled to a second actuator 210 similar to the first actuator. In this manner, the first actuator may raise or lower the platform 220 in the Z direction, and the second actuator 210 may extend or retract the pusher 240 in the Y direction. For example, the platform 220 may be raised to a certain height in the Z direction by the first actuator so that an object may be transferred to a different component of the conveyor system 1000, such as the first unloading station 300, by the pusher 210 pushing the object in the horizontal direction by the second actuator toward the first unloading station, as shown in FIG. 1 . The height of the platform 220 in the raised position may additionally have the same height for capturing an image of the object with the third camera 250 and for transferring the object by the exit station 200. This is beneficial because analysis of the image can be performed immediately after the third camera 250 captures the image to verify the integrity status of the object, and if a decision is made to transfer the object based on the image (such as for the pusher 240 to transfer the object to the first unloading station 300 after the computing device 710 detects a physical defect), there is no need to further raise or lower the platform 220 to do so.

[0032] The first stopper 230 is a substantially rectangular block extending along the ZY plane. When an object is received along the platform 220, the actuator 231 can raise the first stopper 230 along the Z direction. In this way, the first stopper 230 can prevent the object from moving beyond the platform 220 along the X direction. The actuator 231 is similar to the actuator discussed above.

[0033] Returning to Fig. 1, the first unloading station 300 is coupled to the outlet station 200, and the second unloading station 500 is coupled to the disassembly station 400. The unloading stations 300, 500 can have a structure similar to the conveyor belts 100, 600. In this way, objects (not shown) can be transferred to the first unloading station 300 in any orientation, and can be smoothly rolled or slid onto the first unloading station until it stops. The objects can then be retrieved from the first unloading station 300 by an operator such as a human or a robot. In other examples, the unloading stations 300, 500 can simply be a planar surface. In yet another example, the unloading stations 300, 500 can be a collection of pillars that can rotatably accommodate multiple spheres along their length. In this example, objects can be received along the surface of the spheres. Further examples of unloading stations 300, 500 can have one or more stops (not shown) along the surface or a portion of the unloading station to prevent the objects received along the unloading station from traveling too far and falling from the unloading station.

[0034] Figure 1A and 3 A disassembly station 400 is depicted coupled to the exit station 200. The disassembly station 400 includes a conveyor portion 410, a working portion 420, a disassembler 430, a camera 440, and a pusher 450. The conveyor portion 410 can have a structure similar to the conveyor belts 100, 600 described above. The conveyor portion 410 has a start point and an end point and a path defined between the start point and the end point along an X-axis. The working portion 420 is coupled to the end point of the conveyor portion 410. In this way, the conveyor portion 410 can receive an object (not shown) from the start point and convey it to the end point to be transferred to the working portion 420. The camera 440 is similar to the cameras 250, 800, 810, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 above. Specifically, the camera 440 can perform a similar function as the first camera 800 by capturing an image to be sent to the computing device 710 so that the image can be scanned for a bar code associated with a serial component number, similar to the above. Figure 7 The pusher 450 is similar to the pusher 240 of the exit station 200, except that the pusher 450 can push the object laterally along the length of the disassembly station 400 in the X direction.

[0035] The working portion 420 includes a working platform 421, a rear stopper 423, and a second stopper 424. The working platform 421 is a substantially planar surface coupled to the end point of the conveyor portion 410. The working platform 421 can receive objects transferred by the conveyor portion 410. The rear stopper 423 is a substantially rectangular block fixed to the working platform 421 opposite the disassembler 430 along the width of the working platform along the Y direction. The rear stopper 423 can prevent the object received on the working platform 421 from moving along the Y direction by providing a surface against which the object can abut when a force is applied to the object along the Y direction. Similarly, the second stopper 424 is a substantially rectangular block. The second stopper 424 can be actuated by an actuator to prevent the object received along the platform 421 from moving too far along the X direction.

[0036] The detacher 430 includes a finger 431, a gripper 432, and an actuator 433. The actuator 433 is similar to the actuator 210 and may be a servo motor or the like. The actuator 433 may control translation (such as along the Y direction) and rotational movement (such as about the Z axis) of the detacher 430 and movement of the gripper 432. The finger 431 extends along the length of the detacher 430 along the Y direction toward the work platform 421. The finger 431 may be received in a slot or opening in an object (not shown), such as a slot defined by a server tray, to help align the server tray with the detacher 430. In this way, an object such as a server tray may be held in place by the finger 431 along the X direction and along the Y direction between the detacher 430 and the rear stop 423. The gripper 432 also extends from the length of the detacher 430 along the Y direction toward the work platform 421. The grippers 432 are longer in length than the fingers 431 and have hooks or protrusions extending laterally from the grippers. The lateral protrusions of the grippers 432 can assist in engaging an object or portion of an object, such as a plurality of hard disks housed in a server tray that is held in place by the fingers 431 and the rear stop 423. Each hard disk can be engaged between two grippers 432 such that each lateral protrusion on the grippers extends toward the hard disk. In this manner, the actuator 433 can move the detacher 430, such as in a direction away from the work platform 421, so that the hard disk is not seated in the server tray or is disengaged from the server tray.

[0037] In other examples, there may be more or less than eight fingers and grippers, such as seven, nine, etc. In addition, although Figure 3Four sets of fingers 431 and grippers 432 are depicted, each set having two fingers and grippers, but there may be any number of sets of fingers and grippers. For example, there may be more or less than four sets of fingers 431 and grippers 432 along the length of the detacher 430. In another example, there may be multiple sets of fingers 431 and grippers 432 stacked vertically on top of each other, such as two stacks of four sets of fingers 431 and grippers 432.

[0038] Once the hard disks are removed from the server tray, camera 440 can capture another image. Computing device 710 can analyze the image to determine whether all hard disks have been removed. For example, computing device 710 can compare the image with a reference image of an empty server tray.

[0039] Figure 4 An example computing system 700 is shown that can implement the features described herein. It should not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure or the usefulness of the features described herein. In this example, the system 700 may include a server computing device 710 and computing devices 720, 730, 740 (collectively referred to as "computing devices") and a storage system 750. The server computing device 710 may include one or more processors 712, a memory 714, and other components that are typically present in a general-purpose computing device.

[0040] The memory 714 of the server computing device 710 may store information accessible by the one or more processors 712, including instructions 716 that may be executed by the one or more processors 712. The memory 714 may also store data 718 that may be retrieved, manipulated, or stored by the one or more processors. The memory 714 may include any non-transitory type capable of storing information accessible by a processor, such as a hard drive, a memory card, a ROM, a RAM, a DVD, a CD-ROM, a tape drive, a memory with write capabilities, and a read-only memory.

[0041] Instructions 716 can be any set of instructions such as machine code that will be directly executed by one or more processors or any set of instructions such as scripts that are indirectly executed. In this regard, the terms "instructions", "kernel", "application", "step" and "program" can be used interchangeably in this article. Instructions can be stored in an object code format for direct processing by a processor, or stored in any other computing device language, including a collection of scripts or independent source code modules that are interpreted or pre-compiled on demand. For example, instructions 716 can include scanning an image for a barcode and retrieving a serial number associated with the barcode. In addition, instructions 716 can include scanning an image to verify whether an object within the image includes any defects, such as misaligned disks, damaged components, etc. The functions, methods and routines of the instructions are explained in more detail below.

[0042] Data 718 can be retrieved, stored, and modified by one or more processors 712 according to instructions 716. For example, although the subject matter described herein is not limited to any particular data structure, the data can be stored in a computer register, in a relational database as a table with many different fields and records, or an XML document. The data can also be formatted in any computing device readable format such as, but not limited to, binary values, ASCII, or Unicode. In addition, the data can include any information sufficient to identify the relevant information, such as numbers, descriptive text, proprietary codes, pointers, references to data stored in other memories (such as stored at other network locations), or information used by functions for calculating related data. As an example, data 718 can include one or more images captured by cameras 250, 440, 800, 810. Additionally, data 718 can include a list of serial numbers corresponding to certain bar codes associated with components of the data center.

[0043] The one or more processors 712 may be any conventional processor, such as a commercially available CPU. Alternatively, the processor may be a dedicated component, such as an application specific integrated circuit ("ASIC") or other hardware-based processor. Although not required, the server computing device 710 may include specialized hardware components to perform specific computing processes, such as decoding video or images faster or more efficiently, matching video frames to images, warping video or images, encoding warped video or images, etc.

[0044] although Figure 4 The processor 712, memory 714, and other elements of the server computing device 710 are functionally illustrated as being within the same block, but the processor, computer, computing device, or memory may actually include multiple processors, computers, computing devices, or memories that may or may not be stored in the same physical housing. For example, the memory 714 may be a hard drive or other storage medium located in a housing different from the housing of the server computing device 710. Therefore, references to processors, computers, computing devices, or memories should be understood to include references to a collection of processors, computers, computing devices, or memories that may or may not operate in parallel. For example, the server computing device 710 may include a server computing device that operates as a load balancing server farm, a distributed system, and the like. Further still, although some of the functions described below are indicated as occurring on a single computing device with a single processor, various aspects of the subject matter described herein may be implemented by multiple computing devices that communicate information, for example, via a network 760.

[0045] Each of computing devices 710, 720, 730, 740 may be at a different node of network 760 and may be able to communicate directly and indirectly with other nodes of network 760. Figure 4 Only a few computing devices 710 , 720 , 730 , 740 are depicted in FIG. 7 , but it should be appreciated that a typical system may include a large number of connected computing devices, with each different computing device at a different node of the network 760 .

[0046] Various protocols and systems can be used to interconnect the network 760 and intermediate nodes described herein so that the network can be part of the Internet, the World Wide Web, a private intranet, a wide area network, or a local area network. The network can utilize standard communication protocols, such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and HTTP, one or more company-specific protocols, and various combinations of the foregoing. For example, with or without the use of an intermediate server, two or more computing devices (such as computing devices 710, 720, 730, 740) can communicate via a peer-to-peer communication protocol. Although certain advantages are obtained when transmitting or receiving information as mentioned above, other aspects of the subject matter described herein are not limited to any particular transmission mode of information.

[0047] As an example, the server computing device 710 may include a web server capable of communicating with the storage system 750 and the other computing devices 710, 720, 730, 740 via the network 760. For example, the server computing device 710 may use the network 760 to transmit and present information to a user on a display such as the display 721 of the computing device 710, 720, 730, 740, such as the location of a defect on a server tray.

[0048] Each of the computing devices 710, 720, 730, 740 may be configured similarly to the server computing device 710 with one or more processors, memory, data, and instructions as described above. In this way, the computing devices 710, 720, 730, 740 may perform all of the steps described herein without communicating with the server computing device 710. Each computing device 710, 720, 730, 740 may be a personal computing device for use by a user and have all of the components typically used in conjunction with a personal computing device, such as a central processing unit (CPU), memory (e.g., RAM and internal hard drive) to store data and instructions, a display such as a display 723 (e.g., a monitor having a screen, touch screen, projector, television, or other device operable to display information), and a user input device 724 (e.g., a mouse, keyboard, touch screen, or microphone).

[0049] Although computing devices 710, 720, 730, 740 may each comprise a full-size computing device, they may alternatively comprise a mobile computing device capable of exchanging data with a server such as server computing device 710 over a network such as the Internet and / or a computing device capable of exchanging data with other computing devices such as over a network. By way of example only, computing device 720 may be a mobile phone, a wearable device, or a device capable of obtaining information via the Internet, such as a wirelessly enabled PDA, a tablet PC, or a netbook. In another example, computing device 730 may be a tablet PC. In an additional example, computing device 740 may be a laptop computer.

[0050] As with memory 714, storage system 750 may be any type of computerized storage device capable of storing information accessible by server computing device 710, such as a hard drive, memory card, ROM, RAM, DVD, CD-ROM, memory with write capabilities, and read-only memory. Additionally, storage system 750 may include a distributed storage system in which data is stored on multiple different storage devices that may be physically located in the same or different geographic locations. Storage system 750 may be configured as follows: Figure 4 70 is shown connected to a computing device via network 760 , and / or may be directly connected to any of computing devices 710 , 720 , 730 , 740 .

[0051] In addition to the operations described herein, reference will now be made to FIGS. 1-4 and 6-13 and in particular to Figure 5 The flowchart 900 depicted in the description of various operations. It should be understood that the following operations need not be performed in the exact order described below. Instead, various steps may be processed in a different order or simultaneously, and steps may also be added or omitted.

[0052] The computing device 710 may receive a command to replace an object such as one or more hard disks 1200 housed in the server tray 1100, such as Figure 6-13 . Such a command may involve removing a component from use in a data center and transporting it along a conveyor system 1000. For example, this may include removing a server tray 1100 from use in a data center and causing one or more hard disks 1200 to be removed from the server tray. The command may include a list of serial numbers corresponding to the server tray 1100 and the hard disks 1200.

[0053] Reference box 910 and Figure 6-7 , the camera 800 may capture a first image 1300 of an object, such as a server tray 1100, which is being transported along the first conveyor belt 100 in the X direction from the start point of the first conveyor belt to the end point. Figure 7As described in , the first image 1300 includes barcodes 1310, 1320, wherein the server tray image 1100a represents the server tray 1100 and the hard disk image 1200a represents the hard disk 1200. The computing device 710 can identify the server tray image 1100a and the hard disk image 1200a by referencing the first image 1300 with an image generated from a machine learning or computer vision process.

[0054] Using the first image 1300, one or more processors 712 of the computing device 710 may execute instructions 716 to scan and identify barcodes 1310, 1320 located on the server tray image 1100a and the hard disk images 1200a within the first image 1300. For example, the computing device 710 may identify a first barcode 1310 located on the server tray image 1100a and a set of second barcodes 1320 located on each hard disk image 1200a. According to processes known in the art, the computing device 710 may retrieve a first serial number from the data 718 associated with the first barcode 1310 and a set of second serial numbers associated with the set of second barcodes 1320 based on these barcodes 1310, 1320. In this way, based on the first image, the first serial number may be associated with the server tray 1100, and the set of second serial numbers may be associated with the plurality of hard disks 1200.

[0055] Referring to block 920, the computing device 710 may check the set of the first serial number and the second serial number against a reference list of serial numbers based on the first image 1300, as listed on the initial command sent to the computing device 710. In this manner, the computing device 710 may confirm that an object, such as a server tray 1100 housing a plurality of hard disks 1200, is the correct data center component to be replaced. If the server tray 1100 and hard disks 1200 are not the correct components as listed on the initial command received by the computing device 710, the server tray and hard disks may be marked as incorrect objects and sent along the remainder of the conveyor system 1000—such as from the first exit station 200 to the first unloading station 300—to be retrieved by an operator or robot.

[0056] If the computing device 710 confirms that the object is the correct object according to the initial command, go to Figure 8 And referring to box 930, the second camera 810 captures a second image of the object, such as the server tray 1100, which will be sent to the computing device 710 to analyze the second image for any defects. The computing device 710 first identifies the image portion corresponding to the object in the second image.

[0057] Referring to box 940, the computing device 710 can then verify the integrity state of the object based on the second image. The identified image portion corresponding to the object is compared with a reference image depicting an ideal or optimal integrity state of the object. The object shown in the reference image can be shown without any defects or other visible physical deformations. The reference image can be formed using machine learning or computer vision algorithms. In this way, the computing device 710 can detect any differences between the object identified in the image portion of the second image and the object in the reference image. The computing device 710 can classify any differences between the images as defects. In one example, in the case where the object is a server tray 1100 accommodating multiple hard disks 1200, the computing device 710 can identify a server image 1100a corresponding to at least one of the server trays or a hard disk image 1200a corresponding to multiple hard disks. In other examples, the image portion can include both the server tray and the hard disk. Additionally, using machine learning, the system can be automatically adjusted to detect more and different types of defects. For example, in some cases, the system can detect defects that do not match known defects. The system can then add these defects to its data processing model so that future detections of these defects can be detected and processed.

[0058] The integrity status includes the physical condition of the object and whether there are any defects that may indicate that there is a problem with the physical condition of the object. For example, in the case where the objects are server trays 1100 and hard disks 1200, the defects in the integrity status of the server trays and hard disks may include any misalignment of the hard disks within the server trays, whether there are missing or loose components, whether any components are damaged (such as any damaged isolators), or any other indication that the physical condition of the server trays and hard disks is not optimal or ideal.

[0059] This verification step may be performed after the object is transferred from the first conveyor belt 100 to the exit station 200, although in other examples, the verification step may be performed while the object is being transferred. In the case where the second camera 810 is located along the first conveyor belt 100 and before the terminus of the first conveyor belt, the verification step may be performed during or before the transfer of the object to the exit station 200. However, in another example, in the case where the second camera 810 is located at the terminus of the first conveyor belt 100 or coupled to an end of the exit station 200 adjacent to the terminus of the first conveyor belt, the verification step may be performed after the object is transferred to the exit station.

[0060] In the event that no defects are detected, the second image may be substantially similar to the first image 1300. However, in the event that a defect is detected, the computing device 710 may classify the type or category of the defect. For example, turning to a case where the object is a server tray 1100 housing a hard disk 1200 and the image 1400 includes the server tray image 1100b and the hard disk image 1200b having a defect image 1450. Fig. 9 , computing device 710 may classify the category of the defect associated with the hard disk based on the defect image representing the defect. Defect image 1450 may indicate that hard disk 1200 has some damage that requires repair rather than simply replacement. In other examples, computing device 710 may classify the type of defect as a misaligned hard disk, a missing component, etc.

[0061] The computing device 710 may additionally highlight the location of the defect image 1450 through the annotation 1460 on the image 1400. In this way, the operator or robot can find the location of the defect on the server tray 1100 or the hard disk 1200 more quickly based on the annotation 1460 on the image 1400. In addition, the computing device 710 may annotate the type of defect that exists when sending the server tray 1100 and the hard disk 1200 to be repaired. In this way, the operator or robot can know what type of defect to look for, and process the defect, and the defect can be repaired more efficiently.

[0062] The computing device 710 can detect, classify, and annotate the location of defects by executing instructions 716 including a machine learning algorithm through the processor 712. For example, a computer vision algorithm can be trained to notice different types of common defects on an object based on defect image portions detected on an image containing an object. These defects can then be labeled by the algorithm or the developer of the algorithm so that when the computing device 710 executes the algorithm, the computing device can identify the type of defect based on the provided image 1400 and defect image 1450.

[0063] In one example, the computing device 710 may continuously update the instructions 716 based on the images received from the cameras 250, 440, 800, 810 in an iterative machine learning algorithm to improve defect detection, classification, and annotation. For example, the computing device 710 may classify the defect type of the defect image as a missing component, and if an operator or robot receives the server tray and confirms the accuracy of the classification, the computing device may update the instructions 716 to increase the chance that a similar classification type will be made based on similar defect images. In other examples, the computing device 710 does not continuously update the instructions 716 because the algorithm provided to the computing device has been trained by the machine learning algorithm before being implemented with the computing device. It is beneficial to implement such a machine learning algorithm to detect, classify, or annotate such defects because the defect image may be difficult or impossible to detect with the human eye due to the size and nuances of the defect image, or such execution can be performed at a much faster speed than a human can.

[0064] In one example, reference Figure 2 and camera 250, the object may be received on platform 220 prior to the verification step. First stopper 230 may be raised in the Z direction by actuator 231 to prevent the object from traveling beyond platform 200 in the X direction. Platform 220 may be raised in the Z direction by a first actuator (not shown) so that the object is substantially orthogonal to the direction of the lens of camera 250, similar to Figure 8 , so that the camera 250 can capture a second image having a profile view of the object. Then, when the object is at this elevated height, based on the second image, a verification step can be performed to determine whether the object has a defect or is the correct object that was originally assigned to be removed. In the event that the computing device 710 determines that the object includes a defect or is not the correct object that was originally assigned to be removed and the object needs to be transferred to a different station such as the first unloading station 300 for processing, the elevated height can be particularly beneficial because the height of the top surface of the second unloading station can be consistent with the elevated height. In this way, the object can be immediately transferred to the first unloading station 300 by the actuator 210 actuating the pusher 240 so that the object is pushed directly from the platform 220 to the second unloading station along the Y direction to be retrieved by an operator or robot for processing. If the computing device 710 determines that the object does not have a defect, the platform 220 can be lowered to its starting position to transfer the object to the next station. In other examples, platform 220 is not raised to an elevated height, but rather remains substantially horizontal with a plane defined by the surface of exit station 200 during the verification process.

[0065] If the computing device 710 does not detect that the object has a defect, the object can be transferred from the exit station 200 to the disassembly station 400, such as Figure 3Specifically, the platform 220 can travel along the length of the exit station 200 in the X direction to transfer the object to the conveyor portion 410 of the disassembly station 400. The object can then be transported along the path defined by the conveyor portion 410 by the pusher 450 engaging the object and pushing the object toward the working portion 420 along the X direction.

[0066] Go to Fig.10 Once the object arrives at the work section 420, the serial number of the object may be rechecked again similar to the identification and checking steps of block 920. For example, in the case where the object is a server tray 1100 including a plurality of hard disks 1200, the server tray may be received on the work platform 421. Similar to the camera 810, the camera 440 may capture an image similar to the first image 1300 to send to the computing device 710. The computing device 710 scans and identifies the set of first barcodes on the server tray image and the second barcodes on the hard disk image to retrieve a first serial number associated with the server tray 1100 and a set of second serial numbers associated with the plurality of hard disks 1200 based on the image. The computing device 710 may then check the set of first serial numbers and second serial numbers against a reference list of serial numbers, as listed on the initial command sent to the computing device 710. Similar to the above, if the server tray 1100 and the hard disks 1200 are identified as not being the correct items listed in the initial command, the server tray and the hard disks may be marked as such and sent along the conveyor system 1000.

[0067] If the server tray 1100 and hard disk 1200 are identified as the correct items listed in the initial order, the hard disk can be removed from the server tray, as discussed below. In other examples, the computing device 710 can additionally verify the integrity status of the object through images taken by the camera 440. In yet another example, this second check step with the camera 440 may not be performed, and the object can be disassembled without checking again whether the object is in the initial order.

[0068] To remove an object, the remover 430 may be pushed toward the work platform 421 by the actuator 433 in the Y direction to engage the object, such as the server tray 1100 including the hard disks 1200. The second stop 424 may be raised by the actuator to prevent the object from moving too far in the X direction and for the object to be properly aligned for engagement by the remover 430. Specifically, the finger 431 and the gripper 432 may be received within the server tray 1100 through various openings (not shown) defined in the server tray. The finger 431 may assist in maintaining the position of the server tray 1100 in the X direction along the work platform 421 by holding the server tray in place laterally while also pushing the server tray against the rear stop 423 to hold the server tray in place in the Y direction. The actuator 433 may actuate the gripper 432 to engage with each individual hard disk 1200 in the server tray 1100. In this manner, the detacher 430 can be translated away from the server tray 1100 in the Y direction and disengaged from the server tray 1100 while the gripper 432 remains engaged with the hard disk 1200 to remove the hard disk from the server tray, as shown in FIG. Fig.11 Described in.

[0069] In other examples, the grippers 432 may not engage all of the hard disks 1200 in the server tray 1100, but instead, only a selected number of grippers will grip corresponding hard disks in the server tray. Figure 3 and 10 , and for a server tray 1100 that accommodates four hard disks 1200 along the length of the server tray, the leftmost hard disk and the rightmost hard disk can be engaged by a set of two grippers 432 along the left and right ends of the detacher 430, while the middle gripper does not engage the middle hard disk. In this way, when the detacher 430 is disengaged from the server tray 1100, only the leftmost and rightmost hard disks 1200 will be removed.

[0070] Go to Figure 11-12 Once the hard disk 1200 is removed from the server tray 1100, the detacher 430 can rotate about the Z axis to face the second unloading station 500 and transfer the hard disk to the second unloading station. Fig.13 , the empty (or partially empty) server tray 1300 is then transferred to the second conveyor belt 600 by the pusher 450 .

[0071] Replacing parts in a data center is challenging, especially when it comes to ensuring that the part pulled from the data center is the correct part labeled for replacement. The current method of checking if the pulled part is the correct one requires a human operator to manually scan the barcode of each hard drive. This method of checking the pulled parts is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and prone to error.

[0072] Furthermore, when human operators scan the barcode of a pulled component, they currently do not check whether such component is damaged or has some other physical defect. Marking the type and location of such defects early can save long-term costs because these defects can be repaired before they become a big problem. In addition, this verification can reduce the chance of components being damaged in the data center during replacement. For example, a defect may involve one or more hard drives being misaligned in a server tray, and attempting to remove the misaligned hard drives may result in collisions with components adjacent to those hard drives; thereby, potentially causing greater damage to the surrounding hard drives or the server tray as a whole.

[0073] The present disclosure automates the processes discussed above so that the maintenance and labor costs of the data center can be reduced while also allowing the data center to function more efficiently. In addition, the automation allows for greater integration with future data and machine learning developments. Although the object to be replaced in the data center has been substantially referenced to a server tray including a plurality of hard disks, it should be understood that the object can be any component within the data center.

[0074] Although the subject matter herein has been described with reference to specific examples, it should be understood that these examples are only illustrative of the principles and applications of the described subject matter. Therefore, it should be understood that various modifications may be made and other arrangements may be designed without departing from the spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method of using a conveyor system, comprising: capturing, with a first camera of the conveyor system, a first image of a server tray and a plurality of hard disks received along a first conveyor belt of the conveyor system; utilizing one or more processors of the conveyor system to check, based on the first image, a first serial number associated with the server tray and a second set of serial numbers associated with the plurality of hard disks against a reference list of serial numbers to confirm that the first serial number and the second set of serial numbers are on the reference list; capturing a second image of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks with a second camera of the conveyor system; as well as The integrity status of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks is verified based on the second image.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Checking the first set of sequence numbers and the second set of sequence numbers against the sequence number reference list comprises: identifying, with the one or more processors of the conveyor system, in the first image, a first barcode on the server tray and a plurality of barcodes on the plurality of hard disks; and The first serial number corresponding to the first barcode and the second set of serial numbers corresponding to the plurality of barcodes are retrieved using the one or more processors of the conveyor system.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Verifying the integrity status of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks includes: receiving the server tray and the plurality of hard disks at an exit station along the conveyor system; identifying in the second image a portion of the image corresponding to at least one of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks; and The image portion is compared with a reference image to determine whether a defective image portion exists on the image portion.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The plurality of hard disks and the server tray are received along a platform of the exit station, and the method further includes raising the platform before the second camera captures the second image.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: transferring the server tray and the plurality of hard disks to a first unloading station of the conveyor system when the image portion includes the defective image portion; classifying the defect type of the defective image portion; and The location of the defective image portion is marked along the image portion.

6. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: When the image portion does not include the defective image portion, the server tray and the plurality of hard disks are transferred to a disassembly station of the conveyor system.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: removing the plurality of hard disks from the server tray; as well as The plurality of hard disks are transferred to a second unloading station of the conveyor system.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: removing at least one of the plurality of hard disks from the server tray without removing a collection of hard disks from the plurality of hard disks from the server tray; as well as The at least one hard disk, but not the set of hard disks, is transferred to a second unloading station.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: capturing a third image of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks with a third camera coupled to the disassembly station; identifying in the third image a first barcode on the server tray and a plurality of barcodes on the plurality of hard disks; retrieving the first serial number from the first barcode and retrieving the second set of serial numbers from the plurality of barcodes; as well as The first and second set of serial numbers are checked against the serial number reference list to ensure that the first and second set of serial numbers are on the reference list.

10. A conveyor system comprising: a first conveyor belt coupled to a first camera, a second camera coupled to one of the first camera or an exit station; a memory configured to store at least one of instructions or data; as well as one or more processors operatively coupled to the memory, the one or more processors configured to: capturing, with the first camera, a first image of a server tray and a plurality of hard disks received along the first conveyor belt; checking a first serial number associated with the server tray and a second set of serial numbers associated with the plurality of hard disks against a reference list of serial numbers based on the first image to confirm that the first serial number and the second set of serial numbers are on the reference list; capturing a second image of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks using the second camera; as well as The integrity status of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks is verified based on the second image.

11. The conveyor system of claim 10, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to, in said checking the first sequence number and the second set of sequence numbers against a reference list of sequence numbers: identifying in the first image a first barcode on the server tray and a plurality of barcodes on the plurality of hard disks; and The first serial number corresponding to the first barcode and the set of second serial numbers corresponding to the plurality of barcodes are retrieved.

12. The conveyor system of claim 10, wherein the exit station is coupled to the first conveyor belt, and wherein the second camera is configured to capture a second image of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks received along the exit station, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to, when verifying the integrity status of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks: identifying in the second image a portion of the image corresponding to at least one of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks; as well as The image portion is compared with a reference image to determine whether a defective image portion exists on the image portion.

13. The conveyor system of claim 12, wherein: The exit station includes a platform configured to receive the server tray and the plurality of hard disks, the exit station including an actuator operatively coupled to the platform, the actuator configured to raise the platform before the second camera captures the second image.

14. The conveyor system of claim 12, further comprising a first unloading station coupled to the exit station, the exit station comprising a platform configured to: When the image portion includes the defective image portion, transferring the server tray and the plurality of hard disks to the first unloading station; and The one or more processors are further configured to: classifying the defect type of the defective image portion; and The location of the defective image portion is marked along the image portion.

15. The conveyor system of claim 12, further comprising a disassembly station coupled to the exit station, the exit station comprising a platform configured to transfer the server tray and the plurality of hard disks to the disassembly station when the image portion does not include the defective image portion.

16. The conveyor system of claim 15, further comprising a second unloading station coupled to the disassembly station and a second conveyor belt coupled to the disassembly station, the disassembly station comprising a disassembler configured to: removing the plurality of hard disks from the server tray; and The plurality of hard disks are transferred to the second unloading station.

17. The conveyor system of claim 15, wherein: The disassembly station includes a disassembler configured to: removing at least one of the plurality of hard disks from the server tray without removing a collection of hard disks from the server tray; and The at least one hard disk, but not the set of hard disks, is transferred to a second unloading station.

18. The conveyor system of claim 15, further comprising a second conveyor belt, wherein: The disassembly station includes a mover configured to transfer the server tray to the second conveyor belt.

19. The conveyor system of claim 15, further comprising a third camera coupled to the disassembly station, the third camera being configured to capture a third image of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks with the third camera, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to: identifying in the third image a first barcode on the server tray and a plurality of barcodes on the plurality of hard disks; retrieving the first serial number from the first barcode and retrieving the second set of serial numbers from the plurality of barcodes; as well as The first and second set of serial numbers are checked against the serial number reference list to ensure that the first and second set of serial numbers are on the reference list.

20. A method for automatic hard disk verification, comprising: receiving a first image including a server tray and a plurality of hard disks; checking, by one or more processors, a first serial number associated with the server tray and a set of second serial numbers associated with the plurality of hard disks against a reference list of serial numbers based on the first image to confirm that the first serial number and the set of second serial numbers are on the reference list; receiving a second image including the server tray and the plurality of hard disks; verifying, by the one or more processors, the integrity status of the server tray and the plurality of hard disks based on the second image, including determining that the second image includes a defective image portion; and The defect type of the defective image portion is classified.

Images