Mail flexible alignment device and alignment method based on vision and balance wheel technology

Abstract

The present invention discloses a flexible mail positioning device and positioning method based on vision and balance wheel technology in the field of mail equipment, including a balance wheel and a visual recognition control system, wherein the balance wheel has a plurality of rows of independently swingable rollers, each of which can be commanded by the control system to run forward and reverse, and accelerate and decelerate; the visual recognition control system is composed of an image acquisition device, an image processor and a controller, wherein the image acquisition device acquires image information or depth information of the mail on the balance wheel, calculates the position and posture of the mail through the image processor, calculates the rotation logic of the balance wheel, and sends the balance wheel control parameters to the balance wheel through the controller. The present invention can adjust the mail positioning posture in real time according to the user's wishes, and has flexible layout, high equipment integration, high modularization, and a wide range of application scenarios.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of logistics and postal equipment, and particularly to a flexible mail alignment device and method based on vision and turntable technology. Background Art

[0002] Currently, traditional mail alignment often uses devices such as inclined drum edge aligners, inclined drum center aligners, and modular belts to adjust disordered mails with various postures into a fixed posture. The alignment principle of such devices is to change the running direction of the mails through a preset mechanical structure to achieve the purpose of alignment. Once the mechanical installation is completed, the final alignment effect cannot be adjusted, and the device does not have the function of flexible adjustment of the output effect.

[0003] However, with the rapid development of the logistics sorting and conveying equipment industry, such devices can no longer meet the development trend of intelligence and flexibility. This invention patent provides a flexible mail alignment device and method based on vision and turntable technology to cope with the current development situation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a flexible mail alignment device and method based on vision and turntable technology that can adjust the running posture of mails.

[0005] The object of the present invention is achieved as follows: A flexible mail alignment device based on vision and turntable technology includes a turntable and a vision recognition control system. The turntable has several rows of rollers that can swing independently, and each roller can be commanded by the control system to rotate forward and backward, and accelerate and decelerate.

[0006] The vision recognition control system consists of an image acquisition device, an image processor, and a controller. The image acquisition device acquires the image information or depth information of the mails on the turntable, calculates the position and posture of the mails through the image processor, calculates the rotation logic of the turntable, and sends the turntable control parameters to the turntable through the controller.

[0007] It includes the following steps:

[0008] S1: When the turntable receives the command from the vision recognition control system, it controls the rollers directly below the mails to rotate in one direction in real time, rotates the entire row of turntables by an angle θ, makes each row of rollers parallel to the long side of the mails. The turntables on the left side of the mail center line rotate towards the upper right corner, and the turntables on the right side of the mail center line rotate towards the lower left corner. As the posture of the mails is adjusted, the angle of the long side also changes accordingly.

[0009] S2: The test camera adjusts the angle of the entire row of turntables according to the detected angle of the long side, always making the entire row of turntables parallel to the long side until the long side is adjusted to the output direction.

[0010] S3: Then, based on the center point of the mail, check if the mail is in the middle of the pendulum wheel. If not, rotate all the rollers towards the center line until the mail reaches the center position of the pendulum wheel.

[0011] S4: When it is determined that the mail has reached the centered position, all the rollers return to the upright position, and the mail after being centered is output.

[0012] Preferably, the swinging angle of each row of rollers of the pendulum wheel is within the range of ±90°, and it can rotate forward and backward in real time and perform acceleration and deceleration control according to the commands of the control system.

[0013] Preferably, an image is obtained through the image acquisition device. The image processor calculates that the distance from the roller to the center point of the mail is r, the angle between the actual center line of the mail and the center line of the mail in the final posture is θ, and the angular velocity ω is a preset value. Assuming that the time for the mail to rotate until its long side is parallel to the running direction is t0, then:

[0014] The speed v of the roller = ω * r;

[0015] The rotation time is t0 = θ / ω;

[0016] That is, the relationship between t0 and the speed is obtained as t0 = (θ * r) / (ω * r),

[0017] Therefore, there will be a loss when the speed of the roller is transmitted to the mail. Assuming the loss coefficient is μ, then t0 = (θ * r) / (ω * r * μ);

[0018] Assume that the time for the mail to run to the center line position of the pendulum wheel is t1, the distance from the center point of the mail to the center line of the pendulum wheel is s, and the speed of the roller is v. Then t1 = s / v. Assuming the loss coefficient is μ, then t1 = s / (v * μ);

[0019] Assume that the angular velocity of the mail rotation is ω. Since the positions of each roller from the center point of the mail are different, the rotational speeds of the rollers are different. Assume that the distance from the roller to the center point of the mail is r, then the linear velocity v of the roller = ω * r.

[0020] Preferably, the angle between the actual center line of the mail and the center line of the mail in the final posture is the same as the rotation angle of the entire row of pendulum wheels, both being θ.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: By controlling the rotation of each pendulum wheel in real time through the system, it can adjust the required mail centering posture at any time according to the user's wishes, and has a flexible layout, high equipment integration, high modularization, and a wide range of application scenarios. It can be applied to, for example, the outlet of a single-piece separation device, the front section of a mail import table, or embedded between ordinary transmission devices, etc., to meet the user's centering requirements. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a diagram for adjusting the initial rotation of the balance wheel of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a diagram for adjusting the mail to the centered position of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a diagram for adjusting the rotation of the balance wheel of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram for moving the mail of the present invention to the center point.

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram for setting the roller speed of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of the balance wheel control system of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of the overall control system of the present invention.

[0030] Among them, 1 is the balance wheel, 2 is the visual recognition control system, 3 is the roller, 4 is the image acquisition device, and 5 is the controller. Detailed implementation method

[0031] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0032] As Figure 1-8 shown, a flexible mail alignment device based on vision and balance wheel technology includes a balance wheel and a visual recognition control system. The balance wheel has several rows of rollers that can swing independently, and each roller can rotate forward and backward and accelerate and decelerate according to the commands of the control system;

[0033] The visual recognition control system is composed of an image acquisition device, an image processor and a controller. The image acquisition device acquires the image information or depth information of the mail on the balance wheel, calculates the position and posture of the mail through the image processor, and calculates the rotation logic of the balance wheel, and sends the balance wheel control parameters to the balance wheel through the controller.

[0034] It includes the following steps:

[0035] S1: After the escapement receives the command from the visual recognition control system, it immediately controls the rollers directly below the mail to rotate in the same direction, rotating the entire row of escapements by an angle θ, so that each row of rollers is parallel to the long side of the mail. The escapements to the left of the mail center line A1 rotate towards the upper right corner, and the escapements to the right of the mail center line A1 rotate towards the lower left corner. As the posture of the mail is adjusted, the angle of the long side also changes accordingly.

[0036] S2: The test camera adjusts the angle of the entire row of escapements according to the detected angle of the long side, always keeping the entire row of escapements parallel to the long side until the long side is adjusted to the output direction.

[0037] S3: Then, depending on the position of the mail center point S, check if the mail is in the middle of the escapements. If not, rotate all the rollers towards the center line until the mail reaches the center position of the escapements.

[0038] S4: When it is determined that the mail has reached the centered position, all the rollers return to the original position, and the centered mail is output.

[0039] The swing angle of each row of rollers of the above escapement is within the range of ±90° and can rotate forward and backward in real time and perform acceleration and deceleration control according to the command of the control system.

[0040] An image is acquired through an image acquisition device. The image processor calculates that the distance from the roller to the mail center point S is r, the angle between the actual center line of the mail and the center line of the mail in the final posture is θ, and the angular velocity ω is a preset value. Assuming that the time for the mail to rotate until the long side is parallel to the running direction is t0, then:

[0041] The speed v of the roller = ω * r;

[0042] The rotation time is t0 = θ / ω;

[0043] That is, the relationship between t0 and the speed is obtained as t0 = (θ * r) / (ω * r),

[0044] Therefore, there will be losses when the speed of the roller is transmitted to the mail. Assuming the loss coefficient is μ, then t0 = (θ * r) / (ω * r * μ);

[0045] Assuming that the time for the mail to reach the escapement center line A2 is t1, the distance from the mail center point S to the escapement center line A2 is s, and the roller speed is v, then t1 = s / v. Assuming the loss coefficient is μ, then t1 = s / (ω * r * μ);

[0046] Assuming that the angular velocity of the mail rotation is ω, since the positions of each roller from the mail center point S are different, the rotational speeds of the rollers are different. Assuming that the distance from the roller guiding the mail to the center point S is r, then the linear velocity v of the roller = ω * r.

[0047] The included angle between the actual center line of the mail and the center line of the mail's final attitude is the same as the rotation angle of the entire row of pendulum wheels, both being θ.

[0048] The working principle of the present invention is described as follows: Taking the example of the whole-position effect of outputting the mail in any attitude input in the way that the long side is forward and the mail is centered. After the image acquisition device 4 acquires the image of the mail, the image processor and the controller 5 calculate the current attitude and position of the mail, judge the long and short sides of the mail, calculate the mail running trajectory by the control system, and send a signal to command the pendulum wheel to execute;

[0049] Taking the example of the whole-position effect of outputting the mail in any attitude input in the way that the long side is forward and the mail is centered. After the pendulum wheel 1 receives the command from the visual recognition control system 2, it controls the rollers 3 directly below the mail to rotate in the same direction in real time, rotates the entire row of pendulum wheels by an angle θ, makes each row of rollers parallel to the long side of the mail. The pendulum wheels on the left side of the mail center line A1 rotate Figure 2 towards the upper right corner, and the pendulum wheels on the right side of the mail center line A1 rotate towards the lower left corner. As the attitude of the mail is adjusted, the long side angle also changes. The test camera adjusts the angle of the entire row of pendulum wheels according to the detected long side angle, always making the entire row of pendulum wheels parallel to the long side until the long side is adjusted to the output direction. Then, according to the center point of the mail, it checks whether the mail is in the middle of the pendulum wheels. If not, the rollers are all rotated towards the center line direction, as Figure 5 shown, until the mail reaches the center position of the pendulum wheels. When it is judged that the mail reaches the centered position, all the rollers 3 return to the normal position, and the mail after whole-positioning is output.

[0050] The above-described embodiments are only used to describe the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and do not limit the concept and scope of the present invention. Without departing from the design concept of the present invention, various variations and improvements made by those of ordinary skill in the art to the technical solution of the present invention should fall within the protection scope of the present invention. The technical content claimed by the present invention has been fully recorded in the claims.

Claims

1. A flexible mail alignment device based on vision and balance wheel technology, comprising a balance wheel and a vision recognition control system, characterized in that: The balance wheel has several rows of rollers that can swing independently. Each roller can be rotated forward and backward, and accelerated and decelerated, according to the commands of the control system. The visual recognition control system consists of an image acquisition device, an image processor, and a controller. The image acquisition device acquires the image information or depth information of the mail on the balance wheel, calculates the position and posture of the mail through the image processor, calculates the rotation logic of the balance wheel, and sends the balance wheel control parameters to the balance wheel through the controller. It includes the following steps: S1: When the balance wheel receives the command from the visual recognition control system, it controls the rollers directly below the mail to rotate in the same direction in real time, rotates the entire row of balance wheels by an angle θ, makes each row of rollers parallel to the long side of the mail, the balance wheels on the left side of the mail center line rotate towards the upper right corner, and the balance wheels on the right side of the mail center line rotate towards the lower left corner. As the posture of the mail is adjusted, the angle of the long side also changes accordingly. S2: The test camera adjusts the angle of the entire row of balance wheels according to the detected angle of the long side, always making the entire balance wheel parallel to the long side until the long side is adjusted to the output direction. S3: Then, according to the center point of the mail, check whether the mail is in the middle of the balance wheel. If not, rotate all the rollers towards the center line direction until the mail reaches the center position of the balance wheel. S4: When it is determined that the mail reaches the centered position, all the rollers return to the normal state, and the mail after being positioned as a whole is output.

2. The flexible mail alignment device based on vision and balance wheel technology according to claim 1, characterized in that: The swing angle of each row of rollers of the balance wheel is within the range of ±90°, and it can be rotated forward and backward in real time and controlled for acceleration and deceleration according to the commands of the control system.

3. The alignment method of the flexible email alignment device based on vision and balance wheel technology according to claim 1, characterized in that: An image is acquired through the image acquisition device. The image processor calculates that the distance from the roller to the center point of the mail is r, the angle between the actual center line of the mail and the center line of the mail when it reaches the final posture is θ, and the angular velocity ω is a preset value. Assuming that the time for the mail to rotate until the long side is parallel to the running direction is t0, then: The speed v of the roller = ω * r; The rotation time is t0 = θ / ω; That is, the relationship between t0 and the speed is obtained as t0 = (θ * r) / (ω * r), Therefore, there is a loss when the speed of the roller is transmitted to the mail. Assuming the loss coefficient is μ, then t0 = (θ * r) / (ω * r * μ); Assuming the time for the mail to run to the center line position of the balance wheel is t1, the distance from the center point of the mail to the center line of the balance wheel is s, and the speed of the roller is v, then t1 = s / v. Assuming the loss coefficient is μ, then t1 = s / (v * μ).

4. The alignment method of the mail flexible alignment device based on vision and balance wheel technology according to claim 1, characterized in that: The angle between the actual center line of the mail and the center line of the mail when it reaches the final posture is the same as the rotation angle of the entire row of balance wheels, both being θ.

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