AI Distance Adjustment Method for Visual Single-piece Separation, Control System, Computer-readable Storage Medium, and Sorting Method of a Geneva Wheel Sorting System

Abstract

The present invention discloses an AI distance adjustment method for visual single-piece separation, a control system, a computer-readable storage medium, and a sorting method for a pendulum wheel sorting system. The AI distance adjustment method for visual single-piece separation uses a trained AI module to identify the shape of the items on the separation conveyor, and determines whether they are stalled based on the shape of the items to be output outside the separation conveyor, and dynamically controls the output time of the next item to be output. When it is determined that the currently upcoming item is not stalled, the next item is output according to the standard value. At this time, the distance between the two items remains the standard value. When it is determined that the currently upcoming item is stalled, when outputting the next item, the next item is output after a delay of the standard value and the compensation value, so that the distance between the two items increases relative to the standard value, avoiding problems such as chasing packages and mis-sorting caused by stalling, and ensuring the sorting accuracy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of sorting and conveying, in particular to an AI distance adjustment method for visual single-piece separation, a control system, a computer-readable storage medium, and a sorting method for a pendulum wheel sorting system. Background Art

[0002] A pendulum wheel sorter realizes the sorting of items thereon by the left and right swinging of multiple conveying wheels.

[0003] Due to the various packaging forms and item categories of the items to be sorted, some items smaller than the standard size or irregular items may stall when being conveyed on the pendulum wheels of the pendulum wheel sorting system, seriously affecting the sorting accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the above problems existing in the prior art, and provide an AI distance adjustment method for visual single-piece separation, a control system, a computer-readable storage medium, and a sorting method for a pendulum wheel sorting system.

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is achieved by the following technical solutions:

[0006] An AI distance adjustment method for visual single-piece separation includes the following steps. The AI module determines the conveying order of the items on the separation conveyor according to the images of the items on the separation conveyor collected by the image acquisition module, and controls the separation conveyor to separate the items one by one. The AI module recognizes the type of each item according to the images of the items on the separation conveyor collected by the image acquisition module, and determines whether to output each item that is about to be output outside the separation conveyor according to the type of each item. After its output, the output time of the next item that meets the condition of being output outside the separation conveyor is dynamically controlled; each item is one of the three types: an item prone to stalling, an item prone to loss, and an item not prone to stalling.

[0007] Preferably, the AI module controls the output of each item that is about to be output outside the separation conveyor and the output of its next item according to the following steps:

[0008] S1. Determine whether an item that is about to be output from the separation conveyor is an item prone to stalling according to the morphological information of the item; if so, execute S2; if not, execute S5;

[0009] S2. Determine whether the stalling data of the item exceeds the stalling threshold; if so, confirm that the item is an item prone to loss, and execute S3; if not, execute S4;

[0010] S3, the object is removed from the separation conveyor by a removal device and / or an alarm is issued to remind manual processing, and after the object is removed from the separation conveyor, the next object to be output to the separation conveyor is processed according to S1;

[0011] S4, controlling the separation conveyor to output the item, and when it is determined that the next item is not an easily lost item, controlling the separation conveyor to delay output of the next item according to the sum of the standard value and the compensation value;

[0012] S5, controlling the separation conveyor to output the article, and when it is determined that the next article is not an easily lost article, controlling the separation conveyor to output the next article according to the standard value.

[0013] Preferably, the compensation value is calculated according to the following method:

[0014] S 补 = (n-1)S 失

[0015] Where n is the number of balance wheel sorters in the balance wheel sorting system; S 失 It is the mean or maximum value of the difference between the actual number of pulses and the theoretical number of pulses, or the mean or maximum value of the difference between the actual time and the theoretical time when the same type of items pass through two adjacent photoelectric re-check sensors.

[0016] The sorting method of the balance wheel sorting system includes a visual single-piece separation device, which separates the items one by one according to any of the above-mentioned AI distance adjustment methods for visual single-piece separation.

[0017] In the preferred sorting method, each item output by the visual single-item separation device is processed according to the following steps;

[0018] S6, when the item passes through the tracking photoelectric sensor, the PLC tracks the position of the item;

[0019] S7, the item is routed by the code reading mechanism and then transmitted to the PLC;

[0020] S8, PLC determines the actual stall condition of the item according to the signal of the recheck photoelectric sensor arranged in front of each balance wheel sorter, and controls the balance wheel sorting system to sort or reflow the item according to the actual stall condition of the item.

[0021] In a preferred sorting method, before S6, the items output from the visual single-piece separation device are centered via a centering conveyor or sideways via a side conveyor.

[0022] In the preferred sorting method, in S7, the route of the item is obtained by a six-sided code reading mechanism.

[0023] In the preferred sorting method, each recheck photoelectric sensor corresponds to a maximum allowable stall data, and the maximum allowable stall data is the longest time or the maximum number of pulses allowed for the item to move from the set position after the tracking photoelectric sensor or the PLC obtains the routing information of the item to each recheck photoelectric sensor; in S8, the PLC starts from the maximum allowable stall data corresponding to the first recheck photoelectric sensor and executes according to the following steps:

[0024] S8a, the PLC determines whether the item is detected within the current maximum allowable stall data range. If not, execute S8b; if so, execute S8c;

[0025] S8b, the PLC confirms that the item is lost, controls the turntable sorting system to return the item, and the PLC feeds back the form information and sorting result of the item obtained from the AI module to the AI module;

[0026] S8c, the PLC determines whether the item is an item that is set to be prone to stalling according to the form information of the item obtained from the AI module. If so, execute S8d; if not, execute S8e;

[0027] S8d, the PLC counts the actual stall data of the item, and feeds back the actual stall data and the form information of the item obtained from the AI module to the AI module, and executes S8e;

[0028] S8e, the PLC determines whether the turntable sorter behind the recheck photoelectric sensor corresponding to the current maximum allowable stall data is the turntable sorter corresponding to the routing of the item. If so, execute S8f; if not, execute S8g;

[0029] S8f, the PLC starts the turntable sorter for sorting when the item reaches the sorting start point of the turntable sorter;

[0030] S8g, the PLC controls the turntable sorting system to move the item to the next recheck photoelectric sensor, updates the maximum allowable stall data corresponding to the next recheck photoelectric sensor, and executes S8h;

[0031] S8h, repeat S8a - S8g until the item is sorted or returned.

[0032] In the preferred sorting method, in S8, the PLC starts from when the item passes the first recheck photoelectric sensor and executes according to the following steps:

[0033] S81, the PLC calculates the actual stall data of the item according to the actual data of the item passing through the current recheck photoelectric sensor and the theoretical data of the item moving from the set position after the tracking photoelectric sensor or the PLC obtains the routing information of the item to the current recheck photoelectric sensor;

[0034] S82, the PLC determines whether the actual stall data of the item is within the stall threshold range;

[0035] S83, when it is determined that the actual stall data of the item exceeds the stall threshold, confirm that the item is lost, and the PLC controls the turntable sorting system to return the item;

[0036] S84, when it is determined that the actual stall data of the item is within the stall threshold range, the PLC determines whether the turntable sorter behind the current verification optoelectronic sensor is the turntable sorter corresponding to the routing of the item. If so, execute S85; if not, execute S86;

[0037] S85, the PLC starts the turntable sorter for sorting when the item reaches the sorting start point of the turntable sorter;

[0038] S86, the PLC controls the turntable sorting system to move the item to the next verification optoelectronic sensor. When the item triggers the next verification optoelectronic sensor, execute S87;

[0039] S87, repeat S81 - S86 until the item is sorted or returned.

[0040] In the preferred sorting method, when the item passes through the tracking optoelectronic sensor, the AI module feeds back the morphological information of the item to the PLC for binding.

[0041] In S83, the PLC feeds back the morphological information and sorting result of the item to the AI module;

[0042] And / or, in S84, when it is determined that the actual stall data of the item is within the stall threshold range, the PLC first determines whether the item is an item that is set to be prone to stalling according to the morphological information of the item obtained from the AI module. When it is determined to be yes, the PLC feeds back the morphological information and actual stall data of the item to the AI module, and determines whether the turntable sorter behind the current verification optoelectronic sensor is the turntable sorter corresponding to the routing of the item; when it is determined to be no, the PLC determines whether the turntable sorter behind the current verification optoelectronic sensor is the turntable sorter corresponding to the routing of the item.

[0043] In the preferred sorting method, S8 includes the following steps:

[0044] S8A, the PLC determines the actual stall data when the item triggers the previous verification optoelectronic sensor corresponding to its routing, and judges whether the actual stall data exceeds the stall threshold. If so, execute S8B; if not, execute S8C;

[0045] S8B. The PLC confirms the loss of the item, controls the turntable sorting system to return the item, and the PLC feeds back the shape information and sorting result of the item obtained from the AI module to the AI module;

[0046] S8C. The PLC determines whether the item is an item that is set to be prone to stalling based on the shape information of the item obtained from the AI module. If so, S8D is executed; if not, S8E is executed;

[0047] S8D. The PLC feeds back the shape information and actual stalling data of the item to the AI module and executes S8E;

[0048] S8E. When the item reaches the sorting start point of the turntable sorter, the PLC starts the turntable sorter for sorting.

[0049] In the preferred sorting method, S8 includes the following steps:

[0050] S801. The PLC determines whether the item is detected by a verification optoelectronic sensor corresponding to the turntable sorter in front of the route of the item within the maximum allowable stalling data range of the verification optoelectronic sensor. If not, S802 is executed; if so, S803 is executed;

[0051] S802. The PLC confirms the loss of the item, controls the turntable sorting system to return the item, and the PLC feeds back the shape information and sorting result of the item obtained from the AI module to the AI module;

[0052] S803. The PLC determines whether the item is an item that is set to be prone to stalling based on the shape information of the item obtained from the AI module. If so, S804 is executed; if not, S805 is executed;

[0053] S804. The PLC counts the actual stalling data of the item, feeds back the actual stalling data and the shape information of the item obtained from the AI module to the AI module, and executes S805;

[0054] S805. When the item reaches the sorting start point of the turntable sorter, the PLC starts the turntable sorter for sorting.

[0055] A control system for visual single-piece separation is used to determine the conveying order of the items on the separation conveyor according to the images of the items on the separation conveyor collected by the image acquisition module, control the separation conveyor to separate the items one by one, identify the type of each item according to the images of the items on the separation conveyor collected by the image acquisition module, determine whether to output each item about to be output outside the separation conveyor according to the type of the item, and dynamically control the output time of the next item that meets the condition of being output outside the separation conveyor after its output; each item is one of the three types: easily stalling items, easily lost items, and not easily stalling items. The control system includes:

[0056] A first judgment unit for determining whether an item about to be output from the separation conveyor currently is an easily stalling item according to the morphological information of the item; if so, send a signal to the second judgment unit; if not, send a signal to the normal output unit;

[0057] A second judgment unit for determining whether the stalling data of the item exceeds the stalling threshold; if so, send a signal to the abnormal processing unit; if not, send a signal to the compensation processing unit;

[0058] An abnormal processing unit for removing the item from the separation conveyor through a removal device and / or alarming to remind manual processing, and sending a signal to the first judgment unit to process the next item to be output outside the separation conveyor after the item is removed from the separation conveyor;

[0059] A compensation processing unit for controlling the separation conveyor to output the item, and when it is determined that the next item is not an easily lost item, controlling the separation conveyor to delay the output of the next item according to the sum of the standard value and the compensation value;

[0060] A normal output unit for controlling the separation conveyor to output the current item, and when it is determined that the next item is not an easily lost item, controlling the separation conveyor to output the next item according to the standard value.

[0061] A computer-readable storage medium stores a program, and when the program is executed, it implements the above-mentioned AI distance adjustment method for visual single-piece separation.

[0062] The advantages of the technical solution of the present invention are mainly reflected in:

[0063] This method uses a trained AI module to identify the form of the items on the separation conveyor, and determines whether there is a stall based on the form of the items to be output outside the separation conveyor, and dynamically controls the output time of the next item to be output. When it is determined that there is no stall in the currently upcoming item to be output, the next item is output according to the standard value. At this time, the spacing between the two items remains the standard value. When it is determined that the currently upcoming item has a stall, when outputting the next item, the next item is output with a delay according to the standard value and the compensation value, so that the spacing between the two items increases relative to the standard value, avoiding problems such as chasing packages and misclassification caused by stalls, and ensuring the sorting accuracy.

[0064] This solution obtains the routing through a six-sided code reading mechanism, which can effectively reduce the requirements for loading packages, thus facilitating the automation of the entire sorting process. Combined with the centering device, it can effectively output the items at a unified position in the middle to reduce the sorting calculation difficulty of the subsequent swing wheel sorter.

[0065] This solution can effectively test the actual stall situation by setting up a review photoelectric sensor, avoiding misjudgment by the AI module, thus ensuring the sorting accuracy. And during the sorting process, information such as the form of the items, actual stall data, and return flow situation is fed back to the AI module for continuous learning, which can further improve the recognition accuracy of the AI module and improve the accuracy and stability of spacing control. Description of the Drawings

[0066] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the swing wheel sorting system of the present invention;

[0067] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the AI distance adjustment method of the present invention;

[0068] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the sorting process after the items are output by the visual single-piece separation device in the swing wheel sorting system of the present invention. Detailed Embodiments

[0069] The purpose, advantages and characteristics of the present invention will be illustrated and explained through the non-restrictive description of the following preferred embodiments. These embodiments are only typical examples of applying the technical solution of the present invention, and any technical solutions formed by equivalent replacement or equivalent transformation fall within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0070] In the description of the solution, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of description and simplification, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Also, in the description of the solution, with the operator as a reference, the direction close to the operator is the proximal end, and the direction away from the operator is the distal end.

[0071] Embodiment 1

[0072] The following describes the pendulum wheel sorting system disclosed by the present invention in conjunction with the drawings. As shown in the attached Figure 1 figures, it includes a plurality of alternately arranged pendulum wheel sorters 10 and conveyors 20. The pendulum wheel sorters 10 can be of various known structures, and the conveyors 20 can be known belt conveyors or roller conveyors, which will not be elaborated here. They constitute the sorting part.

[0073] As shown in the attached Figure 1 figures, at the input end of the first conveyor 20, a code reading conveyor device 30 is connected. The code reading conveyor device 30 includes at least two sections of belt conveyors, a code reading mechanism, and a scanning photoelectric sensor (not shown in the figure, and of course the scanning photoelectric sensor is not necessary and can be omitted) for triggering the code reading mechanism to perform code reading. The code reading mechanism is a six-sided code reading mechanism. The code reading conveyor device 30 using a six-sided code reading mechanism is a known technology and will not be elaborated here. Of course, in other embodiments, if the items are all conveyed to the code reading mechanism with the two-dimensional code or bar code facing up or towards the side, the code reading mechanism can be a structure capable of realizing top surface code reading and / or side surface code reading. The code reading conveyor device can also be a known DWS conveyor device, which will not be elaborated here.

[0074] At the input end of the code reading conveyor device 30, a vision single-piece separation device is connected. The vision single-piece separation device is used to separate the batch of items laid flat on it by a longitudinal distance and then convey them one by one outside the vision single-piece separation device. The vision single-piece separation device includes a separation conveyor 40, a transverse distance pulling conveyor connected to the input end of the separation conveyor 40, an image acquisition module (such as a camera, a camera, etc., not shown in the figure) for collecting the top image of the separation conveyor 40, and an AI module (not shown in the figure) connected and communicating with the image acquisition module. The physical structure of the vision single-piece separation device is a known technology and will not be elaborated here.

[0075] As shown in the attached Figure 1As shown, a side conveyor or a center conveyor 70 is provided between the output end of the visual single-piece separation device and the code reading conveyor device 30, which is used to make the items output by the visual single-piece separation device lean towards the same position, so as to facilitate the control of subsequent sorting operations. A tracking photoelectric sensor 50 is provided at the conveyor line between the center conveyor and the code reading mechanism, and the tracking photoelectric sensor 50 can be used to trigger the code reading mechanism and trigger the PLC to track the items.

[0076] In order to effectively determine the actual stall situation of the items after passing through each of the swing wheel sorters 10, a review photoelectric sensor 60 is provided in front of each swing wheel sorter 10. Each review photoelectric sensor 60 is specifically arranged in the middle and slightly rearward position of the conveyor 20 between two adjacent swing wheel sorters 10.

[0077] In order to facilitate the subsequent return of the items, the last conveyor 20 or the last swing wheel sorter can be connected to a return line, and the return line can convey the items to the manual processing area for manual processing.

[0078] In the above-mentioned pendulum wheel sorting system, the spacing control of items is an important factor determining the success of item sorting in the pendulum wheel sorting system. This is because there are differences in item shapes. For some small-sized and special-shaped items, when they pass through the pendulum wheel sorter 10, due to insufficient contact with the pendulum wheel or slipping, there will be a significant stall problem. This results in the actual time taken for the items to pass through the verification optoelectronic sensors 60 before and after the pendulum wheel sorter 10 being greater than the theoretical time. At this time, if the first item is an easily stalled item and the second item behind it is a not easily stalled item, when the vision single-piece separation device controls the output spacing between the first item and the second item to be the set standard value (standard spacing), for example, 500 mm, the actual time taken for the first item to trigger the two verification optoelectronic sensors 60 is greater than the theoretical time for it to trigger these two verification optoelectronic sensors 60. That is to say, the moving distance of the second item within the same actual time is greater than that of the first item. For example, the second item moves 100 mm more than the first item. At this time, the spacing between the second item and the first item is reduced from 500 mm to 400 mm. At this time, if the first item is sorted at the 6th pendulum wheel sorter 10 and the second item is sorted after the 6th pendulum wheel sorter 10, when the first item passes through the second pendulum wheel sorter 10, it stalls again. At this time, the spacing between the second item and the first item is further reduced to 300. As the first item and the second item continuously pass through the 3rd, 4th, and 5th pendulum wheel sorters 10, the second item will gradually catch up with the first item, and thus the second item and the first item will stick together or remain side by side. At this time, when the first item moves to the pendulum wheel sorter 10 corresponding to its route and the pendulum wheel sorter 10 starts sorting, both the first item and the second item will be sorted, which causes mis-sorting and greatly reduces the sorting accuracy.

[0079] Therefore, the present invention adopts an AI module. Before use, it learns and analyzes the relationship between the shape of the item and the stall data during the item sorting process through a self-learning model in advance. The corresponding learning and training processes are known technologies and will not be elaborated here. After the training is completed, when actually separating items one by one through the vision single-piece separation device, the AI module determines the stall situation of the same or similar items with the same shape as each item to be output according to the shape of each item to be output, and then dynamically controls the distance between two adjacent items output outside the vision single-piece separation device. If the item to be output currently is not an easily stalled item, the next item to be output is output according to the standard value. For example, the preset standard value is 500 mm, that is, when the vision single-piece separation device moves 500 mm after outputting one item, the next item is output from the vision single-piece separation device. If the item to be output currently is an easily stalled item, the next item is output after adding the calculated compensation value on the basis of the standard value for compensation, so as to widen the distance between the two items (greater than 500 mm), avoiding the problem that the two items are attached, side by side or too close in the subsequent sorting process, which may lead to inaccurate sorting.

[0080] Specifically, the AI module recognizes the type of each item based on the image of the items on the separation conveyor 40 collected by the image acquisition module, and determines whether to output it outside the separation conveyor according to the type of each item to be output outside the separation conveyor 40, and dynamically controls the output time of the next item that meets the condition of being output outside the separation conveyor 40 after its output; each item is one of the three types: an easily stalled item, an easily lost item, and a not easily stalled item.

[0081] The AI distance adjustment method for the vision single-piece separation will be specifically described below, including the following steps:

[0082] S0, after the system starts and runs normally, a plurality of flat items are imported into the feeding belt machine; when importing items into the feeding belt machine, it can be realized manually or by an automated device, and there is no superposition of the items entering the feeding belt machine. After the items are imported into the feeding belt machine, they are conveyed to the vision single-piece separation device.

[0083] When an item passes through the image acquisition module, the image acquisition module continuously acquires the images of the items on the separation conveyor 40 and sends them to the AI module. The AI module analyzes the images to determine the conveying order of the items on the separation conveyor, identifies the type of each item (stall-prone item, loss-prone item, or non-stall-prone item), tracks the conveying of the items on the separation conveyor 40, and controls the separation conveyor to separate the items one by one. When the AI module controls the separation conveyor 40 to separate the items on it one by one, the AI module determines whether to output an item to the outside of the separation conveyor according to the type of each item that is about to be output to the outside of the separation conveyor, and after its output, dynamically controls the output time of the next item that meets the condition of being output to the outside of the separation conveyor.

[0084] As shown in the Figure 2 accompanying drawings, the specific separation process is as follows:

[0085] S1. The AI module determines whether an item that is about to be output from the separation conveyor 40 is a stall-prone item according to the morphological information of the item. If so, execute S2; if not, execute S5. Among them, the AI module has self-learned based on the items of different morphologies, whether the items of different morphologies stall or not, and the stall data collected during the test process, so as to be able to identify the corresponding item category as a stall-prone item (when passing through the swing wheel sorter, there is an obvious stall, and the stall data does not exceed the stall threshold) or a non-stall-prone item (when passing through the swing wheel sorter, there is no stall or the stall can be ignored) or a loss-prone item (when passing through the swing wheel sorter, it stalls, and the stall data exceeds the stall threshold) according to the different morphologies of the current item. The stall-prone items and loss-prone items are small-sized items (not standard-sized box-shaped items) or items with special-shaped packaging (non-regular-shaped items that are not box-shaped).

[0086] S2. Determine whether the stall data of this item exceeds the stall threshold according to the stall data of the stall-prone items of the same type as this item. If so, that is, this item is a loss-prone item, execute S3; if not, that is, this item is a stall-prone item, execute S4.

[0087] S3. Remove this item from the separation conveyor through the removal device and / or alarm to remind manual handling, and after this item is removed from the separation conveyor, process the next item to be output to the outside of the separation conveyor according to S1. Among them, the removal device can be a vacuum adsorption mechanism driven by a four-axis robot or a six-axis robot. When manually handling, the visual single-piece separation device stops, and after manual handling, the visual single-piece separation device can be restarted through a button or the like. At this time, the visual single-piece separation device restarts and performs conveying control and package type recognition again according to the previously determined separation order. Of course, the order judgment and type recognition processes can also be carried out again.

[0088] S4, the AI module controls the separation conveyor 40 to output the item. Meanwhile, when it is determined that the next item is not an easily lost item, the separation conveyor 40 is controlled to output the next item according to the sum of the standard value and the compensation value. The standard value can be intuitively reflected by the spacing between two items. During actual control, the standard value is the standard time difference or pulse number difference between the outputs of adjacent two items by the separation conveyor 40. The compensation value is calculated according to the following method:

[0089] S 补 = (n - 1)S 失

[0090] where S 补 is the compensation value, n is the number of sorting wheels in the sorting wheel sorting system; S 失 is the average value or maximum value of the difference between the actual pulse number and the theoretical pulse number, or the average value or maximum value of the difference between the actual time used and the theoretical time used, when an item of the same type as this item passes through two adjacent verification photoelectric sensors. Due to stall, the corresponding actual pulse number is greater than the theoretical pulse number or the actual time used is greater than the theoretical time used.

[0091] S5, the AI module controls the separation conveyor 40 to output the item. Meanwhile, when it is determined that the next item is not an easily lost item, the separation conveyor 40 is controlled to output the next item according to the standard value.

[0092] For example, assume that the sorting wheel sorting system has 10 sorting wheels, and there are three items conveyed to the separation conveyor 40. The system outputs two non-stalling items continuously at an interval of 500 mm, and the standard pulse number corresponding to a 500 mm interval is 1000. Among them, the shape information of the frontmost item a corresponds to an easily stalled item, the shape information of the second item b corresponds to a non-stalling item, and the shape information of the third item c corresponds to an easily lost item.

[0093] When the item a is to be output from the separation conveyor 40, the item a is the item about to be output outside the separation conveyor 40. The AI module, based on the shape information of the item a, confirms whether the item a is a type of item that has been trained and learned to have the same or similar shape as the item a and has a stall. When it is confirmed that the item a is an easily stalled item and the stall does not exceed the stall threshold, the separation conveyor 40 outputs the item a.

[0094] After the article a is output from the separation conveyor 40, the article b is the article about to be output outside the separation conveyor 40. The AI module confirms that the article b is an article not prone to stalling and can be output. Therefore, the article b is output from the separation conveyor 40 after being compensated according to the standard value + compensation value. For example, the AI module determines that the stalling data of the articles of the type corresponding to the article a causes the average value or the maximum value of the distance between the article and the next article not prone to stalling when passing through two adjacent verification photoelectric sensors to change from 500 mm to 450 mm. At this time, the distance to be compensated for the article b (compensation value) is 50×(10 - 1)=450 mm. After adding the standard value of 500 for compensation, that is, the article b should be output when the article a moves 950 mm in front of the separation conveyor 40.

[0095] During actual compensation, for the convenience of control, the stalling amount (stalling data) is determined by statistically calculating the average value or the maximum value of the difference between the actual time used or the actual number of pulses and the theoretical time used or the theoretical number of pulses when the articles of the same type as the article a pass through two adjacent verification photoelectric sensors. For example, it is determined that the maximum value of the difference between the actual number of pulses and the theoretical number of pulses when the articles of the same type as the article a pass through two adjacent verification photoelectric sensors is 100. According to this maximum value, the compensation value is calculated as (10 - 1)×100 = 900. After adding the standard number of pulses 1000 (standard value), the AI module controls the article b to be output from the separation conveyor 40 only when the number of pulses is counted to 1900 after the article a is output, so as to achieve the corresponding distance compensation.

[0096] After the article b is output, the article c is the article about to be output outside the separation conveyor 40. If the AI module confirms that the article c is an article not prone to stalling or an article prone to stalling, when the separation conveyor 40 outputs the article c, it keeps a distance of 500 mm from the article b, that is, when the pulse count reaches 1000, the article c is output. However, if the AI module determines that the article c is an article prone to stalling and the stalling data exceeds the stalling threshold according to the morphological information of the article c, that is, the article c is an article prone to being lost, at this time, the article c should not be output outside the separation conveyor, the separation conveyor stops outputting, issues an alarm to prompt the operator to remove the article c from the separation conveyor 40 and / or remove the article c through the rejection device.

[0097] Embodiment 2

[0098] This embodiment discloses the sorting method of the above-mentioned pendulum wheel sorting system, in which the visual single-piece separation device separates the articles entering it one by one according to the method of Embodiment 1, and each article output by the separation conveyor 40 can be sorted according to the article tracking and sorting control process of various existing pendulum wheel sorting systems.

[0099] In this embodiment, the sorting control of each article output by the visual single-piece separation device is carried out according to the following steps, as shown in the attached Figure 3As shown, it includes the following processes:

[0100] S6. Each item output by the separation conveyor 40 is centered by the centering conveyor 70 and then conveyed to the code reading conveyor device 30. When the item passes through the tracking photoelectric sensor, the PLC performs position tracking on the item. Of course, the tracking of the item can also start at other times, such as when the subsequent PLC obtains the item routing.

[0101] S7. When the item passes through the scanning photoelectric sensor at the code reading conveyor device 30, the code reading mechanism reads the code and transmits the data to the WCS system (Warehouse Control System, a known technology). After the WCS system obtains the routing of the item, it transmits it to the PLC. Of course, the code reading mechanism can also be triggered by the tracking photoelectric sensor, and at this time, the scanning photoelectric sensor can be cancelled.

[0102] S8. The PLC determines the actual stalling situation of the item according to the signals of the recheck photoelectric sensors arranged in front of each swing wheel sorter, and controls the swing wheel sorting system to sort or return the item according to the actual stalling situation of the item.

[0103] In the above S8, the PLC starts from when the item passes through the first recheck photoelectric sensor and executes according to the following steps:

[0104] S81. The PLC calculates the actual stalling data of the item according to the actual data of the item passing through the current recheck photoelectric sensor and the theoretical data of the item moving to the current recheck photoelectric sensor calculated based on the set position after the item obtains the routing information of the item by the tracking photoelectric sensor or the PLC; the actual data of the item passing through the current recheck photoelectric sensor is the actual pulse number or actual time used for the item to move from the set position after the item obtains the routing information of the item by the tracking photoelectric sensor or the PLC to the current recheck photoelectric sensor. The theoretical data can also be the theoretical pulse number or the theoretical time used. The actual stalling data is the difference between the actual pulse number or actual time used and the theoretical pulse number or theoretical time used.

[0105] S82. The PLC determines whether the actual stalling data of the item is within the stalling threshold range.

[0106] S83. When it is determined that the actual stalling data of the item exceeds the stalling threshold, it is confirmed that the item is lost (i.e., the item is an easily lost item), and the PLC controls the swing wheel sorting system to return the item.

[0107] S84. When it is determined that the actual stalling data of the item is within the stalling threshold range, the PLC determines whether the swing wheel sorter behind the current recheck photoelectric sensor is the swing wheel sorter corresponding to the routing of the item. If so, S85 is executed; if not, S86 is executed.

[0108] S85. When the item reaches the sorting start point of the turntable sorter, the PLC starts the turntable sorter for sorting.

[0109] S86. The PLC controls the turntable sorting system to move the item towards the next verification optoelectronic sensor. When the item triggers the next verification optoelectronic sensor, S87 is executed.

[0110] S87. Repeat S81 - S86 until the item is sorted or returned.

[0111] Furthermore, in order to continuously train the AI module to improve the recognition accuracy of the AI module, in S6, when the item passes through the tracking optoelectronic sensor 50, the AI module transmits the morphological information of the item to the PLC, and the PLC binds the item and its morphological information; in S83, the PLC simultaneously feeds back the morphological information and sorting result of the item determined to be lost and returned to the AI module for learning.

[0112] And / or, in S84, when it is determined that the actual stall data of the item is within the stall threshold range (i.e., the actual stall data of the item is less than the stall threshold), the PLC first determines whether the item is an item prone to stalling set according to the morphological information of the item obtained from the AI module (for example, whether the morphology of the item is an item smaller than the standard box size or a special-shaped item). If so, the actual stall data of the item is counted and the actual stall data and the morphological information of the item are fed back to the AI module for learning, and it is determined whether the turntable sorter behind the current verification optoelectronic sensor is the turntable sorter corresponding to the routing of the item; if not, that is, when it is determined that the item is not an item prone to stalling, the PLC directly determines whether the turntable sorter behind the current verification optoelectronic sensor is the turntable sorter corresponding to the routing of the item.

[0113] Embodiment 3

[0114] The difference between this embodiment and the above Embodiment 2 lies in the process of the S8 step. In this embodiment, each verification optoelectronic sensor corresponds to a maximum allowable stall data, and the maximum allowable stall data is the longest time or the maximum number of pulses allowed for the item to move from the set position after the tracking optoelectronic sensor or the PLC obtains the routing information of the item to each verification optoelectronic sensor (this value is greater than the theoretical number of pulses or the theoretical duration for the item to move from the above position to each verification optoelectronic sensor). Within the maximum allowable stall data range corresponding to each verification optoelectronic sensor, when the verification optoelectronic sensor detects the item, it indicates that the item is not an easily lost item and can be sorted; otherwise, it indicates that the item is an easily lost item and needs to be returned. As shown in the appendix Figure 3 In S8 as shown, the PLC starts to execute according to the following steps from the maximum allowable stall data corresponding to the first verification optoelectronic sensor.

[0115] In S8a, the PLC determines whether the item is detected within the currently maximum allowable stall data range. If not, S8b is executed; if so, S8c is executed.

[0116] In S8b, the PLC confirms the loss of the item, controls the turntable sorting system to return the item, and the PLC feeds back the form information and sorting result of the item obtained from the AI module to the AI module for learning.

[0117] In S8c, based on the form information of the item obtained from the AI module, the PLC determines whether the item is an item that is prone to stalling as set. If so, S8d is executed; if not, S8e is executed.

[0118] In S8d, the PLC counts the actual stall data of the item, feeds back the actual stall data and the form information of the item obtained from the AI module to the AI module for learning, and executes S8e.

[0119] In S8e, the PLC determines whether the turntable sorter behind the verification optoelectronic sensor corresponding to the currently maximum allowable stall data is the turntable sorter corresponding to the routing of the item. If so, S8f is executed; if not, S8g is executed.

[0120] In S8f, when the item reaches the sorting start point of the turntable sorter, the PLC starts the turntable sorter for sorting.

[0121] In S8g, the PLC controls the turntable sorting system to move the item to the next verification optoelectronic sensor, updates the maximum allowable stall data corresponding to the next verification optoelectronic sensor, and executes S8h.

[0122] In S8h, S8a - S8g are repeated until the item is sorted or returned.

[0123] For example, assume that the theoretical pulse count for item a to move from the tracking optoelectronic sensor to the second verification optoelectronic sensor is 1000, and the theoretical pulse count corresponding to the maximum allowable stall data is 1200. If the PLC detects item a at the second verification optoelectronic sensor before the pulse count reaches 1200, for example, when the pulse count reaches 1100, it indicates that item a has stalled, but the actual stall data does not exceed the stall threshold. At this time, item a is an item prone to stalling rather than an item prone to loss, and sorting can continue. If the second verification optoelectronic sensor still does not detect item a when the pulse count exceeds 1200, that is, the actual stall data of item a exceeds the allowable stall threshold, at this time, it is confirmed that item a is an item prone to loss, and the turntable sorting system is controlled to return item a.

[0124] The method of this embodiment has higher efficiency compared to calculating the stall amount when each verification optoelectronic sensor senses an item in Embodiment 2, which is beneficial to ensuring the effectiveness and accuracy of control.

[0125] Embodiment 4

[0126] The difference between this embodiment and the above-mentioned Embodiment 2 and Embodiment 3 also lies in the process of S8. In this embodiment, S8 includes the following steps:

[0127] S8A, the PLC determines the actual stall data when the item triggers the previous verification optoelectronic sensor corresponding to the turntable sorter of its route, and judges whether the actual stall data exceeds the stall threshold. If so, execute S8B; if not, execute S8C.

[0128] S8B, the PLC confirms that the item is lost, controls the turntable sorting system to return the item, and the PLC feeds back the form information and sorting result of the item obtained from the AI module to the AI module.

[0129] S8C, the PLC determines whether the item is an item that is set to be prone to stalling according to the form information of the item obtained from the AI module. If so, execute S8D; if not, execute S8E.

[0130] S8D, the PLC feeds back the form information and actual stall data of the item to the AI module for learning, and executes S8E.

[0131] S8E, the PLC starts the turntable sorter for sorting when the item reaches the sorting start point of the turntable sorter.

[0132] Embodiment 5

[0133] The difference between this embodiment and the above several embodiments also lies in the process of S8. In this embodiment, S8 includes the following steps:

[0134] S801, the PLC judges whether the verification optoelectronic sensor detects the item within the range of the maximum allowable stall data corresponding to the previous verification optoelectronic sensor in front of the turntable sorter corresponding to the route of the item. If not, execute S802; if so, execute S803. Here, the maximum allowable stall data refers to the maximum allowable pulse or the longest allowable time for the item to move from the tracking optoelectronic sensor to the previous verification optoelectronic sensor in front of the turntable sorter corresponding to the route of the item.

[0135] S802, the PLC confirms that the item is lost, controls the turntable sorting system to return the item, and the PLC feeds back the form information and sorting result of the item obtained from the AI module to the AI module.

[0136] S803. The PLC determines whether the item is an item that is prone to stalling as set according to the morphological information of the item obtained from the AI module. If so, it executes S804; if not, it executes S805.

[0137] S804. The PLC counts the actual stalling data of the item, and feeds back the actual stalling data and the morphological information of the item obtained from the AI module to the AI module for learning, and then executes S805.

[0138] S805. When the item reaches the sorting start point of the pendulum sorting machine, the PLC starts the pendulum sorting machine to perform sorting.

[0139] Embodiment 6

[0140] This embodiment discloses a control system for visual single-piece separation, which is used to determine the conveying order of the items on the separation conveyor according to the images of the items on the separation conveyor collected by the image acquisition module, control the separation conveyor to separate the items one by one, identify the type of each item according to the images of the items on the separation conveyor collected by the image acquisition module, determine whether to output each item that is about to be output outside the separation conveyor according to the type of the item, and dynamically control the output time of the next item that meets the condition of being output outside the separation conveyor after its output; each item is one of the three types: an item prone to stalling, an item prone to loss, and an item not prone to stalling. The control system includes:

[0141] The first judgment unit is used to determine whether an item that is about to be output from the separation conveyor currently is an item prone to stalling according to the morphological information of the item; if so, it sends a signal to the second judgment unit; if not, it sends a signal to the normal output unit.

[0142] The second judgment unit is used to determine whether the stalling data of the item exceeds the stalling threshold. If so, it sends a signal to the abnormal processing unit; if not, it sends a signal to the compensation processing unit.

[0143] The abnormal processing unit is used to remove the item from the separation conveyor through the removal device and / or alarm to remind manual processing, and sends a signal to the first judgment unit to process the next item to be output outside the separation conveyor after the item is removed from the separation conveyor.

[0144] The compensation processing unit is used to control the separation conveyor to output the item, and when it is determined that the next item is not an item prone to loss, it controls the separation conveyor to delay the output of the next item according to the sum of the standard value and the compensation value.

[0145] The normal output unit is used to control the separation conveyor to output the current item, and when it is determined that the next item is not an item prone to loss, it controls the separation conveyor to output the next item according to the standard value.

[0146] Example 7

[0147] This embodiment discloses a computer-readable storage medium storing a program, which when executed implements the AI focusing adjustment method for visual single-piece separation in the above-mentioned Embodiment 1.

[0148] There are still various implementation manners of the present invention. All technical solutions formed by adopting equivalent transformations or equivalent changes fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. The AI ​​distance adjustment method for visual single-piece separation includes the following steps: the AI ​​module determines the conveying order of the items on the separation conveyor according to the images of the items on the separation conveyor collected by the image acquisition module and controls the separation conveyor to separate the items one by one. Features: The AI ​​module identifies the type of each object based on the image of the objects on the separation conveyor acquired by the image acquisition module, and determines whether to output each object to be output to the outside of the separation conveyor based on its type, and after the object is output, dynamically controls the output time of the next object that meets the requirements of being output to the outside of the separation conveyor; each object is one of the three types of objects that are easy to stall, easy to lose, and not easy to stall; The AI ​​module controls the output of each item to be output to the separation conveyor and the output of the next item according to the following steps: S1, determining whether an object currently to be output from the separation conveyor is an object prone to stalling according to the shape information of the object; if so, executing S2; if not, executing S5; S2, determining whether the stall data of the item exceeds the stall threshold, if so, confirming that the item is an easily lost item, and executing S3; if not, executing S4; S3, the object is removed from the separation conveyor by a removal device and / or an alarm is issued to remind manual processing, and after the object is removed from the separation conveyor, the next object to be output to the separation conveyor is processed according to S1; S4, controlling the separation conveyor to output the item, and when it is determined that the next item is not an easily lost item, controlling the separation conveyor to delay output of the next item according to the sum of the standard value and the compensation value; S5, controlling the separation conveyor to output the article, and when it is determined that the next article is not an easily lost article, controlling the separation conveyor to output the next article according to the standard value.

2. The AI ​​distance adjustment method for visual single-piece separation according to claim 1, Features: The compensation value is calculated as follows: S 补 = (n - 1)S 失 Among them, S 补 is the compensation value, and n is the number of sorting wheels in the sorting wheel sorting system; S 失 is the average value or maximum value of the difference between the actual pulse number and the theoretical pulse number, or the average value or maximum value of the difference between the actual time used and the theoretical time used when an item of the same category as this item passes through two adjacent verification photoelectric sensors.

3. A sorting method of a balance wheel sorting system, wherein the balance wheel sorting system comprises a visual single piece separation device, Features: The visual single-piece separation device separates the items one by one according to the AI ​​distance adjustment method for visual single-piece separation described in any one of claims 1-2.

4. The sorting method of the balance wheel sorting system according to claim 3, Features: Each item output by the visual single piece separation device is processed according to the following steps; S6, when the item passes through the tracking photoelectric sensor, the PLC tracks the position of the item; S7, the item is routed by the code reading mechanism and then transmitted to the PLC; S8, PLC determines the actual stall condition of the item according to the signal of the recheck photoelectric sensor arranged in front of each balance wheel sorter, and controls the balance wheel sorting system to sort or reflow the item according to the actual stall condition of the item.

5. The sorting method of the balance wheel sorting system according to claim 4, Features: Before S6, the articles output from the visual single-piece separation device are centered by a centering conveyor or sideways by a side conveyor.

6. The sorting method of the balance wheel sorting system according to claim 4, Features: In the S7, the routing of the item is obtained through a six-sided code reading mechanism.

7. The sorting method of the pendulum wheel sorting system according to claim 4, characterized in that: Each verification optoelectronic sensor corresponds to a maximum allowable stall data, and the maximum allowable stall data is the longest time or the maximum number of pulses allowed for the item to move from the set position after the routing information of the item is obtained by the tracking optoelectronic sensor or the PLC to each verification optoelectronic sensor; in the S8, the PLC starts from the maximum allowable stall data corresponding to the first verification optoelectronic sensor and executes according to the following steps: S8a, the PLC determines whether the item is detected within the current maximum allowable stall data range. If not, execute S8b; if so, execute S8c; S8b, the PLC confirms that the item is lost, controls the pendulum wheel sorting system to return the item, and the PLC feeds back the shape information and sorting result of the item obtained from the AI module to the AI module; S8c, the PLC determines whether the item is an item that is set to be prone to stalling according to the shape information of the item obtained from the AI module. If so, execute S8d; if not, execute S8e; S8d, the PLC counts the actual stall data of the item, feeds back the actual stall data and the shape information of the item obtained from the AI module to the AI module, and executes S8e; S8e, the PLC determines whether the pendulum wheel sorter behind the verification optoelectronic sensor corresponding to the current maximum allowable stall data is the pendulum wheel sorter corresponding to the routing of the item. If so, execute S8f; if not, execute S8g; S8f, the PLC starts the pendulum wheel sorter for sorting when the item reaches the sorting start point of the pendulum wheel sorter; S8g, the PLC controls the pendulum wheel sorting system to move the item to the next verification optoelectronic sensor, updates the maximum allowable stall data corresponding to the next verification optoelectronic sensor, and executes S8h; S8h, repeat S8a - S8g until the item is sorted or returned.

8. The sorting method of the pendulum wheel sorting system according to claim 4, characterized in that: In the S8, the PLC starts from when the item passes the first verification optoelectronic sensor and executes according to the following steps: S81, the PLC calculates the actual stall data of the item according to the actual data of the item passing the current verification optoelectronic sensor and the theoretical data of the item moving from the set position after the routing information of the item is obtained by the tracking optoelectronic sensor or the PLC to the current verification optoelectronic sensor; S82, the PLC determines whether the actual stall data of the item is within the stall threshold range; S83, when it is determined that the actual stall data of the item exceeds the stall threshold, confirm that the item is lost, and the PLC controls the pendulum wheel sorting system to return the item; S84, when it is determined that the actual stall data of the item is within the stall threshold range, the PLC determines whether a pendulum wheel sorter behind the current verification optoelectronic sensor is the pendulum wheel sorter corresponding to the routing of the item. If so, execute S85; if not, execute S86; S85, the PLC starts the pendulum wheel sorter for sorting when the item reaches the sorting start point of the pendulum wheel sorter; S86. The PLC controls the pendulum wheel sorting system to move the item towards the next verification photoelectric sensor. When the item triggers the next verification photoelectric sensor, S87 is executed. S87. Repeat S81 - S86 until the item is sorted or returned.

9. The sorting method of the pendulum wheel sorting system according to claim 8, characterized in that: When the item passes through the tracking photoelectric sensor, the AI module feeds back the morphological information of the item to the PLC for binding. In S83, the PLC feeds back the morphological information and sorting result of the item to the AI module; and / or in S84, when it is determined that the actual stall data of the item is within the stall threshold range, the PLC first determines whether the item is an item that is set to be prone to stalling according to the morphological information of the item obtained from the AI module. When it is determined to be yes, the PLC feeds back the morphological information and actual stall data of the item to the AI module, and determines whether the pendulum wheel sorter immediately behind the current verification photoelectric sensor is the pendulum wheel sorter corresponding to the routing of the item; when it is determined to be no, the PLC determines whether the pendulum wheel sorter immediately behind the current verification photoelectric sensor is the pendulum wheel sorter corresponding to the routing of the item.

10. The sorting method of the pendulum wheel sorting system according to claim 4, characterized in that: S8 includes the following steps: S8A. The PLC determines the actual stall data when the item triggers the verification photoelectric sensor immediately before the pendulum wheel sorter corresponding to its routing, and judges whether the actual stall data exceeds the stall threshold. If so, execute S8B; if not, execute S8C; S8B. The PLC confirms that the item is lost, controls the pendulum wheel sorting system to return the item, and the PLC feeds back the morphological information and sorting result of the item obtained from the AI module to the AI module; S8C. The PLC determines whether the item is an item that is set to be prone to stalling according to the morphological information of the item obtained from the AI module. If so, execute S8D; if not, execute S8E; S8D. The PLC feeds back the morphological information and actual stall data of the item to the AI module, and executes S8E; S8E. The PLC starts the pendulum wheel sorter for sorting when the item reaches the sorting start point of the pendulum wheel sorter.

11. The sorting method of the pendulum wheel sorting system according to claim 4, characterized in that: S8 includes the following steps: S801. The PLC judges whether the verification photoelectric sensor corresponding to the maximum allowable stall data in front of the pendulum wheel sorter corresponding to the routing of the item detects the item. If not, execute S802; if so, execute S803; S802. The PLC confirms that the item is lost, controls the pendulum wheel sorting system to return the item, and the PLC feeds back the morphological information and sorting result of the item obtained from the AI module to the AI module; S803. The PLC determines whether the item is an item that is set to be prone to stalling according to the morphological information of the item obtained from the AI module. If so, execute S804; if not, execute S805; S804. The PLC counts the actual stall data of the item, feeds back the actual stall data and the shape information of the item obtained from the AI module to the AI module, and executes S805; S805. When the item reaches the sorting start point of the pendulum sorting machine, the PLC starts the pendulum sorting machine for sorting.

12. Control system for visual single-piece separation Characterized in that: It is used to determine the conveying order of the items on the separation conveyor according to the images of the items on the separation conveyor collected by the image acquisition module, control the separation conveyor to separate the items one by one, identify the type of each item according to the images of the items on the separation conveyor collected by the image acquisition module, determine whether to output it outside the separation conveyor according to the type of each item to be output outside the separation conveyor, and dynamically control the output time of the next item that meets the condition of being output outside the separation conveyor after its output; each item is one of the three types: easily stalled items, easily lost items, and not easily stalled items. The control system includes: The first judgment unit is used to determine whether an item that is about to be output from the separation conveyor currently is an easily stalled item according to the shape information of the item; if so, send a signal to the second judgment unit; if not, send a signal to the normal output unit; The second judgment unit is used to determine whether the stall data of the item exceeds the stall threshold. If so, send a signal to the abnormal processing unit; if not, send a signal to the compensation processing unit; The abnormal processing unit is used to remove the item from the separation conveyor through the removal device and / or alarm to remind manual processing, and send a signal to the first judgment unit to process the next item to be output outside the separation conveyor after the item is removed from the separation conveyor; The compensation processing unit is used to control the separation conveyor to output the item, and when it is determined that the next item is not an easily lost item, control the separation conveyor to delay the output of the next item according to the sum of the standard value and the compensation value; The normal output unit is used to control the separation conveyor to output the current item, and when it is determined that the next item is not an easily lost item, control the separation conveyor to output the next item according to the standard value.

13. Computer-readable storage medium Characterized in that: It stores a program, and when the program is executed, it implements the AI distance adjustment method for visual single-piece separation as described in any one of claims 1-2.

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