Parcel separation method and apparatus

Abstract

The application provides a parcel separation method and device, and relates to the technical field of logistics.The parcel separation method provided by the application can set the priority of all parcels on a separation plane according to the position and contour of each parcel on the separation plane, formulate a separation strategy, and control a conveying device to separate and convey the parcels according to the separation strategy.In the case that the conveying paths of two parcels have an overlapping area, the priority of the parcel located downstream in the overlapping area of the conveying path is set to be higher than the priority of the parcel located upstream in the overlapping area of the conveying path, so that, when the parcels are separated and conveyed, the conveying speed of the parcel with high priority is greater than the conveying speed of the parcel with low priority, the parcels can be prevented from interfering with each other, and the success rate of the parcel separation device in separating the parcels is improved.The parcel separation device provided by the application can realize the parcel separation method described above.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of logistics equipment, and more specifically, to a parcel separation method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in the domestic logistics industry, with the surge in parcel sorting volume, more and more logistics companies are deploying logistics automation systems in sorting sites. These systems replace traditional manual methods for parcel separation, measurement, and sorting, greatly improving parcel processing efficiency and reducing logistics companies' labor costs.

[0003] Existing logistics systems include separation equipment that receives multiple packages from a higher-level device (e.g., evacuation equipment) and separates them so that the packages leave the separation equipment one after another at a predetermined spacing to enter the next level of equipment. Related technology discloses a separation device and a method for separating packages. The separation device includes a conveyor for transporting packages and a camera positioned above the conveyor. The conveyor includes multiple conveyor belts arranged in multiple rows and columns. The camera is used to acquire images of the packages on the conveyor surface of the conveyor. The method for separating packages includes: determining the position and outline of the packages on the conveyor surface using the images acquired by the camera; identifying a first package closest to the end of the conveyor and a second package closest to the first package; determining whether the distance between the first and second packages along the package transport direction is less than a predetermined value; if the distance between the first and second packages is less than the predetermined value, increasing the conveying speed of the conveyor belt carrying the first package to be greater than the conveying speed of the conveyor belt carrying the second package, so that the first and second packages are separated when leaving the conveyor.

[0004] However, the inventors discovered that the separation equipment of the relevant technology sometimes fails to separate packages, causing two adjacent packages to be sent out of the separation equipment side by side, which further leads to abnormalities in subsequent package processing. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application includes providing a package separation method and apparatus that can improve the success rate of package separation.

[0006] The embodiments of this application can be implemented as follows:

[0007] In a first aspect, this application provides a package separation method applied to a package separation device. The package separation device includes a separation unit and a visual monitoring device. The separation unit includes multiple conveying components arranged in a matrix for conveying packages along a predetermined direction. Each conveying component has a conveying surface for carrying the package. The conveying surfaces of the multiple conveying components form a separation plane. The visual monitoring device is used to acquire images of the separation plane. The package separation method includes:

[0008] The position and outline of each package on the separation plane are determined based on images acquired by the visual monitoring device;

[0009] The priority of all packages on the separation plane is set according to the position and outline of each package. If two packages have overlapping areas along the transport path of the package transport direction, the downstream package in the overlapping area of ​​the transport path is set to have a higher priority than the upstream package in the overlapping area of ​​the transport path.

[0010] A separation strategy is formulated, and the separation device is controlled to separate and transport packages according to the separation strategy. The separation strategy includes, when the distance between two packages is less than a first threshold, making the transport speed of the higher priority package greater than that of the lower priority package.

[0011] In an optional implementation, the step of prioritizing all packages on the separation plane based on the position and outline of each package includes:

[0012] Step S1: Identify the downstreammost package on the separation plane along the package conveying direction as the target package;

[0013] Step S2: Determine whether there is a risk package on the separation plane that may interfere with the movement of the target package, wherein the transport path of the risk package overlaps with the transport path of the target package, and the risk package is located downstream of the target package in the overlapping area; if it is determined that there is a risk package on the separation plane, proceed to step S3; if it is determined that there is no risk package on the separation plane, proceed to step S4.

[0014] Step S3: Select a risk package according to the set principles, designate the selected risk package as the new target package, and execute step S2 again;

[0015] Step S4: Set the priority of the target package to the highest priority among the vacant priorities, and execute step S5. Here, the vacant priority refers to the priority that is not occupied by a package.

[0016] Step S5: Determine whether there are any packages without priority set in the target area of ​​the separation plane. If it is determined that there are any packages without priority set in the target area of ​​the separation plane, proceed to step S6.

[0017] Step S6: Identify the downstream parcel in the parcel transport direction among the parcels in the target area that have no priority set as the new target parcel, and execute step S2 again.

[0018] In an optional implementation, the step of determining whether there are risky packages on the separation plane that may interfere with the movement of the target package includes:

[0019] Determine the risk area of ​​the target package, wherein the risk area includes the region within the minimum bounding rectangle of the target package that lies on the forward path of the target package;

[0020] Determine if any unpriority packages have fallen into the risk area. If so, determine if there are any unpriority packages in the risk area, then identify the risk packages on the separation plane and define the unpriority packages that have fallen into the risk area as risk packages.

[0021] In an optional implementation, the target region of the separation plane includes the entire region of the separation plane;

[0022] In step S5, if it is determined that there are no packages without priority in the target area of ​​the separation plane, the process ends.

[0023] In an optional implementation, identifying a package as a target package includes: marking the package as a target package and determining a target area based on all conveyor components carrying the target package, wherein the width of the target area covers the width of all conveyor components carrying the target package, and the length of the target area covers the length of the separation plane.

[0024] In step S5, if it is determined that there are no packages without priority in the target area of ​​the separation plane, it is determined whether there are still packages without priority on the separation plane. If it is determined that there are still packages without priority on the separation plane, the package located at the downstream end along the package conveying direction among the packages without priority on the separation plane is determined as the new target package, and step S2 is executed again. If it is determined that there are no packages without priority on the separation plane, the process ends.

[0025] In an optional implementation, the step of developing a separation strategy includes:

[0026] The packages are judged in descending order of priority to determine whether the distance between two adjacent packages is less than the first threshold. If the distance between two adjacent packages is determined to be less than the first threshold, the delivery speed of the two packages is set to different values.

[0027] In an optional embodiment, the package separation device further includes a buffer device located upstream of the separation device along the package conveying direction. The buffer device is used to convey packages to the separation device, and the package separation method further includes:

[0028] Determine whether the number of packages on the separation plane is greater than the second threshold;

[0029] If the number of packages on the separation plane is determined to be greater than the second threshold, the control buffer device will stop feeding packages to the separation device.

[0030] Secondly, this application provides a parcel separation device, which includes a control device, a separation device, and a visual monitoring device. The separation device includes multiple conveying components arranged in a matrix for conveying parcels along a set direction. Each conveying component has a conveying surface for carrying the parcels. The conveying surfaces of the multiple conveying components form a separation plane. The visual monitoring device is used to acquire images of the separation plane. Both the separation device and the visual monitoring device are electrically connected to the control device. The control device is configured as follows:

[0031] The position and outline of each package on the separation plane are determined based on images acquired by the visual monitoring device;

[0032] The priority of all packages on the separation plane is set according to the position and outline of each package. If two packages have overlapping areas along the transport path of the package transport direction, the downstream package in the overlapping area of ​​the transport path is set to have a higher priority than the upstream package in the overlapping area of ​​the transport path.

[0033] A separation strategy is formulated, and the separation device is controlled to separate and transport packages according to the separation strategy. The separation strategy includes, when the distance between two packages is less than a first threshold, making the transport speed of the higher priority package greater than that of the lower priority package.

[0034] In an optional implementation, the control device is configured to prioritize all packages on the separation plane based on the position and profile of each package in the following manner:

[0035] Step S1: Identify the downstreammost package on the separation plane along the package conveying direction as the target package;

[0036] Step S2: Determine whether there is a risk package on the separation plane that may interfere with the movement of the target package, wherein the transport path of the risk package overlaps with the transport path of the target package, and the risk package is located downstream of the target package in the overlapping area; if it is determined that there is a risk package on the separation plane, proceed to step S3; if it is determined that there is no risk package on the separation plane, proceed to step S4.

[0037] Step S3: Select a risk package according to the set principles, designate the selected risk package as the new target package, and execute step S2 again;

[0038] Step S4: Set the priority of the target package to the highest priority among the vacant priorities, and execute step S5. Here, the vacant priority refers to the priority that is not occupied by a package.

[0039] Step S5: Determine whether there are any packages without priority set in the target area of ​​the separation plane. If it is determined that there are any packages without priority set in the target area of ​​the separation plane, proceed to step S6.

[0040] Step S6: Identify the downstream parcel in the parcel transport direction among the parcels in the target area that have no priority set as the new target parcel, and execute step S2 again.

[0041] In an optional implementation, the control device is configured to determine whether there are risky packages on the separation plane that may interfere with the movement of the target package using the following method:

[0042] Determine the risk area of ​​the target package, wherein the risk area includes the region within the minimum bounding rectangle of the target package that lies on the forward path of the target package;

[0043] Determine if any unpriority packages have fallen into the risk area. If so, determine if there are any unpriority packages in the risk area, then identify the risk packages on the separation plane and define the unpriority packages that have fallen into the risk area as risk packages.

[0044] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of this application include:

[0045] The package separation method provided in this application embodiment can set the priority of all packages on the separation plane according to the position and outline of each package on the separation plane, formulate a separation strategy based on the priority of all packages and the distance between packages, and control the conveying device to separate and convey packages according to the separation strategy. Since the downstream package in the overlapping area of ​​the conveying paths of two packages is given a higher priority than the upstream package in the overlapping area, when two packages with overlapping conveying paths need to be separated, the separation strategy ensures that the conveying speed of the higher-priority package is greater than that of the lower-priority package, the distance between the two packages gradually increases, and the packages do not interfere with each other. This avoids the situation in related technologies where, when separating two packages with overlapping conveying paths, one package pushes the other package out of the separation device, leading to package separation failure. Therefore, the package separation method provided in this application embodiment can improve the success rate of package separation devices.

[0046] The package separation device provided in this application embodiment can realize the above-mentioned package separation method, and therefore also has the advantage of high package separation success rate. Attached Figure Description

[0047] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0048] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the first and second packages being transported on a package separation device;

[0049] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a package separation device in one embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of the package separation device in one embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a package separation method in one embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the separation plane in one embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the priority setting of all packages on the separation plane in one embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of multiple packages wrapped on a separation plane in one embodiment of this application.

[0055] Icons: 1'-First package; 2'-Second package; 010-Package separation device; 100-Control device; 200-Buffer device; 300-Separation device; 310-Conveying assembly; 400-Visual monitoring device; 410-Camera. Detailed Implementation

[0056] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0057] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0058] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0059] In the description of this application, it should be noted that if terms such as "upper," "lower," "inner," or "outer" are used to indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the product of the invention is usually placed during use, they are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0060] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be interpreted as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0061] It should be noted that, where there is no conflict, the features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

[0062] In related technologies, package separation devices separate the first and second packages when the distance between them is less than a set value by increasing the conveyor speed of the conveyor belt carrying the downstream package to be greater than that of the conveyor belt carrying the upstream package. However, the inventors have discovered that these separation devices determine the package's position based on the leading edge of the package along its conveying direction. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the first package 1' and the second package 2' being conveyed on a package separation device. Figure 1 As shown, packages are conveyed on a conveyor in the direction indicated by arrow x, with two adjacent first packages 1' and second packages 2' in the following positions. Figure 1In the illustrated configuration, since the foremost point of the first package 1' is downstream of the foremost point of the second package 2' along the package conveying direction, the first package 1' will be determined as the package closest to the end of the conveyor device, i.e., the package that is relatively downstream of the two packages; while the second package 2' will be determined as the package that is closer to the upstream of the first package 1'. Therefore, in the case of related package separation equipment, the two packages are separated by making the conveyor speed of the conveyor belt carrying the first package 1' greater than the conveyor speed of the conveyor belt carrying the second package 2'. However, since a portion of the second package 2' is located on the path along which the first package 1' is conveyed in the package conveying direction, that is, there is an overlapping area between the conveying paths of the first package 1' and the second package 2' in the package conveying direction, if the conveying speed of the first package 1' is greater than the conveying speed of the second package 2', the first package 1' will interfere with the second package 2' and push the second package 2' downstream. As a result, the first package 1' and the second package 2' may be sent out of the package separation device close to each other, that is, the package separation device may fail to separate the packages.

[0063] To address the issue of package separation failure that may occur when separating two packages with overlapping transport paths in the aforementioned related technologies, this application provides a package separation method and a package separation device for implementing the package separation method.

[0064] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a package separation device 010 in one embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a block diagram of the package separation device 010 in one embodiment of this application. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in the embodiment of this application, the package separation device 010 includes a control device 100, a buffer device 200, a separation device 300, and a visual monitoring device 400. The separation device 300 is used to transport packages along a predetermined direction, so that packages are sequentially and intermittently delivered out of the separation device 300. The buffer device 200 is located upstream of the separation device 300 and is used to transport packages to the separation device 300.

[0065] In this embodiment, the separation device 300 includes a plurality of conveying components 310 arranged in a matrix for conveying packages along a predetermined direction. Each conveying component 310 has a conveying surface for carrying the package, and the conveying surfaces of the plurality of conveying components 310 form a separation plane. Figure 2As shown, in this embodiment, each conveying component 310 includes a conveyor belt driven by a motor. The separating device 300 includes M rows and N columns of conveying components 310 arranged in a matrix (M and N are both positive integers). The conveying components 310 in the same row are arranged along the package conveying direction (indicated by the hollow arrow in the figure), and the conveying components 310 in the same column are arranged side-by-side along the width direction of the separating device 300, wherein the width direction of the separating device 300 is perpendicular to the package conveying direction. Packages can be conveyed on the separating device 300 by one or more conveying components 310. By adjusting the conveying speed of the conveying components 310 carrying different packages, the relative distance between different packages can be adjusted. In other optional embodiments, the conveying components 310 can also use conveying rollers to convey packages.

[0066] like Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the conveying surface of the buffer device 200 gradually widens along the package conveying direction, eventually connecting with the separation plane of the separation device 300. The buffer device 200 serves to disperse packages. In other optional embodiments, the buffer device 200 may also include multiple conveying components arranged side by side. The structure and size of these conveying components may be the same as or similar to the structure and size of the conveying components 310 of the separation device 300, and they are arranged along the width direction of the separation device 300. The multiple conveying components of the buffer device 200 correspond one-to-one with the upstream column of conveying components 310 of the separation device 300.

[0067] In this embodiment, the visual monitoring device 400 is used to acquire images of the separation plane to determine the outline and position of the package on the separation plane. The visual monitoring device 400 includes a bracket and cameras 410 mounted on the bracket. The number of cameras 410 can be one or more, used to acquire images of the separation plane. When there is only one camera 410, its field of view should cover the entire separation plane; when there are multiple cameras 410, the total field of view of the multiple cameras 410 should cover the entire separation plane, and the images acquired by the multiple cameras 410 can be stitched together to obtain a complete image of the separation plane.

[0068] In this embodiment, the visual monitoring device 400, the buffer device 200, and the separation device 300 are all electrically connected to the control device 100 and can be controlled by the control device 100 to perform related operations. In this embodiment, the control device 100 is configured as follows:

[0069] The position and outline of each package on the separation plane are determined based on the images acquired by the visual monitoring device 400. Priorities for all packages on the separation plane are set based on the position and outline of each package. If two packages have overlapping transport paths along the package transport direction, the downstream package in the overlapping area is given a higher priority than the upstream package. A separation strategy is formulated, and the separation device 300 is controlled to separate and transport the packages according to the strategy. The separation strategy includes, when the distance between two packages is less than a first threshold, ensuring that the transport speed of the higher-priority package is greater than that of the lower-priority package.

[0070] The package separation device 010 provided in this application embodiment can set the priority of all packages on the separation plane according to the position and outline of each package on the separation plane, formulate a separation strategy based on the priority of all packages and the distance between packages, and control the conveying device to separate and convey the packages according to the separation strategy. Since, in the case where the conveying paths of two packages overlap, the downstream package in the overlapping area is given a higher priority than the upstream package in the overlapping area, when two packages with overlapping conveying paths need to be separated, the separation strategy ensures that the conveying speed of the higher-priority package is greater than that of the lower-priority package, the distance between the two packages gradually increases, and the packages do not interfere with each other. This avoids the situation in related technologies where, when separating two packages with overlapping conveying paths, one package pushes the other out of the separation device, causing separation failure. Therefore, the package separation device 010 provided in this application embodiment can improve the success rate of package separation.

[0071] The following describes in detail the package separation method provided in the embodiments of this application, which can be implemented by the package separation device 010 provided in the above embodiments of this application.

[0072] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a package separation method in one embodiment of this application. Figure 4 As shown, the package separation method includes:

[0073] Step S100: Determine the position and outline of each package on the separation plane based on the images acquired by the visual monitoring device.

[0074] Taking the package separation device 010 provided in this application embodiment as an example, the control device 100 controls the camera 410 of the visual monitoring device 400 to acquire images of the separation plane, analyzes the images, determines the graphics corresponding to each package in the images, and determines the outline of each package and the position of each package on the separation plane based on the graphics of these corresponding packages. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the separation plane in one embodiment of this application. Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, a coordinate system can be established with the package conveying direction as the positive x-axis and the width direction of the separation device 300 perpendicular to the package conveying direction as the y-axis to represent the position of the package on the separation plane. The position of the package can be represented by the coordinate values ​​of one or more points on the package on the separation plane. For example, the position of the package can be represented by the foremost point of the package along the package conveying direction.

[0075] Step S200: Set the priority of all packages on the separation plane according to the position and outline of each package. If two packages have overlapping areas along the transport path of the package transport direction, the priority of the package downstream in the overlapping area of ​​the transport path is set to be higher than the priority of the package upstream in the overlapping area of ​​the transport path.

[0076] In this embodiment, the package transport path refers to the path the package has already traversed and will traverse along the package transport direction; it can be considered as the space swept by the package as it moves along the transport direction. Therefore, the package transport path extends along the transport direction and has a certain width, which is related to the package width (the dimension in the y-direction). Figure 5 In this diagram, two straight lines parallel to the x-axis are drawn, using the two endpoints of the package in the y-direction as references. The area between these two lines represents the package's transport path. Figure 5 In the diagram, package A's transport path is the area between straight lines LA1 and LA2; package B's transport path is the area between straight lines LB1 and LB2. The overlapping area of ​​package A and package B's transport paths is... Figure 5 The area between straight lines LB1 and LA2. In this embodiment, the transport paths of the two packages overlap, meaning that if the two packages are to be separated and transported at different speeds, the package upstream in the overlapping area may, due to its faster speed, abut against the package downstream in the overlapping area, causing interference. When determining the priority of the two packages in the overlapping area, the relative positions of the portions of the two packages within the overlapping area are compared. The package downstream in the overlapping area has a higher priority than the package upstream in the overlapping area. Figure 5Even though the front end of package B is upstream of the front end of package A, the portion of package B in the overlapping area of ​​the transport path is downstream of the portion of package A in the overlapping area of ​​the transport path. Therefore, package B has a higher priority than package A.

[0077] For two packages whose transport paths do not overlap, their priority can be set as needed. For example, the package located downstream has a higher priority than the package located upstream. Optionally, in this case, the package's position can be represented by its foremost position along the transport direction.

[0078] Step S300: Formulate a separation strategy and control the separation device to separate and transport packages according to the separation strategy. The separation strategy includes, when the distance between two packages is less than a first threshold, making the transport speed of the higher priority package greater than that of the lower priority package.

[0079] Taking the package separation device 010 provided in this application embodiment as an example, when the control device 100 determines that the distance between two packages is too close (less than a first threshold) based on the image of the separation plane, it determines that the two packages need to be separated. In this case, the control device 100 controls the separation device 300 to transport the two packages at different speeds. Even if the transport paths of the two packages to be separated overlap, since the transport speed of the high-priority package is greater than that of the low-priority package, and the portion of the high-priority package in the overlapping area is downstream of the portion of the low-priority package in the overlapping area, when the high-priority package is transported at a faster speed, the distance between it and the low-priority package will become farther and farther, and it will not be squeezed together with the low-priority package, thus preventing separation failure.

[0080] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the priority setting of all packages on the separation plane in one embodiment of this application. Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, step S200 sets the priority of all packages on the separation plane according to the position and outline of each package, which may specifically include the following steps:

[0081] Step S1: Identify the downstreammost package on the separation plane along the package conveying direction as the target package;

[0082] Step S2: Determine whether there is a risk package on the separation plane that may interfere with the movement of the target package, wherein the transport path of the risk package overlaps with the transport path of the target package, and the risk package is located downstream of the target package in the overlapping area; if it is determined that there is a risk package on the separation plane, proceed to step S3; if it is determined that there is no risk package on the separation plane, proceed to step S4.

[0083] Step S3: Select a risk package according to the set principles, designate the selected risk package as the new target package, and execute step S2 again;

[0084] Step S4: Set the priority of the target package to the highest priority among the vacant priorities, and execute step S5. Here, the vacant priority refers to the priority that is not occupied by a package.

[0085] Step S5: Determine whether there are any packages without priority set in the target area of ​​the separation plane. If it is determined that there are any packages without priority set in the target area of ​​the separation plane, proceed to step S6.

[0086] Step S6: Identify the downstream parcel in the parcel transport direction among the parcels in the target area that have no priority set as the new target parcel, and execute step S2 again.

[0087] In this embodiment, the target package to be prioritized is first determined from multiple packages on the separation plane. Then, if there are no risky packages on the separation plane that might interfere with the movement of the target package, the priority of the target package is set to the highest priority among the vacant priorities, where vacant priority refers to a priority not occupied by a package. It should be understood that since the transport paths of the risky packages and the target packages overlap, and the risky packages are located downstream of the target packages in the overlapping area, the risky packages that might interfere with the movement of the target packages can be packages that might collide with the target packages on their own transport paths. Through this embodiment, the priorities of multiple packages can be sequentially set according to their priority from high to low for the sequentially determined target packages. In this embodiment, risky packages located in front of other packages that may interfere with their movement are prioritized as target packages. That is, risky packages located in front of other packages that may interfere with their movement are given higher priority, while packages located behind risky packages that may be interfered with by them are given lower priority. Therefore, after setting the priority of all packages on the separation plane, when the priority settings of all packages satisfy the condition that the speed of high-priority packages is greater than that of low-priority packages, there is no interference between packages during their movement. This ensures that when packages are separated according to the separation strategy based on the priority of all packages on the separation plane, there will be no interference between packages. This avoids the situation in related technologies where one package pushes another package out of the separation device, causing package separation failure.

[0088] In this embodiment, the position of a package can be represented by the frontmost point of the package along the package conveying direction. That is, the package located at the downstream end along the package conveying direction on the separation plane refers to the frontmost point of all packages located at the downstream end along the package conveying direction.

[0089] Furthermore, the step S2 above, which determines whether there are risky packages on the separation plane that may interfere with the movement of the target package, includes:

[0090] Determine the risk area of ​​the target package, wherein the risk area includes the area located on the forward path of the target package within the smallest bounding rectangle of the target package; determine whether any unpriority packages have fallen into the risk area; if it is determined that there are unpriority packages in the risk area, then it is determined that there are risk packages on the separation plane, and the unpriority packages that have fallen into the risk area are identified as risk packages.

[0091] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of multiple packages wrapped on a separation plane in one embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 7As shown, the following example, using package A as the target package, illustrates how to determine the risk area of ​​the target package. Optionally, the following method can be used to determine the risk area of ​​the target package:

[0092] Determine the leftmost and rightmost vertices of the target package along the width direction of the separation device 300 (i.e., determine the vertices of the target package with the maximum and minimum y-coordinate values); determine the risk area of ​​the target package based on the coordinates of the leftmost and rightmost vertices of the target package along the width direction of the separation device 300 and the frontmost vertices of the target package along the package conveying direction, wherein the frontmost vertices of the target package (i.e., Figure 7 The coordinates of vertex a) of the inner enclosure A are (x0, y0), and the leftmost vertex of the target enclosure with the largest y-coordinate value (i.e., Figure 7 The coordinates of vertex b) of the inner enclosure A are (x1, y1), and the rightmost vertex of the target enclosure with the smallest y-coordinate value (i.e., Figure 7 If the coordinates of vertex c) that encloses A are (x2, y2), then the risk area includes a first area consisting of all points with x coordinates greater than x1 and less than x0 and y coordinates greater than y0 and less than y1, and a second area consisting of all points with x coordinates greater than x2 and less than x0 and y coordinates greater than y2 and less than y0.

[0093] exist Figure 7 In the above method, the risk area of ​​package A is the area shown in the shaded region. Since the foremost point of package B is upstream of the foremost point of package A along the package conveying direction, that is, when determining the position of the package based on the foremost point of the package, package B will be determined as a package upstream of package A. Therefore, when setting the priority of all packages on the separation plane, when package A is determined as the target package, the priority of package B has not yet been set. Therefore, after determining the risk area of ​​package A, since package B is a package for which no priority has been set at this time, and part of package B falls into the risk area of ​​package A, package B will be determined as a risk package that may interfere with the movement of package A.

[0094] Combination Figure 7It is readily apparent that in this embodiment, the area within the minimum bounding rectangle of the target package that lies on the target package's path is defined as the target package's risk area. Since a package can only interfere with the target package's movement if part or all of it lies on the target package's path, and when a package lies on the target package's path but outside its minimum bounding rectangle, its foremost point is necessarily downstream of the target package's foremost point. Therefore, when setting the target package's priority, this package's priority is already set, meaning its priority is higher than the target package's priority. When separating packages according to the separation strategy, this package will not interfere with the target package's movement. Thus, by defining only the area within the target package's minimum bounding rectangle on its path as the target package's risk area, this embodiment can accurately determine the target package's risk area, resulting in a smaller determined risk area. This shortens the time spent searching for risky packages within the target package's risk area and improves package separation efficiency.

[0095] Optionally, in other embodiments of this application, the region consisting of all points on the separation plane with x-coordinate values ​​greater than x1 and y-coordinate values ​​greater than y0 and less than y1 can be defined as the first region, the region consisting of all points with x-coordinate values ​​greater than x2 and y-coordinate values ​​greater than y2 and less than y0 can be defined as the second region, and the region consisting of the first region and the second region can be defined as the risk region. That is, the region traversed by the target package on its forward path can be defined as the risk region.

[0096] Optionally, if it is determined that there is a risky package ahead of the identified target package, a risky package is selected according to a preset principle, including: selecting the risky package with the vertex of the largest y-coordinate value, or selecting the risky package with the vertex of the smallest y-coordinate value, or selecting the risky package with the vertex of the smallest x-coordinate value, or selecting the risky package with the largest x-coordinate value. Therefore, in this embodiment, if there is only one risky package ahead of the identified target package, that risky package is identified as the new target package; if there are multiple risky packages ahead of the identified target package, one of the risky packages will be selected according to a preset principle, and the selected risky package will be identified as the new target package.

[0097] It should be noted that in this embodiment, when setting the priority of all packages on the separation plane, the target package is unique. That is, when a new target package is determined, the previously determined target package will no longer be used as the target package.

[0098] In an optional implementation, the target area of ​​the separation plane includes the entire area of ​​the separation plane; in step S5 above, if it is determined that there are no packages without priority in the target area of ​​the separation plane, the process ends.

[0099] like Figure 7 As shown, in this embodiment, the target area of ​​the separation plane refers to the entire separation plane, that is, the target area includes the conveying surface of thirty conveying components 310 arranged in five rows along the y-direction and six columns along the x-direction. After setting the priority of one package, the next target package whose priority needs to be set will be searched within the entire separation plane. The priorities of the six packages (A to F) on the conveying surface are in descending order as follows: C, D, B, A, E, F. Packages C, D, B, A, E, and F are assigned priorities of 1 to 6 respectively, where the package with priority 1 has the highest priority and the package with priority 6 has the lowest priority.

[0100] In an alternative implementation, identifying a package as a target package includes: marking the package as a target package, and determining a target area based on all conveying components 310 carrying the target package, wherein the width of the target area covers the width of all conveying components 310 carrying the target package, and the length of the target area covers the length of the separation plane; in step S5 above, if it is determined that there are no packages without priority in the target area of ​​the separation plane, it is determined whether there are still packages without priority on the separation plane; if it is determined that there are still packages without priority on the separation plane, the package located at the downstream end along the package conveying direction among the packages without priority on the separation plane is identified as a new target package, and step S2 is executed again; if it is determined that there are no packages without priority on the separation plane, the process ends.

[0101] In this embodiment, when a package is identified as a target package, the target area of ​​the separation plane is determined based on all the conveying components 310 carrying the target package. After setting the priority of a package, it is determined whether there are any packages in the target area of ​​the separation plane that have not been assigned a priority. If it is determined that there are any packages in the target area that have not been assigned a priority, the next target package whose priority is to be assigned a priority is searched in the target area. If it is determined that there are no packages in the target area that have not been assigned a priority, the next target package whose priority is to be assigned a priority is searched on the entire separation plane. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the package separation device 010 will search for target packages and set the priority of target packages one by one along the width direction (i.e., the y-axis direction) of the separation device 300. In the process of determining the priority of all packages, for multiple packages in the same area (which is determined by the conveying component 310 where the package closest to the end of the separation device 300 is located) along the width direction of the separation device 300, the priority of these multiple packages will be arranged in descending order. Therefore, when the package separation device 010 separates and conveys packages according to the separation strategy, it will also convey packages one by one along the width direction of the separation device 300. After all the packages in one area are sent out of the separation device 300, the packages in the next area will be conveyed. In this embodiment, when packages are densely packed, the package separation device 010 transports packages in batches, and packages in the same batch are transported by the same row or multiple rows of conveying components 310. Thus, within this row or multiple rows of conveying components 310, only relative adjustments to the conveying speed of different columns of conveying components 310 are needed. Therefore, the speed variation of the conveying components 310 during package separation is relatively small, and the number of times a single conveying component 310 starts and stops is greatly reduced. Therefore, this embodiment helps to improve the efficiency of package separation. According to the above embodiment, Figure 7 The six packages (A to F) on the separation plane are prioritized from highest to lowest as follows: C, B, A, F, D, and E, corresponding to priorities 1 to 6 respectively. It is evident that the packages carried by the uppermost three rows of conveyor components 310 are prioritized first because their corresponding target areas are adjacent.

[0102] In an optional implementation, step S300, the step of formulating a separation strategy, includes:

[0103] The separation strategy is formulated based on the priority of all packages on the separation surface and the distance between two adjacent packages with different priorities. Specifically, it includes: judging whether the distance between two adjacent packages with different priorities is less than a first threshold in descending order of priority; when it is determined that the distance between two adjacent packages with different priorities is less than the first threshold, setting the conveying speed of the two packages to different values.

[0104] Optionally, when formulating a separation strategy based on the priority of all packages on the separation plane and the distance between two adjacent packages, the distance between each package and a package with a lower priority is sequentially determined according to the package priority from high to low. If, during any determination, the distance between two packages is determined to be less than the first threshold, the conveying speed of the two packages is set to different values. Conversely, if the distance between two packages is determined to be not less than the first threshold, the conveying speed of the two packages is set to the same value. Thus, when there are multiple groups of packages that are too close together on the separation plane, when the separation device 300 separates and conveys the packages according to the formulated separation strategy, the multiple conveying components 310 of the separation device 300 will be set to conveying speeds of multiple levels. That is, the separation device 300 can simultaneously separate multiple groups of packages that are too close together, thereby improving the efficiency and success rate of package separation and ensuring that the distance between each package and its adjacent packages meets the set requirements when leaving the separation device 300.

[0105] In other alternative implementations, according to the order of package priority from low to high, it is determined whether the distance between each package and a package with a higher priority is less than a first threshold, and the delivery speed of the two packages is set to the same value or different values ​​based on the determination result.

[0106] Optionally, when formulating a separation strategy based on the priority of all packages on the separation plane and the distance between two adjacent packages, only the conveying speed of each package is assigned a value. When the separation device 300 separates and conveys the packages according to the separation strategy, the conveying speed of the conveying component 310 carrying the package is set according to the conveying speed of each package, so that the conveying speed of each package reaches the speed value assigned when formulating the separation strategy.

[0107] In an optional implementation, the package separation method may further include:

[0108] Determine whether the number of packages on the separation plane is greater than the second threshold; if it is determined that the number of packages on the separation plane is greater than the second threshold, then control the buffer device 200 to stop conveying packages to the separation device 300.

[0109] Taking the package separation device 010 provided in this application embodiment as an example, the control device 100 can analyze the number of packages on the separation device 300 based on the acquired image of the separation plane. In this embodiment, when there are too many packages on the separation plane, the delivery of packages to the separation device 300 is paused, so that the package separation task matches the load capacity of the separation device 300, ensuring the reliability of the separation device 300 in separating packages.

[0110] Furthermore, the package separation method may also include: determining whether the number of packages on the separation plane is less than a third threshold, wherein the third threshold is less than a second threshold; if it is determined that the number of packages on the separation plane is less than the third threshold, then controlling the buffer device 200 to transport packages to the separation device 300.

[0111] By controlling the buffer device 200 to deliver packages to the separation device 300 when the number of packages on the separation plane is less than the third threshold, the separation device 300 can be guaranteed to have sufficient load and make full use of the separation device 300 to improve the efficiency of package separation operation.

[0112] In summary, the package separation method provided in this application can set the priority of all packages on the separation plane according to the position and outline of each package on the separation plane, formulate a separation strategy based on the priority of all packages and the distance between packages, and control the conveying device to separate and convey packages according to the separation strategy. Since the downstream package in the overlapping area of ​​the conveying paths of two packages is given a higher priority than the upstream package in the overlapping area, when two packages with overlapping conveying paths need to be separated, the separation strategy ensures that the conveying speed of the higher-priority package is greater than that of the lower-priority package, the distance between the two packages gradually increases, and the packages do not interfere with each other. This avoids the situation in related technologies where one package pushes another package out of the separation device, causing separation failure, when separating two packages with overlapping conveying paths. Therefore, the package separation method provided in this application can improve the success rate of package separation by the package separation device 010.

[0113] The package separation device 010 provided in this application embodiment can realize the above-mentioned package separation method, and therefore also has the advantage of high package separation success rate.

[0114] The above are merely specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A package separation method, applied to a package separation device, characterized in that, The package separation equipment includes a separation device and a visual monitoring device. The separation device includes multiple conveying components arranged in a matrix for conveying packages along a predetermined direction. Each conveying component has a conveying surface for carrying the package. The conveying surfaces of the multiple conveying components form a separation plane. The visual monitoring device is used to acquire images of the separation plane. The package separation method includes: The position and outline of each package on the separation plane are determined based on the images acquired by the visual monitoring device; The priority of all packages on the separation plane is set according to the position and outline of each package, wherein if two packages have an overlapping area along the transport path of the package transport direction, the priority of the package downstream in the overlapping area of ​​the transport path is set to be higher than the priority of the package upstream in the overlapping area of ​​the transport path. A separation strategy is formulated, and the separation device is controlled to separate and transport the packages according to the separation strategy. The separation strategy includes, when the distance between two packages is less than a first threshold, making the transport speed of the higher priority package greater than that of the lower priority package. The step of setting the priority of all packages on the separation plane according to the position and outline of each package includes: Step S1: Identify the downstreammost package on the separation plane along the package conveying direction as the target package; Step S2: Determine whether there is a risk package on the separation plane that may interfere with the movement of the target package, wherein the transport path of the risk package overlaps with the transport path of the target package, and the risk package is located downstream of the target package in the overlapping area; if it is determined that the risk package exists on the separation plane, proceed to step S3; if it is determined that the risk package does not exist on the separation plane, proceed to step S4. Step S3: Select a risk package according to the set principles, determine the selected risk package as the new target package, and execute step S2 again; Step S4: Set the priority of the target package to the highest priority among the vacant priorities, and execute step S5, wherein the vacant priority refers to the priority that is not occupied by a package; Step S5: Determine whether there are any packages without priority in the target area of ​​the separation plane. If it is determined that there are any packages without priority in the target area of ​​the separation plane, proceed to step S6. Step S6: Determine the downstreammost package in the package conveying direction from the packages in the target area that have no priority set as the new target package, and execute step S2 again; Identifying a package as a target package includes: marking the package as the target package, and determining a target area based on all conveyor components carrying the target package, wherein the width of the target area covers the width of all the conveyor components carrying the target package, and the length of the target area covers the length of the separation plane; In step S5, if it is determined that there are no packages without priority in the target area of ​​the separation plane, then it is determined whether there are any packages without priority on the separation plane. If it is determined that there are any packages without priority on the separation plane, the package located at the downstream end along the package conveying direction among the packages without priority on the separation plane is determined as the new target package, and step S2 is executed again. If it is determined that there are no packages without priority on the separation plane, the process ends.

2. The package separation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining whether there are risky packages on the separation plane that may interfere with the movement of the target package includes: Determine the risk area of ​​the target package, wherein the risk area includes the region located on the forward path of the target package within the smallest bounding rectangle of the target package; Determine whether any unpriority packages have fallen into the risk area. If it is determined that an unpriority package has fallen into the risk area, then it is determined that the risk package exists on the separation plane, and the unpriority package that has fallen into the risk area is identified as the risk package.

3. The package separation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steps for developing a separation strategy include: The distance between two adjacent packages is determined sequentially in descending order of priority to see if it is less than the first threshold. If the distance between two adjacent packages is determined to be less than the first threshold, the conveying speed of the two packages is set to different values.

4. The package separation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The package separation equipment further includes a buffer device located upstream of the separation device along the package conveying direction. The buffer device is used to convey packages to the separation device. The package separation method further includes: Determine whether the number of packages on the separation plane is greater than the second threshold; If it is determined that the number of packages on the separation plane is greater than the second threshold, the buffer device is controlled to suspend the delivery of packages to the separation device.

5. A package separation device, characterized in that, The package separation equipment includes a control device, a separation device, and a visual monitoring device. The separation device includes multiple conveying components arranged in a matrix for conveying packages along a predetermined direction. Each conveying component has a conveying surface for carrying the package. The conveying surfaces of the multiple conveying components form a separation plane. The visual monitoring device is used to acquire images of the separation plane. Both the separation device and the visual monitoring device are electrically connected to the control device. The control device is configured as follows: The position and outline of each package on the separation plane are determined based on the images acquired by the visual monitoring device; The priority of all packages on the separation plane is set according to the position and outline of each package, wherein if two packages have an overlapping area along the transport path of the package transport direction, the priority of the package downstream in the overlapping area of ​​the transport path is set to be higher than the priority of the package upstream in the overlapping area of ​​the transport path. A separation strategy is formulated, and the separation device is controlled to separate and transport the packages according to the separation strategy. The separation strategy includes, when the distance between two packages is less than a first threshold, making the transport speed of the higher priority package greater than that of the lower priority package. The control device is configured to prioritize all packages on the separation plane based on the position and outline of each package in the following manner: Step S1: Identify the downstreammost package on the separation plane along the package conveying direction as the target package; Step S2: Determine whether there is a risk package on the separation plane that may interfere with the movement of the target package, wherein the transport path of the risk package overlaps with the transport path of the target package, and the risk package is located downstream of the target package in the overlapping area; if it is determined that the risk package exists on the separation plane, proceed to step S3; if it is determined that the risk package does not exist on the separation plane, proceed to step S4. Step S3: Select a risk package according to the set principles, determine the selected risk package as the new target package, and execute step S2 again; Step S4: Set the priority of the target package to the highest priority among the vacant priorities, and execute step S5, wherein the vacant priority refers to the priority that is not occupied by a package; Step S5: Determine whether there are any packages without priority in the target area of ​​the separation plane. If it is determined that there are any packages without priority in the target area of ​​the separation plane, proceed to step S6. Step S6: Determine the downstreammost package in the package conveying direction from the packages in the target area that have no priority set as the new target package, and execute step S2 again; The control device is configured to identify a package as a target package by marking the package as the target package and determining the target area based on all conveyor components carrying the target package, wherein the width of the target area covers the width of all the conveyor components carrying the target package, and the length of the target area covers the length of the separation plane; In step S5, if it is determined that there are no packages without priority in the target area of ​​the separation plane, then it is determined whether there are any packages without priority on the separation plane. If it is determined that there are any packages without priority on the separation plane, the package located at the downstream end along the package conveying direction among the packages without priority on the separation plane is determined as the new target package, and step S2 is executed again. If it is determined that there are no packages without priority on the separation plane, the process ends.

6. The package separation device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The control device is configured to determine whether there are any risky packages on the separation plane that may interfere with the movement of the target package using the following method: Determine the risk area of ​​the target package, wherein the risk area includes the region located on the forward path of the target package within the smallest bounding rectangle of the target package; Determine whether any unpriority packages have fallen into the risk area. If it is determined that an unpriority package has fallen into the risk area, then it is determined that the risk package exists on the separation plane, and the unpriority package that has fallen into the risk area is identified as the risk package.

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