A battery surface foreign object detection system

Abstract

This invention discloses a foreign object detection system for battery surfaces, comprising: a conveying device, an identification device, a scanner, and a controller. The identification device includes an identification unit and an identification unit. The identification unit is used to uniquely identify the battery under test, and the identification unit is used to collect information from the identification unit and identify the model of the battery under test. The identification unit and the battery under test move synchronously on the conveying device. The scanner is disposed on both sides of the conveying device to scan the surface of the battery under test. The scanner includes multiple scanning modes, each corresponding to a different model of the battery under test. The controller is electrically connected to the identification unit to receive the model of the battery under test identified by the identification unit. The controller is also electrically connected to the scanner and adjusts the scanning mode of the scanner based on the received model of the battery under test. The controller receives the scanning results from the scanner and is electrically connected to the conveying device. The controller controls the movement of the conveying device based on the received scanning results.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of foreign object detection equipment for battery surfaces, and more specifically, to a foreign object detection system for battery surfaces. Background Technology

[0002] The electric vehicle industry is booming. For electric vehicles, whoever controls the power battery controls the entire vehicle, highlighting the importance of the battery. When it comes to batteries, safety is an unavoidable and crucial topic. Therefore, in the production and manufacturing process of electric vehicles, focusing on battery safety has become a top priority. Foreign object detection on the battery surface before it is integrated with the vehicle body is a key step in ensuring battery safety.

[0003] In recent years, computer machine vision technology has developed rapidly and has been widely used in many fields. In the modern manufacturing field, there are more and more scenarios where 2D vision technology or 3D vision technology is used to inspect products. However, both vision technologies have their inherent defects.

[0004] 2D vision technology is limited by traditional 2D image analysis techniques. It mainly extracts feature information from grayscale images to measure the X and Y planes of objects, requiring high contrast of the target object. If applied to the scenario of foreign object detection on the battery surface, the 2D vision system cannot identify the presence of foreign objects if dark-colored foreign objects such as black screws fall into the black area of ​​the battery surface or light-colored foreign objects fall into the white area of ​​the battery surface. In addition, this technical solution often has false alarms in field applications, with low recognition accuracy, poor reliability, long debugging cycle, poor safety, and difficulty in achieving the expected results.

[0005] While 3D vision technology significantly improves recognition accuracy, the system investment is expensive. In terms of hardware costs alone, the price of a single high-precision, high-speed 3D industrial camera is mostly over 100,000 yuan. Due to the limitations of the camera's field of view (FOV), up to four high-precision 3D cameras are needed to detect objects with large surface areas, such as the battery studied in this invention. In addition, the software development costs such as modeling and vision algorithms are also high, resulting in high project costs, poor economic efficiency, and difficulty in promotion.

[0006] Commonly used object volume recognition technologies include electromechanical sensor recognition, pneumatic sensor recognition, magnetic sensor recognition, inductive sensor recognition, capacitive sensor recognition, photoelectric sensor recognition (including laser), and ultrasonic sensor recognition. Each technology has its advantages and applications. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address at least one aspect of the aforementioned problems, the present invention provides a battery surface foreign object detection system, comprising: an identification device, a conveying device, a scanner, and a controller. The identification device includes an identification unit and an identification unit. The identification unit is used to uniquely identify a battery under test, and the identification unit is used to collect information from the identification unit and identify the model of the battery under test. The conveying device is used to carry and move the identification unit and the battery under test, and the identification unit and the battery under test move synchronously on the conveying device. The scanner is disposed on both sides of the conveying device to scan the surface of the battery under test. The scanner includes multiple scanning modes, each corresponding to a different model of the battery under test. The controller is electrically connected to the identification unit to receive the model of the battery under test identified by the identification unit. The controller is also electrically connected to the scanner, and adjusts the scanning mode of the scanner based on the received model of the battery under test. The controller receives the scanning results from the scanner and is electrically connected to the conveying device, controlling the movement of the conveying device based on the received scanning results.

[0008] Preferably, the device further includes an alarm device, which is electrically connected to the controller. The controller controls the alarm device to output an alarm message when it detects a foreign object in the battery under test.

[0009] Preferably, the system further includes a display device electrically connected to the controller to display the scan results.

[0010] Preferably, the identification unit is an RFID data carrier, and the identification unit is a reader / writer.

[0011] Preferably, the system further includes a relay module, through which the controller is electrically connected to the identification unit, the transmission device, and the scanner.

[0012] Preferably, the device includes multiple scanners, which are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the conveying device.

[0013] Preferably, the scanning angle of the two scanners symmetrically distributed on both sides of the transmission device is greater than a preset angle threshold.

[0014] Preferably, the device further includes an adjustment bracket, which is movably connected to the scanner and is used to adjust the position of the scanner.

[0015] Preferably, the adjusting bracket is electrically connected to the controller, and the controller is used to control the movement of the adjusting bracket.

[0016] Preferably, the controller stops the transmission device when a foreign object is present on the battery under test.

[0017] The battery surface foreign object detection system of the present invention has the following advantages: the laser scanner system enables low-cost detection of foreign objects on the battery surface; the introduction of a laser scanner replaces the 2D / 3D vision system; and the laser scanner programming, PLC debugging programming, and WinCC programming commonly used in field automation control systems replace the modeling and complex algorithm programming required in 2D / 3D vision systems. It possesses characteristics such as high accuracy, large range, high resolution, good stability, and ease of deployment and economy. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To better understand the above and other objects, features, advantages, and functions of the present invention, reference can be made to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings refer to the same parts. Those skilled in the art should understand that the drawings are intended to schematically illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention in any way; the parts in the drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0019] Figure 1 A structural block diagram of a battery surface foreign object detection system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0020] Figure 2 A top view schematic diagram of the scanner scanning range of a battery surface foreign object detection system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, including various details of the embodiments to aid understanding, and should be considered merely exemplary. Therefore, those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Similarly, for clarity and brevity, descriptions of well-known functions and structures are omitted in the following description.

[0022] The term "comprising" and its variations as used herein signify open inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". Unless otherwise stated, the term "or" means "and / or". The term "based on" means "at least partially based on". The terms "one example embodiment" and "one embodiment" mean "at least one example embodiment". The term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc., may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

[0023] To at least partially address one or more of the aforementioned problems and other potential issues, one embodiment of this disclosure provides a battery surface foreign object detection system, comprising: an identification device, a conveying device, a scanner, and a controller. The identification device includes an identification unit and an identification unit. The identification unit is used to uniquely identify the battery under test, and the identification unit is used to collect information from the identification unit and identify the model of the battery under test. The conveying device is used to carry and move the identification unit and the battery under test, with the identification unit and the battery under test moving synchronously on the conveying device. The scanner is disposed on both sides of the conveying device to scan the surface of the battery under test. The scanner includes multiple scanning modes, each corresponding to a different model of the battery under test. The controller is electrically connected to the identification unit to receive the model of the battery under test identified by the identification unit. The controller is also electrically connected to the scanner and adjusts the scanning mode of the scanner based on the received model of the battery under test. The controller receives the scanning results from the scanner and is electrically connected to the conveying device to control the movement of the conveying device based on the received scanning results.

[0024] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, the conveyor uses a conveyor belt, and the controller is electrically connected to the conveyor to control its operation, including starting and running. The identification unit and the battery under test are mounted on the conveyor for synchronous movement. The identification unit determines the battery model at the current preset position by collecting information from the identification unit. The controller receives the battery model from the identification unit and uses a field control system PLC. The controller adjusts the scanner's scanning mode according to the received battery model. The scanner uses a laser scanner system. As those skilled in the art will understand, batteries come in various models, and different models have different sizes. The scanner's various scanning modes correspond to different scanning ranges, catering to the scanning range requirements of different battery models. The laser scanner has a ranging range of 7m, a 190° wide-angle scanning angle, an RS-422 serial interface, can receive and transmit two signals, operates at 24VDC, has a high-level input of 24V and a low-level input of 0V, a resolution of 5–30mm, and an angular resolution of 0.25°. The laser scanner system acquires surface data by scanning the battery under test. The controller receives the scanning results from the laser scanner system. When the scanning result indicates that there are no foreign objects on the surface of the battery under test, the controller controls the conveying device to move the current battery under test and move the next battery under test to a preset position. When the scanning result indicates that there are foreign objects on the surface of the battery under test, the controller controls the conveying device to remain stationary to keep the battery under test with foreign objects at the preset position for foreign object removal.

[0025] In another embodiment, the conveying device includes a first operating route and a second operating route, and the controller controls the operating route of the conveying device according to the scanning result. For example, when the scanning result shows that there are no foreign objects on the surface of the battery to be tested, the conveying device is controlled to run along the first operating route; when the scanning result shows that there are foreign objects on the surface of the battery to be tested, the conveying device is controlled to run along the second operating route.

[0026] In some embodiments, a laser scanner is used to perform non-contact high-speed laser measurement on the battery under test to obtain high-precision target three-dimensional point cloud data of the battery under test. In this embodiment, the spatial coordinate values ​​of each data point in the target three-dimensional point cloud data can be input into a pre-trained point cloud deep learning model; the category information of each data point can be output from the point cloud deep learning model; and foreign object point cloud data can be extracted from the target three-dimensional point cloud data based on the target three-dimensional point cloud data with category information.

[0027] In another embodiment, a laser scanner scans a standard battery and generates raw data of the scanned contour line. Existing conventional image processing algorithms are used to perform image noise reduction on the raw contour line data, followed by curve extraction and correction of image distortion defects. Finally, the data is stitched together to form a standard battery contour map, which is saved as a comparison standard battery map. The laser scanner scans the battery under test to generate a test battery map. The test battery map is then compared with the standard battery map to determine whether the test battery map contains foreign objects.

[0028] In some embodiments, the identification unit uses an RFID data carrier, and the identification unit uses a reader / writer. The identification unit includes the model information of the battery under test, which moves synchronously with it. The identification unit and the battery under test are mounted on a conveying device. After the controller moves the identification unit to a predetermined position via the conveying device, the identification unit is fixed at the predetermined position to collect the information from the identification unit and obtain the model of the battery under test. The model of the battery under test is then sent to the controller through the connection between the identification unit and the controller.

[0029] In another embodiment, the identification unit uses a barcode, and different models of the battery under test are identified by different barcodes. The barcode and its corresponding battery under test move synchronously with the conveying device. When the identification unit uses a barcode scanner, the barcode scanner is electrically connected to the controller and sends the battery under test model obtained by scanning the barcode to the controller.

[0030] In some embodiments, an alarm device is also included, which is electrically connected to the controller. The controller controls the alarm device to output alarm information when a foreign object is detected in the battery under test.

[0031] Specifically, the alarm device uses either a lamppost or an alarm, or both simultaneously. When a foreign object is detected, the controller causes the lamppost to flash as a warning, or the controller controls the alarm to emit a buzzer sound.

[0032] In some embodiments, a display device is also included, which is electrically connected to the controller to display the scan results.

[0033] Specifically, the display device uses an HMI panel. The controller displays preset prompts after receiving the scan results. For example, while receiving the scan results through the laser scanning system, the controller also receives the scan image of the battery under test through the laser scanning system. When the scan result indicates that there is a foreign object on the surface of the battery under test, the display device marks the area of ​​the battery under test with the foreign object and displays the prompt message "Foreign object on the battery surface, please check and clean!!!".

[0034] In some embodiments, a plurality of scanners are included, which are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the conveying device.

[0035] Specifically, such as Figure 2 As shown, scanners A, B, C, and D are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the conveying device. When the battery under test is at a preset position, scanners A and B are positioned on one side of the battery, and scanners C and D are positioned on the other side. Scanners A and C are symmetrically arranged with respect to the battery, as are scanners B and D. The projection of the scanning range of scanner A onto the horizontal plane is shown in the figure. The projection of the scanning range of scanner C onto the horizontal plane is symmetrical to that of scanner A. The projection of the scanning range of scanner D onto the horizontal plane is also shown in the figure. The projection of the scanning range of scanner B onto the horizontal plane is symmetrical to that of scanner D. By using multiple scanners, the battery under test can be fully covered, avoiding missed detections. In some embodiments, each of the multiple scanners is a laser scanner system. The multiple scanners send their scanning results to the controller. If at least one scanner's scanning result indicates the presence of foreign matter on the surface of the battery under test, the scanning result is "foreign matter present." If all scanners detect no foreign matter, the scanning result is "no foreign matter present."

[0036] In some embodiments, the scanning angle of the two scanners symmetrically distributed on both sides of the transmission device is greater than a preset angle threshold.

[0037] Specifically, two laser scanners are arranged on each of the left and right sides of the testing station to scan the left and right areas of the battery under test, respectively. The laser scanners on the same side are arranged one in front of the other, and the two symmetrical laser scanners are staggered by 30° to avoid signal interference. In this embodiment, the preset angle threshold is 30°.

[0038] In some embodiments, a relay module is also included, through which the controller is electrically connected to the identification unit, the transmission device, and the scanner.

[0039] Specifically, the relay module uses the ET200S module, within which the ET200S module communicates with the laser scanner via a DI module and a DO module. The DI module operates at 24VDC, supplied by the PM module within the ET200S, has a rated current of 5mA, and a signal input level of 24V high and 0-5V low, capable of acquiring 8 channels of digital input signals. After the laser scanners on both sides complete their detection, the DI module acquires these 4 detection signals. The DO module operates at 24VDC, supplied by the PM module within the ET200S, has a rated current of 0.5-2mA, and a signal output level of 24V high and 0-5V low, capable of acquiring 8 channels of digital output signals. When the battery arrives at the detection station, the DO module outputs 4 signals to the left and right laser scanners, controlling their switching between detection areas A and B.

[0040] In some embodiments, an adjustment bracket is also included, which is movably connected to the scanner and is used to adjust the position of the scanner.

[0041] Specifically, adjustment brackets are positioned on both sides of the conveying device to support the scanner. The adjustment brackets are movably connected to the scanner to facilitate adjustment of the scanner's position and scanning range. In some embodiments, the adjustment brackets are electrically connected to a controller, which controls the movement of the adjustment brackets. Specifically, the adjustment brackets are robotic arms, and the controller is connected to the robotic arm to control the robotic arm in adjusting the scanner's position to meet the scanning requirements of the battery under test.

[0042] Example 1

[0043] A battery surface foreign object detection system includes a laser scanner, an adjustment bracket, an RFID data carrier, a reader / writer, an ET200S module, an HMI panel, a light pole, and an alarm, all communicating with a field control system PLC via a Profinet network. The laser scanner includes laser scanner programming, and the field control system PLC includes PLC programming for command output, processing, and reception, as well as WinCC programming. Laser scanner programming is used to set the detection areas A and B; PLC programming includes configuring new field communication hardware (PM, DI, and DO modules in the ET200S), reading RFID data carrier information, battery type identification, laser scanner signal reading and writing, and signal acquisition from the light pole and alarm; WinCC programming is used to display images of foreign object markings on the battery surface and corresponding prompts.

[0044] Once the battery under test arrives at the testing station via the conveyor, the laser scanner uses different detection area modes depending on the battery model to inspect the battery surface. The detection results are sent to the PLC of the field control system. The PLC then performs foreign object detection on the battery surface according to a pre-programmed procedure. When a foreign object is detected, the HMI panel displays an image of the area on the battery with the foreign object marked, along with the message "Foreign object found on battery surface, please confirm and clean!!!". Simultaneously, a light pole and alarm will flash and sound an alarm, respectively. At this point, the PLC will stop the production line. After the employee has removed the foreign object from the battery surface, the equipment is reset, and the production line resumes operation.

[0045] The use of laser scanners as the core detection component is based on their high detection accuracy and wide range of field applications. Compared with using 3D vision systems to detect foreign objects on the battery surface, laser scanners have advantages such as significantly reduced costs, less debugging workload, shorter debugging cycle, and lower requirements for debugging personnel. This approach is being promoted, but not limited to, electric vehicle manufacturers.

[0046] In one embodiment, given that the surface of the battery under test is covered with high-voltage wiring harnesses and process adhesive blocks, in order to achieve full coverage of the battery surface inspection, two laser scanners need to be arranged on each of the left and right sides of the inspection station to scan the left and right sides of the battery respectively. The laser scanners on the same side are arranged one in front of the other, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, two symmetrical laser scanners are offset by 30° to avoid signal interference. Each laser scanner is connected to the ET200S via a 30-core cable, and is simultaneously powered and communicated via its 30-pin system connector. In this embodiment, the laser scanner operates at 24VDC, supplied by an external DC regulated power supply; it has a measuring range of 7m, a scanning angle of 190° wide angle, an RS-422 serial interface, and can receive and transmit two signals. The high-level input is 24V, the low-voltage input is 0V, the resolution is 5-30mm, and the angular resolution is 0.25°. When the battery under test arrives at the testing station, the two laser scanners receive the output signal from the DO module in the ET200S, and then switch between different testing areas A / B to scan the surface of the battery under test, returning the scanning results to the DI module in the ET200S. When a foreign object is detected on the surface of the battery under test, the laser scanner returns signal 1, and the PLC of the field control system stops the operation of the conveyor.

[0047] The detection method using the foreign matter detection system on the battery surface in Example 1 includes the following steps:

[0048] Step S1: When the battery under test arrives at the testing station, the reader reads the battery information from the RFID data carrier and transmits it to the field control system PLC. The field control system PLC determines whether the battery is a long battery or a short battery based on the three-digit battery code information. Then, it outputs different signals to the laser scanner through the DO module in the ET200S to control it to switch between different detection area A / B modes to scan and detect the surface of the battery under test.

[0049] In step S2, the laser scanners on both sides return the scanning results to the DI module in the ET200S. If a foreign object is detected, a signal of 1 is returned; otherwise, a signal of 0 is returned. If there is a foreign object, the corresponding scanner LED will light up red.

[0050] In step S3, the DI module sends the detection results of the four laser scanners to the field control system PLC via the Profinet network. The field control system PLC program performs a logical "OR" operation on these four input signals to identify whether there are foreign objects on the battery surface. When the result is 1, it indicates that there are foreign objects on the battery surface.

[0051] Step S4: Based on the identification results of the field control system PLC program, the field control system PLC communicates with the HMI panel, light poles, and alarms. When a foreign object is detected, the HMI panel will display an image of the area on the battery where the foreign object is located, along with the message "Foreign object on battery surface, please confirm and clean!!!" Simultaneously, the light poles and alarms will flash and sound an alarm, respectively. At this point, the field control system PLC will stop the production line. After the employee has removed the foreign object from the battery surface, the equipment will be reset, and the production line will resume operation.

[0052] The various embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or technical improvements to the embodiments in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand this document.

Claims

1. A battery surface foreign object detection system, characterized by, include: An identification device, comprising an identification unit and an identification unit, wherein the identification unit is used to uniquely identify the battery under test, and the identification unit is used to collect information from the identification unit and identify the model of the battery under test; A conveying device is used to carry and move the identification unit and the battery under test. The identification unit and the battery under test move synchronously on the conveying device. The conveying device includes a first running route and a second running route. The scanner is positioned on both sides of the conveying device to scan the surface of the battery to be tested. The scanner includes multiple scanning modes, each corresponding to a different model of the battery to be tested. The multiple scanning modes of the scanner correspond to different scanning ranges. The scanner uses a laser scanner system. The system includes a controller electrically connected to the identification unit to receive the battery model identified by the identification unit, an electrical connection to the scanner, and a controller that adjusts the scanner's scanning mode based on the received battery model. The controller also receives the scanner's scanning results and is electrically connected to the conveying device. Based on the received scanning results, the controller controls the movement of the conveying device. When the scanning result indicates no foreign objects on the surface of the battery, the controller controls the conveying device to run along a first operating path; when the scanning result indicates foreign objects on the surface of the battery, the controller controls the conveying device to run along a second operating path. The system also includes an adjustment bracket movably connected to the scanner. The adjustment bracket is used to adjust the scanner's position and scanning range. The adjustment bracket is electrically connected to the controller, which controls the movement of the adjustment bracket.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an alarm device, which is electrically connected to the controller. The controller controls the alarm device to output an alarm message when it detects a foreign object in the battery under test.

3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a display device electrically connected to the controller to display the scan results.

4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The identification unit uses an RFID data carrier, and the identification unit uses a reader / writer.

5. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a relay module, through which the controller is electrically connected to the identification unit, the transmission device and the scanner.

6. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that, It includes multiple scanners, which are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the conveying device.

7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The scanning angles of the two scanners symmetrically distributed on both sides of the transmission device are greater than a preset angle threshold.

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