Meal serving control method and device, meal selling cabinet and storage medium

Abstract

The application discloses a meal delivery control method and device, a meal vending cabinet and a storage medium. The method comprises the following steps: in response to a meal taking instruction, a meal taking platform is controlled to move to a meal delivery position corresponding to a target meal; in the process of pushing the target meal to the meal taking platform, the inclination degree of the target meal is detected; the target meal is leveled by controlling the goods channel and / or the meal taking platform until the inclination degree of the target meal meets the requirement and the target meal is pushed into place. The application can detect the inclination degree of the target meal in time, level the target meal by controlling the goods channel and / or the meal taking platform until the inclination degree of the target meal meets the requirement and the target meal is pushed into place, so that the target meal is not too inclined during the meal delivery process and does not interfere with sheet metal, and the target meal can be normally pushed to the meal taking opening, thereby solving the problem that meal taking fails due to the inclination of the meal during manual meal preparation in the meal vending cabinet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food vending machine technology, and more specifically, to a food dispensing control method, device, food vending machine, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, food vending machines can automatically push meals from the aisle to the pick-up point using an internal pick-up platform. However, due to the manual meal preparation method, when operators place meals on the aisle, the meals may tilt, making it difficult to push them out. They may get stuck in the gap between the aisle and the pick-up platform, or even interfere with the sheet metal, causing the meals to tip over and rendering the vending machine unusable, thus affecting the user experience.

[0003] There is currently no effective solution to the problem of food retrieval failure caused by tilting of food during manual meal preparation in existing food vending machines. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a meal dispensing control method, device, food vending machine, and storage medium to at least solve the problem in the prior art where food vending machines fail to dispense meals due to tilting of the food during manual meal preparation.

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, embodiments of the present invention provide a meal dispensing control method, applied to a food vending machine, comprising:

[0006] In response to a food pickup instruction, the food pickup platform is controlled to move to the food dispensing location corresponding to the target food item;

[0007] During the process of pushing the target meal to the food collection platform, the tilt degree of the target meal is detected;

[0008] The target food item is leveled by controlling the delivery channel and / or the food collection platform until the tilt of the target food item meets the requirements and the target food item is pushed into place.

[0009] Optionally, detecting the tilt degree of the target food item includes:

[0010] Detect the push progress of the target meal;

[0011] The weight difference between the first part and the second part of the food collection platform is detected. A central axis is set along the direction in which the target food is pushed to the food collection platform, and the central axis divides the food collection platform into the first part and the second part.

[0012] The tilt degree of the target meal is determined based on the push progress and the weight difference.

[0013] Optionally, determining the tilt angle of the target meal based on the pushing progress and the weight difference includes:

[0014] When the push progress indicates that a portion of the target meal has been pushed to the food pickup platform, it is determined whether the weight difference is greater than a preset threshold.

[0015] If the weight difference is greater than the preset threshold, it is determined that the target food is at the first tilt level and does not meet the requirements.

[0016] If the weight difference is less than or equal to the preset threshold, it is determined that the tilt of the target meal meets the requirements, and the target meal continues to be pushed to the food collection platform.

[0017] Optionally, a first photoelectric sensor is installed on the side of the food collection platform near the food dispensing location. The transmitting end and receiving end of the first photoelectric sensor are symmetrically arranged. When the receiving end of the first photoelectric sensor receives a signal, it is determined that a portion of the target food has been pushed to the food collection platform.

[0018] Optionally, the first part of the food collection platform is equipped with a first gravity sensor for detecting the weight of items placed on the first part; the second part of the food collection platform is equipped with a second gravity sensor for detecting the weight of items placed on the second part.

[0019] Optionally, each food dispensing position in the food vending machine is provided with a parallel first channel and a second channel. Part of any food item is located on the first channel and part is located on the second channel. The first channel corresponds to the first part of the food collection platform, and the second channel corresponds to the second part of the food collection platform.

[0020] The target food item is leveled by controlling the delivery channel and / or the food collection platform until the tilt of the target food item meets the requirements and the target food item is pushed into place, including:

[0021] When the target food item is at a first tilt angle, the portion with the smaller weight is determined in the first and second portions of the food collection platform;

[0022] The guideway corresponding to the lighter portion is controlled to move towards the food collection platform until the weight difference between the first and second portions of the food collection platform is less than or equal to a preset threshold, and the target food is then pushed onto the food collection platform.

[0023] Optionally, determining the tilt angle of the target meal based on the pushing progress and the weight difference includes:

[0024] When the push progress is such that an item is detected on the side of the food collection platform away from the food serving location, and an item is also detected on the side of the food collection platform closer to the food serving location, and the weight difference is less than or equal to a preset threshold, it is determined that the target food is at the second tilt level and does not meet the requirements.

[0025] When the push progress is such that an item is detected on the side of the food pick-up platform away from the food serving location, and no item is detected on the side of the food pick-up platform closer to the food serving location, and the weight difference is less than or equal to a preset threshold, it is determined that the tilt degree of the target food meets the requirements and the target food is pushed into place.

[0026] Optionally, a second photoelectric sensor is installed on the side of the food pick-up platform away from the food serving position. The transmitting end and receiving end of the second photoelectric sensor are symmetrically arranged. When the receiving end of the second photoelectric sensor receives a signal, it is determined that there is an item on the side of the food pick-up platform away from the food serving position.

[0027] Optionally, the target meal item is leveled by controlling the delivery channel and / or the food collection platform until the tilt of the target meal item meets the requirements and the target meal item is pushed into place, including:

[0028] When the target food item is at a second tilt angle, the food retrieval platform is controlled to move a preset distance in a preset direction or in the opposite direction of the preset direction, wherein the preset direction is perpendicular to the depth direction of the cargo channel;

[0029] Then return to the step of detecting the tilt degree of the target food.

[0030] Optionally, after controlling the food pick-up platform to move a preset distance in the preset placement direction, the method further includes: if the food pick-up platform moves continuously in the same direction a preset number of times, but the target food is still at the second tilt level, then outputting a fault prompt message.

[0031] Optionally, before responding to a food pickup instruction, the method may also include: receiving an automatic leveling instruction; controlling all cargo channels to reverse in order to perform preliminary leveling of all food items placed in the cabinet.

[0032] This invention also provides a food dispensing control device for use in food vending machines, comprising:

[0033] The first control module is used to respond to the food pick-up command and control the food pick-up platform to move to the food dispensing position corresponding to the target food item;

[0034] The detection module is used to detect the degree of tilt of the target meal during the process of pushing the target meal to the food collection platform;

[0035] The second control module is used to level the target food item by controlling the delivery channel and / or the food collection platform until the tilt of the target food item meets the requirements and the target food item is pushed into place.

[0036] This invention also provides a food vending machine, including the food dispensing control device described in this invention.

[0037] This invention also provides a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method described in this invention.

[0038] By applying the technical solution of this invention, the tilt degree of the target meal can be detected in a timely manner during the process of pushing the target meal to the pick-up platform. If the tilt degree of the target meal does not meet the requirements, the target meal is leveled by controlling the delivery channel and / or the pick-up platform until the tilt degree of the target meal meets the requirements and the target meal is pushed into place. This ensures that the meal is not tilted too much during the push-out process and does not interfere with the sheet metal, ensuring that the meal can be pushed normally to the pick-up port, reducing the risk of pick-up failure due to meal tilt. This solves the problem of pick-up failure caused by meal tilt during manual meal preparation in food vending machines, improves the product quality of food vending machines, and enhances the user experience. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Figure 1 This is a front view of the overall structure of the food vending machine provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the food vending machine provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 3 This is a top view of the food pickup platform and delivery channel provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the meal serving control method provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 5A This is a top view of an existing food pickup platform;

[0044] Figure 5B This is a top view of the food pickup platform provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of the meal preparation control provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 7 This is a structural block diagram of the meal dispensing control device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0047] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0048] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and drawings of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of the invention described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0049] It should be noted that the steps shown in the flowchart in the accompanying drawings can be executed in a computer system such as a set of computer-executable instructions, and although a logical order is shown in the flowchart, in some cases the steps shown or described may be executed in a different order than that shown here.

[0050] It should be understood that the term "and / or" used in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0051] The optional embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0052] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The food vending machine includes: a food pick-up platform 10, at least one food dispensing location 20, and at least one food pick-up slot 30. The food dispensing location is... Figure 1 and Figure 2The food dispensing positions are arranged in a regular pattern within the cabinet. Each position has a certain depth and is equipped with a conveyor belt. The same type of food can be placed onto the conveyor belt one by one according to its position. The food retrieval platform 10 can move within the cabinet under the action of the cantilever 11. Based on the food retrieval demand, the cantilever 11 is controlled to move the food retrieval platform 10 to the dispensing position 20 corresponding to the target food item. At the dispensing position 20, the target food item moves from the inside to the outside along with the conveyor belt (i.e., the conveyor belt rotates clockwise, such as...). Figure 3 (In the direction of the middle arrow) to push the target meal from the delivery channel to the food collection platform 10. When the target meal is fully pushed to the food collection platform 10, the cantilever 11 is controlled to move the food collection platform 10 to the food collection port 30. The pusher plate on the food collection platform 20 pushes the target meal into the food collection port 30, and the user can then take the required meal from the food collection port 30 to complete the meal collection.

[0053] refer to Figure 3 Each food preparation station has a corresponding parallel first conveyor belt 21 and a second conveyor belt 22. The first conveyor belt 21 is equipped with a first push plate 23, and the second conveyor belt 22 is equipped with a second push plate 24. The push plates are mounted on the conveyor belt of the conveyor belt. After the operators have finished preparing the food, the push plate is located at the innermost origin position of the conveyor belt. When food needs to be picked up, the conveyor belt rotates clockwise, and the push plate moves outward, pushing the food out. Figure 3 In the process, the food is first pushed from the delivery channel to the pickup platform 10 (i.e., Figure 3 (From top to bottom, in the direction of the arrow), then the food collection platform 10 moves to the food collection port 30 to push the food (i.e., Figure 3 (From left to right). The food pick-up platform 10 is equipped with multiple rollers 12. The rollers 12 work in conjunction with the cargo channel and push plate to push the food completely onto the food pick-up platform 10.

[0054] Example 1

[0055] This embodiment provides a meal dispensing control method applied to a food vending machine, which can solve the problem of meal dispensing failure caused by the tilting of the food during manual meal preparation.

[0056] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the meal serving control method provided in an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0057] S401, in response to a food pickup instruction, controls the food pickup platform to move to the food dispensing location corresponding to the target food item.

[0058] S402 detects the tilt of the target meal during the process of pushing the target meal to the pick-up platform.

[0059] S403 adjusts the target food item by controlling the cargo channel and / or the food pickup platform until the tilt of the target food item meets the requirements and the target food item is pushed into place.

[0060] This embodiment can detect the tilt degree of the target meal in a timely manner during the process of pushing the target meal to the pick-up platform. If the tilt degree of the target meal does not meet the requirements, the target meal is leveled by controlling the delivery channel and / or the pick-up platform until the tilt degree of the target meal meets the requirements and the target meal is pushed in place. This ensures that the meal is not tilted too much during the push-out process and does not interfere with the sheet metal, ensuring that the meal can be pushed normally to the pick-up port. This reduces the risk of pick-up failure due to meal tilt, solves the problem of pick-up failure caused by meal tilt during manual meal preparation in food vending machines, improves the product quality of food vending machines, and enhances the user experience.

[0061] In one embodiment, detecting the tilt degree of a target meal includes: detecting the pushing progress of the target meal; detecting the weight difference between a first part and a second part of the food collection platform, wherein a central axis is set along the direction in which the target meal is pushed onto the food collection platform, and the central axis divides the food collection platform into a first part and a second part; and determining the tilt degree of the target meal based on the pushing progress and the weight difference. (Reference) Figure 5B The dotted line is the central axis. The left side is the first part, and the right side is the second part. The first part and the second part can be exactly the same, which is equivalent to dividing the food pick-up platform into two equal parts.

[0062] Based on the delivery progress of the target meal and the weight difference between the first and second parts of the meal pick-up platform, this implementation method can accurately determine the tilt of the target meal during the meal preparation process, thereby leveling the meal in time and ensuring successful meal preparation.

[0063] In one implementation, determining the tilt degree of the target meal based on the push progress and the weight difference includes: when the push progress indicates that a portion of the target meal has been pushed to the pick-up platform, determining whether the weight difference is greater than a preset threshold; if the weight difference is greater than the preset threshold, determining that the target meal is at a first tilt degree and does not meet the requirements; if the weight difference is less than or equal to the preset threshold, determining that the tilt degree of the target meal meets the requirements, and continuing to push the target meal to the pick-up platform.

[0064] The preset threshold can be set according to actual conditions, for example, the preset threshold can be set to 1 / 3 of the weight of a single meal. If the weight difference is greater than the preset threshold, it means that the weight of the first and second parts of the food pickup platform is unbalanced, the target meal is tilted too much, which does not meet the requirements and the target meal needs to be leveled. If the weight difference is less than or equal to the preset threshold, it means that the weight of the first and second parts of the food pickup platform is relatively balanced, the target meal is tilted less or not at all, which meets the requirements, and the target meal can continue to be pushed to the food pickup platform.

[0065] In this embodiment, when a portion of the target meal has already been pushed to the food collection platform, the tilt degree of the target meal can be determined relatively accurately based on the weight difference between the first and second portions of the food collection platform.

[0066] refer to Figure 5B A first photoelectric sensor is installed on the side of the food pick-up platform near the food serving area. The transmitting end 41 and the receiving end 42 of the first photoelectric sensor are symmetrically arranged. For example, the transmitting end 41 of the first photoelectric sensor is located in the first part of the food pick-up platform, and the receiving end 42 of the first photoelectric sensor is located in the second part of the food pick-up platform; or, the transmitting end 41 of the first photoelectric sensor is located in the second part of the food pick-up platform, and the receiving end 42 of the first photoelectric sensor is located in the first part of the food pick-up platform. When the receiving end 42 of the first photoelectric sensor receives a signal, it determines that a portion of the target food has been pushed onto the food pick-up platform. This embodiment uses the first photoelectric sensor to detect whether there are items on the side of the food pick-up platform near the food serving area, thereby determining the pushing progress of the target food.

[0067] refer to Figure 5B The first part of the food pickup platform is equipped with a first gravity sensor 51 to detect the weight of items placed on it. The second part of the platform is equipped with a second gravity sensor 52 to detect the weight of items placed on it. Taking the first part as an example, the weight detected by the gravity sensor can be the sum of the weight of the first part and the weight of the items placed on it. Since the weight of the first part is constant, this sum can be used as the weight of the items to calculate the weight difference. The average weight of the food is around 500g to 800g, so a high-precision, low-range gravity sensor can be selected, such as a gravity sensor with an accuracy of around 10g. In practical applications, the independent first and second parts can be combined to form a complete food pickup platform, thereby accurately detecting the weight of each part separately.

[0068] This embodiment uses two gravity sensors installed on the food pick-up platform to accurately detect the weight difference between the two parts, which serves as the basis for judging the degree of tilt of the target food, ensuring that the judgment result is accurate and reliable.

[0069] refer to Figure 3 Each food dispensing position within the food vending machine is equipped with a parallel first aisle 21 and a second aisle 22. A portion of any given food item is located on the first aisle 21 and a portion on the second aisle 22. The first aisle 21 corresponds to the first part of the food collection platform, and the second aisle 22 corresponds to the second part. Under normal circumstances, both aisles move simultaneously toward the food collection platform, pushing the food onto it.

[0070] The target meal is leveled by controlling the delivery channel and / or the food collection platform until the tilt of the target meal meets the requirements and the target meal is pushed into place. This includes: when the target meal is at a first tilt, determining the lighter part in the first and second parts of the food collection platform; controlling the delivery channel corresponding to the lighter part to move towards the food collection platform until the weight difference between the first and second parts of the food collection platform is less than or equal to a preset threshold, and continuing to push the target meal towards the food collection platform.

[0071] In this embodiment, when the target food is at a first tilt, the part with the smaller weight in the first and second parts of the food collection platform is identified. Since less food is pushed out in this part, the corresponding channel of this part is moved towards the food collection platform, while the channel of the other part is not moved, so as to adjust the weight on both sides to be balanced. Then, both channels can continue to rotate forward at the same time to push the food to the food collection platform normally.

[0072] Both the food items and the pick-up platform are generally rectangular. Under normal circumstances, when the food is pushed onto the pick-up platform, the long side of the food corresponds to the short side of the platform (which can be approximately parallel), and the short side corresponds to the long side of the platform (which can be approximately parallel). If the operator tilts the food too much or even rotates it 90 degrees when placing the food into the conveyor, the long side of the food will correspond to the short side of the platform after it is pushed onto the pick-up platform. The food will exceed the pick-up platform, and when it continues to be pushed, there will be interference between the food and the sheet metal, resulting in pick-up failure.

[0073] To avoid the aforementioned problems, in one embodiment of the present invention, determining the tilt degree of the target meal based on the pushing progress and the weight difference includes:

[0074] When the push progress is such that an item is detected on the side of the food pick-up platform away from the food serving position, and an item is also detected on the side of the food pick-up platform closer to the food serving position, and the weight difference is less than or equal to a preset threshold, it is determined that the target food is in the second tilt degree and does not meet the requirements.

[0075] When the push progress indicates that an item is detected on the side of the food pickup platform away from the food serving location, but no item is detected on the side of the food pickup platform closer to the food serving location, and the weight difference is less than or equal to a preset threshold, it is determined that the tilt of the target food meets the requirements and the target food has been pushed into place, and the food pickup platform can be moved towards the food pickup port.

[0076] Specifically, when the target food item is not tilted, the angle between the first designated axis of the target food item and the second designated axis of the food-collecting platform is very small, for example, 0° to 5°. The food item and the food-collecting platform have the same or very similar shapes, and the position of the first designated axis on the food item is the same as the position of the second designated axis on the food-collecting platform, which can be the long axis, diagonal, or short axis, etc.

[0077] The second tilt degree refers to the angle between the first designated axis of the target food item and the second designated axis of the food collection platform being within a preset angle range. The preset angle range is a larger angle less than or equal to 90°, for example, the preset angle range is [85°, 90°]. When an item is detected on the side of the food collection platform away from the food dispensing position, it indicates that the target food item has been pushed to the last section of the food collection platform.

[0078] In this embodiment, when the target meal is pushed to the last part of the food collection platform, the tilt of the target meal can be determined more accurately by comprehensively considering the detection of items on the side of the food collection platform closest to the food dispensing position, and then corresponding measures can be taken to level it.

[0079] refer to Figure 5B A second photoelectric sensor is installed on the side of the food pick-up platform away from the food serving position. The transmitting end 61 and the receiving end 62 of the second photoelectric sensor are symmetrically arranged. For example, the transmitting end 61 of the second photoelectric sensor is located in the first part of the food pick-up platform, and the receiving end 62 of the second photoelectric sensor is located in the second part of the food pick-up platform; or, the transmitting end 61 of the second photoelectric sensor is located in the second part of the food pick-up platform, and the receiving end 62 of the second photoelectric sensor is located in the first part of the food pick-up platform. When the receiving end 62 of the second photoelectric sensor receives a signal, it determines that there is an item on the side of the food pick-up platform away from the food serving position, that is, the target meal has been pushed to the last stage. This embodiment can detect whether there is an item on the side of the food pick-up platform away from the food serving position through the second photoelectric sensor, thereby determining the pushing progress of the target meal.

[0080] like Figure 5A As shown, in the prior art, the transmitting and receiving ends of the photoelectric sensor are positioned diagonally opposite each other on the food pick-up platform, such as... Figure 5B As shown, in this embodiment of the invention, two horizontal photoelectric sensors are set up to detect whether the food has been pushed into place.

[0081] In one implementation, the target meal is leveled by controlling the cargo channel and / or the food collection platform until the tilt of the target meal meets the requirements and the target meal is pushed into place. This includes: when the target meal is at a second tilt, controlling the food collection platform to move a preset distance in a preset direction or in the opposite direction of the preset direction, wherein the preset direction is perpendicular to the depth direction of the cargo channel; and then returning to the step of detecting the tilt of the target meal.

[0082] The preset distance can be set according to the actual situation. The preset distance value is relatively small, for example, the preset distance is set to 1 centimeter.

[0083] In this embodiment, when the target food is at the second tilt level, the food retrieval platform is moved to tilt the target food onto the platform, and the tilt level is checked again until the tilt level of the target food meets the requirements and the target food is pushed into place. This can avoid the situation of the food being placed vertically as much as possible and ensure normal food retrieval.

[0084] Furthermore, after controlling the food pickup platform to move a preset distance in the preset placement direction, the method further includes: if the food pickup platform moves continuously in the same direction a preset number of times, but the target food item is still at the second tilt level, then a fault prompt message is output. The preset number of times can be set according to actual conditions, for example, the preset number of times can be set to 3 times. In this embodiment, if the target food item still cannot be leveled after multiple moves of the food pickup platform, the platform will not be moved further to avoid sheet metal interference caused by excessive movement leading to the target food item shifting. At this time, a fault prompt message is output to promptly remind maintenance personnel to handle the situation.

[0085] Considering that operators may not be able to place the meals flat when placing them, and that the meals in the cabinet may be tilted at various degrees after all the meals have been delivered, in one implementation, before responding to the meal retrieval instruction, the process may include: receiving an automatic leveling instruction; and controlling all cargo channels to reverse to perform preliminary leveling of all the meals placed in the cabinet.

[0086] Specifically, operators can click or press the preset automatic leveling button to issue an automatic leveling command. For example, if an operator clicks the automatic leveling button on the food delivery cabinet screen, all the channels will reverse. Since there is a limit at the deepest part of the vending cabinet, the push plate will be stuck at the deepest part of the cabinet. The conveyor belt will continue to reverse with the food, leveling all the food as much as possible before the food is picked up.

[0087] In this implementation method, after the operators complete the food delivery, the delivery lane can be reversed to ensure that all food items are level as much as possible, thus achieving automatic initial leveling of the food items.

[0088] Example 2

[0089] The above-described meal dispensing control method will be described below with reference to a specific embodiment. However, it is worth noting that this specific embodiment is only for better illustration of this application and does not constitute an undue limitation of this application. The same or corresponding terminology used in the above embodiment will not be repeated in this embodiment.

[0090] like Figure 6 The diagram shown is a flowchart of the food preparation control process, which includes the following steps:

[0091] S601, loading completed.

[0092] S602, cargo lane reversed.

[0093] After the operations staff has delivered all the meals, the tilt of the meals will vary. The operations staff can click the automatic leveling button on the screen, at which point all the delivery channels will reverse. Since there is a limit at the deepest part of the vending machine, all the meals can be leveled as much as possible before the order is taken.

[0094] S603, Food pickup instruction issued. After the food is prepared, the user can scan the code to purchase the food, and the display screen sends the food pickup instruction to the control panel.

[0095] S604, the cantilever movement moves the food pickup platform to the corresponding food dispensing position (i.e., the delivery channel where the user's target food is located).

[0096] S605, the two delivery channels and push plate at the food dispensing position move toward the food collection platform, and the rollers on the food collection platform also move to push the target food on the delivery channel toward the food collection platform.

[0097] S606: Determine if the first photoelectric sensor is disconnected. If yes, proceed to S607; otherwise, return to S605.

[0098] S607, determine whether the weight difference between the two sides of the food pickup platform is greater than the preset threshold. If yes, proceed to S609; otherwise, proceed to S608.

[0099] S608, roller motion.

[0100] S609, determine whether the weight on the left side is greater than the weight on the right side. If yes, proceed to S611; otherwise, proceed to S610.

[0101] S610, left-side push plate and cargo channel movement.

[0102] S611, right-side push plate and cargo channel movement.

[0103] S612, determine whether the weight on the left side is equal to the weight on the right side. If yes, proceed to S613; otherwise, return to S609.

[0104] S613, with side push plates, cargo channels and roller movement.

[0105] During the process of pushing the target meal to the food pickup platform, the first step is to check whether the first photoelectric sensor is disconnected.

[0106] If the first photoelectric sensor disconnects, it means that the receiver of the first photoelectric sensor cannot receive a signal, and there is an object between the transmitter and receiver of the first photoelectric sensor, that is, part of the target food has been pushed to the food collection platform. At this time, the weight on both sides of the food collection platform is judged. If the weight difference between the two sides is not greater than a preset threshold (the preset threshold can be 1 / 3 of the weight of a single food item), it means that the tilt of the food is small, and the food can be pushed normally to the food collection platform by the roller movement. If the weight difference between the two sides is greater than the preset threshold, it means that the tilt of the food is large. At this time, it is determined which side has a larger weight. The larger weight means that more food is pushed out on this side. By controlling the movement of the push plate and the conveyor on the other side, the weight on both sides is adjusted to be balanced, and then the food is pushed out normally by the conveyor, push plate and roller.

[0107] If the first photoelectric sensor is closed, it means that the receiving end of the first photoelectric sensor can receive the signal, there is no object between the transmitting end and the receiving end of the first photoelectric sensor, that is, the target meal has not yet been pushed to the meal collection platform and needs to be pushed.

[0108] S614: Determine whether the second photoelectric sensor is disconnected. If yes, proceed to S615; otherwise, return to S613.

[0109] S615, determine whether the first photoelectric sensor is closed. If yes, proceed to S619; otherwise, proceed to S616.

[0110] S616, the food pickup platform has been moved 1 cm to the right.

[0111] S617, determine if the food pickup platform has moved to the right 3 times. If yes, proceed to S618; otherwise, return to S607.

[0112] S618 indicates a food pickup failure.

[0113] S619, food pickup complete.

[0114] As the target food item is pushed onto the pick-up platform, the system checks if the second photoelectric sensor is disconnected. If the second photoelectric sensor is disconnected, it indicates that the receiver of the second photoelectric sensor cannot receive a signal, and there is an object between the transmitter and receiver of the second photoelectric sensor, meaning the target food item has been pushed to the end of the pick-up platform. At this point, the status of the first photoelectric sensor is checked. If the first photoelectric sensor is closed, it means the target food item has been pushed into place, and food dispensing can continue normally. If the first photoelectric sensor is still disconnected, it means the target food item may be perpendicular to the line connecting the transmitter and receiver of the photoelectric sensor. In this case, the pick-up platform should be moved to the right (or left, see reference). Figure 3Move the food 1 cm to tilt it onto the food pickup platform, then return to step S607 for leveling. If the food pickup platform fails to return to its original position after three rightward movements, it cannot move further to the right, as this will cause sheet metal interference. In this case, a corresponding fault will be reported, prompting maintenance personnel to resolve the issue before food pickup can continue.

[0115] This embodiment uses a gravity sensor on the food pick-up platform to detect the weight difference between the two sides. The original single diagonally positioned photoelectric sensor on the platform is replaced with two horizontal photoelectric sensors to detect the food delivery progress. Combining the delivery progress and the weight difference between the two sides, the tilt degree of the target food can be determined quickly and accurately. Different control methods are used for different tilt degrees. For foods with a large tilt or placed vertically, position correction operations are performed through additional movement of the conveyor or the food pick-up platform to level the food during the dispensing process. This ensures that foods with different tilt degrees do not interfere with the sheet metal during the push-out process and can be pushed normally to the pick-up opening, ensuring successful dispensing, reducing the risk of food pick-up failure due to tilt, improving product quality, and enhancing the user experience of the food vending machine.

[0116] Example 3

[0117] Based on the same inventive concept, this embodiment provides a food dispensing control device applied to a food vending machine, which can be used to implement the food dispensing control method described in the above embodiment. This food dispensing control device can be implemented through software and / or hardware.

[0118] Figure 7 This is a structural block diagram of the meal dispensing control device provided in an embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 7 As shown, the device includes:

[0119] The first control module 71 is used to respond to the food pick-up command and control the food pick-up platform to move to the food dispensing position corresponding to the target food item;

[0120] The detection module 72 is used to detect the degree of tilt of the target meal during the process of pushing the target meal to the food collection platform;

[0121] The second control module 73 is used to level the target food item by controlling the delivery channel and / or the food collection platform until the tilt of the target food item meets the requirements and the target food item is pushed into place.

[0122] Optionally, the detection module 72 includes:

[0123] The first detection unit is used to detect the push progress of the target meal;

[0124] The second detection unit is used to detect the weight difference between the first part and the second part of the food collection platform. The food collection platform is provided with a central axis along the direction in which the target food is pushed to the food collection platform. The central axis divides the food collection platform into the first part and the second part.

[0125] The first determining unit is used to determine the tilt degree of the target meal based on the pushing progress and the weight difference.

[0126] Optionally, the first determining unit is specifically used for:

[0127] When the push progress indicates that a portion of the target meal has been pushed to the food pickup platform, it is determined whether the weight difference is greater than a preset threshold.

[0128] If the weight difference is greater than the preset threshold, it is determined that the target food is at the first tilt level and does not meet the requirements.

[0129] If the weight difference is less than or equal to the preset threshold, it is determined that the tilt of the target meal meets the requirements, and the target meal continues to be pushed to the food collection platform.

[0130] Optionally, a first photoelectric sensor is installed on the side of the food collection platform near the food dispensing location. The transmitting end and receiving end of the first photoelectric sensor are symmetrically arranged. When the receiving end of the first photoelectric sensor receives a signal, it is determined that a portion of the target food has been pushed to the food collection platform.

[0131] Optionally, the first part of the food collection platform is equipped with a first gravity sensor for detecting the weight of items placed on the first part; the second part of the food collection platform is equipped with a second gravity sensor for detecting the weight of items placed on the second part.

[0132] Optionally, each food dispensing position in the food vending machine is provided with a parallel first channel and a second channel. Part of any food item is located on the first channel and part is located on the second channel. The first channel corresponds to the first part of the food collection platform, and the second channel corresponds to the second part of the food collection platform.

[0133] The second control module 73 includes:

[0134] The second determining unit is used to determine the smaller weight portion in the first and second parts of the food collection platform when the target food is at a first tilt angle.

[0135] The first control unit is used to control the channel corresponding to the lighter portion to move towards the food collection platform until the weight difference between the first and second portions of the food collection platform is less than or equal to a preset threshold, and then continue to push the target food to the food collection platform.

[0136] Optionally, the first determining unit is specifically used for:

[0137] When the push progress is such that an item is detected on the side of the food collection platform away from the food serving location, and an item is also detected on the side of the food collection platform closer to the food serving location, and the weight difference is less than or equal to a preset threshold, it is determined that the target food is at the second tilt level and does not meet the requirements.

[0138] When the push progress is such that an item is detected on the side of the food pick-up platform away from the food serving location, and no item is detected on the side of the food pick-up platform closer to the food serving location, and the weight difference is less than or equal to a preset threshold, it is determined that the tilt degree of the target food meets the requirements and the target food is pushed into place.

[0139] Optionally, a second photoelectric sensor is installed on the side of the food pick-up platform away from the food serving position. The transmitting end and receiving end of the second photoelectric sensor are symmetrically arranged. When the receiving end of the second photoelectric sensor receives a signal, it is determined that there is an item on the side of the food pick-up platform away from the food serving position.

[0140] Optionally, the second control module 73 includes:

[0141] The second control unit is configured to, when the target food item is at a second tilt angle, control the food retrieval platform to move a preset distance in a preset direction or in the opposite direction of the preset direction, wherein the preset direction is perpendicular to the depth direction of the cargo channel; and then return to the step of detecting the tilt angle of the target food item.

[0142] Optionally, the above-mentioned food dispensing control device further includes: an output module, which is used to output a fault prompt message if, after controlling the food dispensing platform to move a preset distance in the preset placement direction, the food dispensing platform moves continuously in the same direction a preset number of times, but the target food is still in the second tilt position.

[0143] Optionally, the above-mentioned food dispensing control device further includes:

[0144] The receiving module is used to receive the automatic leveling command before responding to the food pick-up command;

[0145] The reversal control module is used to control the reversal of all cargo channels to perform preliminary leveling of all food items placed in the cabinet.

[0146] The above-described food dispensing control device can execute the food dispensing control method provided in the embodiments of the present invention, and has the corresponding functional modules and beneficial effects of the method. Technical details not described in detail in this embodiment can be found in the food dispensing control method provided in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0147] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0148] Example 4

[0149] This embodiment provides a food vending machine, including the food dispensing control device described in the above embodiment.

[0150] Example 5

[0151] This embodiment provides an electronic device, including: a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the steps of the method described in the above embodiment.

[0152] Example 6

[0153] This embodiment provides a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium on which a computer program is stored, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the method described in the above embodiment.

[0154] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each embodiment can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms, and of course, it can also be implemented by hardware. Based on this understanding, the above technical solutions, in essence or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments or some parts of the embodiments.

[0155] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling meal dispensing, applied to a food vending machine, characterized in that, include: In response to a food pickup instruction, the food pickup platform is controlled to move to the food dispensing location corresponding to the target food item; During the process of pushing the target meal to the food collection platform, the tilt degree of the target meal is detected; The target food item is leveled by controlling the delivery channel and / or the food collection platform until the tilt of the target food item meets the requirements and the target food item is pushed into place; Detecting the tilt degree of the target food item includes: Detect the push progress of the target meal; The weight difference between the first part and the second part of the food collection platform is detected. A central axis is set along the direction in which the target food is pushed to the food collection platform, and the central axis divides the food collection platform into the first part and the second part. The tilt degree of the target food item is determined based on the push progress and the weight difference, including: when the push progress is such that an item is detected on the side of the food pick-up platform away from the food serving position, and an item is also detected on the side of the food pick-up platform closer to the food serving position, and the weight difference is less than or equal to a preset threshold, the target food item is determined to be at a second tilt degree, which does not meet the requirements; when the push progress is such that an item is detected on the side of the food pick-up platform away from the food serving position, and no item is detected on the side of the food pick-up platform closer to the food serving position, and the weight difference is less than or equal to a preset threshold, the tilt degree of the target food item meets the requirements and the target food item is pushed into place.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Based on the pushing progress and the weight difference, the tilt degree of the target meal is determined, including: When the push progress indicates that a portion of the target meal has been pushed to the food pickup platform, it is determined whether the weight difference is greater than a preset threshold. If the weight difference is greater than the preset threshold, it is determined that the target food is at the first tilt level and does not meet the requirements. If the weight difference is less than or equal to the preset threshold, it is determined that the tilt of the target meal meets the requirements, and the target meal continues to be pushed to the food collection platform.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, A first photoelectric sensor is installed on the side of the food collection platform near the food dispensing location. The transmitting end and receiving end of the first photoelectric sensor are symmetrically arranged. When the receiving end of the first photoelectric sensor receives a signal, it is determined that a portion of the target food has been pushed to the food collection platform.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first part of the food pick-up platform is equipped with a first gravity sensor for detecting the weight of the items placed on the first part; The second part of the food collection platform is equipped with a second gravity sensor to detect the weight of the items placed on the second part.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each food dispensing position in the food vending machine is equipped with a parallel first and second channel. Part of any food item is located on the first channel and part is located on the second channel. The first channel corresponds to the first part of the food collection platform, and the second channel corresponds to the second part of the food collection platform. The target food item is leveled by controlling the delivery channel and / or the food collection platform until the tilt of the target food item meets the requirements and the target food item is pushed into place, including: When the target food item is at a first tilt angle, the portion with the smaller weight is determined in the first and second portions of the food collection platform; The guideway corresponding to the lighter portion is controlled to move towards the food collection platform until the weight difference between the first and second portions of the food collection platform is less than or equal to a preset threshold, and the target food is then pushed onto the food collection platform.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, A second photoelectric sensor is installed on the side of the food pick-up platform away from the food serving position. The transmitting end and receiving end of the second photoelectric sensor are symmetrically arranged. When the receiving end of the second photoelectric sensor receives a signal, it is determined that there is an item on the side of the food pick-up platform away from the food serving position.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The target food item is leveled by controlling the delivery channel and / or the food collection platform until the tilt of the target food item meets the requirements and the target food item is pushed into place, including: When the target food item is at a second tilt angle, the food retrieval platform is controlled to move a preset distance in a preset direction or in the opposite direction of the preset direction, wherein the preset direction is perpendicular to the depth direction of the cargo channel; Then return to the step of detecting the tilt degree of the target food.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, After controlling the food collection platform to move a preset distance in a preset placement direction, the method further includes: If the food pickup platform moves continuously in the same direction a preset number of times, but the target food is still at the second tilt level, a fault prompt message will be output.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, Before responding to a food pickup instruction, it also includes: Receive automatic leveling command; Control all cargo channels to reverse, in order to initially level all the food items placed in the cabinet.

10. A food dispensing control device, applied to a food vending machine, characterized in that, include: The first control module is used to respond to the food pick-up command and control the food pick-up platform to move to the food dispensing position corresponding to the target food item; The detection module is used to detect the degree of tilt of the target meal during the process of pushing the target meal to the food collection platform; The second control module is used to level the target food item by controlling the cargo channel and / or the food collection platform until the tilt of the target food item meets the requirements and the target food item is pushed into place. The detection module includes: The first detection unit is used to detect the push progress of the target meal; The second detection unit is used to detect the weight difference between the first part and the second part of the food collection platform. The food collection platform is provided with a central axis along the direction in which the target food is pushed to the food collection platform. The central axis divides the food collection platform into the first part and the second part. The first determining unit is used to determine the tilt degree of the target meal based on the pushing progress and the weight difference; The first determining unit is specifically used for: When the push progress is such that an item is detected on the side of the food collection platform away from the food serving location, and an item is also detected on the side of the food collection platform closer to the food serving location, and the weight difference is less than or equal to a preset threshold, it is determined that the target food is at the second tilt level and does not meet the requirements. When the push progress is such that an item is detected on the side of the food pick-up platform away from the food serving location, and no item is detected on the side of the food pick-up platform closer to the food serving location, and the weight difference is less than or equal to a preset threshold, it is determined that the tilt degree of the target food meets the requirements and the target food is pushed into place.

11. A food vending machine, characterized in that, include: The meal dispensing control device according to claim 10.

12. A non-volatile computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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