Method and equipment for determining position of propelling part and storage medium

Abstract

The invention discloses a position determining method and device of a propelling part and a storage medium, and relates to the technical field of conveying device monitoring. According to the method, when the spring rope is rotated and recycled by the roller, the recycling length of the spring rope is determined based on the roller sensor, then the tension value generated after the spring rope is stretched and deformed and detected by the tension sensor is obtained, the deformation length of the spring rope is determined based on the tension value, and finally the spring rope is recycled based on the deformation length and the recycling length of the spring rope. A position of the pusher is determined. According to the method, the tension change of the spring rope is accurately measured through the tension sensor, and then the deformation degree of the spring rope is determined, so that error compensation is carried out on the recovery length recorded in the process that the roller recovers the spring rope; position judgment errors caused by deformation generated in the stretching process of the spring rope are effectively reduced, and judgment on the position of the propelling piece is more accurate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of conveying device monitoring, and in particular to a method, device and storage medium for determining the position of a propulsion member. Background Art

[0002] In the modern retail industry, item pushers are widely used in various retail scenarios as an efficient management tool. Item pushers can not only effectively display goods, but also ensure that the goods on the shelves are always neatly arranged through an automatic pushing mechanism, which is convenient for customers to take. Item pushers usually adopt a design that combines spring ropes and baffles to maintain the compact arrangement of goods on the shelves. When users pull goods from the shelf, the spring rope will pull the baffle forward automatically, pushing the remaining goods to fill the gap. One end of the spring rope is connected to the roller device, which will rotate and recycle the spring rope to tighten the baffle and push the goods. By recording the length of the recovered spring rope, the position of the baffle can be calculated, and then the number of goods withdrawn can be inferred.

[0003] However, since the spring rope will undergo elastic deformation when subjected to tension, this deformation not only affects the actual length of the spring rope, but also causes a deviation between the length of the roller retracting the spring rope and the actual moving distance of the baffle, resulting in inaccurate detection of the baffle position.

[0004] The above contents are only used to assist in understanding the technical solution of the present application and do not constitute an admission that the above contents are prior art. Summary of the invention

[0005] The main purpose of the present application is to provide a method, device and storage medium for determining the position of a propulsion member, aiming to solve the technical problem of inaccurate position detection of a propulsion member in an object propeller.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application proposes a method for determining the position of a propulsion member, which is applied to an article propulsion device, wherein the article propulsion device comprises a roller sensor and a roller, wherein a spring rope is wound around the roller, and one end of the spring rope is connected to the propulsion member, wherein the method comprises: When the spring rope is recovered by the roller, the recovered length of the spring rope is determined based on the roller sensor; Obtaining the tension value generated by the spring rope after being stretched and deformed, detected by the tension sensor; Determining a deformation length of the spring rope based on the tension value; Based on the deformation length and the recovery length of the spring rope, the position of the propulsion member is determined.

[0007] In one embodiment, the step of determining the recovery length of the spring rope based on the roller sensor comprises: Acquire a pulse signal output by the roller sensor based on the rotation of the roller, wherein the number of the pulse signals is proportional to the rotation angle of the roller; The retracted length of the spring rope is determined based on the pulse signal.

[0008] In one embodiment, the step of determining the recovery length of the spring rope based on the pulse signal further comprises: Obtaining a calibrated rotation angle corresponding to the pulse signal; Determining a rotation distance of the roller based on the number of the pulse signals and the calibrated rotation angle; The retracted length of the spring rope is determined based on the rotation distance of the roller.

[0009] In one embodiment, after the step of determining the position of the propulsion member based on the deformation length and the recovery length of the spring rope, the method further comprises: Determining a moving distance of the propulsion member based on the position of the propulsion member within a preset time period; If the moving distance of the propulsion member is greater than a preset distance value, an alarm signal is generated.

[0010] In one embodiment, after the step of determining the position of the propulsion member based on the deformation length and the recovery length of the spring rope, the method further comprises: Based on the position of the pusher, the number of items in the item pusher is determined.

[0011] In one embodiment, after the step of determining the position of the propulsion member based on the deformation length and the recovery length of the spring rope, the method further comprises: When the position of the pushing member reaches the preset position of the article pusher, the step of determining the number of articles in the article pusher based on the position of the pushing member is performed; A replenishment signal is generated based on the number of items in the item pusher.

[0012] In one embodiment, after the step of obtaining the tension value generated by the spring rope after being stretched and deformed as detected by the tension sensor, the method further includes: If the pulling force value is greater than a preset pulling force threshold, the rotation speed of the roller is reduced.

[0013] In one embodiment, a counter is provided in the roller sensor, and the counter is used to determine the number of pulse signals. After the step of determining the position of the propulsion member based on the deformation length and the recovery length of the spring rope, the step further includes: receiving a reset signal; Based on the reset signal, the count value of the counter is cleared to zero.

[0014] In addition, to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application also proposes a device for determining the position of a propulsion member, the device comprising: a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory and executable on the processor, the computer program being configured to implement the steps of the method for determining the position of a propulsion member as described above.

[0015] In addition, to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application also proposes a storage medium, which is a computer-readable storage medium, and a computer program is stored on the storage medium. When the computer program is executed by the processor, the steps of the method for determining the position of the propulsion member as described above are implemented.

[0016] The present application provides a method for determining the position of a propulsion member. When a spring rope is recovered by a roller, the recovery length of the spring rope is determined based on a roller sensor, and then the tension value generated by the spring rope being stretched and deformed detected by a tension sensor is obtained, and the deformation length of the spring rope is determined based on the tension value. Finally, the position of the propulsion member is determined based on the deformation length and recovery length of the spring rope. The above method accurately measures the change in tension of the spring rope through a tension sensor, and then determines the degree of deformation of the spring rope, thereby performing error compensation on the recovery length recorded during the roller recovery of the spring rope. This method effectively reduces the position judgment error introduced by the deformation of the spring rope during the stretching process through the precise measurement of the tension sensor, making the judgment of the position of the propulsion member more accurate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a flow chart provided for the first embodiment of the method for determining the position of a propulsion member of the present application; Figure 2 A flow chart of the second embodiment of the method for determining the position of a propulsion member of the present application; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a flow chart provided for Embodiment 3 of the method for determining the position of a propulsion member of the present application; Figure 4 A flow chart of a fourth embodiment of the method for determining the position of a propulsion member of the present application; Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the device structure of the hardware operating environment involved in the method for determining the position of the propulsion member in the embodiment of the present application.

[0020] The purpose, features and advantages of this application will be further described in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the technical solutions of the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0022] In order to better understand the technical solution of the present application, a detailed description will be given below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0023] In the modern retail industry, item pushers are widely used in various retail scenarios as an efficient management tool. Item pushers can not only effectively display goods, but also ensure that the goods on the shelves are always neatly arranged through an automatic pushing mechanism, which is convenient for customers to take. Item pushers usually adopt a design that combines spring ropes and baffles to maintain the compact arrangement of goods on the shelves. When users pull goods from the shelf, the spring rope will pull the baffle forward automatically, pushing the remaining goods to fill the gap. One end of the spring rope is connected to the roller device, which will rotate and recycle the spring rope to tighten the baffle and push the goods. By recording the length of the recovered spring rope, the position of the baffle can be calculated, and then the number of goods withdrawn can be inferred.

[0024] However, since the spring rope will undergo elastic deformation when subjected to tension, this deformation not only affects the actual length of the spring rope, but also causes a deviation between the length of the roller retracting the spring rope and the actual moving distance of the baffle, resulting in inaccurate detection of the baffle position.

[0025] In view of the above problems, the present application proposes a method for determining the position of a propulsion member. When the spring rope is recovered by the roller, the recovery length of the spring rope is determined based on the roller sensor, and then the tension value generated by the spring rope being stretched and deformed detected by the tension sensor is obtained, and the deformation length of the spring rope is determined based on the tension value. Finally, the position of the propulsion member is determined based on the deformation length and recovery length of the spring rope. The above method accurately measures the tension change of the spring rope through the tension sensor, and then determines the deformation degree of the spring rope, thereby compensating the error of the recovery length recorded in the process of the roller recovering the spring rope. This method effectively reduces the position judgment error introduced by the deformation of the spring rope during the stretching process through the precise measurement of the tension sensor, making the judgment of the position of the propulsion member more accurate.

[0026] It should be noted that the execution subject of this embodiment may be a computing service device with data processing, network communication and program running functions, such as a tablet computer, a personal computer, a mobile phone, etc., or an electronic device capable of realizing the above functions, an item pusher, etc. The following takes an item pusher as an example to illustrate this embodiment and the following embodiments.

[0027] Based on this, the first embodiment of the present application provides a method for determining the position of a propulsion member, which is applied to an article propulsion device, referring to Figure 1 In this embodiment, the article pusher includes a roller sensor, a roller in the roller sensor is wound with a spring rope, one end of the spring rope is connected to the pusher, and the method for determining the position of the pusher includes steps S10 to S40: Step S10, when the spring rope is recovered by the roller, the recovered length of the spring rope is determined based on the roller sensor.

[0028] It should be noted that the roller sensor can convert the rotation of the roller into an electrical signal for detecting the rotation of the roller. When the propulsion member moves, the spring rope is recovered by the rotation of the roller. The roller sensor monitors the rotation of the roller in real time and converts the rotation information into an electrical signal. By calculating the rotation angle or number of turns of the roller, the recovered length of the spring rope can be determined.

[0029] For example, in a retail scenario, there is a receiving aisle in the item pusher for placing goods to be sold, such as beverages. When a user takes a bottle of beverage from the front end of the receiving aisle, the pusher at the rear end of the receiving aisle will push the remaining beverage in the receiving aisle to the front to fill the empty position in front. When the beverage is taken away, the spring rope connected to the pusher will be recovered through the rotation of the roller, so that the spring rope can tightly pull the pusher and allow the pusher to push the remaining beverage. In this process, by determining the rotation angle or number of turns of the roller, combined with the radius of the roller, the length of the spring rope recovered by the roller rotation can be determined.

[0030] Optionally, step S10 includes steps S11-S12: Step S11, obtaining a pulse signal output by the roller sensor based on the rotation of the roller, wherein the number of the pulse signal is proportional to the rotation angle of the roller.

[0031] Step S12, determining the recovery length of the spring rope based on the pulse signal.

[0032] It should be noted that the recovered length of the spring rope refers to the length of the spring rope pulled back during the rotation of the roller. For example, if the roller rotates one circle, the length of the spring rope pulled back is equal to the circumference of the roller.

[0033] For example, the roller sensor is installed on the axis of the roller or in a position close to the roller. When the roller rotates, the detection element inside the sensor, such as the grating in the photoelectric encoder or the Hall element in the Hall sensor, is triggered. After the detection element is triggered, the roller sensor outputs a pulse signal, which is transmitted to the processing unit through a wire. The processing unit counts the pulse signals output by the roller sensor. According to the number of pulse signals and the resolution of the sensor, that is, the number of pulses per turn, the rotation angle of the roller is calculated, and the recovery length of the spring rope is determined. For example, recovery length = rotation angle / 360° Roller circumference.

[0034] Optionally, an encoder is used as the roller sensor, and the encoder can be incremental or absolute. The incremental encoder outputs a pulse signal, and the rotation angle of the roller is determined by counting the number of pulses; the absolute encoder directly outputs a digital signal representing the current angle. The encoder is installed on the roller shaft. As the roller rotates, the encoder outputs a pulse signal, which is transmitted to a processing unit such as a microprocessor through an interface circuit. The processing unit calculates the recovery length of the spring rope based on the resolution of the encoder and the diameter or radius of the roller.

[0035] Optionally, a magnet is installed on the roller and a Hall sensor is used as the roller sensor. It is understandable that the Hall sensor does not require a complex mechanical structure. It only needs to install a magnet on the roller and install a sensor next to it, which is lower in cost than an encoder. The Hall sensor detects changes in the magnetic field. When the magnet fixed on the roller passes through the Hall sensor, a voltage pulse signal is generated. Whenever the magnet passes through the Hall sensor, the sensor outputs a pulse signal. By counting these pulse signals, the number of turns of the roller can be determined, and then the recovery length of the spring rope can be determined.

[0036] Optionally, a grating encoder is used as a roller sensor. The grating encoder is installed on the axis of the roller or in a position close to the roller. When the roller rotates, the grating disk is driven to rotate at the same speed. The grating disk is engraved with evenly distributed stripes. When the roller rotates, the grating disk also rotates. The photosensitive element detects the change of the grating stripes and outputs a pulse signal. After the processing unit receives the pulse signal output by the grating sensor, it counts and processes it through the built-in program to calculate the rotation angle of the roller and the recovery length of the spring rope.

[0037] Optionally, a mechanical sensor such as an electric contact encoder is used as a roller sensor. When the roller rotates, the encoder disk rotates with the roller, and the contact brush on the encoder disk closes or opens the circuit as the conductive area and the insulating area on the encoder disk change. Whenever the roller rotates a certain angle, the contact brush moves from one conductive area to another conductive area, generating a pulse signal. The number of these pulse signals is proportional to the rotation angle of the roller. The processing unit receives these pulse signals and counts them, and determines the number of rotations of the roller by counting the number of pulse signals, and then calculates the recovery length of the spring rope.

[0038] Optionally, the roller sensor is configured to output pulse signals with different phases, for example, by outputting two pulse signals with a phase difference of 90 degrees to distinguish the rotation direction of the roller.

[0039] Optionally, step S12 includes steps S121 to S123: Step S121, obtaining a calibrated rotation angle corresponding to the pulse signal.

[0040] It should be noted that the calibrated rotation angle refers to the rotation angle of the roller represented by each pulse signal determined through the calibration process. For example, if the roller outputs 1000 pulses per rotation, then the calibrated rotation angle represented by each pulse is 0.36 degrees (360 degrees / 1000). The calibration process is the process of calibrating the sensor to ensure that there is an accurate correspondence between its output signal and the actual physical quantity.

[0041] For example, when the equipment is installed or maintained, the roller sensor is calibrated to determine its resolution, that is, the number of pulses per revolution. The calibrated rotation angle corresponding to each pulse signal is obtained by dividing one revolution of the roller by the resolution of the sensor.

[0042] Step S122, determining the rotation distance of the roller based on the number of the pulse signals and the calibrated rotation angle.

[0043] Step S123, determining the recovery length of the spring rope based on the rotation distance of the roller.

[0044] It should be noted that the rotation distance of the roller refers to the linear distance corresponding to the rotation of the roller at a certain angle. For example, if the diameter of the roller is 10 cm, then for every rotation of 1 degree, the distance moved by the edge of the roller is π / 180. 10 cm.

[0045] For example, the number of pulse signals generated during the rotation of the roller is counted, the total rotation angle is obtained by multiplying the number of pulses by the calibrated rotation angle, and the rotation distance of the roller is determined according to the total rotation angle and the circumference of the roller shaft. Since the spring rope is wound around the roller, the rotation distance of the roller is directly equal to the recovery length of the spring rope.

[0046] Step S20, obtaining the tension value generated by the spring rope after being stretched and deformed, detected by the tension sensor.

[0047] Preferably, a piezoelectric sensor is used as a tension sensor to obtain the tension generated by the spring rope. It is understandable that the piezoelectric sensor works based on the piezoelectric effect, wherein the piezoelectric effect refers to the fact that certain specific crystal materials such as quartz, piezoelectric ceramics, etc., will generate electric charges on their surfaces when subjected to mechanical stress such as pressure and tension. When the piezoelectric material is subjected to a force, the charge is generated almost immediately, so the response time of the piezoelectric sensor is very short. And the piezoelectric sensor can operate within a wide frequency range, which enables them to accurately measure rapidly changing forces, i.e. dynamic forces. In the process of the spring rope being pulled, the piezoelectric sensor can detect the tension generated by the spring rope in real time, and monitor the changes in the tension, thereby improving the accuracy of the spring rope tension detection.

[0048] Exemplarily, a tension sensor is fixed at an appropriate position of the spring rope so that it can detect the tensile force of the spring rope. The sensor is connected to a data acquisition unit, and when the spring rope is stretched, the sensor detects the tension and outputs a corresponding tension value.

[0049] Step S30, determining the deformation length of the spring rope based on the tension value.

[0050] It should be noted that the deformation length of the spring rope refers to the increase in the spring rope relative to the original length after the force is applied. When the force applied to the spring rope is within a preset range, the tension applied to the spring is linearly related to the deformation length.

[0051] For example, firstly, a linear relationship between the tension value and the deformation length is established according to the material properties of the spring rope, and then the deformation length of the spring rope is determined according to the established linear relationship and the tension value.

[0052] Optionally, two tension sensors of the same or different types are installed on the article pusher. When the spring rope is recovered by the roller, the output values ​​of the two tension sensors are read at the same time and compared in real time. The difference between the tension values ​​output by the two tension sensors is compared. If the difference between the tension values ​​output by the two tension sensors is within a preset threshold, the measurement result is considered accurate. The tension values ​​output by the two tension sensors are averaged to determine the tension on the spring rope. If the difference between the tension values ​​output by the two tension sensors is greater than the preset threshold, it indicates that at least one sensor has failed or the deformation of the spring rope is no longer linearly related to the tension. At this time, an alarm message is generated to remind relevant personnel to inspect and maintain the tension sensor or the spring rope. At the same time, when a tension sensor fails, it can automatically switch to another tension sensor to ensure that the article pusher continues to work normally.

[0053] Optionally, in order to prevent the deformation length of the spring rope from no longer being in a linear relationship with the tension due to excessive force on the spring rope, which causes a large error in determining the deformation length of the spring rope, it is set to generate an alarm message when the tension value detected by the tension sensor is equal to a preset tension threshold. The preset tension threshold is less than the elastic limit of the spring rope, that is, the maximum tension that the spring rope can withstand within the linear relationship.

[0054] Step S40: determining the position of the propulsion member based on the deformation length and the recovery length of the spring rope.

[0055] Exemplarily, the position of the propulsion element can be determined by adding the spring rope recovery length and the spring deformation length to its initial position distance.

[0056] Optionally, a counter is provided in the roller sensor, and the counter is used to determine the number of pulse signals. After each determination of the position of the propulsion member, a reset signal is received, and based on the reset signal, the count value of the counter is reset to zero. By resetting the counter after each position determination, it is possible to ensure that the starting point of each measurement is accurate, thereby reducing cumulative errors and improving the accuracy of position measurement.

[0057] In this embodiment, by combining the roller sensor with the tension sensor, the actual length of the spring rope during the recovery process and the deformation length caused by stretching can be determined more accurately. Specifically, the roller sensor is responsible for recording the physical recovery length of the spring rope, and the tension sensor accurately measures the change in the tension of the spring rope, thereby determining the degree of deformation of the spring rope, thereby performing error compensation on the recovery length recorded during the roller recovery of the spring rope. This method effectively reduces the error caused by the deformation of the spring rope, making the judgment of the position of the propulsion member more accurate.

[0058] Based on the first embodiment of the present application, in the second embodiment of the present application, the same or similar contents as those in the above-mentioned embodiment 1 can refer to the above introduction, and will not be repeated later. Figure 2 After step S40, the method for determining the position of the propulsion member further includes steps S50 to S60: Step S50: determining the moving distance of the propulsion member based on the position of the propulsion member within a preset time period.

[0059] Step S60: If the moving distance of the propulsion member is greater than a preset distance value, an alarm signal is generated.

[0060] It is understandable that in the retail industry, the safety and theft prevention of goods are critical management issues. Item pushers can be used in automated vending machines, self-service checkout systems, or other merchandise dispensing devices to push goods to a location where users can take them away. When the pusher moves too far in a short period of time, it means that a large number of goods have been taken away in a short period of time, which may be an abnormal shopping behavior. Therefore, by detecting the moving distance of the pusher within a preset time period, it is possible to evaluate the speed and quantity of goods taken away by users, and generate an alarm signal when an abnormal moving distance is detected, so as to alert retailers or security personnel of possible abnormal behavior.

[0061] Exemplarily, each time the propulsion member moves, the position of the propulsion member is recorded. After each preset time period, the position change of the propulsion member is determined, and the movement distance of the propulsion member within the preset time period is calculated. The preset distance value is used to determine whether the movement of the propulsion member is within a normal range. The above calculated movement distance is compared with the preset distance value, and if the movement distance is greater than the preset distance value, an alarm signal is generated. The alarm signal can be one or more of a visual signal, an audio signal, or an information notification.

[0062] In this embodiment, by monitoring the moving distance of the pusher within a preset time period and setting a preset threshold of the moving distance, when the moving distance of the pusher within the set time period exceeds the normal range, an alarm signal is automatically generated to alert retailers or security personnel to possible abnormal shopping behaviors in the form of visual, audio or information notification. The above steps can improve the efficiency and safety of item management in the item pusher.

[0063] Based on the above embodiments of the present application, in the third embodiment of the present application, the same or similar contents as those in the above embodiments can be referred to the above introduction, and will not be described in detail later. Figure 3 After step S40, the method for determining the position of the propulsion member further includes step S70: Step S70: Determine the number of items in the item pusher based on the position of the pusher.

[0064] It is understandable that the length of the objects in the object pusher is fixed and known, so there is a direct proportional relationship between the distance pushed by the pusher each time and the number of objects.

[0065] Exemplarily, when the pusher is unloaded, the pusher is positioned at the starting position and this position is recorded as the zero point. Each time the pusher pushes an object, the sensor detects and records the new position of the pusher. Since the length of each object is fixed, each time the pusher moves the length of an object, it means that an object is pushed out. By calculating the total distance moved by the pusher from the zero point and dividing it by the length of a single object, the number of objects pushed out can be obtained. For example, assuming that the length of each object is 5 cm and the pusher moves 25 cm from the zero point, it can be determined that 5 objects are pushed out.

[0066] Optionally, when the position of the pusher reaches the preset position of the item pusher, the step of determining the number of items in the item pusher based on the position of the pusher is performed, and a replenishment signal is generated based on the number of items in the item pusher.

[0067] Exemplarily, one or more preset positions are set, which correspond to threshold values ​​of the number of items remaining in the pusher. When the pusher reaches these preset positions, it indicates that the number of items remaining in the storage channel of the item pusher is already small. At this time, a replenishment signal is generated to notify the staff that replenishment is needed to ensure that the item pusher will not stop working due to out-of-stock, thereby maintaining sales continuity.

[0068] In this embodiment, by adding a step of accurately calculating the number of items remaining in the item pusher based on the position of the pusher, the efficiency and accuracy of the inventory management of the item pusher are significantly improved. The above steps use the direct proportional relationship between the fixed length of the item and the moving distance of the pusher to achieve accurate calculation of the number of items. At the same time, by setting the preset positions, when the pusher reaches these positions, the replenishment signal is automatically triggered to ensure that the item pusher will not stop working due to out-of-stock, thereby maintaining the continuity of sales.

[0069] Based on the above embodiments of the present application, in the fourth embodiment of the present application, the same or similar contents as those in the above embodiments can be referred to the above introduction, and will not be described in detail later. Figure 4 After step S20, the method for determining the position of the propulsion member further includes step S80: Step S80: if the pulling force is greater than a preset pulling force threshold, reducing the rotation speed of the roller.

[0070] Exemplarily, a tension threshold is preset. When the tension of the detected spring rope exceeds the value, the rotation speed of the roller is automatically reduced, thereby protecting the spring rope from damage. For example, the preset tension threshold is 70% of the maximum tension of the spring rope, and the current tension value is compared with the preset tension threshold. If the current tension value is greater than the preset threshold, the input voltage or current of the roller motor is reduced by the controller, thereby reducing the rotation speed of the roller.

[0071] Optionally, when the tension exerted on the spring rope is greater than a preset tension threshold, the roller speed is reduced at a fixed ratio; or, when the tension exerted on the spring rope is greater than the preset tension threshold, the rotation speed of the roller is reduced in stages according to the difference between the tension exerted on the spring rope and the preset tension threshold; or, when the tension exerted on the spring rope is greater than the preset tension threshold, the rotation speed of the roller is dynamically adjusted by a PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative Controller) controller.

[0072] In this embodiment, when the tension on the spring rope exceeds a preset tension threshold, the roller rotation speed is automatically reduced. This improvement not only effectively prevents the spring rope from being damaged due to excessive stretching, thereby extending the service life of the item pusher and ensuring the safety of item pushers, but also reduces the shaking or scattering of items by keeping the spring rope working within a reasonable tension range. The roller speed is adjusted in stages or dynamically according to the difference between the tension and the preset threshold, thereby enhancing the adaptability and flexibility of the item pusher.

[0073] It should be noted that the above examples are only used to understand the present application and do not constitute a limitation on the method for determining the position of the propulsion member of the present application. More simple transformations based on this technical concept are all within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0074] The present application provides a device for determining the position of a propulsion member, which includes: at least one processor; and a memory that is communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein the memory stores instructions that can be executed by the at least one processor, and the instructions are executed by the at least one processor so that the at least one processor can execute the method for determining the position of the propulsion member in the above-mentioned embodiment one.

[0075] Reference below Figure 5 , which shows a schematic diagram of a structure of a device for determining the position of a pusher suitable for implementing the embodiment of the present application. The device for determining the position of a pusher in the embodiment of the present application may include but is not limited to fixed terminals such as article pushers, commodity shelves, etc. Figure 5 The position determination device of the propulsion member shown is merely an example and should not bring any limitation to the functions and scope of use of the embodiments of the present application.

[0076] like Figure 5As shown, the position determination device of the propulsion member may include a processing device 1001 (such as a central processing unit, a graphics processor, etc.), which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to the program stored in the read-only memory (ROM: Read Only Memory) 1002 or the program loaded from the storage device 1003 to the random access memory (RAM: Random Access Memory) 1004. In the RAM 1004, various programs and data required for the operation of the position determination device of the propulsion member are also stored. The processing device 1001, the ROM 1002 and the RAM 1004 are connected to each other through a bus 1005. An input / output (I / O) interface 1006 is also connected to the bus. Generally, the following systems can be connected to the I / O interface 1006: an input device 1007 including, for example, a touch screen, a touch pad, a keyboard, a mouse, an image sensor, etc.; an output device 1008 including, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD: Liquid Crystal Display), a speaker, a vibrator, etc.; a storage device 1003 including, for example, a magnetic tape, a hard disk, etc.; and a communication device 1009. The communication device 1009 can allow the position determination device of the propulsion member to communicate wirelessly or wired with other devices to exchange data. Although the figure shows the position determination device of the propulsion member with various systems, it should be understood that it is not required to implement or have all the systems shown. More or fewer systems can be implemented or have alternatively.

[0077] In particular, according to the embodiments disclosed in the present application, the process described above with reference to the flowchart can be implemented as a computer software program. For example, the embodiments disclosed in the present application include a computer program product, which includes a computer program carried on a computer-readable medium, and the computer program includes a program code for executing the method shown in the flowchart. In such an embodiment, the computer program can be downloaded and installed from a network through a communication device, or installed from a storage device 1003, or installed from a ROM 1002. When the computer program is executed by the processing device 1001, the above-mentioned functions defined in the method of the embodiment disclosed in the present application are executed.

[0078] The device for determining the position of a propeller provided by the present application adopts the method for determining the position of a propeller in the above-mentioned embodiment, and can solve the technical problem of inaccurate position detection of a propeller in an object propeller. Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the device for determining the position of a propeller provided by the present application are the same as the beneficial effects of the method for determining the position of a propeller provided by the above-mentioned embodiment, and the other technical features of the device for determining the position of a propeller are the same as the features disclosed in the method of the previous embodiment, and will not be described in detail here.

[0079] It should be understood that the various parts disclosed in this application can be implemented by hardware, software, firmware or a combination thereof. In the description of the above embodiments, specific features, structures, materials or characteristics can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0080] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the present technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

[0081] The present application provides a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions (ie, computer programs) stored thereon, and the computer-readable program instructions are used to execute the method for determining the position of a propulsion member in the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0082] The computer-readable storage medium provided in the present application may be, for example, a USB flash drive, but is not limited to electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared or semiconductor systems, systems or devices, or any combination of the above. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM: Random Access Memory), a read-only memory (ROM: Read Only Memory), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM: Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM: CD-Read Only Memory), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above. In this embodiment, the computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium containing or storing a program, which may be used by or in combination with an instruction execution system, system or device. The program code contained on the computer-readable storage medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to: wires, optical cables, RF (Radio Frequency: Radio Frequency), etc., or any suitable combination of the above.

[0083] The computer-readable storage medium may be included in the device for determining the position of the propulsion member; or may exist independently without being assembled into the device for determining the position of the propulsion member.

[0084] The computer-readable storage medium carries one or more programs, and when the one or more programs are executed by the position determination device of the pusher, the position determination device of the pusher can be written in one or more programming languages ​​or a combination thereof to write computer program codes for performing the operations of the present application, and the programming languages ​​include object-oriented programming languages, such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, and conventional procedural programming languages, such as "C" language or similar programming languages. The program code can be executed completely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, or as a separate software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or completely on a remote computer or server. In the case of a remote computer, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or can be connected to an external computer (for example, using an Internet service provider to connect through the Internet).

[0085] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the possible architecture, functions and operations of the systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present application. In this regard, each box in the flowchart or block diagram can represent a module, a program segment or a part of a code, and the module, a program segment or a part of the code contains one or more executable instructions for realizing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the box can also occur in a different order from the order marked in the accompanying drawings. For example, two boxes represented in succession can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be executed in the opposite order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each box in the block diagram and / or flowchart, and the combination of boxes in the block diagram and / or flowchart can be implemented with a dedicated hardware-based system that performs a specified function or operation, or can be implemented with a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0086] The modules involved in the embodiments described in this application may be implemented by software or hardware, wherein the name of the module does not constitute a limitation on the unit itself in some cases.

[0087] The readable storage medium provided by the present application is a computer-readable storage medium, which stores computer-readable program instructions (i.e., computer programs) for executing the above-mentioned method for determining the position of the propulsion member, and can solve the technical problem of inaccurate position detection of the propulsion member in the object propulsion device. Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the computer-readable storage medium provided by the present application are the same as the beneficial effects of the method for determining the position of the propulsion member provided by the above-mentioned embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0088] The above descriptions are only some embodiments of the present application, and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present application. All equivalent structural changes made using the contents of the present application specification and drawings under the technical concept of the present application, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for determining the position of a propulsion member, characterized in that: Applied to an article pusher, the article pusher includes a roller sensor and a roller, the roller is wound with a spring rope, one end of the spring rope is connected to a pusher, and the position determination method of the pusher includes: When the spring rope is recovered by the roller, the recovered length of the spring rope is determined based on the roller sensor; Obtaining the tension value generated by the spring rope after being stretched and deformed, detected by the tension sensor; Determining a deformation length of the spring rope based on the tension value; Based on the deformation length and the recovery length of the spring rope, the position of the propulsion member is determined.

2. The method for determining the position of a propulsion member according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of determining the recovery length of the spring rope based on the roller sensor comprises: Acquire a pulse signal output by the roller sensor based on the rotation of the roller, wherein the number of the pulse signals is proportional to the rotation angle of the roller; The retracted length of the spring rope is determined based on the pulse signal.

3. The method for determining the position of a propulsion member according to claim 2, wherein: The step of determining the recovery length of the spring rope based on the pulse signal further comprises: Obtaining a calibrated rotation angle corresponding to the pulse signal; Determining a rotation distance of the roller based on the number of the pulse signals and the calibrated rotation angle; The retracted length of the spring rope is determined based on the rotation distance of the roller.

4. The method for determining the position of a propulsion member according to claim 1, wherein: After the step of determining the position of the propulsion member based on the deformation length and the recovery length of the spring rope, the method further includes: Determining a moving distance of the propulsion member based on the position of the propulsion member within a preset time period; If the moving distance of the propulsion member is greater than a preset distance value, an alarm signal is generated.

5. The method for determining the position of a propulsion member according to claim 1, wherein: After the step of determining the position of the propulsion member based on the deformation length and the recovery length of the spring rope, the method further includes: Based on the position of the pusher, the number of items in the item pusher is determined.

6. The method for determining the position of a propulsion member according to claim 5, characterized in that: After the step of determining the position of the propulsion member based on the deformation length and the recovery length of the spring rope, the method further includes: When the position of the pushing member reaches the preset position of the article pusher, the step of determining the number of articles in the article pusher based on the position of the pushing member is performed; A replenishment signal is generated based on the number of items in the item pusher.

7. The method for determining the position of a propulsion member according to claim 1, wherein: After the step of obtaining the tension value generated by the spring rope after being stretched and deformed as detected by the tension sensor, the method further includes: If the pulling force value is greater than a preset pulling force threshold, the rotation speed of the roller is reduced.

8. The method for determining the position of a propulsion member according to claim 1, wherein: The roller sensor is provided with a counter, and the counter is used to determine the number of pulse signals. After the step of determining the position of the propulsion member based on the deformation length and the recovery length of the spring rope, the method further includes: receiving a reset signal; Based on the reset signal, the count value of the counter is cleared to zero.

9. A device for determining the position of a propulsion member, characterized in that: The device comprises: a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the computer program is configured to implement the steps of the method for determining the position of a propulsion member according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A storage medium, characterized in that: The storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, and a computer program is stored on the storage medium. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method for determining the position of a propulsion member according to any one of claims 1 to 8 are implemented.

Images