Express sorting device convenient for express sheet identification

Abstract

The express sorting device comprises a base, a supporting cabinet connected with the base and a scanning plate perpendicular to the supporting cabinet, the scanning plate is provided with a scanning camera and a light supplementing lamp, the base is of a hollow structure, the lower bottom face of the base is perpendicular to the supporting cabinet, and the upper top face of the base is obliquely arranged; specifically, the inner side close to the supporting cabinet is higher than the outer side, the upper top face is perpendicular to the view field angle of the scanning camera and close to the edge line of the supporting cabinet, and the upper top face intersects with the intersection line of the view field angle of the scanning camera and the supporting cabinet; a hole is formed in the middle of the upper top face of the base, the laser diffuse reflection sensor is installed in the hole, the installation angle is perpendicular to the upper top face of the base, and the laser diffuse reflection sensor is connected with the scanning camera and then connected with the industrial personal computer. A weight sensor is installed in the base and connected with the industrial personal computer. By obliquely arranging the base and additionally arranging the weight sensor, the problems of photographing light reflection and inaccurate photographing triggering are effectively avoided, and the sorting efficiency is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of express sorting devices, and in particular to an express sorting device that facilitates the identification of express delivery bills. Background Art

[0002] Express delivery sorting is an extremely important step in express logistics. Its sorting logic generally relies on the delivery information provided on the express delivery bill. With the increasing maturity of OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology, during express delivery sorting, a camera is generally used to take a picture of the express delivery bill. The delivery information on the express delivery bill is then recognized using OCR technology. The delivery direction of the express delivery is then determined and sorting instructions are given based on pre-set sorting rules. At the same time, to accelerate recognition and sorting efficiency, the camera automatically starts taking pictures when it recognizes an express delivery bill placed under the lens. A Chinese patent (publication number CN214381040U) discloses an express delivery outbound scanning all-in-one machine, which includes a base, a cabinet vertically arranged on one side of the base, an industrial computer mounted on the cabinet, and a scanning plate vertically arranged on the cabinet away from the base and opposite the base. A scanning camera connected to the industrial computer and a fill light are arranged on the scanning plate at a position opposite the base. The base and cabinet are detachably assembled, and the scanning plate is hinged to the cabinet. The above-mentioned technical solution is the conventional design of conventional warehouse scanning equipment, but in actual use, there are the following technical deficiencies: first, the thermal paper used for express delivery labels is easy to reflect light, which makes the pictures taken have bright spots. If the reflective spots are located at the key information position, it will cause information recognition errors; second, when the camera starts taking pictures automatically, the trigger for taking pictures is generally installed with a laser diffuse reflection sensor. The principle is that when the distance between the lower surface of the express package and the bottom plate is less than the set photosensitivity distance, the laser diffuse reflection sensor is triggered. When the laser diffuse reflection sensor is triggered, it sends a trigger signal to the camera. After receiving the trigger signal of the laser diffuse reflection sensor, the camera performs a shooting task. However, the express packaged with a dark outer surface has a strong absorption characteristic for light, which leads to a significant decrease in the amount of reflected light, thereby causing the laser diffuse reflection sensor to fail, so that the photo cannot be triggered in time and the sorting efficiency is reduced. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide an express sorting device that has more accurate triggering for automatic photography and has pictures that are free of reflection and easier to identify.

[0004] In order to achieve the purpose of the present invention, the following technical solutions are proposed:

[0005] A courier sorting device that facilitates the identification of courier delivery notes comprises a base, a supporting cabinet connected to the base, and a scanning plate arranged perpendicular to the supporting cabinet, wherein the scanning plate is installed with a scanning camera and a fill light, and is characterized in that: the base is a hollow structure, the lower bottom surface of which is arranged perpendicular to the supporting cabinet, and the upper top surface is inclined, specifically, the inner side close to the supporting cabinet is higher than the outer side, the upper top surface is perpendicular to the field of view of the scanning camera and close to the edge line of the supporting cabinet, and the upper top surface intersects with the intersection line of the field of view of the scanning camera and the supporting cabinet; a hole is opened in the middle of the upper top surface of the base and a laser diffuse reflection sensor is installed, and the installation angle is perpendicular to the upper top surface of the base, the laser diffuse reflection sensor is connected to the scanning camera and then connected to an industrial computer; a weight sensor is installed inside the base, and the weight sensor is connected to the industrial computer; the laser diffuse reflection sensor and the weight sensor provide signals for triggering the scanning camera to take pictures.

[0006] As a further explanation, when the upper top surface of the base is inclined, the angle α formed by the upper top surface and the lower bottom surface is calculated as follows:

[0007] α=0.5×FOV

[0008] Where FOV is the field of view of the scanning camera. After the angle α is determined, the height h from the scanning camera to the intersection of the upper surface of the base and the support cabinet, and the vertical distance w from the center point of the scanning camera to the support cabinet, are related by:

[0009] tanα=w / h.

[0010] By scanning the camera's field of view (FOV), the included angle α is determined. The height of the support cabinet is determined based on demand. Finally, the installation position of the scanning camera on the scanning panel is determined based on the constraint relationship of tanα. This ensures that the edge line of the scanning camera's field of view near the support cabinet forms a perpendicular relationship with the top surface of the base. When the package is placed on the base, there will be no reflection on the express delivery label during scanning and photographing, and the captured image is easier to identify, thereby improving sorting efficiency.

[0011] As a further explanation, a display screen is installed on the front of the support cabinet, which is used to display relevant information for express delivery bill identification and sorting.

[0012] As a further explanation, the industrial computer is also connected to a printer for printing relevant information of express sorting.

[0013] As a further illustration, the present invention uses a laser diffuse reflection sensor and a weight sensor to trigger a scanning camera to take a picture as follows:

[0014] S1: When the distance between the lower surface of the express package and the bottom plate is less than the set light-sensitive distance, the laser diffuse reflection sensor is triggered. When the laser diffuse reflection sensor is triggered, it sends a trigger signal to the scanning camera to perform a shooting task;

[0015] S2. If the laser diffuse reflection sensor is not triggered, but the weight value of the weight sensor changes, its initial weight value is G1, and the changed weight value is G2. The industrial computer calculates that when G2-G1>3g, and G2 remains unchanged for 0.1-0.5 seconds, the industrial computer instructs the scanning camera to perform a shooting task.

[0016] By adding a weight sensor to supplement the triggering rules of the laser diffuse reflection sensor, we effectively prevent the laser diffuse reflection sensor from malfunctioning due to packages with dark outer surfaces, thereby improving sorting efficiency. Furthermore, the weight sensor can also collect the weight of the package, providing weight parameters for express sorting rules, allowing for the development of more refined sorting rules and improving sorting efficiency.

[0017] As a further explanation, the top surface of the base is provided with anti-slip material to ensure that the express package does not slide when placed on the base, so as to facilitate shooting and focusing.

[0018] As a further explanation, the industrial computer is used to identify the pictures taken by the scanning camera, generate sorting information according to the sorting rules, and instruct the printer to print the sorting information into a label.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following technical advancements:

[0020] First, because the base is tilted, the strong light reflected by the fill light on the face sheet will not directly enter the scanning camera due to the angle, thereby effectively avoiding the formation of bright spots in the captured image and improving image recognition efficiency.

[0021] Secondly, the shooting range covered by the field of view will shrink as the height of the package increases. After the base is tilted, the vertical setting of the top surface of the base and the edge of the field of view of the scanning camera makes it possible to expand the shooting range of tilted packages at the same height, fully utilize the effective shooting space, and further improve the shooting, identification and sorting efficiency.

[0022] Third, if the scanning plate and the base are set in parallel, the fill light will illuminate the laser diffuse reflection sensor set on the bottom plate vertically, causing the fill light light to interfere with the laser diffuse reflection sensor's judgment of its own reflected light, triggering the shooting task at an inappropriate time. The tilted setting of the base can effectively avoid this problem.

[0023] Fourthly, by adding a weight sensor, the triggering rules of the laser diffuse reflection sensor are supplemented, which effectively prevents the failure of the laser diffuse reflection sensor caused by dark outer surface packages and improves sorting efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of component connections according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] The numbers in the figure are: 1, base; 11, upper top surface; 12, lower bottom surface; 13, laser diffuse reflection sensor; 2, support cabinet; 21, display screen; 3, scanning panel; 31, scanning camera. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0028] Combine Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a side structural diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. The sorting device of the embodiment of the present invention includes a base 1, a supporting cabinet 2 connected to the base 1, and a scanning plate 3 arranged perpendicular to the supporting cabinet 2. The scanning plate 3 is installed with a scanning camera 31 and a fill light. The base 1 is a hollow structure, and its lower bottom surface 12 is arranged perpendicular to the supporting cabinet 2. The upper top surface 11 is inclined, specifically, the inner side close to the supporting cabinet 2 is higher than the outer side. The upper top surface 11 is perpendicular to the field of view of the scanning camera 31 and is close to the edge line of the supporting cabinet 2. At this time, the edge line of the field of view of the scanning camera 31 close to the supporting cabinet 2 intersects at the junction of the supporting cabinet 2 and the upper top surface 11.

[0029] The reason why the upper top surface 11 is close to the side of the support cabinet 2 and the field of view of the scanning camera 31 is arranged perpendicular to the edge line of the support cabinet 2 is that the packaging boxes of the packages are generally rectangular. When the package is placed on the upper top surface 11, it can be ensured that the top surface of the package with the express delivery label must be within the field of view of the scanning camera 31. When this angle is less than 90 degrees, the field of view will not be able to completely cover the top surface of the package. When this angle is greater than 90 degrees, part of the edge range of the field of view will not be able to capture the top surface of the package, resulting in invalid waste of the field of view.

[0030] When the upper top surface 11 of the base 1 is tilted, the angle α formed between the upper top surface 11 and the lower bottom surface 12 is calculated as follows:

[0031] α=0.5×FOV

[0032] Where FOV is the field of view of the scanning camera 31. Based on the specifications of commonly used scanning cameras 31, the value of α is 10-15°. When the height h from the scanning camera 31 to the intersection of the upper surface 11 of the base 1 and the support cabinet 2 and the field of view FOV of the scanning camera 31 are determined, the vertical distance w from the center point of the scanning camera 31 to the support cabinet 2 is calculated as follows:

[0033] w=h×tanα

[0034] By scanning the field of view FOV of the camera 31, the angle α is determined, and then the height h of the support cabinet is determined according to the needs. Then, the size of w is determined according to the constraint relationship of tanα, that is, the installation position of the scanning camera 31 on the scanning panel 3, so that the edge line of the field of view of the scanning camera 31 close to the side of the support cabinet forms a vertical relationship with the top surface 11 of the base 1. When the package is placed on the base 1, there will be no reflection on the express delivery label during scanning and shooting, and the captured picture is easier to identify, thereby improving the sorting efficiency.

[0035] Combine Figure 1 and Figure 2 The upper surface 11 of the base 1 has a hole in the middle and is equipped with a laser diffuse reflection sensor 13, which is installed at a perpendicular angle to the upper surface 11 of the base 1. The laser diffuse reflection sensor 13 is connected to the scanning camera 31, instructing the scanning camera 31 to perform a shooting task, and then connected to the industrial computer to upload the captured image data to the industrial computer for identification. A weight sensor is installed inside the base 11, and the weight sensor is connected to the industrial computer, which is then connected to the scanning camera 31 to instruct the scanning camera to perform a shooting task. Specifically, the specific process of the scanning camera 31 and the weight sensor cooperating to instruct the shooting task is as follows:

[0036] S1: When the distance between the lower surface of the express package and the bottom plate is less than the set light-sensitive distance, the laser diffuse reflection sensor 13 is triggered. When the laser diffuse reflection sensor 13 is triggered, it sends a trigger signal to the scanning camera 31 to perform a shooting task;

[0037] S2. If the laser diffuse reflection sensor 13 is not triggered, but the weight value of the weight sensor changes, its initial weight value is G1, and the changed weight value is G2. The industrial computer calculates that when G2-G1>3g, and G2 remains unchanged for 0.1-0.5 seconds, the industrial computer instructs the scanning camera 31 to perform a shooting task.

[0038] By adding a weight sensor to supplement the triggering rules of the laser diffuse reflection sensor 13, the problem of laser diffuse reflection sensor 13 malfunctioning due to packages with dark outer surfaces is effectively prevented, thereby improving sorting efficiency. Furthermore, the weight sensor can also collect the weight of the package, providing weight parameters for express sorting rules, allowing for the development of more refined sorting rules and improving sorting efficiency.

[0039] In addition, the sorting device of this embodiment of the present invention also includes a display screen 21 mounted on the front of the support cabinet 2. Display screen 21 is used to display information related to express delivery label recognition and sorting. A printer is also connected to the industrial computer via the industrial computer. Sorting rule information generated by the industrial computer, such as express station information and pickup code, is printed out on a label and affixed to the package. Of course, the printer can also be integrated into the sorting device itself.

[0040] The present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, including its methods, steps, and effects. However, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the above specific embodiments. Any variations, substitutions, improvements, or equivalents based on the basic principles of the present invention, using the same or similar technical means as the present invention, and capable of achieving the same or similar technical effects shall be deemed to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A courier sorting device for facilitating express delivery bill identification, comprising a base, a support cabinet connected to the base, and a scanning plate disposed perpendicular to the support cabinet, the scanning plate being equipped with a scanning camera and a fill light, characterized in that: The base is a hollow structure, with its lower bottom surface perpendicular to the supporting cabinet and its upper top surface inclined, specifically, the inner side close to the supporting cabinet is higher than the outer side, the upper top surface is perpendicular to the field of view of the scanning camera and close to the edge line of the supporting cabinet, and the upper top surface intersects with the intersection line of the field of view of the scanning camera and the supporting cabinet; a hole is opened in the middle of the upper top surface of the base and a laser diffuse reflection sensor is installed, and the installation angle is perpendicular to the upper top surface of the base, the laser diffuse reflection sensor is connected to the scanning camera and then connected to the industrial computer; a weight sensor is installed inside the base, and the weight sensor is connected to the industrial computer; the laser diffuse reflection sensor and the weight sensor provide signals for triggering the scanning camera to take pictures.

2. The express sorting device for facilitating express delivery bill identification according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the upper top surface of the base is inclined, the angle α formed by the upper top surface and the lower bottom surface is calculated as follows: α=0.5×FOV FOV is the field of view of the scanning camera.

3. The express sorting device for facilitating express delivery bill identification according to claim 2, characterized in that: After the angle α is determined, the height h from the scanning camera to the intersection of the upper surface of the base and the support cabinet, and the vertical distance w from the center point of the scanning camera to the support cabinet are related to each other as follows: tanα=w / h.

4. The express sorting device for facilitating express delivery bill identification according to claim 1, characterized in that: A display screen is installed on the front of the support cabinet, and the display screen is used to display relevant information for express delivery bill identification and sorting.

5. The express sorting device for facilitating express delivery bill identification according to claim 1, characterized in that: The industrial computer is also connected to a printer for printing relevant information of express sorting.

6. The express sorting device for facilitating express delivery bill identification according to claim 1, characterized in that: The implementation process of the laser diffuse reflection sensor and weight sensor triggering the scanning camera to take pictures is as follows: S1: When the distance between the lower surface of the express package and the bottom plate is less than the set light-sensitive distance, the laser diffuse reflection sensor is triggered. When the laser diffuse reflection sensor is triggered, it sends a trigger signal to the scanning camera to perform a shooting task; S2. If the laser diffuse reflection sensor is not triggered, but the weight value of the weight sensor changes, its initial weight value is G1, and the changed weight value is G2. The industrial computer calculates that when G2-G1>3g, and G2 remains unchanged for 0.1-0.5 seconds, the industrial computer instructs the scanning camera to perform a shooting task.

7. The express sorting device for facilitating express delivery bill identification according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top surface of the base is provided with anti-slip material to ensure that the express package does not slide when placed on the base, so as to facilitate shooting and focusing.

8. The express sorting device for facilitating express delivery bill identification according to claim 1, characterized in that: The industrial computer is used to identify the pictures taken by the scanning camera, generate sorting information according to the sorting rules, and instruct the printer to print the sorting information into a label.

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