Material detection system

Abstract

The invention provides a material detection system capable of detecting materials without using identification information of the materials. The material detection system according to the present invention determines whether or not a material is disposed at a predetermined position, and is provided with: a transmission unit that transmits a wireless signal; a reception unit that receives the wireless signal transmitted from the transmission unit via a wireless communication path; and a calculation unit that determines whether or not the material is disposed at a predetermined position by detecting that the material attenuates the wireless signal on the wireless communication path on the basis of a change in the signal strength of the wireless signal received by the reception unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a material detection system. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, technologies for identifying skids in automobile manufacturing plants and other similar facilities have been disclosed. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a handling and unloading determination device that identifies skids being handled by a forklift and those not being handled. In Patent Document 1, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are affixed to each surface of the pallet, and the forklift is equipped with a reader for reading information from the RFID tags and a skid determination unit. The skid determination unit summarizes the data received from the RFID tags by the reader at regular intervals and determines the handling skid based on the number of RFID tag responses and their strength per unit time.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-100472 Summary of the Invention

[0004] In the handling and loading determination device described in Patent Document 1, although RFID tags are affixed to each surface of the pallet, the types of pallets used in the logistics process are numerous, and the owners of the pallets are both inside and outside the company. Therefore, within the factory, there may be pallets without identification tags, or even if identification tags are affixed to the pallets, their communication standards may differ for each pallet. In this situation, there is a risk that the identification information of the materials, including the pallets, may not be available to identify the materials.

[0005] This invention was made to solve this problem, and its purpose is to provide a material detection system that can detect materials without using material identification information.

[0006] The material detection system of the present invention determines whether a material is positioned at a predetermined location. The system comprises: a transmitting unit that transmits a wireless signal; a receiving unit that receives the wireless signal transmitted from the transmitting unit via a wireless communication path; and a processing unit that determines whether the material is positioned at a predetermined location by detecting changes in the signal strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit and by detecting that the material causes the wireless signal to attenuate along the wireless communication path. Thus, if the material is positioned at a predetermined location, and the material causes the wireless signal to attenuate, the processing unit detects this attenuation, allowing the material detection system to detect the material without using material identification information.

[0007] Invention Effects

[0008] According to the present invention, a material detection system is provided that can detect materials without using material identification information. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing the structure of the material detection system 1 according to this embodiment.

[0010] Figure 2 This is an example of the signal strength-related information stored in the signal strength master data 7.

[0011] Figure 3 This is an example of the screen displayed by the material presence / absence display unit 9.

[0012] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the structure of the material detection system 1.

[0013] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the structure of the material detection system 1.

[0014] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the structure of the material detection system 1. Detailed Implementation

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, "material" refers to a part for a finished product such as an automobile, or a parts container holding the part. Furthermore, the material includes a pallet. That is, the material includes a pallet holding the part or parts container, or an empty pallet.

[0016] Pallets can be made of metal, plastic, or wood. Furthermore, pallets can incorporate metal, plastic, or wood as a constituent material. Additionally, a portion of the pallet can be made of metal, plastic, or wood. Here, a metal pallet may be, for example, made of iron or aluminum. Moreover, pallets can be box pallets, cage pallets, or flat pallets. Pallets can be skid-mounted.

[0017] In this embodiment, when a wireless signal is about to pass through the material, at least a portion of the material is formed from a raw material that attenuates the wireless signal. To achieve this function, a portion of the material may be formed from a raw material that shields or blocks the wireless signal. Furthermore, at least a portion of the material may be formed from a raw material that reflects or absorbs the wireless signal incident on the material. Moreover, at least a portion of the material in this embodiment may be formed from a raw material that reduces the signal strength of the wireless signal.

[0018] Figure 1This is a block diagram illustrating the structure of the material detection system 1 according to this embodiment. The material detection system 1 includes a sending unit 2, a receiving unit 3, a signal processing unit 4, an arithmetic unit 5, a data storage unit 6, a signal strength master data unit 7, a material presence / absence display processing unit 8, a material presence / absence display unit 9, and a heightening structure 10 (see reference). Figure 4 and Figure 5 Material detection system 1 is a system for determining (detecting) whether materials are placed in a designated location. Here, the "designated location" for placing materials can be any location within a designated flat area, on a shelf, on a belt conveyor, on the forklift fork, or any other location within a logistics warehouse. The location where materials are placed will be referred to as a storage area. Within the storage area, in addition to the materials, the various components of material detection system 1 can also be placed. Material detection system 1 can target one or more storage areas.

[0019] Transmitting unit 2 is a device that transmits wireless signals within a certain range according to a prescribed communication standard. The wireless signal transmitted by transmitting unit 2 can be radio waves or infrared light. For example, the communication standard used by transmitting unit 2 can be any one of Bluetooth (registered trademark), BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) (registered trademark), or ZigBee (registered trademark). Transmitting unit 2 can be a short-range wireless communication device such as a beacon. Transmitting unit 2 can include information about the storage area it targets in the wireless signal, or it can include its identification information in the wireless signal, or it can not include any information in the wireless signal.

[0020] When there are no obstacles on the wireless communication path between the transmitting unit 2 and its corresponding receiving unit 3, the signal strength of the wireless signal transmitted by the transmitting unit 2 should be strong enough that the receiving unit 3 can receive the wireless signal. That is, when there are obstacles on the wireless communication path, the signal strength of the wireless signal transmitted by the transmitting unit 2 can be reduced to a level that the receiving unit 3 cannot receive the wireless signal.

[0021] There can be multiple sending units 2 or just one. That is, sending units 2 can be set up for each storage area, or one sending unit 2 can be set up for multiple storage areas.

[0022] The transmitter 2 can be installed on the floor, wall, or ceiling of the storage area, or it can be suspended from above the storage area. Furthermore, the transmitter 2 can be installed to the side of the material placement location within the storage area. When the transmitter 2 is installed on the floor of the storage area, it can be placed on the ground or buried in the floor. Even when the transmitter 2 is buried, the receiver 3 corresponding to the transmitter 2 should be able to receive the wireless signal from the transmitter 2 as long as there are no obstacles in the wireless communication path. For example, when the transmitter 2 is installed on the floor of the storage area, the material targeted by the transmitter 2 can be positioned directly above the transmitter 2. In other words, the transmitter 2 can be positioned on the ground opposite the bottom surface of the material.

[0023] The receiving unit 3 is a device for receiving wireless signals transmitted from the transmitting unit 2 via a wireless communication path. That is, the receiving unit 3 has the function of receiving wireless signals transmitted by the transmitting unit 2 according to a prescribed communication standard. When the transmitting unit 2 includes storage area information or its identification information in the wireless signal, the receiving unit 3 can receive this information along with the wireless signal. The receiving unit 3 then transmits the received wireless signal to the signal processing unit 4. The receiving unit 3 is, for example, a beacon receiver.

[0024] There can be multiple receiving units 3 or just one. That is, the receiving units 3 can be set for each storage area, or one receiving unit 3 can be set to target multiple storage areas. When the number of receiving units 3 is less than the number of transmitting units 2, the transmitting units 2 can include information about the storage area targeted by the transmitting unit 2 or the identification information of the transmitting unit 2 in the wireless signal.

[0025] The receiving unit 3 can be suspended from above the storage area, or it can be installed on the ceiling, floor, or wall of the storage area. Furthermore, the receiving unit 3 can be installed to the side of the material placement location in the storage area. Here, the material targeted by the transmitting unit 2 and the receiving unit 3 is arranged on the wireless communication path between the receiving unit 3 and the corresponding transmitting unit 2. That is, the receiving unit 3 is configured to have the target material arranged on the wireless communication path between itself and the corresponding transmitting unit 2.

[0026] For example, if the transmitting unit 2 is located on the ground of the storage area, the receiving unit 3 corresponding to the transmitting unit 2 can be suspended from above the storage area. In this case, the target material is positioned on the wireless communication path between the transmitting unit 2 and the receiving unit 3. Furthermore, for example, if the transmitting unit 2 is located to the side of the material's placement position in the storage area, the receiving unit 3 corresponding to the transmitting unit 2 can be positioned on the opposite side, with the material in between. In this case, the target material is positioned on the wireless communication path between the transmitting unit 2 and the receiving unit 3.

[0027] The signal processing unit 4 is a software program that performs prescribed signal processing on the wireless signal received by the receiving unit 3. For example, the signal processing unit 4 extracts information about the signal strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit 3. Furthermore, the signal processing unit 4 can extract information about the storage area or the identification information of the transmitting unit 2 contained in the wireless signal received by the receiving unit 3. The signal processing unit 4 then sends this information to the arithmetic unit 5. The signal processing unit 4 can be set for each receiving unit 3, one unit for every few receiving units 3, or one unit for all receiving units 3.

[0028] The calculation unit 5 is a software program that receives information related to the wireless signal received by the receiving unit 3 from the signal processing unit 4, and determines whether the material is placed in the storage area based on changes in the signal strength of the wireless signal. In other words, the calculation unit 5 determines whether the material is placed in a specified position based on changes in the signal strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit 3. The calculation unit 5 can be set for each receiving unit 3, for every few receiving units 3, or one unit can be set for all receiving units 3. The calculation unit 5 sends the determination result to the material presence / absence display processing unit 8. For example, the calculation unit 5 sends the determination result of whether the material is placed in each storage area to the material presence / absence display processing unit 8.

[0029] The calculation unit 5 determines whether the material is placed in a designated location by detecting the attenuation of the wireless signal caused by the material on the wireless communication path. That is, the material is placed in the storage area, which is on the wireless communication path between the transmitting unit 2 and the receiving unit 3. Here, at least a portion of the material involved in this embodiment is formed from raw materials that attenuate the wireless signal. Therefore, by placing the material in the storage area, the signal strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit 3 is reduced compared to the case where the material is not placed in the storage area. The calculation unit 5 determines whether the material is placed in the storage area based on the reduction in the wireless signal strength.

[0030] Here, depending on the material disposed on the wireless communication path between the transmitting unit 2 and the receiving unit 3, the signal strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit 3 may not decrease compared to the case where the material is not disposed in the storage area. That is, the calculation unit 5 can determine whether the material is disposed in the storage area if the material causes the signal strength of the wireless signal to decrease.

[0031] For example, if the signal strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit 3 is lower than a predetermined threshold relative to the signal strength of the wireless signal transmitted by the transmitting unit 2, the calculation unit 5 can determine that materials are stored in the storage area corresponding to the transmitting unit 2 and the receiving unit 3. In this case, if the signal strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit 3 remains lower than the threshold for a predetermined period of time, the calculation unit 5 can determine that materials are stored in the storage area.

[0032] The data storage unit 6 is composed of storage devices such as hard disks and flash memory. The data storage unit 6 can store data related to storage areas, data related to materials, data related to the sending unit 2, or data related to the receiving unit 3. Specifically, the data storage unit 6 can store identification information for each storage area, identification information for the sending unit 2, or identification information for the receiving unit 3. Furthermore, the data storage unit 6 can establish and store this information in an associated manner. For example, the data storage unit 6 can store the correspondence between each storage area and the corresponding sending unit 2 and receiving unit 3 as data.

[0033] The signal strength master data 7 is composed of storage devices such as hard disks and flash memory. When materials are placed in each storage area, the signal strength master data 7 stores information related to the signal strength of the wireless signal corresponding to that material received by the receiving unit 3. For example, the signal strength master data 7 may store threshold information related to the signal strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit 3. Specifically, the signal strength master data 7 may store threshold information such as the degree to which the signal strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit 3 decreases relative to the signal strength of the wireless signal transmitted by the transmitting unit 2, at which point it is determined that materials are placed in the storage area.

[0034] Figure 2 This shows an example of the information stored in the signal strength master data 7. Figure 2 This is an example of signal strength-related information stored in the signal strength master data 7. Figure 2 In this configuration, two storage areas containing materials are designated. Furthermore, the signal strength master data 7 stores a ratio threshold of the signal strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit 3 in each storage area. That is, the signal strength master data 7 stores a threshold regarding a ratio, which is the ratio of the signal strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit 3 to the signal strength of the wireless signal transmitted by the transmitting unit 2. For example, in... Figure 2 In storage area A, if the signal strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit 3 is 30% of the signal strength of the wireless signal transmitted by the transmitting unit 2, the calculation unit 5 determines that material is placed in storage area A. Similarly, in storage area B, if the signal strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit 3 is 25% of the signal strength of the wireless signal transmitted by the transmitting unit 2, the calculation unit 5 determines that material is placed in storage area B.

[0035] return Figure 1The structure of the material detection system 1 will continue to be described. The material presence / absence display processing unit 8 is a program that receives the determination result based on the calculation unit 5 and generates content to be displayed on the material presence / absence display unit 9. For example, when receiving a determination result from the calculation unit 5 regarding whether materials are placed in each storage area, the material presence / absence display processing unit 8 displays whether materials are placed in each storage area on the material presence / absence display unit 9. The material presence / absence display unit 9 is a display device including a liquid crystal panel or an organic electroluminescent display, and is a unit used to display required information to the user. The material presence / absence display unit 9 displays the display content generated by the material presence / absence display processing unit 8.

[0036] Figure 3 This shows an example of the screen displayed by the material presence / absence display unit 9. Figure 3 This is an example of the screen displayed on the material presence / absence display unit 9. Figure 3 In this example, assuming there are two storage areas, storage area A and storage area B, the material presence / absence display unit 9 can indicate whether materials are stored in storage area A using "Yes" or "No," and whether materials are stored in storage area B using the same "Yes" or "No." Figure 3 In the process, the calculation unit 5 determines that there is no material in storage area A, so the material presence / absence display unit 9 displays "no" for storage area A. Since it determines that there is material in storage area B, the material presence / absence display unit 9 displays "yes" for storage area B.

[0037] The riser structure 10 has a structure for placing materials in a storage area. Specifically, the riser structure 10 has a horizontal surface for placing materials. Furthermore, the riser structure 10 may have a support portion for supporting the placement platform. When the riser structure 10 has a support portion, this support portion can support the placement platform at three points or four points. Moreover, the support portion of the riser structure 10 can be integrally formed with the placement platform by bending the end of the placement platform. The riser structure 10 may or may not be fixed to the ground of the storage area. In other words, the riser structure 10 may be movable or immovable. The riser structure 10 may be, for example, a base or a bracket.

[0038] In the riser structure 10, at least the surface on which the material is placed, i.e., the platform, can be made of a material that does not attenuate the wireless signal. For example, the riser structure 10 can be made of plastic or wood. In the riser structure 10, the area of ​​the placing surface in the platform can be larger than, the same as, or smaller than the bottom area of ​​the material placed on it.

[0039] When the transmitting unit 2 is installed on the ground of the storage area, and the raising structure 10 has support legs for supporting the mounting platform, the raising structure 10 can accommodate the transmitting unit 2. That is, the raising structure 10 can be configured to cover the transmitting unit 2. Furthermore, when the receiving unit 3 is installed on the ground of the storage area, the raising structure 10 can accommodate the receiving unit 3. That is, the raising structure 10 can be configured to cover the receiving unit 3.

[0040] Here, an example of the configuration of the structure of the material detection system 1 is illustrated using the accompanying drawings. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the structural configuration of the material detection system 1. Figure 4 In this scenario, the storage area for the configured materials is a flat area, and there are two storage areas. These areas will be referred to as Storage Area A and Storage Area B. Figure 4 In this system, the material detection system 1 has a pair of sending units 2 and receiving units 3 for each storage area. Specifically, sending unit 2A and receiving unit 3A are arranged in storage area A, and sending unit 2B and receiving unit 3B are arranged in storage area B. The sending unit 2 is arranged on the ground of the storage area. Specifically, the sending unit 2 is arranged so that the material it is targeting is placed directly above it. And the receiving unit 3 is suspended from above the storage area.

[0041] exist Figure 4 In this system, the material detection system 1 has a heightening structure 10. Specifically, a heightening structure 10A is arranged in storage area A, and a heightening structure 10B is arranged in storage area B. The area of ​​the mounting surface in the mounting platform of the heightening structure 10 is larger than the bottom area of ​​the material. Furthermore, the heightening structure 10 is designed to accommodate the dispatching unit 2 within it.

[0042] exist Figure 4 In storage area A, no materials are stored. Therefore, the signal strength of the wireless signal received by receiver 3A is not lower than the signal strength of the wireless signal transmitted by transmitter 2A. Therefore, calculation unit 5 determines that no materials are stored in storage area A. On the other hand, materials are stored in storage area B. Therefore, the signal strength of the wireless signal received by receiver 3B is lower than the signal strength of the wireless signal transmitted by transmitter 2B. Therefore, calculation unit 5 determines that materials are stored in storage area B.

[0043] Another example of the configuration of the structure of the material detection system 1 will be described. Figure 5 and Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the structural configuration of the material detection system 1. Figure 5 and Figure 6 In, relative to Figure 4 The material detection system 1, receiving unit 3, is located on the ground. Figure 5In this case, no materials are stored in the storage area A. Therefore, the signal strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit 3 is not lower than the signal strength of the wireless signal transmitted by the transmitting unit 2. Therefore, the calculation unit 5 determines that no materials are stored in the storage area A. On the other hand, in Figure 6 In this system, materials are stored in the storage area. Therefore, the signal strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit 3 is lower than the signal strength of the wireless signal transmitted by the transmitting unit 2. Consequently, the calculation unit 5 determines that materials are stored in the storage area.

[0044] Thus, the material detection system 1 according to this embodiment, by placing materials along the wireless communication path between the transmitting unit 2 and the receiving unit 3, can determine whether the materials are placed in a designated position based on changes in the signal strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit 3. In automobile manufacturing plants, for example, it is possible to attach identification tags to materials during inspection. However, within a factory, there may be materials without identification tags, or even if identification tags are attached, their communication standards may differ. In such cases, attaching identification tags or beacons with a unified communication standard, such as GPS, to all materials would increase management costs. Furthermore, in this situation, it may be impossible to identify materials using their identification information.

[0045] However, the material detection system 1 according to this embodiment can detect materials without using material identification information. That is, the material detection system 1 can detect materials without attaching identification tags or the like to all materials. This is achieved by placing the material on the wireless communication path between the transmitting unit 2 and the receiving unit 3, thereby causing the material to attenuate the wireless signal from the transmitting unit 2, and the arithmetic unit 5 detects this attenuation. In other words, since a portion of the material is formed from raw materials that attenuate wireless signals, the material detection system 1 according to this embodiment detects the material by utilizing the attenuation effect of the material itself on the wireless signal.

[0046] Furthermore, even when the material being detected by the material detection system 1 is a pallet containing metal as a constituent material, the material detection system 1 can still detect the pallet. In particular, in automobile manufacturing plants, automotive parts are sometimes stored and transported in pallets containing metal as a constituent material. In such cases, if the pallet is not tagged with an identification label and the pallet is managed using wireless signals within the factory, the pallet attenuates the wireless signal, sometimes making it impossible to detect the pallet correctly. The material detection system 1 according to this embodiment detects the pallet by utilizing the attenuation of the wireless signal caused by the pallet, thus enabling pallet management using wireless signals.

[0047] Furthermore, by placing the transmitter 2 involved in the material detection system 1 on the ground of the storage area, the material can be easily detected. That is, by placing the transmitter 2 around the perimeter of the material storage area, the distance between the material and the transmitter 2 becomes closer, and the attenuation effect of the wireless signal caused by the material becomes significant. As a result, the processing unit 5 can detect the material more easily. When the transmitter 2 is placed on the ground opposite the bottom surface of the material, the attenuation effect can be further improved.

[0048] Furthermore, in the material detection system 1 according to this embodiment, the conveying unit 2 is housed inside the lifting structure 10, and the lifting structure 10 is movable. In this case, since the lifting structure 10 can be arranged at any position within the storage area, the arrangement position of the conveying unit 2 housed inside it can also be changed arbitrarily. Therefore, the position of the conveying unit 2 can be changed easily.

[0049] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0050] Symbol Explanation

[0051] 1-Material detection system, 2-Sending unit, 3-Receiving unit, 4-Signal processing unit, 5-Calculation unit, 6-Data storage unit, 7-Signal strength master data, 8-Material presence / absence display processing unit, 9-Material presence / absence display unit, 10-Heightening structure.

Claims

1. A material detection system for determining whether a material is positioned at a specified location, the material detection system being characterized by comprising: The transmitting unit, which transmits wireless signals; A receiving unit, which receives the wireless signal transmitted from the transmitting unit via a wireless communication path; and The computing unit determines whether the material is positioned at a predetermined location by detecting changes in the signal strength of the wireless signal received by the receiving unit and by detecting that the material causes the wireless signal to attenuate along the wireless communication path.

2. The material detection system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material is a tray containing metal as a constituent material.

3. The material detection system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmitting unit is positioned on the ground at the designated location.

4. The material detection system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The sending unit is disposed on the ground opposite the bottom surface of the material.

5. The material detection system according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The material detection system also has a heightening structure for carrying the material. The transmitting unit is housed within the heightening structure.

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