An object transfer buffer system

Abstract

The application provides an object conveying and caching system, which comprises a shunting device, a connecting belt, a turning belt, a caching belt and a detecting belt. The shunting device is arranged on a conveying belt of an object turntable and is used for guiding objects placed on the object turntable to the connecting belt. The connecting belt is arranged between the shunting device and the turning belt and is used for receiving the objects guided by the shunting device and transmitting the objects to the turning belt. The turning belt is arranged between the connecting belt and the caching belt and is used for transmitting the objects transported by the connecting belt to the caching belt. The caching belt is arranged between the turning belt and the detecting belt and is used for transmitting the objects transported by the turning belt to the detecting belt. The detecting belt is used for receiving the objects transported by the caching belt, so that a carrying mechanism can grasp the objects on the detecting belt to a target position. Therefore, the object conveying and caching system can dynamically adjust the positions of the conveyed objects, so as to improve the conveying efficiency of the objects.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of object transportation, and in particular to an object transport buffer system. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, most object handling systems (such as baggage carousels) rely on receiving robots to pick up objects. When a receiving robot needs to pick up baggage from an object handling system, it must first stop the system's transport operation, bringing the object to a standstill. The receiving robot then adjusts the position of its robotic arm based on the object's orientation and uses the robotic arm to grab the object to the target location. This type of object handling system requires the receiving robot to stop transporting objects during its operation. If a large number of objects need to be placed on the system at this time, or if there are many objects on the system, the transport efficiency will be affected. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by this invention is as follows:

[0004] According to one aspect of this application, an object conveying buffer system is provided, including a diversion device, a connecting belt, a steering belt, a buffer belt, a detection belt, and a return belt;

[0005] The diversion device is installed on the conveyor belt of the object turntable and is used to guide the objects placed on the object turntable to the connecting belt.

[0006] The connecting belt is positioned between the diversion device and the steering belt to receive objects guided by the diversion device and transfer them to the steering belt;

[0007] The steering belt is positioned between the connecting belt and the buffer belt to transport objects from the connecting belt onto the buffer belt.

[0008] The buffer belt is positioned between the steering belt and the detection belt to transport objects from the steering belt onto the detection belt.

[0009] The detection belt is used to receive objects transported by the buffer belt, so that the transport mechanism can grab the objects on the detection belt and move them to the target location;

[0010] The output end of the return belt is connected to the object turntable, and the connection point between the return belt and the object turntable is located in front of the position of the diversion device on the object turntable, so as to transfer the object to be confirmed transported by the conveyor mechanism to the conveyor belt of the object turntable; the object to be confirmed is an object that does not meet the preset placement conditions of the target position; the reference direction in front is the travel direction of the conveyor belt of the object turntable.

[0011] The travel directions of the steering belt, the buffer belt, and the detection belt are all in the same direction, and the travel length of the buffer belt is greater than the travel length of the connecting belt, the steering belt, and the detection belt.

[0012] The present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0013] The object conveying and buffering system of the present invention includes a diversion device, a connecting belt, a deflecting belt, a buffer belt, a detection belt, and a return belt. The diversion device is disposed on the conveyor belt of the object turntable and is used to guide objects placed on the object turntable to the connecting belt. The connecting belt is disposed between the diversion device and the deflecting belt and is used to receive objects guided by the diversion device and transfer them to the deflecting belt. The deflecting belt is disposed between the connecting belt and the buffer belt and is used to transport objects transported by the connecting belt to the buffer belt. The buffer belt is disposed between the deflecting belt and the detection belt and is used to... The system transports objects from the guide belt to the detection belt; the detection belt receives objects from the buffer belt so that the transport mechanism can grab the objects on the detection belt to the target position; the output end of the return belt is connected to the object turntable, and the connection point of the return belt and the object turntable is located in front of the position of the diversion device on the object turntable, so as to transfer the objects to be confirmed from the transport mechanism to the conveyor belt of the object turntable, so that the object transport buffer system can dynamically adjust the position of the transported objects to improve the transport efficiency of the objects. Attached Figure Description

[0014] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the object transfer buffer system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0017] This application proposes an object transport buffer system, such as Figure 1As shown, it includes a diversion device, a connecting belt, a steering belt, a buffer belt, a detection belt, and a return belt.

[0018] The diversion device is installed on the conveyor belt of the object turntable to guide the objects placed on the turntable to the connecting belt. The objects on the turntable can be the user's suitcase.

[0019] The connecting belt is positioned between the diversion device and the steering belt to receive objects guided by the diversion device and transfer them to the steering belt.

[0020] The steering belt is positioned between the connecting belt and the buffer belt to transport objects from the connecting belt onto the buffer belt.

[0021] The buffer belt is positioned between the steering belt and the detection belt to transport objects from the steering belt onto the detection belt.

[0022] The detection belt is used to receive objects transported by the buffer belt, so that the transport mechanism can grab the objects on the detection belt and move them to the target location.

[0023] The output end of the return belt is connected to the object turntable, and the connection point between the return belt and the object turntable is located in front of the position of the diversion device on the object turntable, so as to transfer the object to be confirmed transported by the conveyor mechanism to the conveyor belt of the object turntable.

[0024] The object to be confirmed is an object that does not meet the preset placement conditions of the target position. The target position can be the target placement location of the object. The target position will have several preset placement conditions (such as setting corresponding conditions for the size or placement angle of the object. Only objects that meet the corresponding placement conditions in terms of size or placement angle can be placed at the target position). When there is an object to be confirmed, the object to be confirmed will be placed on the return belt by the staff or the transport robot. The return belt will then transport the object to be confirmed to the conveyor belt.

[0025] The reference direction in front is the direction of travel of the conveyor belt of the object turntable.

[0026] The travel directions of the steering belt, the buffer belt, and the detection belt are all in the same direction, and the travel length of the buffer belt is greater than the travel length of the connecting belt, the steering belt, and the detection belt.

[0027] In addition, a diversion photoelectric sensor is installed on the conveyor belt of the object turntable located behind the diversion device, at a position a preset first length away from the diversion device. The diversion photoelectric sensor is used to detect objects placed on the conveyor belt of the object turntable that pass by the diversion photoelectric sensor.

[0028] The preset first length is the movable length of the guide gate of the diversion equipment when it is opened and closed.

[0029] Photoelectric detection sensors are installed at the input end (the end of the connecting belt near the object turntable) and output end (the end of the connecting belt near the steering belt), the input end (the end of the steering belt near the connecting belt) and output end (the end of the steering belt near the buffer belt), the input end (the end of the buffer belt near the steering belt) and output end (the end of the buffer belt near the detection belt), both sides of the buffer belt in the direction of travel, the input end (the end of the detection belt near the buffer belt) and output end (the end of the detection belt near the worker or transport robot), between the steering belt and the buffer belt, and between the buffer belt and the detection belt.

[0030] Each photoelectric detection sensor located on both sides of the travel direction of the buffer belt corresponds to an object placement position on the buffer belt. The number of object placement positions indicates the maximum number of objects that can be placed on the buffer belt. For example, if there are 5 object placement positions, it means that a maximum of 5 objects can be placed on the buffer belt.

[0031] The shunt photoelectric sensor and each photoelectric detection sensor are connected to the shunt equipment control system. The shunt equipment control system controls the opening and closing state of the shunt equipment based on the detection information obtained by the shunt photoelectric sensor and each photoelectric detection sensor.

[0032] The opening and closing states include a closed state and an open state. When the diversion device is in the closed state, it can guide the objects placed on the object turntable that have traveled to the diversion device to the connecting belt. When the diversion device is in the open state, the objects placed on the object turntable that have traveled to the diversion device will remain on the object turntable after passing through the diversion device and will follow the conveyor belt of the object turntable.

[0033] Furthermore, the diversion device control system is used to execute steps S100-S140:

[0034] Step S100: If the diversion device is currently in the on state, then proceed to step S110.

[0035] If the diversion device is in a closed state at the current moment, then proceed to step S130;

[0036] Step S110: Obtain the detection information collected by the shunt photoelectric sensor at the current moment;

[0037] Step S120: If the detection information collected by the shunt photoelectric sensor at the current moment indicates that an object is placed on the conveyor belt of the object turntable at the detection position corresponding to the shunt photoelectric sensor, then control the shunt device to be in the open state; otherwise, execute step S130.

[0038] Step S130: Obtain the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor on the connecting belt at the current moment, the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor on the steering belt at the current moment, and the detection information collected by each photoelectric detection sensor on both sides of the travel direction of the buffer belt at the current moment.

[0039] Step S140: If the photoelectric detection sensor on the connecting belt collects detection information indicating that no object is placed on the connecting belt at the current moment, or the photoelectric detection sensor on the steering belt collects detection information indicating that no object is placed on the steering belt at the current moment, or the photoelectric detection sensor on either side of the travel direction of the buffer belt collects detection information indicating that no object is placed at the object placement position corresponding to the photoelectric detection sensor at the current moment, then the diversion device is controlled to be in a closed state; otherwise, the diversion device is controlled to be in an open state.

[0040] If the detection information collected by the shunt photoelectric sensor at the current moment indicates that an object is placed on the conveyor belt of the object turntable at the detection position corresponding to the shunt photoelectric sensor, it means that there is an object at the position of the shunt photoelectric sensor at this time. If the shunt device is in the open state at this time (that is, the object on the object turntable can pass through the shunt device and continue to be on the object turntable), if the shunt device is closed at this time, since the object turntable is always running, it is possible that the object located at the position of the shunt photoelectric sensor will move to the switch channel of the shunt device during the closing process. At this time, the shunt device is not completely closed, and the object may get stuck at the switch of the shunt device, causing the shunt device to malfunction, which in turn affects the operation of the object turntable. Therefore, in order to avoid this phenomenon, it is necessary to keep the shunt device in the open state.

[0041] If an object is present at the location of the diversion photoelectric sensor and the diversion device is currently closed, or if no object is present at the location of the diversion photoelectric sensor, then based on the detection information collected at the current moment by the photoelectric detection sensors on the connecting belt, the steering belt, and both sides of the buffer belt in the direction of travel, it is determined whether to control the diversion device to open. If no object is placed on the aforementioned transport belts, it indicates that the object placement positions on the transport belts are not saturated and new objects can be placed. Therefore, the diversion device is controlled to close (closed state is...). Figure 1 (The state of the diversion device in the middle), so that the objects on the object turntable are guided to the connecting belt through the diversion device.

[0042] Furthermore, each photoelectric detection sensor is connected to an object conveying control system. The object conveying control system is used to control the movement of the connecting belt, the steering belt, the buffer belt, and the detection belt based on the detection information obtained by each photoelectric detection sensor. The object conveying control system is used to execute steps S200-S220:

[0043] Step S200: Obtain the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor on the connecting belt at the current moment and the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor on the steering belt at the current moment;

[0044] Step S210: If the photoelectric detection sensor at the input end of the connecting belt collects detection information indicating that there is an object at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor at the current moment, and the photoelectric detection sensor at the input end of the steering belt collects detection information indicating that there is no object at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor at the current moment, then control the connecting belt to perform forward movement.

[0045] If the photoelectric detection sensor at the input end of the connecting belt detects an object at its current location, and the photoelectric detection sensor at the input end of the steering belt detects no object at its current location, then there is an object on the connecting belt that needs to be transported to the steering belt, and there is still space on the steering belt. In this case, the connecting belt is controlled to move forward so that the object to be transported on the connecting belt can be moved onto the steering belt.

[0046] Step S220: When the photoelectric detection sensor at the input end of the steering belt collects detection information indicating that there is an object at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor, control the steering belt to perform forward movement and control the connecting belt to stop forward movement.

[0047] When the photoelectric sensor at the input end of the steering belt detects an object at its location, it indicates that an object is present at the input end of the steering belt. This means that the steering belt is saturated with objects, with no empty space, or that an object has just been transported onto the steering belt. Therefore, the steering belt needs to be moved forward. To prevent objects from getting stuck in the gap between the connecting belt and the steering belt due to objects being transported from the connecting belt to the steering belt, the connecting belt also needs to be stopped. If part of the object on the connecting belt has already landed on the steering belt, the object will be pulled onto the steering belt by the forward force of the steering belt, ensuring the safe and stable transport of the object.

[0048] In addition, the object transfer control system is also used to execute steps S300-S320:

[0049] Step S300: Obtain the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor on the buffer belt at the current moment and the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor on the steering belt at the current moment;

[0050] Step S310: If the detection information collected by either photoelectric sensor on both sides of the travel direction of the buffer belt at the current moment indicates that there is no object at the object placement position corresponding to the photoelectric sensor, and the detection information collected by the photoelectric sensor at the output end of the steering belt at the current moment indicates that there is an object at the position of the photoelectric sensor, then control the steering belt to perform forward movement.

[0051] If the detection information collected by either photoelectric sensor on either side of the travel direction of the buffer belt at the current moment indicates that there is no object at the object placement position corresponding to the photoelectric sensor, and the detection information collected by the photoelectric sensor at the output end of the steering belt at the current moment indicates that there is an object at the position of the photoelectric sensor, then it means that there is no object on the buffer belt at this time, but there is an object to be transported on the steering belt. In this case, the steering belt is controlled to perform a forward movement so that the object on the steering belt is transported to the buffer belt.

[0052] Step S320: When the photoelectric detection sensor at the input end of the buffer belt collects detection information indicating that there is an object at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor, the steering belt is controlled to stop moving forward.

[0053] When the photoelectric detection sensor at the input end of the buffer belt detects an object at its location, it indicates that an object is present at the input end of the buffer belt. This means that an object has just been transported on the buffer belt, or the number of objects on the buffer belt has reached saturation. If an object is transported from the steering belt to the buffer belt at this time, it may cause the object to accumulate on the buffer belt, making it stuck in the gap between the buffer belt and the steering belt, resulting in damage to the object or jamming of the buffer belt. Therefore, it is necessary to control the steering belt to stop its forward movement and wait for the transport status of the object on the buffer belt before controlling the steering belt to move again.

[0054] Furthermore, the object transfer control system is also used to execute steps S400-S440:

[0055] Step S400: Obtain the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor on the buffer belt at the current moment and the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor on the detection belt at the current moment;

[0056] Step S410: If the photoelectric detection sensor at the input end of the detection belt collects detection information at the current moment indicating that there is no object at the position of the photoelectric detection sensor, and if the photoelectric detection sensor on either side of the travel direction of the buffer belt collects detection information at the current moment indicating that there is an object at the object placement position corresponding to the photoelectric detection sensor, then control the buffer belt to perform forward movement.

[0057] If the photoelectric detection sensor at the input end of the detection belt collects detection information indicating that there is no object at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor at the current moment, and the photoelectric detection sensor on either side of the travel direction of the buffer belt collects detection information indicating that there is an object at the object placement location corresponding to the photoelectric detection sensor at the current moment, it means that there is no object on the detection belt at this time, but there is an object to be transported on the buffer belt. Therefore, the buffer belt is controlled to perform a forward movement to transport the object to be transported placed on the buffer belt to the detection belt.

[0058] Step S420: When the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor at the output end of the buffer belt indicates that there is an object at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor, control the detection belt to perform a forward movement.

[0059] When the photoelectric detection sensor at the output end of the buffer belt detects an object at its location, it indicates that an object needs to be transported from the buffer belt to the detection belt. To ensure that the object transported from the buffer belt to the detection belt is stably positioned, the detection belt needs to be controlled to move forward simultaneously. This allows the object at the output end of the buffer belt to smoothly transition from the buffer belt to the detection belt under the combined forward momentum of both belts, rather than being transported solely by the forward momentum of the buffer belt. This prevents the object from getting stuck in the gap between the buffer belt and the detection belt during transport, thus affecting the overall transport of objects on the conveyor belt.

[0060] Step S430: When the photoelectric detection sensor at the input end of the detection belt collects detection information indicating that there is an object at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor, control the buffer belt to stop moving forward.

[0061] When the photoelectric sensor at the input end of the conveyor belt detects an object at its location, it indicates that an object is being transported at the input end of the conveyor belt. This situation may be due to the conveyor belt reaching saturation. When the conveyor belt reaches saturation, it will not move. It will only move forward when there is space on the conveyor belt. Therefore, if the buffer belt transports an object onto the conveyor belt in this situation, the object may not reach the conveyor belt and may get stuck in the gap between the buffer belt and the conveyor belt, causing damage to the object or a malfunction of the entire conveyor belt. Therefore, the buffer belt is stopped and the conveyor belt is allowed to move forward until the object on the conveyor belt is being transported before proceeding.

[0062] Step S440: When the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor at the output end of the detection belt indicates that there is an object at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor, control the detection belt to stop moving forward.

[0063] When the photoelectric detection sensor at the output end of the detection belt collects detection information indicating that an object exists at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor, it means that there is an object to be transported on the detection belt. In order for the worker or the transport robot to stably grip the object at the target pick-up position of the detection belt (which can be the output end of the detection belt) and to prevent the position of the object at the output end of the detection belt from moving, it is necessary to control the detection belt to stop moving forward. This ensures that the object at the output end of the detection belt does not deviate at the target pick-up position, so that the transport robot can stably grip the object from the target pick-up position.

[0064] In addition, the object transfer control system is also used to execute steps S500-S520:

[0065] Step S500: Obtain the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor on the buffer belt at the current moment;

[0066] Step S510: If the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor at the output end of the buffer belt indicates that there is no object at the position of the photoelectric detection sensor, and the detection information collected by either photoelectric detection sensor on both sides of the travel direction of the buffer belt indicates that there is no object at the object placement position corresponding to the photoelectric detection sensor, and the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor at the output end of the detection belt indicates that there is an object at the position of the photoelectric detection sensor, then control the buffer belt to perform a backward movement.

[0067] If the photoelectric sensor at the output end of the buffer belt detects that there is no object at its location, and either photoelectric sensor on either side of the buffer belt's travel direction detects that no object is placed at its corresponding object placement location, and the photoelectric sensor at the output end of the detection belt detects that an object is present at its location, then the detection belt cannot move and must remain stationary. Since there are empty spaces on the buffer belt, to save object transport time and fully utilize the object placement spaces on the buffer belt, the buffer belt is controlled to reverse, thus clearing the foremost empty space on the buffer belt. The buffer belt (i.e., the empty position after the last object in the forward direction on the buffer belt) is adjusted to the output end of the steering belt, and the system waits for the placement of objects on the steering belt. When there is an object at the output end of the steering belt, it means that there is an object on the steering belt that needs to be transported to the buffer belt. At this time, the buffer belt and the steering belt are moved forward synchronously to transport the object on the steering belt to the buffer belt, so that the object is transported to the foremost empty position on the buffer belt. If the detection belt still cannot move forward and there is still an empty position on the buffer belt, the reverse strategy is continued until there is an empty position on the detection belt or no empty position on the buffer belt, in order to save transportation time and make full use of the empty positions on the buffer belt.

[0068] Step S520: When the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor at the input end of the buffer belt indicates that there is an object at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor, the buffer belt is controlled to stop moving.

[0069] When the photoelectric detection sensor at the input end of the buffer belt collects detection information indicating that there is an object at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor, it means that the object on the buffer belt has been transported to the input end of the buffer belt. If there is an object to be transported on the steering belt, it can be guaranteed that the object will move to the foremost empty position on the buffer belt under the simultaneous forward force of the steering belt and the buffer belt.

[0070] Furthermore, the object transfer control system is also used to execute steps S600-S620:

[0071] Step S600: Every preset time interval, control the conveyor belt to perform a forward movement so that the conveyor belt advances a preset second length;

[0072] The conveyor belt is one or more of the following: connecting belt, steering belt, buffer belt, and detection belt;

[0073] The second length is the preset travel length of the conveyor belt, i.e., the forward travel length;

[0074] Step S610: During the forward movement of the conveyor belt, the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor at the output end of the conveyor belt is acquired in real time.

[0075] Step S620: If the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor at the output end of the conveyor belt indicates that there is an object at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor, then control the conveyor belt to stop moving forward.

[0076] To avoid situations where the conveyor belt stops due to false detection when the photoelectric detection sensor on the conveyor belt fails to detect an object, but an object actually exists on the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt is controlled to advance a certain length (a second length) every preset time interval. This allows the object on the conveyor belt to move, causing the photoelectric detection sensor on the conveyor belt to re-detect. If the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor at the output end of the conveyor belt indicates that an object exists at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor, it means that there is an object to be transported on the conveyor belt and that the object has been transported to the output end. Therefore, the conveyor belt is controlled to stop moving forward, and other judgment logic is used to determine whether the conveyor belt should continue to move.

[0077] On the other hand, the object transport caching system of this application is also used to execute an object transport caching method, as shown in steps S700-S800:

[0078] Step S700: Determine the number of objects placed on the detection belt by acquiring visual features on the detection belt;

[0079] The number of objects placed on the detection belt can be extracted by visual feature extraction from the image acquisition module or the infrared information acquisition module.

[0080] Step S800: If the number of objects placed on the detection belt is greater than 1, the travel direction of the detection belt and the buffer belt is adjusted according to the detection information obtained by the photoelectric detection sensors set at the input and output ends of the detection belt, the input and output ends of the buffer belt, both sides of the travel direction of the buffer belt, and between the buffer belt and the detection belt.

[0081] Furthermore, step S800 includes steps S810-S850:

[0082] Step S810: If the number of objects placed on the detection belt is greater than 1, then obtain the detection information collected by each photoelectric detection sensor on both sides of the travel direction of the buffer belt at the current moment.

[0083] Step S820: If the detection information collected by any photoelectric detection sensor on either side of the travel direction of the buffer belt at the current moment indicates that there is no object placed at the object placement position corresponding to the photoelectric detection sensor, then control the detection belt to perform a backward action.

[0084] When there are multiple objects on the detection belt and there are still empty spaces on the buffer belt, it means that there are multiple objects on the detection belt that need to be picked up by the transport robot. In order to save the object transportation time and shorten the waiting time, it is necessary to control the detection belt to move backward to pick up the objects to be transported on the buffer belt.

[0085] Step S830: When the photoelectric detection sensor set between the buffer belt and the detection belt collects detection information indicating that an object has passed by, control the buffer belt to perform a backward movement.

[0086] When the photoelectric detection sensor located between the buffer belt and the detection belt detects that an object has passed by, it means that part of the object on the buffer belt is on the detection belt and there is no empty space on the detection belt. When the detection belt is stopped, the buffer belt needs to be controlled to move backward so that the object on the detection belt can be moved back onto the buffer belt to ensure transportation safety. When there is an empty space on the detection belt, the object on the buffer belt is then transported to the detection belt.

[0087] Step S840: When the photoelectric detection sensor set between the buffer belt and the detection belt collects detection information indicating that no object has passed through, control the buffer belt to stop moving and control the detection belt to move forward.

[0088] When the photoelectric detection sensor located between the buffer belt and the detection belt detects that no object is passing by, it means that the object on the buffer belt is not in the gap between the buffer belt and the detection belt. In order to transport the object on the detection belt to the target pick-up position that the transport robot can grasp, the buffer belt is controlled to stop moving so that the object on the buffer belt is not transported to the detection belt. The detection belt is then controlled to move forward so that the foremost object on the detection belt moves to the target pick-up position.

[0089] Step S850: When the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor at the output end of the detection belt indicates that there is an object at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor, the detection belt is controlled to stop moving.

[0090] The control logic of each of the aforementioned transport belts is executed together, not individually. By jointly managing and controlling each transport belt, objects on each transport belt can be moved and transported safely and stably, and the transport time of objects can be shortened, thereby improving the transport efficiency of objects.

[0091] The object conveying and buffering system of the present invention includes a diversion device, a connecting belt, a deflecting belt, a buffer belt, a detection belt, and a return belt. The diversion device is disposed on the conveyor belt of the object turntable and is used to guide objects placed on the object turntable to the connecting belt. The connecting belt is disposed between the diversion device and the deflecting belt and is used to receive objects guided by the diversion device and transfer them to the deflecting belt. The deflecting belt is disposed between the connecting belt and the buffer belt and is used to transport objects transported by the connecting belt to the buffer belt. The buffer belt is disposed between the deflecting belt and the detection belt and is used to... The system transports objects from the guide belt to the detection belt; the detection belt receives objects from the buffer belt so that the transport mechanism can grab the objects on the detection belt to the target position; the output end of the return belt is connected to the object turntable, and the connection point of the return belt and the object turntable is located in front of the position of the diversion device on the object turntable, so as to transfer the objects to be confirmed from the transport mechanism to the conveyor belt of the object turntable, so that the object transport buffer system can dynamically adjust the position of the transported objects to improve the transport efficiency of the objects.

[0092] Embodiments of the present invention also provide a computer program product including program code, which, when the program product is run on an electronic device, causes the electronic device to perform the steps of the methods described above in various exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0093] Furthermore, although the steps of the method in this disclosure are described in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this does not require or imply that the steps must be performed in that specific order, or that all the steps shown must be performed to achieve the desired result. Additional or alternative steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step, and / or a step may be broken down into multiple steps.

[0094] From the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be implemented by software or by combining software with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solutions according to the embodiments of this disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (such as a CD-ROM, USB flash drive, external hard drive, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to cause a computing device (such as a personal computer, server, mobile terminal, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods according to the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0095] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, an electronic device capable of implementing the above-described method is also provided.

[0096] Those skilled in the art will understand that various aspects of the present invention can be implemented as systems, methods, or program products. Therefore, various aspects of the present invention can be specifically implemented in the following forms: entirely in hardware, entirely in software (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or in a combination of hardware and software, collectively referred to herein as “circuit,” “module,” or “system.”

[0097] An electronic device according to this embodiment of the invention. The electronic device is merely an example and should not be construed as limiting the functionality or scope of the embodiments of the invention.

[0098] Electronic devices are manifested in the form of general-purpose computing devices. Components of an electronic device may include, but are not limited to: at least one processor, at least one memory, and buses connecting different system components (including memory and processor).

[0099] The storage device stores program code that can be executed by the processor to perform the steps described in the "Exemplary Methods" section above, according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0100] The storage may include readable media in the form of volatile storage, such as random access memory (RAM) and / or cache memory, and may further include read-only memory (ROM).

[0101] The storage may also include programs / utilities having a set (at least one) of program modules, including but not limited to: an operating system, one or more applications, other program modules, and program data, each or some combination of these examples may include an implementation of a network environment.

[0102] A bus can represent one or more of several bus architectures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, a graphics acceleration port, a processor, or a local bus that uses any of the various bus architectures.

[0103] Electronic devices can also communicate with one or more external devices (such as keyboards, pointing devices, Bluetooth devices, etc.), one or more devices that enable users to interact with the electronic device, and / or any device that enables the electronic device to communicate with one or more other computing devices (such as routers, modems, etc.). This communication can be performed through input / output (I / O) interfaces. Furthermore, electronic devices can also communicate with one or more networks (such as local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and / or public networks, such as the Internet) via network adapters.

[0104] From the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be implemented by software or by combining software with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solutions according to the embodiments of this disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (such as a CD-ROM, USB flash drive, external hard drive, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to cause a computing device (such as a personal computer, server, terminal device, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods according to the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0105] In exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, on which a program product capable of implementing the methods described above is stored. In some possible embodiments, various aspects of the invention may also be implemented as a program product comprising program code that, when the program product is run on a terminal device, causes the terminal device to perform the steps of the various exemplary embodiments of the invention described in the "Exemplary Methods" section of this specification.

[0106] The program product may employ any combination of one or more readable media. A readable medium may be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. A readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of readable storage media (a non-exhaustive list) include: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable disk, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0107] Computer-readable signal media may include data signals propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, carrying readable program code. Such propagated data signals may take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. A readable signal medium may also be any readable medium other than a readable storage medium, capable of sending, propagating, or transmitting programs for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0108] The program code contained on the readable medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical fiber, RF, etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0109] Program code for performing the operations of this invention can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java and C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as C or similar languages. The program code can execute entirely on the user's computing device, partially on the user's device, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server. In cases involving remote computing devices, the remote computing device can be connected to the user's computing device via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or it can be connected to an external computing device (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0110] Furthermore, the above figures are merely illustrative of the processes included in the method according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to be limiting. It is readily understood that the processes shown in the above figures do not indicate or limit the temporal order of these processes. Additionally, it is readily understood that these processes may be executed synchronously or asynchronously, for example, in multiple modules.

[0111] It should be noted that although several modules or units for the device used to perform actions have been mentioned in the detailed description above, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit. Conversely, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided and embodied by multiple modules or units.

[0112] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An object transfer buffer system, characterized in that, This includes diversion equipment, connecting belts, steering belts, buffer belts, detection belts, and return belts; The diversion device is installed on the conveyor belt of the object turntable and is used to guide the objects placed on the object turntable onto the connecting belt. The connecting belt is disposed between the diversion device and the steering belt, and is used to receive objects guided by the diversion device and transfer them to the steering belt; The steering belt is disposed between the connecting belt and the buffer belt, and is used to transport objects transported from the connecting belt to the buffer belt; The buffer belt is disposed between the steering belt and the detection belt, and is used to transport the object transported from the steering belt to the detection belt; The detection belt is used to receive objects transported by the buffer belt, so that the transport mechanism can grab the objects on the detection belt and move them to the target position. The output end of the return belt is connected to the object turntable, and the connection point of the return belt and the object turntable is located in front of the position of the diversion device on the object turntable, so as to transfer the object to be confirmed transported by the carrying mechanism to the conveyor belt of the object turntable. The object to be confirmed is an object that does not meet the preset placement conditions of the target location; The reference direction in front is the direction of travel of the conveyor belt of the object turntable; The direction of travel of the steering belt, the direction of travel of the buffer belt, and the direction of travel of the detection belt are in the same direction, and the travel length of the buffer belt is greater than the travel length of the connecting belt, the steering belt, and the detection belt. A diversion photoelectric sensor is installed on the conveyor belt of the object turntable located behind the diversion device, at a position a preset first length away from the diversion device. The diversion photoelectric sensor is used to detect objects placed on the conveyor belt of the object turntable that pass by the diversion photoelectric sensor. The preset first length is the movable length of the guide gate of the diversion device when it is opened and closed. Photoelectric detection sensors are provided at the input and output ends of the connecting belt, the input and output ends of the steering belt, the input and output ends of the buffer belt, both sides of the buffer belt in the direction of travel, the input and output ends of the detection belt, between the steering belt and the buffer belt, and between the buffer belt and the detection belt. Each photoelectric detection sensor located on both sides of the buffer belt in the direction of travel corresponds to the placement position of an object on the buffer belt. The shunt photoelectric sensor and each of the photoelectric detection sensors are connected to a shunt device control system; the shunt device control system controls the opening and closing state of the shunt device through the detection information obtained by the shunt photoelectric sensor and each of the photoelectric detection sensors; the opening and closing state includes a closed state and an open state. When the diversion device is in the closed state, it can guide the object placed on the object turntable that has traveled to the diversion device to the connecting belt; When the diversion device is in the open state, the objects placed on the object turntable that travel to the diversion device remain on the object turntable after passing through the diversion device and follow the conveyor belt of the object turntable. The diversion device control system is used to perform the following steps: Step S100: If the current distribution device is in the open state at the current moment, then execute step S110; if the current distribution device is in the closed state at the current moment, then execute step S130. Step S110: Obtain the detection information collected by the shunt photoelectric sensor at the current moment; Step S120: If the detection information collected by the diversion photoelectric sensor at the current moment indicates that an object is placed on the conveyor belt of the object turntable at the detection position corresponding to the diversion photoelectric sensor, then control the diversion device to be in the open state; otherwise, execute step S130. Step S130: Obtain the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor on the connecting belt at the current moment, the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor on the steering belt at the current moment, and the detection information collected by each photoelectric detection sensor on both sides of the travel direction of the buffer belt at the current moment. Step S140: If the photoelectric detection sensor on the connecting belt indicates that no object is placed on the connecting belt at the current moment, or the photoelectric detection sensor on the steering belt indicates that no object is placed on the steering belt at the current moment, or the photoelectric detection sensor on either side of the travel direction of the buffer belt indicates that no object is placed at the object placement position corresponding to the photoelectric detection sensor at the current moment, then the diversion device is controlled to be in a closed state; otherwise, the diversion device is controlled to be in an open state.

2. The object transfer buffer system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the photoelectric detection sensors is connected to an object conveying control system, which controls the movement of the connecting belt, the steering belt, the buffer belt, and the detection belt based on the detection information obtained by each of the photoelectric detection sensors. The object transfer control system is used to perform the following steps: Step S200: Obtain the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor on the connecting belt at the current moment and the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor on the steering belt at the current moment; Step S210: If the photoelectric detection sensor located at the input end of the connecting belt collects detection information indicating that there is an object at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor at the current moment, and the photoelectric detection sensor located at the input end of the steering belt collects detection information indicating that there is no object at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor at the current moment, then control the connecting belt to perform a forward movement. Step S220: When the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor located at the input end of the steering belt indicates that there is an object at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor, the steering belt is controlled to perform a forward movement, and the connecting belt is controlled to stop the forward movement.

3. The object transfer buffer system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The object transfer control system is also used to perform the following steps: Step S300: Obtain the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor on the buffer belt at the current moment and the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor on the steering belt at the current moment; Step S310: If the detection information collected by either photoelectric detection sensor on both sides of the travel direction of the buffer belt at the current moment indicates that there is no object at the object placement position corresponding to the photoelectric detection sensor, and the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor at the output end of the steering belt at the current moment indicates that there is an object at the position of the photoelectric detection sensor, then control the steering belt to perform a forward movement. Step S320: When the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor located at the input end of the buffer belt indicates that there is an object at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor, the steering belt is controlled to stop its forward movement.

4. The object transfer buffer system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The object transfer control system is also used to perform the following steps: Step S400: Obtain the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor on the buffer belt at the current moment and the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor on the detection belt at the current moment; Step S410: If the photoelectric detection sensor located at the input end of the detection belt collects detection information at the current moment indicating that there is no object at the position of the photoelectric detection sensor, and if the photoelectric detection sensor on either side of the travel direction of the buffer belt collects detection information at the current moment indicating that there is an object at the object placement position corresponding to the photoelectric detection sensor, then control the buffer belt to perform a forward movement. Step S420: When the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor at the output end of the buffer belt indicates that there is an object at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor, the detection belt is controlled to perform a forward movement. Step S430: When the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor at the input end of the detection belt indicates that there is an object at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor, the buffer belt is controlled to stop moving forward. Step S440: When the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor at the output end of the detection belt indicates that there is an object at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor, the detection belt is controlled to stop moving forward.

5. The object transfer buffer system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The object transfer control system is also used to perform the following steps: Step S500: Obtain the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor on the buffer belt at the current moment; Step S510: If the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor at the output end of the buffer belt indicates that there is no object at the position of the photoelectric detection sensor, and the detection information collected by either photoelectric detection sensor on both sides of the travel direction of the buffer belt indicates that there is no object at the object placement position corresponding to the photoelectric detection sensor, and the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor at the output end of the detection belt indicates that there is an object at the position of the photoelectric detection sensor, then control the buffer belt to perform a backward movement. Step S520: When the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor located at the input end of the buffer belt indicates that there is an object at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor, the buffer belt is controlled to stop moving.

6. The object transfer buffer system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The object transfer control system is also used to perform the following steps: Step S600: Every preset time interval, control the conveyor belt to perform a forward movement so that the conveyor belt advances a preset second length; The transport belt is one or more of the following: the connecting belt, the steering belt, the buffer belt, and the detection belt; Step S610: During the forward movement of the conveyor belt, the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor at the output end of the conveyor belt is acquired in real time. Step S620: If the detection information collected by the photoelectric detection sensor at the output end of the conveyor belt indicates that there is an object at the location of the photoelectric detection sensor, then control the conveyor belt to stop moving forward.

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