Method of adjusting a conveying device, conveying device, conveying assembly and sorting machine

Abstract

This disclosure relates to the field of sorting machine technology, specifically to an adjustment method for a conveying device, a conveying device, a conveying assembly, and a sorting machine. The adjustment method for the conveying device includes: determining a first pose information of the material based on a first image captured by a first camera during the material's conveying process on the conveying device; determining a second pose information of the material based on a second image captured by a second camera during the material's conveying process on the conveying device; wherein the second camera is located downstream of the first camera in the conveying direction of the conveying device; determining the pose error of the material based on the first and second pose information; determining adjustment parameters for the conveying device based on the pose error; and adjusting the conveying parameters of the conveying device based on the adjustment parameters to reduce the conveying error of the material passing through the conveying device. This method can introduce errors generated during material conveying during the adjustment process of the conveying device, effectively improving the accuracy of material sorting.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of sorting machine technology, specifically to a method for adjusting a conveying device, a conveying device, a conveying component, and a sorting machine. Background Technology

[0002] A sorting machine can be used for the separation and classification of materials, separating crushed ore and gangue. A sorting machine can include a conveying device, an identification device, and a sorting device. Some sorting machines can perform different separation operations on different materials or simultaneously sort multiple different materials, allowing the materials to enter corresponding hoppers, thus achieving simultaneous sorting of multiple materials. The sorting machine acquires material images at the material scanning position, classifies them after processing and analysis, and calculates the time it takes for the materials to reach the processing position. During the material conveying process, differences in factors such as the particle size of the material fed into the conveying device, the feeding speed, the radius of the conveyor rollers, and the belt length will all affect the shape and position of the material upon arrival at the processing position, i.e., the position where sorting is performed. Therefore, problems such as untimely sorting, unsorted, or incorrect sorting can easily occur when the material arrives at the processing position, resulting in poor material sorting accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To overcome the problems existing in the related art, an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure provides, in a first aspect, a method for adjusting a conveying device, the conveying device being used to receive and convey material discharged from a fabric distributor from below, the method comprising: determining first pose information of the material based on a first image acquired by a first camera during the conveying of the material on the conveying device; determining second pose information of the material based on a second image acquired by a second camera during the conveying of the material on the conveying device; wherein the second camera is located downstream of the first camera in the conveying direction of the conveying device; determining a pose error of the material based on the first pose information and the second pose information; determining adjustment parameters of the conveying device based on the pose error; and adjusting the conveying parameters of the conveying device based on the adjustment parameters to reduce the conveying error of the material passing through the conveying device.

[0004] In some embodiments, determining the adjustment parameters of the conveying device based on the pose error includes: determining the proportion distribution of the pose error based on the pose errors of multiple materials; and determining the adjustment parameters of the conveying device based on the proportion distribution of the pose error.

[0005] In some embodiments, the first pose information includes: first position information of the material in the first image; the second pose information includes: second position information of the material in the second image; determining the pose error of the material based on the first pose information and the second pose information includes: determining the position error of the material based on the first position information and the second position information.

[0006] In some embodiments, determining the adjustment parameters of the conveying device based on the pose error includes: in response to the proportion of the position error being greater than a position threshold being greater than a position proportion threshold, determining a first height adjustment parameter based on the position error, wherein the first height adjustment parameter is used to adjust the height between the conveying device and the fabric distributor.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first pose information includes: first area information of the material in the first image; the second pose information includes: second area information of the material in the second image; determining the pose error of the material based on the first pose information and the second pose information includes: determining the area error of the material based on the first area information and the second area information.

[0008] In some embodiments, determining the adjustment parameters of the conveying device based on the pose error includes: determining a speed adjustment parameter based on the area error in response to the proportion of the area error being greater than an area threshold being greater than an area percentage threshold, wherein the speed adjustment parameter is used to adjust the conveying speed of the conveying device; and determining a second height adjustment parameter based on the area error in response to the proportion of the area error being less than or equal to an area threshold being greater than an area percentage threshold, wherein the second height adjustment parameter is used to adjust the height between the conveying device and the fabric spreader.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first pose information further includes: a first time for acquiring the first image and a first total acquisition time for acquiring the first image; the second pose information further includes: a second time for acquiring the second image; the step of determining the pose error of the material based on the first pose information and the second pose information further includes: determining the average image acquisition time based on the first time and the second time; and determining the duration error of the material based on the first time, the second time, the average image acquisition time, and the first total acquisition time.

[0010] In some embodiments, determining the adjustment parameters of the conveying device based on the pose error includes: in response to the proportion of time errors greater than a time threshold being greater than a time proportion threshold, determining a distance adjustment parameter based on the time error, wherein the distance adjustment parameter is used to adjust the distance between the conveying device and the fabric distributor along the extension direction of the conveying device.

[0011] Secondly, this disclosure also provides a conveying device, comprising: adjusting conveying parameters by means of the conveying device adjustment method as described in the first aspect, so as to reduce the conveying error of the material through the conveying device.

[0012] Thirdly, this disclosure also provides a conveying assembly, comprising: a material distributor for receiving and conveying material; a conveying device as described in the second aspect, disposed downstream of the material distributor for receiving material conveyed by the material distributor; a first camera disposed above the conveying device for acquiring a first image of the material; a second camera disposed above the conveying device and located behind the first camera along the material conveying direction of the conveying device for acquiring a second image of the material; and a controller for adjusting the conveying device based on the first image and the second image.

[0013] Fourthly, this disclosure also provides a sorting machine, comprising: a conveying assembly as described in the third aspect, for conveying materials and detecting the category of the materials; and a sorting device for sorting the materials according to the category of the materials.

[0014] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0015] According to the adjustment method of the conveying device provided in this disclosure, the pose error of the material can be determined based on the first and second pose information of the material in the first and second images acquired by the first and second cameras during the conveying process on the conveying device, thereby further determining the conveying parameters of the conveying device. This allows the introduction of errors generated during material conveying into the adjustment process of the conveying device, effectively improving the accuracy of material sorting. Attached Figure Description

[0016] This disclosure can be better understood by describing exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0017] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating an adjustment method for a conveying device according to an exemplary embodiment of a published document;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an adjustment method for a conveying device according to an exemplary embodiment of a published document;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an adjustment method for a conveying device according to an exemplary embodiment of a published document;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an adjustment method for a conveying device according to an exemplary embodiment of a published document;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an adjustment method for a conveying device according to an exemplary embodiment of a published document;

[0022] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an adjustment method for a conveying device according to an exemplary embodiment of a published document;

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a transport assembly structure shown according to an exemplary embodiment of a publication;

[0024] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a sorting machine structure shown according to an exemplary embodiment disclosed in a book. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The following describes specific embodiments of this disclosure. It should be noted that, in order to maintain brevity, this specification cannot provide a detailed description of all features of the actual embodiments. It should be understood that, in the actual implementation of any embodiment, just as in any engineering or design project, various specific decisions are often made to achieve the developer's specific goals and to meet system-related or business-related constraints, and this can change from one embodiment to another. Furthermore, it is understood that although the efforts made in this development process may be complex and lengthy, for those skilled in the art related to the content of this disclosure, changes in design, manufacturing, or production based on the technical content disclosed herein are merely conventional technical means and should not be construed as insufficient content of this disclosure.

[0026] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in the claims and description shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in the specification and claims of this patent application do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. The terms “an” or “a” and similar terms do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. The terms “comprising” or “including” and similar terms mean that the element or object preceding “comprising” or “including” encompasses the element or object listed following “comprising” or “including” and its equivalents, and do not exclude other elements or objects. The terms “connected” or “linked” and similar terms are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, nor are they limited to direct or indirect connections.

[0027] A sorting machine can include a feeding device, a conveying device, a detection device, and a sorting device. The feeding device receives materials fed into the sorting machine from the outside, allowing the materials to enter the conveying device. The conveying device transports the materials to the detection device for detection to determine the material's category. Based on the category determined by the detection device, the materials are then sorted, separating materials belonging to different categories. During the conveying process, factors such as the particle size of the material fed into the conveying device, the feeding speed, the radius of the conveyor rollers, and the belt length can introduce systematic errors. These errors affect the material's shape and its position on the conveying device, potentially leading to problems such as untimely sorting, unsorted material, or incorrect sorting when the material reaches the sorting position, resulting in poor sorting accuracy.

[0028] Based on the above technical issues, such as Figure 1 As shown, an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure provides a method for adjusting a conveying device. The conveying device is used to receive and convey material discharged from a fabric distributor from below. The method may include steps S110 to S150. A first camera and a second camera may be sequentially arranged above the conveying device along its conveying direction, respectively for acquiring a first image and a second image of the material.

[0029] Step S110: Determine the first pose information of the material based on the first image captured by the first camera during the material's transport on the conveying device. Firstly, the first camera can capture an image of the material being transported on the surface of the conveying device. The first camera can be a color sorting camera, so that the first image of the material it captures is a color-sorted image. Alternatively, the first camera can be a X-ray camera, which scans the image of the material on the conveying device to capture a X-ray image of the material. The first pose information of the material can be determined based on information such as its position and pose in the first image, and the time of image acquisition.

[0030] Step S120: Determine the second pose information of the material based on the second image captured by the second camera during the material's transport on the conveying device; wherein the second camera is located downstream of the first camera in the transport direction of the conveying device. The second camera can be set at the same height as the first camera above the conveying device, and the first and second cameras are set sequentially along the material transport direction of the conveying device, with the second camera located downstream of the first camera. The second camera can capture images of the material transported on the surface of the conveying device, wherein the material in the second image captured by the second camera is the same material as the material in the first image captured by the first camera. The second camera can be a color sorting camera, so that the second image of the material it captures is a color sorting image. The second camera can also be a X-ray camera, which scans the image of the material on the conveying device to capture a X-ray image of the material. The second pose information of the material can be determined based on information such as the material's position and pose in the second image, and the time of image acquisition.

[0031] Step S130: Determine the pose error of the material based on the first pose information and the second pose information. Based on the first pose information of the material in the first image and the second pose information of the material in the second image, since the conveying device continuously conveys the material at a fixed speed, the changes in the material's pose during the conveying process can be determined based on the material's position and orientation in the two images. This allows for the determination of the difference between the material's pose in the first image and its pose in the second image.

[0032] Step S140: Determine the adjustment parameters of the conveying device based on the pose error. Based on the pose error of the material, the conveying device can be adjusted to effectively reduce or eliminate errors caused by conveying problems. Therefore, the adjustment parameters of the conveying device can be determined. These parameters may include parameters for adjusting the position of the conveying device in the vertical direction and its material conveying direction, as well as parameters such as the speed and dimensions of the conveying device.

[0033] Step S150: Based on the adjustment parameters, adjust the conveying parameters of the conveying device to reduce the conveying error of the material passing through the conveying device. According to the adjustment parameters, various conveying parameters of the conveying device can be adjusted, thereby enabling the adjusted conveying device to reduce or eliminate the conveying error generated during the conveying process. This reduces the changes in the material's posture during the conveying process, allowing the material to be conveyed smoothly on the conveying device. Ultimately, this ensures that the material falling from the end of the conveying device and reaching the sorting position can be sorted in a timely manner, further improving the accuracy of material sorting, as well as the stability and robustness of the material sorting equipment.

[0034] Based on the adjustment method of the conveying device provided in this embodiment, a first camera and a second camera, arranged sequentially above the conveying device along the material conveying direction, can independently acquire the pose of the same material twice during the conveying process. The pose error of the material is determined based on the difference between the first and second pose information, enabling the conveying device to realistically and dynamically reflect the shape deviation and posture changes of the material in the actual conveying path during adjustment. This method can proactively introduce systematic conveying errors caused by factors such as particle size differences, feed rate changes, belt length tolerances, and different roller radii. Based on the changing trends of the material's position and posture in the two images, the adjustment parameters of the conveying device are specifically determined. This not only allows for real-time or periodic optimization of the vertical position, conveying direction position, conveying speed, and key structural dimensions of the conveying device, but also effectively reduces uncertain behaviors such as tumbling, slippage, and deflection of the material during conveying, making the conveying path more stable. After adjusting the conveying device accordingly based on the adjustment parameters, the changes in the material's running posture along the conveying device are significantly suppressed, its falling trajectory at the end of the conveying process is more consistent and predictable, and the timing error and landing point error when finally reaching the sorting position are greatly reduced. By reducing the positional drift caused by conveying errors, this embodiment can significantly improve the timeliness of material capture by the sorting device, making the sorting operation more accurate and reducing the occurrence of unsorted and missorted situations.

[0035] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, step S140, which determines the adjustment parameters of the conveying device based on the pose error, may include steps S141 to S142.

[0036] Step S141: Determine the percentage distribution of pose errors based on the pose errors of multiple materials. First, the pose error can be determined for each material individually, and the pose error can be output as a percentage of the pose information relative to the standard pose. Based on the pose errors of multiple materials, the pose errors of all materials can be combined to determine the percentage distribution of pose errors in different data intervals. The percentage distribution of pose errors can be set in 10% increments, such as: the percentage of pose errors with an absolute value less than 10%, the percentage of pose errors with an absolute value greater than or equal to 10% and less than 20%, the percentage of pose errors with an absolute value greater than or equal to 20% and less than 30%, etc.

[0037] Step S142: Based on the proportion distribution of pose error, determine the adjustment parameters of the conveying device. The adjustment parameters of the conveying device can be adjusted specifically for pose error ranges with larger or higher proportions, based on the proportion of pose error in different data intervals, to reduce pose error and sorting error.

[0038] This embodiment introduces statistical analysis of the pose errors of multiple materials and determines the adjustment parameters of the conveying device based on the proportion distribution of these errors. This allows the adjustment process of the conveying device to comprehensively reflect the overall performance of a large number of materials during actual conveying, thereby obtaining more robust and representative pose deviation characteristics. By classifying and statistically analyzing the pose errors of multiple materials and dividing the errors into multiple data intervals according to a preset step size, a proportion distribution data with gradient distribution characteristics is generated. This process can reflect the probability of different error levels occurring in the overall conveying process. By determining the adjustment parameters of the conveying device based on the error proportion distribution, for cases where the proportion of certain error intervals is high, this embodiment can prioritize targeted adjustments to the equipment parameters affecting those error intervals, such as adjusting the tilt angle, vertical position, conveying speed, belt tension, and roller drive stability of the conveying device. This precise approach can effectively reduce the distribution width of the overall pose error, causing the error values ​​to concentrate in the lower intervals, and significantly reducing random deviations and posture fluctuations of materials during conveying. This embodiment improves the accuracy and targeting of the conveying device adjustment and further enhances the system's adaptive capability when handling different particle sizes, different feeding speeds, and complex material dropping scenarios, making the adjustment results more stable and reliable. Ultimately, this results in more consistent material positioning upon arrival at the sorting location, more controllable material trajectories, and further improved timeliness and accuracy of the sorting operation.

[0039] In some embodiments, the first pose information may include: first position information of the material in the first image. The second pose information may include: second position information of the material in the second image. Specifically, the first position information may be the coordinates of the geometric center of the material in the first image, which can be recorded as P1(X1, Y1). The second position information may be the coordinates of the geometric center of the material in the second image, which can be recorded as P2(X2, Y2). Wherein, for the coordinate system in the first and second images, the X-axis is formed along the material conveying direction, and the Y-axis is formed along the width direction of the conveying device.

[0040] like Figure 3 As shown, step S130, determining the pose error of the material based on the first pose information and the second pose information, may include: step S131, determining the position error of the material based on the first position information and the second position information. Based on the first position information and the second position information, the position change of the material at the moment of passing the first camera and the second camera can be determined. The time interval between the first camera and the second camera acquiring the material can be fixed. Therefore, if the material remains stable relative to the conveying device, the coordinates of the material in the first image and the second image should be consistent. Therefore, the position error PE of the material can be determined according to the difference between the first position information and the second position information in the first image and the second image, as shown in the following formula: PE=(X2-X1) / X1*100. Thus, the position error of the same material in the first image and the second image that has shifted along the extension direction of the conveying device can be determined. The position error can be recorded in the form of a percentage.

[0041] In this embodiment, since the first and second cameras are positioned fixedly along the conveying direction, and the time difference between their acquisitions is also fixed, the material center coordinates obtained from the two acquisitions should have a strict correspondence under ideal and stable conveying conditions. By determining the material's offset between cameras based on changes in the geometric center, this embodiment can effectively capture real-time positional drift caused by factors such as conveying device speed fluctuations, material rolling, slight jumping, uneven friction on the conveying surface, and the special shape of individual materials. This embodiment can directly reflect the actual motion offset of the material itself during conveying, avoiding the neglect of structural errors. By using this positional error as the basis for subsequent pose error assessment and conveying device adjustment parameter calculation, the targeting of the adjustment strategy can be significantly improved, making the conveying parameters more closely match the actual motion state of the material. This embodiment can effectively reduce the cumulative offset of the material along the conveying direction, resulting in a more consistent landing point and arrival time when the material reaches the sorting position, thereby further improving the triggering accuracy and static and dynamic response performance of the sorting operation, and improving the overall sorting success rate, stability, and robustness of the sorting equipment.

[0042] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3As shown, step S140, determining the adjustment parameters of the conveying device based on the pose error, may include: step S143, in response to the proportion of position errors greater than a position threshold being greater than a position proportion threshold, determining a first height adjustment parameter based on the position error, wherein the first height adjustment parameter is used to adjust the height between the conveying device and the material distributor. Multiple position errors can be statistically analyzed to determine the absolute value of the position error, and then the proportion of position errors in different ranges relative to the total position error can be determined. Specifically, the proportion of position errors can be determined in 10% increments. For example, the proportion of position errors with an absolute value less than 10% relative to the total position error, or the proportion of position errors with an absolute value greater than or equal to 10% and less than or equal to 20% relative to the total position error. The numerical range of the absolute value of the position error can include 0 to 90%. Specifically, a position threshold can be preset to determine the proportion of position errors less than the position threshold. When the proportion of position errors greater than the position threshold is greater than the position proportion threshold, the first height adjustment parameter can be determined based on the position error. Specifically, when the percentage of instances where the absolute value of the position error is less than 10% exceeds 95%, and the percentage of instances where the absolute value of the position error is greater than or equal to 10% is less than 5%, the material position can be considered stable, and no adjustment to the conveyor device is required. Here, 10% is the position threshold, and 5% is the position percentage threshold. Therefore, when the percentage of instances where the absolute value of the position error is greater than 10% is greater than 5%, the material position is considered unstable, and the conveyor device needs adjustment. This can be calculated using the following formula: (10% * 10% interval percentage + 20% * 20% interval percentage + 30% * 30% interval percentage + 40% * 40% interval percentage + 50% * 50% interval percentage + 60% * 60% interval percentage + 70% * 70% interval percentage + 80% * 80% interval percentage + 90% * 90% interval percentage) * current fabric height. The percentages are categorized as follows: 10% represents the percentage of positions with an absolute value of less than 10%; 20% represents the percentage of positions with an absolute value of 10% or more but less than 20%; and 30% represents the percentage of positions with an absolute value of 20% or more but less than 30%. The current fabric placement height is the height difference between the material conveying device and the fabric distributor. Therefore, a first height adjustment parameter H can be determined. Adjusting the fabric distributor based on this parameter H lowers its position by H, reducing the distance between the conveying device and the distributor. This reduces the jolting and bouncing of the material fed from the distributor to the conveying device, effectively improving fabric stability.

[0043] This embodiment enables more precise height adjustment between the conveying device and the material distributor, better adapting to actual material conveying conditions. This solves common problems in traditional fixed-height material distribution methods, such as unstable material drop, large landing point deviations, and significant bouncing. This embodiment calculates the position error by analyzing the first and second position information of multiple materials. When the proportion of intervals with position errors exceeding a position threshold exceeds the threshold threshold, the system can automatically identify a significant deviation trend in the current conveying state, rather than misjudging a small number of abnormal materials as a system stability problem. This design gives the adjustment decision significant noise resistance and statistical stability, effectively avoiding misadjustments caused by abnormal particle size materials, occasional impacts, or short-term speed disturbances. When the material falls from the distributor to the conveying device from an excessive height, the material gains greater kinetic energy before hitting the surface of the conveying device, leading to increased randomness in the material landing point, increased rebound of the falling belt, and lateral slippage, thus increasing the position error. In this embodiment, the calculated first height adjustment parameter allows for a slight downward adjustment of the material distributor's position, directly reducing the material drop height. This results in a smoother material drop and a more fixed point of impact, significantly reducing material bouncing and slippage. Therefore, this embodiment not only reduces motion uncertainty caused by material impact and improves material position stability, but also provides a more reliable initial data foundation for subsequent positional error calculations and conveyor device adjustments, further enhancing the overall system control accuracy and sorting efficiency.

[0044] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the first pose information may include: first area information of the material in the first image; the second pose information may include: second area information of the material in the second image. The first area information may be the image area A1 occupied by the material in the first image, and the second area information may be the image area A2 occupied by the material in the second image.

[0045] like Figure 3 As shown, step S130, determining the pose error of the material based on the first pose information and the second pose information, may include step S132, determining the area error of the material based on the first area information and the second area information. If the material remains stable relative to the conveying device, the area size of the material in the first image and the second image should be consistent. If the material flips, causing a change in posture, the area size of the material in the first image and the second image will change. Therefore, the area error AE of the material can be determined based on the difference between the first area information and the second area information in the first image and the second image, and can be calculated according to the following formula: AE=(A1-A2) / A1*100. Thus, it can be determined whether the same material in the first image and the second image has flipped during the conveying process. The larger the area error, the more serious the material flipping. The position error can be recorded in the form of a percentage.

[0046] This embodiment introduces the difference in area information between the first and second images to determine the area error, which can represent the changes in the material's pose during transport. When the material maintains a stable posture, the areas in the two images should be basically consistent; if the material tilts, flips, or rotates around any axis during transport, the visible outline area of ​​the material in the images will change significantly. Therefore, based on the first and second area information, the stability of material transport can be effectively improved during subsequent adjustment of the conveying device.

[0047] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, step S140, which determines the adjustment parameters of the conveying device based on the pose error, may include steps S144 and S145.

[0048] Step S144: In response to the fact that the proportion of areas with an error greater than the area threshold is greater than the area proportion threshold, a speed adjustment parameter is determined based on the area error, wherein the speed adjustment parameter is used to adjust the conveying speed of the conveying device.

[0049] Multiple area errors can be statistically analyzed to determine their absolute values. Then, the percentage of area errors in different ranges relative to the total area error can be determined. Specifically, the percentage can be determined in 10% increments. For example, the percentage of area errors with absolute values ​​less than 10% relative to the total area error, or the percentage of area errors with absolute values ​​greater than or equal to 10% and less than or equal to 20% relative to the total area error. Specifically, an area threshold can be preset to determine the percentage of area errors below that threshold. When the percentage of area errors greater than the area threshold exceeds the area percentage threshold, speed adjustment parameters can be determined based on the area errors. Specifically, the absolute value of the area error can range from 0 to 50%. When the percentage of area errors with absolute values ​​less than 20% exceeds 95%, the material's posture is considered stable and no adjustment is needed. When the absolute value of the area error exceeds 20% and accounts for more than 50% of the total, the conveying speed can be determined by multiplying the current single-step error by the belt speed. This multiplier represents the recommended adjustment speed of the conveyor. The data determined by the above formula can be positive or negative. A positive result indicates that the conveyor should be accelerated, while a negative result indicates that the conveyor should be decelerated. In some cases, the speed setting may be incorrect. In such cases, the current speed can be checked against the preset speed of the conveyor. If the current speed differs from the preset speed, the material conveying speed can be directly adjusted to the preset speed.

[0050] Step S145: In response to the proportion of area errors less than or equal to an area threshold being greater than an area percentage threshold, a second height adjustment parameter is determined based on the area error. This second height adjustment parameter is used to adjust the height between the conveying device and the material distributor. An area threshold can be preset to determine the proportion of positional errors less than the area threshold. When the proportion of area errors greater than the area threshold is greater than the area percentage threshold, the second height adjustment parameter can be determined based on the area error. First, it can be checked whether there is room for adjustment in the material drop height, i.e., whether the distance between the conveying device and the material distributor can be reduced further. If there is room for adjustment in the material drop height, the absolute value and proportion of each step can be taken for calculation. The calculation can be performed using the following formula: (10%*10% interval proportion + 20%*20% interval proportion + 30%*30% interval proportion + 40%*40% interval proportion + 50%*50% interval proportion) * current material distribution height / 5. Therefore, the second height adjustment parameter can be determined. The material distributor can be adjusted based on the second height adjustment parameter H. The position of the material distributor can be lowered by H, thereby reducing the distance between the conveying device and the material distributor. This reduces the bumping and bouncing of the material fed from the material distributor to the conveying device, effectively improving the stability of the material distribution.

[0051] Based on this embodiment, when the area error is mainly concentrated in a small error range, such as when the absolute value is less than or equal to 20%, it can be determined that the material tumbling is not significantly related to the conveyor belt speed, but may originate from an excessive drop height. By calculating a second height adjustment parameter based on the weighted average of different error ranges, the material distributor can be automatically lowered by a reasonable distance H, effectively reducing impact force. When the percentage of area errors exceeding 20% ​​exceeds 50%, the system can determine that the current material posture is unstable. When the percentage of area errors exceeding 20% ​​exceeds 50%, and the height between the conveyor and the material distributor cannot be further reduced, a suggested speed adjustment parameter can be calculated in real time to accelerate or decelerate the conveyor, thereby reducing the probability of further material tumbling.

[0052] In some embodiments, the first pose information may further include: a first time for acquiring the first image and a first total acquisition time for acquiring the first image; the second pose information may further include: a second time for acquiring the second image. The first camera may be a line scan camera, and the scanning duration of the line scan camera, i.e., the first total acquisition time, can be determined. The first total acquisition time can characterize the total time from the moment the material enters the acquisition area of ​​the first camera until the first camera acquires a complete first image of the material. The first total acquisition time can be determined based on the material height in the first image and the line frequency of the first camera's line scan.

[0053] like Figure 5As shown, step S130, which determines the pose error of the material based on the first pose information and the second pose information, may also include steps S133 and S134.

[0054] Step S133: Determine the average image acquisition time based on the first time and the second time. First, the average image acquisition time can be determined based on the first time and the second time, as shown in the following formula: AD = SUM(FD1 + FD2 + ... + FDN) / N. Where AD is the average image acquisition time. FD1, FD2, FD3... are the flight times of the material, i.e., the time required for the material to move from the first camera to the second camera. Specifically, the flight time FD of the material can be determined by the following formula: FD = T2 - T1. Where T1 is the first time and T2 is the second time.

[0055] Step S134: Based on the first time, the second time, the average image acquisition time, and the total first acquisition time, determine the material duration error. The duration error DE can be determined by the following formula: DE=(FD-AD) / SD*100. Where SD is the total first acquisition time.

[0056] By incorporating time parameters related to the image acquisition process, such as the first time, the second time, and the total first acquisition time, into the pose information, this embodiment can accurately reflect the motion state of the material between two image acquisitions in a time dimension, and further determine the material's duration error. When there is a significant deviation between the actual flight time and the average image acquisition time, the system can determine whether the material has experienced abnormal states such as slippage, acceleration, deceleration, rotation, or jumping during the conveying process based on the duration error. This effectively compensates for temporal attitude changes that cannot be detected by relying solely on image area or pixel position, improving the accuracy and sensitivity of pose error judgment.

[0057] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, step S140, determining the adjustment parameters of the conveying device based on the pose error, may include:

[0058] Step S146: In response to the proportion of time errors exceeding a time threshold exceeding a time percentage threshold, a distance adjustment parameter is determined based on the time error. This distance adjustment parameter is used to adjust the distance between the conveyor and the material distributor along the extension direction of the conveyor. Specifically, if the proportion of time errors less than 20% exceeds 95%, the time is considered stable and no adjustment is needed. If the time is unstable, a step size parameter can be obtained. When the conveyor is a belt conveyor, the step size is 0.1 m / s when the roller diameter is less than 100 mm, and 0.2 m / s when the roller diameter is greater than 100 mm. The belt conveyor speed is gradually increased according to the step size, and the distance to the second camera is adjusted synchronously. Specifically, this distance can be determined based on the following formula: Second camera material entry speed - First camera material entry speed / g * belt speed. Therefore, the distance by which the conveyor is moved backward, i.e., the distance by which the conveyor is adjusted away from the material distributor, can be determined.

[0059] This embodiment, in addition to traditional adjustments for positional error, area error, and speed / height, further utilizes the variation in the material's flight time between two cameras to reflect the dynamic stability of the conveying process. This allows for more precise timing correction of the material distribution distance between the conveyor and the distributor. The rhythm of material entering the camera's field of view becomes more stable, significantly reducing duration fluctuations, inconsistent image acquisition, and subsequent sorting errors caused by distance deviations between the distributor and the conveyor. Therefore, the accuracy of conveyor adjustment is effectively improved, which in turn further enhances the accuracy of subsequent material sorting.

[0060] Based on the same inventive concept, this disclosure also provides a conveying device, which may include: adjusting conveying parameters by means of the adjustment method of the conveying device as described in any of the foregoing embodiments, so as to reduce the conveying error of the material passing through the conveying device. The conveying device can adjust its conveying parameters based on the aforementioned adjustment method of the conveying device, taking into account the positional error, area error, and time error of the material being conveyed, thereby reducing the material conveying error.

[0061] Specifically, such as Figure 6As shown, data can be collected first, namely, the first image and the second image. Then, matching analysis is performed on the same materials in the first and second images to further determine data such as positional error, area error, and duration error during material conveying. First, the position of the material during conveying can be determined. Based on positional error, if the percentage of positional errors exceeding a positional threshold is greater than a certain threshold, the position of the material during conveying can be considered unstable. Therefore, the drop height can be adjusted, i.e., the height difference between the conveying device and the distributor can be adjusted. If the percentage of positional errors exceeding the positional threshold is less than or equal to the positional threshold, the position of the material during conveying can be considered stable. Next, the area error can be further determined. If the percentage of area errors exceeding the area threshold is greater than a certain threshold, the percentage of absolute area errors exceeding 20% ​​can be determined. If it exceeds 50%, the posture of the material during conveying can be considered unstable, and the conveying speed of the conveying device can be adjusted. If the percentage of absolute area errors less than or equal to 20% is greater than 95%, the posture of the material is considered stable. If the material's posture is unstable, and the height difference between the conveyor and the distributor is still adjustable, the height difference can be further adjusted. When both the material's positional and area errors meet the sorting requirements, the material conveying time error can be determined. If the percentage of time errors exceeding a time threshold is greater than the time percentage threshold, the material's posture is considered unstable, and the horizontal distance between the material and the distributor can be adjusted.

[0062] Based on the same inventive concept, such as Figure 7 As shown, this disclosure also provides a conveying assembly 300, which may include: a fabric feeder 310, a conveying device 200 as described in any of the foregoing embodiments, a first camera 320, a second camera 330, and a controller 340.

[0063] The material distributor 310 is used to receive and transfer materials. It receives materials from an external feeding device and discharges them to the conveying device 200. The material distributor 310 can use vibration or other methods to ensure even and dispersed material discharge, preventing material aggregation or overlap that could affect subsequent conveying efficiency and sorting accuracy.

[0064] The conveying device 200, located downstream of the material distributor, is used to receive the material conveyed by the material distributor. The conveying device 200 can be a belt conveyor, a chain conveyor, etc. The conveying device 200 can receive materials fed by external feeding equipment, convey the materials through the conveying device 200, and subsequently detect, identify, and sort them.

[0065] A first camera 320, positioned above the conveying device, is used to acquire a first image of the material. The first camera 320 can be positioned above the conveying device 200, and by acquiring images of the surface of the conveying device 200, the category of the material can be determined based on the images. The first camera 320 can detect materials and determine their category. The first camera 320 can be a color sorting camera, so that the first image of the material it acquires is a color-sorted image. Alternatively, the first camera 320 can be a X-ray camera, which scans the image of the material on the conveying device, so that the first image of the material it acquires is a X-ray image.

[0066] The second camera 330 is positioned above the conveying device and behind the first camera 320 along the material conveying direction of the conveying device. It is used to acquire a second image of the material. The second camera 330 can be positioned above the conveying device 200, and by acquiring images of the surface of the conveying device 200, the category of the material can be determined based on the images. The second camera 330 can detect materials and determine their category. The second camera 330 can be a color sorting camera, so that the second image of the material it acquires is a color-sorted image. Alternatively, the second camera 330 can be a X-ray camera, which scans the image of the material on the conveying device to acquire a X-ray image of the material.

[0067] The first camera 320 and the second camera 330 can be image acquisition devices used for material identification and classification in the sorting machine. The first camera 320 can also be a separate device, distinct from the image acquisition devices used for material identification and classification in the sorting machine, specifically used to acquire the first and second images of the material for adjustment of the conveying device.

[0068] The controller 340 is used to adjust the conveying device 200 based on the first image and the second image. The controller can analyze the first image and the second image to determine the position, outline and other information of the material in the first image and the second image, determine the error of the material on the conveying device, and thus further determine the adjustment parameters of the conveying device. The controller 340 adjusts the position, speed and other parameters of the conveying device 200 to adapt to the material conveying and sorting work and improve the stability of material conveying.

[0069] The conveying assembly 300 provided in this embodiment forms a collaborative closed-loop conveying adjustment system comprising a material distributor, a conveying device, a two-stage camera acquisition unit, and a controller. This allows for more comprehensive, real-time, and high-precision quantification and feedback of the material's state during the conveying process, significantly improving the dynamic adjustment capability of conveying parameters. The material distributor 310 ensures that the material falls into the conveying device in a more uniform and dispersed manner, reducing posture abnormalities caused by accumulation and overlap at the source. The first camera 320 and the second camera 330 are arranged along the conveying direction, enabling the acquisition of images of the same material at two different times. This allows the controller 340 to determine the material's pose error based on multi-dimensional features such as position, area, and time, and to generate various adjustment parameters such as height, speed, and distance for different error sources. When the controller 340 detects an error exceeding a threshold, it can promptly adjust the height, speed, or forward / backward position of the conveying device 200 to ensure that the operating state of the conveying device is consistent with the actual conveying behavior of the material. Because the functional distribution of each device in this conveying assembly is clear and the data sharing link is complete, the adjustment of the conveying device can fully incorporate disturbance factors in the actual movement of the material, effectively suppressing unstable conveying behaviors such as material bumping, overturning, slippage, and lag. Therefore, this conveying assembly can significantly improve the attitude consistency of the material in the camera acquisition area, enhance the reliability of image recognition, and ultimately maintain higher attitude stability when the material reaches the sorting position. This significantly reduces anomalies such as unsorted or missorted materials, and greatly improves the stability and robustness of both the conveying and sorting processes.

[0070] Based on the same inventive concept, such as Figure 8 As shown, this disclosure also provides a sorting machine, which may include: a conveying assembly 300 and a sorting device 410 as described in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0071] The conveying assembly 300 is used to convey materials and detect their category. The conveying assembly can transport materials to the sorting device, and a camera within the conveying assembly can detect the materials and determine their category.

[0072] The sorting device 410 is used to sort materials according to their category. The sorting device 410 can sort materials according to their category, so that different categories of materials fly out along different trajectories. The sorting device 410 can be located downstream of the conveying device 200, and performs sorting based on the detection results of the materials, i.e., the category of the materials. The sorting device 410 can be a blowing device or a pusher device, which changes the path of the materials falling from the end of the conveying device 200 by blowing gas onto the materials or striking the materials, thereby making different types of materials fall along different trajectories to achieve the sorting of different types of materials.

[0073] The sorting machine provided in this embodiment enables the conveying component 300 to not only stably convey materials through a combination of a material distributor, a conveying device, and two-stage cameras, but also to collect image data of the materials at different positions in real time. By comprehensively considering multi-dimensional parameters such as position error, area error, and time error, the height, speed, and relative position of the conveying device to the material distributor are dynamically adjusted, ensuring higher posture consistency and spatial stability of the materials before entering the sorting area. Based on the more stable material posture, the accuracy of category identification by the first and second cameras is significantly improved, providing a more reliable basis for subsequent sorting actions. After obtaining the category information after stable conveying and accurate identification, the sorting device 410 can guide different categories of materials to different falling trajectories through blowing or pushing, achieving high-precision classification. Because the posture fluctuation of the materials before reaching the sorting position is reduced, the probability of overturning is decreased, and the positional deviation is smaller, the sorting device can more accurately control the triggering timing, blowing force, or pushing action, ultimately improving sorting accuracy, significantly reducing the mis-sorting rate and missed sorting rate, and greatly enhancing the overall operational stability, robustness, and processing efficiency of the machine.

[0074] This application uses specific terms to describe embodiments of the application. Terms such as "an embodiment," "one embodiment," and / or "some embodiments" refer to a particular feature, structure, or characteristic associated with at least one embodiment of the application. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that references to "an embodiment," "one embodiment," or "an alternative embodiment" in different locations throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, certain features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments of the application can be appropriately combined.

[0075] In the context of this application, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the words "a," "an," "an," and / or "the" do not specifically refer to the singular and may also include the plural. Generally speaking, the terms "comprising" and "including" only indicate the inclusion of explicitly identified steps and elements, which do not constitute an exclusive list, and the method or apparatus may also include other steps or elements.

[0076] Similarly, it should be noted that, in order to simplify the description of the present application and thus aid in the understanding of one or more embodiments, the foregoing description of the embodiments of the present application sometimes combines multiple features into a single embodiment, drawing, or description thereof. However, this disclosure method does not imply that the subject matter of the present application requires more features than those mentioned in the claims. In fact, the embodiments contain fewer features than all the features of the single embodiments disclosed above.

[0077] The basic concepts have been described above. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, the above disclosure is merely illustrative and does not constitute a limitation of this application. Although not explicitly stated herein, those skilled in the art may make various modifications, improvements, and corrections to this application. Such modifications, improvements, and corrections are suggested in this application, and therefore remain within the spirit and scope of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting a conveying device, the conveying device being used to receive and convey material discharged from a fabric distributor from below, the method comprising: Based on the first image captured by the first camera during the material's transport on the conveying device, the first pose information of the material is determined; Based on a second image captured by a second camera during the material's transport on the conveying device, a second pose information of the material is determined; wherein the second camera is located downstream of the first camera in the conveying direction of the conveying device; Based on the first pose information and the second pose information, the pose error of the material is determined; Based on the pose error, the adjustment parameters of the conveying device are determined; Based on the adjustment parameters, the conveying parameters of the conveying device are adjusted to reduce the conveying error of the material through the conveying device.

2. The adjustment method of the conveying device according to claim 1, wherein, Determining the adjustment parameters of the conveying device based on the pose error includes: Based on the pose errors of multiple materials, determine the proportion distribution of the pose errors; The adjustment parameters of the conveying device are determined based on the proportion distribution of the pose error.

3. The adjustment method of the conveying device according to claim 2, wherein, The first pose information includes: the first position information of the material in the first image; The second pose information includes: the second position information of the material in the second image; Determining the pose error of the material based on the first pose information and the second pose information includes: Based on the first location information and the second location information, the position error of the material is determined.

4. The adjustment method of the conveying device according to claim 3, wherein, Determining the adjustment parameters of the conveying device based on the pose error includes: In response to the fact that the proportion of the position error being greater than the position threshold is greater than the position proportion threshold, a first height adjustment parameter is determined based on the position error, wherein the first height adjustment parameter is used to adjust the height between the conveying device and the fabric distributor.

5. The adjustment method of the conveying device according to claim 3, wherein, The first pose information includes: the first area information of the material in the first image; The second pose information includes: the second area information of the material in the second image; Determining the pose error of the material based on the first pose information and the second pose information includes: Based on the first area information and the second area information, the area error of the material is determined.

6. The adjustment method of the conveying device according to claim 5, wherein, Determining the adjustment parameters of the conveying device based on the pose error includes: In response to the fact that the proportion of areas with an area error greater than an area threshold is greater than an area proportion threshold, a speed adjustment parameter is determined based on the area error, wherein the speed adjustment parameter is used to adjust the conveying speed of the conveying device; In response to the fact that the proportion of areas with an area error less than or equal to an area threshold is greater than an area proportion threshold, a second height adjustment parameter is determined based on the area error, wherein the second height adjustment parameter is used to adjust the height between the conveying device and the fabric distributor.

7. The adjustment method of the conveying device according to claim 6, wherein, The first pose information also includes: the first time of acquiring the first image and the first total acquisition time of acquiring the first image; The second pose information also includes: the second time at which the second image was acquired; The step of determining the pose error of the material based on the first pose information and the second pose information further includes: Based on the first time and the second time, the average image acquisition time is determined; The duration error of the material is determined based on the first time, the second time, the average time of image acquisition, and the first total acquisition time.

8. The adjustment method of the conveying device according to claim 7, wherein, Based on the pose error, the adjustment parameters of the conveying device are determined, including: In response to the fact that the proportion of time errors greater than a time threshold is greater than a time proportion threshold, a distance adjustment parameter is determined based on the time error, wherein the distance adjustment parameter is used to adjust the distance between the conveying device and the fabric distributor along the extension direction of the conveying device.

9. A conveying device, comprising: By adjusting the conveying device according to any one of claims 1-8, the conveying parameters are adjusted to reduce the conveying error of the material through the conveying device.

10. A conveying assembly, comprising: A material feeder is used to receive and transfer materials. The conveying device as described in claim 9 is disposed downstream of the fabric distributor and is used to receive the material conveyed by the fabric distributor; A first camera is positioned above the conveying device to capture a first image of the material; The second camera is positioned above the conveying device and behind the first camera along the material conveying direction of the conveying device, and is used to capture a second image of the material. A controller is used to adjust the conveying device based on the first image and the second image.

11. A sorting machine, comprising: The conveying assembly as described in claim 10 is used for conveying materials and detecting the type of materials; A sorting device is used to sort materials according to their category.

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