Modular counting device and counting system

Abstract

The utility model provides a modularization counting device and system, including base plate, light emitter, light receiver and controller, light emitter, light receiver and controller all are provided on the base plate, light emitter and light receiver orientation is different, the controller is respectively with light emitter, light receiver electric connection. According to the utility model, through the modular design, flexible expansion can be realized according to different production requirements, multi-counting-point or long-distance monitoring is supported, and the flexibility and adaptability of the system are obviously improved. In addition, the system is low in cost and high in reliability, can be widely applied to various industrial scenes, and meets the requirements of a modern production line for efficient and accurate counting.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of light counters, and more particularly, to a modular counting device and a counting system. BACKGROUND

[0002] In existing industrial production and automation applications, object counting devices are widely used for counting and monitoring materials and products as an important part of automation processes. However, traditional counting devices and sensor technologies have the following main problems in practical applications:

[0003] Traditional counting devices usually rely on mechanical counters, which are large in size and have high requirements for the layout of the production line during installation, especially in compact production environments with limited space, making it difficult to meet the needs of flexible arrangement and efficient use. In addition, mechanical devices are prone to wear and failure due to reliance on physical components such as gears, springs, etc., resulting in poor system stability. Frequent mechanical failures not only affect production efficiency but also require a large amount of manual maintenance and adjustment, increasing maintenance costs. The complex wiring process and installation inconvenience make it very difficult to replace, upgrade or expand the device, further increasing the difficulty of engineering implementation and post-maintenance costs. In high-speed production lines or complex working environments, the precision of traditional mechanical counting devices is difficult to guarantee, especially when long-term or multiple counting points need to be monitored, often failing to maintain stable and accurate counting.

[0004] At the same time, visual detection systems also have significant limitations when counting objects. First, the cost of the system is high, and the environmental requirements are harsh, such as light, temperature and dust, which can all affect its performance. In complex production environments, the visual system may not be able to run stably, resulting in reduced counting accuracy. In addition, visual systems usually rely on image processing and deep learning algorithms, which have high demands on computing resources, affecting their real-time performance and stability, especially when applied in high-speed, high-frequency production lines. Furthermore, the adaptability of visual detection systems is poor, easily disturbed by external factors such as reflected light and obstructions, further limiting their universal application in different industrial scenarios.

[0005] Traditional counting devices generally lack flexible modular design, making it difficult to quickly adjust or expand functions when the production line layout or requirements change. For example, when additional counting points or expanded monitoring ranges are needed, existing devices usually cannot meet these needs through simple modular combination. In addition, due to the lack of scalability, traditional devices perform poorly in responding to diverse and rapidly changing production demands. The complexity of production lines and different counting requirements require devices to have flexible configuration capabilities, but the limitations of existing devices limit their adaptability, making it difficult for them to effectively respond to changing industrial scenarios, thereby affecting their universality and effectiveness in practical applications. SUMMARY

[0006] The present application provides a modular counting device and a counting system to overcome the defects of the prior art counting devices that cannot effectively cope with the changing industrial scene.

[0007] To solve the above technical problems, the technical solutions of the present application are as follows:

[0008] A modular counting device, comprising a substrate, a light emitter, a light receiver and a controller, the light emitter, the light receiver and the controller are arranged on the substrate and the orientations of the light emitter and the light receiver are different, and the controller is electrically connected with the light emitter and the light receiver respectively.

[0009] Further, the orientations of the light emitter and the light receiver are opposite, and the transmission and reception paths of the light signal do not interfere with each other, and can be offset within a certain angle range.

[0010] Further, the controller comprises a data processing module, a first input / output module, a second input / output module and a communication module, the light emitter is electrically connected with the data processing module through the first input / output module, the light receiver is electrically connected with the data processing module through the second input / output module, and the communication module is electrically connected with the data processing module.

[0011] Further, the modular counting device further comprises a first support plate and a second support plate arranged on the substrate, the first support plate is used for supporting the light emitter and limiting the emission angle range of the light emitter, and the second support plate is used for supporting the light receiver and limiting the receiving angle range of the light receiver.

[0012] Further, the modular counting device further comprises an upper computer or a terminal device, and the upper computer or the terminal device is in communication connection with the communication module.

[0013] Further, the communication module of the modular counting device is a Bluetooth module, a Wi-Fi module or an RS485 module, etc.

[0014] Further, the modular counting device comprises one or more groups of light emitters and light receivers.

[0015] A modular counting system, comprising N modular counting devices, N>2, and each of the modular counting devices is arranged in sequence, and when N>n>1, the light emitter of the n-1th modular counting device is aligned with the light receiver of the nth modular counting device, and the light emitter of the nth modular counting device is aligned with the light receiver of the n+1th modular counting device.

[0016] The light emitter of the n-1th modular counting device is aligned with the light receiver of the nth modular counting device, and the light emitter of the nth modular counting device is aligned with the light receiver of the n+1th modular counting device.

[0017] Or the light receiver of the n-1th modular counting device is aligned with the light transmitter of the nth modular counting device, and the light receiver of the nth modular counting device is aligned with the light transmitter of the n+1th modular counting device.

[0018] Further, the modular counting device further comprises a host computer or terminal device, which is in communication connection with the communication module, and each modular counting device shares one host computer or terminal device.

[0019] Further, the modular counting device is arranged at different counting points, the orientations of the light transmitter and the light receiver of the same modular counting device are opposite, and the modular counting devices are arranged in alignment in sequence.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the technical scheme of the present application are:

[0021] The utility model provides a modular counting device, when using, multiple modular counting devices arrange in sequence, make the light transmitter, light receiver of adjacent device alignment, controller respectively for light transmitter, light receiver power supply. When there is object between light transmitter, light receiver and passes through, can shield light path, data processing module monitors the signal of light receiver return can count, and the counting value is sent to external equipment through the communication module. The utility model discloses through modularization design, can according to different production demand flexible extension, supports multiple counting points or long distance monitoring, significantly improves the flexibility and adaptability of system. The system also has lower cost and higher reliability, can be widely applied in various industrial scenes, satisfies the demand of modern production line to high efficiency, accurate counting. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the modular counting device.

[0023] Figure 2 It is a circuit schematic diagram of the modular counting device.

[0024] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the modular counting system.

[0025] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the modular counting device arranged on the inclined collection surface of the chicken coop.

[0026] Figure 5 It is a detailed schematic diagram of the modular counting device.

[0027] Wherein: 1, substrate; 2, light emitter; 3, light receiver; 4, controller; 401, data processing module; 402, first input and output module; 403, second input and output module; 404, communication module; 5, host computer or terminal device; 6, first support plate; 7, second support plate; 8, first chicken coop; 9, second chicken coop; 10, first inclined collection surface; 11, second inclined collection surface; 12, first modular counting device; 13, second modular counting device; 14, third modular counting device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions of the present application will be described below in connection with the drawings of the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments of the present application. Based on the described embodiments, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without any creative effort belong to the scope of protection of the present application.

[0029] Unless otherwise defined, technical or scientific terms used in the present application should be understood as having the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terms "first", "second" and similar terms used in the present application do not denote any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. The terms "include" or "contain" and similar terms mean that the elements or objects before the terms encompass the elements or objects listed after the terms and their equivalents, and do not exclude other elements or objects. The terms "connected" or "connected" and similar terms are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "Up", "down", "left", "right" and the like are only used to represent relative positional relationships, and when the absolute positions of the described objects change, the relative positional relationships may also change accordingly.

[0030] Embodiment 1

[0031] As shown in Figures 1-2 The present embodiment discloses a modular counting device, which comprises a substrate 1, a light emitter 2, a light receiver 3 and a controller 4, the light emitter 2, the light receiver 3 and the controller 4 are all arranged on the substrate 1 and the orientations of the light emitter 2 and the light receiver 3 are different, the controller 4 comprises a data processing module 401, a first input and output module 402, a second input and output module 403 and a communication module 404, the light emitter 2 is electrically connected with the data processing module 401 through the first input and output module 402, the light receiver 3 is electrically connected with the data processing module 401 through the second input and output module 403, and the communication module 404 is electrically connected with the data processing module 401.

[0032] In this embodiment, the data processing module microcontroller / microprocessor can use, for example, the STMicroelectronics STM32F103C6T6 microcontroller, which is a low-end 32-bit ARM microcontroller with a Cortex-M3 core.

[0033] The working principle of the modular counting device in this embodiment is as follows: a plurality of modular counting devices are arranged in sequence, so that the light emitters 2 and the light receivers 3 of adjacent devices are aligned, and the first input / output module 402 and the second input / output module 403 of the controller 4 supply power to the light emitters 2 and the light receivers 3 respectively. When an object passes between the light emitters 2 and the light receivers 3, it will block the light path, and the data processing module 401 can count by monitoring the signals returned by the light receivers 3. The counting value is sent to an external device through the communication module 404. The modular counting device in this embodiment can be flexibly expanded according to different production needs, supports multiple counting points or long-distance monitoring, and significantly improves the flexibility and adaptability of the system. The system also has low cost and high reliability, and can be widely used in various industrial scenes to meet the needs of modern production lines for efficient and accurate counting.

[0034] In the specific implementation process, the orientations of the light emitters 2 and the light receivers 3 are opposite, i.e., the orientation angle between the light emitters 2 and the light receivers 3 is 180°. In this way, a plurality of modular counting devices can be arranged in a straight line in sequence.

[0035] It should be noted that, in the implementation process, in addition to being arranged in a straight line in sequence, the modular counting device can also be flexibly adjusted according to the use scene. For example, the orientation angle between the light emitters 2 and the light receivers 3 is designed to be 108°, so that a pentagon is formed by the connection lines between the five modular counting devices. Different groups of light emitters 2 and light receivers 3 can be adjusted to different angles according to specific conditions.

[0036] In the specific implementation process, the modular counting device further includes a first support plate 6 and a second support plate 7 arranged on the substrate 1, the first support plate 6 is used to support the light emitters 2 and define the emission angle range of the light emitters 2; and the second support plate 7 is used to support the light receivers 3 and define the receiving angle range of the light receivers 3.

[0037] In the specific implementation process, the modular counting device further includes an upper computer or terminal device 5, which is in communication connection with the communication module 404. In this way, the counting data can be collected and displayed on the upper computer or terminal device 5.

[0038] In a specific implementation process, the communication module 404 of the modular counting device is a Bluetooth module, a Wi-Fi module or an RS485 module. The communication module 404 is used for transmitting data in a wired or wireless manner, and other types of communication modules 404 can also be selected according to the cost and application scenario.

[0039] In a specific implementation process, the modular counting device includes one or more groups of light emitters 2 and light receivers 3. The light emitters 2 and the light receivers 3 appear in pairs, and each modular counting device can contain one or more pairs of optical sensors, and the number is adjusted according to production needs to improve the detection coverage and accuracy.

[0040] Embodiment 2

[0041] As shown in Figure 3 The embodiment provides a modular counting system, which includes N modular counting devices described in Embodiment 1, N≥2, and the modular counting devices are arranged in sequence. If N>n>1, then:

[0042] The light emitter 2 of the n-1th modular counting device is aligned with the light receiver 3 of the nth modular counting device, and the light emitter 2 of the nth modular counting device is aligned with the light receiver 3 of the n+1th modular counting device.

[0043] Or the light receiver 3 of the n-1th modular counting device is aligned with the light emitter 2 of the nth modular counting device, and the light receiver 3 of the nth modular counting device is aligned with the light emitter 2 of the n+1th modular counting device.

[0044] In a specific implementation process, the modular counting device further includes a host computer or terminal device 5, which is in communication connection with the communication module 404. Each modular counting device shares one host computer or terminal device 5, and the counting data can be collected and displayed in the host computer or terminal device 5.

[0045] In this embodiment, the modular counting devices are connected in an optical path alignment mode of the light emitter 2 and the light receiver 3, avoiding complex cable wiring, making the expansion and installation of the system more convenient, and reducing the complexity of wiring and connection. The counting device of the embodiment adopts a modular design, and multiple modular counting devices can be cascaded to effectively monitor the counting of multiple segmented areas. In this embodiment, each modular counting device only monitors the signal of the light receiver 3, and the light receiver 3 needs to be aligned with the corresponding light emitter 2 of the adjacent unit to form a fixed detection range, ensuring that each module independently monitors, and each modular counting device can independently monitor, so that the fault can be handled individually without affecting the function of other unit modules in the system.

[0046] N modular counting devices form N-1 counting intervals, so that the object falling events in a longer range can be monitored. When objects fall in different areas, the total number of objects and the falling position can be accurately recorded according to the counting data of each interval.

[0047] Embodiment 3

[0048] This embodiment takes the multi-cage egg counting application in the field of laying hens as an example. Two adjacent cages are respectively recorded as the first cage 8 and the second cage 9, each of which has an inclined collection surface for collecting eggs, which are respectively recorded as the first inclined collection surface 10 and the second inclined collection surface 11. Due to the influence of gravity, the eggs laid by the laying hens in the cage will fall along the inclined collection surface to form an object falling event. Therefore, the modular counting devices can be placed at the left side of the first inclined collection surface 10, the junction of the first inclined collection surface 10 and the second inclined collection surface 11, and the right side of the second inclined collection surface 11, respectively, such as the modular counting devices in Figure 4 There are three modular counting devices in total, which are respectively recorded as the first modular counting device 12, the second modular counting device 13 and the third modular counting device 14. The detailed schematic diagram of the modular counting device is shown in Figure 5 The light receiver 3 of the first modular counting device 12 is aligned with the light emitter 2 of the second modular counting device 13, and the light receiver 3 of the second modular counting device 13 is aligned with the light emitter 2 of the third modular counting device 14.

[0049] According to the orientation of the light receiver 3, the first modular counting device 12 monitors the egg production of the first cage 8. Similarly, the second modular counting device 13 monitors the egg production of the second cage 9. Each modular counting device can communicate with the upper computer through the Bluetooth communication module 404, so as to realize the actual egg production monitoring of each cage.

[0050] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present application are only examples for clearly illustrating the present application, and are not intended to limit the implementation manner of the present application. For those skilled in the art, other different forms of changes or variations can be made on the basis of the above description. Here, it is not necessary and impossible to enumerate all the implementation manners. Any modification, equivalent replacement and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A modular counting device, characterized by, The modular counting device comprises a substrate (1), a light emitter (2), a light receiver (3) and a controller (4), the light emitter (2), the light receiver (3) and the controller (4) are arranged on the substrate (1), and the light emitter (2) and the light receiver (3) are oppositely oriented.

2. The modular counting device of claim 1, wherein, The light signal transmission and reception paths of the light emitter (2) and the light receiver (3) are not interfered with each other and are oppositely oriented.

3. The modular counting device of claim 1, wherein, The controller (4) comprises a data processing module (401), a first input / output module (402), a second input / output module (403) and a communication module (404), the light emitter (2) is electrically connected with the data processing module (401) through the first input / output module (402), the light receiver (3) is electrically connected with the data processing module (401) through the second input / output module (403), and the communication module (404) is electrically connected with the data processing module (401).

4. The modular counting device of claim 1, wherein, The modular counting device further comprises a first support plate (6) and a second support plate (7) arranged on the substrate (1), the first support plate (6) is used for supporting the light emitter (2) and defining the emission angle range of the light emitter (2), and the second support plate (7) is used for supporting the light receiver (3) and defining the receiving angle range of the light receiver (3).

5. The modular counting device of claim 3, wherein, The modular counting device further comprises an upper computer or terminal device (5), and the upper computer or terminal device (5) is in communication connection with the communication module (404).

6. The modular counting device of claim 3, wherein, The communication module (404) of the modular counting device is a Bluetooth module, a Wi-Fi module or an RS485 module.

7. The modular counting device of claim 1, wherein, The modular counting device comprises one or more groups of light emitters (2) and light receivers (3).

8. A modular counting system, characterized by, The modular counting device comprises N modular counting devices according to any one of claims 1-6, N≥2, and the modular counting devices are arranged in sequence; when N>n>1, the light emitter (2) of the n-1th modular counting device is aligned with the light receiver (3) of the nth modular counting device, and the light emitter (2) of the nth modular counting device is aligned with the light receiver (3) of the n+1th modular counting device. The light receiver (3) of the n-1th modular counting device is aligned with the light emitter (2) of the nth modular counting device, and the light receiver (3) of the nth modular counting device is aligned with the light emitter (2) of the n+1th modular counting device. The modular counting device further comprises an upper computer or terminal device (5), and the upper computer or terminal device (5) is in communication connection with the communication module (404), and the modular counting devices share one upper computer or terminal device (5).

9. The modular counting system of claim 8, wherein, The modular counting devices are arranged at different counting points, the light emitter (2) and the light receiver (3) of the same modular counting device are oppositely oriented, and the modular counting devices are arranged in sequence.

10. The modular counting system of claim 8, wherein, ​

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