Monitoring method, system and program of conveyor belt

Abstract

To provide a monitoring method and the like of a belt conveyor capable of easily detecting meanderings or deviation to one side of a belt.SOLUTION: According to an aspect of the present invention, a monitoring method of a belt conveyor is provided. This monitoring method includes the following steps. In an acquisition step, measurement data related to a belt of the belt conveyor is acquired via an optical sensor installed apart from the belt conveyor. In an identification step, a degree of meanderings or deviation to one side of the belt is identified according to mechanical parameters of ends defining a width of the belt calculated from the measurement data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method, system, and program for monitoring a belt conveyor. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a device for detecting meandering of a belt conveyor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-118663 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the known techniques such as Patent Document 1, it is necessary to attach a sensor to the belt conveyor itself, which requires human and financial burden for the installation itself, and it may not be possible to place the sensor at a desired location due to problems with placement space, etc. If it is not possible to install a sensor on the belt conveyor, it is not possible to grasp the meandering of the belt, etc., and a visual inspection by a person on-site is required, which is an additional burden.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a method for monitoring a belt conveyor that can more easily detect meandering or deviation of the belt. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for monitoring a belt conveyor, the method comprising the following steps: in the acquisition step, measurement data relating to the belt of the belt conveyor is acquired via an optical sensor installed at a distance from the belt conveyor; in the identification step, the degree of meandering or deviation of the belt is identified according to a mechanical parameter of the end portion that defines the width of the belt, which is calculated from the measurement data.

[0007] Furthermore, it may be provided in the following aspects:

[0008] (1) A method for monitoring a belt conveyor, comprising the following steps: in an acquisition step, measurement data relating to a belt of the belt conveyor is acquired via an optical sensor installed at a distance from the belt conveyor; and in an identification step, the degree of meandering or deviation of the belt is identified according to mechanical parameters of the end portion that define the width of the belt, which are calculated from the measurement data.

[0009] According to this embodiment, meandering or deviation of the belt can be more easily detected.

[0010] (2) In the monitoring method described in (1) above, the mechanical parameter is the position of the end within the measurement data.

[0011] According to this embodiment, it is possible to use the position of the end portion, which is a dynamic parameter that is easily obtained in information processing, and thereby to detect the meandering or deviation of the belt.

[0012] (3) In the monitoring method described in (2) above, in the identifying step, the degree is identified by comparing the position of the end with a preset reference position, wherein the reference position is the position of the end obtained by measuring the belt when the belt is neither meandering nor offset.

[0013] According to this aspect, the deviation from a preferred reference position can be utilized to more accurately detect the meandering or deviation of the belt.

[0014] (4) In the monitoring method described in (3) above, a correction step further corrects the reference position based on the amount of load loaded on the belt and / or the start and stop of the belt conveyor, and in the identification step, the degree is identified by comparing the position of the end portion with the reference position corrected in the correction step.

[0015] According to this aspect, the reference position can be changed depending on the situation, and the meandering or deviation of the belt can be detected more accurately.

[0016] (5) In the monitoring method described in (3) or (4) above, the reference position is the position of the end obtained when the load is loaded and the belt sinks in the direction of gravity.

[0017] According to this aspect, it is possible to more accurately detect the meandering or deviation of the belt after distinguishing whether the belt is floating or not.

[0018] (6) In the monitoring method described in (1) or (2) above, in the identifying step, the degree is identified by inputting the position of the end into a trained model, and the trained model is a model that has been machine-learned in advance to determine the relationship between the position of the end and the meandering or deviation of the belt.

[0019] According to this aspect, it is possible to more accurately detect belt meandering or deviation as an appropriate judgment based on an analogy with actual past conditions.

[0020] (7) In the monitoring method described in any one of (1) to (6) above, the identification step further identifies that the end portion has moved in a direction in which the width is reduced or increased based on the mechanical parameters.

[0021] According to this aspect, it is possible to distinguish elements that are not belt meandering or deviation and more accurately detect belt meandering or deviation.

[0022] (8) In the monitoring method described in any one of (1) to (7) above, the optical sensor is a LiDAR sensor, and the measurement data is point cloud data obtained via the LiDAR sensor.

[0023] According to this aspect, it is possible to detect belt meandering or deviation while ensuring both accuracy and cost.

[0024] (9) In the monitoring method described in (8) above, the LiDAR sensor is installed above the belt so as to overlook the loading surface of the belt on which the load is carried.

[0025] According to this aspect, it is possible to detect the meandering or deviation of the belt with a simple configuration.

[0026] (10) The monitoring method according to any one of (1) to (9) above, further comprising, in a warning step, presenting a warning to a user when the degree identified in the identification step exceeds a threshold value.

[0027] According to this aspect, the user can notice any problems such as belt meandering or deviation.

[0028] (11) A method for monitoring a belt conveyor, comprising the following steps: in an acquisition step, point cloud data regarding a belt of the belt conveyor is acquired via a LiDAR sensor installed in advance; and in a display control step, the point cloud data is displayed on a display device so as to be visible to a user, thereby assisting the user in determining the degree of meandering or deviation of the belt.

[0029] According to this embodiment, meandering or deviation of the belt can be more easily detected.

[0030] (12) A system for monitoring a belt conveyor, comprising at least one processor, the processor being configured to execute a program so as to perform each step of the monitoring method described in any one of (1) to (11) above.

[0031] According to this embodiment, meandering or deviation of the belt can be more easily detected.

[0032] (13) A system according to (12) above, comprising an information processing device and an optical sensor, the optical sensor being configured to measure a belt of a belt conveyor, the information processing device comprising the processor that executes the program, connected to the optical sensor, and configured to acquire measurement data relating to the belt from the optical sensor.

[0033] According to this embodiment, meandering or deviation of the belt can be more easily detected.

[0034] (14) A program causing at least one computer to execute each step of the monitoring method according to any one of (1) to (11) above.

[0035] According to this embodiment, meandering or deviation of the belt can be more easily detected. Of course, this is not the case. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0036] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a system 1 according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the positional relationship between a LiDAR sensor 3 and a belt conveyor 4. FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a block diagram showing functions realized by a control unit 23 and the like in the information processing device 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is an activity diagram showing the flow of processing executed by the system 1. FIG. [Diagram 5] 4A to 4C are schematic diagrams showing the positions of ends 41l and 41r of a belt 41 in different states. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram showing XY coordinates, which are an example of shape parameters of powder PW. FIG. [Figure 7] 7A shows an example of a screen in which the display control unit 237 displays on the display unit 24 a warning output by the warning unit 236. In particular, FIG. 7A shows a screen 5a that warns of the degree of meandering or deviation of the belt 41, and FIG. 7B shows a screen 5b that notifies of the predicted results of trouble that may occur in the belt conveyor 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0037] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Various characteristic features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0038] Incidentally, a program for realizing the software appearing in one embodiment may be provided as a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, or may be provided so as to be downloadable from an external server, or may be provided so that the program is launched on an external computer and its functions are realized on a client terminal (so-called cloud computing).

[0039] In one embodiment, the term "unit" may include, for example, a combination of hardware resources implemented by a circuit in the broad sense and software information processing that can be specifically realized by these hardware resources. In one embodiment, various information is handled, and this information is represented by, for example, physical values ​​of signal values ​​representing voltage and current, high and low signal values ​​as a binary bit collection consisting of 0 or 1, or quantum superposition (so-called quantum bits), and communication and calculation can be performed on the circuit in the broad sense.

[0040] In addition, a circuit in the broad sense is a circuit realized by at least appropriately combining a circuit, circuitry, a processor, a memory, etc. In other words, it includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (e.g., a simple programmable logic device (SPLD), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA)), etc.

[0041] [Embodiment] 1. Hardware Configuration In this section, a hardware configuration of a system 1 according to an embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a system 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the system 1 includes an information processing device 2, a LiDAR sensor 3, and a belt conveyor 4. The information processing device 2 and the LiDAR sensor 3 are electrically connected via a communication unit 21 and a transmission path 31 described later. The LiDAR sensor 3 is disposed so as to be able to measure the shape of the belt conveyor 4. The system 1 predicts a trouble occurring in the belt conveyor 4. Alternatively, the system 1 monitors the belt conveyor 4.

[0042] In one embodiment, a "system" is one that includes one or more devices or components. Therefore, it should be noted that, for example, the information processing device 2 alone as a component is also an example of a system, the information processing device 2 and the LiDAR sensor 3 as components are also an example of a system, and the information processing device 2, the LiDAR sensor 3, and the belt conveyor 4 as components are also an example of a system.

[0043] (Information processing device 2) The information processing device 2 has a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, a control unit 23, a display unit 24, and an input unit 25, and these components are electrically connected via a communication bus 20 inside the information processing device 2. Each component will be further described.

[0044] The communication unit 21 is preferably a wired communication means such as USB, IEEE1394, Thunderbolt (registered trademark), wired LAN network communication, etc., but may also include wireless LAN network communication, mobile communication such as LTE / 5G, Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication, etc. as necessary. In other words, it is more preferable to implement it as a collection of these multiple communication means. In other words, the information processing device 2 may communicate various information from the outside via the communication unit 21 and the network. Specifically, the information processing device 2 is connected to the LiDAR sensor 3 via the communication unit 21 and the transmission path 31. The LiDAR sensor 3 will be described later.

[0045] The storage unit 22 stores various pieces of information defined by the above description. This can be implemented, for example, as a storage device such as a solid state drive (SSD) that stores various programs and the like related to the information processing device 2 executed by the control unit 23, or as a memory such as a random access memory (RAM) that stores temporarily required information (arguments, arrays, etc.) related to the program calculations. The storage unit 22 stores various programs, variables, etc. related to the information processing device 2 executed by the control unit 23.

[0046] The control unit 23 (processor) processes and controls the overall operation related to the information processing device 2. The control unit 23 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) not shown. The control unit 23 realizes various functions related to the information processing device 2 by reading out a predetermined program stored in the storage unit 22. That is, information processing by software stored in the storage unit 22 can be specifically realized by the control unit 23, which is an example of hardware, and executed as each functional unit included in the control unit 23. These will be described in more detail in the next section. Note that the control unit 23 is not limited to being single, and may be implemented with multiple control units 23 for each function. Also, a combination of these may be used.

[0047] The display unit 24 may be, for example, included in the housing of the information processing device 2, or may be externally attached. The display unit 24 displays a screen of a graphical user interface (GUI) that can be operated by the user. This is preferably implemented by using display devices such as a CRT display, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, and a plasma display. In the case of an external display, the display unit 24 and the information processing device 2 may be connected by wire, or may be connected without direct wiring via wireless communication or satellite communication, etc.

[0048] The input unit 25 may be included in the housing of the information processing device 2, or may be externally attached. For example, the input unit 25 may be implemented as a touch panel integrated with the display unit 24. If it is a touch panel, the user can input a tap operation, a swipe operation, or the like. Of course, a switch button, a mouse, a QWERTY keyboard, or the like may be adopted instead of the touch panel. That is, the input unit 25 accepts an operation input made by the user. The input is transferred as a command signal to the control unit 23 via the communication bus 20, and the control unit 23 can execute a predetermined control or calculation as necessary.

[0049] (LiDAR sensor 3) The LiDAR sensor 3 (an example of an optical sensor) is a sensor that irradiates an object with laser light, detects the reflected light to measure the distance to the object, and generates measurement data of the measurement target. More specifically, the measurement data is point cloud data obtained via the LiDAR sensor 3. The LiDAR sensor 3 includes a laser light source, a light receiving unit, a microcomputer, and a communication unit (not shown). Laser light is irradiated from the laser light source, and the light receiving unit receives the reflected light reflected by a belt conveyor 4 (described later) which is an object, or powder PW which is an example of a load, and the microcomputer generates point cloud data, which can be output to the outside via the communication unit.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 1, the LiDAR sensor 3 is connected to the communication unit 21 of the information processing device 2 via a transmission path 31. With such a configuration, it is possible to detect meandering or deviation of the belt 41 of the belt conveyor 4 described later while ensuring both accuracy and cost, and to predict various troubles that may occur in the belt conveyor 4 in advance. The type of the transmission path 31 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a USB connection or a serial connection, or may be connected via a network such as the Internet or an intranet. For simplicity, one LiDAR sensor 3 is illustrated, but actually, multiple LiDAR sensors 3 may be implemented in the system 1.

[0051] That is, preferably, the system 1 includes an information processing device 2 and a LiDAR sensor 3 (an example of an optical sensor). The LiDAR sensor 3 (an example of an optical sensor) is configured to measure the powder PW transported on a belt conveyor 4. The information processing device 2 includes a control unit 23 (an example of a processor) that executes a program for implementing each function. The information processing device 2 is connected to the LiDAR sensor 3 and configured to acquire point cloud data (an example of measurement data) related to the powder PW (an example of a load) from the LiDAR sensor 3.

[0052] (Conveyor belt 4) FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the positional relationship between the LiDAR sensor 3 and the belt conveyor 4. As shown in FIG. 2, the direction along the width of the belt 41 of the belt conveyor 4 is defined as the X-axis, the direction from bottom to top is defined as the Y-axis, and the Z-axis is defined along the traveling direction of the belt conveyor 4. The belt conveyor 4 includes a belt 41 and rollers 42. The belt 41 is a sheet-like member and is provided so as to wrap around a plurality of rollers 42. The belt 41 is configured to be capable of transporting a load in the Z-axis direction in a state in which a load such as powder PW is loaded on the loading surface 41f. The rollers 42 are cylindrical members extending in the X-axis direction and are arranged at regular intervals along the Z-axis direction. The rollers 42 support the belt 41 and rotate around their own axes to rotate the belt 41, thereby sliding the loading surface 41f in the traveling direction. The belt 41 also includes end portions 41l and 41r in its width direction. In one embodiment, the positions of the ends 41l and 41r are an example of a dynamic parameter, and can be used to determine the degree of meandering or deviation of the belt conveyor 4, which will be described later. In other words, the dynamic parameter is preferably the position of the ends 41l and 41r in the point cloud data. Details will be described later.

[0053] The LiDAR sensor 3 described above is installed above the belt conveyor 4. The LiDAR sensor 3 measures the surface shape of the load, such as the powder PW, transported by the belt conveyor 4, as seen from above, and outputs the measurement result, that is, point cloud data, to the information processing device 2 described above. In other words, the LiDAR sensor 3 is installed above the belt conveyor 4 so as to overlook the loading surface 41f of the belt conveyor 4 on which the powder PW is loaded. By adopting such a form, it is possible to find meandering or deviation of the belt 41 with a simple configuration, and to predict various troubles that may occur in the belt conveyor 4 in advance. The point cloud data obtained by the LiDAR sensor 3 indicates the surface shape of the load and the belt 41 in the XY plane including the LiDAR sensor 3 (a plane parallel to the plane including the X-axis and the Y-axis and including the LiDAR sensor 3).

[0054] 2. Functional configuration In this section, the functional configuration of one embodiment will be described. As described above, information processing by the software stored in the storage unit 22 is specifically realized by the control unit 23, which is an example of hardware, so that each functional unit included in the control unit 23 can be executed. In other words, the system 1 includes at least one processor (e.g., the control unit 23). The processor is configured to execute a program so that each step of the monitoring method or the trouble prediction method for the belt conveyor 4 is performed. From another perspective, the program causes at least one computer to execute each step of the monitoring method or the trouble prediction method for the belt conveyor 4. Each step includes, for example, an acquisition step, a correction step, an identification step, a prediction step, a warning step, and a display control step.

[0055] 3 is a block diagram showing functions realized by the control unit 23 and the like in the information processing device 2. Specifically, the control unit 23 can function as a calculation unit 231, an acquisition unit 232, a correction unit 233, an identification unit 234, a prediction unit 235, a warning unit 236, and a display control unit 237. Each functional unit will be outlined below.

[0056] The calculation unit 231 is configured to execute various calculations in the information processing device 2.

[0057] The acquisition unit 232 is configured to acquire external information via the communication unit 21. Specifically, as an acquisition step, the acquisition unit 232 acquires point cloud data (an example of measurement data) related to the belt 41 of the belt conveyor 4 via a LiDAR sensor 3 (an example of an optical sensor) installed away from the belt conveyor 4. Details will be described later.

[0058] As a correction step, the correction unit 233 corrects the reference position based on the amount of load carried on the belt 41 and / or the start and stop of the belt conveyor 4. Details will be described later.

[0059] The specifying unit 234 is configured to specify various pieces of information. Specifically, as a specifying step, the specifying unit 234 specifies the degree of meandering or deviation of the belt 41 according to the positions of the ends (one example of mechanical parameters) that define the width of the belt 41, which are calculated from the point cloud data. Details will be described later.

[0060] The prediction unit 235 is configured to predict various information. Specifically, as a prediction step, the prediction unit 235 predicts trouble occurring in the belt conveyor 4 based on shape parameters (e.g., the X coordinate at which the Y coordinate value is maximum) related to the shape of the powder PW calculated from the point cloud data and the reference information IF. Details will be described later.

[0061] The warning unit 236 is configured to output various warnings as a warning step.

[0062] The display control unit 237 is configured to output display information. The display information may be visual information itself generated in a manner that is visible to the user, such as a screen, an image, an icon, text, etc., or may be rendering information for displaying a screen, an image, an icon, text, etc. on the display unit 24. For example, the content of the warning output by the warning unit 236 is displayed on the display unit 24 by the display control unit 237 as a display control step.

[0063] 3. Overview of information processing In this section, an overview of the information processing executed by the system 1 will be described.

[0064] In one embodiment, it is assumed that powder PW, which is an example of a load, is transported to a yard, which is a storage location, by a belt conveyor 4. In reality, the powder PW is transported to the destination yard by changing between multiple belt conveyors 4, but here, the flow of processing will be described focusing on a state in which the powder PW is being transported on one of the belt conveyors 4. Such processing is an example of a method for monitoring the belt conveyor 4 or a method for predicting problems with the belt conveyor 4.

[0065] 4 is an activity diagram showing the flow of processing executed by the system 1. First, while the powder PW is being transported on the belt conveyor 4, the LiDAR sensor 3 measures the belt conveyor 4 (activity A101). Specifically, the LiDAR sensor 3 installed above the belt conveyor 4 continuously irradiates laser light toward the belt conveyor 4. Then, the reflected light reflected from the belt 41 and / or the powder PW is detected.

[0066] Next, the acquisition unit 232 acquires point cloud data from the LiDAR sensor 3 (activity A102). Specifically, the information processing device 2 receives the point cloud data output from the LiDAR sensor 3 via the transmission path 31 by the communication unit 21, and stores the point cloud data in the storage unit 22. The point cloud data at this time includes the belt 41 of the belt conveyor 4 and the powder PW loaded on the belt 41.

[0067] Next, the calculation unit 231 calculates the positions of the ends 41l, 41r of the belt 41 from the current frame of the point cloud data (activity A103). For calculating the positions, a rule-based algorithm for extracting edges of the point cloud data may be adopted, or a learned model may be adopted. Furthermore, the calculation unit 231 compares the positions of the ends 41l, 41r calculated not only in the current frame but also in past frames to calculate a change in the positions (activity A104). The past frame may be one frame back or ten frames back. More preferably, it is adjusted appropriately according to the frame rate or the control rate.

[0068] Meanwhile, for the same frame, the calculation unit 231 extracts a point P, which is a point within the area occupied by the powder PW, as a shape parameter indicating the shape of the powder PW (activity A105). Preferably, the point P is a point in the area whose Y coordinate value is maximum. Furthermore, the identification unit 234 identifies the X coordinate of the point P (activity A106).

[0069] Next, various information calculated or specified in the activities A103 to A106 is compared with a predefined correction condition (activity A107). If the correction condition is satisfied, at least a part of the reference information IF, which is information to be referred to when specifying the degree or predicting a trouble, is corrected (activity A108). If the correction condition is not satisfied, the processing of activity A108 is skipped. For example, since the positions of the ends 41l and 41r taken as standard differ depending on the amount of load, it is assumed that the reference information IF is corrected according to the amount of load. In addition, the positions of the ends 41l and 41r taken as standard may differ depending on the start / stop and traveling speed of the belt conveyor 4 itself, so correction may be performed in such cases as well. In other words, the correction unit 233 corrects the reference information IF (for example, a reference position described later) based on the amount of load loaded on the belt 41 and / or the start / stop of the belt conveyor 4 as a correction step.

[0070] Next, various pieces of information calculated or identified in the activities A103 to A106 are compared with the reference information IF (activity A109). For example, a reference position when there is no meandering or deviation is set as the reference information IF, and the reference position is compared with the positions of the ends 41l and 41r in the point cloud data by the calculation unit 231. As a result, the degree of meandering or deviation of the belt 41 is identified. In other words, the identification unit 234 identifies the degree as the identification step by comparing the positions of the ends 41l and 41r with a preset reference position. The reference position is the position of the ends 41l and 41r obtained by measuring the belt 41 in a state where there is no meandering or deviation in the belt 41. According to this aspect, the meandering or deviation of the belt 41 can be found more accurately by utilizing the deviation from the preferred reference position. Furthermore, when the reference information IF is corrected in the activity A108, the identification unit 234, as an identification step, identifies the degree by comparing the positions of the ends 41l, 41r with the reference position corrected by the correction unit 233. According to this embodiment, the reference position is changed according to the situation, and the meandering or deviation of the belt 41 can be found more accurately.

[0071] Alternatively, a lookup table that lists the coordinates (one example of shape parameters) of the point P of the powder PW and associated expected troubles may be used as the reference information IF. In this case, the reference information IF preferably includes, as one of the shape parameters, at least a shape parameter in a state where the powder PW is not being transported by the belt conveyor 4. According to such an embodiment, it is possible to distinguish the shape of the powder PW from the shape of the powder PW that is not being transported, and it is possible to predict in advance with high accuracy various troubles that may occur in the belt conveyor 4 due to the position of the powder PW.

[0072] Next, the display control unit 237 causes at least a part of the results of the series of information processing to be displayed on the display unit 24 (activity A110). For example, the point cloud data itself may be constantly displayed on the display unit 24, or various pieces of information calculated or identified in the activities A103 to A106 (for example, the positions of the ends 41l and 41r, the point P in the powder PW, etc.) may be displayed on the display unit 24. Furthermore, when meandering or deviation of the belt 41 is identified, the degree of such deviation may be displayed.

[0073] Next, the result of activity A109 is compared with a predefined warning condition (activity A111). If the warning condition is met, a warning is presented to a worker (an example of a user) waiting in the yard (activity A112). If the warning condition is not met, the processing of activity A112 is skipped. For example, if the degree of meandering or deviation of the belt 41 exceeds a predetermined threshold value, or if the occurrence of some kind of trouble is predicted from the coordinates of point P of the powder PW, a warning is presented to the worker.

[0074] Such information processing related to activities A101 to A112 is continuously performed at each frame rate of the LiDAR sensor 3 or each control rate of the control unit 23, thereby executing a method for monitoring the belt conveyor 4 or a method for predicting trouble in the belt conveyor 4.

[0075] In summary, a monitoring method for a belt conveyor 4 according to an embodiment includes the following steps. In the acquisition step, point cloud data (an example of measurement data) on the belt 41 of the belt conveyor 4 is acquired via a LiDAR sensor 3 (an example of an optical sensor) installed at a distance from the belt conveyor 4. In the identification step, the degree of meandering or deviation of the belt 41 is identified according to the positions of the ends (an example of a dynamic parameter) that define the width of the belt 41, which are calculated from the point cloud data. According to such an embodiment, meandering or deviation of the belt 41 can be more easily found. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the positions of the ends 41l and 41r, which are easy to obtain in information processing, can be used, and thus meandering or deviation of the belt 41 can be found.

[0076] Moreover, a method for predicting troubles in a belt conveyor 4 according to an embodiment includes the following steps. In the acquisition step, point cloud data (an example of measurement data) on the powder PW being transported by the belt conveyor 4 is acquired via a LiDAR sensor 3 (an example of an optical sensor) installed at a distance from the belt conveyor 4. In the prediction step, a trouble occurring in the belt conveyor 4 is predicted based on a shape parameter (e.g., an X coordinate at which the Y coordinate value is maximized) on the shape of the powder PW calculated from the point cloud data and the reference information IF. The reference information IF is information on the relationship between the shape parameter and various troubles. According to this embodiment, various troubles occurring in the belt conveyor 4 can be predicted in advance.

[0077] 4.Details In this section, a part of the process flow explained in the previous section will be further explained with reference to other figures. (Position of ends 41l, 41r) 5 is a schematic diagram showing the positions of ends 41l, 41r in different states of belt 41. This diagram is a cross-sectional view of belt 41 cut along a plane parallel to the XY plane. A measurement direction MD indicates the direction of measurement by LiDAR sensor 3. This diagram also shows different states ST0 to ST2.

[0078] State ST0 is a state in which no powder PW, which is a load, is loaded on the belt 41. As shown in the figure, when no load is loaded, the belt 41 floats without contacting the roller 42 located in the center, and a gap 43 may occur between the belt 41 and the roller 42. The positions of the ends 41l and 41r in state ST0 are shown as positions L0 and R0, respectively.

[0079] In state ST1, the powder PW, which is a load, is loaded on the belt 41. In this case, the belt 41 sinks due to the gravity of the powder PW and contacts the roller 42 located in the center. The positions of the ends 41l and 41r in state ST1 are shown as positions L1 and R1, respectively. Please note that since the belt 41 sinks, the positions L1 and R1 are located inside in the width direction (X-axis direction) of the positions L0 and R0 in state ST0. In other words, when the positions of the ends 41l and 41r are both moved inside in the width direction in the analysis result of the point cloud data, it can be determined that a load is loaded on the belt 41. It is advisable to manage such a rule as one of the reference information IF.

[0080] Since the sinking of the belt 41 does not change significantly when there is a certain amount of conveyance or more, it is preferable to determine the meandering or deviation of the belt 41 on the condition that there is a certain amount of conveyance or sinking or more. To grasp the amount of conveyance, the LiDAR sensor 3 may be used, or new information may be acquired from another sensor, an external server, or the like.

[0081] In state ST2, the belt 41 is loaded with powder PW and is biased to the left. The positions of the ends 41l and 41r in state ST2 are indicated as positions L2 and R2, respectively. As is clear from a comparison between states ST1 and ST2, position L2 is to the left of position L1, and position R2 is to the left of position R1. In other words, if the ends 41l and 41r both move in the same direction (leftward in this case) or are relatively biased to one side, it can be determined that bias has occurred. It is advisable to manage such a rule as one of the reference information IF.

[0082] To sum up, the identification unit 234 may further identify that the ends 41l, 41r have moved in the direction of narrowing or widening the width based on the positions L1, L2, R1, R2, etc. (one example of a mechanical parameter) as an identification step. According to this aspect, it is possible to more accurately find the meandering or deviation of the belt 41 after distinguishing elements that are not meandering or deviation of the belt 41. More preferably, the reference positions of the ends 41l, 41r used as the reference information IF are positions of the ends 41l, 41r obtained in a state in which the belt 41 is loaded and sinks in the direction of gravity, as shown in state ST1. According to this aspect, it is possible to more accurately find the meandering or deviation of the belt 41, as shown in state ST2, after distinguishing a state in which the belt 41 is floating (state ST0).

[0083] Incidentally, regarding the shape parameters of the powder PW, the shape of the powder PW when naturally loaded (energetically stable) varies depending on the physical properties of the powder PW. However, it should be noted that the shape of the powder PW also changes depending on the state of the belt 41 (e.g., states ST0 to ST2). Therefore, it is preferable to calculate the shape parameters such as the coordinates of point P in a state where the powder PW is loaded and the belt 41 sinks in the direction of gravity (e.g., state ST1). According to such an embodiment, by focusing on the shape of the powder PW during transportation, it is possible to predict in advance with higher accuracy various troubles that may occur in the belt conveyor 4 caused by the position of the powder PW.

[0084] (Powder PW coordinates) 6 is a schematic diagram showing XY coordinates, which are an example of shape parameters of the powder PW. This diagram is a cross-sectional view of the belt 41, cut along one surface parallel to the XY plane. The measurement direction MD indicates the direction of measurement by the LiDAR sensor 3.

[0085] FIG. 6 shows a point P whose Y coordinate is maximum in the area occupied by the powder PW. In one embodiment, the relationship between the coordinate of the point P within the range of the specified X coordinate and the trouble is focused on to predict the trouble. That is, the shape parameter of the powder PW includes a first coordinate (e.g., X coordinate) which is a coordinate in the width direction of the belt 41 of the belt conveyor 4 in the area (including the outline and the inside) showing the shape of the powder PW in the measurement data. According to this aspect, it is possible to predict in advance various troubles that occur in the belt conveyor 4 caused by the position of the powder PW. And preferably, the first coordinate (e.g., X coordinate) is the coordinate of a point in the area where the second coordinate (e.g., Y coordinate), which is a coordinate in the vertical direction of the belt 41, is maximum or local maximum. According to this aspect, it is possible to predict in advance various troubles that occur in the belt conveyor 4 caused by the position of the powder PW with even higher accuracy.

[0086] In addition, when the amount of powder PW transported is small, analysis based on shape parameters such as the coordinates of point P may be difficult. In such a case, analysis related to prediction may be performed only when there is a certain amount of transport. Also, when the belt 41 and the roller 42 are not in contact as in state ST0 of FIG. 5, the belt 41 may sink during transport of the powder PW, and the point cloud data of the reference belt conveyor 4 may differ. Therefore, analysis may be performed only when there is a certain amount of transport.

[0087] (Example of a warning screen) FIG. 7 shows an example of a screen in which the display control unit 237 displays on the display unit 24 a warning output by the warning unit 236. In particular, FIG. 7A shows a screen 5a that warns of the degree of meandering or deviation of the belt 41, and FIG. 7B shows a screen 5b that notifies of the predicted results of trouble that may occur in the belt conveyor 4.

[0088] In the area 51 of the screen 5a, text information is drawn saying, "Level 3 deviation has occurred in the belt of the No. 2 conveyor. Stop the operation and carry out a correction work." The deviation of level 3 is an example of a degree, and a plurality of stages (for example, 5 stages) may be defined according to the meandering or deviation of the belt 41. In addition, the warning may include information prompting the user to take action in addition to information indicating the degree. Specifically, the degree of meandering or deviation of the belt 41 is specified depending on which range (for example, levels 1 to 5) the positions of the ends 41l and 41r of the belt 41 calculated by the calculation unit 231 fall within in the range of degrees set as the reference information IF. Then, when the degree is a level that requires a warning (for example, level 3 or higher), the warning unit 236 outputs a warning.

[0089] In the area 52 of the screen 5b, text information is drawn saying, "The position of the load being transported by the No. 3 conveyor is offset. The load may fall!". Specifically, it is determined whether the coordinates of the powder PW calculated by the calculation unit 231 correspond to a pattern that may cause a trouble set as the reference information IF, and if so, a warning is output by the warning unit 236 as a predicted trouble. In the screen 5b, a warning of "load falling" is given as an example of a trouble, but the warning is not limited to this. Preferably, the trouble is meandering or offset of the belt 41 of the belt conveyor 4, clogging or the occurrence of adhesion in a chute section (not shown) connecting two or more belt conveyors 4, or at least a part of the powder PW falling from the belt conveyor 4. According to this embodiment, a specific trouble occurring in the belt conveyor 4 can be predicted in advance. In addition, a supplementary explanation will be given regarding the chute section (not shown). The chute section (not shown) is designed to receive the powder PW transported from a certain belt conveyor 4 from the entrance of the chute section, and then guide the powder PW downward so that it can be transferred to another downstream belt conveyor 4. For example, if there is a change in the shape parameters of the powder PW (e.g., the X coordinate of point P) immediately after passing through the chute section, problems such as clogging of the chute section or the occurrence of adhesions can be predicted.

[0090] In other words, as a warning step, the warning unit 236 presents a warning to the user when the degree identified by the identification unit 234 exceeds a threshold value, and also presents a warning to the user including the content of the trouble predicted by the prediction unit 235. According to this aspect, the user can notice a trouble such as meandering or deviation of the belt 41. Also, according to this aspect, the user can notice the possibility of various troubles.

[0091] Note that the manner in which information is displayed on the display unit 24 is merely an example, and an alarm may be output, or a patrol lamp that is placed in a conspicuous position and uses a contact output may be turned on, etc. In other words, the information is not limited to visual information, but may be information from the other five senses such as auditory information or tactile information, or may be a combination of two or more of these. In such a case, the effort of the worker who periodically monitors the display unit 24 can be further reduced.

[0092] [others] The system 1 according to the embodiment can also be implemented in the following manner.

[0093] According to one embodiment, it is possible to specify the degree of meandering or deviation of the belt conveyor 4 and predict problems that may occur in the belt conveyor 4, but the point cloud data obtained by the LiDAR sensor 3 may be displayed on the display unit 24 of the information processing device 2, and the on-site staff (an example of a user) may visually specify the degree of meandering or deviation. In other words, the acquisition unit 232 acquires point cloud data related to the belt 41 of the belt conveyor 4 via the LiDAR sensor 3 installed in advance as an acquisition step, and the display control unit 237 displays the point cloud data on the display device so that the user can view it as a display control step. This supports the user in determining the degree of meandering or deviation of the belt 41. According to this aspect, it is possible to discover meandering or deviation of the belt 41 with a simpler configuration.

[0094] In one embodiment, the reference information IF is a rule in which the reference position, threshold value, etc. are previously determined, but is not limited thereto. That is, the reference information IF is not limited to a database or a lookup table, but may be a mathematical model in which a plurality of pieces of information are mathematically related, or may be a learned model in which the correlation of a plurality of pieces of information is previously machine-learned. Preferably, the reference information IF is a learned model. For example, the reference information IF is a learned model in which the relationship between the shape of the powder PW and the trouble is previously machine-learned. The prediction unit 235 predicts the trouble by inputting the shape parameters into the learned model as a prediction step. According to this aspect, various troubles occurring in the belt conveyor 4 caused by the position of the powder PW can be predicted in advance as an appropriate judgment inferred from the actual situation in the past. In addition, the reference information IF may be a learned model in which the relationship between the position of the end and the meandering or deviation of the belt 41 is previously machine-learned. In such a case, the identification unit 234 identifies the degree by inputting the position of the end into the learned model as an identification step. According to this embodiment, meandering or deviation of the belt 41 can be detected more accurately as an appropriate judgment based on analogy with actual past situations.

[0095] In one embodiment, the X coordinate (first coordinate) is adopted as the shape parameter of the powder PW, but since the measurement by the LiDAR sensor 3 and the calculation by the information processing device 2 are continuously performed, multiple X coordinates may be adopted in a time series. For example, if the value of the X coordinate changes significantly over time, it is assumed that a part of the powder PW may fall, which is a problem. Such a rule may be one of the reference information IF. In other words, the prediction unit 235 predicts a problem based on two or more X coordinates (first coordinates) calculated at different times during the transportation of the powder PW as a prediction step. According to such an embodiment, various problems occurring in the belt conveyor 4 caused by the position of the powder PW can be predicted in advance with higher accuracy, taking into account the change over time of the shape of the powder PW.

[0096] In one embodiment, the position information of the ends 41l, 41r is used as an example of the mechanical parameters of the ends 41l, 41r, but the degree of meandering or deviation of the belt 41 may be specified using speed information, which is information on the difference (differential) of the position information for each frame, or the degree of meandering or deviation of the belt 41 may be specified using acceleration information, which is information on the difference (differential) of the speed information for each frame. Preferably, the relationship between a plurality of mechanical parameters and the degree of meandering or deviation of the belt 41 is set as the reference information IF. In such a case, the reference information IF may be a physical model or a learned model that has been previously machine-learned.

[0097] A trouble occurring in the belt conveyor 4 may be predicted by combining the positions of the ends 41l, 41r (an example of a mechanical parameter) and the coordinates of the point P of the powder PW (an example of a shape parameter) acquired from the point cloud data. For example, the possibility of the powder PW falling can be predicted from the positions of the ends 41l, 41r and the coordinates of the point P of the powder PW. In such a case, a lookup table storing the relationship between the positions of the ends 41l, 41r and the coordinates of the point P of the powder PW may be adopted as the reference information IF, or a learned model in which the relationship between the two is machine-learned may be adopted. In other words, the point cloud data (an example of the measurement data) includes information on the belt 41 of the belt conveyor 4 together with the shape of the powder PW. As a prediction step, the prediction unit 235 predicts the fall of at least a part of the powder PW from the belt 41 as a trouble, further based on the positions of the ends 41l, 41r (an example of a mechanical parameter) that define the width of the belt 41 calculated from the point cloud data. According to this embodiment, by paying attention to the state of the ends 41l, 41r of the belt 41 of the belt conveyor 4, various troubles such as the falling of the powder PW can be predicted in advance.

[0098] When determining the degree of meandering or deviation of the belt 41, the load conveyed by the belt conveyor 4 is not limited to the powder PW. For example, it may be raw materials such as gravel, iron ore, and coal, the particle size of which is larger than that of the powder PW.

[0099] The system 1 according to an embodiment can identify the degree of meandering or deviation of the belt 41 and predict problems that may occur in the belt 41, and some processing may be performed to take measures depending on the results. For example, if there is a possibility of falling, control of injection of chemicals to prevent this by making the powder PW wet may be performed. For example, mechanical control may be performed to automatically correct the meandering or deviation of the belt 41.

[0100] The LiDAR sensor 3 is a preferred example of an optical sensor, and the point cloud data is a preferred example of measurement data obtained by the optical sensor. However, the present invention is not limited to these, and other types of optical sensors, such as an infrared camera, may be adopted. In such a case, information in the depth direction may be obtained as stereo vision. Alternatively, instead of looking down from above, the optical sensor may be arranged with an inclination (for example, 30 to 60 degrees) and measurement may be performed. Even in such a case, the positions of the ends 41l and 41r and the shape parameters of the powder PW can be calculated.

[0101] On the other hand, if the LiDAR sensor 3 is used in principle, information on the distance direction of the target can be reliably obtained. By combining such information with previously known physical property information of the powder PW, it is also possible to estimate the shape of the powder PW and its tendency to change. By managing such information as reference information IF, it is possible to predict problems occurring in the belt conveyor 4 with higher accuracy.

[0102] Finally, although various embodiments of the present invention have been described, these are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 1: System 2: Information processing equipment 20: Communication bus 21: Communications Department 22: Storage section 23: Control section 231: Arithmetic section 232: Acquisition Department 233: Correction section 234: Specific part 235: Prediction Department 236: Warning section 237: Display control section 24: Display section 25: Input section 3: LiDAR sensor 31: Transmission path 4: Belt conveyor 41: Belt 41f: Loading surface 41l: End 41r: End 42: Laura 43 :Void 5a: Screen 5b: Screen 51 :Area 52 :Area IF : Reference information MD: Measurement direction PW: Powder ST0: Status ST1: Status ST2: Status

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a belt conveyor, comprising: It comprises the following steps: In the acquisition step, measurement data relating to the belt of the belt conveyor is acquired via an optical sensor installed at a distance from the belt conveyor; In the identifying step, a degree of meandering or deviation of the belt is identified according to a mechanical parameter of the end portion that defines a width of the belt, the mechanical parameter being calculated from the measurement data.

2. 2. The monitoring method according to claim 1, The method, wherein the mechanical parameter is a position of the end within the measurement data.

3. 3. The monitoring method according to claim 2, In the identifying step, the degree is identified by comparing the position of the end with a preset reference position, wherein the reference position is the position of the end obtained by measuring the belt in a state in which neither the meandering nor the deviation occurs in the belt.

4. 4. The monitoring method according to claim 3, Further, in the correction step, the reference position is corrected based on an amount of load loaded on the belt and / or a start / stop of the belt conveyor, The method according to claim 1, wherein in the identifying step, the degree is identified by comparing the position of the end portion with the reference position corrected in the correcting step.

5. 4. The monitoring method according to claim 3, The method, wherein the reference position is a position of the end obtained when the load is loaded and the belt sinks in the direction of gravity.

6. 2. The monitoring method according to claim 1, In the identifying step, the degree is identified by inputting the position of the end into a trained model, and the trained model is a model that has previously been machine-learned to determine the relationship between the position of the end and the meandering or deviation of the belt.

7. 2. The monitoring method according to claim 1, The method further comprises, in the identifying step, identifying that the end portion has moved in a direction in which the width is reduced or increased based on the mechanical parameters.

8. 2. The monitoring method according to claim 1, the optical sensor is a LiDAR sensor; The method, wherein the measurement data is point cloud data obtained via the LiDAR sensor.

9. 9. The monitoring method according to claim 8, A method in which the LiDAR sensor is installed above the belt so as to overlook the loading surface of the belt on which the load is loaded.

10. 2. The monitoring method according to claim 1, Further, in the warning step, a warning is presented to a user if the degree determined in the determining step exceeds a threshold value.

11. A method for monitoring a belt conveyor, comprising: It comprises the following steps: In the acquisition step, point cloud data relating to the belt of the belt conveyor is acquired via a LiDAR sensor installed in advance, In the display control step, the point cloud data is displayed on a display device so as to be visually recognizable by a user, thereby assisting the user in determining the degree of meandering or deviation of the belt.

12. 1. A system for monitoring a belt conveyor, comprising: At least one processor; A system, wherein the processor is configured to execute a program such that each step of the monitoring method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 is performed.

13. 13. The system of claim 12, An information processing device and an optical sensor are provided, The optical sensor is configured to measure a belt of a belt conveyor; The information processing device includes: The processor executing the program, A system in communication with the optical sensor and configured to obtain metrology data related to the belt from the optical sensor.

14. A program, A program causing at least one computer to execute each step of the monitoring method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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