Discrimination unit, mobile discrimination device, and management system

Abstract

To manage appearance states of harvested vegetables and fruits in association with locations in a farm.SOLUTION: A management system comprises a mobile discrimination device which captures images of harvested vegetables and fruits, and a server connected to a network. The mobile discrimination device comprises a location information detection unit which detects location information, and a network communication unit for communicating with the server through the network. The system transmits to the server the images of the harvested vegetables and fruits and the location information on locations where the vegetables and fruits have been harvested in association with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sorting unit for sorting fruits and vegetables, a mobile sorting device, and a management system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a mobile container for transporting harvested fruits and vegetables. The mobile container includes a number of containers in which the harvested fruits and vegetables are stored, and a cart on which the containers are placed and which runs on rails laid in the field. A worker who harvests the fruits and vegetables pushes the mobile container forward and stores the harvested fruits and vegetables in the container. The rails extend to a sorting device installed in the field, so the harvested fruits and vegetables can be transported directly to the sorting device. In this way, Patent Document 1 can reduce the transportation labor of the worker. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4534464 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Before harvesting, measures are taken to improve the quality of fruits and vegetables by visually checking the growing conditions of the fruits and vegetables. However, after harvesting, although it is possible to grasp the quality distribution based on the quality (classification) of the fruits and vegetables determined by a sorting device, it is not possible to check the external appearance of the harvested fruits and vegetables in relation to their location in the farm, making it difficult for producers to consider improvement measures for the next cultivation period.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a management system, a sorting unit, and a mobile sorting device that can manage the appearance condition of harvested fruits and vegetables in association with their location within the farm. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the management system of the present invention comprises a mobile sorting device that is placed in a fruit and vegetable farm and sorts harvested fruit and vegetables, and a server capable of communicating with the mobile sorting device, the mobile sorting device comprising an imaging unit that captures images of the fruit and vegetables, a location information detection unit that detects location information, and a transmission unit that transmits to the server the captured images of the fruit and vegetables and the location information of the harvest site of the fruit and vegetables in association with each other; The present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0007] The management system also includes a sorting device that is installed in a collection and shipping facility for the fruits and vegetables and sorts the fruits and vegetables that are brought in, the sorting device including an imaging unit that images the fruits and vegetables, a judgment unit that judges the quality of the fruits and vegetables, and a transmission unit that transmits the images and quality of the captured fruits and vegetables to the server, and the server includes a comparison unit that compares the images of the fruits and vegetables received from the sorting device with the images of the fruits and vegetables received from the mobile sorting device, and manages the quality of the fruits and vegetables by associating them with the location information corresponding to the images of the fruits and vegetables that have a high degree of match as a result of the comparison.

[0008] The sorting unit of the present invention is a sorting unit that sorts harvested fruits and vegetables, and is characterized by comprising a location information detection unit that detects location information, an imaging unit that images the harvested fruits and vegetables and generates an image of the fruits and vegetables, and a transmission unit that associates location information regarding the harvest location of the harvested fruits and vegetables with the image of the harvested fruits and vegetables and transmits the image to a device provided on a network.

[0009] The sorting unit is characterized by comprising a housing main body, an input section for inputting fruits and vegetables into the housing main body, a plurality of storage sections provided within the housing main body below the input section and each storage section is provided for each quality of the fruits and vegetables, a determination section for determining the quality of the fruits and vegetables based on images of the fruits and vegetables obtained from the imaging section, and a sorting section for sorting the fruits and vegetables into the storage sections corresponding to the determined quality.

[0010] The mobile sorting device of the present invention is characterized by comprising the above-mentioned sorting unit and a cart on which the sorting unit is placed. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, the working time for harvesting and sorting can be shortened. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] (a) is a side view showing the appearance of a moving sorting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, (b) is a plan view of the moving sorting device [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an internal configuration of a sorting unit of the mobile sorting device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a management system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] The database of the management system includes (a) producer master, (b) farmland master, and (c) harvest table. [Diagram 5] Example of off-grade product map [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is an internal configuration diagram of a sorting unit according to a modified example of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an internal structure of a sorting unit according to a modified example. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a system configuration diagram of a management system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] (a) A schematic diagram of a sorting device provided in the management system; (b) A block diagram of the sorting device [Figure 10] Flow diagram of the server equipped in the above management system DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] [First embodiment]

[0014] Hereinafter, a sorting unit and a mobile sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the mobile sorting device 200 according to this embodiment is a device that sorts harvested fruits and vegetables W while harvesting the fruits and vegetables W, and includes a sorting unit 100 and a cart section 110.

[0016] The sorting unit 100 is a unit that sorts fruits and vegetables W immediately after harvest, and has a housing 10 made of metal such as aluminum or resin. The housing 10 includes a housing main body 11 and a camera housing section 12.

[0017] The housing body 11 is formed as a rectangular parallelepiped extending long in the height direction, and two openings 13 (hereinafter referred to as "top opening 13" or "feed opening 13") are formed on the top surface. Each of the top openings 13 is formed to a size that allows large-sized fruits and vegetables W to pass through. One of the top openings 13 is formed on the top surface at the front side in the traveling direction, and the other top opening 13 is formed on the top surface at the rear side in the traveling direction. Each of the top openings 13 is provided with a door 14 (hereinafter referred to as "rotating door 14") that is rotated. The rotating door 14 is a door for supplying the harvested fruits and vegetables W into the housing body 11, and is formed in an L-shape. Specifically, the rotating door 14 includes a horizontal plate 14a extending horizontally and a vertical plate 14b extending upward from an end of the horizontal plate 14a. The horizontal plate 14a is formed to the same size as the opening 13 so as to close the opening 13. The vertical plate 14b is disposed perpendicular to the horizontal plate 14a and is formed to be the same size as the horizontal plate 14a. Each of the pivoting doors 14 is attached to an end of the top opening 13 via a pivoting mechanism (not shown) controlled by an input motor 26 described below, and when the input motor 26 is operated, the pivoting door 14 pivots to input the fruits and vegetables onto the tilting stage 23. In this way, the input opening 13, the pivoting door 14, the input motor 26, and the pivoting mechanism function as an input section that inputs the harvested fruits and vegetables W into the housing body 11.

[0018] An opening 15 (hereinafter referred to as "side opening 15") is formed on a side surface of the housing body 11. The side opening 15 is an opening for inserting and removing storage boxes 16a, 16b that store fruits and vegetables W, and the side opening 15 is provided with a door 17 that is manually opened and closed.

[0019] Camera housing section 12 is a portion that houses camera 21, which will be described later, and is disposed in the center of the top surface of housing main body 11 (between two top surface openings 13) so as to protrude upward.

[0020] Inside the housing 10, there are provided, in order from the top, a camera 21, a pair of light sources 22, a tilting stage 23, and two storage boxes 16a, 16b. The tilting stage 23 is disposed directly below the camera 21. The pair of light sources 22 are disposed above the tilting stage 23 on the sides facing the tilting stage 23. In addition, one storage box 16a is disposed below and in front of the tilting stage 23, and another storage box 16b is disposed below and behind the tilting stage 23.

[0021] The camera 21 functions as an imaging unit that captures an image of the fruit or vegetable W on the tilting stage 23, and generates image data (hereinafter referred to as a "top image") of the captured image of the fruit or vegetable W. The camera 21 is disposed in the camera housing section 12, and is installed so that the tilting stage 23 is included in its angle of view.

[0022] The tilting stage 23 functions as a placement section on which the fruits and vegetables W inserted through the insertion opening 13 are placed, and tilts in the front-rear direction. The tilting stage 23 is disposed in the upper center of the housing body 11, and is formed of a pair of plate-like bodies extending front-rear from the center of the housing body 11. The pair of plate-like bodies are formed in a V-shape that gently slopes downward toward the center in a side view. The tilting stage 23 is attached to the housing body 11 via a tilting mechanism (not shown) controlled by a sorting motor 24 described below.

[0023] The pair of light sources 22 irradiate visible light, infrared light, and / or ultraviolet light onto the fruit or vegetable W on the tilting stage 23, and are positioned at the upper corners of the housing body 11 so as to illuminate the top surface of the tilting stage 23.

[0024] The two storage boxes 16a, 16b function as storage sections that store fruit and vegetables W sorted according to quality. In this embodiment, the front storage box 16a stores fruit and vegetables W determined to be good quality, and the rear storage box 16b stores fruit and vegetables W determined to be substandard. These storage boxes 16a, 16b are arranged in the housing body 11 so that their upward openings are located near the tilting stage 23. The storage boxes 16a, 16b are inserted and removed through a side opening 15 provided in the housing body 11.

[0025] A sensor 25 for detecting fruits or vegetables W placed on the pivot doors 14 is provided on the outside of the housing 10. In this embodiment, a photoelectric sensor is provided on the side of each pivot door 14.

[0026] 3, the camera 21, the feeding motor 26, the sorting motor 24, and the sensor 25 are capable of communicating with a computer 27 provided in the housing 10. The computer 27 includes a CPU 28 and a memory 29, and by the CPU 28 executing a sorting program stored in the memory 29, the computer 27 functions as a feeding control unit that controls the feeding motor 26, a sensor signal acquisition unit that acquires a signal from the sensor 25, an image acquisition unit that acquires a top surface image from the camera 21, a determination unit that judges the quality of the fruits or vegetables W based on the acquired image, and a sorting control unit that controls the sorting motor 24. Each of these will be described in detail below.

[0027] When the sensor 25 detects the fruit or vegetable W, it inputs a detection signal to the computer 27. When the computer 27 receives the detection signal, it inputs a drive signal to the input motor 26 that drives the pivot door 14 corresponding to the detection signal. The input motor 26 rotates in response to the input drive signal. When the input motor 26 rotates, the pivot mechanism rotates the pivot door 14 inward by 90 degrees. Then, the fruit or vegetable W placed on the pivot door 14 passes through the input port 13 and is supplied to the tilting stage 23 inside the housing 10. In addition, the vertical plate 14b of the pivot door 14 assumes a horizontal position, blocking the input port 13, and the inside of the housing 10 becomes a dark place.

[0028] After inputting a drive signal to feeding motor 26, computer 27 inputs an imaging command to camera 21. Camera 21 captures an image in accordance with the input imaging command, and inputs the generated top surface image to computer 27. As described above, when camera 21 captures an image, fruit or vegetable W has been supplied to (placed on) tilting stage 23, and therefore, the top surface image includes fruit or vegetable W.

[0029] Computer 27 measures the quality of fruit or vegetable W based on the top view image input from camera 21. The quality measured varies depending on the type of light source 22. For example, when light source 22 is infrared light, the internal quality of fruit or vegetable W is measured. When light source 22 is visible light, the external quality of fruit or vegetable W is measured. When light source 22 is ultraviolet light, the condition of the skin of fruit or vegetable W is measured. Here, computer 27 judges the fruit or vegetable W to be a non-defective product if the measured quality is equal to or higher than a predetermined standard, and judges the fruit or vegetable W to be a defective product if the measured quality is below the standard.

[0030] If the computer 27 judges the fruit or vegetable W to be a non-defective product, it inputs a drive signal to the sorting motor 24 to discharge the fruit or vegetable W into the front storage box 16a. On the other hand, if the computer 27 judges the fruit or vegetable W to be a non-defective product, it inputs a drive signal to the sorting motor 24 to discharge the fruit or vegetable W into the rear storage box 16b. The sorting motor 24 rotates in response to the input drive signal. Based on the rotation, the tilting mechanism tilts the tilting stage 23 in a predetermined direction. As a result, the fruit or vegetable W on the tilting stage 23 is discharged into the predetermined storage box 16a, 16b. The computer 27 also inputs a drive signal to the input motor 26 to return the rotating door 14 to its initial position. In this way, the harvested fruit or vegetable W is sorted on the spot.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 1, the sorting unit 100 is installed on a cart 110. The cart 110 includes a platform 111 on which the sorting unit 100 is placed, four wheels 112 provided below the platform 111, and a handle 113 extending upward from the rear end of the platform 111.

[0032] According to the mobile sorting device 200 of this embodiment, the sorting unit 100 sorts the harvested fruits and vegetables W on the spot, and the mobile sorting device 200 is movable by the cart section 110. In other words, the fruits and vegetables W can be sorted while performing harvesting work, thereby shortening the work time.

[0033] [Second embodiment]

[0034] A management system according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

[0035] The management system 300 of this embodiment includes a mobile sorting device 200, a producer terminal 310, and a server 320, and the mobile sorting device 200 and the producer terminal 310 are capable of communicating with the server 320 via an Internet communication line.

[0036] The mobile sorting device 200 of this embodiment is common to the first embodiment in that it includes a sorting unit 100 and a cart unit 110, but differs from the first embodiment in that the mobile sorting device 200 of this embodiment is capable of communicating with a server 320 via an Internet communication line. The following description will focus on configurations that differ from the first embodiment, and descriptions of common configurations will be omitted as appropriate.

[0037] The sorting unit 100 of the mobile sorting device 200 further includes a network module 30 and a GPS (Global Positioning System) 31. The network module 30 functions as a network communication unit that communicates with a server 320 via an Internet communication line. The GPS 31 functions as a position information detection unit that detects position information of the mobile sorting device 200. Then, at the timing when the quality of the fruit or vegetable W is determined, the CPU 28 of the computer 27 transmits to the server 320 a farmland ID (described below) that indicates the farmland, the determined quality, the position information obtained from the GPS 31 at that time (hereinafter referred to as the "GPS value"), and the top surface image used in the determination, all of which are associated with each other.

[0038] The producer terminal 310 is a terminal owned and used by a producer who uses this management system 300, and is, for example, a smart device (smartphone or tablet terminal) with a known configuration. That is, the producer terminal 310 is equipped with a touch panel display, a network module, a CPU, and a memory (not shown). The touch panel display functions as a display unit that displays information, and also functions as an input unit that accepts input (coordinate input, text input) from the producer. The network module functions as a network communication unit that communicates with the server 320 via an Internet communication line. In addition, a management application for managing the producer's farm is stored in the memory, and the CPU executes the management application.

[0039] The server 320 includes a network module, a CPU, a memory, and a database 321, all of which are not shown.

[0040] The network module functions as a network communication unit that communicates with the producer terminal 310 and the mobile sorting device 200 via an Internet communication line.

[0041] The database 321 functions as a memory unit that stores information used in the management system 300, and as shown in Figure 4, has a producer master table (hereinafter referred to as "producer master"), a farm master table (hereinafter referred to as "farm master"), and a harvest table.

[0042] The producer master is a table that functions as a producer information storage unit that stores information about producers who use this management system 300, and has a producer ID field, a producer name field, an address field, and a password field. The producer ID field is a field in which the producer ID is registered. The producer ID is information for identifying each producer and is assigned to each producer so that it is unique. The producer name field is a field in which the name or title of the producer is registered. The address field is a field in which the address of the producer is registered. The password field is a field in which a password determined by the producer is registered. Registration of information in each of these fields is carried out when a producer applies to use this system.

[0043] The farm land master is a table that functions as a farm land information storage unit that stores information about farm land, and has a farm ID field, a producer ID field, a location field, and a harvest field. The farm ID field is a field in which the farm land ID is registered. The farm land ID is information for identifying each piece of farm land and is assigned to each piece of farm land so that it is unique. The producer ID is registered with the producer ID of the producer who farms on the farm in question. The location field is a field in which the location of the farm in question is registered. The harvest field is a field in which the fruits and vegetables W produced on the farm in question are registered. Information for each of these fields is additionally registered when a producer applies to use the system and / or when a producer acquires new farm land.

[0044] The harvest table functions as a harvest information storage unit that stores information about fruits and vegetables W (harvest) harvested in farmland, and includes a GPS field, a quality field, an image address field, and a date and time field. The GPS field is a field for registering the GPS value received from the mobile sorting device 200. The quality field is a field for registering the quality received from the mobile sorting device 200. The image address field is a field for registering the address of the storage destination of the image received from the mobile sorting device 200. The image is stored in a folder for each farm folder generated in a storage area provided in the database 321. In this way, the server 320 functions as a storage unit that stores images. The harvest table is provided for each farmland, and a new record is added every time information is received from the mobile sorting device 200, and the received information is registered in each field.

[0045] The CPU of the server 320 executes a compilation process, a map generation process, and a transmission process when it receives a request for a management map from the producer terminal 310. The request includes the producer ID and the farm ID.

[0046] The tallying process is a process for tallying the number of non-defective products and non-conformant products per predetermined section, and includes a confirmation process, an extraction process, a grouping process, and a counting process, in that order.

[0047] The confirmation process is a process to check whether the producer ID and farm ID included in the request correspond to each other, by extracting the producer ID using the farm ID registered in the farm master as a search key, and comparing the extracted producer ID with the producer ID in the request. If the producer ID and farm ID do not correspond, an error is sent to the producer terminal 310 that sent the request. On the other hand, if the producer ID and farm ID correspond, the extraction process is executed.

[0048] The extraction process is a process for extracting information from a harvest table, in which a harvest table is identified based on the farm ID of the request, and GPS values ​​and quality information are extracted from the identified harvest table.

[0049] The grouping process is a process of grouping the extracted information by predetermined partitions. For example, a group (set) of quality corresponding to the GPS values ​​contained in a 10 square meter partition with GPS value 1 as the origin is generated. Next, a group of quality corresponding to the GPS values ​​contained in partitions adjacent to the partition is generated. In this way, groups are generated so that the extracted GPS value belongs to one of the partitions. Each generated group is assigned a partition ID that indexes the partition of the group.

[0050] The counting process is a process of counting the number of conforming products and / or the number of non-conforming products for each group.

[0051] The map generation process is a process for generating a map showing the distribution of non-defective products or the distribution of substandard products. For example, Fig. 5 shows a map showing the distribution of substandard products, in which the above-mentioned multiple sections are arranged and displayed according to their relative positions, and a color indicating the proportion of substandard products is displayed in each section. For example, the proportion of substandard products is classified into three levels: less than 5%, 5% or more and less than 10%, and 10% or more, and the higher the proportion of substandard products, the darker the color displayed. Here, a section ID is associated with each section of the map.

[0052] The transmission process is a process of transmitting the above-mentioned generated map to the producer terminal 310 that originated the request.

[0053] The producer terminal 310 displays the map received from the server 320 on a touch panel display. In this way, the producer can visually grasp the harvest situation in the farmland, and can improve the production of fruits and vegetables W by improving the soil and improving the spread of fertilizer.

[0054] Furthermore, when the producer taps on any of the sections while the map is displayed, the producer terminal 310 transmits an image request (hereinafter referred to as an "image request") to the server 320. The request includes the section ID corresponding to the tapped section.

[0055] When the CPU of the server 320 receives an image request, it identifies a group based on the section ID included in the image request, extracts an image address corresponding to the GPS value included in the identified group from the harvest table, and transmits the image address to the producer terminal 310.

[0056] The CPU of the producer terminal 310 references the received image address and causes the touch panel display to display the image of the fruit or vegetable W. This enables the producer to understand the reason why the fruit or vegetable W was determined to be substandard.

[0057] [Third embodiment]

[0058] 8, the management system 500 according to the third embodiment is common to the second embodiment in that it includes a mobile sorting device 200 and a server 320, and further includes a sorting device 400 at a collection / shipping facility. The following description will focus on configurations that are different from the second embodiment, and descriptions of configurations that are similar to the second embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

[0059] The sorting device 400 of this embodiment is installed in a collection and shipping facility for fruits and vegetables W, and is an apparatus for sorting the fruits and vegetables W brought in by producers. As shown in Fig. 9, the sorting device 400 includes an inspection area 401 for inspecting the quality of the fruits and vegetables W, and a boxing area 402 for boxing the fruits and vegetables W. The inspection area 401 includes a conveyor 403a that functions as a transport section for transporting the fruits and vegetables W, and a supply section 404, an external inspection device 405, and an internal inspection device 406 that are installed on the transport path of the conveyor 403a.

[0060] The supply unit 404 is a section to which the fruits or vegetables W brought in by producers are supplied. The supply unit 404 is provided with a structure for supplying the fruits or vegetables W so that the fruits or vegetables W are transported in a single line on the conveyor 403. The fruits or vegetables W supplied in this manner are transported to an external inspection device 405 by the conveyor 403a.

[0061] The external inspection device 405 functions as an external inspection unit that inspects the external quality of the fruit or vegetable W, and includes a light source that functions as a light irradiating unit that irradiates the surface of the fruit or vegetable W with inspection light for judging the external quality (hereinafter referred to as "external inspection light"), a camera that functions as an imaging unit that captures the surface of the fruit or vegetable W irradiated with the external inspection light and generates an external image, and a computer (hereinafter referred to as "external inspection computer") that functions as an acquisition unit that acquires the external image from the camera and a judgment unit that judges the external quality based on the external image. The external inspection light is excitation light, and for example, ultraviolet light is used. The camera receives fluorescence on the surface of the fruit or vegetable W generated by the ultraviolet light and generates a fluorescent image. Note that the excitation light is not limited to ultraviolet light, and may be near-infrared light or visible light. The external inspection computer transmits the external image acquired from the camera and the judged external quality to the main computer 410. The fruit or vegetable W that has passed the external inspection unit is transported to the internal inspection device 406 by the conveyor 403a.

[0062] The internal inspection device 406 functions as an internal inspection unit that inspects the internal quality of the fruit or vegetable W, and includes a light source that functions as a light irradiating unit that irradiates the fruit or vegetable W with inspection light for determining the internal quality (hereinafter referred to as "internal inspection light"), a spectrometer that disperses the light that has passed through (transmitted) the inside of the fruit or vegetable W into predetermined frequencies, a sensor that receives the light dispersed by the spectrometer, and a computer (hereinafter referred to as "internal inspection computer") that functions as a judging unit that judges the internal quality based on the output of the sensor. The internal inspection light is typically near-infrared light, but any inspection light appropriate for the internal properties of the fruit or vegetable W may be used. The internal inspection computer transmits the determined internal quality to the main computer 410. The fruit or vegetable W that has passed through the internal inspection unit is transported to the packing area 402 by the conveyor 403a.

[0063] The main computer 410 controls the entire sorting device 400. Specifically, the main computer 410 inputs an operation start or stop command to a control device that controls each of the conveyors 403a, 403b, and 403c provided in the inspection area 401 and the packing area 402. The main computer 410 also judges the grade of the fruits and vegetables W based on the external quality received from the external inspection device 405 and the internal quality received from the internal inspection device 406. The main computer 410 also stores the judged grade in association with the external image received from the external inspection device 405. The main computer 410 also inputs a sorting command for the fruits and vegetables W to the sorting device 407. The main computer 410 also inputs a packing command for the fruits and vegetables W to the packing device 408.

[0064] The packing area 402 is provided with a sorting conveyor 403b for transporting the fruits and vegetables W transported from the inspection area 401, and a plurality of classifying conveyors 403c branching off from the sorting conveyor 403b.

[0065] The sorting conveyor 403b is provided with a sorting device 407 that functions as a sorting section that sorts the fruits and vegetables W into the corresponding equal-class conveyors 403. The sorting device 407 is provided with pushers 409 provided at the connection points of each of the equal-class conveyors 403c, and a computer (hereinafter referred to as the "sorting computer") that controls the pushers 409.

[0066] The pusher 409 functions as a discharge section that discharges the fruits and vegetables W transported by the sorting conveyor 403b onto the equal-grade conveyor 403c, and operates to discharge the fruits and vegetables W based on a discharge signal input from the sorting computer.

[0067] The sorting computer is capable of communicating with the main computer 410, and controls the pushers 409 based on a sorting command received from the main computer 410. Specifically, immediately after determining the grade of the fruits or vegetables W, the main computer 410 inputs the grade to the sorting computer. The sorting computer identifies the pusher 409 to be driven based on the received grade, and counts the timing to drive the pusher 409. The sorting computer then inputs a drive signal to the pusher 409, causing the pusher 409 to discharge the fruits or vegetables W onto a predetermined grade-based conveyor 403c.

[0068] The fruits and vegetables W transported by the uniform grade conveyor 403c are packed into boxes by a boxing device 408 and shipped.

[0069] Here, main computer 410 is capable of communicating with server 320 via a network such as an Internet communication line, and transmits a registration request including the grade, which is quality information of fruits or vegetables W, and an external image thereof, to server 320. Server 320 manages the external image and grade received from main computer 410 in association with the above-mentioned position information. The processing flow of server 320 will be described below with reference to FIG. 10.

[0070] The server 320 checks whether there is a request from the mobile sorting device 200, the sorting device 400 at the collection and shipping facility, the producer's terminal 310, or the manager's terminal 420 (s10).

[0071] When a registration request is received from the mobile sorting device 200, the CPU of the server 320 executes a first reception process (s21) and a first registration process (s22) in this order. Note that the registration request from the mobile sorting device 200 is a request to register the external image and position information acquired by the mobile sorting device 200 in a database, as described in the second embodiment. The first reception process (s21) is a process of receiving the external image and position information from the mobile sorting device 200. The first registration process (s22) is a process of storing the received external image in a specified memory area and registering the address and position information of the external image in the harvest table.

[0072] When a registration request is received from the sorting device 400 at the collection and shipping facility, the CPU of the server 320 executes the second reception process (s31), the comparison process (s32), and the second registration process (s33) in this order. The second reception process (s31) is a process of receiving an external image and a class from the sorting device 400 at the collection and shipping facility. The comparison process (s32) is a process of comparing the external image with an external image in the harvest table (hereinafter referred to as the table image). The registration process (s33) is a process of registering the external image and the class received from the sorting device 400 at the collection and shipping facility in the harvest table. Here, the record in which this information should be registered is the record of the table image with the highest degree of match as a result of the comparison process (s32). As a result, the external image acquired at the time of harvest, the external image acquired at the collection and shipping facility, the class, and the location information are registered in the same record (registered in association with each other).

[0073] When a map request is made from the producer terminal 310 or the manager's terminal 420, the CPU of the server 320 executes the tallying process (s41), map generation process (s42), and transmission process (s43) in this order, as in the second embodiment. Note that in this embodiment, since the grades of fruits and vegetables W are registered in the harvest table in association with the location information, it is possible to generate not only a good product map and a defective product map, but also a grade map.

[0074] The sorting unit 100, the mobile sorting device 200, and the management systems 300, 400 of the present invention have been described using the above embodiment as an example, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and may be modified as follows.

[0075] <Variation 1> As shown in FIG. 6, the sorting unit 100b according to the first modification may include a rotating table 32 instead of the tilting stage 23. The rotating table 32 is provided below the inlet 13, and is a table on which the put-in fruits and vegetables W are placed, and is formed in a Y-shape in a side view. Specifically, the rotating table 32 includes a first plate 32a extending rearward and upward from the rotation axis, a second plate 32b extending forward and upward from the rotation axis, and a third plate 32c extending downward from the rotation axis. In a side view, the angle between the first plate 32a and the second plate 32b is 120°, the angle between the second plate 32b and the third plate 32c is 120°, and the angle between the third plate 32c and the first plate 32a is 120°. That is, the first plate body 32a to the third plate body 32c are arranged so that the angles formed by them around the rotation shaft 33 are equal. The rotation shaft 33 is connected to the sorting motor 24 via a rotation mechanism (not shown).

[0076] 6, fruit or vegetable W inserted through insertion port 13 is placed on first plate 32a and second plate 32b, and is imaged in this state by camera 21. Computer 27 judges the quality of the fruit or vegetable W based on the top view image input from camera 21. Computer 27 also controls sorting motor 24 to discharge the fruit or vegetable W into storage box 16a, 16b corresponding to the judged quality.

[0077] Here, for example, when the fruit or vegetable W is to be discharged into the front storage box 16a, i.e., when the fruit or vegetable W is determined to be a non-defective product, the computer 27 controls the sorting motor 24 to rotate the turntable 32 forward by 120°. By rotating the turntable 32 in this manner, the fruit or vegetable W is discharged into the front storage box 16a. After rotation, the turntable 32 has the second plate 32b facing downward, the first plate 32a facing forward, and the third plate 32c facing backward, and the fruit or vegetable W inserted through the insertion opening 13 is placed on the first plate 32a and the third plate 32c.

[0078] On the other hand, for example, when the fruit or vegetable W is to be discharged into the rear storage box 16b, i.e., when the fruit or vegetable W is determined to be an inferior product, the sorting motor 24 is controlled to rotate the turntable 32 backward by 120°. By rotating the turntable 32 in this manner, the fruit or vegetable W is discharged into the rear storage box 16b. After rotation, the turntable 32 has the first plate 32a facing downward, the third plate 32c facing forward, and the second plate 32b facing backward, and the fruit or vegetable W inserted through the insertion opening 13 is placed on the second plate 32b and the third plate 32c.

[0079] According to the sorting unit 100b of the first modification, there is no need to return the turntable 32 to its original position after sorting the fruits and vegetables W, so that the fruits and vegetables W can be inserted immediately after sorting, improving sorting efficiency.

[0080] <Variation 2> In the above embodiment, the two feed openings 13 and the two storage boxes 16a, 16b are arranged in front and behind, and the tilting stage 23 tilts back and forth, but it is also acceptable for the two feed openings and the two storage boxes to be arranged left and right, and the tilting stage 23 to tilt left and right.

[0081] <Variation 3> The pivot door 14 of the above embodiment is not limited to an L-shape, and may be, for example, provided with only the horizontal plate 14a.

[0082] <Variation 4> The sorting unit 100 of the above embodiment may further include a side camera. The side camera is disposed on the side of the tilting stage so as to capture an image of the side of the fruit or vegetable on the tilting stage. The side image of the fruit or vegetable generated by the side camera is input to the computer 27. The computer 27 judges the quality based on the top image input from the camera 21 (upper camera 21) and the side image input from the side camera.

[0083] <Variation 5> In the sorting unit 100 of the above embodiment, the fruits and vegetables W are sorted into either good quality or substandard quality, but the fruits and vegetables W may be sorted into three or more quality categories. In this modified embodiment, for example, two tilting stages (referred to as "lower stages") are provided below a tilting stage (referred to as "upper stage") in the embodiment. One of the lower stages is provided in front of the upper stage, and the other of the lower stages is provided behind the upper stage. One of the lower stages further sorts and discharges the fruits and vegetables discharged forward from the upper stage in the front-rear direction, and the other of the lower stages further discharges the fruits and vegetables discharged backward from the upper stage in the front-rear direction. The fruits and vegetables discharged forward from one of the lower stages are fed into a first sorting box, and the fruits and vegetables discharged backward from one of the lower stages are fed into a second sorting box. Furthermore, fruits and vegetables discharged forward from the other side of the lower stage are placed into a third sorting box, and fruits and vegetables discharged backward from the other side of the lower stage are placed into a fourth sorting box. In this way, by providing multiple tilting stages vertically, it is possible to sort fruits and vegetables into three or more quality levels. Furthermore, the upper stage may be replaced with a rotating table of variant 1, and a pair of rotating tables may be provided in place of the pair of lower stages, so that the rotating tables are provided in a multi-tiered configuration.

[0084] <Variation 6> The sorting unit of the above embodiment may be, for example, as shown in Fig. 7. The sorting unit 100c shown in Fig. 7 includes a housing body 11c and a hopper 34 installed in the housing body 11c. The sorting unit 100c of this modification is intended to sort shishito peppers, which are relatively light fruits and vegetables W, but the sorting objects are not limited to shishito peppers. The sorting unit 100c according to this modification will be described below.

[0085] The housing body 11c is formed into a rectangular parallelepiped that extends long in the height direction, and an opening is formed on the upper surface. A hopper 34 is installed in the opening. Harvested fruits and vegetables W are thrown into the hopper 34 each time. The hopper 34 is composed of a storage section 34a that opens widely upward, and a supply section 34b that has an opening that supplies the fruits and vegetables W one by one from the storage section 34a into the housing body 11c. In this way, the hopper 34 functions as an input section that throws the harvested fruits and vegetables W into the housing body 11c. The fruits and vegetables W thrown into the housing body 11c fall downward.

[0086] An opening (not shown) is formed on the side of the housing body 11c. This opening is for inserting and removing the storage boxes 16c, 16d that store the fruits and vegetables W, and the side opening is provided with a door (not shown) that is manually opened and closed.

[0087] A camera 21c, a light source (not shown), an air nozzle 35, and two sorting boxes 16c, 16d are provided within the housing body 11c. One of the sorting boxes 16c (hereinafter referred to as the "good product box 16c") is located at the rear within the housing body 11c, and good product box 16c contains good fruit and vegetables W. The other sorting box 16d (hereinafter referred to as the "bad product box 16d") is located at the front within the housing body 11c, and bad product box 16d contains bad product fruit and vegetables W.

[0088] Camera 21c functions as an imaging unit that captures images of fruit and vegetables W dropping from hopper 34, and is installed near the lower opening of hopper 34. A light source is provided to the side of camera 21c, and irradiates visible light, infrared light, and / or ultraviolet light onto fruit and vegetables W dropping from hopper 34. Camera 21c and the light source are communicatively connected to computer 27, as in the above embodiment, and camera 21c inputs the generated images to computer 27. Computer 27 judges the quality of fruit and vegetables W based on the images input from camera 21c.

[0089] The air nozzle 35 functions as a sorting section that sorts the fruits and vegetables W dropped from the hopper 34 into sorting boxes 16c, 16d corresponding to the quality of the fruits and vegetables W. Specifically, the air nozzle 35 is disposed below the camera 21c and behind the falling trajectory of the fruits and vegetables W, with its air outlet facing forward. Compressed air is supplied to the air nozzle 35 via a solenoid valve (not shown). The solenoid valve is controlled by the computer 27.

[0090] If the computer 27 determines that the fruit or vegetable W is a substandard product based on the image, the computer 27 controls the solenoid valve to open. When the solenoid valve is opened by the computer 27, the air nozzle 27 sprays air from its air outlet, and the substandard product is sorted into the substandard box 16d. On the other hand, when the computer 27 determines that the fruit or vegetable W is a non-defective product based on the image, the computer 27 controls the solenoid valve to close. When the solenoid valve is closed by the computer 27, air is not sprayed from the air nozzle 35, so that the fruit or vegetable W falling from the hopper 34 is sorted into the non-defective product box 16c.

[0091] <Variation 7> In the sixth modified example, two sorting boxes 16c and 16d are provided in the housing body 11c, but three or more sorting boxes may be provided in a row in the front-rear direction in the housing body 11c. In this modified example, each sorting box is provided according to quality, and may include, for example, a first sorting box that is disposed below the hopper 34 and sorts A-grade fruits and vegetables W, a second sorting box that is disposed in front of the first sorting box and sorts B-grade fruits and vegetables W, and a third sorting box that is disposed further in front of the first sorting box (at the very front) and sorts substandard fruits and vegetables W. Two air nozzles 35 are provided at the rear in the housing body 11c. In this modified example, when the fruits and vegetables W discharged from the hopper 34 are determined to be substandard, air is sprayed from both air nozzles 35, and the fruits and vegetables W are sorted into the third sorting box. Furthermore, if the fruit or vegetable W discharged from the hopper 34 is determined to be B-grade, air is sprayed from one of the air nozzles 35, and the fruit or vegetable W is sorted into the second sorting box. Furthermore, if the fruit or vegetable W discharged from the hopper 34 is determined to be A-grade, air is not sprayed, and the fruit or vegetable W is sorted into the first sorting box.

[0092] <Variation 8> Alternatively, the hopper 34 may be disposed in the center of the housing body 11c, a first sorting box into which grade A products are fed may be disposed below the hopper, a second sorting box into which grade B products are fed may be disposed behind the first sorting box, and a third sorting box into which non-grade products are fed may be disposed in front of the first sorting box. In this modified embodiment, a first air nozzle is provided at the rear of the housing body 11c, and a second air nozzle is provided at the front of the housing body 11c. When the fruit or vegetable W discharged from the hopper 34 is determined to be a non-grade product, air is sprayed from the first air nozzle, and the fruit or vegetable W is sorted into the third sorting box. When the fruit or vegetable W discharged from the hopper 34 is determined to be a grade B product, air is sprayed from the second air nozzle, and the fruit or vegetable W is sorted into the second sorting box. Moreover, if the fruit or vegetable discharged from the hopper 34 is determined to be A-grade, air is not sprayed from the air nozzle, and the fruit or vegetable is sorted into the first sorting box.

[0093] Furthermore, a fourth sorting box into which C grade products are placed may be disposed to the right of the first sorting box, and a fifth sorting box into which D grade products are placed may be disposed to the left of the first sorting box. In this embodiment, a third air nozzle is provided on the left side of the housing body 11c, and a fourth air nozzle is provided on the right side of the housing body 11c. Then, when the fruit or vegetable W discharged from the hopper 34 is determined to be a C grade product, air is sprayed from the third air nozzle, and the fruit or vegetable W is sorted into the fourth sorting box. Also, when the fruit or vegetable W discharged from the hopper 34 is determined to be a D grade product, air is sprayed from the fourth air nozzle, and the fruit or vegetable W is sorted into the fifth sorting box.

[0094] <Variation 9> In the above second embodiment, the mobile sorting device 200 transmits the judgment results, images, and location information regarding the harvesting location of the harvested fruits and vegetables W to the server 320. However, the mobile sorting device 20 may store these judgment results, images, and location information in the memory 29 and transfer this information to an external memory such as a USB memory connected by the user.

[0095] <Modification 10> The location information regarding the harvesting position of the fruits and vegetables may be identified using other means, not limited to GPS. For example, the mobile sorting device 200 may be equipped with an external camera that captures the outside scenery, and the CPU 28 may identify the location information based on the image acquired from the external camera, i.e., the outside scenery. For example, the external camera may capture an image of the ceiling of the greenhouse in which the fruits and vegetables W are grown, and the location information regarding the harvesting position may be identified based on the image of the ceiling of the greenhouse. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] W Fruits and vegetables 13 Inlet 21 Camera (imaging unit) 23 Tilting stage (mounting part) 27 Computers 30 Network Module 31 GPS 100 sorting units 110 Trolley 200 Mobile sorting unit 300 Management Systems 320 Server

Claims

1. A mobile sorting device that is arranged at a fruit and vegetable farm and sorts harvested fruit and vegetables; A server capable of communicating with the mobile sorting device; Equipped with The mobile sorting device is An imaging unit that images the fruit or vegetable; A location information detection unit that detects location information; a transmission unit that transmits the captured image of the fruit or vegetable and the location information of a harvest site of the fruit or vegetable to the server in association with each other; A management system comprising:

2. A sorting device is provided in the collection and shipping facility for the fruits and vegetables, and sorts the fruits and vegetables that are brought in, The sorting device comprises: An imaging unit that images the fruit or vegetable; A determination unit for determining the quality of the fruits and vegetables; a transmission unit that transmits the captured image and quality of the fruit or vegetable to the server; Equipped with The server, a collation unit that collates the image of the fruit or vegetable received from the sorting device with the image of the fruit or vegetable received from the mobile sorting device; 2. The management system according to claim 1, further comprising: managing the quality of the fruits or vegetables received from the sorting device in association with the location information corresponding to the images of the fruits or vegetables that are highly consistent as a result of the comparison.

3. A sorting unit for sorting harvested fruits and vegetables, comprising: A location information detection unit that detects location information; an imaging unit that captures an image of the harvested fruit or vegetable and generates an image of the fruit or vegetable; a transmitting unit that associates location information regarding a harvesting location of the harvested fruit and vegetables with an image of the harvested fruit and vegetables and transmits the associated information to a device provided on a network; A sorting unit comprising:

4. A housing body, An input unit for inputting fruits and vegetables into the housing body; A plurality of storage sections are provided below the input section in the housing body, the storage sections being provided for each quality of the fruits and vegetables; a determination unit that determines the quality of the fruit or vegetable based on the image of the fruit or vegetable acquired from the imaging unit; A sorting unit that sorts the fruits and vegetables into storage units corresponding to the determined quality; The sorting unit according to claim 3 , comprising:

5. A sorting unit according to claim 3 or claim 4; A cart on which the sorting unit is placed; A mobile sorting device comprising:

Images