Belt conveyor monitoring method, powder transport method, belt conveyor monitoring system and program

Abstract

To provide a belt conveyor monitoring method and the related others that can immediately detect a belt conveyor error.SOLUTION: According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a belt conveyor monitoring method. The monitoring method includes a first acquisition step. In the first acquisition step, measurement data is acquired by measuring a belt surface of a belt conveyor from above using an optical sensor. Therein, the optical sensor is attached to a mobile device configured to be movable along a flow direction of the belt conveyor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a belt conveyor monitoring method, a powder transport method, a belt conveyor monitoring system, and a program. [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] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-118663 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 involves attaching sensors to the belt conveyor itself. Therefore, the installation of the sensors itself involves a human and financial burden, which naturally places a limit on the number of sensors that can be installed. Given this background, there has traditionally been a demand for a system that can instantly detect belt conveyor errors.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a belt conveyor monitoring method and the like that can immediately detect belt conveyor errors. [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 monitoring method includes a first acquisition step. In the first acquisition step, measurement data is acquired by measuring the belt surface of the belt conveyor from above using an optical sensor. Here, the optical sensor is attached to a mobile device configured to be movable along the flow direction of the belt conveyor.

[0007] According to the above aspect, a belt conveyor monitoring method and the like are provided that can immediately detect errors in the belt conveyor.

[0008] Furthermore, it may be provided in the following aspects.

[0009] (1) A method for monitoring a belt conveyor, comprising a first acquisition step, in which measurement data is acquired by measuring the belt surface of the belt conveyor from above using an optical sensor, wherein the optical sensor is attached to a mobile device configured to be movable along the flow direction of the belt conveyor.

[0010] (2) The belt conveyor monitoring method described in (1) above further comprises a specifying step, in which the specifying step specifies any one of the degree of meandering of the belt, the degree of deviation of the belt, and the shape of powder present on the surface of the belt conveyor based on the measurement data acquired in the first acquisition step.

[0011] (3) In the belt conveyor monitoring method described in (2) above, in the first acquisition step, the optical sensor also performs measurements on a reference object other than the belt surface, and in the identification step, the measurement data acquired in the first acquisition step is corrected using the measurement results of the reference object to identify the degree of meandering of the belt, the degree of bias of the belt, or the shape of powder present on the surface of the belt conveyor.

[0012] (4) In the belt conveyor monitoring method described in (3) above, the first acquisition step obtains a measurement result of the reference object by measuring the dimensions or position of the reference object.

[0013] (5) In the belt conveyor monitoring method described in (4) above, the reference object is a roller supporting the belt, and in the first acquisition step, a measurement result of the reference object is obtained by measuring the length of the roller intersecting the flow direction of the belt conveyor and / or a predetermined position of the roller.

[0014] (6) A monitoring method for a belt conveyor according to any one of (3) to (5) above, wherein in the first acquisition step, measurement results of the reference object are acquired at multiple locations along the flow direction of the belt conveyor, and in the identification step, the measurement data acquired in the first acquisition step is corrected using each of the measurement results of the multiple reference objects, and any of the degree of meandering of the belt, the degree of deviation of the belt, and the shape of powder present on the surface of the belt conveyor is identified.

[0015] (7) A method for monitoring a belt conveyor according to any one of (3) to (6) above, further comprising a second acquisition step, in which position information of the moving device is acquired, and in which the measurement data acquired in the first acquisition step is further corrected by the position information of the moving device, thereby identifying the degree of meandering of the belt, the degree of deviation of the belt, or the shape of powder present on the surface of the belt conveyor.

[0016] (8) The belt conveyor monitoring method according to any one of (1) to (7) above, wherein the optical sensor is a LiDAR sensor.

[0017] (9) A powder conveying method comprising a powder control process, in which the manner in which the powder is dropped onto the belt conveyor is controlled based on the results of the belt conveyor monitoring method described in any one of (1) to (8) above.

[0018] (10) A monitoring system for a belt conveyor, comprising a moving machine and an optical sensor, the moving machine being configured to be movable along the flow direction of the belt conveyor, and the optical sensor being attached to the moving machine and measuring the belt surface of the belt conveyor from above to obtain measurement data.

[0019] (11) A program that causes at least one computer to execute each step of the belt conveyor monitoring method described in any one of (1) to (8) above. Of course, this is not the case. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a top view showing the overall configuration of a process in which the monitoring system can be applied; [Figure 2] 1 is a side view showing the overall configuration of a process to which the monitoring system can be applied. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an information processing device 2 and the like. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing functions of the information processing device 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is an activity diagram showing the flow of information processing using the monitoring system 100 and the like. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an example of a specifying step. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. Note that various features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0022] That is, the belt conveyor monitoring method of this embodiment is as follows. A method for monitoring a belt conveyor, comprising: A first acquisition step is provided, In the first acquisition step, an optical sensor measures a belt surface of the belt conveyor from above to acquire measurement data; Here, the optical sensor is attached to a moving machine configured to be able to move along the flow direction of the belt conveyor, in this monitoring method.

[0023] Incidentally, the program for realizing the software appearing in one embodiment may be provided as a non-transitory computer-readable medium, or may be provided so that it can be downloaded from an external server, or may be provided so that the program is started on an external computer and its functions are realized on a client terminal (so-called cloud computing).

[0024] Furthermore, various information processing according to an embodiment may realize input and output corresponding to the input. Here, the form of information referenced in such information processing (hereinafter referred to as reference information) is not limited as long as an output is obtained as a result of the input. The reference information may be, for example, rule-based information such as a database, a lookup table, or a predetermined function (including a decision formula such as a regression formula constructed using a statistical method), a trained model that has previously trained the correlation between input and output, or a large-scale language model that can output a desired result by inputting a prompt.

[0025] In one embodiment, a "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, for example, by physical values ​​of signal values ​​representing voltage and current, high and low signal values ​​as a binary bit set consisting of 0 or 1, or quantum superposition (so-called quantum bits), and communication and calculations can be performed on a circuit in the broad sense.

[0026] Furthermore, a circuit in the broad sense is a circuit realized by at least an appropriate combination of a circuit, circuitry, processor, memory, etc. The processor may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated circuit. That is, 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.

[0027] 1. Hardware Configuration The monitoring method of this embodiment is typically implemented using a predetermined monitoring system. In this section, the hardware configuration of the monitoring system etc. according to this embodiment will be described.

[0028] The belt conveyor monitoring method of this embodiment can be applied to a process of transporting powder, and can typically be executed by the monitoring system 100 shown below. First, the process of transporting powder and the configuration of hardware that can configure this process will be described.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a top view showing the overall configuration of a process to which the monitoring system can be applied. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the overall configuration of a process to which the monitoring system can be applied. In the process shown in these figures, a mobile machine 1 dispenses a predetermined powder and transfers the powder onto the surface of a belt 41 of a belt conveyor 4. In this embodiment, the powder transferred to the belt conveyor 4 can be selected appropriately depending on the type of process. As an example, the powder may be coal, powdered coke, cement, biomass fuel, soil, ore, slag, dust, etc.

[0030] First, we will explain the details of the transfer machine 1. The transfer machine 1 is selected from heavy machinery capable of transporting powder to the belt conveyor 4. Typically, the transfer machine 1 may be an unloader, stacker, reclaimer, etc., but is not limited to these, and any machine applicable to the illustrated process may be used.

[0031] The mobile device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a boom 11, and moves powder inside the boom 11. The boom 11 is an arm-shaped member provided on the mobile device 1. FIG. 2 shows the internal structure of the mobile device 1. The mobile device 1 moves the powder using a movement mechanism 13 inside the boom 11, and dispenses the powder from an opening 14 at the tip of the boom 11. A plate 15 may be provided at the tip of the boom 11, and the falling direction of the powder can be adjusted by changing the position and angle of this plate 15. The position and angle of the plate 15 may be controlled by a signal output from an information processing device 2, which will be described later.

[0032] The mobile device 1 is also configured to be movable along a rail 12. The rail 12 is formed along the flow direction D1 of the belt conveyor 4, and it can be said that the mobile device 1 is also configured to be movable along the flow direction D1 of the belt conveyor 4.

[0033] Optical sensors 3a and 3b are attached to the boom 11 of the mobile device 1. While FIG. 1 shows an example in which two optical sensors are attached to the mobile device 1, the number of optical sensors that the mobile device 1 may have is not limited to this. That is, the mobile device 1 may have one optical sensor, or three or more optical sensors. The attachment positions of the optical sensors on the mobile device 1 are not limited to the positions shown in the figure, and may be set at any positions that allow measurement of the surface of the belt 41. That is, the optical sensors 3 are not limited to positions that allow measurement to be performed perpendicularly to the surface of the belt 41, and may be positioned at an angle (e.g., 30 to 60 degrees) toward the surface of the belt 41. Hereinafter, the optical sensors attached to the mobile device 1 may be collectively referred to as "optical sensors 3."

[0034] The optical sensor 3 may be appropriately selected from known optical sensors. For example, the optical sensor 3 may be a LiDAR sensor or an infrared camera, but preferably the optical sensor 3 is a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) sensor. A LiDAR sensor is a sensor that irradiates an object with laser light, detects reflected light, measures the distance to the object, and generates measurement data of the measurement target. Based on this principle, the measurement data may include point cloud data obtained via the optical sensor 3. The LiDAR sensor here may be either a so-called two-dimensional LiDAR or a three-dimensional LiDAR. The optical sensor 3 may also include a laser light source, a light receiving unit, a microcomputer, and a communication unit (not shown). That is, the laser light source irradiates laser light, the light receiving unit receives the light reflected by the object, the microcomputer generates point cloud data, and the point cloud data can be output to the outside via the communication unit (communication path 31).

[0035] Furthermore, the monitoring system 100 of this embodiment includes a mobile device 1 and an optical sensor 3. That is, the monitoring system 100 of this embodiment can efficiently monitor the belt conveyor 4 because the optical sensor 3 is disposed at a predetermined position on the mobile device 1, but the monitoring system can also be called a monitoring system that includes a configuration for appropriately analyzing data acquired by the optical sensor 3. That is, the monitoring system 100 of this embodiment may include an information processing device 2, which will be described later, in addition to the mobile device 1 and the optical sensor 3.

[0036] Meanwhile, the belt conveyor 4, which is the object of monitoring by the monitoring system 100 of this embodiment, includes a belt 41 and rollers 42. The rollers 42 support the belt 41 and move the belt 41 in the flow direction D1 as they rotate. Although FIGS. 1 and 2 show a combination of three rollers, the rollers used in the monitoring method of this embodiment are not limited to this. That is, the roller 42 may be composed of a single roller, or may be composed of multiple rollers other than three.

[0037] Although not shown in detail in FIGS. 1 and 2, the optical sensor 3 may be configured to be able to communicate with a predetermined information processing device 2, and predetermined calculations may be performed by this information processing device 2.

[0038] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing device 2 and the like. As shown in Fig. 3, the optical sensor 3 is connected to the information processing device 2 via a communication path 31. The communication path 31 is selected from among means capable of communicating between the optical sensor 3 and the information processing device 2, and may be wired or wireless. Details of the information processing device 2 will be described below.

[0039] [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 is configured by electrically connecting these units via a communication bus 20.

[0040] (Communications Department 21) The communication unit 21 is configured to be able to transmit various electrical signals from the information processing device 2 to external components. The communication unit 21 is also configured to be able to receive various electrical signals from the external components to the information processing device 2. Note that the communication unit 21 may have a network communication function, thereby enabling communication of various information between the information processing device 2 and external devices via a communication line.

[0041] (Storage unit 22) The memory unit 22 stores various pieces of information defined above. 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 operations. The memory unit 22 stores various programs, variables, etc. related to the information processing device 2 executed by the control unit 23.

[0042] (Control unit 23) The control unit 23 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) not shown. The control unit 23 reads and executes predetermined programs stored in the storage unit 22, thereby realizing various functions related to the information processing device 2. In other words, information processing by software stored in the storage unit 22 is specifically realized by the control unit 23, which is an example of hardware, and can be 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 multiple control units 23 may be provided for each function. A combination of these may also be used.

[0043] (Display section 24) 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 graphical user interface (GUI) screen that can be operated by the user. This is preferably implemented by selectively using display devices such as a CRT display, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, and a plasma display depending on the type of the information processing device 2.

[0044] (Input section 25) 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. The touch panel allows the user to input tapping, swiping, and the like. Of course, a switch button, a mouse, a QWERTY keyboard, or the like may be used 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 predetermined control or calculation as necessary.

[0045] 2. Functional configuration In this section, the functional configuration of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the functions of the information processing device 2. As described above, information processing by software (stored in the storage unit 22) is specifically realized by hardware (control unit 23), and can be executed as each functional unit included in the control unit 23.

[0046] Specifically, the information processing device 2 (controller 23) may include, as functional units, an acquisition unit 231, an identification unit 232, a powder control unit 233, a warning unit 234, a memory management unit 235, and a display control unit 236. Note that these functional units may be increased or omitted as appropriate depending on the application to which the information processing device 2 is applied.

[0047] (Acquisition part 231) The acquisition unit 231 is configured to be able to execute an acquisition step. In the acquisition step, the acquisition unit 231 acquires various information and data. In this embodiment, in a first acquisition step, the acquisition unit 231 acquires measurement data relating to the surface of the belt 41 of the belt conveyor 4 measured by the optical sensor 3. In addition, in a second acquisition step, the acquisition unit 231 acquires position information of the mobile device 1. Specific processes for these will be described later.

[0048] (Specific Section 232) The identifying unit 232 is configured to be able to execute an identifying step. In the identifying step, the identifying unit 232 identifies any one of the degree of meandering of the belt 41, the degree of deviation of the belt 41, and the shape of the powder present on the surface of the belt conveyor 4, based on the measurement data acquired in the first acquiring step. Specific details of this process will be described later.

[0049] (Powder Control Unit 233) The powder control unit 233 is configured to be able to execute a powder control process. In the powder control process, the powder control unit 233 controls the manner in which powder is dropped onto the belt conveyor 4 based on the results of the belt conveyor monitoring method of this embodiment. Specific processing will be described later.

[0050] (Warning section 234) The warning unit 234 is configured to be able to execute a warning step. In the warning step, the warning unit 234 issues a predetermined warning in accordance with the results identified in the identification step, etc. The content of this warning will be explained later.

[0051] (Memory Management Department 235) The memory management unit 235 is configured to be able to execute a memory management process. In the memory management process, the memory management unit 235 is configured to manage various pieces of information to be stored that are related to the processes of this embodiment, etc. Typically, the memory management unit 235 is configured to store information handled by the information processing device 2 in a memory area. This memory area is exemplified by the memory unit 22 of the information processing device 2 or the memory units of various devices and terminals, but this memory area does not necessarily have to be within the processes shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the memory management unit 235 can also manage various pieces of information to be stored in an external storage device, etc.

[0052] (Display control unit 236) The display control unit 236 is configured to be able to execute a display control step. In the display control step, the display control unit 236 creates various display information and controls it so that it is visible to a user, etc. Note that the display information may be visual information itself, such as a screen, an image, an icon, or text, that is generated in a manner that is visible to a user, or may be rendering information for displaying visual information, such as a screen, an image, an icon, or text, on various devices or terminals.

[0053] 3. Details of belt conveyor monitoring method In Section 3, we will explain in detail how to monitor the belt conveyor, referring to activity diagrams etc. as appropriate.

[0054] As described above, the belt conveyor monitoring method of this embodiment acquires measurement data by measuring the surface of the belt 41 of the belt conveyor 4 from above using the optical sensor 3 attached to the movable device 1 configured to be movable along the flow direction of the belt conveyor 4. In other words, since the surface of the belt 41 is measured using the optical sensor 3 attached to the movable device 1 in this way, it can be said that the behavior of powder that has fallen onto the belt conveyor 4 can be easily detected immediately.

[0055] In this embodiment, further analysis, calculation, etc. may be performed using the measurement data measured by the optical sensor 3 as described above. This analysis, calculation, etc. is typically performed by the information processing device 2. Below, we will continue to explain the monitoring method in which analysis, calculation, etc. are performed by the information processing device 2.

[0056] FIG. 5 is an activity diagram showing the flow of information processing using the monitoring system 100 and the like. In the belt conveyor monitoring method of this embodiment, first, the optical sensor 3 measures the surface of the belt 41 of the belt conveyor 4 (activity A101). Specifically, the optical sensor 3 installed on the boom 11 of the mobile device 1 continuously irradiates laser light downward (toward the belt conveyor 4), and then the optical sensor 3 detects the light reflected from the belt conveyor 4, etc.

[0057] Next, the information processing device 2 acquires measurement data from the optical sensor 3 (activity A102). Specifically, the acquisition unit 231 of the information processing device 2 receives the measurement data output from the optical sensor 3 via the transmission path (communication path 31) by the communication unit 21 and stores the measurement data in the storage unit 22 as appropriate. In this specification, the acquisition of measurement data by the optical sensor 3 shown as activity A101 and the acquisition of measurement data by the information processing device 2 shown as activity A102 may be collectively referred to as an "acquisition step (or first acquisition step)." Note that the output measurement data here may be so-called point cloud data.

[0058] Next, a predetermined analysis is performed based on the measurement data acquired in activity A102 (activity A103). In activity A103, typically, the identifying unit 232 of the information processing device 2 identifies any one of the degree of meandering of the belt 41, the degree of deviation of the belt 41, and the shape of the powder present on the surface of the belt conveyor 4 based on the acquired measurement data.

[0059] This identification may be performed based on various methods. As an example, the identification is performed by comparing the acquired measurement data with reference information prepared in advance. This reference information may be various information useful for this identification process. As an example, the reference information may be reference data corresponding to a state (reference state) in which the belt conveyor 4 is operating normally. That is, the identification process of this embodiment may identify any of the degree of meandering of the belt 41, the degree of deviation of the belt 41, and the shape of powder present on the surface of the belt conveyor 4 based on the acquired measurement data (point cloud data, etc.) and the reference data corresponding to the reference state regarding the belt conveyor 4.

[0060] When carrying out such a specifying step, the following mode may be adopted. That is, in this embodiment, the optical sensor 3 may also perform measurements on a reference object other than the surface of the belt 41, and in the identification process, the acquired measurement data may be corrected using the measurement results of the reference object to identify the degree of belt meandering, the degree of belt bias, or the shape of powder present on the surface of the belt conveyor.

[0061] That is, the inventors have found through their investigations that the rail 12 on which the mobile device 1 moves does not necessarily extend parallel to the belt conveyor 4, and that there may be distortions or the like in some parts. Furthermore, it has been found that when measurement data is acquired by the optical sensor 3 attached (fixed) to the mobile device 1, errors may occur due to the distortions or the like described above. From the above, it has been found that in carrying out the identification process, it may be more preferable to make appropriate corrections from the viewpoint of improving identification accuracy.

[0062] Such an identification method will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an example of the identification process. That is, when the optical sensor 3 measures the surface of the belt 41, it may simultaneously measure a reference object (the measurement range of the optical sensor 3 may include both the surface of the belt 41 and the reference object). FIG. 6 shows an example in which the reference object is the roller 42 that supports the belt 41, but the reference object is not limited to this. For example, an object whose dimensions, shape, and positional relationship are known may be used as the reference object, and a sign, building, jig, or the like located near the powder conveying process may also be used as the reference object.

[0063] That is, the optical sensor 3 (and the information processing device 2) can obtain the measurement result of the reference object (roller 42) by measuring the dimensions or position of the reference object (roller 42), and the identification process may be performed based on this information. Explaining the example shown in Fig. 6, the optical sensor 3 (and the information processing device 2) may obtain the measurement result of the reference object (roller 42) by measuring the length of the roller 42 that intersects with the flow direction of the belt conveyor 4 and / or a preset position of the roller 42.

[0064] That is, in FIG. 6A, the length of the roller 42 perpendicular to (intersecting with) the flow direction of the belt conveyor 4 is shown, and point P1 is shown as the midpoint of this length. The length of the roller 42 here can be determined by identifying the first and second ends of the roller 42 and measuring the distance between them. Meanwhile, the optical sensor 3 is configured to be able to measure the belt 41 as well, and since it can identify the first and second ends of the belt 41, it can also identify the midpoint of the belt 41 as point P2. In FIG. 6A, the midpoint of the belt 41 is shown as point P2, and since point P2 is located at approximately the same position as point P1 in the direction perpendicular to the flow direction of the belt conveyor 4, it can be determined that the belt 41 has almost no misalignment. Meanwhile, in the example shown in FIG. 6B, the midpoint of the belt 41 is shown as point P3. In this case, point P3 is located at a different position from point P1, so it can be determined that the belt 41 has misalignment.

[0065] From a similar perspective, the degree of meandering of the belt 41 can also be evaluated by measuring the belt 41 and the reference object (roller 42). The degree of this meandering can also be identified by measuring predetermined locations on the belt 41 (typically both ends in the width direction) as well as predetermined locations on the reference object (roller 42), similar to the aforementioned deviation of the belt 41. The shape of the powder can also be identified by measuring the area where the powder is present on the belt conveyor 4 and measuring predetermined locations on the reference object (roller 42).

[0066] Furthermore, the deviation of the belt 41, the degree of meandering of the belt 41, the shape of the powder present on the surface of the belt conveyor 4, etc. can also be evaluated as follows: That is, the positional relationship between at least one of the two ends of the belt 41 of the belt conveyor 4 and at least one of the two ends of the reference object (roller 42) can be measured, and it can be determined whether the belt 41 is in a normal position based on whether the distance between these ends is in a predetermined relationship. Explaining using the example of Figure 6, in Figure 6A, it is possible to measure that the "distance between the left end of roller 42 and the left end of belt 41" and the "distance between the right end of roller 42 and the right end of belt 41" are almost the same value, so it is possible to determine that there is no (little) misalignment of belt 41. On the other hand, in Figure 6B, it is possible to measure that the "distance between the left end of roller 42 and the left end of belt 41" is greater than the "distance between the right end of roller 42 and the right end of belt 41," so it is possible to determine that belt 41 is misaligned to the right. By using the same principle, it is possible to grasp the misalignment of belt 41, so it is also possible to evaluate the degree of meandering of belt 41 and the shape of powder present on the surface of belt conveyor 4.

[0067] Of course, the parts of the belt 41 and the reference object (roller 42) to be measured are not limited to those described above. In other words, the optical sensor 3 may be made to measure any part within the scope of the purpose of evaluating a predetermined phenomenon.

[0068] 6 shows an example in which analysis is performed by measuring the reference material at one location (one roller 42), but the optical sensor 3 (and the information processing device 2) may acquire measurement results of the reference object at multiple locations along the flow direction of the belt conveyor 4 in the first acquisition step. In this case, in the identification step, the measurement data acquired in the first acquisition step may be corrected using the measurement results of the multiple reference objects, and any of the degree of belt meandering, the degree of belt offset, and the shape of powder present on the surface of the belt conveyor may be identified. In this way, the accuracy of identification can be further improved.

[0069] Furthermore, when the specifying step of this embodiment is carried out, the following aspects may be adopted. That is, the belt conveyor monitoring method of this embodiment may further include a second acquisition step, which may acquire position information of the mobile device 1. Furthermore, in the identification step, the measurement data acquired in the first acquisition step may be further corrected using the position information of the mobile device 1, thereby identifying any one of the degree of belt meandering, the degree of belt deviation, and the shape of powder present on the surface of the belt conveyor.

[0070] This location information of the mobile device 1 is typically information indicating the position of the mobile device 1 on the rail 12. For example, the position of the mobile device 1 can be determined using a Global Positioning System (GPS) or a Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), thereby identifying the location information of the mobile device 1. That is, the mobile device 1 may be equipped with a positioning system such as the above-mentioned GPC or GNSS. Note that such a positioning system may correspond to, for example, "SLAS (Submeter Level Augmentation Service)" or "CLAS (Centimeter Level Augmentation Service)."

[0071] Furthermore, in the identification process, the identification content is corrected based on the position information of the mobile device 1 described above. The content of this correction can be set as appropriate, and for example, the following method can be adopted. That is, the position of the rail 12 and the distortion of the rail 12 corresponding to the position of the rail 12 are associated and stored in advance, and the degree of distortion of the rail 12 can be estimated from the position information of the mobile device 1 identified by the positioning system described above. This makes it possible to understand the conditions under which the optical sensor 3 is performing measurement, and to correct the measurement data based on these conditions.

[0072] Furthermore, the above-mentioned identification step may quantitatively identify the analysis target or may qualitatively identify the analysis target. As an example, the analysis target is identified quantitatively (preferably by quantifying it). Furthermore, the analysis target is not limited to the above-mentioned belt meandering, belt offset, and powder shape. In other words, the analysis target may be various items related to the belt conveyor 4, such as the degree of breakage or damage to the belt 41, dirt, foreign matter mixed in the powder, etc.

[0073] Furthermore, the information (analysis results) identified in this manner may be displayed to a user who operates the information processing device 2 (activity A104). That is, various pieces of information identified in the identification step may be displayed on the display unit 24 or the like of the information processing device 2. Note that such processing can be realized by the function of the display control unit 236.

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the warning unit 234 may issue a warning depending on the state identified in the identification process. According to this aspect, the monitoring status of the belt conveyor 4 can be made easier to understand for workers and the like. Specifically, such a warning can be issued based on the following process.

[0075] That is, prior to issuing a warning, the results of the identification process are compared with predetermined warning conditions (activity A105). If the warning conditions are met, a warning is presented to the worker (an example of a user) performing the transport work (activity A106). If the warning conditions are not met, the processing of activity A106 is skipped. For example, when the degree of meandering or deviation of the belt 41 is quantitatively identified (quantified), a warning may be presented to the worker or the like if the identified value exceeds a predetermined threshold. Note that this warning may be, for example, a predetermined warning message displayed on a display, a warning sound emitted from a predetermined device, a warning light placed in a conspicuous location, or a combination thereof, but is not limited to these and may take various forms. That is, the warning in this embodiment is not limited to visual information, but may be based on other five senses, such as auditory information or tactile information, or a combination of two or more of these.

[0076] Such information processing related to the activities A101 to A106 is continuously performed at each frame rate of the optical sensor 3 or each control rate of the control unit 23, whereby a monitoring method for monitoring the belt conveyor 4 is executed.

[0077] In addition, in this embodiment, a powder conveying method based on the results of the above-mentioned monitoring method may be provided. That is, the powder conveying method of this embodiment is as follows. A powder conveying method, comprising: A powder control process is provided. In the powder control step, the manner in which the powder is dropped onto the belt conveyor is controlled based on the results of the belt conveyor monitoring method.

[0078] In the powder conveying method of this embodiment, the powder control unit 233 of the information processing device 2 controls the falling manner of the powder based on the results of the belt conveyor monitoring method. To explain a typical example, the powder control unit 233 controls equipment provided in the mobile machine 1 or the like based on one or more elements identified by the identification unit 232 of the information processing device 2 from among meandering of the belt 41, deviation of the belt 41, and shape of the powder, to control the falling manner of the powder.

[0079] For example, if the belt 41 is misaligned, the powder control unit 233 can adjust the position of the falling powder by controlling the angle of the plate 15 provided on the moving device 1. Furthermore, if there is an excess of powder on the belt 41, the powder control unit 233 can slow down the speed of the moving mechanism 13 to optimize the amount of powder to be dropped onto the belt conveyor 4. Furthermore, if there is an excess of powder on the belt 41, the powder control unit 233 can narrow the opening area of ​​the opening 14 to optimize the amount of powder to be dropped onto the belt conveyor 4. Of course, this is not limiting, and various controls may be performed for the purpose of stabilizing the conveyance process and improving efficiency.

[0080] 4.Other In Section 4, a variation of the above-mentioned method for monitoring a belt conveyor will be described.

[0081] The above-described embodiment relating to information processing has been described as a configuration of the monitoring system 100 (information processing device 2), but at least one computer may be provided with a program that causes each step of the monitoring method to be executed. Similarly, at least one computer may be provided with a program that causes each step of the powder conveying method to be executed.

[0082] In the above-described embodiment, the information processing device 2 performs various analyses and calculations, but the belt conveyor monitoring method of this embodiment may also be realized by manually monitoring the measurement data measured by the optical sensor 3 as is.

[0083] In the above-described embodiment, the information processing device 2 performs various storage and control operations, but multiple external devices may be used instead of the information processing device 2. That is, using a blockchain technology or the like, behaviors and the like related to the belt conveyor 4 may be distributed and stored in multiple external devices.

[0084] Finally, while various embodiments of the present invention have been described, these are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel embodiments may be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Such embodiments and modifications are intended to be included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the inventions and their equivalents as defined in the accompanying claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 1: Mobile device 2: Information processing equipment 3, 3a, 3b: Optical sensors 4: Belt conveyor 11: Boom 12: Rail 13: Movement mechanism 14: Opening 15: Plate 20: Communication bus 21: Communications Department 22: Storage section 23: Control section 24: Display section 25: Input section 31: Communication path 41: Belt 42: Laura 100: Surveillance system 231: Acquisition Department 232: Specific part 233: Powder control section 234: Warning section 235: Memory management department 236: Display control unit

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a belt conveyor, comprising: A first acquisition step is provided, In the first acquisition step, an optical sensor measures a belt surface of the belt conveyor from above to acquire measurement data; Here, the optical sensor is attached to a moving machine configured to be able to move along the flow direction of the belt conveyor, in this monitoring method.

2. The belt conveyor monitoring method according to claim 1, Further comprising a specifying step, In the identification process, the degree of meandering of the belt, the degree of bias of the belt, and the shape of powder present on the surface of the belt conveyor are identified based on the measurement data acquired in the first acquisition process.

3. The belt conveyor monitoring method according to claim 2, In the first acquisition step, the optical sensor also performs measurements on a reference object other than the belt surface, In the identification process, the measurement data acquired in the first acquisition process is corrected using the measurement results of the reference object to identify the degree of meandering of the belt, the degree of bias of the belt, or the shape of the powder present on the surface of the belt conveyor.

4. The belt conveyor monitoring method according to claim 3, In the first obtaining step, a measurement result of the reference object is obtained by measuring a dimension or a position of the reference object.

5. The belt conveyor monitoring method according to claim 4, the reference object is a roller supporting the belt, A monitoring method in which, in the first acquisition step, a measurement result of the reference object is obtained by measuring a length of the roller that intersects with the flow direction of the belt conveyor and / or a predetermined position of the roller.

6. The belt conveyor monitoring method according to claim 3, In the first acquisition step, measurement results of the reference object are acquired at a plurality of locations along the flow direction of the belt conveyor; In the identification process, the measurement data acquired in the first acquisition process is corrected using the measurement results of each of the multiple reference objects, and any of the degree of meandering of the belt, the degree of bias of the belt, and the shape of the powder present on the surface of the belt conveyor is identified.

7. The belt conveyor monitoring method according to claim 3, Further comprising a second obtaining step, In the second acquisition step, location information of the mobile device is acquired, In the identification process, the measurement data acquired in the first acquisition process is further corrected using position information from the moving device to identify the degree of meandering of the belt, the degree of bias of the belt, or the shape of powder present on the surface of the belt conveyor.

8. The belt conveyor monitoring method according to claim 1, The monitoring method, wherein the optical sensor is a LiDAR sensor.

9. A powder conveying method, comprising: A powder control process is provided.

9. A conveying method, comprising: controlling a manner in which the powder is dropped onto the belt conveyor based on a result of the belt conveyor monitoring method according to claim 1, in the powder control step.

10. A monitoring system for a belt conveyor, comprising: A mobile device and an optical sensor are provided, the moving machine is configured to be movable along the flow direction of the belt conveyor, The optical sensor is attached to the moving machine and obtains measurement data by measuring the belt surface of the belt conveyor from above.

11. A program, A program causing at least one computer to execute each step of the belt conveyor monitoring method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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