Belt conveyor monitoring method, belt conveyor control method and program

Abstract

To provide a belt conveyor monitoring method and the related others that can effectively evaluate an error while the belt conveyor is in operation.SOLUTION: According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a belt conveyor monitoring method. The monitoring method includes an acquisition step and an evaluation step. In the acquisition step, information on a width of the belt conveyor is acquired. Therein, the information on the width is based on measurement data measured by an optical sensor while the belt conveyor is in operation. In the evaluation step, presence or absence of an error during operation of the belt conveyor is evaluated by comparing the information on the width with predetermined reference information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a belt conveyor monitoring method, a belt conveyor control method, 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, and there is a limit to the number of sensors that can be installed. Given this background, there has been a need for an efficient method for evaluating errors during belt conveyor operation.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a belt conveyor monitoring method and the like that can effectively evaluate errors that occur during belt conveyor operation. [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 an acquisition step and an evaluation step. In the acquisition step, information about the width of the belt conveyor is acquired. Here, the information about the width is based on measurement data measured by an optical sensor while the belt conveyor is in operation. In the evaluation step, the presence or absence of an error during operation of the belt conveyor is evaluated by comparing the information about the width with predetermined reference information.

[0007] According to the above aspect, a belt conveyor monitoring method and the like are provided that can effectively evaluate errors that occur during belt conveyor operation.

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

[0009] (1) A method for monitoring a belt conveyor, comprising an acquisition step and an evaluation step, in which the acquisition step acquires information about the width of the belt conveyor, where the information about the width is based on measurement data measured by an optical sensor while the belt conveyor is in operation, and in the evaluation step, the presence or absence of an error while the belt conveyor is in operation is evaluated by comparing the information about the width with predetermined reference information.

[0010] (2) In the belt conveyor monitoring method described in (1) above, the error relates to one or more errors selected from the group consisting of a broken belt of the belt conveyor and an item loaded on the belt conveyor protruding from the belt conveyor.

[0011] (3) In the belt conveyor monitoring method described in (1) or (2) above, the information regarding the widthwise length corresponds to the length from a first end to a second end of the belt conveyor, and the first end and the second end are defined by the belt of the belt conveyor and / or the load on the belt conveyor, respectively.

[0012] (4) In the belt conveyor monitoring method described in (3) above, the measurement data is data obtained by the optical sensor performing continuous measurements, and the information regarding the widthwise length includes a change in the length from the first end to the second end over time.

[0013] (5) In the belt conveyor monitoring method described in (4) above, the evaluation step further comprises evaluating the magnitude of the error based on a change over time in the length from the first end to the second end.

[0014] (6) The method for monitoring a belt conveyor according to any one of (3) to (5) above, wherein the first end and the second end are measured by different optical sensors.

[0015] (7) The belt conveyor monitoring method according to any one of (1) to (6) above, wherein the optical sensor is a LiDAR sensor.

[0016] (8) The belt conveyor monitoring method according to any one of (1) to (7) above, further comprising a warning step, in which a warning is issued when the evaluation step determines that the error exists.

[0017] (9) A method for controlling a belt conveyor, comprising a belt conveyor control step, in which the belt conveyor is stopped while in operation if the belt conveyor is evaluated to have an error in the evaluation step in the belt conveyor monitoring method described in any one of (1) to (8) above.

[0018] (10) 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]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing the overall configuration of a process to which the monitoring system can be applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an information processing device 2 and the like. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing functions of the information processing device 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an activity diagram showing the flow of information processing using a monitoring system or the like. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining errors evaluated in the evaluation process. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining errors evaluated in the evaluation process. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining an embodiment regarding the arrangement of optical sensors. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining an embodiment regarding the arrangement of optical sensors. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. Note that various features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0021] That is, the belt conveyor monitoring method of this embodiment is as follows. A method for monitoring a belt conveyor, comprising: The method includes an acquisition step and an evaluation step, In the acquiring step, information regarding the width direction length of the belt conveyor is acquired, Here, the information about the width direction length is based on measurement data measured by an optical sensor while the belt conveyor is in operation, In the evaluation step, the presence or absence of an error during operation of the belt conveyor is evaluated by comparing the information regarding the widthwise length with predetermined reference information.

[0022] 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).

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] The belt conveyor monitoring method of this embodiment can be applied to the process of transporting various items on a belt conveyor, and can typically be executed by the monitoring system shown below. First, the process of transporting items and the configuration of hardware that can configure this process will be described.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a side view showing the overall configuration of a process to which the monitoring system can be applied. The process shown in this figure is a process in which a load 4 is transported by a belt conveyor 1 in a flow direction D1. In this embodiment, the load 4 transported by the belt conveyor 1 may be any of various articles that may be transported by a belt conveyor. Such articles may also be powder. As an example, the powder may be coal, breeze coke, cement, biomass fuel, soil, ore, slag, dust, etc.

[0029] First, the belt conveyor 1 to which the monitoring method of this embodiment is applied will be described in detail. The belt conveyor 1 includes a head pulley 13a and a tail pulley 13b, and can be configured by winding belts around these pulleys. In this specification, of the belts wound around the pulleys, the upper belt will be referred to as the upper belt 11a, and the lower belt will be referred to as the lower belt 11b. Typically, a load 4 is loaded on the upper belt 11a, and is transported from the tail pulley 13b side to the head pulley 13a side.

[0030] The belt conveyor 1 of this embodiment may have one or more rollers 12 between the head pulley 13a and the tail pulley 13b. The rollers 12 can support the upper belt 11a, allowing for a stable conveyance process.

[0031] The belt conveyor 1 may be driven by, for example, the rotation of the head pulley 13a and the tail pulley 13b. That is, the head pulley 13a and the tail pulley 13b may be connected to a motor (not shown), which allows the belt of the belt conveyor 1 to move in the flow direction D1. The belt conveyor 1 does not have to be driven by the rotation of the head pulley 13a and the tail pulley 13b. For example, the belt conveyor 1 may be provided with a drive pulley (not shown), which drives the belt conveyor 1. In addition, the belt conveyor 1 may include various pulleys (not shown in FIG. 1), such as a snub pulley, a tension pulley, and a bend pulley.

[0032] In the monitoring method of this embodiment, optical sensors 3a and 3b are installed within the process. Optical sensor 3a is configured to be able to measure the upper belt 11a side of the belt conveyor 1. Optical sensor 3b is configured to be able to measure the lower belt 11b side of the belt conveyor 1. Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which two optical sensors are installed within the process, the number of optical sensors installed within the process is not limited to this. That is, one optical sensor, or three or more optical sensors may be installed within the process. Furthermore, the installation positions of the optical sensors are not limited to the positions shown in the figure, and the optical sensors may be installed at any position that allows the monitoring process to be realized. Furthermore, the optical sensor 3 is not limited to a position where it can perform measurements perpendicular to the belt surface of the belt conveyor 1, but may also be installed at an angle (e.g., 30 to 60 degrees) toward the belt surface of the belt conveyor 1. In the following, the optical sensors used in the monitoring method of this embodiment may be collectively referred to as "optical sensor 3."

[0033] 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.

[0034] The monitoring system of this embodiment also includes an optical sensor 3. Note that the "monitoring system" may include any configuration other than the optical sensor 3. Specifically, the monitoring system of this embodiment can also be called a monitoring system that includes a configuration for appropriately analyzing data acquired by the optical sensor 3. In other words, the monitoring system of this embodiment may include, in addition to the optical sensor 3, an information processing device 2, which will be described later.

[0035] Although not shown in detail in FIG. 1, the optical sensor 3 may be configured to be able to communicate with a predetermined information processing device 2, and predetermined calculations and the like may be executed by this information processing device 2.

[0036] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing device 2 and the like. As shown in Fig. 2, 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.

[0037] [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.

[0038] (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.

[0039] (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.

[0040] (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.

[0041] (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.

[0042] (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.

[0043] 2. Functional configuration In this section, the functional configuration of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 3 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.

[0044] Specifically, the information processing device 2 (control unit 23) may include, as its respective functional units, an acquisition unit 231, an evaluation unit 232, a calculation unit 233, a belt conveyor control unit 234, a warning unit 235, a memory management unit 236, and a display control unit 237. Note that these respective functional units may be increased or omitted as appropriate depending on the application to which the information processing device 2 is applied, etc.

[0045] (Acquisition part 231) The acquisition unit 231 is configured to be able to execute an acquisition process. In the acquisition process, the acquisition unit 231 acquires various information and data. In this embodiment, the acquisition unit 231 acquires information about the width of the belt conveyor 1. Here, the information about the width is based on measurement data measured by the optical sensor 3 while the belt conveyor 1 is in operation. The specific processing will be described later.

[0046] (Evaluation unit 232) The evaluation unit 232 is configured to be able to execute an evaluation step. In the evaluation step, the evaluation unit 232 compares information about the width direction length with predetermined reference information to evaluate whether or not an error has occurred during operation of the belt conveyor 1. Specific processing for this will be described later.

[0047] (Computation unit 233) The calculation unit 233 is configured to be able to execute a calculation process. In the calculation process, the calculation unit 233 performs various calculations based on the acquired values, etc. As an example, the calculation unit 233 performs a calculation regarding the distance between multiple coordinates based on multiple pieces of coordinate information. The specific processing will be explained later.

[0048] (Belt conveyor control unit 234) The belt conveyor control unit 234 is configured to be able to execute a belt conveyor control process. In the belt conveyor control process, the belt conveyor control unit 234 issues various signals and controls the operation and stopping of the belt conveyor 1.

[0049] (Warning section 235) The warning unit 235 is configured to be able to execute a warning step. In the warning step, the warning unit 235 issues a warning when an error is evaluated in the evaluation step. The content of this warning will be explained later.

[0050] (Memory Management Department 236) The memory management unit 236 is configured to be able to execute a memory management process. In the memory management process, the memory management unit 236 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 236 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 process shown in FIG. 1, and the memory management unit 236 can also manage various pieces of information to be stored in an external storage device, etc.

[0051] (Display control unit 237) The display control unit 237 is configured to be able to execute a display control step. In the display control step, the display control unit 237 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, 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.

[0052] 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.

[0053] As described above, the belt conveyor monitoring method of this embodiment acquires information about the widthwise length of the belt conveyor 1, and evaluates the presence or absence of an error based on this acquired information. In other words, the belt conveyor monitoring method of this embodiment is effective in that it specifies the measurement target to a predetermined length for the belt conveyor 1 during operation.

[0054] 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.

[0055] FIG. 4 is an activity diagram showing the flow of information processing using a monitoring system or the like. In the belt conveyor monitoring method of this embodiment, first, the optical sensor 3 measures the belt conveyor 1 while it is in operation (activity A101). Specifically, the optical sensor 3 continuously irradiates laser light toward the belt conveyor 1, and then detects the light reflected from the belt conveyor 1, etc.

[0056] It should be noted that the direction in which the optical sensor 3 irradiates the laser light does not necessarily have to be downward as shown in Fig. 1. That is, even if the optical sensor 3b irradiates the laser light upward as shown in Fig. 1, it is possible to measure the lower belt 11b, which makes it possible to realize the belt conveyor monitoring method of this embodiment.

[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 using 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." 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 this activity A103, typically, the evaluation unit 232 of the information processing device 2 performs the predetermined analysis and evaluates whether or not an error has occurred during operation of the belt conveyor 1 (this process of evaluating whether or not an error has occurred is referred to as the "evaluation process").

[0059] Details of this evaluation will be described below. That is, the evaluation unit 232 of the information processing device 2 evaluates whether or not an error has occurred during operation of the belt conveyor 1 based on information regarding the widthwise length of the belt conveyor 1 acquired by the acquisition unit 231 and predetermined reference information, and this error may be various errors related to the widthwise length of the belt conveyor 1. Typically, the error may be one or more errors selected from the group consisting of a break in the belt of the belt conveyor 1 and an overhang of a load on the belt conveyor. Note that the belt related to the error here may be either the upper belt 11a or the lower belt 11b.

[0060] The errors in this embodiment and the evaluation of the presence or absence of such errors will be explained with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the errors evaluated in the evaluation process. FIGS. 5A and 5B show the state in which the optical sensor 3a, located above the upper belt 11a and approximately perpendicular to the surface of the upper belt 11a, measures the belt conveyor 1. Note that the optical sensor 3a here is fixed at a predetermined position and continuously irradiates laser light downward.

[0061] In Fig. 5A, the optical sensor 3a is installed inside the belt position when the belt conveyor 1 is operating normally. Although Fig. 5A does not overlap with the head pulley 13a, the optical sensor 3a measures the area close to the head pulley 13a. That is, in Figs. 5A and 5B, the measurement area of ​​the optical sensor 3a includes the area between the pulley at the end of the belt conveyor 1 and the roller 12 adjacent to the pulley. Since the belt of the belt conveyor 1 is less likely to bend near the pulley, the presence or absence of an error can be evaluated with high accuracy.

[0062] The optical sensor 3a installed in the above-mentioned location continuously measures the belt (upper belt 11a) of the belt conveyor 1, and if there is a break in the belt as shown in Figure 5A, it can detect a signal that is different from that during normal operation. That is, in the example shown in Figure 5A, the information regarding the widthwise length of the belt conveyor 1 is information indicating how far the belt extends in the widthwise direction, and the predetermined reference information is information indicating the position of the belt in the widthwise direction during normal operation. The evaluation unit 232 can evaluate an error in the belt conveyor 1, such as a belt break, by detecting a belt extension state that differs from the reference information.

[0063] On the other hand, in FIG. 5B, the optical sensor 3a is installed outside the belt position when the belt conveyor 1 is operating normally. The optical sensor 3a installed in this location continuously measures the outer area of ​​the belt (upper belt 11a) of the belt conveyor 1. However, when the load 4 on the belt conveyor 1 protrudes outside as shown in FIG. 5B, a signal different from that detected during normal operation can be detected. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 5B, the information regarding the width of the belt conveyor 1 indicates how far the load 4 on the belt conveyor 1 extends in the width direction, and the predetermined reference information indicates the position of the belt and the load in the width direction of the belt during normal operation. By detecting an outside-belt state that differs from the reference information, the evaluation unit 232 can evaluate an error in which the load 4 protrudes from the belt conveyor 1.

[0064] 5A and 5B show an embodiment in which measurement is performed by the optical sensor 3 on only one end of the upper belt 11a, but measurement may also be performed on both ends of the upper belt 11a by the optical sensor 3. Furthermore, the measurement target when evaluating a belt break as an error is not limited to the upper belt 11a, but may also be the lower belt 11b. When measuring the lower belt 11b in this way, the belt (lower belt 11b) of the belt conveyor 1 can be measured from an optical sensor (such as the optical sensor 3b in FIG. 1) located below the lower belt 11b and in a direction approximately perpendicular to the surface of the lower belt 11b.

[0065] Next, another example of errors in this embodiment and evaluation of the presence or absence of the errors will be described. Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining errors evaluated in the evaluation step.

[0066] 6A and 6B, the optical sensor 3a is located above approximately the center in the width direction of the upper belt 11a of the belt conveyor 1. This optical sensor 3a is configured to measure the first end and the second end of the belt conveyor 1. That is, in the example shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, information regarding the length in the width direction of the belt conveyor 1 corresponds to the length from the first end to the second end of the belt conveyor 1. Here, the first end and the second end are defined by the belt of the belt conveyor 1 and / or the load 4 on the belt conveyor 1, respectively.

[0067] 6A shows a state in which a portion of the upper belt 11a is broken, in which case the first end is defined as the broken end (point P1) of the upper belt 11a, while the second end is defined as the opposite end (point P2) of the upper belt 11a (the first end may be referred to as one end, and the second end as the other end). In this case, the distance (length) between points P1 and P2 is smaller than the length when the belt conveyor 1 is operating normally, so the evaluation unit 232 of the information processing device 2 can evaluate that the belt of the belt conveyor 1 is broken.

[0068] 6B shows a state in which the load 4 protrudes from the upper belt 11a, and in this case, the first end is defined by the outermost end (point P1) of the load 4, while the second end is defined by the opposite end (point P2) of the upper belt 11a. In this case, the distance (length) between points P1 and P2 is greater than the length when the belt conveyor 1 is operating normally, and therefore the evaluation unit 232 of the information processing device 2 can evaluate that the load 4 protrudes from the belt conveyor 1.

[0069] Such measurements by the optical sensor 3 may be performed continuously. That is, the measurement data may be data obtained by the optical sensor 3 performing measurements continuously. In this case, the information about the width direction length may include a change over time in the length from the first end to the second end.

[0070] That is, the length from the first end to the second end of the belt conveyor 1 may change slightly during the operation of the belt conveyor 1, but the errors that need to be managed in actual operation are often errors that occur suddenly. In such cases, the accuracy of error evaluation can be improved by including the change over time in the length from the first end to the second end in the information about the width length (in other words, by tracking the change in the length from the first end to the second end).

[0071] This change over time may typically be the degree of change in length per unit time. That is, if a break occurs in the belt as shown in FIG. 6A, the length from the first end to the second end may be detected as suddenly shrinking. The reference information may include a threshold value related to the degree of change in the length from the first end to the second end. When the acquisition unit 231 acquires a state outside this threshold, the evaluation unit 232 may be configured to evaluate that there is an error in the belt conveyor 1.

[0072] In this regard, the evaluation unit 232 may be further configured to evaluate the magnitude of the error based on a change in the length from the first end to the second end over time. That is, as described above, when tracking the change in the length from the first end to the second end, if a deviation from the length in the reference information continues for a long time, the magnitude of the error can be evaluated as being large. In a typical example, if the length between the first end and the second end is shorter than the length in the reference information, it can be evaluated that there is a break in the belt. If this state continues for a long time, it can be evaluated that the break has spread significantly in the flow direction of the belt conveyor 1.

[0073] While Fig. 6 shows an embodiment in which a single optical sensor (optical sensor 3a) measures the first end and the second end, in an exemplary embodiment, the first end and the second end may be measured by different optical sensors. Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment regarding the arrangement of optical sensors. Fig. 7 also shows a schematic cross section of the belt conveyor 1 of Fig. 1 taken along line A-A' from upstream of the upper belt 11a.

[0074] 7, depending on the shape of the load 4, it may be difficult to measure the first end and the second end using the optical sensor (optical sensor 3a) above the belt of the belt conveyor 1. In this case, the first end and the second end can be measured using the first optical sensor (optical sensor 3c) located closer to the first end than the center of the belt (upper belt 11a) and the second optical sensor (optical sensor 3d) located closer to the second end than the center of the belt (upper belt 11a).

[0075] In addition, when the first end and the second end are measured using different optical sensors, the calculation unit 233 of the information processing device 2 may be configured to calculate the lengths of the first end and the second end. In an exemplary aspect, the calculation unit 233 can perform calculations regarding the distance between the coordinate information of point P1 acquired by the first optical sensor (optical sensor 3c) and the coordinate information of point P2 acquired by the second optical sensor (optical sensor 3d) based on these coordinates. In this embodiment, the distance calculated in this manner can be used as the basis for the information regarding the width direction length described above. Note that the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor do not necessarily need to be disposed in a positional relationship perpendicular to the flow direction D1 of the belt conveyor 1 as shown in FIG. 7. In other words, even if the sensors are not positioned perpendicular to the flow direction D1, the calculation unit 233 can handle the coordinate information of the points to be measured. Therefore, the calculation unit 233 can appropriately perform correction processing to calculate information regarding the width direction length of the belt conveyor 1 at a predetermined point.

[0076] The optical sensor 3 may be disposed at a position shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment relating to the arrangement of the optical sensor. Like Fig. 7, Fig. 8 also shows a schematic cross section of the belt conveyor 1 of Fig. 1 taken along line A-A' from the upstream of the upper belt 11a.

[0077] That is, in this embodiment, the optical sensor (optical sensor 3e) may be disposed between the upper belt 11a and the lower belt 11b of the belt conveyor 1. In such a case, even if an object 4 is present on the upper belt 11a, it becomes easier to properly measure the first end and the second end. As described above, the presence or absence of an error can be evaluated based on the first end and the second end measured by the optical sensor 3e.

[0078] Furthermore, the information evaluated in this manner (analysis results) may be displayed to a user who operates the information processing device 2 (activity A104). That is, various pieces of information evaluated in the evaluation process 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 237.

[0079] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the warning unit 235 may issue a warning depending on the state identified in the evaluation process. That is, in this embodiment, the warning unit 235 may be configured to issue a warning when it is evaluated that there is an error in the evaluation process. According to this aspect, the monitoring status of the belt conveyor 1 can be made easier to understand for workers and the like. Note that such a warning can be issued specifically based on the following process.

[0080] That is, prior to issuing a warning, the evaluation result in the evaluation process is compared with predefined warning conditions (activity A105). That is, if an error is evaluated in the evaluation process, it is determined that the warning conditions are met. If the warning conditions are met in this comparison, 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 a broken belt or a protruding load is quantitatively identified (quantified), a warning may be presented to the worker 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 various warning modes may be used. 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.

[0081] 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, thereby executing a monitoring method for monitoring the belt conveyor.

[0082] In addition, in this embodiment, a belt conveyor control method based on the results of the above-described monitoring method may be provided. That is, the belt conveyor control method of this embodiment is as follows. A method for controlling a belt conveyor, comprising: A belt conveyor control process is provided, In the belt conveyor control step, when it is determined in the evaluation step of the belt conveyor monitoring method that the error exists, the belt conveyor being in operation is stopped.

[0083] In the belt conveyor control method of this embodiment, when the belt conveyor monitoring method evaluates that there is an error in the belt conveyor 1, the belt conveyor control unit 234 of the information processing device 2 stops the belt conveyor 1 in operation. To explain a typical example, based on one or more factors identified by the evaluation unit 232 of the information processing device 2, such as a broken belt or a load protruding, the belt conveyor 1 is controlled to stop the belt conveyor 1. Of course, this is not limitative, and various controls may be performed for the purpose of ensuring work safety.

[0084] 4.Other In Section 4, a variation of the above-mentioned method for monitoring a belt conveyor will be described.

[0085] The above-described embodiment relating to information processing has been described as a configuration of a monitoring system (information processing device 2), but at least one computer may be provided with a program that causes the computer to execute each step of the monitoring method. Similarly, at least one computer may be provided with a program that causes the computer to execute each step of the above-described belt conveyor control method.

[0086] 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.

[0087] 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 1 may be distributed and stored in multiple external devices.

[0088] 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]

[0089] 1: Belt conveyor 2: Information processing equipment 3, 3a to 3e: Optical sensors 4: Cargo 11a: Upper belt 11b: Lower belt 12: Laura 13a: Head pulley 13b: Tail pulley 20: Communication bus 21: Communications Department 22: Storage section 23: Control section 24: Display section 25: Input section 31: Communication path 100: Surveillance system 231: Acquisition Department 232: Evaluation section 233: Arithmetic section 234: Belt conveyor control unit 235: Warning section 236: Memory management department 237: Display control section

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a belt conveyor, comprising: The method includes an acquisition step and an evaluation step, In the acquiring step, information regarding the width direction length of the belt conveyor is acquired, Here, the information about the width direction length is based on measurement data measured by an optical sensor while the belt conveyor is in operation, In the evaluation step, the presence or absence of an error during operation of the belt conveyor is evaluated by comparing the information regarding the widthwise length with predetermined reference information.

2. The belt conveyor monitoring method according to claim 1, The error relates to one or more selected from the group consisting of a broken belt of the belt conveyor and a load protruding from the belt conveyor.

3. The belt conveyor monitoring method according to claim 1, the information about the widthwise length corresponds to a length from a first end to a second end of the belt conveyor; The monitoring method, wherein the first end and the second end are defined by a belt of the belt conveyor and / or a load on the belt conveyor, respectively.

4. The belt conveyor monitoring method according to claim 3, the measurement data is data obtained by the optical sensor performing continuous measurements, The information about the widthwise length includes a change in the length from the first end to the second end over time.

5. The belt conveyor monitoring method according to claim 4, The evaluation step further comprises evaluating the magnitude of the error based on a change over time in the length from the first end to the second end.

6. The belt conveyor monitoring method according to claim 3, The monitoring method, wherein the first end and the second end are measured by different optical sensors.

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

8. The belt conveyor monitoring method according to claim 1, Further comprising a warning step, In the warning step, a warning is issued if the evaluation step determines that the error exists.

9. A method for controlling a belt conveyor, comprising: A belt conveyor control process is provided, The belt conveyor control step includes stopping the belt conveyor in operation if the belt conveyor is evaluated to have an error in the evaluation step in the belt conveyor monitoring method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. 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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