Estimation device, program, and estimation method

Abstract

To provide an estimation device or the like which is hardly affected by a peripheral environment when estimating a water content or the like of an object.SOLUTION: According to an aspect of the present invention, an estimation device for estimating a water content of an object is provided. The estimation device includes an optical characteristic acquisition unit, a water-containing model information acquisition unit, and a water content estimation unit. The optical characteristic acquisition unit acquires optical characteristics of each of an object and a reference plate different from the object. The water-containing model information acquisition unit acquires water-containing model information created by associating an optical characteristic of an object with a water content of the object. The water content estimation unit estimates the water content of the object based on the optical characteristics of the object, the optical characteristics of the reference plate, and the water-containing model information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an estimation device, a program, and an estimation method. [Background technology]

[0002] It is necessary to maintain the moisture content of materials such as iron ore and coal, which are used as raw materials for steelmaking and fuel for power generation, within an appropriate range. If these materials are too dry, they generate dust, while if they contain too much moisture, they can clog during transportation or require a large amount of heat for drying, resulting in reduced energy efficiency.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to understand the amount of water contained in these materials in order to maintain the water content within an appropriate range by sprinkling water when the material is dry and spraying chemicals such as water-blocking agents when the water content is too high.

[0004] In order to grasp the moisture content in the material and perform water sprinkling to prevent dust, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for measuring the moisture content on the surface of an iron ore pile using a near-infrared moisture content meter. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-050076 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the inventors have found that when estimating the moisture content of the surface of the pile as described above, it is often affected by the surrounding environment, and it is sometimes difficult to properly manage the numerical values.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides an estimation device and the like that is less susceptible to the influence of the surrounding environment when estimating the moisture content and the like of an object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an estimation device for estimating the moisture content of an object. The estimation device includes an optical property acquisition unit, a moisture model information acquisition unit, and a moisture content estimation unit. The optical property acquisition unit acquires optical properties of the object and a reference plate different from the object. The moisture model information acquisition unit acquires moisture model information created by associating the optical properties of the object with the moisture content of the object. The moisture content estimation unit estimates the moisture content of the object based on the optical properties of the object, the optical properties of the reference plate, and the moisture model information.

[0009] Specifically, the present invention provides the following: (1) An estimation device for estimating the moisture content of an object, The apparatus includes an optical property acquisition unit, a water content model information acquisition unit, and a water content estimation unit, the optical characteristic acquisition unit acquires optical characteristics of the object and a reference plate different from the object, the water-containing model information acquisition unit acquires water-containing model information created by associating optical characteristics of the object with the water content of the object; the moisture content estimation unit estimates the moisture content of the object based on the optical characteristics of the object, the optical characteristics of the reference plate, and the moisture model information. Estimation device. (2) In the estimation device according to (1), The optical characteristic acquisition unit acquires the optical characteristics of the object and / or the reference plate for light of multiple wavelengths different from each other. (3) In the estimation device according to (1) or (2), The optical property acquisition unit acquires, as the optical property, one or more of absorptance, reflectance, and transmittance of the object and / or the reference plate. (4) In the estimation device according to any one of (1) to (3), The optical property acquisition unit acquires the optical properties of the object and the reference plate by capturing images of the object and the reference plate within the same angle of view. (5) In the estimation device according to any one of (1) to (4), An estimation device, wherein the optical properties of the object and / or the reference plate acquired by the optical property acquisition unit are acquired using a hyperspectral camera or a multispectral camera. (6) In the estimation device according to (5), The reference plate is coupled to a housing of the hyperspectral camera or the multispectral camera, (7) In the estimation device according to (6), The reference plate is coupled to the housing so that the position and / or orientation of the reference plate can be adjusted. (8) In the estimation device according to (7), Further, the device includes a detection unit and an adjustment unit, the detection unit detects information regarding light irradiated onto the hyperspectral camera or the multispectral camera; The adjustment unit adjusts the position and / or orientation of the reference plate based on information about the light detected by the detection unit. (9) In the estimation device according to any one of (1) to (8), The object is a raw material for steelmaking or a fuel for power generation. (10) An estimation device for estimating the presence or absence or amount of a drug contained in an object, The device includes an optical property acquisition unit, a drug-containing model information acquisition unit, and a drug information estimation unit, the optical characteristic acquisition unit acquires optical characteristics of the object and a reference plate different from the object, the drug-containing model information acquisition unit acquires drug-containing model information created by associating optical characteristics of the object with the presence or absence or content of a drug in the object; The drug information estimation unit estimates the presence or absence or content of the drug in the object based on the optical characteristics of the object, the optical characteristics of the reference plate, and the drug-containing model information. Estimation device. (11) In the estimation device according to (10), The optical characteristic acquisition unit acquires the optical characteristics of the object and / or the reference plate for light of multiple wavelengths different from each other. (12) A program, A program for causing a computer to function as each part of the estimation device according to any one of (1) to (11). (13) A method for estimating the moisture content of an object, comprising: The method includes an optical property acquisition step, a water content model information acquisition step, and a water content estimation step, the optical characteristic acquisition step acquires optical characteristics of the object and a reference plate different from the object, the water-containing model information acquisition step acquires water-containing model information created by associating optical characteristics of the object with the water content of the object; the moisture content estimating step estimates the moisture content of the object based on optical characteristics of the object, optical characteristics of the reference plate, and the moisture model information; Estimation method. (14) A method for estimating the presence or absence or amount of a drug contained in an object, comprising: The method includes an optical characteristic acquisition step, a drug-containing model information acquisition step, and a drug information estimation step, the optical characteristic acquisition step acquires optical characteristics of the object and a reference plate different from the object, the drug-containing model information acquisition step acquires drug-containing model information created by associating optical characteristics of the object with the presence or absence or amount of drug in the object; The drug information estimation step estimates the presence or absence or content of a drug in the object based on the optical characteristics of the object, the optical characteristics of the reference plate, and the drug-containing model information. Estimation method.

[0010] According to the above aspect, an estimation device or the like is provided that is less susceptible to the influence of the surrounding environment when estimating the moisture content or the like of an object. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an information processing system 1. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an information processing unit 2a. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the functions of the estimation device 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an activity diagram showing the flow of information processing using the estimation device 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an optical property measuring unit 2b used in this embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the content of an image captured by the optical property measuring unit 2b. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining an adjustment mechanism of the optical property measuring unit 2b. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. Note that various features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0013] Incidentally, the program for realizing the software appearing in this 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).

[0014] In this embodiment, the term "unit" may also 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 addition, this embodiment handles various types of information, which may be represented by, for example, physical values ​​of signal values ​​representing voltages and currents, 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 may be performed on a circuit in the broad sense.

[0015] In addition, a circuit in the broad sense is a circuit realized by at least appropriately combining a circuit, circuitry, a processor, a memory, etc. 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.

[0016] 1. Hardware Configuration In this section, the hardware configuration of the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0017] 1.1 Information Processing System 1 The information processing system 1 of this embodiment is a system configured to be able to execute an estimation method for estimating the water content of an object and an estimation method for estimating the presence or absence or amount of a drug contained in an object. Therefore, such information processing system 1 may be simply referred to as an "estimation system." Here, the information processing system 1 of this embodiment includes an estimation device 2. For convenience, in this specification, the information processing system 1 is treated as a concept that also includes the substance S that is the target of estimation by this estimation device 2. The estimation device 2 shown in FIG. 1 includes an information processing unit 2a and an optical property measurement unit 2b. The information processing unit 2a controls information processing and the like for estimating the water content of a substance S in the information processing system 1. Note that the system exemplified as the information processing system 1 is made up of one or more devices or components. Therefore, even the information processing unit 2a alone is an example of a system. On the other hand, although not shown in detail, an example can also be given in which predetermined information processing is performed by multiple devices.

[0018] Here, the substance S in the information processing system 1 of this embodiment is an object for which the water content, etc. needs to be estimated. This substance S is appropriately selected from known substances. This substance S may be an inorganic substance or an organic substance. In the exemplary embodiment, this substance S (object) is a raw material for steelmaking or a fuel for power generation. "Ironmaking raw materials" refers to materials used as raw materials and fuels for ironmaking in ironmaking facilities such as steelworks, and examples thereof include coal, steel, dust, slag, coke, sintered ore, as well as auxiliary materials such as limestone and dolomite. "Power generation fuel" refers to materials used as fuels for power generation in power generation facilities such as power plants, and examples thereof include coal and biomass fuels. In a more typical example, substance S is coal or iron ore. In this specification, the term "water content" may refer to an absolute mass, and also includes the water content per unit mass of a substance, that is, the water content rate.

[0019] 1.2 Estimation device 2 1 includes an information processing unit 2a and an optical property measuring unit 2b. Each component will be described below.

[0020] [Information Processing Unit 2a] The information processing unit 2a is a device that estimates the water content of the substance S and the like by performing predetermined information processing. 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing unit 2a. The information processing unit 2a has a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, an input unit 23, a display unit 24, and a communication unit 25, and is configured by electrically connecting these units via a communication bus 20. Each unit provided in the information processing unit 2a will be described below.

[0021] (Control unit 21) The control unit 21 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) not shown. The control unit 21 realizes various functions related to the estimation device 2 by reading out predetermined programs stored in the storage unit 22. In other words, information processing by software stored in the storage unit 22 is specifically realized by the control unit 21, which is an example of hardware, and can be executed as each functional unit included in the control unit 21. These will be described in further detail in the next section. Note that the control unit 21 is not limited to being single, and it may be implemented by having multiple control units 21 for each function. It may also be a combination of these.

[0022] (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 estimation device 2 executed by the control unit 21, or as a memory such as a random access memory (RAM) that stores temporarily required information (arguments, arrays, etc.) related to the program calculations. The memory unit 22 stores various programs, variables, etc. related to the estimation device 2 executed by the control unit 21.

[0023] (input unit 23) The input unit 23 may be included in the housing of the information processing unit 2a or may be externally attached. For example, the input unit 23 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 a touch panel. That is, the input unit 23 accepts an operation input made by the user. The input is transferred as a command signal to the control unit 21 via the communication bus 20, and the control unit 21 can execute predetermined control or calculation as necessary.

[0024] (Display section 24) The display unit 24 may be included in the housing of the information processing unit 2a 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, or a plasma display depending on the type of the information processing unit 2a.

[0025] (Communications Department 25) The communication unit 25 is configured to be able to transmit various electrical signals from the information processing unit 2a to external components. The communication unit 25 is also configured to be able to receive various electrical signals from the external components to the estimation device 2. Note that the communication unit 25 may have a network communication function, which allows various pieces of information to be communicated between the optical property measuring unit 2b or the estimation device 2 and external devices via a communication line.

[0026] [Optical property measurement section 2b] The optical property measuring unit 2b is configured to measure the optical property of the substance S that is the estimation target. The measurement range of the optical properties and how it is divided can be selected appropriately depending on the application, etc., and the optical property measurement unit 2b can also be selected appropriately depending on the measurement range of the optical properties and how it is divided, and is not particularly limited as long as it can measure the optical properties. For example, when measuring a pile of material S in a yard, a hyperspectral camera or a multispectral camera can be used as the optical property measurement unit 2b. In this case, the hyperspectral camera or multispectral camera must measure from above the yard. Therefore, such an optical property measurement unit 2b can be attached to an aircraft (e.g., an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) such as a drone) that can fly at a height higher than the maximum height of the pile of material S, or to the boom of a reclaimer that can be extended to a height higher than the maximum height of the pile. In other words, in such cases, the optical properties of the material S to be estimated are measured using a hyperspectral camera or a multispectral camera, particularly a hyperspectral camera or a multispectral camera attached to the aircraft.

[0027] When measuring materials S piled up in a yard as described above, the height at which optical property measurement unit 2b is positioned is not particularly limited, but is preferably positioned at a position 20 m or more and 200 m or less above the yard. Specifically, the height at which optical property measurement unit 2b is positioned may be, for example, 25 m or more, 30 m or more, 35 m or more, 40 m or more, 45 m or more, 50 m or more, 55 m or more, 60 m or more, 65 m or more, 70 m or more, 75 m or more, 80 m or more, 85 m or more, 90 m or more, 95 m or more, 100 m or more, 105 m or more, 110 m or more, 115 m or more, 120 m or more, 125 m or more, 130 m or more, or 135 m or more, or may be 195 m or less, 190 m or less, 185 m or less, 180 m or less, 175 m or less, 170 m or less, 165 m or less, or 160 m or less.

[0028] The specific structure and function of the optical characteristic measuring unit 2b will be explained later.

[0029] The optical property information measured by the optical property measuring unit 2b may be transmitted to the information processing unit 2a via communication with the information processing unit 2a, or a recording medium may be attached to the optical property measuring unit 2b to record the acquired information thereon, and the information processing unit 2a may acquire the optical property information via the recording medium. Since the information processing unit 2a can thus execute predetermined information processing via a storage medium, the information processing unit 2a alone may also be referred to as the "estimation device."

[0030] 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 estimation device 2. As described above, information processing by software (stored in the storage unit 22) is specifically realized by hardware (the control unit 21), and can be executed as each functional unit included in the control unit 21.

[0031] Specifically, the estimation device 2 (control unit 21) may include, as its functional units, an optical property acquisition unit 211, a water-containing model information acquisition unit 212, a water content estimation unit 213, a detection unit 214, an adjustment unit 215, a drug-containing model information acquisition unit 216, a drug information estimation unit 217, a display control unit 218, and a memory management unit 219. Note that these functional units may be increased or omitted as appropriate depending on the application to which the estimation device 2 is applied, etc.

[0032] (Optical property acquisition unit 211) The optical characteristic acquisition unit 211 is configured to be able to execute an optical characteristic acquisition step. In the optical characteristic acquisition step, the optical characteristic acquisition unit 211 acquires the optical characteristics of the object and a reference plate different from the object. Note that the acquisition here can adopt both a mode of acquiring information measured by the optical characteristic measurement unit 2b and a mode of acquiring information not measured by the optical characteristic measurement unit 2b. Furthermore, the information acquisition paths for the object and the reference plate may be different.

[0033] (Water-containing model information acquisition unit 212) The wet model information acquisition unit 212 is configured to be able to execute a wet model information acquisition step. In the wet model information acquisition step, the wet model information acquisition unit 212 acquires wet model information created by associating the optical properties of an object with the water content of the object. Details of this wet model information will be described later.

[0034] (Moisture content estimation section 213) The moisture content estimation unit 213 is configured to be able to execute a moisture content estimation step. In the moisture content estimation step, the moisture content estimation unit 213 estimates the moisture content of the object based on the optical characteristics of the object, the optical characteristics of the reference plate, and the moisture model information.

[0035] (Detection unit 214) The detection unit 214 is configured to be able to execute a detection step, in which the detection unit 214 detects information related to light irradiated onto the hyperspectral camera or multispectral camera.

[0036] (Adjustment section 215) The adjustment unit 215 is configured to be able to execute an adjustment process. In the adjustment process, the adjustment unit 215 adjusts the position and / or orientation of the reference plate based on information about the light detected by the detection unit 214. Specific aspects of this detection and adjustment will be described later.

[0037] (Drug-containing model information acquisition unit 216) The drug-containing model information acquisition unit 216 is configured to be able to execute a drug-containing model information acquisition step. In the drug-containing model information acquisition step, the drug-containing model information acquisition unit 216 acquires drug-containing model information created by associating the optical properties of the object with the presence or absence or amount of drug in the object. Details of this drug-containing model information will be explained later.

[0038] (Drug information estimation unit 217) The drug information estimation unit 217 is configured to be able to execute a drug information estimation step. In the drug information estimation step, the drug information estimation unit 217 estimates the presence or absence or amount of a drug contained in the target object based on the optical characteristics of the target object, the optical characteristics of the reference plate, and the drug inclusion model information.

[0039] (Display control unit 218) The display control unit 218 is configured to be able to execute a display control step. In the display control step, the display control unit 218 displays various pieces of information stored in the storage unit 22 or screens containing such information in a visible manner. Specifically, the display control unit 218 controls the display of visual information such as screens, images, icons, and messages on the display unit 24 of the estimation device 2. The display control unit 218 may generate only rendering information for displaying the visual information on the estimation device 2.

[0040] (Memory Management Department 219) The memory management unit 219 is configured to be able to execute a memory management process. In the memory management process, the memory management unit 219 is configured to manage various pieces of information to be stored that are related to the information processing system 1. Typically, the memory management unit 219 is configured to store information measured by the optical property measurement unit 2b, information estimated by the estimation device 2, and the like in a memory area. This memory area is exemplified by the memory unit 22 of the estimation device 2 or a memory unit of various terminals, but this memory area does not necessarily have to be within the information processing system 1, and the memory management unit 219 can also manage various pieces of information to be stored in an external storage device or the like.

[0041] 3. Details of data processing In Section 3, the information processing method executed by the estimation device 2 etc. will be explained with reference to an activity diagram etc. Fig. 4 is an activity diagram showing the flow of information processing using the estimation device 2. Note that examples of the information processing method (estimation method) executed by the estimation device 2 etc. include an "estimation method for estimating the water content of an object" and an "estimation method for estimating the presence or absence of a drug contained in an object or the amount of drug contained therein", and below these will be explained in order, and overlapping content will be omitted as appropriate.

[0042] [Method for estimating the moisture content of an object] As shown in FIG. 4, in the information processing method of this embodiment, the optical property acquisition unit 211 of the estimation device 2 acquires the optical properties of the object and a reference plate different from the object (step S1).

[0043] This step is achieved by the information processing unit 2a acquiring the optical properties of the object measured by the optical property measurement unit 2b, etc., and acquiring the optical properties of a reference plate different from the object. Note that the acquisition of the optical properties of the reference plate can also be achieved by the optical property acquisition unit 211 of the information processing unit 2a acquiring optical properties measured by a measurement device different from the optical property measurement unit 2b that acquires the optical properties of the object. On the other hand, it can also be achieved by the optical property acquisition unit 211 of the information processing unit 2a acquiring the optical properties of the reference plate measured by the same configuration as the optical property measurement unit 2b that measures the optical properties of the object. In a more typical example, the optical property acquisition unit 211 can acquire the optical properties of each by capturing images of the object and the reference plate within the same angle of view.

[0044] The manner in which the optical characteristics are acquired will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the optical characteristic measuring unit 2b used in this embodiment.

[0045] The optical property measuring unit 2b includes a camera housing 260, a lens 261, a reference plate 262, and a support member 263. As described above, the optical property measuring unit 2b may be attached to an aircraft.

[0046] The camera housing 260 is configured to capture an image of a predetermined object. The camera housing 260 is also configured to be able to acquire optical characteristics of the image capture target. A known imaging device can be used as the camera housing 260, but it is typically a hyperspectral camera or a multispectral camera. That is, the optical characteristics of the object and / or reference plate acquired by the optical characteristic acquisition unit 211 can be acquired using a hyperspectral camera or a multispectral camera.

[0047] The lens 261 is attached to the camera housing 260 and is provided to adjust the focal length and the like.

[0048] The reference plate 262 is made of, for example, a member having a diffuse reflecting surface whose surface color changes little over time. Typically, a plate made of a resin member to which a pigment of a predetermined color or the like has been added and whose surface has been roughened can be used as the reference plate 262. The resin that makes up the surface of the reference plate 262 can be selected as appropriate, and is made of, for example, fluororesin (PTFE; pertetrafluoroethylene). Also, a commercially available material that is easily available is the "Zenith Polymer Standard Diffuse Reflection Target" manufactured by SphereOptics, Inc. The surface color of the reference plate 262 can be set appropriately depending on the color tone of the material S, and is preferably made of a color that is approximately the same color tone as the material S.

[0049] Furthermore, the optical property measuring unit 2b of this embodiment is provided with a support member 263 for supporting the reference plate 262 on the camera housing 260. That is, by providing this support member 263, the reference plate 262 can be provided by being connected to the housing of the hyperspectral camera or multispectral camera.

[0050] That is, in the exemplary optical property measurement unit 2b of this embodiment, the camera housing 260 captures an image in the direction in which the reference plate 262 is present, thereby capturing an image of the object (substance S) and the reference plate 262 within the same angle of view. This also makes it possible to measure the optical properties of each. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the content of the image captured by the optical property measurement unit 2b. The angle of view AG1 captured by this optical property measurement unit 2b includes and captures both the reference plate 262 and the substance S, making it possible to measure the optical properties of each. The optical properties measured in this manner can be acquired by the information processing unit 2a via a communication circuit or the like.

[0051] Here, the optical properties measured by the optical property measuring unit 2b (i.e., the optical properties acquired by the optical property acquisition unit 211) may be any of the known optical properties of the object and / or reference plate, but are typically one or more of absorptance, reflectance, and transmittance.

[0052] Furthermore, the optical characteristics measured by the optical characteristic measuring unit 2b may be optical characteristics for one wavelength, but are preferably optical characteristics for light of multiple wavelengths different from each other. That is, the optical characteristic acquiring unit 211 can acquire the optical characteristics of the object and / or the reference plate for light of multiple wavelengths different from each other.

[0053] Regarding the acquisition of these optical properties, typically, optical properties for light of a wavelength that matches the model (water-containing model information / drug-containing model information) are acquired. Specific aspects will be described in detail in the subsequent explanation of the process for acquiring the water-containing model.

[0054] That is, apart from the above-mentioned step S1, the moisture model information acquisition unit 212 of the estimation device 2 acquires moisture model information created by associating the optical properties of the object with the moisture content of the object (step S2). Note that the order of performing steps S1 and S2 is arbitrary; step S1 can be performed before step S2, step S2 can be performed before step S1, or both steps can be performed simultaneously.

[0055] Here, the water-containing model information will be explained. This moisture model information indicates the relationship between the optical properties of a material identical to the material S to be estimated, with respect to light of a predetermined wavelength, and the moisture content in the material. As will be described later, in the estimation method of this embodiment, the optical properties of the material are corrected in accordance with the optical properties of the reference plate. From this perspective, the moisture model information only needs to indicate the relationship between the corrected optical properties of the material and the moisture content in the material.

[0056] Typically, the moisture model information indicates the relationship between a moisture index calculated as a function of the difference between two optical properties of the same material as the material S being estimated for two different wavelengths of light, and the moisture content in the material.

[0057] The light of the predetermined wavelength is, for example, light having a wavelength within the wavelength range of 800 nm to 2400 nm. Within the wavelength range of 800 nm to 2400 nm, there are multiple wavelength peaks at which water molecules exhibit absorption. Therefore, optical properties (especially reflectance) measured within this wavelength range tend to be highly correlated with the actual water content of the substance S. In particular, the water content index calculated as a function of the difference between two optical properties for light of two different wavelengths within the wavelength range of 800 nm to 2400 nm reflects the effects of the two wavelengths, and therefore is particularly highly correlated with the actual water content of the substance S. Therefore, by using the water content model information showing the relationship between the water content index and the water content of the substance S, the water content of the substance S can be accurately estimated regardless of the measurement distance and weather conditions.

[0058] The wavelength ranges for selecting the two wavelengths mentioned above are preferably within the ranges of 800 nm to 1100 nm, 1160 nm to 1340 nm, and 1440 nm to 2400 nm. By adopting such wavelength ranges, it is possible to reduce the influence of moisture in the atmosphere, and as a result, it is possible to estimate the water content of the substance S while reducing the influence of the measurement distance and weather (sunny or cloudy).

[0059] Here, we will explain the "function of the difference between two optical properties of a substance for light of two different wavelengths within the wavelength range of 800 nm to 2400 nm" (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the "difference function"). As an example, we will specifically explain the case where 1050 nm and 1330 nm are selected as the two light wavelengths and reflectance is selected as the optical property. The reflectance for light of wavelength 1050 nm is defined as R 1050 , the reflectance for light with a wavelength of 1330 nm is R 1330 Then, the difference between the two optical properties is R 1330 -R 1050 The difference function is f(R 1330 -R 1050 ) is shown.

[0060] Generalizing this, the optical characteristics for light of wavelengths inm and jnm can be expressed as O i , O j Then, the difference between the two optical properties is Oj -O i and the difference function is f(O j -O i ) is shown. i , O j may have the same optical properties or different optical properties. i , O j The "different optical properties" refers to the case where both are reflectances, e.g., O i is the reflectance, O j is the absorption rate.

[0061] Also, the difference function is j There are no particular limitations as long as it is a function of -Oi. j -O i , C(O j -O i ), C / (O j -O i ), C Oj-Oi , e Oj-Oi , log(O j -O i ) (where C is an arbitrary constant) can be used. In addition, as a function of the difference, O i , O j For example, the following formulas (1) to (3) may be used.

[0062] (O j -O i ) / O j ···(1) (O j -O i ) / O i ···(2) (O j -O i ) / (O j +O i ) ···(3)

[0063] In one embodiment, the normalized difference spectral index (NDSI) can be used as the difference function. Specifically, the normalized spectral reflectance index is expressed as R and R for light with wavelengths in and j nm, respectively. i , R j Then, it is expressed by the following equation (4).

[0064] NDSI=(R j -R i ) / (R j +R i ) (4)

[0065] The moisture model information is not particularly limited as long as it indicates the relationship between the moisture index and moisture content of substance S, but for example, a function indicating the relationship between the moisture index and moisture content, a lookup table, or a trained model of the relationship between them can be used.

[0066] When a function showing the relationship between the water content index and water content of a material S is used as the water content model information, an example of a method for creating such a function will be described. A plurality of materials S with known water contents are prepared, each with varying water contents, so as to cover the range of possible water contents (it is preferable to have at least one point above the upper limit of the possible water content and one point below the lower limit, but this is not a limitation). For each, a wavelength range of, for example, 800 nm to 2400 nm is measured at regular intervals (for example, 10 nm), and two wavelengths are selected from the wavelengths. The optical properties of the material S with known water content for these wavelengths are measured. A regression analysis is performed on the difference between the two optical properties for the two wavelengths and the water content (known), and two wavelengths with particularly high coefficients of determination are found. The function at those wavelengths is used as a function showing the relationship between the water content index and water content of the material S. Furthermore, for such a function, the measurement distance and weather conditions are changed to increase the coefficient of determination above a certain level (for example, R 2>0.8), the accuracy of the estimation can be further improved. Furthermore, if you want to estimate the water content of a material regardless of the brand of material S, you can change the brand of material and use it until the coefficient of determination is above a certain level (for example, R 2 >0.8).

[0067] The wavelength range from which the two wavelengths are selected is preferably 850 nm or more and 900 nm or more, and preferably 2300 nm or less, 2200 nm or less, 2100 nm or less, 2000 nm or less, 1900 nm or less, 1800 nm or less, or 1700 nm or less.

[0068] The interval between the intervals is not particularly limited, but is preferably 5 nm or more, 6 nm or more, 7 nm or more, 8 nm or more, 9 nm or more, or 10 nm or more. By setting the interval between the intervals to a required amount or more, it is possible to easily create the hydrated model information. On the other hand, the interval between the intervals is preferably 50 nm or less, 45 nm or less, 40 nm or less, 30 nm or less, 20 nm or less, 15 nm or less, or 10 nm or less. By setting the interval between the intervals to a required amount or less, it is possible to create the hydrated model information with high accuracy.

[0069] The regression analysis is not particularly limited, but simple regression analysis, multiple regression analysis, etc. can be used.

[0070] Furthermore, in the information processing method of this embodiment, after steps S1 and S2 are performed, the moisture content estimation unit 213 estimates the moisture content of the object based on the optical characteristics of the object, the optical characteristics of the reference plate, and the moisture model information (step S3).

[0071] That is, as described above, the optical property acquisition unit 211 acquires the optical properties of the object, and the water content model information acquisition unit 212 acquires the water content model information, so theoretically it is possible to estimate the water content of the object (substance S) based on this information. However, the inventors' studies have revealed the following circumstances. That is, the optical properties of the object are easily affected by external factors (such as the position of the sun and the weather), and there is room for improvement in the accuracy of the estimated data. In contrast, the estimation method of this embodiment can solve the above-mentioned problems by referring to the optical properties of a reference plate when estimating the water content.

[0072] In other words, in the estimation method of this embodiment, the estimated water content of the object is corrected based on the optical characteristics of the reference plate. This correction is typically, but not necessarily limited to, performed as follows.

[0073] That is, the optical properties of the measured reference plate are ST and the optical properties of the measured object are O OB In this case, in this step S3, the value expressed by the following formula (5) is treated as the moisture index (I) used in the moisture content estimation step, and the moisture content of the object is estimated by calculation based on the moisture model information described above.

[0074] I=O OB / O ST ···(5)

[0075] In the estimation method of this embodiment, it is sufficient that the finally output moisture content is a corrected value. Therefore, the estimation method of this embodiment can also be achieved by first calculating the moisture content estimated from the relationship with the moisture model information based on the measurement values ​​themselves of the object (substance S) whose optical properties have been measured, and then correcting the calculated moisture content based on the relationship with the optical properties of a reference plate measured separately.

[0076] The water content of the substance S estimated in this way is displayed (output) to the user as appropriate. Here, specific output methods include, for example, the following modes. For example, if piles of material S are arranged over a wide area, the area may be divided into certain areas (areas), the optical properties may be measured, and the estimated moisture content may be output for each specific area (area). Alternatively, if piles of material S are arranged over a wide area, the area may be divided into certain areas (areas), the optical properties may be measured, and all or part of the measured properties may be integrated to output the optical properties for a larger area. When dividing the measurement range of optical properties into certain areas (areas), the measurement range and output range may be divided equally or unequal. Furthermore, the measurement range and output range may be divided into certain units, such as by pile, and the optical properties may be measured and the estimated moisture content may be output. Alternatively, the measurement range may be divided equally into units smaller than the pile, and the areas that include the piles may be integrated within the divided ranges to output the estimated moisture content for each pile. In this way, the measurement range of optical properties and the division method thereof and the output range and the division method thereof may be combined as appropriate depending on the application, etc. Furthermore, the piles may be classified according to the moisture content, and the piles may be colored or indicated by letters in an image or schematic diagram of the yard. These output results may be displayed on the display unit 24, for example, and typically, this display can be realized by the function of the display control unit 218 of the estimation device 2.

[0077] The estimation method of this embodiment may also employ the following configuration: Figure 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining the adjustment mechanism of the optical property measuring unit 2b. That is, the reference plate 262 of the optical property measurement unit 2b may be connected to the housing (camera housing 260) so that the position and / or orientation of the reference plate 262 can be adjusted. That is, when estimating the moisture content described above, if the reference plate 262 or the object is in the shade, the estimation accuracy may be reduced. In response to this, by connecting the reference plate 262 to the camera housing 260 so that the position and / or orientation of the reference plate 262 can be adjusted, it is easier to prevent a reduction in the estimation accuracy. Specifically, in the optical property measurement unit 2b of FIG. 7, the support member 263 is configured to be movable, and can rotate around its base at the camera housing 260 (see FIG. 7a), or the support member 263 can rotate on its axis (see FIG. 7b). Furthermore, the reference plate 262 may be configured to be movable, or the reference plate 262 may be configured to rotate around its base at the support member 263 (see FIG. 7c). Of course, the mechanism for adjusting the position and orientation of the reference plate 262 is not limited to these.

[0078] Although such adjustment of the reference plate 262 may be performed manually, the following configuration may also be adopted. That is, the detection unit 214 may be configured to detect information related to light irradiating the camera housing 260 (hyperspectral camera or multispectral camera), and the adjustment unit 215 may be configured to adjust the position and / or orientation of the reference plate 262 based on the information related to the light detected by the detection unit 214. That is, based on the functions of the detection unit 214 and the adjustment unit 215 provided in the estimation device 2, the sunlight conditions of the reference plate 262 and the object may be estimated, and based on this, the position and / or orientation of the reference plate 262 may be automatically adjusted. This can contribute to improving the estimation accuracy of the moisture content, etc.

[0079] [Method for estimating whether or not a drug is contained in a target object or the amount of drug contained] This estimation method estimates the presence or absence or amount of a drug in an object. This estimation method also performs steps corresponding to steps S1, S2, and S3 described above, but differs in that the model information used in this estimation method is drug-inclusion model information created by associating the optical properties of the object with the presence or amount of a drug in the object.

[0080] That is, in the case where the substance S contains a predetermined chemical, similar to the case where the substance S contains water, the estimation device 2 of this embodiment can estimate whether or not the chemical is contained and the amount of the chemical contained. Here, the "chemical" may be any known chemical that can be combined with the substance S. For example, if the substance S (target object) is a raw material for steelmaking or a fuel for power generation, and the substance S is piled up, the chemical may be a dust suppressant.

[0081] Dust suppressants include, but are not limited to, wax emulsion solutions, resin emulsion solutions, silicone oils, mineral oils, and heavy oils. Wax emulsions are divided into natural and synthetic waxes based on the wax source. Natural waxes include, but are not limited to, animal waxes (beeswax, spermaceti, etc.), plant waxes (carnauba wax, rice wax, candelilla wax, etc.), petroleum waxes (paraffin wax, microcrystalline wax, etc.), and mineral waxes (montan wax, ceresin wax, etc.). Synthetic waxes include, but are not limited to, polyethylene wax, modified natural waxes, and hardened oils of fats and oils. The emulsion resin in the emulsion resin solution includes, but is not limited to, acrylic resins, acrylic copolymer resins, vinyl acetate resins, synthetic rubbers, urethane resins, asphalt (emulsifier), acrylic-styrene emulsions, styrene-butadiene emulsions, ethylene-vinyl acetate emulsions, and versatic acid / acrylic acid. Examples of silicone oils that can be used include dimethyl silicone oil and organic functional silicone oil (functional groups include amino, epoxy, mercapto, phenyl, long-chain alkyl, and hydrogen groups). Dustproofing agents made from such resin emulsion solutions form a hydrophobic coating on the surface of the pile.

[0082] In this estimation method, the same type of configuration as in the estimation method for estimating the water content of the object described above can be appropriately adopted, such as the optical property acquisition unit 211 being configured to acquire the optical properties of the object and / or the reference plate 262 with respect to light of a plurality of different wavelengths. For example, when optical properties with respect to light of a plurality of different wavelengths are acquired, the accuracy of estimating the drug content (presence or absence and / or amount) can be improved.

[0083] As described above, according to the estimation device 2 etc. of this embodiment, it is possible to realize an estimation device etc. that is less susceptible to the influence of the surrounding environment when estimating the moisture content etc. of an object.

[0084] 4. Variations In Section 4, a modified example of the information processing method of the estimation device 2 and the like will be described.

[0085] The above embodiment has been described as the configuration of the estimation device 2, but a program that causes a computer to function as each part of the estimation device 2 may be provided.

[0086] In the above embodiment, an estimation method using a predetermined model is described, but the information associated when creating the model information is not limited to the above. In other words, the model information used in this embodiment may be associated with various other conditions, such as weather conditions and regional conditions.

[0087] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these are merely examples of the present invention, and various other configurations may be adopted. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications and improvements within the scope of achieving the object of the present invention are included in the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1: Information processing system 2: Estimation device 2a: Information processing section 2b: Optical property measurement section 20: Communication bus 21: Control unit 22: Storage section 23: Input section 24: Display section 25: Communications Department 211: Optical property acquisition section 212: Water-containing model information acquisition unit 213: Moisture content estimation section 214: Detection unit 215: Adjustment section 216: Drug-containing model information acquisition unit 217: Drug Information Estimation Unit 218: Display control unit 219:Memory Management Department 260: Camera housing 261: Lens 262: Reference plate 263: Support member AG1: Angle of view S :Substance

Claims

1. An estimation device for estimating the moisture content of an object, The apparatus includes an optical property acquisition unit, a water content model information acquisition unit, and a water content estimation unit, the optical characteristic acquisition unit acquires optical characteristics of the object and a reference plate different from the object, the water-containing model information acquisition unit acquires water-containing model information created by associating optical characteristics of the object with the water content of the object; the moisture content estimation unit estimates the moisture content of the object based on the optical characteristics of the object, the optical characteristics of the reference plate, and the moisture model information. Estimation device.

2. 2. The estimation device according to claim 1, The optical characteristic acquisition unit acquires the optical characteristics of the object and / or the reference plate for light of multiple wavelengths different from each other.

3. 2. The estimation device according to claim 1, The optical property acquisition unit acquires, as the optical property, one or more of absorptance, reflectance, and transmittance of the object and / or the reference plate.

4. 2. The estimation device according to claim 1, The optical property acquisition unit acquires the optical properties of the object and the reference plate by capturing images of the object and the reference plate within the same angle of view.

5. 2. The estimation device according to claim 1, An estimation device, wherein the optical properties of the object and / or the reference plate acquired by the optical property acquisition unit are acquired using a hyperspectral camera or a multispectral camera.

6. 6. The estimation device according to claim 5, The reference plate is coupled to a housing of the hyperspectral camera or the multispectral camera,

7. 7. The estimation device according to claim 6, The reference plate is coupled to the housing so that a position and / or an orientation of the reference plate can be adjusted.

8. The estimation device according to claim 7, Further, the device includes a detection unit and an adjustment unit, the detection unit detects information regarding light irradiated onto the hyperspectral camera or the multispectral camera; The adjustment unit adjusts the position and / or orientation of the reference plate based on information about the light detected by the detection unit.

9. 2. The estimation device according to claim 1, The object is a raw material for steelmaking or a fuel for power generation.

10. An estimation device for estimating the presence or absence or amount of a drug contained in an object, The device includes an optical property acquisition unit, a drug-containing model information acquisition unit, and a drug information estimation unit, the optical characteristic acquisition unit acquires optical characteristics of the object and a reference plate different from the object, the drug-containing model information acquisition unit acquires drug-containing model information created by associating optical characteristics of the object with the presence or absence or content of a drug in the object; The drug information estimation unit estimates the presence or absence or content of the drug in the object based on the optical characteristics of the object, the optical characteristics of the reference plate, and the drug-containing model information. Estimation device.

11. The estimation device according to claim 10, The optical characteristic acquisition unit acquires the optical characteristics of the object and / or the reference plate for light of multiple wavelengths different from each other.

12. A program, A program for causing a computer to function as each unit of the estimation device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A method for estimating the moisture content of an object, comprising: The method includes an optical property acquisition step, a water content model information acquisition step, and a water content estimation step, the optical characteristic acquisition step acquires optical characteristics of the object and a reference plate different from the object, the water-containing model information acquisition step acquires water-containing model information created by associating optical characteristics of the object with the water content of the object; the moisture content estimating step estimates the moisture content of the object based on optical characteristics of the object, optical characteristics of the reference plate, and the moisture model information; Estimation method.

14. A method for estimating the presence or absence or amount of a drug contained in an object, comprising: The method includes an optical characteristic acquisition step, a drug-containing model information acquisition step, and a drug information estimation step, the optical characteristic acquisition step acquires optical characteristics of the object and a reference plate different from the object, the drug-containing model information acquisition step acquires drug-containing model information created by associating optical characteristics of the object with the presence or absence or amount of drug in the object; The drug information estimation step estimates the presence or absence or content of a drug in the object based on the optical characteristics of the object, the optical characteristics of the reference plate, and the drug-containing model information. Estimation method.

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