Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program

Abstract

The present invention provides an information processing device, etc., that easily calculates the inclination angle of objects to suppress the tilt of the cargo formed by stacking objects on a pallet during transport. [Solution] The information processing device according to the present disclosure includes: a cutting surface acquisition unit that calculates the inclination angle of an object when placed on a pallet, and obtains a vertical cutting surface of an object by cutting the object vertically using a cutting line that is parallel to the direction of the inclination and passes through the position of the inclined part of the object; a tangent line setting unit that decomposes the vertical cutting surface into a plurality of line segments and sets a tangent line for each of the plurality of line segments; a selection unit that selects from the plurality of tangent lines the tangent line whose angle with the vertical is the minimum of a positive angle as the first tangent line, and the tangent line whose angle with the vertical is the maximum of a negative angle as the second tangent line; a bisector setting unit that sets the angle bisector of the angle between the first tangent line and the second tangent line; and a calculation unit that calculates the angle between the bisector and the vertical as the inclination angle that inclines the object.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing program, and particularly to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing program capable of suppressing the inclination of the load posture of an object to be conveyed.

Background Art

[0002] In factories in various fields such as machine factories for automobiles, machines, and home appliances, and metal and steel factories such as steel and non-metal industries, when transporting products, semi-finished products, materials, etc., plate-shaped objects to be transported are stacked on pallets such as flat pallets or cage-type pallets and transported.

[0003] In such transportation, efficiency has been improved, and it has been required to transport a large number of objects at once, and it has been required that the load posture in which the objects to be transported are stacked does not have an adverse effect on the subsequent process. For example, in Patent Document 1, a stacking pattern generation device that does not have an adverse effect on the subsequent process after stacking has been proposed.

[0004] Even if a plurality of objects to be transported have the same shape, the load posture in which a large number of objects, for example, 10 to several hundred objects are stacked may be inclined, and there is a risk that the load posture will collapse even with a slight impact, which has been regarded as a problem.

[0005] Therefore, in order to suppress the inclination of the load posture in which the objects to be transported are stacked, it has been necessary to stack and place the individual objects on the pallet in a pre-inclined state. The inclination angle of the object varies depending on the shape of the object, and it has been necessary to derive the inclination angle according to the shape of the object.

[0006] When designing pallets, it is necessary to consider the inclination angle of each object while taking into account the shape of the items being transported. Designers were repeatedly simulating the stacking of the transported objects using CAD (Computer-Aided Design) to determine the inclination angle of each object. However, since such CAD-based analysis is based on visual sensory evaluation, it required repeated simulations, making it cumbersome and time-consuming. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-164120 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program that can calculate the inclination angle of an object to suppress the inclination of a load formed by stacking objects on a pallet during transport. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In other words, the information processing device according to the first embodiment is an information processing device for calculating the inclination angle of a plate-shaped object when the object is placed on a pallet, and is characterized by comprising: a cutting surface acquisition unit that obtains a vertical cutting surface of the object by cutting the object vertically using a cutting line that is parallel to the direction of inclination and passes through the position of the inclined part of the object; a tangent line setting unit that decomposes the vertical cutting surface into a plurality of line segments and sets a tangent line for each of the plurality of line segments; a selection unit that selects from the plurality of tangent lines the tangent line whose angle with the vertical is the minimum of a positive angle as the first tangent line and the tangent line whose angle with the vertical is the maximum of a negative angle as the second tangent line; a bisector setting unit that sets the angle bisector of the angle between the first tangent line and the second tangent line; and a calculation unit that calculates the angle between the bisector and the vertical as the inclination angle of the object.

[0010] A second embodiment may be characterized in that, in the information processing device according to the first embodiment, the object is placed on the pallet via a jig in an inclined state.

[0011] A third embodiment may be an information processing device according to the second embodiment, characterized in that the jig is a component having the same shape as the object.

[0012] A fourth embodiment may be characterized in that, in the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment, the cross-section acquisition unit acquires multiple vertical cross-sections using multiple cutting lines that pass through each position of multiple inclined parts of the object, the tangent setting unit sets a tangent for each of the multiple vertical cross-sections for each of the multiple line segments constituting the vertical cross-section, the selection unit selects a first tangent and a second tangent for each of the multiple vertical cross-sections, the bisector setting unit sets a bisector for each of the multiple vertical cross-sections, and the calculation unit calculates the inclination angle that inclins the object for each of the multiple vertical cross-sections.

[0013] A fifth aspect of the information processing apparatus according to the first aspect may be characterized in that the object has a line-symmetric shape and the cutting line is parallel to the axis of symmetry.

[0014] The sixth aspect of the information processing method is an information processing method for calculating the inclination angle of a plate-shaped object when it is placed on a pallet, characterized in that a computer performs the following steps: a cutting surface acquisition step of obtaining a vertical cutting surface of an object by cutting the object vertically using a cutting line that is parallel to the direction of the inclination and passes through the position of the inclined part of the object; a tangent line setting step of decomposing the vertical cutting surface into a plurality of line segments and setting a tangent line for each of the plurality of line segments; a selection step of selecting from the plurality of tangent lines the tangent line whose angle with the vertical is the minimum of a positive angle as the first tangent line and the tangent line whose angle with the vertical is the maximum of a negative angle as the second tangent line; a bisector setting step of setting a bisector of the angle between the first tangent line and the second tangent line; and a calculation step of calculating the angle between the bisector and the vertical as the inclination angle of the object.

[0015] The seventh aspect of the information processing program is an information processing program for calculating the angle of inclination of a plate-shaped object when it is placed on a pallet, and is characterized in that the computer implements: a cutting surface acquisition function that obtains a vertical cutting surface of the object by cutting the object vertically using a cutting line that is parallel to the direction of inclination and passes through the position of the inclined part of the object; a tangent line setting function that decomposes the vertical cutting surface into a plurality of line segments and sets a tangent line for each of the plurality of line segments; a selection function that selects from the plurality of tangent lines the tangent line whose angle with the vertical is the minimum of a positive angle as the first tangent line and the tangent line whose angle with the vertical is the maximum of a negative angle as the second tangent line; a bisector setting function that sets the angle bisector of the angle between the first tangent line and the second tangent line; and a calculation function that calculates the angle between the bisector and the vertical as the angle of inclination of the object. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] The information processing device according to the present invention is an information processing device for calculating the inclination angle of a plate-shaped object when it is placed on a pallet, and is characterized by comprising: a cutting surface acquisition unit that obtains a vertical cutting surface of an object by cutting the object vertically using a cutting line that is parallel to the direction of inclination and passes through the position of the inclined part of the object; a tangent line setting unit that decomposes the vertical cutting surface into a plurality of line segments and sets a tangent line for each of the plurality of line segments; a selection unit that selects from the plurality of tangent lines the tangent line whose angle with the vertical is the minimum of a positive angle as the first tangent line and the tangent line whose angle with the vertical is the maximum of a negative angle as the second tangent line; a bisector setting unit that sets the angle bisector of the angle between the first tangent line and the second tangent line; and a calculation unit that calculates the angle between the bisector and the vertical as the inclination angle of the object, so that it can calculate the inclination angle of an object to suppress the inclination of the cargo form formed by stacking transported objects on a pallet. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an object according to this embodiment. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a pallet according to the present embodiment and a state in which an object is placed on the pallet. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an inclination angle for inclining an object calculated by the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram for explaining an example of a hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram for explaining an example of a functional configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a cutting line for cutting an object according to the present embodiment in a vertical direction. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining details of each functional unit of the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining details of each functional unit of the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining another embodiment of an object according to the present embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an example of a flowchart of an information processing program according to the present embodiment.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0018] An information processing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. The information processing apparatus 10 is a so-called computer, which is called a server, a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a PC), a notebook PC, a tablet PC, a smartphone, etc., and is an electronic computer that performs calculations and data processing, and calculates an inclination angle θ for inclining the object 1 when placing the plate-shaped object 1 on the pallet 4. The inclination angle θ refers to an inclination angle for inclining the object 1 when placing the plate-shaped object 1 on the pallet 4. The information processing device 10 calculates the inclination angle θ of the object 1 as a specific numerical value when designing the pallet 4 and proposes it to the user.

[0019] (Overview of the information processing device 10) An overview of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. First, let's describe the plate-shaped object 1 with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of object 1. Figure 1 shows an example of the shape of object 1, where (a) is a right side view, (b) is a top view, (c) is a front view, and (d) is a perspective view. Object 1 is a component called a hood cover, which is attached to the underside of the hood that covers the engine compartment of a car. Object 1 is made of a plate-shaped stainless steel material, has a convex portion 1a in the center, and has an inclined portion 1b around the convex portion 1a. The shape of Object 1 is symmetrical with respect to the axis of symmetry 1c. The material of object 1 is not limited to stainless steel, but may also be metals, plastics, wood, paper, glass, etc., and is not limited to any particular material. Furthermore, the shape of object 1 is not limited to the shape shown in Figure 1; any plate-like object that can be stacked and transported is acceptable. Furthermore, object 1 is not limited to a symmetrical shape, but may also be asymmetrical. Examples of asymmetrical object 1 shapes will be discussed later with reference to Figure 9.

[0020] Next, we will explain Palette 4 with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 illustrates how pallet 4 and object 1 are placed on pallet 4. The shape of pallet 4 shown in Figure 2 is an example, with (a) being a right side view, (b) a top view, (c) a front view, and (d) a perspective view. Pallet 4 has a cage shape and comprises a base 4a at the bottom and four support columns 4b positioned at the four corners of the base 4a. The base 4a is formed by combining multiple square steel pipes. The support columns 4b are made of square steel pipes, and a safety bar extending horizontally may be placed between two adjacent support columns 4b (not shown). The safety bar forms the boundary between the inside and outside of pallet 4 and protects the object 1 placed on pallet 4. Pallet 4 is placed on top of, for example, a flat pallet (not shown). A forklift lifts and moves pallet 4, which is placed on the flat pallet. A flat pallet is a flat, plate-shaped pallet with forklift fork slots on the front, back, left, and right sides.

[0021] Object 1 is placed on the pallet 4 via the jig 7 at an inclination angle θ. The jig 7 is a component with the same shape as the object 1, and the object 1 may be used to create the jig 7. As shown in Figure 2, the jig 7 has a convex portion 7a in the center and an inclined portion 7b around the convex portion 7a. The shape of the jig 7 is symmetrical with respect to the axis of symmetry 7c. The jig 7 is fixed to the base 4a of the pallet 4 at an inclination angle θ. The jig 7 may be fixed to the support column 4b or the like by welding to create the inclination angle θ, or a spacer may be placed between the jig 7 and the base 4a to create the inclination angle θ. Object 1 is placed on the pallet 4 while maintaining an inclination angle θ by being stacked on a jig 7 fixed on the base 4a of the pallet 4. By stacking the second object 1 on top of the first object 1 which is placed on the pallet 4 at an inclination angle θ, the second object 1 is also placed on the pallet 4 at an inclination angle θ. The third and subsequent objects 1 are similarly placed on the pallet 4 at an inclination angle θ. In this way, the jig 7 is positioned at the bottom of the base 4a of the pallet 4, i.e., the bottom of the load 2 formed by stacking multiple objects 1, at an inclination angle θ, thereby suppressing or preventing unintentional inclination of the load 2 and stabilizing the stacking of objects 1.

[0022] Next, referring to Figure 3, we will explain the inclination angle θ used to tilt object 1. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the inclination angle θ of the object 1 calculated by the information processing device 10. Figure 3(a) shows the object 1 stacked on the pallet 4 without being inclined, and Figure 3(b) shows the object 1 stacked on the pallet 4 with the object 1 inclined at an inclination angle θ. As shown in Figure 3(a), if the objects 1 are stacked on the pallet 4 without tilting, the shape of the package 2 will tilt towards the inclined section 1e, which has a narrower angle with the vertical direction 25 among the inclined sections 1b. This makes the shape of the package 2 unstable, and if more objects 1 are stacked on top, there is a possibility that the package 2 will collapse. Also, a large space is required when stacking the objects 1 (i.e., the package 2 gradually becomes slanted and spreads out horizontally). Therefore, as shown in Figure 3(b), by stacking the object 1 on the pallet 4 with an inclination angle θ, the tilting of the package 2 can be suppressed or prevented, and the shape of the package 2 can be kept stable. The information processing device 10 calculates the inclination angle θ of the object 1 in this manner.

[0023] (Hardware configuration of information processing device 10) Referring to Figure 4, the hardware configuration of the information processing device 10 will be described. Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 10. The information processing device 10 includes a communication interface 10a, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 10b, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 10c, a storage unit 10d, an arithmetic unit 10e, and an input / output interface 10f, among other things. Furthermore, the information processing device 10 includes an input device 10g and an output device 10h that perform data input and output via an input / output interface 10f. Input devices 10g include, for example, keyboards, mice, scanners, microphones, and webcams (not shown). Output devices 10h refer to, for example, monitors, printers, and speakers (not shown).

[0024] The communication interface 10a performs bidirectional data communication with other devices such as information processing devices via the information communication network 20. ROM10b can be used as a recording device and stores the BIOS (Basic Input Output System), which is necessary for controlling the operation of each functional part of the information processing device 10, as well as various data used by the BIOS. The BIOS is a program that manages the basic input / output functions of the information processing unit 10. It is the first program to run when the information processing unit 10 is powered on, and it controls hardware such as the communication interface 10a, ROM 10b, RAM 10c, storage unit 10d, arithmetic unit 10e, and input / output interface 10f, preparing the OS (Operating System) to start up.

[0025] RAM10c is used in the configuration of the main memory accessed by the arithmetic unit 10e, and is also used to temporarily store various data acquired or generated by the information processing device 10 before storing them in the storage unit 10d. The storage unit 10d is implemented using an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), online storage, etc., and stores the OS, the information processing programs described later, other application software, and various data used by these programs. The storage unit 10d also stores various data acquired or generated by the information processing device 10.

[0026] The arithmetic unit 10e includes a central processing unit (CPU), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc., and is realized by logic circuits (hardware) and dedicated circuits formed by integrated circuits (IC (Integrated Circuit) chips, LSI (Large Scale Integration)), etc. The input / output interface 10f is an interface for sending and receiving data to and from external devices, namely input device 10g and output device 10h. The standard used for the input / output interface 10f may be selected depending on the data being handled, and it may support multiple standards. Examples of standards include HDMI (registered trademark), USB 2.0, USB 3.0, RS-232C, IEEE 1394, SCSI, and SASI.

[0027] (Functional configuration of the information processing device 10) Next, with reference to Figure 5, an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 10 will be described. Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 10. The information processing device 10 loads the information processing program, described later, stored in the storage unit 10d, into the main memory, which is composed of RAM 10c or the like. The arithmetic unit 10e accesses the main memory into which the information processing program has been loaded and executes the information processing program. The information processing device 10, by executing an information processing program, has a calculation unit 10e equipped with functional units such as a cross-section acquisition unit 13, a tangent line setting unit 14, a selection unit 15, a bisector setting unit 16, and a calculation unit 17.

[0028] The cutting surface acquisition unit 13 uses a cutting line 21 that is parallel to the direction of the inclination and passes through the position of the inclined portion 1b of the object 1 (see Figures 6(a) and 8(a)) to cut the object 1 vertically 25 and acquire a vertical cutting surface 22 of the object 1 (see Figures 6(b) and 8(b)). In other words, the cut surface acquisition unit 13 uses a straight cutting line 21 that is parallel to the inclination direction that tilts the plate-shaped object 1 when it is placed on the pallet 4 and passes through the position of the inclined portion 1b of the object 1 to cut the object 1 vertically 25 and acquire the vertical cut surface 22 of the object 1. The direction of inclination of the plate-shaped object 1 when it is placed on the pallet 4 refers to the direction of inclination that may occur in the package 2 formed by stacking multiple objects 1, and is the direction in which the inclination angle θ of the object 1 is to be adjusted in order to suppress or prevent inclination of the package 2. The information processing device 10 calculates the inclination angle θ of the object 1 to suppress or prevent inclination of the package 2 (see Figures 8(c) and 8(d)). If the shape of object 1 is symmetrical with respect to the axis of symmetry 1c, the direction of inclination for tilting object 1 will be parallel to the axis of symmetry 1c (Figures 6(a) and 8(a)).

[0029] Referring to Figure 6, the cutting line 21 that cuts object 1 in the vertical direction 25 will be explained. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the cutting line 21 that cuts object 1 vertically 25 degrees. Figure 6(a) is a plan view of object 1, and Figure 6(b) is a left side view of object 1, as seen from the direction of arrow A in Figure 6(a). The cutting line 21 is straight and drawn parallel to the direction of any possible inclination in the package 2 formed by stacking multiple objects 1. That is, the cutting line 21 is drawn parallel to the direction in which the inclination angle of the object 1 is adjusted when the plate-shaped object 1 is placed on the pallet 4. Arrow 1d in Figure 6(b) indicates the direction in which the inclination angle of the object 1 is adjusted.

[0030] If the shape of object 1 is symmetrical with respect to the axis of symmetry 1c, the direction of inclination that tilts object 1 will be parallel to the axis of symmetry 1c, and therefore the cutting line 21 will be parallel to the axis of symmetry 1c (see Figure 6(a)). If the shape of object 1 is symmetrical with respect to the axis of symmetry 1c, the contour lines of object 1 will overlap when object 1 is bent along the axis of symmetry 1c. Therefore, object 1 is balanced with respect to the axis of symmetry 1c as its centerline in the direction perpendicular to the axis of symmetry 1c. The inclination of the packaging 2 in the direction perpendicular to the axis of symmetry 1c is less likely to occur than the inclination of the packaging 2 parallel to the axis of symmetry 1c. Accordingly, if the shape of object 1 is symmetrical with respect to the axis of symmetry 1c, the cutting line 21 is drawn parallel to the axis of symmetry 1c, and the information processing device 10 calculates the inclination angle θ parallel to the axis of symmetry 1c (see Figure 8).

[0031] The details of each functional unit of the information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Figures 7 and 8 are diagrams illustrating the details of each functional unit of the information processing device 10. Figure 7(1) shows (a) the vertical cross-section 22 before it is decomposed into multiple line segments 23, and (b) the vertical cross-section 22 after it has been decomposed into multiple line segments 23. Figure 7(2) shows how tangent lines 24 are set for each of the multiple line segments 23. Figure 7(3) explains the function of the selection unit 15. Figures 8(a) to 8(d) illustrate the processing flow of each functional unit of the information processing device 10. Figure 8(a) shows the state in which a cutting line 21 has been set on the object 1. Figure 8(b) shows the state in which the first tangent line 31 and the second tangent line 32 have been selected by the selection unit 15. Figure 8(c) shows the state in which the bisector 33 of the first tangent line 31 and the second tangent line 32 has been set. Figure 8(d) shows the state in which the inclination of the object 1 is set to an inclination angle θ so that the bisector 33 is parallel to the vertical direction 25.

[0032] The tangent setting unit 14 decomposes the vertical cross-section 22 into multiple line segments 23 (23a, 23b, 23c, 23d, 23e) (see Figure 7(1)(b)), and sets tangents 24 (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, 24e) for each of the multiple line segments 23 (see Figure 7(2)). The vertical cross-section 22 is the cross-section created by cutting the object 1 vertically 25 along the cutting line 21 (see Figures 6 and 7(1)). As shown in Figure 7(1), the tangent setting section 14 cuts the vertical cross section 22 at each bending point, decomposing it into multiple line segments 23 (23a, 23b, 23c, 23d, 23e). Each of the line segments 23 is either straight or curved. A bending point refers to a point where the angle is sharp. In the curved state of the vertical cross-section 22, that is, in the smoothly curving part that forms an arc, the line is not cut, and the curved part is treated as a single line segment 23.

[0033] If line segment 23 is a straight line, then tangent line 24 will be parallel to line segment 23. All line segments 23 (23a, 23b, 23c, 23d, 23e) shown in Figure 7(2) are straight lines, and tangent line 24 is also a straight line, so line segment 23a and tangent line 24a are parallel, line segment 23b and tangent line 24b are parallel, line segment 23c and tangent line 24c are parallel, line segment 23d and tangent line 24d are parallel, and line segment 23e and tangent line 24e are parallel. If line segment 23 is curved, then tangent line 24 is tangent to the curved line segment 23.

[0034] The selection unit 15 selects from among the multiple tangents 24 the tangent 24 whose angle with the vertical direction 25 is the minimum of the positive angle 26 as the first tangent 31, and the tangent 24 whose angle with the vertical direction 25 is the maximum of the negative angle 27 as the second tangent 32. Referring to Figure 7(3), the first tangent 31 and the second tangent 32, which the selection unit 15 selects from among the multiple tangents 24, will be explained. A positive angle of 26 is a counterclockwise angle, meaning the angle measured counterclockwise from the initial line (vertical direction 25, upward). A negative angle of 27 refers to a clockwise angle, which is the angle measured clockwise from the starting line (vertical direction 25, upward). At tangent line 24a, the positive angle is angle 26a, and the negative angle is angle 27a. At tangent line 24b, the positive angle is angle 26b, and the negative angle is angle 27b. At the tangent line 24c, the positive angle is 26c and the negative angle is 27c. At the tangent line 24d, the positive angle is angle 26d, and the negative angle is angle 27d. At the tangent line 24e, the positive angle is angle 26e, and the negative angle is angle 27e. In Figure 7(3), the selection unit 15 selects the tangent line 24d, which is the minimum value 26d of the positive angle 26 that it makes with the vertical direction 25, as the first tangent line 31, and the selection unit 15 selects the tangent line 24b, which is the maximum value 27b of the negative angle 27 that it makes with the vertical direction 25, as the second tangent line 32.

[0035] The angle bisector setting unit 16 sets the angle bisector 33 of the angle between the first tangent 31 and the second tangent 32 (see Figure 8(c)). The angle bisector setting unit 16 can create the angle bisector 33 geometrically without using specific calculation formulas. That is, as shown in Figure 8(c), the angle bisector setting unit 16 creates the angle bisector 33 such that the angle between the first tangent line 31 and the angle bisector 33 is equal to the angle between the second tangent line 32 and the angle bisector 33. For example, if the angle between the first tangent line 31 and the second tangent line 32 is 75°, then the angle between the first tangent line 31 and the angle bisector 33 is 37.5°, and the angle between the second tangent line 32 and the angle bisector 33 is also 37.5°.

[0036] The calculation unit 17 calculates the angle between the bisector 33 and the perpendicular direction 25 as the inclination angle θ that tilts the object 1 (see Figure 8(c)). The calculation unit 17 can calculate the inclination angle θ geometrically without using a specific calculation formula. That is, as shown in Figure 8(c), the inclination angle θ is the angle between the angle bisector 33 and the perpendicular direction 25.

[0037] The orientation of object 1 when placed on pallet 4 is determined to be tilted at an angle θ in the direction of the cutting line 21, as shown in Figure 8(d). In other words, the cutting line 21 is drawn parallel to the direction in which the inclination angle of the object 1 when it is placed on the pallet 4 is adjusted. The state in which the object 1 is inclined at an inclination angle θ calculated by the calculation unit 17 in the direction of the cutting line 21 is determined as the posture of the object 1 when it is placed on the pallet 4. Therefore, the posture of the object 1 when it is mounted on the pallet 4 can be determined without repeatedly considering the posture of the object 1, and the inclination angle θ can be expressed with a specific numerical value.

[0038] (When using multiple cutting lines 21) Next, we will describe an information processing device 10 that uses multiple cutting lines 21 on the object 1 and calculates the inclination angle θ for each cutting line 21. The cross-section acquisition unit 13 acquires multiple vertical cross-sections 22 using multiple cutting lines 21 that pass through each of the multiple inclined portions 1b of the object 1. There is no limit to the number of cutting lines 21; any number can be drawn. By increasing the number of cutting lines 21, multiple inclination angles θ can be calculated considering the inclined section 1b through which the cutting lines 21 pass. By selecting a suitable inclination angle θ from among these multiple inclination angles θ, the success rate of suppressing or preventing the inclination of the package 2 increases. By selecting a suitable inclination angle θ, the object 1 will have an inclination that is effective in suppressing or preventing the inclination of the package 2. On the other hand, if the number of cutting lines 21 is too small, it becomes impossible to consider the presence of the inclined portion 1b of the object 1 between the cutting lines 21, which may reduce the success rate of suppressing or preventing the inclination of the package 2.

[0039] The tangent setting unit 14 sets a tangent line 24 for each of the multiple line segments 23 that make up the vertical cross-section 22 in each of the multiple vertical cross-sections 22. The selection unit 15 selects a first tangent 31 and a second tangent 32 for each of the multiple vertical cross-sections 22. The bisector setting unit 16 sets a bisector 33 for each of the multiple vertical cross-sections 22.

[0040] The calculation unit 17 calculates the inclination angle θ for each of the multiple vertical cross-sections 22 to tilt the object 1. The calculation unit 17 calculates the inclination angle θ for each of the multiple vertical cross-sections 22 to tilt the object 1, and proposes it to the user as a design value. The user can select the most suitable inclination angle θ from among the multiple inclination angles θ calculated by the calculation unit 17.

[0041] (Other embodiments) Next, referring to Figure 9, we will explain the case where the shape of object 1 is not symmetrical, that is, the shape of object 1 is asymmetrical. The information processing device 10 calculates the inclination angle θ to tilt the object 1 in two orthogonal directions. As shown in Figure 9, since the asymmetrical object 1 does not have an axis of symmetry, it is desirable to suppress or prevent tilting of the package 2 in two orthogonal directions. Accordingly, the information processing device 10 uses two orthogonal cutting lines (first cutting line 21a, second cutting line 21b) to calculate the tilt angle θ that tilts the object 1 for each cutting line. The information processing device 10 calculates the inclination angle θ for each of the multiple first cutting lines 21a, and further calculates the inclination angle θ for each of the multiple second cutting lines 21b. The user can select the optimal combination of inclination angles θ from among multiple combinations of the calculated inclination angles θ in two orthogonal directions.

[0042] (Information processing methods and information processing programs) Referring to Figure 10, an information processing program according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described together with the information processing method. Figure 10 is an example of a flowchart of the information processing program according to this embodiment. The information processing method is executed by the calculation unit 10e of the information processing device 10 based on the information processing program. The information processing program includes steps such as acquiring a cross-section (S13), setting a tangent line (S14), selecting a line (S15), setting a line bisector (S16), and calculating a line (S17). The information processing program implements functions such as cross-section acquisition, tangent line setting, selection, bisector setting, and calculation in the calculation unit 10e of the information processing device 10. These functions are executed in the order shown in the flowchart of Figure 10, but the order can be changed as appropriate. Since each function overlaps with the descriptions of the various functional units of the information processing device 10 mentioned above, detailed explanations are omitted.

[0043] The cutting surface acquisition function uses a cutting line 21 that is parallel to the direction of the inclination and passes through the position of the inclined portion 1b of the object 1 to cut the object 1 vertically 25 and acquire the vertical cutting surface 22 of the object 1 (S13: Cutting surface acquisition step).

[0044] The tangent setting function decomposes the vertical cross-section 22 into multiple line segments 23 and sets a tangent 24 for each of the multiple line segments 23 (S14: Tangent setting step).

[0045] The selection function selects, from among multiple tangents 24, the tangent 24 that has the minimum positive angle 26 with respect to the vertical direction 25 as the first tangent 31, and the tangent 24 that has the maximum negative angle 27 with respect to the vertical direction 25 as the second tangent 32 (S15: Selection step).

[0046] The angle bisector setting function sets the angle bisector 33 of the angle between the first tangent 31 and the second tangent 32 (S16: angle bisector setting step).

[0047] The calculation function calculates the angle between the bisector 33 and the perpendicular direction 25 as the inclination angle θ that tilts the object 1 (S17: calculation step).

[0048] According to the information processing device 10 of the above embodiment, it is possible to calculate the inclination angle θ to tilt the object 1 when it is placed on the pallet 4, taking into account the shape of the plate-shaped object 1. Therefore, the specific inclination angle θ to tilt the object 1 can be obtained when designing the pallet 4.

[0049] Furthermore, according to the information processing device 10 of the above embodiment, if the shape of the object 1 is symmetrical, the inclination angle θ for tilting the object 1 when placed on the pallet 4 can be calculated by using a cutting line 21 parallel to the axis of symmetry 1c.

[0050] Furthermore, according to the information processing device 10 of the above embodiment, by passing the cutting line 21 through any inclined portion 1b on the object 1 that should be considered in the design of the pallet 4, it is possible to calculate the inclination angle θ that takes into account the inclination of the inclined portion 1b.

[0051] Furthermore, according to the information processing device 10 of the above embodiment, by increasing the number of cutting lines 21, it is possible to calculate multiple inclination angles θ that take into account the inclined portion 1b through which the cutting lines 21 pass, and by selecting a suitable inclination angle θ from among the multiple inclination angles θ, the success rate of suppressing or preventing the inclination of the package 2 can be increased. Also, by selecting a suitable inclination angle θ, the object 1 will have an inclination that is effective in suppressing or preventing the inclination of the package 2.

[0052] Furthermore, according to the information processing device 10 of the above embodiment, even if the shape of the object 1 is asymmetrical, the inclination angle θ of the inclination of the object 1 in two orthogonal directions can be calculated by using two orthogonal cutting lines 21 (first cutting line 21a and second cutting line 21b).

[0053] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the information processing apparatus 10, information processing method, and information processing program according to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented by various other modifications or applications without departing from the gist of the present invention as described in the claims. Also, although the word "data" is used in the above-described embodiment, the word "data" can be replaced with "information," and the word "information" can be replaced with "data." [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 1. Object 1a Convex part 1b Inclined section 1c axis of symmetry 1d arrow 1e - narrower angle inclined section 2. Packaging 4 pallets 4a Bass 4b Post 7. Jig 7a Convex part 7b Slope 7c axis of symmetry 10 Information Processing Devices 10a communication interface 10b ROM 10c RAM 10d storage section 10e Arithmetic Unit 10f Input / Output Interface 10g input device 10h output device 13 Cut plane acquisition part 14. Tangent setting section 15 Selection Section 16 Bisector line setting section 17 Calculation Section 20 Information and Communication Networks 21 Cutting line 21a 1st cutting line 21b 2nd cutting line 22 Vertical cutting plane 23 line segments 23a Line segment 23b Line segment 23c line segment 23d line segment 23e line segment 24 tangent 24a tangent 24b tangent 24c tangent 24d tangent 24e tangent 25 Vertical 26. Positive angles 26a corner 26b corner 26c corner 26d corner 26e corner 27 Negative angles 27a angle 27b negative 27c angle 27d angle 27e angle 31. First connection 32. Wiring 2 33. Bisector 100 objects θ Inclination angle

Claims

1. An information processing device for calculating the inclination angle at which a plate-shaped object is tilted when placed on a pallet, A cutting surface acquisition unit obtains a vertical cutting surface of an object by cutting the object vertically using a cutting line that is parallel to the direction of the inclination and passes through the position of the inclined portion of the object, A tangent setting unit that decomposes the vertical cross-section into multiple line segments and sets tangents for each of the multiple line segments, A selection unit selects, from among a plurality of tangents, the tangent whose angle with the vertical is the minimum of a positive angle is designated as the first tangent, and the tangent whose angle with the vertical is the maximum of a negative angle is designated as the second tangent. A bisector setting unit for setting the angle bisector of the angle between the first tangent and the second tangent, A calculation unit calculates the angle between the aforementioned bisector and the aforementioned vertical direction as the inclination angle that tilts the object, An information processing device characterized by comprising:

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the object is placed on the pallet via a jig in a state of inclination at the inclination angle.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the jig is a component having the same shape as the object.

4. The cross-section acquisition unit acquires multiple vertical cross-sections using multiple cutting lines that pass through each of the multiple inclined portions of the object, The tangent setting unit sets a tangent for each of the multiple line segments that constitute the vertical cross-section in each of the multiple vertical cross-sections. The selection unit selects the first tangent and the second tangent for each of the plurality of vertical cross-sections. The bisector setting unit sets a bisector for each of the multiple vertical cross-sections, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the calculation unit calculates an inclination angle for tilting the object with respect to each of the plurality of vertical cross-sections.

5. The aforementioned object has a line-symmetrical shape, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the cutting line is parallel to the axis of symmetry of the line symmetry.

6. A method for calculating the inclination angle to tilt a plate-shaped object when it is placed on a pallet, Computers A step of obtaining a cross-section by cutting the object vertically using a cutting line that is parallel to the direction of the inclination and passes through the position of the inclined portion of the object, A tangent setting step involves decomposing the vertical cross-section into multiple line segments and setting tangents for each of the multiple line segments, A selection step in which, among a plurality of tangents, the tangent that has the smallest positive angle with respect to the vertical is selected as the first tangent, and the tangent that has the maximum negative angle with respect to the vertical is selected as the second tangent; An angle bisector setting step of setting the angle bisector of the angle between the first tangent and the second tangent, A calculation step in which the angle between the aforementioned bisector and the aforementioned perpendicular direction is calculated as the angle of inclination that tilts the object, An information processing method characterized by performing the following.

7. An information processing program for calculating the inclination angle to tilt a plate-shaped object when it is placed on a pallet, Computers A cutting surface acquisition function that uses a cutting line parallel to the direction of the inclination and passing through the position of the inclined portion of the object to cut the object vertically and obtain the vertical cross-section of the object, A tangent setting function that decomposes the aforementioned vertical cross-section into multiple line segments and sets a tangent line for each of the multiple line segments, A selection function that selects, from among the multiple tangents, the tangent whose angle with the vertical is the smallest positive angle is designated as the first tangent, and the tangent whose angle with the vertical is the largest negative angle is designated as the second tangent, A bisector setting function for setting the angle bisector of the angle between the first tangent and the second tangent, A calculation function that calculates the angle between the aforementioned bisector and the aforementioned perpendicular direction as the angle of inclination that tilts the object, An information processing program characterized by achieving this.

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