Transport System

Abstract

To enable the transport lane to operate properly. [Solution] The conveying system 1 is arranged along a plurality of customer seats each having a unique number assigned thereto, and comprises a conveying lane (121) for conveying ordered items, a light receiving unit (210) for receiving light from the forward and / or reverse sides of the conveying direction in the conveying lane (121), a generation unit (220) for generating image data based on the light received by the light receiving unit (210), an identification unit (210) for identifying the presence or absence of an object in the conveying lane (121) based on the image data generated by the generation unit (220), and a control unit (140) for prohibiting operation of the conveying lane (121) when the identification unit (220) identifies the presence of an object in the conveying lane (121), and for allowing operation of the conveying lane (121) when the identification unit (220) identifies the absence of an object in the conveying lane (121).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveyance system. Mu Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a food and drink ordering device that is equipped with a conveyance lane that conveys food and drink ordered from an order screen at a customer's seat. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-262984 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The delivery lanes that transport ordered items to customers' seats are required to operate appropriately according to the situation.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to enable the transportation lane to be operated appropriately. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transport lane arranged along a plurality of customer seats, each having a unique number assigned to it, for transporting ordered items; a light receiving unit that receives light from the forward and / or reverse transport direction in the transport lane; a generation unit that generates image data based on the light received by the light receiving unit; an identification unit that identifies the presence or absence of an object in the transport lane based on the image data generated by the generation unit; and a control unit that prohibits operation of the transport lane when the identification unit identifies the presence of an object in the transport lane, and allows operation of the transport lane when the identification unit identifies the absence of an object in the transport lane. a notification unit that is provided in each of the plurality of seats and that issues a guide to collect the object when the identification unit identifies that the object is present on the transportation lane; A transport system is provided comprising: [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the above aspect, the transport lane can be operated appropriately. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the transport system as seen from the side. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the transport system. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of image data generated from light received by the image acquisition unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the feature region extracted from the image data shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the reference data stored in the storage unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the feature region extracted from the image shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a rectangle containing the feature region extracted from the image shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an object detection process performed by the object detection device in the transport system. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an object detection process performed by the object detection device in the transport system. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an object detection process performed by the object detection device in the transport system. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an object detection process performed by the object detection device in the transport system. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display on a display of a communication terminal. [Figure 14]FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display on a display of a communication terminal. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display on a display of a communication terminal. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display on a display of a communication terminal. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram illustrating a first modified example of the transport system. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram illustrating a second modified example of the transport system. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram illustrating a third modified example of the transport system. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram illustrating a fourth modified example of the transport system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, a transport system 1 according to an embodiment, which is one example of the present invention, will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a transport system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the transport system 1 as viewed from the side. Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the transport system 1.

[0011] [Transportation system] As an example, the conveyance system 1 is a system that conveys ordered items from customer seats to the customer seats using a conveyance device 100 arranged in a store hall. The conveyance system 1 includes the conveyance device 100 having a conveyance lane 121 for conveying the ordered items, an object detection device 200 for detecting objects present on the conveyance device 100, and communication terminals 300, 310 for reporting the detection results.

[0012] In this embodiment, the restaurant hall is, as an example, the interior of a so-called sushi restaurant. The ordered items are mainly sushi. That is, the conveyance system 1 is a system that conveys sushi placed on predetermined plates, bowls, beverage containers such as cans and bottles containing beverages, glasses, and cups to the front of customers' seats via the conveyance lane 121. Furthermore, the system is not limited to restaurants that serve sushi, but can also be applied to restaurants that use conveyors to deliver food and beverages, such as so-called yakiniku restaurants that serve meat and vegetables for yakiniku on predetermined plates, and so-called pasta restaurants that serve pasta on predetermined plates.

[0013] <Conveyor equipment> As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the conveying device 100 is arranged along a number of customer seats (referred to as delivery addresses) A, B, C, and D, each of which has a unique number assigned to it. In this embodiment, the customer seats and delivery addresses refer to the location of customers in the restaurant hall, and include counter seats, booth seats, standing room positions, etc. Seating may or may not be provided. The conveying device 100 may be used by one person or multiple people. The conveying device 100 has a standby unit 110 located on the kitchen side, and a delivery unit 120 located on the delivery address A, B, C, and D side in the restaurant hall.

[0014] 3, the conveying device 100 includes a storage unit 130 and a control unit 140, and controls the standby unit 110 and the conveying unit 120. The conveying device 100 is communicably connected to an object detection device 200, a communication terminal 300, and a communication terminal 310, which will be described later, via a wireless or wired communication interface 150. The control unit 140 can also control the object detection device 200, the communication terminal 300, and the communication terminal 310.

[0015] 1 and 2, the standby unit 110 has a standby lane 111 in the kitchen where plates d (d1, d2, d3, d4) containing ordered sushi wait until the transport unit 120 is ready to operate, and where the plates are handed over to the transport unit 120. Although not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the standby lane 111 is equipped with a sensor (see FIG. 11) for detecting when a sushi plate has been placed on the standby lane 111.

[0016] 3, the standby unit 110 includes a motor 112 for driving the standby lane 111, and a rotary encoder 113 for converting the mechanical displacement of the motor 112 into an electrical signal to detect the position and speed. Each component of the standby unit 110 is controlled by a standby lane control unit 114.

[0017] 1 and 2, the transport side unit 120 includes a transport lane 121. The transport lane 121 is used to send plates d1, d2, d3, and d4 from the standby side unit 110 to seats A, B, C, and D corresponding to transport addresses A, B, C, and D, depending on the customer seat that has requested (ordered).

[0018] 3, the transport side unit 120 includes a motor 122 for driving the transport lane 121, and a rotary encoder 123 for converting the mechanical displacement of the motor 122 into an electrical signal to detect the position and speed. Each component of the transport side unit 120 is controlled by a transport lane control unit 124. The speed of the transport lane 121 is set slightly faster than the speed of the standby lane 111.

[0019] With the above configuration, sushi prepared in the kitchen and placed on plates d1, d2, d3, and d4 is transferred from the waiting lane 111 to the transport lane 121 and sent from the kitchen side to the dining area side. The transport distances of the waiting lane 111 and the transport lane 121 are counted by rotary encoders 113 and 123, so the ordered items (sushi, for example) can be transported from the set position of plate d on the transport lane 121 to the transport address (customer seat) where the order was placed.

[0020] <Object detection device> 3, the object detection device 200 includes an image acquisition unit 210 and an image analysis unit 220. In this embodiment, an imaging device such as a camera can be applied as the image acquisition unit 210.

[0021] 1, the image capturing direction of the image acquiring unit 210 is oriented in a direction in which an object being transported in the transport direction of the transport lane 121 moves away. That is, the image acquiring unit 210 functions as a light receiving unit that receives light in the direction opposite to the transport direction. Note that the light received by the light receiving unit may include light reflected by the object.

[0022] The image analysis unit 220 includes an object detection unit 221 and an object position detection unit 222. The object detection unit 221 generates image data based on the light acquired by the image acquisition unit 210, and identifies the presence or absence of an object in the transportation lane 121 based on the generated image data. The object position detection unit 222 detects the position of the identified object in the transportation lane 121. The image analysis unit 220 having the above configuration functions as a generation unit that generates image data and an identification unit.

[0023] Although not shown, the image analysis unit 220 includes a controller configured from a microprocessor, a storage unit such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory), an input / output interface, and a bus connecting these.

[0024] Examples of image analysis methods that can be executed by the image analysis unit 220 include background subtraction, frame differencing, and optical flow. By applying these image analysis methods, an object present in the transportation lane 121 can be detected.

[0025] In the present embodiment, when the image capturing direction by the image acquisition unit 210 is along the forward direction of the conveyance direction, for example, the top of a container such as a teacup or a mug that is taller than a plate is more likely to be detected as a conveyance address further forward in the conveyance direction (the direction in which an item placed on the conveyance lane advances along the conveyance lane, i.e., the "rear side" in FIG. 4 ) than the actual conveyance address. Therefore, in addition to the image processing described above, the image analysis unit 220 may combine information obtained from the rotary encoder 123 of the conveyance lane 121 when the previous object was conveyed. Furthermore, in addition to the image processing described above, it may combine information obtained from the rotary encoder 123 of the conveyance lane 121 when the object was conveyed to a conveyance address one address further back in the conveyance direction (the "rear side" in FIG. 4 , the direction in which an item placed on the conveyance lane advances along the conveyance lane). In addition to the image processing described above, information generated when an ordered item is transported to a customer's seat (for example, information generated by operating an operation panel that kitchen staff operates when transporting an ordered item that has been prepared) may also be combined.

[0026] By identifying the position of an object by combining information from the rotary encoder 123 of the transport lane 121 during the previous transport, information from the rotary encoder 123 of the transport lane 121 when the object was transported to the transport address one address further back or the transport address immediately before it, and information generated when the ordered item is transported to the customer's seat, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the position of the object will be detected forward (toward the back) in the transport direction. This prevents unnecessary messages from being displayed on the communication terminal 300, which would disturb customers who are enjoying their meal.

[0027] (Method for estimating the presence and position of an object in a transport lane) Here, a method for estimating the presence and position of an object in the transportation lane 121 by the object detection device 200 will be described.

[0028] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an image generated from light received by the image acquisition section 210. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a characteristic region P extracted from the image shown in Fig. 4.

[0029] The image analysis unit 220 executes a control program stored in a storage unit such as a ROM on a microprocessor to extract an area having characteristic pixel information from the image obtained from the image acquisition unit 210. In this embodiment, the area having characteristic pixel information is referred to as a characteristic area P. As an example, when background subtraction processing is applied, an image of only the transportation lane 121 (hereinafter referred to as a background image) is acquired in advance and stored in the storage unit 130.

[0030] The image analysis section 220 can extract, as a characteristic region P, an image that does not exist in the background image by comparing the background image with the image acquired by the image acquisition section 210.

[0031] The image acquired by the image acquisition unit 210 is a collection of pixels having RGB digital information. In this embodiment, as an example, the luminance value obtained from the information possessed by the pixels and the information on the luminance gradation value can be used in the background subtraction process.

[0032] 6 is a diagram illustrating the reference data stored in the storage unit 130. In this embodiment, the positions of the delivery addresses (customer seats) A, B, C, and D are associated with the number of pixels in the width direction of the delivery lane 121 of the dish d at each position, and are stored as a table.

[0033] 6, the image analysis unit 220 selects a customer seat corresponding to the number of pixels in the characteristic region P. For example, if the number of pixels w1 in the characteristic region P is about 160, this corresponds to the width of the plate at customer seat C in the conveyance lane 121, and therefore it is possible to identify that an object is present at the position of customer seat C.

[0034] 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a characteristic region P extracted from the image shown in FIG. 4. A method for calculating the position of the detected object corresponding to the transportation lane 121 can be applied by expressing the center of gravity (xc, yc) of the characteristic region P in the image in planar coordinates and comparing it with the pre-measured planar coordinates of the transportation lane 121 (coordinates of four vertices of a rectangle, (x1, y1), (x2, y2), (x3, y3), (x4, y4) shown in FIG. 8) to determine the position of the object on the transportation lane 121. In addition to the center of gravity position, the coordinates of the intersection of the longest line segment in the width direction and the longest line segment in the up-down direction in the characteristic region P may also be used as a reference. Furthermore, taking into consideration that the top of a container that is taller than a plate, such as a teacup or mug, is more likely to be detected as a transport address that is further forward in the transport direction (the direction in which an item placed on the transport lane moves along the transport lane, i.e., the "rear side" in Figure 4) than the transport address where it is actually located, the coordinate of a position lower than the coordinate of the center of gravity or the coordinate of the intersection (a position closer to the y1y2 line segment) may be used as the reference for the transport direction (the y-axis direction of the plane coordinate system).

[0035] <Communication terminal> 1 and 2, a communication terminal 300 is provided for each delivery address. That is, communication terminals 300A, 300B, 300C, and 300D functioning as first notification units are provided at customer seats A, B, C, and D, respectively. Furthermore, a communication terminal 310 functioning as a second notification unit is provided in a position in the store hall that is easily visible to staff. The communication terminal 310 may be a mobile terminal or the like carried by the staff.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 3, each of the communication terminals 300 (300A, 300B, 300C, and 300D) and the communication terminal 310 includes a control unit 301, a communication interface 302, a speaker 303, a display 304, and a touch panel 305. Customers can use the display 304 and touch panel 305 of the communication terminal 300 to receive notifications when sushi or other dishes have arrived, to input orders for sushi or other dishes from their seats, and to call a store staff member. The communication terminal 300 can also display a message urging customers to remove ordered items that have arrived on the conveyance lane 121. An example of this message will be described later.

[0037] [Object detection processing] Next, an example of an object detection process performed by the object detection device 200 in the transport system 1 will be described.

[0038] 9 to 12 are flowcharts illustrating the object detection process performed by the object detection device 200 in the conveyance system 1. Also, FIGS. 13 to 15 are diagrams illustrating examples of what is displayed on the display 304 of the communication terminal 300. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of what is displayed on the display 304 of the communication terminal 310.

[0039] The following describes a case where the conveyance system 1 is applied to a sushi restaurant. When an order from a customer is received via a communication device (not shown) in the kitchen of the sushi restaurant, kitchen staff prepare the ordered sushi. Once preparation is complete, the kitchen staff inputs the customer's seat number via the operation panel of the conveyance device 100 (not shown) and instructs the start of conveyance to the entered seat number. Alternatively, once preparation is complete, the kitchen staff presses a display button that indicates the prepared sushi, which is displayed on the operation panel of the conveyance device 100 (not shown), and inquires of the control unit 140 about the delivery address to which the prepared sushi should be delivered, and based on the inquiry result, instructs the start of conveyance to the delivery address (the customer's table where the order was placed).

[0040] That is, the control unit 140 receives an input of a seat number (#) in step S1 shown in FIG. 9, and receives an instruction to transport to the input seat number in step S2.

[0041] In step S3, the control unit 140 starts a timer for a period T. In step S4, the control unit 140 activates the object detection device 200 and starts capturing images of the transportation lane 121.

[0042] In step S5, the control unit 140 performs image analysis in the image analysis unit 220. The image analysis unit 220 identifies, from the analysis results, whether or not there is an object in the conveying lane 121. If it is identified in step S5 that there is no object in the conveying lane 121, the control unit 140 allows the standby side unit 110 and the conveying side unit 120 to operate, and causes the standby lane control unit 114 to execute the process of driving the standby lane 111 shown in FIG. 11 and causes the conveying lane control unit 124 to execute the process of driving the conveying lane 121 shown in FIG. 12.

[0043] That is, in the waiting side unit 110, as shown in FIG. 11, in step S21, the waiting lane control unit 114 activates the waiting lane 111, and in step S22, the waiting lane 111 is driven to start traveling along the waiting lane 111.

[0044] Next, in step S23, the waiting lane control unit 114 checks the status of the sensors installed in the waiting lane 111, and in step S24, determines whether or not there is a sushi plate in the waiting lane 111. If the waiting lane control unit 114 determines that there is no sushi plate in the waiting lane 111 because a sushi plate has been handed over to the conveyance lane 121, the process proceeds to step S25, where the waiting lane control unit 114 stops the waiting lane 111.

[0045] Meanwhile, in the transport side unit 120, as shown in FIG. 12, in step S31, the transport lane control unit 124 activates the transport lane 121, in step S32, the transport lane control unit 124 calculates the amount of progress of the transport lane 121 required to transport the ordered item to the customer seat, and in step S33, the transport lane control unit 124 drives the transport lane 121.

[0046] Next, the conveying lane control unit 124 repeatedly reads the rotary encoder 123 in step S34 and detects the number of pulses of the rotary encoder 123 in step S35, and when the progress amount reaches a predetermined value, stops the conveying lane 121 in step S36 and terminates the conveying process.

[0047] When the kitchen staff has completed preparation of the ordered sushi and instructed the start of transporting it to the customer's seat, if the image analysis unit 220 identifies an object on the transport lane 121, the following processing is performed.

[0048] That is, in step S5 shown in Fig. 9, when the image analysis unit 220 identifies that there is an object on the transport lane 121, the control unit 140 prohibits the operation of the standby unit 110 and the transport unit 120. The control unit 140 proceeds to step S11 shown in Fig. 10, where the control unit 140 identifies the seat number on the transport lane 121 where the image analysis unit 220 identifies that there is an object.

[0049] Here, in step S12, if the timer is less than a specific threshold T1, the process proceeds to step S13, and the control unit 140 instructs the communication terminal 300 in the seat identified by the image analysis unit 220, for example, the communication terminal 300B in seat B, to display a first notification.

[0050] 13 is a diagram illustrating a first message "Please take the item from the conveyance lane" as an example of the first notification. The communication terminal 300 may display the message "Please take the item from the conveyance lane" when the ordered sushi arrives at the customer's seat via the conveyance lane 121. The first notification may be issued after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the image analysis unit 220 identified the presence of an object on the conveyance lane 121.

[0051] 9, causes the image acquisition unit 210 to acquire an image, and causes the image analysis unit 220 to perform image analysis in step S5. If the image analysis unit 220 still identifies an object on the conveyance lane 121 in step S5, the process proceeds to step S11 shown in FIG.

[0052] In step S11, the control unit 140 uses the image analysis unit 220 to identify the seat number corresponding to the position of the object on the transportation lane 121. In the second step S12, the timer exceeds the specific threshold T1, so the process proceeds to step S14.

[0053] In step S14, if the period is shorter than threshold T2, which is set to a period longer than threshold T1, the process proceeds to step S15, and the control unit 140 instructs the communication terminal 300B in seat B identified by the image analysis unit 220 to display a second notification.

[0054] 14 is a diagram illustrating a second message, “Please pick up the item in the transportation lane,” as an example of the second notification. The second notification is notified more emphatically than the first notification.

[0055] As described above, if the image analysis unit 220 still identifies an object on the transportation lane 121 after issuing the first notification, the communication terminal 300 issues a second notification in which the message content, character size, volume, color, etc. are emphasized more than in the first notification. The second notification may be issued after a predetermined period has elapsed since the image analysis unit 220 identified the object on the transportation lane 121.

[0056] The control unit 140 again repeats the process from step S4 in Fig. 9, causes the image acquisition unit 210 to acquire an image, and causes the image analysis unit 220 to perform image analysis in step S5. If the image analysis unit 220 still identifies that an object is present on the conveyance lane 121 in step S5, the process proceeds to step S11 shown in Fig. 10.

[0057] In step S11, the control unit 140 uses the image analysis unit 220 to identify the seat number corresponding to the position of the object on the transportation lane 121. In the third step S12, the timer exceeds the threshold T1, and further in the second step S14, the timer also exceeds the threshold T2, so the process proceeds to step S16.

[0058] In step S16, the control unit 140 instructs the communication terminal 300B in passenger seat B to display a third notification. If the image analysis unit 220 still identifies an object in the transportation lane after the communication terminal 300 issues the first and second notifications, the control unit 140 can issue a third notification in which the message content, character size, volume, color, etc. are further emphasized.

[0059] 15 is a diagram illustrating a third message "Please pick up the item in the transportation lane" as an example of the third notification. The third notification is displayed more emphatically than the first and second notifications, and the brightness of the display changes and an alarm sound is generated.

[0060] Furthermore, in step S17, the control unit 140 instructs the communication terminal 310 for the store hall staff to display a fourth notice.

[0061] 16 is a diagram illustrating a message for staff, "There is an object in the transport lane at seat B," as an example of the fourth notification. The fourth notification may display the number of the seat from which an object has not been removed from the transport lane 121 or a message indicating that "an item has not been removed from the transport lane," or may display words, numbers, symbols, etc. that only hall staff can understand. These notifications are issued as guidance to encourage customers and store hall staff to collect the object (synonymous with an order or item) in the transport lane 121.

[0062] 9 from step S4 onwards until it is determined in step S5 that there is no object on the transportation lane 121. Then, in step S6, the control unit 140 resets the timer, and in step S7, the message on the communication terminal 300 is erased.

[0063] By executing the above-mentioned process, the conveying system 1 can identify cases where an ordered sushi plate has been left behind on the conveying lane 121, as well as cases where an object other than the ordered item, such as an empty plate, beverage container, or condiment container, has been mistakenly placed on the conveying lane 121.

[0064] That is, after proceeding from step S1 to step S4 shown in Fig. 9, if the control unit 140 identifies in step S5 that an object is present in the conveyance lane 121 from the analysis result by the image analysis unit 220, the control unit 140 proceeds to step S11 shown in Fig. 10. The processes from step S11 to step S17 are generally as described above.

[0065] For example, when proceeding to step S13, a first notification such as "Please pick up the item on the transport lane" as shown in Fig. 13 can be displayed. Also, when proceeding to step S15, a second notification such as a highlighted message such as "Please pick up the item on the transport lane" as shown in Fig. 14 can be displayed. Furthermore, when proceeding to step S15, a third notification such as a message that is more highlighted than the second notification can be displayed by changing the brightness of the display or emitting a warning sound, for further emphasis.

[0066] By performing the above process, the conveyance system 1 can identify whether or not there is an object on the conveyance lane 121 before serving sushi or other dishes to customers who have ordered them. This allows the conveyance system 1 to permit or prohibit the operation of the standby unit 110 and the conveyance unit 120.

[0067] [Action and effect] The conveyance system 1 according to this embodiment includes an image acquisition unit 210 as an example of a light receiving unit that receives light from the opposite side of the conveyance direction in the conveyance device 100 arranged along a plurality of conveyance addresses (customer seats) A, B, C, and D, and an image analysis unit 220 as an example of a generation unit that generates image data. The conveyance system 1 identifies the presence or absence of an object in the conveyance device 100 based on the image data generated by the image analysis unit 220, and prohibits operation of the conveyance lane 121 when it is identified that an object is present in the conveyance lane 121, and allows operation of the conveyance lane 121 when it is identified that no object is present in the conveyance lane 121.

[0068] This makes it possible to identify whether or not there is an object on the transport lane 121 and to appropriately operate the transport lane 121 depending on the situation. Furthermore, if there is an object on the transport lane 121, it is possible to issue a warning to the seat corresponding to the position of the object on the transport lane 121, for example, to remove the object.

[0069] This allows customers to quickly pick up their ordered items, allowing them to eat the sushi and other dishes in the same condition as when they were served. Also, even if empty plates, beverage containers, condiment containers, or other items that may obstruct transportation along the transport lane 121 are placed on the transport lane 121, customers can be encouraged to remove them. As a result, these items can be removed quickly or quickly noticed, which is hygienic. Therefore, the transport system 1 allows ordered items requested by customers to be delivered to the requested seats without delay.

[0070] In addition, the object detection device 200 provided in the conveying system 1 is arranged along multiple customer seats each individually assigned a unique number, and is equipped with an image acquisition unit 210 that functions as a light receiving unit that receives light from the forward and / or reverse side of the conveying direction in the conveying lane 121 along which the ordered items are conveyed, a generation unit that generates image data, and an image analysis unit 220 that functions as an identification unit that identifies the presence or absence of an object in the conveying lane 121 based on the generated image data, thereby making it easy to identify whether or not an object is present in the conveying lane 121.

[0071] [Variations] <First Modification> 17 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conveying system 2 shown as a first modified example. In the following description of the modified example, the same functions as those of the conveying system 1 according to the embodiment are assigned the same numbers, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In the conveying system 2, multiple image acquisition units 210 are arranged along the conveying direction. As a result, even if the conveying system 2 is formed long in the conveying direction, it is possible to accurately identify whether an object is present and the position of the seat where the object is detected, regardless of the length of the system.

[0072] <Second Modification> 18 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conveyance system 3 shown as a second modified example. The conveyance system 3 further includes an image acquisition unit 210 disposed at the end of the conveyance lane 121 with the light receiving unit facing the opposite side of the conveyance direction. That is, in the second modified example, the image acquisition unit 210 is disposed so as to receive light on the forward side of the conveyance direction. This makes it possible to accurately identify whether or not an object is present on the conveyance lane 121 and the position of the seat where the object is detected.

[0073] <Third Modification> 19 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conveyance system 4 shown as a third modified example. In the conveyance system 4, multiple conveyance lanes 121 are provided in parallel. One image acquisition unit 210 is provided for each of the multiple conveyance lanes 121. This allows the number of image acquisition units 210 (light receiving units) to be reduced even when multiple conveyance lanes are configured depending on the store layout.

[0074] <Fourth Modification> 20 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conveyance system 5 shown as a fourth modified example. In the conveyance system 5, one image acquisition unit 210 is arranged for each of a plurality of closed conveyance lanes 121, and at the end of each of the plurality of conveyance lanes 121, one image acquisition unit 210 is arranged with its light receiving unit facing in the opposite direction to the conveyance direction. This makes it possible to reduce the number of image acquisition units 210 (light receiving units) even when a store layout has multiple conveyance lanes, and to accurately identify whether or not an object is present in the conveyance lane 121 and the position of a customer seat where an object is detected.

[0075] [Other embodiments] Although the present embodiment has been described above, the above embodiment merely shows one application example of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific configuration of the above embodiment.

[0076] The storage unit 130 , the control unit 140 , and the communication interface 150 in the transport device 100 may be provided as devices separate from the transport device 100 .

[0077] The image acquisition unit 210 includes a camera and a function and configuration for determining whether an object has been removed based on an image captured by the camera. Alternatively, the image acquisition unit 210 may be replaced with another device capable of capturing an image. For example, a LiDAR scanner may be used as the image acquisition unit 210. In this case, the light receiving unit includes a CCD sensor light receiving surface of the camera, a laser light receiving surface of the LiDAR scanner, etc.

[0078] The image acquisition unit 210 may be configured to include a light passing unit that selectively passes light of a specific wavelength and to receive the light that has passed through the light passing unit, thereby reducing variations in detection accuracy due to the intensity of natural light and enabling stable detection.

[0079] The image processing performed by the image analysis unit 220 is just one example, and any processing method that can extract the feature amount of an object from an image can be used as appropriate. Furthermore, a combination of multiple image processing methods may be performed. This improves the accuracy of identifying the presence or absence of an object.

[0080] In this embodiment, the image analysis unit 220 has been described as functioning as a generation unit and a recognition unit, but the functions of the generation unit and the recognition unit may be included in the image acquisition unit 210. Also, the image analysis unit may be provided on an external PC or a network (cloud).

[0081] In this embodiment, the imaging direction facing the conveying direction does not necessarily mean that the conveying direction is parallel to the optical axis of the image acquisition unit 210. As long as an object on the conveying lane 121 can be detected, an elevation angle may be set with respect to the conveying direction.

[0082] In this embodiment, the communication terminals 300 and 310 may not have a display 304. They may be provided with only a speaker 303 and may notify by voice. In this embodiment, the communication terminal 310 for the wait staff is not essential. The means for notifying the wait staff may be a light-emitting element with several different colors or a display element that displays a number. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1. Transport system 100 conveying device 110 Standby unit 111 Waiting Lane 112 Motor 113 rotary encoder 114 Waiting lane control unit 120 Transfer unit 121 Transport Lane 122 Motor 123 rotary encoder 124 Transport lane control unit 130 Storage section 140 Control Unit 150 Communication Interface 200 Object detection device 210 Image acquisition unit (light receiving unit, generation unit) 220 Image Analysis Unit 221 Object detection unit 222 Object position detection unit 300,310 Communication terminals d1, d2, d3, d4 plates

Claims

1. A conveyor lane is arranged along multiple seats with individual unique numbers to transport ordered items, a light receiving unit that receives light on a forward direction side and / or a reverse direction side of the conveying direction in the conveying lane; a generation unit that generates image data based on the light received by the light receiving unit; an identification unit that identifies the presence or absence of an object on the transportation lane based on the image data generated by the generation unit; a control unit that prohibits operation of the transportation lane when the identification unit identifies that an object is present on the transportation lane, and allows operation of the transportation lane when the identification unit identifies that no object is present on the transportation lane; A notification unit is provided in each of the plurality of seats, and when the identification unit identifies that the object is on the transport lane, the notification unit provides a guide to collect the object. Conveying system.

2. 2. The transport system according to claim 1, A notification unit different from the notification unit is provided. Conveying system.

3. 2. The transport system according to claim 1, A plurality of the transport lanes are provided in parallel, One of the light receiving units is arranged to receive light on the forward direction side and / or the reverse direction side of the conveying direction in the plurality of conveying lanes, Conveying system.

4. 2. The transport system according to claim 1, a waiting lane for allowing the ordered items to wait in front of the conveyance lane, Conveying system.

Images