Foreign object detection device, garbage disposal device, foreign object detection method, program, and recording medium

Abstract

To provide a foreign matter detection device, method and program with which it is possible to detect foreign matter buried in a detection object.SOLUTION: A foreign matter detection device 10 includes: a volume information acquisition unit 11 for acquiring the volume information of a detection object; an agitation processing amount calculation unit 12 for calculating, on the basis of the volume information, the necessary agitation processing amount of the detection object that is needed for foreign matter detection; a foreign matter detection unit 13 for detecting foreign matter included in the detection object; an agitation indication unit 14 for generating agitation indication information to indicate that the detection object be agitated, on the basis of the necessary agitation processing amount, when the agitation processing amount has not reached the necessary agitation processing amount; and an agitation determination unit 15 for determining the agitation state of the detection object and repeating foreign matter detection and agitation indication until the agitation processing amount reaches the necessary agitation processing amount.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a foreign object detection device, a garbage disposal device, a foreign object detection method, a program, and a recording medium. [Background technology]

[0002] As a method for detecting and classifying foreign matter contained in an object to be detected, a foreign matter inspection method in which image data is processed by supervised machine learning is known (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-14652 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the foreign matter inspection method described in Patent Document 1 has the problem that it can only detect foreign matter attached to the surface of the object to be detected, and cannot detect foreign matter buried inside the object to be detected, such as foreign matter mixed in food waste.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a foreign object detection device capable of detecting a foreign object buried in a detection target. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the foreign object detection device of the present invention comprises: The device includes a volume information acquisition unit, a mixing processing amount calculation unit, a foreign matter detection unit, a mixing instruction unit, a mixing determination unit, and an output unit, the volume information acquisition unit acquires volume information of a detection object; the stirring processing amount calculation unit calculates a necessary stirring processing amount of the detection object required for foreign matter detection based on the volume information, the foreign object detection unit detects a foreign object contained in the detection target, The output unit If the detection target contains a foreign object, output a message indicating that a foreign object is present; If the detection target does not contain any foreign matter and the amount of agitation processing reaches the required amount of agitation processing, an output indicating that no foreign matter is present is output. the stirring instruction unit generates stirring instruction information for instructing stirring of the detection target object based on the required stirring processing amount when the stirring processing amount does not reach the required stirring processing amount; the output unit outputs the stirring instruction information, the stirring determination unit determines a stirring state of the detection object, The foreign matter detection unit, the stirring instruction unit, the stirring determination unit, and the output unit repeat the processes until the stirring processing amount reaches the required stirring processing amount.

[0007] The waste disposal device of the present invention includes the foreign object detection device of the present invention.

[0008] The foreign object detection method of the present invention comprises: The method includes a volume information acquisition step, a mixing processing amount calculation step, a foreign matter detection step, a mixing instruction step, a mixing determination step, and an output step, the volume information acquisition step acquires volume information of the detection object; the stirring processing amount calculation step calculates a necessary stirring processing amount of the detection object required for foreign matter detection based on the volume information, the foreign matter detection step detects foreign matter contained in the detection target, The output step includes: If the detection target contains a foreign object, output a message indicating that a foreign object is present; If the detection target does not contain any foreign matter and the amount of agitation processing reaches the required amount of agitation processing, an output indicating that no foreign matter is present is output. the stirring instruction step generates stirring instruction information for instructing stirring of the detection target object based on the required stirring processing amount when the stirring processing amount does not reach the required stirring processing amount; The output step outputs the stirring instruction information, The stirring determination step determines a stirring state of the detection object, The foreign matter detecting step, the stirring instruction step, the stirring determination step, and the output step are repeated until the stirring processing amount reaches the required stirring processing amount.

[0009] The program of the present invention is The method includes a volume information acquisition procedure, a mixing processing amount calculation procedure, a foreign matter detection procedure, a mixing instruction procedure, a mixing determination procedure, and an output procedure. the volume information acquisition step acquires volume information of a detection target; the stirring processing amount calculation step calculates a necessary stirring processing amount of the detection object required for foreign matter detection based on the volume information; the foreign matter detection step detects a foreign matter contained in the detection target; The output procedure includes: If the detection target contains a foreign object, output a message indicating that a foreign object is present; If the detection target does not contain any foreign matter and the amount of agitation processing reaches the required amount of agitation processing, an output indicating that no foreign matter is present is output. the stirring instruction step generates stirring instruction information for instructing stirring of the detection target object based on the required stirring processing amount when the stirring processing amount does not reach the required stirring processing amount; the output step outputs the stirring instruction information; the stirring determination step includes determining a stirring state of the detection object; repeating the foreign matter detection step, the stirring instruction step, the stirring determination step, and the output step until the stirring processing amount reaches the required stirring processing amount; This is a program for causing a computer to execute each of the above procedures.

[0010] The recording medium of the present invention is a computer-readable recording medium on which the program of the present invention is recorded. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to detect a foreign object buried in a detection object. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a foreign object detection device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the foreign object detection device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing in the foreign object detection device of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a foreign object detection device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing in the foreign object detection device of the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In the following drawings, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Furthermore, the descriptions of the embodiments can be mutually incorporated unless otherwise specified, and the configurations of the embodiments can be combined unless otherwise specified.

[0014] [Embodiment 1] The foreign object detection device of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a foreign object detection device 10 of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the foreign object detection device 10 (hereinafter also referred to as "this device 10") includes a volume information acquisition unit 11, a stirring processing amount calculation unit 12, a foreign object detection unit 13, a stirring instruction unit 14, a stirring determination unit 15, and an output unit 16. Although not shown, this device 10 may also include, for example, a memory unit.

[0015] The device 10 may be, for example, a single device including the above-described units, or a device in which the units can be connected via a communication network. The device 10 can also be connected to an external device (described later) via the communication network. The communication network is not particularly limited, and any known network can be used, for example, wired or wireless. Examples of communication networks include the Internet, the World Wide Web (WWW), a telephone line, a Local Area Network (LAN), a Storage Area Network (SAN), a Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN), a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWA), and a Local 5G (L5G). Examples of wireless communication include Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), Local 5G, and LPWA. Examples of wireless communication include direct communication between devices (Ad Hoc communication), infrastructure communication, and indirect communication via an access point. The device 10 may be incorporated into a server as a system. The device 10 may be, for example, a personal computer (PC, for example, a desktop or notebook type) on which the program of the present invention is installed, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, etc. Furthermore, the device 10 may be in the form of cloud computing or edge computing, for example, in which at least one of the units is located on a server and the other units are located on a terminal.

[0016] 2 shows a block diagram of the hardware configuration of the device 10. The device 10 includes, for example, a CPU 101, a memory 102, a bus 103, a storage device 104, an input device 106, an output device 107, and a communication device (communication unit) 108. The components of the device 10 are connected to each other via the bus 103 and their respective interfaces (I / F).

[0017] The CPU 101 cooperates with other components, for example, via a controller (such as a system controller or an I / O controller), and is responsible for overall control of the device 10. In the device 10, the CPU 101 executes, for example, the program 105 of the present invention and other programs, and also reads and writes various types of information. Specifically, the CPU 101 functions as, for example, a volume information acquisition unit 11, a mixing processing amount calculation unit 12, a foreign matter detection unit 13, a mixing instruction unit 14, a mixing determination unit 15, and an output unit 16. The device 10 includes a CPU as a computing device, but may also include other computing devices such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or an APU (Accelerated Processing Unit), or may include a combination of the CPU and these.

[0018] The bus 103 can also be connected to, for example, external devices. Examples of the external devices include an agitator, a waste disposal device, various devices in a biogas plant, an external storage device (such as an external database), a printer, an external input device, an external output device, an audio output device such as a speaker, an external imaging device such as a camera, and various sensors such as a distance sensor, a 3D scanner, an acceleration sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, and a direction sensor. The device 10 can be connected to an external network (the communication line network) by, for example, a communication device 108 connected to the bus 103, and can also be connected to other devices via the external network.

[0019] The memory 102 may be, for example, a main memory (primary storage device). When the CPU 101 performs processing, the memory 102 reads various operation programs, such as a program 105 of the present invention stored in a storage device 104 (described later), and the CPU 101 receives data from the memory 102 and executes the program. The main memory may be, for example, a RAM (random access memory). The memory 102 may also be, for example, a ROM (read only memory).

[0020] The storage device 104 is also referred to as an auxiliary storage device, for example, in contrast to the main memory (primary storage device). As described above, the storage device 104 stores an operating program 105 including the program of the present invention. The storage device 104 may be, for example, a combination of a recording medium and a drive for reading and writing data from and to the recording medium. The recording medium is not particularly limited and may be, for example, an internal or external type, such as a hard disk (HD), CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, MO, DVD, flash memory, or memory card. The storage device 104 may be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD) in which the recording medium and drive are integrated. When the device 10 includes, for example, the storage unit, the storage device 104 functions as the storage unit. The storage device 104 may store, for example, a foreign object detection model, which will be described later.

[0021] In the present device 10, the memory 102 and the storage device 104 can also store various information such as log information, information acquired from an external database (not shown) or an external device, information generated by the present device 10, and information used when the present device 10 executes processing. Note that at least a portion of the information may be stored, for example, in an external server other than the memory 102 and the storage device 104, or may be stored in a distributed manner across multiple terminals using blockchain technology or the like.

[0022] The device 10 further includes, for example, an input device 106 and an output device 107. Examples of the input device 106 include a pointing device such as a touch panel, track pad, or mouse; a keyboard; an imaging device such as a camera or scanner; a card reader such as an IC card reader or a magnetic card reader; and an audio input device such as a microphone. Examples of the output device 107 include a display device such as an LED display or a liquid crystal display; an audio output device such as a speaker; a printer; etc. In the first embodiment, the input device 106 and the output device 107 are configured separately, but the input device 106 and the output device 107 may also be configured as an integrated device, such as a touch panel display.

[0023] Next, an example of the foreign object detection method of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 3. The foreign object detection method of this embodiment can be implemented as follows, for example, using the foreign object detection device 10 shown in Fig. 1 or 2. Note that the foreign object detection method of this embodiment is not limited to use with the foreign object detection device 10 shown in Fig. 1 or 2. The object to be detected for foreign objects in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it requires stirring, and examples include garbage such as food waste; food products such as bean paste and cream; chemical products such as paint; building materials such as concrete, gravel, and stone; heavy industrial materials such as metals such as iron, iron ore, coal, and scrap metal; and small industrial products such as screws, nuts, and washers.

[0024] First, the volume information acquisition unit 11 acquires volume information of the detection target (S1, volume information acquisition step). The detection target may, for example, contain a foreign object, may not contain a foreign object, or it may be unclear whether the detection target contains a foreign object. The volume information acquisition unit 11 may, for example, acquire the volume information by directly measuring the volume of the detection target, or may acquire information for calculating the volume information and indirectly acquire the volume information of the detection target. In the former case, the volume information acquisition unit 11 may acquire the volume information of the detection target measured by a volume measuring device, for example. The acquisition may be performed, for example, from the volume measuring device via a wired or wireless connection, or from a storage device that stores the information measured by the volume measuring device. The acquisition may be performed, for example, by connecting to the volume measuring device or the storage device via a wired or wireless connection. The volume measuring device is not particularly limited, and any known volume measuring device can be used, for example, a measuring device that uses a volume measurement method based on Archimedes' principle, a measuring device that uses a volume displacement method using rapeseed, beads, sand, etc., and a laser volumemeter. A case where information for calculating the volume information is acquired and the volume information of the detection target is indirectly acquired will be described later in a second embodiment.

[0025] Next, the stirring amount calculation unit 12 calculates the required stirring amount of the detection object required for foreign object detection based on the volume information (S2, stirring amount calculation step). The required stirring amount is, for example, information on the stirring amount required to detect foreign objects buried in the detection object, and may be the number of stirrings, the stirring time, or information on the operation parameters of the stirrer (rotation speed, operation time, etc.). The required stirring amount may be calculated based on, for example, the angle of view of the camera used for foreign object detection and the minimum size of foreign objects expected to be contained in the detection object, or may be calculated from reference volume information and volume information of the detection object. The reference volume information is, for example, a set value of the volume at which the foreign object detection unit 13 (described later) can detect foreign objects at one time. As a specific example, when the required stirring amount is the number of stirrings, the required stirring amount can be set based on, for example, the following formula (1). Note that the method for calculating the required stirring amount is not limited to, for example, the following formula (1). Required mixing volume (mixing times) = volume of detection target / volume that can be captured by the foreign object recognition camera... (1)

[0026] Next, the foreign object detection unit 13 detects a foreign object contained in the detection target (S3a, foreign object detection step). Specifically, the foreign object detection unit 13 acquires, for example, a first detection image obtained by capturing an image of the detection target. The first detection image may be, for example, a still image, a video, or a still image extracted from a video. The foreign object detection unit 13 may acquire images continuously or intermittently. In the latter case, the image may be acquired every predetermined time period or at any timing. The foreign object detection unit 13 may acquire the foreign object detection target image by capturing an image of the foreign object detection target using the imaging device serving as the input device 106. Alternatively, the foreign object detection unit 13 may acquire the foreign object detection target image from an external imaging device via the communication network using the communication device 108. As a specific example of the latter, the first detection image can be acquired by capturing an image captured by a camera that captures food waste at a food waste disposal site in a biogas plant. The foreign substance detection unit 13 may store the acquired foreign substance detection target image in the memory 102 or the storage device 104, for example.

[0027] The foreign object detection unit 13 then detects foreign objects contained in the detection target based on the first detection target image. Foreign object detection based on the first detection image may be performed using, for example, a foreign object detection model. In this case, the foreign object detection unit 13, for example, inputs the foreign object detection target image into the foreign object detection model to detect foreign objects contained in the detection target. The foreign object detection model is, for example, a trained model generated by machine learning using the detection target image and the foreign object image as training data to determine whether the detection target contains a foreign object, i.e., to output a foreign object detection result, when the detection target image is input. The foreign object detection model may be constructed by the device 10, may be stored in advance in the memory 102 and the storage device 104, or may be obtained from an external storage device or a trained model creation device via the communication network.

[0028] The foreign object detection model may include, for example, an input layer that receives a detection target image, an output layer that outputs a foreign object detection result, and at least one intermediate layer disposed between the input layer and the output layer. The foreign object detection model may be a program module that is part of artificial intelligence software. An example of the multi-layer network is a neural network. An example of the neural network is a convolution neural network (CNN), but it is not limited to CNN and may be a trained model constructed using other learning algorithms such as a neural network other than CNN, a support vector machine (SVM), a Bayesian network, or a regression tree.

[0029] The foreign object detection model can be generated, for example, by machine learning using the detection target image and foreign object image described below as training data. The generation of the foreign object detection model will be described later. The foreign object detection model may be, for example, a trained model generated in advance. The trained model may also be a trained model (derived model) that is retrained using training data that includes pairs of the detection target image and foreign object image and an already generated trained model. Furthermore, the trained model may be a trained model obtained by transfer learning using a trained model generated using pairs of detection target image and foreign object image as training data, or may be a trained model generated by model compression of a trained model generated using pairs of detection target image and foreign object image as training data.

[0030] Then, if a foreign object is detected in the detection target, that is, for example, if a foreign object is detected in the detection target based on the first detection target image (s3a, Yes), the output unit 16 outputs "foreign object present" as the foreign object detection result (S6a, output step), and ends the processing by the device 10 (END). The output unit 16 may, for example, output the determination result to a terminal external to the device via the communication network, or may output the determination result to the output device 107. The output determination result may also be stored in, for example, the memory 102 or the storage device 104 (the same applies below).

[0031] On the other hand, if no foreign object is detected in the detection target, that is, for example, if no foreign object is detected in the detection target based on the first detection target image (s3a, No), the foreign object detection unit 13 determines whether the amount of stirring has reached the required amount of stirring (S3b). If the amount of stirring has reached the required amount of stirring (S3b, Yes), the output unit 16 outputs "no foreign object" as the foreign object detection result (S6b, output step), and the processing by the device 10 ends.

[0032] Furthermore, if it is determined in S3b that the stirring amount does not reach the required stirring amount (S3b, No), the stirring instructing unit 14 generates stirring instruction information instructing stirring of the detection target based on the required stirring amount (S4, stirring instruction step). The stirring instruction information is, for example, information commanding stirring of the detection target, and may be, for example, information instructing a person to stir, or control information for a stirrer. The stirring instruction information includes information on the stirring amount, which may be determined, for example, based on the required stirring amount. As a specific example, if the required stirring amount is calculated to be two times, the stirring instructing unit 14 may generate information instructing "stir twice" as the stirring instruction information. The output unit 16 outputs the stirring instruction information (S6c). If the stirring instruction information is, for example, information instructing a person to stir, the output of the stirring instruction information may be similar to, for example, S6a and S6b. If the stirring instruction information is control information for the stirrer, the output unit 16 outputs (transmits) the stirring instruction information to, for example, a stirrer (stirring device) connected to the device 10, and controls the stirrer.

[0033] Next, the stirring determination unit 15 determines the stirring state of the detection target (S5, stirring determination step). The stirring state is, for example, information indicating the degree of stirring of the detection target, and may be qualitative information (whether stirring is complete or not) or quantitative information (how much stirring has been performed). The stirring determination unit 15 can determine the stirring state by, for example, image recognition. Specifically, the stirring determination unit 15, for example, first acquires a second detection target image obtained by capturing an image of the detection target. The second detection target image may be acquired, for example, in the same manner as the first detection target image. Next, the stirring determination unit 16, for example, extracts the difference between the first detection target image and the second detection target image to generate a difference target image. Then, the stirring determination unit 15 determines that the stirring state is complete when, for example, the area of ​​the difference target image exceeds a threshold. The threshold value can be set, for example, as a ratio of the area of ​​the difference target image to the area of ​​the first detection target image, and can be set to, for example, 70% or more, 80% or more, 90% or more, 95% or more, 97% or more, 98% or more, 99% or more, or 100%. As a specific example, if the size of the first detection target image is 20 cm long x 20 cm wide and the threshold value is 80%, the stirring determination unit 15 may determine, for example, that the total area of ​​the difference target images is 320 cm wide. 2 When this is the case, it can be determined that stirring is complete as the stirring state. Furthermore, when it is determined that the stirring is complete, the stirring determination unit 15 can, for example, add an amount of stirring processing. The amount of stirring processing is, for example, information indicating the amount of stirring processing of the detection object, and an amount corresponding to the required amount of stirring processing can be set, and it may be the amount actually stirred or the amount estimated to have been stirred. If the number of stirring times is calculated as the required amount of stirring processing, the stirring determination unit 15, for example, increments the number of stirring times by 1 as the amount of stirring processing when it is determined that the stirring is complete.

[0034] If it is determined that the stirring is complete (S5, Yes), the process returns to step S3a, for example, and the foreign object detection unit 13 again detects foreign objects contained in the detection target. Specifically, the foreign object detection unit 13 acquires, for example, a third detection target image of the detection target and detects foreign objects contained in the detection target based on the third detection target image. The acquisition of the third detection target image and the foreign object detection based on the third detection target image can be performed, for example, in the same manner as step S3a. If a foreign object is detected in the detection target based on the third detection target image, the output unit 16 outputs, for example, "foreign object present" as the foreign object detection result (S6a, output step), and ends the processing by the device 10 (END). Note that if it is determined that the stirring is not complete (S5, No), the process may return to step S4 or step S6c, for example, or may wait until the stirring is complete.

[0035] On the other hand, if no foreign object is detected in the detection target, that is, for example, if no foreign object is detected in the detection target based on the third detection target image (s3a, No), foreign object detection unit 13 again determines whether the stirring amount has reached the required stirring amount. Then, foreign object detection device 10 repeatedly executes processes by foreign object detection unit 13, stirring instruction unit 14, stirring determination unit 15, and output unit 16, that is, S3a, S3b, S4, S6c, and S5, until the stirring amount reaches the required stirring amount.

[0036] In this way, the foreign object detection device of this embodiment repeatedly executes foreign object detection and issues stirring instructions until the required stirring amount calculated based on the volume of the detection object is reached. As a result, the foreign object detection device of this embodiment can detect foreign objects even if they are buried in the detection object.

[0037] [Embodiment 2] The second embodiment is another example of the foreign object detecting device of the present invention.

[0038] The foreign object detection device of this embodiment is similar to foreign object detection device 10 of embodiment 1, except that, in addition to the configuration of foreign object detection device 10 of embodiment 1, the volume information acquisition unit includes a height acquisition unit, an area calculation unit, and a volume estimation unit, and the description thereof can be cited. In foreign object detection device 10A of this embodiment, for example, the volume information acquisition unit includes a height acquisition unit, an area calculation unit, and a volume estimation unit, and the height acquisition unit acquires the height of the detection target, the area calculation unit acquires an area calculation image obtained by capturing an image of the detection target and calculates the area of ​​the detection target based on the area calculation image, and the volume estimation unit estimates volume information of the detection target based on the height and area of ​​the detection target.

[0039] Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a foreign object detection device 10A of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, in addition to the configuration of foreign object detection device 10 of embodiment 1, foreign object detection device 10A includes a volume information acquisition unit 11 that includes a height acquisition unit 111, an area calculation unit 112, and a volume estimation unit 113. The hardware configuration of foreign object detection device 10A is the same as that of foreign object detection device 10 of Fig. 2, except that CPU 101 includes the configuration of foreign object detection device 10A of Fig. 4 instead of the configuration of foreign object detection device 10 of Fig. 1.

[0040] Next, the foreign object detection method of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 5. The foreign object detection method of this embodiment can be implemented, for example, using foreign object detection device 10A of this embodiment shown in Fig. 4. Note that the foreign object detection method of the present invention is not limited to use of foreign object detection device 10A.

[0041] First, the height acquisition unit 11 acquires the height of the detection target (S11, height acquisition step). The height acquisition unit 111 may acquire the height by, for example, directly measuring the height of the detection target, or may acquire the height from a device external to the device that measured the height of the detection target. Specifically, the height acquisition unit 11 may acquire the height from, for example, a distance sensor connected via the bus 103 or the communication network. The distance sensor is not particularly limited, and any known distance sensor can be used, such as a laser distance sensor or an ultrasonic sensor. In this case, the height acquisition unit 111 detects the height from, for example, the distance sensor installed above the location where the detection target is placed. The height may be, for example, a difference from a reference height. The reference height is not particularly limited, and for example, the distance (height) from the location where the detection target is placed to the distance sensor. In this case, the height acquisition unit 111 may acquire the height of the detection target by, for example, calculating the difference from the reference height from the distance (height) from the distance sensor to the surface of the detection target. Furthermore, the acquisition of the height by the height acquisition unit 111 is not limited to acquisition from the distance sensor, and for example, the height of the detection object may be acquired by providing a reference scale line on a container (e.g., a garbage can for food waste) that holds the detection object, capturing an image of the reference scale line with a camera, and detecting the height of the reference scale line.

[0042] Next, the area calculation unit 112 acquires an area calculation image capturing the detection target and calculates the area of ​​the detection target based on the area calculation image (S12, area calculation step). The acquisition of the area calculation image can be performed, for example, in the same manner as the acquisition of the first detection image by the foreign object detection unit 13 in the first embodiment. The area calculation unit 112 may acquire images continuously or intermittently. In the latter case, the area calculation unit 112 may acquire images at predetermined intervals or at any timing. Examples of the arbitrary timing include the timing when the height acquisition unit 111 acquires the height of the detection target, or the timing when the acquired height changes. Then, the area calculation unit 112 extracts the difference between the area calculation image and the area calculation reference image to generate a difference image. The area calculation reference image may be, for example, an image captured when the detection target is not present. The area calculation reference image may be one captured when the detection target is not present, or may be one stored inside or outside the device. The extraction of the difference can be performed, for example, by a difference extraction method in a known image analysis technique. Then, the area calculation unit 112 calculates the area of ​​the detection target from, for example, the difference image (image of the detection target). The calculation of the area can be performed, for example, by an area calculation method in a known image analysis technique.

[0043] Next, the volume estimation unit 113 estimates volume information of the detection target based on the height and area of ​​the detection target (S13, volume estimation step). The volume estimation unit 113 can estimate the volume information of the detection target, for example, by multiplying the height acquired in S11 by the area calculated in S12.

[0044] Then, steps S2 to S6 are carried out in the same manner as steps S2 to S6 in the first embodiment, and the processing of the device 10A is completed (END).

[0045] The foreign object detection device of this embodiment can, for example, estimate volume information of a detection target from the height and area of ​​the detection target. Therefore, the foreign object detection device of this embodiment can, for example, reduce the cost of calculating the volume of the detection target.

[0046] [Embodiment 3] The third embodiment is an example of the use of the foreign object detection device 10A of the second embodiment.

[0047] In this embodiment, the foreign object detection device 10A of the second embodiment is used to detect foreign objects buried in food waste at a food waste treatment plant. The food waste treatment plant includes, for example, a camera capable of capturing an image of a container for disposing of food waste from above, a distance sensor capable of measuring the distance from the top of the container to the bottom of the container, and a display. The camera, the distance sensor, and the display can be connected to the foreign object detection device 10A via the communication network. Note that the following description is an example, and the present invention is not limited or restricted in any way to the specific example below.

[0048] When food waste is thrown into the container, the distance sensor measures the distance (height) from the position where the distance sensor is placed to the surface of the food waste. The height acquisition unit 111 of the foreign object detection device 10A calculates the difference between the reference height, i.e., the height from the position where the distance sensor is placed to the bottom of the container, and the height from the distance sensor to the measured height of the food waste, to acquire the height of the thrown-in food waste.

[0049] Next, the area acquisition unit 112 controls the camera to capture an image of the deposited food waste to obtain the image for area calculation, extracts the difference between this and the reference image for area calculation, i.e., the image of the container with no food waste deposited, generates the difference image, and calculates the area of ​​the deposited food waste.

[0050] Next, the volume estimation unit 113 multiplies the acquired height of the food waste by the calculated area of ​​the food waste to estimate the volume of the food waste.

[0051] Then, the number of times of mixing (required amount of mixing) required to detect foreign matter buried in the food waste is calculated based on the estimated volume of the food waste by the mixing amount calculation unit 12. For ease of explanation, the following description will be given taking as an example a case where "number of times of mixing: 1" is calculated as the required amount of mixing.

[0052] Next, the foreign object detection unit 13 controls the camera to capture an image of the surface of the food waste, obtains the first detection target image, and detects foreign objects in the food waste based on the first detection target image (first foreign object detection process).

[0053] If a foreign object is detected in the first foreign object detection process, the output unit 16 outputs "foreign object present" on the display as the foreign object detection result. If a siren or speaker is installed in the food waste disposal facility, for example, an alert may be output as the foreign object detection result by sound or light to notify the user of the presence of a foreign object.

[0054] If no foreign object is detected in the first foreign object detection process, the foreign object detection unit 13 determines whether the number of times the food waste has been stirred (amount of stirring processing) has reached one. Since the food waste has not been stirred at this point (number of stirring times: 0), the process proceeds to the stirring instruction process. The stirring instruction unit 14 generates the stirring instruction information stating "Please stir the food waste once" based on the required amount of stirring processing, and the output unit 16 outputs the stirring instruction information to the display.

[0055] A user of the device 10 (for example, a person who disposed of the food waste, or a manager of a food waste disposal facility) mixes the food waste in accordance with the mixing instruction information.

[0056] Next, the stirring determination unit 15 of the foreign matter detection device 10A controls the camera to capture an image of the surface of the food waste and obtain the second detection object image.

[0057] The stirring determination unit 15 extracts the difference between the first detection target image and the second detection target image, and determines the stirring state of the food waste based on the generated difference image. If the area of ​​the difference image does not exceed the threshold, the process returns to the stirring instruction step again, and the stirring instruction information is output to the display. If the area of ​​the difference image exceeds the threshold, stirring is considered to be complete, and the stirring determination unit 15 increments the number of stirrings by 1.

[0058] When the stirring determination unit 15 determines that the stirring is complete, the foreign object detection unit 13 controls the camera to capture an image of the surface of the food waste, obtain the third detection target image, and detect foreign objects in the food waste based on the third detection target image (second foreign object detection process).

[0059] If a foreign object is detected in the second foreign object detection process, output unit 16 outputs "foreign object present" to the display as the foreign object detection result. If no foreign object is detected in the second foreign object detection process, foreign object detection unit 13 determines whether the number of times the food waste has been stirred (amount of stirring processing) has reached one. After the second foreign object detection process, the number of times the food waste has been stirred is one, so output unit 16 outputs "no foreign object" to the display as the foreign object detection result.

[0060] In this way, the foreign object detector of the present invention can detect foreign objects buried in food waste, for example.

[0061] [Embodiment 4] The fourth embodiment is an example of a waste disposal device according to the present invention.

[0062] The garbage disposal device of the present invention is characterized by including, for example, the foreign object detection device of the present invention, and other configurations and conditions are not limited in any way. Since the garbage disposal device of the present invention includes the foreign object detection device, it can detect, for example, foreign objects buried in garbage that is the target of foreign object detection. The garbage is not particularly limited, but is preferably, for example, food waste.

[0063] The method for detecting foreign matter in garbage in the garbage disposal device of the present invention is, for example, similar to the explanation of the foreign matter detection device and foreign matter detection method, and the explanation therefor can be cited. [Embodiment 5] Embodiment 5 is an example of a biogas plant of the present invention.

[0064] The biogas plant of the present invention is characterized by including, for example, the foreign object detection device of the present invention, and other configurations and conditions are not limited in any way. Since the biogas plant of the present invention includes the foreign object detection device, it can detect foreign objects buried in food waste, which is the target of foreign object detection, for example.

[0065] The method for detecting foreign matter in food waste in the biogas plant of the present invention is, for example, similar to the explanation of the foreign matter detection device and foreign matter detection method, and the explanation therefor can be cited.

[0066] [Embodiment 6] The program of this embodiment is a program for causing a computer to execute each step of the above-described foreign matter detection method. Specifically, the program of this embodiment is a program for causing a computer to execute a volume information acquisition procedure, a stirring processing amount calculation procedure, a foreign matter detection procedure, a stirring instruction procedure, a stirring determination procedure, and an output procedure.

[0067] the volume information acquisition step acquires volume information of a detection target; the stirring processing amount calculation step calculates a necessary stirring processing amount of the detection object required for foreign matter detection based on the volume information; the foreign matter detection step detects a foreign matter contained in the detection target; The output procedure includes: If the detection target contains a foreign object, output a message indicating that a foreign object is present; If the detection target does not contain any foreign matter and the amount of agitation processing reaches the required amount of agitation processing, an output indicating that no foreign matter is present is output. the stirring instruction step generates stirring instruction information for instructing stirring of the detection target object based on the required stirring processing amount when the stirring processing amount does not reach the required stirring processing amount; the output step outputs the stirring instruction information; the stirring determination step includes determining a stirring state of the detection object; The foreign matter detection procedure, the stirring instruction procedure, the stirring determination procedure, and the output procedure are repeated until the stirring processing amount reaches the required stirring processing amount.

[0068] The program of this embodiment can also be said to be a program that causes a computer to function as a volume information acquisition procedure, a stirring processing amount calculation procedure, a foreign matter detection procedure, a stirring instruction procedure, a stirring determination procedure, and an output procedure.

[0069] The program of this embodiment can be implemented by invoking the descriptions of the foreign object detection device and foreign object detection method of the present invention. For each of the steps, for example, "step" can be read as "processing." The program of this embodiment may also be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The recording medium is, for example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The recording medium is not particularly limited, and examples include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk (HD), optical disk, and floppy disk (FD).

[0070] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention within the scope of the present invention.

[0071] <Additional Notes> Some or all of the above embodiments can be described as, but not limited to, the following supplementary notes. (Appendix 1) The device includes a volume information acquisition unit, a mixing processing amount calculation unit, a foreign matter detection unit, a mixing instruction unit, a mixing determination unit, and an output unit, the volume information acquisition unit acquires volume information of a detection object; the stirring processing amount calculation unit calculates a necessary stirring processing amount of the detection object required for foreign matter detection based on the volume information, the foreign object detection unit detects a foreign object contained in the detection target, The output unit If the detection target contains a foreign object, output a message indicating that a foreign object is present; If the detection target does not contain any foreign matter and the amount of agitation processing reaches the required amount of agitation processing, an output indicating that no foreign matter is present is output. the stirring instruction unit generates stirring instruction information for instructing stirring of the detection target object based on the required stirring processing amount when the stirring processing amount does not reach the required stirring processing amount; the output unit outputs the stirring instruction information, the stirring determination unit determines a stirring state of the detection object, repeating the processes by the foreign matter detection unit, the stirring instruction unit, the stirring determination unit, and the output unit until the stirring processing amount reaches the required stirring processing amount; Foreign object detection device. (Appendix 2) the foreign object detection unit acquires a first detection object image obtained by capturing an image of the detection object, and detects a foreign object included in the detection object based on the first detection object image; When a foreign object is detected in the detection object based on the first detection object image, the output unit outputs a signal indicating that a foreign object is present; If no foreign matter is detected in the detection target based on the first detection target image, the foreign matter detection unit determines whether the amount of agitation processing of the foreign matter detection target reaches the required amount of agitation processing, When the amount of agitation processing has reached the required amount of agitation processing, the output unit outputs that no foreign matter is present, When the stirring processing amount does not reach the required stirring processing amount, the stirring instruction unit generates the stirring instruction information, the output unit outputs the stirring instruction information, the stirring determination unit acquires a second detection target image obtained by capturing an image of the detection target, extracts a difference between the first detection target image and the second detection target image to generate a difference target image, and when an area of ​​the difference target image exceeds a threshold, determines that stirring is complete as the stirring state and adds up a stirring processing amount; When it is determined that the stirring is completed, the foreign object detection unit acquires a third detection object image obtained by capturing an image of the detection object, and detects a foreign object included in the detection based on the third detection object image; When a foreign object is detected in the detection object based on the third detection object image, the output unit outputs a signal indicating that a foreign object is present; repeating the processes by the foreign matter detection unit, the stirring instruction unit, the stirring determination unit, and the output unit until the stirring processing amount reaches the required stirring processing amount; 2. The foreign object detection device of claim 1. (Appendix 3) 3. The foreign object detection device according to claim 2, wherein the foreign object detection unit inputs at least one of the first detection object image and the third detection object image into a foreign object detection model to determine whether the detection object includes a foreign object. (Appendix 4) the volume information acquisition unit includes a height acquisition unit, an area calculation unit, and a volume estimation unit; the height acquisition unit acquires the height of the detection object, the area calculation unit acquires an area calculation image obtained by capturing an image of the detection target, and calculates an area of ​​the detection target based on the area calculation image; 4. The foreign object detection device according to claim 1, wherein the volume estimation unit estimates volume information of the detection object based on a height of the detection object and an area of ​​the detection object. (Appendix 5) A garbage disposal device including a foreign object detection device according to any one of appendices 1 to 4. (Appendix 6) 10. A waste disposal device as described in Appendix 5 for disposing of food waste. (Appendix 7) A biogas plant including the foreign object detection device according to any one of appendices 1 to 4. (Appendix 8) The method includes a volume information acquisition step, a mixing processing amount calculation step, a foreign matter detection step, a mixing instruction step, a mixing determination step, and an output step, the volume information acquisition step acquires volume information of a detection object; the stirring processing amount calculation step calculates a necessary stirring processing amount of the detection object required for foreign matter detection based on the volume information, the foreign matter detection step detects foreign matter contained in the detection target, The output step includes: If the detection target contains a foreign object, output a message indicating that a foreign object is present; If the detection target does not contain any foreign matter and the amount of agitation processing reaches the required amount of agitation processing, an output indicating that no foreign matter is present is output. the stirring instruction step generates stirring instruction information for instructing stirring of the detection target object based on the required stirring processing amount when the stirring processing amount does not reach the required stirring processing amount; The output step outputs the stirring instruction information, The stirring determination step determines a stirring state of the detection object, The foreign matter detection step, the stirring instruction step, the stirring determination step, and the output step are repeated until the stirring amount reaches the required stirring amount. Foreign object detection methods. (Appendix 9) the foreign matter detection step includes acquiring a first detection object image by capturing an image of the detection object, and detecting a foreign matter contained in the detection object based on the first detection object image; When a foreign object is detected in the detection object based on the first detection object image, the output step outputs a message indicating that a foreign object is present; If no foreign matter is detected in the detection target based on the first detection target image, The foreign matter detection step includes determining whether the amount of agitation processing of the foreign matter detection target reaches the required amount of agitation processing, When the amount of agitation processing has reached the required amount of agitation processing, the output step outputs that no foreign matter is present, When the stirring amount does not reach the required stirring amount, the stirring instruction step generates the stirring instruction information, The output step outputs the stirring instruction information, The stirring determination step includes acquiring a second detection target image obtained by capturing an image of the detection target, extracting a difference between the first detection target image and the second detection target image to generate a difference target image, determining that stirring is complete as the stirring state when an area of ​​the difference target image exceeds a threshold, and adding up a stirring processing amount; When it is determined that the stirring is completed, the foreign object detection step includes acquiring a third detection object image obtained by capturing an image of the detection object, and detecting a foreign object included in the detection based on the third detection object image; When a foreign object is detected in the detection object based on the third detection object image, the output step outputs a message indicating that a foreign object is present; repeating the foreign matter detection step, the stirring instruction step, the stirring determination step, and the output step until the stirring processing amount reaches the required stirring processing amount; (Appendix 10) 10. The foreign object detection method according to claim 9, wherein the foreign object detection step inputs at least one of the first detection target image and the third detection target image into a foreign object detection model to determine whether the detection target includes a foreign object. (Appendix 11) the volume information acquiring step includes a height acquiring step, an area calculating step, and a volume estimating step; the height acquisition step acquires a height of a detection object; the area calculation step includes acquiring an area calculation image by capturing an image of the detection target, and calculating an area of ​​the detection target based on the area calculation image; 12. The foreign object detection method according to claim 8, wherein the volume estimation step estimates volume information of the detection object based on a height of the detection object and an area of ​​the detection object. (Appendix 12) The method includes a volume information acquisition procedure, a mixing processing amount calculation procedure, a foreign matter detection procedure, a mixing instruction procedure, a mixing determination procedure, and an output procedure. the volume information acquisition step acquires volume information of a detection target; the stirring processing amount calculation step calculates a necessary stirring processing amount of the detection object required for foreign matter detection based on the volume information; the foreign matter detection step detects a foreign matter contained in the detection target; The output procedure includes: If the detection target contains a foreign object, output a message indicating that a foreign object is present; If the detection target does not contain any foreign matter and the amount of agitation processing reaches the required amount of agitation processing, an output indicating that no foreign matter is present is output. the stirring instruction step generates stirring instruction information for instructing stirring of the detection target object based on the required stirring processing amount when the stirring processing amount does not reach the required stirring processing amount; the output step outputs the stirring instruction information; the stirring determination step includes determining a stirring state of the detection object; repeating the foreign matter detection step, the stirring instruction step, the stirring determination step, and the output step until the stirring processing amount reaches the required stirring processing amount; A program for causing a computer to execute each of the above procedures. (Appendix 13) the foreign object detection step includes acquiring a first detection object image obtained by capturing an image of the detection object, and detecting a foreign object included in the detection object based on the first detection object image; When a foreign object is detected in the detection object based on the first detection object image, the output step outputs a message indicating that a foreign object is present; If no foreign matter is detected in the detection target based on the first detection target image, the foreign matter detection step includes determining whether the stirring amount of the foreign matter detection target reaches the required stirring amount; When the amount of mixing has reached the required amount of mixing, the output step outputs that no foreign matter is present, When the stirring processing amount does not reach the required stirring processing amount, the stirring instruction step generates the stirring instruction information, the output step outputs the stirring instruction information; the stirring determination step includes acquiring a second detection target image obtained by capturing an image of the detection target, extracting a difference between the first detection target image and the second detection target image to generate a difference target image, determining that stirring is complete as the stirring state when an area of ​​the difference target image exceeds a threshold, and adding up a stirring processing amount; When it is determined that the stirring is completed, the foreign object detection step includes acquiring a third detection object image obtained by capturing an image of the detection object, and detecting a foreign object included in the detection based on the third detection object image; When a foreign object is detected in the detection object based on the third detection object image, the output step outputs a message indicating that a foreign object is present; repeating the foreign matter detection procedure, the stirring instruction procedure, the stirring determination procedure, and the output procedure until the stirring processing amount reaches the required stirring processing amount; The program described in Appendix 12. (Appendix 14) 14. The program according to claim 13, wherein the foreign object detection step inputs at least one of the first detection target image and the third detection target image into a foreign object detection model, and determines whether the detection target includes a foreign object. (Appendix 15) the volume information acquisition step includes a height acquisition step, an area calculation step, and a volume estimation step; the height acquisition step acquires a height of a detection target; the area calculation step includes acquiring an area calculation image obtained by capturing an image of the detection target, and calculating an area of ​​the detection target based on the area calculation image; 15. The program according to any one of appendices 12 to 14, wherein the volume estimation step estimates volume information of the detection target based on a height of the detection target and an area of ​​the detection target. (Appendix 16) A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program according to any one of appendices 12 to 15. [Industrial Applicability]

[0072] According to the present invention, it is possible to detect a foreign object buried in a detection target, and therefore the present invention is widely useful in fields related to the detection of foreign objects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 10, 10A Foreign object detection device 11 Volume information acquisition unit 111 Height acquisition unit 112 Area calculation part 113 Volume Estimation Unit 12 Mixing processing amount calculation unit 13 Foreign object detection unit 14 Mixing indicator 15 Mixing judgment unit 16 Output section 101 CPU 102 memory 103 Bus 104 Storage device 105 Programs 106 Input Device 107 Output Device 108 Communication Devices

Claims

1. The device includes a volume information acquisition unit, a mixing processing amount calculation unit, a foreign matter detection unit, a mixing instruction unit, a mixing determination unit, and an output unit, the volume information acquisition unit acquires volume information of a detection object; the stirring processing amount calculation unit calculates a necessary stirring processing amount of the detection object required for foreign matter detection based on the volume information, the foreign object detection unit acquires a first detection object image obtained by capturing an image of the detection object, and detects a foreign object included in the detection object based on the first detection object image; When a foreign object is detected in the detection object based on the first detection object image, the output unit outputs a message indicating that a foreign object is present; When a foreign object is not detected in the detection object based on the first detection object image, the foreign object detection unit determines whether the amount of stirring processing of the detection object has reached the required amount of stirring processing; When the amount of agitation processing has reached the required amount of agitation processing, the output unit outputs that there is no foreign matter, When the stirring processing amount does not reach the required stirring processing amount, the stirring instruction unit generates stirring instruction information, the output unit outputs the stirring instruction information, the stirring determination unit acquires a second detection target image obtained by capturing an image of the detection target, extracts a difference between the first detection target image and the second detection target image to generate a difference target image, and when an area of ​​the difference target image exceeds a threshold, determines that stirring is complete as a stirring state, and adds up a stirring processing amount; When it is determined that the stirring is completed, the foreign object detection unit acquires a third detection object image obtained by capturing an image of the detection object, and detects a foreign object included in the detection based on the third detection object image; When a foreign object is detected in the detection object based on the third detection object image, the output unit outputs a message indicating that a foreign object is present; repeating the processes by the foreign matter detection unit, the stirring instruction unit, the stirring determination unit, and the output unit until the stirring processing amount reaches the required stirring processing amount; Foreign object detection device.

2. The foreign object detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the foreign object detecting unit inputs at least one of the first detection object image and the third detection object image into a foreign object detection model to determine whether the detection object includes a foreign object.

3. the volume information acquisition unit includes a height acquisition unit, an area calculation unit, and a volume estimation unit; the height acquisition unit acquires the height of the detection object, the area calculation unit acquires an area calculation image obtained by capturing an image of the detection target, and calculates an area of ​​the detection target based on the area calculation image; The foreign object detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the volume estimating unit estimates the volume information of the detection object based on a height and an area of ​​the detection object.

4. A garbage disposal device comprising the foreign object detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The method includes a volume information acquisition step, a mixing processing amount calculation step, a foreign matter detection step, a mixing instruction step, a mixing determination step, and an output step, the volume information acquisition step acquires volume information of the detection object; the stirring processing amount calculation step calculates a necessary stirring processing amount of the detection object required for foreign matter detection based on the volume information, the foreign object detection step includes acquiring a first detection object image by capturing an image of the detection object, and detecting a foreign object included in the detection object based on the first detection object image; When a foreign object is detected in the detection object based on the first detection object image, the output step outputs a message indicating that a foreign object is present; When a foreign object is not detected in the detection object based on the first detection object image, the foreign object detection step determines whether an agitation processing amount of the detection object reaches the required agitation processing amount, When the amount of agitation processing has reached the required amount of agitation processing, the output step outputs that no foreign matter is present, When the stirring amount does not reach the required stirring amount, the stirring instruction step generates stirring instruction information, The output step outputs the stirring instruction information, The stirring determination step includes acquiring a second detection target image obtained by capturing an image of the detection target, extracting a difference between the first detection target image and the second detection target image to generate a difference target image, determining that stirring is complete as a stirring state when an area of ​​the difference target image exceeds a threshold, and adding up a stirring processing amount; When it is determined that the stirring is completed, the foreign object detection step includes acquiring a third detection object image obtained by capturing an image of the detection object, and detecting a foreign object included in the detection based on the third detection object image; When a foreign object is detected in the detection object based on the third detection object image, the output step outputs a message indicating that a foreign object is present; The foreign matter detection step, the stirring instruction step, the stirring determination step, and the output step are repeated until the stirring amount reaches the required stirring amount. Foreign object detection methods.

6. 6. The foreign object detection method according to claim 5, wherein the foreign object detection step inputs at least one of the first detection object image and the third detection object image into a foreign object detection model, and determines whether or not the detection object includes a foreign object.

7. The method includes a volume information acquisition procedure, a mixing processing amount calculation procedure, a foreign matter detection procedure, a mixing instruction procedure, a mixing determination procedure, and an output procedure. the volume information acquisition step acquires volume information of a detection target; the stirring processing amount calculation step calculates a necessary stirring processing amount of the detection object required for foreign matter detection based on the volume information; the foreign object detection step includes acquiring a first detection object image obtained by capturing an image of the detection object, and detecting a foreign object included in the detection object based on the first detection object image; When a foreign object is detected in the detection object based on the first detection object image, the output step outputs a message indicating that a foreign object is present; When a foreign object is not detected in the detection object based on the first detection object image, the foreign object detection step determines whether an agitation processing amount of the detection object reaches the required agitation processing amount; When the amount of mixing has reached the required amount of mixing, the output step outputs that no foreign matter is present, When the stirring processing amount does not reach the required stirring processing amount, the stirring instruction step generates stirring instruction information, the output step outputs the stirring instruction information; the stirring determination step includes acquiring a second detection target image obtained by capturing an image of the detection target, extracting a difference between the first detection target image and the second detection target image to generate a difference target image, determining that stirring is complete as a stirring state when an area of ​​the difference target image exceeds a threshold, and adding up a stirring processing amount; When it is determined that the stirring is completed, the foreign object detection unit acquires a third detection object image obtained by capturing an image of the detection object, and detects a foreign object included in the detection based on the third detection object image; When a foreign object is detected in the detection object based on the third detection object image, the output unit outputs a message indicating that a foreign object is present; repeating the foreign matter detection step, the stirring instruction step, the stirring determination step, and the output step until the stirring processing amount reaches the required stirring processing amount; A program for causing a computer to execute each of the above procedures.

8. A computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to claim 7 is recorded.

Images