Monitoring method and monitoring apparatus for conveying device

Abstract

Provided is a monitoring method for a conveying device. The method comprises: acquiring data concerning the conveying status of a conveying device; on the basis of the data, identifying carriers that travel on the conveying device; in response to the carriers having been identified, detecting predefined information related to the carriers; on the basis of the detected predefined information, determining whether the carriers have been in a target condition; and when it is determined that the carriers have been in the target condition, generating prompt information corresponding to the target condition.

Description

Monitoring method and monitoring device for conveying equipment

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202311107431.3 filed on August 30, 2023. The contents of the above-mentioned Chinese patent application disclosure are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety as a part of this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a monitoring method and a monitoring device for conveying equipment, and in particular to a monitoring method for a vehicle riding on conveying equipment, a monitoring device for executing the monitoring method, a monitoring device including the monitoring device, and a conveying system including the monitoring device. Background Art

[0004] Conveyor equipment is widely used in places such as supermarkets, shopping malls, train stations, airports, and factories to transport passengers and / or related vehicles. For example, supermarkets have escalators between floors for shoppers and shopping carts, airports have luggage conveyors for passengers and luggage carts, and factories have cargo conveyors for material carts. While vehicles offer convenience to users, they also increase safety risks. Monitoring such conveyor equipment, particularly monitoring various aspects of the vehicles and issuing timely alerts, can help avoid these safety risks or reduce the severity of their consequences.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for monitoring a conveyor is provided. The method includes: acquiring data regarding the conveyor's conveying status; identifying a vehicle riding the conveyor based on the data; in response to identifying the vehicle, detecting predefined information related to the vehicle; determining whether the vehicle is in a target condition based on the detected predefined information; and, if the vehicle is determined to be in the target condition, generating prompt information corresponding to the target condition.

[0007] Optionally, the target condition includes at least one of: the vehicle is approaching the entrance of the conveying device; the vehicle is approaching the exit of the conveying device; the vehicle is on the conveying device and has relative movement with it; the vehicle is too close to an adjacent vehicle; there are too many loads on the vehicle; and / or loads on the vehicle fall off.

[0008] Optionally, the target condition includes the vehicle approaching the entrance of the conveying equipment; the predefined information includes the distance of the vehicle from the entrance of the conveying equipment; the determination includes determining that the vehicle is approaching the entrance based on the distance not exceeding a first threshold distance; and the prompt information includes information prompting the vehicle's brake to be placed in a braking position.

[0009] Optionally, the target condition includes the vehicle approaching the exit of the conveying equipment; the predefined information includes the distance of the vehicle from the exit of the conveying equipment; the determination includes determining that the vehicle is approaching the exit based on the distance not exceeding a second threshold distance; and the prompt information includes information prompting the brake of the vehicle to be placed in a release position.

[0010] Optionally, the target condition includes the vehicle being on the conveying device and having relative movement therewith; the predetermined information includes the distance of the vehicle from the entrance and the distance of the vehicle from the exit; determining that the vehicle is on the conveying device includes: determining that the vehicle is on the conveying device based on the distance of the vehicle from the entrance and the distance of the vehicle from the exit are both less than the distance between the entrance and the exit; the prompt information includes information prompting to place the brake of the vehicle in the braking position.

[0011] Optionally, the target condition includes the vehicle being on the conveying device and having relative movement therewith; the predefined information also includes changes in the distance of the vehicle from the entrance over time; determining that the vehicle and the conveying device have relative movement includes: determining that the vehicle and the conveying device have relative movement based on the distance of the vehicle from the entrance remaining unchanged or decreasing over time.

[0012] Optionally, the target condition includes the vehicle being on the conveying device and having relative movement therewith; the predefined information also includes the moving speed of the vehicle relative to the stationary reference object and the conveying speed of the conveying device; determining that the vehicle and the conveying device have relative movement also includes: determining that the vehicle and the conveying device have relative movement based on the distance of the vehicle from the entrance increasing over time and the absolute value of the difference between the moving speed of the vehicle and the conveying speed exceeding a speed difference threshold.

[0013] Optionally, the target condition includes the vehicle being too close to an adjacent vehicle; the predefined information includes the distance between the vehicle and the adjacent vehicle; the determination includes: determining that the vehicle is too close to the adjacent vehicle based on the distance between the vehicle and the adjacent vehicle being less than a third threshold distance, and the prompt information includes information prompting that the vehicle is too close to the adjacent vehicle.

[0014] Optionally, the target condition includes too much load on the vehicle; the predefined information includes the size of the load on the vehicle; the determination includes determining that there are too many vehicles based on the size of the load exceeding a size threshold; and the prompt information includes information prompting to reduce the load.

[0015] Optionally, the target condition includes the falling of the load on the vehicle; the predefined information includes the change in the size of the load on the vehicle over time; the judgment includes judging that the load has fallen based on the percentage of the size of the load decreasing over time exceeding a percentage threshold; the prompt information includes information prompting the falling of the load.

[0016] Optionally, detecting the moving speed of the carrier relative to the stationary reference object includes: detecting the change in the distance between the carrier and the entrance of the conveying equipment per unit time to detect the moving speed.

[0017] Optionally, the distance between the carrier and the entrance is the distance between the carrier and the intersection line of the comb plates at the entrance.

[0018] Optionally, the distance between the vehicle and the exit is the distance between the vehicle and the intersection line of the comb plates at the exit.

[0019] Optionally, the prompt information is presented in an auditory form and / or a visual form.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a monitoring device for a transmission device is provided, comprising: a processor; and a memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to execute any of the above methods.

[0021] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a monitoring device is provided. The monitoring device includes one or more sensors and the aforementioned monitoring apparatus. The one or more sensors collect data regarding the transport status of a transport device. The monitoring apparatus obtains the data from the one or more sensors.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a conveying system is provided. The conveying system includes: conveying equipment, one or more sensors, and the aforementioned monitoring device. The one or more sensors are configured to collect data regarding the conveying status of the conveying equipment. The monitoring device obtains the data from the one or more sensors.

[0023] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer storage medium is provided, on which instructions are stored. When the instructions are executed by a processor, the processor is caused to execute any of the monitoring methods described above.

[0024] The monitoring method, monitoring device, and conveying system provided in various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure improve the safety of using conveying equipment by tracking and monitoring various target conditions related to the vehicle and issuing corresponding prompts. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become clearer and easier to understand through the following description of the embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0026] FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of a transmission system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] FIG2 shows a schematic flow chart of a monitoring method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] FIG3 shows a schematic process of a vehicle boarding a conveying device;

[0029] FIG4 shows a hardware block diagram of a monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] FIG5 illustrates a computer storage medium according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0031] FIG6 shows a block diagram of a monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein and can be implemented in many different forms. The described embodiments are intended only to make the present disclosure thorough and complete and to fully convey the concepts of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. The features of the various described embodiments may be combined or replaced with each other unless expressly excluded or should be excluded based on the context.

[0033] Unless otherwise defined, technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure should have the same general meaning as those generally understood by persons skilled in the art in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this disclosure do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components.

[0034] In the drawings, the same reference numerals denote components having the same or similar structures or functions, and repeated descriptions thereof will be omitted in the following description.

[0035] FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of a transmission system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] As previously mentioned, the conveyor equipment described herein is used to transport people or objects from one location to another in applications such as supermarkets, shopping malls, train stations, airports, and factories. Examples include escalators in supermarkets or shopping malls, luggage conveyor belts in airports, and cargo conveyor belts in factories, to name a few. Depending on the application environment, the conveyor equipment may be designed to move objects horizontally, upwardly, or downwardly, for example.

[0037] As shown in the figure, the conveying system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes such a conveying device 11, one or more sensors 12 arranged near the conveying device 11, and a monitoring device 13 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The conveying direction of the conveying device 11 can be horizontal, sloping upward, or sloping downward. The present disclosure does not limit this. The conveying direction of the sloping upward is used as an example in the figure. The one or more sensors 12 are capable of sensing the conveying state of the conveying device 11 and generating data about this conveying state. For example, the one or more sensors 12 may include an image sensor capable of capturing pictures or videos about the conveying device, an infrared sensor capable of sensing the arrival or passage of a person or object at a certain location, and a contact sensor capable of sensing the conveying speed of the conveying belt of the conveying device 11 by contacting the surface of the conveying belt.

[0038] The monitoring device 13 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is capable of communicating with one or more sensors 12 to receive captured data from the one or more sensors, and has the ability to process the data according to the monitoring method described below. As shown in the figure, the monitoring device 13 can be independent of the one or more sensors 12. For example, the monitoring device 13 can be a smart phone, tablet computer, personal computer, server, etc. that communicates with the one or more sensors 12 via a wired or wireless network. However, alternatively, the monitoring device 13 can also be physically integrated with the one or more sensors 12. For example, the one or more sensors 12 can be one or more lenses in a smart camera, and the monitoring device 13 can be a processor embedded in the smart camera.

[0039] The following describes a monitoring method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure performed by the monitoring device 13 .

[0040] FIG2 shows a schematic flow chart of a monitoring method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] 2 , the monitoring method 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include steps S210 to S230 .

[0042] In step S210, data associated with the transmission status of the transmission device 11 is obtained. As described above in conjunction with FIG1 , the monitoring device 13 receives data associated with the transmission status of the transmission device 11 from one or more sensors 12, such as images and / or videos of the transmission device 11.

[0043] In step S215, based on the data, a vehicle that can be used on the conveyor 11 is identified. The vehicle herein includes manual or automatic tools that can be used on different conveyor equipment in different applications to transport items, including but not limited to shopping carts in supermarkets, luggage carts at stations or airports, and cargo trucks in factories or warehouses.

[0044] Depending on the attributes of the data acquired in step S210, various algorithms currently known or to be developed in the future can be used to identify the vehicle riding on the conveying device 11. Taking the data as image and / or video data as an example, the vehicle can be identified from the image or video using currently known image recognition algorithms such as disparity calculation, three-dimensional reconstruction, and feature extraction. For example, the disparity between two images captured by a camera similar to a binocular camera refers to the horizontal offset of corresponding pixels in the two images. By calculating the disparity values ​​of corresponding pixels, the depth information of each pixel can be obtained. This depth information can help map each pixel in the image to a corresponding point in three-dimensional space, thereby obtaining a three-dimensional point cloud representing the spatial position of each object in the captured scene. By extracting features related to the shape, color, texture, etc. of the vehicle in the three-dimensional point cloud, it is determined whether the vehicle exists in the image. The present disclosure does not limit image recognition technology, and in order to avoid blurring the present disclosure, it will not be described in detail.

[0045] In step S220, in response to identifying the vehicle, predefined information related to the vehicle is detected. The predefined information here includes one or more of the following: the position of the vehicle in the world reference system, whether the brake of the vehicle is in the braking position or the released position, the distance between the vehicle and the entrance and / or exit of the conveying device, the distance between the vehicle and adjacent vehicles, the size and / or number of loads on the vehicle, the moving speed of the vehicle, and / or other parameters that can directly or indirectly reflect the relationship between the vehicle itself or the conveying device, and information on the change of such other parameters over time.

[0046] In step S225, it is determined whether the vehicle is in the target state based on the detected predefined information. In step S230, if it is determined that the vehicle is in the target state, prompt information corresponding to the target state is generated.

[0047] The target conditions include but are not limited to at least one of the following: the vehicle is close to the entrance of the conveying equipment, the vehicle is close to the exit of the conveying equipment, the vehicle is on the conveying equipment and has relative movement with the conveying equipment, the vehicle is too close to the adjacent vehicle, there are too many loads on the vehicle, the loads on the vehicle fall, and other conditions that are potentially dangerous or worthy of people's attention.

[0048] Taking an airport as an example, the transport vehicle 13 may be a luggage cart used to help passengers carry their luggage at the airport, and the conveying device 11 may be a conveyor belt used to convey passengers and luggage carts at the airport.

[0049] For example, when a passenger brings a luggage cart to the conveyor entrance, they may forget to put the cart's brake (or brake lever) in the braking position (i.e., lift the brake lever), leaving the cart in a sliding state. This is potentially dangerous, especially for conveyors with upward or downward slopes. A sliding cart could rapidly reverse or dive on the conveyor, potentially injuring passengers on or near the conveyor. Therefore, it is desirable to prompt passengers to lift the cart's brake lever when the cart approaches the conveyor entrance. Therefore, the monitoring device 13 monitors the approach of the cart to the conveyor entrance based on one or more of the aforementioned predefined information (i.e., step S225), and generates an audible and / or visual prompt when this condition is detected (i.e., step S230). This prompt can be a voice message played through a speaker, or a text message or image displayed on a display. For example, when the monitoring device 13 determines that the cart is at the conveyor entrance, it broadcasts a voice message through the speaker: "You are about to enter or have already entered the conveyor. Please lift the cart's brake lever!"

[0050] For example, a passenger carrying a luggage cart may forget to release the cart's brake (i.e., press the brake lever) when exiting the conveyor belt exit. This prevents the cart from sliding, potentially preventing it from exiting the conveyor belt in a timely manner, thereby blocking the passengers or luggage carts behind it, or even causing a collision with them. Therefore, it is desirable to prompt passengers to press the cart's brake lever when the cart exits the conveyor belt exit. Therefore, the monitoring device 13 monitors the approach of the cart to the conveyor belt exit based on one or more of the aforementioned predefined information and generates a prompt message when this condition is detected. For example, when the monitoring device 13 determines that the cart is at the conveyor belt exit, it broadcasts a voice message through the speaker: "You are about to exit or have already exited the conveyor belt. Please press the cart's brake lever!"

[0051] For example, while it is expected that a luggage cart will remain stationary relative to the conveyor belt after entering it, it is possible that the cart will move relative to the conveyor belt after entering it. This can occur if a passenger fails to engage the cart's brake lever or fails to fully engage the conveyor belt (for example, if a passenger leans on the cart with their arm pressed against the brake lever, but once their arm is lifted, the cart will become slidable). This can cause the cart to roll back or dive on the conveyor belt, potentially injuring a passenger. Therefore, it is also desirable to continuously monitor whether the cart is moving relative to the conveyor belt after entering it. Therefore, the monitoring device 13 monitors whether the cart is on the conveyor belt and moving relative to the conveyor belt based on one or more of the aforementioned predefined information (step S225), and generates a prompt message when this condition is detected (step S230). For example, if the monitoring device 13 determines that the cart is on the conveyor belt and moving relative to the conveyor belt, a voice message is broadcast through the speaker: "You are on the conveyor belt. Please keep the cart's brake lever lifted!"

[0052] For example, two or more luggage carts may be too close to each other on a conveyor belt, causing collisions, friction, or even blocking the conveyor belt, resulting in damage to passengers, luggage carts, and / or items on the carts. Therefore, it is also desirable to monitor whether a luggage cart is too close to its neighboring carts (step S225) and generate a prompt message when this condition is detected (step S230). For example, if the monitoring device 13 determines that a luggage cart is too close to its neighboring carts, a voice message "Attention, your luggage cart is too close to another cart!" is broadcast through the speaker.

[0053] For example, passengers may overstack luggage on a luggage cart, making it unstable and potentially creating numerous safety hazards. These include the cart tipping over, luggage falling, and the possibility of luggage squeezing and colliding with each other. Passengers may also experience obstructed vision or be injured by excessive force when pushing the cart. Therefore, it is desirable to monitor whether the luggage cart is overstacked (step S225) and generate a prompt message (step S230) when this condition is detected. For example, if the monitoring device 13 determines that a particular luggage cart is overstacked, a voice message "Overloaded luggage, please remove some!" is broadcast through the speaker.

[0054] For example, regardless of whether or not there is excessive luggage stacked on a luggage cart, there is a chance that luggage may suddenly fall. This situation could block other passengers or the luggage cart, and is particularly dangerous for upward or downward sloping conveyors, as fallen luggage could roll rapidly and injure passengers on the conveyor or even pedestrians near the conveyor. Given this, it is also desirable to monitor whether luggage on a luggage cart has fallen (step S225) and generate a prompt message (step S230) when this situation is detected. For example, if the monitoring device 13 determines that luggage on a luggage cart has fallen, a voice message "Luggage has fallen, please be careful to avoid it!" is broadcast through the speaker.

[0055] In this way, the monitoring method 200 according to the present disclosure and the monitoring device 13 implementing the monitoring method can detect whether one or more of the aforementioned target conditions occur, and generate corresponding prompt information when their occurrence is detected to improve the safety of using the transmission equipment.

[0056] 3 , still taking an airport conveyor belt and a luggage cart as an example, the following describes in more detail how steps S220 to S230 may be performed for each of the aforementioned target conditions.

[0057] FIG. 3 shows a schematic process of a vehicle boarding a conveying device.

[0058] Referring to Figure 3 , the exemplary conveyor device 11 is an upwardly inclined conveyor belt 11, conveying luggage in an upward rightward direction. A luggage cart 14 enters the conveyor belt 11's entrance from the left side, is transported by the conveyor belt 11 to the conveyor belt's exit, and then exits the conveyor belt 11 to the right side. The conveyor belt 11 has comb plates at both its entrance and exit. Point A in the figure indicates the intersection of the comb plates at the entrance, and point B indicates the intersection of the comb plates at the exit.

[0059] In the first stage of this process, a baggage cart 14 travels from the left side of the conveyor belt 11 toward the entrance of the conveyor belt 11, intending to board the conveyor belt 11. One or more image sensors 12 positioned near the entrance of the conveyor belt 11 can capture the baggage cart 14, thereby generating an image or video containing the baggage cart 14. Step S210, performed by the monitoring device 13, may include acquiring the image or video from the image sensor 12. Step S215, performed by the monitoring device 13, may include identifying the baggage cart 14 from the image or video by executing an image recognition algorithm. In response to identifying the baggage cart 14, steps S220 and S225, performed by the monitoring device 13, may be performed to determine whether the baggage cart 14 is approaching the entrance of the conveyor belt 11. Based on this, step S220, performed by the monitoring device 13, may include detecting a distance D1 between the baggage cart 14 and the entrance of the conveyor belt 11. As shown in the figure, distance D1 is the distance between the geometric center of the baggage cart and the intersection point A of the comb plates at the entrance. Step S225 performed by the monitoring device 13 may include determining whether the luggage cart 14 is at the entrance of the conveyor belt 11 based on the detected distance D1. For example, the luggage cart 14 may be determined to be near the entrance of the conveyor belt 11 based on the distance D1 not exceeding the first threshold distance T1. If the luggage cart 14 is determined to be near the entrance of the conveyor belt 11, step S230 performed by the monitoring device 13 may include generating a prompt message in voice, text, image, or other auditory or visual form, such as "You are about to enter or have already entered the conveyor belt. Please lift the luggage cart brake lever!" This prompt message may be broadcast or displayed via a speaker or display that is in communication with the monitoring device 13 or is part of the monitoring device 13 itself.

[0060] The distance D1 here can be the distance from the entrance of the conveyor belt 11 to the baggage cart 14 before it is boarded (to the left of the entrance of the conveyor belt 11 in the figure) or the distance from the entrance of the conveyor belt 11 to the baggage cart 14 after it is boarded (to the right of the entrance of the conveyor belt 11 in the figure). In other words, the baggage cart 14 is considered to be close to the entrance of the conveyor belt 11 whether it is about to board the conveyor belt 11 or has just boarded the conveyor belt 11.

[0061] In the second stage of the process, after the baggage cart 14 is mounted on the conveyor belt 11, that is, after the geometric center of the baggage cart 14 passes the intersection position A of the comb plates at the entrance in the figure. One or more image sensors 12 arranged near the conveyor belt 11 can capture the baggage cart 14, thereby generating an image or video containing the baggage cart 14. Step S210 performed by the monitoring device 13 may include obtaining the images or videos captured by these image sensors 12. Step S215 performed by the monitoring device 13 may include identifying the baggage cart 14 from these images or videos by executing an image recognition algorithm. In response to identifying the baggage cart 14, the purpose of steps S220 and S225 performed by the monitoring device 13 may include detecting whether the baggage cart 14 is on the conveyor belt 11 and detecting whether the baggage cart 14 is moving relative to the conveyor belt 11.

[0062] To detect whether the luggage cart 14 is on the conveyor belt 11 and whether the luggage cart 14 is moving relative to the conveyor belt 11, step S220 performed by the monitoring device 13 may include detecting both the distance D1 between the luggage cart 14 and the entrance of the conveyor belt 11 and the distance D2 between the luggage cart 14 and the exit of the conveyor belt 11, and detecting changes in either distance D1 or distance D2 over time. As shown, distance D1 is the distance between the geometric center of the luggage cart 14 and point A, the intersection of the comb plates at the entrance of the conveyor belt 11, and distance D2 is the distance between the geometric center of the luggage cart 14 and point B, the intersection of the comb plates at the exit of the conveyor belt 11. Step S225 performed by the monitoring device 13 may include determining that the luggage cart 14 is on the conveyor belt 11 based on both distance D1 and distance D2 being less than the distance D3 between points A and B, and determining that the luggage cart 14 is moving relative to the conveyor belt 11 based on the fact that distance D1 remains constant or decreases over time, or that distance D2 remains constant or increases over time.

[0063] It is understood that if the distance D1 between the luggage cart 14 and the intersection line A of the comb plates at the entrance remains unchanged over time while the luggage cart 14 is already on the conveyor belt 11, it indicates that the luggage cart 14 is not moving with the conveyor belt 11. Alternatively, if the distance D1 between the luggage cart 14 and the intersection line A of the comb plates at the entrance even decreases over time, it indicates that the luggage cart 14 is moving in the opposite direction of the conveyor belt 11. This is undesirable, especially for an upwardly sloping conveyor belt 11 as shown in the figure, as the reverse movement of the luggage cart 14 could easily cause injury to multiple passengers.

[0064] Furthermore, step S220 executed by the monitoring device 13 may also include the moving speed of the luggage cart 14 relative to a stationary reference object, i.e., the absolute speed. For example, the stationary reference object may be the intersection of the comb plates at the entrance of the conveyor belt 11, and the moving speed of the luggage cart 14 may be the change in the distance D1 between the luggage cart 14 and the intersection of the comb plates at the entrance per unit time, i.e., v1 = ΔD1 / Δt. Step S225 executed by the monitoring device 13 may also include determining whether the distance D1 increases over time and the absolute value of the difference between the moving speed v1 of the luggage cart 14 and the conveying speed v2 of the conveyor belt 11 exceeds a speed difference threshold T. v , that is, |Δv|=|v1-v2|≥T v , to determine that there is relative movement between the luggage cart 14 and the conveyor belt 11.

[0065] It is understood that when a luggage cart 14 is already on the conveyor belt 11 and the distance D1 between its geometric center and the intersection point A of the comb plates at the entrance increases over time, the luggage cart 14 may not necessarily be stationary relative to the conveyor belt; it may also move relative to the conveyor belt in the conveying direction or in the opposite direction. For example, the luggage cart 14 may be in a movable state due to lack of effective braking, i.e., it may move forward and backward relative to the conveyor belt. In one example, the luggage cart 14 may move in the conveying direction at a speed greater than the conveying speed of the conveyor belt 11. When this speed is slightly greater than the conveying speed (for example, when a passenger is pushing the luggage cart 14 and walking slowly on the conveyor belt), this speed is within an acceptable range. However, when this speed is significantly greater than the conveying speed, such as on a downwardly sloping conveyor belt 11, where the slope causes the luggage cart 14 to move much faster than the conveying speed of the conveyor belt 11, the luggage cart 14 may lose control, potentially injuring multiple passengers. In another example, the luggage cart 14 may move in its conveying direction at a speed slower than the conveyor belt's speed. That is, although the luggage cart 14 is also moving in the direction of the conveyor belt's exit, its moving speed is slower than the conveying speed of the conveyor belt 11. When this moving speed is slightly slower than the conveying speed (for example, when obstacles such as small stones reduce the speed of the luggage cart 14), this moving speed is still within an acceptable range. However, when this moving speed is much slower than the conveying speed, it may cause a blockage or even a collision. Therefore, when the absolute value of the difference between the moving speed v1 of the luggage cart 14 and the conveying speed v2 of the conveyor belt 11 exceeds the speed difference threshold T v It is also determined that there is relative movement between the luggage cart 14 and the conveyor belt 11, which is beneficial to improving safety.

[0066] When it is determined that the luggage cart 14 is on the conveyor belt 11 and is moving relative to the conveyor belt 11, step S230 performed by the monitoring device 13 may include generating a prompt message in voice, text, image, or other auditory or visual form: "You are on the conveyor belt. Please keep the luggage cart brake lever raised!" This prompt message can also be broadcast or displayed via a speaker or display that is in communication with the monitoring device 13 or is part of the monitoring device 13 itself.

[0067] It should be noted that the conveying speed of the conveyor belt 11 can generally be directly obtained from the controller / control cabinet / control center of the conveyor belt 11. The monitoring device 13 can calculate the temporal change in the distance D1 between the luggage cart 14 and the intersection line of the comb plates at the entrance of the conveyor belt 11 based on the position of the luggage cart 14 identified in multiple temporally consecutive image frames captured by one or more image sensors 12, and thus calculate its moving speed.

[0068] In the third stage of the process, when the baggage cart 14 reaches the exit of the conveyor belt 11 and is about to exit, one or more image sensors 12 positioned near the exit of the conveyor belt 11 can capture the baggage cart 14, thereby generating an image or video containing the baggage cart 14. Step S210, performed by the monitoring device 13, may include acquiring the image or video from the one or more image sensors 12. Step S215, performed by the monitoring device 13, may include identifying the baggage cart 14 from the image or video by executing an image recognition algorithm. In response to identifying the baggage cart 14, steps S220 and S225, performed by the monitoring device 13, may be performed to determine whether the baggage cart 14 is approaching the exit of the conveyor belt 11. Based on this, step S220, performed by the monitoring device 13, may include detecting the distance D2 between the baggage cart 14 and the exit of the conveyor belt 11. As shown in the figure, distance D2 is the distance between the geometric center of the baggage cart and the intersection point B of the comb plates at the entrance. Step S225 performed by the monitoring device 13 may include determining whether the luggage cart 14 is at the exit of the conveyor belt 11 based on the detected distance D2. For example, the luggage cart 14 may be determined to be near the exit of the conveyor belt 11 based on the distance D2 not exceeding the first threshold distance T2. If the luggage cart 14 is determined to be near the exit of the conveyor belt 11, step S230 performed by the monitoring device 13 may include generating a prompt message in voice, text, image, or other auditory or visual form, such as "You are about to exit or have already exited the conveyor belt. Please press the luggage cart brake lever!" This prompt message may also be broadcast or displayed via a speaker or display that is in communication with the monitoring device 13 or is part of the monitoring device 13 itself.

[0069] The distance D2 here can be the distance from the exit of the conveyor belt 11 to the baggage cart 14 before it exits (to the left of the exit in the figure) or the distance from the exit of the conveyor belt 11 to the baggage cart 14 immediately after it exits (to the right of the exit in the figure). In other words, the baggage cart 14 is considered to be close to the exit of the conveyor belt 11 whether it is about to exit the conveyor belt 11 or has just exited the conveyor belt 11.

[0070] Furthermore, during all stages of the process, particularly the first stage, when a luggage cart 14 moves from the left side of the conveyor belt 11 toward the entrance of the conveyor belt to board the conveyor belt 11, in response to identifying the luggage cart 14, the purpose of steps S220 and S225 performed by the monitoring device 13 may also include identifying whether there are too many items on the luggage cart 14. Based on this, step S220 performed by the monitoring device 13 may include detecting the dimensions of the luggage on the luggage cart 14, such as the total length L, total width W, total height H, and thus the total volume V of the luggage. Step S225 performed by the monitoring device 13 may include determining that there is too much luggage based on the dimensions of the luggage exceeding corresponding dimension thresholds. For example, step S225 may include determining that there is too much luggage on the luggage cart 14 based on one or more of the following, or a combination of the one or more: the total length L of the luggage exceeds a length threshold T. L , the total width W of the carried object exceeds the width threshold Tw, the total height of the carried object exceeds the height threshold T H , the total volume V of the cargo exceeds the volume threshold T V For example, in one embodiment, step S225 includes determining the total volume V based on the total volume V exceeding the volume threshold T. V Or although the total volume V does not exceed the volume threshold T V But the total height H exceeds the height threshold T H If the luggage is too heavy, the monitoring device 13 may generate a prompt message in the form of voice, text, images, or other auditory or visual form: "The luggage is overloaded. Please take some off!" This prompt message may also be broadcast or displayed via a speaker or display that is in communication with the monitoring device 13 or is part of the monitoring device 13.

[0071] Furthermore, during all stages of this process, particularly the second stage, after the luggage cart 14 has boarded the conveyor belt 11, in response to identifying the luggage cart 14, steps S220 and S225 performed by the monitoring device 13 may also include detecting whether the luggage on the luggage cart 14 has fallen. In this regard, step S220 performed by the monitoring device 13 may also include detecting changes in the dimensions of the luggage on the luggage cart 14, including, for example, changes in the total length of the luggage (L1-L2) / L1, the total width W (W1-W2) / W1, the total height H (H1-H2) / H1, and the resulting change in the total volume V (V1-V2) / V1). L1, W1, H1, and V1 are the total length, total width, total height, and total volume of the luggage before the change, respectively. L2, W2, H2, and V2 are the total length, total width, total height, and total volume of the luggage after the change, respectively. Step S225 performed by the monitoring device 13 may also include determining whether the luggage on the luggage cart 14 has fallen, based on the percentage of the aforementioned dimensional changes exceeding a predetermined threshold value T. ％ To determine if luggage has fallen. In one example, step S230 determines that luggage has fallen based on a decrease in the total volume of the luggage exceeding 30%. If luggage has fallen, step S230 performed by the monitoring device 13 may also include generating a prompt message in the form of voice, text, images, or other auditory or visual form: "Attention, your luggage cart is too close to another luggage cart!" This prompt message may also be broadcast or displayed via a speaker or display that is in communication with the monitoring device 13 or is part of the monitoring device 13 itself.

[0072] Furthermore, during all stages of this process, particularly the second stage, after the luggage cart 14 has boarded the conveyor belt 11, in response to identifying the luggage cart 14, steps S220 and S225 executed by the monitoring device 13 may also include determining whether the luggage cart 14 is too close to a neighboring luggage cart 14. To this end, step S220 executed by the monitoring device 13 may also include detecting the distance D4 between the luggage cart 14 and its neighboring luggage cart. For example, distance D4 may be the distance between the right front wheels of two neighboring luggage carts 14. Step S225 executed by the monitoring device 13 may also include determining that the luggage cart 14 is too close to a neighboring luggage cart based on the distance D4 being less than a third threshold distance T3. If the luggage cart 14 is determined to be too close to a neighboring luggage cart, step S230 executed by the monitoring device 13 may include generating a prompt message in the form of voice, text, or images: "Luggage has fallen, please avoid!" This prompt message may also be broadcast or displayed via a speaker or display, etc., that is in communication with the monitoring device 13 or is part of the monitoring device 13 itself.

[0073] In this way, according to the monitoring method 200 and the monitoring device 13 of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the conveying equipment, especially the carrier riding on the conveying equipment, performs monitoring of target conditions such as the carrier approaching the entrance of the conveying equipment, the carrier approaching the exit of the conveying equipment, the carrier on the conveying equipment and having relative movement with the conveying equipment, the carrier being too close to the adjacent carrier, there being too much load on the carrier, and the load on the carrier falling, and issues appropriate prompt information when these target conditions are monitored, thereby avoiding dangers or reducing the severity of the consequences caused by these dangers.

[0074] FIG4 is a hardware block diagram of the monitoring device 13 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0075] The monitoring device 13 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes at least a memory for storing computer program instructions and a processor for executing the computer program instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and run by the processor, the processor executes the aforementioned monitoring method 200.

[0076] As an example, the monitoring device 13 shown in FIG4 may include a central processing unit (CPU) 41, a graphics processing unit (GPU) 42, and a main memory 43, which are interconnected via a bus 44. The central processing unit (CPU) 41 and / or the graphics processing unit (GPU) 42 can be used as the above-mentioned processor, and the main memory 33 can be used as the above-mentioned memory for storing computer program instructions. In addition, the monitoring device 13 may also include a communication unit 45, a storage unit 46, an output unit 47, and an input unit 48, which are also connected to the bus 44. The output unit 47 may include a speaker and / or a display that can be configured to broadcast or display the aforementioned prompt information.

[0077] FIG5 illustrates a computer-readable storage medium according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0078] As shown in Figure 5, a computer-readable storage medium 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure stores computer program instructions 51. When the computer program instructions 51 are executed by a processor, the aforementioned monitoring method 200 is executed.

[0079] The computer-readable storage medium 50 includes, but is not limited to, volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory, and / or any recording medium having the same function as would be appreciated by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. Volatile memory may include, for example, random access memory (RAM) and / or cache memory. Non-volatile memory may include, for example, read-only memory (ROM), a hard disk, a flash memory, an optical disk, a magnetic disk, and the like.

[0080] The computer readable program instructions 41 may be assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, configuration data for an integrated circuit, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk, C++, or similar languages, and procedural programming languages ​​such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages.

[0081] FIG6 illustrates a monitoring device 60 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0082] 6 , monitoring device 60 may include one or more sensors 12 and a monitoring device 13. For example, monitoring device 60 may be a smart camera that includes one or more lenses capable of capturing images and / or videos of a transmitting device and monitoring device 13. Monitoring device 13 obtains the images and / or videos from the one or more lenses to perform the aforementioned monitoring method 200.

[0083] The monitoring method 200, monitoring device 13, monitoring equipment 60 and conveying system 1 described above in conjunction with Figures 1 to 6 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can track and monitor various target conditions related to the vehicle 14 riding on the conveying equipment 11 during the entire conveying process of the conveying equipment 11, and issue corresponding prompt information when these target conditions are monitored to occur, thereby improving the safety of using the conveying equipment.

[0084] Those skilled in the art should understand that the above-mentioned specific embodiments are merely examples and not limitations, and that various modifications, combinations, partial combinations and replacements may be made to the embodiments of the present disclosure according to design requirements and other factors. As long as they are within the scope of the attached claims or their equivalents, they fall within the scope of rights to be protected by the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A monitoring method for a transmission device, comprising: acquiring data regarding a transmission status of the transmission device; identifying a vehicle riding on the conveying device based on the data; In response to identifying the vehicle, detecting predefined information associated with the vehicle; determining whether the vehicle is in a target state based on the detected predefined information; and When it is determined that the vehicle is in a target state, prompt information corresponding to the target state is generated.

2. The monitoring method according to claim 1, wherein: The target condition includes at least one of the following: The vehicle is close to the entrance of the conveying device; The vehicle is close to the exit of the conveying device; The carrier is on the conveying device and has relative movement therewith; The vehicle is too close to an adjacent vehicle; There is too much cargo on the vehicle; and / or The load on the carrier falls down.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The target condition includes the vehicle approaching an entrance of the conveying device; The predefined information includes the distance between the vehicle and the entrance of the conveying device; The determining includes determining that the vehicle is approaching the entrance based on the distance not exceeding a first threshold distance; The prompt information includes information prompting to place the brake of the vehicle in a braking position.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The target condition includes the vehicle approaching an exit of the conveying device; The predefined information includes the distance between the vehicle and the exit of the conveying device; The determining includes determining that the vehicle is approaching the exit based on the distance not exceeding a second threshold distance; The prompt information includes information prompting to place the brake of the vehicle in a released position.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The target condition includes the vehicle being on the conveyor and in relative motion therewith; The predetermined information includes the distance between the vehicle and the entrance and the distance between the vehicle and the exit; The determining that the vehicle is on the conveying device comprises: determining that the vehicle is on the conveying device based on that both the distance of the vehicle from the entrance and the distance of the vehicle from the exit are smaller than the distance between the entrance and the exit; The prompt information includes information prompting to place the brake of the vehicle in a braking position.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The predefined information also includes the change of the distance between the vehicle and the entrance over time; The determining that the vehicle and the conveying device have relative movement includes: determining that the vehicle and the conveying device have relative movement based on whether the distance between the vehicle and the entrance remains unchanged or decreases over time.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: The predefined information also includes the moving speed of the vehicle relative to the stationary reference object and the conveying speed of the conveying device; The determining whether the vehicle and the conveying device have relative movement also includes: determining whether the vehicle and the conveying device have relative movement based on the fact that the distance of the vehicle from the entrance increases over time and the absolute value of the difference between the moving speed of the vehicle and the conveying speed exceeds a speed difference threshold.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The target condition includes the vehicle being too close to an adjacent vehicle; The predefined information includes the distance between the vehicle and adjacent vehicles; The determination includes: determining that the vehicle is too close to the adjacent vehicle based on the distance between the vehicle and the adjacent vehicle being less than a third threshold distance, and The prompt information includes information indicating that the vehicle is too close to an adjacent vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The target condition includes too much cargo on the vehicle; The predefined information includes the size of the object on the vehicle; The determining includes determining that the vehicles are excessive based on the size of the vehicles exceeding a size threshold; The prompt information includes information prompting to reduce the carried object.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The target condition includes the falling of the carried object on the carrying vehicle; The predefined information includes the change of the size of the carried object on the carrying vehicle over time; The determining includes determining that the carried object has fallen based on a percentage of a size of the carried object decreasing over time exceeding a percentage threshold; The prompt information includes information prompting that the carried object has fallen.

11. The method according to claim 4, wherein: Detecting the moving speed of the carrier relative to the stationary reference object includes: detecting the change in the distance of the carrier from the entrance of the conveying device within a unit time to detect the moving speed.

12. The method according to claim 3, 5 or 11, wherein: The distance between the carrier and the entrance is the distance between the carrier and the intersection line of the comb plates at the entrance.

13. The method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: The distance between the carrier and the exit is the distance between the carrier and the intersection line of the comb plates at the exit.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The prompt information is presented in an auditory form and / or a visual form.

15. A monitoring device for a transmission device, comprising: processor; A memory having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. A monitoring device comprising: one or more sensors for collecting data about the conveying status of the conveying device; The monitoring device of claim 15, wherein the data is obtained from the one or more sensors.

17. A conveying system comprising: Conveying equipment; one or more sensors for collecting data about the conveying status of the conveying device; The monitoring device of claim 15, wherein the data is obtained from the one or more sensors.

18. A computer storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

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